It's weird, isn't it, that Dreamwave only created two new Transformers while they had the comic license, and the defining trait of both of them is that they're on fire?
Megatronus the Fallen is the warrior Prime and the largest of the Primes.
Let's get it out of the way right up front: not only is "Megatronus" a dumbass name, giving The Fallen a name at all goes against
the point of the character. The idea was that he was created so long ago, and cast out by his siblings not long after, that his actual name has been forgotten. Entirely. Not in a "we don't talk about Bruno" way or even a "Hatsune Miku wrote Harry Potter" way, but in a "what was your mother's middle school locker combination" way: his name is supposed to be literally unknown, even by himself. It started out that they just didn't mention the name, but over time everyone legitimately forgot what it was. So to call him by a name - any name - today misses the point entirely.
Mister the Fallen is a Leader Class figure, something we probably won't be seeing a lot of for the next few years - Walmart was already refusing to carry the size class, and with a Republican-drafted world recession
on the way, Hasbro is going to pull back to what's ultra-safe (so look forward to a lot more Optimus Primes and Bumblebees, even compared to what we were already getting). The design is based on his first appearance in The War Within: The Dark Ages, even more than his original toy did. Like, the sculptor opened up issue #1 of the comic, flipped to page 6, and copied every little detail they saw there, just in a more impressive form. The big, broad chest, the style of belt, even the placement of the little vents and openings on his body, they all match up very closely with Andrew Wildman's art.
The Fallen's ancient artifact is, like Prima's, another piece that originated in Armada. This time it's the Requiem Blaster, though it's just a standalone weapon and not something made from three combinded Minicons. It's a big, chunky thing, and there's a neat Easter egg in the sculpt,
where part of it looks like it would be a trigger on a 1980s-style missile launcher accessory. Fun! He also comes with a trident spear and a sword, which can be combined into one long staff. There are small missile pods on his shoulders, and one longer cannon barrel that is actually a loose accessory and plugs onto his back in a way that allows it to aim over his shoulder. His articulation is great, with things like rocker ankles for wide stances, and shoulders that pull out so he can reach his arms across his chest. Excellent stuff!
He also comes with four more accessories to really complete the look. Although Pat "Michiyamenotehi Funana" Lee designed The Fallen to look like a pseudo-medieval Transformer who glowed like a furnace, it was Andrew Wildman and the colorists who went a step further and made him
be constantly on fire. The original toy honored that by putting some kibble behind his head and sculpting flames on it, but this one includes separate flame pieces molded from transluecent orange plastic! Two large ones wrap around his shoulders (or forearms, if you want), and two smaller ones jet upward out of his back. Toyhax has an upgrade kit to increase the fieriness, but the base toy is already pretty good.
Changing him between modes is fun, too. You do have to take the flames off, and the guns, but there are some definitely clever bits, like the way the treads fold out, the way the chest spins around, stuff like that. It's not complex, or difficult to understand, but the process is certainly "involved," and that makes it fun.
The hardest part for me is remembering where the extended cannon is supposed to fit in (it's the shoulders, it goes into the holes in the shoulders). Okay, getting the front fenders snapped into place is physically very hard, but that's different than what we're talking about.
The Fallen's altmode is a tank, because of course it is. Even before the connection to Megatron was invented, he was a tank. It's a fearsome design, with spikes and rakes in addition to all the weapons. The gun from his arm extends to be twice as long,
and that's even before you add the shoulder cannon as am extra barrel, adding another third to the overall length. The fire pieces can still be used in this mode, making it look like the tank is belching flame as it drives. The sword and spear, in their combined mode, can be pegged into the side of the tank as well; usually Transformers stooring extra weapons on the vehicle mode looks dumb, but this honestly kind of fits with the overall aesthetic; possibly because the smaller flame pieces get plugged onto the weapon as well.
I lucked out in finding The Fallen when Target had a "percentage off" sale on Transformers, so I got it for less than Hasbro would normally be charging. But he's definitely the Original Thirteen figure I was most looking forward to, and he's the best one released so far, so I'd like it even at regular retail price. It's a good-looking robot, a pretty cool tank, and fun to switch between them. The fact you can make it be on fire if you want is just a terrifically fun bonus. Prima was not great and Solus was in the middle, but The Fallen makes us look forward to more.
Even if they did ruin the gag by giving him a name.
-- 05/13/25
Do you like The Fallen having a real name? Tell us on our message board, the Loafing Lounge.
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