Triple Take Over Part I - Springer!

Image from www.botchthecrab.com

Welcome to part one of a three part series on Triple Changers I've acquired over the past couple of months.  We'll start off with Springer first, since I seem to have to most to say about him.

Image from TFWiki.net

I'm going to be completely honest and just say that I've never cared for Springer at all.  Something about him just put me off when I first saw him in The Transformers: The Movie, he just annoyed me.  That annoyance carried over into Season 3 of the show, unfortunately.  Thankfully, Springer wasn't featured in the Marvel comic, so I didn't have to deal with him.  Maybe that's why I loved the comic so much?  Even to this day, I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about with the guy.  After Last Stand of The Wreckers, I was worried that we'd be inundated with a metric ton of Springer appearances, but we were thankfully spared.  My dislike of Springer is hard to pinpoint, and I've never given it much thought, but I'm sure it has to do with the bravado.  I just don't get it; it's not like he's Grimlock or Omega Supreme.

Enough about my distaste for the character.  Let's onward to the actual figure.  We'll start with the Springer's most famous mode - the helicopter.  Out of the three modes, this is by far the superior one.  It would seem that most of the design time was used for the chopper.  The blades feature some of the best spinning of any helicopter in G1 that I can remember.  The arms sticking out of the sides don't really look too much like skids, but they're passable, I suppose.  At least he doesn't look like a brick.

Speaking of bricks, have you seen the "armored car" mode?  That's...that's a generous term, I think.  Actually, looking at him at this angle, Springer looks like he was designed using very early 1980's 3-D computer graphics.  I'm not entirely sure, but I believe that Floro Dery just sketched out his designs.  The most disappointing aspect of this mode is that Springer's gun won't even mount on the roof.  I'd probably be a bit more forgiving if that were an option.

I loved the helicopter mode, and I wasn't too impressed with the car, which now leads us to robot mode.  Robot mode, man I forgot how much I never liked that mode.  As a kid, I grew up with many a brick of a Transformer, but Springer seems to take the cake.  Yes, there's arm articulation, but it is horrendous.  Any kind of side-to-side movement makes the chest pop up.  If Springer is holding the sword, attempts to move that arm makes the sword fall over.  This could be the result of the helicopter blades being a bit loose, but I seem to remember this happening to me as a kid as well.  Yes, this is my second Springer.  I was so disappointed as a kid with my first one that I traded him for other Transformers. 

Maybe my childhood recollections of this figure have colored my perceptions.  Perhaps Springer is just an awful figure that should be best forgotten.  I know I'm in the minority, but I just don't like the guy. 

Chromedome

After I got Highbrow, I realized that I was still a few Headmasters short of a complete set.  Missing from my Autobot Headmaster collection were the that I wanted the least, and frankly, enjoy the least - Chromedome and Nightbeat.  What's that, you say?  It's sacrilege to not like Chromedome?  Especially after what James Roberts has done with him in More Than Meets the Eye?  Look, I really appreciate what Mr. Roberts has done with the ol' domed one, but that still doesn't mean that his toy is awesome.  Gah, this guy.  Anyway, let's get on with it.

I never had the misfortune of owning Chromedome as a kid, or of even seeing him in person.  As a matter of fact, I only ever laid optics on this guy two years ago at my local flea market and the seller only had the body and a gun.  Chromedome was in car mode, and the one gun was mostly silver.  The guy wouldn't even let me transform him.  Needless to say, I passed.  At any rate, the car mode is perhaps the best thing about Chromedome.  It certainly belies the horrid thing is coming up once you move some parts around. 

Chromedome's car mode is just so appealing to me, that it's a shame he has to transform.  I'm not a huge fan of the guns on the car, but I understand that this is a thing and so I really won't harp too much on it.

Here's an obligatory shot of a Nebulon sitting in a cockpit.  In this case, it's Stylor.  For those of you only familiar with the comics, this is not an alternate version of Rewind.  Speaking of Stylor...

I really like the little guy.  He has an interesting head sculpt, and the reds really work well with the grey body.  It's a shame that he's binary bonded to such an ugly thing.

Gah.  When I first transformed Chromedome, I really thought that I did something wrong.  I actually thought that I did something wrong with his feet and that he was standing on his tips of his toes.  He just looks so odd in robot mode.  And he really looks like a brick.

His feet aren't even in any kind of real proportion to the rest of his body.  Looking at Chromedome in robot mode just makes me angry; it's irrational.  Perhaps I've been tainted by his robust form in the IDW books?  Whatever the reason, Chromedome stays in alt-mode in my display.  Ugh.

Whelp, next time I'll be in a better mood when reviewing.  Of course, that shouldn't be too hard since the next figure should be Masterpiece Ironhide, depending on my package delivery service.

Iguanus

Man, I've been sitting on these pictures for six freaking months.  I got Iguanus all the way back in March at a good price.  Thanks to all of the new releases that have come out, this guy just kept getting pushed back, but no longer! 

I really like Pretenders, and I know that a large segment of the fandom don't really care for them, but thanks to the Marvel Comics, they're always going to be must haves in my collection.  Iguanus is especially important to me thanks to this cover:

Pic courtesy of  TFW2005.com

If memory serves, this is the issue that introduced the Micromasters to the comics, and included some Jose Delbo art.  More importantly, this issue included Iguanus as the main antagonist, as evidenced by the cover.  Whenever I think of Iguanus, this is what always pops into my head.

I don't know why, but it seems like every Pretender that I buy from someone is sticky, especially on the arms.  I don't why that it, but it always seems to amaze me.  The arms are also where a lot of spotting seems to occur.  The arms on this Iguanus were sticky, but they lacked the spotting.  I'd really like to know what the source of the stickiness is, but ignorance can sometimes be bliss, I'm told.

Iguanus comes with two weapons, like all Pretenders.  The two weapons in question are a Hurricane Blaster, and what I'm guessing is some sort of sideways mounted chainsaw.  In all actuality, the "spinning" thing are used by the inner robot's alt-mode.  Overall, I really like to look of the outer shell.  It's very reptilian and if it were green, I'd say it was a Gorn.  Where articulation in the Pretender is generally restricted to the arms, Iguanus does feature a third point -- his tail.

The tail swivels, and is where I did discover the infamous Pretender spotting that I'm accustomed to.  It's a neat feature, I suppose.  Really, the tail just swings where it meets the body.  It can swing left or right, and that's about it.  Articulation is articulation, I guess.

Here's the inner robot.  You can't really tell thanks to the awfulness of the photos, but the headis rather snake like.  Think of Serpentor's helmet, or any of the members of the Serpent Society from the Captain America comics.  It's not a bad figure, and I like that his arms are curved a bit slightly, unlike the straight arms of the rest of the Pretenders.

Thanks to his transformation scheme, Iguanus' inner 'bot is capable of some leg articulation.  Here he is taking a leisurely stroll.  Where's he going?  To another tall building?  Iguanus also features a permanent wound in his torso that will get used later. 

Iguanus transforms into a motorcycle of some sort.  The spinning thing that the shell holds becomes the "wheels" of the bike.  I say "wheels", but they don't spin, so any kind of burnouts or movement are all going to be in your head.

Here's a side view of the motorcycle.  As you can see, it looks less like a motorcycle and more like Iguanus is just doing some fancy yoga. 

Finally, a shot of shell and robot together.  Not a lot to say about this shot.  At the very least, I'm down to one less Pretender to add to my collection.  Now just a ton more left to get.  Next week - more reviews!

Hosehead

www.botchthecrab.com

So after my Generations Skids broke, I decided to get a new one on eBay.  I hadn't looked for anything on eBay for quite some time and as such, I had a ton of followed searches with new hits that needed to be cleared out.  I just can't stand seeing all of those alerts.  While clearing out the alerts, I ran across Hosehead for $50, complete.  That's around half of what he normally goes for on eBay, so I was intrigued.  Couple that with $25 in eBay Bucks, and I decided to take a chance.  That's right, I effectively bought a complete Hosehead for the measly sum of $25.  I was hesitant to pull the trigger because the description only stated that the joints were tight and the stickers were in good condition.  Still, leaps of faith need to be taken every once in a while.

This is my second time owning Hosehead.  I originally purchased him when he was first released, but he was stolen from me in my younger days.  Hosehead has always been one of my favorite Headmasters and one of my favorite Transformers overall.  Seeing as how I didn't take the time to ask the seller any questions due to the cheap price, I was initially very worried that I would get a very bad figure.  Turns out I was wrong.  The joints on this guy are tight enough to be brand new.  The majority of Hosehead's body is red, and the little touches of gray and black just make him pop.  Hosehead's deco is so nice that Takara didn't change anything when they released him as Cab in the Super-God Masterforce series.

Hosehead transforms into a firetruck.  I never thought of myself as a fire engine kind of guy, but I realized that Inferno and Hot Spot are also some of my other favorite figures.  Maybe I've always wanted to be a firefighter deep down?

While Nightbeat and Siren are able to seat their Nebulons inside and actual cockpit in vehicle mode, Hosehead is forced to seat Lug out in the open.  Poor guy.  The antennae attach can attach to the sides of the firetruck for some added firepower.

Hosehead's ladder can extend and has a fire suppressant attachment at the end.  It's a neat look.

I can't believe that I only paid $25 for Hosehead.  That's unthinkable.  Finding deals like this allow me to continue adding to my collection without putting a hurt on my finances.  It's also extremely fun looking for deals.  Wonder what I'll find next for a good price?

The Craigslist Adventure Ends! Horri-Bull!

Image from www.botchthecrab.com

This is the last of the four figures from the lot that I purchased from Craigslist back in May.  Truth be told, at many points, there were only going to be three figures kept from the lot, but I'll get in to that in a bit.

Horri-Bull is a...horrible bull.  See what I did there?  Anyway, I'm starting with the beast mode simply because I find it the most aesthetically pleasing of the two modes.  This is easily the worst conditioned figure that I kept from the lot.  It really isn't surprising considering that he was just in a box on some guy's porch for an extended period of time.  There is discoloration, as evidenced by the picture.  Amazingly, the joints are like new.  I was shocked by how tight everything was/is on him.

When I first pieced Horri-Bull together from the random assortment of flotsam in the box I got, the only thing missing was the rifle, which can easily be found on eBay.  Even with the discoloration, Horri-Bull is still a good looking figure. 

Why did I almost not keep this figure?  After all, Horri-Bull and the 2nd wave of Headmasters in general, usually command a higher premium than the normal Headmasters.  There's a story to all of this.  In my excitement, when I transformed Horri-Bull from bull to robot, I pushed the bull head too far back and did this:

I broke a piece!  I was so livid with myself.  Still, I suppose it isn't that bad.  Perhaps one day I'll track down a new body.  The most expensive pieces I already have, bodies should be pretty cheap and easy to come by.  Whatever the outcome, I'm fairly happy with this Craigslist adventure.  I paid $200, got four figures, sold the rest and came out way ahead.  That's what hunting is all about.

Gnaw

Image from www.botchthecrab.com

Gnaw has been a long time coming.  Way back in May, I took a chance on an ad in Craigslist and walked away with a bunch of Transformers for the low price of $200.  Here's a look at what I wound up with.

As you can see, it's a decent haul.  Missing from this picture is the near complete Scorponok as he was sold before I took this picture.  There was also a Sludge, but he was sold quickly as well.  From this haul, I sold everything except Horri-Bull, Gnaw, Hardhead and Spinister.  I've already covered Spinister and Hardhead.  Finally, after a far too long wait, I can cover Gnaw.

What took so long with Gnaw?  Well, as evidenced by the above picture, Gnaw was armless and without tail.  His gun was included, and his chrome was in excellent condition.  I figured I could complete him quickly through either Facebook or eBay.  I was wrong.  I found the left arm rather quickly and for a decent price.  The right arm proved to be elusive, much like a white rhino.  It took me nearly four months to find that sucker.  The only way I got one was to actually buy a junker Gnaw that came with only the right arm!  Another figure to add to the sell pile.  It took me about a month to track down a tail that didn't have a ton of stress marks and another couple of weeks to get Reprolabels and apply those.  The fruit of my efforts? 

A nice a clean Gnaw!  Complete even!

The chrome on the teeth is quite nice, and a surprise since the seller just had him in a box with a bunch of stuff on his porch for a few years.  I'm taken aback by just how, uh, rotund Gnaw is in person.  I had never seen one up close before, and while I knew that was portly, it still threw me for a loop. 

Robot mode is a tad lackluster, as most of the 1986 line is.  However, the rotating wrists are pretty nifty.

Those are some skinny legs.  I mean, way too skinny to support a torso as large as Gnaw's.  Then again, what do I know?  After completing Gnaw, I think I understand the appeal of the guy.  I understand so much, that I would love to build an army of Gnaws.  That...that would be cost prohibitive.  Unless I'm able to acquire them for basically free as I did this one.

Seaspray!

www.botchthecrab.com

I decided to upgrade my Seaspray because it was time.  My original Seaspray had been dismantled a few times over the years and as a result, he was missing his wheels.  There's also the fact that his joints were super loose; Seaspray's head wouldn't stay up in robot mode and wouldn't stay down in hovercraft mode.  Definitely not good.

I think that everyone has a Seaspray.  Maybe he was issued to every kid during Halloween, I'm not sure.  Thanks to a good purchase on eBay, I got this Seaspray with tech specs.  I'm not really into collecting the specs anymore, but it's cool to have. 

I'm not going to go into any kind of background detail or give any back story on my love of the character.  Instead, I'm just going to show off a few kind of decent shots of him.

Seaspray - Autobot.  Seaspray - sounds like he's drowning.  Seaspray - cool 'bot.

Targetmaster Crosshairs

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Awhile back, Brr-icy did a post about the large Autobot Targetmasters and it piqued my interest.  I already had Sureshot and Pointblank, but I did not own Crosshairs.  According to the TFWiki, everyone owns one.  The reason I never owned one, in fact, seemed to stem from this fact.  Looking on eBay, Crosshairs seemed to be one of the more ubiquitous Transformers.  Being so common, Crosshairs was always on the back-burner; sure I wanted him, but there were always more important figures to get.  Well, after reading Brr-icy's post, I decided to go ahead and complete my large Targetmasters.

The coolest thing Crosshairs ever did? TFWiki.net

I'm not going to go into all of Crosshairs' fiction appearances, because there really aren't any.  He's popped up here and there, most notably in the Japanese Headmasters series, but I can't make myself sit through the first disc, let alone anything featuring the Targetmasters.  Maybe one day.  If you really want to know about what Crosshairs has done with his life, check out his TFWiki page. 

Crosshair's alt-mode is an off-road vehicle, maybe?  I'm not sure.  It's certainly Cybertronian.  The particular Crosshairs that I purchased had a scratch on the windshield, but he was super cheap.  Overall, the scratch doesn't really detract from my enjoyment of the vehicle more.  The big wheels give the sense that this thing would be fun to drive over a sand dune.  The back seems to give me the sense of a truck, for some reason.  Maybe it's an early version of the Warthog troop transport from Halo?  That would be cool.

Pinpointer is the name of the Nebulan that comes with Crosshairs.  He differs from from the partners of Sureshot and Pointblank in that there is an extra piece to unfold when transforming into gun mode.  He's more like Kup's partner, Recoil.  This makes Pinpointer larger in gun mode.

Once Pinpointer is transformed, he just plugs into the port on top of Crosshairs' vehicle mode.

Robot mode isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  The arms are a bit lanky and they lack the elbow joints like Pointblank and Sureshot, but I can overlook that.  The red and blue are really heroic looking colors.

Here is Crosshairs holding Pinpointer in gun mode.  I love the longer gun mode; it looks like an actual rifle now.  Very sharp.

Finally, a shot of all three large Targetmasters together.  Now, the only Autobot Targetmaster I need to get is Blurr.  Then I suppose I'll start on the Decepticons.