These are my favorite figures that were added to my collection this past year, even if some were released in prior years. Without further ado, let’s get to the list!
Tag: Tailgate
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 30
What you love about MTMTE. What keeps you coming back for more?
You mean besides giant alien transforming robots? Ok. How about the humor, drama, great art and most especially, the easter eggs/subtle hints of things to come.
In issue #1, we got our fist clue. It wasn’t hidden. In fact, it was the last half of the last page. The list of don’ts.
What was that last one again?
Then there was the whole “Nineteen Eighty-Four” mantra of the giant yellow robots that we find out later (much later) are actually Legislators, sent by Chief Justice Tyrest to apprehend Skids. We first meet Skids and the Legislators in issue #2.
He has no idea that he is holding that gun.
Then we get another clue, dug up by Tailgate, in issue #5 that, perhaps, “Nineteen Eighty-Four” might refer to Section 19, Subsection 80, Paragraph 4 of the Tyrest Accord that is an unimportant section that Ultra Magnus glossed over, which is a HUGE indication of just how unimportant it is if Ultra Magnus skipped it.
I think Tailgate is on to something here.
Then, it wasn’t until issue #20 that we finally find out that that Tailgate’s instinct was correct and that Skids was, in fact guilty of violating Tyrest Accord section 19 (80) 4.
Now we know what thoughts sound like – PHUT!
That is 18 issues between the set up and the payoff. A time period of over a year! It’s things like this – the subtle clues and hints that you don’t even realize are important at the time that makes one pay attention to every little detail because you never know what is going to be important in a year and a half and what isn’t. This also make re-reading the series so much more satisfying because one can pick on these things during the second third or twentieth time reading the series.
It is truly a great series, arguably the best Transformers fiction ever, and I hope it continues for a long, long time.
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 26
A description or sketch for a human version of one of the characters
You know, I never really thought about this until I saw this day’s topic. Well, there was Cybertronian Homesick Blues, where the bots take on Super Intuitive holomatter Avatars which essentially answers this question for a few.
One of Brainstorms few non-weapon projects.
I thought the characterization was right on – Rewind has the video camera, Skids’ ID card is blank (like his memory), Rung and Swerve are unmistakable, Tailgate is a baby (since he has been offline nearly the entire 6 million years of his life) and Whirl has an eyepatch (so he only has a single useful eye) and guns. Bonus points for the eyepatch on Whirl’s Autobot badge!
I didn’t include Ultra Magnus here since his avatar was simply a representation of Verity Carlo and not of his personality. But you know, it would be interesting to see whether it would end up representing the Ultra Magnus we know and love or Minimus Ambus – the guy in the suit.
Finally, we were treated to Ratchet’s avatar back when he was on Delphi, albeit a corrupted version.
It’s actually pretty accurate since Ratchet was corroding at the time.
Of course, this is far from a new concept. We can go all the way back to the original G1 comics for the first look at holomatter avatars. Here’s a shot of mine from Transformers Issue #14:
After all these years, I still do.
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 23
Favorite Fandom Output
Without a doubt, it’s the art. Here are few of the many, many examples of fan art that I have enjoyed, mostly found on tumblr. Click the pictures below for links to the original art.
Windblade has been popular lately.
Love me some Fort Max!
Nautica had fan art within hours of making her debut.
I’m a big fan of Cyclonus and Tailgate, but mostly Cyclonus.
Skids and Getaway, purveyors of thought warfare!
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.
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:
Another relationship on the Lost Light that never had much of the spotlight in the comic was between 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).
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 18
A Theory About One of the Unresolved/mysterious Plotlines
Brainstorm’s Briefcase – what’s in it?
Ultra Magnus seems to think it can save the day:
Apparently it repels sparkeaters:
Maybe it’s a doomsday device:
All we know for sure is that he’s very sensitive about it:
My theory? I think it’s his lunch.
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?
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:
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.
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 6
Best Issue So Far
There are so many great issues in this series, it’s difficult to pick just one as the best. I’m going with issue #13 – Cybertronian Homesick Blues.
Can you guess who’s who?
This issue is told mostly through flashback from the viewpoint of Swerve as he’s sending a message to Blurr, back on Cybertron. We first see some commotion coming from Cyclonus and Tailgate’s room and find out that it was just Cyclonus singing in Old Cybertronian.
Then the crew gets to go on shore leave to relax a little bit, even though Ultra Magnus doesn’t recognize that as a word. Naturally, hijinks ensue. We get to see their new Super Intuitive holomatter Avatars which are supposed to reflect the users’ psyches. For some it’s expected like Rung, Swerve and Rewind. I think the best, by far, was Whirl’s.
A hyperactive child with an eye patch and guns -unmistakably Whirl.
Then, the combined efforts of Whirl (intentional) and Swerve (unintentional) get Ultra Magnus passed-out drunk! It’s great because of the reactions of everyone and the dialog between Ultra Magnus and Swerve. This is where we learn quite a bit more about both of these characters and what makes them tick.
As the night comes to a close and Ultra Magnus is passed out again, the crew needs to find a way to get him back and how they do is nothing short of hilarious.
I hope Rewind’s not recording this!
A special bonus prose story at the end of the issue describes what the others were doing while Swerve was left alone with Ultra Magnus – browsing in the gift shop – and a section with Rung talking with Ultra Magnus including the latter’s failed attempts at humor.