Select your language

Ready to be stomped by the latest Big Bad!
Series: Generation 1
Year: 1988
Allegiance: Autobot
Class: Pretender 
Function: Ground Trooper
 
The only thing for certain is uncertainty.
A ferocious warrior. Usually too busy worrying to fight. Always afraid his outer shell won´t unlock, that his fuel might be low, that his joints are rusting or almost anything imaginable. Sometimes appears inoperative because he worries himself to a standstill. Outer shell is equipped with serrated thermal claws that can tear through metal like paper. In robot mode, armed with a double-barreled, solid sonic energy blaster.
 

Prelude: The first Pretenders appeared in 1988 and somehow Hasbro came to the conclusion that this gimmick was all the rage with the fans, which is why it continued and expanded in 1989, to the point where every new Transformer released in that year was a Pretender (unless he was a Micromaster). One of the many, many Pretender subgimmicks were the Pretender Beasts, whose Pretender shells portrayed animals instead of humans or monsters. One of them was Chainclaw, the bear guy, who basically served as a jobber in the comics. So ready your favorite shell, yell “PRETENDAAAA!” at the top of your lungs, and let’s say go!

Many thanks to Jörg “the Carpenter” Zimmermann for loaning me Chainclaw for this review.

Robot Mode: Chainclaws inner robot mode is about the size of a Scout-class figure and relatively simple in design. Like most G1 figures he doesn’t really have much in the way of articulation, though he does actually have a turning head (not a given at the time). He is mostly yellow with the grey head of his beast mode on his chest, the grey claws of his beast mode on his arm, and the grey hindlegs of his beast mode on his legs. His face is green for some reason. No wonder Condor Verlag decided to make this guy a bit more colorful for his German appearances (see final picture in the gallery).

Chainclaw carries a big double-barreled blaster as his sole weapon, which he can clip to his arm or carry on his back. Not much more I can write here, as the robot is really just the beast mode stood upright. He can ride on top of his beast shell (see below), though, but only if you flip over the beast hindlegs on his robot legs as additional stabilizers.

Alternate Mode: Chainclaw has the most basic beast mode transformation imaginable, really, as he just goes down on all fours. The beast head from his chest flips up to hide his robot head, his robot legs fold in and the beast legs unfold. The result is… a four-legged animal. It’s supposed to be a bear, I know, but the only thing even slightly bear-like is the head, which could also be some kind of canine or even a big cat.

The beast mode is surprisingly well-articulated, though. All four legs can swing at the shoulders and the front legs even have articulated feet (well, claws). You can also kind of dip the head down a bit, but not too much lest you expose the robot mode. The big gun can attach to the back for firepower in beast mode.

Being a Pretender Beast, Chainclaw wears his Pretender shell in beast mode, not robot mode. It depicts a big brown bear carrying a tech rucksack and includes a silver helmet with spikes, too. The shell is entirely immovable, but at least the legs are sculpted in a walking motion, making it look a bit more dynamic. The big gun can be mounted on top of the shell, too.

So bottom line: Chainclaw looks much better in beast mode than in robot mode, be it the robotic beast or the bear shell.

Remarks: Chainclaw, just like the other Pretender Beasts, never appeared in any TV series, but he has several comic book appearances under his belt. He appeared in several Marvel comics (both US and UK) and usually ended up being wrecked by whatever Decepticon was featuring then, be it Pretender Starscream, Double Dealer, or Galvatron. In pro wrestling he would have been called a jobber (or enhancement talent), there only to show how tough someone else is. He also appeared in the Regeneration One comics and IDW’s second continuity (where he was quickly killed as well).

As toys, the Pretender beasts were a mixed lot. Like many Pretenders, the Decepticon versions (Snarler and Carnivac) work better than the Autobots in my opinion, simply because both the robots and the shells are more detailed and colorful. Chainclaw looks a bit boring with his rather plain paintjob and the shell isn’t the most exciting, either. So bottom line: if you just want one of the Pretender Beasts for curiosity’s sake, I’d recommend Snarler. Chainclaw is really just for die-hard Pretender fans and completists.

Rating: C-

 
Toy DB Link

Picture Gallery:

No comments