Decepticharge (10-06-09)
Transformer of the Day for October 6, 2009
DECEPTICHARGE
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Mayhem
-Motto: “I Will Leave Nothing but Wrecks in My Wake”
-Notable Toy: Alternator (Hasbro, 2005)
Notes: Decepticharge is one of those few characters that doesn’t neatly fit into a specific category. Having been cancelled by Takara, he only really exists as part of the North American Alternators line (and even there, he is quite rare), but following on Dead End, he seems a natural fill-in for Drag Strip. But I don’t think Hasbro lost the name to Drag Strip given the recent Asian market exclusive. So he’s a puzzle. But a good toy needs to go somewhere, so since the Alternators (or more specifically, the Binaltech) seem to be Generation One revised, G1 it is!
I love how between Decepticharge and Dead End we get most of the Stunticons.
Decepticharge of course makes a good Dragstrip.
Meanwhile Dead End gets the same vehicle mode as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, just like Breakdown. He’s black with red windows just like Wildrider and he’s named Dead End.
WAY TO ALMOST MAKE IT BUT TOTALLY BONEHEAD IT HASBRO!
We’d have been better off is Dead End had just been Breakdown then they could have repainted say, the Subaru or Jazz into Wildrider or Dead End then maybe I dunno, The Intergra into one of the others? throw in a Prime based Motormaster and we get a great set of a cohesive known team. Instead we get a bunch of random Decepticons, half of which make no sense.
Comment by JoshMiller — October 6, 2009 @ 7:44 am
I agree with you. It is pretty ironic that Hasbro took a line of 1/6″ scale, Generation One inspired Transformers, for which they knew they would eventually need villains, and then overlooked the obvious choice of the Stunticons in terms of colour.
If we could go back in the wayback machine and change their minds, I’d rename Decepticharge as Drag Strip and recalibrate Dead End’s car colours. Then I’d suggest the Ford GT (Mirage, Rodimus) as Breakdown. I wouldn’t even change the Rodimus face. Then I’d take the Mustang (Wheeljack, Grimlock) and use it for Wildrider (and hopefully add a new face, or at least use Grimlock’s if that was not possible). For Motormaster, rather than repeat the Nemesis Prime toy, I’d actually take the Scion (Skids, Blaster) and work it into the Stunticon leader.
Makes you wish Fun Pub could get ahold of Alternators for their exclusives. What a coup it would be to round out the Stunticon Alternators!
Comment by fairplaythings — October 6, 2009 @ 1:10 pm