Profile (Translated from the Trading Card)
MP-1B Cybertron General Commander Convoy Black VersionFunction: Cybertron General Commander
Motto: "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
Profile:
Has taken it upon himself to protect all life forms including those on Earth; constantly fighting to defeat the Destrons. Can separate into 3 self-contained modules. Convoy can function without the other 2 modules however they will cease to function if Convoy is inactive.
STR...10; INT...10; SPD...8; END...10; RNK...10; CRG...10; FPR...8; SKL...10
Other Resources:
Overview
MP-1B Convoy Black Version was an e-Hobby exclusive which was announced at the
beginning of August 2009 and was scheduled for release in January 2010. The
e-Hobby version came with an exclusive comic book written by Naoto Sakai and
illustrated by Hidetsugu Yoshioka.
Despite being an e-Hobby exclusive, MP-1B was released first by Hasbro Asia in
late November 2009. This version was identical to the e-Hobby release but
instead of a comic it came with a die-cast metal plaque and a velvet bag.
The character card that came with the figure is identical (other than the
artwork) to MP-1 Convoy so you could easily assume this black version of
Convoy was the original Convoy. However the story was only expanded upon in
the e-Hobby comic. The reverse of the comic also has a profile for MP-1B
Convoy but the text is identical to the character card. Within the comic MP-1B
Convoy has been given artificial intelligence using the mind of "Dan" a human
who we can assume (although it is not explicitly stated) to be Daniel Witwicky
especially as it mentions using an Exo-Suit.
Packaged in robot mode, Convoy is huge by today's standards and the black,
grey and teal colour scheme broken up by the large red Cybertron insignia look
very impressive. The colour scheme is identical to Black Convoy who would
eventually make an appearance in the Masterpiece line in 2013. Convoy comes
with the same accessories as MP-1 although in different colours. The Energy
Axe is now in translucent red, the Megatron gun is a much darker gunmetal
colour and the Matrix is purple with a red core. The Ion Blaster retains its
grey colour though the coloured plastic inside the end of the barrel is red
instead of blue.
The wrist communicators have been updated and show Convoy on his right wrist
and Rodimus Convoy on his left. I found the Matrix on mine really hard to
remove than my MP-1 version.
Transformation to truck mode is still straightforward although its weight
(over 1 kg) makes it rather awkward. The panel on the robot back where you
fold the head into has a tendency to pop off on my version but it is easy
enough to clip back on.
Truck mode is the weakest feature of MP-1B and was vastly improved with MP-10
and MP-44. Unfortunately MP-1B does not come with a trailer as such but like
MP-1, the cardboard insert can form a trailer which you can clip onto the
trailer hitch. The colours of this trailer are black and red, and is based on
the 2007
T.H.S-02B Convoy Black Version trailer.
Overall MP-1B Convoy is a fantastic figure although I do find MP-10B the more
superior figure.
Translations
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| The story that leads up to the events in the comic. (Translated below) |
Story:
The appearance of Galvatron II motivated the weakened Destrons and they regrouped and once again ravaged energy resources across various locations. The Cybertrons, outmatched by the relentless Destrons, made Laser Ultra Magnus realise the gravity of the situation. Ga’Mede devised a psychological stratagem to combat the Destron threat. It was an ingenious plan to use the Destrons' fear of “Convoy” against them. The plan was to dispatch “Convoy” Type “Eldedroids” to the various locations under threat from the Destrons. After the initial Eldedroid Convoy was built, Wheeljack used his Duplication Machine to create more, one by one, until there were 21 in number and ready to mobilise. Operated by Flipsides back at headquarters, each Eldedroid left for their mission.
The comic was released with both Japanese and English text although the
English translation was pretty rough. I've translated this myself and have
hosted it on my main website.
|
| Click here to read the full translated comic. |
Back of the Box Translation
“Transformers” is Japan’s most famous transforming / combining robot
toyline. The series has been going for a quarter of a century since its
inception in the mid 1980’s. The “Transformers” has already seen over 1000
characters released and the “Masterpiece” brand is the pinnacle of the
series. The Masterpiece brand was created to commemorate the “Transformers”
20th anniversary in 2004 and the series has been steadily expanding ever
since. This category specifically focuses on figures between 25 to 30cm in
height with elaborate transformations which compliment the figure’s size;
and also included are various optional accessories. The brand “Masterpiece”
is not just well known by lifelong “Transformer” enthusiasts but also by
fans of other transforming / combining robots. General Commander Convoy
(G1), leader of the Cybertrons and a Super Robot Lifeform who believes in
justice was the first to be released. Convoy is the face of the
“Transformers” universe so it should be no surprise that he would be the
first to represent the Masterpiece brand. Now has come the time to relaunch
this commemorative Masterpiece “MP-1 Convoy” as a limited edition model.
“MP-1B Convoy Black Ver” is that item. As the name implies Convoy has a new
black colour scheme. Instead of a monotone colour scheme, different colours
have been utilised such as soft blacks and dark greys to create a sense of
prestige. In the long history of the “Transformers”, black has been used for
both good and evil characters. Here, black is used to portray a sense of
majesty. The general consensus of black equals evil does not necessarily
apply to the “Transformers”. Only those who have this item in hand will be
able to let their imagination loose and have a great time with this black
recolour……….!
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