He-Masculated!

Well just when you think you know a toy line, something else appears from the vaults to surprise you. So it was recently, when Woodsy sent me this article about Masters of the Universe. Its not a line that I liked at all, the weird squatting figures did not appeal to me at release and even the later variations did nothing to interest me. Even so, I always liked to see what was available on toy shelves and looked in from a distance. However, something I have never been aware of was this gant figure, who makes poor He-Man look like a puny beach bum by comparison! Go Tytus! Ill let Woodsy take up the story:

As an erstwhile Masters of the Universe toy collector, I was always fascinated by the rare Tytus figure.

Tytus was a giant. At 12 inches tall he towered over his Mattel mates and only his Italian ones at that.

When MOTU toys bottomed in the US in the late Eighties, Tytus was released for Europeans in Italy. I understand a batch was made in Mexico too.

The elusive Italian Tytus came in a huge window box, along with his hefty hammer-like figure grabber. I love the box art illustration at the base - it's so sun-lit

(Pictures from eBay)

The rear box art seems a little sketchy in comparison. The grabber looks like an hair salon hair drier! I've read the original idea was a giant claw, but it didn't grab well enough

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A Mexican version of the Italian Tytus was auctioned some years ago. Apparently it says Mexico on the back of it Tytus's loincloth. It also had Powers of Gray Skull branding on the box.

Tytus fever was sufficient among fans for Mattel to re-release the giant in 2010, albeit in a new, but to my eye, less-appealing package. See what you think. 

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Now sought- after too, there are many fan sites reviewing this figure. One of my favourite review pictures in this one of the big fella clobbering Skeletor.

I'm no Masters expert at all so if any of this info is incorrect please do let me know. Tytus's journey is a twisty one

Being a toy bodger I wAs interested to read that some customizers have made their own Tytus from a 12 inch Triple H wrestler like this. Hmmm, it would have to be cheap for me, I'm as Tytus a duck's backside!