Legacy Evolution Javelin

Prelude: Can someone be a sniper with but a single eye and thus no depth perception? Well, Javelin can. Arriving as part of the Legacy Evolution Deadeye duel 2-pack, the former Senate Guard turned Autobot sniper stands ready to protect her comrades and overcome post-traumatic panic attacks. Let’s say go!

Robot Mode: Javelin (technically “Senate Guard Autobot Javelin”) is a retool of Studio Series Arcee from the Bumblebee Movie, but seeing as I never had that figure in hand, this is my first experience with the mold. The figure’s overall design clearly shows some live-action influences and definitely gives the impression of a female body, though without high heels (used to be the main trait of any designed-as-female Transformers figure).  The color scheme, an almost purple blue with pink highlights, works pretty well in my mind. And I really love that head design. Still not sure if Javelin is meant to have a single eye or just a big visor, but either way, it looks cool. Same with the legs, I love that design with the wheels as heel spurs.

Articulation is excellent, including double elbow joints, ankle tilts, and a turning hip. Javelin can easily hold her large rifle two-handed and assume all sorts of sniper poses, too. Speaking of the rifle, you can take off the barrel and the scope to… well, have a slightly shorter rifle. The extra parts can store in those two pods on Javelin’s back, but sadly there is no way to attach the rifle itself to her back when she needs her hands free. Javelin carries quite the rucksack, but it doesn’t hinder her movements or disrupts her balance, so all good.

Only one real point of contention here: Javelin’s chest plate doesn’t really tab in solidly into the “collar bone”. It doesn’t matter when you have the figure just standing there, but when you start posing it, it can come loose pretty quickly. Otherwise, though: a very nice robot mode with a very unique look. I like it.

Alternate Mode: A lot of the times female Transformers turn into some sort of motorcycle. Javelin’s vehicle mode can be described as one, too, sort of. It’s a science fiction style wheeled vehicle, somewhat reminiscent of the vehicle mode of Thrilling 30 Chromia.  The wheels in the robot legs are now in front, the rucksack becomes a sort of cockpit in top, and the upper body and arms, along with the shoulder pods, forms the main body. The rifle can be mounted on top to give the vehicle firepower.

Overall it’s a nice science-fiction style vehicle and looks pretty cool from most angles. Just don’t look at it from the back, because here you can easily see Javelin’s robot hands and chest plate. A bit more “robots in disguise” would have been appreciated here, but then again: this is a Cybertronian mode and not really meant to disguise her, just to enable her to go from A to B faster than on two legs. So while the vehicle mode could definitely be improved a bit in the back, overall I like it.

Remarks: Javelin first appeared in the original IDW comics continuity as a background character, but it was in the second continuity that she actually stepped into the foreground. Of course her initial appearance was brief, as the “Deadeye Duel” (the name of the 2-pack that contains her and Kaskade) was over within two panels and ended up with Javelin being shot in the head by Kaskade. Still, while Kaskade was then blown up by Soundwave, Javelin recovered from her injuries, successfully dealt with a severe case of PTSD, and ended up helping to save Cybertron from the Insecticon Hive. She was also part of the Enigma-enhanced super combiner Computron, who helped secure the launch of the Ark. So it’s fair to say that, long-term at least, she is the winner of the Deadeye Duel.

Side note: Javelin’s rifle strongly resembles Decepticon Justice Division member Vos’ alternate mode. Given that we have yet to see an official figure of Vos, this is the closest we have come to so far.

So bottom line for this figure: very nice. Javelin isn’t exactly a mainstream character, but she has a very unique look, the figure is very good except for a few minor flaws, and overall I like her a lot. One more drawback, though: she is only available in a two-pack with another figure that (spoiler!) I don’t like nearly as much. But that’s for another review. Javelin, however, is definitely worth a look for every Transformers fan who doesn’t balk at a female Transformer without high heels.

Rating: B+

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