Hallowe'en 2018 Special - What Monstrous Transformers Do You Love?

[TaZZerath]

While i'm not big on the whole Halloween hype train myself, I figured we could have some fun on another episode of TaZZerath's Thought-provoking Talks: What's your favourite Monster Transformers? You can list these as either the characters, the toys that represent them, or both. Anything beastly or monstorous I feel is fair game (including dragons) because around Halloween all the monsters are out to play!

I'm gonna try and collate 5 of my own in no particular order:
Transformers: Prime Predaking was great in the show and my GOD did his Ultimate class figure (with that wingspan!) look amazing. He was one of my regrets in not purchasing (due to price and room thanks to that massive wingspan)
Fangry was always a Marvel Comics favourite of mine along with his winged wolf mode. The first Marvel Comic I owned was "Exodus!" Where thanks to Andrew Wildman's art (which I didn't mind) really brought Fangry to life when he got his tail handed to him by a Nucleon-powered Grimlock. His little Titan Master figure is also adorable.
Blackarachnia as a character in Beast Wars, the femme fatale and polar opposite to her later love Silverbolt. Beast Wars reignited my passion for Transformers and I feel that the way they drove Blackarachnia's character forward really helped cement that. Beast Machines was an aberration because I felt things became a bit disconnected. Her Animated universe counterpart with her alternative backstory was also pretty cool.
Beast Wars Silberbolt, another fantastically fleshed-out character from Beast Wars (until he was nerfed in Beast Machines). Noble and honorable but with a weakness for bad girls (see above) his winged wolf mode always dominated the screens and his head scuplt was something else. Another purchase I never got to getting, at that stage I was only watching and not collecting transformers.
And finally Horri-Bull/Bullhorn. The Alt Mode is the giant demon dogs from Ghostbusters. Enough said!

So what are your favourites? Your list can be as long or as short as you like. Please share!

[FatalityPitt]

For me, G1 Apeface. Not sure if he counts, but he has a beast mode and he's part of a sub-group called the Horrorcons. He's one of the few Transformers that have stayed with me since childhood, and he's a headmaster AND a triple changer (my 2 favourite gimmicks). Also, a gorilla alt-mode was quite a new and novel thing at the time.

[TaZZerath]

For me, G1 Apeface. Not sure if he counts, but he has a beast mode and he's part of a sub-group called the Horrorcons. He's one of the few Transformers that have stayed with me since childhood, and he's a headmaster AND a triple changer (my 2 favourite gimmicks). Also, a gorilla alt-mode was quite a new and novel thing at the time.

Definitely counts!

I always liked the premise of the Horrorcons (specifically Snapdragon) and I reckon he could REALLY do with a refresh.

I have TR Apeface and i LOVE how they managed to homage all his modes in one tiny form!

[BigTransformerTrev]

I have a soft spot for Grotusque as he is the only G1 Monsterbot I own. Must get around to tracking down some wings for him one day.

Honourable mentions to the G1 Seacons (sorta monsters), G1/POTP Hun-Grrrr, Classics Mini-Con Nightscream & TR Twinferno.

Worst Monsters: G1 Blot & various Pretenders and a fair few BW toys.

[UltraMarginal]

I only ever got 4 of the pretender monsters. Icepick, Bristleback, scowl and slog. I thought their combiner design was cool, one of few to incorporate 6 bots. I'd love the remaining 2. and to be confidant the gold plastic parts wont disintegrate next time I look at them.

sadly over time the monster shells have become sticky as the rubber has degraded. I don't really know what to do about that.

[GoktimusPrime]

Halloween is supposed to be All Saints Day in the Christian calendar, so in regard to a saint-like figure -- i.e. someone who is:
* considered to be close to being Primus-like (or close to the acme of their given faction)
* has sacrificed themselves for their cause
I would say...
+ OPTIMUS PRIME - super obvious reason and a tough one to beat since he sacrifices himself like it's going out of style.
+ SCORPONOK (G1) - one of the most heroic Decepticons from G1, and the scene of him dying in Optimus Prime's arms remains one of the most emotionally moving moments in TF canon
+ DINOBOT - again, pretty straightforward reason here.
+ SHOCKWAVE (IDW) - his initial sacrifice, before he became a morally depraved time-traveller. But that brief moment where he became Senator Shockwave again and gave his Spark to save the universe. From himself. But still right in the feels!
+ RODIMUS PRIME (Marvel, alternate Earth) - from Rhythms of Darkness; we never saw him alive but instead saw his corpse strung up between the remains of the Twin Towers in New York (in post-2005, so definitely an alternate reality!). We know that this Rodimus Prime was fighting a desperate battle after having lost Cybertron to Unicron and fighting against Galvatron's forces in the United States. This Rodimus Prime was like the John Connor of the Autobot-human resistance, teaching them how to fight against the Decepticons using guerrilla tactics. Even in death his body continued to haunt Galvatron as his forces continued to be thwarted by Rodimus' legacy.


And technically all deceased Transformers whose Sparks have rejoined the Matrix would be considered Saints; that's the reason why Halloween has such a morbid theme - it's meant to be the celebration of the dearly departed who are now with God in Heaven. So it could be argued that Sparkless Transformers (or those not made by Primus) like Tarantulas cannot be considered Saints, but others like Dinobot would be. I don't know how BW Rampage would work, and arguably anyone else whose Spark was artificially cold constructed as opposed to those who are naturally forged. When Tyrest attempted to murder all cold constructed Transformers, I don't know if their artificially spliced Sparks would join the Matrix or not. But I don't recall Mortilus (the Necrobot) making any such discrimination, nor did it appear to be that way on his planet with all those "flowers."

Now, in terms of Transformers who are monsters, there are at least 2 criteria that I can think of. Transformers who are literally monsters in appearance, and Transformers who are figuratively monsters in their behaviour. In terms of literal monsters my favourite would have to be TRANSMETAL 2 MEGATRON

In terms of figurative monsters, I'd say...
+ STARSCREAM (G1, G2) - Underbase Saga & War World
+ GALVATRON (Marvel UK) - unstoppable juggernaut of a beast
+ OVERLORD (Hasbro/IDW) - much like the Joker from the Dark Knight, he just wants to see the world burn
+ DECEPTICON JUSTICE DIVISION - 'nuff sed
+ GETAWAY (IDW) - utterly morally depraved and incredibly dangerous. And let's not forget that he groomed Tailgate... doesn't get much more monstrous than that!

[TaZZerath]

Man that's deep Goktimus. And I appreciate how deep this is!

I'll have to reply when I get a better chance, but in summary I agree with a lot of what you're saying.

[Dan]

My mood presently says Titans Return Alpha Trion, for his robot mode in particular. This character is supposed to be a wise, kind, scholarly figure, but in this toy he looks like some kind of undead warlock-cum-knight returned from his tomb to take back his dominions, and that's a monster even if it's not (currently) a beast.

I have difficulty looking at this figure as an Autobot at all. There's the garish royal purple and red colours, the scowling face, the crown motif, the pop-out horns, the flaming brand and matching heart-stone, the spiked and toothed shoulders, the beast fur that looks more like quick-silver than anything organic, the almost baroque clockwork details, all combining to make this a fearsome vision.

And then, replace his severed head with his namesake Prime Master, for extra power-lust, inscrutability and schlock.

Amusingly, as I was writing this my current playlist started playing Gimme The Prize by Queen ("Here I am! I'm the master of your destiny...").

[SharkyMcShark]

I'll throw my vote in for The Last Knight Voyager Megatron.

The figure in robot mode looks like a beefy robot Uruk-hai, a vibe helped entirely by the cleaver sword.

[DELTAprime]

Does G1 Predaking count? He was always my favourite G1 combiner and the Predacons are meant to be rather vicious animals, which is the first thing I think of for a monster.