Blitzwing (G1)/toys
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Blitzwing is the archetypal tank-jet Triple Changer.
Contents |
Toys
The Transformers
- Blitzwing (Triple Changer, 1985)
- Takara ID number: 43
- Accessories: "Gyro-blaster rifle", "electron scimitar", 3 "concussion missiles"
- Known designers: Kōjin Ōno (TakaraTomy)
- Released in the second year of Hasbro's The Transformers toyline (first year in European markets), Blitzwing is a redeco of the Takara Diaclone "Triple Changer Jet Fighter Type", and can transform into either a Soviet MiG-25 fighter jet or a Japanese Type-74 assault tank. His jet mode has spring-loaded missile launchers in the wings, but all U.S. versions had the spring-loaded missile launchers severely weakened, while the Japanese releases kept the full-strength launching mechanisms. The tank turret on the original Blitzwing toy can be taken off, while later releases feature a turret that cannot be removed.
- For all of those who don't know, the toy actually has horizontal stabilizers that flip out of the back of his jet mode! This seems to be a feature most owners of the toy overlook, just due to them being well-hidden in his other modes.
- This mold was returned to its Diaclone coloration and re-released in 2005 as Overcharge, an e-HOBBY exclusive—which can also double as Blitzwing's original form in the Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity (see below).
The Transformers Collection
- Blitzwing (2005)
- ID number: 17
- Accessories: gyro-blaster rifle, electron scimitar, 3 concussion missiles
- Blitzwing was reissued as part of Takara's The Transformers Collection series. Despite being included in the instruction manual, the rubsign was nowhere to be found on this version. The tank turret cannot be removed on this release.
Collector's Edition
- Overcharge (Triple Changer Terrorbot, 2005)
- ID number: 72
- Accessories: "Heat rifle", "null gladius" sword, 3 missiles
This figure also doubles as Blitzwing's original form before defecting from the Quintessons in the Legends Blitzwing pack-in comic.
- Collector's Edition Overcharge is an e-HOBBY exclusive redeco of the original Blitzwing toy, using the coloration of the pre-Transformers "Triple Changer Jet Machine Type" Diaclone toy. It transforms from robot mode to a Mitsubishi Type 74 tank or a MiG-25 fighter jet. In jet mode, it features two spring-loaded missile launchers, one within each wing assembly. And because Japan has different safety standards for projectile launchers, these are fully functional and launch them tiny things a pretty good distance.
- Overcharge came with an extra decal sheet with multiple faction logos (including several totally new ones) so it could be assigned to different armies: Autobot, Decepticon, Quintesson/Terrorbot, "Ancient", EDC, and "Unicron's Herald" (using the Blentron sigil in yellow).
Generations
- Blitzwing (Triple Changer Voyager, 2013)
- Series / Number: 02 / 002
- Japanese ID number: TG22
- Accessories: rifle, scimitar, missile
- Known designers: Joe Kyde (Hasbro)
- Part of the third wave of 2012-2013 Generations Voyager Class toys, Thrilling 30 Blitzwing is a modern reinterpretation of his original toy, and transforms into two vaguely futuristic vehicles: a jet with an opening cockpit and back-mounted rocket boosters, as well as a tank with a rotating turret and a spring-loaded cannon that launches its missile when the barrel is compressed. The cannon can be swung out and deployed for use in jet mode. He comes with a blaster and a sword, both of which mount/are held by 5 mm post. He features 5 mm ports for his hands, shoulders/vehicle sides, cannon base, and wings, while both weapons have numerous additional posts and ports.
- In a nod to his Animated incarnation, he sports a face-swapping feature, allowing him to switch between a more traditional, visored face, a monocled face (inspired by the Animated character's 'Icy' persona), and a black jack-o'-lantern-like face (inspired by the Animated character's 'Random' persona). Unlike his inspiration however, the toy's faces spin vertically rather than horizontally.
- The toy is renowned for two significant design flaws. The first is that tabs meant to anchor the robot shoulders to the chest never solidly lock into place—they are simply too far apart. This makes his shoulder assemblies swing up and out of his chest when the shoulders are rotated up. Pressing the shoulder slots into the chest tabs sometimes works to counter this, but it depends on the tolerances of each individual figure. The problem can be completely eliminated with a little work:
- For those not wishing to modify the toy itself, spacing material can be affixed to the back of the shoulder piece. This creates support in the back and allows the front tabs to remain in place.
- Alternately, one can disassemble the figure and lightly sand the screw mounts and inside chest walls on the front half, bringing the back of the figure and the front closer together, and allowing the shoulder assemblies to lock in completely solid as originally intended. This has the potential risk of over-sanding, which prevents the legs from clipping securely to his chest for his vehicle modes.
- The second major flaw concerns the face-swapping feature; almost universally, this does not actually end up working because the rotating faces are rendered immobile by an excess of paint on the inside of the helmet, including the post the faces are mounted on. This can be fixed by dismantling the head, removing the faces, and trimming the excess paint in the helmet interior, or in some circumstances, by leaving the toy in a freezer until the inner-helmet paint becomes brittle enough to crack by exerting pressure on the faces, allowing the faces to move as designed. Unfortunately, the yellow paint is also prone to rubbing off when transformed due the rubber used to create the jet mode's nosecone.
- There are two variants of Blitzwing: The first version sports an all-silver Decepticon insignia on its chest and has the missile inserted into the turret inside the packaging, no extra space for the missile in the plastic tray behind the turret and no holes cut for tying down the missile, while a later running change changed the Decepticon insignia's color to purple, with a silver outline, and has the missile tied down in the plastic tray behind the turret.[1][2] Oddly, the official Hasbro stock photo of the toy inside its packaging depicts the later version.
- The Japanese release sports a more metallic gold paint application as opposed to the lemon yellow gloss of his helmet, additional purple paint on his thighs and shoulders, dark metallic gray paint within his cockpit, and additional silver paint on his torso. The neck of the figure is now painted black rather than yellow to better blend in with the lower portion of his three faces. Some of the silver detailing on his torso was changed to gold. The figure also features a lighter, more metallic purple, lighter tan, and silver paint on all his gray plastic. The rubberized nose cone's colors are now more in sync with the entire body's purple. The scimitar weapon is molded in a solid purple plastic as opposed to the Hasbro version's "blade" being painted in a lighter hue to simulate an "energon" effect. The same design flaws that plagued the Hasbro release were also carried over in the Tomy version with the exception of the face switching gimmick issue.
- Blitzwing was retooled into Generations Doubledealer and Cloud Starscream, neither of which fixed the mold's shoulder problem. The design of the figure also inspired the look of Flywheels in the 2005 IDW continuity.
Construct-Bots
- Blitzwing (Triple-Changer, 2013)
- Known designers: Andrew Scribner (deco artist)
- Part of Wave 1 of Construct-Bots Triple-Changers, Blitzwing can transform into something that vaguely resembles a jet and something that vaguely resembles a tank. He is armed with a projectile launching main cannon, a set of non-firing Gatling guns and a blaster. His face was retooled into Ironhide's.
Bot Shots
- Scourge / Sergeant Kup / Blitzwing (Multi-pack, 2013)
- Series: 2
- Number: Super Bot 007
- Fist strength: 181
- Blaster strength: 845
- Sword strength: 594
- Part of the second wave of Bot Shots Series 2 three-packs, Blitzwing is a redeco of Series 1 Decepticon Brawl in transparent purple, transforming into a tank with a spring-loaded automatic transformation to robot mode triggered when the front is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels. As a Super Bot, he has more lopsided strength ratings.
- He comes with Spin Shot Scourge and Spin Shot Sergeant Kup. He shares parts with Series 1 Megatron and Series 1 Shockwave.
- The second wave of Series 2 three-packs didn't reach mass retail in the United States, only showing up in discount stores like Ross.
Kre-O
- Kreon Class of '85 (Kreon figure set, 2015)
- Set number B5152
- Voted: Class Jock
- Accessories: Scoped pistol, curved blade
- Kre-O Blitzwing, President of the Chess Club that year, is a small brick-built Kreon figure, using the 2015-style construction with raised hands and the sturdier "peg-in-peg" torso/waist connection.
- He was only available as part of the San Diego Comic-Con-exclusive "Kreon Class of '85" 30-Kreon set. This set was also sold online through Hasbro Toy Shop after the show.
- Blitzwing (Kreon Triple Changer, 2015)
- Accessories: Pistol, Buildable Scimitar
- Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro)[3]
- Part of the (ultimately unreleased) Battle Changers Kreon Triple Changer line, Blitzwing transforms from robot to jet to tank and back without removing any parts! As a nod to his Animated counterpart, he comes with two optional heads.
- Blitzwing (along with Drift) was shown at Toy Fair 2015, but no accounts of it seeing release in any market have ever surfaced.
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Platinum Edition
- Decepticon Triple Changers (Platinum Edition, 2015)
- Accessories: gyro-blaster rifle, electron scimitar, 3 concussion missiles
- Part of a Platinum Edition two-pack with Astrotrain released under the Generations line, this reissue of Blitzwing features an unprecedented light brown and red color scheme. The exact inspiration for this deco is unknown, with the currently prevalent theory being that it's supposedly an homage to the Duocon Flywheels's colors.
- This set was officially an Amazon exclusive in the United States and Canada. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers BigBadToyStore and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In the United Kingdom, it was available via A1Toys.
- This toy was repurposed as Fever Dream.
Titans Return
- Decepticon Hazard & Blitzwing (Voyager Class, 2017)
- Accessories: seated gun, tank barrel, scimitar, Hazard Titan Master
- Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)
- Released as part of the fifth (and final) wave of Titans Return Voyager Class toys, Blitzwing is a redeco/retool of Megatron. He also comes with Hazard, a Titan Master who transforms into Blitzwing's head. Hasbro's stock photo (see right) has the figure transformed using Megatron's instructions, but a more animation-accurate depiction of the character can be achieved by simply rotating the tail wings forward, leaving the jet wings unfolded, and keeping the tank barrel attached to the turret. Like Megatron, Blitzwing is capable of transforming into his tank mode without removing his head, though this leaves it exposed completely on the vehicle's back.
- A recurring issue with many examples of the figure involves the figure's thighs being coated in so much paint that it affects the clearance and range of motion on the joints connected to them. This results in stiff thigh swivels and may sometimes prevent the shins from properly folding up and locking into the hips for either vehicle mode. The Blitzwing face on Hazard's back is also coated in heavy amounts of paint, causing the facial details to become nearly indiscernible. Additionally, the tabs that keep the arms in place in robot and tank mode and the panels in the legs in vehicle mode are both very prone to popping out. The stickers on the wings seem especially prone to peeling, sometimes doing so right out of the box.
Legends
- Blitzwing (Voyager Class, 2018-01-27)
- ID number: LG-59
- Accessories: seated gun, tank barrel, scimitar, Headmaster
- Legends Blitzwing is a redeco of the Titans Return Voyager toy in cartoon-accurate colors and with easier to see facial features. He comes with Big Fight, redecoed from the beast/vehicle accessory of Titans Return Shuffler.
- Interestingly, his instructions and stock photography depict an alternate transformation for the robot mode, leaving the jet mode tail fins less transformed in order to more closely match his animation model.
Legacy
- TakaraTomy ID number: TL-10
- TakaraTomy release date: October, 2022
- Accessories: 2 blasters, sword, 2 Energon gauntlets, 2 energon fists (combine to form missile racks/fists/boosters)
- Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy), Hirofumi Ichikawa (detailing), Emiliano Santalucia (concept artist), AJ Piejko-Brown (packaging)
- Part of the second wave of Transformers: Legacy Leader Class toys, Blitzwing is a mostly cartoon-accurate version of the character. In particular, his head is based more on his appearance from The Transformers: The Movie onwards, while the deco on his chest replicates sticker detailing from his original G1 toy. He transforms into either his fighter jet mode in 32 steps, or his tank mode in 41 steps. The visible plane cockpit in tank mode is intentional as to replicate the error in his cartoon model. Also like the cartoon model, the jet mode is lacking any horizontal stabilizers.
- His accessories include his sword and a pair of his original guns, which can all mount on his vehicle modes via various 5mm holes, and two large Energon gauntlets with detachable hands. Said gauntlets can plug into his robot mode arms, plug into the back of the jet mode as boosters, or reconfigure into missile racks for the tank mode's turret. His accessories can all be stored on Blitzwing's back in robot mode, including the gauntlets which can be stored by plugging them into the tank turret, while pointing the turret down instead of up. As the 5mm peg is very short and near the front of the gauntlets, it can be difficult to get him to hold them securely. For safety reasons, the blade of his sword is cast in softer, slightly rubbery plastic.
- Like many Leaders since 2019, Blitzwing stands about as tall as contemporary Voyager-class figures but features additional accessories and a more complex transformation.
- Blitzwing was later re-released as part of the second wave of Legacy: Evolution Leader Class toys. There are no discernible changes from the original release. As with fellow package refresh figures Dirge and Transmetal II Megatron, his box lacks the Evo-Fusion gimmick callout.
- This mold was also used to make Overcharge.
Dramatic Capture Series
- Triple Takeover (2025)
- Release date: March 2025
- Accessories: 2 blasters, sword
- Released a part of the Dramatic Capture Series line by TakaraTomy, this Blitzwing is a redeco of his Legacy toy in more Generation 1 cartoon-accurate colors, without his Energon gauntlets & Energon fists.
- Blitzwing is packaged with Starscream and Astrotrain.
Merchandise
Decoy
- Blitzwing (1986)
- Decoy Blitzwing is a small, purple, soft-rubber figure that came randomly packed with smaller carded toys.
Transformers Gum
- Blitzwing (1986)
- Accessories: "Gyro-Blaster Gun"
- Essentially a downsized version of the original Blitzwing toy, the Transformers Gum kit is sculpted from black, red, and grey plastic, features stickers rather than paint applications for details, and came with a stick of gum.
3D Battle-Card Game
- Blitzwing (2007)
- A 30-point "uncommon" character in the 3D Battle-Card Game's "Energon Wars" expansion, Blitzwing "transforms" into a burgundy and blue tank. He uses the same parts layout as movie Brawl and Wreckage and Generation 1 Warpath.
- Blitzwing really looks like Quake. However, his stat card is clearly intended for Blitzwing, listing several of that character's trademark weapons as attacks.
Robot Heroes
- Autobot Hound & Blitzwing (Two-pack, 2008)
- Known designers: Bill Rawley (Hasbro), Marcelo Matere (concept artist)
- Part of the first wave of Universe-branded Robot Heroes, Blitzwing is a super deformed figure sculpted holding his electron scimitar. He has articulation in his neck and shoulders and came in a two-pack with Hound.
The Loyal Subjects
- Blitzwing (2014)
- The Loyal Subjects Blitzwing is a Wave 3 figure with standard articulation. He features a pumping cannon gimmick. He also has a sword and a gun. There are two Blitzwings per 16 figures.
Transformers Trading Card Game
- Blitzwing, Relentless Foe (2019)
- Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners
- Rarity: SRT
- Card Number: T09/T46
- Stars: 11
- Blitzwing, Relentless Foe is one of forty-six character cards released as part of Wave 2 of the Transformers Trading Card Game, Rise of the Combiners. In order to depict the Triple Changer nature of the character, Blitzwing, Relentless Foe is a folding card, with both Alt Modes depicted when the card is folded in half, and Bot Mode depicted when the card is unfolded.
- The line-art for the card's jet mode was drawn by Marcelo Matere, while the artwork for tank and robot mode is reused from the Transformers Legends mobile game.
ReAction
- Blitzwing (2020)
- Accessories: Gyro-blaster rifle, electron scimitar
- Released in the third wave of Super7's line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ReAction Blitzwing is a non-converting 3 3/4-inch action figure based on his appearance in the original cartoon, with 5 points of articulation (swivel neck, shoulders, hips) and holes in his feet for use with some variety of stand.
- As with all releases in the ReAction toyline, Blitzwing comes packaged on a small cardback that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of Kenner's Star Wars action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.
Eaglemoss
- Transformers Gen-1 Chess Set (
2021)
- In the planned Transformers Chess Set by Eaglemoss, a relatively large and very well detailed statue of Blitzwing was slated to be one of the Rook pieces on the Decepticon side.
- A Kickstarter campaign to raise the necessary funds for this project was launched, but failed to meet its goal by September 24, 2021 and the whole thing was canceled.
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Pop!
- Blitzwing (Digital Pop!, 2022)
- Rarity:
- Monochrome: Common
- Static: Common
- Glowing: Uncommon
- Chrome: Uncommon
- Original: Epic
- Rarity:
- NFTs depicting Blitzwing in the Funko style.
Changes from statue to statue...to statue!
- Blitzwing (2024)
- Rarity: Legendary
- ID number: 264
- Released as part of the second wave of the Pop! Digital segment, Funko's Pop! Blizwing is a super deformed vinyl figure based on his original Generation 1 toy.
- This figure is limited to 2000 units and can only be acquired by collecting and redeeming digital tokens.
Magic: The Gathering
- Blitzwing, Cruel Tormentor / Blitzwing, Adaptive Assailant (2022)
- ID number: 004/015
- Set code: BOT
- Color identity: Black
- Casting cost: {5}{B} (front), {3}{B} (back)
- "Blitzwing, Cruel Tormentor" is part of the 2022 Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond Transformers card set, found in Set Booster and Collector Booster packs of Magic's The Brothers' War set. It can be reversed to become "Blitzwing, Adaptive Assailant", representing Blitzwing in vehicle mode.
- A variant of this card was available solely in Collector Booster packs, depicting Shattered Glass Blitzwing.
References
- ↑ TFW2005 thread about Generations Blitzwing's Decepticon insignia variant.
- ↑ TFW2005 thread about Generations Blitzwing's missile-placement-inside-the-packaging variant.
- ↑ Interview with Hasbro designer Evan Brooks on the Triple Takeover podcast, from their YouTube channel
- ↑ EXCLUSIVE: Transformers Debuts Wild Rider, Blitzwing Legacy Figures - on CBR
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