Why was there no Decepticon leader toy released in G1 1988?

Rodimus_2316

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Nov 17, 2015, 5:20:22 PM11/17/15

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I've wondered that for a long time. We get a Powermaster Optimus Prime figure, but no new Megatron or Galvatron or anything? Anyone know the reason?

- Rodimus_2316

Zobovor

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Nov 17, 2015, 6:47:10 PM11/17/15

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On Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 3:20:22 PM UTC-7, Rodimus_2316 wrote:

> I've wondered that for a long time. We get a Powermaster Optimus Prime figure,
> but no new Megatron or Galvatron or anything? Anyone know the reason?

Well, Scorponok was still being sold in 1988, so I think he was the ranking Decepticon officer on deck.

Zob (and I think Pretender Roadblock and Micromaster Skystalker were the leader characters for 1989)

banzait...@gmail.com

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Nov 17, 2015, 8:43:27 PM11/17/15

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On Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 4:20:22 PM UTC-6, Rodimus_2316 wrote:
> I've wondered that for a long time. We get a Powermaster Optimus Prime figure, but no new Megatron or Galvatron or anything? Anyone know the reason?
>
>
>
> - Rodimus_2316

That's an interesting question. Sadly, there was no powermaster decepticon leader. Especially since Powermaster prime was one of the best prime toys ever made. Sure he was a hopeless brick, but so were just about every toy pre-Beastwars, and he came with so many GUNS!!!!
With that said, The ratio is probably in the neighborhood of 3:1 if you took the total number of primes to megs/galvatrons. It seems like the good guys sell much better than the bad guys, which never resonated much with me as a kid. Hell, there are more ultra magnus toys than galvatrons, also probably by a 3:1 margin. So, this shouldn't surprise anyone. I think what you have identified is the point in time when the parity began to shift drastically to focus on autobot leaders than decepticon leaders.

-Banzaitron

banzait...@gmail.com

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Nov 17, 2015, 8:51:15 PM11/17/15

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> Well, Scorponok was still being sold in 1988, so I think he was the ranking Decepticon officer on deck.

Scorponok's techs were butchered so many times by hasbro, it's hard to say for sure what his rank was. But a solid case could be made for a 10 there. The dude turned into the tallest Decepticon of his time, a scorpion and a BASE, so I would do whatever the hell he told me to do.

-Banzaitron

banzait...@gmail.com

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Nov 17, 2015, 8:53:14 PM11/17/15

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> Zob (and I think Pretender Roadblock and Micromaster Skystalker were the leader characters for 1989)

I didn't think the pretenders were allowed to vote, much less hold positions of leadership. Besides, would you follow someone into battle that proudly called themselves a "Pretender"? I think not...

-Banzaitron

Rodimus_2316

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Nov 18, 2015, 3:54:59 PM11/18/15

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On Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 5:43:27 PM UTC-8, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 4:20:22 PM UTC-6, Rodimus_2316 wrote:
> > I've wondered that for a long time. We get a Powermaster Optimus Prime figure, but no new Megatron or Galvatron or anything? Anyone know the reason?
> >
> >
> >
> > - Rodimus_2316
>
> That's an interesting question. Sadly, there was no powermaster decepticon leader. Especially since Powermaster prime was one of the best prime toys ever made. Sure he was a hopeless brick, but so were just about every toy pre-Beastwars, and he came with so many GUNS!!!!

I agree totally about PM Prime's toy. I had it and thought that too.

> With that said, The ratio is probably in the neighborhood of 3:1 if you took the total number of primes to megs/galvatrons. It seems like the good guys sell much better than the bad guys, which never resonated much with me as a kid. Hell, there are more ultra magnus toys than galvatrons, also probably by a 3:1 margin. So, this shouldn't surprise anyone. I think what you have identified is the point in time when the parity began to shift drastically to focus on autobot leaders than decepticon leaders.
>
> -Banzaitron

Makes sense. Thanks! :)

Rodimus_2316

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Nov 18, 2015, 4:15:31 PM11/18/15

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On the G1 catalogs, he and Fort Max are "Headmasters Bases," and their techspecs (at least some) say they're "Headmaster Commander" and "Headmaster Leader," respectively. Therefore, they are the "counter-opposites" of each other, same as Metroplex and Trypticon.

However, after the Starscream/Underbase thing in the comics, Spike retired from Fort Max, with PM Prime already leading Grimlock and Fort Max's Autobot forces, and Scorponok still leading his and taking over Ratbat's. But I still like to think Scorp and Fort Max as each other's "opposites," though, technically.

- Rodimus_2316