The Energon Pub

Ah also just remembered RotF Mind Wipe and Sky Stalker, their combination gimmick invoking dread wind and smokejumper from G2

Why is it that the coolest toys from the movie lines have often been non-screen appearance characters?

NuclearConvoy wrote:Why is it that the coolest toys from the movie lines have often been non-screen appearance characters?

I have wondered this myself. Maybe because the movie esthetic was never designed to actually transform, so translating that to toy was really difficult. The ones that were solely designed as toys worked better, because they were always meant to simply be toys.

Actually, my favorite part about Downshift was that he was also a reference to "The Cars" album "Heartbeat City": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_C ... t_City.jpg

NeoDarwinian wrote:Actually, my favorite part about Downshift was that he was also a reference to "The Cars" album "Heartbeat City": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_C ... t_City.jpg

AWESOME!

I display mt RTS Lugnut with my CHUG Seekers.

Cobotron wrote:

NeoDarwinian wrote:Actually, my favorite part about Downshift was that he was also a reference to "The Cars" album "Heartbeat City": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_C ... t_City.jpg

AWESOME!

That is amazing.

Cobotron wrote:

NeoDarwinian wrote:Actually, my favorite part about Downshift was that he was also a reference to "The Cars" album "Heartbeat City": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_C ... t_City.jpg

AWESOME!

Another awesome toy I never saw in person that I need to get. The Cybertron/Galaxy Force era was a really awesome time to love transformers.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

prjkt wrote:

Va'al wrote:I always thought Thew's explanation for Lugnut's status was great (2:08 onwards).

Makes sense.

He also shows up in the pack-in comic with Battle In Space Rodimus & Cyclonus, putting him there in the original movie timeframe... Oh and there's a cameo appearance in one of the prequel comic series, Monstrosity I think, also based on this design.

So yeah, officially retconned as the G1 Lugnut we never actually saw...

Kinda like Alpha Bravo!

Ehhh close but not quite.

Alpha Bravo is an entirely new character that's been created by Hasbro, and inserted into the current comic storyline with no backstory, no history, nothing to suggest he was "there, just behind the tree/hill" they way "G1" Lugnut has been portrayed.

Plus Lugnut is a very popular character from another continuity, so his toy release was based purely on his animated popularity, and added into fiction later on, rather than as a decision by Hasbro to break up the jet monotony that is the Aerialbots and set the stage for later Helicopter combiners in the way Alpha Bravo's inception came around.

There IS a previous G1 Crosscut figure; it was released as an eHobby exclusive, yes, but he IS a canonical G1 character...the first new one since the 90s, in fact, alongside Road Rage.

Heckfire wrote:There IS a previous G1 Crosscut figure; it was released as an eHobby exclusive, yes, but he IS a canonical G1 character...the first new one since the 90s, in fact, alongside Road Rage.

Did you read the article? It was pointed out.

prjkt wrote:

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

prjkt wrote:

Va'al wrote:I always thought Thew's explanation for Lugnut's status was great (2:08 onwards).

Makes sense.

He also shows up in the pack-in comic with Battle In Space Rodimus & Cyclonus, putting him there in the original movie timeframe... Oh and there's a cameo appearance in one of the prequel comic series, Monstrosity I think, also based on this design.

So yeah, officially retconned as the G1 Lugnut we never actually saw...

Kinda like Alpha Bravo!

Ehhh close but not quite.

Alpha Bravo is an entirely new character that's been created by Hasbro, and inserted into the current comic storyline with no backstory, no history, nothing to suggest he was "there, just behind the tree/hill" they way "G1" Lugnut has been portrayed.

Plus Lugnut is a very popular character from another continuity, so his toy release was based purely on his animated popularity, and added into fiction later on, rather than as a decision by Hasbro to break up the jet monotony that is the Aerialbots and set the stage for later Helicopter combiners in the way Alpha Bravo's inception came around.

Yes, I know Alpha Bravo is a new character, that's why I said "Kinda". I was referring to this notion of "Alpha Bravo Saves G1", where people have been photoshopping him into screenshots of the G1 cartoon. I just wanted brownie points from Va'al.

prjkt wrote:
Alpha Bravo is an entirely new character that's been created by Hasbro, and inserted into the current comic storyline with no backstory, no history, nothing to suggest he was "there, just behind the tree/hill" they way "G1" Lugnut has been portrayed.

Va'al wrote:

prjkt wrote:
Alpha Bravo is an entirely new character that's been created by Hasbro, and inserted into the current comic storyline with no backstory, no history, nothing to suggest he was "there, just behind the tree/hill" they way "G1" Lugnut has been portrayed.

I'm living a lie.

noctorro wrote:

Va'al wrote:

prjkt wrote:
Alpha Bravo is an entirely new character that's been created by Hasbro, and inserted into the current comic storyline with no backstory, no history, nothing to suggest he was "there, just behind the tree/hill" they way "G1" Lugnut has been portrayed.

I'm living a lie.

nice work, almost looks like it was actually part of the frame, almost

grimdragon2001 wrote:

noctorro wrote:

Va'al wrote:

prjkt wrote:
Alpha Bravo is an entirely new character that's been created by Hasbro, and inserted into the current comic storyline with no backstory, no history, nothing to suggest he was "there, just behind the tree/hill" they way "G1" Lugnut has been portrayed.

I'm living a lie.

nice work, almost looks like it was actually part of the frame, almost

Source is here: alpha-bravo-friend-or-foe--t103319s75.php#p1662118

Firstly, you have the fact that he is white, which calls back to the fact that the original Galvatron toy was made white instead of his show accurate purple.

Neither of those toys is white, rather light gray. Also, I think it's more properly said that the show was not toy accurate!


Also, Downshift wasn't called Wheeljack because they done goofed and already named another character Wheeljack in the A/E/C continuity. *EDIT* I see that was already mentioned, whoops.



One kind of homage I liked was Skyblast, who brought to mind the cartoon model for Skyfire.

Optimum Supreme wrote:One kind of homage I liked was Skyblast, who brought to mind the cartoon model for Skyfire.

I was thinking the same thing! And I love Skyblast, fun, beautiful, and awesome little figure.

A while back, we talked (just a little) about figures that could be used as pre-Beast Mode figures.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=92994&hilit=+beast+wars
This was cool:

STINGRAY749 wrote:Well we know that the dotm Darksteel was supposed to be a homage to Beast Wars Quickstrike. Well I think his wave mate, Airraid, was also supposed to be a homage to this guy





See what I mean. Even were the kibble goes is close. Shark head on Cybershaarks ass. plane cockpit on Airraids ass. Cybersharks fins could moved the way you wanted. Same goes to Airraids wings. Only thing off are the colors.

http://www.seibertron.com/images/toys/f ... id-072.jpg

Additionally I thought that Beast Wars Sky Shadow had a few similarities to DOTM Air Raid.
Here are a few more:
Beast Hunters Ratchet is an homage to Dinobot.
Beast Hunters Shockwave – Beast Wars Rampage

Wait, I think that someone made a whole list of the Beast Hunters homages. Wait, now, I am just listing the ones that I can think of, not my top list. I do love the Skyblast homage and find the Darksteel and Air Raid ones to be very cool and interesting.

Haven't really been a fan of many of the Beast Wars homages in recent years, but I do rather like the Sky Shadow-esque green DotM Powerglide:

One day I'm going to have to slap some Con symbols on him

Coincidentally there was another A-10 called Sky Shadow... which makes you wonder why they missed the double homage and kept him Powerglide.


And personally I'd call the little touches "best homages", as opposed to 'just' a general update. Stuff like the above's nose art, RtS Lugnut's Punch Of Kill Everything, or *glances at news stories to the side* Minimus Ambus being included with Ultra Magnus.

Cobotron wrote:Great article WJ88.
Lugnut is reeking havoc with the rest of his Decepticon brothers on my Classics/Gen shelf.

This seems like a good venue to through out this idea. We all know that Transformers were born from the evolution of transforming robot toys that came from Takara's Microman toy line. Maybe I am just seeing what I want to see, but the similarities are uncanny. What if Optimus Prime himself is an homage?

That of course is MP-01 standing next to Microman, Robotman. You'll notice Robotman has a Microman figure piloting him. If you take the notion that Diaclone Convoy came with a pilot that could ride in his chest, the similarities in color scheme, and really just some of the shapes in the two figures over all designs, I think this argument could have a little traction.

Photo courtesy of the Micro Heritage section of http://www.microforever.com

Reminds me a lot of the character model for Orion Pax from the War Dawn episode actually.

homicide wrote:Reminds me a lot of the character model for Orion Pax from the War Dawn episode actually.

Looks at least as much like Orion as any of the official toys of him have.

What about G1 Treadshot who homages the 357 Magnum Robo (possibly)?

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Treadshot_%28G1%29

RiddlerJ wrote:What about G1 Treadshot who homages the 357 Magnum Robo (possibly)?

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Treadshot_%28G1%29

Thats cool, but this was about homages to other TF toys and characters. Keeping it within brand for the list. But this gives me ideas for another list

Like G1 Megatron homaging The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Cobotron wrote:Great article WJ88.
Lugnut is reeking havoc with the rest of his Decepticon brothers on my Classics/Gen shelf.

This seems like a good venue to through out this idea. We all know that Transformers were born from the evolution of transforming robot toys that came from Takara's Microman toy line. Maybe I am just seeing what I want to see, but the similarities are uncanny. What if Optimus Prime himself is an homage?

That of course is MP-01 standing next to Microman, Robotman. You'll notice Robotman has a Microman figure piloting him. If you take the notion that Diaclone Convoy came with a pilot that could ride in his chest, the similarities in color scheme, and really just some of the shapes in the two figures over all designs, I think this argument could have a little traction.

Photo courtesy of the Micro Heritage section of http://www.microforever.com

Holy crap!
I didn't know this guy existed! Man, that IS an hommage. Or a strange coincidence.

I don't have a great deal to contribute because simply put, this list is great, but I have a few.

Botcon Chromia for Moonracer. Yes I am aware the mold was originally supposed to be Moonracer but they couldn't get the license to the name. Still a good update, and were it not for A: the hideous price of Con exclusives on the aftermarket, and B: the Energon Arcee mold's useless elbows, I'd track her down.

In the same category as Lugnut, I'd say ROTF Lockdown is a superb homage to the Animated character, and a great figure in its own right to boot (especially as, unlike Lugnut, the original Animated toy AFAIK is itself a good figure). A shame AoE Lockdown's sole collector-friendly toy was so awful, as his on-screen self was pretty badass.

As Tsu mentioned (way, WAY) earlier, the Dreadwing/Mirage mold from the Energon line is something of a homage (barely) to Scourge. Sort of. Maybe. OK, I'm just a sucker for boatformers and robots with hip-kibble.

Speaking of Energon, Insecticon makes a pretty neat Barrage for the cash-strapped collector. His brickishness kinda sucks but he is a lot of fun and cute as a button.

Cybertron Dark Scorponok is basically Black Zarak, and by god I love it. Shame mine is literally falling apart, with his ratchets giving up the ghost and some of his black plastic beginning to crack (oddly enough his gold plastic parts are as good as they were when I got him back in '06).

As for non-Transformers homages, Animated Safeguard is a pretty obvious love letter to GaoGaiGar's Symmetrical Docking combiners (note to self, watch GaoGaiGar) whilst Prime Soundwave looks frighteningly similar to an Evangelion (which makes the already sinister Soundwave even more terrifying). On a less disturbing note, Animated Soundwave has glasses that somewhat resemble Kamina's (albeit unintentionally according to the creators).

And of course, who could forget AoE Hound, AKA The Big Lebowski's Walter?