Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Transformers Prime Star Saber - Dr Wu Skybreaker

Presenting the Dr Wu Skybreaker AKA the Transformers Prime Star Saber.

Now that I've stopped watching Game of Thrones, somehow a featuring an authority figure with a huge sword seems just right.

To the uninitiated, this is a 3rd party replica of the Transformers Prime series Star Saber - hence Dr Wu called it the Skybreaker instead. Dr Wu actually has another Star Saber replica made out of die-cast metal instead of the plastic that the Skybreaker uses. That sword resembles the sword used by Primus and actually bears the Autobot Matrix of Leadership from the aligned novels.

I don't have that one yet and that sword was destroyed. The Dr Wu Skybreaker / Transformers Prime Star Saber was ejected from Cybetron, found its way to Earth, embedded itself in a rock where unworthy Decepticons tried to pull it out. Chagrined, Megatron had the entire mountain with the rock that held the sword (The sword made the rock indestructible as well) using Nemesis (Trypticon). Unfortunately for him, Optimus Prime draws the sword and sends Megatron on the retreat after Prime uses the Skybreaker / Star Saber to kick Nemesis' ass.


Mega pissed off, Megatron gets the hand of a dead Prime, replaces his hand with it, and uses the Forge of Solus Prime, gathers Dark Energon (The blood of Unicron?) and forges a Dark Star Saber. Megatron not only uses the Dark Star Saber to kick Optimus Prime's behind, he destroys the original Star Saber.

Later Optimus Prime recovers the Forge of Solus Prime and rebuilds the Star Saber then goes off to cut off Megatron's arm in an epic battle that would lead to the near death of Optimus Prime (Smokescreen almost became the new leader of the Autobots), the destruction of the Omega Lock, and the recovery by the Decepticons of the Sky Breaker / Star Saber which is now stored within Nemesis (Trypticon).


Now Dr Wu actually has three versions of the Sky Breaker / Star Saber. A silver metallic one that we have here; a blue one which is what the sword appears as when "active" and a purple one meant to represent the Dark Star Saber - but of course, it looks nothing like the Dark Star Saber. Rumor has it that Dr Wu is actually now making a more cartoon accurate Dark Star Saber for our enjoyment.

What's to like about the Dr Wu Skybreaker / Star Saber?

Aside from the fact that it's cartoon accurate, it mercifully relieves us from that puny excuse for a sword that came with the Transformers Prime First Edition and RID versions of Optimus Prime.

I'd also like to point out at this point that I've seen many reviews about Dr Wu's Skybreaker and most of them do indeed work it out so that it is the  Transformers Prime First Edition or RID Optimus Primes that get the Skybreaker. Because of this, no one knew what the little sword peg was for as neither versions of Optimus Prime had a hole mount on the back for the Sword - you can actually just slide the sword in between his back-plates, you don't need a peg.

Turns out, Dr Wu was thinking ahead: the peg is so that you can also replace the Star Saber that came with the Beast Hunters Voyager Class Optimus Prime and the Tranformers Go Optimus Prime (The Star Saber is not to be confused with that huge cleaver used by the Ultimate Class Beast Hunters Optimus Prime.




The Dr Wu Skybreaker / Star Saber looks pretty good with the Beast Hunters Optimus Prime actually:


But I prefer it with in the hands of the ultra flexible First Edition Optimus Prime:


The Dr Wu Skybreaker / Star Saber is not an easy fit for First Edition Optimus Prime's hands. It's a snug, firm grip. The back of the Dr Wu Skybreaker's packaging actually tells you to read the instructions, well there were no instructions, but it turns out, you can remove the pommel of the sword so that you don't have to force the Skybreaker / Star Saber in, you can just slide it into Prime's hands. 

BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULLL!!!!
With a little cajoling of plastic, the First Edition Optimus Prime can be made to dual-wield the Dr Wu Skybreaker / Star Saber - note the dislocated shoulders:



What's NOT to like about the Dr Wu Skybreaker / Star Saber?

I was wholeheartedly ready to say nothing - it's an unmoving piece of plastic after all - then I got ticked off with the paint-job of Dr Wu's Skybreaker. 

When you store the sword using the holder provided for the Beast Hunters Optimus Prime, be very careful, there's a very good chance that the tight grip of the holder will chip the paint off the Skybreaker. 

This particular Dr Wu Skybreaker / Star Saber was purchased from Greatttoysonline - the store, not the website - for PhP 750 less 10%  - they're on sale (roughly US$ 17.44). Sadly they did not have the other Dr Wu Star Saber in stock. 



2 comments:

  1. Damn... it looks good on the Voyager Prime..
    I didnt see this before in Malaysia.

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  2. Personally I'm still looking for the "lit" version

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