Hasbro’s Legends Megatron will come with a molded orange safety cap, so RFC declares Orange Cap Awareness Week. This November 17, 2010 Radio Free Cybertron also covers Generations Kup, Wave 5 at retail and Hasbro’s choice to skip the UK for Spastic. The crew wonders why no Transformers Prime toys have surfaced. They then pick their favorite Transformers deaths, from the 1986 movie to Beast Wars and Zone.
News
Thunderwing Instructions Point to a Black Shadow Remold
The Generations Thunderwing instruction manual appears to reveal the mold’s remold as Black Shadow. The head looks a lot like Black Shadow’s, though the horns may be too big. There is no confirmation, and the crew expects a trademark issue with the name. The crew then debates whether modern instructions beat the old ones. Most say they are far better now, and one host praises Takara’s elaborate instructions. [Source: not found]
Legends Megatron Gets an Orange Safety Cap
The Legends version of Megatron, about two inches long, will have a molded orange safety cap. The barrel is molded orange, so the cap can’t be removed. One host jokes that Hasbro should cap all weapons, even swords. One host, the son of a police officer, argues the caps undercut parents teaching kids respect for guns. Others note U.S. customs required a cap on the imported Masterpiece Megatron, and suspect a size rule or an elaborate in-joke. Black Convoy in the chat points out the cap wasn’t shown at BotCon. The crew suggests painting the whole thing orange and calling it Sunstorm. [Source: not found]
Generations Kup Revealed
KO Toys has pictures of Generations Deluxe Kup, and the crew calls him amazing. One host jokes that new waves arrive before fans can find the last one, such as Red Alert. They expect Thrust to warm pegs and think Dirge will sell better. The crew wishes for the three Rainmakers on the Seeker mold and an Energon Bruticus repainted as Battle Gaia for BotCon. [Source: not found]
Generations Wave 5 Hits Retail
Generations Wave 5, with Thunderwing, Skullgrin and Cliffjumper, is at retail. Only Thunderwing is a new mold, but one host still wants all three. The crew also laughs at the spelling of Grappel, apparently misspelled on purpose for trademark reasons. [Source: not found]
Hasbro Won’t Sell Spastic in the UK
Last week RFC noted that ‘spastic’ is an offensive term in the UK. Hasbro is getting around the problem by not selling the figure there. The crew jokes it is an elaborate in-joke, though one host likes the name for its late-G1 sound. [Source: not found]
United Set Confirms a Generic Junkion Head for Wreck-Gar
A Takara United set photo appears to confirm a generic Junkion head with a visor for a Wreck-Gar remold. The crew expects an e-Hobby version and hopes for a G1 Oil Slick on the mold. [Source: not found]
McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys Don’t Transform
McDonald’s upcoming Happy Meal toys are based on Revenge of the Fallen and don’t transform. The crew had hoped for Transformers Prime toys. With the show premiering next week, no Prime figure or prototype has even leaked. They expect Prime figures to land in Generations or movie packaging with an “as seen on” sticker. [Source: not found]
First Transformers Prime Promos
Five 30-second Transformers Prime promos are out, each focused on a different character. The crew thinks they look great. They wonder how Frank Welker’s lower Megatron voice will sound and whether Arcee calling Bumblebee family means they are related. They agree the show looks cool but needs an episode to judge. [Source: not found]
Transformers 3 and Hasbro’s Game Plans
The crew calls Transformers 3 cursed and notes it is pitched as better than both earlier films. Hasbro’s game plans include War for Cybertron 2 in 2012 and a Dark of the Moon game in 2011. A Chinese developer, NetDragon, is building an MMORPG for China and other markets. Several hosts say they won’t play a Transformers MMO. [Source: not found]
Ron Friedman G1 Production Materials Auction
Jim Sorenson is taking up a collection to win Ron Friedman’s G1 production materials on behalf of the fandom. The Heritage auction includes G1 posters, cels and scripts, with less than two days left. Links are on RFC’s Facebook page and the Allspark. [Source: not found]
This Day in Transformers History
JD notes that Call of the Primitives premiered in the U.S. on November 18, 1986. The crew calls it beautiful but weird. One host remembers watching Transformers up to five times a day on different cable channels in 1986.
TF Wiki Spotlight: Sideways
Chris McFeely spotlights Sideways, a breakout Armada character with multiverse-hopping antics. Sideways turns up in G1-based continuities and possibly beyond. His TFWiki page is disambiguated under Robots in Disguise, where a Sideways first appeared.
Year-End Contest
RFC’s year-end contest gives away a sealed Generations Blur and many Titan Transformers trades and hardcovers. The list includes Showdown, All Fall Down, Last Stand, Matrix Quest, Treason, Second Generation, Fallen Angel, Target 2006, Perchance to Dream and Earth Force. Also up for grabs are two Titan magazines, a Fanboy vs. clock designed by John DeLuna and an extra-large E&I T-shirt.
Favorite Transformers Deaths
One host picks the Matrix Quest comic’s horrific Optimus Prime carcass, still alive after Unicron’s blast. Another favors Optimus Prime’s death in Dark Awakening, later edited to suggest he survived. From the 1986 movie, the crew cites Ironhide’s merciless death, Windcharger’s off-screen death and Brawn’s. Anthony recalls sitting on his grandma’s toilet for days, wondering if they’d come back. One host’s favorites for comedic value are Dinobot, whom he disliked, and Tigerhawk’s quick death in Beast Wars. Rob picks Scorponok’s death against Unicron in Marvel’s issue 73 and laughs at Optimus Prime going emo after Ratchet’s death. He also cites Inferno dying repeatedly when Simon Furman writes him.
One host was angry that Beast Wars killed Scorponok and Terrorsaur so casually. The crew thinks budget and character count drove it. Rob notes the Beast Wars Metals manga let Optimus Primal cut Terrorsaur in half with his mace. The crew also praises the brutal Zone, then traces the Japanese line through Battlestars and Operation Combination. Battle Gaia and Guard City remain holy grails.
Twitter Theater: Taiwanese Military Recruitment Video
This week’s pick is a Taiwanese military recruitment video featuring Transformers-style robots. The crew thinks one robot looks like Bombshock, and they want to post it on tfvideo.net.
RFC Announcements
New Soundwave, hosted by John DeLuna, streams live after the show. tfvideo.net now points to RFC’s video blog. RFC is the official podcast of TFormers.com.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.