Sonic Bomber

This figure is one of those ultra rare figures for collectors to get their hands on. This is the character of Sonic Bomber, an Autobot from one of the final Transformers Generation One series in Japan, Transformers: Zone. I will be totally honest, I have never owned nor do I know a great deal about this figure. He was only released in Japan in 1990.

Sonic Bomber appeared to the closest ally to the Autobot Dai Atlus. He and Atlus rescued Victory Saber from the destruction of an alien planet, and they then went to protect Earth from the Decepticons. Sonic Bomber can transform from a robot to a jet resembling a blackbird. He also has a third mode where he transforms into a Micromaster base. He can combine in the base mode with Dai Atlus (in base mode) to form a super base, and then combine with Road Fire to form the super Micromaster base, Big Powered. Confused yet...it's okay. I actually like the design of Sonic Bomber more than that of Dai Atlus. Sonic Bomber just looks a lot better in robot and vehicle mode. The base mode is okay, but not as well designed as Dai Atlus'. Sonic Bomber also came with a Micromaster partner, Sonic.

Transformers: Zone was intended to be the final animated series for Generation One in Japan, but due to the declining popularity of Transformers in 1990, only the first of episode of the series was ever animated while the rest of the series was told through the pages of TV Magazine. To date, this single episode (as with other three Transformers animated series from Japan) has never been released in the United States. They have all been released in the U.K. and in Australia, but no full release in the States....yet.

Transformers Artwork #6

This piece comes from the box art from the Australian release of the complete series of Transformers: The Headmasters. The art is done by veteran Transformers Don Figueroua, and it features a battle between the Autobot and Decepticon Headmasters. Dead center is the new Autobot commander Fortress Maximus battling the new Decepticon Emperor of Destruction, Skorponok! The Headmasters animated series ran exclusively in Japan in 1987, and it brought all of the plot points and stories begun in 1984 to an end. The Headmasters joined the war in 2011, and eventually after a great deal of hardship and pivotal battles (i.e. the death of Optimus Prime, the destruction of Cybertron, the death of Galvatron, etc.), the Decepticons would be driven from Earth forever...until Super-God Masterforce.

Abominus

This is part six of my six part Terrorcon spotlight. This is the moment you all have been waiting for; this is the combined mode of the five Terrorcon beasts...Abominus! Although he does look a little different from his original animated form, this figure is simply awesome.

Transforming the Terrorcons to Abominus is virtually the same as any other Scramble City style combiner. You basically transform the bots to their limb modes and the limbs' heads are the super robot connectors. Plug the four bots into Hun-Gurrr, plug in the foot plates and the hands, attach the chest plate, flip Hun-Gurrr's robot legs to the super mode position, and attach Abominus' head.

What makes this figure one of the best combined Transformers from Generation One is the added articulation from Hun-Gurrr. Abominus is capable of more movement than that of his super robot brethren. My only gripe about the figure is the pinkish look of the chest plate and his white helmet. I much preferred the animated color scheme to this because it added to the ferocity of the character. This color scheme makes him look not so tough. Oh well, that's what custom paint apps are for right? This figure was also the only special team to never be released in the United States as a gift set. He was released as a gift set, but only in Japan.

Hun-Gurrr

This is part five of my six part Terrorcon spotlight. Today I will be taking a quick look at one of the best designed figures from the Generation One toy line, Hun-Gurrr! He is the leader of the Terrorcons and transforms into a two headed dragon.

Hun-Gurrr is hands down, the best looking Terrorcon released and is also one of the best designed Generation One Transformers in terms of robot mode articulation. To transform him from dragon mode to robot mode, you flip the dragon heads up to form the feet, align the legs to their original position, flip up the dragon feet on the hind legs, flip out the hands, flip the tail back, rotate the head, and fold the front dragon legs to the robot's back. Hun-Gurrr is simply an excellent looking figure. He has about 15 points of articulation. While that seems really common today, back then this was unheard of for a Generation One toy.

Hun-Gurrr also transforms into the torso of Abominus, the Terrorcons' super mode. Abominus' chest plate can be attached to Hun-Gurrr's arm to create a shield. The figure was the only Scramble City torso figure to not feature a base mode. The underside of Hun-Gurrr suggests that there was one intended for the figure, but it was aborted so no additional pieces were added to flesh it out. Even without the pieces, with all of the leg articulation, you could create your own base mode. I know I certainly did when I was a kid.

Cutthroat

This is part four of my six part spotlight on the ferocious Terrorcons! Today's spotlight features the last of the "limb" figures, Cutthroat. This figure was pretty unique as he was the only Terrorcon with an alternate mode capable of flight, but he was also the only "limb" with added articulation. He typically transforms into one of the legs of Abominus.

Cutthroat's tech specs call him the most destructive of the Terrorcons. He is a Decepticon who attacks life forms without even a shred of mercy. His alternate mode is of a winged creature. The color scheme of the figure is pretty good with the hues of green, yellow, and purple. To transform him, you simply flip down his bird head, unfold his robot arms from his sides, fold up the wings on his back, push the waist in place, pull down the robot legs, and rotate the bird legs. His robot mode is the best designed of the four Terrorcon "limbs". His arms have a full range of motion, his waist can move up and down, and every part of him seems in proportion. He truly is a well designed figure, and the best one to pick up outside of the Terrorcon leader.

As I have mentioned before, it's too bad the Terrorcons didn't get much airtime in the original animated series. Another interesting note is they didn't get much love in the comics either. They were briefly introduced the Headmasters four issue-limited series, and about five issues after debuting in the regular on-going Marvel comic, they were killed by the Underbase powered Starscream. Unlike many of the Autobots and Decepticons who would be reactivated through the use of Nucleon or other means, the Terrorcons were never brought back on line in either the Generation One or Generation 2 Marvel Comics series.

Transformers Artwork #5

This will be a first for my artwork pages. The piece featured this time is not an original drawing or work by a comic book artist or free lance artist. This is actually a screen capture from the opening of the fourth season of the original Transformers series. This piece features one of the last Scramble City style combiners (and the last American G1 Autobot combiner), Computron.

I love this shot because it is just a really sweet looking rendition of the character. It almost looks like it could belong in a second animated Transformers movie. This frame was also seen in the commercial for Skorponok who was seen fighting with Computron. Computron is the combined form of the Technobots, and he is quite possibly the most intelligent Transformer ever created. He is constantly calculating odds, and Computron rarely makes any mistakes with those computations.

What made me think about doing an artwork piece on Computron was really thanks to the spotlights on the Terrorcons. The Technobots and Terrorcons were rivals and enemies in the toy line and animated series. Abominus is a machine of mindless destruction while Computron is an intelligent strategist.

Rippersnapper

This is part three of my six part spotlight on the Terrorcons. Today, I will take a look a Rippersnapper. His alternate mode is of a shark like monster with arms and legs. He transforms into usually the left arm of Abominus.

Rippersnapper is an interesting looking Terrorcon. Like Blot, this figure's alternate mode is an original design and not really based on a pre-existing monster. The mode looks good with its white plastic and blue legs. The only real problem is that with most toys cast in white plastic, it is prone to yellowing over time if not cared for. The robot mode is about the same as Blot and Sinnertwin. You flip back the monster head, slip up the arms, pull down the robot legs, and rotate the monster legs and arms. Pretty standard by this point with really no variety.

It is unfortunate the original animated series didn't last longer. The Terrorcons were introduced towards the very end, and they seemed like they would be great characters in the long run. Rippersnapper definitely showed his aggressive side in their few appearances. The Terrorcons did continue to fight on in the Japanese exclusive Transformers: The Headmasters animated series which ran from 1987 to early 1988. The next spotlight will be on the winged terror, Cutthroat!

Blot

This is part two of the six part Terrorcon spotlight. Say hello to the most disgusting Transformer ever assembled...Blot. He transforms into some kind of monster, and he typically forms the right arm of Abominus.

Blot has a fairly articulate alternate mode (for 1987). His monster head can look up, his monster arms have joints in the shoulders and elbows, and his monster legs move at the hips. His robot mode however suffers from the same problems as Sinnertwin. Blot's arms simply flip out and the legs are locked into position. His transformation is pretty simple. You flip back the shoulders of the monster arms, rotate the monster legs, pull down the robot legs, flip up the robot arms, and carefully flip the robot head up from the back.

Blot is called the most disgusting because his tech specs state that he oozes chemicals with foul odors from his joints. Both the Autobots and Decepticons find this bot gross, and the Terrorcons typically don't like to merge with him to form Abominus because they will smell for some time after. The next spotlight will be on Rippersnapper!

Preview of Transformers #1 (IDW Publishing)

Don't worry readers, I will be continuing my series on the Terrorcons soon. I have been viewing the recent preview spreads for the new Transformers ongoing series from IDW Publishing. After checking out probably more than half of the comic in preview images, I have a few thoughts on it and this different direction that IDW is taking with the series.

1. Story wise, the aftermath of the All Hail Megatron saga seems to have left a bad taste in the mouths of the humans. This story line seems to add a new flavor to the series as the Autobots and Decepticons are fugitives on an Earth that seeks the destruction of both sides. Although there have been a lot of complaints on the forums, I think this could be an interesting take on the franchise.

2. Art wise, I agree with most everyone on the forums that this is not the direction to take. I really think that Hasbro is starting to have too much of a hand in the design of the comic book's style. I never read All Hail Megatron, but I saw enough images of the Seekers, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker to realize that Hasbro had shifted the designs of the IDW-verse to match up with recent toy releases. The -tion series created modern updates to the original characters that were original, well thought out designs, but also kept the feel of the original characters. That was one of the awesome aspects of the -tion story lines in that it was a fresh new take on the classic Transformers Generation One universe, and it seemed like there was minimal Hasbro involvement. This new art style blends the G1 designs with new movie designs, and it look awful. I was thinking about getting into this series, but the art direction may be too much for me to overlook. Then again, I did say that about Transformers: Animated, and that was the BEST Transformers series in almost a decade.

3. If this series progresses, Simon Furman needs to write again. I was literally through the preview pages in two minutes, if that. Furman had this way of fleshing out the stories to novel-like proportions. He took the art, the story, and the characters and made them feel rich and detailed through his writing. This new guy did what he was supposed to, and he told the story. However, that was all he did. Nothing more, nothing less.

I am not sure if I am going to invest in this series or not. I may just wait for the prices on the rest of -tion series to come down and finish that instead. However, IDW is releasing a new 32-page comic called Continuum, which is like a highlight comic covering the entire IDW series to this point. That might be a great, quick read.

Sinnertwin

This is entry number one for a six part spotlight on a group of the most sinister Decepticons, the Terrorcons! The first figure in this line up was actually the first Terrorcon I ever owned, Sinnertwin.

The central theme of the Generation One Terrorcons is that they each transformed into monsters. Sinnertwin transforms into a two-headed dog like creature. In Greek mythology, this creature is called an Orthus. The color scheme for the figure is pretty sweet. The legs are a greenish color, and the rest of the body is cast in a yellowish plastic. Also, the tails are in a purple color. The beast mode pulls off the goal of the toy looking menacing. The transformation is really simple. You flip the dog heads back, flip back the four legs, pull down the robot mode legs, and flip up the arms.

However, there are two gripes with this figure. The first gripe (as with three out of the four Terrorcon limb bots) is the robot mode. There is no articulation at all with the figure. It looks great to display, but that is it. The arms don't move from their stationary position, and the legs are locked in place. It is not a big deal for a kid with an imagination, but looking at this toy through the lenses of 2009 versus 1987, this might not go over so well now. The other gripe is the robot head. For all of the Scramble City style combiner limbs, the heads are attached to a post which flips down as a connector to the torso robot. On Sinnertwin, the groove in the chest is too narrow, which leads to the head being broken off easily. So was the fate of my figure in the 80's.

The Terrorcons are great toys, but they weren't designed as well for the robot modes on some of the figures compared to the older combiner teams. They are still worth picking up though. The next spotlight will be on the digusting Blot!

Fortress Maximus: The Gem of G1

I have been wanting to write something about this figure for a long time. This is the figure that collectors and fans have called the holy grail of the Generation One toy line. This is the Headmaster Autobot City and Headmaster leader, Fortress Maximus!!! The character didn't see much air time as he only appeared in the final minutes of the last U.S. Transformers episode in 1987. He played a HUGE role in the Japanese exclusive series Transformers: The Headmasters. He also played a large role in the U.S. comic books.

This toy is absolutely huge, and even 23 years later, still the largest Transformer toy ever produced. Fortress Maximus stands at a little over two feet tall. He is also one of the more complicated, but well designed, figures of the era. His Headmaster component is the regular sized Autobot known as Cerebros. He transforms into a communication station when Fortress Maximus is in city mode. Cerebros is also a Headmaster in that his head transforms into Spike, the long time human ally of the Autobots.

Maximus himself transforms into a large city. This city is complete with bays in his body for mini-bots to enter, a helipad for flying Autobots, a prison for Decepticon Headmasters and Target Masters, a control tower for Spike, and ramps which can launch cars. The city mode can also transform into a massive battle station. The station features a huge amount of artillery and a giant cannon in the main tower. This mode in Japan was also featured as a starship called Battleship Maximus. The city has two vehicles to help protect it which can combine to form another smaller robot. In battle station mode, Cerebros is also separated and can attack with his fellow Headmasters in robot mode.

When the battle station is not enough to battle the might of the Decepticons, the city of Fortress Maximus can transform into the towering Autobot I mentioned earlier. Cerebros then transforms into his head and combines. In robot mode, Fortress Maximus is also heavily armed with gun emplacements in his legs, sides, arms, hands, and feet. He is truly the Autobots' last line of defense. To give an idea of his size, you could place your combined Scramble City style super robot right next to Fortress Maximus, and they would only come up to a little above his knee. No Transformer since has ever matched his size.

This figure commands high prices on eBay. Samples are getting harder to find as collectors have been snatching him up for the last decade. Boxed samples sold for well over $1,000.00. Loose and complete samples still run around $700.00. This toy has been re-released twice in Japan. The first time was part of the Super-God Masterforce series as Grand Maximus. The toy was recolored, and Cerebros had a Pretender shell. The second time was in 2000 as Brave Maximus as part of the Car-Robots line (better known to the United States as Transformers: Robots in Disguise). The reason this figure has never seen a United States re-release is because the toy can no longer pass the U.S. toy safety laws. In 1987, the laws weren't as strict for the design for the figure, but now it can't pass due to its inability to pass the drop testing.

It's sad that we may never see this figure re-released in any form here in the United States. However, if it was, it would probably be well over $200.00 to purchase. The movie version of Devastator is already $100.00 and it is not even half the size of Fortress Maximus. If you have this figure, don't ever give it up. If you have the money to invest in it, its a great piece of Transformers history to hold on to.

Rock Lords? Another Lame GoBot Idea

If you read my previous blog, you should know that I am not a fan (only enough to know what they are) of the GoBots. Although they beat Transformers to market in the 1980's, they were a vastly inferior product to the Transformers. Around 1986 when the GoBots toy line was winding down, they hit a new low (even for them). They released a theatrical film called GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords. Needless to say, although Transformers: The Movie was a box office flop in 1986, this film was out of theatres even faster. Also, which film has been remembered fondly for 20 plus years and received a 20th anniversary re-release from Sony BMG? I'll give you a hint, it wasn't a movie about transforming rocks.

The Rock Lords were supposed to be a new sub line to the GoBots. The concept...machines which transformed into...rocks. Yup...rocks. I will admit that I owned two of them. However, at the tender age of five years old, I didn't care how bad it was as long as it seemed like a Transformer. Now in my mid twenties, I can say that they had little to no play value, they looked awful, and they deserve to be left in rock mode in a real rock quarry never to be discovered again by innocent children or collectors.

On a side note, I mentioned a moment ago the feature film that came out in 1986. Don't see it...ever. Multiple people have put it on YouTube. If you are curious, then feel free, but it will be 70+ minutes of your lives you will never get back.

Star Saber: Mega SCF PVC

Around the time that the Japanese equivalent to Transformers: Heroes of Cybertron was being released, a sub-line of PVC figures was also being released by Takara. In addition to the 3 inch tall PVC figures, there was a line of 5-6 inch PVC figures dubbed the Mega SCF collection. The figure in this post is Star Saber, the leader of the Autobots during the events of Transformers: Victory. Victory was the animated series which ran in Japan in 1989.

The Mega SCF figures were well designed, and they looked exactly like their animated counterparts. Like the standard PVC figures, these toys could not transform. However, they were far more articulated than the standard PVC figures. They also came with a number of accessories like extra hands, heads, weapons, or other character specific gear. Star Saber was an interesting addition to this line as the other Mega SCF figures (until the Armada figures) were all American known Generation One characters rather than a Japanese exclusive Generation One character. Star Saber was also the first to feature some type of transformation, although this was not found in this figure alone. Another SCF figure of Victory Leo was released who, although he couldn't transform to lion mode (I think), could disassemble and combine with Star Saber to form Victory Saber.

There are so many figures released in Japan that I wish would have seen the light of day in the United States. The Mega SCF figures are one such line. You can get your hands on them through on-line retailers like Big Bad Toy Store or by checking your local comic and collectors shops. I actually found one Mega SCF figure of the Armada Megatron at a local comic book store here complete with the original Japanese box. These figures are out of production since they were released around 2001 or 2002, but their prices aren't too high. Great display pieces if you can find them.

Target Master Ricochet

In 1987, new gimmicks began to infiltrate the Transformers toy line. These gimmicks included the Headmasters and Target Masters. The idea was that the Transformers' head or weapon could transform into another smaller robot partner. In Japan, two additional Autobot Target Masters were released. The first was a white repaint of Inferno called Artfire, and the second was a slick repaint of Jazz as Stepper, who in the United States around 2004 became known as Ricochet. Those two figures weren't originally released in the United States, and to date, only Stepper (Ricochet) has been released.

This toy was released stateside for the first time as part of the Toys R' Us exclusive Commemorative Series which ran from 2002 until 2005 with random figures being relased as part of other classics lines after. The figure was a remold of Jazz, but he now featured a black and gold paint job. He also had flame stickers on his hood and down the sides. His Target Master partner was Nightstick. Long time fans and collectors may remember that Nightstick was originally Cyclonus' Target Master in the United States. In Japan, Cyclonus and Scourge never became Target Masters, so their weapons were given to Artfire and Stepper.

This figure was available in huge supply by the conclusion of the Commemorative Series line. The only thing that kept me from purchasing him was the price. All of the figures in the line retailed at a minimum of $35.00. I was a casual collector about that time, but it just didn't make sense to me to blow that much cash on a smaller figure. The reason for the high price for Ricochet and the other Commemorative Series figures is because of the die-cast metal pieces in each figure. They are great nostalgia pieces, but get them if you can find them at a good price.

Transformers Artwork #4

He was Galvatron's most loyal soldier in the days of Generation One. He is the warrior known as Cyclonus! Even when all of the Decepticons had begun to turn against the insane Galvatron, Cyclonus stood by his leader. He fought with a sense of honor and purpose. There were many times that he would make remarks about his Autobot opponents who fought with honor or were worthy of him. He transformed into a futuristic jet. I love this piece because if really captures the excellent design of this awesome character!

Although fans may never figure out if Cyclonus was created from the remains of Skywarp or Bombshell, I will go out on a limb and say he was created from the remains of Skywarp. Scourge was created from Thundercracker's remains, so this only makes logical sense. The two Seekers reborn as the sub-commanders of the new Decepticon army? Two of Megatron's most loyal followers and then Galvatron's most loyal followers (barring one dumb move from Scourge.)? That's my vote.

Transformers: The Movie (Rhino DVD)

In 2006, Sony BMG re-released Transformers: The Movie in literally the greatest edition any fan could ask for. Before that awesome release, Rhino released the movie for the first time on DVD in the United States around 2001. This was actually the first DVD I ever owned, even before I got my first DVD player. The release was awesome because the video quality was far superior to the original VHS releases (even Rhino’s VHS release of the movie). Also, the stereo soundtrack was excellent. However, the edition contained next to no bonus features. No trailers, no artwork, no commentary, nothing. The only feature it had was a really cool interview with Vince DiCola who wrote the score for the movie. The interview was a great edition, but like most of Rhino’s Transformers bonus features, it felt like a quick job to produce and include. If you have a choice between this version and the 20^th Anniversary Edition of the movie from Sony BMG, get the Sony version if you can get it cheap (it is now out production). However, if the other version is too expensive, the Rhino version isn’t a bad purchase. You are getting the original movie, unedited, and with excellent sound and video quality. I think the only Rhino Transformers release to not purchase at all costs is the Rhino release of the first season of Transformers on DVD.

There were a couple of interesting notes about the packaging. It used the original poster from 1986, which was a really neat touch. The back of the package used a poster from the United Kingdom which showed Megatron battling Optimus Prime. The text for the back of the packaging totally butchered the story though. It claimed that there were three factions battling for control of Cybertron: Autobots, Decepticons, and Unicrons. The writer got some of the elements of the movie written into the description, but then it seemed like he/she fell asleep and just made things up.

Ginrai

Ginrai was a character from the Japanese exclusive series called Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (the use of god in the title refers to power in Japanese). He was a human being from Japan who would soon become the new leader of the Earth based Autobots, taking command from the Pretender Metal Hawk. Ginrai is also a God-Master (Powermaster in America). The God-Masters are human beings given the Masterforce Braces (bracelets) that can enable them to become Transformers themselves. By crossing the braces together, the wearers are given an exo-suit which enables them to transform into the engines or heads of lifeless Transformer bodies called Transtectors. Ginrai transforms into the engine of an Optimus Prime styled Transtector. His transtector was designed to be a new body for Optimus Prime who died in the Headmasters series. However, his Transtector was stolen by Devil Z and was among the Transtectors sent to Earth.

Ginrai was a brave warrior. Over the course of the series, he learned to rely on his teammates, and rose to be a leader of courage and sound strategy. His Transtector received two power ups. The first was a trailer which could combine with his robot form to form Super Ginrai. In North America, this was the powered up form of Powermaster Optimus Prime. His second power up was a robot drone called God Bomber. The drone could transform into an extra trailer, and then it could separate and transform into additional armor for Super Ginrai, transforming him into God Ginrai.

In 2002, Powermaster Optimus Prime was re-issued in the United States, but the Japanese version of the toy was released for the re-issue. This version featured a die-cast metal truck cab, retractable fists for the super robot mode, vacuum metalized parts, and the God Bomber power up (now Apex Bomber) to transform Powermaster Optimus Prime into Powermaster Optimus Prime with Apex Armor.

Transformers #7

On my previous blog, I was in the process of reviewing the original Transformers comic book series starting with issue #56 when Simon Furman took over the book and improved it tremendously. Before I jump back in to where I left off, I want to take a look at one of the most beloved stories of the original series. That story was called Warrior School , which took place in issue #7.

This events of this issue occured after the initial story arc which placed the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth. Shockwave has defeated Megatron, and is now the Decepticon commander. Also, all of the Autobots have been captured, deactivated, and imprisoned inside the Autobot base, the Ark. Also, Optimus Prime’s head was detached from his body and is held captive as Shockwave is attempting to extract the Creation Matrix, a program inside Optimus which can create new Cybertronian life.

The story picks up with Ratchet traveling back to the Ark with Buster Witwicky. In issue #4, Buster’s father was critically injured, and Ratchet transported him to a hospital. Once Sparkplug was stable, Buster and Ratchet decided to return to the Ark. However, upon arriving, Ratchet discovers the Autobots were captured and deactivated. To his horror, he learns that while he was away, Shockwave had returned and defeated the energy depleted Autobots. Ratchet then discovers the head Optimus Prime. Ratchet deals with feelings of defeat, and Prime tells Ratchet that he must be strong and be a warrior in order to combat the Decepticons. Ratchet begins to despair as he feels that he is unable to fight the Decepticons alone as he is only a medic. At this moment, Megatron appears and confronts Ratchet. Ratchet attempts to fight Megatron, but is unable to even scratch him. Megatron threatens to end the Autobot’s life, when Ratchet proposes a bargain. Ratchet will locate the lost Dinobots who had once defeated Shockwave millions of years ago, and after Shockwave is defeated, Megatron will release the Autobots. Megatron agrees to the terms, although he is not confident of Ratchet’s success.

This issue demonstrated the excellent writing of Bob Budinsky. This story really dove deep into the character of Ratchet, showing the readers his fears and shortcomings. This issue was also the start of the long conflict between Ratchet and Megatron. This story was revisited in issue #56 when Simon Furman took over the series, and their relationship would carry on to the end of the original comic’s run. Awesome issue, if you can find the original comic, the Generations reprint, or any other trade paperbacks with the issue, get it. This issue is a great read.

Action Master Grimlock

Wow, this is my second Action Master spotlight, maybe I should do a whole series on selected figures. Maybe... Like most of the Action Masters, I have fond memories of Grimlock. He was the leader of the Dinobots, and this was the first version I ever owned of the character. He was also the first Action Master I ever owned. He had a really slick design for robot mode, and his tank/ gun was a cool accessory. However, unlike Bumblebee, this version of Grimlock did seem more limited without the ability to transform. He was missing his "wings" in robot mode, and he also couldn't become the large t-rex we all know and love.

Lack of transformation aside, this was a great representation of the character. He looked very close to his cartoon counterpart minus the parts I stated earlier. Also, it wasn't hard to imagine Grimlock as an Action Master due to his transformation into one during the final issues of the original Marvel comic books. Grimlock discovered Nucleon on the planet of Hydrus 4, and he used it to revive the Dinobots and the other fallen Autobots. Before he used it on them, he tested it on himself. The chemical began causing parts of his body to lock, and then finally he became encased in a crystal like cocoon. He broke free with more power than ever as an Action Master, but his transforming abilities were lost. After Optimus Prime's death caused by Prime's plunging the Matrix into Unicron, Grimlock became the new Autobot leader, until Prime himself was reborn as an Action Master. Maybe Grimlock was a trend setter for the Action Masters...or perhaps not.

Monstructor

Even rarer than a complete set of the Seacons, this Decepticon combiner is a little known classic and totally worth finding complete. This figure is called Monstructor, and he is the combined form of the Decepticon Monster Pretenders. He was released in 1989. He never appeared in the original cartoon or in the commercials in combined form, but he has been featured in recent years in the latest comic book adaptation of Transformers: Generation One from IDW Publishing and in the last Transformers/ G.I. Joe crossover from Devil's Due Publishing.

The Pretender concept was visited briefly in the new Revenge of the Fallen film, but there is so much more to it than meets the eye. Pretenders were Autobots and Decepticons who possessed organic shells for infiltration purposes and the shells could be operated by remote control by their wearer for an extra hand in combat. The first wave of Pretenders were released in 1988 and a final wave was released in 1989.

The Monster Pretenders were six smaller robots with rubbery shells resembling different monsters and alien life forms. Inside each Pretender was a small robot that transformed into a monster themselves. The individual team members were Icepick, Birdbrain, Bristleback, Scowl, Slog, and Wildfly. All six robots could then combine to form the super robot Monstructor.

Monstructor was very similar in design to the original Constructicons in that each figure had a specific role to play in forming the super robot. Unlike the "Scramble City" style combiners, the robots which formed the legs and arms were not interchangeable. Each robot had their specific place. There was also a bit of kibble for the figure in that there were two hand attachments, two foot plates, the groin/ waist connector, and the robot head. The Monster Pretenders and Monstructor are difficult to find in mint condition, complete, and with their original packaging. The Pretender shells each had the shell, the back plate, the inner robot, the inner robot weapons, and the super robot parts. Monstructor may be the smallest Generation One combiner, but he is among the rarest and most expensive. He is also a great looking figure for display.

Even though the Monster Pretenders weren't featured, if you would like to see the Pretenders in action, check out the Japanese exclusive 1988 series Transformers: Super-God Masterforce. The original Pretenders and Powermasters played a huge role in the series.