MOTUC Man-E-Faces speculation/discussion thread

[Beastmaster]

I feel the same as Dragon Blaster, never had any affinity with Man-E-Faces. I never found him to be aestethically pleasing (i.e. an ugly figure). That big helmet of his always seemed very uncomfortable to me, even as a kid I felt sorry for him for being 'buried' inside that big thing, almost unable to see anything.

[GLJossan]

He doesn't just change his face, the beast face gives him super strength and heightened senses, the robot face makes him super intelligent.

[EldestSon]

if you "really want" to like this character, then you must on some level like him.

[BlueStreak]

Man-E-Faces was my very first MOTU figure. I got him as a reward for getting an A on a test in grade school. The following month was Christmas and I got He-Man, Skeletor and Battle Cat, along with a load of GI Joe stuff. Man-E holds a special place for me as he's the one that introduced me to the world of MOTU.

I don't use the actor bit at all. For me, Man-E's origin is completely unknown. No one knows how he came to suffer his split personality affliction. Man-At-Arms only knows that the apparatus housed in Man-E's armor is from ancient Eternia, when technology ruled the planet. As Man-E cannot remember his past, it has been speculated that he is hundreds of years old.

I'll stop right here and note that this does sound a lot like Wolverine - missing memory, fantastic ability, possibly older - but this is what I imagined as a kid.

I always viewed Man-E's monster side to be like the Hulk - primal and uneasy to reason with. His robot side - emotionless. But Man-E is in control at all times.

Being so powerful, he earned his was fighting along He-Man into King Randor's elite guard, where he serves as strategist and tactician.

My Man-E-Faces is no sob story, no pity party nor weak minded pawn to be used by Skeletor. He's a soldier. A warrior. And a defender of the secrets of Grayskull.

[Dragonblaster]

if you "really want" to like this character, then you must on some level like him.

You're right, I do.
I guess to me he is like a piece of paper with some notes scribbled on it - full of potential that has to be explored. And since he is an integral part of the heroic warriors I wanted to see that potential filled...in a way I like.

And looking at some of the views of people on the boards helps me modelling the character for my likings/ my canon.

I always thought that drinking a magical potion as origin was really lame. Now I like to think of his ability being based on that suit/ helmet he somehow aquired. It allows him to scan other beings and copy their faces and abilities.
The actor angle could still be in use as a conclusion to that ability.

Thanks a lot for some of your views guys. It's always fun to read other people's connection to characters.

Greetings,
DB

[oICEMANo]

I never really got the three faces of an actor angle. It was always the Mini-comics version, even as a kid, where it was a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde situation.

He is not a hero who has different faces and pretends the parts, he is a person who has been psychologically fragmented. Part of him is a well reasoned man, another part a monster who literally has no morals, and a third that is a selfless automaton. He does not choose between them, they are three seperate beings in one body, a true ticking time bomb of a psychotic mess.

The monster serves Skeletor because he is allowed to indulge in his own selfish desire and sadistic impulses that were repressed for so many years when they were one being. The robot does not care about anything other then seeing a task it is assigned to completion. The man tries to help when and where he can, but he is no champion, no warrior; he does not fight on the front lines.

What makes Man-E-Faces so interesting is that the Sorceress has lied to everyone; that after his first attack as the monster he has since been cured of his infliction. He-man, Teela, Man-At-Arms, and everyone else believes him to only be an ordinary man again, even Man-E-Faces thinks it's so. The truth however is that the other aspects are still there, waiting to resurface, perhaps to the doom of them all. Of the forces of good, only the Sorceress knows the truth and fears the day when Skeletor uses Man-E-Faces as a pawn in his schemes once more.

Exactly how I see him. The mini comic version is my definitive Man-E

[Eternian Poet]

My Man-E is one of the "old warriors" who, like Ram-Man & Mekanek, explored Eternia with Man-At-Arms during the long-term campaigning that characterised the inter-tribal warfare prior to King Randor's creation of the Tribal Alliance (based mostly on trade & religious "synergy").

The old warriors each came across their mysterious Ancient implants during these times -

Ram-Man's helmet & armour (bolstered with force-fields for added impact & cushioning),

Mekaneck's neck (not only useful for surveillance, but allows him to swallow & breath things an ordinary person cannot, essentially replacing his lungs & digestive system),

Man-At-Arm's "exo-cortex" (his helmet, which plugs into his brain & over time allows him to get some idea of how to fix the Ancient technology),

Man-E-Face's syth-suit (his cybernetic helmet/pipes/armour which can project an illusion based on bending light, which serves as a disguise),

These technologies have limitations (e.g. Man-E's disguise is purely visual - so if you touch him, you can feel the real shape of the man) & they also helped to change the personality of these skilled warriors. Ram-Man become more aggressive, MAA distant & philosophical, Man-E turned to the arts, especially acting & oratory.

Skeletor chose to tranform & enslave Man-E because of his Ancient tech & his artistic abilities - he was the perfect candidate. Though the plan failed, Skeletor's magic is not an easy thing to be rid of. The Sorceress must provide a regular amount of medicant to Man-E, that helps him control the Monster. If Man-E fails to control the Monster aspect, it might mean he spends a few days or weeks in the Robot aspect. Though this allows him to be emotionless & therefore fearless in battle, he is little more than an automaton & in some ways a danger (being emotionless). In times of desperation, Man-E has allowed the Monster to manifest by focusing on the rage & hate that creates the transformation.

Man-E runs amok in this aspect, without any sense of control or loyalty, but MAA has outfitted Man-E's suit with a remote injector that sends the Sorceress' medicant directly into his blood-stream, so long as Man-E is within range & the injector is full.

So Man-E's main contribution is his warrior skill & visual/technological disguise coupled with his own creativity (e.g. imitating a voice). The Robot is a side-effect of the Sorceress' magic & the Monster is a wild-card aspect used when Man-E's back is against the wall.

[Charlie Brown]

well, i never liked the origin of man-e-faces, especially the actor thing,
so i came up with a personal idea of the character, took from hinduistic
trimurti (i really hope not to offend anyone):
as a human he's a healer (representing Vishnu the maintainer or preserver),
and his main occupation is not as a soldier, but as the leader of a kind of
eternian emergency squad (alongside with snout spout/ ganesh), who,
when the situation needs brute strenght, can transform into a monster
(representing Śhiva the destroyer or transformer),
and in times of calm he can take the robotic/metallic form, and gain intelligence
at genius level - but loosing human feelings - for helping duncan in inventing
mechanism (representing Brahmā the creator).

just my two cents.

ps
i really like eternian poet's idea, also.

[davidlogan]

So what color is Man-E-Faces going to be anyway?

I've seen him ranging from full on orange all the way to tanned flesh. He's looking pretty orange-ish again on the Matty photos.

Which Man-E are we getting anyway?

[Uncle Montork]

Apparently it was a toned-down orange, a "middle ground" between the flesh colored vintage cardback artwork and the vintage figure.

[BCreviews4628]

I really like the mini comic bio the best. The one my friend and I made up for him as kids was REALLY off the wall though lol. We had him as a snake man, and that green 'monster" face was his true self. But instead of being a Kobra, or Ratlor type of snake, he was a chameleon, who could change his look.

He was a good guy though, and helped He-Man defeat Hiss. Even I look back at that memory & laugh.

[DarthBrett]

Man-E-Faces was my very first MOTU figure. I got him as a reward for getting an A on a test in grade school. The following month was Christmas and I got He-Man, Skeletor and Battle Cat, along with a load of GI Joe stuff. Man-E holds a special place for me as he's the one that introduced me to the world of MOTU.
.

LOL! Your story is almost the exact same as mine. He was my first MOTU figure I ever got back in September '83 when the school year had just started. I remember I got him because I had gotten 5-stars on a book report or something. I also remember getting the Hoth Rebel Soldier from SW that day (it was the Gemco on San Fernando Mission in Granada Hills, CA, now a Target). I ended up getting a bunch of He-Man figures that Christmas as well (as well as my first GI Joes).

So cool to read other people's stories and to find out some can be so similar!

[TUC138]

well, i never liked the origin of man-e-faces, especially the actor thing,
so i came up with a personal idea of the character, took from hinduistic
trimurti (i really hope not to offend anyone):
as a human he's a healer (representing Vishnu the maintainer or preserver),
and his main occupation is not as a soldier, but as the leader of a kind of
eternian emergency squad (alongside with snout spout/ ganesh), who,
when the situation needs brute strenght, can transform into a monster
(representing Śhiva the destroyer or transformer),
and in times of calm he can take the robotic/metallic form, and gain intelligence
at genius level - but loosing human feelings - for helping duncan in inventing
mechanism (representing Brahmā the creator).

just my two cents.

ps
i really like eternian poet's idea, also.

Now this is cool !!!

BTW, I am Hindu ! But Man.... you made me laugh all day !!!!

[Marek]

I am amazed and quite happy that Man-E-Faces' secret accessory has remained a secret and will truly be a surprise in the next few days; cannot wait to see what it is!

[Dayton72]

I am amazed and quite happy that Man-E-Faces' secret accessory has remained a secret and will truly be a surprise in the next few days; cannot wait to see what it is!

I am too - I figured someone would spill the beans!

[Inhibitor]

Yeah, but I think we already kinda know right? If it weren't an extra set of heads that would be a surprise!

[ian5555]

I'm hoping his extra accesory is a mace like he had in the 200x series if remember right for a good portion of it.