DX9 reveals Mightron, yet another third-party Masterpiece-style Megatron, and the crew debates whether fans have hit peak Megatron. Hasbro files a new trademark for Prime, which the crew reads as protection for the Prime Wars Trilogy. Wonderfest Summer 2016 brings color looks at Masterpiece Cheetor, Delta Magnus and TakaraTomy’s Legends Titans Return figures. Cybertron Con 2016 in Shanghai builds a person-sized Fortress Maximus city. Brian also revisits the infamous OTFCC 2003 dance party video.
This Week in History
In 1972, the F-15 Eagle made its first flight. Its jet mode became the benchmark for judging a good Starscream. In 2003, OTFCC 2003 ended, with hotel-exclusive figures built from the Car Robots molds. Rob Springer posted a fan’s VHS footage of that convention’s dance party on Zonebase. Brian says it is worse than he remembers and well worth watching. [Source: Zonebase]
News
The trademark covers toys only. One host thinks it simply protects the word Prime from other robot toys. The crew links it to the Prime Wars Trilogy and jokes about a line of transforming planets. Others predict a new Unicron in the trilogy’s third year. [Source: TFormers]
Cybertron Con 2016 Gets Its Own Person-Sized Fortress Maximus in City Mode
Shanghai’s Transformers convention built a walk-in Fortress Maximus city. One host would cosplay as Spike and pose beside it. The crew wants Hasbro to sell it as playground equipment or a bouncy house. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Overwatch-Style Shooter Online Game Coming to China
The game is an online team shooter for China. Brian admits he doesn’t know Overwatch, so the crew compares it to Team Fortress 2. [Source: TFormers]
Side-by-Side: Legends Series and Titans Return Hardhead, Skullsmasher and Galvatron
Several hosts prefer TakaraTomy’s Skullsmasher, though its alligator mode has black eyes instead of red. Hardhead splits the crew between Hasbro’s grays and TakaraTomy’s beiges. Nobody loves either purple on Galvatron, but TakaraTomy’s head paint mimics the G1 toy’s crown. [Source: TFormers]
Wonderfest Summer 2016: Legends Series Titans Return Image Roundup
Legends Super Ginrai looks great except for the truck panels that hang beside its feet. Rob says the remold only makes sense if a God Bomber is coming. A rumored Apex Armor for 2017 suggests Hasbro has its own add-on in the works. [Source: TFormers]
Wonderfest Summer 2016: Transformers Adventure Display With Windblade, Ratchet and More
This is the first color look at TakaraTomy’s Windblade. One host says the Adventure colors improve Power Surge Optimus Prime, but the toy is still poor. The crew finds Ratchet’s vehicle mode even blander than his Transformers: Prime toy. [Source: TFormers]
Wonderfest Summer 2016: Masterpiece Display With Delta Magnus and Inferno
Masterpiece Delta Magnus is due next month. Its arrival sends the crew to eBay to check what KFC’s Dia Stack sells for. [Source: TFormers]
Wonderfest Summer 2016: Masterpiece Cheetor Color Photos With Optimus Primal
Masterpiece Cheetor’s faces look spot on to the cartoon. One host loves the look but wishes it were Transmetal Cheetor. Chris explains hydro dipping, the printed-film process likely behind Optimus Primal’s furry texture and high price. If Cheetor costs much less, the crew says that will confirm it. [Source: TFormers]
SDCC Titans Return Storybook Now Available as PDF From Hasbro Pulse
Hasbro’s SDCC giveaway book has bios and painted art with a retro look. Rob asks listeners who painted the two-page spreads. [Source: TFormers]
Third-Party News
DX9 Mightron
DX9’s Masterpiece-scale Megatron came out of nowhere and stands beside its Tyrant. One host says it is the only DX9 figure he will skip. Diecast, who held MakeToys’ Despotron at TFCon, thinks Despotron beats it. The crew urges Don to sell his sealed Apollyon, which sells for about $110 to $160. One host likes the names Hegemon and Despotron more than Mightron. [Source: not found]
The HM Garage: Titans Return Add-On Set for Your Extra Titan Masters
The box transforms into gun emplacements with removable 5mm weapons. Trent Troop also posted an adapter that puts a Titan Master face on Combiner Wars Hound to make Brawn. The crew calls Titan Masters the most hackable line ever and wants a third-party body for spare heads. [Source: TFormers]
TFormers Review: Galvatron Cannon Adapter by Fakebusker83
The Shapeways part mounts Galvatron’s cannon to the side so his elbow can bend. The unpolished finish fits better than the polished one, and it works well after a little filing. [Source: TFormers]
Corbot V Final Armageddon Mugger: Not-Alicon Figure
The Legends-size figure is $40. The crew thinks it would pair well with next year’s Gnaw but dislikes its hollow leg at that price. [Source: TFormers]
Perfection Series PS-05 Girder: Unofficial Grapple
Ocular Max remolds its Backdraft as Grapple. Don has no great love for the character but says it looks good. The crane’s stabilizers pull out in vehicle mode. The crew thinks it looks lanky and would look better with a darker helmet. [Source: TFormers]
Comics
Rob reviewed the Titans Return one-shot. It is easy to follow for new readers but feels short and a little dull. It also spoils some of The Transformers #55, whose print edition slipped a week. The Transformers #55 wraps up All Hail Optimus, and More Than Meets the Eye #55 ends Dying of the Light. One host found that ending confusing but notes the twist was planned well in advance.
What We Got This Week
Don got Fortress Maximus in store at Toys “R” Us. With rewards from his BotCon charges, he paid $115 for Fortress Maximus and Titan Master Blur.
Brian got the TFCon-exclusive Sphinx that Diecast bought for him.
Matt had nothing in Transformers this week. His Legends Galvatron is in the mail.
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.