General Information:
Release Date: July 2024
Price Point: $39.99
Retailer: Hasbro Pulse exclusive with limited quantities available on BigBadToyStore
Accessories: Head of Optimus Prime, Display Stand, Display Stand Tube (connects to Optimus Prime's head) and six "arms" for the Display Stand.
Official images and text below in italics are from Hasbro Pulse:
Comic book Transformers bots are stepping off the page and onto collectors’ shelves with Transformers Comic Edition Shockwave! Ruled by logic, if it is more logical for Shockwave to override Megatron and seize command of the Decepticons, he will take that chance. This Shockwave figure features comic-accurate deco and details, celebrating 40 years since the first Transformers comics were issued in 1984. The action figure converts from robot to Cybertronian spaceship mode and comes with the head of Optimus Prime piece that can be placed on the included display stand (display stand assembly required).
Includes figure, head of Optimus Prime, display stand, and instructions.
- COMIC EDITION SHOCKWAVE: Shockwave is leaping out of the comic panels and into your collection! This 7-inch (17.5 cm) Shockwave action figure is inspired by the original The Transformers comic book series
- COMIC-ACCURATE DECO: With comic-accurate deco and black line hatching details, this Transformers figure looks like it came out of a comic book, celebrating 40 years since Transformers robots made their comic debut
- CLASSIC ALT MODE: Transformers Shockwave figure converts from robot to Cybertronian spaceship mode in 15 steps
- HEAD OF OPTIMUS PRIME: This comic-inspired figure comes with the head of Optimus Prime piece that can be placed on the included display stand (display stand assembly required)
- ARTICULATED FOR POSING AND DISPLAY: Transformers figures feature articulated heads, arms, and legs for action poses
- GIFT TRANSFORMERS COLLECTIBLES: This Comic Edition Shockwave action figure makes a great collectible figure gift for any Transformers fan
- Ages 8 and up Warning: Choking Hazard - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
Background:
Imagine a time when your whole universe of Transformers characters is made up of only the characters introduced in 1984. Most of the Autobots are in stasis at the hands of Shockwave. Even more um...shocking? Shockwave is now leading the Decepticons! As part of his plan he separates Optimus Prime's head from his body so he can extract the Creation Matrix from the Autobot Leader and give life to new Decepticon warriors. No, I'm not making this up. This was a storyline in the early days of the Marvel G1 comic book and it is one of the most memorable of its time for the risks it took and changing up the status quo.
In 2024 Hasbro released a series of Generations figures based on the Marvel comic books. The first one featured Shockwave with the Head of Optimus Prime. No kidding! This definitely is up there with toy sets I never thought I would see but here we are. I am writing this review in January of 2025 and as of right now this item is still available on Hasbro Pulse. This set includes a redeco of Siege Shockwave without all his extra armor pieces. The accessories are all new pieces.
Packaging:
This boxed set is technically under the Generations banner, but the packaging goes far beyond your typical Legacy box. This box was designed as a love letter to the Marvel G1 comic books. It is rectangular in shape and the front panel opens up like a book to reveal the figure inside. The front of the box features the cover for issue number 5 of the Marvel Comics series. This features a gorgeous painted image of Shockwave next to the words "Are All Dead." he has burned into a wall under the "Transformers" logo. It is a striking image and one of the most well known covers of its time from the Transformers series. Kudos to artist Mark Bright for creating such an amazing image. The lower part of the front shows the 40th Anniversary logo along with the Generations logo.
The side of the box features new artwork by long time Transformers artist Marcelo Matere in a style meant to emulate the Marvel art style from the 80's. It shows Shockwave getting ready to fight. This is intended to be lined up with the Comic Series Grimlock figure's box to create a scene of them facing off. This is an awesome touch and really goes the extra mile.
The back of the box shows some artwork from issue number five and photos of the figure and Optimus Prime head. A 15 step transformation is called out for Shockwave. Open the box and the flap on the left has an image of Optimus Prime's head when Buster Witwicky finds him along with a brief summary for context. To the right is the Transformers log in red above the figure and accessories. The flap is held to the main box by Velcro circles. Overall this is stunning packaging. Hasbro has truly outdone themselves with this box!
Accessories:
This set includes accessories designed to call back to the events of issue number five of the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Here's a rundown:
Head of Optimus Prime:
This Optimus Prime head is an all new sculpt based on the artwork from Marvel Comics as drawn by Herb Trimpe. This generally means his helmet section is a bit rounder with a more pronounced "brim" on the helmet section above his eyes. The eyes are a tad smaller than we usually see on an Optimus Prime head sculpt and his mouth plate is a bit smoother looking. This piece is made out of blue plastic with silver paint applications on the crest and mouth plate while the eyes are painted orange.
The beauty of this piece is that it is meant to be swapped with the head from Earthrise Optimus Prime! Earthrise Optimus' head is on a ball joint, so you can just pull it off and attach this head (carefully). The beauty of this head design is that there is a gap in the back that allows the head to look up, something Earthrise Optimus' head can't really do well.
Display Stand:
When Buster Witwicky finds Optimus Prime's head, it is hooked up to a scary looking contraption. Shockwave has set this up to help him extract the power of the Creation Matrix from Optimus for his own nefarious purposes. This device is the basis for the design of the display stand for Optimus Prime's head. This piece has a square platform at its base. In the middle is a raised circle. Inside the circle are slots for six "arms" that stick up at angles. These come on a sprue and need to be installed. Just push them into the rectangular slots and you're all set. This display stand also includes a tube that connects to the back of Optimus' head and the base to keep it in place. This tube is inspired by a tube that was connected to the top of Optimus' head in the comic book.
The square shaped base sections are made of orange and blue plastic. The circle in the middle is painted gold and the arms are orange (though they are a flat color and not metallic as they appear on the back of the box). The tube is painted metallic red. Most of these colors reflect the device seen in the comic book and it looks great.
The "arms" really do not hold the head up so you can move them back and forth a bit. Optimus' head is mainly connected to the red tube to keep it stable. In a semi-random note, the blue base piece that the display case stands on has four 5mm ports on the bottom, one on each corner. I'm not sure why you'd attach weapons to these, but you can.
Robot Mode:
Siege Shockwave's deco was largely based on the G1 action figure. For this release the designers looked to the comic books for inspiration. Instead of dark purple like the Siege version his main color is now lavender. Smaller parts are made up of light purple and light grey plastic. Paint colors include silver, black and orange. However, the deco doesn't end there. A lot of the black paint and some black tampographs have been strategically placed on the figure to resemble the shading style used in comic books. Even more interesting? The designers also added in Ben Day Dots to sections including his chest, legs and back. These dots are not all the same opacity, with some looking like they are in a "fading" pattern. Ben Day Dots were a mainstay of comic books during the run of the original Marvel G1 series so it makes perfect sense to include them on this figure.
Interestingly, the color used on this figure is a bit lighter in tone than the colors used on Shockwave in this issue. The issue uses a fairly bold purple color, but this figure leans towards lavender. That said, Shockwave would appear in some issues with this lavender color (while other issues had him with a deeper purple).
All the joints on my copy of this figure are nice and tight. Indeed, his hip and knee ratchet joints are much tighter than the ones on my Siege Shockwave. I was surprised, but happy to see this. While this figure does not include his Siege armor pieces you can attach them to this figure without a problem. I will warn about one thing however: the 5mm peg at the end of his rubber hose. On my copy of Siege Shockwave this peg had no problem attaching to the various ports on the figure. On this figure however the 5mm peg seems to be a tad bigger, so it tends to fit very tightly into the ports. When I tried to detach it from one of the ports on the side of the vehicle mode I pulled so hard the end of the hose actually broke! This is partly my fault for using too much force (I know, I know, do not use excessive force!). If you find yourself in this situation, you may want to try running it under hot water for a bit to see if the connection can be loosened up. I wound up gluing the hose back in place and it looks fine.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Disconnect the cable from the forearm and leave it detached for now.
- Swing the chest open and swing the head back, then swing the chest back into place.
- Swing the arms up. Position the forearms so the 5mm ports on them face out to the sides.
- Swing the back pack out, and swing up the panels.
- Swing the back pack forward and between the arms, them move the arms to sit against the interior of the back pack, then swing the panel back down.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Swing out the side panels on both lower legs.
- Rotate the lower legs in.
- Swing each lower leg up over the thighs.
- Push the lower legs together.
- Connect the leg panels and swing it forward to form the ship's central tower.
- Connect the tube to any of the 5mm ports within reach.
Vehicle Mode:
Hasbro's official description of this mode is a space ship, and to be fair Shockwave was shown flying in space during the run of the Marvel Comics so perhaps his more well known blaster mode did have space faring capabilities. I liked this ship mode a lot in Siege and the same goes for this release. Most of the parts visible in this mode could be seen in robot mode but we get to see his Bridge Tower complete with silver fins sticking out to the sides and a section in front with a single eye that emulates the robot head. The "missile pods" at the back of the vehicle are silver. The black "shading" details and Ben Day Dots still show in this mode, solidifying its connection to the comic books.
For those who prefer Shockwave being a giant space gun in his alt-mode, you're in luck! Just flip the ship upside down, swing the silver fins in and you have G1 Shockwave's "space gun" form! Sure the handle could be a bit bigger and he does not have a targeting scope, but it's close enough given all the restrictions the designers have to work under nowadays.
Final Thoughts:
This boxed set is fantastic. The box itself is beautiful and serves as a wonderful homage to the Marvel Comics G1 era. I love the deco on Shockwave and I believe it succeeds in evoking comic books of the past. Recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent Shockwave sculpt.
- Fun new deco on Shockwave that pays homage to the days of the Marvel G1 Comic book.
- The inclusion of Optimus Prime's head (and the device he is connected to is most welcome.
- The Head of Optimus Prime is an out of the blue accessory that I never thought I'd see in my lifetime so this rock
Cons:
- Some fans may balk at the $40 price point. I think it is fair for this release.
