TF Prime Beast Hunters: Shockwave!

12.01.2014 – Shockwave, the Military Operations Commander was left on planet Cybertron in the original cartoon. The one-eyed diabolical Decepticon’s only true loyalty will always be logic. The cold calculating scientist is one of the interesting characters in the classic Transformers series. His introduction in Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters is something more of a mad scientist that experiment on a lot of things. Just the previous version Shockwave don’t take sides, but only through logic is his true path just way his toy form does the same.

Towards the Second Wave of Beast Hunters toyline Shockwave was released and it’s more imposing as his animation counterpart. Released as part of the Voyager Class assortment this dark figure will definitely terrorize your Autobot collection, which is as interesting as any of the vile Decepticon that where represented from Transformers Prime series in the third season’s Beast Hunters.

The Second-in-Command doesn’t take orders from Megatron as he makes his own choices and that’s what makes Shockwave a diabolical machine. Just like Soundwave in the classic cartoon he’s the other robotic character that doesn’t show emotion and completely analyze everything through logic just like an alien from Vulcan. But what makes this character stand out is the personality of an emotionless mad scientist.





Try Me or Die Trying

Most of the Prime: Beast Hunters line is from the Voyager and Leader Class assortment is packaged in window-type box. The usual concept that has been used by Hasbro, while Deluxe Class is packed on blister carded. Shockwave is packaged in a box with are and text details of the product. The Back doesn’t have any information aside from the product photo of both his robot and alternate mode.

Both sides of the box have details of the character like the tech specs and description of the character from the television series. You can see the accessories that come with this figure that includes the “beast armour” pieces that he wears in the product art and photos. Unlike the previous Prime assortments this is specified that it was released under the ‘Beast Hunters’ subtitle.





Armoured and Dangerous

Unboxing Shockwave which have little wires wrapped in each of the accessories that came with the figure was easily removed unlike back in the day when they where using plastic ties than rattan soft wires. The figure comes with the three ‘Beast Amour’ pieces and the product manual.

The ‘Beast Armour’ can be clip to Shockwave as shown in the product image shown in the box. Since this one of the very few Shockwave figures left on clearance the dust has made it to the ‘Beast Armour’ that can be washed off. They’re made of soft plastic that can also be attached to his alternate mode (more of that later).

Though attaching the ‘Beast Armour’ makes Shockwave imposing he’s more intimidating without it and that goes the same with his alternate mode. But it depends on preference if you want to use them for the figure or just stay simply dangerous.









Spinning Hyperflux Cannon

What makes this figure as one of the most want in the ‘Beast Hunters’ sub-line is the gimmick feature fro Shockwave. Like his classic iteration from Generation One his left hand or arm is a weapon and for this version the ‘Spinning Hyperflux Cannon’ is as bad ass you can have for this figure with a touch of the button.

You don’t need a light and sound gimmick when you can have this kind of feature that doesn’t need batteries with. This is one fun figure to play around and the designers really have made this a likable figure that appears to ‘fire’ his weapon.





Aesthetics and Logical Appeal

In a nod to his G1 version the tank thread or ‘spike’ panels in his alternate mode becomes a telescoping joint that connect to his ‘Hyperflux Cannon’ and his backpack. It’s well detailed to make him look like the one from the series to show-accuracy when positioning those ‘spike’ panels.

When you have Ultra Magnus stand side-by-side with Shockwave it’s a winner for the purple one-eyed cold calculating machine when it comes to appearance. His aesthetics is a win over from Ultra Magnus first look (he would be reformatted and use the same body as Optimus Prime). The muscular build of Shockwave certainly an intimidating presence when you look at it art-wise or in action figure form.



Logic Dictates Alternate Mode is Badass

He was previously a laser gun, a Cybertronian Laser tank, as a Double Agent transforms into a four legged crane platform at the same time is also a tank mode, and now an even more badass Cybertronian Tank that also features the use of the ‘Hyperflux Canon’ spinning gimmick.

The transformation is not that too challenging with when its time to turn him into his alternate mode, but you can see how difficult to align all the parts that form his Cybertronian Tank that’s like more wild looking when its travelling in the dark on a rough road terrain. Though there’s no in-review photo provide this image of a Decepticon ready to strike in the heart of the night is certainly something not to pass up when you get hold of this figure.

Overall Shockwave is brutally logical in any form that started with the G1 character and for anyone who have seen different iterations of the character would say he’s one of the interesting Decepticon characters around and this figure that represents him in the Beast Hunters line should never pass out to stand beside some of your favorites.

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