Action Master Devastator

This was the first toy version of Devastator I ever owned. I remember getting him as a child and not understanding why his limbs didn't match one another. At the time, I didn't realize just who this toy was representing. While it was definitely strange seeing this powerful combiner reduced to the size of a normal Decepticon, it was great to see Devastator again in the Generation One toy line before it ended. He was a popular character in the early seasons of the animated series. The toy does him slight justice in that he looks like he is formed from multiple components and strongly resembles his animated counterpart. The sad part is that he can't separate into the six Constructicons. His partner is a scorpion who transforms into his gun. Really cool figure for nostalgia's sake, but really strange to see the character reduced so much in size.

Transformers: Generations Toy Line

Transformers: Classics are back for a third round! The new line will be known as Transformers: Generations, and it will continue the tradition of bringing back the classic characters in updated toy form. The Classics line has been a favorite of mine since it first hit in 2006 because Hasbro pays a great deal of respect to the classic characters of the past. The toys don't look like weird "movie" alien bots, they look like Transformers: Generation One! I have no problem with the newer figures, but I am definitely a G1 purist as a fan.

I've posted an image of one of the new figures on the way. Transformers collectors will recognize the mold as Thrust! He is has been a really expensive figure to get a hold of as he was released as a BotCon exclusive in 2007 (or 2006, I don't remember), and his Henkai version was released in Japan. This mold has never been released stateside, so the chance to get him without paying over $100.00 will be great for fans of the Classics series.

Transformers #66

The Matrix Quest comes to a staggering conclusion with All Fall Down. In the opening of the story, Unicron destroys a shuttle and converts its owners into Hook, Line, and Sinker. They are his new agents of destruction, and Unicron sends them on a mission to retrieve an emissary to make way for his coming to Cybertron.

Back on the Ark, the Matrix possessed Thunderwing attacks Optimus Prime and the Autobots. The power of the Matrix is too great, and the Autobots fall one by one. Many are damaged and some (Landmine) are deactivated. Thunderwing's Decepticons realize that he has gone completely insane with the power, and contemplate their own futures as his followers. Back on Earth, Starscream exits Skorponok's base only to be followed by a mysterious being emerging from the river.

The battle on the Ark continues as Prime continues to try and stop Thunderwing. Thunderwing reveals the fates of Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee and how Thunderwing got the Matrix from them. The three are in stasis aboard their ship. However, Nightbeat, Siren, and Hosehead have escaped from their prison on said ship. Nightbeat fires a harpoon into Thunderwing's shoulder, and then he opens the airlock. The weight of the ship drags Thunderwing and the Matrix out of the ark. The ship was set to self-destruct, and the explosion seems to take out Thunderwing, whose remains continue to tumble through the darkness of space. Although the Autobots start to feel the weight of their loss of the Matrix, Optimus Prime reassures them that the goodness of Primus is in each of them as his creations means that there is hope. He also states that they will find another way to defeat Unicron.

The Matrix Quest is not the best work of Simon Furman, however the final three issues turn the story around. Part five was a great end to the series as it tied up the loose ends, and it showed the power of the Matrix tainted by evil. Thunderwing was a well thought out character for this story, and he would later reappear in the IDW comic book series Transformers: Stormbringer as the central plot point (although it is a different Thunderwing as it was a re-imagining of the Generation One universe). This issue also laid the groundwork for future stories and characters. Starscream hadn't been seen in a while, so be ready for him to take a big role again. Who was the mysterious being following him? Is the Matrix really gone for good? Who is the mysterious emissary that Unicron is searching for? What is Optimus Prime's plan now? At least one of those questions will be answered in the next issue!

Cloudburst

The next evolution of Transformers stealth technology is here (or...was here in 1988)! This is the Generation One Pretender Cloudburst. The gimmick with the Pretenders was that a Transformer was inside of an outer organic shell. The shell could split open to reveal the robot inside and reassemble to fight along side the Transformer.

Cloudburst was an Autobot who transformed into a jet fighter. He was a slick looking figure. The shell had a nice red color with an inner robot who was red and black. The transformations on the Pretender figures were all super simple. With Cloudburst, you flipped the legs over his body, flipped out the nose cone, turned the head, and flipped out the wings. Like I said, super simple, but the Pretenders were a fun gimmick.

It is really too bad the animated series ended in the U.S. in 1987. It would have been great to see the Pretenders on the small screen. Cloudburst did appear in the Japanese exclusive animated series Transformers: Super-God Masterforce that featured the Power Masters (God-Masters in Japan), Pretenders, Headmaster Juniors, and the awesome Overlord. In Japan, Cloudburst was called Phoenix.

Cosmos

Most of the Mini-bots from the Generation One era are classics. Cosmos is another one of those classic toys and classic characters from the original animated series. He transformed into (literally) a UFO. It kind of makes one wonder what he scanned when he took the form. His UFO mode is really simple looking, but the paint applications work well. He is green with some yellow and a red top. To transform him, you pull the front part forward and down to form the legs, flip down the arms, and pull the red top up for the head. He is a really neat looking Mini-bot in robot mode (even if he is a little fat looking).

On a side note, he had one of those great iconic voices from the old cartoon. While the voices for all of the characters seemed to fit well, there were some which always stood out. Optimus Prime with his father like, John Wayne style, Megatron with his tough and evil voice, Starscream.... there is no comparisson (best iconic voice and character), Soundwave with his tecno style, and Cosmos is also up there. His voice had this type of laid back feel with an echo that was great. He played a decent role in the second season of the show.

Transformers Artwork #12

This is another classic piece from the Dreamwave Comics era. The image features Transformers from the later generations of the original franchise with Targetmaster Hot Rod, Goldbug, Hun-Grrrr, Headmaster Fangry, Galvatron, Headmaster Horribull, a Sharkticon, and the massive Headmaster Autobot City, Fortress Maximus! There is also an appearance by Grimlock, one of the most beloved characters of the Generation One series.

Most Expensive Transformers Ever?

Over the last four years, eight figures have surfaced which could easily be called some of the most expensive Transformers ever released. During the era of Transformers: Generation 2, Hasbro had plans to rerelease the Stunticons and Protectobots for the toy line. All ten toys had been produced in extremely limited quantities and with new neon/realistic color schemes. However, with the line failing despite the massive push of the revived 1980's animated series and the Marvel comic books, the figures never got past sample stages. All ten toys were produced in their packaging, but the samples are so rare that they command more than six times the price of a Generation One Fortress Maximus MISB!

An eBay seller sold the eight "limb" figures for a huge profit (I believe it was well over $20,000-$30,000 total for the set). They opted to not sell the two team leaders. A few years later, the buyer of the four "limb" Protectobots also tried to sell them for a similar price as a single set. Would I ever shell out the cost of a college education for these toys? Never! However, if you are that keen on owning a piece of Transformers history, it doesn't get much better than this. The Stunticon Breakdown was the only figure to be released to the public. He was an exclusive figure mint on card at the very first Botcon way back in the mid 1990's!

Transformers #65

The hunt for the Matrix continues in the exciting fourth chapter of the Matrix Quest! In Dark Creation, the Creation Matrix has been located. Within the old body of Optimus Prime, the Matrix has begun to evolve and learn about not only good but evil. It had possessed a being who had become evil and desired to kill all life. It then encountered an alien creature whose only desire was to kill other life forms. It studied the being and then learned more when the creature attached itself to the face of a scientist and killed him (obvious Aliens reference).

A while later, Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee find a science research station on the same planet and try to locate the missing scientists. Grimlock finds them all dead and expresses that he is tired of all the fear the Autobots have for Unicron. His desire to see his Dinobots brought back to life is mentioned for the first time (this plays out in later issues). While the Classic Pretenders are looking for more clues to the Matrix's location, Thunderwing and his Decepticons find the Autobots and attack. During the struggle, Thunderwing destroys Bumblebee's Pretender shell. Also, the alien studied by the Matrix has evolved and attacks Thunderwing's Decepticons. Thunderwing shows no concern for the creature nearly devouring Windsweeper which causes the rest of his forces to abandon Thunderwing to his obsessive search for the Matrix. Thunderwing continues his hunt while the Autobots escape to search for the Matrix also. Jazz falls through the floor of a hall and locates it. However, the alien creature is also there as well. The Autobots have burned up most of their Energon due to the intense gravity of the planet, but Thunderwing arrives to fight the creature. Some time after, Grimlock's shuttle returns to the Ark. Optimus Prime and Hot Rod go to greet the others only to be blasted by the energy of the Matrix. The wielder of the Matrix emerges from the shuttle and it is Thunderwing!

In my opinion, this issue turns the entire Matrix Quest saga around in a positive direction. The previous issue helped save what looked like a doomed story, and this issue kicked the turn around into high gear. Simon Furman still pulled in more film/ literature elements with an obvious tip of the hat to James Cameron's Aliens (the best movie of the franchise!). However, unlike the first two issues of the Matrix Quest, this issue's reference completely works. The previous issue did far better than the first two, but this one nailed it. One item of note is that it was implied after this issue that Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee's Pretender shells were all destroyed during their battle with Thunderwing. The next issue is the final chapter of the Matrix Quest, and it was a great way to end the story.

K-Mart Legends: Jazz

The final figure in the K-Mart Legends line from 1990 was the coolest Autobot to ever come on-line, Jazz. As with Bumblebee, Grimlock, and Starscream, Jazz was a re-release of the original Pretender Classic version minus his outer Pretender shell. Of the four figures, Jazz is probably the weakest in terms of design and his look.

The vehicle mode looks pretty good, but it is bland with the primary colors being white with a black windshield. There are several stickers for him, but it really doesn't change the feel too much. To transform him, you pull down the legs, flip out the arms, and flip down the hood. The hood can be removed, but it serves no purpose as it was designed to be removed to fit in a Pretender shell. However, on this figure, removing the hood may not be such a bad idea. With the hood down, Jazz's face is almost covered, and his arms don't rotate too well. However, without the hood, you are losing part of the appeal of the robot mode. The robot is pretty bland too, as his only colors are white, black, and he has a blue head with a light blue visor and a white face.

It was great to see Jazz one final time as a transforming Transformer when the original Transformers toy line was coming to end, but this was one figure that I always preferred the Action Master version of when I was a kid. Once I got to play with an original Jazz figure, the order shifted, but the K-Mart Legends version is still probably the most forgettable version. However, he is great to pick up as a collector's item, if you can find him mint in package.

K-Mart Legends: Starscream

The lone Decepticon of the Generation One Legends toy line from 1990 is none other than the traitorous fan favorite, Starscream! Like the other Legends figures, this toy is simply a repackaging of the earlier Pretender Classics figure with no outer Pretender shell. The toy looks great for a simplified figure.

His transformation is easy. You simply pull out the arms, rotate the wings, split the legs, and flip down the cock pit to form the head and torso. That's it! You can also unpeg the tail fins to create guns which can fit in both hands. The wings could also be removed and arms rotated to the back. However, those features are meaningless for this release as those were included so that he could fit into his Pretender shell.

Although he is not the best Starscream ever, it was great to see him in the Generation One toy line one final time before it ended. The mold was definitely simpler than the original 1984 figure, and it was a lot better than the lamer Action Master toy.

Transformers #64

The Matrix Quest continues in Deadly Obsession. On another distant planet, a lone Autobot Pretender named Longtooth is hunting a giant creature called a Klud. At the same time, his comrades are trying to find him to prevent this. Longtooth tells this story mostly through flashbacks (in fact, most of this issue is a flashback). He recalls himself, Pincher, and Double-Header leaving the Ark to aid in the quest for the lost Creation Matrix. They arrived on an alien planet, and apparently the energy of the Matrix revived an extinct, whale like species called the Klud. One of the animals bit off Longtooth's leg, and ever since he has been in a mad hunt to find him.

Meanwhile, Thunderwing has arrived on the planet to search for the Matrix as well. He learns how the Klud was reborn, and after establishing a mental link with the creature, he is able to discover the location of the Matrix itself. However, while on the planet, his Decepticons encounter the Autobots and a battle begins. Thunderwing desired for the creature to live in order to find the Matrix. During the battle, Pincher is able to reason with Longtooth that killing the Klud would cause him to lose his soul and honor as an Autobot. Longtooth then lowers his weapons as the Decepticons retreat in the wake of Thunderwing discovering the Matrix's location.

After two terrible issues of the Matrix Quest saga, this issue was a breath of fresh air. Simon Furman did incorporate another literary/cinematic allusion into this issue as this issue's story mirrored Captain Ahab's hunt for Moby Dick. The execution was a good one, and the story flowed well. While this issue wasn't the best, it was a vast improvement over the first two parts of the saga. The final two issues kick the story into high gear and feel like a return to the Simon Furman style of story telling.

K-Mart Legends: Grimlock

The leader of the Dinobots got his shot as a Classic Pretender and then saw a release as a Legends figure for K-Mart at the tail end of the Generation One toy line. The figure is the exact same mold as his pretender self minus the shell. You flip back the dino-head, flip down the legs, and the tail becomes his gun. Really simple transformation, but hey... it's Grimlock! You can't beat any decent Grimlock figure. My only gripe about the toy was his face was orange underneath his black helmet. Other than that, he was a great figure.

K-Mart Legends: Bumblebee

In the final year of the original Transformers toy line in 1990, Hasbro tried to tap into the nostalgia of the classic characters by releasing the original Legends line exclusively to K-Mart stores. The line was part of the main Generation One toy line, and it included the four Pretender Classics figures minus their Pretender shells. The first one I am going to discuss is Bumblebee.

This figure was special to me as it was the first real Bumblebee (not including Goldbug) that I owned. He transformed from VW Bug to robot and back. The transformation was simple. You pull the front of the car forward to form the legs and feet, flip the middle section to the back, flip out the arms, and flip out the head. He was a pretty good looking figure, even if he did look a little fat. It also had the face of the animated Bumblebee versus the original 1984 version with a mouth plate.

I thought the Legends figures were a great addition to the toys of 1990. The figures at this time were mainly Action Masters and Micromasters, so it was great to see some of the classic characters back for one more run (and able to transform).

Machine Wars Optimus Prime

Well...why not?! Let's wrap up the Machine Wars series on this blog right now! This is the twelfth and final figure in the Machine Wars toy line, Optimus Prime. He is the only larger Machine Wars figure I have owned, but I could honestly say he was the best. However, that is not saying much compared to his Machine Wars brethren.

The toy is again a repainted version of a European exclusive figure called Thunder Clash. The toy was chosen obviously for his resemblance to the Autobot leader. The new paint job certainly feels the part of Optimus Prime. His vehicle mode is a futuristic tractor trailer combination. The trailer can transform into a massive standing battle station, and the truck transforms to the robot. The transformation for the truck is pretty simple. You split and flip back the front of the truck to reveal the arms, fold down the roof for the chest, flip up the head from the back, close the back panel, and flip down the legs and feet. Pretty standard Optimus Prime transformation. The color scheme resembles Prime, but there are now a lot of greys and some brownish greens in the scheme.

Although the figure looks good, there are some issues. The figure has limited articulation and can only move at the elbows. Also, this was the first Optimus Prime figure to have a mouth (very strange to see). The figure kind of looks like a cross between Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime or even Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus. Finally, the box art is just a cheap rehash of Laser Rod Optimus Prime's with a few updates. It again fits the motif of the Machine Wars toy line being thrown together.

The toy is a great figure to collect, but not a great figure in general. I have some fond memories of the toy because at the time I was a new collector trying to collect the few new boxed vehicle Transformers available, and I got it for a great price. Other than that, it really doesn't stand the test of time as a classic. I would pick it up definitely over Machine Wars Starscream, but you aren't missing a whole lot. One interesting note is the mold for this figure was planned to be re-released as Transformers: Universe Menasor (the Motormaster name was not available), but it fell through and never hit the stores.

Machine Wars Starscream

This series on the Machine Wars toy line is getting closer to being finished. The next figure up for a review is Starscream. This toy is actually a repaint and a slight retooling of the European exclusive Generation One figure called Sky Quake. The gimmick was that the figure had a target built into him so that the jet could drop bombs out of the wings for near pin point accuracy. The Machine Wars version still has the built in scope, but no mirror inside to use to target which renders the gimmick useless. Also, the toy came with fewer missiles.

The figure is pretty good looking, but it's not a well designed figure with any real playability. It also doesn't feel or look like any kind of Starscream character fans ever saw. His color scheme was primarily black and grey. He was also a giant toy easily towering over the Machine Wars Megatron. Since Starscream was always questing for power, this was must have been the chance he had. The transformation is super simple with flipping down the legs, folding the back of the jet, and folding back the wings. The toy can only move in the shoulders. It does come with missiles which could be loaded in the wings and dropped with a gear, but that is as cool as it got.

Overall, would this figure be worth picking up? It really depends. If you are a die hard Transformers collector and want to own the entire Machine Wars line, yes. If not, he would probably be a pass in favor of the much better designed Generation One figures. I don't hate the figure, but this was a definite example of the hasty assembly of the Machine Wars line. This figure does not work as a Starscream.

Could It Be? U.S. Japanese Releases?

I find it ironic that I had just posted on this less than two weeks ago. I dropped by www.seibertron.com (best source for Transformers info), and they posted some info from the Shout! Factory blog. Apparently, there are thoughts being tossed around about trying to get their hands on the Japanese exclusive Generation One animated seasons and trying to bring them to DVD in the U.S. (That's right, legit Region 1 releases and no bootlegs!). No production, confirmation, or work has begun on this project. However, if you are interested in seeing these episodes come to the U.S., you can head over to Shout! Factory's website and post your comments on their blog. They are trying to gauge the interest for the series now, so voice your opinion!

Season 2, Volume 2 on DVD

Shout! Factory is getting closer to completing their individual season box set releases on DVD! This collection was released in mid-January of 2010 and features the remaining episodes from season two of the original animated series. Unlike volume one, this collection features both episodes and bonus features. The new bonus features include more toy commercials, PSA's, and a new documentary about the animated series. I haven't purchased the collection just yet, but if it is like the previous two releases from Shout! Factory, it won't be long until I do.

The final half of season two is kind of a mixed bag for me in terms of episode quality. Nearly every episode of the first volume of season two are classics. The first part of the second volume struggles with forgettable episodes like The Girl Who Loved Powerglide (this is the one episode that I struggle to no end to sit through), Sea Change, and Child's Play. However, the second half is where the back story of the series begins to form with episodes like The Search for Alpha Trion, The Secret of Omega Supreme, and the two part The Key To Vector Sigma. The final episodes after The Key To Vector Sigma focus heavily on the new special teams like Arielbots, Stunticons, Protectobots, and Combaticons. It was a great end to season two, and if you don't have the previously released Rhino box set, you will need to get your hands on this one. Also, keep some money in your pockets for April of 2010. Shout! Factory will be releasing the complete third and fourth seasons in a single box set! Take that Amazon.com seller price gougers!