Every once in a while we get a Transformer’s toy that doesn’t actually Transform into anything. Alpha Quintesson (Alpha Q) is one such Transformer. We first met the Quintessons back in Transformers the Movie. They led a pack of hungry Sharkticons and liked to toss random bots into pits of doom. As it turns out the Quintessons were more intertwined with the history and origin of the Transformers race then was originally believed.
Of course those Quints also looked like Eggs and had 5 faces (of darkness!). This is Energon. I couldn’t tell you what alpha Q’s role is in Energon since the show is abysmally unwatchable. That doesn’t mean it can’t have halfway decent toys. This Quintesson is quite a bit different from it’s ancestors, though it still shares some traits. Instead of just being a ball with faces plastered to it, this Quint is a sort of giant Snake robot with a face inside the mouth. Which brings us to the first gimmick. When a button on the back of the neck is pressed, the face spins to a different one. There are three available faces to choose from.
There is one other primary gimmick to this toy besides the face spinning. The toy includes three rubber bendy tentacles. The bendyness is great and they hold a verity of positions. Also wheels on the bottom of the base cause the tentacles to twirl menacingly as you roll Alpha Q around. One tentacle features a small yellow pincer, the second features some sort of purple blob, possibly wires or electricity, and the third tentacle features a red chainsaw. The chainsaw arm is great for dispatching the many tree based transformers alpha Q may encounter 9see Botanica).
Other gimmicks include a head mounted missile launcher and ports for at least 9 Energon chips. Alpha Q has articulation at the jaws, universal shoulders, hinged and balled elbows (4 arms), and a hinge at the top of his neck. The articulation isn’t huge but it’s substantial enough for the character design.
Though cool, this figure isn’t without it’ flaws. The waist joint could use a little more range of motion, particularly in the forward direction. It also would be nice if the snake mouth could fold up out of the way a bit more. The face can barely be seen back up in there. I can’t say I really care muck for the spinning tentacles gimmick either. It can be hard to pose the tentacles just right (due to their tentacle nature) and then a slight bump of the wheels could throw everything all right off.
Then there is the part where Alpha Q doesn’t transform. He’s not supposed to, but if you’re looking for a Transformer, don’t bother with Alpha Q. For the most part otherwise, it’s a decent action figure, though one that’s probably not for everyone.
