Human in Disguise Maverick

MAVERICK

Transector of Marissa Faireborn

Allegiance: Autobots
Series: Custom Transformer
Year: 2014
Custom by Caked-Up

Prelude: This custom Transformers figure here was a birthday gift from my buddy James aka CakedUp who created it with some assistance from a guy called “Modified Ninja”. It’s based on my fanfiction story “Human in Disguise” and was made using the same mold as Fall of Cybertron Starscream, whom I have previously reviewed. So we will focus on the customization and changes here. And many thanks to James for this excellent gift, too.

Robot Mode: Two major changes have been done to the FoC Starscream mold here. Well, three actually, the third being a different set of weapons (from DOTM Topspin, I believe). Anyway, the first major change is a completely new paint job, giving the robot a much for Autobot-y feel. Maverick is mostly white and red with some blue and silver highlights. There are Autobot signs on the wings and the chest, as well as some additional stickers.

The biggest change, of course, is the head. In the “Human in Disguise” story Maverick is a Headmaster. The FoC Starscream mold isn’t. Thus the figure was decapitated, the neck plate modified a bit, and a 1988 Small Headmaster figure was repainted to serve as the new noggin’. This works surprisingly well. The Headmaster head is a tad bigger than the original head, but it fits very nicely and holds solidly in place. A bang-up paint job on the head does the rest, leaving us with the perfect embodiment of Maverick in robot mode. Two thumbs up.

Alternate Mode: The changes continue in vehicle mode as well, naturally. The new paintjob is fully in evidence, giving us a red and white Cybertronian fighter jet. Now the original mold ‘disguised’ the robot head by turning it around, basically, so that only the back of the head was visible in that spot behind the cockpit. In this modified version you still, basically, see the back of the head, only now it’s really the legs of the Headmaster figure which close up the otherwise empty space. Nothing else has changed, naturally, still an excellent jet mode. And the fact that the Headmaster figure is fully integrated here as well makes this an excellent custom. Two thumbs up once again.

Remarks: In “Human in Disguise” Captain Marissa Faireborn serves as the test pilot for a reconstructed alien war machine found in the arctic ice. That machine turns out to be Skywarp, contains an automatic space bridge receiver, and strands her on Cybertron. In order to help end the war – seeing as she doesn’t dare return home for fear of bringing the Decepticons along – Wheeljack modifies the crude Earth-built interface Marissa used to pilot Skywarp into a full-fledged Headmaster unit. From that day on Marissa fights alongside the Autobots as Maverick, named after Tom Cruise’s call sign in Top Gun.

Okay, enough advertisement for my fanfiction story (which you can find here or here, by the way). Maverick was based on the Cybertronian Seeker design from the very start and that James made a toy version of him was a truly excellent surprise. That the toy is an actual Headmaster just like in the story is the icing of the cake. Oh, and James also included the pre-Maverick version, Thrilling 30 Skywarp, in the birthday gift as well, so the two figures could stand side by side. So my bottom line here: I am hardly qualified to objectively review this figure, but personally I love it. Many thanks, James.

Rating: A (highly subjective)