Revving Up Nostalgia: The 1986 Dreadnok Thunder Machine Breakdown!

Story by Mitchell Smith

Welcome to the Outpost. Today I’m taking a look at the 1986 Dreadnok Thunder Machine. The Thunder Machine made its first appearance in the series “Arise Serpentor Arise”. While Zartan and the Noks held a competition for the next member to join them Monkeywrench and Thrasher made quite an impression. Of course they both made it and Thrasher brought his Thunder Machine on board. The custom hot rod assumingely built by Thrasher is an interesting vehicle. I always got a Mad Max vibe on this vehicle. I remember getting this for Christmas in 1986.

Thrasher was my first Dreadnok and my brother got Monkeywrench. The Dreadnoks were always interesting to me as a whole. Basically gang members they were hired help to reek havoc for Cobra or the highest bidder. These tough guys were always comic relief though. Thrasher and the Thunder Machine created all kinds of fun on and off the screen. Thrasher and Zarana escape the Joes in the Thunder Machine with the first DNA extraction that would become Serpentor.

Like the cartoon I had many adventures escaping the attack from my Havoc and Vamp as a kid. I was thinking earlier this year we would get a Has-lab Classified Thunder Machine with Thrasher, Monkeywrench, Zanya, and Burn Out, but it looks like Monkeywrench is coming single carded, but it still would maybe work in Classified scale. I did not pick up the recent Transformer Thunder Machine, but it looks really cool. Did anyone pick up that version? Who had a Thunder Machine as a kid? Make sure to check back for our next discussion.