Cybertron Soundwave

with Laserbeak

Series: Cybertron
Allegiance: Other Villain
Categories: Voyager
Year: 2006

He is known by many names, though Soundwave is his most well-known one, and the one that inspires fear in Autobot and Decepticon alike. One of the mightiest, most straightforward warriors from Planet X, Soundwave is nonetheless a devastatingly subtle plotter. He prefers not to stab his victims in the back only because he enjoys seeing the look of betrayal in their eyes. Highly skilled in the techniques of espionage, he never enters battle without the knowledge he needs to win. His companion Laserbeak - equipped with a cloaking device - is able to infiltrate even the most well-guarded facilities.

Robot Mode: In robot mode Soundwave has quite a bit of resemblance to his G1 predecessor. The head is more or less the same, the colour scheme is identical, and he has a chest compartment in which he can store his small companion Laserbeak (though it's a pod, not a cassette). He carries two weapons, which can also transform into hexagonal pods, which he can hold in his hands or mount on his shoulder. Unlike his G1 figure, though, this Soundwave has wings on his back and looks a lot less stocky. This is also one of his problems, though, as the legs are too long and spindly for my taste, especially compared to the rather bulky upper body. That and the stuff hanging off his arms gets in the way a lot. Still, with good posability and detailing Soundwave is still a good robot.

Alternate Mode: Soundwave transforms into a kind of stealth bomber. His weapons fold together into hexagonal pods that can be mounted under the wings (with difficulty) and Laserbeak can ride in his chest compartment. The bomber is nicely ornamented, the detailing is good, but from a design look the plane isn't all that good. I don't really like this mode, it's not very wholesome and the transformation is awkward. Also, the legs don't really hold together all that well at the nose of the plane. Not sure if that is a general problem or just a bug in my Soundwave, but it bothers me. All in all an average vehicle mode at best.

Partner / Add-Ons: Soundwave comes with Laserbeak, a robotic eagle that transforms into the same hexagonal pod as Soundwave's weapons and can be stored in his chest compartment. Laserbeak looks pretty good in robot mode and is quite posable for such a small guy.

Remarks: Soundwave was one of my favorite characters in the G1 cartoon and not just because of the freaky-cool voice he had. His Cybertron incarnation made but a short appearance in the cartoon and didn't really do all that much. As a figure Soundwave is a nice homage, but he does have some design problems in both modes. Also, for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I'm disappointed in this figure. Sure, G1 Soundwave was hard to follow up on, but still... I don't really like Cybertron Soundwave. Looking at it objectively, though, a decent, above-average toy.

Rating: C+