Old Fun Publications Figure Concepts - Nightbeat, Brainstorm, Crosshair, Triggerhappy
Tuesday, March 21st, 2017 9:00AM CDT
Categories: Toy News, Collector's Club NewsPosted by: D-Maximal_Primal Views: 84,837
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Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:02am CDT
Shame so many of these concepts never happened. they are really neat
Posted by Sabrblade on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:03am CDT
Yeah, at this point, a curveball is what I'm expecting, rather than someone known from any of the final TCC fiction (OMAM, BWU, SG, etc.).Zeedust wrote:Sabrblade wrote:I honestly can't think of who, though. I mean, I can't think of anyone who appeared in either the prose stories or the comics who had a CW toy body and wasn't one of the already-known TFSS 4.0 or 5.0 figures.Zeedust wrote:Although the mystery figure could theoretically turn out to be someone who was in the story, so I'd hold off on placing it.
Me either, but it's certainly possible that we're forgetting someone. Alternatively, they could throw us a curveball; it could be someone whose body type was left unspecified or vague, or someone from outside the "Of Masters and Mayhem" storyline (all that comes to mind are the Shattered Glass Knights of Unicron, but again, I may be forgetting someone). I don't think it's particularly likely, but improbable doesn't mean impossible.
Posted by Sabrblade on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:10am CDT
One down, 19 more to show to the public!
Posted by WeatherManNX01 on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:21am CDT
I think my favorite is Brainstorm from Universe Cyclonus. That just seems to nail the figure as well as you can without a new mold. I love how the colors look.
Posted by Bumblebee21 on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:41am CDT
Posted by Big Grim on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:42am CDT
Posted by Kurona on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:43am CDT
Triggerhappy and Brainstorm are kinda strange but I kinda like 'em; and... well, a bad redeco is nothing new for Nightbeat I suppose.
Posted by Sabrblade on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:44am CDT
Considering the molds that were chosen, and that the Crosshairs one was conceived prior to 2014, I'd say these were all conceived long before Titans Return was known to be a thing.Bumblebee21 wrote:probably didnt come out because of the tr versions
Posted by Mindmaster on March 21st, 2017 @ 9:55am CDT
Crosshairs would've been awesome.
I would've liked Triggerhappy, but now nothing can hold a candle to the Titans Return guy.Nothing.
Brainstorm would probably work? It's a stretch, but if it happened before any of the Generations figures I wouldn't be mad.
Posted by SG Roadbuster on March 21st, 2017 @ 10:40am CDT
i'm 70% certain we'll get Crosshairs as a retool of TR Kup
Posted by Carnivius_Prime on March 21st, 2017 @ 10:45am CDT
Brainstorm works oddly well from that Cyclonus mold.
And that Triggerhappy looks much more interesting than the rather boring Titans Return figure. Sorry the TR figure just didn't even appeal to me enough to open the packaging before I quickly sold it on (as I bought it as the 2nd figure in a buy one get one half price promotion)
Posted by Bumblebee21 on March 21st, 2017 @ 10:46am CDT
Carnivius_Prime wrote:Some of these are neat. That Crosshairs makes far better use of that mold than Kup does.
Brainstorm works oddly well from that Cyclonus mold.
And that Triggerhappy looks much more interesting than the rather boring Titans Return figure. Sorry the TR figure just didn't even appeal to me enough to open the packaging before I quickly sold it on (as I bought it as the 2nd figure in a buy one get one half price promotion)
you dont like triggerhappy
what...........
the best deluxe of the line
Posted by william-james88 on March 21st, 2017 @ 11:21am CDT
Posted by RAR on March 21st, 2017 @ 11:35am CDT
If you don't like TR Triggerhappy I suggest a new hobby may be in order like Macrame.
Posted by triKlops on March 21st, 2017 @ 11:59am CDT
Even if they were never used, the ideas behind them and the thought process leading up to them are great to follow.
Posted by leokearon on March 21st, 2017 @ 1:17pm CDT
Posted by Overcracker on March 21st, 2017 @ 2:17pm CDT
Carnivius_Prime wrote:Some of these are neat. That Crosshairs makes far better use of that mold than Kup does.
Brainstorm works oddly well from that Cyclonus mold.
And that Triggerhappy looks much more interesting than the rather boring Titans Return figure. Sorry the TR figure just didn't even appeal to me enough to open the packaging before I quickly sold it on (as I bought it as the 2nd figure in a buy one get one half price promotion)
The Triggerhappy concept is so close to the TR figure it is very strange you like one but not the other.
How is the TR boring? How is the FOC concept much more interesting?
Apart from being the FOC Seeker mold, the major elements of TriggerHappy are there on both figures. Both are blue and gray, both have very large guns, both have cockpits in there chest, both have wings on their backs.
I don't get how TR can be boring while an 80% similar figure in color and features layout is not.
In fact the TR Triggerhappy mold I dare say is leagues better in both looks and engineering than the FOC Seeker.
To each their own I guess, I just have a hard time grasping what is bland in such similar color layouts and robot modes features and what is not.
Posted by Diem on March 21st, 2017 @ 2:27pm CDT
Crosshairs: This looks about as good as a non-original mold for Crosshairs could look; I could kind of imagine this is how Crosshairs looked on Earth during whatever he was up to before The Rebirth. And I'm a sucker for repaints of Universe Nightstick. And I don't have either of these molds to hand but I'd love to see how Nightstick's robot mode looks lounging in the truck bed.
Brainstorm: I appreciate the concept here but the head, general shape and gun just don't work for the character. Maybe I'd be less fussy if there weren't 2 good versions of this guy released recently. I'd have loved to have seen the spacejet mode for this mockup. On a sidenote, I really love how Cyclonus, probably the most character-specific, unrepurposable mold from Universe was intended for like 4 different guys.
Triggerhappy: In a universe where there wasn't the recent release of a near-perfect original mold Triggerhappy this would have been a neat-ish release.
Carnivius_Prime wrote:And that Triggerhappy looks much more interesting than the rather boring Titans Return figure. Sorry the TR figure just didn't even appeal to me enough to open the packaging before I quickly sold it on (as I bought it as the 2nd figure in a buy one get one half price promotion)
You are of course entitled to your own opinion but I fear you may have done yourself a mis-service by judging this figure by its cover. Triggerhappy is an exemplary figure with a very sophisticated deco for a retail release, a novel transformation (which is impressive for a figure nowadays), two fantastic modes, and a wealth of 5mm sockets. Pretty much the only thing keeping this guy from perfection is the lack of a socket on the top of his spacejet mode.
Posted by gothsaurus on March 21st, 2017 @ 3:08pm CDT
While there are a few I wish happened, for the most part I'm very please with the choices for the figures they actually got to release. (especially knowing their hands are often tied with what molds are available at the factory... and which characters are allowed by Hasbro.)
Still looking forward to the reveal of the last club exclusive. One more surprise for us before out TFCC membership ends.
Posted by Deadput on March 21st, 2017 @ 5:42pm CDT
Carnivius_Prime wrote:Some of these are neat. That Crosshairs makes far better use of that mold than Kup does.
Brainstorm works oddly well from that Cyclonus mold.
And that Triggerhappy looks much more interesting than the rather boring Titans Return figure. Sorry the TR figure just didn't even appeal to me enough to open the packaging before I quickly sold it on (as I bought it as the 2nd figure in a buy one get one half price promotion)
Wow...
This is the equivalent of only looking at a movie cover and immediately saying it's crap without watching it I mean opinions and such whatever but you just passed on the best deluxe in years without even opening it up I don't even have a connection with the character and I still have had a complete blast with him over some figures of characters I love.
Why did you buy it in the first place instead of just you know not buying it and picking a different figure instead?
That FOC Seeker mold can rot in hell for awful figure it is except for the weapon the only decent part of it.
Posted by Qwan on March 21st, 2017 @ 6:44pm CDT
Also I think it's interesting that Crosshairs-from-Kup has Cyclonus' weapon, and Brainstorm-from-Cyclonus has Kup's. I wonder if they were intended to be produced together somehow, and the weapons swapped? That or they just hail from a time when swapping accessories between figures wasn't as big a deal.
Aside from those things, I don't have much more to say on these other than they look pretty good! I mean, I love the TR versions of most of these guys way more (where that's applicable, some don't have a TR toy - yet, please TR Nightbeat ), but if there's one thing I love to see it's creative mold reuse! And that's definitely what these guys are: creative, and surprisingly good fits to boot even if they're just mock-ups!
Posted by Sabrblade on March 21st, 2017 @ 6:56pm CDT
Now that you mention it, he does!Qwan wrote:Does... Brainstorm have FoC Vortex's head there, or am I just seeing things?
In fact, I think all four just have preexisting headsculpts digibashed onto their bodies. Nightbeat's looks familiar, but I can't think of what it is right now. Crosshairs's is the head of BotCon 2013 Hoist/Electrons. Brainstorm's is FOC Vortex's. And Triggerhappy's looks like some Optimus Prime head without his side antennae.
Just a quick and dirty mock-up using preexisting materials before any new headsculpts would be drawn up.Qwan wrote:Like I assume that he wouldn't have had that head in the final release (if nothing else, because Cyclonus' body has a swivel neck and Vortex has a balljoint), but it just strikes me as an odd choice for a Brainstorm mock-up.
My guess is, were they to have been made, they might have come with their own respective weapons and would have encouraged fans to switch them around to give each the "correct" weapon.Qwan wrote:Also I think it's interesting that Crosshairs-from-Kup has Cyclonus' weapon, and Brainstorm-from-Cyclonus has Kup's. I wonder if they were intended to be produced together somehow, and the weapons swapped? That or they just hail from a time when swapping accessories between figures wasn't as big a deal.
And since these mock-ups were most likely produced years before Titans Return was announced, they probably would have been pretty popular items had they been made back then, much like how TFSS Breakdown was a hot item before CW Breakdown happened to come about roughly one or two years later.Qwan wrote:Aside from those things, I don't have much more to say on these other than they look pretty good! I mean, I love the TR versions of most of these guys way more (where that's applicable, some don't have a TR toy - yet, please TR Nightbeat ), but if there's one thing I love to see it's creative mold reuse! And that's definitely what these guys are: creative, and surprisingly good fits to boot even if they're just mock-ups!
Posted by WreckerJack on March 21st, 2017 @ 7:50pm CDT
I'm amazed to see a Nightbeat for prime. I kinda like it but that is a lot of yellow. Would have looked better if it were more broken up. Dunno why it looks cheesy but it does. A little paint and it would look alright though.
Posted by Sabrblade on March 21st, 2017 @ 7:52pm CDT
In his white and blue colors, yes.WreckerJack wrote:I could have sworn that Beast Hunters Smokescreen saw a release...
The blue and gold deco only came out as a Cyberverse Legion.
Posted by Deadput on March 21st, 2017 @ 8:00pm CDT
Posted by Emerje on March 21st, 2017 @ 8:02pm CDT
Sabrblade wrote:My guess is, were they to have been made, they might have come with their own respective weapons and would have encouraged fans to switch them around to give each the "correct" weapon.Qwan wrote:Also I think it's interesting that Crosshairs-from-Kup has Cyclonus' weapon, and Brainstorm-from-Cyclonus has Kup's. I wonder if they were intended to be produced together somehow, and the weapons swapped? That or they just hail from a time when swapping accessories between figures wasn't as big a deal.
There appears to be an actual connection between the Cyclonus mold and Kup's gun. Remember this?
It would be quite the coincidence if there wasn't a connection and both Fun Pub's and Hasbro's design teams came up with the same gun for Cyclonus. Also they wouldn't have been able to switch the guns around after molding them, the colors would be all wrong and it would take a lot of paint to turn a green and gray Pinpointer red.
Emerje
Posted by Zeedust on March 21st, 2017 @ 8:04pm CDT
I dunno, none of these guys really excite me as much as most of what we actually got in the past few years does. I'd rather have Toxitron than all four of these put together.
Deadput wrote:That FOC Seeker mold can rot in hell for awful figure it is except for the weapon the only decent part of it.
I have to disagree. To me, at least, those guns were a serious letdown. I want my spinning things to SPIN, dammit.
Posted by william-james88 on March 21st, 2017 @ 8:32pm CDT
Sabrblade wrote:And since these mock-ups were most likely produced years before Titans Return was announced, they probably would have been pretty popular items had they been made back then, much like how TFSS Breakdown was a hot item before CW Breakdown happened to come about roughly one or two years later.
I dont think these are that old. They seem to have been done for the previous subscription series before they opted for the Combiner Wars molds. They were going for the targetmasters theme and they still gave us Spinister. By that time Hasbro was already doing Titans return and probably veto'd this. Thats what I am thinking.
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on March 21st, 2017 @ 11:28pm CDT
william-james88 wrote:Sabrblade wrote:And since these mock-ups were most likely produced years before Titans Return was announced, they probably would have been pretty popular items had they been made back then, much like how TFSS Breakdown was a hot item before CW Breakdown happened to come about roughly one or two years later.
I dont think these are that old. They seem to have been done for the previous subscription series before they opted for the Combiner Wars molds. They were going for the targetmasters theme and they still gave us Spinister. By that time Hasbro was already doing Titans return and probably veto'd this. Thats what I am thinking.
I'd say they're at least 2014 given the age of the Hoist/Electrons head, the Smokescreen mold and the time buffer between Hasbro and FunPub, but they may not all have been proposed at the same time. Nightbeat would have been nixed due to his planned T30 figure, but the mold was used for TFSS 1.0 Barricade instead. Brainstorm was rendered obsolete with T30 as well, but the rest...
Posted by Sabrblade on March 21st, 2017 @ 11:31pm CDT
2014 at the latest.JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:william-james88 wrote:Sabrblade wrote:And since these mock-ups were most likely produced years before Titans Return was announced, they probably would have been pretty popular items had they been made back then, much like how TFSS Breakdown was a hot item before CW Breakdown happened to come about roughly one or two years later.
I dont think these are that old. They seem to have been done for the previous subscription series before they opted for the Combiner Wars molds. They were going for the targetmasters theme and they still gave us Spinister. By that time Hasbro was already doing Titans return and probably veto'd this. Thats what I am thinking.
I'd say they're at least 2014 given the age of the Smokescreen tooling and the time buffer between Hasbro and FunPub, but they may not all have been proposed at the same time. Nightbeat would have been nixed due to his planned T30 figure, but the rest...
Posted by william-james88 on March 21st, 2017 @ 11:47pm CDT
Sabrblade wrote:It's been pointed out to me that the head of Triggerhappy in this mock-up is MP-1's head minus its side antennae. Still not sure about whose head Nightbeat's is, though.2014 at the latest.JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:william-james88 wrote:Sabrblade wrote:And since these mock-ups were most likely produced years before Titans Return was announced, they probably would have been pretty popular items had they been made back then, much like how TFSS Breakdown was a hot item before CW Breakdown happened to come about roughly one or two years later.
I dont think these are that old. They seem to have been done for the previous subscription series before they opted for the Combiner Wars molds. They were going for the targetmasters theme and they still gave us Spinister. By that time Hasbro was already doing Titans return and probably veto'd this. Thats what I am thinking.
I'd say they're at least 2014 given the age of the Smokescreen tooling and the time buffer between Hasbro and FunPub, but they may not all have been proposed at the same time. Nightbeat would have been nixed due to his planned T30 figure, but the rest...
2014 at the earliest. They couldnt have released figures of the targetmasters before.
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on March 21st, 2017 @ 11:56pm CDT
Posted by Sabrblade on March 21st, 2017 @ 11:59pm CDT
Well then, at the latest for Crosshairs, since he was shown at the BotCon 2014 panel.william-james88 wrote:Sabrblade wrote:It's been pointed out to me that the head of Triggerhappy in this mock-up is MP-1's head minus its side antennae. Still not sure about whose head Nightbeat's is, though.2014 at the latest.JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:william-james88 wrote:Sabrblade wrote:And since these mock-ups were most likely produced years before Titans Return was announced, they probably would have been pretty popular items had they been made back then, much like how TFSS Breakdown was a hot item before CW Breakdown happened to come about roughly one or two years later.
I dont think these are that old. They seem to have been done for the previous subscription series before they opted for the Combiner Wars molds. They were going for the targetmasters theme and they still gave us Spinister. By that time Hasbro was already doing Titans return and probably veto'd this. Thats what I am thinking.
I'd say they're at least 2014 given the age of the Smokescreen tooling and the time buffer between Hasbro and FunPub, but they may not all have been proposed at the same time. Nightbeat would have been nixed due to his planned T30 figure, but the rest...
2014 at the earliest. They couldnt have released figures of the targetmasters before.
Guess this means they all (or at least Triggerhappy) couldn't have been conceived at the same time.
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 22nd, 2017 @ 12:30am CDT
Posted by Sabrblade on March 22nd, 2017 @ 12:38am CDT
I'm not sure what you mean. SG Cyclonus is SG Cyclonus.Nemesis Maximo wrote:In fact, I don't think that figure has been done as anyone other than Cyclonus. Sabrblade, Was the SG version still Cyclonus?
Though, the mold's also been done as Gentei! Gentei! Strafe and BotCon 2014 Ferak.
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on March 22nd, 2017 @ 1:43am CDT
Sabrblade wrote:I'm not sure what you mean. SG Cyclonus is SG Cyclonus.Nemesis Maximo wrote:In fact, I don't think that figure has been done as anyone other than Cyclonus. Sabrblade, Was the SG version still Cyclonus?
Though, the mold's also been done as Gentei! Gentei! Strafe and BotCon 2014 Ferak.
All SG characters can be considered alternate universe counterparts, however due to their reversed and often radically different nature, it's less of a mental hassle to consider them separate characters. Your choice.
And he's spot on with Gentei Strafe and BotCon Ferak.
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 22nd, 2017 @ 2:13am CDT
JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Sabrblade wrote:I'm not sure what you mean. SG Cyclonus is SG Cyclonus.Nemesis Maximo wrote:In fact, I don't think that figure has been done as anyone other than Cyclonus. Sabrblade, Was the SG version still Cyclonus?
Though, the mold's also been done as Gentei! Gentei! Strafe and BotCon 2014 Ferak.
All SG characters can be considered alternate universe counterparts, however due to their reversed and often radically different nature, it's less of a mental hassle to consider them separate characters. Your choice.
And he's spot on with Gentei Strafe and BotCon Ferak.
Oh. My. GOD. I can't believe I worded it that way. Jeez-o-Peets. I suppose I mean to ask if that particular mold had ever been used for other characters, which you answered. So thanks for being able to translate into English from Stupid.
Also, for whatever reason, I was thinking SG Cyclonus was colored red and white, but that's Gentei Strafe. The SG one was colored in homage to Hot Rod; but I don't recall what Ferak lloks like, so I'll have to check it out.
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on March 22nd, 2017 @ 4:11pm CDT
- SG Krunix (SG Cyclonus, really fascianting origin)
- Tornado (BotCon 2014 Ferak)
- Rocketbot (Gentei Strafe, using his Italian name)
- Nebulon (Gen. Stepper)
- Nightstick (Gen. Artfire)
- Vector Oracle
... and the Crosshairs use would have been called "Pinpointer".
Posted by ausbot on March 22nd, 2017 @ 6:33pm CDT
Posted by o.supreme on March 23rd, 2017 @ 2:55pm CDT
http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/03/23/tran ... ing-336088
Fractyl & Lifeline...
Now...how long until BBTS gets them and ships them...
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on March 23rd, 2017 @ 11:49pm CDT
2) Counterpunch & Double Pretender Optimus Prime
3) Toxitron & Double Pretender Megatron + Mystery Figure
Posted by Zeedust on March 24th, 2017 @ 12:16am CDT
Sabrblade wrote:Yeah, at this point, a curveball is what I'm expecting, rather than someone known from any of the final TCC fiction (OMAM, BWU, SG, etc.).
Let me rephrase: I think it might not be the kind of curveball you're expecting. I'm not sure I'd rule out anything just yet. Tell me honestly, was Bluestreak what you'd have guessed last year? Because my guess was that it'd be Rotorstorm, or possibly Quake.
Posted by Zeedust on March 24th, 2017 @ 12:18am CDT
o.supreme wrote:looks like the first shipment of 5.0 is starting to arrive
http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/03/23/tran ... ing-336088
Fractyl & Lifeline...
I was hoping for one of the Double Pretenders. Ah well, still super excited these are finally starting to ship.
Posted by Sabrblade on March 24th, 2017 @ 12:55am CDT
Posted by Sabrblade on March 24th, 2017 @ 1:00am CDT
Well, since both Prowl and Smokescreen had already been done by Hasbro while Bluestreak was still left out by both Hasbro and Takara by the time CW ended, the fan demand for him did make him a suspecting candidate for the 4.0 mystery figure. The only reason there wasn't any hint of him in the fiction at the time is because Fun Pub wanted to keep him a surprise for as long as possible, and so waited until the toy was released before posting his prose story online.Zeedust wrote:Sabrblade wrote:Yeah, at this point, a curveball is what I'm expecting, rather than someone known from any of the final TCC fiction (OMAM, BWU, SG, etc.).
Let me rephrase: I think it might not be the kind of curveball you're expecting. I'm not sure I'd rule out anything just yet. Tell me honestly, was Bluestreak what you'd have guessed last year? Because my guess was that it'd be Rotorstorm, or possibly Quake.
But for the 5.0 figure? There is no more forthcoming fiction for Fun Pub to be coy about in regards to the 5.0 figure.
Posted by TF_JW on March 24th, 2017 @ 6:51am CDT
There is a "hidden" bio for one of the characters too. In case you want to repurpose the toy for a different story/universe.
Posted by o.supreme on March 24th, 2017 @ 9:00am CDT
Posted by o.supreme on March 24th, 2017 @ 9:02am CDT
Posted by Flashwave on March 24th, 2017 @ 9:26am CDT
---------------Spoilers-------------------
Its nice to see that Fractyl and Lifeline got their accesories. After Terrorsaur didnt get an HFG, I remember reading some concern about that.
I'm surprised withbthis pairing. I was expecting two sets to be the Pretenders+A Deluxe, and Toxitron plus whomever was left. But here's two of the figures I was wanting most right out of the gate.
And the top layer of foam to prevent scratching like what happened to Circuit and Scourge is good.
Sorry to see TFCC anD TFSS go, but way to hit it out of the park![/spoiler]
Posted by Sabrblade on March 24th, 2017 @ 10:44am CDT
Nope, you put it in the other thread.o.supreme wrote:^Odd... I posted that info in this thread yesterday...but it seems to have been deleted for some reason...