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.