COUNTDOWN: Checking out the new Generations reveals (part 1)

Do you like new toy reveals? Well then, you’re in for a treat because a load of new Transformers stuff just dropped at this week’s San Diego Comic-Con! Wake up, babe, etc.

Anyway, some fascinating stuff is on the horizon, so let’s dive right in and see what it’s all about!

#9: Legacy Dead End

It’s no surprise to see another Stunticon on the way in the Legacy line, given we’re already 3/5ths of the way through the team, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still fun to see Dead End revealed! Somehow this lad commonly seems to be the one that everyone forgets about (he’s often the last to be released in many of the third party sets out there!), but here he’s in penultimate position!

We haven’t seen a glimpse of the alt’ mode yet, but you can bet it’ll be an approximation of a maroon Porsche 928, similar to his 1986 G1 toy, and hopefully with the signature yellow stripe down the one side.

As the name suggests, Dead End is typically portrayed as being far from a cheery fellow and commonly suffers from a lack of motivation and a general sense of existential dread at how pointless everything is. He was a relative fixture in the original Sunbow Transformers cartoon, appearing throughout the second and third seasons after being created by Megatron along with the rest of the Stunticons in the classic two-parter, The Key to Vector Sigma (more on that episode to come!).

#8: Legacy Crankcase

Next up for the Legacy line is Crankcase, which is a reasonably extensive retool of Skids. This guy may not have had such a significant portrayal during G1 itself, but he’s gone on to find new life in the more recent IDW comics, so perhaps it’s little surprise to see him realised in toy form here. Overall though, this new representation seems to be much more accurate to his original toy appearance, where he was released in 1988 as part of the subgroup known as the Triggercons.

The big gimmick with these guys was motorised flip-out guns, which for Crankcase were stored inside his fairly significant backpack and could be activated by the touch of a button. It’s a simple but fun feature, although it appears this has been eschewed entirely for the Legacy update (as many of the old G1 gimmicks are). Instead, he will come with an Enegon blaster that can be used in both modes.

The Transformers (UK) #187, artwork credit: Sullivan / Place

As I say, Crankcase was a bit of a no-mark back in the day before IDW gave him a lot more to do. Like many latter-day G1 toys, he arrived too late to appear in the cartoon. However, he did pop up in the Marvel comic on at least a few occasions, even briefly featuring in the Generation 2 sequel, where he was melted with acid and then smashed to bits. Whups.

#7: Legacy Blanker

Now we come to Pointbl– er, Blanker! Yep, the Autobot known as Pointblank has been given a new name for Legacy, no doubt in a bid to avoid potential licensing issues. Never mind, as no matter what name it says on the box, there’s little doubt who this is meant to represent, as it’s unmistakably the Targetmaster from 1987.

The original Pointblank toy is a classic and, like his Legacy update, comes equipped with his Nebulan companion, Peacemaker, who, of course, also turns into his gun. We haven’t seen the new version of Peacemaker yet, but rest assured, it’s nothing to do with John Cena.

Pointblank has popped up in fiction a few times over the years, with arguably his most significant role being in the Japanese cartoon series, The Headmasters. There he looked much more similar to his G1 toy, although the Legacy figure seems to take cues from his look in the Sunbow equivalent story, The Rebirth, along with the Marvel comic too.

#6: Legacy Armada Universe Starscream

Here’s one that’s already been exciting Generations collectors after it was teased in the last couple of weeks! Yes, this version of Starscream is a homage to the Unicron Trilogy, something that many fans have been hoping we’d be seeing more of in Legacy. The overall look of the toy is remarkably cartoon accurate, though it mixes up the colours a bit by having less white on the legs, for one thing.

The new figure comes with a pair of swords, both of which are quite intriguing in their way. One of them is a nod to a gimmick on the original Armada Starscream figure, whereby you could remove his wing and fold it into a blade, although now it’s a separate piece. The second is modelled after the infamous weapon known as the Star Saber, which prominently appeared in the cartoon from the time.

Speaking of the cartoon, the Starscream of this universe was one of the more nuanced portrayals of the Decepticon we’ve seen over the years, so it’s little surprise that he’s become a bit of a fan-favourite since. I’d expect this one to be quite popular and no doubt with plenty of repaints to follow!

#5: Legacy Predacon Inferno

Back when Kingdom Inferno was first unveiled, there were more than a few fans who were slightly disappointed it ended up being the G1 fire truck instead of the Beast Wars fire ant! However, just as all good things come to those who wait, here we are with the idiosyncratic insect at long last. We’ve already seen some promo pics of this one, but it doesn’t stop it from being any less exciting!

Image credit: Transformerland

The first Inferno toy arrived in 1997 and was one of the larger Mega scale releases of the time. It was also surprisingly well represented by his animation portrayal as a twisted firestarter, looking reasonably close to what we saw in plastic form. No doubt the Legacy release swings even further in that direction, however.

Oh, and did we mention that Inferno is absolutely insane? Yep, if you’ve never seen Beast Wars (and why not?), he’s one of the more entertaining characters in the Predacon roster, mistakenly believing himself to be a real ant and working for the glory of his queen, Megatron!

Be sure to check out part 2!

TTFN