Transformers: Energon & Beyond

[JediTricks]

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Warning: MP-1 Optimus' Megatron Gun Disintegrating

After I photographed Starscream and Thundercracker last week, I picked up the Megatron handgun accessory I had given Starscream from the original Masterpiece Optimus Prime. Anyway, I had disassembled Megs to make sure nothing would break when I had moved and hadn't put it back together for quite some time. The gun, barrel, and scope all went on fine, but then the attachment slide on the stock instead of slipping over just crumbled into tiny pieces! It's only the hard plastic of that hinge which disintegrated, the soft PVC of the stock itself is fine, as is the rest of the hard plastic on the other accessories. I did nothing to break it, and upon close inspection it appears it truly was just disintegrating, that the plastic had broken down and was coming apart. I've never had another Transformers accessory do that. Anyway, I suspect it's either related to age or to the pressure from the rivet used to hold it to the stock, but either way it's something to watch out for, and it's not fixable.

Rumble is a solid figure, if you can get over his massive kibble shoulders. The roof parts actually clip on to the shoulder so its not like they're just hovering there.. although I kind of prefer them lowered and hovering over his arms like shields. His pile drivers/cannons cover his hands and are fairly well done. They each have a 5mm hole on the underside of the barrel but I can't see what for. You can peg them both together, but it doesn't really look good (or even intentional) and it can be really difficult separating them. The drivers can be pegged onto the back of his shoulders or on his waist under his arms, although the latter version doesn't look that good IMO. As I mentioned yesterday he is pretty small; his head comes up to Knock Outs headlights in robot mode. The bulkiness of his shoulders makes up for it some what, and his small stature works for me since Rumble was always a small bot anyway. The sides of his vehicle mode stick up out of his back and can get in the way of the shoulders a bit, but it really only hinders more "dynamic" arm poses. The back kibble can be moved out of the way I guess, but then its kinda sticking out a bit. Shoulders and hips are ball jointed, knees are hinged, and and elbows are hinged ratchet joints. No wrist swivel. Head has the standard "revealer" gimmick for this line. The car mode could pass for an Arms Micron release with its woeful lack of detail paint. This is most likely because the entire roof is a transparent red piece, and had to be painted. Still, with figures getting smaller and the increased price point, its disappointing when the head lights are painted black and tail lights are not painted at all. Hasbro can do way better than this. Despite paint problems in alt mode, robot mode fairs much better, and I guess I personally would prefer paint for robot mode over alt mode since he will spend 90% of his time that way. I think he is a good figure with some minor flaws, specifically the way his shoulders are designed and his lack of detail paint apps in alt mode.

Good to know, sounds... challenging to spend $15 on for me, I like alt modes a lot and don't like kibble.

I can't believe hes dead. Shockwave is too important of a character to kill off.

In this show, he wasn't terribly important, but I suspect they didn't kill him, he's either back on Cybertron (where he belongs ) or he's lost in transwarp and will reappear when the Autobots need a break most.

I don't think it'd be too tough. #80.5 does a good job of hitting the main points of the original series, and Furman's been pretty good so far about explaining past events in dialogue (as if #80 came out a month before #81 and nothing was different). There's also a reprint (100 Page Giant?) that reprints, IIRC, #76-#80, which are insanely expensive (although, for some reason, they apparently have to blur out Circuit Breaker or something, so I'm told).

The original series would definitely help, though.

Thanks. I'm not surprised Furman is so tight with the original run that he could knock it out so easily. Maybe I'll thumb through it next time I get to the shop.

[Tycho]

***
Warning: MP-1 Optimus' Megatron Gun Disintegrating

After I photographed Starscream and Thundercracker last week, I picked up the Megatron handgun accessory I had given Starscream from the original Masterpiece Optimus Prime. Anyway, I had disassembled Megs to make sure nothing would break when I had moved and hadn't put it back together for quite some time. The gun, barrel, and scope all went on fine, but then the attachment slide on the stock instead of slipping over just crumbled into tiny pieces! It's only the hard plastic of that hinge which disintegrated, the soft PVC of the stock itself is fine, as is the rest of the hard plastic on the other accessories. I did nothing to break it, and upon close inspection it appears it truly was just disintegrating, that the plastic had broken down and was coming apart. I've never had another Transformers accessory do that. Anyway, I suspect it's either related to age or to the pressure from the rivet used to hold it to the stock, but either way it's something to watch out for, and it's not fixable.

Thanks for the warning.

I'm not sure you didn't have it in adverse temperature conditions, however.

My little Megatron gun (that came with MP1 Optimus Prime as an accessory) is fine.

However, I display and do not play, relocate, or change my Transformers.

[Chaddymac]

However, I display and do not play, relocate, or change my Transformers.

Nor should you.

[El Chuxter]

My Megatron's fine as well. I know you'd sacrifice the playability, but is it something that can be glued in place?

Thanks. I'm not surprised Furman is so tight with the original run that he could knock it out so easily. Maybe I'll thumb through it next time I get to the shop.

He also stated before the series started up that he'd re-read every Marvel issue, making notes of all the unresolved plot threads (which Budiansky was notorious for leaving around) and mapping out where every character was as of #80. In the first issue proper, a really obscure character named Berko (whom Furman had never used) shows up, and I had no doubt that he wasn't lying about that.

I think he wanted to avoid the issue Hama ran into--he used Sneak Peek in a situation that was logical, forgetting that he'd killed Sneak Peek years ago in one of the more poignant issues (Dusty carries his body back because he'd promised SP's mom that he would if anything happened to him). It was probably just a brainfart, but it evolved into a pretty cool cloak-and-dagger subplot because he had to come up with an explanation almost instantly.

I don't know if anyone's reading TFRG1, but it's selling out. Sadly, I think that's because comic stores are underordering it, and you've got people like me who want closure to the original series without the EXTREEEEEEME!!!!!1!!!! bloodbath that was G2. I really think, based on the new issue (and I hate using this term here because it sounds cheesy) that there's more to the story than meets the eye.

[Adam]

Good to know, sounds... challenging to spend $15 on for me, I like alt modes a lot and don't like kibble.

I'd say definitely try him out if deluxes get a price drop for the holidays. I think he is a pretty strong deluxe outside of the flaws.

[Darth Metalmute]

I'm not too fond of Shockwave's voice in FOC: Transformers. Its the same voice as Knock-Out from Transformers: Prime.

[JediTricks]

Thanks for the warning.

I'm not sure you didn't have it in adverse temperature conditions, however.

My little Megatron gun (that came with MP1 Optimus Prime as an accessory) is fine.

However, I display and do not play, relocate, or change my Transformers.

Well, I'm sure I didn't have it in "adverse temperature conditions" (seeing as ABS is thermoset plastic, I'd need to heat my apartment above 400 degrees to get it to disintegrate), and it never ever was in direct sunlight.

My Megatron's fine as well. I know you'd sacrifice the playability, but is it something that can be glued in place?

It's disintegrated, there's now 6 or 7 tiny pieces, there's very little material left at that hinge, it'd require building an all-new hinge out of sculpy or something along those lines, and it's got to be removable because the darn thing doesn't even fit in most poses. I'm going to live without, I guess.

I'd say definitely try him out if deluxes get a price drop for the holidays. I think he is a pretty strong deluxe outside of the flaws.

I must confess, that's a confusing statement.

I'm not too fond of Shockwave's voice in FOC: Transformers. Its the same voice as Knock-Out from Transformers: Prime.

It's not actually Knock-Out's voice actor, it's TFP Starscream's voice actor doing an imitation of G1 narrator Vic Caroli, and to be honest it makes NO sense to me at all - Shockwave is now narrating all of Transformers? I didn't like a lot of the voice work in FOC though, so perhaps it's the game director's fault, too many generic-game-guy voices for characters instead of actors that sounded like Transformers.

[Darth Metalmute]

It's not actually Knock-Out's voice actor, it's TFP Starscream's voice actor doing an imitation of G1 narrator Vic Caroli, and to be honest it makes NO sense to me at all - Shockwave is now narrating all of Transformers? I didn't like a lot of the voice work in FOC though, so perhaps it's the game director's fault, too many generic-game-guy voices for characters instead of actors that sounded like Transformers.

I didn't care for most of the voices either. Between watching the Shockwave TFP episode, and listening to him in FOC, for the life on me I can't even remember what G1 Shockwave sounds like now.

[JediTricks]

I didn't care for most of the voices either. Between watching the Shockwave TFP episode, and listening to him in FOC, for the life on me I can't even remember what G1 Shockwave sounds like now.

It is odd, especially since they did a fairly good job with it only 3 years back on TF Animated.

[figrin bran]

I thought I was adding Masterpiece Thundercracker into my cart on TRU.com around 30 min ago but of course, they sold out.