The Energon Pub

[El Duque]

We have in-package images of the upcoming Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Deluxe Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Soundwave, Laserback, and Cyberverse Smokescreen, Airachnid, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead thanks to juise of the TFW2005 boards. juise has also provided Laserback's bio:

Chaotic Predacon rebel whose only goal is to scour the Earth clean of the Autobots®*!

Autobots beware, because this Lazerback figure is looking for a fight! This powerful robot comes with a missile-firing Toxic Strike Blaster that launches major destruction at the Autobots! When the battle calls for beast power, convert him to dragon mode, where his tail becomes a deadly whip. Keep converting him back and forth so his Autobot enemies can’t keep up!

[SpaceSkull]

First! Some of these look pretty cool. I am kinda diggin that Lazer Back. Not too crazy on color but neat.

[DISCHARGE]

I'm liking the Roadbuster themed Bulkhead more and more.
Thanks to Lazerback, RID Bruticus will have a friend

[craggy]

nice to see that the laser on the back of Laserback come off completely. Probably get him now, as that was my main concern.

want a bigger version of that Roadbuster Bulkhead though.

[jspags15]

I give this one season and its done. To have monster predicons running all over earth seems odd, the setting should have gone back to Cybertron where they could do anything.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Hasbro, I know you intend to throw back to Beast Machines with Beast Hunters, but doing so with the packaging having the same art goes a little too far for me.

[GuyIncognito]

Lazerback is the only thing here that appeals to me.

[Seibertron]

Hasbro, I know you intend to throw back to Beast Machines with Beast Hunters, but doing so with the packaging having the same art goes a little too far for me.

I was just thinking the same thing. I had hoped we were past that after all this time.

[PrymeStriker]

Laserback and Wheeljack keep me interested. Bumblebee's a little more disappointing but not bad anyway. Still might get him for his Hawkbow. Never been a fan of Soundwave's new scheme, but I simply must have Ravage!

[Noideaforaname]

If these came out when I was a kid (ironically, given the comparisons, during the Beast Era) I'd have been all over the dragon Predacons. I was soooooo crazy about dragons and dinosaurs back then, haha.

The retooled versions of the non-Predacon TFs make me think of all those strange varieties of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I had as a kid.

[FellintoOblivion]

I say this realizing these are toys made for children but damn that packaging makes these like pre-school toys.

[Sodan-1]

Regardless of whether Bumblebee and the other pre-existing characters get the beast makeover in the animation or not, I'll only buy the figures if they all get the treatment.

Except Optimus. He's bought.

[kirbenvost]

While I'm not really digging the toys so far, I do have to say the packaging is giving me a bit of a nostalgia high. Reminds me of the Cybertron days, with the Beast Planet figures.

[MGrotusque]

I'm kinda into Lazerbeak but i don't really have room for it in my collection. All will be a pass. Bumblebee looks ridiculous all gunned up like that.

They need new Autobots. I'm starting to get annoyed by 6 million decepticons against 5 Autobots......ANYHOW, sorry about that little rant. Back on topic.

[Xephon0930]

Am I the only one who is looking forward to this line mainly cause of the Beast figures. That and Ravage!!!!

[Flashwave]

I give this one season and its done. To have monster predicons running all over earth seems odd, the setting should have gone back to Cybertron where they could do anything.

Ah, the "why is it always Earth" argument. I quite like the ep whee Alpha Trion said " i saw you were going to be there, so I sent all of our junk there first for ya."

Froma storyline standpoint, they couldn't do it on Cybertron, there's no one on Cybertron now. Its dead. megsy really doesn't care about his homeworld now, since he just used it to villify Optimus Prime for destroying it. Also, there's this great big smoking artificql Butte that used to be the Autobots' base and housed the space bridge thingy that lets them get off the Earth. They went back to stop Megatron from destroying the Earth, which I quite appreciaite since the little blue marble hS been my home for twenty years, and then he blew up their only way of leaving.

What? Wheeljack's ship? We do remember the scene of Prime rather objectionally crammed into the too small cockpit, right? Fit inside six Autobots will not, and i doubt Wheeljack will plY Taxi and run them one at a time.

I don't think this will be more than a one-season subline though, either. Three tends to be the run for Hasbro.

[Megatron Wolf]

Is it just me or do the boxes keep getting uglier & uglier? But anyway all of these are a pass for me, smokescreen(bluestreak) is the only one i might get. The others are just glorified repaints or just not good at all. Plus i dont foresee the prices dropping anytime soon so im still sticking with legion figures til their prices go up then im done altogether.

[Twitchythe3rd]

I can't be the only one who sees this and thinks of Jetstorm.

[chuckdawg1999]

Is it just me or does Smokescreen look to be made from parts of Knockout and Bumblebee? Could this be the first GI Joe style Transformer?

[starwarrior1227]

FALCOOOOOoon.SPEAAAR!
is it bad of me to say they all look like crap?

[PrymeStriker]

They need new Autobots. I'm starting to get annoyed by 6 million decepticons against 5 Autobots......ANYHOW, sorry about that little rant. Back on topic.

There are seven Autobots.

[Heckfire]

They need new Autobots. I'm starting to get annoyed by 6 million decepticons against 5 Autobots......ANYHOW, sorry about that little rant. Back on topic.

There are seven Autobots.

Thanks for the clarification. 6 million Decepticons against SEVEN Autobots. Oh, yeah, you sure showed him.

...so, the rally car with all the race markings is the designated STEALTH warrior. I can't be the only one who saw that and laughed.

[PrymeStriker]

They need new Autobots. I'm starting to get annoyed by 6 million decepticons against 5 Autobots......ANYHOW, sorry about that little rant. Back on topic.

There are seven Autobots.

Thanks for the clarification. 6 million Decepticons against SEVEN Autobots. Oh, yeah, you sure showed him.

I wasn't trying to "show" him anything. 6 million Decepticons agaisnt 5 Autobots isn't accurate. Besides, the "6 million" are a bunch of cannon fodders that aren't even worth a damn anymore. They're getting weaker as the series progresses.

[SKYWARPED_128]

Soundwave's chest looks kind of hollow without Laserbeak in it. Wonder if it(he?) gets squished in the Beast Hunters show, and is replaced by Ravage. Not a fan of the neon yellow paint apps either.

Bee looks even worse than his PRID toy, which is an amazing feat considering how bad the latter was.

Lazerback looks interesting, but the rest is pure meh.

[PrymeStriker]

Soundwave's chest looks kind of hollow without Laserbeak in it. Wonder if it(he?) gets squished in the Beast Hunters show, and is replaced by Ravage.

Just because Ravage got a toy doesn't mean he's getting a spot in the show.