Masters of the Universe Fright Fighter: Taking Flight With a Few Problems

I picked up the Masters of the Universe Fright Fighter at Target for around $20 on clearance, and I'm pretty happy with it. This thing is BIG! I haven't actually measured it, but I'd estimate the wingspan at around 20 or 21 inches. With the tail locked into place, it's over a foot deep, too. If you're planning on displaying this thing on a shelf, you might want to make sure you have enough room before putting it together.

The Fright Fighter is part of Mattel's Masters of the Universe Origins collection inspired by the 2026 movie. It's a large, dragonfly-inspired flying vehicle with two flapping wings, a cockpit for an action figure, articulated tail, and a pair of claws up front. There's quite a bit going on with this thing, and I was interested in seeing how well everything worked once I got it out of the box.

One thing I really like about the design is how much it resembles an actual insect. The wings stretch out from the body, the long tail extends out the back, and the front claws give it a little extra character. The purple coloring works well with the overall design, and the vehicle looks great with its wings fully extended. It's a pretty impressive piece when you get a good look at the whole thing.

More Masters of the Universe from the collection: Mattel’s Masters of the Universe Chronicles Battle Cat Is a Hell of a Battle Cat.

Putting the Fright Fighter Together

Assembly was easy, and everything fit together without any problems. The wings attach to the body, and the tail locks into place at the rear. Once I had everything assembled, I was able to get a better idea of just how much space this thing was going to take up. It's considerably wider than the figures I usually display, and that long tail adds quite a bit to its overall size.

The body feels pretty sturdy, and the vehicle has a bit of weight to it. That's something I appreciate with larger toys, especially when there are moving parts involved. The wings don't have much to them, but the rest of the Fright Fighter feels solid. I wouldn't describe the whole thing as flimsy just because the wings are lightweight.

I also like the way the tail is designed. It bends in two places, which gives you some flexibility when positioning the vehicle. You can leave it extended behind the body or bend it into a different position depending on how you're displaying it. Mattel designed the tail so it can be folded underneath it to be used as a handle when operating the wings.

That's a useful feature on something this wide, especially when you're trying to hold the vehicle and operate the wing mechanism at the same time. I like that the tail serves a purpose beyond simply completing the dragonfly design. It's also a nice option to have when you're trying to figure out where to put the Fright Fighter once you're finished playing around with it. I have mine hanging down off my wall.

Let's Get Those Wings Moving

The wings are the main attraction here. A trigger mechanism makes them flap, and it works really well. You can actually get a pretty good breeze going with them, which gives you an idea of how much movement you're getting out of the mechanism.

There's also a pair of claws at the front that can open and close. They're another feature that gives the vehicle some play value and fits nicely with its insect-inspired appearance. Between the claws, the moving wings, and the adjustable tail, Mattel has given the Fright Fighter several features beyond the usual opening cockpit.

My one concern with the wings is their construction. They don't feel nearly as substantial as the rest of the vehicle, although I haven't had any problems with the mechanism itself. The body is solid, the tail has some weight to it, and everything fits together well. The wings are simply the part that feels the lightest.

Spikor, I Think You're Going to Have to Walk

Now we get to my biggest problem with the Fright Fighter, and it's a pretty frustrating one. The cockpit opens from the top and is designed to accommodate a 5.5-inch Masters of the Universe Origins figure. The back of the box even shows Spikor from the movie line sitting inside, so naturally, that's the figure I wanted to use.

Unfortunately, Spikor doesn't really fit in there very well. I was able to get him into the cockpit and close the top somewhat, but it didn't look very good. The canopy wouldn't close properly with him positioned inside, and I couldn't get him into a comfortable seated position. The biggest problem is the way these figures are made. Their legs are solid, with no knee articulation, which makes it difficult to get them into a sitting position. When you're trying to fit a figure into a cockpit with a canopy that needs to close over him, that becomes a pretty significant issue.

I tried putting other figures inside as well and couldn't get any of them to sit properly. It's a shame because the cockpit is a nice feature to have, and I would have liked to display the Fright Fighter with a figure actually piloting it. Unfortunately, the way the figures are constructed makes that difficult.

What bothers me most is that Spikor is right there on the back of the box, sitting in the cockpit. That's the figure Mattel chose to show driving the vehicle, yet I couldn't get mine to fit inside without the canopy looking like it wasn't closed properly. I would have liked to see a little more room inside the cockpit or a seating arrangement that better accommodates the figures. I'm not expecting every figure in the collection to fit perfectly, but I would expect the one pictured on the packaging to fit without a problem.

The Fright Fighter looks good with the cockpit closed and no figure inside, but that doesn't really solve the problem. Having a working cockpit is part of the appeal of a vehicle designed for action figures, and it's disappointing that I couldn't get any of mine to sit properly in it.

Scourge of the Sky

Overall, I like the Fright Fighter. It's a large, good-looking vehicle that was easy to assemble and has a working wing mechanism that I really enjoy. The articulated tail is another nice feature, and the body feels pretty sturdy, even if the wings could have a little more to them.

The cockpit is easily my biggest complaint. I couldn't get Spikor or any of the other figures I tried to sit properly inside, which is disappointing when the back of the box shows him piloting the vehicle. It's the one feature that really lets an otherwise enjoyable toy down.

At around $20 on clearance at Target, I'm happy with what I got. There's plenty to like about the Fright Fighter, especially when it comes to its size, working features, and overall construction. It looks great hanging on my wall, and that's where I'll be keeping it.