Transformer of the Day for February 5, 2009
REFLECTOR
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Reconnaissance
-Motto: “See and You Can Know, Know and You Can Destroy”
-Notable Toy: Diaclone (Takara, 1983)
Notes: Pity poor Reflector. A Decepticon who never appeared on North American store shelves (other than as a decoy bonus in 1987), he is a key part of the Decepticon army in the first year of the cartoon. But let the Decepticon army ranks grow with newly released toys, and Reflector is quickly shuffled aside. While a special offer in the mid-1980s allowed him to officially join our toy ranks, we still wait for the day to see a reissue of some kind that better reflects his onscreen presence.
(For more information on Reflector, check out the Generation One Transformer Bible.)
(Apologies and thanks to toyarchives.com for the toy image.)
Transformer of the Day for February 4, 2009
SKYFIRE / JETFIRE
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Air Guardian
-Motto: “Among Mysteries of Science Lies the Key to Victory”
-Notable Toy: Henkai (Takara, 2008)
Now we know that the Jetfire/Skyfire weirdness had to do with legal issues between Bandai and Hasbro and the use of likenesses in different markets. But it was so strange from a kid’s perspective in 1984. Why did the cartoon hero Skyfire look so different from the toy Jetfire, and why the differing names? Still, I never quite understood why Hasbro never tried to keep the rights to the Skyfire name, although props to them for giving their Universe version of the character a battle helmet and cartoon face to reflect the dicodomy.
(For more information on “Skyfire”, check out the Generation One Transformer Bible entries here and here.)
Transformer of the Day for February 3, 2009
SHOCKWAVE
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Military Operations Commander
-Motto: “Clarity of Thought Before Rashness of Action”
-Notable Toy: Alternators (Hasbro, 2005)
Shockwave, a calculating one-eyed, one-laser caretaker of Cybertron who transforms into a flying space gun. And even though you seemed to do a great job of running Cybertron for like four million years in Megatron’s absence, your cartoon persona never made a play for leadership. But your comic self was always a player. So many good figures too but in the end I went with the Alternator. Even if it meant going by your maiden name, Shockblast.
(For more information on Shockwave, check out the Generation One Transformer Bible.)
Transformer of the Day for February 2, 2009
PERCEPTOR
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Scientist
-Motto: “One’s Ultimate Test Lies in One’s Molecular Structure”
-Notable Toy: Hasbro Deluxe (Hasbro, 1985)
Notes: Perceptor always seemed to be a little out of his element in the cartoon, which made for an interesting justaposition with his early Marvel Comic appearances where he served as a defacto Autobot leader. While it was always a great shame Takara never fixed his face for his initial 2005 reissue, it was pretty cool that the original release retained its limited microscope features.
(For more information on Perceptor, check out the Generation One Transformer Bible.)
Transformer of the Day for February 1, 2009
UNICRON
-Faction: None
-Era: Generation 1 (1984-1992)
-Function: Universal Dominator
-Motto: “That Which Does Not Become a Part of Me Shall Become One with the Void”
-Notable Toy: 3H Botcon Exclusive (HardHero, 2002)
Notes: Strange how it took an adversary the size of a planet to bring the cosmic scope back to the cartoon. And left fans salivating for Unicron’s physical manifestation for decades. While it’s true that the HardHero statue doesn’t transform, it captures the dark god perfectly. Given the conceptualization of the 1986 unproduced protoype, he was worth the wait.
Transformer of the Day for January 31, 2009
THE ARK
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992), Beast Wars (1996-98)
-Function: Deep Space Interceptor
-Motto: Not applicable
-Notable Toy: Titanium 3″ (Hasbro, 2006)
Notes: Not a Transformer per se, the Ark is the deep space exploration craft shot down by Decepticons over pre-historic earth. A base for both Autobots and Maximals and home of Teletran 1, the Ark was eventually destroyed in a fit of bad animation by Trypticon in “Five Faces of Darkness Part V”. Interestingly, the 3″ Titanium version of the Ark bares little resemblance to the original cartoon, at least that is until you separate the front part from the rocket section.
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With the Ark, fairplaythings.com prepares to enters the second month of its ongoing Transformers-a-day 25th anniversary online calendar. And what better way to proceed then to use the next month to spotlight some of the many heroes of the very first North American cartoon series. For the Month of February, all characters spotlighted will be from the original North American Generation One release, alternating in the now-familiar pattern between hero and villain. Roll out!
Transformer of the Day for January 30, 2009
STAXX
-Faction: Decepticon (Powermaster II)
-Era: Generation 2 (1993-1995)
-Function: Highway Destruction
-Motto: “I Was Born to be Wild, Born to Be Bad”
-Notable Toy: Powermaster (Hasbro Europe, 1995)
Notes: One of the strangest assortments to come out in the history of Transformersdom, Staxx (along with his contemporaries, Ironhide, Meanstreak and Bulletbike) were available only in continental Europe and Australia as, wait for it, Powermasters. With no articulation to speak of and pull-back engines reminiscent of the mini-spies, these four characters don’t resemble anything that would follow. They are what they are, a throwback to an earlier time.
(Apologies and thanks to the futuristgroup for the toy image.)
Transformer of the Day for January 29, 2009
DAI ATLAS
-Faction: Autobot (Powered Master)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Supreme Commander
-Motto: “We Are Powered by Compassion and Fueled by Courage”
-Notable Toy: Wonder Festival Exclusive (Sunrise Mega Action Series, 2007)
Notes: In 1991, Transformers were all but gone from shelves and airwaves in the United States, but Japan was still turning out micromasters and platforms. And Dai Atlas could merge with other platforms. But as cool and rare as he is in all his motorized glory, I love the Wonder Festival non-transformer figure. Because how cool is it to have a toy with a giant Z!
(Apologies and thanks to plasticcrack.net for the toy images.)
Transformer of the Day for January 28, 2009
STRIKA
-Faction: Vehicon (General)
-Era: Beast Machines (1999-2000)
-Function: All-Terrain Combat
-Motto: “No Road is Rougher Than Me”
-Notable Toy: Beast Wars Returns (Takara, 2007)
Notes: She was the greatest of Cybertron generals, but invented for the show. She was akin to a dark Big Barda, and yet her “gender” is not even mentioned in her original text spec. Her profiles talk of “consorts” but she needs no one. The same figure was produced on three occasions (BM 2000, Universe 2004 and BW Returns 2005) and none of them get her quite right. Too good to lose, we hope TF:A get Strika done.
Transformer of the Day for January 27, 2009
OPTIMUS MINOR
-Faction: Maximal
-Era: Beast Wars (1996-2000)
-Function: Ground Commando
-Motto: “Monkey See, Monkey Grab”
-Notable Toy: Transmetal 2 Basic (Hasbro, 1999)
Notes: As further evidence that Prime may be a military rank, we present Optimus Minor (of no relation to Optimus Primal). I love him for the name alone. Although the transformation of the basic figure is not particularly impressive, the toy really allows you to take advantage of the magnificant poseability that is inherent in so many of the Beast Wars toys. Articulation that, like die-cast construction, seemed to be a dying art in the 1990s.
