The Energon Pub

Thu May 07, 2026 11:47 pm

-Kanrabat- wrote:
megatran wrote:I can see 2 heads.

That "second head" is actually just the Diaclone seat with a sticker on it. Beside, the design of that "face" is more furniture folds than anything, all in black. It can easily be ignored.

What? Ignored? It's the G1 toy design, is it not?

All the new stuff wasn't on my bingo card. Wild. Not sure how I feel about this missing link interpretation.

News Credits: 101 · Fri May 08, 2026 4:21 am

megatran wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:
megatran wrote:I can see 2 heads.

That "second head" is actually just the Diaclone seat with a sticker on it. Beside, the design of that "face" is more furniture folds than anything, all in black. It can easily be ignored.

What? Ignored? It's the G1 toy design, is it not?

All the new stuff wasn't on my bingo card. Wild. Not sure how I feel about this missing link interpretation.

Yes, it is the G1 design.
But even with the sticker on, that "face" hide behind that big windshield.
It took me YEARS to notice that face. You guys had to point it out for me to finally notice it.
I always found G1 Ironhide and Ratchet to be in the same family as the Super Gobots "cabin heads"

So, yeah. The seat "head" can not only be ignored, it barely exist.

News Credits: 462 · Sat May 09, 2026 11:09 pm

The... The drone-style robot mode is named "Respect Mode". :lol:

News Credits: 332 · Sat May 09, 2026 11:14 pm

Sabrblade wrote:

The... The drone-style robot mode is named "Respect Mode".

I was kinda right, but the figure is all one piece.

News Credits: 101 · Sat May 09, 2026 11:20 pm

So, no sled?
That's literally a brand new, 100% original thing!

:-?

I hate it by principle. [-(

But I like it enough to preorder it when it will be available. :lol:

I hope the Ratchet preorder will pop in at the same time.

News Credits: 462 · Sat May 09, 2026 11:23 pm

-Kanrabat- wrote:So, no sled?
That's literally a brand new, 100% original thing!

Just like Arcee.

News Credits: 20 · Sat May 09, 2026 11:50 pm

Nice as hell. I'm loving what Takara is doing with Missing Link!

Sun May 10, 2026 1:19 am

Sabrblade wrote:

The... The drone-style robot mode is named "Respect Mode".

"Respect mode", eh? Never have I ever heard Takara stretch that phrase ever so thin.

News Credits: 462 · Sun May 10, 2026 8:42 am

megatran wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:

The... The drone-style robot mode is named "Respect Mode".

"Respect mode", eh? Never have I ever heard Takara stretch that phrase ever so thin.

Maybe instead of Carly, the pilot figure is supposed to be Aretha Franklin?

Sun May 10, 2026 11:26 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
megatran wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:

The... The drone-style robot mode is named "Respect Mode".

"Respect mode", eh? Never have I ever heard Takara stretch that phrase ever so thin.
Maybe instead of Carly, the pilot figure is supposed to be Aretha Franklin?

I laughed way harder than I should. The pilot doesn't have the curves, BUT anything is possible with Takara's interpretations.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · Tue May 12, 2026 4:29 pm

Originally Missing Link was a line of figures that looked vintage with modern articulation and sometimes cartoon decos. Then we got figures that should have been in the original '80s run but never made the cut. Mixed in there was also characters that didn't exist in G1, but would have been easy repaints at the time. Now with the new Ironhide reveal we're getting a figure that could have existed as an alternate reimagining of the figure we did get. Missing Link C-14 Ironhide is a case of "best of both worlds", a blend between the figure we got and how he looked in the cartoon. Much of the torso, big chromed crotch and leg details come directly from the original toy, all the way down to the face in his chest. Likewise the actual head, some of the arm details and feet come directly from the cartoon.

Some of the choices are interesting. He doesn't have a sled anymore, the roof of the van now sits on his back like a turtle shell, but it does look like it might be able to be removed at the unpinned hinge. That's not a listed feature so try that at your own risk. The backpack also acts as weapon storage, all of his parts can be tucked up under there. And while he can't take the stripped down form of the original figure it does have a compact "Respect Mode" that turns into a larger sort of mech for the included female Diaclone figure. Overall it's an interesting middle ground figure. He's expected to be out in December, Amazon Japan is listing him at 13,708 JPY or about $87 USD. It's only a matter of time until Ratchet is announced and probably some other repaints.

What do you think? Eager for something new in this line or would you have preferred something closer to the original? Let us know in the Seibertron Energon Pub. And thanks to Perceptor1996 and Sabrblade for first posting about this in the forums!

News Credits: 101 · Tue May 12, 2026 4:55 pm

It will be freaking expensive, as expected, but I really want him and Ratchet.

This Ironhide is opening Pandora's box. And I can only hope for a kick-ass GUN Megatron with a bot mode that does not look like a mutated goblin.

News Credits: 462 · Tue May 12, 2026 6:23 pm

-Kanrabat- wrote:And I can only hope for a kick-ass GUN Megatron with a bot mode that does not look like a mutated goblin.

If that does happen, expect no Hasbro-market retailers to ever carry it, forcing you to rely on Japanese import sites instead.

News Credits: 101 · Tue May 12, 2026 8:40 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:And I can only hope for a kick-ass GUN Megatron with a bot mode that does not look like a mutated goblin.
If that does happen, expect no Hasbro-market retailers to ever carry it, forcing you to rely on Japanese import sites instead.

Paying for shipping and custom fees is a bother, but the base price is always much lower than the local geek shop. This make the total price barely more expensive, or even cheaper than the local store.
TlDr; Importing is not a problem for me.

News Credits: 9 · Tue May 12, 2026 10:24 pm

I am all in on this and whatever else comes down the ML pipeline.

News Credits: 6 · Tue May 12, 2026 11:06 pm

Well this picture from some show in Japan gives us our first look at Ratchet.

Wed May 13, 2026 12:02 am

Perceptor1996 wrote:Well this picture from some show in Japan gives us our first look at Ratchet.

Yellow eyes.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · Wed May 13, 2026 7:01 am

-Kanrabat- wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:And I can only hope for a kick-ass GUN Megatron with a bot mode that does not look like a mutated goblin.
If that does happen, expect no Hasbro-market retailers to ever carry it, forcing you to rely on Japanese import sites instead.

Paying for shipping and custom fees is a bother, but the base price is always much lower than the local geek shop. This make the total price barely more expensive, or even cheaper than the local store.
TlDr; Importing is not a problem for me.

In the past when we had reissues and the MPs stores just imported them themselves, often adding an orange plug to the gun. Of course that mean paying more, but it'll be a good option for some people.