Reveal the Shield Perceptor

Robot Mode: To me G1 Perceptor was among the best-looking robots of the G1 era, not to mention one of the most posable and most detailed. For his return in the Reveal the Shield series pretty much all of that has been improved upon. His look is very, very close to that of the original toy. He has the cannon/microscope on his shoulder, the flip-down chest plate, the tank threads on his legs and even those silver discs that originally served as the adjustment knobs for his microscope mode are there on his arms. Very nicely done. The colors are also nearly identical to the G1 toy. Only his head was adapted from his animated appearance rather than the original toy, which is just fine seeing as the toy’s head didn’t really match that of the cartoon character.

Some attempt has been made to incorporate Perceptor’s portrayal in the IDW G1 comics as well. A targeting screen has been added to his shoulder cannon, mimicking the one IDW Perceptor has over his eye. Of course you can’t really move it over his eye here, but the thought is there. Personally I think they should have given him a weapon, preferably the sniper rifle carried by Generations Blurr, to emphasize his role as a sniper. As things stand Perceptor has no weapon except his shoulder cannon. The silver discs on his arms feature attachment bars for clip-on weapons, though.

Posability is good, the hand molds are compatible with most present-day TF weapons – such as the aforementioned sniper rifle – and all in all there really is little to complain about here unless you don’t like the look of the figure. Me, I like it a lot. So thumbs up for the robot mode.

Vehicle Mode: Long past are the days when Perceptor transformed into a microscope (though one with tank threads underneath). These days he becomes a kind of half-track SUV type vehicle with extra lights on top. The vehicle is mostly red with dark tires and tracks, as well as yellow-tinted windows. It also features translucent head and tail lights and a license plate reading “MR5 1409”. If anyone has yet figured out the significance here (something to do with September 14?), please post it in the comments below.

Overall there is little to complain about here. The transparent windows show something that could reasonably be called an interior space (with no visible robot bits), the detailing on the car – while not exactly overwhelming – is decent, and apart from the underside there is no clue as to the robot hidden inside. The only thing I don’t like is that the silver missile / muzzle of his shoulder weapon is plainly visible on the car’s roof. It can be flipped forward to serve as a weapon in vehicle mode, but there is no way to hide it. Apart from that, though, a solid, if somewhat unspectacular vehicle mode.

Remarks: Perceptor was the brainy scientist type among the Autobots, more comfortable in a laboratory than on the battle field. He appeared from nowhere in the original G1 series’ second season and remained all the way through the series’ end and on into the Japanese sequels, including Victory. For all that he was such a long-lasting character, though, he never really got much in the way of toy versions. Apart from his original toy, he got a Classic Legends figure (a repaint) and that was it. Until now, when we finally get a Perceptor with an alternate mode that is, you know, actually mobile.

So what else is there to say? The figure certainly isn’t a revolution, but it’s the best figure yet for this character and a good figure all-around. It’s also the perfect figure to be repainted into an Earth-Mode Soundwave (as several customizers have already proven), though rumor has it that there is a Reflector repaint planned instead, with a head that resembles that of the original G1 Perceptor toy. However else this figure might be utilized in the future, though, it certainly is a very good catch and fully recommended.

Rating: A-