While I’m on a Transformers roll, I figured I might as well dip into the world of G1 era transformers. I only collect one line from that era, and that’s the six figures from the Pretenders: Monsters line. (G1 is expensive enough as it is, guys!)
Also, I was recently given three nearly complete figures for my collection, so I decided that this was a good way to give back to our little community here on LRG.
To give you guys a little back story, the Pretenders were a time when Transformers were experimenting with the robots actually disguising themselves as organic life-forms, as opposed to being vehicles, (likely the pre-cursor to my beloved Beast Wars, in all actuality). There are six figures in this set, of which I only own four at the moment. Specifically these pretenders are from an alternate universe where the Decepticons successfully conquer Earth, and these guys are essentially a death squad sent into the remains of cities to exterminate any human and autobot life. Badass, right?
Fronts.JPG 56.69K
6 downloads
Backs.JPG 65.28K
7 downloads
Wildfly1.JPG 96.54K
9 downloads
Wildfly2.JPG 71.88K
11 downloads
First off, we have Wildfly. His pretender shell is, well, a monster. It’s got this green, bug-like head with red teeth and eyes. The rest of his body is purple with pink spots. His hands and feet have long, pointed claws. It’s an over-all really cool figure. His robot, like all the pretenders, pops out of the shell’s back. He’s yellow and red, and even the robot transforms between being a bird and a robot. All of the pretenders come with guns, but sadly I’m lacking those parts. (They can be pretty pricey, too).
Icepick2.JPG 103.83K
17 downloads
Icepick3.JPG 97.04K
19 downloads
Next up is Icepick. He’s a large, rock-like monster. The “skin†on the shell is orange, while it looks like it’s wearing a blue jumper outfit. The middle is yellow, and looks kind of what you might expect a heart in rock shapes to look like. What stands out the most about this shell, however, is the giant crab claws on each hand. Not only are they almost half the length of the entire body, but they’re really pointy. A truly menacing foe! The actual robot is a little less fearsome, he reminds me of a water creature or a snake. The head is small, and looks almost scaly on the top. I’m not 100% sure what his alternate form is, but it would definitely look a little cooler on a larger scale.
Birdbrain is next. Unfortunately, I only currently own his shell at the moment, but I’ll just describe that. He’s like a mixture of nightmares and vultures. He is primarily black, with this over-sized vulture-like head. Gigantic red eyes, and some pretty big talons on every appendage save the wings. Underneath the beak there is what looks like a wattle hanging down, but it’s hard to tell on the figure. (The dangly bit that hangs under roosters or turkeys beaks/necks).
Slog1.JPG 103.75K
22 downloads
Slog2.JPG 65.2K
19 downloads
Finally, I have Slog. Easily my favourite of the bunch, his Shell is a hunched over insect-like monster. He’s a nice shade of red, with yellow eyes and a big yellow belly. For arms, he just has two giant stabbers. He also has really cool detailing with the “fins†down his head. The robot is just as cool in his alternate form. He’s a short, stout little robot with a weird little posture. I just all around love everything about this figure, (and he is actually the figure that first got me hooked on this line). His robot mode, like the others, is rather plain. But this is to be expected when you have such tiny robots. Another little bit of info that make this character in particular interesting is that unlike other Decepticons, Slog doesn’t like to fight, and the loss of life is unsettling for him. That’s sort of a wuss thing for a Decepticon to feel, but I always found it interesting none-the-less and especially because the Decepticons keep him around anyways. One HUGE thing to watch out for when buying this figure is that he is ailed by what is known as gold plastic syndrome, or GPS for short. Something to do with the chemical mixture makes this plastic essentially crumble to dust. If you find a Slog in good shape, you’re better off never transforming him to prevent the risk of breaking it. (I got crazy ballsy showing you guys!)
When you have all six robots, you can transform them into one, giant robot named Monstructor! I hope to one day be able to build him for a reasonable price. Which brings me to the final portion of the review: Where do you buy these?
Well, like any G1 Transformers your best bet of finding them is online, (though not always at a good price!) Right now, the prices seem to be pretty high on ebay. I’ve seen some complete figures sell for as high as $100 before, (which is insane, by the way). A price I’m much more comfortable with is buying them complete for anywhere between $25 - $40. You guys know better than anybody that toy collecting gets random boosts from newbies or people dying to covet pieces, so you’ll naturally see that here too. I’ve seen some of the accessories sell for $30+ before, but again I won’t personally pay that.
Slog:
Icepick:
Birdbrain:
Wildfly shell:
All six at an insane price!
http://www.ebay.ca/i...=item1c2817962f
