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.