The Mike The Pod Review: Universe Acid Storm (2008)

Acid Storm is, first and foremost, a re-use of one of the most beloved Transformer molds of all time; Classics Starscream, from 2006. This mold was retooled as the infamous "conehead" Ramjet in 2007, then both molds were repainted/retooled as Thundercracker, Thrust and Dirge for Botcon 2007. I'm lucky enough to possess all six, and it's quite a rush. Especially with people paying upwards of $275 for good ol' Thundercracker, last I checked. (They really, really nailed his color scheme.)

But Acid Storm has a deeper origin, despite his new name. If you look closely in one of the earliest episodes of the original cartoon show (I don't know the title off the top of my head), you'll see the yellow version of Starscream that went on to be retconned as the infamous living reactor Sunstorm. Next to him is a green version, who would go on to become our current subject. His screamingly awesome bio reads thusly (headed "CLASSIC SERIES"):

"A member of an obscure squad of Decepticon air warriors known only as "The Rainmakers," Acid Storm is known as an individual only to his teammates and a very few others. He is highly intelligent, eager, and dedicated utterly to the Decepticon cause. He has a talent for marshalling vast amounts of data, as well as a way with words that would make him a powerful speaker. However, he prefers to remain anonymous, as part of his team. His Hyperion3 blasters can seed natural clouds with a highly destructive form of acid rain."

His intelligence is a 9 and his skill is a 10. I would also like to draw attention to the word "anonymous". It has the same amount of letters as Acid Storm. I'm just saying. He seems like the kind of robot that does not forgive.

Alternate Mode: Acid Storm comes packaged in his alternate mode, which is a fighter jet, just like his brethren, the Seekers. He is primarily a shade of green that is almost the exact color of little plastic army men. At first glance, the jet appears to have a camo color scheme, with tan and brown paint apps, but upon closer inspection it more resembles a sort of toxic chemical staining. Just when I was thinking how silly it would be to camouflage a fighter jet in earth tones, I realized it wasn't camo but instead an effect like spilt battery acid. It looks perfectly polluted.

The nosecone is a teal or periwinkle color, and the fuselage has brown paint accents, and green over some of the cockpit itself, which is a little strange. There are black Decepticon symbols on each wing and tailfin, matching the black turbines and parts of the underside very nicely. The green "army man" plastic does a smashing job of bringing out the little details and such on the body of the plane. Like Botcon Thundercracker, Acid Storm has paint apps on the protrusions at his wingtips; blood red in this case, a nice contrast to the green.

Acid Storm's missile launchers attach underneath his wings. They have the long javelin-style missiles (green, not teal as shown on the card), and are black with teal triggers. I'm tempted to stick them onto Cybertron Downshift and see how they look.

Transformation: The transformation of the "seeker" mold (even though this is technically a "rainmaker") is essentially a revamp of the original jet robots. For deluxe class, it's one of the more complicated transformations. Since Acid Storm isn't a conehead, his face is well hidden until you turn him into a robot.

I wouldn't call the transformation simple, but I don't know if I'd grant it the skill rating of 3 it gets on the package. All the parts and joints are tight, with no mold degradation issues that I noticed. For a mold that sees as much action as this one, that's no mean feat.

By the way-- I may as well state here that I adore this mold. Obviously I do; this is the seventh time I've bought it.

Anyway, pull the legs out, unfold the feet, flip the wings up, unfold his arms from inside his chest and flip out the fists, collapse the fuselage into the chest, expose the head, and we're done.

Robot Mode: I'm sure a lot of people will comment on the minimal amount of paint apps Acid Storm has, compared to his "brothers". I think it works to his advantage, for the most part. Pale yellow gloss appears on his shoulders and knees, and the teal shows up on his thighs and "ribs". The top of his torso is a gloss black to match his helmet, forearms and feet, all of which are black plastic. The turbines in his chest that form his landing gear are unpainted green plastic. Either you're on board for this color scheme, or you're not. I like him. A lot.

Adding the missile launchers to his shoulders looks good, but without them the Decepticon symbols on his wings stand out much better. He looks appropriately toxic. In fact, at a sideways glance he looks like a certain ill-fated insecticon you may remember from a certain Beast War.

The brown trim of the tailfins adds a nice accent to Acid Storm's lower legs. His colors are more subdued than his comrades, despite how unusual they are, and it sets him apart nicely. (I mean, duh, of course I want more Rainmakers.) His face is silver, with red eyes. Above the cockpit, in the center of his chest, is another teal paint app, which is a nice accent. Acid Storm's colors are unusual, sure, but they're spread out very evenly, and it works.

Acid Storm loses a point or two, however, for having obvious sprue marks on his shin vents. He's the first use of this mold where these vents aren't painted, and this is probably the reason they have been before now. A couple more applications of black paint would have taken care of it, but it's not a dealbreaker. And really, I love the army-man shade of green. If you put Acid Storm next to Animated Bulkhead, you'll see how much his colors really pop.

Poseability: Acid Storm has eight points of articulation, giving him a reasonable amount of poseability. Like his Seeker cousins, his head cannot move. I like my Decepticons to look cold and imperious, however, so this isn't a problem. He can point his launchers at things, but his wings get in the way a little.

Conclusion: Highly recommended. Currently there's no other way to get this mold for under $20. Really, Acid Storm's arrival is something of an occasion. You don't get a new Seeker-type every day, that's for sure.

If you're a casual collector, you'll definitely like him. If you're a hardcore collector, you'll not only like him, but you'll be overwhelmed by the joy of a brand-new "old school" Decepticon. Get him if you can, I say.