Whiplash is a SEVERELY underrated Masters of the Universe character. I imagine that makes him mad. So, he just decided to channel that rage and become the best damned 200X Cartoon Collection figure yet.
He has always been a top five bad guy in MOTU to me, and I have such fond and vivid memories of playing with that vintage Whiplash figure as a kid. His giant tail made him unique, and his fanged maw gave him a scary and weird look that put him in the elite club with the likes of Mer-Man, Spikor, and Mantenna. He was always a part of Skeletor’s elite group, so any time I get a chance to add him to another MOTU collection, I most certainly welcome it.
For 200X, his designed leaned more heavily into more traditional reptilian features, rather than the monstrous, but he also became a HUGE bruiser in his build. He did retain his trademark tail, complete with a bulbous and spiked end, so he brings the destruction wherever he goes. I like that the show did delve into his character and history to show that he was a rebellious agitator and not aligned with his traditionally peaceful and heroic-aligned people.
This is the first time we are getting a figure of this version of Whiplash. That is to say that, it is his original 200X design (which DOES have a figure) put through the animation filter, and this is a GREAT representation. In fact, even as a die-hard Mer-Man homer, I can easily say, for my money, this Whiplash is the best 200X Cartoon Collection figure yet. In fact, I don’t find it particularly close, even with most of the figures being really solid thus far.
This guy is HUGE. If you thought Clawful, or even Roboto, were big, they have nothing on Whiplash. He towers over the other figures, and he is just about as wide as he is tall, so this figure feels like a nice value, even at the deluxe price point. All of the character details are accomplished nicely, and his portrait is unmistakable to the reference. The paint is nice as well, with no bleed or slop of any consequence. The tail is MASSIVE, too, and it plugs into the back and takes up a lot of room, so he will need to stand away from the back of the display. The peg is just that – a peg – and it does not have any joints to it, which brings me to the weakest part of the figure…
The articulation. It is not bad in terms of the amount. Whiplash fits into the standard Cartoon Origins scheme. His tail only being able to twist is the lone spot where I am kind of railing on the range or movement or functionality of the joint – I wish it could move laterally as well. However, some of the joints, particularly the ankles, are not as strong as I would like them to be, and that is important with a figure of this size and build. Nothing is floppy or anything like that, but I want to be able to rely on some of these joints a bit better, so posing can be slightly limited. Like I said, not bad, I just wish it was better.
Oh, and he doesn’t have any weapons or accessories. I get it, his tail is his weapon, and I cannot think of any other he actually used on the show. But, a new take on his old 200X toy spear thing could be fun, or an artifact from the show that are common in the Cartoon Collection. Yeah, he’s huge and a lot of plastic on his own, but I am still gonna be greedy and want an accessory or two.
Overall though, this is a great figure and VERY striking. I am not even a 200X guy, but I really do love this figure, and as I said, it is my favorite of the line so far. The Whiplash collection grows, and I am glad to have this one. I wish we would have gotten him in the New Eternia line, but here is hoping we see him in Chronicles sooner rather than later.
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