Release Date: August 2022
RRP: $55.99/£54.99
Transformers fans have developed the skills to immediately work out what figures are going to be retooled/repainted into what, so when it was announced that the Legacy line was going to be covering the various eras of the franchise AND that a new Generation 2 Laser Optimus Prime would be amongst the first selection of figures…it really didn't take long to work out what else would be coming eventually. As one of the most popular exports from the 2000 Robots in Disguise series (known as Car Robots over in Japan), Scourge is EXACTLY what most people from a Laser Prime mould. Fans didn't have to wait too long either, with Transformers Legacy Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection Robots in Disguise 2000 Universe Scourge arriving before the year was out. The Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection is a subset of Walmart-exclusive figures (also available via Hasbro Pulse), focusing on characters taking part in a race on the planet Velocitron from Transformers: Cybertron.
With Hasbro now having adopted plastic-free packaging for their collector lines the Transformers Legacy range looks a little different to what we've seen previously, but then the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection is completely different yet again. Rather than following either the template or colour scheme adopted by the main Legacy range, the Velocitron packaging almost emphasises the characters' alt modes over their robot modes. The bright blue and black windowless packaging features artwork of Scourge in both modes along the front of the box, alongside the character name, which universe he hails from (specifically noting it as "Robots in Disguise 2000" so not to confuse it with the 2015 series) and the Decepticon logo of that series. While the American Robots in Disguise toys used the familiar logo, both the Japanese Car Robots toys and the anime itself used an upside down G2 Autobots symbol. The robot artwork that appears on the front of the box also appears one side, and then on the back are multiple CG renders of the figure showing it off in various modes. Inside, Scourge is tied down to a cardboard tray in vehicle mode.
Much like his original toy, Legacy Scourge is a redeco of Legacy leader class Laser Optimus Prime, transforming into a black long cab truck with silver grill, teal accents along the side and transparent magenta windows. While the teal accents are arranged a little differently it's a very faithful reinterpretation of the original that doesn't lose any of its fierceness. Black Optimus Prime repaints have been all the rage for years now, and this guy is one of the biggest reasons why. The cab also has storage for both of Scourge's main robot mode weapons, with his sword clipping in underneath the truck and the axe fixing onto the back.
The look isn't complete without the tanker trailer to go with the cab though, and arguably it’s the inclusion of that which bumps Scourge up to the leader class price point. The design of the tanker is true to the original design/toy in that it retains the same silver and black colouring, however this time around said silver is paint rather than chrome. It still looks great though, with not only the silver looking beautiful alongside the predominantly black cab but also all the moulding across the trailer to give it that extra level of realism. When not plugged into the cab, there's also a little kickstand part at the front of the trailer to allow it to display freely without toppling over.
Straight away I will say that Scourge's robot mode looks fantastic, but this has easily been the biggest point of contention for Transformers fans when it comes to the figure. Legacy Scourge sports a predominantly black colour scheme, accented by grey limbs, teal highlights and clear magenta plastic on the windows and shoulders. It’s an INCREDIBLY striking colour scheme – there have been enough repaints in the past to prove Optimus always looks good in black, and the teal and magenta do a lot of heavy lifting too. The head sculpt is particularly good here, showing how a simple changing of colour can turn Optimus' iconic face into something far more menacing – the light piping here is just sublime. The problem is that for many people, this just isn't Scourge. Scourge is set apart from all the Nemesis Primes there's been over the years because he's the one that was an actual character. Sure he was Black Convoy as well over in the Car Robots anime, but even there he wasn't a repaint of Optimus Prime as such. The toy might have been an Optimus repaint, but as far as the series itself was concerned he was an entirely new character. It's easy to say "well it's a black Laser Prime so therefore it's Scourge", but the deco Hasbro have opted here has far more in common with Nemesis Prime than it does Scourge. The black torso, the red windows…these are Nemesis Prime traits, Scourge in robot mode has a lot more grey and opaque grey/black windows. Apparently the decision was made to better match the colour scheme of the cab, as well as the designer citing that he was unfamiliar with Scourge. Personally I think the deco works and the Laser Prime silhouette is enough to sell this as Scourge (it also helps that I don't really think of Nemesis Prime much as an actual character), but I can totally understand why fans might have wanted something more accurate to RID Scourge when the figure is being billed as such. But hey, I really like that they kept the upside down G2 Autobot symbols rather than switching to the more familiar Decepticon ones like the American toys did.
All the features from Laser Prime have been carried over to this release as well, which means Scourge not only houses a Matrix of Leadership in his chest compartment but is also armed to the teeth with (non-functioning) rocket launchers in his shoulders. All of these parts have been moulded in that same clear magenta plastic again, which gives the Matrix particularly a rather sinister look fitting for the quasi-Decepticon leader. Scourge looks like an absolute powerhouse on his own, but with those shoulder missiles poised and ready he really looks like a force to be reckoned with.
To its credit the original G2 Laser Prime mould (from which Scourge was repainted from) already had a surprising amount of articulation for the time, so when it comes to a new version there's less new stuff going on than you might think. That isn't to say improvements haven't been made though, with the Legacy Scourge sporting;
- Ball jointed head
- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips
- Hinged elbows, knees and ankles
- Waist, bicep, wrist and thigh swivels
Everybody loves a good ankle tilt, and it's exactly that which truly sets Scourge apart from the older one when it comes to poseability. Those, along with the bicep and thigh swivels, allow for so much more range and fluid motion when it comes to action posing. Scourge isn't without his flaws though, with the design of the shoulders potentially proving a factor for some people. Rather than the extended sections being able to rotate themselves, Scourge's shoulders are located just underneath – hidden by hinged flaps. The shoulders themselves have a full range of motion underneath here, but naturally raising the arm so far immediately comes into contact with those fixed sections. Lifting those hinged flaps does allow you to play around with that area a little bit, but still not to the level that you could have him raising his arms to the sky or anything like that. There's plenty of other things you can do with the figure to make up for this and the arm articulation is still very good, but I can understand why this might be a point of contention for some.
Scourge also includes all of the accessories previously included with Laser Optimus Prime as well, giving him quite the array of weaponry. First up are his Energon Sword and Energon Axe, both of which are moulded in the same clear magenta as his windows, shoulders and Matrix. So not only do you get some nice colour coordination with Scourge, but those bold red weapons are again very fitting for a villain. Both weapons are perfectly fine on their own (the sword being marginally better just because it's Scourge's weapon in the cartoon as well), but they can also combine into a much larger sword. This is personally my preferred look for the weapons simply because it adds a bit more heft to them both. On top of all this, there is a piece on the top of Scourge's trailer that can be removed and used as a two-barrel blaster rifle. Being made of opaque black plastic with no paint apps it isn't quite as striking as the clear plastic pieces, but it's nice to have some range weaponry on hand in addition to melee weapons.
No part goes forgotten about either, as even in robot mode there's a use for Scourge's tanker trailer. Just like Laser Prime's (and most other Prime figures released with trailers these days), Scourge's trailer can open up to reveal a battle platform complete with rotatable laser turret, articulated claw arm and storage space for both his sword and battle axe. While admittedly there isn't a great deal to say about it outside of these things, at the same time it clearly wasn't an afterthought – there's some nice moulded detail running across the platform even if it is minimal on paintwork. Having something like this is far better than the trailer just being dead weight that's thrown back in the box as soon as you transform the figure, and like those shoulder missiles really emphasises Scourge as a character brimming with firepower.
Ultimately how well you vibe with Transformers Legacy Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection Robots in Disguise 2000 Universe Scourge (what a mouthful that is) is going to depend on just how much of a stickler for accuracy you are. If you're just in the market for a great looking figure that has all the basic hallmarks of Scourge then this is absolutely the figure for you – taking everything that's good about the Legacy Laser Prime mould and absolutely blowing it out of the water when it comes to deco choice. If you want something that's a little more specific to Scourge and not the hoard of Nemesis Primes out there, then it is reasonable to say the figure falls short a bit. Whether it's truly worth the Leader class price point is also debatable, but then I was lucky enough to find it on clearance for less than the price of a Voyager class figure. If you ever come across that sort of bargain, then snap this guy up immediately.
1 comment:
I love this release, although the only Scourge-ness I miss is the "L" shaped bits on the chest window, which I am tempted to spray paint myself. Maybe.
What I have done that really increased his Scourge factor was giving him the two nearly identical blasters from Astrotrain, which work amazingly well as a callback to the dual twincannons he used to have.
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