On to ACT 8 Chase figures now!
Getting in the grove, so I'm knocking these out day after day. Funny thing is, all these photos were actually done some 2-3 years ago, all on the same day and ready to go. Just that I have not loaded them up and wrote about them.
If ACT 7 had apparently non-Victory characters like Wheeljack and Perceptor that raised eyebrows, ACT 8 is truely even more questionable. In fact, I am not sure what the focus of ACT 8 was supposed to be - it features Star Convoy pretty heavily in terms of the art on the boxes and the carton, but it does not appear to be a Battlestars or Return of Convoy ACT for sure.
ACT 8 consists of Alpha Trion (2010), Cyclonus (2010), Fortress (aka Cerebros, from Headmasters), Meister (from Fight! Super Robot Lifeform), Dai Atlas (from Zone) and Star Convoy (from Battlestars Return of Convoy). Ah, okay, maybe the aim was to have 1 character from each series?
Anyway, that's not why we are here... now onto the Chase figures for ACT 8, which were:
- Paradron Medic; and
- Coronation Starscream.
The 'build-a-figure' pack in for ACT 8 is Mega Zarak (aka Scorponok) from the Headmasters series. Despite how this may be listed, Mega Zarak was present in every carton as a 'build-a-figure' and not a Chase figure per se.
Close up of the Mega Zarak build-a-figure.
The Chase figures for this ACT had a very strong connection to the cartoon, but I did not find them particularly interesting compared to some of the other ACTs. I found them just as 'unnecessary' as the ACT 4 Chase figures (Metallic Grimlock and gold painted God Ginrai).
- Paradron Medic Chase figure -
This figure is a straight repaint of the ACT 1 Arcee figure, which come to think of it, was very justified since it's cartoon design was actually a straight copy of Arcee but in different colours.
The most interesting thing about this character is perhaps that it appeared in the episode Fight or Flee, where a group of Autobot (including the ever affable Ultra Magnus) visited the (beautiful) planet Paradron. It was where Magnus said his face to palm line "I've never seen anything this beautiful in the entire galaxy. Alright, give me the bomb" (see the video here at 2min 26 seconds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBQ7pFlSXFo)
Hahaha... Magnus kills me *face to palm*.
Paradron Medic in the episode Fight or Flee
Comparison: Paradron Medic Chase figure (left) and Arcee (right)
ACT 8 Chase figures Coronation Starscream and Paradron Medic
- Coronation Starscream Chase figure -
This Chase figure essentially used the ACT 1 Starscream body and has new moulded parts - head, arms, cape and wings. This is also the only Chase figure that I did not buy from the secondary market - the MISB carton of ACT 8 that I purchased contained this figure! In other words, its the one Chase figure in my entire SCF collection that I got 'fair and square', by myself!
This is obviously a homage to one of the most iconic characters in the now classic Transformers: The Movie (1986)...
Pretty close huh...
Comparisons: ACT 1 Starscream (left), ACT 5 Ghost of Starscream Chase figure (middle) and ACT 8 Coronation Starscream Chase figure
To round this post off, here are some shots of the Mega Zarak build-a-figure...
I'll have to disagree with you on the necessity (or lack thereof) of these, especially Starscream. Paradron Medic I can agree with as she was an easy repaint, but Starscream as you said had new molded parts, unlike the Act 4 chase figures which I feel makes him more interesting. Also it represents a pivotal moment for both Starscream and in the '86 movie which in my opinion further increases its importance. As a Starscream fan this figure was as important to me as the Ghost Starscream of Act 5.
ReplyDeleteStarscream looks great. Mega Zarak actually looks a bit rushed. The head sculpt doesn't look so hot.
ReplyDeleteI got stuck with only the crappy pewter Scorponok in my case :/
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