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General Information:
Release Date: October 2023
Price Point: $34.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: Limited Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Hasbro Pulse etc.)
Accessories: Blaster/rocket pack
Official images and text below in italics are from Hasbro Pulse:
Fans can take their Transformers figure collections to the next level with the Transformers Generations Selects Voyager Class Antagony figure! Generations Selects adult collectibles are a fan-dedicated line of figures featuring fan-favorite, special edition characters you can’t find in the main line. Convert the Transformers Beast Wars Antagony figure from robot to carpenter ant mode! Pose out with the included blaster accessory that attaches in both modes. This Antagony toy is inspired by the original 1998 Antagony action figure. Includes Figure, 2 accessories, and instructions.
- EXPAND YOUR COLLECTION WITH SPECIAL EDITION FIGURES: Transformers Generations Selects is a fan-dedicated line of figures featuring special edition characters that can’t be found in the main line
- INSPIRED BY THE BOTCON EXCLUSIVE FIGURE: This Antagony robot toy features deco and details inspired by the original 1998 figure originally released for BotCon
- CLASSIC TRANSFORMERS CONVERSION: This Transformers Beast Wars Antagony figure converts from robot to carpenter ant mode in 26 steps and comes with a blaster accessory and an alt head
- REALITIC BEAST DETAILS: Features articulated mandibles, legs, antennae, and robot jaw. Includes realistic molded carpenter ant textures
- ACTION FIGURES FOR ADULTS: Look for more Generations Selects Transformers figures, great adult collectibles for fans (each sold separately, subject to availability)
Ages 8 and up. WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
Background:
In the early days of Botcon several Beast Wars Transformers toys were turned into exclusive figures for the convention. One of these was Antagony, a redeco of the Beast Wars Inferno figure. Voiced by Sue Blu during the Botcon 1998 script reading (see below) this character had many functions, one of which was a Herald of the powerful and evil Shokaract! For years, if you wanted an official Antagony figure she could run you over $3000 USD! Now collectors have a chance to add an Antagony to their collection thanks to this version. This sculpt was originally released as Legacy Inferno. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.
Botcon 1998 Script Reading
Packaging:
Antagony is packaged in the standard type of cardboard brown box that most Selects figures have come in over the years. There is a drawing of Antagony on the front wrapping around the sides along with a Predacon symbol. The Legacy Evolution logo looms large in the front but technically this figure is classified under the Selects banner in most product listings. Inside, the figure sits attached to a tray by ties and the instructions are underneath.
Accessories:
One of Inferno's iconic features from both the original Beast Wars action figure and the television show was a thruster pack built into his posterior. For the purposes of this release, the designers decided to make this piece into Inferno's weapon and now by extension it is Antagony's weapon. This weapon has four thrusters which can also double as blaster barrels. Even better? The weapon is designed to allow you to attach other weapons to it. The sides have 5mm ports and there are 5mm pegs on the bottom and the back. You don't even need to necesarily use Legacy weapons to make a larger blaster. You can attach any weapons with 5mm pegs, offering up some fun play value. The ends of the weapon barrels can also fit Blast Effects which is always a plus!
The rocket pack/weapon is made of translucent purple plastic. The middle section fo the weapon is painted gunmetal grey and it looks great. I still wish this figure came with the flamethrower weapon Inferno used in the show but I understand there were cost issues in doing so.
The additional accessory included with the figure is an extra head! This head's design is based on the Transmetal Scavenger head! This fun callback replicates that design with two large horns on the sides, a mouth full of long, sharp teeth and narrow, evil looking eyes. The colors are a mix of Antagony and Scavenger's colors, featuring gunmetal grey on the "helmet" section, green on the "forehead" area and metallic purple on the face. The eyes are translucent red. Overall the head has the unique and intense look befitting the original Predacon Scavenger.
To attach the head, you just pop the original head off the figure and pop the Scavenger head on. The head sits on a ball joint so this swap is easy.
The designers integrated one more Scavenger design element into the figure. Open up the robot chest and flip down the mandibles and you'll see a distinct pattern inside the chest. This is based off a similar pattern on the original Beast Wars Scavenger figure's torso. I love this extra touch.
Robot Mode:
Like the original Antagony, this new version replaces almost all the red parts from Inferno with black plastic. At first, you might think this just makes it rather boring looking, but there are a couple other plastic colors as well. The head is made of lavender colored plastic with black on the "horns". Her light piping eyes feature translucent red plastic. The chest features translcuent purple plastic for the ant mode eyes. These colors work together nicely creating a dark, menacing tone.
It may not look like it at first, but there are some paint applications on this figure. The shoulders and waist area have gunmetal gray on them, the teeth are painted silver and peeking out the back you can see a metallic purple "squiggle" line on one of her "propellers". There is also a purple Predacon symbol on her right shoulder. The deco is relatively simple, but it is beautiful and faithful to the Botcon version of the character.
All twenty nine points of articulation on this figure are still nice and tight, so no worries about this being a retool having floppy joints. Her 5mm ports also still hold weapons nice and tight as well.
Transformation to Beast Mode:
- Detach the weapon and set it aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the forearms up over the biceps.
- Swing the chest up a bit.
- Swing open the halves of the chest and swing out the ant mandibles.
- Swing the ant head over the robot head, then swing the halves of the beast mode head together.
- Swing the antennae forward.
- Swing each arm back.
- Rotate the ant legs back.
- Swing each heel piece up into the feet.
- Swing each foot back against the back of the lower legs.
- Swing the lower legs up on the knee joint.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Swing the robot arms in, tucking them into the opening where the ant head was. There are small openings in that section that claws will fit into.
- Rotate the smallest propeller blade up.
- Move the other propeller blades down over the legs. Attach them to the legs (using the ports on the sides of the lower legs and connect them to each other.
- Swing the rear most ant legs back and adjust the ant legs so the beast mode can stand.
- The weapon can attach to the port on the back of the ant mode.
Beast Mode:
Antagony's beast mode features all the same colors as the robot mode. Most of the body is black with some translucent parts such as the eyes. The mandibles are lavender plastic. A beautiful curved pattern runs down the middle and rear section of the figure. This is painted in metallic purple. The deco on this figure is both simple yet striking at the same time.
Final Thoughts:
Antagony was the natural redeco of Inferno, but there is still something special about having a figure that was once limited to being a Botcon exclusive now being available to a much wider range of fans and at a reasonable price to boot! Highly recommended.
Pros:
- Excellent sculpt in both modes.
- Good articulation and play value.
- The beast mode can stand!
- Little touches like the jaw articulation really show an attention to detail that you don't always see outside of Masterpiece.
- Beautiful deco.
- Fun and unique transformation.
Cons:
- I would have liked to have the actual "flamethrower" weapon included.
