Transformers Legacy Selects Voyager
Item No.: No. F6942 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:Non-working missile launcher, alternate Transmetals Scavanger head Action Feature:Transforms from robot to ant Retail:$33.99 Availability: October 2023 Other: Super-rare BoCon Exclusive made Cheap and Better
I planned to skip Antagony, because I am stupid. I passed on the Walmart beasts - which I kind of regret doing now - mostly because a lot of good toys were starting to arrive and just sort of wound up on a shelf, unloved. They weren't bad - but after a while, a parade of pretty good toys without any characterization or real reason for buying them can be a problem. Nobody should answer "because I don't own it" when you start to wonder "Why do I have this?" It was based on a repaint of Inferno used as a BotCon exclusive which I never really felt the urge to own - the original Inferno toy was OK, and I didn't need a black repaint of it. But then I got red Inferno from Legacy and was really impressed with the ant mode, and a black repaint with metallic purple was something I just had to pick up.
The Legacy toy is far superior to the Beast Wars original, and it was made with most of the same limitations in mind. She's a she because that's what we're told - no changes were made to the existing mold, but it did include a second "Scavenger" head which arguably makes this toy even better.
BotCon exclusives weren't necessarily ignored by fans and most of the fiction, but rarity kept them out of mind. Antagony is both something of a Maltese Falcon and also a nobody, so if you always wanted one a figure like this can be pretty enticing. It costs less than the original (no hotel rooms, no road trips) and it's based on the arguably superior modern cartoon-based Inferno body. She functions just as well as her red ancestor, even if she doesn't look that much like her comic appearances. But you didn't read her comic appearances, so she's new to you!
Hasbro delivered the goods. She's a black Inferno repaint with a purple head, and I think it looks better this way. Articulation is excellent, and the sculpted texture is what you probably want out of a figure like this. The ant carapace is greatly exaggerated, but sometimes it's more important to look cool than be scientifically accurate. Even if you don't collect Transformers, this is a pretty good figure in and of itself because it looks wonderful with great articulation and most important of all, she's stable.
She doesn't have a ton of gear, but what she has is good. Her head can pop off and swap with the alternate head, which is colored to look a lot like the original Transmetals Inferno toy. It also has big creepy teeth, but this time around the eyes are red. There are also three teal dots on the forehead, the gunmetal horns, and purple skin colors which more or less match the transparent purple on her blaster. As a collector my big annoying question: should there be a place for on-board storage of the alternate heads?
I'm reusing this from my Inferno review. The transformation is so much nicer than the original 1990s toy, which had spindly little ant legs coming out of robot legs, and weird transparent red sections, and very little reason to ever take him out of robot mode. And the robot mode wasn't very good. This one lets you fold the ant head over the robot head, then you get to do some gymnastics with the ant legs, and then the legs fold down and tuck into the backside of the bug mode. What really surprised me is that the ant butt does not completely envelop the legs, despite having four big buggy panels that make it feel like it should. That's dedication - Hasbro made sure you got the blender butt even if it doesn't help the ant mode.
I love the ant (or maybe wasp) mode. The blue eyes on Inferno popped well, and the purple eyes and lighter lavender mandibles here don't quite match as well - but they look good. Yet another shade of metallic purple was painted on her back, and pops amazingly well. The rest of the bug form is mostly black, and is glossy enough so all the texture pops really nicely. The mandibles and antenna are jointed, as are each of the six legs. For an ant toy of this size and price, given there's also a robot mode, I don't think I could ask for much more than this. I prefer Transformers, but some of these toys make me wish Hasbro would consider making cool creature figures for kids. Just make this a sofubi vinyl figure for the kids - do a Torca too. Those would be fun, and cheap, and they could fight Godzilla. (And win!)
Since this is only the second Antagony toy we've had in 25 years I doubt we'll ever get another. It's a shame she's a mail-order only item that comes in a closed box, because a lot of people who would (and should) be fans of her may never actually see her in person. No comic shop ordering these will keep them open so you can see it, and hopefully she'll find an audience in time. If it weren't for my affinity for the Beast Wars series, I would recommend this figure over Inferno - but because of her alternate head, maybe you should just start with the black repaint. Those are always lovely, and this one is another great reminder of why Hasbro should keep cranking out repaints of existing molds as new and unique characters. It's just so cool! It's a shame she wasn't a fast sell-out and is still available after a year. Well, it's a shame for Hasbro. For you, it's an opportunity to get one of these at a decent price.
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