Clench and Nemesis Prime [Swapticons]

A recent goal of mine was to write about every Swapticon and Cyberworld toy here on the site (within reason). Now that summer's upon us, it's time to get back to Swapticons, as I sure haven't posted about them since 2025. I've actually been waiting until now to do so, as summer just feels like the right time to give them a big focus. Why? I... don't know. It just is.

So we're starting off our Summer of Swapticons with a look at Clench and Nemesis Prime! Because I like them!

These two are repaints of the Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime Swapticons set from 2025. Nemesis Prime was an obvious and predictable repaint of any Optimus Prime toy, but Clench was a bit of a surprise. I'm not really sure who else they would have used, but I'm glad to see him here. If anything, it means Hasbro has the name active right now, so maybe he'll get a new figure in Generations or Cyberworld sometime soon. Thinking about it, he'd actually make a great reuse of the Off-Road Optimus Prime Cyberworld figure.

Like all Swapticons, one robot forms the front of a vehicle mode while the other forms the rear. This is the same basic idea as the old Micromaster Combiners, and initially what I hoped Swapticons were going to be a return to. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised with what Swapticons actually ended up being: a silly little line of Transformers mini figures with really boxy proportions. They've got a lot in common with BotBots (which I loved) and are VERY similar to the more recent series of McDonald's Changeables that myself and other robot fans were going crazy for back in February.

Worth noting, there's another series of Changeables in Japan that I'd love to see make their way here. I wonder if the similarities are coincidental, intentional, or if some of the same toy designers worked on both? Who knows.

I usually like Nemesis Prime toys, and this one is no different. The Optimus Prime design just looks good in black, and it naturally makes for a good bad guy toy. There are always people who claim Nemesis Prime is boring... but they're usually just trying to look interesting. And failing.

Clench looks marvelous, as toys of Clench usually do. Those bright colors contrast against the darker colors so nicely that it even looks sharp on a silly little figure like this one. Their combined truck mode is pretty great looking as well. Once again, those colors are working overtime. It's hard not to love such an angry-looking duo as chonky little silly robot toys.

Bios: Clench

Clench is the Mini-Con partner for Galvatron, the reformatted and powered-up version of Megatron. After Megatron was reformatted, he decided to 'trade-up' his Mini-Con partner. Searching the globe over, Galvatron finally found the perfect Mini-Con partner in Clench, Leader-1's brother. Although Leader-1 and Clench share nearly identical transformations, Clench is ten times faster, stronger, and more powerful than Leader-1.

Making the Cyberverse in my mind- Clench

So, I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming Transformers Cyberverse cartoon. I'm fairly excited for it as the format allows for a lot of world building and a variety of adventures. While I'm pretty sure they'll largely stick with a faithfully familiar cast, I can't help but to imagine what more obscure characters could be like. So, let's sit through another round of Rob imagines things. I plan on doing a few of these periodically, so assuming I don't go chasing some other butterfly, I'm starting off with Clench.

Because I like him.

Clench doesn't get a whole lot of attention other than background Decepticon or Decepticon in a place of leadership at some point type of roles. Seeing as the conceit of Cyberverse is Bumblebee remembering his various adventures, it would be a good time to use someone like him. Despite folks getting tired of the character on the Walking Dead, I really see Clench in a role similar to Negan. Think about it, what's Megatron's motto? "Peace through tyranny". How do the Saviors behave? They save people by ruling under brutality. Kill a couple, watch the rest fall in line. And both camps have members that are good and just plain rotten.

Clench is classically a brutal character. He's certainly the type to kill somebody in front of others to make them fall in line. Now, Negan isn't exactly a bad guy. He's trying to save people generally, just going about it in not exactly the most ideal way. Also he's taking a bit of delight in it. Well, the Decepticons don't think they're the bad guys. Bad guys generally don't think they're bad. On Walking Dead, Rick could be seen a a villain from a certain point of view, so could Optimus Prime. Prowl in some incarnations is certainly... oh, hi Shane.

So, what if in an episode Bumblebee remembers his adventure on some desolate area that's under the rule of Clench and his crew?

"I care about my bots. I don’t want to just march them into the line of fire because I want to play ‘my bolt is bigger than yours.’ It is. We both know it."

Clench/Colossus

I will not rest until the last Autobot is crushed to nothing and Decepticons rule.

A vehicle of terrifying power and pure evil. Combines a keen brain with diabolical cruelty. His whole being is dedicated to vengeance. A nightmare opponent, powered by pure hate and the thought of ultimate victory. Overwhelms, flattens and throws aside anyone foolish enough to get in his way. As a vehicle attacks from all sides with vast weapon power and does terrible damage with his vicious, rear mounted grabbing claw. Menacing in intermediate mode as a multi-purpose battle station. As a gigantic robot, towers terrifyingly above all.

Clench (G2 Redux)

Out. Of. MY. WAY!

From the moment he came online, Clench was trouble. Created as a security bot, he completely trashed the Cyberfactory that gave him life a mere ten minutes earlier. Within days, he had gathered the disaffected and angry among the Earth-born Cybertronians and created the Decepticon Syndicate, crushing anything in his path. His sole motivation seems to be a seething core of universal hatred that fuels him more than any energon. He has no true designs for usurping Galvatron or Zarak, but figures, someday, they're going to get in his way...

Even before the Forestonite experiment, Clench was a terrifying monster in battle. Now his nearly impenetrable armor and Colossus Cannons are augmented with the ability to create localized gravity wells up to ten times Earth's pull, leaving his targets utterly helpless before his wrath.