Chris returns to dissect the Studio Series Seeker Storm Pack, tracing Sunstorm’s deco history back to a 2003 PVC figure, and to fact-check Don’s History on the Fives story about BotCon 1996. The New Legends Beast Wars II Galvatron wins Brian over at $120. A Scooby-Doo crossover misses the mark, and a 40-unit Golden Lagoon Optimus Prime gets written off before anyone owns it. Brian closes with a $300 Mandarake Abominus box set.
History on the Fives: BotCon 1996
Chris is back, with a beard, for the first time in a long while. Don takes the crew back 30 years to BotCon 1996 in Rosemont, Illinois, the convention run by the Men in Black. He calls it a dumpster fire. There was no video room, so fans borrowed an A/V cart and watched VHS tapes in a lounge, and the anniversary movie showing served cake with no forks and nothing to drink. Don remembers Antagony and Vice Grip as exclusives, but Chris fact-checks him: those were 1998, and Onyx Primal, a recolored bat Optimus Primal, was the only 1996 exclusive. Don credits that failure with John and Carl taking the license back and running a great BotCon 1997. He missed that one after losing his job, which cost him perfect attendance.
News
Studio Series Seeker Storm Pack Details Discovered: Rainmakers and Sunstorm
A Studio Series 86 Seeker set brings the Rainmakers and Sunstorm, discovered by nune of TFW2005. Chris walks through Sunstorm’s troubled history: the 2001 e-Hobby figure’s searing orange came from TakaraTomy working off poor-quality episode transfers. The cartoon Sunstorm also has white thighs, which this deco skips. The closest match he can find is a 2003 OTFCC PVC figure, though he still calls it the best official Sunstorm deco since e-Hobby’s. He suggests paint or Toyhax stickers to fix the thighs. Brian finds the set uniformly boring, while another host is thrilled to finally get a mainline Sunstorm. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers x Scooby-Doo: Mysterious Prime and Automutt Go Live
The Scooby-Doo crossover pairs a Mystery Machine robot with Automutt. Its neck uses a Titan Master joint with heads of the gang, which the crew thinks miss the mark. The crew debates whether it shares engineering with an earlier crossover, and one host doubts it is a reused mold. Don pitches a play pattern where each gang member’s head grants a different ability, and the crew notes any Titan Master head can make it a new character. At about $58, Brian and Chris are passing, and Brian says it is the first crossover he has skipped. [Source: TFW2005]
Takara’s New Legends NL-05 Beast Wars II Galvatron Revealed
Brian’s favorite reveal of the week is a Commander-size Beast Wars II Galvatron with removable Unicron horns, priced at $120 on Hasbro Pulse. He calls it a great toy, giant chicken alt mode and all, and Don says it will go well with Lio Convoy. Another host expected $150 or more and is impressed by the price, though he is not buying. [Source: TFW2005]
TakaraTomy Official Images: MPG Ramhorn, Eject, Blaster, Steeljaw and More
Masterpiece Blaster and his cassettes finally appear. Don and another host waited so long for a Masterpiece Blaster that they no longer care. The crew thinks Blaster’s head looks tiny, though they like Steeljaw and Ramhorn. Chris notes the 2017 Masterpiece cassette set once promised a Blaster that never came, and this one comes with a newly made Steeljaw. [Source: TFW2005]
Toys”R”Us Hong Kong Reveals Golden Lagoon G1 Optimus Prime
The Legacy United Optimus Prime mold gets a Golden Lagoon deco limited to 40 units worldwide. Brian wants one and says he will never own it. [Source: TFW2005]
TFCon Toronto 2026 Exclusives: Fans-Hobby Megatooth and Fireman
Fans-Hobby is reissuing its unofficial Repugnus, Megatooth, ten years on in a more cartoon-style deco, for about $140. One host is happy with his original but calls this a much cheaper route than the secondary market. A Scorch-style Fireman headmaster is also coming, and another host is not starting another set of convention exclusives. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers Pretzel Debuts at Universal Studios Hollywood
For the foodies, Universal Studios Hollywood sells a half-Decepticon pretzel for $12. One host admits he once returned to Universal for a giant Simpsons donut. [Source: TFW2005]
What We Got This Week
Chris opened Studio Series Astrotrain and calls it one of the best triple changers in years, with all three modes landing solidly. Transforming it feels mushy until everything locks, and the wheel-driven linkages can jam. He wishes the smokestack were taller, and a Toyhax set helps the robot mode. He also got the Star Wars crossover Mandalorian figure as a $15 Walmart open-box deal, which arrived with a shipping label stuck straight on the retail box. It was Don’s 2025 toy of the year, and Chris likes it too.
Don has not had a chance to open anything this week.
Matt got Age of the Primes Monstructor and loves the combined mode, especially the IDW-style fanged head. He plans to buy a second one.
Diecast had nothing new, but he tried the Age of the Primes Onslaught frame for Bruticus. He finds it his least favorite frame, an empty L shape without the other Combaticons attached.
Rob had nothing on topic this week.
John had nothing on topic this week.
Brian opened Frequency and calls it a simple, solid, G1-looking figure that is effectively a new character. His Target exclusive Commander Starscream has killer colors. His big score is a D84 Abominus box set from Mandarake for about $300, plus $53 to DHL for duties. It is missing only the instructions and catalog.