VEHICON is the name given to the drone-esque Decepticons in the “Transformers: Prime” cartoon. They are vehicle based robots who don’t question Megatron or Starscream. It’s a fear thing, really, not a respect thing. This Cyberverse toy makes for one li’l cute Vehicon, but is the toy any good?
First off, let me just say a few things about the packaging. First, I love that Hasbro is continuing to put a full bio on the back of the card. I never liked that Legends toys usually got shortchanged by having instructions printed rather than some sort of characterization. In an interesting twist, while the bio is on the card back, the tech specs are on the side panel which is perforated. Called the “Filecard”, it can be detached for storage. One one hand, this harkens back to the days of clip-and-save tech specs, but I also miss having the bio and tech specs on the same card. Unrelated to the filecard, I do love how the packaging calls out the weapon. “BLASTER included!” it says.
I just find that funny; I don’t know why.
Vehicle Mode
Vehicon turns into a black and silver muscle car — it’s very Batmobile-esque. The purple highlights near the front at a touch of color, but you can instantly tell that these are drone vehicles. They just look like they’re mass-produced, with very little thought given to flair. I love how the grill looks a bit like the Decepticon logo. Overall, the vehicle is a very sleek killing machine. My only complaint is that the trunk doesn’t peg together fully. This could be a tolerance issue on my toy, though, not indicative of the toy as a whole.
The weapon included is able to be mounted on the hood of the car, but there are also holes on either door that can hold it as well. This gives some variation in play, meaning you could army build with this mold and have some distinction between your warriors. Personally, I love the hood-mounted gun.
The weapon itself is a blaster and a sword in one, made from a rubbery translucent purple plastic. It’s bendable, but it doesn’t seem like it will snap, which is a plus. However, I get the feeling that it could be deformed if not stored carefully; only time will tell on that.
Robot Mode
Flip back the trunk, extend the sides, flip out the head, and suddenly you have Vehicon, the robot. Like most Cyberverse Legion, he doesn’t have much articulation. You can move his arms at the shoulders, legs at the hips, and the head can move up and down a tiny bit thanks to the transformation. Plug in his weapon in his hand and you’re ready to go.
The problem with this is, though, that he is unstable. Not personality-wise — his toy has problems standing. I couldn’t really pose him in many positions without him falling over. And once I tried to raise his arm with his weapon attached? Forget about it. The weapon shifts his center of gravity enough that he just wouldn’t stand up. It’s a shame; you want to pose him in an action shot, but he just won’t cooperate.
He looks cool, though. Black and silver, with a red visor and purple Decepticon logo? Very strike. In fact, he almost looks like a Cylon….
The Good
Vehicon looks great. I love the color scheme of black and silver, and the accents of color, while small, are enough to add a little personality.
The Bad
My toy is a bit unstable. Hard to pose in robot mode without him falling over, and raising his arm with the weapon makes it even more wobbly. Plastic tolerances also make some pegs not plug in fully.
The Final Rewind
You’re getting this toy because of the character, not because it’s a really awesome plaything. And as such, it works. This will fit in with your other G2 Redux characters, but don’t expect this toy to do a lot.
The Geek Bits
Name: Vehicon
Toyline: Transformers
Subline: Prime
Size Class: Cyberverse
Price: $5.99
Released: January 2012
Availability: Toys R Us, Walmart, Target
Includes: Vehicon, blaster, file card, instructions
Worth the price? Almost. There are some stability issues, so you might not be able to pose him exactly how you want without some outside effort. If he falls, don’t be surprised.
The VEHICONS aren’t always happy about their duties, but they follow orders without question. Mostly because they’re more afraid of their commanders than they are of whatever the AUTOBOTS will do to them.
