The Energon Pub

[El Duque]

Seibertron.com is proud to present Super God Masterforce Black Zarak! A holy grail to most, this Japanese exclusive repaint/retool of G1 Scorponok was released in 1988 under the Super God Masterforce line. In addition to the new deco this figure also features a new better proportioned helmet/head and Tyrant Spear weapon. Unfortunately, the figure also features a frightful dose of the dreaded gold plastic, which is known to literally crumble even with light handling. While many would be content just to own a complete and unbroken version of this figure, Seibertron temped fate and transformed him into all modes, including his Dakatsu mode, to bring us this gallery. That includes transforming Black Roritchi (G1 Fast Track redeco), who is comprised almost entirely of gold plastic, and Scorponok (Headmaster unit). Enjoy a gallery years in the making below!

Super God Masterforce Black Zarak
























Super God Masterforce Black Roritchi








Super God Masterforce Scorponok

[xyl360]

Holy carp, Ryan did it !

Wow. It looks like the figure is none the worse for wear either (knock on wood).

What is that orange Powermaster Optimus Prime/God Ginrai? A Japanese exclusive or something?

[craggy]

wow! fantastic pictures. thanks, Ryan!

[RodimusConvoy13]

Holy carp, Ryan did it !

Wow. It looks like the figure is none the worse for wear either (knock on wood).

What is that orange Powermaster Optimus Prime/God Ginrai? A Japanese exclusive or something?

That's Fire Guts God Ginrai. They released that with the reissue of God Ginrai.

Ryan, fantastic gallery! I'm watching Super-God Masterforce right now, so your picture of every toy from Masterforce really made me jealous.

I only have the Reissue of God Ginrai and the Seacons!

I can't wait to see the Brave Maximus gallery!

[Seibertron]

Wow. It looks like the figure is none the worse for wear either (knock on wood).

Ah, the joy of photography. I only have to make everything look right just for a photo. This set was 100% perfect when I purchased it last fall, complete with stickers unapplied and unassembled spear. Stickers were applied, spear assembled, and along the way the gold plastic casualties mounted: Black Roritchi's feet snapped off while transforming him to robot mode, and then part of his hip snapped off when transforming him back to vehicle mode, the primary peg hole shattered in the shield, as did part of the gold plastic that goes over the pin in the middle of the shield, and one of Black Zarak's feet cracked when transforming him to robot mode. None of this was unexpected and I think had I not had so much experience with gold plastic over the years, more damage probably would have been sustained. Now mine's in the condition that most others are in, but I got a massive gallery out of one of the most expensive and fragile Transformers of all time so I'm pretty happy.

What is that orange Powermaster Optimus Prime/God Ginrai? A Japanese exclusive or something?

Fire Guts God Ginrai was an e-Hobby exclusive that came out in 2002.

[SW's SilverHammer]

Great Gallery's, I won't lie this a figure I've been wanting to see here for awhile now

[Seibertron]

Holy carp, Ryan did it !

Wow. It looks like the figure is none the worse for wear either (knock on wood).

What is that orange Powermaster Optimus Prime/God Ginrai? A Japanese exclusive or something?

That's Fire Guts God Ginrai. They released that with the reissue of God Ginrai.

Ryan, fantastic gallery! I'm watching Super-God Masterforce right now, so your picture of every toy from Masterforce really made me jealous.

I only have the Reissue of God Ginrai and the Seacons!

I can't wait to see the Brave Maximus gallery!

Thanks for the compliments!

Grand Max and Brave Max will be posted over the course of the next week or two as time allows.

[Overcracker]

Awesome gallery Ryan, and if for nothing else to document this toy, that will be unobtainable in the not too distant future, if every single specimen out there falls apart.
Glad you could get a gallery before the Gold plastic crumbled to dust.

[Midnight_Fox]

I want this figure, but I know I'd never be able to justify the price thanks to GPS.

Everyday I pray to see an announcement of a re-issue...

[Rijie]

Sheer plastic pulchritude.

Mouth agape, reeling into robot reverie...

I've nothing more to add, except, thanks.

[TulioDude]

[Ruthless Cynic]

I am beyond impressed with your gallery of Black Zarak. Bravo! Were there any dicey bits with the Gold Plastic? I thought I remember hearing a PhD Chemist, wife of one of the podcasters, explained what the problem was with it, what I was unclear of, was whether there was a cure or compound you could treat it with. Thanks again for all your hard work!

[Seibertron]

I am beyond impressed with your gallery of Black Zarak. Bravo! Were there any dicey bits with the Gold Plastic? I thought I remember hearing a PhD Chemist, wife of one of the podcasters, explained what the problem was with it, what I was unclear of, was whether there was a cure or compound you could treat it with. Thanks again for all your hard work!

As far as we know, there is no cure for gold plastic syndrome. It's just a matter of time before something happens to it. Due to my experience handling gold plastic, I know what to expect and how to reduce, but not eliminate damage. In the case of Black Zarak, it was easier to figure out where the problems would arise because it's identical to Scorponok, just with gold plastic.

I was doing really good with the shield until I knocked over Black Zarak. It was just one of those fluke moments, not thinking, in a hurry, next thing I know he knocked over. I was lucky that the shield didn't crack in half or something else that would have been catastrophic, instead, the peg hole just broke cleanly into a few pieces which I superglued back into place.

I was most scared of his tail because it's got the rivet in it. There's no back up plan for that at this time. When I had him in his serpent mode, I was very worried that the weight of the toy would make the stand collapse and the toy would fall on its gold plastic tail. Fortunately, that did not happen and the tail didn't shatter when I transformed it.

While it did not escape damage, the damage it sustained was damage I was more or less expecting. It was typical damage that one would expect to find with a Black Zarak toy. I was just plain lucky and experienced that nothing else happened while handling this toy.

[Sirtank]

About 10 years ago I bought one on ebay for around $450. Perfect condition with stickers unapplied. I hadn't heard of the gold plastic syndrome yet, so you can imagine how shocked I was when I placed the shield on his arm and the connector piece broke. I ended up selling him shortly after that, for about the same price I paid.

[Slick_Prime]

Oh god, just looking at this gallery is giving me anxiety about it breaking.

[Gauntlet101010]

Of all the TFs Takara / Hasbro has ever re-released, this is one that really ought to get done.

Hell, even a 3rd party company that'd make replacement parts would be welcome by all I'd wager.

[jamarmiller]

yeah, I too wish they would re-release this guy, Galaxy Shuttle, and Blue Bacachus ( sp ?)

Then my G1 collection would be finally completed, sucks they dont

[Rated X]

Very impressive. As always the galleries were nicely done. I never knew he had a different head sculpt. I always thought it was a straight repaint. So this is the figure that started the "gold plastic syndrome" outrage ???

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Impressive gallery. *Plays Taps for another Black Zarak*

[DISCHARGE]

This is the gun he uses to shoot out 'SUPER-MEGA-ULTRA-AWESOME-RAYS'
The box for that guy is such a nice piece of artwork too. Great gallery.

[-Kanrabat-]

God, I can just TASTE the photographer's fear in every pictures.

[Andrius]

I want this figure, but I know I'd never be able to justify the price thanks to GPS.

Everyday I pray to see an announcement of a re-issue...

If one were released, with an absolutely identical color-scheme, would it still ultimately suffer from GPS? In other words, have whatever chemical issues that generally cause this been sorted out?

[Sabrblade]

Dakatsu Mode!!!!! This is my first time ever seeing it done in toy form.

Though, two things:
1. How'd you remove the head?
2. Kinda disappointed that no pic of him in this form has him crawling on his belly all serpent style like he did in the show, but no real biggie.

Something I think would have been a really cool extra to this gallery would have been comparison pics with Cybertron Dark Scorponok (yes, I know it's been said that that figure is not a good homage, but it still an homage even if it is a rather loose one), and maybe a group shot comparing BlackZarak, G1 Scorponok, Energon Scorponok (or Super Link MegaZarak), and Cybertron Dark Scorponok, but I digress.

Also, what's this other mode being advertised here along with the Robot, Scorpion, and Base modes? Anyone here Japanese-savvy enough to tell what it says?

[Seibertron]

I want this figure, but I know I'd never be able to justify the price thanks to GPS.

Everyday I pray to see an announcement of a re-issue...

If one were released, with an absolutely identical color-scheme, would it still ultimately suffer from GPS? In other words, have whatever chemical issues that generally cause this been sorted out?

I would think they would take pains to use one of the other brownish plastics like we've seen in more recent figures or go to gold chromed and gold painted parts instead of the gold plastic. It'd be interesting to see what they would do.

As for gold plastic itself, I thought it had been eliminated a long while ago and/or that gold plastic was no longer being used for Transformers. And then came along the Star Wars Transformers Chewbacca toy ... with gold plastic. I'm still determined that HFTD Leader Class Starscream uses gold plastic as well. Time will tell.

[Seibertron]

Dakatsu Mode!!!!! This is my first time ever seeing it done in toy form.

Nor had I. Nice to finally have some actual pictures of him in this "mode".

Though, two things:
1. How'd you remove the head?

If you're referring to the Scorponok head ... I used the KO reproduction head for those shots, as well as any shots where the arms and legs are posed. Most of the shots in Scorponok's gallery are using the actual toy except for when he's in head mode and posed.

2. Kinda disappointed that no pic of him in this form has him crawling on his belly all serpent style like he did in the show, but no real biggie.

Not sure that he did that ... I watched the last episode of Masterforce over and over again while doing the serpent mode. If he did do that, it was just a minor scene that I missed while taking photos. I'm sure we'll be just fine without pics like that since I did the far more complicated shots with him upright in his serpent mode.

Something I think would have been a really cool extra to this gallery would have been comparison pics with Cybertron Dark Scorponok (yes, I know it's been said that that figure is not a good homage, but it still an homage even if it is a rather loose one), and maybe a group shot comparing BlackZarak, G1 Scorponok, Energon Scorponok (or Super Link MegaZarak), and Cybertron Dark Scorponok, but I digress.

I wanted to keep this gallery true to him being a G1 toy. Dark Scorponok is not an homage of Black Zarak as far as I'm concerned. I've seen some nice fan made customs of Dark Scorponok as Black Zarak ... those are much better. I hope these pictures will demonstrate how not an homage Dark Scorponok is.

Also, what's this other mode being advertised here along with the Robot, Scorpion, and Base modes? Anyone here Japanese-savvy enough to tell what it says?

They're not modes ... the box is just showing you the figure transforming between his 3 modes. I'd be willing to bet the arrows say "Start", "Change", "Change", "Change", and "Finish". Scorponok's box show the exact same in-between modes next to those words.