Mattel is making it clear that Black Toys Matter, adding black character Sun-Man to its Masters of the Universe toy and entertainment brand.
The new character Sun-Man is part of the Rulers of the Sun collection, and will be the first Black superhero in the fictional world of Eternia, as a powerful ally to title character He-Man. The announcement took place Saturday morning at Power-Con in Anaheim, CA this week during a live panel among Masters of the Universe fans.
“Originally created by a mother who realized her son needed a hero that looked like him, Sun-Man has given people of color much-needed representation, and Masters of the Universe fans reason to celebrate,” said Mattel spokeswoman Raquel Felix.
Yla Eason, a Harvard professor and mother, actually created the Sun-Man character in 1985 in response to what she saw as a need for black representation in children’s stories and toy lines. Now, Mattel says it is uniting the two worlds of Masters of the Universe and Rulers of the Sun, and reintroducing Sun-Man after a long absence from TV screens and toy aisles. Sun-Man and related characters will appear in TV shows, comic books, and have already been developed as a toy line related to the popular Masters of the Universe franchise.
Mattel designers created a premium deco, highly articulated figure to include swappable heads and hands, removable wings and shield, and a sword with a flame effect. The packaging includes a comic that tells Sun-Man’s origin story and features deluxe artwork.