COUNTDOWN: Missing Link Sunstreaker – 10 things to see!

I may have already mentioned that I’m beyond excited about the upcoming Missing Link releases.

Sunstreaker looks particularly enticing, not least because it’s a recreation of a mould long lost to time, which hasn’t been released since the early ’90s. Well, now we have our clearest look at the upcoming figure yet, thanks to some super crisp photos courtesy of @horaieso as seen here!

サンストリーカー pic.twitter.com/uaEzFOrVrV

— megitsune.com (@horaieso) October 11, 2024

It might sound like hyperbole, but even just a couple of new pics of the same grey resin prototype can be worth quite a bit of fanfare, as, in this case, they reveal numerous new details about the design that we couldn’t properly judge before. It goes without saying the figure looks stunning, but now we know a little bit more of what to expect, which only makes the anticipation greater!

So, here are 10 details to observe about Missing Link Sunstreaker!

#10: The face and proportions are spot on

When the first pics dropped, there was some debate (at least amongst my Triple Takeover posse and in a previous blog article) as to how exact the tooling appeared to the vintage original Sunstreaker toy. Missing Link figures are naturally expected to be 1:1 versus their classic counterparts. Yet something about the proportions didn’t sit right for everyone, and there was a little doubt concerning the face, too. With clearer images also comes some clarity on the situation, and there can surely be no lingering doubt that this new design perfectly captures and recreates what came before it. The head sculpt is spot on to the iconic G1 figure, and with fresh angles, it becomes much more apparent that the measurements of the car and robot modes look suitably on point. No need to worry, it seems!

#9: The fists fold away into the arms

This next entry is one many speculated on after the reveal, but again, these crisper pictures confirm how the hands fold away inside the arms thanks to an opening panel. It’s no great surprise given the TakaraTomy design team have stated an intent to do away with partsforming on Missing Link releases (or at least as much as possible). Still, given Sunstreaker’s G1 toy used spring-loaded fists that needed to be removed for transformation to car mode, it’s intriguing to see how differently the whole affair has been handled this time. It feels entirely in line with Convoy and will put a bit of a new spin on a classic design!

#8: It also has some spare G1 toy fists

Fear not, though; G1 purists will still get that nostalgia hit thanks to an additional pair of statically moulded fists, which recreate the look of the originals and can presumably be attached in a similar fashion to the vintage figure. It’s unclear at present if the stock hands are also removable or if these optional extras plug into the back of the wrists once the articulated alternates are folded away inside the arms. Still, either way, it’s sure to be a popular solution. Similarly, we have yet to determine if these will be spring-loaded, especially as Convoy’s design opted to keep some of its classic firing mechanisms (such as the missiles in the combat deck command module) and not others (the Roller launcher). From the looks of things, the buttons on the arms appear to be decorative more than anything, but given this is still just a resin prototype for now, that may change!

#7: And some missiles on a sprue

Speaking of potentially spring-loaded arm appendages, the new Sunny also features a set of missiles that will no doubt attach to his wrists once the hands are removed or folded away (again, we don’t know exactly!). These look remarkably similar to the vintage versions and will presumably be chromed to match on the finished version. However, it is notable that the attachment end has a slightly different, smoother design to the originals, without the recess which would usually click them into place as part of the spring-loaded mechanism. Again, this may be evidence such a gimmick has been done away with on the Missing Link update, but time will tell.

#6: It seems the ‘rocket launchers’ are removable

When we first glimpsed the new Sunstreaker, the car mode was displayed with the shoulder ‘rocket launchers’ still in place, despite needing to be removed for transformation on the classic toy. This indicated the same would be true for Missing Link and that they wouldn’t be incorporated into the design in a non-partsforming manner. However, we can see here how they do indeed appear to be removable in the familiar fashion. There are more questions to be asked, such as whether they will still fit into the wrists as another potential projectile. Spring-loaded or not, we wouldn’t be surprised to see that feature maintained.

#5: It has a new gun

Missing Link Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were granted new guns based on their cartoon appearances, and it seems the same will be true of Sunstreaker! Oddly enough, the Autobot’s 1980s animation model never featured a firearm. Still, he did indeed use one during various episodes of the cartoon itself, and it’s that model which has been recreated here (after we previously saw a version of it with Masterpiece MP-39). Keen-eyed observers will note it looks very similar to Sideswipe’s signature weapon of choice. If we were being extremely hopeful, this may be a very tenuous indication Sunstreaker’s brother could be on the way before too long. Still, no doubt that’s just wishful thinking at this point.

#4: The heel flaps rotate

One fascinating aspect of the updated design is how the ‘heel flap’, a solid, single piece found at the rear of the vintage figure to stop it from toppling backwards, has been redesigned to split in two for the Missing Link release. In the new photos, these dual flaps appear to rotate slightly, possibly making them less obvious when posing in robot mode.

#3: The classic sticker detail is now moulded in

In an expected but still noteworthy turn, the Missing Link figure recreates the original’s classic sticker detail, incorporating it directly into the tooling of the toy itself, much in the same fashion as we saw on Convoy. That means the chrome intakes atop the engine block now feature moulded embellishment instead of a decal finish, and you’ll note similar work at play underneath the clear plastic canopy of the chest. However, there’s a twist in the tale here, as TakaraTomy has opted to design this in line with the 1980s Sunstreaker instructions instead of how the stickers were meant to be applied as per the original Diaclone design! You see, those triangular sections should be on the outside in each case to line up with the look of the engine block in vehicle mode, but this was shown ‘incorrectly’ in the manual when the toy was repackaged for Transformers. The legendary TFSquareOne did a whole article on the classic Sunstreaker toy which outlines this in greater detail, including a fair amount of proof, so that’s certainly worth a read! Still, the Missing Link figure is ‘accurate’ within Transformers in a sense, so there’s that!

#2: We can expect red shoulders

There are a few details that we’re yet to be certain of, given all we have to observe is a grey prototype. Still, one thing I would be absolutely shocked to see is the final release not having a set of red shoulders! The 1984 toy was notorious for carrying over the rose-tinted decals from the original Diaclone release, despite it making no sense for the updated yellow colour scheme seen during Transformers. This oddity became a signature of the vintage Sunstreaker toy, despite not carrying over to the animation model, so it’s hard to imagine TakaraTomy fixing that “mistake” now, especially when considering how they’ve chosen to interpret the sticker detailing mentioned above. I’ve seen some pondering that they might include optional yellow stickers to enhance the Missing Link release should collectors wish, and I suppose that’s possible. Otherwise, I expect red all the way.

#1: And there’ll no doubt be chrome, rubber tyres & diecast!

And finally, yes, classic Transformers enthusiasts can surely rest easy in knowing that the Missing Link figure will recreate all the stylish trappings of the beloved original, including the plentiful use of chrome for the rear intakes, spoiler and wheels, as well as rubber tyres and diecast metal in the feet. These elements were maintained for Convoy, so their not being present here just wouldn’t make sense. All in all, Sunstreaker is shaping up to be everything we could have wished for!

So that’s our list! Are you excited about Missing Link Sunstreaker?

TTFN