When the land of the Masters Of The Universe needs a spy, they know where to find him. His name is Mekaneck. This is a human with a neck like an elephant’s snout. They did not design him as a warrior, but he sometimes works in tandem with another spy, “Buzz Off”. He is billed as the “heroic human periscope”. He came along in the early 1980s with the third series of Masters Of The Universe toys from Mattel.
The power is in the neck if you are Mekaneck. This character could really put a giraffe to shame. As the story goes, Orius a human from the land of Eternia has a bad ordeal with a large storm that damages his neck and separates him from his son. His son is lost, but Man At Arms ( Duncan ) gives Orius a new bionic neck that extends like crazy. Mekaneck is then created. In gratitud, he vows to serve King Randor in hopes of someday finding his son. Not long afterward, Mekaneck finds out that the evil Count Marzo kidnapped his son and Marzo wants the throne of Eternia in exchange for him. He can fight in battle, using his neck as a fighting tool. His neck can bend and he can see around corners if he wants to. His strange looking goggles have night vision installed in them, making him a great spy. Mekaneck never seems to find his son and even winds up being captured by the same Count Marzo. He is paired with Buzz Off and Ram Man in many episodes.
Mekaneck 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. Mattel made sure that Mekaneck was many colored. His skin was blue, his helmet was red, his belt was green, his boots and his goggles were silver. He carried a huge yellow mace, but no sword. Black pants rounded out his outfit. The removable chest protector was elaborately formed and extended from his chin down to his mid section. The goggles were triangular shaped and were integral with his helmet and head. While many of the Masters Of The Universe action figures had the “power punch”, Mekaneck did not have this feature. What he did have was the ability to extend his neck when he was twisted at the waist.
There were no alternate versions of the original Mattel Mekaneck action figure. He also did not come in a “8 back” bubble pack, just the “12 back” style. That means there were 12 depictions of various Masters Of The Universe figures on the back of the package he came in. He did come in a “three pack” with two other of the Heroic Warriors, Buzz Off and Moss Man. This pack is rare and will be hard to find.
For the collectors, a Mekaneck is easy to find in the major markets online. If someone wants him in the “loose” unpackaged form he will range from around five dollars for one in very used condition to nearly $45 dollars if he is complete with his mace and in good condition. If he is in an unopened package he will range from $200 dollars up to almost $1500 dollars. He will be even higher if he is in a graded, unpunched package with a new looking ( not yellowed ) bubble. For those who want a spare mace for him, accessories are also easy to find.
