TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Additional Image:

Box Art:

Detective Barricade's review: Waspinator

Name: Waspinator
Function: Mutant Madman
Sub-Group: Animated Deluxe class

“Waspinator rules!”

Driven crazy by years locked in an Autobot prison, Waspinator is determined to take revenge on the robot who put him there - Bumblebee. Now, after bizarre experiments conducted by Blackarachnia, he finally has the power to make his vengeance a reality. He has come to Earth hunting the Autobot speedster, and he will not stop until Bumblebee is a pile of smoking scrap.

Galactic Powers and Abilities:
- Energy stinger paralyzes other robots.
- Can survive even after being blown to pieces.
- Was an Autobot before his time in prison.

In Beast Wars, Waspinator was essentially the Universe’s Whipping Boy. If something was going to go boom, he was stuck at the epicenter of it. Fast forward to 2008, with Transformers Animated. Practically everything from previous Transformers series’ has a reference and/or character, including from Beast Wars. In Autoboot Camp, Bumblebee’s past revealed an Autobot named Wasp, who ended up being wrongfully accused of being a traitor and was locked away. He went crazy and started sounding familiar to Beast Wars fans, such as myself. I fully expected a retool of the Deluxe Bumblebee for him, but then it was revealed that Waspinator would be an all new mold! So, on to the review! And I really get a kick out of that second power/ability!

Alternate mode:

In alternate mode, Waspinator is not an Earth or Cybertronian car, but a giant wasp, which I presume is techno-organic due to the bio. The design is very menacing and creepy. There’s a little panel detailing along the body here and there, and some honeycomb texture in the wings. In either mode, there’s forest green, lime green, black, and translucent purple for main colors, plus a gold Decepticon symbol on the wasp’s forehead. Pressing a tab on the back makes the wings flap, which is a neat gimmick.

Robot mode:

Transforming Waspinator is easy, but fun. Just stand him upright, spread the shoulders, combine the legs together, and fold the wasp head down. That’s just about it.

In robot mode, Waspinator looks quite a bit like his Beast Wars cartoon counterpart, only creepier. He’s got a small second set of arms on his chest to add to the creepiness factor, making him look like a bipedal bug. It certainly fits the toy nicely. The wings still work in this mode too. His robot eyes look bug like as well. He has a total of 20 points of articulation, including his little bug arms and wings. His long feet really help with balance for many poses.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation: 4 Almost the same as the original Waspinator, but easier.
Durability: 9 I wouldn’t test the “survive being blown to pieces” part, but it doesn’t feel flimsy. The antennae are of a very soft plastic so be careful.
Fun: 8 He’s buzzing with fun!
Price: 7 Worth the money, but clearance to make room for Revenge of the Fallen toys might make him a real bargain.
Overall: 8 Is Waspinator worth it? Waspinator think so... If you like creepy bugformers, you’ll love him.