I've always liked to call them that, after the Marvel UK stories in the 80s. That is, I've always like to call combining Transformers - Second Generation, just like I like to call them combiners rather than the now very fashionable term, gestalts.
One of the first groups I was introduced to in the Marvel UK issues were the Stunticons and they remain my favourite combiner group till this day (note to self, I only read the later Marvel UK issues and so have actually missed the 'earliest' combining robot - Devastator). One of my favourite Marvel UK issues remain issue #91, Heavy Traffic Part 1. More on that in the next couple of days.
It's been sometime since I have had all my combiners in one country. I recently brought back Bruticus, Menasor, Devastator, Superion and Defensor from Singapore after my trip there. They had been sitting in storage for most of 2003 till 2010. Time they saw the light of day, I thought. The only 2 combiners I didn't bring back were Landcross and Predaking - one too small and one too large, no?
So there I was sitting in my play area and then combining all these beauties with E. Placed them onto the shelves and then took some shots of almost all the G1 combiners, except Predaking, Landcross, Guard City and Battle Gaia. The latter 2 are really odd ones out and straight repaints of Defensor and Bruticus which I have almost no intention of acquiring unless they come dirt cheap (for the uninitiated, they do not come dirt cheap, and you should expect to pay around US$800-1000 each; I call B*S* on that, but that's just me; [update 24 Aug 2011: I have actually gone out there and bought Guard City and Battle Gaia, see here).
So, okay, I'll omit them from the count - these are the G1 combiners less Predaking and Landcross.
Top row in Teletraan-1: Dinoking, Raiden and Monstructor
Second row: Devastator, Menasor, Superion, Defensor and Bruticus
Third row: Computron, Abominus, Piranacon and Liokaiser
Bottom row: Sixliner, Sixtrain, Sixbuilder, Sixturbo, Sixwing and Road Caesar
Top row in Teletraan-1: Dinoking, Raiden and Monstructor
Second row: Devastator, Menasor, Superion, Defensor and Bruticus
Third row: Computron, Abominus, Piranacon and Liokaiser
Bottom row: Sixliner, Sixtrain, Sixbuilder, Sixturbo, Sixwing and Road Caesar
The Autobot combiners.
The Autobot combiners.
The Decepticon combiners.
The Autobot and Decepticon combiners (ie: all G1 combiners except Predaking, Landcross and the ones I don't count Guard City and Battle Gaia).
The Autobot and Decepticon combiners (ie: all G1 combiners except Predaking, Landcross and the ones I don't count Guard City and Battle Gaia).
The Autobot and Decepticon combiners (ie: all G1 combiners except Predaking, Landcross and the ones I don't count Guard City and Battle Gaia).
The Autobot and Decepticon combiners (ie: all G1 combiners except Predaking, Landcross and the ones I don't count Guard City and Battle Gaia).
Below are shots of each combiner and its 'counterpart', or as near as it can be.
Devastator vs the Dinobots
Menasor vs Superion
Bruticus vs Defensor
Abominus vs Computron
(for lack of a better pairing) Piranacon vs Raiden
Far as I can tell, Piranacon has no counterpart whereas in Headmasters, Raiden's counterpart is Predaking (although in US continuity, Predaking's counterpart is Sky Lynx, if that makes sense).
More C-131 Raiden Giftset pictures, here.
(again, for lack of a better pairing) Liokaiser vs Raiden
More Liokaiser pictures here: Liokaiser, Liokaiser MIB, Leozack, Gaihawk, Hellbat, Jarugar, Killbison, Drillhorn.
[update 24 Aug 2011] Guard City and Battle Gaia giftsets
[update 20 Feb 2012] Linky to Landcross and also a pic of Landcross for completeness. Thanks to Zhariff for spotting the missing 'bot!
G1 versions of Sixwing, Sixturbo, Sixliner and Sixtrain, which I bought from Osaka / Wai Gu Kok
G1 Japanese individual boxed version of Predaking from my childhood
***
Some Mug Shots...
My favourite combiner, Menasor.
1987 Japanese exclusive Raiden.
1989 Japanese exclusive Liokaiser.
Monstructor.
1989 Japanese exclusive Dinoking
Piranacon/ King Poseidon's counterpart was Ginrai in the the Masterforce series
ReplyDeletenice collection and v helpful. thanks
ReplyDeleteCheers, glad you like it!
ReplyDeleteDevastator's main opponent in the US G1 Series was Omega Supreme, not the Dinobots.
ReplyDeleteLiokaiser's main opponent in Transformers Victory was Road Caesar, not Raiden.
I beg to differ on your first point - I'm think of Heavy Metal War when I said Devastator vs Dinobots and I think it has happened often enough. I don't recall when Omega Supreme actually fought Devy (though I could be wrong, heh).
DeleteAgree that Liokaiser is meant to fight Road Caesar and/or Landcross, but gosh, they were so weak in the cartoon series, so I just placed Raiden there for fun =)
Anonymous is only half right. The Secret of Omega Supreme shows Devastator and Omega Supreme as rivals, although both the movie and HMW show him vs. the Dinobots (the latter because the Autobots didn't have a giant yet, the former because nobody with a non-Takara mold got to be in the movie).
DeleteSky Lynx vs. Predaking is because Sky Lynx is also a giant and animal-themed and expensive.
Piranacon/Piranhaking was too late to be in the US cartoon, and there wasn't an Autobot counterpart combiner. I guess Powermaster Optimus Prime/Ginrai would work though since from the same time.
As for Raiden, according to his bio he also hates Devastator (a nod to their shared status as originally being actual Diaclone-era toys). In the Headmasters cartoon his being matched up against Predaking is due in no small part to the non-Takara Sky Lynx getting dropped.
Landcross is missing there. He's Dinoking's and also Liokaiser's countrpart :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Zhariff, fixed Landcross. See above, and you have been credited!
DeleteHonour is mine :D Anyway, still a magnificent collection there buddy. Love em
DeleteRivals:
ReplyDeleteDevastator-Omega Supreme (see G1 episode "The Secret of Omega Supreme')
Superion-Menasor
Defensor-Bruticus
Sky Lynx-Predaking
Raiden-Piranacon (this is acceptable because neither had a rival Giant Robot in their prospective series)
Monstructor/Dinoking-Landcross
Road Caesar-Liokaiser
Guard City-Battle Gaia
Sixwing, Sixturbo, Sixliner, Sixbuilder and Sixtrain-Battle Gaia (6 against 1 I know, not very fair)
AWESOME collection! I'm slowing collecting them all, I wish more would re-issue because I'm not a KO fan and the originals i'm getting off eBay have been spotty with the condition...
ReplyDeleteI absolutely dont like KOs myself, they will never take the place of an original. Yes, it is pretty difficult to complete this lot, esp some pieces, needs some patience! =)
DeleteI adore these combiners! I want to someday do a Transformers:Zone Nine Great Demon Generals depiciton with armor and capes(somehow...). Have you done any Crazy Devy upgrades for any of them? so far I've only gotten around to doing Menasor and i absolutely love it! the only original part i prefer is the waist, but otherwise it's great! -Kassander @ amondemon112@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteSo, you've got all these Japanese combiners but haven't managed to get your hands on Sludge?
ReplyDelete