Windcharger is the fastest Autobot over short distances. Good in situations requiring fast, decisive action. Enthusiastic but impatient. Short attention span. Casts powerful magnetic field which can attract or repel large metal objects. Smashes them at closer distances. These abilities use up tremendous energy. Often burns himself out due to carelessness.
First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 1, September 1984 / Issue 12, January 1986
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 18, May 18th 1985 / Issue 50, March 1st 1986
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986
Figure Details
Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Transformers 2010
Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the bonnet (covering the rubsign)
Review
Windcharger was one of the original batch of
Autobots who for whatever reason had 'super' powers. There was
Mirage who could cloak himself,
Hound who could make pretty pictures appear in the sky, and Windcharger could do odd stuff with magnets. I quite liked this power, and he actually used it on a few occasions in the cartoon and comic. He was another killed off in the movie, although I think his passing was met with apathy rather than general anger. As one of the 1984
Minibots, he was one whose different size was the most glaring. At least bumblebee was supposed to be a fairly diminutive car, but here was a Ford Mustang who was microscopic compared to a
small Nissan. So when I heard that Windcharger was coming back, and that he would be a scout class figure, I thought, great! Was I right?
Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
Windcharger really annoys me. not because he is a bad figure per se, but because I thought this was the beginning of a new era for Hasbro, where they would finally launch all of the Minibots as scout-class figures. This made the most sense to me and was a sensible compromise, allowing us to differentiate them from the 'normal' sized Autobots without making them too tiny. And in this respect, Windcharger is perfect. He's not too small like the legends class figures or inexplicably massive like the Ultra-class
Powerglide. He has a nice headsculpt, a good level of detail in his moulding, nice proportions, and even nice plastic. Did I mention the word 'nice'? Not overwhelming, and the grey plastic is pretty dull, but he is a cool little figure. I waited for Hasbro to announce more Scout-class figures, and none were forthcoming. Perhaps they have retired the size class which is frustrating! I will mention the weapons here too, there are no 'stand alone' guns but in a nice feature the hands can rotate in to the arm, revealing decent little weapons.
Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
I think the old adage 'small but perfectly formed' suits here, again the sculpt is very detailed, and the aesthetic of the car evokes the 'muscle car' look well. As mentioned, the red plastic has a luxurious sheen to it, but I would have liked some more detailed paint apps. The plain black rims seem a little lazy.
Transformation 7/10
The car is pulled apart slightly which allows the lower legs to be unfolded and the bonnet ends up as the chest, once the arms are freed from their panels. Cleverly, the rear windshield slots into the leg to make a sleeker silhouette. It is pretty intuitive after a couple of goes.
Poseability 8/10
I'm happy with the articulation for a scout class. The head is ball-jointed, and the waist has a swivel. The shoulders and elbows are ball-jointed, which means you have the approximation of bicep swivel too. The hips are also ball-jointed and the knees are jointed too. The feet have decent sized heels which means that the balance is good, this figure is also extremely light which helps. The ankles have ball-joints which enhance the range of poses possible.
Quality 7/10
This figure is small, which means that some of the plastic is necessarily thin, and feels a little flimsy in places. Nothing feels like it's about to fall apart, but I would exercise caution with some of the panels, particularly when transforming.
Overall - 38/50
I was hoping that Hasbro would take the successful execution of this figure and run with it, but so far no more Scout-class Minibots have been announced, which is a pity. This Windcharger figure is a perfect example of this working well, and is a decent and surprisingly poseable effort.
