BotCon package pickup has started tonight as early arriving attendees get the first looks at the 2016 box set and the accompanying comic book. As with year’s past, we’ve been able to get a sneak peak of souvenir figures during this time. Thanks to the BotCon twitter feed and artist Sara Pitre-Durocher, we’ve received word that the souvenir figures look to be:
Airazor from Takara’s Slipstream (LE 750 $49), TransMetals 3 Megatron from RID Galvatron (LE 850 $89), Tigatron from Botcon’s Ravage mold (LE 1200 $49), Unit-3 from Combiner Wars Streetwise (which looks to be an “Under 3” homage to the McDonald’s Happy Meal toy. LE 1200 $49) and lastly “Reflector three-pack” from Legends Shockwave (LE 1300 $59)
Check out the images provided after the break and share your thoughts in the discussion thread linked below. We’ll be sure to update you as in-hand pics become available.
STAFF UPDATE: Added availability and pricing.
Lord Black Cat
Hahahahahhahahahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahahahaha
Awesome. Oh man, that… that would be hilarious. And it would still make the "Under 3" joke for a younger transformer
Collectibot
*Gives pat on back to Sherlock Holmes.*
"Watson, you're fired."
That was random.
Scaleface
I just realized who Unit-3 is. He's the only survivor, and his first words are…
Perceptor didn't make it, no one did, except for me.
You asked for unit three, I am unit three!
My god, he's the only survivor, he's an orange car, started off rhyming! He's Wheelie!
Verno
@Scaleface:
Thanks for the run-down. Yours is only the third I've come across.
I've started a thread in the comics section about the comic. You could post these comments in there as well.
Scaleface
I just got the comic today and read it. Here are some of my impressions…
Unit-3 never has his named mentioned in the comic. His name has nothing to do with Tigatron's designation of Unit-2 in the Dawns of Futures Past comic. He's a guy who is a member of an Autobot unit called Unit-3, under the command of Perceptor. Almost all of his unit are killed in a Decepticon attack off page. When the Silverbolt attempts to get a hold of the Perceptor, this guy responds "Perceptor didn't make it. No one did. Except me… You asked for Unit-3? I AM Unit-3." Later on when they were planning their surprise, the imply that Perceptor had been part of the Magnaboss contingency plan, and they ask this guy to take Perceptor's place.
The story takes place just after a final battle between Optimus Prime and Galvatron which kills BOTH of them. The Autobots are taken over by a Primal Council lead by Prowl, Ironhide, Silverbolt, Hot Spot, Tigatron, Lio Convoy and Big Convoy.
Beast Wars Megatron takes on the Megatron name after Galvatron falls. His unit includes Waspinator and Terrorsaur, G1 Predaking and some generics, one of which looks like movie Terradive.
Ironhide specifically mentions Galvatron killed him once, but he came back, so this sets if as POSSIBLY happening in the Sunbow universe.
The plan of the Predacus council is to attack Cybertron with a Transmatter bomb that will convert any Cybertron not of the first generation (which they are) into protoforms. They order the surrender because they need as many Autobots and Decepticons ALIVE to be effected by the bomb as possible. Megatron doesn't want to stand down so he keeps fighting. Eventually the Predacus is formed and kills Predaking when Megatron isn't nearby, so that the Decepticons are more likely to stand down. I think the Predacons take the name Predacons in honor of their fallen hero.
The Predacus council launch the bomb from Unicron's head to Cybertron, but it is partly deflected by the Axalon, who is piloted by Optimus Primal (Rattrap names him that because says something Optimus Prim-like, Primal tells him to shut his TRAP.) There is a 4th person on the Axalon, who maybe is supposed to be Cheetor. He's in the background, very undefined, doesn't speak, but his head was shaped like Axalon Cheetor.
Only part of Cybertron's population is his by the Transmatter, and reverts to protoform form. After the fighting ends a lot of the protoforms are fathered into stasis pods. They SPECIFICALLY point out Infenro, Grimlock and AIRAZOR as protofroms in stasis pods… and here's the rub. This means it specifically IS NOT SET in the Dawns of Future Past story, because they put Airazor in a stasis pod, but in Dawns of Future Past Airazor and Tigatron are not in pods yet. Unless she gets fixed, and turned into hsi Energon Slugslinger body, then gets RE protoformed I guess.
They DO NOT show us Tigatron becoming protoformed, so I'm not sure how he becomes one, unless they are implying this IS the same setting as Dawns of Future Past. I could assume he got his BotCon 2006 mode when he joined the Maximal Security Force. Airazor was one of the Autobots under his command.
After the protoforming there are guys walking who looks like Silverbolt and Blackarachnia walking around together on Cybertron… but this is after everyone was turned into protoforms, so it can't be them right?. Cybertonian Dinobot was seen standing over the stasis pod of Grimlock, implying he took his name from the Dinobots. Inferno among the Autobots becoming a protoform, then he is labeled as one of the stasis pods on the Axalon, so it's the IMPLICATION that he MAY be Beast Wars Inferno.
Megatron was shown to be punished by being downgraded to a crappier body, which is how he lost his 6-changer form. One of the Predacus council is shown working on the designs for Magmatron at the end.
RodimusRex
He didn't confirm it. He said it fits… and that he had someone else in mind we haven't guessed yet.
That rules out Steeljaw (although he says he'd be fine with this), Cheetor, LioConvoy, Bumblebee…
I didn't make Botcon but I am getting a Magnaboss stickersheet from an attendee. So I don't have the comic to use for clues yet and wordmongerer says he didn't have anyone in mid when he wrote the comic anyway (but presumably did when he wrote the bio). Here's what we can glean from the bio:
"Prowl has tried to find methods to restore the buried personality algorithms but has found only scraps of fragmented information. Secretly though, Prowl appreciates him as the perfect soldier who will follow orders with a lion's heart and a head that understands the chain of command."
Ie. With his original personality, he wouldn't respect the chain of command.
He is a data collection specialist and investigator if that means anything, although that may have nothing to do with his prior personality. I don't think we can take cameos as clues since, for example, in Shattered Glass, Sideswipe looks like Drench and in Armada, Hot Shot sometimes looks like Rodimus. Someone who looks like Unit-3 in another universe (but isn't identified by name) might be The Fallen or Alpha Trion for all we know.
Some part of me finds Nightbeat likely but I don't think we can take the head puns and investigator elements as clues necessarily. Sunstreaker seems possible. Sideswipe is also a possibility. His cancelled G2 toy was yellow and he had issues with the chain of command.
Hot Rod fits the bill somewhat. The color scheme is a bit inverted but G2 did do some color scheme inversions, wonky heads (see: General Optimus and Gobots Optimus), etc.
Though, personally, if I were mapping some familiar characters to BW and G2 characters…
I would make Turbofire into the post-S4 Rodimus/Hot Rod. His Japanese name is Hotrider. He has a flame hood deco. It's a way to continue his character arc into G2 without being stuck with him either being stuck as immature Hot Rod or reverting immediately back to Rodimus. There is no G2 Rodimus in any toon continuity. He takes his time making decisions, which could be an evolution of his indecisiveness as Rodimus.
Whereas comics can have forever expanding casts of incidental characters (see: Goldbug and Galvatron being separate characters in IDW), I imagine the needs of a cartoon would be such that some of the G2 "original" characters would have been G1 characters reformatted had there been a G2 cartoon. And if we're talking a G1 toon continuity, I like to play the game of imagining it following the production needs of a 90s cartoon, taking cues from G.I.Joe Extreme/DIC, etc.
I have another rather wacky retcon I'd make if we're imagining a post-S4 G2/Predacus series that bridges into BW:
I would be very tempted to establish that G2 Green Tank Megatron was NEVER actually G1 Megatron because I feel like that requires a story of how he reverted back from being Galvatron, something the Marvel comic didn't need to deal with but a post-S4 cartoon would.
I would treat Green Tank Megatron as Beast Wars Megatron's first toy appearance. Note the purple face. The excessive use of Megatron over the toy (almost like he was trying too hard to convince everyone). BW Megatron would show up as Green Tank Megatron in an attempt to steal power from Galvatron, Serpentor style. This would position Galvatron in the Cobra Commander DIC era role as one of a handful who realize tank Megatron is an usurper, conspiring to reclaim power.
I have some of what I think would happen to Galvatron after that, which ties into the various Megatron toys after that (Hero, ATB Stealth Megatron, Machine Wars). But I feel like Green G2 Megs needs to be there at the start of G2 whereas Galvatron needs a whole character arc dealing with his attempts to move on from what Unicron did to him and how his corruption at Unicron's hands diminished the Decepticons' strategic position in the war. So, for me, Green Tank Megs? I imagine him voiced by David Kaye, a very young pre-Predacus BW Megatron, and pulling a fast one by laying claim to the Megatron name.
Thundershot
For my purposes, Marvel Ratchet doesn't need stickers. (Though it's annoying they made the windows stickers…)
Medix… I may just find a lime green paint and see what happens..
Lumpy
I want to do a Medix too, I have a spare First Aid, just don't have the stickers…
yeah, I need that one still…
Thundershot
Could be worse. Botcon 2006 Megatron only had 500…
TacticalBacon
Godammit.
Raiyuki
I ALMOST passed on that Ratchet due to the price tag. Now I'm kind of glad I didn't.
I was also surprised about this. They had to have known that Megatron would be popular. Unless they were constrained in some way there's no reason they should've limited Megatron to a mere 850. I'm quite certain even 1500 would've sold out.
I guess so. If BBTS ends up the ONLY retailer to carry it will raise some eyebrows.
Thundershot
Oh? Ratchet sold out as well? Good thing I got two of them. One to make Marvel Ratchet and one to TRY to make Medix.. I need to get a cheap First Aid..
Lord Black Cat
Around 3 on Saturday the store posted a sign saying they were sold out of Megatron, Airazor, and Customization Ratchet.
I have no idea what's left now as I'm back in Chicago.
Lumpy
I'm shocked that as the "centerpiece" for this years set, they made him the most limited…
and I think it's a shame that they remove limits Saturday morning. It really should be Sunday morning, but they want to get a sell out, and don't want to risk having them left over when they leave Sunday night…
Thundershot
I'm just glad I have my Megatron secured… They only had 850 of him.. I'm surprised he lasted til today. Did Airazor sell out? There were only 750 of her.
Scaleface
They probably sold them to TFsource, then shut down their booth, so no one can buy them. 😉
Shark Jumper
We'll see in a few days when we see BBTS well stocked with it?
Ikkstakk
That rumor is flying around the dealer room. BBTS is strenuously denying it and claiming they have none for sale.