An Earthrise Leader Optimus Prime leaks in the black and gray of his death in The Transformers: The Movie. Brian hates it and is buying it anyway. Generations Selects God Neptune is revealed, Walmart’s system lists a Netflix deluxe Cheetor, and My Little Prime disappoints with molded hair. The crew remembers Fred Willard, the voice of Swindle in Transformers Animated.
News
Earthrise Sleep Mode Optimus Prime Leaks
Chris covered the leak on RFC News Desk 098. It is the Earthrise Leader Optimus Prime in blacks and grays, like his death scene in the 1986 movie. Brian sums it up: he hates it, and he is buying it. The crew wonders whether it is the Alternate Universe Optimus Prime from earlier Amazon listings or an orphaned convention exclusive. Several hosts are uneasy buying a toy of childhood trauma. One host invents a headcanon that Transformers turn gray when they die and get repainted for burial. John suggests an ‘I hate this. I’m buying it.’ shirt. [Source: RFC News Desk]
Pictures of Generations Selects God Neptune are out, with the set due in October. Tentakil is retooled as Scylla with a more feminine robot mode. One host fears the whitish plastic could be the weak Ape Face plastic. Another wishes for the club Piranacon colors instead. [Source: RFC News Desk]
Netflix War for Cybertron Cheetor Listed
A Cheetor turned up in Walmart’s system, grouped with the Netflix deluxes. The crew runs through possible molds, from Siege Prowl to Chromia. Don suggests the small Cyberverse Cheetor, and the crew shoots it down. One host would love a Transmetal Cheetor reissue in season one colors. [Source: RFC News Desk]
The My Little Pony crossover Optimus Prime has molded hair. One host wanted rooted hair and a brush for the full pony experience. [Source: RFC News Desk]
Cyberverse Battle Call Trooper Meteorfire
New images show Meteorfire. Chris likes the robot mode, but the jet mode kills it for him. Rob calls it Gundam’s G-Armor as a Transformer. [Source: TFormers]
Studio Series Devastator Box Set Listed
A UK distributor lists a Studio Series Devastator box set. The crew expects it to be an online or specialty item, priced in the hundreds. Chris notes Constructicon distribution has been spotty, so a box set helps people who missed pieces. Brian would only buy it boxed so he never has to transform it. [Source: TFormers]
Fred Willard voiced Swindle in Transformers Animated. Brian calls his sleazy arms dealer the Swindle voice he hears when reading comics. The crew remembers his work in everything from WALL-E to Best in Show. [Source: TFormers]
After canceling, TFNation will hold a virtual event. Brian says any real Radio Free Cybercon would be virtual too. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Matt
Matt got the Death Garry Gun. He also bought two Perfect Effect Combiner Wars upgrade sets, mostly for the feet. He found Netflix Scrapface and scrubbed off the red shin ‘battle damage’ to repaint it. He picked up anime-colored Masterpiece Smokescreen and X-Transbots Dragstrip, his last G1 Stunticon, but Motormaster still lacks a trailer. Last, he finished his Seacons with Overbite and Tentakil. He loves Overbite’s loud colors, but Tentakil’s plastic and loose legs make King Poseidon topple.
Don
Don’s pickups this week were not Transformers.
Chris
Spidey Wing sent Chris volume two of Transformers: The Manga from his wishlist. He likes the black-and-white TV Magazine features, including a two-page Planet Zarak spread. Names vary across the book. An opening spread shows Stepper and Artfire, which may be Artfire’s only original media appearance.
Diecast
Diecast’s second Taobao box arrived in better shape. It held a DNA Design upgrade kit for the movie Jetfire and Optimus Prime combined mode. It also held Fans Toys Iceman, their Air Raid, in pearl white, still safe in its box.
Rob
Spidey Wing also sent Rob Siege Ape Face, which is better than he expected. The jet nose does not stay plugged in as a backpack. Rob also got volume two of the manga.
John
John won an original transparency from a G1 Thunderwing photo shoot. It shows a hand-painted prototype on white, likely used in catalogs. He plans to frame it and digitize it.
Brian
Brian’s Big Bad Toy Store pile of loot arrived. It had a clear Easy Collection Convoy that connects with Stomp and Chomp Grimlock. It also had a clearance box of Dark of the Moon trading cards, which turn out to be puzzle pieces. He added Transformers Go Hunter Smokescreen and the regular Gaia Unicron, and he says the line looks better boxed than it plays. He also got the Death Garry Gun and volume two of the manga.
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.