Quake

Pic from www.botchthecrab.com

After what seemed like an eternity (well, 29 years), I have finally completed the Decepticon Targetmasters with the addition of Quake.  And there was much rejoicing in the kingdom!  By the way, Quake's pic totally makes him look like a Headmaster.

While jets are the most ubiquitous of Decepticon alt-modes, tanks seem to follow a close second.  It's a shame that the turret doesn't turn, but the tank itself is spectacular.  The maroon and grey is a nice look.  Say what you will about the garishness of the late 1980's and early 1990's, but they sometimes found some interesting color combinations.

This is not a tank that I'd go after on the battlefield, not that I'd be chasing after tanks anyway.

Quake's turret is removable and the Nebulons can be positioned in it's place.  This isn't a look that I necessarily like, but I do see how play value can be added.  Now I know why the turret doesn't move.

Quake is tall.  Like really tall.  I think that thanks to his transformation scheme, he's taller than Powermaster Optimus Prime.  Ok, he isn't that tall, but he's pretty damn tall.  He's certainly the tallest of the Decepticon Double Targetmasters.

Quake instantly became my favorite of the Decepticon Double Targetmasters when I realized that he can be posed a bit thanks to the way he transforms.  Any G1 figure that can move his head is just the bee's knees to me.  And this is just a great pose.

And with Quake, I can finally take this picture!  All Decepticon Targetmasters are accounted for!  Now I just need to finish those pesky Decepticon Headmasters.

Needlenose

Photo from www.botchthecrab.com

I'm getting so close to finishing the Decepticon Targetmasters that I can practically taste it.  Needlenose brings me one step closer to that goal.  I've always liked Needlenose because he reminded me of a knight, but I don't think I'm really alone in that thought. Besides, Needlenose belongs to best group of Targetmasters - the Double Targetmasters!

Why not use a "snap!" sound?  Pic from tfwiki.net

I missed the start of Simon Furman's Matrix Quest event, actually, I missed issues 61-64, due to moving and finding a place to buy comics.  As such, issue 65 is when I was first properly introduced to Needlenose.  I seem to remember seeing him on the cardback from the Autobot Double Targetmasters, but I'm not sure.  At any rate, this was where I remember seeing him in all of his Geoff Senior drawn glory.  I've seen every Transformer drawn by every artist, but to me, Geoff Senior is the only person that can draw Needlenose.  Weird, innit?  I don't particularly remember Needlenose doing a whole lot, but his visual has always stuck with me.  

Pic from tfwiki.net

I don't even want to discuss Needlenose in the IDW continuity.  For the most part, his portrayal has been decent, but the entire plot point about him being Tracks' brother is just pushing it for me.  Their helmets are vaguely similar, so that means that they're related?  Ugh.  See, I'm discussing it and I didn't want to.  Let's get on to the toy, shall we?

Needlenose's alt-mode is an F-16, which isn't shocking.  I'm too lazy to look it up, but I'm fairly certain that most Decepticon alt-modes are jets.  Maybe not most.  The vast majority.  two out of 5?  At any rate, there are posts under the wings to mount Needlenose's two Nebulons  - Sunbeam and Zig-Zag.  It's a nice look; very tough looking.

Zig-Zag is the Nebulon in the black outfit.  According to his bio, he's an incompetent mechanic.  Man, these Nebulons had some weird jobs before joining the Decepticons.  Not a lot of mad scientists, that I'm aware of.  Just thugs and ninnies.  Even Sunbeam (what?) is a surfer.  Did Bob Budiansky quit caring about what he submitted for tech specs by 1988, or had someone else taken over writing chores?  If so, was that person 7?  Ugh, looking at this picture reminds me that I need to dust my fiures more often.

I really need to get some decals for Needlenose.  He looks so naked sans stickers.  That helmet is just exquisite and certainly better looking than Tracks'.  It's odd to see lavender on a Transformer, but it looks pretty good.  At least I think it's lavender.  I'm kind of color blind, not in a major way, but I do have issues from time to time.  The yellow on his face really stands out as well.  Needlenose has perhaps the best looking robot mode of the Decepticon Double Targetmasters and the second best of all of the Double Targetmasters.  Quickmix has the best, by the way.

The best part about Double Targetmasters is that their looks can be customized in regards to the weapons.  Want a guy who can dual-wield?  Done.  Want a BFG?  Done.  Wand a BFG with a single barrel?  You get where I'm going with this.  Just so nice.  Now that Needlenose is out of the way, that just leaves Quake,  Gotta catch them all...

Slugslinger

Pic from www.botchthecrab.com

If there's one Targetmaster out of the three original mold Decepticon Targetmasters that gave me pause before purchasing, it was Slugslinger.  It's very hard and very expensive to find one in decent condition. Most of the ones that I ran across were yellowed and Caliburst just seems destined to have as many possible.  After what seemed like an eternity, I finally tracked one down to replace the super yellowed and weaponless version that I had somehow acquired as a kid.

Slugslinger was always one of my favorite looking Decepticons, at least in vehicle mode.  Slugslinger looks like be belongs in Star Wars to me.  Twin cockpits?  That is just so damn cool!  I mean, it leads to a ton of questions, but those questions can just wait.  Who wouldn't want to pilot this thing?

Caliburst gets to pilot him, I guess.  I mean, he could if he wasn't mounted to the Slugslinger's top in jet mode.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for figures that have a lot of blues.  This light blue and off-white combo just really pops.

The blue carries over to Caliburst, and it meshes well with the gray on his legs and the red on his face.  You have no idea how glad I am to finally be done photographing all of the large Decepticon Targetmasters.  Every time I even think about going from gun to Nebulon or the other way, I get a nervous twitch.

Robot mode for Slugslinger isn't great.  Toy safety and articulation being what they were in 1987 means that Slugslinger won't be running any marathons.  Or will he?

Well, no, Slugslinger won't.  While he won't be mistaken for a Masterpiece Transformer anytime soon, Slugslinger can be made to look like he's sulking off to his room.  I kind of wish that Slugslinger's wings would fold back a tad because he kind of looks like a robot with a jet on his back.

I'm so happy to be finished with the large Targetmasters.  Looks like I just need to get those pesky small Targetmasters to complete the set...

Targetmaster Scourge

Picture from www.botchthecrab.com

Man, these Decepticon Targetmasters just keep coming fast and furious, don't they?  I'm on a quest to knock these out as quickly as possible.  My goal is to have every US Master figure in the next couple of months.  Since I'm so behind on posts, I'm only actually missing two of the small Headmasters.  At any rate, lets get on to the abomination that is Scourge.

I'm not really sure which I like the least - Cyclonus or Scourge.  In terms of being "Decepticon Jets", they're both major letdowns compared to the Seeker's that came before them.  I'm tempted to declare Scourge my favorite of the two just because Cyclonus looks so frakking hideous.  Scourge does have more articulation than Cyclonus, and seems to have better proportions.  The Targetmaster version features widened fist holes to allow Scourge to hold Fracas.  These widened fist holes also allow the rocket booster on Scourge's head to be held as well, but it looks funny.

Speaking of Fracas, here he is.  He looks just like Nightstick.  Kind of.  Since we're talking about Decepticon Nebulons, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much the clip holding him together frightens me.  I've only transformed him a couple of times, and I was sweating bullets each time.

This is how Scourge normally looks without the addition of Fracas.  The regular Scourge that I own is a painted top, so seeing the stickered top is a bit of a treat.  Ugly, but a treat.  The painted top is so much better looking.

Attack mode Scourge!  All I had to do was remove the rocket and replace it with Fracas.  It's almost like they planned it!  Those guys are smart.  I don't know if I really like the look of it, frankly; it looks shoehorned on.  And yeah, I know that Scourge wasn't originally designed to accommodate the Targetmaster.  It just doesn't look right.

Here's a shot of my painted top Scourge with Targetmaster Scourge.  Man, I really need to get some new decals for Targetmaster Scourge.  But now I'm having a crisis of faith over this, however.  Should I try to track down an unused sticker sheet or just go with some Reprolabels?  Decisions, decisions.

Targetmaster Cyclonus

Photo from www.botchthecrab.com

This guy.  This freaking guy.  I just really don't like Cyclonus.  Well, let me backtrack that statement a bit.  I love Cyclonus the stalwart second-in-command of the Decepticons as shown in season 3 of the series.  I love the honor bound non affiliated warrior as depicted in IDW's More Than Meets The Eye
series.  The figure designed by Floro Dery?  I can't stand it.  It's so freaking ugly and it just epitomizes the horrible designs from that year.  However, I have to get the Targetmaster version so I can say that I completed the Targetmasters.

The thing that I do like about Cyclonus is his vehicle mode.  Dery did a really good job with this.  By adding Nightstick to this mode, Cyclonus looks incredibly formidable.  Very nice looking.

I just wish that Nightstick could pilot Cyclonus.  That would be so freaking nice.  Nightstick is the best part of Cyclonus, even if he sports the oh-so-boring black/grey scheme that a lot of the large Nebulons for the Targetmasters had.  I mean, that color scheme was only used for the existing characters that were drafted into becoming Targetmasters, but you get what I mean.

Here's a shot of Nightstick all by his lonesome.  Or is it Haywire?  Maybe it's Fracas?  Perhaps I like beating a dead horse?

Robot mode is where Cyclonus has always left a bitter taste in my mouth.  Look, I appreciate all that Floro Dery has done for the Transformers and their designs.  Without him, the Coneheads wouldn't have their distinctive look, but damn do the 1986 guys look horrible.  Gah.

Here's Targetmaster Cyclonus with my blue-eared variant.  It's hard to tell from this picture (because I'm a horrible photographer), but aside from the new port on the spaceship mode, Cyclonus had his fist holes widened to accommodate Nightstick.

 Seriously, I can't think of a better looking jet.  Hey, that's another Decepticon Targetmaster down!  I just need...a lot of them to finish off the crew!  Huh, I wonder if I can do that?

Misfire!

Photo from www.botchthecrab.com

I've been putting off getting the Decepticon Targetmasters for a long time.  Unlike their Autobot counterparts, the Decepticons are far more expensive.  From what people tell me, it all has to do with the Nebulon.  As far as the Nebulons go, the Autobot ones have a pin connecting their torsos to the legs and the Decepticons have pegs.  The pegs on the Decepticon Nebulons tend to break the clips on the legs.  Broken Nebulons means higher prices.  Hence my hesitation.

After a ton of deliberation, I decided that it was time for me to pull the trigger on Mifire.  Misfire has one of my favorite box art poses in the history of G1.  Every time I see it, I'm instantly reminded of Nick Roche art for some reason.

Misfire's vehicle mode is some sort of Cybertonian jet.  Spaceship maybe?  Some sort of super-duper bumper car?  Whatever it is, it's kind of magenta in color.  Not a fan of magenta.  Still, it looks cool.

Misfire is one of the most articulated late period G1 figures.  He has movement in his shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.  The specimen that I got is in really great shape.

I don't know why, but every time I look at Misfire, I can't help but notice just how much he looks like Nick Roche had a hand in designing him.  I don't know him, but I think that maybe Nick Roche is a time traveler.  Or perhaps he felt that the design for Misfire was so great that it didn't need to be changed.  I'm good either way.

I decided to transform Aimless because I like to live dangerously.  There's a fix that can be done to the Decepticon Targetmasters where the protrusions on the body are shaved off using an X-acto knife, but I can't bring myself to do that.  I'll need to at some point if I want to transform him more often.

Aimless is perhaps my second favorite of the Decepticon Nebulon Targetmasters.  He looks bulky and mean.  The light blue and gray work well together.

As nice as the figure was, the box that came with Misfire could use a little upgrading.  There's a large stain on the lower corner, and I'm not sure if it's oil or wood stain.  Still, it's a box.  I've never been a fan of keeping or collecting G1 boxes, but it just seemed right to keep this one.  I even bought a reproduction bubble and insert to display Misfire and Aimless.  It looks great sitting on top of my Detolf shelves.  Now I see why MIB and MISB collectors get out of collecting that way.  Still, I'm a take-it-out-of-the-box kinda guy, so I don't think this will become a habit for me.

Triggerhappy

Decepticon Targetmasters have had a mystical aura for me over the last few years.  As a kid, they were always on the top of my list to get, but I never managed to snag any.  Once adult fueled nostalgia kicked in, Decepticon Targetmasters became expensive totems to me.  Yes, I wanted them, but I didn't want to really pay that much for them.  Finding one in great condition, sans yellowing or broken parts with an intact Nebulon is difficult enough.  Getting one without mortgaging the future is nigh impossible.  Then I had the heart attack and I started getting a different outlook on life.  The first purchase I made when I got home was Triggerhappy. 

As a kid, Triggerhappy always appealed to me in the catalog that came with every figure from that era.  Something about that space ship mode just stuck in my head.  I've read where others believe that he shares some aspects with an X-Wing fighter, but I don't really see it.  I really wish that Triggerhappy had been used as a Headmaster just so we could have the canopy open.  That is one sleek spaceship.
 

I want everyone to take a good look at Blowpipe when he's not in gun mode.  This will most likely be the last time he's in this mode.  While mine isn't cracked or showing super serious signs of stress, I want to make sure that he doesn't break.  For the life of me, I don't know why Hasbro decided on clips for the legs on the Decepticon weapons but went with pins for the Autobots.  Mr. Brr-Icy pointed out a mod that I can do to Blowpipe that will take the stress off the clips, and I may try that.  If I try it and it works, I'll spread the word, but I have no reason to not trust what I've been told.

This is how Blowpipe will remain until I try the mod.  Triggerhappy, well, he'll be swapping modes a lot.  Lighting proved to be problematic during this shoot.  My Triggerhappy is not nearly this color of cream.  I'm not sure what happened, but the whites look yellow here.  Perhaps I should switch back to white backgrounds.  Whatever the case, I did come out with a very nice Triggerhappy.

 Here's a closer shot of Blowpipe.  While I only have the one large Decepticon Targetmaster, I think I made a great decision in making him my first.  In my opinion, Blowpipe looks better than any of the Autobot Targetmaster Nebulons.  Blue and grey work well together in this instance.  I'm extremely happy with Blowpipe.

As lovely as Triggerhappy is in vehicle mode, I find his robot mode much more desirable.  Still, something seemed off when I transformed him into robot mode.  It took me awhile, but I was finally able to out my finger on it - Triggerhappy's head seemed...off.  I went to TFWiki.net and figured out why my memories of this guy were incongruous with what I was holding in my hands.

Image from TFWiki.net

 I should have known that the figures in the catalog rarely, if ever, completely resembled what we actually got.  Especially when the prototype is using a painted Blaster head.  Duh.

Triggerhappy seems to be full of surprises.  Not only did he feature some nice leg articulation, thanks to the transformation scheme, but Triggerhappy also has some nifty arm articualtion!  His arms move at the shoulder, plus at the elbow.  This is something that I'm not exactly familiar with in figures of this era.  If there was some head and waist articulation, I'd say he has ready for some dynamic posing!  Alas, that isn't to be, but that doesn't mean that Triggerhappy isn't a phenomenal figure.  That price, however, leaves so much to be desired.  Collectors that only get MISB must be forking out a small fortune for him.  That's one Decepticon Targetmaster down, and the rest to go!