“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” -Alphonse Karr

The more things change, the more they stay the same. I’m really feeling that working on this review. A decade ago, Mattel produced a Snake Armor He-Man figure. I loved that figure; one of my favorite MO2K figures in the whole line. There was just one thing that wasn’t cool about it: the accessories.

On the original, the Snake Armor Sword had an action feature that replicated its appearance in the show. It could open to reveal the powerful crystal inside. It was cool, but it also made the sword gigantic. I had to sell that figure in lean times, I still regret it, and so I can’t show you, but Google it. It was gigantic.

And then there was his Snake Armor Shield… well, except the figure didn’t get that one. Mattel couldn’t cost it out. I really liked the figure, but he just needed that shield. Maybe it was the exposed shoulder!? That missing accessory marks the first time that I turned to a customizer to enhance a figure. This was back in the day before technology helped talented folks mass out their creative output, but it was just the beginning. The hand-cast & poured shield was a fantastic addition to the collection – with just one little caveat. I never got around to painting it.

Flash forward to now. Mattel has again made Snake Armor He-Man! And Mattel has again not included the shield! Doh. One thing was different, we took a step back, Mattel didn’t include a new opening sword; they just threw in the yet another recast of the MO2K sword. Double Doh. So for the second time, I’ve again turned to a talented individual to “complete” my Snake Armor He-Mn: Evil Mike. I’m familiar with Mike’s work, he provided me a sample of his scythe for DCUC Nekron a ways back. It was a great piece and it really allowed me to warm up to a figure I was particularly lukewarm about without that much needed accessory. I knew I’d be getting some great stuff.

And this time, I learned my lesson! When I bought the sword & shield from Mike, I paid extra to have him paint it. Genius!

It took a couple weeks, but when they arrived, they were perfect. The material used on both pieces is sturdy, but flexible – pretty much the exact balance you want on an accessory. The shield was my big want and it looks fantastic. The symbol is spot on and the design is fantastically realized in three dimensions. I was also surprised (I shouldn’t have been) to see some design work on the back of the shield! The c-clip fits great on Snake Armor He-Man and it’s a separate piece that allows the shield to rotate. It’s great for posing. Mike has made the shield available in both extended and retracted versions – I prefer the extended version simply because of the longer shape, but if you prefer the smaller shield, you’re covered.

The sword though? It kinda steals the show! I’m guessing the whole thing is molded in clear green (when you ordered fully painted items from Evil Mike, he places the order from the store and you pay him). This one obviously isn’t gigantic as it’s molded open and doesn’t have to close. Honestly, I didn’t even think about that until I saw it, but it’s so Classics. Rather than try to work out the action feature, just make a second open sword! The sculpt is very faithful and the clear green crystal brings it home. I love it.

Overall, these are great pieces. And they work great with other figures. Marvel Legends Odin has been holding on to them for the last few weeks. I haven’t been opening my MOTUCs until I’m ready to review them, so SA He-Man has been in his plastic prison until just the other day, after I took some pics of Ninjor. Reuniting him with these accessories for the first time, just made opening him that much sweeter. He’s awesome, as I’ll showcase soon, and getting to add these bits to him made it all the sweeter. The “complete” package. To see these, and a ton of other great accessories, check out Evil Mike’s Store.

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