Red Alert [Age of the Primes/Voyager Class]

In Transformers Armada, fans got introduced to a new character named Red Alert whom was much different than the G1 original. This Red Alert was a different character who served as the teams medic. If you're noticing the similarities to Ratchet, you're not alone. That was his name in Japan. Red Alert was styled after Robocop and Power Rangers. I strongly remember the conversations about how much he looked like Robocop before it was confirmed. At BotCon 2002, there was some design art inside the convention booklet.

A few images of Red Alert were there, this lead to my friends and I talking again how much he looked like Robocop. Later after the convention and getting home, my job had screwed up my scheduled time off and I had to go in just a few hours after getting in from the long road trip. Later that evening, a very tired me stopped by Walmart on the way home for some food and they had the newly released Red Alert in stock. After talking about how much he looked like Robocop the days before... I bought him on the spot. Initially I wasn't very interested in him, but at that point had to have him. He looks like Robocop, ever notice?

Opening my new toy while eating my frozen pizza... I quickly became a fan and have been ever since. He was great! Though I initially thought he should have been a smaller toy, something that the Deluxe Class Cybertron figure would be a few years later. Still, there's nothing better than a big chonky robot toy. So thankfully this new figure is a Voyager Class, but it's a little smaller than that original despite being a comparable price class (Voyager Class wasn't the term until Cybertron, they were called Max-Con during Armada). Times have chance in the 23 years since that original... and so has the price.

This new Red Alert still is a very good update of that toy bringing it to the year 2025 with current engineering. He looks pretty much the same but there's a lot more articulation (and sadly no Mini-Con gimmicks). The left hand retains the swappable gimmick with two different weapons that can be plugged in. Whichever is not in use can store in the alt mode kibble on his legs. Since there's no Mini-Con gimmicks (and you get less toy for the money), the kibble doesn't fold down into a repair bay. His gun still attaches to the vehicle roof and can unfold into a shoulder mounted cannon from there, or be removed to be held traditionally. It still has that claw missile, but doesn't fire anymore. I don't mind that honestly.  Since we're talking about that vehicle mode, transformation is pretty easy and could probably done by veteran TF fans by muscle memory as it's similar to several other toys. The only real challenge is some of the joints are pretty stiff.

Red Alert's cool Rescue SUV looks just as great as ever. It's super satisfying and all around pleasant. There's no electronics, so you'll have to just say "RED ALERT WOO WOO WOO" on your own... and I assume many of you are doing that anyway. As someone who enjoyed the original upon it's release, this is a real treat... even if it's a stark reminder of how much $20 got me then, vs what $35 gets me now and it's kinda a bummer. I do wish there was Mini-Cons... but they're just not in use currently. There is some ports throughout his body where at Battlemaster could probably fill the roll. Regardless, it's an excellent toy that I'm very happy with. Yes, he's got some long legs. It's a thing.

Wheeljack [Legacy United/ Deluxe Class]

Transformers is a funny line. Now in it's 41st year, it's been reinvented countless times while still revisiting older settings quite often. As a life long fan whose been around since it launched, there's a clear split down the middle of before the 2007 movie and after. Before that movie, there was tons of reinvention with some revisiting. Ever since the movie, there's been tons of revisiting with some reinvention. I say that as today we'll be looking at the Legacy United update of Wheeljack... the one from Transformers Armada.

Beast Machines was fundamentally the end of the mainstream G1 timeline (excluding prose, comics, etc). Robots in Disguise (2001) served as a filler while Hasbro changed directions behind the scenes. Originally, Beast Machines was to be followed up with Transtech. Transtech would have continued the story with a combination of classic and beast era characters. However, as Beast Machines wasn't as successful as Beast Wars before it and things were getting pretty convoluted for what was meant to be a kids show... it was time to refresh.

Transformers Armada kicked off what was called The Unicron Trilogy with cartoons,comics,video games, merchandise, and of course toys. Armada reintroduced the Autobots and Decepticons on a new adventure chasing after Mini-Cons and ending with a big showdown with Unicron. There was a mixture of new and old characters with a lot of name reuses... which sometimes lead to a lot of confusion. That's where Wheeljack comes in. Some of you might have noticed he's definitely not the classic Wheeljack you're familiar with. This Wheeljack used to be a young Autobot warrior, who was believed to have died in battle. However, Wheeljack survived and believed he had been abandoned. The understandably angry bot joined the Decepticons and became quite the adversary for Hot Shot, whom he had blamed for the abandonment. That's the reason for the cool scratched out Autobot symbol and admittedly hard to see in the picture (it got a little lost in the black) Deceptcion emblem underneath.

Now you might have thought he looks more like Sideswipe and that the name Sideswipe would fit the character better. Well... it would have, but there was another Autobot named Side Swipe... who didn't look anything like traditional Sideswipe. Somehow, a lot of names got thrown around leading to this kind of madness and for whatever reason it just stuck. Don't ask me, I had nothing to do with it. Even more confusing was that a year later In Energon, there was a PERFECT new Wheeljack figure... that was named Downshift. Because there was already a recent Wheeljack. Pass the Tylenol. For what it's worth, his name is Rampage in Japan... which I like. In Hungry his name is Volán Jack. That translates to 'Steering-Wheel Jack'... and I kinda love it.

I've spent a lot of time talking about the time Wheeljack originally came out and his confusing name, but not a lot about his newest toy that we're looking at today. As many of you can tell, he's based on the Siege Sideswipe toy mold that's been heavily reused in Transformers Generations. It's a great toy, but I've covered the details before a few times. I've gotten most of the molds uses and really like it. Wheeljack does have a new head sculpt that resembles his original toy and show model quite a bit.

While there isn't any Mini-Con unlock-able gimmicks as in the original, he does have those clubs weapons. They were firing missiles from the Mini-Con gimmick that could hold as melee weapons. In the cartoon, lasers would fire from them... it never was very clear what they were exactly... admittedly they were a bit of strangeness in a very cool toy. The clubs serve as running boards in car mode and they look pretty neat. The car mode has a new front fascia and doors to make it resemble the original more. He does include Sideswipes missile launcher which can be held as a gun. I love those classic shoulder launchers, they look great on anyone.

Wheeljack is colored to match his show model, which matched his Japanese toy deco. The Hasbro version featured yellow stripes in place of the blue ones and a more grayish car mode. It was never quite clear as to why the difference. Often the toy designers answer to someone in marketing, so they could have been given an order based on... anything. It still looked great and there was a future recolor of the mold as Drench in Transformers Universe planned at the time. That toy never came to be, but a similar design was used for the BotCon exclusive Shattered Glass Sideswipe that used the Armada Wheeljack toy mold.

This Sideswipe always felt like the toy Wheeljack was meant to be and has always been popular. It's popped up in Blokees and even inspired a character in SSSS. Gridman, which I've talked about here before. Wheeljack and SG Sideswipe have a great look and it's not surprising to see it get homaged. I've always felt like the blue stripes on the black resemble Nightracer and Shadow Striker. That's neat. Both the Hasbro and Takara versions looked great, but I'm glad this version is show accurate. Wheeljack is a cool character with a great toy regardless of his confusing name. To me he's a solid representation of the time shortly before the launch of the 2007 live action Transformers movie. I don't think that was what the Hasbro designers had in mind when they decided to update him, but that's what they did... and I'm glad.

Bios: Sideways

"Efficiency through self-sufficiency."

Sideways is a conscientious, ninja-like warrior who races to battle. Disguised as a sports bike he exceeds speeds of 250mph. Mysterious and silent, he reveals little about himself except a fierce drive to confront the enemy and quickly return to Cybertron. On Earth, he undergoes a personality change that gives him both a good and a bad side based on Mini-con influence. This split makes him highly unpredictable. It's hard to predict which half of his split personality will win in the end - the good side or the evil side!

Strength: 4 Intelligence: 6 Speed: 6 Endurance: 5

Rank: 6 Courage: 6 Fireblast: 6 Skill: 8

Bios: Gunbarrel

"Death from Above."

Air superiority is the key in any military victory. Whether it is taking out targets on the ground, air, or sea the Air Military Mini-Con Team are the boys for the job. Their quick response time and ability to move troops and munitions to an intended destination make them a vital link in the chain of any military operation. They are known for the lightning speed of their assaults, injecting fear into the hearts of their enemies and leaving the battlefield strewn with glowing metal wreckage.

Strength: 8 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 9 Endurance: 6

Rank: 6 Courage: 8 Firepower: 9 Skill: 7

Bios: Wheeljack

Wheeljack is an exotic sports car with faast lines and a fast attitude. Once a prominent Autobot member, Wheeljack has had a vibrant and rocky past; ow he's a stalwart Decepticon. Left behind on a battlefield to die, Wheeljack has not forgotten his good friend Hot Shot who left him there. Now he wears his scars as a badge of honor; a huge gash tears through the heart of his old Autobot logo, a blemish he keeps to demonstrate and remind those around him how he feels about the so-called noble Autobots. One day he will settle the ancient score; with Hot Shot's ruination his revenge will be complete. In Robot mode Wheeljack skillfully wields two energy batons.

Bios: Ransack

"No obstacle is too great!"

They are a unique team of Mini-Cons with the ability to combine forces and battle on any terrain. Sand, ice, and mud are no match for this rugged team, and not even the most dangerous weather can hold it back. They are the first line of defense in difficult battle conditions, and the Autobots will fight to the end to keep them out of the hands of Megatron.

Strength: 6 Intelligence: 5 Speed: 6 Endurance: 8

Rank: 5 Courage: 6 Firepower: 4 Skill: 7

Bios: Firebot

"When the battle is over, our job begins."

The well-prepared Emergency Mini-Con Team specializes in search and rescue. They are the first on the scene following any major disaster or military conflict. Their ability to provide a fast emergency response has saved many Transformers from the scrap heap. It is this dedication to protecting and serving their community that has caused them to be so highly regarded by their associates. They seek neither praise nor rewards, but merely the pleasure of seeing a job done well.

Strength:8  Intelligence: 10 Speed:8 Endurance:10

Rank:7 Courage:10 Firepower:6 Skill:9

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.

Bios: Sparkplug

"We must all learn to live in peace!"

Sparkplug is the Mini-Con partner of the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. Sparkplug converts into a superfast sports car and helps Optimus Prime on reconnaissance missions. He also combined with Optimus Prime in battles to increase the Autobot leader's strength.

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

Rank:5 Courage: 10 Firepower: 9 Skill: 9

Transform Squadron 35- Big Spooky, Make A Sortie

LISTEN NOW!

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?

Bios: Hot Shot

"Well let's go!"

Hot Shot is a young, heroic fighter who rushes into danger without regard to his own safety. He courageously charges into the middle of the fight to aid his friends in battle. He has taken charge in several battles, showing great leadership potential. But he needs the guidance of his elders before he can hope to lead the Autobots. Will he learn to be a leader who strives for good, or will his reckless nature ruin his promising future? 

Strength:6 Intelligence: 7 Speed: 9 Endurance: 6 Rank: 5 Courage: 8 Fireblast: 4 Skill: 5

Beast Riders of the Storm

 

There's nothing more serious in Transformers than when Unicron shows up. The all out destruction of the Universe tends to take a little priority over the ongoing war between the Autobots and Decepticons. In case a giant demonic planet robot that eats other planets in a quest to destroy all life wasn't scary enough... he has heralds. Personally, I'd like to think his arrival would be obvious (he's pretty big after all), but still the need for someone to show up and tell everyone just how doomed they are is needed. In Energon, this got a little extra apocalyptic. 

Let me wind back the clock a little. Armada was much more popular than Hasbro anticipated. So much that another line of repaints had to be made to keep product on the shelves fast. Part of the scramble for new toys was reusing some Beast Wars molds in Armada. In all new colors  with  Mini-Con ports molded on, various Transmetals joined the ranks. Transmetal Megatron (now Predacon) and Terrorsaur for the Decepticons. Transmetal Rhinox, Airrazor, and Cheetor for the Autobots. However, they sure didn't blend in aesthetically did they? 

Some fans came up with the theory that the deluxe toys were in fact Unicron's four horsemen. Customs, fan art, and such were made of this idea. Simon Furman, who had been writing the Armada comic apparently came across this idea and liked it. The Armada comic transitioned into Energon and the war continued as Unicron returned. I'd hate to spoil a 18 year old comic, but it's kinda necessary. Also, that comic is 18 years old. During the big fight in Armada, Unicron took notice in the 4 beast characters and abducted them. 

Later in Energon- Heralding the return of Unicron, the now evil and scary beast warriors returned... as Unicron's Four Horseman of the Apocalypse! Riding skeletal monster steeds and spouting off words of foreboding doom, the four attacked Cybertron. There was much fire and brimstone and fighting. It was a Dio album cover staring Transformers and it was awesome! Ok, some fans took issues with the idea. Most days end in a Y as well, so whatever. While the evil and scary beast warriors were defeated, they did return in the unpublished later issues. 

Personally, I thought it was a pretty cool idea. While not just being different than the others toys due to their beast modes, the overall design was different from Armada and Energon's particular look. They stood out. While most of us didn't pay it too much mind, it clearly stuck out to some. Making four of the characters into demon flavored servants of Unicron was a pretty fun idea. Not to mention, the whole thing just evokes heavy metal imagery. Which, who doesn't love? We're spending the summer with a focus on all things scary and I'm pretty sure the apocalypse is kinda on label.

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. 

Bios: Demolishor

"As you command."

Demolishor fights ferociously in every battle to which he's sent, regardless of the odds. If Megatron tells him to do something, he does it without hesitation. To Demolishor, a leader must always be obeyed at any cost. Megatron values the unswerving loyalty of his best soldier, but abandons him, when necessary, to save his own life. Demolishor has never resented any of these betrayals. But will there come a day when Demolishor questions the orders of his leader?

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

Bios: Jetfire

"You can fall alone or you can fall together!"

Jetfire adopted the form of Earth's most advanced and adventurous craft - the Space Shuttle. He is Optimus Prime's executive officer, second in command and has the honorable and rare task of being able to combine with him - redefining the term teamwork. He exemplifies all of the special qualities found in Autobot commanders: courageous, tactically skilled, and a natural leader. Taking the time to know each Autobot, Jetfire understands their individual strengths and weaknesses - in battle, he knows exactly where each soldier will excel. While relaxed with the troops, he becomes all business when it's time for action. He is heroic in battle, caring not about size or number of enemies; with a take on all comers' mentality. Equally efficient and effective on the ground and in the air, he is air mobile and ground capable.

Seeing R.E.D Over MEGA SCF

The new Transformers R.E.D figures appearing on store shelves have been drawing a lot of comparisons to Action Masters due to the non-transforming nature of the figures. That's a fair comparison, but Action Masters aren't the only non-transforming Transformers toys (or even the first). I'd compare those more to the ReAction figures by Super7. While an Action Master has a little more articulation, they look similar. 

My mind instantly goes to MEGA SCF when looking at R.E.D figures. They're pretty similar in sculpting and honestly the R.E.D figures seem like an evolution of them more than anything. 

Super Collection Figure (SCF) was a blind box figurine line by Takara in the early 2000's that I was a very big fan of. Great little figurines that were perfect little representations of G1 Transformers based on their cartoon appearance. The line went from the early years to Victory before ending with Legends of the Microns (Armada). 

Hasbro brought the line to America as Heroes of Cybertron and was generally sold in smaller stores. I was in heaven with these figures and was pretty sad when it ended. They were very fun to buy and collect. I still  remember gathering around a table with a few others SCF fans at BotCon 2002 and talking about the different chase figures for what felt like hours. Shortly before the con, a local comic shop had a box of the Masterforce series and I bought the entire thing one Sunday morning. Having that Black Zarak build figure was something I was very proud of at the time.

As the line progressed the MEGA versions came out and they were a pretty big step up. Larger and featuring a good bit of articulation with extra parts for all sorts of scene recreations. Like regular SCF they ranged from various points in G1 and Armada. 

Some people make the comparisons to Revoltech when talking about the R.E.D figures. Those are nice, don't get me wrong, but their sculpting was very different. These look more in line with the sculpting style of R.E.D. Which admittedly is part of the draw to R.E.D for me. They seem like a continuation of a former line I liked a lot.

I'll just have to buy them too. 

Darn.

Bios- Sparkplug

We must all learn to live in peace!

Sparkplug is the Mini-Con partner of the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. Sparkplug converts into a super fast sports car and helps Optimus Prime on reconnaissance missions. He also combined with Optimus Prime in battles to increase the Autobot leader's strength.

Bios- Sideways

Efficiency through self-sufficiency.

Sideways is a conscientious, ninja-like warrior who races to battle. Disguised as a sports bike he exceeds speeds of 250mph. Mysterious and silent, he reveals little about himself except a fierce drive to confront the enemy and quickly return to Cybertron. On Earth, he undergoes a personality change that gives him both a good and a bad side based on Mini-con influence. This split makes him highly unpredictable. It's hard to predict which half of his split personality will win in the end - the good side or the evil side!

Bios- Hot Shot

Well let's go!

Hot Shot is a young, heroic fighter who rushes into danger without regard to his own safety. He courageously charges into the middle of the fight to aid his friends in battle. He has taken charge in several battles, showing great leadership potential. But he needs the guidance of his elders before he can hope to lead the Autobots. Will he learn to be a leader who strives for good, or will his reckless nature ruin his promising future?

Galactic Heroes from Cybertron

I like Transformers Armada. I liked it then, I like it now. I enjoy looking back at the fun time I had with it and at various alternate versions of it. For example, this commercial for the Korean version of Armada called Galactic Heroes: Cybertrons. It's funny how just something simple like another language, different music, and a new logo can make something you've seen a million times look new.

Looking back at the Gamera VMU game I was talking about yesterday and the catch 'em all-ness of Armada... man that really was a trope of it's time huh? Late 90's/Early 2000's, that was a general thing. I wonder why a Tamogochi style game for Armada didn't happen? I would be surprised if one did and I didn't know about it. The little oddball things usually get passed over by the news sites, but at the time they literally reported everything. So I guess I would have known.