Zetar (Transformers Generation 1)

I go where right and glory leads.

Name: Zetar
Allegiance: Autobots
Sub-group: Powerdashers, Weaponizers
Function: Combat engineer
Timeline: Generation 1

Toyline: Transformers Generations Selects

Profile:

A blue-collar worker through-and-through, Zetar is a simple robot. He's most at ease working with his hands or sharing a crude joke over an Engex or three at Maccadams. Constructed as an Energon miner, Zetar was one of the first to follow Megatron when Megatron first started speaking against Cybertron's oppressive and corrupt government. However Zetar found himself increasingly at odds with Megatron's actions as he turned toward violence, and eventually he found himself joining Optimus Prime and his Autobots. Zetar's background in manual labour and mining meant he was a natural sapper. His advanced sensors - originally used to detect veins of minerals - have now been tuned to locate faultlines in bedrock, allowing Zetar to undermine Decepticon fortifications and ensure Autobot fortifications are built on solid ground.

Abilities:

Zetar possesses sophisticated geological and mineral sensors, enabling him to accurately discern the precise makeup and weak points in a 25 foot cube of bedrock. Zetar's drill can rotate at speeds of 8,000 rpm, allowing him to effortlessly tunnel through even the toughest bedrock. This allows Zetar in his vehicle mode - either his original energon driller mode, or more recently his modified drill tank mode - to easily expose those mineral veins to keep fellow Autobots supplied, or exploit the faults in the bedrock to bring Decepticon fortifications tumbling down.

Zetar prefers to use his fists in combat, and can punch with an appreciable degree of force, but he carries a sonic pulse cannon should the need for ranged combat arise. As a mining type, Zetar has a good level of durability although his waist area is a weak link. In his modified drill tank mode, the output from Zetar's sonic cannon is greatly increased and can be used to provide anti-aircraft fire.

Zetar was constructed with a modular body. This allows him to weaponize fellow Cybertronians by dividing his body into a series of mining tools. These configurations include a hydraulic mauler claw configuration intended to lift boulders or other heavy loads, and a demolitions mode originally intended for the rapid tunneling of mineshafts, which also doubles as a highly effective anti-fortification loadout for other Autobots.

Weaknesses:

Although durable, Zetar is very slow moving. He is also not particularly quick-witted - although perfectly capable of carrying out orders to the letter, if Zetar has to act on his own initiative on the battlefield he can get confused or make a poor choice.

Drill tank mode:

Energon driller mode (fan configuration):

Weaponizer modes:

Additional images of Zetar:

Group photos of all three Siege Powerdashers:

Author notes:

I love this guy! Take the already excellent Brunt, give him what is arguably a more lively deco, and add a really cool headsculpt complete with drill noggin. Everything I loved about Brunt is here and even better with Zetar. He’s not perfect - I’d have loved for the drill to have been on a peg not a socket, and on mine one of the arms likes to pop off at the socket, which could be an issue moving forward. Still, he’s fantastic looking, a lot of fun to play with, and all around a great toy. Plus, it’s Zetar, one of the most obscure guys out there. That’s pretty awesome in itself too.

On the alternate modes, I've done both the official tank mode and also a fan configuration which is inspired by the original toy. In my mind, Zetar started out with the fan configuration and then adopted the official mode once war broke out and he needed to defend himself on a battlefield.