Hero (G2)

Let's see what you can see... This article is in need of images. Specifics: Scans of the back-of-the-package solicitations would be ideal.

The Heroes (aka Combat Heroes) are a subgroup from the Generation 2 portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Hero" Megatron

The Heroes are a cross-factional subgroup of Transformers. Their defining characteristic is their "air-powered"^[1] rocket weaponry.

Autobot Heroes:

• Optimus Prime
• Sureshot

Decepticon Heroes:

• Megatron
• Archforce

The two Autobot Heroes look identical to each other, except that Optimus helpfully has his name written across his chest. The Decepticons are likewise doppelgängers, with Megatron bearing his own name-label.

Fiction

Marvel Generation 2 comic

When the Swarm consumed Optimus Prime and the Matrix of Leadership with him, the sacred artifact turned the ravenous Swarm into a force for creation. It immediately stopped devouring the Transformers on Earth and reconstituted Optimus in a new body which was recognizable as his Hero form, though never called out as such. A Rage in Heaven!

Toys

Generation 2

• Heroes (North America, 1994)
  • Optimus Prime
  • Megatron

Each Hero toy is armed with a large missile launcher which can fire a rubber-tipped rocket by means of a bellows which you slam your fist down on to produce a puff of air. The launcher is accessible in both modes, and the bellows is attached via a rubber hose that cannot be disconnected. The bellows stores on the figure when not in use, as do the rockets. A similar air-launching system with identical missiles was used by Laser Optimus Prime the following year.

These sculpts were also used to create the KB Toys-exclusive the 2001 Robots in Disguise Destructicons and Robotmasters Reverse Convoy.

For 1995, Hasbro had intended to release running change redecos of the two figures. Those were solicited to numerous retailers, but they ended up joining the ranks of the great many Generation 2 toys to never make it to mass production, only existing as packaged samples.

• • Optimus Prime (redeco)
  • Megatron (redeco)

• "Heroes" (Europe, 1994)
  • Sureshot
  • Archforce

The European releases of the toys are almost identical to their North American counterparts, except that due to their identities being changed, their "OPTIMUS PRIME" and "MEGATRON RULES!" stickers were redesigned to have no text at all. Though they do not feature the term "Hero" anywhere on their packaging, they are referred to as "Hero Autobot" and "Hero Decepticon" on a poster featuring the European Generation 2 line-up that was distributed by Hasbro UK in 1994. Due to them featuring individual EAN barcodes instead of a shared assortment EAN (an unusual occurrence at the time), it would appear they were distributed as solid cases instead of a shared assortment, presumably to ensure the evil tank toy would not be shipped to Germany.

Notes

• So it appears that Hasbro's name for this subgroup was in some amount of flux before "Heroes" won out: Several television commercial for the North American toys called them "Combat Optimus Prime" and "Combat Megatron",^[2] and an article from Go Figure! magazine identified the two figures as "Combat Hero Optimus Prime" and "Combat Hero Megatron".^[3] The final toys simply sported a small "Hero" logo on their packaging.
• However, that didn't mark the end of the "Combat" prefix: Hasbro's Toy Fair 1995 catalog again identified the (ultimately unreleased) redecos as "Combat Hero Asst.", and a Hasbro representative at Toy Fair 1995 also referred to them as "Combat Heroes are back, in all-new colors for Optimus Prime and the evil Megatron".^[4] Furthermore, the green tags attached to "Hasbro Standard" samples of the unreleased figures also identified them as "Combat Heroes Asst."… buuut then the packaging itself, which was slightly redesigned from the original 1994 versions (still sporting the same unchanged package art depicting the two characters in their original colors, as well as the same Hasbro product code and assortment numbers and UPC barcodes, but changed from the "clamshell"-style packaging used for various 1993 and 1994 figures to more tradtional blister cards), saw a minor change to the texts above the (unchanged) UPC barcodes that now added a "Hero" prefix (without "Combat") to the names "Optimus Prime" and "Megatron".^[5] So it appears that Hasbro's marketing department was using the name inconsistently for two years, ignoring the name that was printed on the packaging in favor of an earlier working name. The fans also often use the terms interchangeably, although knowledge of the aforementioned Toy Fair 1995 catalog during the early days of the online fandom has caused many to (incorrectly) use the term "Combat Heroes" to refer to the unreleased redecos, thereby distinguishing them from their earlier, plain "Heroes" versions that did see a release.
• As a direct result of this, Hasbro later re-adopted the "Combat" prefix for redecos of newer Optimus Prime and Megatron toys that homage the intended decos for these unreleased figures, first for "Combat Hero Optimus Prime" from the 2012 Generations "Ultimate Gift Set", then later for Generations Selects War for Cybertron Trilogy "Combat Megatron".

References

1. ↑ Hero packaging blurb (photo at TFW2005.com)
2. ↑ "Combat" Optimus Prime & Megatron television commercial 1, "Combat" Optimus Prime & Megatron television commercial 2
3. ↑ Go Figure! article (scan by unknown)
4. ↑ Hasbro presentation at Toy Fair 1995.
5. ↑ Samples of the unreleased Optimus Prime and Megatron redecos at Seibertron.com: (link 1, link 2)