Detolf to Desk: "Coronation Starscream???..... This is bad comedy!" (Transformers)

Episode 7

The "New" Leader

Que the '86 movie..... Starscream stands over the broken and battered form of his Leader Megatron and has an evil grin. He then picks up his Leader and proceeds to take him to Astrotrains Air Lock. The other Decepticons throw all their damaged comrades into space and Starscream stands at the doorway. Megatron utters the words "Wait! I still function..." and Starscream says "Wanna bet!" and lets go of Megatron for him to drift into the blackness of space, Astrotrain picks up speed and heads back for Cybertron. Then as we all know Unicron uses his tractor beam to pull Megatron and the injured Decepticons to him. After telling Megatron his terms, Unicron is delighted that Megatron accepts (not much choice in it!) and then recreates him into the Iconic Leader Galvatron! For the rest of the story please watch Transformers: The Movie available at all good retailers on DVD and Blu-Ray. The rest of this blog will be purely devoted to the G1 version of Galvatron (transforming versions) and I know their's lots of other versions but maybe another time!

Comes in assorted front covers..... this being the Blu-Ray cover of the version I have!

Shortly after the movie release we got the New Leaders Toys of Galvatron and Ultra Magnus. Galvatron sported a grey paint scheme which was a lot different to his movie character design. The toy also gave him a laser gun mode that was not shown in the Movie or the subsequent series, but did make a brief appearance in the Marvel UK comic. And best of all this was one of those toys that took a battery to make him go "Pew Pew"!

This is what we desire!

Love seeing a nice G1 boxed!

Triple changing G1 Goodness (Ermm badness?)

And then I thought hangon I have a G1 Galvatron.....

Great Grandaddy Galvy from my collection!

Cannon mode! Note the Decepticon insignia upside down..... was a kid once!

:Laser gun mode or as we like to say pew pew mode!

Then around 2005 (I believe!) we got the E-Hobby release of G1 Galvatron. He came in colours accurate to the Movie and Series! His toy box was also given a lovely picture of Galvatron shaking the Volcanic Larva off him that had made him insanely more powerful.

E-hobby version in box......I like that they used the cartoon art on this!

Back of the E-hobby box!

Close up of Back box art!

Top of box!

And a close up of that lovely front of box art, tut tut for thinking you wouldn't see it!

Twins of Evil!

Moving on from G1, Hasbro/Takara fetched out a newer version of Galvatron under their new classics range. This new version recreated the look of the G1 mechanical being and also gave him a new earth mode of a tank. And in the last few years we have had the Third Partys bring us Unique Toys Maniaking, Iron Factorys Tyrant, and DX9s (same company as Iron Factory) also named Tyrant!

Classics in box!

Back of box!

Classics version...... Thanks Emalie for the photos!

Tank Mode! Thanks again Em!

Sids Galvatron Custom from Botcon 2014 I believe..... Damn fine piece of pie!

First release of Maniaking..... came in lovely box with lovely foamy insert!

2nd release of Maniaking, just a plastic inlay.... the first release had a nicer box!

Maniaking Robot Mode!

Maniaking in cannon mode!

One more from Em, thanks very much!

Iron Factory War in Pocket Tyrant and crew!

Tyrant in cannon mode!

DX9 Tyrant

DX9 Scanning procedure!

Live long and Prosper! Tyrant is spelt like this guys :)

Here it is, RIP Leonard Nimoy Respect DX9!

Back of box..... dont worry theirs better photos further down!

Cyclonus!

Scourge!

DX9s Info

Sounds familiar!

Awesome Toy!

Front view!

Back of Cannon

Rocket Mode (wink wink)

Smile for the camera!

Poser!

Great bend at the knee action!

Orange or Gold?

Don't Mess with me!

Amazing Face Sculpt large photo just for you!

Lovely Rubber Treads!

Firstly my thanks as always to Masterforce for their superb fast delivery and excellent customer service!

Featuring a lovely screen accurate deco, the best version of any toy face recreation for Galvatron let alone any Transformer toy made to date and amazing articulation he does the name Galvatron proud. He also comes packaged with 2 Particle Accelerator Cannons so you have the choice of clear sparkly orange or a gold cannon to suit your own need (or both as he has slots that enable the cannon to be placed on either arm! One improvement I would like to see would be to see someone do better hands...... I can understand why they were made this way but I prefer uncurled fingers. Folding his hands into the arms was a little annoying as the finger digits kept popping off from the knuckles, but they are easy to re-attach. The top half of the body was not actually difficult to transform.... but then we get to below the waist...... you find very little space to turn the legs in and fold around the back...... those small waist pieces popped off the ball joints i could not get them to stay on at all. Final transformation to Space cannon resulted in the small ball joint waist pieces just being sat there not attached! Space cannon mode is lovely and one of the best versions of Galvatrons space cannons we have ever seen. Lovely use of Die-cast in the feet it keeps the figure well balanced! Plastic quality is also top notch! So to sum it up..... a difficult first transformation to be fair...... or maybe its a little over engineered I haven't quite made my mind up on which....... definitely one for your collection for the most accurate Galvatron. Great bot tho with niggly problems one of them being the fingers drop off sometimes and I have a feeling that he will have paint wear as opening the arms for the hands is fiddly and could scratch his wrists. I think tho must people will love him!

A few hours later.....and a lesson in education....

My good friend Alex pointed out to me that the waist panels had been put on the wrong way around by DX9, and the information can be found first post on their facebook page....... Thanks Alex! The transformation now has become a lot easier and a lot more fluid, puts the figure a lot higher up now in my estimates. If you like Galvatron then this is for you, but please go watch a youtube video to help you first time then every other time it will be easy! Really cant say what a difference this made and shows that sometimes I need to check to make sure I haven't missed updates from some companys! I really must say this figure really has grown on me, its a lot more fun that I originally thought. This figure will fit in great with you Masterpiece collection, I can not wait to see what else DX9 have up their sleeves next!

The Future

Well its an exciting time for Collectors! The future will bring us Third Partys Fans Toys Sovereign and Hasbros new Titan returns Galvatron (who strangely will be a Headmaster, personally I think he looks pretty good and the headmaster gimmick intrigues me). Its a great time for a Hasbro or a Third Party fan to be in!