FRENZY/(RUMBLE)

Profile: With a fervor bordering on insanity, Frenzy plunges into conflict holding back not one molecule of his mechanical being. If it were necessary for him to breath, war would be his oxygen.   His lust for destruction knows no cause, no purpose -it only craves the fear it instills in others, the destruction it leaves in its wake.  The other Decepticons appreciate Frenzy's boldness and enthusiasm -often this is often to turn them from beating a hasty retreat to launching a new offensive.  But given his single minded devotion to violence, even thy find him hard to deal with on a personal level.  They have no problem letting him lead the way into battle.

For clarification, this toy's packaging consistently referred to the blue cassette as Frenzy.  Although in the shows, the blue one shown here was a pretty main character consistently referred to as Rumble.  They have similar capabilities, even similar personalities.  Personally I always think of Rumble as the blue one, but to avoid confusion we'll stick w/ the official Hasbro packaging...

Abilities: His screaming voice and belligerent manner alone could shake up an opponent, but Frenzy can enhance this effect by spinning the drum like devices in his torso.  Rolling the drums against each other produces a high pitched, grating sound of up to 200 decibels which can severely disrupt the electrical flow within the circuits of any one within earshot, resulting in all sorts of mechanical malfunctions.  He's particularly adept at disorienting his opponents by neutralizing their auditory and balance centers.

Weaknesses: Like his brother Rumble, Frenzy's small stature limits his physical strength, but his abilities make him difficult to get near.  A very cool, logical reaction to his manic onslaught is often an effective way of countering his intimidating effect.

I found this little gem of a pvc statueette at OTFCC 2004.  It is not part of the HOC line.  What I realyl like about it is that it is sized to scale w/ regular G1 figures.  Plus the pilon drivers actually go up and down!  It can to some extent be posed and is to scale.  Sure it's not the original, but I thought you might enjoy a picture of this well designed new representation of the character...

LASERBEAK

Profile: Laserbeak takes a sadistic pleasure in hunting his prey.  He prefers to play with them and slowly cripple them before moving in for the kill.  On Cybertron, his appearance on the battlefront would usually mean  the battle was over and the Decepticons had won.   Then it would be his turn to pick off the straggling survivors.  However, given a situation where the odds are against him, he is clearly not very brave.   He'll run for safety.  And he makes no attempt to hide this fear.  If Decepticon Leader Megatron didn't have a special appreciation for Laserbeak's lethal style, he might hag gotten rid of Laserbeak a long time ago.

Abilities: In robot mode, Laserbeak can fly at speeds of up to 250 mph two independently targetable laser canons that c an fly on their own.  Laserbeak emits a laser beam  that is able to pierce 2 inch thick plate steel at a distance of 30 miles.  Laserbeak uses these beams like a surgeon uses his scalpels -with extreme precision.  He employs this talent to persuade captives to reveal secret information - before he disposes of them.

Weaknesses: The Autobots a5re well aware of Laserbeak's lack of bravery and take advantage of that flaw to thwart his machinations whenever they can.  Also, Laserbeak has a serious dependence on ruby crystals, which empower his lasers.  When his supply runs out he's been know to become so terrified of his vulnerability that his systems completely shut down and he becomes immobile.