The Snake Men faction was a late entry to MOTU Origins but dominated the 2023 figure selection. The original five from the Vintage line were recreated as expected. Additional characters padded out the warrior numbers.

This trend began in the 200X era and continued with the MOTU Classics. This expansion has generally worked well, elevating the Snake Men from a handful of survivors of a lost era in Vintage lore to a powerful force for evil.

The Origins Snake Men include some non-retail figures which are shown on the limited editions page. This may be the last substantial chapter of the line, although I should draw your attention to the Sketchbook Series.

The galleries on this page show examples of Snake Men figures released at retail from the Masters of the Universe Origins line. Cross-sell art is included in the galleries if it was made available on card-backs or boxes.

KING HISS

DREADFUL DISGUISED LEADER OF THE SNAKE MEN

King Hiss’s human form looks similar to the Vintage version but with neater sculpting and better articulation. The snake form is rather different, with much chunkier arms and a more detailed head. This is a good action figure.

Even though King Hiss is the leader of the Snake Men faction, he was not distributed as widely as he ought to have been. This suggests that production numbers of Origins figures were in decline, making collecting harder.

RATTLOR

EVIL CREATURE WITH THE QUICK-STRIKE HEAD

Origins Rattlor rattles when shaken but does not include the quick-strike action feature of the original toy. A neck extension piece is used instead. He’s quite ungainly, just like the Vintage one, but he’s still a fun figure.

KOBRA KHAN

EVIL MASTER OF SNAKES

This is a great version of Kobra Khan, a character I’ve liked since he appeared as one of Skeletor’s warriors in the Vintage line. The Origins figure is styled after the original. The spray accessory replaces the action feature.

TUNG LASHOR

CREATURE WITH THE VENOMOUS TONGUE

He’s never looked much like a snake in any of his incarnations, but Tung Lashor has always been one of the best Snake Men, and this remains true for the Origins version. He’s probably one of the top figures in the line.

SNAKE ARMOR SKELETOR

POISONED WITH POWER

This version of Skeletor, supposedly under the control of the Snake Men, derives from a 200X variant. He’s not the most interesting Skeletor in the line by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s nevertheless quite a good figure.

SNAKE TEELA

MIND CONTROLLED SNAKE WOMAN

Another variant from the 200X era, Snake Teela is a creative repaint (with new boots) who is different enough from the standard toy to be a worthwhile addition to the line. The bright colours and markings work well here.

SNAKE TROOPER

SLITHERING CYBORG OF THE SNAKE MEN

Although a version of this army-builder figure first appeared in the Classics line in 2019, the idea for a Snake Trooper actually goes back to Vintage concept artwork. This is a basic figure which uses no original parts.

SNAKE FACE

MOST GRUESOME OF THE SNAKE MEN WARRIORS

This is a good version of Snake Face which is similar in appearance to the original. He cannot hold the shield very well. The designers replicated the Vintage handle on the inside but should have modified it for the Origins figure.

SSSQUEEZE

EVIL LONG-ARMED VIPER

The weirdest of all the Snake Men, and the last to appear in the Vintage line, Sssqueeze is a comedy character but somehow quite intriguing. The arms have the expected flexibility but surprisingly very little shoulder articulation.

SNAKE MEN INFILTRATOR

SLITHERING SPY IN DISGUISE

Here we have a repurposing of a design which first appeared in Classics form in 2011. Snake Men infiltrating the palace guards makes a good story, but it’s a cheeky way to re-sell figures already released in the Origins line.

RATTLE-HOOD

SNAKE MEN SQUAD LEADER

The first of a trio of Snake Men released in the Diabolical Snake Invasion set, Rattle-Hood is a new character that uses no new parts. The colour scheme is really good though, making him a welcome addition to the faction.

GORGON

LOYAL SPY FOR KING HISS

Gorgon also appeared in the Diabolical Snake Invasion set. He uses Rattlor and Kobra Khan parts. He does not have a weapon. The colours are good though, using matte and glossy applications, making him a great figure.

NAGA

EVIL POISON MASTER

The third Snake Man in the Diabolical Snake Invasion set, Naga gets away with being another unarmed repaint because the colours are so effective. It’s a simple but creative way to increase the Snake Men numbers.

REPTILAX

MERCENARY BRUTE OF THE SNAKE MEN

Reptilax is another new character for the faction, so this is the first time he has appeared in toy form. He is a really good figure. His first ever appearance was as an unnamed character in the King of the Snake Men minicomic.

LORD GR’ASP

VENOMOUS VIPER WITH A CRUSHING CLAW

A very good version of a character who originated as concept art for the Vintage line and first appeared as a toy during the Classics line. The decoration on the arms and legs is nicely done.

TERROAR

SHAPESHIFTER WITH A SINISTER SHRIEK

Terroar is another figure who was conceived as concept art but did not make it into figure form until the Classics line. The parts from four figures are reused in this toy. Somehow it works to create an interesting character.

ORIGINS VYPOR

SINISTER EMBODIMENT OF VIPER TOWER

The word Origins was included as part of the character’s name on the packaging, presumably to avoid a copyright infringement. The figure has an articulated jaw and much more head sculpting than is usual for this collection.

NECRO-CONDA

REANIMATED SNAKE MEN SOLDIER

A new character for the Masters of the Universe but one that fits right in. Various glow-in-the-dark parts provide nice touches. Other details such as the bracer decoration are equally impressive. This is one excellent figure.