Savage/Special Edition He-Man

SUMMARY:
The almost mythical Savage He-man aka Wonderbread He-Man! This figure has been shrouded in mystery since it first began to emerge in the 1990s, and has been the subject of much debate amongst collectors as to its authenticity and origins. In 2020, a letter was discovered in the Mattel vault that shed light on this mystery. The letter was from a disgruntled mother, who complained to Mattel about receiving an incomplete, “special edition He-Man” upon submitting the buy 3, get free offer in the “wrong” color. The letter is marked received on August 19, 1983.

The prevailing theory was that the figure was the buy 3/get free offer, but this letter went a long way to validate this belief that this was the origin of the “Special Edition He-Man”. 

A few characteristics that you generally see in Savage He-man are brown hair on a soft head, neck issues such as a gap in the neck, or neck melt, brown shorts with a black painted belt, fully painted (dipped) black boots, symmetrical belly button similar to later edition 8-backs, and the figure marked © Mattel Inc 1981 TAIWAN in the back, and © MATTEL INC 1981 TAIWAN under the head. Some savage He-Man have a small texture gap under the belt, while others have no gap. 

It seems this figure was typically packaged with only 2 man-e-faces, special promotion maroon weapons, such as the shield and sword.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Brown hair and brown shorts
2. Black belt and boots
3. Neck issues such as gaps, or neck melt
4. Small texture gap under the belt on some (but not all)

MARKED: © Mattel Inc 1981 TAIWAN (back), © MATTEL INC 1981 TAIWAN (under neck)