Red Phoenix

The Red Phoenix is a Beastformer Fortress from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Fry like an eagle

A being of incredible power and wisdom, the Flame Fortress Red Phoenix (火炎要塞レッドフェニックス kaen yōsai Reddo Fenikkusu) is the guardian spirit of the Royal Lion Clan. Originally one of three heroes of ancient legend, the being once known as "Rex" (レックス Rekkusu) was reincarnated as a massive mechanical Fortress embodying the power of Fire, one of the three foundational elements that keep the planet Beast stable.

Like his brethren Shocking Shark and Wood Beetle, Red Phoenix had laid dormant and hidden for centuries, but rose again to combat the evils threatening the planet. Phoenix has incredibly powerful pyrokinetic abilities, and in firebird mode is capable of flying at Mach 7.5, but only by working with a Beastformer truly strong in spirit can these powers be brought to their full potential. And it seems Red Phoenix may have found such a partner in the high-flying Flykick.

Fiction

Beastformers comic

Beastformers VS Laser Beasts

Toys

Transformers: Beastformers

• Red Phoenix (Fortress, 1987)
  • Accessories: Cannon, double-barreled cannon, storage container

Red Phoenix is a large mechanical "firebird" with small wheels on the underside so it can roll along. There is a pilot "seat" toward the back of its neck where a Beastformer or Laser Beast can stand (or any small Transformer or other toy, whatever makes you happy), behind a movable (non-firing) double-barreled blaster. The firebird's lower jaw is spring-loaded to hold targets tight. There is a removable compartment under its right wing for storing accessories.

It opens up into a tower playset with the head up top, watching over a prison cell to hold captives (all good 80's playsets had a prison in them!). This also reveals a larger (non-firing) cannon between the bird's "feet".

Red Phoenix came packed with the Beastformer Flykick. (The Hasbro Battle Beasts release of the toy came with a randomly-packed Battle Beast figure.)

Red Phoenix also came with bio cards for himself and Flykick. The sticker sheet included in the set is exactly the same as the one packed in with the Hasbro release of the toy, Battle Beasts logo and all.

This set also came with a very important pack-in flier, depicting one half of a "stone tablet", the other half packed in the "Burstsun Special Set" figure ten-pack. By mailing the two halves as well as a survey questionnaire available in both sets to Takara by January 31 1988, you could get the exclusive "Ceramic Special Cobrander" figure... though apparently Takara severely underestimated the number of mail-ins they would get and had to do a second run of the figure to meet the demand.

Beastformers

• Red Phoenix (Fortress, 1988)
  • Accessories: Cannon, double-barreled cannon, storage container

Red Phoenix was repackaged and re-released in the post-Transformers "RPG" version of the line, though seemingly sold in smaller numbers than the other two Fortresses. Aside from the change in the outer box, this release also comes with new bio cards for Red Phoenix and Flykick in the "RPG" style, though Phoenix's lacks any kind of game stats.

Notes

• Red Phoenix's box-art painting is a heavily-altered version of the Hasbro Battle Beasts "Blazing Eagle Transport Station" packaging art: the Red Phoenix and background are the same, but most of the characters depicted manning it have been changed. Notably, the "Ceramic Special Cobrander" prize is now shown in the prison cell, replacing Colonel Bird, aka Flykick, which makes sense twice. Flykick got moved to the right of the prison (near the window showing his toy inside the box), replacing Roamin' Buffalo aka Grayox.
  • Horny Toad and Blitzkreig Bat, who became the villains Drillfrog and Devilbat in the Takara line, obviously didn't fit, and thus got replaced with Power Jaguar and White Leo respectively.
  • The "gunners" remain the same between the two versions, with Sly Fox/Beafox up top and War Weasel/Giader at the lower cannon... despite Giader not being available in the Transformers-branded part of the line.
  • Speaking of "not available in this line" beasts in this art... the left side of the Battle Beasts version has Rocky Rhino and Rubberneck Giraffe, both toys who were Autobot-allied beasts whose toys were available in the Transformers: Beastformers line (as Graysharp and Yellow Giraffe). However, the Beastformers version of the art replaces them with Hedgehog and Flying Attacker, neither of which were available in the Transformers part of the line, which just seems like an unnecessary change in the first place.

Foreign names

• English: Blazing Eagle