COUNTDOWN: 9 more Skybound ideas that could be made into toys

“How do you feel about going on the offensive?”

Simple enough words from #4 of Skybound’s celebrated Transformers comic, but the single-panel page they accompany has gone on to become one of the most enduring and, dare we say, iconic images of the run thus far. So, after a slew of other options all referencing the same idea, be they licensed or unofficial, Hasbro themselves have finally seen fit to turn out a homage to that very moment.

https://twitter.com/TFsource/status/1976737048053612718

Yes, the upcoming SS86 Optimus Prime retool features a new Megatron arm and fusion cannon, along with an updated head design to boot! It’s not the first Skybound-flavoured Generations endeavour we’ve had, mind, with a Void Rivals-themed repaint of Siege Jetfire having only just dropped, too. It’s a majorly pricey affair, but it got us wondering about other toy inspirations within the book’s 25 issues, which is precisely what we’re here to explore now!

WARNING! POTENTIAL SPOILERS ahead!

#9: Elita One

Now, I know what some will be thinking – it’s not like there haven’t been Elita One toys before! However, none of those are styled after her classic Generation 1 cartoon appearance, from which Skybound’s version takes its primary inspiration. Additionally, the comic adds something rather unique to the mix with a stylish Cybertronian motorbike mode which feels quite a world away from her regular vehicular form! We have *zero* clue how her humanoid appearance is meant to hide a honking set of wheels, much less fold up into anything that resembles the racy result, but hey, if they could make it work as a toy, then it would be very exciting to see.

#8: Skywarp

Believe it or not, it was all the way back in #4 that Starscream and Soundwave ripped Skywarp to pieces and used his still-living husk to patch up Teletraan I aboard the Ark. Much has happened since then, but the Seeker remains an integral part of the Autobots’ computer (even showing vague signs of working with them, on occasion). He also has a natty new look as part of it all, and whilst it’s not immediately apparent how that might be translated to work in toy form, one can’t help but be intrigued by the notion all the same.

#7: Wheeljack

Optimus Prime isn’t the only character to have lost a body part or two along the course of this storyline. In fact, his trusted engineer, Wheeljack, was initially brought back online with only half a body, first attached to a sort of mechanical crane to move him about and then afterwards, a more mobile set of tank-like treads! It didn’t last long, as Skywarp repaired his lower half in #8, but it remains a memorable image all the same. We doubt this one is high up anyone’s priority list as an official toy, but there’s likely some custom inspiration to be had, at least!

#6: Arcee

Like Elita One, Arcee is based heavily on her classic cartoon guise, although, once again, with a twist in the tale when it comes to transformation. After all, I doubt anyone could have predicted that she would (somehow!) unfurl to become a rather luscious Lamborghini! Again, the physics of it all makes very little sense (comics, eh?). Still, you cannot argue with the results, and should any budding toy designer be up for summoning the black magic required to translate it into a toy, we would not be complaining.

#5: Genvo

As Skybound’s first original robotic Transformers character, it’s natural to include Genvo on this list as potential inspiration for a future figure of some kind. Yet truth be told, his design isn’t necessarily all that fleshed out in the comic itself. Evidently, artist Jason Howard created him to resemble a kind of “proto-Seeker”, yet there are clearly a few differences thrown into the mix, besides. One presumes he transforms to become a Cybertronian jet (we see some scant evidence for that on one particular page of #13), but we’re confident it could all be made to work somehow.

#4: Starscream

Like Wheeljack, Starscream was temporarily left without a pair of legs after being ripped in two during a beating by Soundwave in #7. It wasn’t until #14 that he became mobile again, after being welded to the top of a HISS tank by operatives of MARS Industries. What resulted was a bizarre but surprisingly effective new look for the treacherous Decepticon, who certainly didn’t let the situation interfere with his scheming! It’s hard to know how this one might be made to work, but one can’t help but be intrigued by the possibility, all the same. Indeed, there have been some extraordinary custom efforts already.

#3: Mechanokoar

#19 tells the tale of Megatron, and specifically how he endured endless combat trials under the purview of a Quintesson named Dezimir. Despite initially attempting to resist the situation by retaliating against his captor, the Decepticon leader soon realised the futility of this approach when Dezimir summoned his gigantic mechanical dragon armour, known by the grandiose name of Mechanokoar! Not much reason for all this is given on the page, but we’d be hard pushed to say the design itself isn’t cool AF. Could it ever work in toy form? Quintesson figures are often few and far between, but this would be something original!

#2: Megatron

Speaking of Megatron, what about the despicable Decepticon despot himself? Again, his robot mode is essentially the same as his classic ’80s animation model. However, there’s little doubt that artists like Jorge Corona have given it a highly stylised polish on the page! Yet for this list, it’s the very particular look he’s sporting after returning to main cast duty at the end of #16 that we’re talking about. One arm, wires hanging out, eye sockets attached to Laserbeak on his shoulder – it’s a distinct vibe, to say the least. Again, there have been some exceptional custom efforts of this one already, but like Optimus, it could be highly enjoyable to see it made real officially. Bonus point if they can incorporate his weird tank-styled gun mode in some form, which could theoretically be possible with an SS86 retool…

#1: Shredhead

Finally, we come to perhaps the most obvious suggestion of them all, and one which is surely bound (eh?) to happen at some point in the not-too-distant future! Genvo may have been the first, but Shredhead is the more significant original robot character of this run so far, slicing and dicing their way through the Decepticons ever since coming online at the end of #17. In truth, they’ve not been fleshed out nearly as much as many of us might have liked thus far, but we’re hoping that will happen before long. Besides, the design itself is stellar, and the artistically-enhanced alternate van mode is sure to be a must-see in toy form. Needless to say, we’re ready for Shred.

So that’s our list! Which of these would you like to see happen?

TTFN