Classics (2006)



When the live-action Transformers film was pushed back from November 2006 to July 2007, Hasbro needed to create a filler line to bridge the gap in their product offerings. That bridge was a revisitation of the original Generation 1 characters, dubbed Classics. The line featured many original toy designs as well as some Mini-Cons which were originally meant for the end of the Cybertron franchise. A handful of redecoed Legends-class figures rounded out the selection.

Although no cartoon or comic book were planned for the line by Hasbro, Fun Publications picked up the ball for their Official Transformers Fan Club Magazine comic, making Classics the basis of their 2007 story-arc. They used the old Marvel Generation 1 comic as backstory, but disregarded the Marvel UK material and the Generation 2 comic that followed, taking things in a new direction instead. Even after the magazine comic moved on to a different focus, Fun Publications continued to utilize Classics elements in other stories.

Legends class

 * Bumblebee
 * Fireflight
 * Jetfire
 * Leo Prime
 * Menasor
 * Perceptor
 * Trypticon
 * Autobot Whirl

Mini-Cons

 * Clear Skies Team
 * Demolition Team
 * Dinobots
 * Dirt Digger Team
 * Night Rescue Team
 * Predator Attack Team

Scout class

 * Huffer (BotCon 2007 exclusive)

Deluxe class
Wave 1
 * Astrotrain
 * Bumblebee
 * Rodimus
 * Starscream

Wave 2
 * Grimlock
 * Mirage

Wave 3
 * Cliffjumper
 * Ramjet

BotCon 2007 exclusives
 * Springer
 * Weirdwolf

Voyager class
Wave 1
 * Megatron
 * Optimus Prime

Wave 2
 * Jetfire

Box sets

 * Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle (versus 2-pack w/DVD)
 * Ultra Magnus vs Skywarp: Battle for Autobot City (versus 2-pack, Target exclusive)
 * Constructicon Devastator (Wal-Mart exclusive giftset)
 * "Games of Deception" BotCon exclusive, featuring:
 * Bug Bite
 * Dreadwind
 * Thundercracker
 * Dirge
 * Thrust

Miscellaneous

 * Optimus Prime (20th Anniversary redeco with talking base)
 * Soundwave with Laserbeak and Battle Ravage (Generation 1 reissue; uses the Soundblaster version of the mold, which had a remolded door that can hold two cassettes.)
 * Masterpiece Starscream (G1-colored redeco)

Universe 2008
See Universe Classic Series.

What counts as Classics?
The term "Classics" is universally accepted and used by both fans and Hasbro, but it appears with surprising irregularity around the toys themselves. The first year of packaging only labeled them "Transformers," with "Classic" appearing solely as a prefix to some of the size classes (such as "Classic Deluxe" or "Classic Voyager"). Some toys, such as the Magnus/Skywarp two-pack, have no "Classic" label at all. The one unifying factor was the distinctive design of the packaging, which spread to even the Soundwave re-release. This has become the commonly-accepted delineator of the Classics line, which brings the following toys into the fold even though they don't self-identify as such:


 * Prime vs. Megatron Ultimate Battle set
 * Magnus vs. Skywarp Battle for Autobot City set
 * 20th Anniversary Prime redeco
 * Mini-Cons (the Mini-Con sets have been referred to as Classics toys on Hasbro's website, but not on the packaging)
 * Toys "R" Us exclusive reissue Soundwave
 * BotCon 2007 exclusives
 * Optimus Prime & Ultra Magnus (Asian market exclusive two-pack, 2007)
 * Jetfire & Grimlock (Asian market exclusive two-pack, 2007)
 * Masterpiece Starscream Hasbro release

Complicating things further, Classics would later be subsumed by the relaunched Universe franchise (which also engulfed Robot Heroes). As new toys came out, the defining Classics packaging style vanished in favor of the Universe design. Only a small "Classic Series" label on their bios maintained the connection to the previous Classics toys and separated them from the Robot Heroes they were suddenly rubbing elbows with.

Henkei! Henkei! Transformers
'''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers' is the name of the Japanese version of the Classics'' toyline. Like the Beast Wars Returns toyline before it, this line features several redecoes of existing figures to make them look more like the original character models than their American counterparts. For example, Megatron is silver and black instead of neon green and gray, Starscream and Grimlock are colored closer to their show models, Convoy/Prime and Bumble/Bumblebee have less white paint, and Astrotrain has a more show-inspired deco of dark gray and purple instead of white and violet. In addition to these tweaks, every toy has various areas cast in chrome, seemingly for no other reason than to create a line-wide commonality.

Fiction
Unlike the U.S. version of this line, the Henkei line comes with a mini-manga featuring Convoy, Bumble, Grimlock, Megatron, and Starscream. This short story starts off in the 21st Century with Megatron attacking Tokyo, planning to steal its energy and enslave the humans. Then the Cybertrons arrive to stop the Destrons, saying they will always find the Destrons and stop them thanks to the humans' information lines. Starscream is taken out by Bumble and Grimlock, while Megatron fights Convoy. The Destrons then retreat, and the humans thank the Cybertrons. The story continues with the release of the Henkei Astrotrain toy. The second part begins with Astrotrain in train mode attempting to derail a train at Shinjuku Station until Rijie and Grimlock show up. Astrotrain transforms to space shuttle mode to escape Rijie, and then transforms again, this time into his robot mode. While Convoy and Bumble attempt to guard the citizens from Astrotrain, it is revealed that the attack is all part of a Destron plan. While Astrotrain creates a distraction, Megatron and the other Destrons are slowly collecting energon. Megatron is then attacked by a new Cybertron warrior...

Cybertrons

 * C-01 Convoy (Voyager Optimus Prime)
 * C-02 Bumble (Deluxe Bumblebee)
 * C-03 Grimlock (Deluxe Grimlock)
 * C-04 Rijie (Deluxe Mirage)
 * C-05 Hot Rodimus (Deluxe Rodimus/"Hot Rod")
 * C-06 Skyfire (Voyager Jefire)
 * C-07 Sunstreaker (Universe Deluxe Sunstreaker)
 * C-08 Prowl (Universe Deluxe Prowl)
 * Powerglide (Universe Voyager Powerglide / USA Packaging)
 * Silverbolt (Universe Voyager Silverbolt / USA Packaging)
 * Skyglide (Toys "R" Us exclusive promotional Mini-Con)

Destrons

 * D-01 Megatron (Voyager Megatron)
 * D-02 Starscream (Deluxe Starscream)
 * D-03 Astrotrain (Deluxe Astrotrain)
 * D-04 Ramjet (Deluxe Ramjet)
 * Onslaught (USA Packaging)