The second figure reveal for BotCon 2016 has been revealed to be Predacon Secret Police Tarantulas. BotCon’s version of Tarantulas uses the Combiner Wars Rook mold and is “inspired by his season 2 “Transmetal” deco and featuring an ALL-NEW head sculpt. Along with Ravage, Tarantulas will merge with the other 3 Predacons in the box set to form PREDACUS!”
Also announced is the second guest for BotCon 2016, fittingly the voice actor for Tarantulas, Alec Willows. Alec Willows will be appearing at the show along with fan favorite David Kaye.
Let your thoughts be shared with the discussion link below.
BScorpinok75
That works for me
Autovolt 127
I can sort of dig this actually.
Bed Bugs
I started thinking. I'm starting to like this Tarantulas and the main reason is that he CAN NOT look like Beast Wars Tarantulas in order for the fiction to work.
Tarantulas was a spy in Beast Wars, so if he did anything in a Pre-Beast Wars story that would cause a lot of attention to be directed at him, such as help the Tripredacus Council come to power by becoming a combiner, he'd need to alter his appearance.
In steps Subscription Service Tarantulas.
I'm calling it now, in the fiction, Tarantulas will help get the Tripredacus Council to power with his Botcon 2016 body, then he will change his paint job and alt mode into the Subscription Service Tarantulas in order to infiltrate Megatron's Crew. Megatron won't be able to recognize him as the same bot because of his altered appearance. Would also kind of explain why Transmetal Tarantulas's paint job exists. Becoming a Transmetal didn't change his color, it just revealed his true colors, if you will.
I kind of wish Fun Pub would have put more emphasis on this plot point during the reveal. I think it would have helped a lot of people like the figure early on.
Thundershot
Your Rattrap must be different than mine. While his modes look good, I HATE transforming him.. I agree with the others..
Johntimus Prime
Then get ready for 2016, because every toy that's a Deluxe or larger will have a Headmaster gimmick.
Smitty.1981
It's 2015 every one is a combiner now.
Bass X0
I'd like them to use molds that aren't Combiner Wars for the other toys. People are getting tired of seeing these molds continually used in a short time.
Smitty.1981
Who could they use to make a Magnaboss that would be different that the CW toy that we got anda good homage to the BW toy?
Maybe…
Then to fill out the team
T-Hybrid
Going by BW the series, didn't they name themselves after taking new forms?
Bass X0
I like to think their Cybertronian names is something that sounds similar to their Beast Wars name.
Dynobot
Jhi-Tor
Rattletrap
Optimus Primal is fine since it could refer to the Primal Program – Primal Program – Transformers Wiki
T-Hybrid
This is why I hate "we" and "our" from BW fans. Because CW/BW figures are like a perfect storm of the two things that got me most into Transformers (beast wars and combiners).
That they're homaging a BW combiner is icing on an already delicious plastic cake.
I'm going to flip if the souvenir set actually does go with Magnaboss.
Johntimus Prime
That's a little different. Toy trademark laws prevent them from naming something they literally turn into, at least directly. (Hence why BW names tend to be made-up words with part of the animal name in it, or why Tankor isn't just named "Vehicon Tank")
Bass X0
Anyone remember when Hound turned into a dog? Or Bumblebee into an insect? No?
nemisispringer
Because of his spider like quality of character and the way he likes to tantalise and tease his prey.
All the predacons also have a predatory nature and the maxiMALS have AniMAL qualities
Cheetor's speed, rhinox's build and rattraps deceptive nature etc even primal has that sort of alpha leader of the pack quality of a gorrilla
Johntimus Prime
Part of the issue with slapping beast heads on vehicles is the incongruity. The BW characters mostly have rounded, organic heads that at least somewhat resemble their beast modes. Slapping organically shaped heads on bodies with sharp mechanical lines is kinda jarring, and only adds to the weirdness. I think if the BW characters would have had more angled, less naturalistic heads, this wouldn't come off as goofy as it is.
Smitty.1981
Does "Trukk not Monkey" ring any bells?
RazorclawX
Because you're not selling them on their alternate forms, but on their character. Same reason why nobody cares what form Optimus Prime takes as long as he's recognizably Optimus Prime.
barrelks
It always comes back to "G1 fans cry more" with the Beastie guys. Teacher, they do it too. You do understand this is Botcon, and they can't make new molds that transform into beasts. This is their way to pay homage to the beast era while working within their parameters. Hell, it is nice that they are giving all 5 new heads (that doesn't happen with botcon sets). Don't like that they threw out a homage, don't buy it. Hell, buy some of the rats clogging the shelves in my area at both TRU and Walmart and paint them all the colors of the rainbow.
I can't wait till Botcon 2016 is over, it has done nothing but allow this little niche fangroup spread their rage over more threads.
Johntimus Prime
Well…after a mediocre Cheetor and Dinobot, we got an awesome Rhinox and Rattrap, and even Waspinator! Then…uh…not much. They've trickled out new molds for BW very very slowly over the years. I know BW isn't as high a priority for updates, but damn dude, compare the number of G1 characters a year to the number of new BW molds.
I think BW fans are getting frustrated at Hasbro's relative neglect of the Beast era, and it doesn't help to cry that they're "entitled" when they bemoan something like this awful idea for a Botcon set.
Ikkstakk
The problem with homaging Beast Wars characters is that many of them are named after the thing they turn into ("Tarantulas," "Cheetor," "Waspinator," "Rhinox," and so on). So whenever you make a new figure for them, if they don't turn into that thing anymore, you have the problem of why they're still called that. This story is evidently going to take place before Tarantulas goes to Earth, so why is he called Tarantulas if he doesn't turn into a tarantula and has never seen a tarantula before? There's already that disconnect there.