More and more, Hasbro's Transformers franchise is rolling out into nostalgia, though not quite in the way that some might expect. The series' latest toyline is pulling from various incarnations of the franchise, giving new action figures to Autobots and Decepticons that are mainstream or obscure. One of these was a forgotten Autobot leader that was once exclusive to Japan.
Transformers: Masterforce was one of the Japanese-exclusive Generation 1 shows that aired in the late 1980s. Autobot Pretender Metalhawk was introduced as a central character in the series, showcasing just how different it was from what came before. Now available as part of the Transformers: Legacy toyline, Metalhawk finally has the chance to soar higher than even Optimus Prime himself.
Who Was Transformers: Masterforce's Metalhawk?
Masterforce initially had what seemed to be a tenuous at best connection to the predecessor series Transformers: The Headmasters, with its cast being entirely different. Humanity seemed to lack public knowledge of the Transformers, something that was furthered by the series' central theme. This was done to emphasize how the previous show had already concluded many of the plot threads introduced in The Transformers: The Movie, allowing Takara to go in a much different direction than Hasbro did in the West. Playing with the idea that humans could also become Transformers, Masterforce introduced its own version of the Pretender concept. This resulted in "robots in disguise... in disguise," with the Autobot Pretenders actually shrinking down and hiding their true forms in faux human bodies. Leading their side was Metalhawk who, along with his crew, had been stranded on Earth in ancient times.
Taking on the human guise of Hawk, he was forced to reveal himself and his team when the monstrous Decepticon Pretenders began attacking mankind once more. Metalhawk continued the divergences that the Japanese incarnations of Transformers would make compared to its American counterpart. Though his red, blue and yellow color scheme was somewhat similar to former Autobot commander Optimus Prime, his aerial alternate mode and general design most definitely were not. The aesthetic was somewhat removed from the previous looks of the Transformers, which resulted in the "Super Robot" designs seen in the follow-up series Transformers: Victory. Even with these elements, the Pretender had a strong sense of compassion, especially when it came to the human race that he swore to protect. Sadly, this wouldn't engender Metalhawk any sort of mainstream success, with the flying Autobot instead becoming an obscure oddity.
Transformers: Legacy Finally Brings Metalhawk to American Toy Aisles
Transformers: Masterforce would gradually take the spotlight away from Metalhawk and his forces, instead putting it on the Headmaster Juniors and Godmasters. One of the latter, Ginrai, even piloted a Transtector that was based on Optimus Prime, truly turning Metalhawk into a second-string former leader. His original toy was also exclusive to Japan, making him a highly sought-after gem from the "classic" era of the franchise. Throughout the years, he would have sporadic appearances in Western Transformers media such as comic books, but this never transitioned him into being a fan-favorite Cybertronian.
The first new Metalhawk figure was exclusive to the 2012 Botcon, and it was merely a retool of the Transformers: Generations Thunderwing figure. Titans Return Triggerhappy would be retooled into another Metalhawk toy, though this was exclusive to the online retailer BigBadToyStore. The Power of the Primes line had a diminutive Prime Master figure clearly based on Metalhawk's Pretender shell design, though it was strangely named Vector Prime. Transformers: Legacy finally breaks this trend by bringing a toy named Metalhawk (based on the original design, as well) to mainstream American retailers.
Though the toy is only a retool of Transformers: War for Cybertron: Kingdom Cyclonus, it's the first time that a recognizable Metalhawk figure has been widely available outside Japan, at least under the character's name. It's also highly accurate to his "inner robot" look from Transformers: Masterforce, with the vehicle mode resembling the anime more than the original toy. This will hopefully help to raise Metalhawk's profile in the franchise, seeing new versions of the character continue to appear in non-Japanese projects. The original variation from Masterforce may have hidden himself among humanity, but the Autobot's latest toy is now available for all to see.