Everyone want to be Divinecomedy!

 

I mean, it was pretty obvious...right. Aside from Rampage/Depth Charge every other Transmetal was an existing cast member. Like, even as a kid I just assumed it was Inferno and the rename was for *reasons*.

In fact, I think the earliest pic I remember seeing of Scavenger was the one with Inferno on printed on his butt so it was a surprise to me when he started showing up later as "Scavenger."

 

Huh. I always bent the drills and kinda positioned them in the head rather than down towards the mouth

 

What the... this confuses even more.



Not counting Takara (Where if he is called Inferno in the Metal version, but without the stamping), Hasbro was hitting his head on how to name him, or is he called Inferno or Scavenger in his first figure? In the Transmetal version they make the Same dilemma, so maybe it's true that they went back to the original name since Organic Inferno didn't sell well and Hasbro wanted to name it with Scanveger AGAIN to make it "another character"................

 

His original name was Megatron (the Inferno figure was originally intended to be a new body for Megatron that would be introduced part way through the first season)

 

There was obviously some conscious decision on Hasbro to use the Scavenger name instead for the Transmetal toy, but I doubt we'll ever know exactly why they made that decision. I do belief that the assumed lack of popularity and Kay Bee overstock for the original Inferno toy might have played some part in it, at least, so that's as good of a theory as any.

 

So... why go from a T-rex... to a Ant?!

 

No idea, but the writers for the show have said that Hasbro was planning on having them destroy Megatron part way through season 1 and then bring him back in a body based on the toy that would become Inferno

 

It doesn't necessarily mean that the 1997 Inferno toy was originally going to be called Scavenger... it could just mean that when the packaging mockups were being done (to test out art, colours, and even different names), the name hadn't been finalized yet or passed legal, and different name options were still being tested, which Hasbro does all the time...

These were on display at BotCon 2005, with Jetstorm being called Dragonfire, for the purpose of backing card layout options before the toyline was even started... well before those second year toys like Jetstorm would have had confirmed names.
For all we know, names like Dragonfire and Scavenger (in 1997) might have failed trademark registration, but then in 1999 they might have been able to register Scavenger as a trademark. (just guessing)

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(and on an early toy listing for Fuzors, a preliminary name for Injector was Aquasting... but I don't have that listing anymore to prove it, so don't quote that as something official)
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I remember Aquasting being clearly audible for the Fuzors TV commercial. I was surprised as a kid to find him called "Injector" when I saw him on the shelf.

 

God I want a Transmetal Scavenger now....

Damn thread.  

 

Meh. He's got kind of a cool look (that extra demonic headsculpt is distinctive as all hell), but he's not a very impressive toy. You've got his pretty sleek leg and body design, and then you come to his arms and realize they just sort of slapped everything else on there willy-nilly.

 

Oh I know as I had him long ago, but I enjoyed that guy back in the day, and this thread has done a good job of reminding me of that.

 

Transmetal Scavenger appreciation thread.

 

Going to be honest I think Dragonfire works better as a name for a dragonfly than Jetstorm. Also Aquasting sounds more fitting then Injector.

 

Not gonna lie: All these unused BW names are better than the finalized ones.

Yes, even Grizzly-1

 

Are you kidding me, Jetstorm could have been named Dragonfire! That's such a better name for him. You know what fuck it I'm just going to call him that from now on. Jetstorm who? He's mother flippin Dragonfire!!!

 

Yeah the pre-release names were often better. It was a time for some fun new names. I like Grizzly-1, but if I'm honest Barbearian is better.

TransMetal Inferno is one of those toys that looks great, especially in ant mode (if you can get into ants). Most of his playability is in ant or vehicle mode as his robot articulation is fairly compromised. For whatever reason a lot of the Mega toys lacked swivels that the Deluxe figures often had. Never have quite understood that. He looks amazing though (as do all TransMetals). His ant arms are definitely a problem, with no real design for what to do with them in the other modes.

I'd still love to see TransMetal version of Scorponok, the only show character from the first 2 years of the toyline that didn't eventually get an upgraded toy.

 

He got a mcdonalds transmetal...

 

Yo!