No, the IDW-version of his Walther P38 mode. Kick ass.

*nods*

 

Ah, pardon me for skipping the Magmatron, I'm more focused with in-show characters rather than comics-only when pointed out Tidal Wave & Reflector.

Magmatron is an in-show character dude. :)

 

Any pics?

He appears to be a lot more intelligent, faster and agile than any other G1 gestalt. And he can turn into a purple outline^invisible. ;)

 

 

Toywise he was the first gestalt to introduce the concept of self-contained gestalt parts - i.e.: Lio Kaiser's hands, feet, thighs... with the sole exception of his faceplate all of his gestalt parts were built into the individual robots instead of being detachable accessories! So it just meant that so long as you don't lose the faceplate you will never lose any of Liokaiser's gestalt parts!! Beast Wars and beyond gave us gestalts with 100% self contained gestalt parts but for 1989 this was an incredibly awesome concept that we may take for granted these days. The individual Transformers also gave us a reasonable variety of designs and colours. The Breastmasters were also among the first Transformers whose robot heads resembled the animals which their breast partners transformed into. e.g.: Leozak's robot helmet resembles a lion, Hellbat's a bat, Jalgar a jaguar etc. This theme was later popularised with some Beast Wars figures (e.g.: Transmetals, Beast Wars Neo) and Car Robot/RiD (e.g.: Car Robo Bros, Team Bullet Train, Buildmasters etc) but it pretty much started with the Breastmasters.

 

Their Breast partners were also pretty neat in terms of being able to transform from breastplates into animals into guns for their masters. :)

 

...Hasbro later released them as the Autobot Rescue Squad... but they really sucked (and they didn't release the whole set so even if you collected them all you couldn't make a gestalt - and the Hasbro version of Leozak didn't come with the faceplate :().

IDW Sentinel Prime is the best Autobot leader ever, IMO.

Why? IMO he was nothing more than just a power-munchkin. He never did anything that came across as being particularly note-worthy... and the fact that even with his uber god armour Megatron was still able to tear him apart with his bare hands doesn't help him much either. :P

 

There are plenty of much better Autobot leaders above Sentinel Prime - IMO Sentinel Prime is a pretty ordinary leader. I think the best Autobot supreme leaders are:

+ Optimus Prime (nuff sed)

+ Grimlock (Pretender/Action Master)

+ Star Sabre

+ Ginrai

+ Fortress Maximus (Marvel)

+ Dai Atlas

I just liked his "No BS My Way Or The Highway" style of leadership. Optimus rubbed me the wrong way in his Spotlight comic when he chastised Omega Supreme for locking up Monstructor. Like what the heck was OS suppose to do?

 

I never really saw Grimlock in his leadership role, and Star Sabre, Ginrai, Fort Max., and Dai Atlas were all leaders from media I'm not familiar with, so I can't comment (though I really like Star Sabre's RM figure).

 

Anyway, I never really knew about the G1/G2 comics until I joined the online fan community, so I never properly read the Marvel version of G1. From what I can tell, however, it's major drawback for me is that it seems a little "rough," like it doesn't know what to do with itself. Which isn't a knock against the story considering it was the first go at TF fiction. The writers were given this brand-new concept, with so many possibilities. The result seems kind of rough, and all over the place.

That's just my impression from what I know about it, however. Like I said, I never really had an opportunity to have a go at it.

 

What I like about IDW's take is that it flushes out the TF world. Which is in direct contrast to what I feel was the Marvel story's biggest weakness.

Buh?! I'm still not entirely sure what you're perceiving as the main weakness of Marvel G1 here. :/

 

Marvel had to build the TF universe from scratch. IDW has 20+ years of established canon to work with, which in turn leads to more organized, polished, and flushed out TF universe.

If anything that gives me more respect for Marvel G1. It's a lot easier for IDW to tell this story which is a reboot of something which has existed for over 20 years. There's a rich history to draw from. With G1 there was nothing, they were making history rather than building from it. That's not to say that I don't appreciate what IDW does in terms of building from G1, but it's a different form of accomplishment. It's just a lot different when you're the first to do something - like being pioneers. :)

I get that, I just enjoy the more polished, clarified, and flushed out version of IDW.

 

Of course, the irony here is that we're both talking about Simon Furman. :P :P

Furman PWNS :P

 

Like the concept of the Prime.

That came from G1 Marvel, which is where Prime Nova (called Nova Prime in IDW) and Sentinel Prime came from. Although IDW's made it more consistent.

Yep, I know about Prime Nova. And it's the consistency within the IDW-verse that I enjoy. I also like the fact that we know a little something about the Primes proceeding Optimus.

In Marvel they didn't get any characterization. In IDW we know that Sentinel Prime was a hardass and that Nova Prime was just a jerk (which is refreshing to see in a G1 Autobot leader).

 

Or the idea that the Autobots and Decepticons aren't two races of robots, but factions, with the Autobots being the Cybertronian security service and the Decepticons being a rebel insurgency (an idea Animated would barrow).

Marvel G1 portrayed the Transformers as being divided by faction rather than by races (although a few TFs like Bludgeon and Grimlock theorised that Primus had inadvertantly created separate races, but that was never definitively proven). Marvel G1 showed a lot of factionless neutral Transformers, such as Spanner who was enslaved by Decepticons and forced to help them build their Space Bridge. Maccadam's Oil House was located in a demilitarised neutral territory. The Autobots were portrayed as being a governing body, in the form of a Greek-like Republic with Cybertron itself being divided into Greek-style city-states such as Iacon etc. The Decepticons were a faction which rose out of the woodwork and took the Autobot Republic by surprise. It wasn't until Optimus Prime became Autobot leader that the Autobots became a full proper military faction - Sentinel Prime was under the command of the Autobot Council of Elders, whereas Optimus Prime was not (Optimus had supreme executive command). It proved to be the right choice for the Autobots. :) :sparta

Which is very reminiscent of how things worked out in the IDW reboot. In fact Megatron:Origins was inspired partly by the fall of the Roman Empire.

Sentinel Prime and his Autobot security force were under the control of the Senate, Megs and the 'Cons rise up, SP is PWND, and the Senate is in ruins. So by the time Optimus is made Prime he's got executive power. So it's neat to see IDW honouring the Marvel story in that regard. I honestly didn't know that this much of a parallel existed.

 

But I have heard that in the Marvel story there was no difference between the term "Autobot" and "Cybertronian" until the Decepticons came along. I like that IDW makes it clear that the Autobots are just the Senate's security service, and that most Cybertronians, at the beginning at least, are not affiliated with them.

I just liked his "No BS My Way Or The Highway" style of leadership. Optimus rubbed me the wrong way in his Spotlight comic when he chastised Omega Supreme for locking up Monstructor. Like what the heck was OS suppose to do?

In that regard I really liked Dai Atlas. He's widely disliked amongst Japanese Transfandom and widely criticised for being too ruthless an Autobot leader and not expounding the whole compassion and mercy thing that Optimus Prime is renown for. The entire reason why Prime chastised Omega Supreme was because he thought that Omega didn't exercise enough compassion in his dealings with Monstructor - and compassion is Optimus Prime's greatest strength and weakness all at the same time. :)

 

I never really saw Grimlock in his leadership role, and Star Sabre, Ginrai, Fort Max., and Dai Atlas were all leaders from media I'm not familiar with, so I can't comment (though I really like Star Sabre's RM figure).

Dai Atlas is an Autobot supreme commander who is full of compassion toward his allies but devoid of any mercy when it comes to his enemies. He's the only Autobot leader who firmly believes in "take no prisoners." He believes in the Samurai concept that once his blade is drawn it must taste blood. I think you'd really like him. :)

 

But I have heard that in the Marvel story there was no difference between the term "Autobot" and "Cybertronian" until the Decepticons came along. I like that IDW makes it clear that the Autobots are just the Senate's security service, and that most Cybertronians, at the beginning at least, are not affiliated with them.

No, that's pretty much the way it was portrayed in Marvel G1 too. Even after the outbreak of the war there were many Transformers who remained neutral and refused to take sides, e.g.: Maccadam, Spanner et al. In G1 Space Bridge technology was neither Autobot or Decepticon technology - it was neutral Cybertronian technology (which the Decepticons stole).

He appears to be a lot more intelligent, faster and agile than any other G1 gestalt. And he can turn into a purple outline^invisible. ;)

 

...Hasbro later released them as the Autobot Rescue Squad... but they really sucked (and they didn't release the whole set so even if you collected them all you couldn't make a gestalt - and the Hasbro version of Leozak didn't come with the faceplate :().

 

HAAASBRRRRO!!!! :khaaan :khaaan :khaaan

I just liked his "No BS My Way Or The Highway" style of leadership. Optimus rubbed me the wrong way in his Spotlight comic when he chastised Omega Supreme for locking up Monstructor. Like what the heck was OS suppose to do?

In that regard I really liked Dai Atlas. He's widely disliked amongst Japanese Transfandom and widely criticised for being too ruthless an Autobot leader and not expounding the whole compassion and mercy thing that Optimus Prime is renown for. The entire reason why Prime chastised Omega Supreme was because he thought that Omega didn't exercise enough compassion in his dealings with Monstructor - and compassion is Optimus Prime's greatest strength and weakness all at the same time. :)

 

I never really saw Grimlock in his leadership role, and Star Sabre, Ginrai, Fort Max., and Dai Atlas were all leaders from media I'm not familiar with, so I can't comment (though I really like Star Sabre's RM figure).

Dai Atlas is an Autobot supreme commander who is full of compassion toward his allies but devoid of any mercy when it comes to his enemies. He's the only Autobot leader who firmly believes in "take no prisoners." He believes in the Samurai concept that once his blade is drawn it must taste blood. I think you'd really like him. :)

I'll have to give Dai Atlas a look then. I bought his Universe toy, and yeah....

But hey, he looks cool at least. Didn't know that about his character though, so like I said I'll have to see if I can find some Zone material.

 

But I have heard that in the Marvel story there was no difference between the term "Autobot" and "Cybertronian" until the Decepticons came along. I like that IDW makes it clear that the Autobots are just the Senate's security service, and that most Cybertronians, at the beginning at least, are not affiliated with them.

No, that's pretty much the way it was portrayed in Marvel G1 too. Even after the outbreak of the war there were many Transformers who remained neutral and refused to take sides, e.g.: Maccadam, Spanner et al. In G1 Space Bridge technology was neither Autobot or Decepticon technology - it was neutral Cybertronian technology (which the Decepticons stole).

Ah, cool, I did not know that.

Confessions....

 

I want to see Jazz stay dead in the live action movie-verse (not sure if I'm in the minority there, but it's a divisive debate).

I NEVER liked the concept of mass shifting.

Dreamwave's War Within started out promising, but started to suck and blow at the same time once the writers seemed to forget what the story was suppose to be about.

Here's some of my confessions:

I think the entire Henkei line either didn't change enough, or look like horrible fan repaints *cough* Megatron *cough*.

I think Universe Tankor looks like solidified vomit.

 

That's all I can think of right now.

I'll buy almost any G1/2 homage (provided I like the line overall).

Part of me will never get over the BotCon 2007 Seeker angst.

I'm not that impressed with Animated Leader Megatron (yes, I got him).

I didn't like Movie Dropkick.

Confessions....

 

I want to see Jazz stay dead in the live action movie-verse (not sure if I'm in the minority there, but it's a divisive debate).

I NEVER liked the concept of mass shifting.

Dreamwave's War Within started out promising, but started to suck and blow at the same time once the writers seemed to forget what the story was suppose to be about.

Well, we agree on 2 out of 3 :beer (I never read the WW comics so I dunno about them)

 

confession: my interest in Animated has nearly dropped off the face of the earth

Confessions....

 

I want to see Jazz stay dead in the live action movie-verse (not sure if I'm in the minority there, but it's a divisive debate).

I NEVER liked the concept of mass shifting.

Dreamwave's War Within started out promising, but started to suck and blow at the same time once the writers seemed to forget what the story was suppose to be about.

Well, we agree on 2 out of 3 :beer (I never read the WW comics so I dunno about them)

Manischewitz for all!