I have a *lot* of toys in transit at the moment, and every time I come up I keep thinking I'm just going to be inundated with packages. So far, it hasn't happened yet. But I did get this set today, which I was very happy about.

This is the PulseCon 2022 exclusive toy, but it was offered up online as there was no physical convention for fans to attend. It depicts the scene from the G1 cartoon episode "War Dawn" in which Alpha Trion is tending to the damaged Orion Pax, an unassuming robot who was destined to be rebuilt as Optimus Prime. (Aerialbots sold separately.)

The box art is beautiful, and it will be kind of a shame to throw it away. No window at all, just a box covered in lovely artwork. The box is 13" x 9" x 5", like a Commander-class release, though it's arguably too deep and even a bit too wide considering the toys that are inside. They could have shrank it down a bit. Alpha Trion and Orion Pax come tied down to the inside cardboard tray, and all the accessories are wrapped in tissue paper.

ALPHA TRION

We've gotten a tiny PVC figure of Alpha Trion, a version that turns into a lion, a weird Cyberverse version, but this is definitely the closest toy yet in terms of correct scale and screen appearance. He's a remold of Studio Series Scourge, of course, but a damn good one. Floro Dery designed both Alpha Trion and Scourge, and most of his original designs tended to use the same rounded body parts and musculature, as opposed to the boxy designs directly based on Hasbro toys. So, this was absolutely the best toy to turn into Alpha Trion.

There has been extensive remolding done to the robot head, the chest, the upper arms, and the upper legs. The "bat wings" have also been changed to flatter, more rectangular cape parts. He has the same elbows and forearms and lower legs and feet, but nothing about those parts on Alpha Trion is distinctive enough to warrant new parts. Where Scourge had an open right hand and the Sweep had an open left hand, Alpha Trion gets two open hands this time (but can still hold accessories). He's an even mix of a deep purple, a maroon color, and a light grey, which matches his screen appearances.

Alpha Trion never transformed into anything on the show, and it's arguable that he was so old that he predates the concept of transforming. Nonetheless, this version turns into a very Scourge-like vehicle using most of the same Scourge engineering. Most parts are the same, but Alpha Trion gets a remolded front section that actually includes a Jhiaxus-like canopy, and the assembly that covers his head and hides his face is quite different.

Amusingly, the instructions to create the alternate vehicle configuration with the head poking out are included—and they're correct, this time, unlike the instructions for Scourge himself (which do not properly demonstrate how to lift the head assembly and plug it back in so that his head is raised). I love that they caught this mistake, but it's crazy that the instructions to do this for Scourge weren't right, when he's the character it really makes more sense for. He comes with a purple version of Scourge's gun, but no blast effects.

I probably won't be transforming him much, but this is a great toy to have nonetheless. He's such an important character, and it's so cool to get an accurate version represented in neo-G1.

ORION PAX

Taking Kup toys and turning them into Orion Pax is a popular choice. It's been done three times now—with the G1 toy, the Titans Return toy, and now this version. We also got the Power of the Primes version that transformed into Optimus Prime, which was the first toy specifically designed to resemble the character. But, he transformed into Optimus Prime's vehicle mode, not his own.

This version is a remolded Studio Series Kup, and he gets a completely new robot head, chest, and redesigned lower legs. The arms are the same, as are the pelvis and upper legs and toes. But, that's more remolding than we got with the eHobby toy (zero) or the Titans Return version (just the head). He still comes with the same pistol and energon goodies box, because I'm sure it was all gang molded together. The gun looks puny in Kup's hands, but I could totally buy that Orion Pax would be packing a tiny little peashooter, so it fits the character.

We didn't see Orion Pax transform in the cartoon, and for a long while we didn't even know what his vehicle mode looked like (the Floro Dery design, which didn't make it into the finished episode, only surfaced a few years ago). So, while this transformation doesn't quite match the actual unused design, there remains no canonical vehicle mode for him, so this is easily as authentic as anything else they could have come up with.

The differently-designed robot torso means the look of the vehicle design has changed significantly, with an entirely different-looking windshield. Orion Pax has no Autobot symbols, which is accurate to his screen appearance..

Of course, Orion Pax retains the abiltiy for the Kup toy to pop apart at the arms and legs. Orion was merely shot in the chest by Megatron in the episode, but you could certainly imagine a scenario in which Megatron blasted the poor guy into pieces. Or, conversely, Alpha Trion had to disassemble him and dismantle his limbs in order to properly convert him into the first of the New Defenders.

VECTOR SIGMA

There have already been a couple of Vector Sigma toys—one a souvenier from BotCon 2007 that came in a plastic baggie. I've wanted one on eBay for many years, but they typically sell for $70 or more, which seems like a lot to pay for a plastic ball. Another version came with the Masterpiece MP-10 Optimus Prime, but it didn't have a proper stand.

This version is about 2.75" in diameter, and appears to be made of clear plastic that's been painted gold. This means any enterprising fan who wanted to add a small light source could probably make it glow. It comes with a clear plastic stand, an arm that's about two inches long and a base, so it can appear to "float," give life to the Stunticons, etc. There's a tiny key accessory that plugs into the top of the computer. Alpha Trion's open-style hands allow him to actually hold it as an accessory.

I would have been content with just Alpha Trion and Orion Pax, but the fact that we get Vector Sigma in the set as well is just amazing. Hasbro Pulse currently sells the set for $66.99, and it's still available as of this writing.

Zob (I used to display my MP-10 Vector Sigma on a stand I made out of some clear LEGO parts, but I might have to retire that one now)

On Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 6:23:33 PM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:

> The box art is beautiful, and it will be kind of a shame to throw it away.. No window at all, just a box covered in lovely artwork.

It's kind of neat how the box illustration is composed similar to Optimus' death scene from the movie. Orion is lying on a table and Alpha Trion looms over him like Ultra Magnus did over the dying Prime. But those weird orb shaped instruments seem to be pointing lasers at Orion's crotch from above and it makes me laugh. It looks more like a vasectomy being performed than a dramatic resurrection.

It would've been neat to have some battle damage paint apps on the Orion Pax figure as it would make this a more accurate representation of the moment being depicted, but I guess Hasbro is gun shy about that kind of deco nowadays.

Zobovor <zmfts@aol.com> wrote:
> I have a *lot* of toys in transit at the moment, and every time I come up
> I keep thinking I'm just going to be inundated with packages. So far, it
> hasn't happened yet. But I did get this set today, which I was very happy about.

I haven’t opened mine yet, but he also arrived today. I’ve been busy.

> ALPHA TRION
>
> We've gotten a tiny PVC figure of Alpha Trion, a version that turns into
> a lion, a weird Cyberverse version, but this is definitely the closest
> toy yet in terms of correct scale and screen appearance. He's a remold
> of Studio Series Scourge, of course, but a damn good one. Floro Dery
> designed both Alpha Trion and Scourge, and most of his original designs
> tended to use the same rounded body parts and musculature, as opposed to
> the boxy designs directly based on Hasbro toys. So, this was absolutely
> the best toy to turn into Alpha Trion.

There was a Botcon version based on Cybertron Vector Prime that always
looked lovely, and also the Power of the Primes version with the Landmine
Pretender shell. And an unreleased Botcon design based on BM Snarl.

I do like the Titans Return Lion toy, but it isn’t very authentic. We all
know Alpha Trion wasn’t a headmaster. Perhaps he respresents some future
version of Alpha Prime, climbing out of Vector Sigma, doffing his head,
etc.

This looks to be the most cartoon accurate version we have gotten.

> Alpha Trion never transformed into anything on the show, and it's
> arguable that he was so old that he predates the concept of transforming.

That we realized. We may have seen him dozens of times in disguise
somewhere. Was there a purple, maroon and white lamp post anywhere?

> I probably won't be transforming him much, but this is a great toy to
> have nonetheless. He's such an important character, and it's so cool to
> get an accurate version represented in neo-G1.
>
> ORION PAX
>
> Taking Kup toys and turning them into Orion Pax is a popular choice.
> It's been done three times now—with the G1 toy, the Titans Return toy,
> and now this version. We also got the Power of the Primes version that
> transformed into Optimus Prime, which was the first toy specifically
> designed to resemble the character. But, he transformed into Optimus
> Prime's vehicle mode, not his own.

I absolutely love the Titans Return Orion Pax. One of my favorite toys, and
the best use of that mold (it wasn’t a great Kup). Again, likely depicting
a different era than it was marketed by, with the headmaster and all,
something post-Rebirth.

And it would be totally in character for Optimus to eventually retire,
deciding that his leadership was leading to more conflict, etc. Whether the
head is a reconfigured Hi-Q, or whether the body is Roller, or what, it’s a
toy that leaves a lot of room to expand the universe. But it does leave a
gap for a pre-Optimus version of the character.

The Power of the Primes toy was interesting, but not really good. The least
successful of the three Leader molds, and yes, that does mean not as good
as Primal transforming into a skateboard and the Ape X armor he combines
with to be Optimal Optimus missing a ground mode. I don’t like that PotP
Optimus.

> This version is a remolded Studio Series Kup, and he gets a completely
> new robot head, chest, and redesigned lower legs. The arms are the same,
> as are the pelvis and upper legs and toes. But, that's more remolding
> than we got with the eHobby toy (zero) or the Titans Return version (just
> the head). He still comes with the same pistol and energon goodies box,
> because I'm sure it was all gang molded together. The gun looks puny in
> Kup's hands, but I could totally buy that Orion Pax would be packing a
> tiny little peashooter, so it fits the character.

Is it even a gun? A small welder, or a fancy price gun might be
appropriate.

> We didn't see Orion Pax transform in the cartoon, and for a long while we
> didn't even know what his vehicle mode looked like (the Floro Dery
> design, which didn't make it into the finished episode, only surfaced a
> few years ago). So, while this transformation doesn't quite match the
> actual unused design, there remains no canonical vehicle mode for him, so
> this is easily as authentic as anything else they could have come up with.

Do we get a sense of Orion Pax’s age in the cartoon? I’m wondering if he
would have been a contemporary of Kup — one year, that’s what was being
churned out, variations on Kup design — and it is only the rebuilding and
5M years asleep that make him appear younger.

> The differently-designed robot torso means the look of the vehicle design
> has changed significantly, with an entirely different-looking windshield.
> Orion Pax has no Autobot symbols, which is accurate to his screen appearance.
>
> Of course, Orion Pax retains the abiltiy for the Kup toy to pop apart at
> the arms and legs. Orion was merely shot in the chest by Megatron in the
> episode, but you could certainly imagine a scenario in which Megatron
> blasted the poor guy into pieces. Or, conversely, Alpha Trion had to
> disassemble him and dismantle his limbs in order to properly convert him
> into the first of the New Defenders.

Orion Pax was kind of begging for people to beat him up. I’m sure he lost
his limbs all the time before he finally got shot.

> VECTOR SIGMA
>
> There have already been a couple of Vector Sigma toys—one a souvenier
> from BotCon 2007 that came in a plastic baggie. I've wanted one on eBay
> for many years, but they typically sell for $70 or more, which seems like
> a lot to pay for a plastic ball. Another version came with the
> Masterpiece MP-10 Optimus Prime, but it didn't have a proper stand.
>
> This version is about 2.75" in diameter, and appears to be made of clear
> plastic that's been painted gold. This means any enterprising fan who
> wanted to add a small light source could probably make it glow. It comes
> with a clear plastic stand, an arm that's about two inches long and a
> base, so it can appear to "float," give life to the Stunticons, etc.
> There's a tiny key accessory that plugs into the top of the computer.
> Alpha Trion's open-style hands allow him to actually hold it as an accessory.
>
> I would have been content with just Alpha Trion and Orion Pax, but the
> fact that we get Vector Sigma in the set as well is just amazing. Hasbro
> Pulse currently sells the set for $66.99, and it's still available as of this writing.

I have surprisingly little interest in a ball.

> Zob (I used to display my MP-10 Vector Sigma on a stand I made out of
> some clear LEGO parts, but I might have to retire that one now)
>

Gustavo (maybe it is not that surprising — I play with toys rather than
display them. If the ball transformed…)

On Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 9:07:22 PM UTC-4, evil.king.m...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 6:23:33 PM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:
>
> > The box art is beautiful, and it will be kind of a shame to throw it away. No window at all, just a box covered in lovely artwork.
> It's kind of neat how the box illustration is composed similar to Optimus' death scene from the movie. Orion is lying on a table and Alpha Trion looms over him like Ultra Magnus did over the dying Prime. But those weird orb shaped instruments seem to be pointing lasers at Orion's crotch from above and it makes me laugh. It looks more like a vasectomy being performed than a dramatic resurrection.

OK, that made me laugh.

On Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 7:07:22 PM UTC-6, evil.king.m...@gmail.com wrote:

> But those weird orb shaped instruments seem to be pointing lasers at Orion's crotch from above and it makes me laugh. It looks more like a vasectomy being performed than a dramatic resurrection.

The orb things are actually canon. You can totally see them in Alpha Trion's lab in the cartoon. I usually don't take note of backgrounds (I have a terrible blind spot for them) but I do recall him reaching for one and zapping the Decepticons with it.

> It would've been neat to have some battle damage paint apps on the Orion Pax figure as it would make this a more accurate representation of the moment being depicted, but I guess Hasbro is gun shy about that kind of deco nowadays.

Yeah, it would have kind of ruined the toy if they'd slathered it with battle damage. It should be able to represent Orion Pax during all stages of his career, not just that one specific scene.

When Hasbro started doing battle damage on the Star Wars action figures, it really weirded me out. Like, there was a Greedo who had a blaster burn in his chest, if you lifted up his vest. Who in the world wants an action figure of a dead Greedo? At least it was covered by his vest, though, so it was more like an easter egg. And then there was the dead K-3PO, the white protocol droid visible in the background on Hoth. Hasbro produced a version with black scorch marks on his chest, but he only appeared that way on screen after the Empire attacked and he was killed. But, I think I read somewhere that Hasbro was just using Lucasfilm archival photos without realizing what the scorch marks represented.

I know there is more of a collector push now for toys that represent characters at very specific moments in time (like the translucent Galvatron in the middle of being created, or the grey dead Optimus Prime, or Darth Vader being electrocuted with a visible skull under his helmet) but those are variants that are fun to have, after you've bought the "main" version of the character.

Zob (a little disappointed that the new Kobra Khan doesn't actually spit water)

Zobovor <zmfts@aol.com> wrote:
> I have a *lot* of toys in transit at the moment, and every time I come up
> I keep thinking I'm just going to be inundated with packages. So far, it
> hasn't happened yet. But I did get this set today, which I was very happy about.
>
> This is the PulseCon 2022 exclusive toy, but it was offered up online as
> there was no physical convention for fans to attend. It depicts the
> scene from the G1 cartoon episode "War Dawn" in which Alpha Trion is
> tending to the damaged Orion Pax, an unassuming robot who was destined to
> be rebuilt as Optimus Prime. (Aerialbots sold separately.)
>
> The box art is beautiful, and it will be kind of a shame to throw it
> away. No window at all, just a box covered in lovely artwork. The box
> is 13" x 9" x 5", like a Commander-class release, though it's arguably
> too deep and even a bit too wide considering the toys that are inside.
> They could have shrank it down a bit. Alpha Trion and Orion Pax come
> tied down to the inside cardboard tray, and all the accessories are
> wrapped in tissue paper.
>
> ALPHA TRION
>
> We've gotten a tiny PVC figure of Alpha Trion, a version that turns into
> a lion, a weird Cyberverse version, but this is definitely the closest
> toy yet in terms of correct scale and screen appearance. He's a remold
> of Studio Series Scourge, of course, but a damn good one. Floro Dery
> designed both Alpha Trion and Scourge, and most of his original designs
> tended to use the same rounded body parts and musculature, as opposed to
> the boxy designs directly based on Hasbro toys. So, this was absolutely
> the best toy to turn into Alpha Trion.
>
> There has been extensive remolding done to the robot head, the chest, the
> upper arms, and the upper legs. The "bat wings" have also been changed
> to flatter, more rectangular cape parts. He has the same elbows and
> forearms and lower legs and feet, but nothing about those parts on Alpha
> Trion is distinctive enough to warrant new parts. Where Scourge had an
> open right hand and the Sweep had an open left hand, Alpha Trion gets two
> open hands this time (but can still hold accessories). He's an even mix
> of a deep purple, a maroon color, and a light grey, which matches his screen appearances.
>
> Alpha Trion never transformed into anything on the show, and it's
> arguable that he was so old that he predates the concept of transforming.
> Nonetheless, this version turns into a very Scourge-like vehicle using
> most of the same Scourge engineering. Most parts are the same, but Alpha
> Trion gets a remolded front section that actually includes a Jhiaxus-like
> canopy, and the assembly that covers his head and hides his face is quite different.

I would have liked a remold to put the gun in the center of the vehicle,
rather than on the side of his shell as that still looks dumb. It would
have meant a nub on one wing, in all likelihood, which might not be a great
price to pay for a character who never even held a gun in the cartoon.

(Clearly, we now need an A3 toy)

> Amusingly, the instructions to create the alternate vehicle configuration
> with the head poking out are included—and they're correct, this time,
> unlike the instructions for Scourge himself (which do not properly
> demonstrate how to lift the head assembly and plug it back in so that his
> head is raised). I love that they caught this mistake, but it's crazy
> that the instructions to do this for Scourge weren't right, when he's the
> character it really makes more sense for. He comes with a purple version
> of Scourge's gun, but no blast effects.
>
> I probably won't be transforming him much, but this is a great toy to
> have nonetheless. He's such an important character, and it's so cool to
> get an accurate version represented in neo-G1.

There are a lot of spots that are a tight fit for transformation, which are
also painted. So, yours might end up being pristine far longer than mine.

Anyway, he’s a great representation of Alpha Trion — the best to date.

>
> ORION PAX
>
> This version is a remolded Studio Series Kup, and he gets a completely
> new robot head, chest, and redesigned lower legs. The arms are the same,
> as are the pelvis and upper legs and toes. But, that's more remolding
> than we got with the eHobby toy (zero) or the Titans Return version (just
> the head). He still comes with the same pistol and energon goodies box,
> because I'm sure it was all gang molded together. The gun looks puny in
> Kup's hands, but I could totally buy that Orion Pax would be packing a
> tiny little peashooter, so it fits the character.

The Energon Goodies are molded in clear plastic, and then painted. The only
other clear plastic is for light piping to the eyes, also painted over, and
with all the remolding of the head, I expect that is not shared with Kup.

I really have no idea why he has the Energon goodies. Or painted over light
piping.

The new lower legs means he has a bit of trouble rolling. And they pop out
of place with relatively little pressure.

Overall, I had forgotten how finicky this mold is, and how annoying it is
to transform. It’s fine, but I bought the set for Alpha Trion.

>
> VECTOR SIGMA
>
> There have already been a couple of Vector Sigma toys—one a souvenier
> from BotCon 2007 that came in a plastic baggie. I've wanted one on eBay
> for many years, but they typically sell for $70 or more, which seems like
> a lot to pay for a plastic ball. Another version came with the
> Masterpiece MP-10 Optimus Prime, but it didn't have a proper stand.
>
> This version is about 2.75" in diameter, and appears to be made of clear
> plastic that's been painted gold. This means any enterprising fan who
> wanted to add a small light source could probably make it glow. It comes
> with a clear plastic stand, an arm that's about two inches long and a
> base, so it can appear to "float," give life to the Stunticons, etc.
> There's a tiny key accessory that plugs into the top of the computer.
> Alpha Trion's open-style hands allow him to actually hold it as an accessory.
>
> I would have been content with just Alpha Trion and Orion Pax, but the
> fact that we get Vector Sigma in the set as well is just amazing. Hasbro
> Pulse currently sells the set for $66.99, and it's still available as of this writing.
>
>
> Zob (I used to display my MP-10 Vector Sigma on a stand I made out of
> some clear LEGO parts, but I might have to retire that one now)
>

On Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 12:19:39 AM UTC-6, Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats wrote:

> I would have liked a remold to put the gun in the center of the vehicle,
> rather than on the side of his shell as that still looks dumb. It would
> have meant a nub on one wing, in all likelihood, which might not be a great
> price to pay for a character who never even held a gun in the cartoon.

I'm sure they just threw in the gun because it was already part of the mold, and it makes less sense to gate off the part and include no accessories for the toy just out of fidelity to the character. Maybe it's a welding gun, or a diagnostic scanner, or something along those lines?
> (Clearly, we now need an A3 toy)

A-3's design is weird, because a lot of his body parts are different in shape and design, but then they just slapped the Alpha Trion colors on him which really serves to minimize the design changes. I had to check because all I could really remember was "no cape, short moustache."

They could modify this toy and try to resell it as A-3, but I think it would register as redundant in most people's eyes. And I don't think he'd be able to transform into anything, because they'd need to lose the cape-wings completely.

> Anyway, he’s a great representation of Alpha Trion — the best to date.

I'm incredibly satisfied with him. This is the sort of toy that, usually, I know that it exists, but it's always like $300 on the secondary market and I sort of resign myself to the fact that I'll probably never own one. The fact that Hasbro made him so affordable is great. He's delightful.
> I really have no idea why he has the Energon goodies. Or painted over light
> piping.

I guess the alternative would have been to leave the energon goodies unpainted completely, like Minerva's gun, but that would have looked weird. And, you know, he's a dock worker. Sometimes you work long hours and you have a snack attack. You're not you when you're hungry.

> Overall, I had forgotten how finicky this mold is, and how annoying it is
> to transform. It’s fine, but I bought the set for Alpha Trion.

The fact that it results in such a clean robot mode means the vehicle mode is almost incidental. I'm glad it's a transforming toy in a toy line called Transformers, but I don't know that I'll have the urge to transform him a lot. But, you're right about the transformation. Apparently it's been long enough since Studio Series Kup came out that I had to relearn the entire sequence, and it sure isn't as clean or intuitive as G1 Kup. But, nothing will beat G1 Kup when it comes to simplicity and elegance.

Zob (the more I type the name Kup, the more I hate it)

Zobovor <zmfts@aol.com> wrote:
> On Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 12:19:39 AM UTC-6, Gustavo Wombat, of the
> Seattle Wombats wrote:

>
>> I really have no idea why he has the Energon goodies. Or painted over light
>> piping.
>
> I guess the alternative would have been to leave the energon goodies
> unpainted completely, like Minerva's gun, but that would have looked
> weird. And, you know, he's a dock worker. Sometimes you work long hours
> and you have a snack attack. You're not you when you're hungry.

No, I just mean that they have removed all other parts that were on the
clear mold. The windshield is gone. The original light piping for the eyes
is gone.

They could have just not run the clear plastic at all. No need for the
juice box, and since it’s a new head there’s no need for light piping.

Instead, they created new light piping (or remolded it) and then painted
the eyes anyway. And included the juice box, which they painted.

Save a few pennies in production which could go to… an extra paint
operation? Profit? A blast effect for Alpha Trion’s unprecedented gun?

(I wonder if the light piping is structural? Are they using a three piece
head design with the light piping holding the front and back together…
there’s no screw, but I’ve just been assuming that meant glue, and a two
piece design would also work)

I am really impressed by how much younger and different Orion Pax looks
compared to Kupworthy Kup. The changes aren’t that large, but the figure
reads entirely different.

Also, I would have liked Vector Sigma to be clear yellow plastic, painted
silver on the inside. Given it more of a glowing look. But that might have
been much more complicated (need to arrange the interior to look good) and
expensive (the stand would still need to be clear, so it’s another color
plastic)

On Monday, November 7, 2022 at 12:44:33 AM UTC-7, Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats wrote:

> No, I just mean that they have removed all other parts that were on the
> clear mold. The windshield is gone. The original light piping for the eyes
> is gone.

Oh, okay. Well, I know that almost every toy now is designed with an alternate head sculpt, right out of the gate. So, they probably designed Kup with a possible Orion Pax redeco in mind, and they just gated off the Kup head and poured plastic into the Orion part of the mold. They must have gated off the Kup windshield too (not needed) but they still produced a clear piece for Orion's eyes (which ended up being painted anyway) and the energon goodies.

You're right, they could have just not done the clear parts at all and they would have been fine. Hasbro is a little silly sometimes.

Zob (seriously, every single toy has an alternate head, which makes you wonder about a few of them...)