Radio Free Cybertron hits episode 1,000 — or 1,001, depending on which mid-show revelation you believe. The crew marks 40 years of Transformers: The Movie as tickets go on sale for its 4K theatrical return through Fathom Events, and Brian unboxes the enormous “Apology Tour” mailer Hasbro sent, complete with a light-activated box that plays “The Touch.” A fresh retail listing points to Age of Evolution Deluxe Machine Wars Megatron, and Blokees keeps rolling with an IDW Rodimus first look and a Wheels wave built around Astrotrain. In What We Got This Week, Chris delivers a full review of Studio Series Voyager Swindle, Diecast inherits a complete G1 Superion, and Brian’s graded Targetmaster problem officially has a name. Then the back half of the episode is a 24-clip guided tour through the RFC archives, from 1999 to 2022.

Show notes — Celebrating Episode 1000

The Discord’s episode 1000 predictions kicked off the show (“Brian has to spend $1,000 by the end of the show” came uncomfortably close to true), and mid-show Brian ran a recognition segment honoring everyone who’s contributed across 27 years — from co-founders Alex Bunchenumbers and Mad Max MFP through JD, Rob Springer, Turin, Mop Boy, Peter, Amy Morgan, Nicole Hale, and dozens more — plus first-mention factoids: What We Got This Week debuted on episode 420 in June 2015, the first live video broadcast was October 4, 2010, and Beast Machines was first mentioned November 19, 1999.

Episode 1000 includes a 24-clip retrospective pulled from the RFC archive — starting with John DeLuna’s first-ever ATT Buzz back in November 1999 and running through highlights from every era of the show, up through 2022. Some of these were requested by longtime listeners who wrote in over the past few months; others are just moments we still laugh about (or got a little misty over) on a re-listen. If you hear us jump between decades without warning, that’s the point — consider it a guided tour through the last 26 years of this show.

News

Tickets Are Now on Sale for The Transformers: The Movie’s 40th Anniversary 4K Theatrical Return
Forty years ago this week — August 8, 1986 — Transformers: The Movie opened in 14th place behind Howard the Duck’s second weekend, on a $6 million budget it never earned back. This September it returns to theaters through Fathom Events, with multiple showings September 17–21 on far more screens than the 2018 and 2021 runs. Brian dug into how Fathom actually works — a screen-filling venture owned by the major chains where the content provider funds the marketing — meaning this push is effectively a coordinated Hasbro campaign for the whole anniversary product line. Brian’s seeing it on a laser projector north of Charlotte and fully expects this run to out-gross 1986. [Source: TFW2005] (https://news.tfw2005.com/2026/08/07/571504-571504)

The Transformers: The Movie “Apology Tour” Promotional Mailer Makes the Rounds
Hasbro’s anniversary mailer landed at RFC HQ, and it’s the nicest box they’ve sent: Dead Optimus Prime on the lid, a light sensor that plays “The Touch” when opened, the deluxe hardcover comic collection, the reformatted soundtrack on vinyl, and figures including One Shall Fall Megatron, Kranix, Thundercracker, and Brian’s beloved One Shall Stand Optimus Prime. The included poster promptly fell behind the shelf, where it remains. Brian isn’t sold on every Apology Tour beat — the post-credits scene in particular — but gives Hasbro a genuine A for effort and a sincere thank-you. [Source: TFW2005] (https://news.tfw2005.com/2026/08/06/transformers-the-movie-the-apology-tour-the-promotional-mailer-571434)

SDCC 2026 Hasbro Exclusives Went Live on Hasbro Pulse
The San Diego Comic-Con exclusives hit Pulse this past week, and most were still in stock as of showtime — including the Blaster the panel checked on live. Matt noted Hasbro has been producing convention exclusives in deeper quantities for several years now, so the days of instant sellouts appear to be behind us. [Source: TFW2005] (https://news.tfw2005.com/2026/08/10/sdcc-2026-hasbro-exclusives-live-on-hasbro-pulse-today-1-571674)

Age of Evolution Deluxe Machine Wars Megatron Listing Found
A listing that surfaced the day of recording points to a Deluxe Machine Wars Megatron joining the 2027 Age of Evolution line. Chris connected the dots on air: with a Leader Machine Wars Starscream already listed (a near-certain Legacy Skyquake redeco) and a Voyager Robots in Disguise Skyfire listing pointing back at the Machine Wars flip-changer jets, a Machine Wars Thundercracker redeco seems inevitable — it looks like designer Mark Maher is finally getting Machine Wars into Generations. A Transformers Collaborative Speed Racer listing surfaced alongside it, which Chris pictures as a Mach 5 in the mold of RID 2015 Warrior Blurr. [Source: TFW2005] (https://news.tfw2005.com/2026/08/12/age-of-evolution-deluxe-machine-wars-megatron-listing-found-571758)

2027 Deluxe Air Quake Listing Points to the Next Nexus Maximus Combiner Piece
Another 2027 listing, Deluxe Air Quake, appears to be the next Nexus Maximus limb. Matt is reserving judgment until clearance season, but relayed SDCC design-team interviews suggesting a bespoke combiner frame is possible depending on fan reaction — he’d love an Energon-barricade-style frame homaging the original club toy. Brian just doesn’t want to buy two Silverbolts. [Source: Tformers] (https://tformers.com/57202)

Blokees Transformers Galaxy Version 11 Gives IDW Rodimus a First Look
Blokees Galaxy’s eleventh wave leads with an IDW Rodimus that has the whole panel’s attention, with an IDW Ultra Magnus visible on the packaging beside him. Rob spotted a Chinese-language data sheet suggesting fuller reveals next week and is lobbying for the Rod Pod as this wave’s oddball entry — Chris counters it should be the accessory holder, and admits a Lost Light Rodimus chase in eHobby Dark Rodimus colors would force him to buy a full case. [Source: TFW2005] (https://news.tfw2005.com/2026/08/10/blokees-transformers-galaxy-version-11-idw-rodimus-packaging-first-look-571676)

Blokees Wheels C04 (Wave 4) Official Images
Diecast brought the news that Blokees has solicited wave 4 of its Wheels line, headlined by a train-mode G1 Astrotrain that looks fantastic, alongside Classics Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, Animated Soundwave, G1 Ratchet, and Ironhide. Chris flagged a special Bumblebee version that comes with the jet ski and trailer. [Source: TFW2005] (https://news.tfw2005.com/2026/08/09/blokees-wheels-c04-wave-4-official-images-571610)

Stern Drops New Code for Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Pinball
Stern released a code update for the Transformers pinball machine — cheat (“cheese”) detection, scoring rework, mode tweaks, and the long-awaited Ghost in the Machine mode where Starscream hijacks the game. The catch: the mode requires the $1,500 topper, which the Limited Edition doesn’t include. Brian is taking a firm stand by absolutely refusing to pre-order it and simply buying it slightly later. [Source: Stern Pinball] (https://sternpinball.com/support/game-code/transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-le-0-86-0-game-code/)

Celebrating Episode 1000

The Discord’s episode 1000 predictions kicked off the show (“Brian has to spend $1,000 by the end of the show” came uncomfortably close to true), and mid-show Brian ran a recognition segment honoring everyone who’s contributed across 27 years — from co-founders Alex Bunchenumbers and Mad Max MFP through JD, Rob Springer, Turin, Mop Boy, Peter, Aimee Morgan, Nicole Hale, and dozens more — plus first-mention factoids: What We Got This Week debuted on episode 420 in June 2015, the first live video broadcast was October 4, 2010, and Beast Machines was first mentioned November 19, 1999. The full retrospective, built from listener-requested clips across all thousand episodes, runs in the back half of the podcast version.

What We Got This Week

Diecast inherited a complete original G1 Superion — all five Aerialbots — from a coworker, along with Jumpstarter Topspin, and picked up a Transformers-adjacent oddity: a $12.50 Amazon five-pack of Legends-scale gun robots with die-cast parts that combine into a single figure, sold under the name Ye Bobo. He’ll share the link.

Don picked up Tobot Pop, a Corvette with a chibi head-on driver robot in a sharp orange, blue, and white deco, currently on Amazon via tfradio.net/amazon, and Rex Kaiser, a deluxe BotCon-exclusive Tyrannosaurus with a sports car for a head and a wired cloth cape, picked up for him by Brett — with thanks to Megamus of the PlastiCast.

Chris paid $43 for a Voyager — or you could say he got Swindle. Studio Series Voyager Swindle nails the G1 cartoon model, with a genuinely clever real-windshield chest and reflective hip “headlights,” undermined by baffling choices like the fixed forearm grille kibble, a notchless hood rotation, and a square-peg cannon adapter with no robot-mode home. Smaller than Studio Series Hot Rod for more money, but if he’s buying one Combaticon at full Voyager price, it’s the one with an actual personality. Full review on the show.

Matt went all out for episode 1000 and got absolutely nothing in Transformers this week.

Rob received a Transformers: The Movie-themed TF Nation 2026 print by David Cousens, a gift from Grant (Hellcat86), and a hard lesson from Walmart’s eBay VIP outlet: a Blokees Shining wave 2 listing that shipped exactly one figure — Sunstorm, with a dead battery. Buyer beware.

John was one of the lucky few to get the Studio Series Insecticon three-pack shipped from Target. Verdict: different, not better — the typical Studio Series treatment trades the originals’ translucent plastic and paint detail for an animation look that reads as a net negative, though it’s a convenient one-swing pickup if you missed the originals, gummy Energon cubes included.

Brian confessed his earlier Machine Wars amnesia was a lie — he owns multiple Thundercrackers and added sealed Thundercracker and Skywarp this week. He finally opened Selects Monstructor (his first time with the mold — combines well, holds together), Dinoking, Studio Series Shockwave (better than the prior deco), and the Casio G-Shock Nemesis Prime, whose satisfyingly clicky joints won him over. A first visit to Recollect in Winston-Salem yielded a Sharkticon Gnaw and a G1 Menasor, a carded G2 haul brought Eagle Eye, Skyscorchers Tornado and Terradive, Zap, and Rapido, and the graded-AFA problem he swore off continued with Targetmasters Sure Shot and Point Blank (both graded 60) and a graded-75 Scoop.

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