Vault Review: Transformers
Fall of Cybertron Shockwave

When it comes to Transformers, I’ve been mostly obsessed with the Prime figures (and their Arms Microns) ever since the First Editions started hitting. So I thought I’d be able to take a break with the return of the Generations, but Hasbro wasn’t about to release their stranglehold on my wallet!

As a kid I didn’t really understand or care about the underlying political issues of the Transformers universe, other than the fact that the Decepticons were bad and the Autobots were good.  To me, Shockwave seemed like a futuristic Megatron copycat with his laser gun mode.  And with his creepy single eye and no face, I think he may have been my first exposure to the idea that robots didn’t have to look like humans.

It wasn’t until I rediscovered Transformers at an older age that I began to understand just how calculating and dangerous Shockwave was to Autobots and Decepticons alike.  His cold robotic eye, which seems like a very strong allusion to HAL from 2001, was the perfect choice of a “face” for this calculating mad scientist.  I wouldn’t necessarily call his character deep, but the fact that he served the Decepticon cause only to further his own machinations has definitely made him one of my favorite characters.

I knew I was going to buy this figure ever since I saw him at SDCC.  He has a great G1 feel without the blocky look, and the sculpt is just as nice in person as those tempting first pictures led me to believe.  His mono-eyed head is complete with light piping to make his burning eye even more intimidating.  His chest is also translucent purple (unfortunately this time without direct light piping), and it makes him look like he’s containing a large amount of energy.

 

The rest of his body is unique, but with nothing really out of the ordinary with its overall humanoid shape.  I do like the extra detailed bits like the sculpted wires and cables that make up his neck.  I also really like that they added wings to his back.  Those blade-like edges make him even more intimidating.

Shockwave’s alt mode is a “Cybertronian mobile artillery” vehicle, but to me he looks more akin to a kickass space battleship.  The entire front half of his ship is a larger version of his hand blaster, and his feet even turn into two bayonet-like ramming wedges.  The bladed wings adorn the sides of his ship, while his chest turns into a large viewing area for the “bridge”.  I know he’s meant to be more of a Cybertronian airplane tank, but he’ll always look like the flagship of an invading army of space aliens to me.  Continue to page 2…

16 thoughts on “Vault Review: Transformers
Fall of Cybertron Shockwave

  1. Just got him recently. Very fun figure.
    Easily my favourite of the three Fall of Cybertron figures so far.

  2. Been debating on getting this guy but man what a price hike on this scale. Though it is a cool design so that has me debating the most. I just hope we’ll see some earth designs in this new line. This review has made me think more toward getting him though. The pics sell it.

  3. I’ve had this figure in my hands on a couple of occassions, but the price hike and smaller size have put me off. I may still pick him up, but I’m definitely passing on the rest of the first wave. When the Prime figures were released, I came to accept them being smaller and a little more expensive than previous Deluxe class figures, but it seems like these new “Generations” toys are flimsier and I just don’t see the value.

    If I do decide to pick up Shockwave it’ll be because of the character. He hasn’t been represented in the “classics” series at all, so he is a highly sought after addition to the collection.

  4. Great review, as always. Got this guy in my Pile o’ Loot and look forward to him shipping next month.

  5. Yea, it the small scale that keep making me pass on him when I see him @ Target. That coupled with the price point!

  6. Gonna go ahead and join the chorus — the smaller size is a turn off, but thats happening to deluxe figures in general, not just ‘ol Shocky here. The price hike — well, for the most part deluxe figures have been in that $9.99-$12.99 zone but along with everything else consumers have to expect to pay more now. I guess the burn is the smaller size in addition to the price bump — Anyone here buy cereal? Have you noticed how boxes keep getting smaller & smaller? Same principle, I think.

    1. They’ve been doing that with chocolate bars here in England for decades. The price stays the same, but they get smaller and smaller. Then, one day, they reintroduce a new, bigger size (the original size) at a price hike.

  7. I’ve seen him 2-3 times now, and the price hike keeps making me pass on him. I didn’t have the original, I think I saw it only once, but I did have the Action Master version, which I think I had commanding the SixShot around all the time! LOL

    I think the increased price for that smaller size, and the fact he has a three pronged cannon arm instead of his classic singular cannon are what are keeping me from buying him. I’m also trying to talk myself into the (WFC?) Jazz while I’m at it. Prime is just too small to bother with, tho. :/

  8. You know what the one thing is that annoys me about this guy? The one thing that really makes me resigned about him? It’s not his size in comparison with the older toys. It’s not his alt mode. It’s not his transformation. It’s not even his price point.

    It’s those damn reedy legs they put on their Generations toys now that make them look like they’re standing on sticks. They bother me on Shockwave, they bother me on the Combaticons. It’s a weird thing to get hung up on, but it really is a nuisance for me.

    1. Yeah, I’m kinda with you on that point, too. But if I recall correctly, the original Shockwave had rather skinny legs to begin with, so this version doesn’t look quite so bad to me.

  9. Vault! You should check the Ulisse 31 intro, the head is a clear copy of the cyclops from that show

  10. He’s nice, though I really dislike that recently Hasbro is making smaller and smaller figures. Next to the earlier Generations/RtS toys (i.e. RtS Jazz, Gen. Blurr) FoC toys or some of the Prime ones look small and simplified, more like a Scout class than Deluxe (FoC in particular). Or RotF vs. DotM. It’s quite a sad tendency.

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