Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)

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Transformers: Universe is a Hasbro toy line launched in mid-2008, the second line to carry the name (the first one ran from 2003 to very early 2008). It ran as a mass retail line until early 2009, but continued throughout the year with various exclusive releases. It contained a thorough mix of new molds for "classic" characters from various previous lines, as well as redecos of existing toys from older lines (such as Cybertron and the 2006 Classics line). It also had a large number of store exclusive toys, mostly redecos of toys from older lines.

Most of the new-mold toys were meant to feature "realistic" vehicle modes (a niche left otherwise unfilled after the end of the 2007 movie toyline), but it wasn't long until toys of the super-stylized Animated characters and beast-form Beast Wars characters were added to the mix. (Though the beast modes were designed to be more like the real animals... which didn't turn out so well for one of them.)

In 2009, the packaging gained a "25 Years" corner logo to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the brand, and the toyline's offerings expanded to include updates of key characters from every franchise.

Many of the toys were redecoed for release in the Japanese Henkei! Henkei! toyline.

Toys

General retail

Legends Class

Wave 1 Onslaught Red Alert Starscream		Wave 2 Autobot Hound Autobot Jazz Megatron (G2)		Wave 3 Bumblebee (Animated) Optimus Prime (Animated) Prowl (Animated)		Wave 4 Beachcomber Brawn Bumblebee Starscream (Animated)		File:Universelegendsredalert.jpg Red Alert, a Legends Class toy.
Wave 5 Autobot Cosmos Rodimus Warpath Autobot Wheelie

Deluxe Class

Wave 1 Prowl Sunstreaker Tankor (aka "Octane")		Wave 2 Acid Storm Galvatron		Wave 3 Ironhide Sideswipe Silverstreak (aka "Bluestreak")		Wave 4 Starscream Autobot Hound with Ravage Cheetor Cyclonus with Nightstick		File:Universe AcidStorm toy.jpg Deluxe-class Acid Storm
Wave 5 Dinobot Smokescreen		Wave 6 Hot Shot (w/ Jolt) Autobot Ratchet

Voyager Class

Wave 1 Autobot Blaster (w/ Blockrock) Decepticon Heavy Load (w/ Drill Bit)		Wave 2 Autobot Blades Decepticon Dropshot		Wave 3 Tread Bolt		Wave 4 Inferno Vector Prime (w/ Safeguard)		Voyager-class Heavy Load
Wave 5 Overload Leo Prime

Ultra Class

Wave 1 Onslaught Powerglide

Wave 2 Silverbolt

Wave 3 Stormcloud

Wave 4 Predacon Bruticus

Ultra-class Onslaught

Robot Heroes

Wave 1 Cheetor & Blackarachnia Hound & Blitzwing Rattrap & Megatron Sunstreaker & Galvatron		Wave 2 Arcee & Decepticon Rumble Optimus Primal & Predacon Tarantulas Rhinox & Waspinator		Wave 3 Autobot Blaster & Thrust Ironhide & Kickback Silverbolt & Megatron (Transmetal)		Wave 4 Cheetor (BM) & Tankor Perceptor & Hardshell Snarl & Sharkticon		Robot Heroes Megatron and Rattrap
Wave 5 Ricochet & Predaking Tigatron & Inferno		Canceled Super Optimus Prime (RiD) & Megatron (RiD) Prowl & Laserbeak Optimus Primal (BM) & Jetstorm Victory Saber & Dessaras

Wave 5 only saw release in Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Germany.

More than Meets the Eye 25th Anniversary Pack

• 25th Anniversary Optimus Prime Pack

Exclusives

CostCo Ultra Twin-Pack (Optimus Prime, Crumplezone)		Hasbro Toy Shop Autobot Blaster (w/ Eject, Ramhorn, Steeljaw) Drag Strip Megatron Nemesis Prime Optimus Prime Overkill Soundwave (w/ Buzzsaw, Laserbeak, Ratbat, Ravage)		Kmart Mini-Con 12-Pack (Backstop, Blight, Bodyblock, Boltflash, Brimstone, Cloudraker, Flatfoot, Heavytread, Knockdown, Makeshift, Skyhammer, Suppressor)		Sam's Club "Battle for the Cyber Planet Keys" (Blurr, Buzzsaw, Longrack, Optimus Prime, Runamuck)
San Diego Comic-Con Autobot Blaster (w/ Eject, Ramhorn, Steeljaw) Nemesis Prime Soundwave (w/ Buzzsaw, Laserbeak, Ratbat, Ravage)		Target Hot Zone Leo Prime Optimus Prime Thrust "Aerial Rivals" (Air Raid, Autobot Blades, Ramjet, Skydive, Thrust)		"Autobot Ambush" (Dirge vs. Autobot Roadbuster) "Special Team Leaders" (Autobot Hot Zone, Hun-Gurrr, Razorclaw, Scattorshot, Silverbolt) "Standoff Beneath The Streets" (Springer vs. Ratbat)		Toys"R"Us Autobot Countdown Darkwind Insecticons (Hardshell, Kickback, Sharpshot) Perceptor Unicron (w/ Dead End)

Walmart

Masterpiece

• Masterpiece Skywarp

Ultra Class

• Hardhead
• Powerglide
• Skyfall

Scout Class two-packs

• War of the Waves (Air Raid vs. Storm Surge)
• The Data War (Clocker vs. Hardtop)

These two-packs contain unchanged versions of the Scout Class toys from the 2007 Movie toyline of the same name, which were available exclusively at Target stores in the USA, and (at least some of them) as mass releases in Europe. The Universe two-pack versions were also found at Walmart-owned Asda stores in the United Kingdom and at Target stores in Australia.

Shared

"Market Six" exclusives

• "Warriors From Three Worlds" three-pack (Ransack GTS, Repugnus, Scattorshot)

This three-pack has been sighted at Christmas Tree Shop, Family Dollar and Walgreens stores in the United States, in Sainsburys stores in the United Kingdom and in Canadian Tire stores in (where else?) Canada for the 2009 holiday period. Bizarrely enough, it showed up at various Toys"R"Us stores in the USA in late 2010, at higher prices than the Market Six stores were asking for it.

• Blight
• Bodyblock
• Boltflash
• Brimstone
• Makeshift
• Suppressor

The above Mini-Cons were single-carded versions of toys previously released in Kmart's Mini-Con 12-Pack. They were available in stores such as Big Lots! and Dollar General in the United States.

• Backstop
• Brakedown
• Brushguard

These three figures were available from "dollar" stores such as Dollar General and Family Dollar. All three were rebranded re-releases of the Cybertron figures of the same names, unchanged aside from the packaging, and had been previously released through the same venues under the previous Universe line. The 2008 Universe versions were later also available at Walmart.

Meijer/Kmart

• "Mini-Con 10-Pack"
  • Battle Support Team (Overcharge, Ransack, Sky Shadow, Stockade, Windrazor)
  • Ground Surveillance Team (Crosshairs, Longview, Scavenger, Snow Cat, Treadshot)

This set was available in Canada as a Canadian Tire exclusive and in the United Kingdom as a Tesco exclusive.

International releases

The Asian exclusive "Challenge at Cybertron" giftset.

• Superion gift set (Air Raid, Airazor, Fireflight, Silverbolt, Skydive)

• Bruticus Maximus gift set (Blast Off, Decepticon Brawl, Onslaught, Swindle, Vortex)

These two five-packs have only been released in the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore. In North America, they were released in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen packaging instead, as Target exclusives.

• "Challenge At Cybertron" three pack (Galvatron, Cyclonus w/ Nightstick, Rodimus)

Distributed by Hasbro Malaysia, this set was a shared exclusive at China's Cybertron Con 2010 and at the Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong festival. Hasbro would later go on to make some pieces available as contest prizes for Auto Assembly 2010 in the U.K.

Universe toys moved to the movie toyline

Due to retailer demand, several toys originally intended as Universe product were instead released as movie-branded Walmart exclusives.

• Big Daddy (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Downshift)
• Jolt (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Crosswise)
• Grindcore (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Landmine)
• Divebomb (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Thundercracker)

The above toys were also available as non-exclusive mass retail releases in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

• Crankcase (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Red Alert)
• Decepticon Fracture (redeco of Classics Deluxe Class Mirage)
• Breakaway (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Hot Shot)