Transformers: Energon (toyline)

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Following up on the highly successful Armada, the Transformers: Energon toyline carried over a number of characters in new forms, and added many newcomers as well.

The Energon line is dominated by the concept of combination, which pops up in numerous forms. Virtually every smaller toy came with an "Energon weapon", a clear-colored assortment of accessories, which could peg into one another to form larger weapons. The Combat and Mega Autobots can combine with one another in pairs (top and bottom, a source of endless jokes in the fandom), while the Command class combines with a vehicular accessory to form a larger "brute" mode. The line's first Mini-Cons were two teams that could combine. And three combiner teams in the spirit of the Scramble City-type gestalts dominated the line's later waves.

Tri-lingual packaging, kids! Remember, it's how everything will be by 2005!

The Energon weapons formed another of the line's main concepts, as the battle for control of Energon dominated the cartoon storyline. The clear Energon weapons feature standardized 5mm pegs that all but a few figures can hold, and the weapons could be pegged together in almost infinite combinations.

A third concept was the Hyper-mode of the Decepticons, basically a series of flip- or fold-out weapons that could be deployed without the addition of Mini-Cons.

The line introduced two new ostensible factions, the Omnicons and Terrorcons, though in practice these were mere subgroups of the Autobots and Decepticons, respectively. They filled the smallest price point left vacant by the Mini-Con 3-packs of Armada.

File:Energon Cruellock toy.jpg

Cruellock, a Terrorcon.

Nearly all alternate modes are futuristic vehicles or robotic animals. Robot modes are angular and mechanical-looking, continuing the G1-esque look started by Armada but refining it. Articulation rose almost to pre-Armada levels, and the complexity required by some of the combining gimmicks brought forth ingenious and complex designs, though sometimes at the expense of the overall appearance of the toy.

Initial waves of Energon included three redecos of Armada toys as new characters: Sideways as Rapid Run, Scavenger as Treadbolt, and Overload as Ultra Magnus. These toys were meant to "bulk up" the early line and did not ship long, making them—particularly Ultra Magnus—difficult to find at US retail.

As in the later Beast era, all new-mold figures have spark crystals to display their allegiance. As in Armada, most have at least a few Mini-Con hardpoints. Two Mini-Con teams were part of the line, with Hasbro stating that the runaway success of the Mini-Cons in Armada caught them by surprise, and that more would be forthcoming in future lines.

The line was notable for the fact that stores MASSIVELY overordered initial waves of the line, leading to extreme shelfwarming for the first two waves. The situation was so severe, Hasbro removed much of the older product from stores' inventory to get "The Powerlinx Battles" subline to shelves in time for the 2004 holiday season. Much of this early stock would reappear on store shelves in "buy one get one" bonus buys in VERY large numbers.

General retail

Energon Class

The Basic-sized Omnicons and Terrorcons came with clear Energon weapons and "Energon Chips" that can be attached over the spark crystals of the new-mold Energon toys. Chips and weapons were red-tinted for Omnicons, and green/yellow for Terrorcons. The final three waves consisted of the limb figures for the Air Team, Construction Team and Destruction Team combiners (the torsos were sold as part of the Combat Class). The limb figures all came with add-on weapons and Energon Chips, cast in blue clear plastic, and these weapons formed the hands or feet of the combined robot.

Wave 1 Battle Ravage Energon Saber (Scattor, Skyboom, Wreckage) Skyblast Strongarm		Wave 2 Cruellock Divebomb Perceptor (Grindor, High Wire, Sureshock) Signal Flare		Wave 3 Arcee Insecticon		Wave 4 Offshoot Energon Strongarm
Wave 5 Command Ravage Doom-Lock		Wave 6 Duststorm Sky Shadow Sledge Treadshot		Wave 7 Kickback Stormcloud Terradive Windrazor		Wave 8 Blackout Blight Bonecrusher Wideload

Combat Class

Combat Class Autobot (and Mega Class, see below), besides transforming from vehicle to robot, could also become the top or bottom half of a "Powerlinx" combination robot. While it was not widely advertised, the two size classes could freely inter-combine, with occasionally ludicrous results. This assortment also featured the torso figures for the combiners Superion Maximus, Constructicon Maximus and Bruticus Maximus.

Wave 1 Inferno Hot Shot Rapid Run (w/ Nightcruz & Nightscream)		Wave 1.5 Starscream		Wave 2 Snow Cat Rodimus Prowl		Wave 3 Demolishor		Hot Shot, a Combat Class Autobot. Demolishor, a Combat Class Decepticon
Wave 4 Downshift Tow-Line		Wave 5 Sharkticon Energon Hot Shot		Wave 5.5 Slugslinger		Wave 6 Storm Jet Steamhammer
Wave 7 Energon Kicker & High Wire		Wave 7.5 Barricade		Wave 8 Energon Starscream Roadblock

Mega Class

Wave 1 Ironhide Treadbolt w/ Rollbar		Wave 1.5 Jetfire		Wave 2 Mirage		Wave 3 Cliffjumper Shockblast		File:Energon beachcomber toy.JPG Mega Class Beachcomber
Wave 3.5 Dreadwing Energon Ironhide		Wave 4 Beachcomber Grimlock & Swoop (Combine into Mega-Dinobot) Wing Saber		Wave 5 Alpha Quintesson Six Shot		Wave 5.5 Overcast

Command Class

Command Class Autobots (the new molds, at least) each include transforming accessories that form part of their vehicle modes. In robot mode they could combine with these pieces to be in "Brute Mode". Decepticons are just big.

Wave 1 Ultra Magnus (w/ Knock Out, Astroscope, Payload, Sky Blast) Tidal Wave (w/ Ramjet)		Wave 1.5 Scorponok		Wave 2 Landmine		Wave 3 Bulkhead		Scorponok turns into ANYTHING.
Wave 4 Landquake		Wave 5 Quickstrike

Leader Class

Wave 1 Optimus Prime

Wave 2 Megatron

Wave 3 Galvatron

Leader Class Optimus Prime

Supreme Class

Wave 1 Unicron (w/ Dead End)

Wave 2 Omega Supreme

Wave 3 Omega Sentinel

Role Play

• Megatron Energon Sword
• Optimus Prime Energon Blaster

Store exclusives

Costco Optimus Prime & Overload (w/ Corona Sparkplug & Rollout)		KB Toys Cyclonus (w/ Crumplezone) Demolishor (w/ Blackout)		Kmart Autobots S.W.A.T. Team (Checkpoint & Prowl)		Sam's Club Prowl Vs Starscream (w/ Longarm & Zapmaster)
ToysЯUs Powerlinx Optimus Prime Vs Megatron Adventure Team & Sea Team (Dune Runner, Iceberg, Ransack, Oceanglide, Stormcloud, Waterlog)		ToysЯUs & Walmart Road Wrecker Team & Night Attack Team (Buzzsaw, Drill Bit, Dualor, Broadside, Fetch, Scattor) Race Team & Space Team (Dirt Boss, Downshift, Mirage, Astroscope, Payload, Sky Blast)

European market-only releases

Micromasters Series I (Protectobots)

• First Aid
• Autobot Groove
• Hot Spot
• Prowl
• Red Alert
• Streetwise

The previously Universe Constructicons with all their pack-in kibble.

The six Protectobots could be merged to form Defensor. While they were available as Energon-branded general retail releases in Europe, they were available as KB Toys exclusives in Universe packaging in the United States.

Micromasters Series II (Constructicons)

• Bonecrusher
• Buckethead
• Hightower
• Long Haul
• Quickmix
• Scavenger

The six Constructicons could be merged to form Constructicon Devastator. While they were available as Energon-branded general retail releases in Europe, they were available as KB Toys exclusives in Universe packaging in the United States.

Super Link (Takara)

Wave 1 (12-25-2003) Airglide Blastarm Command Jaguar Energon Saber Grand Convoy Hot Shot Inferno Ironhide MegaZarak Nightscream Roadbuster Sandstorm Shockwave Skyfire		Wave 2 (2-26-2004) Cliffjumper Galvatron Shadowhawk		Wave 3 (3-18-2004) Command Jaguar Desert Type Red Alert Rodimus Convoy		Wave 4 (3-25-2004) SL Grand Convoy SL Grand Convoy & Kicker Kicker Signal Flare
Wave 5 (4-22-2004) Landmine Snowstorm		Wave 6 (4-28-2004) Irontread		Wave 7 (5-13-2004) Dinobot Shadowhawk Cosmos Type		Wave 8 (5-27-2004) Laserwave
Wave 9 (6-10-2004) Ariel Chromhorn Shockfleet		Wave 10 (6-24-2004) Wing Saber		Wave 11 (7-15-2004) Overdrive Wheeljack		Wave 12 (7-29-2004) Dinobot Magma Type Sprung
Wave 13 (8-5-2004) Chromhorn Forest Type		Wave 14 (8-26-2004) Inferno Volt		Wave 15 (9-16-2004) Omega Supreme		Wave 16 (9-30-2004) Galvatron General Hot Shot Fire Nightscream Rebirth Roadbuster Wild Skyfire Sonic Superion
Wave 17 (10-14-2004) SD 21 Bruticus

Exclusives

Gamers Energy Raiden Overdrive Edition		Hello Mac Energy Axe Natural Green Edition		Ito Yokaido Energy Spear Rodeo Magenta Edition		Jusco Energy Axe Violet Cluster Edition
ToysЯUs Buildron Energy Spear Lightning Yellow Edition		"TF Station" affiliates Energon Strongarm		TV Magazine Fire Grand Convoy Black Rodimus Convoy		Unknown outlets Energy Blade Phantom Night Edition Energy Cutter Daylight Attack Edition