Masters of the Universe Classics: Captain Glenn

When I saw the Black Friday sale going on at Matty Collector, the first figure I looked for was this one. Captain Marlena Glenn was an adventurer and space pilot from Earth who crash landed on a distant planet, became its queen, and was later the mother of that world's greatest hero, He-Man.

Yeah, she's freaking awesome. And this is easily one of the best toys I bought this year.

This is her shut-the-fuck-up gun. I suggest you shut the fuck up.

She actually comes with everything you need to turn her into either Captain Glenn or Queen Marlena. What really impresses me is how well that works. Take a look at what's actually included:

You get an underlying body with two sets of clothes and accessories, two heads, and Cringer thrown in as a bonus. She'd still be the coolest MotU Classics toy I've seen even without Cringer, but it's nice getting something extra.

The dress and vest are both made of very thin plastic, with tabs in back. There is a noticeable line where the edges meet, but it's no worse than the molding lines on most action figures.

Technically, her pilot uniform looks nothing like it did in the original series: that one looked lame; this one looks awesome. She's clearly got a Buck Rogers, pulp SF serial adventurer-vibe going on here, and  I absolutely love it. They have retained the "Rainbow" symbol she was wearing in the episode featuring her, which is a nice throwback. My guess is that they updated and streamlined her outfit, so the underlying color scheme would match her queen outfit. Whatever the reason, it looks fantastic.

Hey Mattel, I hear you're having trouble getting a new He-Man movie green lit. Ever consider starting with a prequel in the vein of John Carter? Just think about it.

The giant laser rifle comes out better in photos, but the hand laser is the standout in person. It's wonderfully evocative of old science fiction movies. The holster is just as fantastic.

Here she is in royal dress. I love both the crown and outfit. If I remember right, the sword is actually intended for her husband. Screw that: she can cut down snake-men on her own. The scepter is fine, but probably the weakest accessory.

Cringer's fun, and as an extra he adds a lot of value to this toy. But, on his own, he's nothing spectacular. Not that he necessarily should be, mind you.

He's got cut joints on his neck and tail, but his legs are sculpted in place.

I will say this: seeing him standing next to Battle Cat explains why everyone doesn't realize they're the same creature. I mean, these toys are in scale, so, markings aside, there's not a lot of similarity.

I love both versions of Marlena, and I'm honestly torn as to which I want to display. I got her for $22.50 on Matty Collector's Black Friday Sale, which I think is a few dollars under retail. All things considered, this set may start out with a hefty price tag, but it more than delivers the value.

I consider this photo definitive proof that she could single-handedly defend Eternia against the forces of Skeletor at least as efficiently as He-Man. She probably just sits it out so she doesn't steal the spotlight from her son.