Kobra Khan Masters of the Universe

Mattel was the first to promote the Kobra Khan figure. He came along in the early eighties and represented the darker side. He was both a snake and a human with some interesting abilities. He was a bad example for his own race, the Reptons and a descendant of the ancient Snake Men. He plays an important part in the war between Castle Grayskull and Skeletor. Mattel made an action figure out of him in 1984 in the Masters Of The Universe series three toys.

Kobra Khan is smart and truly evil. He seems to have plenty of fighting power against He Man and those protecting Grayskull. He is attributed with studying the history of his own race and learning that his king, King Hssss, was imprisoned in the Void. He fabricates a plan to use Skeletor, Evil Lyn, and the staff of Zodak to free the king. He has success, and from this Kobra Khan brings his Snake Men to bear against the Masters Of The Universe. Kobra Khan has the power to radically extend his arms to take an enemy and spray them with a mist that knocks them out. The Filmation series has one episode that focuses on Kobra Khan called, “The Cold Zone”. In it he seeks to relight the furnace that heats the kingdom of the Repton people. This is a ruse on his part, because he is the one who turned it off. The current king of Repton, King Pythos, had offered a reward to anyone who can expose who blew out the furnace. Kobra Khan gets He Man to investigate, hoping to frame him as the culprit. The plan backfires and Khan is seen as the real culprit. Kobra Khan went on to loyally serve his King Hsss.

Kobra Khan 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 an orange gun and the ability to squirt out a mist from his mouth. This was to imitate the “knock out” mist that the television series portrayed. The figure could be filled with water and his head pressed down to make the water squirt out. Mattel gave his green body three bands of brownish scales. Two of them go all the way from his back to the front. His scaly brown boots matched his brown shorts and a neon green belt held them up. Since this action figure had a body that could be filled with water, he did not come with the “power punch” feature that other figures had. He did not twist at the waist. He did not come with a chest protector even though these were the days that “battle armor” versions were being sold.

The original Mattel Kobra Khan came in different versions. Mexican versions were very different and did not look at all like the more popular style mentioned above. The bubble package Khan was sent in was the later “12 back” version not the “8 back”. All that means is that twelve Masters Of The Universe action figures were depicted on the back of his package.

For those who want to collect the Mattel Kobra Khan toy, he is available in online markets. He will range from between $20 and $50 dollars depending on his condition. If he is an unopened box the figure will range from $100 dollars all the way up to $5000 dollars. The higher prices will be for an original Kobra Khan with an AFA grade inside an unpunched bubble pack.