Encore Soundblaster & Twincast

[zigzagger]

For those of you who may have missed out on their reissues the first time around, Big Bad Toy Store and TFsource have listed pre-order pages for Encore Soundblaster and Twincast...

And they brought some new cassettebot redecos with them.

Soundblaster will be released with Enemy (a red and blue redeco of Rumble/Frenzy) and Wingthing (a orange and black deco of Ratbat). Twincast will be released with Nightstalker (a black redeco of Steeljaw) and Stripes (a orange redeco of Ravage).

Encore # 21: Soundblaster @ Tfsource & Big Bad Toy Store
Encore #22: Twincast @ Tfsource & Big Bad Toy Store
 

[inflatable dalek]

I can see me getting a Billy, just to annoy Star TV detractors by waving him up and down and quoting his many memorable lines from the dub...
 

[Blackjack]

Nightstalker, Wingthing, Stripes and Enemy... they're scratching the bottom of the obsure Transformer barrel, ain't they?
 

[numbat]

Originally Posted by Blackjack

Nightstalker, Wingthing, Stripes and Enemy... they're scratching the bottom of the obsure Transformer barrel, ain't they?

Erm... Who are they?
 

[Bluecatcinema]

"Nightstalker" and "Stripes" aren't too bad, as names go, and "Wingthing" was already used for Action Master Soundwave's partner. Granted, "Enemy" is pretty weak...
 

[Blackjack]

-Stripes: a preliminary Autobot cassette in the script of the 1986 movie. Eventually replaced by Ramhorn or Steeljaw.

-Nightstalker: a character in a Marvel UK exclusive text story. 'State Games', I think.

-Enemy: a simplified version of Rumble/Frenzy released as an accessory to a Transformer merchandise in the 1980's, and later had a voice changing toy or something similar.

-Wingthing: Soundwave's Action Master partner.
 

[Cliffjumper]

Originally Posted by Blackjack

Nightstalker: a character in a Marvel UK exclusive text story. 'State Games', I think.

And nicked from a 12-year old to boot.

Nightstalker should've been packed with a reissue of Overlord for maximum head****ery.
 

[numbat]

Thanks guys.

They're all nobodies. I get it.


 

[Blackjack]

Originally Posted by Cliffjumper

Nightstalker should've been packed with a reissue of Overlord for maximum head****ery.

This would be kind of awesome. In a twisted sort of way.
 

[Skyquake87]

Soundblaster or new soundwave for star tv fans is awesome.i like him just a little more than soundwave,he looks proper evil in all that black.the alt mode with the double capacity door looks silly though.i already own the tfc reissue but those 'new' cassettes making him tempting. Twincast i am not fussed for.the blaster mould is horrible,all fat limbs and tiny head.its huge as well,towering over everyone else.dreadful.
 

[StarscreamX]

Originally Posted by inflatable dalek

I can see me getting a Billy, just to annoy Star TV detractors by waving him up and down and quoting his many memorable lines from the dub...

Don't you call him Billy. His name is Blaster!

Originally Posted by Blackjack

Nightstalker, Wingthing, Stripes and Enemy... they're scratching the bottom of the obsure Transformer barrel, ain't they?

Isn't Enemy the guy who Steeljaw ate in Shattered Glass? Making him Ravage's favorites

Originally Posted by Cliffjumper

And nicked from a 12-year old to boot.

Nightstalker should've been packed with a reissue of Overlord for maximum head****ery.

Nicked from a 12 year old?
 

[Tetsuro]

Originally Posted by inflatable dalek

I can see me getting a Billy, just to annoy Star TV detractors by waving him up and down and quoting his many memorable lines from the dub...

"Billy! Are you alright!?"
"Not really. Find the power pack!" *dies*
 

[Blackjack]

Originally Posted by StarscreamX

Isn't Enemy the guy who Steeljaw ate in Shattered Glass? Making him Ravage's favorites

That is the shattered glass version of Enemy. Because that strip was made by Walky, it means that obscure characters must have even more obscure mirror universe counterparts.

Nicked from a 12 year old?

IIRC Nightstalker was the prize winner of a make-your-Transformer contest, and was drawn by a 12 year old. He got inserted into the State Games story as a background character afterwards.

My memory is foggy but I think he died trying to save the Autobot overlord.
 

[Cliffjumper]

Originally Posted by Blackjack

IIRC Nightstalker was the prize winner of a make-your-Transformer contest, and was drawn by a 12 year old. He got inserted into the State Games story as a background character afterwards.

My memory is foggy but I think he died trying to save the Autobot overlord.

Aye; it's more a half-truth exagerrated for the purposes of TEH LULZ. One Jason Yeo submitted art for the UK comic's Design-A-Decepticon competition, and was one of the 'winners' - http://tfarchive.com/comics/gallery.php?g2_itemId=14213 (though Marvel most likely printed the majority they received as the prize was something like a Minibot; note the traced Macross Valkyrie above...) with a design that's basically Ravage as a wolf.

Year or two later, UK Annual text story "State Games" featured Ravage and his identical 'twin' Nightstalker, bodyguards of an aging Autobot overlord on pre-war Cybertron. Nightstalker self-destructed protecting the old duffer; Ravage chose not to bother, instead siding with the dissident gladiator Megatron (IIRC making him the first Decepticon recruit, and fitting with his genuine friendship with Megatron often shown in the UK comic).

No-one really asks why they're cats.

Despite a couple of oddities (it predates the idea of Primes being a rank, so Optimus Prime is called Optimus Prime when he's just a simple athlete), State Games is well worth a read - it's probably still the best "early days" story we've been given about Transformers.
 

[StarscreamX]

Originally Posted by Cliffjumper

Aye; it's more a half-truth exagerrated for the purposes of TEH LULZ. One Jason Yeo submitted art for the UK comic's Design-A-Decepticon competition, and was one of the 'winners' - http://tfarchive.com/comics/gallery.php?g2_itemId=14213 (though Marvel most likely printed the majority they received as the prize was something like a Minibot; note the traced Macross Valkyrie above...) with a design that's basically Ravage as a wolf.

Year or two later, UK Annual text story "State Games" featured Ravage and his identical 'twin' Nightstalker, bodyguards of an aging Autobot overlord on pre-war Cybertron. Nightstalker self-destructed protecting the old duffer; Ravage chose not to bother, instead siding with the dissident gladiator Megatron (IIRC making him the first Decepticon recruit, and fitting with his genuine friendship with Megatron often shown in the UK comic).

No-one really asks why they're cats.

I guess Cybertron had metal animals and those were their "Beat Modes" ? Straxus probably hunted them all to extinction just to be a tosser.

Despite a couple of oddities (it predates the idea of Primes being a rank, so Optimus Prime is called Optimus Prime when he's just a simple athlete), State Games is well worth a read - it's probably still the best "early days" story we've been given about Transformers.

It's a better origin for Megatron in a few pages than Megatron: Origin was in four issues. Though I'd say that James Roberts origin stories for Prime and Megatron in the IDW stuff might give State Games a run for its money as best "Early days" Transformers story it IS really good.

Ravage and Megatron both really benefitted from the UK material back in the Marvel days, didn't they? It even managed to make "Craaaaazy Megatron" from the later Budiansky stuff more interesting
 

[The Reverend]

I figured "Enemy" was named after the nondescript Robo Force character
 

[Decepticon Spike]

My love of all things Soundwave related demands I get Soundblaster this time around.

Twincast, I'm not sure about. I've never had the Blaster mold, but I think ATM, I'll wait to see if I can find find a Blaster first.