Masterpiece MP-34S Shadow Panther

[GoktimusPrime]

As someone who was living in Japan when BW came out, I think that this is a good move by TakaraTOMY because Shadow Panther was HUGELY popular. When I was initially trying to find one for myself, I could never find it in local stores so I had to travel all the way into Tokyo where I finally found Rhinox vs Shadow Panther and bought it.


↑Inside that blue plastic bag was my Rhinox Vs Shadow Panther set

Months later I found it locally and picked some up for other fans outside of Japan who wanted it, but again, not easy. I'd rate this with the CD ROM Convobat vs Megalligator in terms of the most difficult BW toys to find in stores. There was one time that I bought Shadow Panther just as the store had freshly restocked their shelves - I went out with a mate for a couple of hours then decided to go back to that shop to buy another Shadow Panther for myself to keep sealed. They were sold out! And I was living in a semi-rural area!

I honestly don't know what it was about this toy that made it so popular, but it sold like crazy hotcakes. While I know that this is a horribly obscure toy to non-Japanese fans, for reasons that elude me, it was massively popular in Japan. So I think it makes sense from TakaraTOMY's POV. Besides, aside from Shadow Panther and Tigatron, what else can you do with the MP Cheetor mould? They gotta make their money back somehow.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Very cool looking MP, but will be passing on it.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

Listing up at RK -- US$64.90:

http://www.robotkingdom.com/tftrmp34s.html

[Paulbot]

Me thinks MP Beast Wars Ravage will/would be a retool of the MP Transmetal Cheetor toy, not the original.

http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/tmjaguar.php

[DELTAprime]

^Oh that's right, he showed up late in season 2. I always think of him as season one for some stupid reason. So many continuities and episodes to keep straight.

[Autocon]

Me thinks MP Beast Wars Ravage will/would be a retool of the MP Transmetal Cheetor toy, not the original.

http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/tmjaguar.php

Arent all black repaints meant to be Ravage? Im sure they retconned this guy chinthinkingemoji

[VGMStudios]

From someone who loves black repaints, Im just not feeling this one.
Maybe if the yellow was teal... And that silver chrome... dont quite like it.

[Shirokaze]

Looks great, only thing I'm disappointed with is the lead time; August is a bit rough for a repaint

[GoktimusPrime]

Arent all black repaints meant to be Ravage? Im sure they retconned this guy chinthinkingemoji

Sooort of... This toy was made available as an online exclusive via HasbroCollectors.com. At first it was sold as Shadow Panther and retained his original persona which is not Ravage. They even posted an English translation of the tech specs which was the translation that I wrote back in 1997! A couple of months later Hasbro wanted to rename the toy Ravage, but they'd lost the trademark at the time so they called it Tripredacus Agent, but the English bio remained unchanged.

So... if you bought the toy from HasbroCollectors.com, and if it was later on after they'd changed the online name to "Tripredacus Agent," and if you accept that the name change is meant to be Ravage (despite the lack of change to the bio)... then I guess it might count as Ravage to you.

I think it's easier to just say that it's NOT Ravage.
Transmetal 2 Tripredacus Agent is definitely Ravage though, and as Paulbot said, the retool of Transmetal Cheetor makes more sense as an MP BW Ravage. Especially given that even the TV show CG model for Ravage was a modification of TM Cheetor's CG model!

[reillyd]

Sooort of...

I think it's easier to just say that it's NOT Ravage.
Transmetal 2 Tripredacus Agent is definitely Ravage though, and as Paulbot said, the retool of Transmetal Cheetor makes more sense as an MP BW Ravage. Especially given that even the TV show CG model for Ravage was a modification of TM Cheetor's CG model!

Okay now I'm even more confused. I *love* Ravage but never followed the beast wars line (I've only watched the episodes with him in!). Tripredacus is Ravage, check. Shadow Panther "sort of" Ravage? If there was a third party missile add-on it would make him a ravage, but just being a black cat? I don't know whether to add him to the Ravage shrine or not now.... I do have the McDonalds Beast Wars toy of him, but I was acting under the assumption he WAS Ravage. Now I'm just confused?!?