Fall of Cybertron Insecticons

[griffin]

Looks like the Transformers facebook page are doing more FoC reveals over the next few weeks, starting with the Insecticon Hardshell/Bombshell.

We've seen a "Kickback" toy at BotCon last month, and the first reveal on facebook is for Hardshell (the new name for Bombshell, due to the name either not being available or being too warlike)... so we could be seeing Shrapnel on FoC as well. But the big question would be, could there be toys of the other two, or will Kickback be the "Insecticon representative" - due to the toy being called "Insecticon", and it would be a bit much having three insect Generations toys in a small toy series.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

being too warlike)...

Wait, wot? Is that a reason Hasbro uses for renaming TFs as well? Yet they make it plainly aware that TFs are at war....

Back on topic though, glad to see more Insecticon love!

[Decepticon]

Nice looks good I hope it comes out in a toy eventually.

[griffin]

It was just speculations, as tfwiki suggests it is a trademark issue (but doesn't go into any details).
Since we recently had a "Bomb Burst" toy in Powercore Combiners line, my thought of it being a victim of pacifist/sensitivity in the post 9-11 America, is likely to be wrong.
I just remember how the RiD cartoon was affected/edited, and kids were being "protected" from psychological trauma... you just never know what marketing or publicity will decide or change.

[Hursticon]

The artists over at High Moon Studios continue to out-do themselves, this "Hardshell" looks absolutely awesome and I can't wait to see this model both in it's Alt mode and being animated!; Oh, a toy would be great too but I've no expectations.

[griffin]

The second Insecticon to be revealed is Kickback - which we will be getting a toy for in the Generations line.

(I'd be surprised if we get any other Insecticon toys though, with Generations being such a small line)

[5FDP]

I would be surprised and disappointed if we didn't get a Shrapnel toy; he was the unofficial leader of the Insecticons in the cartoon.

[liegeprime]

I would be surprised and disappointed if we didn't get a Shrapnel toy; he was the unofficial leader of the Insecticons in the cartoon.

Prepare to be dissapointed then

[GoktimusPrime]

I personally always saw Bombshell as the leader of the Insecticons personally. <shrug> A Shrapnel toy would be awesome. It'd surely sell better than another Bumblebee repaint. (-_-)

[griffin]

(WARNING - geek moment )

Well, for those who believe the toys should be accurately portrayed in the "advertising merchandise" (cartoons, comics), Kickback was the highest ranking of the three main Insecticons. When you add in the four Deluxe Insecticons, Venom is the only one that outranks Kickback, but only by half a point.
If a writer didn't reflect that in a particular story or series, then they were wrong or were just guessing. It'd be like having a Dinobot other than Grimlock leading the Dinobots... we'd dispute it now, but if a writer ever got it wrong, wouldn't we question it based on the rankings of the toys (the foundation created by Budiansky for the stories to be based off)?
So if it is ambiguous as to who was the highest ranking Insecticon in the cartoon and/or comics over the years, just go back to the original template/resource for what it was supposed to be.

Kickback - 7
Bombshell - 6
Shrapnel - 6

Venom - 7.5
Chopshop - 6
Ransack - 5
Barrage - 5

Unless there was a known mix up of a techspec (Starscream & Thundercracker, Sideswipe & Sunstreaker, Scorponok), I prefer to go by any of Budiansky's original details/bios/bible over what a part-time writer did in a one-off story or plot-device. It's the same with the colours of Rumble/Frenzy, or the leadership of the Insecticons and Constructicons... if Budiansky designated them with those roles or gimmicks, then I will usually dismiss anything contradicting that in cartoons & comics, as being the writer's error.

(end geek moment... )