I am supposed to hate this toy.
I can hear the collective “BWAAAAAH?!?” now. How can I possibly hate a toy this phenomenal looking? An amazing paintjob, with a great new headsculpt, on one of the best molds to ever be created in Transformers history? Everything in my collecting DNA tells me I should hate it. That’s how.
To understand you have to be aware of the only correct answer to the question,
“What is the single worst robot mode in Transformers history?”
See, Shattered Glass Treadshot is actually a double-homage to two different characters in two different toylines that shared a single mold. Armada Side Swipe — yes, there’s actually a space in the name, *sigh* — and Universe Treadshot. His name, obviously, comes from the Universe toy as does, oddly enough, the silver striping down the length of his alt mode. The rest of his colouring in alt and robot modes come from the Armada toy.
So, what is the single worst robot mode in Transformers history?
GAH! What the heck is that?!?
As hideous as it is, a simple 2D picture of Armada Side Swipe doesn’t do justice to how bad everything is about him. Trust me, if you haven’t yet and get the chance to, look at this thing in person, it’s outstandingly bad. Then promptly throw it into a fire, for everyone’s sake. Of course, Hasbro wasn’t content to release this thing upon our collective collections, no, they revisited this mold three more times. Then they re-released the last version in a box set. Let me just state that once again: Hasbro put this mold out FIVE TIMES.
I don’t know what the fandom did to warrant one release, but we must have done something pretty horrible to justify five releases.
When there was news of a Heroic Decepticon Treadshot from the Shattered Glass universe being released in the Botcon 2012 Invasion box set, most, myself included, assumed that meant an update to the G1 Decepticon Action Master Treadshot. The Botcon folks do so love giving actual transforming updates to Action Masters so it made perfect sense. What didn’t make sense was an homage of a character that was horrible in the cartoon and had the most universally despised robot mode.
You know what makes even less sense? The fact that Shattered Glass Treadshot has managed to completely overcome the handicap of his heritage by being a positively awesome toy.
Also, he had a pretty good showing in the Invasion comic book.
Bravo, Shattered Glass Treadshot way to redeem the worst, dark corner of the Transformers toy universe.
“Damned straight. I’m bringing sexy back to the name Treadshot.”
Maybe this will even be enough to allow Armada Side Swipe out of his box of shame hidden in the farthest corner of the closet and onto the display…
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!!!!
Seriously. No.
#1 by bzero on May 31, 2012 - 12:50 am
Reblogged this on Oh, no! Another Blog! Ugh! and commented:
Yay more cool Shattered Glass toys! Need to get back to BotCon one of these years…
#2 by heroic_decepticon on May 31, 2012 - 11:55 am
oh, I remember Armada Sideswipe, what a horrible toy. Car mode is very nice, but robot mode sucks hairy balls
#3 by Sean McDaniel on June 15, 2012 - 1:05 pm
I hadn’t realized the connection to Armada Side Swipe (ugh) and Universe Treadshot respectively… that’s freakin’ GENIUS! Now I want it. A lot.