Unite Warriors Baldigus and MP-36 Masterpiece Megatron land in hand, and Brian calls MP-36 the definitive Masterpiece-scale Megatron. Most of the crew finally has the Titans Return Chaos on Velocitron set, which sold out on the Toys R Us website within hours. Diecast reports from the Last Knight IMAX preview event. TakaraTomy announces Targetmaster Hot Rod and Kup for its Legends line, and Michael Bay floats as many as 14 more Transformers movies.
Transformers: The Last Knight IMAX Preview
Diecast attended the IMAX preview event and came home with a shirt, a shiny poster and a Transformers USB hub. The preview was mostly trailer footage plus what seemed like the first 10 to 15 minutes of the movie. Izabella stands out as a strong character, saving four boys in a ruined Chicago where Transformers are still the enemy. Sqweeks, Cogman, Hot Rod, Laura Haddock’s character and an old tank who still thinks it is the early 1900s all appear. Diecast enjoyed it, and his spoiler-heavy recap is on RFC Reviews.
This Week in History
In 2002, Dreamwave releases Transformers: Generation 1 volume 1 issue 1 in the US. The crew remembers the hype and how quickly the first issue let them down. In 2000, Car Robots premieres in Japan with “First Deployment! Fire Convoy.” The crew recalls watching on TF Extreme and paying around $350 to import Fire Convoy and friends, sure the toys would never come to the US. One host recalls Hasbro reportedly buying Car Robots stock from Image Anime for its Toy Fair 2001 display.
News
TakaraTomy Legends Series Resumes in Full This September With LG44, LG45 and LG46
LG44 is a Sharkticon with Sweeps, and LG45 and LG46 are Targetmaster Hot Rod and Targetmaster Kup. The crew expects better decos than Hasbro’s, especially on Kup, and plans early preorders. Takara will also reissue several movie Deluxe molds alongside them. [Source: TFormers]
Hasbro Renews Metroplex Trademark for Use on Toys
Rob says it is too early to know what it is for. It could be The Last Knight Cybertron playset or a Metroplex reissue to pair with Trypticon, or simply routine maintenance. [Source: TFormers]
Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor Meets Female Cybertronian in New Comic Series
IDW’s crossover miniseries introduces a Cybertronian Spaceknight named Stardrive. The art is by Alex Milne, which is why it looks familiar. [Source: TFormers]
TakaraTomy Shows Off LG-43 Legends Trypticon’s Appetite for Titan Masters
A video shows Trypticon can hold 28 Titan Masters. The crew expects someone to start a “Can Trypticon eat it?” series, like the one for Revenge of the Fallen Devastator. [Source: TFormers]
Titans Return Trypticon Package Art and Trading Card Leaked
The first image of the Titan Class package art also shows a trading card cut so Trypticon appears to break out of it. The crew notes that will be hard to store in a binder. [Source: TFormers]
Hideaki Yoke, Designer on G1 Optimus Prime and More, Retires From TakaraTomy
Aaron Archer shared the news. One host heard Yoke passed the mandatory retirement age years ago but kept working as a consultant because he loved it. [Source: TFormers]
Titans Return Chaos on Velocitron Boxset Hits Toys R Us Website
The set went up on the Toys R Us website and sold out the same day. Robo Wang reported on the Allspark that only 88 sets were in stock. [Source: TFormers]
Michael Bay Threatens as Many as 14 More Transformers Movies
The writers room produced 14 story concepts, separate from next year’s Bumblebee movie. One host notes that 14 films could cover G1, Beast Wars, Car Robots, Armada, Animated and more. The article also hints this could be Bay’s last movie again. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers: The Last Knight Premier Edition Hound and Megatron In-Hand Photos
Photos, instructions and transformation videos come from a source in Vietnam. Voyager Megatron still looks good, and Hound better captures the CG model. The crew decodes Hound’s cross symbol as a fake Red Cross logo built from the Autobot insignia. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers: The Last Knight Full Body Hot Rod Images Leaked
Rob thinks Hot Rod looks like a Pacific Rim robot. The crew agrees the designs have improved since 2007, but some feel they no longer look like Transformers. One host sums up the movies as a decade-long lesson in learning to settle. [Source: TFormers]
The Last Knight One-Step Turbo Changers Hitting GameStop Stores Early
Nick Sartos found One-Step Barricade at GameStop, and Don’s local store had all four at $11.99. Look for a small Hasbro floor kiosk. The crew finds it funny that the retailer with the most street-date experience broke it first. [Source: TFormers]
Fans Toys Grinder No. 5 Blue, Cartoon and Chrome Edition
Brian preordered the turquoise G2-style Grinder despite swearing off third-party Masterpiece figures. It reminds him of the Grimlock he had as a kid, and he asks for G2 shoulder labels. The crew debates which G1 Grimlock variant the blue chrome version references. [Source: TFormers]
Toyworld MP-Scale Not-Blast Off and Not-Vortex Full Deco Photos
The crew likes Vortex’s helicopter colors, but both robot modes look too bulky to move. One host points out Vortex resembles movie Blackout. [Source: TFormers]
Dr. Wu DW-P31 Ninja Upgrade Set for Titans Return Sixshot
For about $19, the set adds Hexatron-style swords, a new helmet and filler parts for the split rifles. One host wishes the combined rifles had a central handle peg. Don would want it alongside a possible Takara Sixknight. [Source: TFormers]
DX9 Toys War in Pocket Legends-Scale Conehead Seekers Color Photos
One host loves Legends scale and is very interested, while Don is putting his money toward Masterpiece-scale seekers. [Source: TFormers]
Also on TFormers
Rob’s Articulation Breakdown Week wraps up with ball joints and ratchets. Transformers at the Moon posted the Fire on the Mountain recording session, where the Laserbeak shrieks are likely Chris Latta rather than Frank Welker. MP-36’s fusion cannon sounds do not match the US release. [Source: TFormers] [Source: TFormers] [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Diecast
Diecast got a $10 knockoff of the DX9 War in Pocket Galvatron and DX9 War in Pocket Swoop. He also got a clear knockoff Warbotron piece toward a clear combiner and Toyworld Space Racer. The last piece of his upscaled knockoff Throttlebots set, the parts box for Throttle Kaiser, finally arrived. Space Racer’s eye-dial gimmick chipped his paint, so he warns people off it.
Brian
Brian got Unite Warriors Baldigus and calls it beautiful, though the Blast Off mold’s plastic feels off and the head keeps popping off. He found Titans Return Kup at Walgreens and likes it more than expected. He got Titans Return Broadside from Amazon, which has rough stickers and a loose leg. His favorite is MP-36 Masterpiece Megatron, the definitive Masterpiece-scale Megatron, which makes him like FansToys Sovereign more.
Matt
Matt got Baldigus too, and his has better plastic and joints, with only a springy hood plate on one Jeep. He also got Masterpiece Grapple, but prefers Masterpiece Inferno’s transformation and detail.
Rob
Rob got the Chaos on Velocitron set from his Toys R Us, which receives three per case. His Rodimus Prime has the best paint he has seen on a domestic Titan Master. Fastclash feels more solid than recent Legends, and Nautica is much nicer in person than in photos. The set’s Laser Optimus Prime trailer sticker beats the retail Voyager’s. Quickswitch’s loose leg joints are baffling, but it is growing on him.
Don
Don used Toylanta money on third-party Loudpedal and MakeToys Contact Shot, his favorite Autobot Targetmaster. He also got X-Transbots Eligos, which comes with a tiny Galvatron. His small Toys R Us arranged a store transfer for the Chaos on Velocitron set, and reward points brought it to $65.
Chris
Chris got his Chaos on Velocitron set with help from a Twitter friend, then found several more and is passing them on to Brian, Triplet and a UK fan. He is not impressed by Fastclash, likes Nautica’s purple and is happy with Voyager Optimus Prime. He will sell his Quickswitch. He also got a Robots in Disguise Warrior Class figure for about $13 in a Toys R Us sale and loves where the line is.
John
John got the first Subscription Service 5.0 shipment. Fractal stands out by a long shot, while Lifeline, Scorponok and Quickslinger are fine. Fractal was already selling for $74 on eBay.
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.