Quickstrike Hellbilly Deluxe Transformers Age of the Primes Deluxe Class Item No.: Asst. G0474 No. G2007 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: n/a Action Feature: Converts from robot to Cobra Scorpion Retail: $27.99 Availability: December 2025 Other: Fuzors Improvement
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Thanks to all of you monsters having no respect, the original Kenner toy [FOTD #102] on which Age of the Primes Quickstrike was a based (and friends) were all shunted to massive Toys "R" Us clearance bins. I know this, because I bought the entire set at half price (or less) in 1998-1999 because I like cheap stuff. Being featured on the Beast Wars cartoon, both Silverbolt and Quickstrike were usually in shorter supply in the same way Injector was not. The whole idea was "What if Wuzzles, but also robots?" resulting in mash-ups from the genuinely impressive to the also-ran of the decade. Quickstrike was a scorpion with a cobra head on his tail in vaguely southwestern colors. It was a great concept, one that only disappointed by the two heads not squabbling on the cartoon.

The original toy was around $5.99 (or $2.97, or $0.67 depending on if you had those McDonald's $5 off Kenner coupons) and was a tiny bit smaller with generally similar articulation and fewer parts. Adjusted for inflation, he'd be around $10-$11 and the all-new bigger one is $28. The new one is unquestionably better, but it is one of those toys that was pretty modern - if small - 28 years ago and by roughly tripling the price, it makes me wonder if we might've been just as well to have a slightly simpler toy at a lower price.

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The robot mode is both very much the same and hugely improved. Aside from the figure no longer being transparent, you'll find slightly more paint and articulation plus a Predacon logo on a tiny green dot on his chest. The face has painted red eyes, some green on his mouth, and more detail in general. The original toy is good, but a little simple. Mainframe's animators would be proud, even though it's a very similar design. Additional paint around the knees adds some depth, and the non-clear bits do a great job actually howing all the work that went into the sculpt. There are scales, there are bugly bits, you can even see some nice teeth on the arm's cobra head. That's great! The arm made of legs is still a little silly - you can see it as a trap or a grasping thing, but it's always been a little inelegant. Everything Takara-Tomy and Hasbro did here was to get it closer and closer to the TV design, and I think collectors are going to be generally happy with this one. I especially appreciate that the scorpion head (butt cover) has been reengineered to be less likely to just fall off during play.

I have a hard time finding any specific element I would have done differently, though. Hasbro wanted to make the best possible Quickstrike, and charged us accordingly. The bigger size helped a lot, and the extra dollars gave us what I hope will be a sturdier toy figure that will go on our shelves and not enjoy backyard fights.

Transformation is different! There are a lot more tabs and slots, with bulky bits near the back that fold open and more complicated puzzle fits around the legs. Having said that, the tail is still the right arm, the legs are still the left arm, and the pincers are still the feet. You're going to figure this one out.

The opaque, golden plastic shows off detail much better than a clear yellow. The new toy is covered in cool bumps and various spiny things with the kind of carapace detail you'd like to see on a good Zerg toy. The jagged pincher claws have 5mm ports inside . There are more - there's one on the creatures back and another between his legs, neither of which serve much purpose in this mode. The metallic green paint is just gorgeous and is a perfect nod to 1990s CG coloring, and you can find it in some more places too. Check out around the elbows, and of course on the head and back of the cobra. I especially like that the new snake chin is a different color.

As a toy it's more fun than the average beast (or vehicle) with a multi-segmented tail, complete with opening jaw, plus jointed pincer arms. The legs aren't good for much, and the head is locked into place. While it might not sound thrilling on paper, let me assure you it's a lot more fun than a brick on wheels.

At one per case, this is one of two characters in the wave to have a bit more weight on TV - and I barely give the love to Blast Off as a character. I assume this guy is going to hang around a tiny bit just because Beast Wars doesn't get the adulation of 1984-1986 characters. Hasbro did a great job and $30ish isn't nothing, but it's a very nice toy for the price and his first new toy in nearly three decades. There was a tribute to him in 2011, but that's not quite the same thing. If you have a decent Beast Wars collection, you can complete the duology of modern updates with this guy - and be cranky we'll probably never get a new Terragator, Torca, or Sky Shadow. I know the focus is going to emphasize TV stars, and all parties involved rose to the occasion to deliver a very good Quickstrike.

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