Hoist’s Top 14 Transformers of 2014

As the Old Year ends and before the New Year begins, I thought it would be fun to look back on the bots that were added to my collection over the past year. Some of these may have been released in years prior, but they didn’t get to me until 2014. Let’s get started…

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30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 19

An Opinion That’s Changed Since You Started Reading

It took me a while to figure this one out since I pretty much go with the flow. As it is, this isn’t so much a change of opinion as it is a new concept that I have grown to like: Conjunx Endura or relationships in general.

In the vast history of Transformers, interpersonal relationships between bots is usually of a professional nature in that we generally only see them as part of a military-type unit. Sure, it got touched on in G1 in those couple of episodes when we met Elita-One, Chromia, Firestar and Moonracer and it was hinted at in pretty much any scene Acree was in with Springer or Hot Rod in the movie or Season 3, and got played up WAY too much in Beast Wars with the whole Silverbolt and Blackarachnia courtship. Still, the relationships didn’t get as much attention as it has in MTMTE. I think that has to do with the fact that a lot of people tend to think of these bots as male and these relationships are shown between two bots that are identified as male and that brings up connotations of homosexuality. Primus, I can’t believe I’m writing about this, but I already started so I guess i have to finish. Anyway, while humans identify bots as having a gender, they technically do not and since there is no gender and thus no sexual relations, there are neither homosexual nor heterosexual relationships between Cybertronians. These conjunx endura relationships are more like a best friend relationship.

Obviously the most popular of these relationships (and the one that I think sparked the most controversy) is between Chromedome and Rewind.

Chromedome and Rewind

While it may have been controversial at one point, I think everyone came to accept it and it was their relationship that made Rewind’s death so tragic. We’ve seen countless bots die over the course of the many series but there haven’t been many that have had the effect that Rewind’s did on the fandom.

Other relationships that have driven great stories include the evolution of Cyclonus and Tailgate:

Cyclonus and Tailgate

Another relationship on the Lost Light that never had much of the spotlight in the comic was between Rodimus and Drift:

Rodimus and Drift

Rodimus even explained their relationship in the most recent issue, Issue #26 (Dark Cybertron #8) when we was explaining to Orion Pax how he felt guilty for letting Drift take the blame for Overlord. He simply mentioned that he let his best friend take the blame. Of course we all know that was Drift.

I think this is what makes this particular comic great and really stand out above almost any other Transformers fiction. Sure, we all love the giant alien transforming robot battles and we always will, but there’s only so many ways to depict warring factions battling each other. Once these additional layers are added to the characters, the possibilities become endless and it keeps the fandom ravenously waiting for the next issue (and toy).

This entry is part 19 of 30 in the series 30 Day MTMTE Challenge

30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 16

A Moment When You Knew Everyone Was Screwed

The cover of issue #14 – Overlord with a HUGE evil grin.

Overlord cover

This is not good.

There was certainly a hint of things to come back when Red Alert found him in the basement, but it wasn’t until this cover that I knew everyone was screwed. Within the comic, as soon as Chromedome let slip that Megatron was still alive, that was it. That was the turning point when Overlord stopped feeling sorry for himself and started to turn the tables on Domey.

Megatron's alive?

Oh scrap!

Even then there was still hope that Chromedome might be able to get out, keeping Overlord trapped in the slow cell. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Once he got out and taunted Chromedome, that was it.

Overlord

Overlord is the Gingerbread Man.

 

 

This entry is part 16 of 30 in the series 30 Day MTMTE Challenge

30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 10

Something Scary/Creepy

There hasn’t been anything creepier in MTMTE than this memory of the sparkeater. Chromedome was reading Shock’s memory through the eye sockets, which is creepy enough, but then we see what Shock last saw:

Sparkeater

The epitome of creepiness.

I think the sketchiness of the image makes it that much more creepy and foreboding. Then again, the sparkeater wasn’t any less creepy when we finally see him as he’s wreaking havoc through the ship.

A truly scary image was when Pharma cut Ambulon in half – lengthways – proving just how much of a sadist that he had become.

Ambulon

The horror.

This entry is part 10 of 30 in the series 30 Day MTMTE Challenge

30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 8

A Badass Scene

How do you choose just one? How about pick the scenes that the other bots in the story thought were badass?

Bad Aft Orion Pax

When Orion Pax said he’d “drop by”, this is not what I expected.

Swerve and Tailgate are certainly fans of this one; Whirl, not so much. But then again it’s Whirl – he’s pretty badass himself. He’s just hard to impress.

“But wait,” you say, “that’s in a story being told by Chromedome! That doesn’t count!” Well I say it does! But to play by another set of rules in which flashbacks don’t count, try this on for size:

Bad Aft Rodimus

Sparkeater onboard? Cool.

Drift and Skids are clearly Rodimus fanbots on this one, though Rung seems unimpressed. Actually, I think he’s just in shock after having just been used for bait. You just can’t please everyone, even if you’re Rodimus.

This entry is part 8 of 30 in the series 30 Day MTMTE Challenge

30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 7

A Heartwarming Scene

There have been lots of emotional moments throughout the story so far, but there have only been a handful of what I’d consider “heartwarming”. Most of the emotions that I get reading this comic are sadness or humor. Still my favorite heartwarming scene is when Rewind’s “message from the grave” stops Chromedome from erasing his memory – again.

Rewind saves Chromdome

Even after tragedy, love lives on.

This entry is part 7 of 30 in the series 30 Day MTMTE Challenge