Faceless One - I think it could've been done better.

[Stickfa]

Look at what we get. Mattels end product in the case of the faceless one is terrible. I understand he is a hard character to get right, but the back of his hood isnt even black.

They have said at conventions and in WFWTK a few times, that they "Tried many different paint applications and this was the best". Look at the image above, he doesnt even look close. The custom by some random guy (sorry I dont know who) is way better than a 4 horsemen paint job? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

On top of that, they dont put it to a vote, they dont show us the "many different paint applications", they just go - ya they werent as good as this, trust us.- What the heck is that?!

I think his arms should be glow in the dark black, his hood needs to be black, and his face paint needs to be done like the cusom, or at least follow the myp toon. This purple face junk we see here is terrible.

Without pictures to prove this is the best they can do, and with the evidence above that some random dude can do better, I have no choice but to believe we are being lied to. It seems like it was bumped so many times that they rushed it, and dont want to change it.

What do you guys think?

[evilash529]

I 100% agree that black inside the hood would look a million times better. I think a glow in the dark head would be better than the one shown also. Either way I think whatever head they use would look better with black paint on the inside, more like it was floating in the hood.

[VaultsofGrayskull]

I have no choice but to believe we are being lied to. It seems like it was bumped so many times that they rushed it, and dont want to change it.

What do you guys think?

I disagree. I think it's perfectly reasonable to accept that this was a design headache and several versions were tried by the Horsemen.

Not being a MYP fan (at all), or a 2002 figure fan, I know my interest in the Faceless One is less than many here on these forums, but I think it's completely wrong to push for a black hood when it only appeared that way as a lighting effect in the cartoon.

Purely from an aesthetic viewpoint, I think black wouldn't have worked, and the chosen colours are actually rather good.

[Prahvus]

On top of that, they don't put it to a vote, they don't show us the "many different paint applications", they just go - ya they weren't as good as this, trust us.- What the heck is that?!

I can't agree more with you, Stickfa !

I'm just happy the current MOTUC Faceless One doesn't have the long robe, though. It's much better for the articulations.

On the other hand, I do believe the head mighy have been much better, and close to the MYP look.

We didn't get to see the other "face paints", so as far as I'm concerned, there's no proof that what we were shown is "the best" head there was.

[bamf1980]

I wouldn't say they lied to us. It's clear we all have our own opinions about what this should look like.

I, for instance, think the head we are getting would be fine IF it was cast in clear plastic.

And the arms should be a clear plastic with black detailing.


But I'll just be content with what we get. It's easier that way.

[Captain Atkin]

I made this custom a few years ago. For the face, I just painted it with a few coats of a gloss white spray paint. I think if they would paint it a brighter white, it would look better. Also, the inside of the hood should be black.

[DroothR]

Additionally, there is a 95% fan (ie. customer) preference for the source accurate black hood.

That's almost all of the people who are/will be buying it that would like that one extra paint application, which is more than those who made noise about Moss-Man's ears, and that got changed at the last minute.

Then there's Man-E-Faces, where the winning deco is going to be picked with a slight majority vote (with the votes being so widespread), but a whopping 95% of their customer base would like an ammendment to The Faceless One, and instead it's "we know what you (our customers) want, but we don't care. We're making these for us, not for you."

[sailorgwen]

I think I trust the 4 horsemen. If they tried something and in their EXPERT opinoins thought it looked bad then I believe it really looked bad. They are professionals and ultimatley its up to them (mostly) for final designs. They do not need fan input for every design detail. If you dont like it dont buy it. When have they ever let us down?

but I think it's completely wrong to push for a black hood when it only appeared that way as a lighting effect in the cartoon.

Exactly. It is a shadow.

I personally dig the design. I was confused at first because he had a face but aftwr Toyguru said they went through a bunch of designs i was fine with it. Better than settleing on something that looked aweful.

[DroothR]

If you dont like it dont buy it.

Normally a valid statement, but considering that we sign up to subscriptions, we're actually forced to buy everything, whether we like something or not.

When have they ever let us down?

Buzz-Off's head. Lack of sword holster on Preternia He-Man. Etc...

[joseephus]

How is it the face for the custom in your first post looks absolutely perfect, but Mattel's official release looks horrible? He looks like Destro. As I've said so many times, he is called The Faceless One, so why does he have a face. I have loved every figure so far, but this is definitely going down as the worst figure in my book.

[Count Marzo]

Eh...I'm not too big on the Faceless One anyways. He will be one of those "wait til the last minute, do I really want this one in my collection" purchases.

He was a pretty cool looking and mysterious (I like mysteriousness in MOTU) character in the 200x MYP series, but he is also one of those 200x characters that is obviously based off of already well established characters. This time being Evil-Lyn. I really hated that soap opera ending to his first appearance episode ending with the "....my daughter" crap. And now they give him Skeletor's Havoc Staff on top of the Evil-Lyn likenesses.

I liked the look of his "face" in the MYP series, it totally reminded me of the Spirit of Grayskull's "face" in the Filmation series. This MOTUC figure misses that coolness for me though. The Ram Stone is the only cool and original thing this figure has going for it. For now he seems like an easy pass for me, although that may change when the sale day comes depending on if I need a MOTUC fix or not.

[Kowl]

They do not need fan input for every design detail. If you dont like it dont buy it.

AMEN !!!

Toy companies are not running democracies here people! They are running a business for profit. Fans buy product. Fans do not dictate to the company how product is to be designed. Occasionally, a company may ask for fan input regarding future products. If fans keep attacking Mattel for every little design dispute, then I think we will see less direct interaction between Mattel and the fans. It is fine to be upset and address Mattel about legitimate issues (broken figures, bad shipping procedures, etc), but it is very rude and presumptuous of fans to accuse Scott of lying to the fans. The Four Horsemen have handled the sculpting of this line extremely well. We should have trust that they made the best decision, as they are huge fans themselves.

Normally a valid statement, but considering that we sign up to subscriptions, we're actually forced to buy everything, whether we like something or not.

Actually... No one is FORCING you to buy a subscription in order to obtain the figures. You are permitted to buy them individually from the site monthly or you can obtain them second market. It would be a whole different argument if the subscription was the only way to purchase figures directly from Mattel.

[Neil]

I have to say that I really like the figure as it is.
It seems like a perfectly respectable version of the Faceless One to me.

Each to his own opinion and all that, but I can't see what is so objectionable about this particular sculpt. The MYP version had a white head, and so does the MOTUC figure. The only difference is that head in the cartoon was always in shadow.

[Mr_Yuck]

I do find the interior of the hood being purple an odd choice. The interior of the cape is painted black, which mimics the design we saw in the MYP cartoon. How come the hood isn't? IMO, it just looks like the figure is unfinished...like they rushed it out for preview at NYTF.

I will concede the head is a tough sculpting challenge. The 4H are renowned for their detail they bring to their art, so in this situation that is something that actually works against them. To me it's not a horrid failure by any stretch, by I do think by removing some if the detail (remove the mouth, take some of the detail out of the eye sockets) and casting it in GITD (I still struggle with how that looked bad. But I'm not the expert) would've helped this figure out a lot.

[Darkspecter]

I don't know if we're being "lied to" per se, but a lot of the answers we're getting regarding The Faceless One are very puzzling. Mattel is suggesting he didn't look good in his original character design and colour scheme...but he does. He looked good in the cartoon and Amaro's custom (the custom in the first post) is AMAZING! He also did an amazing Count Marzo and Evil Seed.

The black hood answer is also puzzling. Mattel said it looked bad, but people have photoshopped it and it looks so much better.

I like this figure, but I don't love him because his colours are wrong and his design is off model (completely different face, cape, belt, missing sleeves and skirt and he's supposed to have bare arms and hands...no gloves).

[tenno]

I believe it is more peaceful to the soul when one believes what has been spoken is the truth unless proven otherwise. The design is curious, but exciting. I will be purchasing a Faceless One desperate to save his daughter from Skeletor.

[nato]

It doesn't make sense that the whole inside of the cape is black, except for the hood. I think Mattel has cut corners on this figure without a glow-in-the-dark head.

I think Mattel should reveal pictures to the fans on the heads that were "rejected", and let the fans decide. The paint apps on this figure make this the blandest looking figure, yet.

[baronterror]

I think I trust the 4 horsemen. If they tried something and in their EXPERT opinoins thought it looked bad then I believe it really looked bad. They are professionals and ultimatley its up to them (mostly) for final designs. They do not need fan input for every design detail. If you dont like it dont buy it. When have they ever let us down?



Exactly. It is a shadow.

I personally dig the design. I was confused at first because he had a face but aftwr Toyguru said they went through a bunch of designs i was fine with it. Better than settleing on something that looked aweful.

This. This.

[Scorpia]

I'm not too bothered by the hood. I just wish they could include a removable long robe.

[DO4M]

Well the Horsemen sculpted the DCUC blue cowl Batman and the prototype DID NOT have the black shadow that showed up on the production piece. Incredibly enough it looked better without the shadow. Here's hoping that the hood comes with it's black "shadow"

All I know is that Once again I will have to hit the paintbrush and "fix" another MOTUC's paintjob. I mean, The rest of the cape is black on the inside... Why is it purple on the hood... If it was a darker shade of purple it would be passable.

[urbanmyth]

The figure has really grown on me and I'm excited to get the Four Horsemen's interpretation of this character. I think every figure has had details that someone doesnt like and wants changed. This isn't Fantastic Exclusive where we get to decide all of the details.

I also think it's wrong to compare the custom in the original post to the Four Horsemen figure. It's a great custom but in it's own style. It's face looks more like Phantom of the Opera than Faceless One to me.

[Darkspecter]

Oh, I forgot to mention that the colours were also wrong on Chief Carnivus. I actually used "Ask Matty" to see if the colours could be corrected, but there was never a response.

Here's what's wrong on Carnivus:

- His boots are supposed to be purple with gold detailing (as opposed to the gold with purple detailing...it's reversed at the moment)
- His claws are supposed to be white (instead of black, which is the same as Beastman)
- His skin is supposed to be tan instead of an orange (again, which looks like Beastman)







Mattel also said the 2nd version of King Grayskull was "more cartoon accurate" which is not the case. The SDCC version is the exact colours from the cartoon. He never had a red cape in MYP.

She-Ra is also tan though and her white dress is almost gray. Don't believe me? Take a Princess Leia figure and put her beside She-Ra.

So...maybe Mattel's colour blind or they're working in very dark offices? Either that, or they aren't looking at the source material.

[phantom1592]

I would love to see a version with the hood painted black...


AND 3/4 of the HEAD painted black...

I'm sure a glow in the dark head DID look terrible, but looking at the pictures up there, you NEVER see his head... it's JUST the face floating there... So paint the hood black.. and everything past the cheekbones black and lets see what THAT looks like!!!

[MC Modulok]

The purple eye-sockets look awful. The head needs to either be completely white or have black eye-sockets.

[fball13z]

Lied to? No, they told us they tried a few different ways and even the one of the 4HM have said they same thing. How is that a lie?

And I trust the 4HM, they have given us so many great figures and remember these figures are not always copies from certain medias. Most of these figures are the 4HM take of these characters.

Do I always agree with choices the 4HM make? Nope, but I've never hated anything they have done with design in MOTUC.

Now that being all said, I would have at least like to see Faceless One get a color vote like man-e-faces.

But it still comes down to, Don't Like, Don't buy. And with the way he is all NYTF, I will still be buying him, think he will look great on my shelf.