[Transformers] ‘Strafe’ from the Computron giftset feels alien and futuristic at the same time

Strafe is the Technobot with the most unique alternate mode – he becomes a Cybertronic rocket plane with two light-pulse blasters in front. He has no weapons in robot mode, perhaps it’s because he’s already heavily armed in alternate mode. In any case, if you haven’t read up or taken a closer look, you could mistake his twin light-pulse blasters for double cockpits… which I have.

He forms Computron along with the other Technobots, and is an extensive retool of Air Raid. You probably can’t tell, I would wager.

The Computron gift set retails for SGD$199.90 and is available at all good departmental stores. Thanks Hasbro for sending him over!

Alternate Mode

Since Strafe’s alternate mode is not based on an existing real life aircraft, it’s difficult to assess how believable it is. He seems both futuristic and alien at the same time and I can’t quite make up my mind about which he is. On the one hand he’s got all the accoutrements of an Earth plane, so he looks fairly futuristic with the silver and red colour scheme. On the other hand, I can’t wrap my head around the aerodynamics of his twin light-pulse blasters or how they’d function feasibly, so it’s alien.

My camera was slightly on the fritz so the lighting changes from shot to shot – apologies! But overall Strafe still fits in with the whole technology theme that the Technobots have going on. Though if you think about it, don’t all the Transformers count as Technobots?

Robot Mode

In robot mode, Strafe has the visor aesthetic although it’s not quite as fierce or menacing as Lightsteed‘s mug. His backpack kibble looks more integrated than others because of the whole futuristic/alien vibe he has going on – are those really kibble, or do they serve an actual function that we primitive humans know nothing about? I would have liked him to have a gun or some sort of weapon, but seeing as which his primary strength is intelligence, it works.

I like the wing flaps on his legs. It makes him look like he’d excel in hand-to-hand combat since his kicks would be devastating. Also, they form a sort of armament for him in the sense that he’d slash people with his wing flaps. Like Shredder, just with his legs.

Strafe is pretty unique among the Aerialbots and espouses the whole futuristic theme more strongly than any other member. The question is though, how would you explain away the parts that seem to serve a purpose that you don’t know of?

 

Check out my other reviews on Computron!

Computron gift set reviews

[Transformers] ‘Computron’ from the Computron gift set packs more members than most other combiners

[Transformers] ‘Scattershot’ from the Computron gift set looks villainous and futuristic

[Transformers] ‘Afterbreaker’ from the Computron gift set looks like the Bumblebee of the Technobots

[Transformers] ‘Strafe’ from the Computron giftset feels alien and futuristic at the same time

[Transformers] ‘Nosecone’ from the Computron gift set is one rugged Technobot

[Transformers] ‘Lightsteed’ from the Computron gift set is like a red Robocop

[Transformers] ‘Scrounge’ and ‘Cybaxx’ from the Computron gift set fit the alien theme

Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. 

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