The Energon Pub

I recently acquired a complete set of the rarest Transformers foursome of all time, the Europe and Australasia exclusive Action Master Elites. These were four new molds made in an Action Master subline that actually Transformed, and since they were never released in North America and never redecoed into anything else, they are today the rarest Transformers molds out there released by Hasbro, especially in a complete state since some of them come with several accessories which are made to be removed as part of the transformation.



With so little in terms of images out there, especially of the alt modes, I thought it would be a good idea to show you these toys, one at a time, and go over each of their modes along with their gimmicks, and finally have a review out there for each, even if it took 28 years.

Today we will look at Double Punch. Three of the four Action Master Elites are shrunk down versions of towering robots that had already come out and this is an homage to Black Zarak (a Japanese redeco of Scorponok). He has two accessories, his scorpion legs, which detach and reattach for different configurations in robot mode and alt mode. Of course, you can keep them in the same spot for conversion if you are not a partsforming fan.













The robot mode is very nice with some vibrant neon colours that work well against the black. The gimmick is that his claw hands move when you push the yellow button and while it makes more sense in alt mode, you can do it in robot mode as well. The head is much better proportioned than that of the giant Scorponok toy.





The transformation is different than the giant Scorponok mold since instead of having one tail, the two robot mode legs become two scorpion tails. Neon pink stingers fold out of each tail. Attaching the scorpion legs finishes the transformation. The scorpion head is much nicer here than on Scorponok or Black Zarak since it actually has its own distinctive look, with two venom-like eyes. That little bit of detail really helps sell this mode as an actual alt mode rather than a robot lying down with his legs up in the air.











And the gimmick is fun. Overall, this is my favourite of the four since the colours works well and it's an interesting take on a G1 Scorponok transformation. A simple transformation seems better suited on a smaller toy that favours the robot mode, like this one.

Very nice! I love being able to see good solid pics of rare Transformers like this. Good find!

Wow, these look cool! This is so cool that you got these, I wonder how hard the search was

How did you go about getting these guys, Will? Do you just search EBay for “Rarest Transformers Ever” and seek out the lowest price?

But seriously do you?

Nice!

I just got a Botcon Double Punch the other day from eBay for a really good price (just about ultra class retail price + tax). It popped up for auction with a buy it now option as I had already been outbid on another Double Punch. It ended up selling for over double what I paid for mine lol. So it's really nice to see some pictures of the figure it was based on.

Are you sure you don't mean neon pink stingers, Wil?


BlackZarak's scorpion head looks alright with the cover plate on, but the eyes on Double Punch are better executed.

Who'd you get these from? Bill Gates? o.O

Oh nice! European-exclusive TFs are a fascinating area- we got some really crazy stuff. Double Punch might be my favourite out of the Action Master Elites, I feel like he "works" the best, and even the kinda lazy "two tailed scorpion" thing works. I wouldn't mind a new-mold update to him actually.

The most outrageous thing about Double Punch isn't that he and his comrades are rare or (most likely) super expensive. No, no. It is the fact they are Transformers who can't transform, but can transform. WHAT MADNESS SPAWNED THIS???

I kid, though. From what I have seen these are pretty cute little figures, with a neon 90's palate to boot.

These comments are fantastic.

Ok so to answer some questions of how i came to own them:
A friend of mine found them in his local geek store. It has both new and old action figures. In that store were those 4 action master elites. My friend got a good deal for them so when it came time to sell them to raise funds I bought them off him for a a bit more than what he paid but still better than any price I have ever seen these at. It was still the most money I ever spent at once on TFs.

I recently acquired a complete set of the rarest Transformers fouresome of all time, the Europe and Australasia exclusive Action Master Elites. These were four new molds made in an Action Master subline that actually Transformed, and since they were never released in North America and never redecoed into anything else, they are today the rarest Transformers molds out there released by Hasbro, especially in a complete states since some of them come with several accessories which are made to be removed as part of the transformation.



With so little in terms of images out there, especially of the vehicle modes, I thought it would be a good idea to show you these toys, one at a time, and go over each of their modes along with their gimmicks, and finally have a review out there for each.



Today we will look at Windmill. Three of the four Action Master Elites are shrunk down versions of towering robots that had already come out but Windmill is the only fully original design.





The robot mode has a nice asymmetry going on in the limbs, with only one foot and one hand, which you don't see on Action Masters. He is also not as neon as the others, with a more traditional blue, reminds me a bit of Slugslinger's G1 toy, with the visor. While he is more original than all the others, that means I don't really have anything to compare him to. He comes with two rotor blades which combine to form one rotor for his alt mode.















While he has the most complex transformation than any of the four Action Master Elites, since it deals with changing his axis of orientation, the result isn't better. It might be worse. He becomes a very gappy helicopter. It can look good at some angles, but you will see the illusion fade below.









His gimmick is that the rotor rotates when you press the yellow button. While the kibble he had instead of a right foot in robot mode works now in vehicle mode, that big laser canon he has for a hand makes no sense here. It looks like the helicopter has a giant zit.





While he has the most interesting transformation of all four, this is my least favourite. It's like they were being too ambitious with the transforming Action master concept that they tried too much and it just didn't land.

Wow, that helicopter, it's certainly, well, I mean, it's really just...

...it certainly is there, isn't it

Also, congrats on acquiring these, you should have Seibertron over so he can make full galleries for these guys

You know, done right with some modern tech I think Windmill's transformation could be done well. I like the asymmetric look and think it's a design worth a revisit. I also really like the giant laser canon in copter mode, it's its best feature.

Emerje

It just hit me now that Double Punch's deco seems like a mixture of those of both Scorponok and BlackZarak, with the torso, legs, and face being black and gold like BlackZarak, while the arms, toes, and helmet have Scorponok's pinkish purple and green. The blue scorpion legs, meanwhile, could arguably be attributed to Scorponok as well, since his gray was colored blue in some of the old Marvel G1 comics.


As for Windmill, I get what they were trying to do for his helicopter mode, but design seems like it was too ambitious for what the toy's budget would allow, resulting in, well, that (and which GoBots Coptur did better with less ambition).

Y'know which TF his copter mode reminds me of, from just 2 years prior?

Crossblades https://www.seibertron.com/transformers ... es/2360/1/

And 3 years prior, there was a G.I.Joe named Windmill. Could Hasbro have actually been concerned about maintaining the trademark? Pretty sure his second and third figures were from Funskool and the Collector's Club, well over a decade later.

And while I normally hate asymmetry (many basic and deluxe Transmetal 2s I never have and never will bother with), this guy really makes it work in bot mode! And the rotor weapon is reminiscent of Autobot Pretender Sky High. https://www.seibertron.com/transformers ... gh/2294/1/

It's funny how if something is rare we ignore how terrible it might be. Windmill's alt mode is hideous. Bot mode isn't much better. But it is cool to have things that most other people in the world don't. Congrats on that.

Hellscream9999 wrote:Wow, that helicopter, it's certainly, well, I mean, it's really just...

...it certainly is there, isn't it

But it's soooo ridiculous that it's like-able in a way. Kinda like an ugly dog.

Is it safe to assume that Double Punch may have been the inspiration for the McDonald's Transmetal Scorponok figure? Because I'm definitely getting that vibe, here.

I recently acquired a complete set of the rarest Transformers fouresome of all time, the Europe and Australasia exclusive Action Master Elites. These were four new molds made in an Action Master subline that actually Transformed, and since they were never released in North America and never redecoed into anything else, they are today the rarest Transformers molds out there released by Hasbro, especially in a complete states since some of them come with several accessories which are made to be removed as part of the transformation.



With so little in terms of images out there, especially of the vehicle modes, I thought it would be a good idea to show you these toys, one at a time, and go over each of their modes along with their gimmicks, and finally have a review out there for each.



Today we will look at Turbo Master. Yes, that is his actual name. And while a Turbomaster also reffers to a different Transformers subline, he is not part of that line. Instead he is an Action Master which transforms. Three of the four Action Master Elites are shrunk down versions of towering robots that had already come out and this is an homage to Bruticus. It is a pretty faithful one when it comes to the main body and face, with the limbs streamlined and symmetrical to one another to make it more like an action figure.





His colours are more flamboyant than even G2 Bruticus with lilac and pink all across the toy. He has the most accessories out there and thus is the hardest to get complete. Not only does he have double blade weapon (which become wings in alt mode), he also has two rotors which clip to his shoulders in robot mode. He also has two rotating tail fins at his feet which are removable pieces.







Each of his fists have 3 small holes, one above, one below and one front and centre (to be used in alt mode). This allows you to either give him a sword in each hand or make a double blade weapon. There are two gimmicks associated to his wrists and they work in both modes. Simply by moving one arm up or down, both wrists will turn. Also, by pressing the yellow button in his back, cleverly disguised as one of Bruticus' two back cannons, both wrists will rotate furiously. Any enemy near him would be cut to bits in seconds, like the henchman Indy fights by the plane in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Of course, the four accessories are interchangeable so you could give him rotor fists if you wanted to.







For any IDW fans out there, he had a tiny appearance in MTMTE 12 where he fights against Ultra Magnus (he is in the background on the right):



Turbo Master transforms into a vertical take-off, Osrpey type, vehicle with wings. The transformation for all Action master Elites is nothing to write home about. In this case you just need to rotate the tail fins, turn his head, bend his knees and point his arms up. Then you attach the wings and rotors where they should be. Below you will see images of him with and without the wings attached, since the Osprey alt mode works better without the wings. Personally though, I much preffer with wings since it just makes it look so much more bonkers. The part of the transformation I find particularly clever is the head turning around since the window details in back of the head line up perfectly with the alt mode details already present in the vehicle mode chest so that the front looks uninterrupted. Pushing the yellow button in alt mode will make the rotors spin.















The robot mode is clearly the star this time, especially with all the display and equipment options, while we have had some non combining Bruticus components in the past, it is really unique to see what looks like a combiner design (Bruticus in this case) Transforming from a full combined robot mode into one alt mode.

Cool for collectors even if this was the era of scraping the very bottom of the barrel. I remember seeing a couple of these in stores and a friend did buy the Scorponok-esque one mainly cos he'd missed out on G1 Scorponok which I owned even though by that point I'd put most of my Transformers away cos I was in secondary school and thought I had to try be grown up and NEVER PLAY WITH TOYS AGAIN. I guess these have some kitsch appeal with their funky colours and such. But europe getting these certainly didn't make up for missing out on Omega Supreme or Swoop or Shockwave or the Predacons or Fortress Maximus or any of the other far more important characters we missed out on for some reason or other.

Excellent acquisitions Will ...I've actually seen these for sale at conventions before. Not sure if they are the *rarest* Transformers ever, but I'm not going to steal your thunder with debate, because I know I'll never have these. The seller was from the UK and was asking an outrageous price, said he was "happy to go home not selling them"...I wondered though why offer them at all then? Just keep them in your collection and dont offer to sell them.

I mean I've sold things before I didn't want to part with out of necessity, and sold them for nno more than what the market demanded. But if I don't want to sell something (whether it has collector value or not...) I simply dont sell it. After all, it probably wont happen, but you never know when some crazy rich guy will come and actually give you what you ask. Sure it's nice to have all that money, but knowing the item you had was so rare, you cant simply buy it again, is kind of foolish IMHO

As a neat tidbit, one of the discarded ideas for a Fun Pub exclusive that never got passed the idea stage was an Action Master Elite version of Bruticus redecoed from Turbo Master:

Also, Turbomaster was revived as a concept for BotCon, plus had a mockup displayed at Pete's Robot Convention 2017:



The source figures are:
- TR Highbrow (body)
- TR Blowpipe (head)

Unbelievable how well he works.