I remember thinking the Pretenders were interesting, at least, when they first came out. It was something different, you know? Something they hadn't done yet. Back in 1988, even if they didn't strike your fancy, there were plenty of other great Transformers toys—Powermasters and Headmasters and Triggerbots and Seacons and such.

By the time 1989 rolled around, though, it was clear that Hasbro had leaned HARD into the Pretenders concept. In addition to the existing 1988 product, now there were Classic Pretenders and Monster Pretenders and Mega Pretenders and Ultra Pretenders. By this point, if you didn't like the concept, you were kind of out of luck.

But, at least they were adding new gimmicks into the mix, like Pretender shells that could transform into vehicles or Pretenders who could combine together. Something that had struck me as being far less interesting as a kid were the regular ol' Pretender Figures. Probably as a cost-cutting move, the standard Pretenders were smaller than ever before. I remember large-sized ones like Cloudburst retailing for around $12.99, but the small Pretender figures of 1989 were closer to $7.99. I remember taking a look at them at Toys "R" Us or Kmart and never being interested enough in them to spend money on them. Bigger toys like Skyhammer or Crossblades were objectively cooler, and they could do more.

Now, of course, those six toys are some of the most expensive American G1 toys on the secondary market. It's funny how things go sometimes.

So, we're here to talk about Stranglehold today. His robot mode is a little more than 2.5" in height, so he's way smaller than any of the 1988 Pretenders. He's a bright schoolbus yellow with kelly green rhino legs mounted to his robot legs, and green robot arms and face (same green color as Bludgeon's inner robot parts). He definitely doesn't look like a Decepticon. These colors are much too cheerful! None of the small Pretender figures from this year had stickers, factory-applied or otherwise, so he doesn't have any Decepticon symbols. His legs can bend individually at the knee, and his arms swivel, but aside from that, he's a statue. He carries a little yellow concussion blaster.

His transformation is super simple. The rhino head is on his back, so that covers the robot head, while the robot legs fold at the knees. All the small Pretenders from this year have these additional accessories that help to complete their transformed modes. Stranglehold's is arguably the least vital, as it just serves as a backpack for his rhino mode. It adds a bit of bulk and provides him with a little tail, but it's not as important as the tank barrel for Bludgeon or the creature legs for Octopunch (which are all the same purple color, so probably all gang-molded together). The little yellow concussion blaster can mount to the top of his rhino backpack.

Rhinoceros mode is about 2.5" in length (what he gains after using the rhino head, he loses when his robot legs get tucked away). He's the same schoolbus yellow color with green legs and black-painted rhino eyes. His color scheme reminds me a little of the Micromaster named Big Hauler. Each of the rhino legs can swivel, but he's still a pretty simple toy.

The Pretender shell, meanwhile, is styled like a muscular, mustachioed human, wearing brown boots, a red bandolier across his chest, and a maroon helmet and shoulder pads. His design is asymmetrical, with his left arm completely covered in armor but his right arm mostly exposed. Aside from Pretender Starscream, this is the only Decepticon Pretender who is overtly human in appearance. Could it have been a mistake? Some think he got swapped with Longtooth during the planning stages, since he's the only Autobot Pretender who is a monster instead of a human. We'll likely never know for sure.

The Pretender shell is only about 5.5" tall, making him tiny compared to the standard Pretenders of 1988 (I've got Sky High on the computer desk, and Stranglehold only comes up to his shoulders). Where the first-year Pretenders all had spindly legs, so their robot legs actually fit inside the legs of the outer shells, they gave up on this idea by 1989. The outer shell carries a brawn blaster, a rubbery, eggshell white plastic rifle (also gang-molded with Bludgeon and Octopunch's weapons). Stranglehold notably carried a chain mace in Marvel Comics, so his media depiction clashed with the way the Hasbro toy was actually equipped.

Stranglehold fits into the shell by tucking his robot legs in halfway and then arranging the little rhino legs as compactly as possible. The other shell can't make use of the small concussion blaster because the peg-handle is too small, but you can plug the little gun into a hole on the inside of the Pretender shell's leg to keep it safe. The purple backpack doesn't fit inside the shell, but the Pretender shell can wear it as armor on his left arm. The 1989 Pretenders don't have belts like the 1988 toys do, so Stranglehold's helmet is the only thing helping to keep his front and back halves together.

I assume that, as the toy line was winding down, Transformers from 1989 were produced in much smaller quantities than during the heyday of the series in 1985-86. Any individual piece of Stranglehold (helmet, backpack, either gun) tends to sell for around $50, and it's not uncommon for a complete unit in good shape to sell for $200 or more. Suddenly makes collecting neo-G1 seem affordable by comparison, doesn't it?

Zob (I think I have a tiny chain mace around here somewhere I can give to Stranglehold, if I can remember where I put it...)