A massive leak reveals nearly all of Power of the Primes through mid-2018, and Hasbro asks sites to pull the photos. Card art for a Titans Return Headmaster Arcee also leaks, and Don, who has campaigned for one for years, is the most popular person on the internet. The crew walks through the leaked Prime Masters, Dinobots, Terrorcons and a Titan Class Predaking. Plus Hasbro credits Transformers in a strong quarter, 7-Eleven gets a white MP-10, and Brian breaks down The Last Knight’s disappointing box office.
This Week in History
In 2003, the first OTFCC wrapped up its final day. It was Brian’s first convention in the same place as Don, and the crew remembers the room-exclusive Sunstreaker and the mixed-up left and right missiles that had fans trading parts. In 2000, BotCon opened in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with Shokaract and Apelinq as exclusives. Don remembers a tiny diner nearby with some of the best pancakes he has ever had.
TFcon USA Tickets on Sale
TFcon USA runs September 29 to October 1, and most of the crew plans to attend.
News
Titans Return Headmaster Arcee Card Art Leaked
Card art shows a Headmaster Arcee built on the Titans Return Blurr mold, with a new head, new shoulder armor and resculpted upper arms. Don, who has wanted a Headmaster Arcee for years, had almost 50 notifications by the time he got off work. Rumor says Walgreens, though nothing confirms it. One host and Rob think Arcee and the leaked Titan Master Ultra Magnus are refugees from a canceled box set.
Titan Master Ultra Magnus Titans Return Card Art Leaked
Arcee’s leg is visible in the background of the Ultra Magnus card art. The theory is that both, plus a possible Scorponok Titan Master, could become same-price store exclusives for a retailer like Walgreens. [Source: TFormers]
Power of the Primes Leaked: An Entire Year of Toys Prematurely Revealed
A Facebook leak on Monday revealed Power of the Primes through Toy Fair 2018, and Hasbro asked sites to take the photos down that night. Brian is unhappy, since it spoils everything HasCon might have revealed, but the show has to cover it. One host thinks it came from a Hasbro Asia presentation to retailers after SDCC. Prime Masters include Micronus with Cloudburst, Liege Maximo with Skullgrin, Vector Prime with Metalhawk and Solus Prime with Octopunch. Deluxes include the Dinobots, Moonracer and the Terrorcons, Voyagers include Grimlock, Starscream and Hun-Gurrr, and Leaders include Optimus Prime and Rodimus Unicronus. A Titan Class Predaking made of five Voyager-sized figures is coming, and a movie anniversary line in the spirit of TakaraTomy’s The Best appears too. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Sales Help Hasbro Earnings Beat Street Forecasts
Hasbro’s quarter beat forecasts and cited Transformers as a driver, though its shares fell. One host does not think the leak had anything to do with that. [Source: TFormers]
7-Eleven in Japan To Get Special Branded MP-10 in Ultra Magnus Colors
7-Eleven gets its own MP-10, white with store branding. Brian kind of wants it. Rob notes 7-Eleven has done themed Gundam kits too. [Source: TFormers]
MP-10 Optimus Prime Toys R Us Exclusive First US In-Store Sighting
The reissued MP-10 has been sighted in Toys R Us stores in several states at $160, trailer included. The crew suggests grabbing one, since the price will likely climb. [Source: TFormers]
Alien Attack Toys Presents Firage Unofficial DOTM Mirage
Firage is an unofficial Dark of the Moon Mirage, the red Ferrari that never got a proper toy, probably because of Ferrari licensing. One host notes Alien Attack spent years advertising Wreckers upgrade kits that never came out. [Source: TFormers]
Xiaomi Optimus Prime Package Images Reveal Functional Transforming USB Power Bank
The transforming power bank holds two 6,500 mAh batteries and is labeled 14 and up, not a toy. One host is impressed and a little scared, and another doubts it would ship from Taobao. [Source: TFormers]
New Robots in Disguise Custom Kreons Revealed
Kreon versions of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Grimlock come in Armor Up, Blizzard Strike and Night Strike styles. They were found by the same collector whose last find turned up at Dollar General. [Source: TFormers]
A Month In, How’s The Last Knight Doing?
Brian’s tfradio.net post finds The Last Knight at $127 million in the US after a month, short of its production budget and far behind Age of Extinction’s $237 million. China brought in about $226 million, well under hopes of half a billion, and the worldwide total is about $547 million. Brian calls it a bomb in the US and a disappointment worldwide. The crew notes the Bumblebee movie’s $70 million budget and suspects a smaller, tighter movie may be what the franchise needs.
What’s on TFormers
TFormers has a transcribed SDCC Q&A with Hasbro’s Ashley Creedon and Lenny Panzica, plus booth videos for Titans Return, The Last Knight, Robots in Disguise and Rescue Bots. The Last Knight diorama recreates Cogman playing the pipe organ.
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris got Titans Return Wave 5 Deluxes Misfire, Twin Twist and Windblade, with the Misfire opened on behalf of HeyMickey. Windblade is better than the photos, though the forearms hang out in jet mode and the head still bobbles. Misfire does not feel like a retool of Trigger Happy and lacks tabs to lock the back end, but he will still get the TakaraTomy version for its Targetmaster. Twin Twist has good deco, but its clip-on waist barely holds.
Brian
Brian got a Valvatron off eBay and the Evolution of Optimus Prime two-pack from Amazon, mainly for the Orion Pax on the Kup mold. He finally opened his $150 Trypticon and calls Full Tilt the ultimate Full Tilt. The hip fix took him five minutes once he trimmed the springs.
Matt
Matt got the Walgreens Clones two-pack, and Wingspan steals the set while Cloudbreaker comes apart easily. He also got the Evolution of Optimus Prime two-pack. The War for Cybertron Optimus falls apart at the waist, but he loves the Orion Pax Titan Master’s face.
Diecast
Diecast has the Evolution two-pack but has not opened it. He installed an upgrade kit for Ironhide and Ratchet that moves the door panels, and his install video is coming to RFC Reviews. His Last Knight Megatron review is up, and he prefers the Voyager’s transformation to the Leader’s. A second Valvatron arrived after he resubmitted the rebate.
Don
Don got ToyWorld’s clear Space Racer, an unofficial Cosmos. He loves its clear plastic, though he wishes the green were lighter. More is on the way, though one seller suddenly has a run of negative feedback.
Rob
Rob had nothing in Transformers this week, with the Evolution two-pack arriving Friday.
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.