A wizard at designing fortresses and energy plants, but modest. Shows his true malevolent genius by incorporating defeated Autobots into his buildings' structures. Shovel can slice through 12in. thick carbon-steel, lift 30 tons. As right leg and part of torso, combines with fellow Constructicons to form giant robot "Devastator".
First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 10, November 1985 / Issue 41, June 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 61, May 17th 1986 / Issue 279, July 21st 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 16 (Season 1 #16), December 15th 1984 / Episode 96 (Season 4 #1), November 9th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1985
Figure Details
AKA 'Front End Loader'
Manufacturer - Maketoys
Toyline - Type 61
Additions/Mods:
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the shoulder
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the wheel-arch
Review
Serving as the right leg of
Devastator, Scrapper serves a pretty important purpose, as the malevolent green ogre has stuck his boot into many a robotic backside in his time. Scrapper also has one of those industrial monikers which make me chuckle, much like 'Sludge' or 'Slag'. It's pretty no-nonsense, much like the original toys transformation sequence, which was simple to the extreme.
Maketoys have decided to flip this on its head somewhat and endow Scrapper with a pretty fiendish transformation sequence. But, have they over-thought it? Read on...
Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
In a nutshell, Scrapper looks damn good. He is neither too lanky nor too stumpy (a criticism which can be levelled at some of his
Constructicon brethren). He also has my favourite of all the Maketoys headsculpts, resembling Nemesis Prime somewhat. As usual my gripe is that there is no light-piping, but I will get over that one day, I promise. The way that the scoop sits behind the shoulders looks fantastic, really adding some bulk to the upper body. The insides of his forearms are hollow, but other than this Scrapper looks almost perfect in this mode, until you turn him around and witness the odd kibble which has to accomodate the removable engine. He is covered in beautifully-rended paint apps and sculpted detail, though.
Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
The alternate mode is OK, but no better than that. This vehicle suffers from low ground clearance, as is the case with his fellow 'limb mate',
Mixmaster. My major issue though is with the cabin - which is hollow at the back, and also just kind of sits there, only partially covering up a stub which is used in the combined mode to represent some giant hydraulic 'shin'. There is an annoying gap directly behind the cabin and the rear of the vehicle as well, which I can't help but think could have been fixed with a little more thought. The scoop looks pretty nice but is only articulated at one end, which is a shame, particularly because it can 'get in the way' in robot mode. The massive engine is a nice touch, though. This vehicle also has a trailer hitch.
Transformation 4/10
I really find this annoying. I know that some people love a challenging transformation as do I, but if anything this invokes memories of
Universe Galvatron for me which is never, ever a good thing. It's funny because I really like transforming the legs and I have never seen feet created in a way anything like this. Basically some of the rear panel wraps around the underneath the chassis and these plates are re-configured and slid into the ankle to create feet. It really is very satisfying indeed. But the top half of the figure is nightmarish. First off, the front wheel arches need to be rotated along what feels like a very flimsy cylinder and I just can't get used to it. Then the cabin kind of collides with the scoop which needs to end up at the back of the robot, and the engine is removed and added to the ugly back kibble. It is just irritating and a chore from start to finish. To top it all, there is a button which needs to be pressed to loosen the waist slightly, this is also used for the combiner mode. This button is located in a very narrow recess which only an Autobot of Scrounge's talents would be able to easily access.
Poseability 8/10
Scrapper is a good-looking robot and he can also pose pretty well. His head is ball-jointed and recessed slightly so that he doesn't suffer from skinny neck syndrome. However, his head really can't move much because the scoop which adds so much to his appearance gets in the damn way. Much like Mixmaster, he does have an ultra-poseable waist though. His shoulders and hips are ball-jointed. He has single joints in his elbows and knees. There is no articulation in the wrist save for the joint which allows his hands to unfold from the lower arms. There is limited articulation in his feet. But even with average articulation, Scrapper poses well simply because his proportions are bang on and that head sculpt is awesome.
Quality 7/10
Despite the great materials used in this figure, I feel that a couple of the aspects of the design will put undue stress on some weak points. Firstly, it is not ideal the way the scoop impedes head movement, as this could lead to the 2 surfaces rubbing together causing scratches or stress marks. Secondly, the front wheel arches feel quite flimsily attached, and these not only have to moved quite a lot for transformation, they also have to bear the weight of Devastator, because they act as the 'heel'. However, the engine block is used to strengthen them somewhat in the combiner mode.
Overall - 34/50
I really like the aesthetics of Scrapper, but I just find transforming him a real chore. It's a shame then that one of the stronger figures judged on looks is let down badly by needlessly fiddly issues with the transformation, which leads to some question marks about the overall durability of the figure. My advice would be to determine what mode you like him in best, and then never transform him again!
