The Evil Horde Fright Zone playset was released in 1985 for the Masters of the Universe toy line. It featured a caged cell, a dead tree that could capture action figures and a “snake” that could drag off unsuspecting foes. It wasn’t the largest playset the MOTU line had to offer, but it was a great companion piece to Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain.
I was still very deep into all things Masters of the Universe in 1985, and already had Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain. But the Fright Zone eluded me for some reason. Maybe my parents were suffering burnout from all of the MOTU stuff in the house or me running around yelling “I Have the Power!”. Whatever the reason, I never ended up with this.
While a lot of fans my age would rather have had the Slime Pit, the Fright Zone was where it was at for me. Maybe it was the Halloween vibe it puts off or the way it feels like an outpost in some far-off corner of Eternia, but either way, I wanted it then, and I wouldn’t say no to it now.
I had this as a kid, along with Castle Grayskull (but no Snake Mountain)!
It was a fun piece, though if I’m being honest, kinda sucked as a “base” for the Horde in the same way Grayskull served for the MotU (in lieu of an Eternian palace, of course) and Snake Mountain did for the Evil Warriors.
Have you seen the new Snake Lair they’re doing for the Snake Men, though? It’s pretty awesome.