Super Megatron [Defender Version 8- Battle Stars]

@robfromzonebase Super Megatron [Transformers Blokees Defender Version 08- Battle Stars] #zonebase #transformers #blokees #blokeestransformers #blindbox ♬ sonido original - Álvarez

It was very hard to patiently wait for the Blokees Amazon store to stock the newest Defender Version Series 8, as they tend to stock their main online storefront first. I've ordered from there several times, but I prefer to buy from their Amazon store because I get free and much faster shipping.

Series 8 is themed after the Battlestars manga and story pages from late Japanese Generation 1, and I was pretty ecstatic when I saw the news leaked on the Thailand Blokees page I follow for news.

I guess I never expected some of the more obscure corners of G1 to make it to Blokees, but man, am I glad they did!

One of the characters featured in the set is Super Megatron, who, like Star Convoy/Star Optimus, has a whopping FOUR kits available in the series. There's his vehicle form and either a standard, Special Galaxy Type (metallic paint), or Special Armor Type (metallic paint and extra pieces that form his Megatron Omega form).

As I ordered the case, of course I was promised each figure in the wave and at least one of the special types. My case had standard Super Megatron, which I was perfectly okay with, as frankly, that's what I wanted.

We're going to be talking about the standard robot and vehicle modes today.

The vehicle kit is the one from the series that comes with a coin. I don't think I've talked about those here before. When you buy a case of Transformers Defender Version Blokees, one will come with a coin. That coin is usually one of three available.

My vehicle Super Megatron came with a silver Windblade coin, while Star Convoy and Swoop are also available in the series.

They really know how to feed into blind-box fanatics' ticks, and it works. I'll buy the occasional blind box at physical retail even if I already have the case, just in case it's got one of the random things I didn't get.

In case you're not familiar with Super Megatron, by the time Battlestars is taking place, Dark Nova shoots a beam of energy into Galvatron's tomb, resurrecting him as Megatron again. Though, of course, now he's in a new form.

Later on, Dark Nova upgrades him into Ultra Megatron before ultimately merging with him to form Star Giant, whose image will often pop up on normies' timelines, causing them to ask their more in-the-know friends just what the hell that thing is.

Super Megatron's vehicle mode is a flying-tank-type vehicle that's pretty nuts and looks like something that would be in a PC-98 game.

Being that this is a manga/story page from around 1991, that shouldn't be too surprising, as anime, manga, and games often shared creative talent and influences.

Super Megatron was designed by Masumi Kaneda, who also worked on Gundam and Ultraman print media, for example, while Ban Magami did a great deal of the manga art. Ban did a lot of the mechanical design for Danguard Ace, for example, and even worked on Galaxy Express 999.

Ban is also a super nice guy whom I've had several pleasant conversations with online. Most recently, to observe the start of autumn, he posted a drawing of foxes. I told him my wife, who loves foxes, would enjoy this.

He then asked me to give her his regards.

Not related to this topic specifically, but falling in line with the tangent.

Shōji Kawamori, who created Macross (which gave us Jetfire), also did a lot of design work on Diaclone, among other robot series. Recently, he did the mech design for Pragmata. I was already in love with that game before learning of that, and it just gave me another thing to appreciate about it.

Like I said, this flying tank definitely looks like it came from this era, and I love that about it. Also, I just dig the design in general.

The tank elements include four cannon barrels and a design that combines a traditional H-tank with something out of Wheeled Warriors, while the flying parts are mostly some tacked-on wings and boosters that just look fantastic.

I don't know how straight it could fly when those cannons fire, but it'd look awesome doing it.

The kit is a pretty good representation of the vehicle, and it assembled very easily, much to my surprise. Admittedly, after spending as much time with Blokees Wheels as I have, my mind automatically goes to their construction style.

Often, with Defender Version vehicle modes, there is some compatibility with robot-mode kits, but it looks like there are just some ports where a weapon could plug in. Either something's coming in the future to use them, or whatever can be done hasn't been discovered yet.

Or maybe there's nothing else, but let me dream.

Robot mode is a very impressive-looking Defender Version robot. Despite the smaller size and cuter designs, Defender Versions come out looking even more badass than larger kits.

That really translates well with characters like Super Megatron, whose weapon pods and flight gear form something of an ornamental armor that's imposing and slick-looking.

If you're not familiar with Battlestars but find yourself recognizing the design, in Transformers Animated, Megatron's Earth mode was designed to resemble Super Megatron, while his Cybertronian body was based somewhat on the 2007 movie design.

Neat, huh?

While I've always been partial to that badass ornamental armor I was talking about, I really enjoy the new fusion cannon, which I've always thought looks like the front of the SDF-1.

Once again, the multiple series and mediums influence each other, and that's a cannon that looks like it could have been in a variety of games.

It also looks like it'd hurt like hell if he just hit someone with it.

Super Megatron ultimately looks like a powered-up version of classic Megatron, which I guess is what he is. But it's also fitting, as Masumi Kaneda had a supervision role on Transformers: The Movie, which was the last time we'd seen the animated version of Megatron until Battlestars. The manga took place within the animated continuity.

Robot mode isn't very hard to assemble, despite all that cool ornamental armor. It really just snaps into place like a normal Defender Version kit.

As someone who appreciates how things come together, the modular design of Blokees' blind kits is very impressive, considering just how unique many of them are from one another.

If you've noticed how it's practically impossible for me to dislike a Blokees product, you'd be correct.

They clearly know my siren song.

Ultimately, this is another great set of kits by them and a great representation of Super Megatron in both vehicle and robot modes in the Defender Version scale that I clearly adore.

Both assemble pretty easily and look great.

I'm trying my best not to end this with a play on Super Megatron being super.

But seriously, if Blokees is willing to dig into the weirder corners of Japanese G1 like this, I'm all for it. There's a whole lot of Transformers history out there that deserves a little more love, and I'd be perfectly happy to see more of it show up in plastic form.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go admire my tiny flying tank.