Combiner Wars deluxe Dead End is a classic member of the Stunticons, the depressed Nihilist that takes pleasure in keeping his sports car vehicle mode looking its finest. While the G1 version of Dead End turned into a Porsche 928, this new figure shares a body with Brake-Neck making this alt mode a modern Ferrari 458/360. Dead End may have been released first, but he knows that Brake-Neck was the original user of this body, and is depressed about that, despite this one looking really nice. As that’s the case, the majority of the details between this review and Brake-Neck will be the same. Read on for the full review and photos.
Packaged: Dead End comes with a copy of The Transformers comic book from IDW, it’s a reprint of Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2013) issue #16, which doesn’t feature any Stunticons whatsoever, naturally; the issue is referred to in publishing details inside as “The Transformers: Combiner Wars #8″. Guess who else comes with an issue of RID #16 referred to as Combiner Wars #8, despite different cover and back cover contents? Of course it’s Brake-Neck, how typical that the universe would pull that sort of stunt. Despite sharing comic book contents, the cover art is unique to Dead End, the back cover has his in-universe character evaluation and biography, and inside that rear cover is the design desk genesis of this figure.
Vehicle Mode: While the same exact exciting mold as Brake-Neck, the paint makes a huge difference on Dead End. The vastly different Porsche vehicle mode might be absent, but this deco looks fantastic on Dead End: the metallic maroon plastic shines nicely, the silver on the wheels and headlights is brighter than Brake-Neck and pops out just right. The copper racing stripe, and gray grill and side detailing are also standout details. Perhaps the most important detail that Dead End has over Brake-Neck is a painted rear window. The look is outstanding overall, if I had a complaint it would be the Decepticon faction logo aligned with the hood line instead of straight on, but this helps differentiate him from Brake-Neck.
Dead End and Brake-Neck share accessories as well. Both plug onto vehicle mode satisfyingly, but it’s Dead End who gets credit for the hand/foot accessory turning into the double cannon from G1 Dead End’s vehicle mode.
Robot Mode: Transformation and articulation are identical to Brake-Neck, of course. My copy is a little less tight in the transformation joints on the legs, but once it’s all together it holds nicely.
Dead End may not be happy with his own existence, but this figure looks pretty snazzy, dark yet colorful — here again we have Dead End enjoying the superior deco scheme. The head sculpt eschews the G1 toy, instead going after the cartoon likeness, but bit more squat giving it a simian appearance from some angles. My copy has a little glue haze on the left side of his visor, but it actually doesn’t look too bad that way.
The accessories are the same as Brake-Neck’s, the exhaust pipe club and the hand/foot weapon. The hand/foot gun can’t be held under the arm, but can be mounted to the side of the shoulder.
Limb Modes: Dead End traditionally becomes Menasor’s left arm, and pairs nicely as such here with the clashing colors of each limb representing the disharmony of Menasor. My sample had the wrist strut assembled backwards, damaging the snap-on peg because the universe is a cold place full of misery, but reversing it back to the intended orientation lets it hold in place well enough, even if there aren’t stays at the end of the peg.
Leg mode looks like a car with a foot on the bottom, just like Brake-Neck.
Overall: Dead End may not get his own mold, but he has enough differences to really feel like a vital figure in the team. Vehicle mode looks quite nice, but I like both vehicle and robot modes equally in this case. As a Menasor limb he’s got the colors that help define Menasor as the sum of diverse parts, while remaining dark and Decepticon in tone.
Review sample purchased independently from Amazon 3rd-party seller