Transformer of the Day for December 5, 2009
CALCAR
-Faction: Decepticon (Trakkon)
-Era: Generation One Plus
-Function: Battle Analyst
-Motto: “It Doesn’t Matter Who Suffers, It Only Matters That Evil Wins the Day“
-Notable Toy: European Exclusive (Hasbro, 1993)
Notes: While Calcar reminds me a bit of the Autobot Vehicle Pretender Gunrunner in vehicle mode, they are quite clearly not the same guy. Given he was part of the second wave of non-U.S. exclusive, the wave that didn’t make it to Canada, he’s harder to find than some of his contemporaries. And he’s certainly worth the chase, even if he has a face only a mother could love.
Transformer of the Day for December 4, 2009
FIREBOT
-Faction: Go-Bots
-Era: Playskool Gobots (2002-2005)
-Function: Rescue
-Motto: “With Me Around, Danger’s All Wet”
-Notable Toy: Gobots (Playskool, 2003)
Notes: Part of Firebot’s charm is that you can almost see him as a Gobot Red Alert. Even his toy face is red, which practically screams cartoon reference. For yet another repaint of the original Speedbot body, the paint applications really do him justice. Even better, Firebot features the kiddy autobot logo, as the toy came out before the formal shift to the Go-Go-Gobot line, where the logo was replaced with a stylized G.
Transformer of the Day for December 3, 2009
SPY STREAK
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Beast Machines (1999-2000)
-Function: Aerial Reconnaissance
-Motto: “I Am The Eye In the Sky“
-Notable Toy: Basic (Hasbro, 2001)
Notes: There was so much potential in Beast Machines, within the concept of the vehicon drones, that you wish the series had more time to create more. Alas, Spy Streak never had his moment on the big screen, likely because who wants another jet fighter after Jetstorm. That said he certainly made excellent cannon fodder for Hasbro’s parade of repaints.
Transformer of the Day for December 2, 2009
SLAG
-Faction: Autobot (Dinobot)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1993)
-Function: Flamethrower
-Motto: “I Have No Need for Friends, Even Less for Enemies“
-Notable Toy: Deluxe (Hasbro, 1993)
Notes: The Dinobots are clearly fan favourites and it’s a wonder they’ve not been recreated for reissue purposes. It would be nice to get an office Slag in cartoon colours, for like Swoop, the toy never quite matched the show’s artwork. Which is saying something, given that his Generation Two mould came in three different colour palettes.
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.
