Surely you've seen this toy floating around the internet or at a toy show you've attended. Rook has to be one of the most easily attainable official Botcon toys. Why is that you may wonder. According to the official Botcon site, approximately 3,000 Rook toys were made, but the official attendance numbers at Botcon Europe was only 240 people. Who knows how many toys were sold or given away at the actual show, but Hasbro had a surplus of this figure and he would eventually be given away in the U.S. at various functions.
The toy itself isn't that bad. The light gray combined with the blue windows is a nice look. I hate the newly sculpted loop on the front bumper for the included keychain, but at least the chain portion is removable.
A one-time war correspondent during the Great War, Rook was famous for
keeping his cool under fire on the battlefield. Never one to give up
the opportunity to give the populace the truth behind the headlines,
Rook made it his personal mission to report the actual state of affairs,
no matter the cost. He never distinguished between Autobot or
Decepticon each had their own stories to tell, regardless of their
philosophy. Welcomed by Optimus Prime and tolerated by Megatron, Rook
gained the respect of both faction leaders by refusing to back down from
asking the tough questions, even if it meant jeopardizing his life or
career. Rook became infamous during a particularly brutal siege, where
Megatron and his troops were cornered within a abandoned outpost on the
far side of Cybertronian Mithril Sea. He entered the fortress and
convinced Megatron to work out a temporary withdrawal from the region.
The irony of the situation was he had already convinced Optimus Prime of
the very same thing! After a tense stalemate, both sides withdrew from
the war zone and refocused their resources elsewhere during the war.
When peace finally came to Cybertron, Rook realized his negotiation skills
could be put to use with his penchant for reporting. Capitalizing on
his celebrity status from his wartime exploits, Rook is able to get the
real story behind the latest news no matter where, and when, it happens.
Unlike the other two keychain exclusives, Rook didn't come with a trading card style tech specs. He's an interesting character, but in the grand scheme of things a character and toy that is easily and often overlooked or forgotten. Hardcore G1 collectors may want to add Rook to their collection, but for many you are better off saving your twenty bucks for something else.
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