Shadow Panther

Shadow Panther is a Predacon from the Beast Wars portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

The kid-identification character getting a black redeco is actually not unheard of.

Shadow Panther (シャドーパンサー Shadō Pansā) is the Predacons' undercover agent, taking his role seriously to the point of remodelling himself to look like the Maximal Cheetor so that he can easily lure in unsuspecting Maximal prey and kill them from within the cover of darkness. To aid him in his deception is the stealth effect from his black body that renders him invisible to radar, allowing him an easier time to fire his sense-dampening Shadow Mist or his powerful laser shotgun, the Panther Shot. Augmenting his peerless skills as a spy is his blazing speed as a black panther, granting him the nickname of "Black Bullet", and this speed extends to his ability to effortlessly assume a shooting position right from his transformation into robot mode.

Some may consider his methods cowardly, but that doesn't alleviate the fact that his terrifying qualities all combine to make Shadow Panther a truly fearsome Predacon warrior.

Fiction

2006 IDW Beast Wars continuity

While Shadow Panther's fellow Predacons saw only pain and failure in their history, Shadow Panther saw a golden age. He had spent years studying the records of his Decepticon ancestors, and idolized Megatron's inner circle of loyalists as the very best of their kind. He held a special fascination for Ravage, with whom he felt some kind of spiritual connection.

This eccentricity didn't affect his effectiveness as a spy, however. Cloaking himself in shadows and in illusions created by his holographic emitter, he executed his missions with grace and precision. On the rare occasions when he encountered opposition, he used a neuro-weapon to paralyze his foes. His sole weakness, which he shared with his idol, was his optic sensors' inability to adjust to bright light. Beast Wars Sourcebook #3

Beast Wars: Uprising

Shadow Panther was the head of the Predacon Secret Police, although rumors swirled about his origins and true allegiance, with some saying he was secretly a Builder rebuilt as a Predacon, or that his Spark had been altered by aliens. Which was, of course, ridiculous. After the Grand Uprising, he became a part of the second Tripredacus Alliance and a representative of the Independent Predacus States at the Cybertronian Parliament. Derailment

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

The Predacons traveled across time to find the Allspark and change the fate of Cybertron. While battling the Maximals on pre-Ice Age Earth, both sides were joined by the Autobots and Decepticons, their epic battle changing their combined destinies forever.

Shadow Panther's function was a ninja, and he trans-scanned into a black panther. His Shadow Mist and Panther Shot were his powers and weapons, and his core traits were his stealth, speed, and deviousness. Shadow Panther's message from the future was that he should stick to the shadows. Kingdom webpage^[1]

Toys

Beast Wars

Fuzzy kitty!

• Shadow Panther (Deluxe, 1997)

• ID number: D-7
• Release date: October ??, 1997
• Accessories: "Panther Shot" rifle/tail, "Shadow Mist" water-squirting gun

Part of the second wave of —and exclusive to— Takara's Beast Wars toyline, Shadow Panther is a redeco of the original Deluxe Class Cheetor toy in black, silver, and yellow, transforming into a generic big feline. His tail/flanks separate to form a non-firing "Panther Shot" blaster, while his underbelly forms a water-shooting "Shadow Mist" that can be used in either mode, though using it in robot mode is kind of unsettling. His robot-mode head can also flip down to reveal a bestial "mutant head".

Much later, in early 2000, this toy was offered through Hasbro's online collector service, HasbroCollectors.com. Initially, it was sold under the toy's original name and identity,^[2] but months later, the site relisted it under the name of "Tripredacus Agent", repurposing the toy as the same character as Ravage (then called "Tripredacus Agent" due to trademark issues). Though the toy's online bio (a translation of the Japanese "Shadow Panther" bio) remained unchanged for the "Tripredacus Agent" listing, it was worded vaguely enough to enable it to also be used for the toy's repurposed identity.^[3] The bio for the Walmart exclusive Transmetals 2 Tripredacus Agent would mention how the "former saboteur" had taken on "several aliases while involved the Beast Wars," in an apparent attempt to further harmonize Shadow Panther with Ravage/Tripredacus Agent.

• More information on Shadow Panther at TFU.info

Hey, look at me, I'm a panther! No... I'm PANTHOR!

• Kōya no Taiketsu: Rhinox VS Shadow Panther (Vs pack, 1997)

• ID number: VS-7
• Release date: October ??, 1997
• Accessories: "Panther Shot" rifle/tail, "Shadow Mist" water-squirting gun

Shadow Panther was available both as an individual and in a "Wilderness Showdown" (荒野の対決 Kōya no Taiketsu) two-pack with Rhinox. Both toys are identical to their individual releases, and both variants of Rhinox were available in this set as well.

This set was also available in 2000 in its original Takara box via Hasbro's now-defunct HasbroCollectors.com site to American fans. A few stickers were added to the box for hazard/safety notices.

Masterpiece

"I'mma track down anyone who'd even think about being loyal to you! And I'm gonna put their ass in the dirt, right next to Rhinox!"

• Shadow Panther (Beast Wars) (Masterpiece, 2018)

• ID number: MP-34S
• Release date: August 25, 2018
• Accessories: Three cheetah heads, three cheetah eyes, three robot faces, "Panther Eye" mutant head, "Shadow Mist" gut-gun, "Panther Shot" tail-gun, comlink (beast mode), comlink (robot mode)

Masterpiece Shadow Panther is a redeco of Masterpiece Cheetus. Shadow Panther transforms from a black cheetah panther to a robot based on Cheetor's show model, albeit taking a few shortcuts (such as using a faux cheetah head for the robot mode torso). He comes with two different guns: his traditional "gut gun" and his secondary "rump gun". Additionally, he sports three different robot faces (serious, angry and smiling), three different cheetah heads (neutral, angry and shocked) and three different pairs of cheetah eyes (looking straight, looking to his left and one with no pupils). Both weapons can stow on his backside. His hands are completely removable at the wrist, which makes it much easier for you to put his "rump gun" in his hand. This release also includes a new "Panther Eye" head (an imitation of the original toy's mutant head gimmick) and two communications devices based on the episode "The Web", that were originally planned for release with Masterpiece Cheetus but were ultimately scrapped with that release for whatever reason.^[4] In an unprecedented call-back, the art on Shadow Panther's collector card uses the original CG render from the original Beast Wars toy rather than artwork designed specifically for the Masterpiece figure.^[5]

Shadow Panther was released in Japan via TakaraTomy Mall, and was also scheduled for release in Australia as an online Toys"R"Us exclusive. Unfortunately, Shadow Panther never saw release there due to the close-down of the entire Australian Toys"R"Us chain. When purchased from a seller supplied by Hasbro Asia, Shadow Panther includes a collector coin mounted on a card shaped like a panther head. Strangely, despite being aligned with the Predacons, Shadow Panther's coin and the card it is mounted on have Maximal insignias.^[5]

War for Cybertron: Kingdom

Toothy fella.

• Shadow Panther (Deluxe Class, 2021)

• Hasbro ID number: WFC-K31
• TakaraTomy ID number: KD EX-16
• TakaraTomy release date: June 25, 2022
• Accessories: Tail whip

Part of the fourth wave of Kingdom Deluxe Class toys, Shadow Panther is a retool of Cheetor from the same line, with a new head based on the original figure's mutant head. He transforms into a "panther" in 20 steps. Shadow Panther's tail can detach to become a bladed whip, similar to Cheetor's Transmetal toy. His beast mode has fully articulated limbs and his jaw can open and close.

Shadow Panther shares the same issues regarding his beast mode neck and elbow tabs as the previous usages of the Cheetor mold.

Like most of this toyline, Shadow Panther comes with one of four possible holographic Golden Disk cards for his wave, which reveals a possible destiny of a key character. Along with his wave mate Waspinator, Shadow Panther lacks the cave painting depicting his beast mode on the back of the box. Also like his wave-mate, his metal pins are black.

Shadow Panther was first found in September 2021 at Irion Toystore in Chile,^[6] prior to an official reveal.

Most of his stock photography used by online retailers shows a version of the toy that lacks all yellow plastic and instead shows those parts cast in black plastic.

In Japan, Shadow Panther was released as a TakaraTomy Mall exclusive.

The robot- and beast-mode legs were re-used for the Hasbro PulseCon-exclusive War for Cybertron Trilogy "Covert Agent Ravage". The original mold was also used to make Legacy Nightprowler.

Merchandise

ReAction

• Shadow Panther (July 7, 2024)
  • Accessories: Gun

Released by Super7, ReAction Shadow Panther is (naturally) a redeco of ReAction Cheetor, a non-transforming 3.75” figure with five points of articulation (swivel neck, shoulders, hips). He includes his traditional "gut-gun."

Shadow Panther was exclusive to Target. He comes packaged on a small cardback that mixes the design of the original Beast Wars packaging with some nostalgic elements resembling Kenner's Star Wars action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

Gallery

• 

  Kingdom art

References