What Every Transformers Fan Has Wanted Since the Eighties Has Been Revealed at HASCON

It’s been a busy weekend at the first annual HASCON, and while we’ve got a GeekDad or two on the ground, Hasbro has sent over detailed images of the first wave from this fall’s Power of the Primes toy line.

The Primiest Prime of All Primes

First off is, of course, Optimus Prime. He comes with a Prime Master that can fit into a shell based off the G1 Pretender Cloudburst. This turns into the weapon for the Deluxe-sized Optimus figure that can, in turn, use his trailer as armor to upsize to a Voyager-sized figure. It’s the same gimmick they debuted when they revealed Rodimus Prime earlier this year and there’s nothing about it that I don’t love.

I did bury the lede a bit, though, as Prime isn’t what really caught my attention.

The Return of the Dinobots

We’ve gotten plenty of Grimlocks in the past few years, but this one is the closest I’ve seen to the recent Masterpiece Grimlock in a regular toy line. But even he isn’t who I’m really excited about.

In addition to the ol’ Grimster, we’re getting the entire Dinobot crew! Sludge, Slug, Snarl, and Swoop will be released as Deluxe-sized figures. The wave will be accompanied by a newcomer–a Legends-sized velociraptor named Slash. They’re absolutely perfect updates of the original ’80s toys, with clear plastic covering gold chromed pieces.

But even THAT isn’t the big news.

Ever since Transformers Combiners were a thing, people have lamented that the original Autobot team never had a combiner of their own. Granted, they were given one in their Image comics run… but the less said about that the better (suffice to say, it was the worst possible of all possible scenarios).

Volcanicus Emerges

This time, we’re getting a legitimate Dinobot combiner, Volcanicus! The Deluxe figs make up his limbs, with Grimlock as the torso (and I’m guessing Slash will either be a chest piece or weapon). I’m thrilled to see that the combining toy tech that Hasbro perfected with Combiner Wars won’t lay fallow.

Even better, these new molds pave the road for future beastly combiners. Predaking was teased at the HASCON Transformers panel, but there’s no reason why we couldn’t see the Terrorcons or Seacons added to future Power of the Primes waves.

I’m thrilled to see that Hasbro’s designers are embracing the gonzo weirdness of the original toys with Power of the Primes and can’t wait to reserve the wave over at BBTS (since my local stores never seem to get anything).