Mindwipe

Hasbro seems to be going deep in the bag of tricks to pull out classic names for their non-movie figures. Their latest grab: A G1 Decepticon Headmaster by the name of Mindwipe. Although he has no Nebulon partner this time, he does keep his power of hypnosis.

Bio

With the power to mesmerize other robots, Mindwipe might be a match even for Optimus Prime. The Matrix of Leadership renders the Autbot leader immune, but Mindwipe has a host of other robots totally under his control. He stays safely in the air, while Optimus Prime struggles against a horde of hypnotized minions.

Strength     

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Alt Mode

Mindwipe's alt for is that of a stealth fighter jet. It's a good fit that keeps somewhat in line with his bat mode from the G1 days. Color is a flat black, with purple accenting the intake vents and other various spots. The cockpit is a translucent red. There is a very small Decepticon symbol on the fuselage. You'll also note the Cybertronian writing on each of the wings.

Mindwipe features 3pt landing gear that can be retracted. The front gear is under the nose, but be careful pulling it down as it's actually 2 halves. There is also a wheel under each wing where it connects to the fuselage. Although he's mostly very well done, turning him on his belly reveals a very unconcealed head. It does blend in, but I personally detest seeing robot heads in alt mode.

Alt Mode Specs

Length: 8.5in/215.9mm
Wingspan:7.25in/184.2mm
Height:1.63in/41.4mm
Scale Ratio:N/A
Wheels: 3pt landing gear, pinned wheels
Detailed cockpit:N/A

Transformation

Mindwipe can be a bit of a tricky one. Begin by folding the wings down, while will let you tilt the fuselage down. Separate the nose and front assembly to form the legs. Rotate the waist 180 degrees. For your first trick, make sure the ball joints on his hips have the slot going to the groin. This will make sure his legs are positioned right. Pull the nose away from the front assembly to form the lower legs and feet.

Pull the cockpit assembly in half, away and back from the chest. Rotate the rear assembly back to form his back. Rotate the arms so they lay at his side. Rotate the forearms so that the cockpit faces back. Pull down on the arms to fully extend the elbows. Now comes trick #2. As you fold back the cockpit halves against his forearms, his fists will rotate out. To make sure the cockpits latch to their triggers, the hands must be FULLY out. This might take some slight force. If the cockpits won't lock in place... the fists are still recessed. Once you have that resolved, hinge down the chest plate and flip up the head to finish.

Robot Mode

Any resemblence to the G1 counterpart in mode is purely coincidental here. The orange chest accents and pea green appendages give the figure some needed contrast. The head sculpt is well done, with eyes that look like they could pierce your soul. Makes you wonder how much more haunting they could look were they piped... which they're not.

Mindwipe features two gimmicks. For this Mech Alive gimmick, folding the wings back exposes 'micro-blades'. It also folds the wingtips back slightly. Wow. The other feature is with this blades. Hitting a trigger underneath the inside of his elbow will flip out two serrated blades. This is, assuming, the blades (cockpit halves) were properly locked into place. This is a feature that works much better. The only major disappointment sans the Mech Alive feature? The recess in his chest where his head was tucked in. They could have thrown in a false plate at least.

Articulation

Feet:Pin hinges, 90 degree bend
Knees:Pin hinge, 135 degree bend
Hips: Floating ball joint, 135 degree 6pt ratcheting bend, 90 degree spread and unlimited leg rotation
Waist:Pinned for unlimited rotation
Shoulders:Toothed pin hinge for unlimited arm rotation, pinned for 90 degree spread. Pinned below shoulder for unlimited arm rotation
Elbows:Pin hinge, 90 degree bend
Head:Ball joint for unlimited rotation, pinned at neck for 90 degree downward bend.

Articulation is among the best of the line. As a plus, the joints are very tight, furthering the possibilities.

Robot Mode Specs

Height:7.13in/181.1mm (9.5in/241.3mm including wings)
Width:6in/152.4mm
Depth:2.25in/57.2mm (3.25in/82.6mm including wings)
Supplied accessories:None

Verdict

Alt Mode: Virtually flawless jet mode (just don't look under the belly)
Robot Mode:Minor kibble issues restrict posing slightly.Amazing articulation, but the gaping hole in the chest can't be overlooked.
Overall:One little false plate kept him from being perfect. Those are the breaks.

Class:Voyager

MSRP:$25

Reviewer	Blitz-Wing
Date	February 15th 2010
Score	(9 out of 10)
Reads	13170

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