Masters of the Universe - QUEEN MARLENA!

Masters of the Universe Origins Cartoon Collection - Queen Marlena - Mattel 2025

One of my favorite bits of Masters of the Universe lore is the origin story of Queen Marlena. As a kid, I certainly didn't watch the episodes in order, so even though her backstory was first told in the second episode (Teela's Quest), it was a late revelation to me when I eventually watched it. Captain Marlena Glenn was an astronaut/pilot from Earth who travels off-course and crash-lands on Eternia. She meets Randor, they get married, and then she gives birth to the twins Adam and Adora. The fact that the two main heroes of the franchise are secretly half-Earthlings was my favorite piece of trivia as a child (and will probably be a story point in the upcoming movie). I love that this new Cartoon Collection Queen Marlena figure continues the MOTUC tradition and has the option to be displayed as Captain Glenn (sort of). This Queen Marlena is perfection to me. For a character who appeared in the majority of episodes, she has been really neglected in the merchandising department. Let's check her out below!

Lego LED Keychain - BUMBLEBEE GIRL!

Lego LED Flashlight Keyring - Bumblebee Girl - Santoki LLC 2025

A few weeks ago I trudged nine blocks through a foot of snow to visit Barnes & Noble and pick up the YA Graphic Novel Snowlands (I was impressed by the art at the NYCC Scholastic booth and marked the release date on my calendar. Then when the snow fell I thought I needed a new winter-themed book to read). Surprisingly, the store was crowded. But that meant I was stuck in the line for a while where I noticed this fantastic Bumblebee Girl LED Keyring hanging on a low peg in the impulse-buy gift section lining the checkout area. I've been obsessed with Lego minifigures featuring animal costumes for years. Plus I love bumblebee-themed ladies. And finally, I'm very fond of these 3" light-up keychains. I always stumble across them in odd places like museum giftshops, bookstores, or truckstops and they appeal to me greatly. I know it's an odd novelty item to post about here, but she hits a few key facets of my collecting experience so I'm making an exception. Let's check out Bumblebee Girl below!

ReAction - KERPLUNK GIRL!

ReAction Music - Green Day -  Kerplunk! Girl (Laurie L.) - Super7 2025

I've been eyeing all the music figures in the ReAction line for years, but this is the first one I've purchased and opened (somewhere I have the Salt n Pepa set packed away untouched). Green Day is a formative band from my high school years. I personally never owned an album. However, my siblings did and three of us shared a bedroom (so I heard them constantly). As much as I like them, I'm even more thankful for their legacy and all the bands they directly inspired. The pop-punk era of the 90s and early oughts is my favorite genre of music, and I credit that sound with Green Day. Their 1991 album, Kerplunk! featured a punky rebellious girl on the cover widely referred to as Kerplunk Girl. And while not a completely proven correlation, it is widely assumed that she is intended to be Laurie L., a fictional girl whose essay appears in the liner notes of the album detailing how she killed her parents to follow Green Day on tour. It's somehow not as morbid as it sounds. Let's check out the notorious Kerplunk Girl below!

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers One - MDLX Series (Die-Cast) - Elita-1 - ThreeZero 2025

In a relatively short 18 months, I we have gotten 9 Elita-1 figures from Transformers One. I think that has got to be a record for any female character in film-related merchandising blitz. Even a major character like Black Widow in the MCU would be lucky to get maybe five figures for a movie. But for some reason Elita-1 hit the jackpot. It's especially surprising considering she was excluded from the first few waves of movie merchandising. I honestly thought the main figure would be a Burger King toy. Boy was I wrong. I was unaware that toy company ThreeZero made 1:12 scale figure. I thought their product was solely in the high-end 1:6 scale market. And while this figure was at a much higher price point than I would typically pay for a 5" non-transforming Transformer, I was super curious and I wasn't disappointed in the quality at all. She is perfectly sculpted, features 46 points of articulation (according to the promotional material... I didn't count), and heavy die-cast parts. Let's check out Elita-1 below!

Transformers Blokees - ARCEE!

Transformers Blokees: Galaxy Version 9 Darkest Hour - Arcee - Blokees 2025

It's amazing how quickly Blokees have become one of the most popular collectibles out there. Every store I stop in has displays or counterboxes. The mom and pop stores seem to have the best selection, followed by FYE, and then Walmart and other big box stores are good for a counter box or two. They seem to be filling in the void left by the dwindling selection of Funko product. The selection of female characters is not very impressive overall, but every one I buy I like better than the last and the lines are so prolific that there will undoubtedly be more. At the very least I predict Arcee to be repainted as a green Paradron Medic in the near future. When I went into my local toy shop yesterday, I was excited to see the Series 9 counterbox. I had been keeping my eye out for this new wave for months. But to my dismay, there were only two boxes left. One weighed a lot, and one was light as a feather. I took a gamble and bought the light one.. and huzzah! Got her. Let's check out the Arcee Blokees below!

TMNT Dimension X - APRIL O'NEIL (IN SPACE)!

TMNT: Dimension X - April O'Neil (Space Comrade) - Playmates 2016

I recently found myself combing through my old external harddrives looking for a spreadsheet I used to keep of all my MTG Cards. I never found that spreadsheet, but I did find tons of old photos intended for blog posts that never came to fruition. I now plan to pepper them in throughout the year.. most likely at the end of the end of the month when I feel I won't make my (self-imposed) post quota. These posts will be amusing because I pretty much dislike all the figures (there was a reason they never made the cut after all). But time has softened my disapproval. I now appreciate this April O'Neil figure for the sheer absurdity of the "in Space" trope. Four Ninja Turtles and a reporter floating around in zero gravity... it's pretty amusing. But on a more genuine note, I truly do appreciate female astronaut action figures. Even if they are nonsensical. "Astronaut" is one of the tags I rarely get to use on this site, so I'll jump at the chance to add another. Let's check out Space Comrade April below!

Jurassic World Rebirth - ZORA BENNETT!

Jurassic World Rebirth - Spinosaurus Danger Set (Zora & Henry) - Mattel 2025

In 2025's Jurassic World Rebirth, the traditional gender roles of the two main characters swapped. In every movie so far, the lead "hero" was male with a secondary female character being a brainy sidekick (who is also consistently shown as a formidable adventurer, but that's never the primary characteristic). In Rebirth, Scarlett Johansson plays a secret ops agent tasked with leading a dangerous clandestine mission into an abandoned island overrun with dinosaurs. And her sidekick is the brainy paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis played by Jonathan Bailey. The best part about this swap is that I didn't even bat an eye - I only really acknowledged it when I was distributing the accessories in set and assumed all the weapons belonged to the female character - not a subconscious thought I often have. I love how prolific the modern Mattel Jurassic line has been. The actor likenesses are never the best, but the sheer quantity of female figures is amazing. Let's check out Zora Bennett below!

Jurassic World Rebirth - ZORA BENNETT!

Jurassic World Rebirth - Story Pack - Zora Bennett & Velociraptor - Mattel 2025

I thought Jurassic World Rebirth was a refreshing return to what I love about the Jurassic franchise. After years of movies in atypical settings and with casting choices I've grown weary of (not you, Bryce), it was nice to have a stand-alone movie largely taking place in a tropical jungle and with a fantastic cast. From the trailers, I expected there to be a little more of an added Indiana Jones vibe with ancient temples and ruins, but that was unfortunately only one small scene. Scarlett Johansson plays Zora Bennett, a freelance former government operative who is tasked with safely escorting some scientists and civilians on an expedition to an off-limits South American island where the dinosaurs from a former inGen facility have taken over. It's a simple plot and small cast of characters - so the environment and the dinosaurs get their time in the limelight. I just watched it for the second time yesterday as a refresher from this Summer and, although much more enjoyable on a big screen, I still highly enjoy it.