Diecast and Anthony Brucali report from Hasbro’s New York Comic Con press event with the first Robots in Disguise toys. The new Warrior Class figures, a three-step Grimlock and scannable Autobot symbols that unlock characters in a tablet game lead the reveals. The Leader Class Jetfire mold returning as Thundercracker baffles the crew. They cheer the news that Robots in Disguise will air on Cartoon Network. Star Saber gets a March 2015 release date, and Master Shooter reveals a Targetmaster partner for Generations Nightbeat.
News
Hasbro Press Event at New York Comic Con: Robots in Disguise
Diecast and Anthony Brucali of TFU.info report live from the Hasbro press event. Robots in Disguise brings a new Warrior Class of figures with seven to ten steps of transformation, and Diecast says they look like Deluxes. Hasbro says Generations will keep its Deluxe Class figures for now. A big green three-step Grimlock sits at the center of the display, with a Warrior Class Grimlock shown in dinosaur mode. Each figure carries a unique ring around its Autobot symbol that unlocks the character in a tablet game for iOS and Android. The crew compares the idea to Skylanders and jokes about scanning packages in the store. Anthony notes the line launches in January, which explains the larger showing than in past years. Several hosts see Transformers Animated in the designs, and they are glad the toys will hit shelves while the show airs. [Source: TFU.info]
Combiner Wars Packaging and Leader Class Thundercracker
Combiner Wars packaging switches to a black background, which Rob Clay calls a wise move. Motormaster’s long bio sits on quadlingual packaging. The surprise of the event is the Leader Class Jetfire mold redone as Thundercracker. Nobody expected it, and the crew jokes that a Starscream, a Skywarp and BotCon Rainmakers must follow.
Kre-O Transformers That Transform
Kre-O is not dead. Diecast saw small Kre-O figures that transform and vehicle sets with a Kre-O capture chamber for catching an evil Kre-O. Brian admits he kind of likes them.
Robots in Disguise Heads to Cartoon Network
The new trailer confirms that Robots in Disguise will air on Cartoon Network. Brian is happy because he knows he gets the channel. Others worry about Cartoon Network’s history of moving and dropping shows. The crew believes the big green dinosaur is Grimlock and hears that Ted McGinley will voice him. [Source: not found]
Subscription Service 2.0 Ends with Eject and Rewind
The final Subscription Service 2.0 figures, Eject and Rewind, have arrived. One host just transformed his for the first time. Rob Clay is more excited for Eject, his favorite of the pair. [Source: not found]
Hasbro Scans Fans’ Faces onto Action Figures
Diecast reports a booth that scans a fan’s face onto a superhero figure and mails it about six weeks later for $60. Brian jokes that he wants to be Ghost Rider.
Star Saber Gets a Release Date
Takara Tomy’s Star Saber is due March 15, 2015, for about 18,000 yen, or roughly $180. The crew notes it sells a little cheaper than Masterpiece Ultra Magnus and looks better. One host would pick Star Saber over Ultra Magnus but expects a US reissue of Ultra Magnus to be far more likely. Rob Springer reveals the “prototype” of a Keith’s Fantasy Club Star Saber, which turns out to be a can of soda. [Source: not found]
Master Shooter Reveals Nightbeat’s Targetmaster Partner
Master Shooter reveals a Muzzle-themed Targetmaster partner for Generations Nightbeat, due at TFCon Chicago. It comes in a two-pack with a second, unrevealed figure. Brian is tempted, and one host recalls the company’s earlier two-pack ran about $40. [Source: not found]
Transformers Legacy Ships and Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #3
Exvee reviews Transformers Legacy for TFormers and loves it, though Brian still awaits his Amazon copy. TFormers also reviews IDW’s Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #3, which its reviewer calls insane and great. The crew laughs at its demonstration of how third parties make transforming robot toys. A first third-party Combiner Wars project is announced, and the crew mocks it for being little more than a silhouette. [Source: TFormers]
Takara Tomy Windblade and Arcee Decos
Rob Clay prefers the face deco on Takara Tomy’s Windblade and has it on preorder. One host plans to keep the Hasbro Arcee for vehicle mode and the Takara Tomy version for robot mode. One host suspects the black on Generations Arcee comes from the Energon toy. The crew compares the Japanese Chromia’s metallic blue with the Hasbro deco.
Fan Question
The TransFanatics Facebook page asks about a rumor that Transformers 5 will feature the Maximals and Predacons. Nobody on the crew has heard it, and the talk turns into jokes about Age of Extinction’s Optimus Prime threatening everyone he meets.
RFC Announcements
The RFC shirt campaign reached 45 of its 50-shirt goal, enough to start printing, and shirts should arrive in about two weeks. JD Church’s collection is now posted for sale at tfradio.net. The crew recorded an Age of Extinction commentary the night before, now on the podcast feed. A storm knocks out Brian’s connection mid-show, so he finishes on a MiFi hotspot from his bed. Next week is the 15th anniversary episode.
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.