1984's Transformers Are Forty!

[Fortmax2020]

Is it the covert or the Ravage part that is the impression?

[The Doctor]

Aug 12, 2024 21:26:03 GMT Philip Ayres said:

Is it as good as your other impersonations?

You would think I was the original voice actor.

-Ralph

[Fortmax2020]

From G1 or BW?

[The Doctor]

MEGATRON, I HAVE COME TO ARREST YOU!

-Ralph

[Fortmax2020]

So uncanny that I don't remember that line in either series.

[The Doctor]

BY THEE POWAH OF THA PAXXX CYBURTRONEEEEAAA AH PLACE YOUU UNNER' ARREEEST. YA UNNDERSTAN', YA?

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

Have you considered a Ravage cosplay to present this to its fullest?

[The Doctor]

AYE COULD DO DAT BUUUT ATMYE MUUUUST FULFIL MAY DOOTY, YA UNNERSTAN'?

-Ralph

[that_bluestreak]

Aug 12, 2024 6:27:20 GMT Philip Ayres said:

1984's Transformers Are Forty: Week 20|Ravage & Rumble

Fantastic toys again. One thing Hasbro got right, accidentally I expect, about Transformers in 84, is that people love companions / funny little guys. A twin pack is a winner too, of course. I didnt have either of these as a kid, getting a Ravage somewhere in Collection 2 shortly before seeing him shiny and new in TFC Soundwave. Only picked up a Rumble a few years ago, and he was everything I had hoped for!

I have a few Ravages, an original, a couple of KOs, and the cartoon deco, off the top of my head. But only one Rumble. One is enough I guess! Neither are actually especially good for playing with, so perhaps my comment earlier was based on nostalgia! Ravage doesn't stand well, Rumble can wave but not point his weapons, but they are charming as f*** so there.

Tech specs wise these are both absolutely wonderful and full of character. Ravage looks exactly like profile suggests, Rumble's character is easily recognisable. And both so different to each other that buying this pack opens up lots of play.

Comics wise both get some great moments though Rumble not used enough IMO.... Rumble using his powers (his actual powers!!!) in early stories to knock over or out various Autobots. I enjoyed his moment as stooge in Prime Time, and giving Tracks a slap in Missing In Action. Shame he wasn't Omega-proof....

Ravage on the other hand was clearly the sort of character that inspired writers. He got the first line in Transformers, and he gets major appearancess in Prisoner of War, TheEnemy Within, Raiders of the Last Ark, Plague of the Insecticons, Hunted, Crisis of Command, State Games, I Robot Master, and Showdown in the early years. Later he appears in Time Wars and the Megatron-on-Cybertron back up strips. He disappears when Unicron arrives I think, so I hope he didn't get stepped on.

He also gets a fantastic story arc in the IDWverse, especially under JR, who managed to shock and appall me with Ravage's death. (as an aside have any other TF writers been so successful at reminding us of the horrors of war?)

Did Ravage show up in IDW 2? I have only the briefest flick through of that series?

So Rumble, 7/10 and Ravage 10/10 I reckon!

[The Doctor]

I don't think any of the Ravage updates have surpassed the original toy so far (though the Universe 2 pack-in with Hound is fun).

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Hound 2-pack is the GO-TO Ravage.


Ravage and Rumble.

My brother either swapped or bought these two chaps when we were kids from a friend at school. No Techspecs, and only Ravages' weapons, but... oh baby... these were great days. Two spy cassettes, at last.


And there are fewer more iconic Deceptions that exist other than THE GREAT RAVAGE.


I was always fascinated by the relationship of sidekick/minion cassette and fully-fledged independent extremely dangerous and scheming 'Con.

Is Ravage a minion, or is he his own cat? Later we get 'solo' Ravages, but I always tried to rationalise the relationship between Soundwave and Ravage in particular -more so than any of the other cassettes- trying to make Ravage less a minion and more an independent robot working in partnership with Soundwave.

The other four original cassettes do seem more minion-like than Ravage. There's a clear difference with Ravage and his Techspecs proves it: cunning malice prowls out of those words, words that themselves are born from the shadows. What a perfect description of a creature of the night.

I love the cartoon, seen anew through the eyes of my children, but the cartoon does not do Ravage justice. Here he is but a minion. And yet.. AND YET, Ravage still oozes danger... still jumps off the screen as a truly standout character.


Rumble? Somewhat 'shadowed' by Ravage, but as a character he proves the old Transformers adage that "the least likely can be the most dangerous." Frequently an entertaining addition to any cartoon episode he was in, Rumble -as an entity- has suffered from the red/blue thing, but this street-punk earthquake-inducer truly has to be one of the greats; such a fun character with a highly entertaining ability.


I think the toys are amazing and the numbers are very interesting. Particularly intriguing is Ravage's courage. At 4 he's significantly
lacking the courage levels of our heroes. Curiously Rumble only gets a 2 for strength, while Frenzy manages a 3. And again he's lacking the high courage levels of the Autobots.


Soundwave and The Cassettes had a special magic back in '84 that few other Transformers rivalled. There really was a deep intricacy to them and they are perfect Deceptions.


They're what Transformers are all about.

[Philip Ayres]

1984's Transformers Are Forty: Week 21|Wheeljack
Function: Autobot Mechanical Engineer
Japan: 3
tfwiki.net/wiki/Wheeljack_(G1)/toys
www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Wheeljack/wheeljack.htm

"Never do what your enemy expects you to do."

Wheeljack is the mad scientist of the Autobots. Always inventing new weapons and gadgets. Most adept at driving while in car mode. Likes to show off his stunts. Flying range of 800 miles using solid-fuel rockets in arms. Shoots magnetic inducer, shrapnel-needle, and gyro-inhibitor shells from his shoulder cannons. He is his own worst enemy. Often injured while experimenting with new weapons.


Strength
7
Intelligence
9
Speed
7
Endurance
5
Rank
8
Courage
9
Firepower
7.5
Skill
10

[The Doctor]

Monkey arms!

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

The arms are fine, it's the legs that are the problem: too short.

If the car bonnets were the lower legs and the upper legs projected up over the top of them by the same amount he'd look just fine

[Fortmax2020]

Love the toy. The arms never bothered me. Lovely transformation and fantastic looking car mode.

Love his comic and cartoon appearances. One of the few who would regularly stand up to Grimlock and give him proper perspective.

Despise the 'mad' scientist lazy stereotype. Ah ha ha.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Much more practical arms than Brawn’s, that’s for sure.

Loved him when I first got him as a Classic Hero in 1991. Flawless vehicle mode. And the only Autobot who could turn his head.

Martin

[The Doctor]

I used to have Diaclone Wheeljack. I was excited to get it but...it was rubbish. It went to Toy-Fu (I think) many years ago. A rare case of remakes being better than the original.

-Ralph

[The Huff]

Definitely a gorilla shape going on there, but can also see why they made him an inventor - with the white overcoat look and black gloves.

[Pinwig]

I love Wheeljack. I still have my childhood original and was really pleased a few years back to get a missing wing from eBay to complete him again. He's a definite favourite.

[Philip Ayres]

Aug 19, 2024 7:53:37 GMT Philip Ayres said:

The arms are fine, it's the legs that are the problem: too short.

If the car bonnets were the lower legs and the upper legs projected up over the top of them by the same amount he'd look just fine

Excuse my dodgy picture skills, but something more like this:

[Philip Ayres]

I wanted a Wheeljack but could we find one? He and Sunstreaker were my first Classics Car purchases

I have a Wheeljack but the frame the legs connect with broke. He has been enjoying an extended holiday convalescing in Hull where the intention was to work on* his sun tan

* removing

[Grand Moff Muffin]

The little magnetic Diaclone figure Blueshift has sent me with the fanzine would sit well in Wheeljack's cockpit.

Martin

[The Doctor]

I wish I could find my little man.

-Ralph

[that_bluestreak]

Philjack is a weird uncanny valley thing... like, it is better, but also a weird mutation of the toy I know so well.

Wheeljack was a toy I never cared for as a kid. I never saw one in real life until the Classics, and his weird long arms that couldn't hold a gun, the flaps that don't sit neatly on his legs and chest, and general oddness meant that it never felt like a necessity. As an adult collector I didn't get one for ages, and when I first got one it was a junker that didn't make me care more. Later on I got a decent Wheeljack and gradually collected all the accessories. What a difference that made. These days the weirdness is part of the charm. Like many of the early TFs it looks its best with all the accessories and good stickers - a battered one with peeling stickers and no spoiler isn't very impressive.

Wheeljack as a character is hit and miss. The mad scientist trope is pretty dull, and in the comics he didn't really get to do much inventing. When he did it was great - Robot Buster is a case in point. He was obviously an important member of the team - he was one of the first Autobots Ratchet revived when he reclaimed the Ark, he built the bodies of Tracks and co. and installed their personalities, he built the device for letting OP and Buster share visions, he designed the Aerielbots, but maybe the maddest schemes he was involved in wasn't even his idea - building a fake Optimus for the Cons to destroy in order for Prime to give the Autobots more opportunities for personal development without him around to do the thinking. Wheeljack never learned from this, and helped Grimlock do all sorts of bonkers shit. So important minor character stuff.

Oh yeah, Earthforce saw at least one mad scientist story, when he locked the whole Earthforce team out of their base with the weapons systems switched on... what a japester.

[Llama God]

Wheeljack's not one that I ever had as kid, but I was always fond of the slightly more alien look of his toy, and of course being a key player in Arrival From Cybertron helped make sure he would never be forgotten. For the Conjunx, though, it's another story, with him being one of her favourite characters, and the first Transformers toy she ever got. Naturally, we pick up most of the new Wheeljacks these days.

[Shockprowl]

WHEELJACK!


One of my all time favourites, one of the all time greats, and a damn interesting toy.

The toy is so unique. I love his face sculpt. He is one of the more alien looking G1 toys. I can see what Big Phil means about his legs needing to be longer.

He is such a reliable and fun go-to character. He even evaded the 'not on the toy shelves anymore therefore must be deactivated' cull-a-thon of the comic.

I love him. He Prowl and Jazz were my go-to little team as a kid.

Numbers are interesting- he's strong, fast and clever, but not very endurant which is into. His bii has so much going on- the mad scientist, the stunt driver, "his own worst enemy"- great stuff.

[The Doctor]

The only true Wheeljack is Action Master Wheeljack. Superior to the original in every way.

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

Pish.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Aug 20, 2024 18:52:58 GMT Pinwig said:

Pish.

Correctly correctington.

Martin

[The Huff]

Autobot Car Wheeljack must be better than Action Master Wheeljack for one reason alone - he has no eyes to stare directly into your soul with.