6923 - Particle Ionizer

Rating:
Pros: Unique design; lots of fun space bricks; I really like the service droids that come with some of the Space models like this one
Cons: None noted. I even had four extra bricks left over when I finished assembling the main model!
Contents: 187 pieces including 1 mini-fig
Price: Discontinued
Reviewed: 29-Sep-1997
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

Toshiro bears the honor of his family as he leaves homeworld del Amidgidoon to serve as envoy for the emperor to a new and uncharted world on the outer reaches of the kingdom. The emperor has graciously granted Toshiro an exploratory ship equipped with a sensible and trustworthy robot companion.
After days of travel, he reaches the green planet. Upon breaking through the upper layers of the planet's atmosphere, Toshiro sees a heavily vegetated world with almost no clear areas that would allow a secure landing. After another few hours of scanning, he at last decides to land in a small shallow lake and no sooner shuts down the engines to recharge when a crashing sound comes from the thick woods surrounding the pool. A large standing reptile-like creature emerges at a charge from the foliage, splashing fountains of water as it stomps through the water toward the unprepared astro-traveler.

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This is the very first M:Tron model I ever put together and the only one I actively sought out although some 6896-Celestial Foragers were available in my area for a short time. The propeller contraption on top of the craft looks a little odd but was an attracting feature for me.
The Ionizer is a single-pilot double cargo bay ship with two sets of adjustable wings. A central enclosed cargo bay stores a service robot while the aft cargo section (not as enclosed) holds the M:Tron utility box. These boxes appear in the three largest M:Tron models at an average size of 4x4x3 carrying various tools/utilities depending on the model. A magnet built into the top of the giant box allows a magnet-loaded lifting arm to raise the boxes and move them about (Ionizer's lifting arm is located atop the central cargo bay). In the case of the Ionizer's utility box, it contains clips for two tools and a 2x2 storage box. Stabilizer wings/fins at the rear cargo section fold up to hold the utility box securely in place during transit.
One strange aspect of the ship is the aforementioned propeller construction located just behind the canopy that looks more like a couple of spinning antennas. It doesn't seem to serve the purpose of a helicopter's propeller but looks more like some sort of rotating lasers. Whatever the purpose of the propellers/lasers, I liked this strange addition to an interplanetary craft.
Colors of the ship are in the primary M:Tron hues of red and black with grey and trans-green highlights. The set includes one M:Tron astronaut, a brick-built android and a few utilities like a hammer, wrench, and communicator (there is also one of the two-handed laser rifle elements that mounts just under the nose of the craft).
Ship's design is definitely not average but I think it makes a great fighter/transport ship. I gave the set three stars and place it just behind the 6989-Mega Core Magnetizer for coolness in this sub-theme.