Action Master: Difference between revisions
ZacWilliam (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Action Masters''' are Transformers that traded in their ability to transform to become stronger, faster, and more alive. As the [[Autobot]]/[[Decepticon]] war drained more and more of their resources, a new source of fueling, [[Nucleon]], was discovered which would grant Transformers amazing power, but at a cost. To compensate for their lost ability to transform, the Action Masters built transforming partners to aid them in battle. | '''Action Masters''' are Transformers that traded in their ability to transform to become stronger, faster, and more alive. As the [[Autobot]]/[[Decepticon]] war drained more and more of their resources, a new source of fueling, [[Nucleon]], was discovered which would grant Transformers amazing power, but at a cost. To compensate for their lost ability to transform, the Action Masters built transforming partners to aid them in battle. | ||
One aspect Action Masters is notable for, however, is the mass reintroduction of "classic" characters. New toys | == Fiction == | ||
===Toy Packaging Blurb=== | |||
According to the toy packaging Optimus Prime went searching for new energy sources and, within the heart of a Black Hole discovered Nucleon: a miracle fuel that made Transformers stronder, faster, and more alive, but costing them the ability to transform. Soon the Decepticons stole the technology and created Action Masters of their own. | |||
This story was harkened back to by the black Japanese release of Powermaster Prime, which was given the back story of being Prime specially outfitted for this trip into the black hole. | |||
===Marvel Comics== | |||
Grimlock heard rumors of a new miracle fuel on the planet Hydrus 4. Against orders he stole the non-functioning bodies of his fellow Dinobots and headed there to find out. What he descovered was a ruined world filled with creepy, obsessive, rotting zombie like beings warning him that it was all because of Nucleon. Being Grimlock, he then went ahead and used the fuel anyway. | |||
==Fandom Reception== | |||
The Action Master toyline, depicting the obvious oxymoron of "Transformers who don't transform," generated initial ire from some fans. This was magnified as Action Masters were released in the final year of the original Transformers toyline. When Transformers was summarily cancelled in North America, some fans blamed the gimmick for the death of the franchise. | |||
One aspect Action Masters is notable for, however, is the mass reintroduction of "classic" characters. New toys for old characters was not a theme the original toyline visited very often, and so to have a single subline with so many recurring favorites was, at the time, a novelty. In addition, the classic characters were designed to more closely resemble their cartoon counterparts. For much of the Season 1 and 2 cast, the original figures having been designed years before they were stylized and simplified for the cartoon, these Action Masters were the closest likenesses of their fiction representatons ever. | |||
As with many other changes to the Transformers brand, initial hostility towards Action Masters from the fandom eventually became less intense, and diversified into a broad range of opinion. Many of the most in-demand vintage Transformer toys are Action Masters, and new characters from this subgroup are still harkened back to in newer toylines. For example, [[Axer]] shows up in the [[Robots in Disguise]] toyline, ''[[Armada]]'' [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] has design elements based on [[Roll-Out (G1)|Roll-Out]], and ''[[Cybertron]]'' [[Smokescreen (Cybertron)|Smokescreen]]'s colors are a partial homage to [[Rad (G1)|Rad]]. | As with many other changes to the Transformers brand, initial hostility towards Action Masters from the fandom eventually became less intense, and diversified into a broad range of opinion. Many of the most in-demand vintage Transformer toys are Action Masters, and new characters from this subgroup are still harkened back to in newer toylines. For example, [[Axer]] shows up in the [[Robots in Disguise]] toyline, ''[[Armada]]'' [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] has design elements based on [[Roll-Out (G1)|Roll-Out]], and ''[[Cybertron]]'' [[Smokescreen (Cybertron)|Smokescreen]]'s colors are a partial homage to [[Rad (G1)|Rad]]. | ||
Revision as of 15:33, 9 September 2006
Action Masters are Transformers that traded in their ability to transform to become stronger, faster, and more alive. As the Autobot/Decepticon war drained more and more of their resources, a new source of fueling, Nucleon, was discovered which would grant Transformers amazing power, but at a cost. To compensate for their lost ability to transform, the Action Masters built transforming partners to aid them in battle.
Fiction
Toy Packaging Blurb
According to the toy packaging Optimus Prime went searching for new energy sources and, within the heart of a Black Hole discovered Nucleon: a miracle fuel that made Transformers stronder, faster, and more alive, but costing them the ability to transform. Soon the Decepticons stole the technology and created Action Masters of their own.
This story was harkened back to by the black Japanese release of Powermaster Prime, which was given the back story of being Prime specially outfitted for this trip into the black hole.
=Marvel Comics
Grimlock heard rumors of a new miracle fuel on the planet Hydrus 4. Against orders he stole the non-functioning bodies of his fellow Dinobots and headed there to find out. What he descovered was a ruined world filled with creepy, obsessive, rotting zombie like beings warning him that it was all because of Nucleon. Being Grimlock, he then went ahead and used the fuel anyway.
Fandom Reception
The Action Master toyline, depicting the obvious oxymoron of "Transformers who don't transform," generated initial ire from some fans. This was magnified as Action Masters were released in the final year of the original Transformers toyline. When Transformers was summarily cancelled in North America, some fans blamed the gimmick for the death of the franchise.
One aspect Action Masters is notable for, however, is the mass reintroduction of "classic" characters. New toys for old characters was not a theme the original toyline visited very often, and so to have a single subline with so many recurring favorites was, at the time, a novelty. In addition, the classic characters were designed to more closely resemble their cartoon counterparts. For much of the Season 1 and 2 cast, the original figures having been designed years before they were stylized and simplified for the cartoon, these Action Masters were the closest likenesses of their fiction representatons ever.
As with many other changes to the Transformers brand, initial hostility towards Action Masters from the fandom eventually became less intense, and diversified into a broad range of opinion. Many of the most in-demand vintage Transformer toys are Action Masters, and new characters from this subgroup are still harkened back to in newer toylines. For example, Axer shows up in the Robots in Disguise toyline, Armada Overload has design elements based on Roll-Out, and Cybertron Smokescreen's colors are a partial homage to Rad.
