Mo-Larr Saves The Day!?!

I'm not sure if you know this or not... But I wasn't a fan of the Mo-Larr Vs. Skeletor pack. A figure set based on a 2 minute skit from Robot Chicken (a show I don't even watch)? Um, no thanks. I felt that it was a waste of time and tooling dollars. In fact, I pretty actively expressed my disdain for it whenever I could.

Well... I'm sorry. I'm sorry about all that. Because today? Today Mo-Larr saved the day. I owe him one.



Rewind to this past Wednesday. My youngest son Keaton (who is quite the bruiser) was getting into his usual rough and tumble business over at my sister's place. On the agenda for that day? Couch tumbles. For those of you who may be uninitiated in the ways of living room acrobatics, couch tumbles are where you basically roll from the top of the couch down onto the floor. Great fun for adolescents, constant aggravations for parents. Yes, we've tried to stop him from doing these sort of things... but turn away from him for one second, and Keaton is right back to finding some other way to test the limits of his bones. Well, this time the tumble got the better of him. He caught a nasty bump to the mouth on his (now final) couch tumble. He reacted to the injury with his usual "at least it did not hurt me"... but you could tell it actually did hurt him. Keaton doesn't let any injury show, so it's sometimes really tough to gauge what requires attention and what doesn't. But when he winced during his nightly teeth brushing, we thought this one might be a little more serious.

The next morning, I wake Keaton up to get him ready for the day and immediately go in to check out his front tooth. There was definitely some swelling, and again- wincing during the brushing. I said "buddy, I think this is one you can't just shake off... we gotta make a dentist appointment". Now here's the part where I wish certain traits weren't passed down to your kids. I hate doctors. I hate the dentist. I figure any injury that doesn't kill me, doesn't require a visit to a physician. Well, it looks like Keaton inherited that, because the mere mention of the word "dentist" caused him to straighten up and say "Dentist? I don't need to go to a dentist. My tooth is all better now, see?" and then he gave me his best clenched smile. I tried to explain that the dentist wasn't bad and that he might like the guy (knowing full well that this probably would be a pretty horrendous first visit). He wasn't having it. He again tried the "my tooth is fine now" whilst taking bites of his breakfast sandwich from the side of his mouth. I replied "sorry buddy... we gotta go. Your appointment is for tomorrow. The dentist really will make it all better". You could tell that really got him worried... and I knew that the things that would probably have to be done on this visit would lead to Keaton disliking the dentist from this point forward.

What could I do? How could I make Keaton understand that the dentist isn't bad? Even though he was going to do things to Keats that would probably hurt... A LOT... it still was for his own good.

Then it hit me.



I had just received a Mo-Larr Vs Skeletor pack in my "Mad Matty Monday" package. Keaton had seen Mo-Larr amongst my figures before. He had remarked then that he was a "funny guy" and wondered why he didn't have him yet, not knowing that I found the figure fairly lame and had only bought them due to a cursed completest compulsion. He hadn't been around for the MMM pack arrival, so he didn't know that there was a fresh, unopened set sitting right downstairs awaiting a use. So I ran down, scooped up the pack and presented it to Keaton.

Keaton: "Hey... it's the funny guy pack!"

Me: "Yeah... but you know what else he is? He's a dentist!"

Keaton: "Really? There's a He-Man dentist guy!?"

Me: "Yes, yes there is. His name is Mo-Larr, and he helps all the people of Eternia with their teeth problems... Even the bad guys like Skeletor! See? Skeletor had a hurt tooth just like you, so Mo-Larr helped him get it out so he could feel better. And if you go to the dentist, he'll help you too... and I'll give you this pack to take with you."



That was it. He was sold. Not only was he willing to go, but he was actually EXCITED to go. The entire time we spent in the waiting room, Keaton played with those two figures, making Mo-Larr use each of his tools to help fix Skeletor's hurt tooth. By the time we got back to see the dentist, Keaton knew exactly what to expect when he hit that chair. Not only that, but he was able to explain what each tool did to the dentist before he even used them. The dentist was floored... not only by the fact that he knew all this before ever having been to see a dentist, but also that there was a He-Man figure based on a dentist!

After taking x-rays, the dentist explained that the tooth was majorly fractured and would have to be removed. I figured that's when it would hit home for Keaton that this wasn't going to be a fun trip. But he took it in stride, saying that he "would be just like Skeletor now".



A couple shots of novocaine, some major yanking back and forth, and the tooth was out. Well, half out. The crack caused the root to stay behind. What followed wasn't pretty... but Keaton kept a stiff upper lip, clutching onto Mo-Larr and toothless Skelly with all the force 4-year-old mitts can muster. When it was all said and done, not a single tear was shed. Almost unbelievably, Keaton left the office with a smile on his face (though it was lessened by one tooth), happy to come back to the dentist whenever it comes up again... because he knows that Mo-Larr will be there right along with him.

I know from my own childhood experiences that having a toy beside you during strenuous times can form a lasting bond with that lifeless piece of plastic. I have no doubt that this will be the same with Keaton. As much as I may not like him, Mo-Larr will probably end up being one of his favorites in the line thanks to their shared experience.

So to Toy Guru, Seth Green, and all the folks that made the Mo-Larr Vs Skeletor pack happen- My most heartfelt thanks and humble apology for my previous derision of this set. Today, He-Man took the day off... and Mo-Larr stepped up to the plate.