Lugnut
Review by JoshB
Lugnut was from the 2010 Transformers "Reveal the Shield" toy line that was notoriously hard to find at retail until stock started showing up at discount chains like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. These are some of the better modern Transformers designs, and it was a shame that they were so hard to come by.
I have no idea about Lugnut as a character - I don't know where he comes from, or what his personality is (by the name I’m assuming he's kind of a dummy). I love the look of this guy and I had to have him.
Lugnut's vehicle mode is that of an anonymous WW2 bomber. It's not molded after any specific bomber but it is reminiscent of the B-24 Liberator.
The plane has an impressive wingspan with some really great details. Every aircraft has a number on it, and this case it's LU-6 NU-7, an obvious nod to the character's name.
There’s an old-school rubsign on the wing – hence the “Reveal the Shield”. Not that you don’t already know if you got an Autobot or Decepticon.
The front of the plane has a translucent red cockpit with a red gunner station below. On either side are two small guns that rotate. The whole nose has a tiger mouth paint scheme that seems to be found on all these old planes.
The tail also features a molded gunning station, and the call sign printed along the stabilizer.
The tail cap flips down to reveal a red missile - more on that later.
Overall, plane mode is impressive. My only complaint is that the cockpit area could come together a little tighter.
Transformation is reasonably intricate, but not overwhelmingly so. The wings become the arms, the legs are stashed under the main fuselage, and the head and chest reveal after the nose is split in two. The tail of the plane does little but hang there.
In robot mode Lugnut is menacing and cool as hell. I love how bulky and warlike he looks. He’s a joy to display and handle.
The head moves on a ball joint, and the jaw can open and close. The cyclopean eye can illuminate through light-piping.
The arms are really nicely articulated, with the hinge on the shoulders, elbow joints that bend and swivel, and articulated hands.
Speaking of the hands, each hand has a spring out action. I don’t know if the feature is meant to be part of the transformation or some kind of attack, but either way it is cool and I appreciate the added play value.
The hips are on ball joints, the thighs swivel, the knees bend, and the feet are articulated with individual toes.
When in robot mode, the cannon that was in the tail now flips out to be able to be launched from the figure’s back.
As an added bonus, you can make an unofficial “Gerwalk” mode with Lugnut.
This is one of my favorite Transformers in a long time. I just love the look of this character – it’s such a brute and the design exudes awesomeness.
Comments
10 comments postedI have the transformers animated figure that this was originally based on and I gotta say the movie variation is quite impressive I might very well pick this one up. the one thing that had kept me from buying one is that the wings just seem out of proportion with the body like they're too thin and just look odd in vehicle mode.
The spring-action hands are indeed intended as an action gimmick, not necessarily part of the transformation. A really great touch is that they have Macross-style missile canisters molded into them, which are exposed when you deploy them in aircraft mode.
I have a theory that Lugnut is not intended to be a WWII bomber; after all, he has giant turbofan ("jet") engines. The combination of jets, a glass nose, and a tail-gun position just screams "post-war Soviet" to me. Add to that the aircraft's high-mounted wings and tail, huge belly, and vestigial landing gear, and I start thinking "flying boat." Plus, the transformation joints let the tail fold flat and the wings fold alongside the fuselage, distinctly like a naval aircraft. So, while Lugnut's alt mode is clearly fictional, I like to think that the designers were imagining a sort of 1950's Russian flying-boat bomber (think IL-28 meets Be-12).
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Imperial_Navy/MARAUDER-BOMBER.html
I can't unsee the enormous buck teeth.
Lugnut is a fanatical follower of Megatron's. As the TFWiki once put it, if the latter commanded the former to jump, he'd "be in the stratosphere long before his master could specify how high." He's a zealot, but isn't just mindless, as he does have some tactical smarts when in battle.
And that spring mechanism in his arms? That's the fan favorite "Punch of Kill Everything" or "P.O.K.E." A nickname so awesome, it was canonized by the Animated writing staff (but only in the tie-in comics).
I'm sitting here looking at my first-gen Animated Series Lugnut and shaking my head. I think every single part of the toy has been made significantly better, both in look and in fit. Nice review, and a great-looking toy.
ARRRGH! Why do the ones I want the most NEVER show in the stores?! I'll have to track this one down online, I guess. I got rid of my animated version to get this one, so I'd really like to get him.
To me it looks like a modern jet version of a B-25 Mitchell,
I love it!
Leonardo
I seldom get aircraft-based TFs, but Lugnut was one of the exceptions. Both modes are just great, I love the quasi-WWII design.
To JoshB. I know you're selective with Transformer releases, but I highly recommend you get DOTM Laserbeak. It's VERY articulated and while the bird is the robot mode, the VTOL jet looks nice too. Plus, it has the unofficial ability to connect to the backs of Shockwave and Starscream from t he DOTM line.