Prowl will keep at a task for as long as it takes. Strives to find reason and logic in everything. A listener, not a talker. Has most sophisticated logic center of all Autobots. Able to analyze and advise on complex combat situations almost instantaneously. Fires wire-guided missiles and high-corrosive acid pellets. The unexpected can often scramble his circuits.
First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 1, September 1984 / Issue 80, July 1991
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 47, February 8th 1986 / Issue 289, September 29th 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986
Figure Details
Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Universe
Additions/Mods:
- Added the Reprolabels set, plus some additional Autobot symbols
- Replaced the standard gun with 'Shapeways Datsun Gun V4'
Review
Prowl was always a bit of a douche in the original fiction. If he wasn't sucking up to
Optimus Prime he was berating his colleagues. I'm not sure if someone in Marvel's staff had an unfortunate run-in with the police, but there it is. This character, while being hard-to-warm to, still deserved a better fate than to be gunned down in the animated movie. He was rewarded with the most graphic death - with fire and smoke billowing out of his dead eyes and mouth. The script writers must have hated the police too! I actualy liked Prowl, because I loved police cars as a kid. So is this
Universe incarnation righteous or should there be cause for 'alarm'?
Appearance (Robot Mode) 7/10
I really want to like this mould but I have a real issue with the way that the (admittedly nice) head sits on the bonnet, giving the impression of an elongated neck. This issue aside, I'm also not that keen on the lower legs. He has a peashooter of a weapon, but I elected to buy and paint the
Shapeways 'Datsun gun v4' which bids to emulate the G1 weapon. This helps somewhat, as does the Reprolabels sticker set which really helps to lift his formerly very drab appearance. I dislike the choice of brown for the lower legs, but I am now generally happy with the figure, and have improved it as much as I can.
Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
Things get better with the car mode which is very nice to look at. I'm not sure why brown was chosen for the windows - I think that blue would have set the white paintjob up so much better. The front wheels have a tendency to turn in a bit, unless you fiddle with them following the transformation. Again, a spartan alt mode has been rescued by judicious application of Reprolabels, and a few extra Autobot symbols I have applied. There's no doubting Prowl's alliegance, that's for sure.
Transformation 7/10
I would describe this process as fiddly, but you do feel satisfied when you clip everything back together for the alt mode. My main issue is swiveling the doors up and out without accientally removing them, which is a task indeed. Also, it can be hairy disengaging the roof from the bonnet, if you are not careful with your angles. The shoulder-mounted missiles also have a tendency to get in the way somewhat. Remember to extend the feet properly or otherwise poseability is limited.
Poseability 8/10
Prowl is pretty gifted in this area. He has neck swivel, waist swivel, full range of motion at the shoulder, bicep swivel, elbow hinges and wrist swivel. His hips don't lie and he also has joints at the knee and swivel below the knee. There is also limioted movement in his feet. I think his balance could be better though, because even though he has extendable heels, they ought to be a bit longer.
Quality 6/10
Worries I have with this mould are the aforementioned doors which pop off, plus the tabs around the windscreen look flimsy, and indeed could snap if the bonet is disengaged at the wrong angle. It's kind of heartening that the modern windscreen shares some of the frailty of the old G1 windscreen. Also, the way the missiles slide in during transformation could scratch the windscreen.
Overall - 36/50
I have tried to improve the general blandness of the figure by using Reprolabels and other stickers to break up the sparse areas of the deco, and I have replaced the original gun which was very pathetic for a law-enforcer. There are fundamental issues with the proportions of this mould which cannot be easily addressed though, so for that reason Prowl is still a relatively disappointing figure, but I can live with him.
