TFCC Subscription Service 4.0 - Mayhem Attack Squad THUNDER MAYHEM Combiner Revealed (Update with new photo)

I question entirely both the decision to make Bludgeon a combiner torso with a normal head then not using his skull face for the combined mode, and also the name "Thunder Mayhem". It sounds more like a project or operation than a proper gestalt name.

I'm usually pretty open-minded about designs, but that combined mode does not look good to me at all. The colors are WAY too diverse across all of the team. At least teams like the Protectobots or Stunticons have some uniformity in palette (Primary colors or deep colors with Purple accents), but there is just way too much happening on "Thunder Mayhem".

And Thunderwing? What? The only member of the team with any attachment to him in any fiction is Bludgeon. The other members of Mayhem are just along for the ride. And Thunderwing doesn't work (in my opinion, of course) as a Gestalt. He's either got to be like his Generations Deluxe, or a Giant all on his own. The head just looks really out of place, even if you ignore the crazy color-scheme happening.

Still, no big loss. This announcement was what I was waiting for to decide on getting the TFSS, and it convinced me not to. The individual bots look fantastic, but the combined mode (The mode I prefer to put Gestalt Teams into) does not look good one bit (again, just my opinion).

Downbeat wrote:I question entirely both the decision to make Bludgeon a combiner torso with a normal head then not using his skull face for the combined mode, and also the name "Thunder Mayhem". It sounds more like a project or operation than a proper gestalt name.

I question the all-but-universal assumption (this is by no means limited to the post I'm quoting) that a non-Pretender Bludgeon MUST have a skull face.

I am sold. This looks so cool!

I actually kind of like it. There are quite a few colors but I think it'll look a bit better with the arms and legs switched. It's also a digital mock up and almost everything looks better in hand than on computer designs.

Well, I'm surprised by the choice of head, but I suppose it's a nice switch from the Bludgeon skull a lot of us were expecting. The name's a little clunky, though. Just "Mayhem" would have done, or maybe "Thunderwing Maximus."

bluecatcinema wrote:Well, I'm surprised by the choice of head, but I suppose it's a nice switch from the Bludgeon skull a lot of us were expecting. The name's a little clunky, though. Just "Mayhem" would have done, or maybe "Thunderwing Maximus."

Or maybe "Mayhem Maximus".

Gearslide wrote: And Thunderwing? What? The only member of the team with any attachment to him in any fiction is Bludgeon. The other members of Mayhem are just along for the ride. And Thunderwing doesn't work (in my opinion, of course) as a Gestalt.

Actually, so far as I can find on tfwiki, the four limb bots never were all Mayhems. The only time they all four worked together was in the G1 comic issue "Kings of the Wild Frontier" where they worked with Thunderwing. So Bludgeon is actually the odd bot out in this team. Doesn't change the fact that you're right about the colors being pretty gross, though, or that I don't like Bludgeon's bot or vehicle modes very much in those colors and with that head. Plus, $100 is almost too much to pay for these combiners, so $300 is never happening.

I dislike the Thunderwing head, I would've preferred Bludgeon's skull-head instead. Oh well, it's not like I was planning on combining these guys anyways.

This really makes me wish I hadn't stopped collecting Classics figures. I don't care much for that Bludgeon but all the rest look good. I don't have any CW figures yet aside from Ultra Magnus and Rodimus so I'm not getting worn out on the molds yet like some people are.

Well, THAT came out of nowhere.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! THERE'LL BE MAYHEM, MAYHEM, MAYHEM! AND THUNDER. THUNDER,THUNDER! IT'S THUNDER MAYHEM, THUNDER MAYHEM, THUNDER MAYHEM! ONLY THIS SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!

It ain't just mayhem - it's THUNDAH Mayhem! Looks OK, but I donno... something about that head sculpt just doesn't do it for me.

From Pete's Facebook Page:

On the one hand, giving the '88 Triggercons and Double Targetmasters some love is a good idea, as I don't think it's likely any other way on our shores, but having them be a combiner team is kind of unnecessary. On top of that, having them combine into another character entirely separate from a combiner just seems like a miss. I admit I thought about it at the first reveal, but this is a no go. I still may have to get my hands on Impactor, though. Like Krok on this year's wave (awesome) I may have to clear some shelf space.

Other than Needlenose and Spinister this lot is useless to me.

Hasbro better wake the h3ll up and release more IDW figures through retail!

CaptainMagic wrote:Actually, so far as I can find on tfwiki, the four limb bots never were all Mayhems. The only time they all four worked together was in the G1 comic issue "Kings of the Wild Frontier" where they worked with Thunderwing. So Bludgeon is actually the odd bot out in this team. Doesn't change the fact that you're right about the colors being pretty gross, though, or that I don't like Bludgeon's bot or vehicle modes very much in those colors and with that head. Plus, $100 is almost too much to pay for these combiners, so $300 is never happening.

Yeah, Bludgeon, Spinister and Needlenose were Mayhems. Windsweeper and Ruckus weren't (in that continuity anyways) but were with Needlenose and Spinister when they worked for Thunderwing but Bludgeon wasn't part of of that so this team is an odd mix up of the two.

I REALLY dislike the idea of Thunderwing being relegated to some team's combined form rather than being his own character. He was cool in the Marvel comics and of my fave characters.

Really the only things I want out of this set are Spinister and Needlenose (with their targetmasters), Windsweeper and Ruckus ain't bad. Bludgeon is kinda ugly (and as mentioned before I love my RotF Bludgeon with swappable faces and chromed swords). I wouldn't mind having the Thunderwing head and sticking it on some other jet TF like Universe Silverbolt or something to try make a decent large Thunderwing (I liked the Deluxe design but come on, WAY too frickin' small for this character).

Man that is terrible, this is why not all things should combine

You know, I don't have any expectations of convincing folks who don't like this that they should. Nor will I try to suggest that, if I were suggesting what a "Mayhem" combiner would look like, this is how I'd do it. But in the midst of all this hate, I feel it necessary to say, "I'm okay with this," and that I actually put my order in this morning after seeing the reveal.

Thunderwing lives! Well, his head does, at least.

Combined mode, while a neat callback to Thunderwing, is kind of a missed opportunity. Definitely should've been Bludgeon's Pretender head.

Well that's one combiner I wont be displaying lol. Definitely going to display them as individual characters. And what I find amusing is that people will pay $345 for an official combiner (with silly hands/feet) but not a highly detailed 3rd party combiner. It kind of kills the whole cost argument.

Rated X wrote:Well that's one combiner I wont be displaying lol. Definitely going to display them as individual characters. And what I find amusing is that people will pay $345 for an official combiner (with silly hands/feet) but not a highly detailed 3rd party combiner. It kind of kills the whole cost argument.

Most 3rd Party combiners, while incredibly detailed, have a bizarre aesthetic that doesn't mesh well with official or even other 3rd Party Products. The result is that it doesn't even look like a transformers product most of the time, but rather some bizarre Chinese Factory Knock-Off.

But that's just me.

It's...I don't like it. I want to like it, but I can't, and I'm buying Victorion, so that's saying something. All the bots, with the exception of Bludgeon, look great in these molds, but that combined mode...Ergh.

Before anybody bugs me about me not liking the new Bludgeon, I'm a huge fan of his IDW appearance and tank alternate mode, so this...weird semi-War-Within Bludgeon is just unpleasant to look at. Once again, funpub pulls another one on me...I don't want to buy any of them except for one. Impactor (This previous run it was Tarantulas).

This is literally, the worst combiner "G1" style, i've seen. There is literally no reason for this, other than the club got their hands on combiner wars molds. Is this really all we could expect for their club debut?

Rated X wrote:Well that's one combiner I wont be displaying lol. Definitely going to display them as individual characters. And what I find amusing is that people will pay $345 for an official combiner (with silly hands/feet) but not a highly detailed 3rd party combiner. It kind of kills the whole cost argument.

Because third party toys are awful.


I support the official toys and not some knockoffs that only pander to the G1 crowd.

mirageandjazz1197 wrote:Because third party toys are awful

That is your opinion.

mirageandjazz1197 wrote:I support the official toys and not some knockoffs that only pander to the G1 crowd.

All 5 of these TFCC characters pander to the G1 crowd. Two Triggercons, Two Targetmaster Jr's and a Pretender. Whether you care about the Marvel comics theme or not, its still G1. And most 3rd party figures are original molds, not knockoffs.

SW's SilverHammer wrote:This is literally, the worst combiner "G1" style, i've seen. There is literally no reason for this, other than the club got their hands on combiner wars molds. Is this really all we could expect for their club debut?

I'm not sure what you were expecting.

The combined mode is tertiary, a bonus. It's the individual bot homages I care about.

megatronus wrote:

SW's SilverHammer wrote:This is literally, the worst combiner "G1" style, i've seen. There is literally no reason for this, other than the club got their hands on combiner wars molds. Is this really all we could expect for their club debut?

I'm not sure what you were expecting.

The combined mode is tertiary, a bonus. It's the individual bot homages I care about.

Well If they were going to do a full combiner for the sake of a combiner, I'd want something good. Battle Gaia or Guard City, or something of the like. There is literally no reason for some of these figures to be made from Combiner wars generations figures, besides the club wanted to make a combiner.

Needlenose, fine, great use of that mold without having to do heavy retooling.
Ruckus, sure, it's what the original mold was meant for.

Spinister, unnecessary as we already have a pretty great club spinister, however i'd redo the figure using FOC Vortex.

Windsweeper would work better as something like an FOC seeker with a new head due how the robot mode looks, and how the guns can be placed on the arms.

Bludgeon, not sure what to use for him, not sure i'd even use him. I'd probably replace him with roadblock or stragnlehold.

Have Roadblock made from a sea foam green Generations roadbuster, a purple beast hunter dreadwing as the pretender (replacing impactor), and as a bonus a gold swerve.

Stranglehold from a Generations rhinox

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Spinister, unnecessary as we already have a pretty great club spinister, however i'd redo the figure using FOC Vortex.

I love that mold as much as the next guy, and also like integrating movie figures into Classics where I can, particularly Decepticons (see: Lockdown, Bludgeon, Mindwipe, etc), but I'm happy to finally get a proper Generations style Spinister.

Besides, the Tomahawk/Vortex mold has issues. Most notably in its semi-awkward articulation, and atrocious feet and/or face. Butter-face, indeed.

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Windsweeper would work better as something like an FOC seeker with a new head due how the robot mode looks, and how the guns can be placed on the arms.

This is G1 Windsweeper. I just don't understand how an FOC Seeker would be better than Skydive in any possible respect.

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Bludgeon, not sure what to use for him, not sure i'd even use him.

I actually respect this Bludgeon, and foresee liking him a helluva lot. It's basically using the same philosophy that gave us ROTF voyager Bludeon, who garners near-universal admiration, but this Bludgeon comes from the other direction. Where ROTF Bludgeon integrated aspects of the inner robot into the shell design, this Bludgeon integrates aspects of the shell into the inner robot design. Or, say the shell is predominant in ROTF where the inner robot is predominant in TFSS. Either way, I think it's quite clever and like what they did.

megatronus wrote:

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Windsweeper would work better as something like an FOC seeker with a new head due how the robot mode looks, and how the guns can be placed on the arms.

This is G1 Windsweeper. I just don't understand how an FOC Seeker would be better than Skydive in any possible respect.

It'd work better than skydive for the pure fact the guns can be mounted on the arms, or be under-slung created a more accurate silhouette, and the wings point upward. also that figure needs to have as many crazy deco's as possible, so putting it in pinks, mauve's, and salmon would be great.

megatronus wrote:

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Bludgeon, not sure what to use for him, not sure i'd even use him.

I actually respect this Bludgeon, and foresee liking him a helluva lot. It's basically using the same philosophy that gave us ROTF voyager Bludeon, who garners near-universal admiration, but this Bludgeon comes from the other direction. Where ROTF Bludgeon integrated aspects of the inner robot into the shell design, this Bludgeon integrates aspects of the shell into the inner robot design. Or, say the shell is predominant in ROTF where the inner robot is predominant in TFSS. Either way, I think it's quite clever and like what they did.

While I agree it's interesting to focus on the inner robot in this instance, it doesn't work because bludgeon's a small tank. If they took this approach a reuse of the CW brawl, Generations straxus, Warpath, or even WFC megatron, it'd work better.

SW's SilverHammer wrote:

megatronus wrote:

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Windsweeper would work better as something like an FOC seeker with a new head due how the robot mode looks, and how the guns can be placed on the arms.

This is G1 Windsweeper. I just don't understand how an FOC Seeker would be better than Skydive in any possible respect.

It'd work better than skydive for the pure fact the guns can be mounted on the arms, or be under-slung created a more accurate silhouette, and the wings point upward. also that figure needs to have as many crazy deco's as possible, so putting it in pinks, mauve's, and salmon would be great.

megatronus wrote:

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Bludgeon, not sure what to use for him, not sure i'd even use him.

I actually respect this Bludgeon, and foresee liking him a helluva lot. It's basically using the same philosophy that gave us ROTF voyager Bludeon, who garners near-universal admiration, but this Bludgeon comes from the other direction. Where ROTF Bludgeon integrated aspects of the inner robot into the shell design, this Bludgeon integrates aspects of the shell into the inner robot design. Or, say the shell is predominant in ROTF where the inner robot is predominant in TFSS. Either way, I think it's quite clever and like what they did.

While I agree it's interesting to focus on the inner robot in this instance, it doesn't work because bludgeon's a small tank. If they took this approach a reuse of the CW brawl, Generations straxus, Warpath, or even WFC megatron, it'd work better.

In both of these cases, you're focusing on secondary characteristics. In Windsweeper's case, why focus on the silhouette the wings would provide when the general proportions and look of the FOC Seeker do nothing for Windsweeper? Or, why focus on the need to keep Bludgeon a tank, when, again, Straxus, Warpath, and WFC Megatron just don't fit Bludgeon's look? (Brawl might work, but he's a bit too beefy.)



It's probably just a matter of preference, but I would rather use a mold that fits the robot better than the vehicle.

Call me an outcast here, but I love this. It kinda works, and I am a fan of loud color schemes, plus that head looks pretty cool. I'd buy them all

SW's SilverHammer wrote:

megatronus wrote:

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Windsweeper would work better as something like an FOC seeker with a new head due how the robot mode looks, and how the guns can be placed on the arms.

This is G1 Windsweeper. I just don't understand how an FOC Seeker would be better than Skydive in any possible respect.

It'd work better than skydive for the pure fact the guns can be mounted on the arms, or be under-slung created a more accurate silhouette, and the wings point upward. also that figure needs to have as many crazy deco's as possible, so putting it in pinks, mauve's, and salmon would be great.

I could see Air Raid working better based on that logic. He has gunport arms and his wings can flip vertically.

I still love the FOC Seekers though.

Windsweeper should have been the Silverbolt mold. It has everything going for it:

Similar to a B1-B Bomber - Check

Similar chest plate style - Check

Head that doesn't have a bucket helmet - Check


I could care less about homaging the spring loaded gun gimmick. Just give him 2 silver matching guns and he's good. Since this wave of toys never made the G1 cartoon, we don't even know if the gimmick would have been acknowledged by the Sunbow artists.

Well, well, well...!

Sabrblade wrote:Some are thinking the Combiner head could look like Thunderwing, like how the Combiner head of the FOC Wreckers looked like Emirate Xaaron.

As for reveal, that might be the greatest Thunderwing headsculpt we've ever head (if the final product comes out looking that good, that is).

That being said, while I don't hate the combiner overall, this just reaffirms my wishing that the torso had instead been Thunderwing himself retooled from either Silverbolt or Cyclonus, with the standard robot mode having been based on Thunderwing's inner robot mode:



And between him and Bludgeon, while I like both characters, I always felt Thunderwing to be the cooler character of the two and that Bludgeon was a bit overrated for all the attention that he gets. Don't get me wrong, I just admitted to liking Bludgeon and thinking that he's cool, I just feel that Thunderwing deserves more attention that he normally gets and that he deserves it more than Bludgeon.

Not to mention that, as I stated several times in this thread, Bludgeon never worked with these other four guys in the comics while Thunderwing DID. All five of them went on the Matrix Quest together.


Also, just in case anyone doesn't get the reference in the pic of Thunder Mayhem (ugh, really gonna have to get used to that name ) holding the Matrix, here's what it is:

So many bright colours, yet not a single one to tie them all together... Looks like one of those Lucky Draw prizes where they let tiny children design the colour schemes and they always end up looking hideous.

Hmm... Seeing that pic makes me wish the torso was Thunderwing. He always should have been a voyager.

megatronus wrote:Thunderwing lives! Well, his head does, at least.

Meh! I would've preferred a new Leader Class Thunderwing instead.

Hell, I'd take a remold of Jetfire instead of those Seekers I passed on anyway.

I'd say this is no worse than Cyclonus having Galvatron as torso mode. At the very least Thunder Mayhem has his own limbs, something that can't be said for Cyclonus, having to resort to a cliche plot device

Bludgeon and Thunderwing were both Decepticon Leaders at one time, but which of the two was more popular? Bludgeon has received more proper homage toys over the years, even if in name only:

- RiD 2001 Destructicon Bludgeon
- RotF Master of Metalikato Decepticon Bludgeon
- RotF Voyager Decepticon Bludgeon
- Prime Beast Hunters Bludgeon

...while Thunderwing only has the Generations one. On the other hand, fiction was more Thunderwing's schtick, so... Could TFCC Bludgeon be considered an example what trumps what: toys vs. fiction?

sooooooo why didn't they do Liokaiser? Or Ruination, Guard City, Battle Gaia, Landcross? I can name more combiners that could easily have been repainted from whats available that would have been 100x better than making up random nonsense.

DrOblivian wrote:sooooooo why didn't they do Liokaiser? Or Ruination, Guard City, Battle Gaia, Landcross? I can name more combiners that could easily have been repainted from whats available that would have been 100x better than making up random nonsense.

Battle Gaia one year, and Guard city the next would've been amazing,and gotten me to join the club even if they were just repaints of bruticus and Protectobots respectively.

This is crazy. I love it. It's the specific kind of WTFery that appeals to me for no reason I can adequately explain.

Decepticon Sunstorm wrote:

bluecatcinema wrote:Well, I'm surprised by the choice of head, but I suppose it's a nice switch from the Bludgeon skull a lot of us were expecting. The name's a little clunky, though. Just "Mayhem" would have done, or maybe "Thunderwing Maximus."

Or maybe "Mayhem Maximus".

Yeah, I could have lived with them staying Mayhem Maximus. But other options...

How about "Tumultuous Maximus" or "Pandemonium"?

(I'm looking for "mayhem" synonyms online. Sadly, "Turmoil", "Fracas", and "Maelstrom" are already guys. So's "Ruination", but I think this would be the perfect time to reuse that name if nobody's gonna give us a PROPER one. Other than the fact that the Wreckers themselves used it in the FoC toyline.)

megatronus wrote:Thunderwing lives! Well, his head does, at least.

Thunderhead?

Nemesis Primal wrote:This is crazy. I love it. It's the specific kind of WTFery that appeals to me for no reason I can adequately explain.

Decepticon Sunstorm wrote:

bluecatcinema wrote:Well, I'm surprised by the choice of head, but I suppose it's a nice switch from the Bludgeon skull a lot of us were expecting. The name's a little clunky, though. Just "Mayhem" would have done, or maybe "Thunderwing Maximus."

Or maybe "Mayhem Maximus".

Yeah, I could have lived with them staying Mayhem Maximus. But other options...

How about "Tumultuous Maximus" or "Pandemonium"?

(I'm looking for "mayhem" synonyms online. Sadly, "Turmoil", "Fracas", and "Maelstrom" are already guys. So's "Ruination", but I think this would be the perfect time to reuse that name if nobody's gonna give us a PROPER one. Other than the fact that the Wreckers themselves used it in the FoC toyline.)

megatronus wrote:Thunderwing lives! Well, his head does, at least.

Thunderhead?

Calamitous? Anarking?

Should've been named "Thunderking".

I love it. I always loved Thunderwing and his gang.

I love that we finally get an update of a pretender's inner robot.

I've been hating the trend idw and hasbro stated of meshing the robot with the shell. The voyager Bludgeon with the skull head looked like the crap the Bay movies churned out like Drift or Que.

As for the variety in colours how come no one complains about Monstructor?

Sabrblade wrote:Should've been named "Thunderking".

Bingo.

megatronus wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Should've been named "Thunderking".

Bingo.

THIS

Also, not my pic, but...