Transformer of the Day for December 1, 2009
DISPENSOR
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Movie (2007, 2009, 2011)
-Function: Thirst Quencher
-Motto: “No Quarter“
-Notable Toy: Robot Heroes (Hasbro, 2008)
Notes: Given my disdain for various all-spark charged little monsters in Transformers 2, you can be forgiven if you would think that I would loath Dispensor. But he was a highlight for me of the battle scene, an illustration of how a little humour can work well but too much can ruin a movie. And while the Transformers 2 has given us a transforming toaster and microscope (neither of which are anywhere close to scale), can it be only a matter of time before Dispensor gets a transformer of his very own? In the meantime, we have just one figure from the Robot Heroes line, which is as good an excuse as any to fawn over this super-cute line of Generation, Beast Wars, Beast Machines and, yes, Movie 1 and Movie 2 characters.
Transformer of the Day for November 30, 2009
METROPLEX
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Armada-Energon-Cyberton (2002-2006)
-Function: Guardian
-Motto: “There is No Room in Justice for Vendettas“
-Notable Toy: Leader (Hasbro,2006)
Notes: Admittedly, this was going to be yet another Generation One entry, until I came up this incredible representation of the Cybertronian hero. It almost makes up for the fact that, for what is otherwise a fine Transformer robot, Metroplex is cursed with one of the ugliest alternate forms. Still, it would be nice nonetheless to see him redone in blue, given a Decepticon allegiance and debuted as Metrotitan.
Transformer of the Day for November 29, 2009
BATTLE GAIA
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Gestalt Attack Soldier
-Motto: “There is No Purpose But War“
-Notable Toy: Gestalt Set (Takara, 1992)
Notes: Battle Gaia has the almost singular distinction of being the only Destron released in Japan in the whole of 1992. Which makes you wonder if Japan has something in particular against villains. But I guess if you are only to release one villain, judging by the image to the left, Battle Gaia is the one to go with.
Transformer of the Day for November 28, 2009
HOT ZONE
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Evacuation
-Motto: “Rust Never Sleeps and Neither Do I“
-Notable Toy: Titanium (Hasbro, 2009)
Notes: Hot Shot is an interesting case of how individual Transformers have evolved and changed. The G1 combiner leader of the Protectobots, Hot Spot was originally released in 1986 and subsequently re-released in Europe under the Classics header in 1991. Similiarly he was slightly re-imagined, in red as Fire Chief, leader of the Guard City team for the Japanese market. From here, he was originally intended to be part of the G2 line, but never made it to stores. A bit of a dryspell followed but, with the return of Classics and Universe, Hot Zone returned in Legend format with a number of other combiner leaders and in this form, a repaint of the Titanium version of Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime. Interestingly enough, he appears in a form remarkably similiar to another aborted attempt at reissue, the never-realized exclusive planned for the third “Official Transformers Collectors Convention” that was left on the drawing board with that organization’s loss of the license from Hasbro.
Transformer of the Day for November 27, 2009
RODIMUS
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Shattered Verse (2008 - Present)
-Function: Warrior
-Motto: “To The Victor Go the Profits“
-Notable Toy: Botcon Exclusive (Hasbro, 2008)
Notes: Rodimus was one of the additonal add-ons available as part of the Shattered Glass storyline of Botcon 2008. The good news is that the-powers-that-be did a bang-up job of turning the eventual G1 hero into a selfish, power hungry seeker. The bad news is that Takara would use the same classics moulds (and would mirror Rodimus‘ colours) to create its exclusive, Wildrider, which kind of negates having both of them on the same shelf.
Transformer of the Day for November 26, 2009
WHIRL
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Aerial Assault
-Motto: “If Used Logically, Madness Makes A Great Weapon“
-Notable Toy: Deluxe (Hasbro, 1985)
Notes: Like his partner, Roadbuster, Jetfire and the deluxe Insecticons, Whirl was a non-Takara edition to the Transformers, used to round out the ranks of the second year. And like those Transformers (save for the heavily modified Skyfire), he didn’t see action on the cartoon. But he seems like a logical counterpart to Shockwave, to say nothing of a shoo-in for the downhill events at the Cybertronian olympics.
(Apologies and thanks to bbts.com and shmax.com for the toy image.)
Transformer of the Day for November 24, 2009
BRAVER
-Faction: Autobot (Brainmaster)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Strategic Knight
-Motto: “To Find the Perfect Strategy, You Have to Find the Perfect Calculation”
-Notable Toy: Gestalt Set (Takara, 1989)
Notes: Targetmasters, Headmasters, Power/Godmasters, Brainmasters? Yes, Takara decided to make the exposed brain the transformable partner, rather than the simply going with the entire head. And the three Brainmasters formed Road Caesar, whose a really top notch toy. But I gotta say, of the three Brainmasters, you really have to go with the “strategic knight.” I mean, it’s like modern warfare and chivery all at once.
(Apologies and thanks to bbts.com and shmax.com for the toy image.)
Transformer of the Day for November 23, 2009
BEASTBOX
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Interrogator
-Motto: “Speak Now If You Ever Intend to Speak at All“
-Notable Toy: Basic Two-Pack (Hasbro, 1988)
Notes: Literally a monkey on your back, Beastbox combines with Squawktalk to form Squawkbox. But given that his alternative form is a tape deck in the Generation One style of toys, Beastbox nevertheless retains a measure of three-dimensionality that is sometimes lacking in his cohorts.
(Apologies and thanks to toyarchives.com for the toy pics.)
Transformer of the Day for November 22, 2009
POLICEMAN PETE
-Faction: Go-Bots
-Era: Playskool Gobots (2002-2005)
-Function: Aerialbot Leader
-Motto: “With Me, Trouble is All Wet”
-Notable Toy: 1-2-3 Transformers Go-Bots (Playskool, 2002)
Notes: My love for Go-Bots aside, I hated the early efforts of Hasbro to put forward a kid-friendly line of 1-2-3 Transformers. That is, until I actually brought home a Policeman Pete from a flee market and discovered he was, in fact, a worthy addition to the collection. He doesn’t resemble the robots in the Go-Bot collection, mind you, but with a repaint available in Fire Marshall Mike, he’ll fit in just fine.
(Apologies and thanks to gobotsarepurelove.com for the toy pics.)
Transformer of the Day for November 21, 2009
JOLT
-Faction: Decepticon (Triggercon)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Data Collector
-Motto: “Things Are Never as Good as They Seem“
-Notable Toy: Exclusive (Hasbro, 2008)
Notes: Crankcase is one of those occasions where a toy that is notionally dedicated to the movie line is repurposed back into Generation One for the purposes of the TF of the Day exercise. Mainly because the repaint is just so perfect a representation of the original triggerbot. I figure it is only fair since his orings lies in G1 anyway. But what a super repaint! Much better than the movie inspired art that followed (and follows…):
