TRANSFORMERS: Revisiting the Characters of Generation 1 - BRAWL

 TRANSFORMERS:  Revisiting the Characters of Generation 1

"Why you wimps!  Not one of you has the muscle to stand up against those Autobots alone.  If I hadn't been there, they would be picking up your butts with an electro-magnet!" - Brawl, "Starscream's Brigade", 1986.

DECEPTICON

Name - BRAWL

Function - Ground Assault

Series Debut - 1986 / Wave 3

Sub-Group - Combaticon

BACKGROUND...

    Brawl is an arrogant, belligerent jerk!  The consistent, grouchy noise coming from his mouth has a tendency to annoy everyone around him.  His bad attitude and temper, however, are qualities that make for a dangerous warrior on the battlefield.  

    A long time ago, on Cybertron, Brawl was a member of a group of Renegade Decepticons".  As renegades, it wasn't that they were helping the Autobots, it was simply that they were out for themselves.  Eventually, Megatron had them imprisoned.  Only their "Personality Components" were held captive as Shockwave had the bodies destroyed.  Later when Starscream needed an army that would easily go against Megatron, he freed them.  After building them new bodies, Starscream named them the "Combaticons".  Even with freedom and a new body, there was little to no gratitude from Brawl as he would still constantly show his violent temper and attitude to his new leader and teammates.

    Brawl now had the ability to transform into an Earth-style tank.  The heavy armor from the tank makes him resistant to various types of attack.  Brawl and the other Combaticons can merge together into the enormous Bruticus!

MY THOUGHTS...

    I remember Spring 1986 - the Wave 3 Transformers really hadn't really shown up yet, and my friends and I were eagerly anticipating them.  My family and I went on vacation to Florida, my first time being there.  While in Naples, we went to a Kmart and I found the only new figure they had - BRAWL!!!  Man, was I excited!!!  I could not wait to take him back home and show my friends!  We had already seen the Combaticons in the cartoon and now I had just found the first one!  Few things can top that feeling as a kid!

    I liked Brawl!  Strong-looking tank mode, good robot mode, and I always thought he had a cool head sculpt.  He was tough and could really cause  or take some damage in a fight.  I don't think I could pick a favorite Combaticon, as they were all great in their own way.  Brawl, however, has a special spot to me since I first found him in Florida all those years ago.

    Standing in for the original G1 Brawl, is Combiner Wars Brawl.  Hasbro really nailed the head sculpt of this figure.  He looks very accurate to his cartoon representation.  I only wish he could turn his turret and that he had the cannons that went on the back of the tank mode.  Otherwise, great figure!

Clipped from one of my G1 Combaticon's cardbacks!

    (Information on the character's lore was taken from the Sunbow Transformers cartoon series, including the Movie and the figure's original Tech-Spec.)