MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Ransack (ROTF)

2010-02-24T21:16:46Z

Illeist: Added caption

{{factions|decepticonfilm}}
{{disambig3|Ransack}}
:''Ransack is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen franchise]] portion of the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Titan2_Ransacktransforms.jpg|right|300px|thumb|That magnificent 'con being a flying machine.]]

Early in the development of flight technology on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], countless ages ago, '''Ransack''' was a pioneer. One of the first flying aces, his ruthlessness was feared by all. These days, though, he's old and outdated.

{{bigquote|I'm a Seeker. Far, far older than either of you... a whole other, superior order of Cybertronian lifeform! Have some respect!|An angry Ransack berates [[Mudflap (ROTF)|the]] [[Skids (ROTF)|twins]]|[[Transformers Comic issue 2.2]]}}
{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Titan Magazines===
[[Image:Titan2_Ransackversusdirt.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Take that, dignity!]]
One of [[the Fallen]]'s agents on Earth, Ransack hadn't heard directly from the Fallen in a long time. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.7|Turnabout}} In his time on Earth, he had discovered the [[Tomb of the Primes]], location of the lost [[Matrix of Leadership]]... but, recognising no other commander besides the Fallen, he stayed on Earth for ''decades'' and wouldn't give the information to anyone but his master. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.8|Back-to-Back}} He also shows some knowledge of [[Jetfire (ROTF)|someone who switched sides]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.7|Turnabout}}

He eventually received an order from his master via [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]: murder [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] before they could warn the other Autobots of the Decepticon's upcoming plans. First bombing the interstate they were driving on, he went on to pursue them into the countryside, soon strafing them in an open field. A proud [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seeker]] and servant of his lord, he got a bit pissed at these young whippersnappers dissing his alternate mode and was likely ''more'' pissed off when they temporarily disabled him with dirt.

Recovering quickly, and helped by their lack of energon, he soon had them ran to ground and was about to execute them. At that moment, [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] arrived and sent him running. Ransack warned that in the long run, ''he'd'' be the winner... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.2|Dogfight!}}

[[Image:Titan7_Ransacktowed.jpg|right|250px|thumb|WH-FFLGH: Part 2]]

Later, Soundwave would try to get the location of the Tomb from the Seeker. Ransack, not trusting him, refused to give the information to someone who wasn't the Fallen. The twins, at this point pretending to have defected, hunted him down for Soundwave, and Ransack was glad for the chance to finish them off. Skids ended the fight quickly by lying they had been sent by the Fallen to bring him back in, with Mudflap adding the Fallen was incapacitated; having not heard from his master in a long time and wanting to come in from the cold, Ransack was easily conned into standing down.

Unfortunately for him, that's when [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] attacked, blowing his wings out and taking him prisoner! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.7|Turnabout}}

[[Image:Titan8_Ransackteeth.jpg|left|200px|thumb|You haff no vays of making him talk.]]

Dragged to the Decepticon base on Phobos, [[Mars]], Ransack found himself questioned by Soundwave, i.e. punched in the effing face and yelled at to talk. He still refused to speak, and instead began to insult Soundwave for being a mere cog in the Fallen's machine, unable to grasp the true plan; [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] quickly stepped in to stop the angry officer from killing the Seeker, noting it wouldn't go well if the Fallen found out they'd killed one of his Seekers. Ransack was just left amused by the squabbling and Starscream's threats of 'loosening' him up. He knew from their actions that the Fallen was genuinely incapacitated and that, because of this, the Decepticons thought they had freedom of action and were pursuing their own agenda. This freedom was an illusion, and they'd learn that soon enough...

[[Image:Titan2-8_ransack_intheback.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]

His chance came when Skids and Mudflap attacked the Phobos base. The instant Starscream was distracted, Ransack shot him in the back and fled into space. He roared that he was going to inform the Fallen of just what the Decepticons had been up to... there'd be nowhere for them to hide after that! Soundwave and Starscream hurriedly chased after him, desperate to make sure he wouldn't be able to talk.

Since the two errent generals were still working for the Fallen and the Tomb was undiscovered [[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|later on]], I guess they ''did'' make sure he didn't talk...! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.8|Back-to-Back}}

{{-}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen'' novelization===
When [[Jetfire (ROTF)|Jetfire]] transported [[Sam Witwicky]]'s group through a [[Space bridge|transspacial portal]] to Egypt, the energy discharge caught the attention of Ransack, who followed them through his own portal. Ransack flew towards the group until his engine sputtered out and he crashed in front of Jetfire. Ransack then transformed and started to pick a fight with Jetfire, calling him a yellow-bellied traitor. Taking the "yellow" comment the wrong way, [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] wanted to intervene, but Sam convinced him that the dispute was between the two of them and they shouldn't get involved.

Declaring that they were going to settle things right there and then, Ransack took a shot at Jetfire...which bounced off him, causing no damage. Jetfire abruptly ended the conflict by stomping Ransack to [[death]].

Jetfire later identified himself and Ransack as [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seeker]]s. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (novel)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

==Toys==
===Revenge of the Fallen===
====Scout Class Toys====
[[Image:ROTFtoy-RansackScout.jpg|right|thumb|300px|So Hasbro said to themselves, "We can make just about anything for the movie line and people'll buy it? Well, let's go for friggin' broke."]]
*'''Ransack''' (Scout Class, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RD-09'''

: Ransack is part of the second wave of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Scout Class figures. He transforms into a German [[:wikipedia:Albatros D.III|Albatros D.III]] biplane. This means he's really awesome. He has a non-firing weapon on each arm and totally metal details around the very large Decepticon [[insignia]]s on his wings. His official battle mode may be designed to give him mechanically-aided robot-mode [[flight]] capabilities.

:The ball joints on his shoulders are especially loose, and the pegs that hold his hands in place in vehicle mode (as well as the joints in his elbows) are much stronger. As such, his arms are going to pop off about 90% of the time while converting the figure.

:His weapons are swapped on his [[package art|card art]]. Ransack's mold was also used to make [[Divebomb (Movie)|Divebomb]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/Ransack/ransack.htm More information on Ransack at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:ROTF Ransack BattleMode.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Battle mode.]]
* Ransack was apparently going to be in the [[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|movie]] at one point. [[Ben Procter]] designed his robot mode. Instead of a biplane, Ransack was supposed to transform into a [[Ford Model T Seeker|Ford Model T]].<ref name="procter">[http://conceptartworld.com/?p=2772 Ben Procter's concept designs for ROTF]</ref> Later, on the Special Features of the Revenge of the Fallen's DVD release, a scale chart was visible that showed Ransack as one of the Decepticons for the film, this time in his biplane design. His height was listed as 12'.

* Ransack's ''[[Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' [[Ransack (G2)|counterpart]] also has a propeller-driven airplane [[alternate mode]], though it's a single-wing fighter. The name Ransack has thus been used for both the only WWI era and WWII era Transformer planes.

* Ransack is not named in the novelization, but he is described as an elderly biplane with Decepticon insignias on his wings.

* In his second and third Titan appearance, he was coloured green and black in robot mode... and then gained his toy colours in plane mode?

* While his [[bio]] doesn't say he's a [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seeker]], both the novelization and Titan Magazines have made him one. Also, in the movie, a picture [[Agent Simmons]] produces of a presumed Seeker contains a biplane.

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Elderly Transformers]]
[[Category: Revenge of the Fallen characters]]
[[Category:Seekers]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]

Gold Plastic Syndrome

2009-10-04T03:43:26Z

Illeist: /* Beast Wars */ Changed Grimlock photo caption.

[[Image:Electrogoldplasticsyndrome.jpg|right|450px|thumb|Ouch.]]
'''Gold Plastic Syndrome''' (commonly shorthanded to '''GPS''') is fandom terminology used to describe the phenomenon of a toy's [[plastic]] decomposing and becoming brittle to the point of shattering or crumbling under minimal-stress conditions. In the most extreme cases, toys have been reported to spontaneously crumble to small bits without any applied force at all, even if they're fresh out of their [[Mint in sealed box|unopened package]].

This breakage is different from the relatively more common stress-fracture type of plastic breakage that can occur in some [[Toy|Transformers toys]]. The condition takes its name from the gold plastics of late Generation 1 through to ''Beast Wars'', that have proved the most prone to this sort of breakage. However, despite the name, gold plastic syndrome has been known to affect other types of plastic—most of them noted for a pretty metallic swirl in the plastic.

==Notability==
GPS is widespread among toys made in the tail-end of [[Generation 1]], typically the second year of [[Pretender|Pretenders]] and even some European-market exclusives, but examples have surfaced from lines as recent as ''[[Generation 2]]'' and the ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' series. Transformers toys are not the only ones to suffer from this; there have been reports of ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Visionaries]]'' toys' gold plastics also crumbling seemingly of their own accord.

The toys most likely to suffer from Gold Plastic Syndrome are those with gold or bronze plastics with a metallic swirl in the plastic. There are other known cases with different colours of plastic—though usually there is a tell-tale swirl.

==Cause of GPS==
Because this is not exactly an area of scientific notability there aren't any causal studies into Gold Plastic Syndrome that we know about. Basically, what we have is a theory that goes something like: Certain plastics weren't mixed as well as others, possibly because of the metallic pigment or colouring, so they break down more quickly.

It's not much of a theory, really. Here's a more detailed attempt:

{{bigquote|The problem likely arises, as with many composites, when the bonding between the polymer and the dye/particles breaks down. This could occur do to a natural chemical/phase change of the plastic, due to oxidation, for example, or by another mechanism, say the forces incurred by the toy being played with, or more likely, due to some combination thereof. In any case, when the bonds between the particles and the polymers break down, you would get small voids in the plastic structure. If this occurs frequently enough, the structure would become effectively porous (that is, it would be filled with lots of tiny voids/cracks where the polymers and particles have come apart). With even a slight amount of force, some of these cracks/voids could expand, even slightly, to the point where they intersect another void and join, making an even bigger crack. Once a critical crack length is reached, the sample fractures.

So effectively, the plastic becomes more brittle, and this would also explain it "crumbling" as well as cracking.}}
:-Aernaroth suggests a cause for GPS [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=57191&view=findpost&p=1174876 on the Allspark]

So what it amounts to is: "The plastic crumbles a'cause it ain't very good."

Hasbro have attributed it to "the amount of gold fleck included in the plastic", and have apparently reduced the amount in similar plastics of more recent vintage to prevent further occurrences.<ref name="hasbrogps">[http://www.transformerland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3481 Hasbro Transformersland.com Q&A, August 2009:] "When we used gold metallic plastic in the past we discovered, along with many of you, that it becomes brittle over time. As we became aware of this situation, we took the necessary steps to reduce the amount of gold fleck included in the plastic to eliminate this issue. Ultimately, this should no longer be an issue due to these corrective steps that we have taken."</ref>

All in all, the actual causes of Gold Plastic Syndrome aren't a very big deal to Transformers fans—it's really pretty academic. Of more concern is the RESULTS (IE, crumbling like a soggy Tim Tam in a cup of coffee), and what to look out for. There's no cure here, no fix. If a toy has GPS it will die.

==The Symptoms==
Gold Plastic Syndrome usually has a few clear signs. Knowing how to tell the difference between Gold Plastic Syndrome and normal plastic breakage is very important for a Transformers fan who is collecting vintage toys. It's the difference between giving up on that toy completely (since if it has GPS so will any other sample of the toy) and buying a new copy.
[[Image:GPSSkyquakescopeclose.jpg|thumb|Nooo!]]
*GPS usually takes place in metallic coloured plastics, most notably gold plastic and bronze plastic.
*GPS breaks are NOT accompanied by stress fractures. There is usually NOT any visible wear before the breakage. This is really important. Plastic breaks. This is a reality of toy collecting, plastic gets old and it breaks. Gold plastic syndrome is breakage without warning.
*GPS breaks often leave a powdery residue and shards of plastic (though not always), the result of the plastic actually physically crumbling. Take a look at the picture of Skyquake's scope... okay, the bits of his scope... to the right. You can actually see some of the left-over shards of plastic. Keep in mind this picture was taken years after the break actually occurred—these are new shards of plastic which came off these pieces of scope during the process of moving the parts around for photography. Plastic should '''not''' be that brittle or delicate.
*GPS breakages don't need to involve any excess stress or force on a toy—simply handling a toy can cause the breakage. Looking at it funny, sometimes does it. Spitting on it, maybe. Opening its box. ''Anything.'' If your toy breaks despite careful handling it's more likely to be GPS.
[[Image:SkyquakeGPSback.jpg|thumb|Gleargh]]
*GPS breaks often have rough, uneven edges with no stress lines around them. This is important—usually when plastic snaps it snaps cleanly (as is common with clear plastic), or it bends first (leaving a torn-off piece, or clear stresses around the break). If a break is uneven, with different colours and textures in it, yet there are no stress fractures around the wound, and especially if it leaves a powdery residue as well, it's almost certainly a GPS beak. Take a look at the photo of Skyquake to the right for a good example of the ragged break. Okay... not good. What's the other word that's LIKE good, but not actually good? Oh yeah. Horrifying. A HORRIFYING example.
*GPS plastics will sometimes feel brittle to the touch, sometimes making cracking noises as they're handled.

A really easy test to tell if you have GPS breakage is this—if a piece breaks off, try snapping it again. If it's normal plastic breakage the broken piece should bend or bow instead of just snapping like dry wood; there should be some give in the plastic, even if it's a brittle clear plastic—so you should be able to glue it back into place, or at least get a replacement part. On the other hand, if the broken piece snaps like your grandmother's ankles in a rugby match, then you've almost definitely got Gold Plastic Syndrome.

==GPS misconceptions==
[[Image:Brownplasticsyndrome.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The one image for the wiki you don't want to be able to make.]]
'''ALL GOLD PLASTIC WILL DIE!'''
:Not true. It's gold plastic from certain eras that will die. It's plastic from about 1989 (second year Pretenders are notorious for it) and through to about the end of ''Beast Wars''. As far as we know later toys do not suffer from GPS, due to a reduction in the amount of metallic flakes in similar, but more recent toys<ref name="hasbrogps" />. ''As far as we know.'' But just you wait... oh yes, just you wait.

:Even on toys well known for GPS some of their gold plastic is less prone to break. Gold plastic which is nice and thick is much less likely to snap than gold plastic which is thin. Gold plastic which is under constant stress—like that at a joint—is also more likely to break. That said, some really nice solid parts can shatter like eggshell if it's real GPS we're talkin' about.

'''MY TOY BROKE, IT MUST BE GOLD PLASTIC SYNDROME'''
:There are plenty of ways for plastic to break that aren't related to gold plastic syndrome. Repeated stress on a plastic, dropping a toy, a toy with metal parts that damages the plastic parts, thin plastic, or simply the use of transluscent plastic, which is more brittle. Just because a toy breaks doesn't mean it's gold plastic syndrome. Look for the symptoms (listed above) and ask around before assuming that every single copy of this toy is destined to die a painful and horrible death.

'''ONLY GOLD PLASTIC GETS GOLD PLASTIC SYNDROME'''
:Sadly untrue. This sort of plastic breakdown has been reported in other plastics. Notably in the brown plastic (which doesn't even have a metallic sheen!) of Transmetal ''Beast Wars'' Megatron. Just take a look at the horror show to the right. SOMEONE'S TOY HAD TO DIE FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THIS WARNING.

:Most of the time it's plastics with a metallic swirl in them that break—bronze and gold are just ''the most common''. However, any colour of plastic could be susceptible, given time. Keep an eye on your Fire Convoy, kids, that pretty metallic swirl in his plastic isn't promising.

'''MY TOY IS DOOMED!'''
:Okay... not exactly a misconception. Your toy is, in fact doomed... but there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

:You see, the thickness of the plastic seems to affect GPS. Also, the amount of stress on it affects it. While some toys are known for breaking just by having their packages opened—guys like Randy, Roadblock and ''Generation 2'' Slingshot—others like Skyquake and Pyro can remain very strongly intact because the parts that are made of GPS plastics are large and thick and otherwise robust. GPS is an inconsistent process—eventually your toy '''will''' crumble, but there's no telling how long it will take. With delicate handling (read: almost none) you can maintain a GPS afflicted toy in your collection for quite some time.

==Toys commonly associated with Gold Plastic Syndrome==
====Generation 1====
* [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]
* [[Bristleback]]
* [[Roadblock (G1)|Roadblock]]
* [[Skyhammer (G1)|Skyhammer]]
:One of the most notorious toys. The entire bottom of his large vehicle shell is made of gold plastic and it is very prone to breakage. Not to mention how much gold plastic is on his inner shell and his robot mode. This is the original Gold Plastic Syndrome toy.

* [[Slog]]
:Slog is notable because his gimmick requires another toy (Birdbrain) to be inserted up inside his gold sections. His thin gold sides will crumble like a good fruit cake, just not as moist, if Birdbrain jostles around too much.
* [[Killbison]]

[[Image:GPSSkyquakescope.jpg|thumb|Well, crap.]]
====Generation 1-2 Transitional Phase====
* [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]]

:Skyquake is another toy notable for having a gimmick which makes the whole thing worse. Skyquake actually has two colours of metallic plastic on him. One is a dark bronze the other a light bronze. It is the light bronze plastic that is most likely to break. Unfortunately the light bronze plastic also forms Skyquake's scope. You're supposed to put a Predator jet's scope slide into that part of him. But the union is not pleasant for the one on the receiving end. Take a look at the picture to the right. These are the parts left of Skyquake's scope after another Predator tried to unite with him. Actually... that's not even all the parts, that's just all that could be found.

:This is a gimmick which should never be used by modern collectors. Never, ever, ever, ever. Watch out for the moveable panel on the back of his head, too, it's the same light bronze plastic.

* [[Pyro]]
[[Image:Electrobrokenknee.jpg|thumb|Oh god my knee! MY KNEEEEEEE!!]]

====Generation 2====
* [[Electro]]

:There's a reason that Electro sits up at the top of this page. Poor guy just can't catch a break.

:Wait... actually, no. That's the entire problem. The poor guy totally can catch a break. All the time. Because he is designed to die.

* [[Slingshot]]
:Slingshot is infamous for being made almost entirely of gold plastic, and has been reported to come apart straight out of the package.<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2b8b3dec846e5479?hl=en</ref> Worse, he's known for being another toy whose gimmick will destroy him. Slingshot's head is a post which is designed to plug into [[Silverbolt_(G1)|Silverbolt]] (or any other Scramble City leader), so that Slingshot can form an arm or a leg. Doing this will destroy your Slingshot. This may be the only case of Gold Plastic Syndrome that cripples two transformers at once—Slingshot ''and'' [[Superion_(G1)|Superion]].

====Beast Wars====
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]
[[Image:Goldplasticgrimlock.jpg|thumb|Don't worry, kids! He still has courage!]]
:Take a look at the picture to the right. Grimlock's gold plastic can break pretty damned hard. The fact that he uses a gold plastic ball joint for his hips is not really a good thing.
* [[Randy (BWN)|Randy]]
:Poor Randy. this is one of the legendary Gold Plastic Syndrome toys. Imagine if you will, a toy with an entirely spring-loaded transformation made entirely out of gold plastic. Ouch, right? Well, don't worry. You'll never have to see what a mess that could be, because this toy will shatter into a million pieces the moment you open it. Ouch.
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]
:Despite having a dangerously large amount of bronze plastic, Magnaboss Silverbolt IS fairly stable. The main breakage point is where his tail connects to his body. As well, [[Skywarp (BWII)|Skywarp]], his Japanese counterpart is just as likely to suffer from this. That said, just... be careful, okay? Be careful.
* [[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]]
* [[Torca]]
:His legs, tail hinge and sides are prone to Gold Plastic Syndrome.
[[Image:Beastwarssilverboltgps.jpg|thumb|My tail! Aslan, how can I live without my tail?]]

====Other notable instances====
* [[Serpentor]]
:While not a Transformer, he is also known to suffer from this problem—especially through his hips, given the leg construction found on G.I. Joe toys of the era.

==Toys often mistaken for having GPS==

A number of toys have gold parts that easily break not due to the plastic used, but due to structural problems with the part design itself.

* [[Predator]] [[missile]] launchers
:The Predator launcher pegs are notorious for breaking off, but this is due to their size. Those pegs are ''tiny''; many other weapons with a similar peg have the same problem. However, the Predator launchers are worse off as they are also used by larger figures like Skyquake. Also, the "false" trigger is known to break off as it doesn't have a hinge, relying on the plastic to bend. (The actual trigger is a small black internal piece.) If the Predator launchers actually had GPS, the strength of the spring would cause them to literally explode.

* [[Thunder Clash]]
:Thunder Clash's gold feet are often broken due to the design of the ratcheting transformation joint. The ratchets are so stiff that you're more likely to pry his feet apart before the ratchets budge. Like the Predator launchers, if this ''was'' due to GPS, Thunder Clash's launcher barrels would literally explode due to the very strong springs.

==Etymology==
The earliest use of the term that can be found in the [[alt.toys.transformers]] archives dates to September 2002 in a post by user Sky Shadow,<ref>http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2b3d532961b2c2dc</ref> though it is unclear from his usage of the term whether or not it was already in use. A post by Dave "Zobovor" Edwards, meanwhile, made in June of the previous year,<ref>http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/6ed7e0f3586f37e4</ref> is the earliest identifiable acknowledgment of the widespread nature of the phenomenon within the Transformers fan community.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Diseases]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Gold Plastic Syndrome

2009-10-04T03:43:04Z

Illeist: /* Beast Wars */ Changed Grimlock photo caption.

[[Image:Electrogoldplasticsyndrome.jpg|right|450px|thumb|Ouch.]]
'''Gold Plastic Syndrome''' (commonly shorthanded to '''GPS''') is fandom terminology used to describe the phenomenon of a toy's [[plastic]] decomposing and becoming brittle to the point of shattering or crumbling under minimal-stress conditions. In the most extreme cases, toys have been reported to spontaneously crumble to small bits without any applied force at all, even if they're fresh out of their [[Mint in sealed box|unopened package]].

This breakage is different from the relatively more common stress-fracture type of plastic breakage that can occur in some [[Toy|Transformers toys]]. The condition takes its name from the gold plastics of late Generation 1 through to ''Beast Wars'', that have proved the most prone to this sort of breakage. However, despite the name, gold plastic syndrome has been known to affect other types of plastic—most of them noted for a pretty metallic swirl in the plastic.

==Notability==
GPS is widespread among toys made in the tail-end of [[Generation 1]], typically the second year of [[Pretender|Pretenders]] and even some European-market exclusives, but examples have surfaced from lines as recent as ''[[Generation 2]]'' and the ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' series. Transformers toys are not the only ones to suffer from this; there have been reports of ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Visionaries]]'' toys' gold plastics also crumbling seemingly of their own accord.

The toys most likely to suffer from Gold Plastic Syndrome are those with gold or bronze plastics with a metallic swirl in the plastic. There are other known cases with different colours of plastic—though usually there is a tell-tale swirl.

==Cause of GPS==
Because this is not exactly an area of scientific notability there aren't any causal studies into Gold Plastic Syndrome that we know about. Basically, what we have is a theory that goes something like: Certain plastics weren't mixed as well as others, possibly because of the metallic pigment or colouring, so they break down more quickly.

It's not much of a theory, really. Here's a more detailed attempt:

{{bigquote|The problem likely arises, as with many composites, when the bonding between the polymer and the dye/particles breaks down. This could occur do to a natural chemical/phase change of the plastic, due to oxidation, for example, or by another mechanism, say the forces incurred by the toy being played with, or more likely, due to some combination thereof. In any case, when the bonds between the particles and the polymers break down, you would get small voids in the plastic structure. If this occurs frequently enough, the structure would become effectively porous (that is, it would be filled with lots of tiny voids/cracks where the polymers and particles have come apart). With even a slight amount of force, some of these cracks/voids could expand, even slightly, to the point where they intersect another void and join, making an even bigger crack. Once a critical crack length is reached, the sample fractures.

So effectively, the plastic becomes more brittle, and this would also explain it "crumbling" as well as cracking.}}
:-Aernaroth suggests a cause for GPS [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=57191&view=findpost&p=1174876 on the Allspark]

So what it amounts to is: "The plastic crumbles a'cause it ain't very good."

Hasbro have attributed it to "the amount of gold fleck included in the plastic", and have apparently reduced the amount in similar plastics of more recent vintage to prevent further occurrences.<ref name="hasbrogps">[http://www.transformerland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3481 Hasbro Transformersland.com Q&A, August 2009:] "When we used gold metallic plastic in the past we discovered, along with many of you, that it becomes brittle over time. As we became aware of this situation, we took the necessary steps to reduce the amount of gold fleck included in the plastic to eliminate this issue. Ultimately, this should no longer be an issue due to these corrective steps that we have taken."</ref>

All in all, the actual causes of Gold Plastic Syndrome aren't a very big deal to Transformers fans—it's really pretty academic. Of more concern is the RESULTS (IE, crumbling like a soggy Tim Tam in a cup of coffee), and what to look out for. There's no cure here, no fix. If a toy has GPS it will die.

==The Symptoms==
Gold Plastic Syndrome usually has a few clear signs. Knowing how to tell the difference between Gold Plastic Syndrome and normal plastic breakage is very important for a Transformers fan who is collecting vintage toys. It's the difference between giving up on that toy completely (since if it has GPS so will any other sample of the toy) and buying a new copy.
[[Image:GPSSkyquakescopeclose.jpg|thumb|Nooo!]]
*GPS usually takes place in metallic coloured plastics, most notably gold plastic and bronze plastic.
*GPS breaks are NOT accompanied by stress fractures. There is usually NOT any visible wear before the breakage. This is really important. Plastic breaks. This is a reality of toy collecting, plastic gets old and it breaks. Gold plastic syndrome is breakage without warning.
*GPS breaks often leave a powdery residue and shards of plastic (though not always), the result of the plastic actually physically crumbling. Take a look at the picture of Skyquake's scope... okay, the bits of his scope... to the right. You can actually see some of the left-over shards of plastic. Keep in mind this picture was taken years after the break actually occurred—these are new shards of plastic which came off these pieces of scope during the process of moving the parts around for photography. Plastic should '''not''' be that brittle or delicate.
*GPS breakages don't need to involve any excess stress or force on a toy—simply handling a toy can cause the breakage. Looking at it funny, sometimes does it. Spitting on it, maybe. Opening its box. ''Anything.'' If your toy breaks despite careful handling it's more likely to be GPS.
[[Image:SkyquakeGPSback.jpg|thumb|Gleargh]]
*GPS breaks often have rough, uneven edges with no stress lines around them. This is important—usually when plastic snaps it snaps cleanly (as is common with clear plastic), or it bends first (leaving a torn-off piece, or clear stresses around the break). If a break is uneven, with different colours and textures in it, yet there are no stress fractures around the wound, and especially if it leaves a powdery residue as well, it's almost certainly a GPS beak. Take a look at the photo of Skyquake to the right for a good example of the ragged break. Okay... not good. What's the other word that's LIKE good, but not actually good? Oh yeah. Horrifying. A HORRIFYING example.
*GPS plastics will sometimes feel brittle to the touch, sometimes making cracking noises as they're handled.

A really easy test to tell if you have GPS breakage is this—if a piece breaks off, try snapping it again. If it's normal plastic breakage the broken piece should bend or bow instead of just snapping like dry wood; there should be some give in the plastic, even if it's a brittle clear plastic—so you should be able to glue it back into place, or at least get a replacement part. On the other hand, if the broken piece snaps like your grandmother's ankles in a rugby match, then you've almost definitely got Gold Plastic Syndrome.

==GPS misconceptions==
[[Image:Brownplasticsyndrome.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The one image for the wiki you don't want to be able to make.]]
'''ALL GOLD PLASTIC WILL DIE!'''
:Not true. It's gold plastic from certain eras that will die. It's plastic from about 1989 (second year Pretenders are notorious for it) and through to about the end of ''Beast Wars''. As far as we know later toys do not suffer from GPS, due to a reduction in the amount of metallic flakes in similar, but more recent toys<ref name="hasbrogps" />. ''As far as we know.'' But just you wait... oh yes, just you wait.

:Even on toys well known for GPS some of their gold plastic is less prone to break. Gold plastic which is nice and thick is much less likely to snap than gold plastic which is thin. Gold plastic which is under constant stress—like that at a joint—is also more likely to break. That said, some really nice solid parts can shatter like eggshell if it's real GPS we're talkin' about.

'''MY TOY BROKE, IT MUST BE GOLD PLASTIC SYNDROME'''
:There are plenty of ways for plastic to break that aren't related to gold plastic syndrome. Repeated stress on a plastic, dropping a toy, a toy with metal parts that damages the plastic parts, thin plastic, or simply the use of transluscent plastic, which is more brittle. Just because a toy breaks doesn't mean it's gold plastic syndrome. Look for the symptoms (listed above) and ask around before assuming that every single copy of this toy is destined to die a painful and horrible death.

'''ONLY GOLD PLASTIC GETS GOLD PLASTIC SYNDROME'''
:Sadly untrue. This sort of plastic breakdown has been reported in other plastics. Notably in the brown plastic (which doesn't even have a metallic sheen!) of Transmetal ''Beast Wars'' Megatron. Just take a look at the horror show to the right. SOMEONE'S TOY HAD TO DIE FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THIS WARNING.

:Most of the time it's plastics with a metallic swirl in them that break—bronze and gold are just ''the most common''. However, any colour of plastic could be susceptible, given time. Keep an eye on your Fire Convoy, kids, that pretty metallic swirl in his plastic isn't promising.

'''MY TOY IS DOOMED!'''
:Okay... not exactly a misconception. Your toy is, in fact doomed... but there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

:You see, the thickness of the plastic seems to affect GPS. Also, the amount of stress on it affects it. While some toys are known for breaking just by having their packages opened—guys like Randy, Roadblock and ''Generation 2'' Slingshot—others like Skyquake and Pyro can remain very strongly intact because the parts that are made of GPS plastics are large and thick and otherwise robust. GPS is an inconsistent process—eventually your toy '''will''' crumble, but there's no telling how long it will take. With delicate handling (read: almost none) you can maintain a GPS afflicted toy in your collection for quite some time.

==Toys commonly associated with Gold Plastic Syndrome==
====Generation 1====
* [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]
* [[Bristleback]]
* [[Roadblock (G1)|Roadblock]]
* [[Skyhammer (G1)|Skyhammer]]
:One of the most notorious toys. The entire bottom of his large vehicle shell is made of gold plastic and it is very prone to breakage. Not to mention how much gold plastic is on his inner shell and his robot mode. This is the original Gold Plastic Syndrome toy.

* [[Slog]]
:Slog is notable because his gimmick requires another toy (Birdbrain) to be inserted up inside his gold sections. His thin gold sides will crumble like a good fruit cake, just not as moist, if Birdbrain jostles around too much.
* [[Killbison]]

[[Image:GPSSkyquakescope.jpg|thumb|Well, crap.]]
====Generation 1-2 Transitional Phase====
* [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]]

:Skyquake is another toy notable for having a gimmick which makes the whole thing worse. Skyquake actually has two colours of metallic plastic on him. One is a dark bronze the other a light bronze. It is the light bronze plastic that is most likely to break. Unfortunately the light bronze plastic also forms Skyquake's scope. You're supposed to put a Predator jet's scope slide into that part of him. But the union is not pleasant for the one on the receiving end. Take a look at the picture to the right. These are the parts left of Skyquake's scope after another Predator tried to unite with him. Actually... that's not even all the parts, that's just all that could be found.

:This is a gimmick which should never be used by modern collectors. Never, ever, ever, ever. Watch out for the moveable panel on the back of his head, too, it's the same light bronze plastic.

* [[Pyro]]
[[Image:Electrobrokenknee.jpg|thumb|Oh god my knee! MY KNEEEEEEE!!]]

====Generation 2====
* [[Electro]]

:There's a reason that Electro sits up at the top of this page. Poor guy just can't catch a break.

:Wait... actually, no. That's the entire problem. The poor guy totally can catch a break. All the time. Because he is designed to die.

* [[Slingshot]]
:Slingshot is infamous for being made almost entirely of gold plastic, and has been reported to come apart straight out of the package.<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2b8b3dec846e5479?hl=en</ref> Worse, he's known for being another toy whose gimmick will destroy him. Slingshot's head is a post which is designed to plug into [[Silverbolt_(G1)|Silverbolt]] (or any other Scramble City leader), so that Slingshot can form an arm or a leg. Doing this will destroy your Slingshot. This may be the only case of Gold Plastic Syndrome that cripples two transformers at once—Slingshot ''and'' [[Superion_(G1)|Superion]].

====Beast Wars====
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]
[[Image:Goldplasticgrimlock.jpg|thumb|Don't worry, kids! He still has courage!.]]
:Take a look at the picture to the right. Grimlock's gold plastic can break pretty damned hard. The fact that he uses a gold plastic ball joint for his hips is not really a good thing.
* [[Randy (BWN)|Randy]]
:Poor Randy. this is one of the legendary Gold Plastic Syndrome toys. Imagine if you will, a toy with an entirely spring-loaded transformation made entirely out of gold plastic. Ouch, right? Well, don't worry. You'll never have to see what a mess that could be, because this toy will shatter into a million pieces the moment you open it. Ouch.
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]
:Despite having a dangerously large amount of bronze plastic, Magnaboss Silverbolt IS fairly stable. The main breakage point is where his tail connects to his body. As well, [[Skywarp (BWII)|Skywarp]], his Japanese counterpart is just as likely to suffer from this. That said, just... be careful, okay? Be careful.
* [[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]]
* [[Torca]]
:His legs, tail hinge and sides are prone to Gold Plastic Syndrome.
[[Image:Beastwarssilverboltgps.jpg|thumb|My tail! Aslan, how can I live without my tail?]]

====Other notable instances====
* [[Serpentor]]
:While not a Transformer, he is also known to suffer from this problem—especially through his hips, given the leg construction found on G.I. Joe toys of the era.

==Toys often mistaken for having GPS==

A number of toys have gold parts that easily break not due to the plastic used, but due to structural problems with the part design itself.

* [[Predator]] [[missile]] launchers
:The Predator launcher pegs are notorious for breaking off, but this is due to their size. Those pegs are ''tiny''; many other weapons with a similar peg have the same problem. However, the Predator launchers are worse off as they are also used by larger figures like Skyquake. Also, the "false" trigger is known to break off as it doesn't have a hinge, relying on the plastic to bend. (The actual trigger is a small black internal piece.) If the Predator launchers actually had GPS, the strength of the spring would cause them to literally explode.

* [[Thunder Clash]]
:Thunder Clash's gold feet are often broken due to the design of the ratcheting transformation joint. The ratchets are so stiff that you're more likely to pry his feet apart before the ratchets budge. Like the Predator launchers, if this ''was'' due to GPS, Thunder Clash's launcher barrels would literally explode due to the very strong springs.

==Etymology==
The earliest use of the term that can be found in the [[alt.toys.transformers]] archives dates to September 2002 in a post by user Sky Shadow,<ref>http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2b3d532961b2c2dc</ref> though it is unclear from his usage of the term whether or not it was already in use. A post by Dave "Zobovor" Edwards, meanwhile, made in June of the previous year,<ref>http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/6ed7e0f3586f37e4</ref> is the earliest identifiable acknowledgment of the widespread nature of the phenomenon within the Transformers fan community.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Diseases]]
[[Category:Toys]]