Generations Sergeant Kup
Like his case mate Scourge, Kup is another toy whose original version could be said to be "not very good". The vehicle mode is poor as I've said previously. So rather than rehash the original "Futuristic Cybertron" design which didn't work they've given Generations Kup an actual Earth mode. Kup's name has long been thought to derive from picKUP truck, and his original vehicle mode is supposedly a futuristic pickup truck so a pickup truck is what he becomes. Now while there have been Transformers Pickup's before both Trailbreaker & Hoist are modified Hiluxes with something mounted on their flatbeds, Gears & Swerve are carrying loads and Motormouth et al are small toys. This is the first proper unladen deluxe pickup and straight off the bat it doesn't disappoint because you can open & fold back the tailgate on the back of it. RESULT! The front of the vehicle is a rounded design giving it a fifties feel which suits an old timer like Kup. All the bodywork is moulded in sea green plastic.
He comes with a long grey gun that slots and pegs into the undercarriage of the vehicle to form one of two exhaust pipes but the gun has got a c-clip that allows it to be attached to the vehicle mode. If you're thinking "I can't see any bars protruding from Kup to clip it on to" then you're right. This wave of toys features an innovation in the clip & bar gimmick. Instead of having prominent protruding bars, the bars are recessed into the bodywork giving more streamlined vehicle modes. Kup has two bars on his cab roof for you to clip the gun onto. It's just made for much smaller Transformers, and I think you need to go bellow Legends to the Micromaster level here, to use it as a gunner station. I have no Micromasters to hand but this very morning Lego Admiral Ackbar arrived in the post courtesy of Andy Turnbull so here's Ackbar using Kup's gun to concentrate all fire on the Super Star Destroyer that he deluder believes Generations Scourge to be. It's worth looking closely at the end of the gun. You can use is as a Minicon post so mounting toys like Throttler or Skyblast on the end can make an interesting attachment to the weapon.
Transformation: remove the weapon from either storage or mounting. Pull the front wheels out to the sides and back, then pull the doors and the arms they're attached to out to the sides. Note that the "open" side of the fist faces down. Fold the cab roof and bonnet up and forward. Rotate the front grill down 180 degrees, then fold the bonnet under the cab roof and then the cab roof onto the back of the robot. Pull the head up and rotate forward. Fold the rear of the truck down and then rotate back a further 90 degrees bringing the floor of the flatbed with it. Bend the knees slightly and fold the sides of the back of the cab behind the back of the cab before folding the back of the cab down to form the front of the legs which you divide in two and straighten. The gun goes into the hand or clips on the panel behind his head.
The new Kup robot mode contains design elements from the original robot in the middle of the chest, complete with a clear plastic rim round the neck, but with the car wings on the outside of the chest forming shoulder pads. Sadly the arms aren't fixed in place with in these and have a tenancy to move about when you pose them. The arms have a rotating wrist, inward bending lower elbow joint, upward bending top elbow joint, a bicep joint, a shoulder that bends to the sides and turns and then isn't anchored in the shoulder but rather to a strut connecting it to the waist. The head is ball jointed and is terminally loose & floppy on mine after just one day. It's green, with a silver face plate and blue light piped eyes. No waist, but universal hips, turning thighs and bending knees & ankles. Huge feet give the toy great stability. Again, like Scourge, I've had problems getting Kup to hold his gun due to the step up inside the hand along the fingers to grip the gun properly. Trying to get him to hold Airlift (see bellow for why) was a nightmare and I gave up. The roof of the cab hangs down his back and clip weapons can be attach to the front to arm him. The strut between the roof and the robot body makes a nice set for Lego Ackbar to ride Kup's robot mode into battle!
Yeah the shoulders are annoying and the hands are a pain but other than that this is a great update to the original Kup!
Released January 2011 in the USA, Kup was packed in an original Transformers The Movie themed wave with fellow new toy Scourge. Alas due to the demise of Generations in the UK it looks very unlikely that he'll be sold here.
United Kup
Kup is due to be released in the Transformers United line in Japan during February 2011 as toy numbered UN-17.
A United Targetmaster promotion was run at the turn of the year. Powercore Minicon Airlift was recoloured to act as United Targetmaster Micron Recoil, a new version of 1987 Kup's Targetmaster Recoil.
E-Hobby Kup
E-Hobby Kup is sold in a repack with a clear blue Classics Rodimus and a repainted Wreck-Gar with a new head. Kup swaps green for blue and acquires some painted battle damage. Looks nice!
Repaints
Original Transformers pickups Gears & Swerve plus Generation 2 Gobot (later Spychanger) Motormouth would all come nicely out of this toy.
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