#violen jiger

[askvectorprime]

Is there an Exarchon in the Malgus cluster?

Dear Threefold Threat,

According to popular history, Exarchon was a Malignus warlord during the Second Cybertronian War. Claiming to be blessed by the tripartite god Vion-Lenja-Igern, contemporary records claim that Exarchon had a mutant mitotic spark, which allowed him to split his consciousness between three separate bodies—and, indeed, to take over the bodies of others that he had subjugated in battle. This made him functionally immortal, as even if one of his bodies was destroyed, he had two more to continue to spread his will.

These days, the understanding among academics is different. Lancer—a professor of archaeometallurgy at Drouhard University—argues that there is little direct evidence for Exarchon's supposed powers, which do not line up well with the modern scientific understanding of mitotic sparks; instead, she posits that it is more likely that the idea of Exarchon's "threefold spark" was a shared fiction created by the Malignus leadership through the use of public performance, puppetry and sleight of servo. The idea of an "immortal warlord" would, of course, be extremely useful as propaganda for a faction that rarely, if ever, found themselves with the edge in their war against the Guardians.

[heljay]

-- I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE, STAR SABER!!!

I’ve been working on this for like, months and I FINALLY FINISHED THE DAMN THING in time for Halloween Month

This thing was ridiculously fun to line, less fun to color but damn if it doesn’t look like one of the sickest things I’ve finished in a long time. You can imagine where that damage came from if you’ve watched the Victory finale, lol

Also this concept was mainly inspired by the idea of Violen Jiger, a horrific zombie Legion composed of dead Decepticons. Zone didn’t really take advantage of how absolutely metal that concept is, and I LOVE the idea of vengeful self-aware undead. So this happened.

Commission Info! / Underpainting Palette (kinda)

[cherrytimemachine]

Since you guys liked it so much last time, here’s some more headcanons for the senators, with some extra worldbuilding sprinkled in

- Dai Atlas is the son of Nova Prime and the heir of Crystal City

- The Zodiac from Zone is the Allspark Crystal, and Dai Atlas is the keeper of the All Spark, in charge of protecting it from the factions and from the leader of the Herald of Unicron, Violen Jiger

- Exarchon serves as the High Chancellor of the senate, the first one in a long time to be able to tamper down the arguing on the chamber floor

- Exarchon is strange in that no one knows what he really believes in, he just sits back and watches the senators spin their webs with interest

- Sentinel once had a Ronald Reagan moment where he heard a gunshot during a speech and his automatic reply was, “missed me.”

- Shockwave is a total femboy and we all know it

- Shockwave is the middle child of the Wave House, and the only one of his siblings who doesn’t cover up their face or limit their speech

- Shockwave’s personality reflects that of his father, who was a boisterous celebrity known for his ability to get along with people

- Unbeknownst to anyone around him, even himself, Exarchon was originally the God of Change known as Adaptus, having been reborn after Primus defeated him in battle

- His behavior is a lot more understandable once you factor in his past life as Adaptus. He believed that societies progress through conflict, and he is fascinated by watching the ways in which other senators fight against each other for their own benefit

- Sentinel’s reputation in the Elite Guard caught Proteus’s attention and the senator offered him a well paying job as his personal body guard

- While there is a general who leads the Elite Guard, the Prime still takes rank over the general and is more often than not considered the true head of the Elite Guard

- Dai Atlas and Star Saber were childhood friends in fencing classes together. Nova Prime eventually pulled her son out of fencing and forced him to take part in martial arts to further his proclaimed destiny as the next disciple of Primus (specifically for the processor-over-matter technique)

- Even after he changed classes, Dai Atlas continued to see his friend Star Saber, who would come in after classes and they would hang out past school hours. Dai Atlas told his mom he was getting extra practice instead

- Despite generally being a huge bitch, Nova Prime is widely revered in Cybertronian society as one of the great leaders of her time (and yes, my Nova is a woman)

- The only person who would (quietly) disagree is her own son, who worked tirelessly for her time and attention, only for her to be really detached and never showing him the love he so desperately wanted. He was disappointed with this relationship until the day his mother disappeared, and afterwards he’d finally given up

- When Shockwave went missing, Dai Atlas and him were amica endura and had spark bonded platonically. During the empurata, Dai Atlas could feel the mental pain and suffering Shockwave was going through, and it overwhelmed him so much his spark cracked. He never told anyone about the cracks, and he would live out the rest of the war with them before telling anyone.

[decepti-thots]

now if hasbro REALLY want in my good books they can do a haslab for a violen jiger model kit or something. look at that fucking weirdo go!!!!

[digibash]

Digibash: Violen Jiger

The last Emperor of Destruction

[liaswritesrobots]

Violen Jiger: Star Saber is gone

Abominus:

[allspark]

Flying into the Allspark Studio at 9999 Powered Knots is the Autobot team that’s in the Zone, Road Fire, Sonic Bomber and Dai Atlus!  Is this Big Powered group of Autobots going to defend your shelves from Violen Jiger and his Decepticon Generals, or will they spend their time in jet mode making rainbows?  Tune in after the break to find out!

I start this review off by saying that if you don’t know anything about these characters, go straight to the TFWiki right now and do your research.  Go ahead and click on all the links.  We’ll wait…

  OK, now that you are all caught up, let’s take a look at a neat set of Japanese exclusive updates to…Japanese exclusive Transformers from the early 90’s era of the franchise!

   Road Fire

Road Fire is a solid remold of one of my favorite childhood characters and Titans Return molds, Twin Twist.  Remolded parts include the kneecaps, chest piece, the entire cockpit mechanism, Titanmaster head and faceplate. 

  Road Fire Vehicle Mode

Road Fire is a Cybertronian tank.  While he may not have any “Master” launching mechanism like the G1 figure does, he is able to store a “Master” class figure in his turret, which features a nice cockpit for storage of the head in vehicle mode.  I love the aggressiveness of the vehicle mode and appreciate that they maintained the double cockpit look of the G1 figure, which makes it appear that this guy takes Cybertronian and Human pilots.  I personally prefer to flip the treads up to give the vehicle the appearance of a hover tank…which would make sense for Cybertron.  Another cool “feature” is that the turret can be rotated back on top of the tank body, giving it a squatter, more Terran look.  This is a great vehicle, no matter the style you prefer, but you do have choices.

  Road Fire Robot Mode

His colors nicely contrasting white, red, blue and black, with bits of orange highlights in a few spots like the knees and chest.  He balances and poses about the same as Twin Twist, unless you have him holding his “Burst cannon”, which tends to make him heavier in whatever direction it is placed.  One nice “feature” on his robot mode is the chest compartment that holds the connector for vehicle Big Powered mode.  Pressing on the Autobot symbol pops open the compartment, revealing what I will be imagining as his spark chamber.  In addition to having a great color scheme based on a mold I already loved, I have to say the best bonus is adding this guy to my “Jumpstarter” team, which you can see in these reviews: Topspin-|-Twin Twist.

  Sonic Bomber

Sonic Bomber is a heavy remold of Titans Return Crossfire.  So heavy, in fact, that it would be easier for me to tell you what is NOT remolded.  Parts that remain the same as the original are the thighs and hips, the inner hip piece that has the hip ball joint posts, the entire arm assemblies, and the Titanmaster thighs and torso plate.

  Sonic Bomber Vehicle Mode

Taking into consideration all the extra parts in this remold, especially in the robot feet which form the back/wing section of this figure, it is not a huge surprise that it looks so distinct from Misfire, very accurately approximating the bomber mode of the original toy.  As a jet it holds together well.  It maintains the “Titanmaster” cockpit, though it is molded in solid black plastic, so the smaller robot is hidden from view.  Overall, I like this mode, but I do have one minor complaint. The original Sonic Bomber sported a yellow rifle, which broke up all the black in jet mode a bit nicer than the black rifle the LG EX version has.  It’s not a major issue, but it would have been nice to get it in yellow, especially considering how close the rest of the jet mode gets to the G1 toy’s appearance.

  Sonic Bomber Robot Mode

Takara did a phenomenal job recreating an updated Sonic Bomber robot mode.  While some liberties were taken (mostly in the arms) this figure is a nice amalgamation of the G1 toy and animation model. Most importantly, the reds, whites, blues and yellows are pretty much in the right spots, with the exception of a few details on the legs.  The chest piece and robot head really top off a spot-on look.  The QC on my Sonic Bomber is great as well, apart from the hips being looser than the rest of his joints, and the ball joints for the feet being a little too tight.  Still, he looks really cool in robot mode, he poses well, and gives the Autobots some additional air support.  He gets an A in my book.

  Dai Atlus

Dai Atlus is another super heavy remold of a Titans Return figure, this time being Black, er… Sky Shadow.  Again, this figure has so many parts it will be faster to identify those which were not remolded.  Original mold parts include the feet, knee/tread section of the lower legs, thighs, hips, inner shoulder assemblies, and the entire Titanmaster, minus the head and faceplate.

  Dai Atlus Jet Mode

This figure is neat because it technically has two vehicle modes, “Drill Tank” and “Jet”.  Both modes are very similar and require a bit more suspension of disbelief than normal for Transformers, but they are neat and harken back nicely to the original figure.  Other than the weirdness of being a jet sitting on tank treads, I don’t have anything bad to say about these modes.  They are what they are, but at least they hold together nicely, which was one of my fears ever since I saw the promotional images.

  Dai Atlus Robot Mode

Robot mode is really where this figure should shine.  Before I bring up the issues, let’s look at what does work.  The original Dai Atlus figure was the definition of a G1 brick.  I’m not sure anything other than the arms was capable of movement.  This figure gives us a fully poseable, “anime” styled update with a few cues to the toy details as well.  He also has tons of articulation (even more than Sky Shadow), which should make for the perfect recreation of a G1 character…but the new parts mess that up.  This is where I am less happy with how the figure turned out.  The waist piece blocks the forward movement of the legs, limiting his poseability.  Additionally, while the new part connecting the lower and upper halves of the body in vehicle mode provides some waist articulation, it makes for a somewhat wobbly upper body that just does not feel as solid as it should.  Do not misunderstand me, I love this set, and I like this figure, and I am really glad we got it…but this is the one spot where it really falls short.

  Base Mode

All of these figures can form base modes.  I have never been a huge fan of base modes, but I never had any Transformers that had them when I was a child, so they don’t hit me in the nostalgia like they might hit you.  They do sit together nicely as a set of bases.  It’s a thing kids would love…if this was a set that was cheap enough to let kids play with it.  Hey HasbroPulse…

Big Powered Mode

Not only does Big Powered magically shoot rainbows from its backside like a Squatty Potty Unicorn, it is held together mostly by magic as well.  I mean, magic, and a few peg/ports.  2 peg ports.  It connects with two connectors.  Basically, you put each vehicle in its “Big Powered Mode” form, then clamp Road Fire on top of Dai Atlus via that clip in Road Fire’s chest, then you peg under Dai Atlus using the 5mm port on the just behind Sonic Bomber’s hidden Titanmaster cockpit.  Two connectors get you this rainbow spewing wonder.   It’s both a mess and an absolute beauty to behold.  I think I love it.

  Recommendation

Big Powered gets 8 Energon Z’s out of 10.  It gives us a nice update of a set of hard to acquire G1 bricks as a group of pretty decent figures.  It is faithful to many of the important details, but the molds have downsides, especially Dai Atlus.  Should the downsides stop you from getting this set?  Absolutely not!  It may not be perfect, but it is fun, and will definitely be a focal point for conversations when you have friends checking out your collection.  Get it now, while you still can!

  LG-EX Big Powered Gallery and Review! Flying into the Allspark Studio at 9999 Powered Knots is the Autobot team that’s in the Zone, Road Fire, Sonic Bomber and Dai Atlus! 

[askvectorprime]

Who or what is Liege Infinito?

Dear Divine Disaster,

Infinito started off a purple Decepticon Seeker. His classification was "air warrior"; he did nothing to merit a codename from Starscream. But he was quite devout and was a member of the "Infinite Liege" sect, whose members believe that there are a line of "Lieges" stretching back to the dawn of time, and that the Primes are evil corruptions of the Lieges, the true gods. Adherents to this faith give themselves special gladiatorial ranks, ranging from Centauro and Maximo to the even higher ranks of "Liege Dominatio", "Liege Inferno", "Liege Omni Nihilo". He gained a cult following for his religious screeds, and he even tried to mobilize his followers in a coup against Starscream, which failed.

Devil Z and Violengiguar took notice of his grief and failure, and believed they could achieve even more power with his influence. They took him to the Successor World and he achieved his ultimate goal: creation of The Hub in order to ascend to godhood. Now calling himself Liege Infinito, he comes back to our world to get revenge on the Decepticons and the Council of Primes alike.

[askvectorprime]

Dear Vector Prime, is there anything at all you can tell us about the "NoneSpark War" you mentioned some time ago?

Dear Serendipitous Sari,

I must be very careful with what I am about to say here.

Perhaps you have heard of the "Precursor World", defended by the legendary Primus Vanguard. Well, there is also the "Successor World" (未来世界, or "future world")—but this is a horrifying place. You see, the Decepticon gods of this age—Devil Z, Violengiguar, and the mysterious Liege Infinito—grew weary of constantly losing to the side of good. Thus, they forced Primacron to create the Successor World in the distant future—a future with no Autobots to oppose them!

The Council of Primes was formed to withstand attacks from the Successor World. Brave Digitalis Prime single-handedly engaged Devil Z in battle as it returned to our world with its "NoneSparks"—you may think of them as sparkless Junkion-Vehicon hybrids. The NoneSpark War is/was/will be ongoing, but whispers are in the air about the turning tide. Take heart!

[askvectorprime]

Do you agree with Sideways about Devil Z, Dark Nova and Violen Jiger?

Pffft. Those entities may claim the title of Decepticon leader, but there is little about them that warrants any of my respect. Devil Z is a minor deity; I've encountered greater and have come out mostly unscathed. What I glimpse of Dark Nova's origins causes me to feel similarly; either he is simply an alien—unworthy of the respect a true Cybertronian Decepticon leader might have from me—or the creation of a supposed "transcendent" species like the Vok, proving that even they are not as powerful as they claim. This is to say nothing of his fate, becoming little more than a shell for yet another one of my weaker counterparts.

I suppose this Violen Jiger, if that is his real name, is the most deserving of recognition, seeing as he has actual Cybertronian roots. I can respect his ability to unite Decepticon forces long since fractured apart. Nevertheless, his sole driving goal is one that—should he succeed in it—will leave him with nothing. I too have risen from the dead, and my goals are far more grandiose than simply fighting until there is no one left to fight.

[askvectorprime]

Vector Prime, have you ever been part of a combiner/gestalt, and if so who with?

Dear Combiner Conjurer,

When you've lived as long as I have, a few details may slip here and there over the course of 9 billion years, but combiner bonds are never forgotten. Allow me to tell you the tale of Magnitudinus.

Millions of years after I left Cybertron behind, I became accustomed to an unending solitude, standing outside of spacetime, protecting it, never enjoying it. During a voyage to another universe, I came across a ruined Cybertron, and discovered four Cybertronians who angrily cowered before me. They called me The Great Destroyer, and claimed that I had destroyed their world! Soon I realized the truth: someone had been following me. I discovered that a disgraced, Underbase-powered Liege Centuro named "Violen JH'XS" was able to detect my traversal into and out of his universe. He was able to reverse-engineer my ability, and carried out a campaign of terror across the multiverse. I felt responsible for this and apologized to the Cybertronians, who were named:

Tigerhawk, who wielded near limitless energy,

Fortior Prime, a Brawn who possessed the Matrix,

Lunaracer Magna, who controlled gravitational fields,

Aileron Maxima, of the Boundless Spark.

Reader, I could no longer stand aside! Using an Enigma of Combination, we five combined into Magnitudinus and confronted "JH'XS" before he could depart the universe. We wasted no time and used our secret weapon: our combiner alt-mode! With their powers in addition to my own, we transformed into a universe-creating machine and rewound Cybertron in time, resetting its history to a Golden Age, and erasing "JH'XS" from causality itself. It took a long time to undo the effects of the renegade traveler, but Magnitudinus eventually prevailed. Even though I have long since parted ways with my former comrades, I learned that I must guard the multiverse from within as well as from without.

[askvectorprime]

Dear Vector Prime, when Sideways took over the Axiom Nexus Ask Vector Prime Q&A, one of the things he said was that he knew better than to mess with Devil Z, Violenjiger, and Dark Nova. If he was telling the truth (for once), then I must ask: what is it about them that makes even a Herald of Unicron want to avoid them?

Dear Space Oddity,

It is not often that I find myself in agreement with Sideways, but the three entities he described are among the most horrific of foes. Devil Z contains the pure malevolent intent and intellect of the Quintessons from their days as Matrix-keepers, able to exert that malefic force on the very universe itself as Devil Power. What's more, it has an unsettling cruel streak, giving its followers what they desire as it pushes them into greater villainy. Look to Giga and Mega: before their first death they prayed for a family, and Devil Z granted them a monstrous one with which to threaten the world.

Violen Jiger is an ideological threat: the resentful souls of ten million dead Decepticons, it represents undying servitude to a rotten philosophy. It plucked various Decepticon warriors from the afterlife, many forced into permanent gestalt states, their own goals all cast aside in favour of endless conquest. Perhaps death for a Decepticon spells eternal toil at the behest of Violen Jiger.

Dark Nova, meanwhile, can be taken as the horror of the unknown. Appearing without warning and without obvious motivation, its tactics could not be predicted, going so far as to summon Megatron himself from death in order to menace the universe. Of course, those with a wider viewpoint may know that Dark Nova was in fact a member of the Vok, once again attempting to purify their grand experiment. I suppose even Sideways must fear their eldritch powers.

That said, it takes more than strength to strike fear into the spark of someone such as Sideways. Ultimately, these three entities serve as a reminder to the power-hungry: one's mission is easily co-opted, and resistance is easily quashed. Unicron, for all his might, is the devil he knows, and their working relationship seems functional to a point. I would imagine Sideways fears his fate should any of them take an interest in him. As should we all.

[askvectorprime]

Dear, Vector Prime. Why does the Predacon emblem look like an insect face?

Dear Insectoid Individual,

The design that would become the Predacons' badge originally appeared in the pages of the Predacon Manifesto. I believe that Preditron intended it to be a depiction of the mythical Baion-Renja-Igan, a symbolic representation of the collective Decepticon spirit.

[askvectorprime]

Dear Vector Prime, what exactly is Dark Nova? Where did he come from and what is his connection to Unicron? If he even has one?

Dear Stellar Supergiant,

Styling himself as the Ultimate Emperor, Dark Nova was the latest extraterrestrial horror to take leadership of the Decepticons. Of course, how much of this qualified as "leadership" is up for debate. Heavily reliant on his Galaman drones and the revived Super Megatron, most of the rank and file Decepticons quietly hunkered down in their hovels and ignored his summons. Between Devil Z and Violen Jiger, many Decepticons had long had their fill of monstrous aliens taking command, and it's no coincidence that its replacement, the mysterious High Regent Scrash, appeared to be a more conventional Cybertronian.

From a broader perspective, you may know that Dark Nova was in fact a member of the Vok, taking a shape inspired by Cybertronian myth as part of their latest attempt to keep their experiment pure. Image has always been a tool of the Vok, even in their ancestral state as the Specters. It is fortunate that cynical mimicry will never triumph over a heroic spirit such as Star Convoy's.