MMC’s Cylindrus is a third party (non-official) representation of Roller, a character created for the IDW comics run of Transformers created by James Roberts. In the original G1 canon, Roller was Optimus Prime’s 6-wheeled scout component, but here he is reinvented as a physically intimidating, independent character who works with Optimus as a police officer pre-war. Furthermore, his living spark was special, designated as a “one-percenter” and capable of much higher than usual strength for a bot his size.
Having vanished during a mission in the early years of the war, many speculated he had resurfaced as the Decepticon Justice Division leader Tarn, due to the similar size of the characters and with both of them showing signs of an addictive personality. Fitting then, that Cylindrus is a retool of MMC’s previously released figure of Tarn, named Kultur, from last year.
Packaged in vehicle mode, the figure is a Cybertronian all-terrain vehicle, a slight departure from the more truck-like design from the comics. Standout features are the clear cockpit toward the front of the vehicle, and the beautiful chromed wheels that dominate the profile. The colour palette is spot-on to the comic version of the character, and he certainly has presence. The figure is quite light however, and there’s a very chunky feel to the plastic. It certainly doesn’t feel as premium as, say, a Fanstoys product, and it certainly functions more like a toy than a collectible. Whether this suits your needs or not is down to your own priorities As a collector.
Transformation is pretty intuitive - it’s been a while since I last handled the Tarn figure, but I managed to get the robot deployed with minimum fuss - the only tricky part was the back-kibble, which takes a bit of figuring out. The instructions don’t help here, so I’d recommend a YouTube video to help you through this stage.
As a robot, Cylindrus cuts a dashing figure. He has fantastic possibility, with the only real hinderence being the parts on his back, but these can be angled to suit most poses. It’s here where the lack of die-cast works to the figure’s advantage - for such a large piece, there’s little you can’t do with him. His prominent feet, with oodles of tilt (and hinged toes) ensure that he’ll stay balanced and look natural too.
The source material usually shows the wheels on his legs to be at the side of his shins, but the toy is clearly built to fold them into his calves. You have the option for either, and I’ve made sure to take pictures below that show both styles. It’s nice to have options!
The headsculpt is perfect, a fine representation of artist Alex Milne’s distinctive style. The juice box, which contains a booster agent he’s somewhat addicted to in the comics, is also present and allows for recreations of his iconic poses - kicking ass and sipping juice! His other accessory, an Optimus style blaster, grants him a suitably beefy weapon to wave around on your shelf.
The paint, where applied, is where the figure feels premium. Most of his larger pieces are plain plastic, but the highlights on the wheels, face and chest are sharp and accurate. He certainly photographs well.
When compared to Kultur, it becomes clear how extensive this retool is. Almost every part is redesigned, with only the forearms really sharing moulded detail. It’s very clear why so many fans thought the two could be the same character given the similarities, all the more impressive when you realise how close both figures are to the source material.
At £90, this is not a cheap addition to your shelf. The lack of die-cast is always going to be an issue for some collectors, but in this case, despite the cheaper feel, I find him more than adequate to round out my More Than Meets the Eye/Lost Light inspired shelf. He poses well with figures like MMC’s own Tyrantron (Megatron) and SXS Hot Flame (Rodimus) which are also very close to Milne’s style.
As both a general bot to fiddle with and a display piece, Clyindrus is recommended.
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