Transformers Sergeant Kup

For a toy collector, I don't own a lot of Transformers. I've got a handful, including Wreck-Gar (a.k.a.: the greatest Transformers ever) and a handful of Bumblebees. It's not that I don't like the property (like every boy growing up in the 80's, I was pretty much obsessed as a kid), it's just that the line is too big for me to get invested in it.

When I heard that Hasbro had made a Kup (forget that "sergeant" nonsense: that's just in there for the copyright), I was a little intrigued. Since growing up, I've learned that the original series doesn't hold up quite as well as we'd all like. However, the 1986 movie is as good as ever.

Kup has a pretty big role in that one. Actually, unless I'm misremembering, it was where he first appeared. He's sort of an old, grizzled soldier who serves as a mentor for Hot Rod, destined leader of the Autobots. I actually have a Hot Rod I picked up a few years back, so I was interested in getting his partner.

However, while I was willing to dish out $25 for the aforementioned Wreck-Gar from the same wave, I wasn't willing to order Kup or even pick him up at Toys R Us for $17. I like Kup, but he's certainly not a favorite.

So I waited. Then, a few weeks ago, I found him on clearance at Big Bad Toy Store. At $10, he wasn't dirt cheap, but he was affordable. I was already picking up a handful of other toys, so I tossed him in the cart to make me feel better about the shipping.

I'm incredibly happy I did. It turns out that Transformers have come a long way in the past few years. The sculpting on Kup is fantastic in both modes, but the robot mode is absolutely gorgeous. My one complaint is the lack of weathering (though I could always add some paint easily enough).

Overall, he's pretty well articulated, too, though his knees don't have as much range as I'd like. Still, he can take quite a few poses.

He comes with his musket, which can either snap into the bottom and double as an exhaust pipe or attach to his roof, where it has some articulation. It looks fine, if unremarkable.

At $10, I'm incredibly happy with this toy. The difference between him and the Hot Rod (packaged under the name "Rodimus") I picked up a few years back is kind of shocking. Until now, I'd considered Hot Rod a pretty decent Transformer, but there's just no comparison: