Motormaster [Legacy United/Voyager Class]

Transformers Animated was a fun series with some really cool toys. The stylized sculpting was a fun alternative to the movie and classics styled toys available at the same time. It was only natural that the BotCon, which was officially affiliated at the time would offer an exclusive set based around the series. The Stunticon Job was a cool way to introduce the Stunticons to the series and make use of the prior existing toy molds as is a necessity when making exclusives. Motormaster is one of those characters folks automatically assume will be made from an Optimus Prime, so it just worked out naturally. Luckily, the Animated Motormaster was really cool.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to that BotCon, nor acquire a set. It always stayed in the back of my mind as a 'someday' type of thing. Flash forward to present day and amazingly enough, things like formerly hard to acquire toys are getting updated in Generations. Giving second chances to get some of these ideas. It may not be the original... but often time it's good enough. That's where Motormaster finds it's way here, as a reworking of the Animated Optimus Prime toy update that was released earlier this year. I really liked that figure, so it's probably to no surprise I liked this one. It doesn't hurt that the happiness of finally getting some version of this Motormaster put a nice cherry on top of everything.

Since I've talked about the mold before, I'm going to focus more on what's different. Most noticeably, the new head. Motormaster famously has a square head. That's replicated here with additional characterization. Long story short, he's Macho Man Randy Savage as a transformer. Specifically, Macho Man as a bad guy. Considering the colors, I like to think N.W.O era Macho Man. Considering Randy Savage is one of my all time favorites, it's probably to no surprise I like this. His colors are mainly black with some purple and green thrown in and it looks fabulous. Both modes look great. Transformation did feel a little looser this time. That could be from mold degradation or just mine in particular. The original Optimus Prime toy was just a good figure all the way around and I feel like this is a total upgrade based on the colors and new head alone.Can you dig it?

Antagony (Generations Selects/Voyager Class)

In another case of a prior BotCon exclusive getting a second life in recent years, Antagony is made from the wonderful Legacy Inferno toy as the original was made from the Beast Wars toy. I missed out on that original figure. I was working my way through local city college in 1998 with a job at Office Max and generally broke. BotCon was still out of reach for a few years and so were those wonderfully cool exclusives. However, like Sandstorm (whom I must cover here at some point), good fortune shone with a second chance at owning the character in an updated form. As much as I love that original Inferno mold, the Legacy version is a great new toy that improves on the original with modern engineering and great sculpting.

If you came looking for the more human faced Antagony Andrew Wildman drew, this is more screen accurate to Geof Senior's depiction. Antagony, being a straight repaint of Inferno doesn't offer anything new aside from including an alternate head. The alternate head can change her or Inferno into Scavenger, the other Beast Wars ant. It's a neat extra and makes me wonder what the Legacy version of Scavenger would have looked like sold on his own. Like Inferno before, Antagony replaces the original toys missile firing gun with a update of Inferno's BFG and the flight mode no longer has it's spring propeller gimmick. That's something I consider an improvement.

Antagony transforms into her giant ant beast mode fairly easily and robot mode is satisfyingly articulated. I really enjoy the new Legacy head sculpt with its opening jaws. It's just so satisfying to open and bare those big teeth! Antagony is a black ant with great uses of purple and lavender. While no longer a BotCon toy, she is exclusive to the Generations Selects branding making her exclusive to online and specialty retailers. Antagony was another Christmas gift from the Mrs. which makes the toy a little more special to me. Like my own little special edition.

Bios: Burn Out

"Skill and experience lead to congruity."

Function: Munitions Expert

Her whole life, Dia has known nothing but the Diaclone project. Born in 1982, the same year that the program began and the reason her parents named her as they did, every moment of Dia's upbringing was dedicated to one day enlisting and training to become a mech pilot. Her ambitions eventually became reality and she was partnered with the Burn Out mech.

Although trending towards the smaller side of the mech spectrum, Burn Out has an impressive array of weaponry in humanoid mode. When in full battle status, Burn Out bristles with armaments from pulse rifles to destructive concussion levelers. As with the other Diaclone mechs, targeting of these weapons while maintaining balance and maneuverability is coordinated through aid of an artificial intelligence equipped in the mech's central computer. The AI from Burn Out is a copy of Dia's own personality and every bit as determined and stoic as its pilot. It is also just as stubborn, often leading Dia to disable the voice command function lest she start arguing with something that is essentially herself. A woman of very few words, she finds the verbal exertion more exhausting than the strenuous physical activity needed to pilot the suit without computer assistance.

Strength: 6 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 7 Endurance: 8

Rank: 5 Courage: 8 Fireblast: 9 Skill: 7

Transform Squadron 42- Con Leche

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This month, as Rob prepares for Toylanta, he talks about various convention experiences.

Bios: Topspin

"By your will, Alpha Trion"

Something happened to Topspin a long time ago; something he only remembers as pain, and terror, and a landscape of twisted, shifting metal lit by the strobe light chaos of laser fire through rolling smoke. It is the last time Topspin remembers feeling anything.

Eons later he found himself drifting, alone, though the vast darkness. Lost for years, he slowly ran out of energy, and his systems shut down one by one. Eventually, his inert body plunged through a wormhole and ended up on one of the transit pads in Axiom Nexus.

Handed off by processing authorities to Alpha Trion, he awoke to find himself staring into the face of another natural leader. Never before had he met a being with such overwhelming force of personality, or such deep conviction. Here was the leader that would guide him to what he sought.

Alpha Trion saw instantly what Topspin was; after all, he'd been waiting for someone like him since arriving in Axiom Nexus. He saw in Topspin the fruition of all his grand goals, and immediately set his plans into motion. He promised Topspin all he could want and more. Telling the plain truth for perhaps the first time in decades, he told Topspin that the reward he sought for so long waited just beyond the veil of the bleed, on Alpha Trion's home world.

Speciality: The ability to manipulate Transformers sparks
Weapons: Energon plasma weapon: Twin Blasters
Unique Quality: Has the unique ability to move a spark from body to body and can even split a spark into two or more pieces without destroying it.

Bios: Anti-Blaze

Anti-Blaze, a junior member of the Mini-Con Council of Sages, was among those who argued most passionately against asking Optimus Prime and his Autobots for help. He felt that involvement with the larger Transformers had brought only grief to the Mini-Con race, though he now regrets his position. He has been forced to make the unpleasant transition from a relatively unknown political figure to a military leader at the front lines as he fights against Thrust and the other evil Mini-Con rebels.

Strength: 7 Intelligence: 8.5 Speed: 7.5 Endurance: 9

Rank: 9 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 8.5 Skill: 8.5

Bios- Kobushi

During the long years of relative solitude before and since their discovery on the Moon by the larger Transformers, Kobushi came to the conclusion that personal perfection could be attained through challenging combat. Every enemy destroyed, he believes, adds to his own power as a warrior. He has devoted his life to improving his martial skill, adapting the ancient art of Metallikato to most effectively use his diamond tipped drill arm. Landslide, the toughest individual on the Exploration Team, has been his frequent opponent, and Kobushi challenges him at every opportunity.

Strength: 9 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 4 Endurance: 9 

Rank: 5 Courage: 8 Fireblast: 4 Skill: 9.5

Bios: Optimus Primal

"Peace is the absence of conflict and the presence of justice."

Function: Starship Captain

A veteran of the last Great War that resulted in the defeat of the Predacon forces, Optimus Primal embodies many of the Maximal philosophical ideals. He is a heroic figure whose ability for self sacrifice knows no bounds. While he understands that war and conflict are sad realities of his existence, he has made it a point to study the historical and scientific records of past generations. He believes it is the balance that his idol, the original Optimus Primal, maintained throughout his long service. While Optimus Primal has a vast understanding of standard battle protocols, he sometimes utilizes unconventional, yet creative tactics to succeed in his missions. In vehicle mode, his boosters allow the ability to move at speeds of up to 350 mph for short bursts. While in robot mode, the boosters can become forward deployed missile launchers capable of locking onto two targets independently. The boosters can also be used for flight in robot mode. While always battle ready, he believes his current mission of exploration aboard the Axalon is symbolic of the Maximal goals of peace and harmony in the galaxy.

Strength: 10 Intelligence: 9 Speed: 9 Endurance: 10

Rank: 10 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 7 Skill: 9

Bios: Sentinel Maximus

"...Til all are one."

Function - Matrix Guardian / Armored Transport

One of the Heralds created by Primus when it first withdrew it's consciousness to the core of Cybertron, Sentinel Maximus has emerged from the shadows of Time to serve as a guardian over Cybertron during it's darkest hour. With direct access via interdimensional datalink to the nearly limitless knowledge of Vector Sigma, he is a master battlefield tactician and an ideal leader. His perfect synergy with his Mini-Con Ape-Linq is driven by a totally unified consciousness; the two bots act as one in all things. The vast processing power at his disposal allows him to download holographic items into reality, and the power upgrade granted him by Primus prior to his ancient battle with a diabolical and long-forgotten entity from the southern polar regions of Cybertron make him a nearly unstoppable force on the battlefield.

Strength: 10 Intelligence: 10 Speed: 7 Endurance: 10 Rank: 9

Courage: 10 Firepower: 9 Skill: 10

Bios: Vice Grip

"The search often begins within yourself."

Function: Reconnaissance

Vice Grip is one of Megatron's most loyal and dependable troops. He understands the value of a mission and does his utmost to complete it successfully. This drive, coupled by his extraordinary tracking abilities, is well received by the Predacon leader. His comrades have deep respect for him and often look to him for guidance and advice. In insect mode, his rear pincers can easily crush unsuspecting Maximals, and then finish them off with a high-voltage electric surge. I robot mode, the pincers convert to a hand-held pulse weapon that discharges an explosive ball of electricity capable of shorting out Maximals in a twenty meter radius.

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 5 Speed: 5 Endurance: 7 Rank: 5 Courage: 8 Firepower: 6 Skill: 7

Bios: Deathsaurus

"Glory of death for my enemies, glory of victory for me!"

Function: Decepticon General

Profile: After his defeat centuries ago by the Autobot Star Saber, Deathsaurus was recreated as one of the Generals in the Decepticon army. Having led many successful campaigns, he became frustrated as the Autobots and Maximals began to overwhelm the Decepticon/Predacon Alliance. His ultimate goal is to re-establish his title of Emperor of Destruction and return the Decepticon Empire to its former prominence. Savage, cruel and brilliant, Deathsaurus should never be underestimated. Deathsaurus hopes to use his Insecticon Clones to increase his power base.

Abilities: Deathsaurus' new form was engineered to have six distinct transforms including a dragon mode, an aerial vehicle mode and a high-speed ground mode. These forms, along with his dual Timelines blade weapon make him a formidable foe. Utilizing the unique materials in his wings, he can convert sunlight into dark energy, which will corrode any type of metal upon contact. Deathsaurus is one of the strongest Decepticons.

Weakness: Deathsaurus' arrogance allows him to believe his plans are fool proof, causing him to sometimes overlook potential flaws.

Strength: 9 Intelligence: 8 Speed: 7.6 Endurance: 9.2 Rank: 9 Courage: 8.5 Fireblast: 8.3 Skill: 8.7

Transform Squadron 35- Big Spooky, Make A Sortie

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In this (late) August edition of Transform Squadron, Rob talks about the early days of Transformers Armada. Afterwards, he talks about some Halloween traditions of his. This is a very short description of about an hour of podcast. Why don't you check it out?

Transform Squadron 34- Code Orange is Go!

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The spooky season is upon us as Rob discusses the first Halloween event of the year! Pumpkin spiced mayhem aside, talk of Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron is talked. Then, Rob speaks on what it was like as a Transformers fan 15 years ago before the movies. Happy Halloween, everyone... too soon? Every day is Halloween at www.zonebase.org!

When Machines have a War

 

With this weekend being a holiday weekend, I'll be honest, I'm a little checked out mentally. I could use the break. That being said, let's talk about Machine Wars! For those not well acquainted with Machine Wars, shortly after Beast Wars started, MW was launched as a Kay-Bee exclusive (toys were reportedly seen at some Myers stores) Transformers line. It was pretty small and made up of unreleased G2 molds and late G1-early G2 European toy molds.

The cast of characters was mostly the classic crew and the line was basically an experiment to see if vehicular based Transformers would sell well again. While I loved G2, it didn't sell as well as G1 and Beast Wars pretty much brought Transformers back to it's former glory. Unfortunately Machine Wars didn't really take off and it wasn't until the Vehicons of Beast Machines that vehicular Transformers returned to store shelves (aside from the vehicle bots in Takara's Beast Wars series) with RID bringing vehicles back in force. 

That being said, the line has no fiction what so ever. The tech specs pretty much painted the toys as the characters returning without much detail to give you a sense of why they all looked different. Megatron's bio vaguely hinted at him being a jet again after the canceled G2 ATB toy. Thundercracker's hinted at a little character progression, but that was it.

Most fans (myself included) considered them a continuation of G2 as Beast Wars was basically G3 when it first launched before the story line got changed into the one we all know now. You know, I've always wanted to see that idea continued. Maybe I'll look at it some more the next holiday weekend. The closest to actual fiction Machine Wars ever got was tied into the BotCon 2013 exclusive set which had a Machine Wars theme. In it's included comic, the new Machine Wars Transformers followed on from the prior G2 themed set's story line. Which in itself was their take on how G2 would have taken place within the classic cartoon fiction. In all honesty, it wasn't bad.

The above art is a restoration of Optimus Prime's box art from Machine Wars that I found on Google Images. If you or someone you know is responsible for said restoration, I'd be happy to credit you. Please leave me the info in the comments section below. 

Two all Bot Patties, Special Plot, Let us See

 

It was the early 2000's and Transformers had been slowly growing from this kids thing with a small adult fan following into a pop culture phenominon. This was years before the live action movies propelled things into the strotosphere and you had Bumblebee on bottles of Mtn Dew. However thanks to places like Hot topic selling shirts with Autobot symbols on them and the then new Dreamwave Transformers comic flying off the shelves, things were growing.

Armada was a much bigger hit than anyone expected, leading to stores demanding more toys faster than they could be produced. Not to mention, the adult fan community was growing now with the internet getting into more homes and connecting people in ways it wasn't before. Repainted toy molds are a common thing in every toy line. However, for the most part, only a handful of Transformers would get a repaint up to this moment. Suddenly Hasbro needed to get more product out.

Toys take longer to develop than you'd think. There's a lot of hands in the pot all working on the same project. Transformers is a toy line with a longer developmental timeline due to the engineering involved. The fastest way to get stores new stuff out ASAP is to reuse existing resources and that's what they did. Practically every toy in Armada was repainted into a new version of the toy. At BotCon 2002, the exclusives bore the new label 'Expanded Universe" similar to Star Wars. Before then, they'd have the current lines logo. The ongoing story line would take place off screen of the current fiction usually with non-show toys serving as characters. 

Expanded Universe toys were still starring in the ongoing convention story line. Honestly it seemed like a good way to brand the convention toys and let those who used them fictionally to place them wherever. Halfway through Armada, something called Transformers Universe happened. It all but replaced the former BotCon, now called OTFCC's storytelling. Now all of their exclusives bore that title instead of Expanded Universe.

Transformers Universe ultimately was a brand new toy line made completely from repainted existing toy molds that sold right next to Armada (later Energon and Cybertron). At the time, Transformers didn't have the standard amount of shelf space most of us are used to. There was an entire 6-8ft section in most stores full of product. It was cool, and maybe a little overwhelming. You might hear the occasional older fandom member say "it used to be about 20 toys a year". It really was, and now there was a ton out seemingly nowhere. Add in things like G1 reissues, odd merchandise that kept popping up, or the cool things going on in Japan like when Robot Masters came out. There was just a ton of stuff!

Lots of stores had exclusive Transformers, mostly under the banner of Transformers Universe. There was a mix of Beast Wars/Machines, Robots in Disguise, Armada, and even older G2 and Machine Wars molds! Want a toy in exciting new colors, here ya go! Miss out on a toy before, well, here's another chance! It was great, and according to the Hasbro Transformers team, they were working on getting Brave molds into the line. Neat! Fictionally, all the Transformers throughout the greater Transformers Multiverse were all brought together inside Unicron. They'd fight to the death while Unicron would feed off the death and anger. OTFCC was directly selling comics to further the story... and that's where this story takes a nose dive.

There's some of you who read the name OTFCC and said 'what?'. Some of us collectively exhale. I've talked about it before, but let's explain it as simple as we can. Prior to Fun Publications BotCon was ran by 3H. 3H was the convention founding Hartman brothers and their friend Glen Hallit. They split up shortly after BotCon 2002. The brothers took the BotCon name with them and Glen continued to run the convention and now fan club named simply 'Official Transformers Collectors Convention/Club' or OTFCC for short. IUp to this point Hasbro supported BotCon, but by 2002, they had secured a license.

OTFCC didn't go as planned. Delays and other issues cause the show to fail and shortly after the 2004 convention the license was taken away from Glen. A little later Fun Publications was the new holder with the Hartmans back on board. Those 3H comics had sporadic releases and the story line ultimately went unfinished due to 3H closing down shop. The toys, however, went strong for a few years before dwindling down in 2005 before living out a few years as a discount store line. As a discount store line, the toys were generally lower cost figures repacked from prior lines such as Energon or Cybertron in a generic Transformers Universe packaging. The name itself got another life years later. What we now call Generations, went through a few names changes initially and was called Universe for a while. 

And just like that, it was forgotten. The Multiverse comes up time and time again and gets used differently in various fictional outlets. The word multiverse gets thrown around a lot lately, that's what inspired me to write this. Some people have outright forgotten about the original Universe or maybe never learned about it depending on their fan experience. Often you'll hear G2 colors either mocked or loved, but the often weird purple's and wine colors used in Universe go by unmentioned. That's a shame, it was fun. I thought so at least, I mean, I just wrote a lot of words talking about it. 

Mastering the Brave

 

Transformers is a pretty big brand that's been going for a pretty long time. During that time and growth, there's been a lot of ideas that never became real. I'm going to talk about one of those right now. Mainly because it's something that I wish would have happened. That would be New Transformers: Bravemasters. Bravemasters was a proposal by Hayato Sakamoto for an E-Hobby exclusive toy line. The line was to use non-screen character Transformers movie toys in new colors as new characters.

The setting would have been the time period between Headmasters and Masterforce. A new group of Deceptcions led by Master Hell would have attacked Earth. A lone Autobot still on Earth named Brave would have been the first line of resistance with others to join him as things progressed. The series would have been a triple threat. New fans would have a virtual clean slate to pick up from. Older fans would have a look into a time that hadn't been explored much. Third, it would visually appeal to fans of Brave and give them something new.

Personally, I would have loved to see Bravemasters become a reality. It's such a cool idea and theoretically would have given some great toy molds some much deserved attention. I wasn't there at BotCon 2015 when the information was revealed at a panel featuring Sakamoto. However it's been something I've wished for since reading the panel notes. I'd have been a big fan of this series and I'm pretty sure others would have too. Ultimately, a lot of the concepts pitched at the time would have led way to Transformers Cloud. Itself a neat line exclusive to E-Hobby.

Storming the Quicksand

 

Recently Hasbro previewed the upcoming Walmart Exclusive Sandstorm. This is a pretty big deal to me. The original is one of those figures that's always been just out of reach. It was a BotCon exclusive in the older days when they were a bit more hard to get and from a year I couldn't afford to go. This new Sandstorm is made from the Kingdom Scorponok toy that I loved. Frankly, I'll be satisfied with it. Being Exclusive to Walmart, it shouldn't be too hard to get. Though also being exclusive to Walmart means I don't trust their pre-order system and will have to essentially stalk my local stores when the sightings start happening. No problem, I'll practically live there if I have too. This is a must have toy for me and I can't wait to get one. It's so exciting to see something like this happen and honestly I'd love for more to come out.

Bios: Ricochet

 

"Shoot first, why bother with questions."

Function: Bodyguard

Ricochet, the twin brother of Autobot Jazz, is the result of Prime's experiment in splitting an Ember in two and joining each with a new body. Though Ricochet and Jazz were activated seconds apart, the two couldn't be more different. Trained by Prime to serve as one of his elite bodyguards, Ricochet is known for his wild attitude, acting first and asking questions later. Many times this leaves the Autobots without a hostage or serves to eliminate anyone who plans to usurp Ricochet and take his position by Prime's side. Ricochet works extra hard to betray others first, believing that those around him are out to sabotage him. Much to his annoyance, his twin brother Jazz has always been Prime's favorite. Though Ricochet only "acts" crazy from time to time, some fear that this knowledge will lead to it no longer being an act.

The Master of Oil

 

While looking at my Nemesis Primal figure, I found myself wondering why he wasn't Oilmaster? Let me rewind a little and bring my train of thought up to that opening question. Legacy Iguanus was previewed by Hasbro. Like other Pretender updates before it, Iguanus's robot mode is based on his Pretender shell with inner robot alt mode while ignoring the inner robot mode. It's a fun happy medium if they're not making a full Pretender style toy. The toy is a Core Class figure, a size class I do like a lot. Leading me to hope other Pretender updates in that scale happen.

I like Pretenders quite a bit. Always have, they're just fun. As time went on after their release and information became more readily available, the unmade Pretender shells became more common knowledge. They were certainly cool and as things work, the gorilla one became a character in E-Hobby comics. He was named after Oilmaster, a popular fan blogger. I always found that super cool. That's one of the things I've always enjoyed about E-Hobby toys. The inclusion of the greater Transformers universe. 

More time went on and in 2015 Oilmaster was made as part of that year's BotCon Exclusive set. A brand new shell and the Legend Swerve mold was used to create the character. After all this time it finally existed! I do wish to eventually acquire the BotCon/TFCC Pretenders. They are some of the coolest things that came from the Fun Publications era. 

So here it is some time later after that. Every so often I proudly look at my recent Walmart vintage Transformers toys. You know, the ones that come in 'vintage' packaging? I really like them. The recent Beast Wars ones are a particular strong source of emotion. I loved Beast Wars and that whole time era. I honestly miss it. That first gorilla Optimus Primal toy has always been a stand out Transformer toy for me. Sometimes I find myself imagining exclusive figures if I was in the position to create them. I can easily see myself pitching that toy mold as the toy that would become Oilmaster. 

Then we get to that Nemesis Primal figure. He came in the 'Worlds Collide' Buzzworthy Bumblebee boxed set exclusive to Target. One of the reasons I like store exclusive Transformers is that they're essentially the modern day equivalent of BotCon exclusives. They're also pretty neat. The Worlds Collide set pretty much was an old BotCon exclusive box set in execution and certainly felt like one. Nemesis Primal was an alternate universe evil clone of Optimus Primal made from the Kingdom version of Optimus Primal. When the set was initially previewed, I took it as a throwback to Galvatron Lio Convoy/ Galva Convoy initially and thought it looked like the old Kabaya model kit. Which is pretty much is/does. However with Iguanus making the rounds and getting me all excited... I guess you can see what I was thinking in that opening question.

Bios: Sky-Byte

 

"Flash of metal fins. Sharkticons tear foes to shreds. Die quick, Autobots."

Sky-Byte is a Predacon by design, but, like his Quintesson creators, works with the Decepticons from time to time when it's profitable to do so. He leads the new-generation Sharkticons into battle, ruthlessly shredding all cars and robots on his way. He sees himself as a sophisticated warrior poet, the self-proclaimed "greatest shark around," composing haiku about the robots in disguise he's about to deactivate. Exposure to forestonite has given Sky-Byte a devastating new ability; he can unleash a "Tsunami Blaster" freeze attack from his chest, paralyzing his foes. Combined with an already impressive arsenal, air speed, and his Sharkticon hordes, he's a menace to everything in the air, land and sea. Were he more competent and less given to overblown theatrics that leave him vulnerable, he'd be one of the Autobots' greatest threats.