Transformer of the Day for October 1, 2009
LEO CONVOY
-Faction: Maximal
-Era: Beast Wars II
-Function: Supreme Commander
-Motto: “We Are Echoes of That Which Has Come Before”
-Notable Toy: RobotMasters (Takara, 2005)
Notes: Introduced in Beast Wars II, Leo Convoy was released in North America through Hasbro’s first online toy site. He would later see a Legends scale release as Leo Prime in 2006, and a voyager release in 2009 in lion colours, with a BWII-coloured version is planned for later in the year. But it is a scaled down vibrant vac-metal version from Takara’s Robot Masters line, complete with a DVD, that takes the cake.
(Apologies and thanks to shmax.com and bbts.com for the toy image.)
Transformer of the Day for August 28, 2009
MEGASTORM
-Faction: Predacon
-Era: Beast Wars II (1998)
-Function: Duke of Destruction
-Motto: “Loyalty Comes with a Price”
-Notable Toy: Leader-class (Takara, 1998)
Notes: While Hasbro first used the mould as a suitable replacement for Megatron as part of Generation II, Takara reused the figure in the late 1990s for its anime Beast Wars II. Brother to that universe’s Galvatron, Megastorm would be reimagined as Gigastorm, a remoulded version of Trypticon, later in the series. But it’s the original tank that’s the ranking toy in this case. Because can you really go wrong with a giant green tank in a land full of animals?
Transformer of the Day for July 17, 2009
AUTOJETTER
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Beast Wars II (1998)
-Function: Aerial Guard
-Motto: “War is a Sport and I Play to Win”
-Notable Toy: Korean Release (Takara, 1998)
Like Autolauncher, Autojetter was intended to be rolled out as part of Hasbro’s Generation Two line. But like the second wave of Gobots (of which four of the six molds survived to become in Robots in Disguise), these two figures never even merited a mention in Hasbro’s 1995 toyfair catalogue. What’s peculiar about this fact is repaints of Dirtbag and Roadblock, titled Sgt. Hound and General Optimus, somehow did. Why they didn’t take advantage of these great molds is beyond me.
Transformer of the Day for January 26, 2009
AUTOLAUNCHER
-Faction: Destron (Autoroller)
-Era: Beast Wars II (1998)
-Function: Shock Troop Guard
-Motto: “In the Face of Danger I Will Find My Glory”
-Notable Toy: Takara Release (Takara, 1998)
Notes:Autolauncher was one of two unreleased autoroller molds used to round out Beast Wars II. Originally intended to join Dirt Bag and Roadblock on North American toy shelves as part of Generation 2, a Hasbro-release of Autolauncher never arrived, nor appeared in dealer catalogues for the year. Which is a shame because a self-transforming disk-firing military vehicle is far cooler than a green dump truck.
Transformer of the Day for January 14, 2009
THRUST / THRUSTOR
-Faction: Destron (Cyberbeast)
-Era: Beast Wars II (1998)
-Function: Aeriel Officer / Shock Trooper
-Motto: “Patience Brings Power”
-Notable Toy: Cyberbeast (Takara, 1998)
Notes: Between Mainframe-produced seasons of Beast Wars came the Japanese anime series Beast Wars II. Here Thrust, a brightly-coloured Destron jet, is mutated by the essence of Unicron into Trustor. While his early toy was a springformer common to the Machine Wars line, the uniquely redesigned Dinobot toy is exclusive to Japan.
(Apologies and thanks to beastwars.us for the Thrustol box art.)
