Bios: Howlback

Function: Enforcer

A member of the Cobalt Sentries, a public safety unit attached to the Decepticon Secret Police, comprised of elite soldiers regularly clad in blue armor. She exercises her abilities suppressing insurgents or exposing resistance activities in the Decepticon-controlled regions of planet Cybertron or on occupied worlds, and has the unconditional authority to arrest and execute any citizens suspected of disrupting the Decepticons' steel order. Possessed of graceful bearing and elegance, she is also extremely severe and uncompromising, and will silence backtalking subordinates with a sharp roar. In combat, she employs a Feedbacker Shield, which absorbs, modulates, and redirects energy weapons back at enemies.

Bumblebee Strikes A Blizzard

The Dollar General Kreon Iceberg continues as we take a look today at Blizzard Strike Bumblebee. As the name implies, he's the Blizzard/White version of the Armor Up Bumblebee I spoke about earlier this week. I've yet to find the Night Strike variation... and hopefully I will soon. It's stealthy. 

Blizzard Strike Bumblebee however is fantastic looking. Like the other color variations of these guys he's a straight recolor of the regular toy. His armor is white to match his arctic theme, while the rest of it as well as the standard kreon is this WONDERFUL translucent/clear yellow that just POPS. There's sharp, and then there's this.

I've always been a fan of translucent colors on Transformers and this is a prime example of why. It just looks marvelous. Of course the Microman resemblance is strong here. The standard Kreon looks a lot like a Microman M10X type or with the armor a little like a Rescue M25X type. It's funny how just a few colors can make a recolor look like a different Microman, but it does. When Hasbro first got the Micronauts license, I said they should use them in Kre-O.

I was so right.

Armor Up Of The Bumblebee

Continuing on our Custom Kreons found at the Dollar General adventures on what's apparently a Bumblebee heavy week... man that was a long sentence. Here's Armor Up Bumblebee! Bumblebee is a bit of a standout from the other figures in this selection. Instead of having ornate armor, BB has two big chain guns just hanging off his shoulders. I mean, why not?

I didn't go into these expecting everyone's favorite little yellow guy to be carrying the heavy weapons, but I ain't complaining. It looks great. Just for good measure they gave him a standard laser gun. Just to make sure he REALLY kills somebody.

In all honesty, as good as he looks, he doesn't make me think of Bumblebee at all. The Kreon makes me think of a Saram from new Microman. Those are from the Microchange era of Microman, which ironically is where the original toy mold for Bumblebee comes from.

These resemblances can't just be a coincidence.

Blast It!

Blaster is one of those guys I've always liked. Admittedly Transformers made from Microman molds have a special place in my heart, but he's just so cool! He also looks like the last of the Walmart exclusive G1 reissues. So, I'm looking forward to getting mine soon. Well I think he's the last, they haven't really said they'll be anymore. I guess they could sneak one out.

In August I decided just to pre-order one instead of trying to find him at my local store.You know, just let him get delivered to my door and not worrying about anything right? Right? A week before the order is to ship, they send me an email saying it's been delayed until October 9th. Well, whatever, I've got one right? I'll just be patient.

There he is, just a pile of Blasters sitting on the shelves of my local Walmart. But hey, I'll just wait. Then as I add a He-Man to my grocery order (I can do it, so I did) and there he is... on the app. Groceries get delivered to my doorstep with a He-Man. 

No problems. 

But I'm going to be patient. Stop by same store, same pile of Blaster toys on shelves. I'll be patient. Then today I see multiple people who pre-ordered Earthrise toys get shipped Essential Oils instead... 

I've been patient. But that doesn't mean I don't know a future headache when I see one. I canceled the order and added him to my grocery list. I mean dang.

 

Wal-Mart, get your shit together.

In Space, Nobody Can Feel Bumblebee Sting

I had been putting off buying a Warrior Class Bumblebee. I haven't gotten any version of Cyberverse Bumblebee in warrior class yet, but when I had seen this newer Cybertronian version solicited, I knew it would be the one to buy. Not that I've got anything against Cyberverse or Bumblebee (if you read the site, you know I quite like them both), it's just the way things have worked out. Representing his 3rd season look, Bumblebee is not very much different from his prior versions. His Cybertronian alt mode is a flying car that's pretty much a modification of his Earth based car mode. It's a little silly, but I dig it. Honestly it looks more like a submarine than a flying car, but still pretty neat.

Bumblebee has a sparkle to his yellow plastic. I don't know if that was present in prior versions, but I notice it pretty clearly when holding the toy in light. BB also features some metallic blue circuitry detailing with the metallic coloring on his Sting Shot stinger as well. It looks really good against the yellow and makes me think of him as a Microman toy. Not just in the way that the original Bumblebee toy was derived from a Microman, but this toy looks like it would fit in next to your Spy Magician figure. His alt mode kibble and spacey alt mode makes me think of him as a newer Micro Robot. He just has that look, or at least to me.

I had mentioned his Sting Show earlier, that's the figures action gimmick. Mounted on his left arm is the stinger, pull said arm down, and it spring loaded pops back up with the stinger spinning. Makes me think of a Kenner Super Powers figure. I really like this guy, he has that old school super robot vibe that Cyberverse warrior class toys generally have. I get warriors for around $11 at my local Walmart and that's a great price. It's a nice little something to grab for not a lot of money during an errand run.

Gun Robo Violence

There's something about a small boy straight up pulling a gun out like that. Though, I I saw an Acrosatan out in the wild, I might do the same. Fortunately that's not ordinary gun, that's a Gun Robo M-1910. In Transformers the mold got used for Browning in Masterforce. I remember for a while there was a rumor going around that M-1910 was considered for Megatron instead of the Walther P-38. I would have liked that better, I've always thought it was a better toy.

MicroRobot V commercial

Sometime I wish more Microman stuff found it's way into Transformers than just the Microchange stuff. It makes me wonder what things would have been like if Diakron and Kronoform would have taken off here in the states.