Metroplex

City/Battle Station and arguably the most powerful warrior in the Autobot's ranks. Metroplex possesses incredible strength, a wide assortment of devastating artillery, and almost impregnable armor--few, friend or foe, are his equal. However, despite all of his considerable capabilities, Metroplex seldom participates in skirmishes because of the more important support functions he performs for his fellow Autobots while in City Mode--only during their most dire need does Metroplex assume his gargantuan robot form and join the fray. While he accepts this situation, it can also prove frustrating, as he is a true patriot who never feels he's done enough for the Autobot cause. One could consider him a sword that seldom leaves its sheath, but when it does, cuts a swath of destruction unlike anything else.

In addition to his robot form, Metroplex can transform into a mobile battle station and a small city. In Battle Station Mode, Metroplex becomes a massive, nigh-unstoppable, rolling weapons battery capable of obliterating an entire battalion of Decepticons with ease. In City Mode, the form he spends the vast majority of his time configured into, Metroplex loses mobility and much of his offensive capabilities, but houses numerous repair bays, communication facilities, and a helicopter landing pad, amongst other things.

Metroplex also commands three smaller components of himself that can act independently: Slammer, a tank than can transform into one of Metroplex's towers in City Mode, Scamper a robot that can transform into a car and back, and Six-Gun, a robot formed from Metroplex's arsenal of weapons. Metroplex generally uses this trio as scouts and/or supplemental firepower, especially when he is in his much more vulnerable City Mode.

My Metroplex figure doesn't transform. While I've made Transformers that are changeable in the past, I came to the conclusion that Metroplex would probably take three times as long to construct, if not longer, if I did so, more time than I wished to devote to this project. I also chose not to make Slammer, Scamper, or Six-Gun. For his size, I completed Metroplex in a ridiculously short period of time--four days for the robot himself, and an additional day-and-a-half for weapons, decals, touch-up, etc. To date, he is the largest figure I've sculpted/fabricated. I've broken guns off of him accidentally a number of times, and our cats almost completely destroyed him once after knocking him off of my PC monitor and onto the floor, but, unlike the proverbial Humpty Dumpty, he always goes back together again relatively easily with the application of some more glue.

Materials:
Cardboard, Autobot insignia from a Transformers toy package, white paper, colored paper, newsprint, beads, white glue, hot glue, super glue, aluminum foil, ink, marker, latex paint, and oil paint.

Dimensions:
44.0 cm/17.3 in. x 37.0 cm/14.6 in.(highest point x widest point)

Time:
I didn't write down the exact dates, but I do know that the total construction time was five-and-a-half days. This figure's creation occurred before I started keeping thorough records of my work (which means it was made sometime prior to May 30, 2004).

For comparison purposes, below are some images of Metroplex (more information on mouse-over).

•   Transformers Universe #2
  Marvel Comics, 1987.


•   Metroplex toy's transformation instructions, figure catalog, and "Tech Specs".


•   TFU.info Metroplex entry


•   Google and eBay Metroplex image searches.

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