So here I am, writing a column about Transformers toys. While this was planned ahead, it happens to fall about a week after the death of Peter Cullen. I feel it would be disgraceful to start without taking some time to remember him first.
In 1984, the world was introduced to Transformers and, with that, heroic leader Optimus Prime. The 1980s offered plenty of animated tough-guy heroes with toy counterparts, but Optimus Prime was somehow different. He had a kindness that seemed to go a little further than many other cartoon leads. Here was a giant robot of great power who cared greatly for his teammates but also for any and all humans, whether he knew them or not. He was authoritative but also gentle, and much of that came from Peter Cullen’s iconic voice. While many cartoon series of the day shared voice actors, Cullen’s Optimus Prime voice always stood out a little more than the rest. It was unmistakable. Whether you heard it in Transformers, the opening narration to Voltron, or a Toonami ad, you instantly knew it was Cullen. It was a voice that was commanding, yet warm. It was a voice so synonymous with Optimus Prime that when Paramount decided to turn Transformers into a series of live-action films nearly 20 years later, producers eventually caved to fan demand and gave Cullen an audition. Optimus Prime truly lived again.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Transformers: The Movie. Many a child was traumatized back in 1986 by the death of Optimus Prime depicted in that film. It’s a strange coincidence that Cullen passed away just before the film’s theatrical re-release, which features a post-credit scene with his final portrayal of the character. It’s my belief that quite a few grown men in their late 40s to early 50s will have something in their eye this month as they watch Optimus Prime say, “Soon I shall be one with the Matrix.”
While Optimus Prime is what he’ll be most remembered for, Cullen also voiced Transformers’ Ironhide, Winnie the Pooh’s Eeyore, the title character in The Predator, and a number of other characters. Beyond his voice acting, he is beloved for his convention appearances and his kindness toward fans. It’s only fair to say that Peter Cullen is an icon and he will be missed.
For those who don’t follow Transformers, there are subsets known as “combiners” — generally in fives, but not always — who combine into one giant robot. So who is the coolest combiner in Transformers history (“history” meaning 1984 – 1987)? No. No. No. Not your favourite! Who’s the coolest?
Ok. Yeah… Devastator’s cool. He’s the original. He’s up there, but you know damn well that Bruticus is the coolest!* He’s assembled from the Combaticons, a ragtag band of evil Decepticons who transform into (mostly) military vehicles! They’ve got a jeep (Swindle**), a naval helicopter (Vortex, Kaman SH-2 Seasprite), a tank (Brawl, somewhat based on the Leopard 1), a military transport truck (Onslaught, possibly based on the Scammel Commander truck), AND… a space shuttle (Blast Off)!?
Why do the Combaticons have a space shuttle? Why is it burgundy? Why is the military jeep YELLOW AND PURPLE? The answer to these questions is, “Who gives a crap!?”
Together, they form the imposing and almighty Bruticus, a helicopter blade-wielding giant monster of metallic mayhem! With a disparate group of vehicles and a somewhat odd colour scheme, Bruticus and the Combaticons are perfectly mismatched greatness, and we’re all here for it!
The original Bruticus was a pretty cool toy for 1985, but like many vintage Transformers, it definitely had issues with proportions and articulation. It also didn’t exactly match how he was depicted in the cartoon series. After all, the animated series designs were based on the toys, not the other way around. Some of the colours and even some of the Combaticons’ vehicle modes were a little off. The Transformers: Age of the Primes series aims to fix all that with designs that are much more faithful to the animation.
Bruticus stands at 14 in./36 cm from foot to the top of the cannons behind its head. This height lets him tower over most Transformers toys. The articulation is pretty great with ratchet shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. The way the arms attach gives you the ability to sort of cheat a butterfly joint. The head is on a ball joint that unfortunately doesn’t allow for very much up and down movement. Bruticus can also swivel at the waist, and features strange mid-lower leg joints that sort of function the way rocker ankles do on other action figures. This definitely helps with certain poses but can also look odd at some angles.
Putting Bruticus together is much more complex than past iterations. Rather than transforming vehicles into arms and legs, plugging in some hand or foot accessories and attaching them to the central piece, team leader Onslaught’s trailer/cannon transforms into a somewhat complex frame which you plug the five vehicles into. Vortex and Blast-Off (arms) basically remain in vehicle modes, while Onslaught, Brawl, and Swindle require a little more transformation.
With average U.S. retail pricing, the combined cost of the Combaticon/Bruticus will run you about $242 before tax. Is that worth it? I’m not sure what else to compare it to, so I’m not sure. Do I regret it? Absolutely not! While some of the individual Constructicon figures gave me some minor disappointment, Bruticus is everything I expected and more!
I’ll be back in two weeks with Marvel Legends Daredevil and hopefully some newer cool things. Til all are one!
* This was disproven by an informal poll and may solely be the opinion of the author.
** While Swindle was drawn as a standard military-style jeep on the original Transformers animated series and in other media, the original toy is based on a military prototype vehicle called the FMC XR311. This vehicle was produced in a very small number and has a passing resemblance to the G.I. Joe VAMP, despite that toy being clearly based on the 1977 Lamborghini Cheetah.
#transformers, #combiners, #combaticons, #bruticus, #ageoftheprimes
