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.

Unicron Head (Clear) [Galaxy Version]

The big bad of all Transformers, Unicron, got a Blokees model kit all his own in Galaxy Version 08: One Shall Fall. A special translucent version was also made available, which originally had to be acquired by scanning QR codes from nine different figures within the set. A little later, Blokees outright put the translucent version up for direct purchase on their site (I wonder if that pissed anyone off?), leading to today’s post.

As of now, I’ve only picked up Hot Rod from Galaxy Version 08, so either completing the set the normal way or scanning all the QR codes has eluded me thus far. When ordering some Defender Version cases with Christmas money, the translucent Unicron Head found its way into the cart (The Mrs added it, thankfully).

Like I’ve said before, I was there opening weekend in 1986 when Transformers: The Movie hit the big screen. Unicron was—and always has been—one of the most awesome things ever created in my mind. While I haven’t collected all of his merchandise, there are just some things I’ve got to have, and a version of this head is definitely one of them.

This translucent version, being more of a special edition, is a really neat representation of Unicron’s head floating through space. Its clear nature gives it a more ghostly appearance, which I absolutely love.

This was a pretty fun, quick build. I’m used to Galaxy Version kits using shared parts to make builds work, but here the only returning part was the display plate. I was expecting some kind of torso bit at the center of the head, like you often see with alt-mode kits such as the Dinobots, but that wasn’t the case.

Being translucent adds a little extra challenge, as some of the parts aren’t immediately obvious. The clear plastic makes things blend together visually. There’s a central core piece that everything builds up from, and one step I found endlessly entertaining was discovering that they gave Unicron a skull.

Before you attach his face parts, you construct his internal facial structure, which looks very similar to the robotic skulls you see when a Transformer suffers facial trauma. He even has eyeballs that fit into the sockets, adding a level of detail that would probably go unnoticed. Unicron’s mouth opens and closes, with the entire mechanism formed around this skull. I spent way too much time making him chomp his spooky skeleton teeth before finally attaching the face parts.

Speaking of the face parts, you’ll need to insert his normal eyes before attaching the face to the skull. Those tiny eye pieces are a little tricky if you’ve got big fingers like me. Due to how they connect, I didn’t try using tweezers, though in hindsight I wonder if they might have helped.

Once assembled, Unicron’s head can be displayed on the included stand with a support arm. It’s actually pretty large all things considered—not huge, but bigger than I expected going in. Also included is a tiny Autobot Shuttle, which you can pose flying past his head as it drifts near Cybertron. If they brought Daniel along, this whole situation probably gives him the willies.

This is a really neat little kit. Hopefully I’ll get more of Galaxy Version 08 soon, or maybe even an entire case, as I prefer to buy these that way. Ideally, I’d like to have both the clear and normal versions of Unicron. As it stands, this translucent version is already something special. It’s always nice owning a special edition of anything—but especially of him.

It really does feel awesome owning it.

Megatronus The Fallen [Age of the Primes/Leader Class]

The Fallen is one of those characters that shows up in Transformers occasionally, but when he does, it means trouble. Megatronus is the Dark Warrior Prime who deals with entropy and destruction. While he originally fought against Unicron with the other Thirteen Primes, his eventual betrayal to them and joining sides with Unicron led to the name we all know him better as- The Fallen.

In addition to being big and imposing, he uses dark magic, has mystical abilities, and gravitational powers. He also carries the Requiem Blaster, Spark Fuser, an Energon Machete, and has additional weaponry mounted across his body. He doesn't understand the term overkill. This newest toy of Megatronus is heavily based on his appearance in War Within: The Dark Ages where he was introduced. His melee weaponry is mostly influenced from his various toys from Robots in Disguise 2015, which is probably my favorite version of him so it's nice to see a little of that flavor here. The barrel of the Requiem Blaster can also be used as a shoulder cannon, which is something I didn't do in the picture. It's worth nothing the Blaster can be held or forearm mounted as well.

If you've noticed the similarities in his arm cannon, or the particular way his face looks, or how similar his name sounds to another bot... there's good reason. He's the first Decepticon, his face is the inspiration for the Decepticon symbol, and the Megatron we all know named himself after Megatronus. It's probably an understatement at this point but, he's bad news. This is a cool looking toy of The Fallen and in robot mode. Big, chonky, and imposing. There's a lot of meaningful articulation and he looks great. The dark colors are highlighted by the yellow from his heat vents. That's actually UV reactive, so they'll glow a nice fiery color under a black light. You probably noticed that he's on fire... yeah... that's something he does. Included are come great flame effect pieces that bring that to life quite well and complete the look. The Spark Fuser and Energon Machete can be combined to form a spear. The melee weapons and blaster can store on the robots back in case he would rather punch someone. 

Unfortunately it's not all great, I did not care for the transformation. At all. It feels like Megatronus opens up to an almost flat shape and you wad up the edges into place. It's not a smooth transformation, parts are either too tight and can't go in easily or just don't stay put. Apparently some folks have issues with a tight thigh and inner thigh connection that cracks the plastic. I've seen various complaints online with his transformation, so it's not just me. I guess he's not just trouble fictionally. Tank mode looks fine, but mine would not stay together. There's places to store the spear and flames with the Requiem Blaster serving as the tank cannon. The tank doesn't look bad, it's just after all the trouble it's hard to appreciate. That's a bummer as I've really enjoyed the toy until then. Really though, The Fallen is a character you buy a toy for the cool looking robot. So as long as you keep him in that mode, you'll be happy.

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.

Transform Squadron 36- Pumpkin Mode

LISTEN NOW!

Spooky season is in full gear this month as Rob talks about Transformers EarthSpark and that cool ReAction Unicron before Halloween Kinder Eggs and costumes are discussed. Not just any costume, THE HALLOWEEN COSTUME… yeah, it's serious.

Bios: Unicron

 

Many Transformers still superstitiously toss a small handful of energon coins over one shoulder whenever his name is uttered, for the word itself means chaos and destruction. Once an all powerful eater of entire planets, he was destroyed decades ago by the Autobots. For too long he was trapped in the rusting hulk of his old body. Now, resurrected and redesigned as an unstoppable destroyer tank, he is not yet at full power, but soon all the universe will know him, and tremble.

Strength:?? Intelligence:10 Speed: N/A Endurance:N/A Rank:?? Courage:?? Fireblast:10  Skill:10

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.

Bios: The Fallen

 

Chaos Bringer

Fallen forgot his real name long ago. It didn't matter. It was a name given to him by his creator - the one he betrayed. It was a relic of the time before he had some to see the truth. The truth of Unicron.

Created as one of the original 13 Transformers to serve as a protector of Cybertron, Fallen has always been a creature of chaos and degradation. His original purpose was to oversee the stately running down of the universal clock, the ordered tick of universal balance from energy to entropy, the slow and total collapse that heralds a new creation - for what are creation and life without dissolution and death? He knew his purpose only too well, and became obsessed with the end of all things. Intrigued by the dark sciences, he came in contact with Unicron, and fell under the evil planet's thrall.

He exists now for one purpose alone: the destruction of the Seal of Primus and the release of Unicron into the universe. He lives only so that one day he might witness the last star in the universe wink out, and eternal ending fall.

Strength:8 Intelligence:8 Speed:9 Endurance:8 Rank:10 Courage:10 Firepower:10 Skill:10

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.

Unicron is Running Wild!

 

NEW UNICRON HASLAB CAMPAIGN UPDATES

 

o   IDW Publishing is partnering with Hasbro on the UNICRON HasLab crowdfunding campaign to offer all backers a FREE Digital Comic Bundle once the campaign is successfully backed. The bundle also features an all-new UNICRON cover by fan-favorite artist Andrew Griffith!

o   Hasbro also revealed various enhancements backers can look forward to, including 15 points of articulation for Unicron’s hands (3 per finger), a premium posable headstand to recreate the Bringer of Chaos’ head floating in space, and the newly included Hot-Rod slug figurine to recreate how Hot Rod defeats the menacing Planet Eater!

o   **We’ve also added additional UNICRON supporters from around the globe that have backed the project through Hasbro affiliated retailers to our total tally, bringing us even closer to the 8,000 backer goal. Only a few more days left to make this dream a reality!

Thanks to Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base with this news!

Back dat Unicron up

TRANSFORMERS fans – it’s not over for The Lord of Chaos quite yet!

 

We’ve been reading your comments and listening to your feedback about wanting more time, and we’re excited to share that we are officially extending the campaign date for the TRANSFORMERS: WAR FOR CYBERTRON UNICRON HasLab project through New York Comic Con, ending Sunday, October 6, 2019.

 

We wouldn’t be where we are in the campaign without our fans and we are so appreciative of the overwhelming support on the project thus far. We want to make this dream item a reality just as much as you and feel that this extension will help get us to the 8,000 backer goal!

 

For those that have already backed the project, your card will not be charged until the new end date – October 6, 2019. Also note that you can still cancel your order if you no longer want to be part of TRANSFORMERS history. Just log into your account on HasbroPulse.com to cancel your order.

What if Unicron came with some other stuff?

Transformers War for Cybertron Unicron Reveals New Accessories! Just a few more days to reach the 8,000 campaign goal.

Hasbro is introducing more movie accuracy to the Bringer of Chaos. Just revealed, the legendary Unicron will come with interchangeable chins, allowing fans to switch back and forth between a smooth chin and a goatee-style chin, just like in the 1986 Transformers The Movie. Now, the infamous Planet Eater is ready for any scene!

The colossal Unicron will also come with a Galvatron slug figure so fans can pose out epic movie scenes with the two villains. The Galvatron figure is a slug that stands 3.75 cm (1.5 inches) tall, ready for battle with his iconic blaster and just the right size to fit in Unicron’s hand as seen in the 1986 film.

Unicron Conversion Video part New

Just 10 days left! Order yours today!

New Unicron Robot Mode trailer

You can back Unicron here.

Unicron Conversion video!

The villainous Planet Eater has intricate conversion steps as impressive as his size.

 

Reminiscent of the iconic Unicron conversion scene from the 1986 film, comes a Transformers War for Cybertron Unicron conversion video worthy of the legacy. For the first time, fans can see the massive Chaos Bringer go from his immense planet mode to detailed robot mode.

 

Watch as legendary Takara Tomy product designer, Kunihiro, performs complex conversion steps with style in this unique take on a Transformers conversion video. Kunihiro also take the viewers to show assembly of the planet mode after the figure has been taken out of the package.

 

The Transformers War for Cybertron Unicron figure is part of Hasbro's crowdfunding platform, HasLab. Remember, if the project doesn’t reach 8,000 backers by August 31st, the product will not move into production. Also, orders for Unicron will no longer be accepted after August 31st. If you want to add this once-in-a-lifetime figure to your Transformers collection, you must back this project before the deadline. You can back this project at HasbroPulse.com

Thanks to Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base readers with this information.

TRANSFORMERS: WAR FOR CYBERTRON UNICRON

Ahead of San Diego Comic-Con, Hasbro revealed their largest TRANSFORMERS figure ever - The Lord of Chaos. The Planet Eater. The Chaos Bringer – UNICRON! After last year's crowdfunding success, HASLAB is back with this exciting new creation – the first ever project – .

UNICRON stands alone as the most menacing figure in TRANSFORMERS lore, capable of devouring entire worlds and civilizations. He debuted in the 1986 film Transformers: The Movie and his insatiable appetite nearly brought the entire universe to its knees. But his legacy transcends both space and time.

Armada Unicron Commercial

Seeing as Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I've got a lot of gobbling to do myself. It's funny, though I was all over this Unicron toy on it's release in 2003, I've never seen this commercial. It's kind of standard fair except for the clips from the 1986 movie instead of the Armada cartoon. Considering the toy was releasing in summer and the Unicron related episodes of Armada didn't air until later... they probably weren't ready by this commercials production. Which is ironic considering the US version of the show was rushed to meet the networks demands, leading to the shows famous dubious quality. Though I do have one big question about the whole thing.

What did Optimus say?

Omega Pointing

Sometimes, as a Transformers fan (or I guess a fan of anything) you get asked what your favorite era of fiction is. I always say beast era and when I specify more, my favorite parts is the Beast Wars cartoon and the 3H comics (even after BM ended their setting was post BM Cybertron). Not that I don't love G1 and other eras (that's probably apparent in these posts here), just that's the pinnacle for me. My absolute. I love the story telling and can go back to it time and time again. I'm taking time to talk about the 3H era stuff as the Omega Point story line is just *kisses fingers* magnifique.

I'll just go ahead and recommend you check out 3H and everything on the wiki. Just so I don't spend too much time going all over that for those of you who don't know and considering the growth of the TF fandom over the last decade, it's easy to understand that some of you missed that and may not know.

One thing that made the 3H comics so fun is they not only featured the BotCon exclusives, but also non show characters. While Beast Wars may look dated now, that mid 90's cgi was pretty big for a syndicated cartoon show budget, and owing to the fact that each character transformed created double the CGI models for each character, made for unfortunately a smaller cast. This during a time when toy lines had more than multiple versions of the main characters. So that really cool toy you bought who wasn't on the show, got a life in these comics.

Adding to the fun, the Omega Point story line was a Unicron story in the beast timeline (this was before he was used to death during the mid 2000's) and in a way similar to his use in the Marvel UK comics. Essentially, Shokaract is empowered by Unicron's dark essence. Not to mention, there's no handy dandy matrix of leadership laying around to run him off. So Unicron is wrecking havoc and the time tested way to deal with him isn't there. So these expanded universe characters go on a most excellent adventure over the course of a few years of fiction.

It's a pretty awesome story arc, and I think a good deal of it can be found online if you ever get curious enough to read. IDW did a slight retelling of the events in their Beast Wars comic series, which hits the main beats, but tells the story differently. I remember reading it being very impressed they bothered to retread it, even as differently as they did.

Energon Ghost Starscream

I happened