General Information: Images:
Official images from Hasbrotoyshop.com
Vehicle Mode: Since this is meant to be more of a science fiction tank than a real life one, there is a mix of elements that are seen on real tanks while others are more fantasy oriented. One of the things that impresses me about this sculpt is the consistent use of sections raised in different directions. Towaqrds the front for instance there are vent-like panels raised at a slight angle near the front of the tank turret. Towards the back are angled sections with circles sculpted into them representing rivets. Running along the sides are shapes including triangles and circles providing detail above the highly detailed looking treads which look almost like a series of gears inside an old style clock. Other cool details include turret windows in the front, tubes on the side sof the turret and tube shaped lights in the front of each tread section. Take a look at the front end of the vehicle on the right side and you'll see a small crater sculpted into the front, meaning someone managed to actually damage Hulk's armor! I like how this is an asymmetrical design. His turret is designed with a sci-fi looking cannon that resembles a flattened diamond, not a shape you see in real life (that I know of). It's a great looking sculpt and I love the detail and sense of power it conveys. Hulk's tank is cast in colors meant to evoke his classic appearances. The first and primary color is of course green, which also works with the military theme of the vehicle. His treads and part of the vehicle's back end are cast in a shade of gunmetal, giving him a nice, metallic look. Paint applications have been done in silver, black and gold. The gold and black are used for detailing on the figure including the raised vent sections on the turret and the turret windows. Smaller silver and black details line the edge of the figure as well. The gold is also boldly used on the sides of the treads. Overall it's nice paint job and I was surprised to see many of the tinier sculpted details painted. Aside from rolling on four small wheels on the bottom of the treads, there is no functionality here to speak of. The turret doesn't turn due to the design of the transformation. This is a bit of a bummer, but it is still a cool vehicle to imagine the green behemoth piloting. Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
Robot Mode: Many of Hulk's parts are designed with a purely robotic being in midn. His arms are mostly made up of sections formed from the treads, so it's natural they'll look mechanical. His aist and legs for the most part are very robotic looking elements with little connection to the organic being inside (other than their sheer bulk). There are however some details which definitely take influence from The Hulk himself:
These design touches not only help connect the Hulk mech to its pilot but it also is amusing to think about a mech that has toes complete with "toe nails" and a section of faux "hair" on top. I think the robot mode looks fantastic. The same colors from the vehicle mode carry over here, but this time they're much more mixed up. His chest, arms, lower legs and head are mostly green, but other sections in between such as his waist and fingers are gunmetal. In between all those details are painted areas including gold on the head and legs as well as the arms thanks to carry over details from the treads. He even has some gold and black details on his chest in the form of a curved cover around some vents. The "hair" on the mech's head is painted black while its eyes and teeth are white. The brow that his "hair" drapes over is painted silver. This paint deco is quite intricate and I love how much the paint details help to bring out the sculpted details in several areas. Very well done. The Hulk mech has an impressive twenty six points of articulation. This includes seven points of articulation in each arm and five in each leg. Most impressive is that this articulation even includes joints on his hands for the thumb and fingers. Normally I count articulation as joints that can be positioned in a particular pose, however in this case there are some extra points of movement that don't quite fit this category. As if to emphasize the Hulk's own brute methods, the Hulk mech is designed with the ability to turn at the waist, but with a mechanism that allows the joint to turn back quickly and automatically. Once upon a time this was done with pieces of rubberin the figure, I'm not quite ready to dissect my figure to find out what's inside but it works brilliantly. A similar type of joint is on the shoulder joint, allowing you to simulate a punching/swing motion. It's a really fun feature and I dig it. It's super unusual for a Transformer to have something like this so I loved seeing it here.
Final Thoughts:
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When Doctor Bruce Banner was accidentally exposed to a high concentration of Gamma Rays, his life was forever altered. Whenever he becomes enraged, he changes into the fierce being known as The Hulk, one of the most powerful heroes in the Avengers line up. This made him a natural choice to become one of the earliest Marvel Crossovers figures to be released in 2008.
