Venin/Venom [Age of the Primes/Deluxe Class]

I’m double-dipping into things I love with today’s toy. Both an Insecticon and an Armored Insect Corps Beetras update, Transformers Age of the Primes Venin is a treat for me. Of course, the name Venin is an alternate name for his real name, Venom. Despite the Insecticon Venom pre-dating the extremely more popular Marvel character… he’s only had three toys total. And there was a 29 year gap between the first toy and the second.

During those 29 years the trademark lapsed and Eddie Brock got the symbiote suit… and a ton of toys. Actually, that second toy and now this new toy are both named Venin, so it’s not too hard to adjust. However, venin isn’t just a made-up word — it’s the toxic component of snake venom and literally means “venom” in French. So it works, even if it doesn’t exactly make for the best character name. Much like the rest of the original batch of G1 Transformers, Venom was made from a pre-existing toy mold. The Deluxe Insecticons came from the Armored Insect Corps Beetras toy line. These weren’t from Takara, so they didn’t show up in the original cartoon. Venom was made from the Beet-Zeguna mold, though with very different colors. Interestingly, the Deluxe Insecticons do appear in their Beetras colors on the 1985 Transformers box art. Always found that neat.

Unlike his second toy which I love, this new Venin is a direct update of his G1 figure. The modern engineering gives us one well-articulated bug robot. His bright colors look as great as always. The Insecticons usually stick to darker palettes, so Venom having this bright green and orange with light gray robot parts really makes him stand out. Not just visually, but as a personality among them. It just looks great. His colors and helmet have always reminded me of Samus Aran — same era, so there was probably some shared visual inspiration floating around. Ironically, it occurred to me that one of the core reasons I like Insecticons and insect-themed robots is likely tied to my appreciation of bio-horror. Metroid itself is heavy bio-horror. And yeah, I am really looking forward to Metroid Prime 4.

Venin has recreations of his original toy’s electric-blaster gun and battle axe. I honestly forgot about the axe entirely since my G1 toy was bought loose and missing it. I really like it — it’s not your standard He-Man style axe. Both weapons store on the sides in beast mode. Speaking of, Venin transforms into a cicada. Being from the American South, I’m used to hearing these guys all summer. It’s generally pleasant… unless one gets on your window. Then it’s maddening. I once had one trapped under some porch furniture that screamed non-stop. When I tried to scoop it up, IT GOT LOUDER. I never thought flinging a bug across my yard would be so satisfying. Little bastard.

Transformation to bug mode is pretty easy. His arms fold into the upper torso while the legs fold into themselves. Then it’s just arranging bug bits into a pleasantly blocky robot cicada with the most adorable face. In beast mode, his wings and legs have decent articulation, and the weapons can store on the sides for added firepower. If there’s anything to complain about, his wings can get in the way in robot mode, and folding his arms into place during transformation feels like the toy is about to break. Some sturdier plastic would have helped. But it’s not enough to ruin the toy. I’m admittedly biased when it comes to insect robots and am loving this one unabashedly. It is a good toy outside of my affections, and it’s just great to see a new Venom figure. I wouldn’t mind finding this cicada on my porch. Well… assuming he isn’t loud.

Ransack (Creatures Collide/Deluxe Class)

The ravenous sounds of the locust signify wrath and misery. Perhaps it is him who stripped the house of all the life it once held.

I've mentioned my admiration for the Beetras molds here before, as well as my overall fandom for insect based robots in general. The Creatures Collide box set from last year provided me with plenty of really cool new creepy crawler insect bots. Ransack here is another solid bit of coolness from the set. Originally, Ransack was one of the Deluxe Insecticons made from the Beeteras toys while the standard Insecticons were made from Diaclone toys. This new Legacy Ransack, somehow is a repaint of an update of one of those Diaclone Insecticons (Kickback) and delivers a pretty good homage to the old Beetras toy. Surprisingly so as it's literally just a recolor using an alternate head. The toy does come with the Kickback head as well in case you'd prefer it to be one of his clones.

Ransack transforms into a mechanical locust or a grasshopper depending if you assemble his locust abdomen from the energon blades. This was a pretty creative way to get a locust out of the mold without the need for new parts. I've had the Kickback for some time before getting Ransack and never noticed that it could be done. Neat. Ransack has a descent amount of articulation and transforms fairly easily. Considering the mold was originally a "G1 with knees" update to Kickback, it should. Despite being so simple... it feels right, like just the right amount of work is needed to be done. His gun is a straightforward reissue of Kickback's in black plastic. Thanks to the similarity between the two, it makes for a decent version of his High-Intensity Concussion Blaster. A little different looking, but close enough. The energon blades can be held or form a shield. I prefer to place them on his arms for bight robot pokey bits. 

Bios: Barrage

"Nothing left standing means nothing left to change."

Function: Gunner

Winning is not enough -- this Insecticon's attack continues until the ground is scorched and leveled. Merciless, cruel... believes kindness only stirs hope among the vanquished. Disliked by fellow Decepticons. In insect Mode, can shoot non-stop explosive charges from gun mounts, high energy photons from antenna. Flies 15mph with 400 mile range. Has powerful sonic rifle in robot Mode.

Strength: 3 Intelligence: 8 Speed: 3 Endurance: 7
Rank: 5 Courage: 10 Firepower: 9 Skill: 8

A day with Shockwave

 

About 2 weeks ago as you're reading this, I finally bought a Turbo Changer Shockwave. I'd been wanting this figure since it came out in Cyberverse and for some reason never got it until recently under it's re release as a Buzzworthy Bumblebee figure. I've made my love for these simple figures know often here, so I'll spare you the details, but he's a pleasantly old school vibe robot toy. A week later after buying him, and a week before you'll read this, I opened him. I've got a pretty good backlog of unopened toys and the bulk of posts here are written in advance. I'm sure I've explained that one here as well, but thought I'd repeat it in case that wasn't clear. 

I've spent all the day with this Shockwave by my side. I work at night (I'm also sure I've said that before), and it was a Monday. I woke up early to see my wife off to work and spent the day doing odd tasks between goofing off and napping. Monday's for night shift folks are like Friday evenings for day shift folks. Shockwave got transformed a million times. If you look at the delightfully buggy alt mode, you'll see those rear legs. Squeeze them to auto-transform him into bot mode, pull them apart to go back. What kind of insect is he supposed to be? Maybe one of those flat grey ones I always see on my porch?

I spent a good deal of time playing Dig Dug 2 on my Switch. By my chair was a TV tray (the one from my Instagram). Shockwave stood there next to my Galaxy Tablet. When I wasn't playing, the pro controller would sit there with the two. I really wish this toy would get re released in different colors as someone else, just so it could get a little more out there. He really feels like a lost Beetras/Deluxe Insecticon. Maybe with a new head or in different colors he could be a new one.

He was by my side as I finished the current (and sadly last) season of Pacific Rim: The Black. Overlooked the making of my lunch that consisted of some tortilla pizzas and grapes. What's a tortilla pizza? It's a little pizza you make on a tortilla instead of a crust. I'm on a low sodium diet. With the right sauce, cheese, and tortillas, a pretty easy lunch that's tasty and also nothing to worry about. He found it logical to add some Mrs Dash prior to cooking. I thought it was a pretty good idea myself. 

During another round of Dig Dug 2... have you played it? It's really fun, I like it a lot better than regular Dig Dug. But anyways, while playing I found myself thinking Shockwave would be at home in an old 8 or 16-bit video game. Probably as a bad guy in some space shooter, his design would make for an excellent general soldier. I can really see him on the cover in that old school painted art style. If this really was an old toy, he might have actually popped up in one. Unofficially of course, but there he'd be. 

I'm at work now as I write this. Just sitting at my desk working, typing out a few lines here and there between working. Sipping on my water flavored with orange-vanilla Mio. About to eat my little Ziploc baggy full of low salt Ritz crackers that I'll dip into a cup of peanut butter. It's the simple kid, not much sodium. Kind of wish I'd have brought Shockwave with me. Not sure why I didn't, there's been plenty a work night with a Bumblebee nearby. I'm not sure if you're interested in getting this Shokwave toy, but he's good company.

Bios: Chop Shop

 

"I take no prisoners, just spare parts."

Function: Thief

Sneakiest of the Insecticons... if it's not bolted to the floor, it's not safe from his greedy grasp. No challenge is too great; the more difficult something is to steal, the more he wants to steal it. As insect, flies 30mph with two small jets on his back. Pincer-like antennae can slice through 2-inch thick steel. Has twin pinpoint lasers on mouth; can carry 30 tons. As robot has photon cannon.