Action Figure Overview: Masters of the Universe - Ninjor (Mattel, 1987)
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| Masters of the Universe - Ninjor action figure (1987) |
In
the 1980s, the ninja craze was in full swing.
From movies like The Octagon, Enter the Ninja, American Ninja, and Ninja
Death Squad to video games like Shinobi, Saboteur, and Ninja Gaiden, to comic
books like Daredevil (with characters like Kirigi & Elektra), Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Tick (which made fun of the fact that ninjas were
everywhere) you couldn't get away from ninjas in the 80s. Ninjas started silently creeping onto the
toy shelves at least as early as 1982 with the Eagle Force character
"Savitar," but it was GI Joe's "Storm Shadow" that truly
brought the ninja action figure to the masses in 1984. Remco had Ninja Strike Force, Hasbro had
Ninja Warriors, and Soma had Master Ninjas.
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| GI Joe "Storm Shadow" - Masters of the Universe "Ninjor" - Eagle Force "Savitar" |
The
original Masters of the Universe toys first came out in 1982. Thanks
largely to the TV show, the line was a huge success for Mattel. For the next several years, new figures were
introduced each year all the way through 1988. Because the line was
basically a mix of Science Fiction and Sword & Sorcery, Masters of the
Universe managed to avoid feeling the need for a ninja for almost the entire
run! They already had the character "Jitsu"
who filled the generic martial arts position very well. I guess in 1987, Mattel decided that Jitsu
wasn't quite on-the-nose enough, so they introduced Ninjor!
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| Masters of the Universe 'Ninjor' with his long bow |
The
character "Ninjor" wasn't released until near the end of the line
with the last full wave of figures in 1987 (1988 saw only the release of new
He-Man and Skeletor figures). Because Ninjor came out so late, his image
didn't appear on much merchandise. By
that time, the cartoon had ended and the majority of the mini comics that came
with the figures had already come out, so Ninjor was featured in just one comic
(along with Scare Glow) - "The Search for Keldor."
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| Masters of the Universe - Ninjor action figure (1987) |
The
1987 wave of figures didn't sell as well as previous waves and not as many toys
were produced. Those that were sat on
the pegs much longer that previous waves.
Some of the characters like The Sorceress and King Randor were already
well known because of the cartoon, but Ninjor never received much attention, so
not many Ninjor figures sold compared to most of the other Masters of the
Universe characters. In fact, many
Masters of the Universe fans don't even remember Ninjor. As a result, a complete Ninjor figure sells
for quite a bit these days. In fact, I
never thought I'd have one in my collection, but thanks to John at Scareglowr's
House, I now have a Ninjor to assist Skeletor in his evil quest to rule
Eternia!
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| Ninjor: Such a great ninja that many people don't remember him at all! |
The
figure itself is actually pretty cool...that is if you didn't burn out on
ninjas in the 80s! The figure is molded
in black with red painted 'gloves' and 'boots.' Rather than a new sculpt for the legs, Ninjor was given Skeletor
legs, so he has monster feet instead of human feet. In a relatively expensive move for Mattel, he came with three weapons:
nun chucks, a long bow, and a sword. Plus,
he also has a removable hood and tunic.
That's a lot of extra parts for a dying line of toys! If that weren't enough, in addition to his
spring waist, he also has a spring arm like Jitsu and Fisto so that he could
'chop.' Unfortunately, I don't think
Ninjor showed up anywhere else besides the Masters of the Universe Classics
line, so he remains a relatively obscure character in the MOTU universe.
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| Ninjor with his sword, nun chucks, and long bow |
What do you think of Ninjor? Is he an awesome addition to the MOTU universe or is he a
forgettable character who blends into the shadows? Did you own a Ninjor figure as a kid or do you have one now? Tell me below in the comments!
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