Originally written December 2019.
The Powerdashers come from the second year of Transformers, and despite that fact, they’re relatively obscure. That’s because they were mail-away figures, meaning that you needed to send Robot Points clipped from the packaging of other figures in order to get them. The trio of Powerdashers were fairly simple, basic figures, with sci-fi vehicle modes, pull-back-and-go motors (hence their name), and a much more retro, stylized look than the rest of the line. Probably because of their mail-away status, they never appeared on either the original show or the Marvel comics, and honestly, have almost never appeared in any media at all over the following decades. The three of them didn’t even have names (they were just Drill, Car and Jet) until the 21st century, when names used for non-Transformers-branded international releases of the three (Zetar for the drill, Aragon for the car, and Cromar for the jet) were made into their “official” names.
We’ve finally reached the point where, in the endless cycle of slowly updating all of the original toyline, they’ve gotten modern remakes. In what feels like a continuation of tradition, the three of them are again exclusives, with two of them being part of the same collector-oriented, Hasbro Pulse-exclusive Generations Selects line as Combat Megatron. Luckily, if you’re Canadian, and don’t want to get hit with those import fees, Zetar’s available up here at EB Games, Cromar’s at Toys R’ Us, and Aragon is available on Amazon, though he’s in a three-pack with two other figures. (2020 Update: These days, Pulse is your best bet). In Zetar and Cromar’s case, this leads to the weirdness of them being packaged in plain, brown cardboard boxes with no windows, obviously meant to be sent in the mail, and not displayed on shelves like they are up here.
All three of the Powerdashers are retools of Transformers: Siege’s Weaponizer figures, meaning they have a totally different gimmick now: In addition to their robot and vehicle modes, they break apart into weapons and upgrades that can fit onto the various figures in the Siege line. Zetar specifically is retooled from the Decepticon Weaponizer, Brunt, pictured above. The main reason the default Siege Weaponizers didn’t interest me was because they were all based on the companions for various Titan-class citybots from previous lines, a.k.a. Nobodies designed to fill missing pieces of figures I didn’t own. For whatever reason, these Powerdasher retools of them, while also being obscure nobodies, are offbeat enough to tickle my fancy. I never picked Brunt up, so this is a fresh mold for me. Let’s see how he holds up. The solo robot and vehicle mode photos in this post are from Venomously Addicted Photography, who you can follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Robot Mode
This is a very different-looking Transformer, in that he’s oddly adorable and non-threatening. His squished little face at the bottom of his drill-shaped head is extremely retro-looking, feeling more like a wind-up 70s robot than a standard transformer. Combine that with his colors, and his weird little reversed claws, and you have a character that has a totally different vibe than most Transformers, period. He’s shaped like a friend, and seems like he just wants to help. I’d almost say he’s got more of a Go-Bots vibe than a Transformers vibe.
This is particularly impressive when you realize he was retooled from a Decepticon that was supposed to look menacing. Equally impressive is the fact that he’s supposed to break apart into pieces and become weapons, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at him. Colors-wise, he’s mostly a warm-looking mixture of yellow and black (provided by both plastic colors and paint), with some silver paint to make it pop, and a tiny bit of blue for the face.
While he’s not in danger of falling to pieces, he’s not quite as stable as I’d like. When posing and moving his lower legs, they tend to detach, and one of his forearms popped right off when I first pulled him from his package. Of course, they’re supposed to do that, and you can just pop them back on, but I find myself wishing they were a bit more stable. Also, I kind of wish he had heel spurs, he can fall over if you’re not careful. Still, for a figure that breaks apart, it’s impressive that he manages to have the Standard Siege Poseability, ankle tilts and all, though with the swivelling wrists replaced with snapping claws.
For an accessory, he has a little cylindrical laser-doohickey. The weird thing about it is that it’s not shown or mentioned in the instructions, and I think they intended it to be left out when they retooled him from Brunt. This is odd, because they went out of their way to paint the front of it black, and the back, removable part of it silver, so it couldn’t have been left in by accident. Whatever, free accessory! There’s just no suggestions on what to do with it, and his clampy claws can’t hold it. However, it easily pegs into the weapons ports on his forearms. He’s also got additional mounting points behind each of his shoulders, and on each of his lower legs.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode
Since Zetar breaks apart for his main gimmick, he partsforms to turn into his vehicle mode, meaning his backpack comes off and attaches to his thighs to form the tank turret, his arms come off and pop on in a slightly different way, and his legs detach and make a big weapon for his turret. It’s intuitive enough, and almost feels more like building a LEGO set than transforming a Transformer.
Vehicle Mode
Zetar transforms into a tank that seems to be going through an identity crisis. The original Zetar transformed into a treaded vehicle with a drill in front. Weaponizer Brunt transforms into a tank with a big laser turret. This version of Zetar is a rolling tank with a big turret up top, and a tiny drill in front that barely reaches past the treads. Still, unlike the last Weaponizer I reviewed, at least his vehicle mode looks like something. Also, the solid yellow coloration of his weapon uptop makes it feel like it’s not destructive, and that it’s for, like, Micromasters to climb on to reach high places, or for bracing against walls, or something equally non-threatening.
The vehicle, whatever it is, rolls nicely on its miniature wheels (the treads are just molded in), and it’s pretty stable once you’ve put it together. He still has his little laser weapon of unspecified use, and you can mount it on his turret to make it look more like a weapon. Or, if you’re feeling creative, you can actually remove the back, silver part of the laser, and use it to extend the range of the drill in the front of the tank, making it look far more effective (the remaining front part of the laser can still go at the end of the tank barrel).
While we’re on the subject of mounting points, he’s also got them on the top of the barrel, and the tank body behind the turret. In fact, while you can’t mount his drill at the end of the barrel on its own, you can take the combined drill/back of the laser assembly I mentioned earlier, and mount it on top of the barrel, so he can drill things that aren’t right in front of him. Basically, he’s oddly customizable in this mode, which is funny, because we haven’t even gotten to the meat of his customizable bits.
Transformation to Demolition Loadout
Unlike Cog, the instructions on Zetar start from his vehicle mode for this, which I appreciate. Basically, you’re just ripping him into pieces, with only a bit of transforming and combining, mostly just flipping out some pegs. You then apply the whole mess to a Siege figure a specific way. The instructions use Sideswipe as their model, whom I also went with here, but this really works with almost any Deluxe or larger figure in the line.
Demolition Loadout
Ok, this is really cool. Basically, Zetar gives Sideswipe a pair of big platform boots, a drill mounted on one arm, a shield on the other, and a big, threatening shoulder cannon coming out of a backpack. I added the laser weapon to the end of it, to make it even more weapon-y. This is a surprisingly cohesive weapons upgrade, and it looks mean in person. It’s funny that such a non-threatening character can make such a threatening arsenal. It’s also surprisingly stable, and doesn’t threaten to topple the figure over, or come off. It doesn’t impede Sideswipe’s articulation, and adds one extra point of it, in the form of his shoulder cannon being able to rotate.
Transformation to Serpentine Loadout
Once again, the instructions show you how to get to this form from the other loadout, which I appreciate, even if it’s, once again, just a matter of assembling things differently and pegging them on the core bot in a different order.
Serpentine Loadout
This is ridiculous, and awesome at the same time. Basically, you use his legs and claws to build two giant snapping claws/snake heads that come out of the core robot’s back. Seriously. Look at it.
There’s a couple of flaws to this, though. Firstly, it’s not as stable as Demolition mode, and Sideswipe’s in danger of falling over if you’re not careful. Secondly, the articulation of the “necks” is a bit odd, in that the middle joint can only bend to a certain degree. Still, it’s a nifty thing they invented out of these parts, and feels like the designers were just being creative with what they had. And really, that’s the other important angle to this guy: You can also tear these chunks off, and reassemble them into something else. The two modes here are really suggestions, more than anything else.
Overall
Zetar is a really interesting, unique figure, and I like what it’s doing on several levels. It’s a weird homage to a forgotten little corner of Transformers, and it’s a unique, friendly-looking design that’s refreshingly different from the rest of the line. It’s also got a pair of really cool, uniquely-designed weapon-upgrade modes for your Siege figures, with room to customize. I like it way better than I did Cog, and honestly, if you’ve got some Siege figures you can use him on, I highly recommend picking this guy up, especially since, despite his exclusive status, his shelf price is the same as a standard deluxe.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks