As we continue our look at Hasbro’s new Transformers Combiners Wars figures by making our way through the Stunticons, today we place the spotlight on Dead End, an original member of the team who formed Menasor’s left arm in the G1 cartoon and comic. Last week we took a look at his teammate Brake-Neck (AKA Wildrider), and Dead End is built on the same mold with a unique head sculpt and paint job. Dead End’s characterization in the G1 days set him up the team’s answer to Winnie the Pooh’s Eeyore, the character who is always having a bad day and is chronically depressed. In my own backyard adventures as a kid, all the Stunticons were punks, so I’m partial to thinking of Dead End that way rather than as a depressed sad-sack of a robot. This updated figure is a fine addition to the Combiner Wars series, like his mold-mate Brake-Neck, so let’s take a closer look!
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The packaging for all the figures in this second wave features a pack-in issue of Robots in Disguise with a custom cover that prominently features the packaged character. Dead End looks awesome here, and it really is tempting to display all the Stunticons in their packaging, but they’re combiners, so there’s no way they’re not going to be opened.
Like Brake-Neck, Dead End is a great-looking deluxe-class figure with proportions that are absolutely spot-on. There’s very little kibble, and the kibble that is there is similar to what we saw back in ’85 with the G1 figure, so it works. When displayed side-by-side with Brake-Neck, the two almost look like inverses of one another because they do share a similar palette, so to successfully differentiate the two, what’s red on one is grey on the other, and vise versa.
Dead End’s head sculpt is decidedly more “robotic” that Brake-Neck’s, and it succeeds nicely in being true to the character’s original animated design. And I’m a total sucker for the gold and purple color combination of his face. I like that Hasbro didn’t ham it up with him and give his some overtly “depressed” expression because I really do like the cold look of his robotic head sculpt. It makes it easier to characterize him as a punk and a thug in my own non-G1 fiction.
His alt mode is beautiful and that is all due to the stellar paint job. The blood red, gold, and silver are all really sharp, and I think I do prefer Dead End’s alt mode to Brake-Neck’s because of the deco. Even the plain, painted-in black windows work well enough here because your eye is drawn straight to the red.
Hasbro really took a lot of care when designing these alt modes because they look great from every angle. I cannot wait to see the entire Stunticon team assembled in their vehicle modes.
Now, like all the Combiner Wars deluxe-class figures, Dead End can be used to form either a leg or an arm of Menasor, but since he’s traditionally been the left arm, I’m fairly certain that’s how I’ll be using him once I’m ready to assemble Menasor.
Dead End is a beautiful modern deluxe-class figure that is definitely worth picking up if you find him in the wild. Though, if you’re impatient, he can be purchased right now at Big Bad Toy Store and Amazon.
Thanks to Hasbro for sending along this sample for review. Check back next week as we take a look at the Stunticons Offroad and Drag Strip!
