First 4 Figures
First4Figures is a United Kingdom and Hong Kong-based toy and model company known for manufacturing high-end collectible figures and statues. Established in 2003, their licenses have included Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Super Mario, Cowboy Bebop, Full Metal Alchemist, Spyro the Dragon, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Beginning in 2005, First4Figures announced plans for a number of statues and bust lines, based on various Transformers properties of the day. The most notable and ambitious of these, the Transformers Battlefield line, was envisioned as a series of interlocking dioramas featuring a variety of Generation One characters. The first release featured a conflict between Optimus Prime and Megatron, and included a number of interchangeable parts including a second head for Megatron with detachable helmet and an extra hand for Optimus.
Also in 2005, First4Figures partnered with fansite tfw2005.com on a contest to create a fan-designed super deformed original Transformers statue. The top ten entries were announced in October 2005, and included renderings of ultimate winner, Ultra Magnus, along with Cosmos, Jazz, Shockwave, Unicron, Skybyte, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Jazz and Trypticon.[1] All entries were later incorporated into a collage-style poster made available through the First4Figures website.
First4Figures produced statues based on the Dreamwave GIJoe verses the Transformers crossover, specifically a rendering of Storm Shadow atop the disembodied head of Optimus Prime and Optimus Prime, depicted as a transformed HISS Tank, holding a battle-ready Snake Eyes. Other proposed cross-over statues, including a sculpted Baroness and Ravage, were later cancelled due to poor retail interest.
A challenging retail market place appears to have affected other ambitious plans for the company, including a series of Beast Wars busts, planned Battlefield extension featuring Soundwave versus Jazz and Hot Rod versus Ravage and Rumble, Generation One statues including Scourge, Jetfire and Swoop.[2] Although images of a number of prototypes were prepared and shared on the internet and at various presentations, including Scourge, busts of Optimus Primal and Waspinator, and the Baroness/Ravage combo, subsequent orders were unfulfilled until being ultimately cancelled in 2008.[3]
