Toyworld Hegemon

Prelude: This figure is not an official Transformer from Hasbro or Takara-Tomy, but rather from 3rd party provider Toyworld. He’s obviously meant to be G1 Megatron, but for legal reasons he can’t be called by that name.

Robot Mode: No doubt about it, this is Megatron as we saw him in the G1 Cartoon series. So far no other toy figure I’ve seen has captured the image of the Decepticon leader from the original series better than this one here, not even the Masterpiece version. Okay, he’s missing the Decepticon logo on his chest due to legal reasons, but that’s easily remedied with a sticker and I’m sure Reprolabels will bring out a set for this guy sooner or later. So bottom line: this here is Megatron.

Scale-wise he’s fully compatible with the Classics figures, standing a tad taller than Classics Optimus Prime. So now Optimus can finally re-enact many of the classic cartoon battles with Megatron. Hegemon is very nicely articulated, leaving little room to complaint. He also carries Megatron’s classic Morning Star weapon, which he can attach to either fist. He also has a huge sword with him, which I personally wouldn’t have needed, but it’s a nice extra. The big fusion cannon / scope on his right arm can detach if you want it. Both extra weapons can be stored onto a small platform that transforms into the shoulder stock for the gun mode.

There really is nothing bad I can say about this figure. If you want to nitpick, well, the head isn’t on a ball joint and the thighs don’t solidly lock into place when you extend them out from the lower legs / pistol grip, but that’s pretty much all I can think of. In all other matters: a superb G1 Megatron robot.

Alternate Mode: Hegemon transforms into a Walther P-38 complete with silencer, scope, and shoulder stock. And just in case you wondered: the transformation is far, far, far, faaaar easier than that of Masterpiece Megatron. It’s a tad more complex than that of the original toy, but not by much. So transforming him back and forth isn’t a big thing and the gun is actual size, meaning it fits well into an adult’s hand. Just don’t take it to any airports or... you know... America, and you’ll be fine. Just in case you can’t avoid that, there is an orange safety cap included, so there’s a fifty-fifty chance you won’t be shot on sight.

Both G1 Megatron and MP Megatron had pretty narrow robot mode legs because the legs had to combine into the gun’s grip; Hemegon avoids that by connecting the legs by their backs, not their sides. The grip is still a bit thicker than you’d expect of a normal gun, but it’s a trade-off I’m more than willing to make in order to enjoy Hegemon’s properly-sized robot legs. The gun’s trigger can be pulled, you can look through the scope, and you can run around the house making “BANG! BANG!” noises, too. Rather quiet “BANG! BANG” noises, of course, seeing as it’s a silenced pistol. Just don’t take it... you know. Don’t want you to get shot, after all.

Bottom line: While G1 Megatron’s gun mode looks a tad more realistic than this one, it’s still pretty great. And don’t ask me for comparison pics with Masterpiece Megatron’s gun mode, you won’t get any. I’ll never transform that MP figure again in this life.

Remarks: Boy has Megatron gotten complaints about his alternate mode. Size shifting is nonsense they said. Kids shouldn’t play with realistic-looking guns, they said. What good is an alternate mode that is useless without another Decepticon present to pull the trigger? All valid points, but still: G1 Megatron is a gun, period! While there have been great Megatrons with different alternate modes, the original, classic Megatron is a gun. And Hegemon here is easily the best gun-Megatron I’ve seen yet. He’s not as oversized and complicated as Masterpiece Megatron, he doesn’t have the huge wings of Classics Megatron, and he actually looks like the cartoon character (unlike G1 Megatron).

So bottom line: if you’re a fan of the original G1 Decepticon leader and have been looking for the perfect version of him, look no further. Just go and buy this toy here. Megatron demands it!

Rating: A

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