Transformers Devastator Commercial
Transformers Devastator G2 Commercial
OK, let' get the ball rolling on talks about my Transformers toy collections. Now, from the very beginning when this blog was set up... I've made up my mind that i would not be making a very formal "Review" of my toys... I wanted to talk about them casually and perhaps some in depth personal views n memories that may be connected to them.
Transformers - Devastator's debut!
I would like to start things off by talking about the most loved G1 Decepticon Combiner/Gestalt of all time, "The Constructicons" - "DEVASTATOR" -!!!
The Constructicons like most of the G1 Season 1 and 2 Transformers are from a pre-Transofrmers line of Japanese toys by Takara known as "Diaclone". When hasbro bought the rights for these toys and re-introduces them to the world as "Transformers"... Hasbro have unknowingly started a rich history and fan base spanning over 20 years and enriching new generations of fans and collectors of Transformers!!!
The Constructicons are made up of six Decepticons, They are - Scrapper, Scavenger, Longhaul, Mixmaster, Hook and Bonecrusher. Each transforms into construction vehicles and trucks. They first made their debut in the G1 animated series "Heavy Metal War".
The history behind the extistence of the Constructicons are somewhat screwed up in the animated series.
- First of all, They were introduced in Season one as being created on earth by the Decepticons in a secret temporary base.
- Then they were introduced in the Season Two episode, "The Secret of Omega Supreme" as friends of Omega Supreme who got reprogrammed by Megatron into Decepticons with the use of a reprogramming device called the "Robo Smasher" and was given a the ability to merge into "Devastator". Omega Supreme is hell bent on exacting revenge on the betrayal of the Consructicons for destroying "Crystal City", supposedly the most beautiful city in Cybertron, which was originally under the care of Omega Supreme.
- Finally, they were later revealed to be the maker/creator of "Megatron" before the great war with the Autobots. it was never really explained except for the scene where the Constructicons were putting together a robot in some laboratory and the end product was the birth of "Megatron". This would have contradict with the history of their first appearance in season one.
Such were the abundance loopholes and mistakes that the G1 series were riddled with throughout the existence of the show.. I guess back then, quality control wasn't that tight on cartoons... They probably think that it's no "BIG DEAL", since it's just a cartoon.
When the US Transformers series ended after Season 3 n 4... Hasbro tried to revive the toy line by introducing "Transformers - Generation 2". It is generally just a rerun of the G1 series with a touch of tech to it and CGI opening credits. With it, toys are being released under the G2 banner and the Constructicons are being repainted yellow in color in this G2 version.
Well, that's enough with the History lesson... you guys can probably read more in detail about the Constructicons in the net. In fact.. here, u can go read all about them here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructicons
Dreamwave Constructicon / Devastator
Now, Let me share with u guys my memories related to "The Constructicons". Like i said before in my earlier posts, I was brought up in a below average income family and most of my TF toys are either bought by myself or charity projects of my much richer and luckier friends. Devastator was perhaps the very first combiner TF i "ALMOST HAD"... noticed that i said "Almost HAD" and not "HAD". Reason behind it was, thoough it would have been the only combiner i could afford on my own as they are completely comprised of 6 small Transformer toy unlike the other combiners that come with a 5th bigger deluxe sized toy. Since the other combiners only have 5 figures in a set.
Though they were much easier to afford... i still had to save up like hell for em and have to get em one at a time. U see... i was one of those kids who love their toy so much that i had to bring my toys to school with me. I mean, I've already had 5 out of 6 constructicons and i had finally saved enough to get the 6th figure that would allow me to build "Devastator" Ofcourse i was excited.. i mean, WOULDN'T YOU???
I remembered that day well, I had packed in all 5 of my Constructicons into my school bag and couldn't wait for school to end. When it did finally end, i left my school bag outside of my classroom and rushed off to the sundry shop just across the street from my school. I went and got my 6th Constructicon and was happily making my way back to school and to my school bag. But i was about to have a very BIG and BAD surprise!!! When i got back to school and went and open my schoolbag to put in my newly acquired toy. I realized that all the other 5 Constructiocns were GONE!!! Someone had stolen my other 5 Constructicons!!! I was very upset to say the least and completely gave up any hope of ever having a complete Devastator.
yet somehow, I remember finally owning one towards the end of the 80's. I'm not quite sure how. memories of it are somewhat fuzzy. I remember distinctly that i did had a "Devastator" becoz i gave away a huge plastic bag full of Transformers toy in 1990. The show had ended by then and so had the comic book. I was moving on with cooler and more grown up stuff. I got hooked on Comic book collecting and went from Transformers to X-men Mutants!!!
G1 Constructicon Team
Constructicon Techspec & Instruction Sheet
Anyhoo... Fast forward to 2001, i got addicted again with Transformers and this time, i was hell bent on getting all the G1 Vintage i never had or had given up a decade ago. Devastator was obviously my prime target.
I guess in a way, the universe is making up for all the crap i was handed out as a kid and decided to make good in paying it back to me generously. Because by the later half of 2001, i manage to get my hands on a bunch of G1 TF which also includes a complete devastator for a really low and affordable price. I got em from someone i bumped into at a toy store who didn't know that there are people out there who are interested in his old toys!!!
But by 2002... i was once again forced to give up my beloved Vintage Transformers due to a dire need to pay my college tuition fees. Once again, i bid adieu to my TF's which includes "Blaster" n "Soundwave" along with almost all of their "Cassettebots".
But then again, fate smiles my way and i manage to get my hands on an even newer vintage Devastator for an even cheaper price than the one i had sold off to pay my tuition fees. Then another Devastator from another collector who's giving up vintage Transformers. All in all, i would have almost had 5 Devastators with me if my first wasn't stolen and the 2nd being somewhat fuzzy in my memory!!!
By 2002-2003, "Dreamwave Production" has turned the world of TF fans into a pack of marauding wolves, gorging up every single available copies of "Transformers" comics in the market. There was a time when "Transformers" comic books are not obtainable locally at all, due to some distribution issues. I actually have to obtain mine from Singapore!!! They were scalped to hell locally... Heck, i still got tons of extra copies of em LOL.
It was also around this time that the Vintage TF toys are making a comeback, being first reissued by Takara as the "Book Cover" series and later joined by Hasbro releasing the "Commemorative" series. But the vintage Constructicons were never released till this day. Though the market is flooded with an exact size Bootleg version of the Constructicons, available as a gift set.
War Within Constructicons - Designed by Don Figueroa
Don Figueroa, the talented comic book artist of the - "Transformers War Within" series designed a new look for the Constructicons Cybertronian modes for the comic book series and i must say, they do look WICKED!!!
Now if only they would make a Transformers - War Within toy series and finally make a "Devastator" set that would do us proud and sends us clawing and biting our way just to get one to satisfy all of our hunger for the most loved Decepticon Transformers Combiner of all - "DEVASTATOR"!!!
Cheers!!!
N_M
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