Cybertron Red Alert

Series: Cybertron
Allegiance: Autobot
Categories: Deluxe
Year: 2005

Self-sacrifice is a way of life for Red Alert, but non-stop fighting with the Decepticons has caused him to doubt his skills as a healer. His vast sensor array and integrated tools and his instincts as a scientist give him an almost limitless capacity for absorbing data. He considers every possible course of action before committing to a plan, which brings him into conflict with the hot-headed Hot Shot when the pair arrives on the Speed Planet.

Robot Mode: As a deluxe-class robot, Red Alert is quite a bit smaller than his previous Armada incarnation and looking quite stocky. The interesting thing about his transformation into robot mode is that his legs are comprised of both the hood and the back of the car, yet still retain quite a bit of posability. His arms are a bit thin in comparison with the rest of the body, but not grotesquely so. Like most Red Alert's he has various tools he can apply to his arm, in this case a hammer and a grapple, both of which can be stored in his shins (under the hood of the car). Using his cyberkey gimmick causes guns to flip out over his shoulders. They are so small you barely see them when looking from farther away, but it's a nice gimmick regardless. Bottom line, Red Alert is not the best robot in Cybertron, but a good, solid figure.

Alternate Mode: Red Alert transforms into a medical SUV with sirens on top. His head is lowered into the roof of the car and can be pulled out for a look-see. I'd have liked it better if they'd camouflaged it better, but it's a minor thing. The car as such looks good, no complaints. The cyberkey gimmick works here as well, causing the rear windows of the car to pop out and guns to flip out alongside the car. All in all a decent car mode.

Remarks: One of the mainstays of Armada returns for Cybertron in the form of the Autobot medic Red Alert. In the cartoon he accompanied Hot Shot to the Speed Planet and made sure that the hotheaded speedster held together long enough to win the final race. As a toy Red Alert is good and solid and, in my opinion, much better than his later Cybertron Defense incarnation. If you like car transformers, Red Alert is a good buy for you.

Rating: B