Hasbro China’s Studio Series Devastator gift set is really five retail packages and a special box you can wear as a backpack. Fans recover deleted scenes from the G1 episode Cosmic Rust, and Blokees Galaxy Wave 9 brings Unicron, Trypticon and a new Arcee. The crew also looks at Wild King’s evil Energy Beasts, Blokees Defender Wave 6 and Missing Link Cybertron Heroes Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. In What We Got This Week, Matt says Studio Series 86 Soundwave is really good, and Diecast calls Lego Soundwave his favorite Lego build.

News

Last Chance to Vote in the 2025 RFC Fans’ Choice Awards

Chris is closing the 2025 Fans’ Choice Awards ballot on the night of January 3. Results arrive in RFC 969, the annual year in review show, along with the 2025 news recap and the predictions scorecard.

Deleted Scenes From Cosmic Rust Reconstructed

With help from a G1 production staffer, a fan obtained film reel segments with unseen frames from Cosmic Rust. Working with Transformers at the Moon, which had archived audio from the recording sessions, fans reconstructed many of the bits. Some segments still have missing frames and missing audio. The crew loves seeing the fandom archive and preserve this material. One host wondered whether Wheelie is a survivor of the rhyming ancient Autobot’s colony. [Source: TFW2005]

Hasbro China Studio Series 86 Devastator Gift Set

Hasbro China’s Studio Series 86 Devastator gift set is the five regular retail packages plus a special gift box to move the toys into. The box appears to have backpack straps. It sells in limited quantity through Hasbro’s Taobao store, so the design team’s word that no U.S. box set is planned still holds. One host would take the Japanese suitcase version, and another called the foam-lined box a little bougie. One host discovered the styrofoam in his G1 Devastator gift set is smaller than its box. [Source: TFW2005]

Wild King Dragknight Energy Beasts Revealed

Wild King’s Dragknight Energy Beasts are evil redecos of the line’s four launch molds, with their element powers swapped. They are designed to complete World Dragnus’s full super mode. One host will get them to finish the line, but wishes Wild King had more unique molds. The crew finds it odd that Wild King never reached Hasbro Pulse, and noted Pulse’s operators can veto products. One host rates Wild King above past Japanese exclusive lines like Transformers Go, whose Predacon redecos now sell for a lot. [Source: TFW2005]

Blokees Defender Wave 6 Brings Beast Wars and Baby Bruticus

Blokees Defender Wave 6 includes robot and beast mode versions of Optimus Primal and Beast Wars Megatron. Blast Off and Vortex finish the small Bruticus, and a dinosaur Snarl gives Defender its first dino mode. A chase Optimus Primal comes with his mutant mask. The crew laughed at Blast Off’s vehicle mode, which smashes a shuttle cockpit straight onto its engines. [Source: TFW2005]

Blokees Galaxy Wave 9 Darkest Hour Includes Unicron

Blokees Galaxy Wave 9, Darkest Hour, includes a Unicron whose mouth moves when you press his jaws, plus a stand and a clear variant. The wave also finishes the Insecticons with Bombshell, adds Skyfire and a Trypticon to pair with Metroplex. A slender new Arcee body, Mirage and a new G1 Megatron round it out. The chase is a half-transformed Reformatting Megatron, which pairs with Wave 8’s dying Optimus Prime. One host may predict buying nothing new in 2026 except Blokees, which he says are killing the licensed non-transforming figure market. [Source: TFW2005]

Transformers Miniature Package Collection Wave 2 Includes Metroplex

Takara Tomy’s Miniature Package Collection Wave 2 includes Metroplex. One host noted it shares the Bumblebee and Cliffjumper problem, since it is just a flat cardboard box with no window. Another said the inserts look flatter than the first wave. The crew compared them to Mini Brands, and noted a Robot Spirits version holds a tiny molded Gundam. [Source: TFW2005]

Missing Link C-09 Cybertron Hero Set Shown In Hand

In-hand images of the Missing Link C-09 Cybertron Hero Set show Bumblebee and Cliffjumper with cartoon heads, cartoon decos and blue windows. Even the backs are painted. Several hosts think Cliffjumper’s head looks off, with the face squished and the mouth too high. One host credits Takara Tomy for nailing Bumblebee’s notoriously hard cartoon face. [Source: TFW2005]

What We Got This Week

Brian Kilby

Brian finally found the Hot Wheels Transformers at Walmart. The same trip netted Blokees Classic Class Optimus Prime for $20 and the Lego Bumblebee he skipped last year.

Don

Don got the Walmart exclusive Optimus Prime Bop It, which uses a generic Optimus Prime voice but is cute. He also received Transformers wireless earphones, and he added another Diaclone-style Super7 Devastator from Amazon for about $9.

Matt

Matt received the 2025 Hallmark Megatron ornament, which he calls bad, with no fusion cannon. His Studio Series 86 Soundwave from Pulse feels great, with no hollow gaps, though the arms are a little wide. Ravage is a small step over the Siege version, with knees on all four legs, but the tail is a pain to attach. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw look oddly large with wide wings, but their blasters fit the Siege molds. Matt has given up on Hasbro cassettes, adding, “Save me, Dr. Wu, you’re our only hope.” One host passed along a Discord report from Rusty that a future Sound Blaster could include other cassettes.

Diecast

Diecast built Lego Soundwave and calls it his favorite Lego set so far, voice chip included. Rob sent him the Studio Series Gamer Edition Decepticon Soldier, which looks wide and tough. Its boxy car mode is true to War for Cybertron’s multiplayer.

Chris

Chris had nothing in Transformers this week.

Rob

Rob found larger Blokees on sale at Walmart for $2.48, then saw them drop to $1.24. His IDW Megatron’s cannon barrel has already rolled away somewhere. He advises scanning any Blokees you see at Walmart.

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