Mattel Creations had a mystery Masters of the Universe Origins sale slated to go on December 14, 2022. We have known about this for several weeks. Well, Mattel Creations just sent out emails unveiling the mystery MOTU Origins figure that will be on sale on December 14, 2022! That mystery figure is….Space Sumo!
Yeah, I know, Space Sumo was one of the most popular guesses for this mystery sale. And I know that Space Sumo was the least exciting of all the various figures that people thought we might be getting with this mystery sale. I know most people wanted this mystery figure to be Frog Man. However, Frog Man is a figure that is going to be incredibly popular and many fans are excited to get him.
Therefore, I always thought that Mattel is going to want to gin up as much interest as possible in a figure like Frog Man and give fans weeks notice before unveiling him for sale. I just did not see why Mattel Creations would pick such a highly anticipated figure to be a mystery sale that would only be revealed a day or so before the sale. Frog Man is the kind of figure that you put out there a month in advance and create a ton of buzz and excitement. Space Sumo? That is a figure you have as a mystery sale that is unveiled just a day or so before the sale.
This is also not the first time that Space Sumo has been available for sale. Mattel did release a Target-exclusive 3-pack with Sun Man version 2.0, Pig Head, and Space Sumo.
I completely understand that Space Sumo is going to seem like an anticlimactic reveal for many collectors. I also understand that many MOTU collectors are not into these Rulers of the Sun figures. And that is totally fair. The Rulers of the Sun figures are not as exciting or interesting as the regular MOTU figures.
Packaging
Figure
Like all MOTU figures, Space Sumo will be 5.5 inches tall and comes with 16 working joints.
Mattel took the same body for the other Rulers of the Sun figures in Sun Man and Digitino and used it to make Space Sumo. All Mattel did was take Sun Man/Digitino and repaint the body and repaint the gauntlets, briefs, and boots. It is a big disappointment that all of these Rulers of the Sun figures are going to have identical bodies. A little variation at least with the legs or arms would make them less generic to many collectors.
However, I do think that the color combination is pretty cool. I love the bright aqua color paired with the red. This will make for a nice splash of color on your toy shelf.
Space Sumo has the same head sculpt as the Sun Man version 2.0 figure, released in a 3-pack with Pig Head and Space Sumo as a Target exclusive for $50.
It is disappointing that all of the Rulers of the Sun figures have the same bodies. It is even more disappointing that Space Sumo has the same head sculpt as Sun Man version 2.0. For some collectors, all of this will make Space Sumo feel like a generic figure that lacks any real uniqueness or creativity.
Extras
Space Sumo comes with several extras. The first is a gray samurai sword. Space Sumo’s samurai sword is just a repaint of Jitsu’s orange samurai sword. It is a bit disappointing that a figure that is already just a repaint lacks a unique weapon.
Having said that, Space Sumo does come with a cool mask that looks like a ninja wrap. I dig the look of the mask. It is unique and helps make Space Sumo stand out on the toy shelf. Personally, I would only display Space Sumo with his mask on.
Space Sumo also comes with a nice harness. The harness is black and has a diamond pattern on it. I believe this is a brand-new harness. I do not remember any other figure having a harness that looks like this one.
Lastly, Space Sumo does come with a brand-new mini-comic! I know some collectors do not care about the mini-comics. Not me! I am crazy for these mini-comics. I love whenever Mattel gives us a new one. It will be cool having a mini-comic telling the origin of Space Sumo.
Verdict
Space Sumo is a tough figure to recommend buying. Space Sumo is just a repaint of Sun Man version 2.0. The only new accessories you will get with Space Sumo are his mask and harness. That’s about it. To make things worse, you can get the Target-exclusive 3-pack on sale right now for $25. That is a better deal than this Mattel Creations offering of $18 for Space Sumo by himself. Yeah, Space Sumo comes on his own card and has a mini-comic. But, it is tough to recommend buying this Space Sumo just for the mini-comic when you can get that 3-pack at 50% off.
Look, I’m not going to lie. I am going to get this Space Sumo offering. I do want his blister card and mini-comic. But, I cannot recommend that anyone else get this figure. Just get the 3-pack, instead.
