I'm a sucker for little Transformers collectibles, especially if there is a diverse character lineup. Some past favorite lines include Kre-O, Tiny Titans, and Tacticons. I was pretty obsessed with all of them. Between 2017 and 2020 there was a fun (but frustrating) line called Tiny Turbo Changers. They stood out because they actually transformed, they were inexpensive, and prolific.. I believe they released 100 different figures. The reason the line was frustrating was because of distribution. Most of the waves I really wanted were only released in Canada. Luckily I have friends up North who could hook me up. Flash forward to 2026 and the last thing I expected was for the Tiny Turbo Changers to be rebooted. I think all 15 new figures are repaints of the old ones, but luckily the three females have pretty distinct deco changes so I was excited to pick them all up. I even appreciate the weird attempt to differentiate between Arcee and Elita-1 with the same mold. Let's check out the Tiny Turbo Changers ladies below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Blackarachnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blackarachnia. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Transformers - ELITA-1, ARCEE, & BLACKARCHNIA!
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Magic Power - BLACK WOLFSBANE!
The world of 3rd Party Transformers can be a ruthless place. As a collector, these toys can be difficult to procure due to low production runs or unclear distribution. And as a producer of these toys, I can only assume there are minimal protections for your hard work. Since the product already skirts close to other (highly protected) IPs, I can't imagine any recourse when someone swipes your work. This Black Wolfsbane figure from Magic Power (2022) is a re-release (theft?) of the 2013 Perfect Effect Aranea, which is of course a 3rd Party Transformers Blackarachnia. This was one of the first 3P figure that I desperately wanted but slipped through my fingers. The preorders sold out instantly and I still have regrets about not buying her at a toy show for $99 ten years ago (within months she was selling for $300 on eBay). Normally I wouldn't have considered a reproduced figure, but I truly don't think an original Aranea was in the cards. So when this Black Wolfbane figure appeared, I pounced. Let's check her out below.
Monday, August 16, 2021
Transformers - BLACKARACHNIA!
As toy collectors, we often see very bizarre toy decos that barely look like the characters they are meant to represent. Yellow Evil-Lyn, hat-wearing Lady Jaye, pink Serena from Dino-Riders, and the entire vintage She-Ra line are all examples of toys that are significantly different from their animated source material. But then years later there is just as much nostalgia among collectors for these bizarre interpretations and the toy companies seem happy to oblige us. This new Blackarachnia redeco is a wonderful example of that trend. Her first-ever figure back in 1996's Beast Wars line was a simple retool of the (male) Tarantulas figure, and her colors were wild: a purple head and legs, black torso with green spots, bronze spider-legs and claws, green arms, all topped off with a speckled chest. The overall effect was a godawful mess. Yet, somehow, when applied to the new Kingdom Blackarachnia mold, it's spectacular. This Peggy-Bundy-Pimp-Daddy-Destro chaos somehow works. Let's check her out below!
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Transformers Kingdom - BLACKARACHNIA!
I must admit I was really surprised to see a Blackarachnia figure in the War For Cybertron series. So far, the Siege and Earthrise releases seemed focused on really classic (essentially 1980's) characters. And honestly I was excited to see who we would get in the final part of the trilogy. But in a surprise twist, the theme jumped forward to 1996's Beast Wars franchise for final Kingdom series. I unfortunately am very unfamiliar with all the Beast Wars shows and my only connection comes from my knowledge of the toys as an adult collector. That said, Blackarachnia has a special place in my heart for being the first notable female Decepticon. I have an affinity for vampy female villains and the easiest way to do that is to is to borrow themes from bats or spiders. The original Beast Wars Blackarchnia toy was a boxy retool of a male character (Tarantulas). The first decent figure was 2015's Legends release, but it was a little odd as a retooled Transformers: Animated mold. This Kingdom figure finally scratches the itch.
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Transform Element - BLACK WIDOW!
I've always been quick to note that the presence of a 3rd Party Transformers market doesn't hinder my purchases of official Hasbro or TakaraTomy product at all, and that the 3rd party presence actually deepens my interest in all Transformers products. However, I can think of one exception; this tiny 3.5" Transform Element Black Widow figure from last year. This figure was announced right around the same time as the official TakaraTomy Transformers Masterpiece Blackarachnia, which I was fairly certain I was going to purchase (although the $100+ price tag was keeping me at bay). To be fair, Beastformers aren't my favorite iteration of the Transformers Universe, so I'm much more likely to shell out big bucks for a vehicle mode than a robotic animal. But when faced with a the decision to add a large-scale, very expensive figure to my collection or this tiny, cheaper alternative, I chose the 3rd Party route. (And knowing me I'll eventually cave on the Masterpiece). Let's check out Black Widow below!
Monday, November 27, 2017
Transformers Legends - BLACKARACHNIA!
It's pretty rare to get a good robot villainess in the toy world. I would say that without a doubt, Blackarachnia from the Beast Wars franchise of Transformers is the most popular and most merchandised evil female robot out there. Which makes it pretty surprising that there hasn't been a truly iconic figure of her made yet. A couple of her early molds were actually pretty groundbreaking as far as incorporating female body shapes (like the molds used for Crystal Widow and the Transmetals figure). But this Takara Tomy Legends figure seems to be the best one of the bunch (despite her awkwardly large translucent breasts). This figure is a retooled Transformers: Animated Blackarachnia (which imo is one of the greatest fembot figures of all time), but unfortunately that earlier figure was very stylized and didn't capture the classic look too well. It was very unexpected to see that mold get a second life in this well-deserved figure. Let's check out the long-awaited Legends Blackarachnia below!
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Kre-O Transformers - BLACKARACHNIA!
Transformers Kre-O figures are some of my favorite collectibles of the last decade. They're small, fun, and pretty prolific in the toy aisles. Or at least they were. The lackluster movie-themed waves from 2014's Transformers: Age of Extinction film kind of brought the series to a slow crawl. This second series of Age of Extinction blind-bag mini-figures never even saw release in the United States. I only hope the upcoming Robots in Disguise waves will offer some new life to the line. I know I'll definitely be hunting down the Strongarm figure at the very least. But in the long run, I desperately want more classic themed micro-changer waves. Elita One and all the Cybertronian fembots would be amazing as Kreons. I can only hope someone at Hasbro sees that, too. At the very least there is potential for a ton of future convention exclusives in this format. My fingers are crossed. In the meantime, let's check out this elusive Blackarachnia in detail below!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Transformers: Universe CRYSTAL WIDOW!
Crystal Widow is an Autobot. I know I know, good guys don't turn into venomous spiders. But the catch is that she's a former Decepticon. I'm a little unsure if she's from the comics, cartoon, or just toylore. Apparently she was included in the TransTech canon, which was the cancelled successor to Beast Wars. In short summary, she is a former bad guy who became a good guy during the Universe War and now owns a bar called the Widow's Cafe Cybertronian.. which I think has a similar reputation to the Mos Eisley Cantina. This action figure is a repaint of the Beast Machines Deluxe Blackarachnia, which (until the Transformers: Animated figures hit) was one of the nicest fembots in the TF Universe. I know that is a subjective claim, but I honestly think she is the first female Transformer to even remotely resemble a female. She's had 4 repaints over the years so someone must agree with me, too. On to the review!
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