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What is this thing all about? Welcome to Beast Wars International's third newsletter. The BWINT newsletter is a semi-regular online publication, full of fun content submitted by YOU, the fans. It's never too late to get onboard this project! All you need is enthusiasm and something Beast Wars-related to submit, be it a comic, a poem, a review or even an exciting piece of news. There will be regulars such as the reviews and group debates. There's also a cool "Bother a Beast Warrior" section, where you can ask the character of the month a question! The best questions will get selected, answered and displayed here. Be sure to give this newsletter a proper read through and please feel free to email suggestions to Sapphire or to DinoTor as to how we could spice it up and improve it, if you have any. The background and images you see here will get refreshed with new designs as the issues progress. Enjoy! - Sapphire (sapphire@bwint.net) |
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Greetings! This is Optimus Primal, and I have been asked to answer a few questions that your curious minds have developed. I would be more than happy to, so here we go. Jagna: I've
got a rather...embarrassing and frankly rather stupid question for
him... (God,
I'm such a fangirl XD) Dear Jagna, *laugh* We’re off to an interesting
start! Well, let’s see. Let me look through my schedule.
Yes, you may “have” me on Tuesdays. That seems to be the
only day of the week that Megatron and his goonies never interfere
with my spare time. All my best, Optimus Primal Blazemane: Dear
Primal, Dear Blazemane, Oh yes, I remember. Thank you for
bringing back such fond memories of agony and death. It’s all part
of the job description, I suppose. I’m the leader so I’m
automatically the primary target. If I’m harmed or terminated, then
the Predacons take advantage of the hopelessness and distractions
within my crew and infiltrate with force to try to defeat them. It’s
an old tactic maneuver; take out the one who keeps peace, order and
hope in his ranks and you can create chaos. How do I cope with all of it? I just keep
telling myself that we’re all going to die. Oh wait, that’s
Rattrap’s way. No, I have a strong sense of refusing to give up, no
matter the odds. It’s very difficult sometimes, but I have to do it
for my team. I’ve needed to be optimistic and selfless so that they
stay focused and realize that it’s never too late to keep trying
despite what the Predacons put us through, or the Vok. It also helps
to have something to look forward to at the end of the day, like a
banana split. Sincerely, Optimus Primal Wonko: What
really
happened to you in that Episode 'Chain of Command'? If
Optimus Prime was fully awake in the Ark what would you say to him? Dear Wonko The Sane, Your name reminds me of the time
Waspinator declared himself as Wonko. To answer your first question, I
was abducted by aliens. That’s right; it doesn’t only happen to
humans, it can happen to Cybertronians as well. The Vok probably
performed an autopsy on my body but I’ll never know for sure. At
least it was returned to me unharmed. For your second question, I would tell
Optimus Prime that I’m his biggest fan and ask him for a photo and
his autograph. Best wishes, Optimus Primal Haystack: Dear
Optimus,
Haystack Dear Haystack, …I don’t like bananas… Yes, of
course it was because of the beast mode! It also made me pound my
fists on my chest, walk on my knuckles, and swing from trees. Cheetor looks up to me as a role model.
He just needs guidance with leadership, and I care about him like a
son because he was so inexperienced and curious. I don’t think he
was ready to be involved with such a war as the one on Earth, so he
looked for a lot of characteristics and wisdom in me that a father
would teach his son. Sincerely, Optimus Primal Darkestjaws: ok
I
have a question.
Dear Darkestjaws, That’s an interesting question. You
must remember that the conditions on Jupiter are far different than
Earth’s. Even if you could survive in a malfunctioning pod on its
way to Jupiter, depending on its stability, it would be pretty
difficult to survive on the gaseous planet assuming you survived the
landing. I wouldn’t want to try it. You may want to redirect your second
question to Megatron. He’s the one who sends Waspinator on suicide
missions. Personally, Waspinator doesn’t bother me at all, and I
wouldn’t have slagged him all the time had he stopped attacking my
team in failed attempts that were triggered by Megatron’s scheming.
Waspinator should have exiled himself from the Predacons long before
he finally decided to do so. The Maximal Commander, Optimus Primal Purrpalz: Dear
Optimus, Why
did the Maximal High Council give Protoform X to you to dump? Dear Purrpalz, Because it was “convenient” for them.
For some reason they thought if I could just drop him off on some
random desolate planet, their “problem” would be solved. Ironic
how it was solved, isn’t it? Best regards, Optimus Primal Demon
Man: Dear
Optimus, I
love your "Well, that's just prime!" catchphrase! I use it
all the time and I often have some characters in stories I write use
it, as well! Tell me, though, which of your followers do you find the
most annoying? Dinobot for his attitude
problem, Blackarachnia for similar things, Rattrap for his
obnoxiousness or Depth Charge for his stubbornness? And who do you
find most enjoyable of your Maximals? Rhinox for his loyalty and
brains, Airazor for her father/daughter relationship with you,
Tigatron for his many similarities to you, Silverbolt for his nobility
or Cheetor, my favorite one on your team
(hugs Cheetor, rubs his
belly and cuddles him)
for his niceness, cuteness
and funny energy? Anyway, please tell me! And go Cheetor on the most
liked part!
(snuggles Cheetor again and
gets licked by him, sorry, can't help it, I love that cat) Dear Demon Man, Thank you! I’m glad I could assist in
your stories and make an impression. Who do I find most annoying?
Well, I’m constantly telling Rattrap to shut up, aren’t I? It
isn’t so much his obnoxiousness as it is his negative attitude, but
he has some good qualities about him as well. As for the most
enjoyable, I was going to say Rhinox simply because we have more in
common and have been friends for some time now. But since you told me
to, and I hate to disappoint, I’ll say Cheetor. Sincerely, Optimus Primal Scorponis: Dear
Optimus, What
did it feel like going from being less than the tallest member of the
Maximal crew, as Dinobot seemed the tallest, to being at least a good
two times taller than the rest of the crew? Did you have any
insecurities about being shorter than Dinobot originally, or any
insecurities about being more of an Autobot/Maximal hybrid? Dear Scorponis, What’s that phrase the humans use; size
doesn’t matter? It doesn’t. I was still the leader whether I was
short or tall. No, I didn’t have insecurity about my height compared
to Dinobot’s; I still had authority. Although, when I acquired my
optimal body, it sure was different! Did you see the look on
Megatron’s face? That was priceless. All the best, Optimus Primal
Daughter
of Darkness: Hey
Boss Monkey, Do
you ever give in to your beast mode from time to time? You know-a
craving for bananas
or something? Don't think I didn't see you scratching your butt
in "Feral Scream Part 2". Sincerely, Hey
Daughter of Darkness, Oh
really? I thought I was scratching my armpit. Why are you looking down
there, anyway? Yes, I give in to my beast mode sometimes. It is a part
of me so it’s hard to ignore it, especially when I have a sudden
craving for bananas or scratching an itch. But I have never thrown
feces! That’s disgusting. I don’t know why I need to be teased
about that just because I’m a gorilla. Yours
truly, Optimus
Primal SkyxDB Dear
Optimus, Dear SkyxDB, With the kind of job I have? Of course I
am! With all of the traveling I do, saving Earth and our very
existence, I’m afraid I don’t have the time or the luxury for a
personal life right now. Down the road I hope she’ll be waiting for
me. All the best from the Maximal Commander, Optimus Primal Tor Mr.
OP, Dear Tor, I was not, nooo. I’ve had plenty of
compliments for my voice, and enough fans who admire or can relate to
my personality. I could never be such a bad influence like him. And I
wouldn’t want to constantly speak to myself out loud either. Would
you? And
do you have special technique for handling your crew, like bribery? Bribery? Who do I look like; Rattrap? I
was fair, I disciplined them and I listened to them. And I never gave
them an order that I wasn’t willing to do myself. Do
you believe the rumor that Tarzan is a better gorilla than you? That’s impossible. Who started that
silly rumor? I at least looked
like a gorilla before I went TransMetal. Have
you ever wanted a lacky like Inferno? I do have one. His name is Silverbolt.
I’m joking! Have I ever wanted one like Inferno? No, he was too
clingy for my taste. It’s a wonder Megatron had the ability to put
up with him for as long as he did. Finally,
have you ever wanted to be the bad guy? Never.
The bad guy always loses. Besides, I don’t have the characteristics
or the personality to even consider the “dark side.” Could you
imagine me trying to dominate Cybertron, let alone the entire
universe, and failing at every attempt? I didn’t think so. I’m as
heroic as they come. Best
wishes to you, Mr.
Primal Thank
you for all of your questions! It seems I’ve run out of time and out
of bananas. Yes, I was eating a bunch while I answered your inquiries,
excuse me. Till all are one!
NEXT BEAST WARRIOR to bother: Waspinator: Submit all your questions to botherabeastwarrior@bwint.net or check THE FORUMS for the question thread.
By: Beastbot
Allegiance: Decepticon (Terrorcon) Size: Deluxe Difficulty of Transformation: Easy Color Scheme: Yellow-orange, light purple, off-white, bluish black, silver, and some metallic bronze, dark blue-green, dull red, and transparent pale blue-green Powerlinx ports: 2 Rating: 9.5
Sharkticon's vehicle mode is certainly unique-- it's in a similar style as Energon Scorponok's, given that it's a vehicle in the shape of an animal. In this case, a submarine in the shape of the shark. And it looks quite cool, really. There's four little rotatable guns on the top and sides; a transparent bridge area on the top center of this mode that looks very stylized and even has minor fins on the side; and there are what look like little torpedo launchers in between the rear fins. Plus, there's LOADS of mechanical and paint detailing all over Sharkticon, so this is definitely not a dull figure. As for the color scheme itself, it's quite appropriate; white, bluish black, red, silver, and yellow give it a bit of a "war-like" feel while still seeming rather aquatic, and the purple fits in fairly well as well, though I think perhaps a medium blue would have been a bit better. Admittedly, Sharkticon does have a few visible robot extras, but they still mesh at least fairly well with the rest of the mode, and don't stick out like a sore thumb. For one thing, the robot fists are rather visible on the back end of Sharkticon, and the robot legs are on the bottom of this mode (the bottom fins stick out of the sides of them), but again, both mesh very well with the overall shape of the mode, so minimal points are deducted for that. Like other Energon Decepticons, Sharkticon has a "hyper mode". Like most other hyper modes, it's nothing much-- just the sides of the mode opening up to reveal two missile launchers-- but it does look fairly cool, and it's kind of a neat idea that half of the entire toy splits apart to reveal more weapons. A neat little gimmick. Sharkticon's robot mode is also very good, with nice proportions, colors, and detailing. It also has a very unique look to it- it's curved and stylized at some points, while being sharp and angular at others. It all comes together very well. The robot head looks especially original- he's got a large, sloping, angular forehead over a black faceplate and blue optics. It actually looks somewhat like X-Men: Evolution Magneto's face-- definitely evil. Some may be worried about the fact that a third of the vehicle mode is on Sharkticon's back, but don't be- it doesn't affect his stability, it doesn't get in the way of articulation much, and the hyper mode missile launchers can be deployed under his shoulders anyway to give Sharkticon some firepower. Speaking of articulation, Sharkticon has quite a lot of it; he can move at the head, shoulders (at two points), elbows, waist, hips (at two points), knees, and ankles. And the joints are nice and tight. So pose him all you like, folks. Oh, and of course, Sharkticon's Decepticon spark crystal is in the center of his chest in this mode. Sharkticon is a great toy in both modes, and has a great color scheme, hyper mode, proportions, and paint detailing. He does have a few visible robot extras in vehicle mode, but it's not that big of a deal at all. Ties with Slugslinger for the best Energon deluxe, in my opinion. (Although admittedly, Slugslinger would have pulled ahead slightly if he was more stable.)
Review by Beastbot-- for more reviews, visit Beastbot's Fortress at http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/bbfortress.
Featured Youtubes: I have decided to feature the excellent voice impressions of TransformersVoice, one of Bwint's newest members. Here is a sample below
And click on the following link to access more of his stuff! http://www.youtube.com/user/transformersvoice
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BWINT - The Site Well, despite the grim outlook for the newsletter when it didn't get updated for months and then was discontinued, it has re-emerged thanks to the sheer enthusiasm of DinoTor, who put in all the work restarting it, infusing it with new life and compiling all the content. Without Tor, this issue would not be possible. Here's hoping for the success of future issues! As for the Site, it continues on in much the same vain as it's done the past few years. There's fics, art, competitions and so forth, although if anyone has the enthusiasm (like Tor has demonstrated!) to take on the work load of restarting any of Bwint's former glories, such as its Fan Fiction/Art Awards, they should email me (sapphire@bwint.net) and put forth a proposal. The reason a few of the things were discontinued was that I had no time to chase up people for content, or enthusiasm died out. But if anyone's passionate enough to kick-start something old, or a fresh concept for that matter, they should contact me and I'll see what we can do! BOTCON & Auto Assembly 2009 Botcon is coming up fast and will be held in Pasadena, California, on May 28 - 31, 2009. There are a number of BWINTers going, so if you're heading off to BC this year and would like to meet up with some of them, check out the forums for more info. Auto Assembly, the UK Transformers Convention, is also still to come this year and will be held in Birmingham, England, on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th August 2009. Sapphire and another BWINTer is going, so if you'd like to come along and join us, email me and let me know! More info can be found at this forum thread. WHAT ABOUT YOU? Are you getting involved in the Beast Wars/Transformers community? Have you got some work running on some competitions, or are you launching a website of your own? Have you any exciting news for the visitors of BWINT to read? Email any news YOU'D like to see in this column to sapphire@bwint.net !
Taken from this thread at the BWINT Forums. Question
Proposed by Tor:
Fan
Works Review By Nyx It’s
been awhile since I did a review, so I hope you can forgive me if I
make any mistakes or make anything sound daft. XD Happily
ever after… Lynx’s
fan fiction stood out from his other works, a fairy tale with a Beast
Wars twist. Or rather, a memoir from a warrior of vengeance merged with
a story of treachery and bloodshed. The
story is mostly done in a series of diary entries, written by a recruit
called “Depthwing”. He tells us of his training and his experiences.
In-between these journals, a classic “Little Red Riding Hood” tale
is told. However the fairy story goes back to one of its original yarns,
where there is no cover up of bloodshed as little Red finds. And
yet it links the two characters, Depthwing (Or in later chapters,
Depthcharge.) struggles to return home, only to find that anything and
everyone he knew is gone and destroyed. The same happens to little Red,
tricked by the wolf and returns to find her mother dead before being
killed herself. As
you can tell by now, this is a Depthcharge and Ramage/Protoform X story.
And yet, the way that Depthcharge is written and how we can even begin
to imagine what it must be like for him is told simply by retelling a
fairy tale that echoes his story. Lynx
weaves his story well, by making it so that we know that there are two
stories being told and how well matched they are. Yes,
unlike the title, this story does not have a happy ending but a
bittersweet one. One in which blood is spilt. This story was a good
steady read and I’ll be reading more of his stories in the future. --------------------------------------------------------------------
AURORA SERIAL By: Razor One The
Rise of Aurora Chapter
4 Maximus
stood in front of Aurora, guilt, self loathing, and the desire to make
amends fighting a fierce three way war in his spark. He
had used her as a pawn, lied to her, concealed his true self and
befriended her under false pretenses. And for what - Simply to prove
that he was right and his rivals were wrong. Although
he could have found a hundred ways to rationalise what he did, the only
consolation could come from the one he had wronged, from Aurora herself.
“Why?”
said Aurora Maximus
took a deep breath. “It
was the only way to make them see… I’m Sorry.” “N-no,
not that,” she said, her voice cracking, “Why did you lie to me?” “I…”
and quite suddenly he couldn’t bear to look directly at her as the
guilt welled up within him - and he did the only thing he could – he
looked away. “I
am an Elder,” he said flatly, “If I go out amongst the people
wearing the face of Maximus, then I am recognised, accosted, petitioned,
and heckled, as would any of the other elders. We wear masks to achieve
anonymity and walk amongst the people not as elders or superiors but as
one of them.” “That’s
no excuse to lie to me!” hissed Aurora, a frothing anger rising to the
surface for the first time. “I thought we were colleagues, friends
even!” “We
were teacher and student!” he snapped suddenly enough for Aurora to
wince. Turning to face her once more, he added more softly, “But yes;
We were friends. But above that, and beyond that, I am a patriot.” He
lapsed into a steady silence, gathering his thoughts. Aurora waited
patiently; although she was starving for knowledge, Maximus had taught
her that patience was as valuable as acting on instinct. “Yes,
I am a patriot above all else. I love my people, the Maximals, and for
that I would do what I did to you again and again and again if it were
necessary.” “But
what is a Maximal then, Moxi-… Maximus if you go about acting
like…” “A
predacon?” finished Maximus. Aurora
nodded, now more curious then angry, yet the anger hadn’t in the least
subsided. Maximus
silently conceded her point. He was well and truly in a bind. “I
hope to learn what it is to be Maximal. I hope to define it, to set the
record straight so that the next generation of Maximals will know who
and what they are. We are so young, have lived for such a small measure
of time that I find that even I am still discovering just who and what a
maximal is. And… I think you can help me.” “Help
you?!” asked Aurora incredulously. “Yes!”
exclaimed Maximus, “I need a fresh perspective; one not jaded by
decades of life spent in spurious pursuits. I need… a blank slate,
still finding its way; an empty cup that fills itself over time. You
could help more people then you can imagine, Aurora, if you help me.” “You
know what I think?” asked Aurora, a bitter taste in her mouth, “I
think you’re a fool. You’ve betrayed the trust and the friendship we
had today.” She
turned and walked towards the exit of the room, stopping briefly before
crossing the threshold and looking back over her shoulder. “Whatever
you may think, Maximus, I will not be your little ‘social
experiment’. Goodbye.” Her final word was laced with contempt. Maximus
stood there, alone in a darkened room and could only wonder at the
labors he had lost. ** Aurora
had lapsed into a brief vacillating silence as though lost in her past. “And
then?” queried the Delta Scion Aurora
was knocked out of her reverie by the interruption. “What?” “And
then? It doesn’t sound like the story is finished.” “Ah,
that’s because it isn’t. It took me months to forgive him. And even
then the circumstances that lead to-“ A
wailing klaxon broke Aurora’s sentence. Red emergency lighting
instantly filled the makeshift cell. “Code
One Emergency, Aurora to the command center”
blared out through the base intercom. “We’ll
have to finish this later” said Aurora as she hurried out of the room. She
tore down the corridors and doorways of Theta at breakneck speed. Her
life, indeed, all the lives of those under her command, could well
depend on her being in the right place at the right time as she was
needed there. She couldn’t hope to delay even for a moment. She
burst into the control room and practically sprawled into the
mountainside that was her second in command, Cryo. “Sitrep!”
she blurted out faster then she gave even herself credit for. Though she
was loathe to use military abbreviations, time was of the essence. “Callisto’s
forces approach, three from the north, one from the east and one from
the west,” Cryo Responded in the deep emotionless baritone that had
earned him his name. “That
doesn’t track. Callisto only has five soldiers, we have one locked up
in the basement, where’d that extra come from?” “Perhaps
Callisto procured additional reinforcements?” “But
from where?” Aurora huffed in frustration. She had to get a grip.
“Look, never mind that. Mobilise everyone into defensive positions we
have to knock them back.” “At
once.” Said Cryo and steeled himself to do her bidding. Aurora
tracked down the intercom system and activated it. “This
is Aurora, Code One Emergency Confirmed, the base is under attack, I
repeat, the base is under attack!” ** Delta
lay bound and chained in her cell, unmoving save for the odd shift and
shuffle to make her wait for Aurora’s return more comfortable. The
assault on the base didn’t concern her in the slightest. She had,
until recently, lead such assaults in Callisto’s name and knew the
Maximal base to be nigh impregnable if properly defended. She would
simply have to wait. The
door to her cell cracked open. Through it stepped a bot painted black
and white, wiry and tall, he had small aerodynamic fins built into his
legs and arms indicative of a flight alt mode yet his body was bulky
enough to indicate ground combat armor. Unusually for a transformer, he
had the stylized picture of an Eagle emblazoned across his chest. Delta
knew her enemies well, and this one was unmistakable. “Razor
One.” Said Delta “You
and I have unfinished business,” said Razor with barely constrained
contempt, “Are you ready to die today?” Delta
didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”
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