Top Gun x Transformers Maverick is officially revealed as a $50 F-14, and the crew dissects a robot mode almost nobody likes. Walmart data mining points to Studio Series 86 Leader Class Slag, Grimlock, Kup, Blurr and Jazz, so The Transformers: The Movie is coming to Studio Series. Fan First Friday and the first Walmart Collector Con are set for the same morning. Brian lands a sealed 1989 LaserDisc of The Transformers: The Movie, and Chris’s Double Dealer loses the QC lottery.
News
Top Gun x Transformers Maverick Officially Revealed
The next collaboration is Maverick, a $50 F-14 with a volleyball accessory. The jet mode looks great, but the crew finds the robot ridiculous. Diecast says it looks like a reimagined Cyber Jet from the old Star Wars and Marvel crossovers. One host doubts any existing mold was reused and suspects TakaraTomy was not involved. The crew thinks the Top Gun and Northrop Grumman licenses set strict rules for the jet mode and packaging. One host notes the Northrop Grumman label was photoshopped onto the stock photos. Another would gladly buy Cyber Jet redecos of the mold, and one jokes that a third-party Leader-1 head is coming. At least the preorder launch went far better than Gigawatt’s. [Source: tfradio.net]
Transformers Reveals to Take Place at Walmart Collector Con
Another Transformers Fan First Friday is set for July 17 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, followed by a G.I. Joe stream. The same day, Walmart’s Collector Con launches more than 70 exclusives across Star Wars, G.I. Joe and Transformers. The crew expects Generations Selects Exhaust and Greasepit and more Netflix War for Cybertron redecos. Earlier Walmart listings included Barricade, Cheetor, Elita-1 and Bumblebee. Don and Brian worry about trying to buy on Hasbro Pulse from work. The crew also has an early look at the Netflix series but is under embargo until July 27. [Source: Hasbro, Facebook]
Studio Series 86 Leader Class Slag and More From Walmart
Walmart data mining lists Studio Series 86 Leader Class Slag and Grimlock, plus Kup, Blurr and Jazz. The crew notes that listing names do not always match final packaging. One host who does not care for the live-action films welcomes The Transformers: The Movie in Studio Series. Another notes that G1 always pulls the brand back when no live-action film is active. The crew hopes for all five Dinobots, and Alan Young of Toy Box Comics suggests a Commander Class Sludge. [Source: tfradio.net]
New Cyberverse Deluxe Listings
Paladin pointed out Walmart listings for Cyberverse deluxe Starscream, Prowl and Soundwave, each with Build-A-Figure parts. The crew expects the toys to continue into 2021 even as the show ends. [Source: tfradio.net]
The crew also touches on rumors about a 2021 War for Cybertron chapter called Kingdom. They doubt the name alone means Beast Wars. Brian announces that RFC Throwback becomes patron-exclusive starting with episode 7.
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris got Double Dealer, but his copy hit “every loss the QC lottery has to offer.” A warped nylon part keeps both alt modes from forming, so a replacement is on order. He still calls it the most leader-feeling Leader in War for Cybertron since Ultra Magnus. The Spy Patrol Powermasters do not fit securely in its bird-mode chest.
Matt
Matt finally got Singe on eBay, completing Spinister’s Targetmasters. He loves the Earthrise Seeker mold and calls it the perfect Voyager G1 Seeker. His Skywarp has the screaming face with angry eyes.
Don
Don got a Walgreens die-cast G1 Optimus Prime for almost nothing using a coupon. He also picked up Siege Mirage and a clearance Earthrise Astrotrain for $25 to keep loose on his desk. He ordered the Nonnef Optimus Prime trailer kit and an upgrade set for G2 Sideswipe.
Rob
Rob got the Nonnef Optimus Prime trailer kit and is very happy with it. The new hatch opens without cracking the trailer, and the shield stores underneath. He also got the Earthrise Seekers from Chris and Power of the Primes Submariner.
John
John got the Shockwave Lab upgrade kit for Ironworks, with a big missile and a windmill. A gap-filler kit for Grapple is due tomorrow.
Brian
Brian found Studio Series Soundwave, Earthrise Rung and Slitherfang at Target, apparently among the first US finds. He calls Slitherfang a boring snake. He got Machine Wars Soundwave, Takara’s 2010 Unicron and carded Universe Downshift and Snowcat. Commander Class Skylynx is big and beautiful but basic, and one wing pops off. His big find is a sealed 1989 LaserDisc of The Transformers: The Movie. He traded away Fans Toys Sovereign and two autographed baseball cards to pay for it.
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.