Monthly Archives: January 2025

More than a Maximal flyer

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Transformers box

Airrazor came in a two-pack with Inferno, so this post is a follow up to that one.

Airrazor, much like Tigatron, feels her bird mode as keenly as she feels her Maximal nature. Unlike Tigatron, though, she also sees the importance of her community, and regularly tries to convince him to become closer to the Maximals. This dynamic, and the closeness between the two that develops over time, becomes pivotal to the main story arc throughout the seasons of Beast Wars, and culminates in Tigerhawk.

I’m not sure why this toy was paired with Inferno, rather than with Tigatron, but I’m also not a Hasbro/Takara marketing decision-maker. The box and packaging material were beautiful, and definitely created the sense that I wasn’t just opening up a two-pack of toys – I was opening up something special. This may be the first box in a long time that I keep. Then again, it DOES take up a lot of space. So, we’ll see.

The robot mode is clean, and very poseable. There’s virtually no kibble. Everything folds neatly away, and there’s an extremely clever (if hard to discern) use of double hinges above her waist and in each wing that allow this. She’s got two little arm pew-pews, and her robot mode is very show accurate. As with many modern instructions, the pictures do a lot of implying that don’t always convey what needs to be conveyed. But not to worry, there’s… oh, wait, no, these are in Japanese, because they’re imports. Whoops. On the upside, because it’s an import, it’s got a slightly different – and much better! – paint job. The wing tips are frosted, the orange contrasts very nice with the dark brown of the feathers, and she is very much a Maximal.

Airrazor bird mode

As for the birb mode, it’s just as clean as the robot mode, and just as accurate to the show. Again, the double hinging allows for the bird to look like a bird, rather than a bird-human-hybrid-monster-thing. Listen, they’ve made some mistakes in the past. Anyway, as with Inferno, I’m flat-out impressed with how close to the show these recently-released Beast Wars toys have been. It warms my geeky, nostalgic heart.

Right away, my Queen!

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Sometimes, taking the risk of modifying a Maximal protoform into a Predacon has some… side effects. Wait, let me back up.

Transformers box

In the 90s, when CGI was first becoming A Real Thing, a couple of animated shows went all-in on the computer animation. Hasbro took a huge risk, and Transformers: Beast Wars was one of these fantastic shows. (I’m not forgetting ReBoot! I hope I never forget ReBoot.)

Transformers box

Much like their Autobot and Decepticon ancestors, the Maximals and Predacons chased each other across the galaxy and ended up crash-landing on an unknown planet in an unexplored solar system. The Maximal ship was a research/colonization vessel, and carried a precious cargo… Maximal protoforms – unborn Transformers. When the Transformers on the surface recovered, they realized the protoforms were orbiting the planet in their pods, and some of those orbits were decaying, destined to land and aid their Maximal compatriots.

Inferno in ant mode

The Predacons would prefer to expand their own forces, however, and came up with a plan to reformat the protoforms to that end. And it worked! Mostly. Every once in a while, there were side effects. And Inferno, well, his beast mode overrode his logic circuits, in the parlance of the show. As a fire ant, his only purpose in life was to protect his colony – the stasis pod that he’d ridden down to the surface. Eventually, he was introduced to Megatron, and his understanding shifted to include him as the colony’s Queen. His beast mode – a gigantic fire ant – is creepy and bumpy and just incredibly FIRE ANT.

Inferno in robot mode

Inferno is my favorite Predacon in Beast Wars, and I cannot state this strongly enough. His wild glee, his chaotic spreading of fire with his flamethrower, and his complete abandon while flying through the sky with his butt… er… abdomen jetpack, leaving an enormous smoke trail through the sky! Just amazing.

FOR THE COLONY!