Being a warrior and having a big fist go together, and the Masters Of The Universe series had just the ticket. He was naturally called “Fisto” for his super sized right fist. He starts off as a villain in service to Skeletor but is converted by He Man. He could be called an ex-terrorist because he used to terrorize his neighbors until He Man got a hold of him. Even though he left the dark side, he is not a city boy and prefers not being confined inside the Royal Palace. Mattel made him into an action figure in the early part of the 1980s in their third series of Masters Of The Universe toys. They gave him the title of “heroic hand to hand fighter”.
It is easy to see where Fisto gets his powers. That right hand is a literally a “smash hit” for any warrior to possess. Neither the minicomics or the Filmation series say where Fisto got his big fist, but one thing is for certain, it is cybernetic. His super large right fist can smash its way through lots of hard things including rocks. In battle it was indispensable. As the Mattel story goes, Fisto is actually the older brother of Duncan ( Man At Arms ). His former name was Malcom. He was given a dose of magical amnesia during a war in the Great Unrest. After wandering around in the Mystic Mountains he settled in a mining community. Once he was settled down the Snake Men attacked his city. Eventually the Masters Of The Universe arrived and Malcom helped to deliver them from a trap the Snake Men had set for them. But during this time his right hand was shattered. In gratitude for this help Duncan made a new robotic hand for Malcom. Fisto was created and the rest of his time is spent using that fist to shatter the forces of evil.
Fisto and the other 1984 Masters Of The Universe action figures are 5 ½ inches tall. This was a departure from the standard 3 ¾ inch figures of the day. He came with a purple sword and matching armor. Since this was the time that “battle armor” versions were coming out, Fisto had some nice armor of his own. The chest shield had purple and silver stripes and went from his neck down to his mid section. His boots and belt were also colored purple. His right hand was covered with the silver cybernetic fist. He is one of the few Mattel Action figures that had a full beard. Tiny brown shorts finished off the look.
The Mattel Fisto action figure had the ability to deliver what they called the “power punch”. This was enabled through the use of an elastic band inside the body of the toy. He could be twisted at the waist, let go, and he would return to the original position with a snap. The elastic band inside would get worn out with repeated usage and make the “power punch” lose its energy.
There were no different versions for the original 1984 Fisto, just one style was made. Those who are interested in collecting him will want to get him in the “12 back” bubble pack that he came with. This was the earliest package, since “8 back” cards were already a thing of the past. Later versions of Fisto came along during the “classics” series.
The original Mattel Fisto can easily be found online in various markets. He can be found in a package or “loose” without one. If he is loose, the price will range from $10 to $30 dollars for an ungraded toy. Buying Fisto in an unopened bubble package will put him in the range of between $150 up to $300. If the action figure is graded that number will go up.
