Rattlor vintage figure review thread

[Spacedust]

A very quiet thread last week looking at Multi-Bot - maybe everyone is like me in feeling that it's just a so-so milking of the Modulok concept.

Anyway, it's been quite a while since there was a Snakeman review, so this week, let's turn our attentions towards that spring-necked villain, RATTLOR.

(As I seem to say about a lot of the figures lately), I didn't originally have a Rattlor figure as a kid, but I got not one but two of them in with a large lot that I won on e-bay when I started re-collecting the line 'seriously'.

Rattlor actually has two gimmicks. If you shake him, he produces a rattling sound. But the biggest feature is, if you push a concealed button underneath his tail, his head springs forward.

I could never quite make up my mind about the vintage Rattlor figure. He looked okay, and I liked his colour scheme, but at the same time, his legs looked very short and stubby where his body was big enough to contain his concealed neck. At first I wasn't too keen on his face, but it grew on me.

There is also a well known variation that has a red neck, to match the head and body, instead of the more common yellow. I won one of these figures off of eBay last year - the seller obviously didn't realise what it was and didn't promote it as a variant, allowing me to get it for a really good price.

The Snake Men were released after the Filmation cartoon series had finished, but like Tung Lashor, Rattlor was adapted to be a member of the Horde in 'She-Ra: Princess of Power'. He only looked vaguely like the figure, and was really stupid. He only appeared in the cartoon on a couple of occasions though, with Tung Lashor appearing more regularly.

Rattlor was updated for both the 200x revamp line, and accompanying Mike Young Productions cartoon series. His packaging was changed to 'The General' (name ownership complications as with Fisto?), and is generally (no pun intended) referred to as General Rattlor.

I really liked how the character was updated. As I have said in King Kiss' review thread, I somehow never could identify with Hiss being the leader of the Snake Men. With the 200x revamp, Rattlor is more of a General leader, with King Hssss (new spelling) as a sort of Snake Man idol. I loved how they beefed Rattlor up.

The new figure version gave him armor, which was great (almost looking like a Snake version of He-Man's classic armor), although at the same time detracted from his bold design - but that was okay, as you could simply remove the armor.
The head was okay, although to me looked slightly dog-like!
The features - the rattle and the striking neck - are the same as the vintage version, although this time the rattle comes from the tail, which makes sense, but at the same time doesn't give off such a good rattle as the vintage version.

All-in-all... I was never too much into the Snake Men, preferring the line's origins when it was a battle between He-Man and Skeletor. But I've grown to quite like Rattlor, enough to give the vintage figure a reasonable 8 out of 10.

So that’s what I think of Rattlor.
Now I'd like to hear your own thoughts, comments, memories, criticisms, or anything else to do with Rattlor. And as always, whether you post or not, don't forget to rate the vintage figure in the poll!!

[Orko's Magic Hat]

Rattlor is one of my all time fave MOTU figures. I remember him being released around summer 1987 and I badly wanted him for my birthday in November but my dad had told everyone not to buy me anymore MOTU as I was too old (6 ) and get me more stimulating toys and games.

I remember not getting him for my birthday, but my Aunt sneaked Rattlor in at xmas for me

I really liked the colours as well as the face and action feature. And I remember prefering the Snakemen to the Horde back then. I think I still do to this day.

I also really like the 4HM version, but it could have done without the neon green detailing.

Figure Rating - 9/10

[KidRandor]

...just a great looking figure. the fact that it actually rattled and head shot out was awesome. i remember cutting off the bottom of his tail in an attemp to get him to stand better. i was such an ingenious young man. i've always loved the snakemen..

[Spinnerella_of_OZ]

I agree Rattlor is definately one of the best figures! I'm a girl and mainly collect POP but as that collection is almost complete have been getting back into MOTU collection which is now larger than POP but a long way from complete.

When I first got King Hiss a few years ago I didn't know about the neck thing so when I pressed the button I got a bit of a shock Pulled that trick on a few people since then.

Rattlor one of my favourite MOTU figs he is just a good looking fig with a great action. I think all the Snake Men are cool.

[Metal Misfit]

So as far as collectors go, there's actually a difference in value between the yellow & red Rattlors?

I won both of'em through eBay a few months back. One was an individual bid and the other I got by winning a lot of MOTU figures. Just like with your seller, neither time was the color of the neck mentioned.

[Spacedust]

Rattlor is one of my all time fave MOTU figures. I remember him being released around summer 1987 and I badly wanted him for my birthday in November but my dad had told everyone not to buy me anymore MOTU as I was too old (6 ) and get me more stimulating toys and games.

I remember not getting him for my birthday, but my Aunt sneaked Rattlor in at xmas for me

Haha, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was told that I was "too old for He-Man" (I think I was of a similar age, too!).

I seldom got MOTU stuff for Christmas / birthdays, the excuse being that "there were so many that (my parents, telling other relations) didn't know which ones I did and didn't have), only getting really big stuff like Castle Grayskull. Other than Battle Cat one birthday, I usaully got money, which in the long term wasn't too bad as it allowed me to choose my own figure(s).

I really liked the colours as well as the face and action feature. And I remember prefering the Snakemen to the Horde back then. I think I still do to this day.

The original He-Man/Skeletor Heroic/Evil Warriors scenario has always been my favourite, only in recent years have I come to really like anything beyond that. But I think I too generally like the concept of the Snake Men much more than the Horde, they seem to fit the original premise better.

[braxsis364]

Rattlor was a very cool figure. loved the action feature. but the head sculpt could have been better. so ill say 9.

[Spacedust]

Rattlor was a very cool figure. loved the action feature. but the head sculpt could have been better. so ill say 9.

Yeah, it does have a slightly 'goofy' quality to it.
But then, at the same time, it looks a bit more snake-like than the 200x version (as I said before, that sculpt almost resembles a dog in my eyes).

[krugos]

I really liked all the Snakemen, I loved that they had a logo symbol to identify themselve as a group, same as the Horde. As a kid I only had King Hiss and Kobra Khan (althouh I only started thinking of Khan as part of the Snakemen after watching the MYP cartoon). But my best friend from childhood did have Rattlor and I just loved that figure, the action feature was very cool, I used to think of it as an improvement over Mekaneck (spell?). I also liked the blue and yellow scales, it was unusual for a figure to have such large areas of paint in the arms and legs so it made him kinda special.
A great figure, I'll give it a 10.

[The Horrorist]

Rattlor was the very first Snakeman that I owned as a child. I didn'nt have Kobra Khan in the original run, only got him as an adult. Second Snakeman was King Hisss. But back to Rattlor. I really like his colour scheme, but the overall look and design I didn't like. I hated the very short legs vs. the very long torso. Not a very dynamic design. To be honest I don't like any of the shorter legs in motu history like Skeletor's legs and Beastman/Stratos legs, but with Rattlor it was to obvious. The action feature of his neck is okay but the rattling sound is just lame and reminds me of baby's toy. Rating: 6/10.

The 200x version is quite the oposite, very nice design.

[motu77]

I gave him an 8, I always hated that he sounded like a baby toy.

[Yoko]

10/10

This is 1 very cool figure! He was one of my Fav's as a kid! and still is!

[TriKlops1971]

6 is too old for MOTU stuff?! Yeesh! I was 13 when I started blowing my allowance on action figures and playsets. Now that I think about, my Dad could never understand why I liked He-Man and company so much, either.

A lot of my decision to start playing with action figures again (I had stopped playing with them when I was about 9 or 10) had to do with the fact that I didn't have much of a social life. "Those ridiculous lumps of plastic", as my father once called them (or words to that effect) were really the only safe way I had to work off a lot of the anxieties and frustrations I dealt with on a daily basis. They came to represent the circle of friends I didn't have back then. Do I feel silly or immature for having played with action figures until I was well into my teens? Not at all. It helped me stay in touch with my creative side and kept me sane during a painful part of my life.

I'm just glad that I'm not the only one who remembers He-Man and the Masters of the Universe with fondness.

Oh yeah, this is supposed to be about Rattlor. He was gimmicked and kind of awkward, but he looked neat. I gave him a 7.

[Bowhead Whale]

I gave Rattlor an 8. Both features (rattling sound and stretching neck) are both very amusing. The reason why I gave it 8 instead of 10 is because (I don't know if someone else has had this trouble) the neck is very hard to "stretch". Not only I have to push the button, but I also have to pull the head to make the neck pop out.

[Spikewolfe]

I'd give Rattlor a 9. Along with Snake Face, he is my favorite Snake Men figure. I was lucky enough that my original Rattlor from childhood had the red neck. I'll add a yellow neck version to my collection at some point! Has anyone seen variations in the color of Rattlor's staff???

[Evil_Horde]

Rattlor is a very very cool AF my vote is 9!

[PaoloKr]

An awesome figure and still cool after 22 years.