TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Sir Auros' review of: Insecticon

Name: Insecticon
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Wild Card
Sub-Group: Terrorcon
"I have an appetite for your destruction."

Insecticon is a merciless Terrorcon who declares allegiance only to himself. He possesses a powerful arsenal of energon weapons in both robot and insect mode. His infamous battle tactics are feared by both Autobots and Decepticons alike, though few of his opponents have survived to speak of them. His enemies are advised to avoid the swarm of Insecticon.

I initially thought Insecticon looked like poo in the early prototype and in-package pictures, but after a (no fooling) 5 month drought in new Energon releases in my area (still no Wave 3 in the store where I live), the figure looked better and better. When I finally saw one in a Walmart down in North Carolina last week, I bought it and it's not such a bad figure. For its price-range, it's a decent buy.

Alternate Mode:
Without his energon weapon attached, Insecticon looks almost exactly like G1 Bombshell. The figure's based on the same type of beetle (I think) and also looks more like a robotic insect than an actual, Beast Wars style insect. I think this mode's very well-suited for display and looks good enough to make the figure worth buying. There's really not a lot to this mode though, the legs don't move much, but the energon weapon rotates in a drilling motion. The Decepticon insignia on the carapace is a nice touch too.

Robot Mode:
I don't think this is the first time I've used "fugly" to describe a figure before, but man-oh-man does Insecticon warrant it in robot mode. His legs look like hydraulic skis, his face is both horribly sculpted and woefully painted, his hands are laughably disproportionate, he can't hold his gun well, his robot paintjob looks like something out of the 70's, and there's virtually no articulation. In fact, there is not a damn thing I like about the robot mode for this figure. The face really does look terrible and I'd liken the detailing on it to something you'd find on a minicon, micromaster, or pretender figure. The only bits of articulation are in the shoulders and he can rotate his gigantic fists and move his legs a bit, but no elbows for Insecticon. I'd feel sorry for the figure and whatever chimp Hasbro smacked around to come up with the design, but it's just too fugly.

Transformation: 7 - Not warranting instructions, but I felt it was well-designed.
Durability: 7 - Nothing that really seems that fragile, but the "guns" on his shoulders become loose mighty quickly.
Fun: 6 - Decent display piece in insect mode and probably fun to use as a Terrorcon in that mode, unfortunately the robot mode makes small children cry.
Price: 8 - Meh, maybe it was the craving for a new Transformer, but even with its failings I don't think it's that bad of a price at retail. Don't go out of your way to let scalpers extort you on ebay though, it ain't worth that much.
Summary: 7 - The robot mode is crap, but the alternate mode makes a fine display piece.