After a long journey, my G1 Overlord is finally complete!

When I started collecting Transformers again back 1 around 1996, I was re-discovering the childhood toys I loved so much. I was getting in on the tail end of Generation 2 and shortly there after the introduction of Beast Wars. Soon after that I would discover eBay around 1998 and all the goodies it held. Around this time is when I started to expand my own knowledge of Transformers, especially the Japanese G1 stuff.

Overlord. He instantly became one of my "holy grails". Like many of the exclusive G1 toys to Japan, their prices on the secondary market were stupid expensive. Well I at least thought that back in the late 90's. In my quest to expand my knowledge and my collection, I was able to pick up many great Japanese G1 toys without having to break the bank. 9 out of 10 that I bought were complete in their original packaging. I knew that with a larger piece like Overlord I may have to settle for something loose and incomplete. It didn't take long before I found a semi-complete loose specimen that I picked up for less than $100! My Shmax.com entry says I paid $89 total for Overlord back on 02/03/2009. He was missing one Godmaster (Giga) and a few of his accessories. I was content though as the figure was in great shape and I was just happy to say I owned a G1 Overlord.

Fast forward to January 2015. Thanks to a eBay seller located in the Netherlands, I made two separate purchases to help take me one step closer to owning a complete G1 Overlord. The first purchase was for Giga. Trying to find one with good chrome and tight joints was challenging, but my patience paid off. My next purchase from the same seller set me back more than what I paid for Overlord, but with these last 3 pieces he is finally complete (sans instructions and box).

I thought about pulling Overlord out of the Detolf case so I could snap a few updated pictures with all of new new accessories, but I just haven't had the time. I still may do this in the near future, but for now I just wanted to share my excitement over completing a quest that started 5 years ago. All in all, I've put $205.00 into completing this piece. I think that aspect makes me almost as excited as the idea of having a complete Overlord. Sometimes patience and being cheap can pay off in the long run!

Transformers Chojin Masterforce: Godmaster Zetoca

During the late 80's Takara decided to release a few Transformers that wouldn't be seen in the West...at least in these particular colors. 1988's Chojin Masterforce series introduced the Godmasters or Powermasters as they are known outside of Japan. Similar to how Takara earlier released the single Headmaster figures, the 3 Autobot Godmaster (Lightfoot, Ranger & Road King) engines were recolored and sold individually. Today these little suckers can be hard to find and very expensive.

 

Lucky me though. Awhile ago I was able to find this figure, Zetoca available for next to nothing. I didn't realize until I had him in my hands that his package was still sealed! I debated whether or not to open the figure, but it didn't last long as I quickly grabbed my razor blade and popped the tape!

  

First off I love the small boxes these Godmaster engines come in. You've got that classic G1 grid on the front of the awesome artwork on the back. The figure is housed inside a small plastic tray that easily slides out of the box. No accessories, catalog or tech spec cards are included, just a small instruction sheet. The sides of the box showcase all 3 of the engines - Aquastar (blue/teal) & Bullet (red/blue).

 

While I prefer the Headmaster or Targetmaster figures more, the Godmaster/Powermaster figures are still relatively good. Zetoca has a nice shade of blue for his torso while his limbs are black. The only paint apps on the small figure is the red on his face. His engine block has been chromed in gold. I was surprised to see a very small amount of rust on this screw in the engine seeing how he's been sealed since 1988. Oh well.

  

Zetoca is simply a repaint of Lightfoot/Getaway's partner, Rev. I can't decide at this point which color pallet is my favorite as both look really nice. I think I prefer the chrome color better on Rev however.

I've always thought that Takara released the individual Headmasters and these Godmaster engines as replacements as most kids are prone to loosing small parts. Since these small figures are so integral to their larger partners it makes sense that these would have been viewed as replacements. Whatever the reason behind their release these guys are only for the passionate collectors.  I'm very happy to have finally been able to add at least one of these to my collection, but I don't see myself acquiring the other two unless lightning strikes twice for me.