Retrax Beast Wars Reissue Action Figure Review
This Predacon pill bug is ready to roll over the Maximals!
Released originally in 1997, this bright green pillbug came loaded with spring-loaded action features. In 2022 Retrax was reissued in a box with incredible original artwork, his statistics card and a cool rocky blister bubble. We also got to see that rocky blister bubble used on Rattrap‘s box.
We never got to see Retrax in the cartoon series, but we do get a little information on the back of the box, as well as in the comic book series, Transformers Beast Wars The Gathering and The Ascending. In The Ascending Retrax makes it clear he doesn’t like feeling exposed.
Burrowing deep into desert sand dunes, Retrax survives in a series of cool, cavernous tunnels lined with the remains of his fallen enemies. His greatest defense is his ability to curl into a ball and escape danger by racing across the desert like a turbo-charged tire screaming down a mountain. Or, when attacking, he can roll over a similar-sized enemy and crush their body upon impact, then use his powerful front pinchers to dissect them in seconds.
Transforming into robot mode, all those action-features still work for Retrax, but the figure is extremely top heavy and the legs don’t support the weight well. The figure’s arms are built into the shell so movement is limited.
Compared to the original release, the Retrax reissue comes with two slight changes. Most notably, the middle legs of the pillbug have been omitted, even though the plastic pegs are there to hold them. Secondly, the antennae curve back instead of forward.
As a fan of the insect characters, I think Retrax and Scorponok look fantastic side-by-side. It’s a shame I can’t add Waspinator, Tarantulas or Inferno to the Beast Wars reissue collection yet.
