G1 Crosshairs

Robot Modes: Crosshairs makes for a good-looking robot, even though his torso design makes it look a bit as if he's got a beer gut. The red & blue look is a classic (even though it's that exact shade of red that doesn't photograph well at all) and it suits him very well. I'd have wished for a bit more color on his face, which is all-white, but apart from that, a very good look.

His posability is average for a toy from that year. He can move the arms at the shoulders, both up & down and sideways, but that's it. Well, he can bend his knees, but only both of them together, so no dynamic poses for him. Still, as I said, pretty much average for his time. As a weapon Crosshairs carries his Targetmaster partner Pinpointer. Sadly the weapon looks totally misproportioned in his hands.

So all in all a great-looking robot mode, but with a bad weapon and the usual posability restrictions for his time.

Alternate Mode: Crosshairs transforms into a Cybertronian car that kind of resembles a four-by-four offroad vehicle from Earth. I can't really tell you why, but I love this vehicle mode. The car just looks incredibly cool. It does feature some sculpted details, too, such as the winch on front, very nicely sculpted tires, and the technical knick-knacks on the back. Pinpointer can be mounted on top of the car in order to arm it and while the Targetmaster gun looks out of proportion here, too, it isn't quite as bad as in robot mode. So all in all an incredibly cool vehicle mode. I love it.

Partner: As a Targetmaster Crosshairs is partnered with the Nebulon Pinpointer, who transforms into a gun. In robot mode Pinpointer is a statue, no movement at all. He has some detailing, but most of it is swallowed up by his colors. In weapon mode Pinpointer is one of the worst of the Targetmasters, I must say. He folds in half and then unfolds double barrels from his back. Sadly this makes the weapon look totally misproportioned and it doesn't really fit into Crosshair's hand very well.

Remarks: Crosshairs only ever appeared in the final episode of the G1 cartoon series, the three-part "Rebirth", where he was little more than part of the scenery. Same for the Marvel Comics. He also appeared in the Japanese "Headmaster" series, but I haven't seen those episodes yet, so I can say little about them. Still, I had Crosshairs as a kid and he was one of my favourite figures. I loved his alternate mode and wanted a car just like that. Well, I don't have one like that, but now I have Crosshairs again, which does appease the kid inside me a bit.

As a toy Crosshairs combines an incredibly cool car mode with a robot that is on the good side of average for his time. Sadly Pinpointer, the Targetmaster weapon, is far from good, but you can always give Crosshairs another weapon if you want. So all in all a good representative of the 1987 year of Transformers with a small added bonus for being one of my favourite childhood toys.

Rating: B+