Action Master Elite

Omega Spreem.

Action Master Elites are Action Masters—the group of Transformers who are unable to transform—who are able to transform. There's something not quite right about any of that.

Toys

The Transformers

Double Punch.

The Action Master Elites were released only in Europe and Australasia in 1991, at a time when the US toyline had ended (albeit temporarily, as it turned out). Each toy had a built-in button that, when pressed in vehicle mode, performed motion on the toy. Three of the four released bear strong resemblance to previously existing Transformers, however, only one of those three had toys which had previously been released in Europe.

• Autobot Action Master Elites (1991)

• Known designers: Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
• Omega Spreem. Changing into a Cybertronian tank, the robot's design bears a strong resemblance to Omega Supreme. However the original Omega Supreme toy was not released in Europe.
• Windmill. The only fully original design, who transforms into a high-impact counterstrike helicopter.

• Decepticon Action Master Elites (1991)

• Known designers: Andy Couzens (Hasbro), Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
• Double Punch. Changing into a mechanical scorpion, both his design and colour scheme strongly resemble BlackZarak, the upgrade (and retooling) of Scorponok in the Japanese Super-God Masterforce franchise. Yet BlackZarak was never available in Europe, and the Action Master Elites were not released in Japan.
• Turbo Master. Transforms into Cybertronian dual-propeller helicopter. His robot mode bears a resemblance to Bruticus, who, for once, actually was released in Europe.

Notes

• The Action Master Elites have had very few appearances in official fiction—even fewer in their Elite body designs (Double Punch appeared in "Generation 2: Redux" but in a different body, and, of course, Omega Supreme has had decades of fiction featuring his normal body). No fiction has touched on the matter of how the Elites retained or regained their transformation powers.
• The Action Master Elites, along with exo-suits, are the earliest experiments with textured plastics in the line, a practice that wouldn't resurface until Transformers Animated and is widely used on Nerf products.
• The action features on all four Elites almost unavoidably break down due to the tiny plastic gearing inside becoming brittle with time and stress. Thankfully, you're still left with a fully transforming and articulated Action Master after that point.