To most people, Generator Rex is just another show that randomly played on Cartoon Network. But, to be honest, the show had a lot of promise when it came out. The biggest flaw was that it was never on a constant time. They seem to keep changing the time or simply taking on and off the air. The property is a part of Cartoon Network's portfolio of in house properties that also includes other popular titles such as Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force and Sym-Bionic Titan just to name a few. It was mainly created as secondary action show for the kids that didn’t care for Ben 10, but to also attract a diversified (minority) market. This is why Rex has a Mexican Hispanic background along with several other international friends. Remember kids, the magic word in marketing for the past 15 years is “DIVERSITY”. LOL
Story:The story takes place on your standard planet earth. But suddenly a few years back there was a horrible accident that spread small particle machines called “Nanites” into every living thing on earth. To most living creatures the new particles stay dormant and don’t cause any harm, but for other it mutates them into creatures called Evos. These Evos come in all shapes, sizes, and with different skills. In the five years that the world have been living with this dilemma they created Providence; an elite global group that deal with controlling, capturing and sometimes healing these Evos back to a manageable state. This is when Rex comes in.
Unlike other Evos who turn into crazy rampaging monster, Rex has the ability to control his Nanites into giant metallic mechanical elements that help him fight other Evos and at times help heal them. His transformations include giant metal arms, giant metal feet, hovercraft wings attached to his back, a hover motorcycle, a giant sword from his arms and a hover train just to mention a few of his abilities. His five major allies are a talking monkey called “Bobo HaHa”, “Noa” his best friend, “Dr. Holiday” his love interest but is too old for him, “Six” Super Agent/Modern Ninja that acts like his guardian and finally his brother “Cesar” who is more interested in his work than anything else that is happening in his surroundings. As the show progress, you quickly learn what an amazing warrior Rex is but just like most modern heroes, he has some issues. He’s currently 15 years old but sadly; he has no memory of who he was, where he’s been and about his family. This enhances the complexity of his identity as an teenager living in such a complicated world.
On top of all this craziness; Rex will also have to help and battle with some good, bad and undefined characters along the way. These include White Night, Providence, Black Night, Sertceis, Rex past gang in Japan (Tuck-- mummy guy, Squid-- green boy, Cricket-- girl on the team), and the major bad guys including Zag, BiWolf, Breach and VanClice. These sets of secondary and third line of characters really help put the story together and further more truly explain the connections with everything that has happened in Rex past and help him in his journey.
About Rex
Rex is the lead hero and he’s just your standard 15-16 year old teen who is simply trying to know who he is and learn the past that he had forgotten due to his Nanites transformations and evolution He’s very stubborn and arrogant, but he does his best to never use his power for evil. His passion is to just have fun, trying to connect with his Hispanic roots like eating tacos, watching Telenovelas on TV called “El Amor De La Pasion El Amor”, all while kicking butt and trying to cure the world of the Evos that can be saved for their family sake.
During his journey of discovering himself, he also gains new abilities and refines his power. These power include Healing Evos, Big Sword, Slam Cannon, Flying Boogie, Slam Hands, Metal Feet. Towards the end of season 1 , season 2 and 3 he develops even more powers including Rex Wip Evolution (s 1 ep 21), Double Battle Axe (s2 ep 6), Hoverboard (s2 ep19), Combination of Double Weapons (s3 ep2), and his Final Transformation wish is incredibly powerful and deadly.
About the Toys
3 ½ scale set
As far as I know there are 11 single figures in this set. Some of the figures are literally the same figure but it will have some minor changes such as a head with sun glasses and others without sunglasses. To add insult to injury, you will see on the package where it says with the glasses and without the glasses. Some will be as simple as having same mold, same pose in the package but they changed the color or maybe once piece to make it look like its in a different environment. This is a pretty great way for the company to make a lot variations fairly quick and keeping the price very moderate. All in all the figures stay pretty true to the design of the show and keep the correct color scheme all the way through. They also come in a very cool bubble that has the gear theme shape accenting the gears in the logo’s design. I personally love it when companies go the extra mile for a great presentation. It really makes me want to preserve the figure in its original state as best as possible.
5 ½ mid sets
The mid size sets are a little bigger in the sense that the packaging is bigger, the figures are bigger and some of them come with extra characters, vehicles and props. Three of the sets come with an alien and some slime in a small jar (nanite goo), the other 3 are vehicles such as the bike, the hover bike and flying hovering Rex. To me these are the figures to really get for some play time if I was a kid. The figures and the weapons are closer to scale with the original show design than the 3 ½ scale figures. The vehicles are great and I can simply see myself as a kid running around a room with my Rex as a hoverbike.
Large figures
In this series I've seen only 3 different sets. The Air Attack Boogie pack, The Slam Cannon, and the Transforming Rex Ride. These three pieces are more interactive than the other sets. They are also bigger than the other sets and more interactive than the other pieces.
The Air attack boogie has a handle with a trigger that allows you the spin the propellers in Rex wings engine. The Slam Cannon has a similar feature with the handle but it turns the toy into a dart gun and it allows you to remove the gun and play with the 6-7 inch figure of Rex. Kind of like a Nerf gun type gun. The toy also comes with a plastic stand that allows you to put him on a flat surface and just enjoy him. The Transforming Rex Ride figure is literally the most entertaining figure out of the whole line. It comes with a Rex Figure, and his hoverbike ride that also transforms into a dart gun. Now unlike the previous Slam Cannon, this transforming Slam Cannon is even bigger than the other Slam cannon. Out of all the figures this is literally the one that is 95% close to actual size to the original design. All in all very cool toy.
Series 2
In 2011 the series 2 Generator Rex were shown to the world at the Toy Fair. Sadly just like so many cool past toy lines, that’s as far as they went. The toy line included figures the Bobo Haha, new bad guys, new good guys and some of Rexs' later transformations. I was looking forward to the new bigger ax and larger sword version of Rex but that’s just me.
But anyway if you want to the check out what would have been series 2. Check out the blog below. They have amazing figures.
http://www.parrygamepreserve.com/features/conventions/toyFair2011/mattel/generatorRex.php
If you would like the see the rest of the Generator Rex RNG Collection check out our flickr at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragingnerdgasm/sets/72157630964709752/
Article by Ana Bruja-Khayos
I like the cartoon, but I never got in to the toyline. These days I'm very picky about what I pick up and add to my collection. But the toys do look cool.
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