The Energon Pub

Everyone seem to hate it. It is ugly. It transform badly, It have some major faults. It IS a bad Transformers toy.
But somehow, you cannot help but LOVE the thing.
So what is that Transformers toy you love very much, even if it's a bad toy and/or is hated by everyone?




For me, it's Beast Wars Injector.

Many people hate this figure. It appear he was a major pegwarmer back in the day. I have a MOC collection and I wanted a BW figure to add.
Injector was cheap bot loose and MOC. So I bought both. When I received them, I hang the MOC on the wall and I was fiddling with the loose one.

You know what? This guy is my favorite BW toy. He look like a ugly and disgusting alien in both modes. His transformation is easy and fun. His gimmick is stupid, but fun. And that robo head that come out of the beast mouth is revolting.

I really LOVE this guy!

Powermaster Optimus Prime, it's horrible, has like zero articulation and it's ugly, but somehow I kinda like him.

Dead Metal wrote:Powermaster Optimus Prime, it's horrible, has like zero articulation and it's ugly, but somehow I kinda like him.

2nded. Also, G1 Rodimus Prime. Yeah, I said it. The robot mode is utter fail, and the vehicle mode is barely passable, but in the end IT'S A F**KING FLAMING WINNEBAGO!!!

For years I've tried yo come to grips with why there are those who enjoy PM Optimus and to this day I still don't get it...

As for what TF I love that's otherwise terrible... I think the only thing remotely close would have to Energon Optimus Prime. I don't necessarily love him, and I never had Wing Saber to turn him into a more worthwhile bot, but somehow I've managed to tolerate him for being what he is.

-Kanrabat- wrote:For me, it's Beast Wars Injector.

Many people hate this figure. It appear he was a major pegwarmer back in the day. I have a MOC collection and I wanted a BW figure to add.
Injector was cheap bot loose and MOC. So I bought both. When I received them, I hang the MOC on the wall and I was fiddling with the loose one.

You know what? This guy is my favorite BW toy. He look like a ugly and disgusting alien in both modes. His transformation is easy and fun. His gimmick is stupid, but fun. And that robo head that come out of the beast mouth is revolting.

I really LOVE this guy!

This. I have BW Neo Rartorarta which is almost the same toy, and I love him to bits!

Another one I want to put forward: Armada Side Swipe:



Viled my most, but loved by me

I don't think anyone can say a Transformer mold is factually terrible, therefore it seems kinda impossible for one to like something and deem it terrible at the same time. Maybe I'm not seeing it.

I guess I can say the PCC line, especially non-Dinobots/Heavy Tread, since those are the only popular ones. I love those little bastards.

Animated Oil Slick. Receives lots of hate, personally I hated him too, until my friend gave it to me as a Christmas gift years ago. Love it.


The chain is 1/4 that length in reality

Cybertron Red Alert. Always wanted him, despite his blockyness. Found him pressed against the window of a convenience store in Korea in 2009. Went in, dug through a bunch of food and magazines to get him under the shelf. Was all dusty and stuff. Scanned it at the cashier and it rang up around $6 US I think. Best experience of finding a Transformer.

Every time someone creates this thread I always give the same response: Universe Galvatron.

While I can understand why some people hate him, I can't help but really like this guy. Sure, he has pieces that fall off if you look at him wrong, making him an utter pain the ass to transform and pose, but once you DO manage to get him in a semi-decent pose, he looks so damn regal! I'm sure he would have been 10 times better had Hasbro actually followed through and made him a Voyager class figure, but he looks pretty awesome standing at Unicron's feet flanked by Scourge and Cyclonus.

orangeitis wrote:I don't think anyone can say a Transformer mold is factually terrible, therefore it seems kinda impossible for one to like something and deem it terrible at the same time. Maybe I'm not seeing it.

I guess I can say the PCC line, especially non-Dinobots/Heavy Tread, since those are the only popular ones. I love those little bastards.

Agreed on the PCC line, it's just a really fun line of transformers, and the minicons are top notch!

I don't think I have anything that's truly reviled... I mean, I have a fondness for Nitro Bee and Energon JetfireTorso-IronhidePants, but I'm not sure that those are truly hated. I know that the Nitro Bee mold gets flack for being nowhere near as good as its predecessors, but I don't have any of those, and I like the different flavor it brings to the table. I also know that Ironhide is hated as a character...but the toy is actually pretty great. It makes an AWESOME pair of legs because the heels are so gigantic and chunky and the torso mode is good too. Jetfire makes has a rather poor leg configuration, but his torso mode is top notch. And they look killer holding dotm HA Whirl, haha.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

OMG! *dies laughing* I just saw that figure at a flea market an hour and a half. Lol. Passed it up because I thought it was ugly.



On my end... off the top of my head I have to say Armada Starscream. The sucker has like zero pose-ability but something about the design is appealing.

The Monsterbots.

And most of my Beast Wars stuff. Don't have a lot but when i do buy them i like to buy the ugliest or most outlandish designs. They are ridiculous by conventional TF aesthetics but charming to me.

DOTM Voyager Optimus Prime. I thought he was terrible when I first saw him, but I had one of those Target coupons last summer while voyagers were on sale so I got him cheap.
I honestly couldn't put it down because I liked it that much. I know, he's not "movie-accurate" at all, but he's worth giving a shot if he's on clearance, despite the unbridled fandom hate pointed toward him.

Wait what? I didn't know so many hated this guy.

Don't worry my precious. You are my favorite Transformers of all time and I will protect you from the haters. ;_;

OptiMagnus wrote:DOTM Voyager Optimus Prime. I thought he was terrible when I first saw him, but I had one of those Target coupons last summer while voyagers were on sale so I got him cheap.
I honestly couldn't put it down because I liked it that much. I know, he's not "movie-accurate" at all, but he's worth giving a shot if he's on clearance, despite the unbridled fandom hate pointed toward him.

Apparently you can peg dotm Laserbeak onto his back. Next time I have a chance to print off a coupon and get up to my Walmart, I'll be picking them both up. Dotm deluxes are 7.27 and Voyager Optimus is 15. It's wayy too good a deal to pass up(and it looks great!).

Credit where credit is due for the find.

RotF Leader Megatron. I really wish he had some articulation on his gun arm, but posed right he looks really cool. He's really accurate to his original cgi design, tall, nearly kibble free, and has a fun and easy transformation (especially for a leader). Also, I think he subconsciously reminds me of the Inhumanoids, another favorite of mine growing up.

Dean ML wrote:RotF Leader Megatron. I really wish he had some articulation on his gun arm, but posed right he looks really cool. He's really accurate to his original cgi design, tall, nearly kibble free, and has a fun and easy transformation (especially for a leader). Also, I think he subconsciously reminds me of the Inhumanoids, another favorite of mine growing up.

The fact that he's selling for over 70$ broken and 200$ complete on Ebay disqualify him from being bad and unloved.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Dean ML wrote:RotF Leader Megatron. I really wish he had some articulation on his gun arm, but posed right he looks really cool. He's really accurate to his original cgi design, tall, nearly kibble free, and has a fun and easy transformation (especially for a leader). Also, I think he subconsciously reminds me of the Inhumanoids, another favorite of mine growing up.

The fact that he's selling for over 70$ broken and 200$ complete on Ebay disqualify him from being bad and unloved.

I thought the initial hate towards him is what led to him being so hard to come by.

Dean ML wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Dean ML wrote:RotF Leader Megatron. I really wish he had some articulation on his gun arm, but posed right he looks really cool. He's really accurate to his original cgi design, tall, nearly kibble free, and has a fun and easy transformation (especially for a leader). Also, I think he subconsciously reminds me of the Inhumanoids, another favorite of mine growing up.

The fact that he's selling for over 70$ broken and 200$ complete on Ebay disqualify him from being bad and unloved.

I thought the initial hate towards him is what led to him being so hard to come by.

Same for RotF leader Jetfire. Nobody wanted them at first, but now they're both difficult to come by.

Personally I regard a toy as "terrible" only if it doesn't function in a way it obviously was intended to and/or lacking some utterly vital attributes (i.e. unable to stand, parts not locking into place, practically breaking itself), NOT because it's unpopular or "ugly" or because the character is the butt of many jokes.

'Course, unpopular/ugly/butt of many jokes tend to be favorites of mine...

RAcast wrote:

OptiMagnus wrote:DOTM Voyager Optimus Prime. I thought he was terrible when I first saw him, but I had one of those Target coupons last summer while voyagers were on sale so I got him cheap.
I honestly couldn't put it down because I liked it that much. I know, he's not "movie-accurate" at all, but he's worth giving a shot if he's on clearance, despite the unbridled fandom hate pointed toward him.

Apparently you can peg dotm Laserbeak onto his back. Next time I have a chance to print off a coupon and get up to my Walmart, I'll be picking them both up. Dotm deluxes are 7.27 and Voyager Optimus is 15. It's wayy too good a deal to pass up(and it looks great!).

Credit where credit is due for the find.

Wow really? I had no idea! That's neat. I'll have to get Laserbeak if there are still some looming around.

G1 Gnaw. Big, fat and ugly (literally! But still love the guy)

Aa for Godginrai lay off the criticism already! He's a brick, but a buttkickin'ly bad@ss brick! If anyone recalls the old catalog scans, the early mock up/prototype figures of him show a more proportional build (his cab didn't spill out like a beer gut and his head was a whole lot smaller)

http://www.botchthecrab.com/galleryImag ... &image=296

So a lot of revisions more or less lead to his less that proportional appearance (not to mention the loss of the proposed headmaster/ Roller gimmick)

Heck, not even mentioning the proposed Godbomber that looked waaaaaaaaaay better than the one now have.

A more recent pick-up for me, but it fits the bill. Pan-Handler:



The vehicle mode is awesome, no doubt. The robot mode is...hmph. But I enjoy it anyway .

fenrir72 wrote:Aa for Godginrai lay off the criticism already! He's a brick, but a buttkickin'ly bad@ss brick!

Agreed.

I really love Quickswitch, even though he is somewhere between ignored and reviled by many fans.

Also I don't know about love, but I do enjoy the ROTF deluxe helicopter mold used for Blazemaster.

fenrir72 wrote:G1 Gnaw. Big, fat and ugly (literally! But still love the guy)

Gnaw was one of my absolute favorites when I was a kid and, sadly, one of the few childhood TFs that I don't have anymore (probably sold at a grage sale after I movied out). I loved his cartoon accuracy, his imaginative design and his colors were hard to beat (and chrome teeth, too!). What could possibly be terrible about him?!

A lot of people hate the Fast Action Battlers, but I really liked some of them. Ratchet gets a lot of fanfare, but I really like Starscream, too. He sits in jet mode on top of my DVD shelf with his DotM Burger King cousin, underneath a framed piece of original art from Reign of Starscream.