Alternity Megatron (Daimond Black)

Review by Caked-Up:

Robot Mode: Unlike the Megatrons of old lore, this particular version does not have a brutish powerhouse for a robot mode. Instead he looks like a samurai warrior mixed with a standard car-former (we aren’t talking about Drift in case you are wondering). His predominant color is black, hence the diamond black name, but it is contrasted with a bright orange red. Definitely different for Megatron, but not bad looking when you get used to it.

He has good sculpting, even for modern Transformers, which really makes the samurai image stand out. Most of his body has various car parts arranged in a way as to mimic pieces of armor from Japanese history. My favorite pieces are his doors. They slide open to reveal more plates for his shoulder armor. Most of his samurai aesthetic is obvious, but one final piece did it in for me. On the back of his head is the engine block. Combine that flat piece with his usual helmet and you have a Kabuto warrior’s helmet. From the knees up he looks great, but those lower legs hurt him. In addition to the obvious bow-legged look, the wheels tab in on the outside of his shin which gives him some really large calves.

When it comes to posability this Megatron does a decent job. All of the joints are set up properly, but he is not as limber as Bumblebee. The kibble on his shoulders and back get in the way. Plus he doesn’t have a waist joint. Stability is also of little concern, because the die-cast is balanced better here than the Convoy figure I will get next month.

Instead of the huge gun hanging off his arm, this Megatron has four separate, bronze gold blades. The short knives on his arms are called “Gravital Blades.” Outside of manipulating gravity, they are too short to really do anything. To compensate for these tiny things, he has two long blades called “Tesseractal Swords.” My extensive knowledge of these will tell you they are actually teeth from some cosmic beast and they can cut through dimensions. They don’t peg in by the way, but rest in the hands rather loosely. Regardless, they look nice and are a welcome change for Megatron. If you want to wield the smaller blades or go unarmed, the long swords tab into his hips rather securely.

In the end, this figure is a success despite the odd design choices.

Vehicle Mode: A Nissan Fairlady Z (350Z for the US) is the alt-mode of choice for this Megatron. It is a slick little sports car that gets the job done. It has all of the details on the outside that it should, but the black paint job causes it to get lost. On the other side of the coin, it hides the few panel seams on the figure. And yes, the rims, taillights, and tailpipes are painted. If you look just right from the back you will see the two swords sticking out from the bottom of the car.

Both of the doors and the hood open. The trunk does not. In the driver seat, he has most of a dashboard along with the brake and shifter handles. Robot kibble does take up the floor boards though. Looking under his hood is rather unimpressive. Everything is black because this is the collarbone of the robot mode. Even the engine block is just black. It would have been nice for some silver somewhere.

Just like the robot mode, this is a mildly successful vehicle mode.

Key Transformation Points:
1. When the spine is being folded, the top part must be folded first, then you bring up the crotch, otherwise the red tab will not click in place.

Conclusion: I liked the Alternity Vibrant Red Convoy so I had to buy the Alternity Megatron. Call it OCD if you will. This Megatron figure is definitely the odd man out for appearance and alt mode, but it does add some variety to my collection. I do believe the black paint job and samurai car mode will deter some collectors though. Maybe the silver version would be a better fit for a unique, but not one that is out there like this one. In short, this is a cool Megatron, but he isn’t spectacular. I recommend him for all Megatron collectors and fans of unique Transformers.

Grade: B