2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie 40th Anniversary Set
Upper Deck printed a set of cards dedicated to the 1986 Transformers Movie!
I’d been following along via Reddit posts celebrating the 40th anniversary of that movie. I had no plans on going to one of the participating AMC Theaters, to catch the movie on the big screen for the first time in 40 years. And while I’m late to the game, I was aware of the promotions going on at Targets nationwide. Expensive commemorative action figures are not currently in my budget. Filling my gas tank and buying food is a higher priority than a really cool Starscream.
Unless Starscream’s currently doing battle with Darryl Strawberry, the Coked-up New York Met… But that’s another story... One that's too stupid to read.
All of the attention Targets was giving Transformers The Movie, seemed odd to me. But Targets is leaning heavily into the “Collector-Dork” market these days. Makes sense, sell marked-up, high profit items, specifically geared towards people willing to overpay for simple nostalgia. Can’t say I’ve not been a part of that market from time to time. Hell, I’m going out of my way to buy cat food at a store I wouldn’t need to drive to, just to check out some of that nostalgia in person.
Maybe I’’ll participate?
******
Sunday September 20, 2026.
Decent amount of people at the Andover Targets parking lot this morning.
Highly doubt any of them are here to slurp up Transformers The Movie nostalgia.
Targets recently relocated the sports cards to the section of the store that used to sell DVD’s. There’s no longer any DVD’s for sale here. Blu Rays either, if that’s more your speed. That’s kind of a sad development to me, as I still value physical media. Of course, I’m only talking about the Andover Minnesota Targets. Participation from your local store may vary… My local Targets is less than a mile from our house. But I almost never go there. Too many people for the same inventory at a Targets, half the size, about five miles away. Significantly less people is the deciding factor. Never been a fan of people, and that gets stronger every year!
One things is for sure, if you’re looking to buy baseball cards from the Andover Targets, you are pretty much out of luck. However, if you’re one of the obviously NOBODY looking for Panini football or basketball packs, there’s plenty to be had. And with the Targets self-imposed limit of “2 units per item”, those unwanted Panini football or basketball packs are going to rot here for months. If you wanted baseball, I found six Blasters of 2026 Topps Series One, a couple 2025 Stadium Club Blasters, three packs of 2026 Donruss and a handful of Panini Stars and Stripes Blasters.
Yeah. I really want none of that…
But hold on… What is appealing oddball pack hanging in the corner?
Wow…
It wasn’t very long ago I decided if a decent set of Transformers cards came out, I’d buy some packs. Well, reading this pack, the full 10 card set is complete inside.
Cool! One and done!
After sorting all my Orphans and Mutts last month, I started wondering what Upper Deck was up to these days? Other than a niche NHL audience, how are they still in business today? I guess Transformers would be a good enough license to pick up for some quick cash. After all, that brand still has a dedicated following. Enough that even I was willing to cough up $20 for a ten card set, honoring the 40th anniversary of the 1986 movie.
Which I saw a few times in 1986.
And in 1988, I picked my used VHS rental copy of Transformers The Movie.
I still have it today.
This copy came from the SuperAmerica gas station on Northdale. The same gas station I mentioned in my Orphans and Mutts story, that sold me all those wax packs of 1988 Topps. Some possibly on the same day I bought this used VHS tape for $10, after they were finished renting it out. I don’t remember if I ever rented this tape from SuperAmerica before I bought it.
It’s a Speedway gas station today. They are also owned by 7 Eleven now. From the appearance of the place, they couldn’t care less. Which is ironic because SuperAmerica pretty much forced 7 Eleven out of Minnesota, in the late 1980’s.
Man, I remember when movie boxes looked like this…
Heheheheh… F.H.E… Whatever happened to them…
Oh, they were bought by Lionsgate, in 2005, then absorbed into that company. Neat.
As mentioned, this is Upper Deck’s contribution to the 40th anniversary of Transformers The Movie. Immediately decided this would be a story, as soon as I saw this hanging off the peg. It’s cards! It’s dorky nostalgia!
Re-heated hamburgers will simply have to wait!
This release will likely be the last product to feature autographs from Peter Cullen. The voice of Optimus Prime (across many TV and movie roles over the years) died on August 26, 2026, at the age of 85. Cullen was known worldwide as the voice of Prime, a key voice in many of our childhoods. The packaging would have been printed before his death, making this kind of a somber selling point.
Walking over to the toy department of the Andover Targets, to view the now bleak, Transformers The Movie: The Apology Tour display. All of the desired, limited run toys are long gone today. So all that’s left is the unwanted crap. Which has been pushed to the endcap, in hopes it will garner some impulse buys from people moving from electronics to housewares.
But there was one piece of unwanted crap that I absolute had to buy.
And we’ll get to that later…
The Apology Tour concept comes about as Hasbro is apologizing for killing off Optimus Prime in the 1986 movie. Traumatizing a generation of collector dorks like myself. For the record, I wasn’t traumatized, just shocked they did it. Obviously Hasbro knew it made a grave mistake, and revived the character (with new, unneeded bells and whistles… PowerMaster?!?!?), not long after. But it could be argued that offing Optimus led to a much quicker death of the franchise in the late 1980’s, than was warranted.
The sides of the nearly empty display are filled with Lego sets and Marvel Comics toys.
I just wanted to document the art.
Had they not been $30, I may have debated buying one of these bottles. I’m currently using a boring free T-Mobile promotional giveaway water bottle at work. Free beats $30 any day of the week. Even if it has a stupid bright pink T-Mobile logo on the side. I wrote “sucks” underneath, but it rubbed off a few days later. I thought Sharpies were permanent.
Megatron’s side of the display.
Enough stalling, lets tear open the 2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie wrapper, and take a look at the ten card set. Plus my two additional insert cards. Not holding out hope for a Peter Cullen autograph, though I’d love to have one. Hell, I’d even “settle” for a Frank Welker (voice of Megatron) if I had to…
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #1 - Optimus Prime
Makes sense that Optimus Prime gets the #1 slot in the set. The cards are bright and colorful, but I’m not wild about the drawings of the Transformers themselves. I would have preferred how they looked in the movie. With more depth from the additional shading used in the animation. They’re fine, but I was hoping for better.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #1 - Optimus Prime
The card back is nicer looking than the front. However, the text is kind of meh… I don’t know what I would have put in place of this, so I won’t get too critical.
The real star here is just seeing that comforting Upper Deck anti-counterfeit hologram in the corner. The constant from Upper Deck, dating back to 1989, ensuring their cards could not be counterfeited. Except by themselves… In 2010, Upper Deck lost their lucrative license to print You-Gi-Oh! cards, when it was discovered that counterfeit You-Gi-Oh! cards actually came from Upper Deck themselves.
To tie into the whole Apology Tour theme… What does Targets have on the shelves for an Optimus Prime toy?
Optimus Prime One Shall Stand.
$60 to commemorate the battle wounds that killed him. So much for an apology… The toy looks like the animation from the movie, with additional points awarded since it does still transform into an acceptable looking semi cab. So that’s all cool, but it’s not for me.
Guess I’ll have to travel to The Home of Happy Playthings, for the only Optimus Prime that matters…
Transformers G1 - Optimus Prime
The OG. Complete in a reasonable acceptable condition box. Which was ordered from the JC Penney catalog after seeing the movie in August 1986, knowing the figure would be discontinued after what the movie showed. It was delivered a week or so later, to the old Coon Rapids JC Penney catalog outlet, next to the now demolished Coon Rapids Targets, in the Rainbow Foods strip mall. Same purchase and wait method was used to buy a SuperNoFriendo, in 1993.
Who’s next?
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #2 - Ultra Magnus
Yeah, I’m just not liking this art. I think the perspective is a large contributor to my disapproval. Too much of Magnus is below the knees, and his gun blocks off most of his chest. You can barely see his head.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #2 - Ultra Magnus
Guess that qualifies as a close-up… Enough so I can see his face at least. My shitty eyesight/reading comprehension mis-saw the word “chaosbringer” as “cheeseburger”, at first glance. Then I imaged how different the movie would have been in Unicron was a planet-sized cheeseburger.
Now I’m hungry.
Transformers The Movie - Marvel Comics - #1 December 1986
Ultra Magnus makes the front cover of the official Marvel Comics translation of Transformers The Movie. First of the three issues anyway… Which has many minor differences from the movie itself, just like the comic book series has in comparison to the syndicated cartoon.
Transformers The Movie - Marvel Comics - #2 January 1987
Those differences amount to scenes cut from the movie to comic book, likely for space. The 90 minute movie had to fit into three comic books, that I don’t think were more than 48 pages each. I should have looked when I scanned them.
Transformers The Movie - Marvel Comics - #3 February 1987
Which were all saved from when I bought them back in the day. Most likely from one of the spinning comic books racks, at either Walden Books or B. Dalton Bookseller, in the Northtown Mall. I didn’t need to wait 40 years for that nostalgia to be fed to me with inflated prices.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #3 - Hot Rod
Voiced by Judd Nelson in the movie. To appeal to… Uhhh… Followers of The Brat Pack?
Hot Rod has a better drawing than Optimus or Magnus. Probably because the perspective is more straight on, than looking up. Which makes sense given the first two are larger robots than Hot Rod until -wait, I won’t spoil it…
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie Anniversary - #3 - Hot Rod
This serial numbered (out of 1986) Anniversary parallel was one of my pack hits. While it didn’t scan very well, it’s a really nice looking card. It has some the wavyfractorness of an expensive Topps parallel. For a hit, I absolutely can’t complain about this card. I like it.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #3 - Hot Rod
Sure… The card back goes and gives away what happens in the movie. Hope you weren’t planning to go see it in any of the participating theaters. Now you know what happens…
Transformers The Movie - Hot Rod
Now I get it! The card art matches the packaging from the long running line of Hasbro’s Studio Series: Transformers The Movie toy line. Which have been coming out in waves for the last 8 or so years. I’ve picked a few of them up, as they’re great looking toys. None of them have ever been freed from their respective boxes, however. I don’t have nearly enough shelf space for all of my dorky toy collection as it is. They store/display better in the box. I’m not going to play with them, and Robert Smith (of The Cure, not Sacramento A’s fandom, via New Mexico) isn’t moving in with us, any time soon.
Plus they’re expensive as hell. As my current Transformers budget doesn’t allow for multiple boxed toys, between $30 and $100 a piece, when a Big Box stocks something cool. Any money earmarked for Transformers will go to filling in gaps in my original G1 collection. Which happily doesn’t have a whole lot of gaps.
Transformers The Movie - VHS - 1999
In 1999, I bought a second VHS copy of Transformers The Movie.
Because I really don’t know why.
This was a new release from Rhino Records, though nothing new was on it, other than the packaging/artwork. Rhino -under the label Kid Rhino- was starting to put out VHS cassettes of the original 1984 cartoons. Just not a whole lot of them. That would finally happen in 2003-2004, when the full series would be released over five DVD box sets. (Which I obviously would have brought the second they came out.)
That 1999 VHS was purchased from the Denver Colorado, Tower Records (shown here in 2003). Which from 1996-2006, when it closed, was one of my happiest places on the entire planet. Many late nights were spent wandering around Tower, immersed it its coolness and inventory of pop culture stuff you didn’t see elsewhere. I still miss Tower Records.
In December 2024, I was asked by Bottlerag.org to contribute a Denver related story, for their new blog. I submitted a short story celebrating my love for the old Tower Records. Just now, I was searched the Googles, to see if it was still online, and the Googles AI summary spat back: “In January 2025, the site published a popular retrospective piece titled "Tower Records at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Denver, CO. September 2003," which details a nostalgic look back at visiting the iconic music megastore.”
Wow, “a popular retrospective piece…” Thanks!
Google AI thinks I wrote something popular!
Maybe it won’t kill me in three years!
That doesn’t have anything to do with Transformers. Guess I got sidetracked.
Who’s on the next card?
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #4 - Kup
The whole point of the 1986 Transformers movie was to unveil the new characters in the upcoming toy line. Hasbro gave producers a list of Transformers to kill off, as those toys would no longer be produced. So looking beyond the plot, the movie was basically a 90 minute commercial to sell toys. That’s nothing new or unscrupulous, it makes sense from a business perspective. The 1980’s were filled with marketing like that.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #4 - Kup
From a purely new Transformer introductory standpoint, I think the movie did the best job of establishing a character and backstory for Kup. Kup was the cranky, grizzled veteran, replacing Ironhide in that role. And that was clear from watching the movie. Hot Rod was the younger, impetuous kid, learning the ropes from the old guy who’s seen it all before. It’s a classic movie dynamic that’s as old as storytelling is.
Transformers The Movie - Kup
The drawing is boxy and thick, but the toy is slimmer and more streamlined. Which makes me wonder why new art wasn’t commissioned for the cards, instead of re-using the 5 year old package art. Unless it’s simply a Hasbro thing. That’s what they chose to market the toys, and this card set is simply an extension of that.
On the whole, I’m still very underwhelmed by the art on the cards.
But I do like the cards.
Transformers The Movie - CD Soundtrack
Picked this up used from Cheapo Records, in the late 1990’s. You have some great cheesy glam metal, one of Weird Al Yankovic’s best original songs, and some of Vince DiCola’s movie score. Which I wish there was more of. The score is definitely a highlight of Transformers The Movie, and I wish more of it was on this CD. More of DiCola’s Transformers The Movie score was released in 2007, but I don’t have a copy of that.
I also own a vinyl copy of the 1986 Transformers The Movie Soundtrack, which was a late 2000’s gift from my friend Trav. Who went above and beyond in his contributions to my stupid crap over the years…
For example…
Village 4 Theater in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, closed for good in 1997, and was demolished in June, 2002, so a Cub Foods could grow. Both he and my father (on separate visits) provided some incredible demolition photos of an iconic theater in my hometown, for future use in some writing project. (I was living in Colorado when the theater was torn down.) I saw Transformers The Movie, three times in this theater. And at least once in the partially demolished auditorium show here. Trav told me that even thought it had sat closed and vacant for over five years, the theater floors were still sticky, where he walked around the ruins.
Trav took his own life in November, 2023.
I really miss him.
Years back I’d given him my original broken and beat up G1 Soundwave figure. He liked the idea of a transforming cassette player, that had a team of cassettes that transformed into other robots. Definitely the best gimmick in the G1 line. The only Transformer he said he owned was Trailbreaker.
An underrated Autobot car… After he told me that in the late 1990’s, I bought a Trailbreaker in his honor.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #5 - Springer
Springer was one of three new Autobot Triple Changers added to the 1986 toy line, but the only one to appear in the movie. Why the snub for Broadside and Sandstorm? Just like the Deception Triple Changers ignore Octane from the 1985 toy line. Not intentional, but I’ve still never owned a Springer Transformer, from any of the lines. I definitely want a G1 figure, one of the highest profile characters I do not have a G1 toy of.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #5 - Springer
Apparently, writing the text for the card backs was merely an afterthought. This one is particularly bad...
Springer loves puppies and hates mean things!
Since I’m here, let’s see what else the Andover Targets has for toys on sale. After all, they really seem to be making an effort at convincing me to spend money here.
The Pro-Wrasslin section of the toy department has this odd combination of former WWE Intercontinental Champions: Pat Patterson, the Honky Tonk Man, CM Punk and Dirty Dominik Mysterio. You have the first champion (Patterson), and the then-current champion (Mysterio). The Honky Tonk Man would have to be included with wrasslers most associated with that title. Punk is included for less clear reasons. While a multi-time IC champ, and one of the strongest (and most divisive) personalities over the last 20 years, he’s never really been known for his Intercontinental Title runs. Though I don’t who you replace him with in terms of wrasslers bridging roughly 1990 and 2025.
2026 saw a new Masters of the Universe live action movie. I have not seen it. Want to and will at some point. We all know they’ve been pumping out live action Transformers movies for nearly 20 years now, and I’ve said all I want to about those. Point being, there’s a lot of money at stake in the nostalgia market. And there’s a heavy push to re-hash the past towards my age group.
I’m a 50+ year old male, who grew up surrounded by these toys. Certainly I’d be at an income level where I’d want to rebuy all the toys of my youth… Now new and improved! Well, reality is that I rebought all of the original toys of my youth, when I was in my 20’s and 30’s. Back when the prices were still reasonable. With the cost of living today, I’m not jumping on all of the new updates to classic characters.
Sorry Trap Jaw, you’re still one of my favorites in the MOTU universe…
Are you thirsty, Targets?
Arcade 1up (not to be confused with the 1up Arcade in Denver) came up with a great idea a few years ago. Selling build-it-yourself kits of half-sized video arcade games. Partnering with Midway Games, to include tiles like Pac Man and Galaga, for people to build a miniature arcade in their homes at a decent price. So these are the latest offerings, tabletop mini-cabinets of Pac Man and Ms. Pac Man. (Why does Ms. Pac Man come packaged with Galaga, but you only get Pac Man on his machine?)
Problem with the design, is that screen is too small for the size of the overall package. You have this large, cumbersome box, with a screen only slightly larger than an iPhone. The size of the joystick is going to cause your hand to block part of the screen, while you’re going to have sit back in order to use it. Straining your eyes to focus on the game. There’s simple ways to improve this without increasing the overall size of the machine. But it would likely jack up the already unrealistic price.
That’s not worth $149.99.
And why did they only put anti-theft devices on the Ms. Pac Man machines?
Poor Pac Man is really getting shafted by the Targets…
Oh man, you’re really starting to twist my arm Targets…
I really had to talk myself out of the Pee-Wee Herman box. It was $40, but damn was it tempting… You get Pee-Wee, with multiple heads and hands, plus Randy, Globey and Pterry. So very awesome…
Usagi Yojimbo was kind of a satellite character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. Mostly on his own in comic book series. Trav used to read one of the series that featured Usagi Yojimbo’s stories. Always thought the idea of a samurai warrior rabbit, with his ears tied back in a variation of a chonmage, was clever.
Let’s get back on track…
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #6 - Arcee
Makes me an awful person to say this, but Arcee immediately felt like pandering to me. Here kids, accept this brand new FEMALE character as an equal, when the toy company doesn’t have enough confidence in the character to make a toy of her. What message does that send? We want to appeal to a young female part of the audience, but won’t give them anything really feel invested in. And how do you introduce a female robot into what was essentially a sexless entity -a robot- without giving any sort of explanation?
She’s just here now, because she is.
She is female, because she is.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #6 - Arcee
Not like the card back was going to offer any insight…
Transformers The Movie - Arcee
I did buy her Transformers The Movie figure, when it came out a few years ago, along with Hot Rod and Kup. Because Hasbro ignored Arcee for years, when it absolutely should have been a toy in the line, I had to buy this make good piece. And it’s very strong.
Hasbro absolutely left money on the table by not producing an Arcee figure in 1986. If what I’ve seen as an alleged 1986 prototype was true, it looked bad, but would have still sold. How do you introduce this female character, who has a prominent role in not just the movie, but every episode of the cartoon series going forward, and NOT have a toy on shelves?
I’ve always felt Hasbro completely botched the Transformers line, after the 1986 movie. Not making an Arcee toy, was nearly as bad as killing Optimus Prime, if you look at the opportunity missed.
Transformers The Movie - Spike Witwicky
Nice touch to release a small figure of the main human character in the storyline. Despite the physics of that suit being impossible to do with human body.
WHERE ARE HIS EYES!!!!
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #7 - Grimlock & Wheelie
Probably my favorite artwork in the set. While the drawing style is different from what appeared in the movie, the image itself was from an important scene. Wheelie gets to the fun and obnoxious, as he hides behind the brute strength of Grimlock.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #7 - Grimlock & Wheelie
Grimlock & Wheelie were packaged together in one of the Hasbro Transformers The Movie releases, a few years ago. I wanted to get one, but again, it was close to $100. That’s just too much cash output with little return beyond “it’s cool”, for me these days. Not to just leave sitting on a shelf.
Transformers The Movie - Wheelie
Thankfully, Hasbro released a stand-alone Wheelie figure, at the same price point as Spike. Which I picked up as a combo, at the Rochester, Minnesota, WalMarts, some years back. They were on a close out for $5 each. At that point, you can’t say no. And this is such an improvement over the laughably embarrassing G1 figure for Wheelie.
With the creepy floating orange face glued to a less orange open space.
And his shoulders are above his chest face.
Just an awful design here, Hasbro…
Transformers The Movie - Blurr
Why is Blurr’s artwork all purple, when there’s no purple at all on the action figure? Perhaps that’s a reason he’s not in the set? That and he was a minor character in the movie. Given a large enough role, only to feature John Moschitta as the voice actor. His fast talking gimmick would certainly appeal to kids! And sell Blurr toys to kids!
And what a terrible quality toy G1 Blurr was…
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #8 - Megatron
Good example of bad art ruining what should have been a cool card. Of all the poses I’ve seen for G1 Megatron used in artwork, running is not one of them. Bold choice… I guess it looks menacing, but it’s definitely not what I’d choose to see. I know it’s taken from the movie battle with Optimus Prime, that Megatron cheats to win, but is severely hurt in the process. So see why it was used, just not the one I’d pick. Out of even five choices.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #8 - Megatron
Some of the card backs are written in past tense, and some in present tense. I guess in this case, present tense works. But in relation to his role in the movie, it doesn’t hint at what happened afterward.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie Stellar System - Megatron
Second of my pack’s two insert cards, and this one is an absolute winner. So much better than his base card, even with the chipped lower left corner. It looks like image from an animation cell, placed on top of an etched foil design. Kind of like the old Upper Deck Black Diamond line of the early 2000’s.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie Stellar System - Megatron
Decent looking card back as well. Bland write-up, but I’m not expecting anything more.
Transformers G1 - Megatron
I haven’t bought any of the new Megatron figures because I’m not cool with the convoluted storylines given to why he’s now a tank, instead of a hand gun. For real life, I absolutely understand why he’s a tank and not a hand gun. Perhaps it was short-sighted of Hasbro to choose a robot that transforms into a hand gun as the promotion’s top heel. Making it pretty hard to back track a few years later.
That being said, the original Transformers G1 Megatron is one of the coolest toys ever made.
Just my opinion.
My all time Transformers holy grail was to find a decent looking Megatron, complete in box. Toy Boy in downtown Anoka had one for sale, when I visited Minnesota in February, 2007. Among the items I brought with me, was my current change jar. Where I’d been dropping pocket change for a year and a half. No idea how much was inside, but I knew if I found something stupid I had to have, I could probably buy it without affecting the budget one bit.
Trav and I went on a scouting mission that day, and I found the holy grail. For only $225! We returned to my parents house, where I was staying. I grabbed the change jar, brought it to a branch of my bank, and waited for the machine to work its magic. The total of my saved up spare change, was a hair under $280. Megatron would be mine, along with a bonus complete loose G1 Sunstreaker, for less than a $20 hit to my checking account.
FUN FACT: The 40th Anniversary of Transformers The Movie is also the 2nd Anniversary of the 20th Anniversary of Transformers The Movie!
Transformers The Movie - DVD - 2006
The 20th Anniversary edition DVD, was my second copy of Transformers The Movie on DVD. Because I’m a sucker for bonus content. And that cool lenticular cover sold me.
And there was a good amount of bonus content…
It was picked up from the once great, Englewood, Colorado, Kmart, on a late night 2006, shopping run. (Kmart shown here in June 2013, after business had completely died at this store.) The Englewood Kmart of the late 1990’s, until about 2010, was a great place to shop. It was close to where I lived, open 24/7, had a full grocery store inside, and always had what I needed/wanted, at prices that made a difference. And there were a whole lot less people here, than filling the nearby WalMarts. I wouldn’t have a Targets near me until 2008, but it definitely put a dent in my Kmart shopping.
By 2010, Kmart was sliding fast. The full grocery store became not that, in 2010. Inventory started getting cheaper and less desired. The whole place was sliding downhill, noticeably. It closed for good in November, 2017. The building has been repurposed into 5 new businesses. Doesn’t look like this anymore, but it wasn’t demolished.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #9 - Starscream
Second to Grimlock and Wheelie as far as favorite artwork in the set goes. Another great interpretation of a key moment in the movie. After the battle that takes out Optimus Prime, Starscream betrays Megatron and declares himself leader of the Decepticons. After a lifetime of scheming, he finally, successfully, stabs his leader in the back.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #9 - Starscream
Just as the card back says!
However, it doesn’t go as far as what takes place moments after what this card depicts.
After Starscream throws a wounded Megatron out of Astrotrain, he is picked up and restored by Unicron. Given a new body (to remove that pesky hand gun issue from future toy sales), Megatron is reborn as Galvatron. Galvatron’s first mission is to kill Starscream on Cybertron. To avenge the treason he committed.
But that’s getting ahead of the final card in the set…
Earlier, I mentioned there was one piece from the Transformers The Movie 40th Anniversary Apology Tour, that I absolutely had to add to my collection…
Transformers The Movie - Unicron
So what am I buying here? $25 for a ridiculous looking and slightly posable statue?
No. This was a must own because it looks so stupid.
And that was exactly the point behind it.
After all, I look at Unicron’s body from this toy, and all I see is this…
Perhaps he wouldn’t have to fly through the galaxy, eating entire planets, if anyone would just help to fill his hankering for a chunk of cheese…
1986 Transformers Unicron Prototype
(Image politely borrowed from Seibertron.com)
The reason it looks like this, and not what Unicron looks like in the movie, is because it’s intended to look like the terrible prototype that Habsro made in 1986. This was produced as a possible toy release, to tie in with with movie. Guess they wanted it to actually resemble Orson Welles, since he provided the voice shortly before he died.
Back of the Transformers The Movie Unicron box. Interesting choice of featured characters… Rodimus and Galvatron headline, because they’d be the focus of the 1986 toy line. Arcee is diminished because she didn’t make the cut. Jazz and Bumblebee survived the movie, but Jazz was also cut from the toy line. Soundwave survived and continued a role in season 3 of the cartoon. Starscream was killed by Galvatron, as I just mentioned.
But I have to feel like Shockwave’s inclusion was just because the artist liked him. He was one of my favorites. Shockwave was all but ignored in the cartoon universe, but was one of the most compellingly evil characters in the comic book series. He appeared in the movie twice. At the beginning, he’s shown with Megatron as they start the mission to take out Autobot City on Earth. Toward the end of the movie, Shockwave is shown briefly trying to defend Cybertron from Unicron’s attack. The tower he was in was crushed by Unicron’s hand, with Shockwave killed in the process. His death was implied, it was never shown on screen. So there’s controversy!
Pieces of Shockwave are animated in several episodes of season 3. So did he survive the movie? This has been explained as poor animation by Toei, who often used bits and pieces of non-existant characters to fill out background shots.
More interesting in that Shockwave was originally planned to not only survive the movie, but would play a key role in the post-movie Five Faces of Darkness mini-series. Years later, writer Flint Dille shared a memo from Hasbro, listing the characters that would see their toys discontinued. Hasbro also requested that Shockwave’s role in the Five Faces series, be changed to another Transformer that would still be available on shelves.
In the Five Faces series, the Quintessons show up on Charr, to offer the surviving Decepticons enough Energon to survive. Blitzwing doesn’t accept their offer, or follow along with them. Instead staying behind to wait for Galvatron. His explanation is that he knows the Quintessons from a long time ago and doesn’t trust them. That was supposed to be Shockwave, which makes a lot more sense given his character.
I feel like such a giant dork after writing all that out.
Even more so for understanding it…
Transformers Armada - Unicron
Because the 1986 Unicron toy was never made, due to the fragility of the plastic prototype, and the overall expense that would have resulted, there would be no Transformers Unicron toy until 2003’s Transformers Armada line. The concept of a giant round ball would have to be abandoned, in order to make it work. While the “planet” mode was clunky at best, the robot mode looked incredible.
I’d read about the upcoming Transformers Armada Unicron toy, in the typical Transformers sources of the day, and waited to find one on the shelves of any local retailer. Lucky for me, that same Englewood, Colorado, Kmart had several for sale in the late summer 2003. And $50 was slightly less than I expected the price point to be.
My plan was to buy and open the Transformers Armada Unicron, to display with the rest of my G1 Transformers collection. If I was able to, I’d then buy a second one to keep sealed in the box. (That did happen, about a month later.) But I never did open either one for display. I moved from Colorado, back to Minnesota, at the end of September 2003. All the toys were boxed up for transport. Most of which have stayed in those boxes through today.
In the years since, I’ve never fully unpacked the toy collection, despite finally having the space in The Home of Happy Playthings. We’ve been living in this house for 8 years now, and it’s still nearly all boxed up. Both Unicron’s are still is their sealed boxes. I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to properly displaying them. And I don’t know if it matters that much.
Sealed boxed Transformers Armada Unicron toys sell for between $200-$250 today. So there’s always that option if I see fit. But I don’t know, I really like this Unicron. Unicron was such a dynamic character to introduce to the Transformers Universe, having a toy for it is important to me.
Transformers The Movie opens with Unicron approaching the small planet, Lithone, then eating it. Giant claws tear into the planet and pull it into Unicron, with his teeth shredding Lithone to pieces, sucked up inside. Stunning attack that sets the tone for the movie, establishing Unicron as a serious and unique threat. And it looked amazing on screen!
Transformers The Movie - Kranix
Kranix was the only survivor of Unicron’s attack on Lithone. I was quite surprised to see a figure of Kranix was produced. That’s pretty cool actually. I don’t think he appeared in any of the post-movie G1 cartoon episodes, so I really like that Hasbro put in the effort. If there’s ever one available during a Targets toy sale, I may pick him up. Doubt I’ll be fighting the masses over this one…
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #10 - Galvatron
The 10th and final card in the set is given to Galvatron. Created from the dying carcass of Megatron, by Unicron, under orders that he retrieve the Matrix. Which did not die with Optimus Prime. I like the touch of using art showing Galvatron wearing the Autobot Matrix as a necklace. From the point in the movie where Galvatron tries to use it against Unicron, but fails.
2026 Upper Deck Transformers The Movie - #10 - Galvatron
Yeah, that’s pretty much what I just wrote.
Transformers Legacy - Galvatron
A few years ago, I decided that I wanted to have a good desk Transformer for my home office. Something the fiddle with while waiting for my 16 year old Windows Box to cooperate. Looking at all of the options at the Andover Targets that day, Galvatron said: “Buy me!” the loudest.
The figure is very posable, and is very faithful to how he looked in the movie, both in robot and cannon mode. Key selling point was including the Autobot Matrix on a chain, for Galvatron to wear as a necklace.
A massive improvement over this…
Transformers G1 - Galvatron
But it was cool in 1986!
Transformers The Movie - 35th Anniversary Blu-Ray
Bought my latest copy of Transformers The Movie, from this same Andover Targets, back in 2021. I don’t know if I’ll bother with any commemorative 40th Anniversary DVD/Blu-Ray release. Guess it will depend on the bonus content, because I love me some good bonus content!
According to Wikipedia, Transformers The Movie had a modest budget of $6 million, and netted $11 million at the box office. These are 1986 numbers, and do not include any of the everything that has happened since. Judging only on those 1986 numbers, Transformers The Movie had to be considered a success. Its initial run nearly doubled the budget, and the property created has been a cash cow in the decades since.
I remember 2005…
It wasn’t anything like this…
But it was one of my favorite years of my life. I moved back to Colorado, and lived in a house with a few of my friends. I finally made financial headway on clearing up debt that accumulated during the first Denver run (1996-2003). Bought some cool stuff and did a lot of quality writing. Had no idea Earth was in such chaos with interplanetary robot wars going on. Guess the media was too distracted with what the Bush II Regime was doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Was Transformers The Movie great?
It was great for what it was. A 90 minute toy cartoon. The story was simple, but well executed. The animation was simple, but it was miles ahead of the daily cartoon. The score and soundtrack absolutely enhanced the product, as did the celebrity voices. This isn’t a cinema classic by any means, but Transformers The Movie was enough that it has a 40th anniversary that people are caring about.
That’s a pretty meaningful accomplishment for a 90 minute toy commercial.
And it still holds up today.
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