 Shockwave
Retooled Purple Bits
Transformers Studio Series 86 Voyager
Item No.: Asst. G0478 No. G2191
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: A mini Shockwave handheld blaster
Action Feature: Transforms from robot to blaster/space ship/upside-down submarine
Retail: $42.99
Availability: May 2026
Other: A 2019 reshell that's a little short, but has a lot of new pieces
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Hey kids, a new Shockwave! This is a pretty healthy retool of Siege Shockwave [FOTD #2,064] from 2019. He has been remade a few times, with a gray Galactic Man Shockwave [FOTD #2,125], a comics-inspired version, and a Dramatic Capture Series cartoon colored version from Japan. Those molds all share the same basic core figure, plus or minus the upgrade accessories. Studio Series 86 Shockwave retains the gray parts, but generally retools most of the purple elements to give him new smoother armor plating and a handy mini Shockwave blaster to use as an accessory for other figures.
This figure also serves as an example of how inflation and/or price increases have really hit us. In 2019, you got this figure with a host of armor upgrades for $49.99. Today, those upgrades and some deco are gone, with the figure primarily painted in color for $43.99.
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Since Takara-Tomy did a cartoon colors retooling, do you need this one? Maybe! The arms, torso, and purple boots all exhibit signs of extensive retooling. It's a smoother body, with the greeblies-filled chest that could probably have been eliminated with an opaque chest window. Hasbro did a really nice job here, but enough of the old toy shows through that it feels like an evolutionary step. I would assume they're considering doing a new version later, like we seem to be seeing over and over for the 1984 cast of the TV show and toy line. I would have skipped the clear plastic entierly, as the cartoon Shockwave's chest, hand, and laser hand all seem to match pretty closely. The cartoon's Decepticon-emblazoned forearms are a good match, but notably have a silver - not balck - outline. The purple is a little darker than the cartoon, and the light-up eyeport works surprisingly well. Given what I assume was a limited tooling budget, the simplified purple armor and lack of paint do help to get him a more cartoony vibe - but simpler grey elements and an opaque chest could do even more to sell the idea.
In terms of articulation, it's teh same as it ever was. And that's good. Articulation has generally plateaued in this line, and you'll find your swivel wrist and tilting ankles here. Every joint moves fairly nicely, although some things are a big different. Shockwave's backpack cable now plugs in to the back of his arm, rather than the side. I don't get the sense that his mobility has been hurt (or improved) in any way, and the color is a bit richer than most releases - but not the comic one.
Looking at the 3 purple versions I own, each has something neat to offer so I may not end up selling any of them. The Siege one has the extra armor, arms, and wing parts. The comic one has some wild deco and the Optimus Prime Comic Marvel head on a base. This one has a purple mini Shockwave, and unique panels. I don't really want to let any of them go since they all look a bit different, but if I had to lose one it might be Siege. It's functionally a similar figure, but the deep cuts obscure the Decepticon symbols and the darker color - while cool - isn't as cartoony as I would prefer.
If height is an issue, an enterprising fan rendered some 3D printable platform shoes for the mold. For the time being, I assume this will be my favorite Shockwave unless we see Hasbro or Takara-Tomy do a cartoonier version.
Since the toy retains a lot of old parts, transformation is largely the same. You can get an upside-down submarine/space ship/weapon for Bruticus in a few minutes.
The vehicle is very similar to the other toys - but this one has some neat bits. For example, there is a storage bay for the blaster mode in the vehicle's undercarriage. The cable has moved, the tower is a little different, and it can seemingly connect to Bruticus as a big giant blaster. I can't wait to try it! I don't have many complaints here, given the nature of the project. Hasbro did a great job revitalizing an aging mold for yet another purchsae, and I believe this will be the go-to version of the mold for fans that just need a good, plain Shockwave toy. The rest of us will want the Cyberworld Spinosaurus version.
I was surprised that Hasbro kept the old Siege hooks for the upgrade parts. As you can see below, the shoe lefts, beam emitter, and extra arms all easily fit on the vehicle mode. The color isn't an exact match, but it's quite close. It's a nice play feature to keep, especially as it might only be appreciated by people that have bought the figure's previous incarnations. I don't know that it's an amazing feature but it did make me happy to see it all still fit. Sometimes we don't get that lucky with action figure accessories that were included in the box!
$43 is a lot of money for a toy you may have bought there or four times, at $40-$50 each time. I'm not saying to run out and buy this one if you're happy with what you have at home - but if you want something better? This is better. I expect a better version of this mold to show up somewhere (maybe as a Takara-Tomy initiative) in the next few years. Until then? This is as good as it gets If you see it, it won't be obvious just how much work they put into it. Shockwave looks like Shockwave, so if you can't tell that this new version is a clear improvement perhaps you can save some money. I decided I needed to check it out up close, and with things like the purple hands and the mini blaster I'm pretty happy I did. Until the next revision comes out, in which case I'll probably be cranky.
--Adam Pawlus
Additional Images
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