Can't take any pics right now but....I think Generations Roadbuster has won me over....

 

MMC Stormer today:

 

I'm almost done painting my second-hand PRID Optimus Prime, with the only thing now left to do are some cleaning-up and touch-up.



PRID Optimus Prime for today.

 

Doubledealer!  

 

Paramedics, nurses, and doctors are some of the bravest people that I know of. That goes quadruple if they're in the military.



"Been nice knowing you, Rung!"
"Don't give up hope, Ratchet!
"I hope you know something that I don't!"



Siege Ratchet and Rung for today.

 

Today is Crosshairs, Nothing more....

 

King

 

Today Megatron shines.

 

Fall of Bumblebee

 

WFC Selects Greasepit

 

Cybetron Overhaul

 

TFA Arcee’s turn today

 

wheeljacks today

 

Rover here today.

 

Would you trust this guy?



Earthrise Doubledealer with Knok and Skar for today.

 

Good boy!!!

Ok, it's a big one.



It doesn't matter how big you are. There's a point where you just can't improve on what's come before. Megatron was right there at the beginning; iconic. Shockwave barreled in and slew everyone. Galvatron was an insane Megatron from the future, transformed through a Faustian pact. Scorponok? Well, he tried really hard. No-one can take that away from him.

Now, that didn't mean he wasn't cool. Of course he was. He was a giant Scorpion Headmaster with cannons on his shoulders. And over here, in the UK, he was the biggest Transformer we'd get in G1. The only one, in my day, to rival Metroplex and his base mode.

When was the first time I saw Scorponok? I really think it was the cliffhanger of 'Worlds Apart' part one. It was kinda hard to figure out how big this guy was from that last panel. I'd have put him around Ultra Magnus/Galvatron height going off seeing him in Scorpion mode. It was only the following week when suddenly that claw was around the size of all four Autobot Headmasters. What the hell was going on here?

Scorponok was everywhere from that point onwards. Any chance to put him on the cover of a UK comic or annual was eagerly pounced upon. And it's not surprising. It's an awesome design. In fact, as a piece of design, I actually think Scorponok manages to be more iconic than Galvatron. That classic Decepticon purple against that green, with the dash of orange from his antennae. The big claws seemingly always coming at you, relentlessly. And he always seemed to be snarling. He definitely looked the part.

So why didn't he land as the new leader? Well, outside the story he came near the end, relatively speaking when everything seemed to be getting kinda cramped. We hadn't quite got to the point where a whole combining team would be introduced in one issue and then killed off three issues down the line, but we weren't far off. And within the story? Well, he had a nasty little organic inside him.

The Headmaster concept, for me, has always sat better with the Autobots than the Decepticons. It just always feels a bit weird to have little people working as a team with the big, evil, bastard 'Cons, nevermind actually having a controlling share. It just makes me wince. Your mileage may vary, of course. But as he was presented in the comics, he diluted the purity of intent of the Decepticons. No longer conquerors. Now collaborators.

Of course, after 'Dark Star' and the Big Cull. Furman took this dissonance and ran with it, making Scorponok and Zarek much more complex and conflicted characters. Which of us fans of the comic can forget those final, heroic moments in 'On the Edge of Extinction'.

"Yes, old friend. You did good."

Christmas 1987. I think between me and my friends, at least three of us got Scorponok. Probably the same three that got Metroplex for Christmas the previous year. Looking back it feels so hard to believe there was only a year between these two. it feels like so much changed. Despite Thundercats and M.A.S.K. making a strong show for themselves, Transformers fucking owned 1986. It was, as the kids say, everything! In '87 I discovered the 2000ad comics and the Action Force toys, and they each stole a massive share of my love for Transformers. It almost didn't matter how good Scorponok was. He'd arrived too late to steal my heart.

Almost...coz listen...he was RRRRRRRRREALLY FUCKING GOOD!

Scorponok has one thing over the other city bots; all three of his modes are good. Metroplex, Trypticon, and even Fortress Maximus all had one mode that was much weaker than the rest, and it was usually the 'battle station mode'. But, as per usual, I'm getting ahead of myself.

But where do you start with something that had this impact on my little nine-year-old brain?

Robot mode, I guess. at the crucial first glance, Scorponok combines the really good with the really mad. He's such an imposing chunk of bastard that it's hard not to be impressed. I mean, just look at those thighs! And he still manages to well proportioned and articulated. Not poseable. This is G1, after all. But there is a lot of articulation: shoulders, hips, elbows, and...claws.

Which brings us nicely to the mad.

He's got claws. And a tiny head. Inside a big helmet. And a truly bonkers colour scheme. But it all works (apart from maybe the head). I mean, the colour scheme is the same as the Constructicons, just in different shades. What could be more Decepticon? Well, the shades I guess, but I'm going round in circles. Quickly. It's a weirdly 'organic' colour scheme for a fearsome Decepticon. In fact, it almost looks pastoral. And those claws! Again, it shouldn't work. I mean, I've seen gun hands and sure, b-list nobodies like Omega Supreme and Whirl had claw hands...but this guy is a Decepticon Commander. Like, he should have at least four fingers? But it adds to his menace and the fiction surely plays up to it. When I close my eyes and think back to the comics it felt like he was always crushing something between those giant claws. Worra brute!

I can't forgive the head. Even with the helmet bulking out the normal-sized Headmaster he's still incredibly pin headed. I wish they'd played around with idea more, given him a normal-sized HM that just had the central features of the face from the eyes down or, even better, integrated a visor into the helmet and just let the HM form from the nose down...anything to just make it look less gimpy. But even then I look at that helmet with those iconic antennae and I kinda swoon. And those shoulder cannons, which are totally useless in bot mode! I love them!

And then we have the Scorpion mode, and what a party this is! Firstly, I'd like to point out what a super simple, intuitive, and satisfying experience it is to transform him from 'bot mode to Scorpion. Everything just flows so...elegantly without much faffing and fiddling. I won't have the opportunity to use elegant again, as from here on out the byword is excess. It's all just so...extra! From the mere concept of a giant robotic scorpion that's armed to fuck to the engineering which allows the thing to roll while making the legs scuttle. If you can roll this thing along the floor and not extract some joy from watching those legs move then you are truly dead inside.

And things like the pointless shoulder cannons and the ill-fitting head get their moment to shine. The shoulder cannons, along with the pair on his folded up legs help give the feeling that this is an engine of destruction, as does the beautifully articulated stinger. And having Zarek sit in the helmet weirdly makes it seem even more menacing. The image of the little bastard driving this beast towards you while those massive claws bear down is both thrilling and barmy.

Which just leaves us with his base mode, and that's no slouch. Maybe it isn't the best base mode. Maybe it is. I no longer have any idea. Objectivity is something that happens to other people. I mean, I guess it's kinda useless as a base to any '87 'con other than Fasttrack (who I guess we'll cover when his Modulator update comes out), but I just don't care. This thing has such exquisite death factory vibes. From the two towers that his arms form (imagine smoke pouring from those, as though they were industrial chimneys), to those leering mechanical arms, it gives you the sense that nothing good happens here. And all the extra accessories that I couldn't be bothered with in 'bot mode, like his shield and gun, suddenly become vital. that spikey central tower the shield forms really does tie the whole thing together like Lebowski's rug. Sure, by '87 the launching ramp gimmick might have been old hat, but I'd only seen it on Metroplex and this accomplishes the gimmick so much better. And are those rockets in his thigh cabinets? That's so extra!

Scorponok was the last significant Transformer I got. I picked up a few Sparkabots/Firecons in '88, but they were pretty much an afterthought. I remember it might be cool to have a Powermaster like Getaway or Dreadwind and I remember enjoying the Pretenders and Double Targetmasters that some friends got, but none of it was any sort of big deal. And I thought PM:OP was lame. Transformers had peaked for me, and Scorponok felt the perfect note to go out on. We weren't going to top that.

And then I waited and waited and waited. Titan's Return came. Trypticon won the vote. I held on to some vain hope that maybe we'd get a Leader Class Scorponok (hey, comic scale is a thing). Maybe Power of the Primes? That hope didn't last long. Within weeks of the line being announced Predaking was revealed as Titan. I knew it wouldn't be Siege. That was always going to be Omega Supreme. Come Earthrise, come Scorponok. And I remained excited.

A fuzzy little picture came out, showing all three modes to be totally on point updates to the G1 models, with the bot mode looking incredibly dynamic. Then came the proper reveals. My excitement grew, and grew, and grew. Two months in and I think I knew who'd win 'bot of the year.

As soon as I got him out of the box and assembled him I was totally satisfied this was Scorponok. The rest of your Titans tend to have...slightly glaikit expressions, but Scorponok looks every inch the sadistic scientist, with a fierce intelligence behind that visor. Needless to say, I love it! That's the guy I remember.

The 'bot mode is, really, pretty much perfect. As I sit here typing, with him stood next to me on my desk, I'm looking for a flaw. Just something that looks off. A tiny error that I would have done differently If I'd been in charge and had been given an unlimited budget.

I'd have made the 'cannons' that attach to the side of his legs totally silver.

That's it. Otherwise, this guy is perfection in 'bot mode. His proportions are spot on, with his giant claws being just the right side of oversized. The detail strikes the right balance of being...detailed but not overly greebled. Take his chest, for instance; there's plenty of extra modeling on there, but none of it feels excessive. it provides a bit of relief and texture, and looks...well, as I'd expect it to look.

The engineering on him is impressive too. Inevitably, I got Fortress Maximus out to play with him, and the contrast between the two was striking. With Max he felt over-ratcheted and unstable. Every time I'd move his arm to pose him, his whole torso would shudder. With Scorponok everything is just so...smooth! From the waist swivel, to his shoulder and bicep joints, to his waist and knees, it all just moves so confidently. The only points that have any loudly clicky ratchets are his ankle tilts and his elbow joints. And for reasons I can't quite articulate, that just seems right! I guess those are your final, dramatic posing joints. A ratchety click for finality.

Going back to his proportions, and the comparisons with Fort Max, it was interesting to note the way his legs had been constructed. With Max there was a long section that went from his hip to his knee, with another smaller section that held the joint for his knee. With Scorponok there's the same number of sections, but they're distributed more equally. I really do think this adds so much to his stability and poseability. And his is a joy to pose. If nothing else, Scorponok is a triumph in good judgment.

But while he might look spot on and pose so well, there are some flaws that aren't immediately obvious. Firstly, the head doesn't lock in as tightly as one might hope and the rotating joint is very stiff (at least on my version). The 'collar' on the back of the head feels a bit cheap and ugly (also it fell out the box when I opened him, and I didn't even notice it was missing until much later). Finally, because I'm a cheap and tawdry little bitch, I'd like to complain that his tail can't point over his shoulder like I think it oughta.

But who gives a fuck? This guy is a grand slam in 'bot mode.

So howsabout those other modes?

The scorpion mode is truly imposing. Obviously, I knew fine well how big this thing was going to be, but experiencing it is quite something else. The articulation on the legs is smart, with two sets of pairs molded together at the first joint, and then individually articulated at knee and toe from thereon. The claws really shine here. Every time I have him in this mode I just want to put a Deluxe class figure between those claws and squeeze. And I do like that they've given him Scorpion eyes. It's a nice touch.

I have grumbles. They're trivial but worth noting. The stinger on the tail is a bit lack luster and he really needs a second pair of cannons to mount on his legs. That's it.

Well, almost. His toe transformation does rather lend itself to being forgotten about when you transform him back to 'bot mode (dear reader, will you be the one to reactively comment that I've left his toes in in the bot mode pictures?). That said, the transformation is clever and straight forward. Rather than going for the G1 backward knee trick, they've opted to get his legs in the right place through the waist swivel. I thought I'd hate the hollow sections in his legs, but I find myself admiring how elegantly the feet fit in there.

Before I start talking about the base mode, I'd like to take a moment to appreciate 'Lord Zarek'. of course, like TR Fort Max before him, Scorponok was going to be a 'double' Headmaster, but the question was how would they do it? Make a deluxe-sized version of the JG1 'Scorponok' (MegaZarek was the big lad).

He's one of the best things about this already very impressive package. Cerebros was good, and Full-Tilt was even better, but Zarek is next level. Whereas Full Tilt felt a little hollow, stubby, and simplistic, Zarek feels as good as many Deluxe Class figures. I have him standing next to Wheeljack here, and he doesn't suffer by comparison. He's solid, well-articulated, and well proportioned. If the design team had to make compromises with him, I'm struggling to see where they are. He's even got a waist swivel and fucking ankle tilts!

One little touch that I adore, is the little wrist rockets that always caught my eye on the ol' G1 Zarek. That they've attached these to a panel within a panel that can rotate in alignment with his forearm is simply divine.

So, if yer Earthrise Scorponok lets me down in any form, it's the base mode. Perhaps my expectations were too high here, but it just feels like the mode where there's too much missing. And that's the thing about it. It doesn't do anything wrong. It just doesn't do everything.

Let me back up.

I loved that G1 murder factory. Some of my most vivid and cherished memories of Scorponok were playing with him in that mode. It was both detailed and evocative, and it totally captured my imagination. This is just...quite good. It looks nice, goes well with Deluxe class figures (more so than any Titan base before it), and connects up beautifully with the other Siege and Earthrise bases. But without those chromed chimney stacks, radars, lifts, towers, and mechanical arms it just can't compete. I admire the way they've created something like those stacks with the combination of his cannons and leg attachments, but I don't like it. Even the shield doesn't look right. Maybe I'm just too wrapped up in what I want it to be that I can't appreciate what it is, but like I said, objectivity is something that happens to other people.

But even that Davey Downer note can't take the sheen off this guy. This is, by a country mile, the best Titan. he's nearly everything I wanted, and I'm not such a spoilt ingrate that I can't settle for that. I can't wait to get the rest of the Modulators and connect my base mode city together fully. But for most of the time, this guy will be standing, in bot mode, on my Titan shelf. Stealing the limelight from all those other fuckers.

 

That's cool. But I would definitely have every antennae broken off in minutes of owning. Looks delicate.