The Energon Pub

Yesterday we reported here about the seeing the first images of Transformers Robot Heroes Grimlock and Shockwave, Soundwave, and Bumblebee. Now new images of more figures from the Transformers Robot Heroes line have surfaced. Ebay seller spx_toys has posted auctions for Transformers Robot Heroes Optimus Prime and Ravage and Rodimus and Insecticon. Here are the images:

Hmmm... So is "Shrapnel" just not kid friendly, or too vague to trademark?

Sorry 'bout the triple post. I got a MySQL Error or something when I tried to respond through the news section.

...

These look like fun. I hope they make some kind of playset to go with these.

Cool, super deformed style. Now, I want to see the UMagnus set. Hopefully, he's not the Prime repaint.

You know, I might just have to get some of these.
It looks like Prime's pose is the same as his Basic Titanium pose. Sigh.

Woah, error message. Sorry 'bout the doublepost.

Wow. Ravage is...

cute.

What can I say besides,

"REGGAE HAIRSTYLE, ROCK N' ROLL!"

Some of you almost get it, the rest are on your own.

kind of wired, but thats the style of the heroes line

Σ Prime wrote:Wow. Ravage is...

cute.

No matter how cute (or ugly) he is, Ravage will always kick ungodly amounts of ass.

Imma have fun with these toys

SD Gundam Force!

Seriously though, I kinda wish they'd reissue the Insecticons.

I was thinking Chibi Transformers have finally arrived.

I was thinking Chibi Transformers have finally arrived.

I gave these things a hard time the with the last ones we saw, but I like Shrapnel. I guess I'll have to see them with my own eyes first.

lol i love em... another prime and hotrod to add to my collection. But does this mean we wont be seeing any of the other insecticons?

LilFormers has toys out now, huh?

Seriously though, I like Transformers and super-deformed characters, so this is cool. I might pick a few up.

And whatever happened to the name "Hot Rod?" They're calling him Rodimus now!

Caelus wrote:Hmmm... So is "Shrapnel" just not kid friendly, or too vague to trademark?

It could be an "unfriendly" name in the same vein as Wheeljack not being used for an Autobot, but it could just as easily be the name was lost. There's never been a Shrapnel since G1.

We do know Bombshell is gone, by virtue of the GI Joe character of the same name. Kickback somehow charmed his way into getting his name reused, and Ransack's the most reused name - nice deal, for a non-show 'Con. I don't know how, if at all, Hasbro could swing the use of Venom, even with the rights to Marvel's stuff.

EDIT: Oops, yet another double-post in this thread. Dang error.

Kamen Rider Chosen wrote:

Caelus wrote:Hmmm... So is "Shrapnel" just not kid friendly, or too vague to trademark?

It could be an "unfriendly" name in the same vein as Wheeljack not being used for an Autobot, but it could just as easily be the name was lost. There's never been a Shrapnel since G1.

We do know Bombshell is gone, by virtue of the GI Joe character of the same name. Kickback somehow charmed his way into getting his name reused, and Ransack's the most reused name - nice deal, for a non-show 'Con. I don't know how, if at all, Hasbro could swing the use of Venom, even with the rights to Marvel's stuff.

G.I. Joe is a Hasbro brand though so I'm pretty sure they still have Bombshell and have just opted not to use it for Transformers.

Insecticon Shrapnel......is that really so hard to do? Seriously, hasbro has some great "title" names to add on that would let them cover just about every name trademark out there simply by adding a faction title, like Autobot Hot Rod, Insecticon Bombshell, Terrorcon Blot(I think?), Cybertron Primus......& so on.......but just make sure people keep in mind that these are not names but placeholder titles. I think Aron Archer one time made a comment that he'd rather give a character a different but similar name than have the other bots that meeted one say, "Hey, Autobot Jazz....say Autobot Jazz, have you seen Decepticon Shockwave around here?" "Yeah, He's over there next to Insecticon Shrapnel & Combaticon Onslaught." "Hey thanks a lot Autobot Jazz." No problem, Minibot Powerglide."


....but as I said, if you see these as merely faction titles & not names, such problems are completely avoided.

AbsumZer0 wrote:

Kamen Rider Chosen wrote:

Caelus wrote:Hmmm... So is "Shrapnel" just not kid friendly, or too vague to trademark?

It could be an "unfriendly" name in the same vein as Wheeljack not being used for an Autobot, but it could just as easily be the name was lost. There's never been a Shrapnel since G1.

We do know Bombshell is gone, by virtue of the GI Joe character of the same name. Kickback somehow charmed his way into getting his name reused, and Ransack's the most reused name - nice deal, for a non-show 'Con. I don't know how, if at all, Hasbro could swing the use of Venom, even with the rights to Marvel's stuff.

G.I. Joe is a Hasbro brand though so I'm pretty sure they still have Bombshell and have just opted not to use it for Transformers.

That's just it. Hasbro can't use the name for its GI Joe character. Bombshell had to be renamed Bombstrike for the 2005 ARAH figure.

Hasbro has no problems with a name being shared between a Joe character or vehicle and a TF.

Kamen Rider Chosen wrote:

AbsumZer0 wrote:

Kamen Rider Chosen wrote:

Caelus wrote:Hmmm... So is "Shrapnel" just not kid friendly, or too vague to trademark?

It could be an "unfriendly" name in the same vein as Wheeljack not being used for an Autobot, but it could just as easily be the name was lost. There's never been a Shrapnel since G1.

We do know Bombshell is gone, by virtue of the GI Joe character of the same name. Kickback somehow charmed his way into getting his name reused, and Ransack's the most reused name - nice deal, for a non-show 'Con. I don't know how, if at all, Hasbro could swing the use of Venom, even with the rights to Marvel's stuff.

G.I. Joe is a Hasbro brand though so I'm pretty sure they still have Bombshell and have just opted not to use it for Transformers.

That's just it. Hasbro can't use the name for its GI Joe character. Bombshell had to be renamed Bombstrike for the 2005 ARAH figure.

Hasbro has no problems with a name being shared between a Joe character or vehicle and a TF.

Ah, you're right. I completely forgot about them having to rename her. In my head I've always just referred to her by the comic name. Or Boobies McRubbinstuff.