Nemesis Prime [Defender Version 07- Power of the Beast]

@robfromzonebase Nemesis Prime [Transformers Blokees Defender Version 07- Power of the Beast] #zonebase #transformers #blokees #beastwars #blokeestransformers ♬ Mind Over Matter - E.G. DAILY

I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the special versions available in Blokees Transformers Defender Version 07: Power of the Beast was Universe Nemesis Prime, the 2004 Target-exclusive repaint of Big Convoy. I was expecting things like metallic paint or some extra fancy weaponry (which another special version of Big Convoy in this series actually has), but instead they went with one of the more obscure versions of Nemesis Prime. That's a pretty deep cut, and I love seeing Blokees do things like that.

Nemesis Prime originated in the original Transformers Universe toy line, which featured previously released molds repainted into new versions of existing characters or, in some cases, entirely new characters. Initially, Universe served as a companion line to Armada before continuing alongside later Transformers series. Store exclusives, convention exclusives, and even an ongoing comic published through the Official Transformers Collectors' Convention/Club all fell under the Universe banner. This was back during the 3H split era of BotCon.

The storyline centered around Unicron's return. He began pulling Transformers from countless alternate universes and forcing them to battle inside his body. As each Transformer fell, Unicron consumed their Spark and grew even more powerful. The Maximals from a post-Beast Machines Cybertron joined forces with the Autobots against Predacons and Decepticons loyal to Unicron... although the battle lines weren't always so clearly drawn.

Of course, there have been several different characters named Nemesis Prime over the years. This particular version originated from the corpse of one universe's Optimus Prime, who had been killed by Mega Zarak. Unicron cloned the fallen Optimus and transformed him into his own dark version of Prime, complete with the Dead Matrix, an artifact capable of killing Primus.

In the early TFCC comics, which took place on a version of Cybertron during the events of Transformers Cybertron/Galaxy Force, Nemesis Prime and Ramjet, another of Unicron's Heralds, arrived on Cybertron while it was largely abandoned. Most of the Transformers were searching for the Cyber Planet Keys and the Omega Lock in order to awaken Primus and stop the Unicron Singularity, which was busy tearing reality apart.

Because catastrophic events are just another Tuesday when you're a Transformer.

Nemesis Prime and Ramjet planned to use the Dead Matrix to kill Primus while he slept and had virtually no one left to defend him. Naturally, they were defeated, the Dead Matrix was taken away, and Nemesis Prime was imprisoned.

You'd think that would be the end of his story, but nope. This version of Nemesis Prime continued popping up during later inter-dimensional adventures. Alternity even redeemed him and turned him into one of the good guys! It just goes to show there's really no such thing as a burned bridge in a fictional universe.

Just like the original toy, this Blokees kit is a repaint of Big Convoy. While the original figure reused the Beast Wars Neo toy mold, this special Defender Version is a repaint of the Big Convoy model kit found in the blind boxes. I'd still love to get the regular Big Convoy from Series 07, but this was a pretty awesome surprise to open.

I still remember getting my original Nemesis Prime 22 years ago. I'd already owned the original Big Convoy, specifically the Korean Sonokong release, where the character was renamed "Mammolike." Getting the evil repaint afterward was incredibly exciting. One of the things that made Universe so much fun was that Hasbro would occasionally take molds American collectors had never had access to and suddenly release them as store exclusives. There were even plans to reuse molds from Brave, although those unfortunately never happened.

Years ago I remember saying online that it'd be really cool if some of those classic Universe color schemes found their way onto modern updates of those characters. It's neat to see that actually happen, especially in a format that I've clearly become a huge fan of.

Big Convoy's design works incredibly well as a Blokees Defender Version. You'd think the smaller proportions would make him look cute, but somehow he's just as badass as ever. Nemesis Prime isn't simply a black repaint either. His color layout is surprisingly sharp. The cream-colored plastic used on various parts of the robot really pops against the darker colors.

Yes... cream.

That was one of the charms of the old Universe repaints. Instead of using obvious colors like gold, they'd use champagne or other unusual shades that gave each figure its own unique personality. Some of those decos were genuinely creative.

Building Nemesis Prime felt like a premium experience, much like Magmatron did. There are so many unique parts that help separate him from the standard release. The mammoth tusks are separate pieces that attach to the beast kibble on his back, giving the whole design an even more dramatic silhouette.

The paint applications are another highlight. The red tips of the tusks and the red chest clearly draw inspiration from Robots in Disguise (2001) Scourge's windows and sword, while the teal detailing on the legs mirrors Scourge's own teal highlights. The resemblance is so obvious that, in the TFCC comic, Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime actually takes note of it. Apparently the similarity wasn't lost on the fictional characters either.

Assembly is exactly what you'd expect from a Blokees kit. Everything goes together smoothly, and there aren't any tricky spots worth warning you about. Honestly, with a design this ornate, I expected at least one frustrating step... but nope. It's another straightforward, enjoyable build.

Since this is simply a repaint of the regular Big Convoy, he comes with the standard Big Cannon. The other special version includes metallic paint along with the upgraded Matrix Buster version of the weapon. I'd honestly love to own both of the other Big Convoy variants someday—one to display alongside Magmatron, and especially that spectacular Special Armor Type version.

Having a small model of Universe Nemesis Prime wasn't something I ever expected Blokees to make, but I'm certainly glad they did. Once again, they've shown they're willing to dig deep into Transformers history instead of sticking to only the obvious choices. That's one of the reasons I've become such a fan of this line.

And honestly... he's just pretty damned impressive looking.

Magneous (Legacy United/Deluxe Class)

Armorizers are finally here and it's time to celebrate. A whole new breed of transforming rock toys that homage Rock Lords, the rocky people of Daira, and Inhumanoids. I had ordered Magneous and Boldercrash at the same time from Amazon, though Boldercrash is taking a little longer to get here. That gave me ample time to enjoy Magneous all on his own first. I've been so excited for these since announcement that finally having them is just amazing. Right now the two I've ordered are the only ones known, but I'm sure more will come eventually. Deluxe Class Armorizers share the same gimmick as Junkions, Fossilizers, and Weaponizers did before.

They can split into parts and be attached onto other Transformers to create armor or weapons. Fictionally, they are a living race of robotic rock based shapeshifters that come from the Infernac Universe. As far as a location for Transformers, there's not really anything known about Infernac yet. However in prior uses, Infernac is where Metlar from Inhumanoids hails from. Part of me likes to envision a Hollow Earth type hellscape full of volcanoes and dinosaurs. Judging by the Legacy United packaging art, that setting doesn't seem far off.

The whole thing just ignites my imagination and give me a sense of pure excitement. As a fan, I'm enthralled. Let's take a look at Magneous as a toy, shall we? Magneous is a beefy guy with a pick axe style weapon that could also be a crossbow depending on how he holds it. This is a very Rock Lords style weapon that I feel should have a ridiculous name like 'Geode Saber'. It fits Magneous well and with his bulk appearance, give the toy a fantasy feel that I really like. Magneous is an Obsidian warrior, which is a type of igneous rock that from the cooling of viscous lava. Igneous rocks in general that are formed from molten rock and he has plenty of that detailing sculpted in. There's a variety of rocky surfaces forming a stone warrior armor  in a mix of blacks and dark grays. It looks great. Magneous is fairly articulated and can be dissembled (as I mentioned earlier) to form rock armor and weapons for other Transformers.

Despite the parts forming nature of the toy, Magneous can transform without disassembly. Transformation is fairly easy and everything goes where you'd expect. In his neat rock truck mode, Magneous looks wild. It's a mixture of post apocalyptic and pre history styles blended together. The pick axe weapon can store across the back end or bumper, I found the back end to be best. A stone based vehicle is pretty far out, but I like it. I've been told that it's possible to form a rock mode from his parts, which I plan to try out later. That's all sorts of fun. I love this toy and concept as you've probably gathered while reading this. It's cool to have transforming rocks again and if Magneous is an example of what's to come, this looks to be a great set of figures. I could see a variety of repaint toys made with this as a base. It's a great figure that firmly fits the concept. Armorizers have me excited in a way I haven't been in a very long time. It's cheesy to say something rocks, but Magneous does. It's a rock fact.

Bios: Camshaft

Function: Scout

A daring rogue, his joints have been specially designed to allow him to commit acrobatioc feats impossible for other TRANSFORMERS. He specializes in sneaking undetected into the most heavily guarded enemy strongholds. Using thermoptic and nightvision optical settings and a variety of unconventional hand-to-hand tactics, he is a grim shadow-warrior for OPTIMUS PRIME.

"A sense of isolation inspires me."

 

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Bios: Jazz

Function -Special Operations Expert / Special Ops. Agent

Clever, cool, and adaptable, Autobot Jazz takes on the riskiest missions with trademark flair, dazzling emenies with spectacular sound and light displays. His vast knowledge of Earth culture makes his especially valuable in Earth operations. Equipped with photon rifle, flame-thrower, full-spectrum beacon and 180db stereo speakers.

"Do it with style or don't bother doing it."

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Bios: Optimus Prime

Function- Leader

Dedicated to protecting all life, Optimus Prime leads the Autobots in unceasing battle against the evil Decepticons. His courage and wisdom know no bounds, and he is respected throughout the universe as a powerful champion of peace. Carries a blaster rifle as well as the ancient Autobot Matrix of Leadership.

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings"

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Bios: Hoist

Function - Maintenance

Hoist is first on the scenewhenever an Autobot is injured in the line of duty. His personal mission is to make sure that each of his comrades operates at peak efficiency levels at all times. Though his primary function is maintenance and repair, he'll gladly convert to robot mode to take on a Decepticon adversary.

 "You have to be rolling before you can be fighting"

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Bios: Wheeljack

Function - Mechanical Engineer

Wheeljack is a genius at combining throw-away objects into incredibly effective weapons. He is also a spectacular driver who never passes up a chance to show off his high-speed prowess. Arsenal includes a magnetic inducer sheel, gyro inhibitor and an ever-changing array of new gadgets.

 "Never do what your enemy expects you to do."

 

 

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Bios: Prowl

Function - Military Strategist

Prowl is a strategic genius. His logic center is the most sophisticated in the Autobot army, capable of analyzing complex combat situations and making strategic decisions almost instantaneously. Unexpected events, however, have been known to scramble his circuit. Launches powerful wire-guided missiles and high corrosive-acid pellets.

"Logic is the ultimate weapon"

 

 

 

 

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Bios- Silverstreak

 Function - Gunner

Always on overdrive, Silverstreak is an incessant talker whose sharp humor can lighten tense situations. Formidable weapons and incendiary speed make him an impressive adversary, although the memory of his home-city's destruction has left him with a lasting distaste for war. Equipped with long-range bombing capability and 80,000 volt attack beam.

"I never met a Decepticon I didn't dislike."

 

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Bios~ Nemesis Prime

The most vile creation of the evil Unicron is a creature so shameful and foul that Autobot warriors fear to speak of it. Nemesis Prime - the powerful yet twisted clone of the legendary Optimus Prime, pulled out of time and perverted to the cruel villains purposes - possesses all the knowledge and wisdom of the Autobot leader, but is powered by a deep love of evil and destruction. Perhaps the greatest threat to the Universe ever created by Unicron, Nemesis Prime carries within its body the Dead Matrix, an artifact capable of negating and destroying forever the power Autobot Matrix of Leadership.

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

Full Circle of the Moon

I don't know about you, but the first thing that pops in my mind when I think about Halloween is a snow leopard. The Halloween Horrorcons were one of the first Halloween posts I wrote on the site. In short, they were a planned Halloween Walmart exclusive set during the original Universe line that got canceled. Fortunately two of them have been homaged in Legacy. This one is a Walmart exclusive. I'll get to the other later. After all, everyday is Halloween on Planet Zone! It's in the site description... duh. Today though, today we're going to talk about Nightprowler. Older readers will remember that Halloween Horrorcon was the original naming of the spooky season here on the site. Clearly this one is a big deal to me.

Since the original Nightprowler was a repaint of the original Beast Wars Cheetor mold, this new (and actually released) one is a repaint of the Kingdom Cheetor mold. I talked about that one here if you'd like a more in depth look at it. In short, I liked it.

To some people, this might just seem like a throw away repaint. It is a pretty obscure character that technically doesn't exist. They could have made Prowl for obscurity points and had a more recognizable name. Obviously I love it. If you heard a scream around the time it was announced... that was me (sorry). Legacy sure is a cool Transformers line. It cherry picks from random places in Transformers history to really create fan friendly and still fun updates. The store exclusives go a level or two deeper. This is the kind of thing I'd want as a fan club exclusive. But things like the Velocitron Speedia 500 and Buzzworthy Bumblebee have done it better at regular retail. That's pretty awesome.

Bios: Optimus Primal

 

"We will win if we believe in ourselves and our unity."

After his ultimate sacrifice to defeat Megatron, in which he became part of the core of Cybertron itself, Optimus Primal rose to the level of a mythic legend among the grateful populace of Cybertron. Now as the battle against the ancient monster planet known as Unicron has begun once again, Primus himself has called Optimus Primal to be brought back into action to help in the fight for the very survival of Cybertron. Optimus Primal represents a uniquely powerful fusion of the Maximal Forces' advanced technology with the raw power of their mighty Autobot ancestors. In this supercharged form Optimus Primal possesses unmatched strength among the techno-organic populace of Cybertron. His weaponry has also been upgraded significantly: He wields an impressive array of both long range and melee weapons including twin battle blades that can cut through solid rock, a vanadium steel reinforced mace, left arm retractable double barreled plasma cannon, and twin independently targetable shoulder mounted missile launchers. Rear mounted jets give him flight capability. Energy receptors allow him to absorb much of the damage from energy-based attacks and re-channel it back at his enemies. Intelligence, experience, passion and skill are all crucial parts of what makes Optimus Primal a born leader of the Autobot cause. Serves as an inspiration to help others find their own strength to keep fighting despite the odds. 

Strength:10 Intelligence:10 Speed:8 Endurance:10 Rank:10 Courage:10 Firepower:8 Skill:10

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. 

Operation Micro Combination

 

A time I truly miss in Transformers is from of the early 2000's. Takara started re-issuing the Micromaster combiners from late G1. Instead of gift sets, the figures would come in blind box style packaging with each combiner team serving as a series. There would be a little hole in the bottom allowing you to see the number of each member on an insert, so it wasn't a totally blind box. The insert would be a generally informative set of instructions, who all else was in the set, and a short pack in fiction. However the number wouldn't be much of an indication of you got the regular toy or the chase color version. The line would even include Landcross whom was sold as a DX Micromasters.

A Micromaster combiner team (gestalt style, not the two vehicle combiners) would consist of six robots with a unified theme. There would also be the various combiner parts included with the figures that you'd need to form the main robot after completing the set. Those combiner parts would also assemble a flying vehicle of sorts your Micromasters could pilot. The originals were normally sold in a singular box (for the most part), however in this line came individually sold in the a fore mentioned blind box.

The boxes would come 12 to a display box that'd sit on the counter of a store. These display boxes were generally how you'd buy them online if you weren't in Japan (like me). Some sties did sell them individually, but it usually was by the display box that they were bought. Enough to complete two sets of the teams would be in that box. Perfect for trading or selling. The reissues didn't have stickers like the originals, instead the details were tampographed on. If you find yourself wondering if you've found an original, that's the easiest way to figure out.

Above I mentioned the color chase versions. That's because there would be an alternate version of the team in the set. Generally in solid colors and sometimes with a faction swap. They were highly desired and generally you'd get about 75% of one in that box, leading to some trading or buying extras to complete it if possible. Later Hasbro would release these teams under the Universe banner. Individually packaged and usually exclusive to Kay-Bee Toys (here, at least) they were mostly straight repacks of the Japanese releases named after classic combiner teams instead of the original teams names. Only Superion and Devastator got new colors and were really nice looking. These are still my favorite versions of Superion and Devastator to this day.

Bios: Ramjet

"Accept your fate and welcome the glorious chaos that awaits."

The being originally known as Ramjet has one goal and one goal only; to enact his master's every whim and desire. For millions of years he executed the Chaos Bringer's commands without question or fail. Traversing dimensions and realities with the simplest gesture; Ramjet's power was near limitless. With the Unicron singularity destroyed by the actions of Nexus Prime, Ramjet's sole reason for existence, securing Unicron's presence across all parts of the multiverse, is no more.

With his dimension hopping abilities and raw power also severely dampened by the effects of the Terminus Blade and Star Saber, Ramjet once again relies on his supersonic jet mode for attack and pursuit missions. He has a top speed of Mach 4. Emits powerful blasts from his body. Channels Unicron's dark energy through two Antrodemonus Swords hidden within his wings. Can launch MX-00 caliber missiles capable of collapsing a Transformers' spark upon direct impact. Due to the torturous pain he endured and his undying devotion to his master, Ramjet often suffers from fits of insanity.

Bios: CatSCAN

CatSCAN is in many ways like a lost child in the wilderness -- he knows to some degree where he came from, but is unsure as to where he will eventually end up. Brought to life by a bizarre combination of Apelinq and his digitization powers and the artificial intelligence of a medical diagnostic computer, this curious creature has found a permanent home with the Wreckers team. Armed with two battle blades of ancient Cybertronian design and a tail-mounted plasma torch, CatSCAN could easily be considered a lethal one-robot army. This fact notwithstanding, his fearsome appearance belies an inherently gentle and nonviolent personality -- it is simply not in his programming to cause harm to other beings. Lacking a Spark of his own, CatSCAN has a deep wish to understand the true nature of his self-awareness. He looks up to Apelinq as a mentor and "creator figure" and often acts as a voice of conscience among his teammates.

Let's Transform Cyberjet Jetfire!

Good old Jetfire. One of the more popular Cyberjets and for a while there, one of the more often used molds. Chances are you've probably got a version or two of it and let's transform it? As you can see above your figure should have two missiles. These fire from the launcher on the top of the jet which is also the robots right hand. It only fires one at a time, so the spare is often held in the other hand as a club.

 

In jet mode, the spare missile can be stored underneath the jet. With both missiles in place he looks pretty heavily armed. The jet itself is pretty neat. It's small, but not tiny. The wings can open up as well.

To fire the missile, just push on the end and it pops out flying a few inches. Instead of a spring trigger, the launcher has a sort of marble mechanism. 

The launcher clamps around the ball shape on the missile. The pushing plays with the friction of the holder and it just pops out. This works really well and is very handy as you won't loose missiles by accidental firings.

Let's start transforming him now. simply unfold the jet's undercarriage out. It's pretty obvious that these are Jetfire's legs. Thanks to the sculpting they blend in pretty well. There's also some fold-able landing gear built into them which stores out of the way in robot mode.

After you flip out those legs, adjust those arms into place. The missile launcher is one and by now you've noticed the other was the storage for the spare missile. Spread them out like in the picture. Just like the picture, don't get creative. 

By now you can probably see the robot's head, that's generally where you need to start folding. So do that. Fold it. Now. As you do this everything will fit into place with a little adjusting. Maybe a lot if you got creative with those arms like I told you not to.

You've mostly got Jetfire transformed. Just fold those arms up into place and you've got a pretty good looking robot.

 

Place one of those missiles in the launcher so Jetfire can shoot it at somebody. The other can be held like a club or stored on the underside of his arm. It's the same place you had it stored in jet mode and looks like an arm mounted gun when done so here.

Like I said before, this mold got a lot of use and chances are you've probably got a version or two of it. There's five different versions of it out officially and I still see bootlegs of it occasionally. 

It was used twice in G2 as Hooligan and Jetfire. In Robot Masters as R-Blade and Wind Sheer in Universe (v1). The last use was in the BotCon 2005 exclusive set as Ricochet. Each version is pretty different from the other and are pretty sharp looking toys. Go get one if you don't already own a version. Then fly him around your living room. Make "pew pew" noises.

Little Black Truck

 
It's said that dynamite comes in small packages, and I don't know if that's true but... that was a horrible start. Whatever. Robots in Disguise (2001) was the Transformers line that brought Autobots and Decepticons back into the fray and ended the beast era. Some like to argue that RID was part of the beast era due to the Predacon characters. I've also seen people argue with the cashier at Arby's that they sold cheeseburgers, sssssooooo....

Any who, RID was a unique line in the history of Transformers. Transtech was intended to follow Beast Machines as a hybrid beast/vehicle series. For whatever reason is given today plans were changed and the decision to go a new route was made. That new route ended up being Armada and needed a little more time to develop. In Japan Takara had already experimented with a more traditional TF show called Car Robots. Hasbro fast tracked Car Robots into Robots in Disguise to have a Transformers series on shelves and on TV to fill the time needed. Car Robots was a relatively short anime with a small toy line mostly consisting of repainted toy molds and a few new toys. Hasbro took that and added more repaints to fill out the line. One of the new Decepticons was a evil clone of Fire Convoy/Optimus Prime named Black Convoy/Scourge whom was a black and teal repaint of the G2 Laser Optimus Prime toy.

Hasbro expanded the Spy Changer by releasing same sized versions of the shows main characters. This was probably the most direct beginning of the Legends/Legion style of toys offering lower priced figures of the main characters. It was in this assortment that we got the really neat Spy Changer version of Scourge. Spy Changers were originally made from the G2 Gobots toy molds and were really great little toys. Basically you had a Hot Wheels size car that was even compatible with a Hot Wheels car track! They'd transform into simple robots full of charm. It's not hard for readers to guess I loved them.

For a short time it looked like this was the only toy of the character getting made and the Spy Changer versions were flying off the shelves! Unlike other Spy Changers, Scourge didn't come with a weapon, nor did he have his trailer. During this time there was a ton of people creating their own custom weapons and trailers for the toy. It was pretty fun to take in and watch.

In what has to be the only time it happened, a toy based on a repaint of another character got repainted into the original toys colors. Later a Spy Changers version of Optimus Prime was made from the Scourge toy as part of a line of Spy Changers based on the classic G1 characters. That was a mess of words that barley formed a coherent sentence and I'm not sorry for it. This little line was available as a discount line at Family Dollar type stores, though a year prior were exclusive to Kay Bee Toy stores in different packaging. Laser Optimus Prime was a good looking toy, Scourge was a good looking toy, so it goes without saying this was a good looking toy.

This little series was fun to collect, easy and cheap, you couldn't help but to acquire multiples without thinking or worrying about it. At a small local sci fi con, I had ran a Transformers panel and had them on hand as raffle prizes. I don't think I know anyone who hated them and if anyone did hate them... how? This great little mold got another use just a short while later in a really fun way.

I don't have to tell you the 2007 Transformers movie was a big hit. It's just a fact and there's no arguing that. Unless you're stupid and well, you're on your own there dummy. A movie meant to sell toys is going to have a ton of merchandise, it's why they made it. One such thing was a the pictured above pre-order exclusive for the DVD in Japan.

That pre-order exclusive was the last version of the great little mold, but what a way to go out! Now as the movie version of Optimus Prime the toy looks awesome. I distinctly remember the summer before the movies release (which is an awkward was of saying 2006) pictures of the movie characters first started hitting the internet and everyone was talking. Optimus's truck was shown before his robot mode and while some were hung up on G1, several thought they looked cool (money walks and bullshit talks). I saw the long nose truck and hoped for a repeat of the Laser Optimus toy as it was excellent and man those flames looked cool. While the actual toy was pretty different, I clearly wasn't the only one who had that idea.

Snowcats chase Snowmen's scarfs

With July the 4th just around the corner (actually tomorrow, but I couldn't figure out a clever way to start this post), I can't help but to think about GI JOE. It just goes with the holiday, ya know? There's been a number of Transformers and GI JOE crossovers over the years and with just due. The two series are forever linked, not just fictionally, but Transformers essentially came from GI JOE. One of my favorite crossover figures (more of a homage I guess) was from Energon. Snow Cat was a Decepticon that turned into the Snow Cat.

The Snow Cat was and is by far my favorite GI JOE vehicle. Just a cool all terrain truck thing decked out in missiles for those missions where the JOE's needed to go somewhere deep in the snow and kill the hell outta it. When I first saw Energon Snow Cat, I was absolutely ecstatic. At the time such a thing was unheard of, dreamed of maybe, but not heard of. If you dared spoke of it, you'd be told how ridiculous and stupid of an idea it was by somebody allergic to air conditioning. That same person later said it was the exact thing they've always wanted and Hasbro should have already made before having some sort of problem when ordering from Subway. I hate that guy.

On the cartoon, Snow Cat was a reformatted Cyclonus for some reason. In robot mode Snow Cat has fold down ski's and can hold his missiles as ski poles... he can ski and he did so in space and it was just majestic. Outside of the silliness of the ski gimmick, he was a pleasantly chunky robot with solid proportions and articulation. The back mounted missile rack could fold over his shoulders for an attack mode. In white with grey and burgundy highlights, Snow Cat was a good looking toy. One of my favorite touches was his windshield wipers could move and even had molded in frost that was cleared away by the wipers, like in the original GI JOE toy.

A little later in Universe, Snow Cat got a repaint in a really nice black and orange deco that looked great! Though personally I has hoped for Tiger Force version (and considering Fun Publications involvement in things, it's weird that it never happened), but I suppose one could argue that this is the Night Force version... though that one never happened... aside from this I suppose. Regardless of versions and which ones, the deco looks really good on the toy. I almost wish it was a different character as in these colors, Snow Cat looks less like a polar expedition vehicle and more like a cool sci fi military thing. I could see Monarch or the Science Team rolling around in this.

Snow Cat was an imaginative toy in a time when Transformers brought more original ideas to the table in each line. While I don't have any complaints about modern Transformers, things like Snow Cat are the kind of thing I'd love to see more of. Just something that was neat, fun, and homaged Transformers older brother in a unique way.