It is time for a look at the start of an all new year for Masters of the Universe Classics! 2013 is seeing the start of a really special year for MOTUC fans with the release of Netossa a member of the Great Rebellion. Netossa is the captivating beauty from Etheria and shows just what makes the Princess of Power characters so special to the MOTUC line.

Before we get to the figure, it is important for a brief toy history lesson to truly understand why Netossa’s release is so important. There was once a time in the not so distant past that I like to call ‘the end of an era.’ It was actually 1987 and the highly popular Masters of the Universe and Princess of Power toy lines were slowly coming to an end. With so much stock on shelves from over buying on earlier waves, the numbers for the third and final wave of POP were much smaller.

The third wave may have been small, but it packed some heavy hitters. If found on shelves, lucky fans had the opportunity to choose from Bubble Power She-Ra, Shower Power Catra, Netossa, Spinnerella, and Loo-Kee. Each one of these vintage items is extremely rare to find and fetch a pretty penny on the secondary market. Netossa’s mint net worth (ba-dum-bum) usually goes beyond 150 dollars. I had never even expected this third wave in stores. I believe I had seen one of the Catra or She-Ra variants on shelves, but that was the only way I had remotely known about the existence of rare gems like Netossa and Spinnerella.

So exactly what was so special about Netossa? It depends on who you ask, but what isn’t to love? There may have been diversity with the ladies of POP in regards to wild hair colors or fabulous fashions, but many fans were finally happy to see a woman of color introduced to the all white toy line. Other fans would grow to love Netossa as some have long believed that Netossa and Spinnerella could potentially be Etheria’s most popular lesbian couple. Now I have no idea if Mattel will ever go anywhere with that story line, but the vintage Netossa was a very lovely addition to the POP line. She came with a flowy net cape and her overall design was a very intricate and detailed look. If you ever find yourself the lucky owner of a vintage Netossa, count yourself as one lucky collector.

Enough of the history lesson though! There won’t even be a quiz on any of this, so let’s move on to the current Netossa!

Like the other MOTUC releases from the past few years, Netossa arrives in the same packaging along with a POP logo sticker. (Gotta love that POP logo!)

Flipping this package over, we get to see some of the other POP characters that have been released thus far in the MOTUC line. It has taken some time, but the members of the Great Rebellion are finally starting to grow in numbers! (I’m still waiting with bated breath for a Mermista release though.)

A closer look at Netossa’s bio shows some interesting things. First I actually do not mind Netossa’s name. (Though, she will always just be “Netossa” to me.) Her bio did not have much to it, unlike the other MOTUC bios, but I was perfectly fine with that. Netossa only appeared in a couple episodes of the She-Ra cartoon, so there was not much story for her. What I like most about this bio and her story is that it just leaves so much up to fans and collectors to imagine on their own. We get the chance to take part in telling her story.

Ok, so I have to admit, I really geeked out when I opened Netossa. She is just a striking figure. Her design is stunning. She has boots, arm cuffs, a skirt, and bodice that are all newly sculpted and even give us a hint at the reuse of parts for Peekablue. Her cape also doubles as a net to capture enemies and I really love that the Four Horsemen kept the large blue feather details that swoop up around her bodice. It is similar to the vintage item. The use of white and blue is a nice combo as well along with the faint trace of silver. Parts of the blue also have a shimmer that just makes the figure look fantastic. The white on her outfit is also maybe a shade or two lighter than Frosta’s white.

It is her face sculpt though that truly shines for this figure. The Four Horsemen, in my opinion, have sculpted one of the prettiest and graceful of faces from the MOTUC line. I also love that they included a sweep of her blue eye shadow. The older POP toys had very bright and garish eye makeup (it was the 80’s) so it is nice to see a slightly toned down version of that on these newer figures. I also love the wings on the side of her head. Fans were slightly divided by them because the vintage toy had a headdress connected to the wings while this version closely resembles the Filmation ‘toon version. I also love the hair sculpt too, that blue is just vibrant and really pops.

Turning the character around we can see just how big the net cape is. The material is a very soft rubbery plastic and can be removed. The back of the figure also shows off the great sculpting of her hair. The Four Horsemen really know their hair and they have really done a fantastic job of making the hair look like the vintage action dolls without being rooted. (In fact from a glance, my friend thought the hair was rooted and not plastic.)

Netossa’s net was billed as one of her accessories. She can use the net to capture foes in her wake. Also with proper posing Netossa can hold the cape too, which is a nice touch. All nets appear to have a dark spot in the center of the cape, and word from Mattel has it that the spot may appear darker on some capes than others. It is not completely known why the dark spot was designed to be on the cape. Part of it has been explained away as a design choice. The verdict is still out on what the true story was behind the spot, but it doesn’t really matter. It takes nothing away from the figure at all.

One other item that came with Netossa was the requisite POP shield with Netossa’s signature colors. I like that the members of the Great Rebellion continue to be packed with their shields, and for fans that were really hoping for a sword to be packed with Netossa can now rest easy. Mattel has announced that Netossa’s sword will be featured in a future MOTUC Weapon’s Pack. So that is something to look forward to!

So enjoy this little review of Netossa. Unfortunately Netossa sold out on Mattycollector.com, but she can be found on various online stores as well as auction sites like eBay. It is nice to finally own a Netossa figure after all these years (goodness knows I can’t part with a kidney for a vintage one.) Enjoy the pictures and review, and be sure to check back as there will be new monthly MOTUC reviews on NERD Society! Take care everyone.

Grade: A+ It is nice to finally own a Netossa figure and this one is just the best.

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