Toybox REVIEW: Transformers x GI Joe Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank & Baroness

Release Date: July 2022

RRP: $89.99/£89.99

Hasbro have been doing a lot of interesting Transformers Collaborative releases over the past few years – from the X-Men franchise to movies like Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park and even Top Gun. However there's one collaborative effort that they had never delved into properly before, which is strange given that it's one that's right at home for them. Given the overwhelming popularity of both franchises as well as the number of crossovers they've had in comics and other expanded media, the combination of GI Joe and Transformers should be obvious. While there have been various event exclusives and odd releases that have crossed over the two, for some reason a fully functioning GI Joe or Cobra Transformers figure has never been a reality – until now. At long last, these two titans of Hasbro toys meet in the Transformers x GI Joe Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank and Baroness set – combining a new spin on the Deception leader with Cobra's first lady of terrorism.

The Transformers x GI Joe Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank & Baroness set comes in a huge box sporting some gorgeous artwork of Megatron in robot mode and Baroness alongside a H.I.S.S. Tank - split across the middle and both done in the style of classic Transformers and GI Joe packaging. This style is continued across the halves' respective sides, and then on there's some nice big images of how the toy looks in both modes. Opening up the box first requires pulling those two halves apart, which reveals a more basic look brown flap-top box with the Hasbro logo on the lid. The underside has some top secret Cobra document folders, which would have probably looked better on printed on the top but it is what it is. Open it up and Megatron is neatly tied down to a separate cardboard tray, with various loose pieces scattered around him. Just lift up the tray to find the Baroness figure and transformation instructions stored underneath.

Inside Baroness has her own separate retro-carded packaging, similar to that of the retail-release retro card figure (though that one is a modernised 3.75" figure as opposed to a properly retro-styled one like this) but with that same artwork from the larger box and Transformers x GI Joe logo printed on the back. The figure and accessories are split across two blisters, with the figure, weapon and display stand in the main blister while the backpack is relegated to a smaller one just above. While the packaging might make a nice display piece, ultimately it all just feels like a waste of resources. If the larger box has to be pulled apart to get at it in the first place, what benefit is there to the Baroness being in her own separate packaging? Obviously there's a huge love for retro card packaging in the GI Joe community that I just don't quite understand if Hasbro considered this to be a necessity.

So after decades of waiting, here it finally is – a H.I.S.S. tank Megatron in all its glory. And to be perfectly honestly, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. First and foremost if there's one thing that can't be faulted about this figure it's its size – this roughly Ultra class-sized figure towers over most other Transformers, which is perfectly suited to the Decepticon leader as well as its need to be compatible with 3.75" GI Joe figures. But in terms of design, Hasbro really didn't bring their A-game to this one. There have been some absolutely INCREDIBLE GI Joe vehicle Transformer designs over the years in comics that really try to blend both elements in an effective way, but this toy is just G1 Megatron with H.I.S.S. tank parts bolted onto him. No effort has been made to blend the colours between robot and vehicle mode parts, making the whole "bolt-on" aspect even more obvious. It's almost as if Hasbro were too scared to make a figure which wasn't visible G1 Megatron, even though something as simple as making all of the grey parts black would have made a huge difference AND it would still be obvious the toy is meant to be Megatron. This lack of willingness to merge the two franchises in a meaningful way is similarly shown by the absence of combined Cobra/Decepticon logos the figure. The design already exists and is well-loved by fans, so why wouldn't you use it?

But it isn't just look of this Megatron that's underwhelming, it's the execution of it as well. Many of the tank parts hanging off him are large and cumbersome, the most egregious being his huge gun turret backpack. Rather than fold up into a smaller size that would still suit its purpose, it just hangs off his back as a giant cube that’s thicker than the robot itself, the vehicle mode windshield just hanging down below it. It's really ugly and honestly incredibly underwhelming for a figure with a price point like this. The construction is equally unimpressive – the hollowed-out body parts that admittedly most Transformers have these days more obvious than usual. Bit even the plastic quality on this release feels different – more akin to the cheaper, more durable plastic seen on Transformers aimed at younger fans rather than a collector-orientated piece. A Transformers x GI Joe Megatron should be one of coolest pieces Hasbro has ever put out, which is why the lacklustre execution on this one stings so much.

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