[The Commander]

Quick question,

Can anyone tell me more about the unproduced 2005 line called 'Robot Rebellion'? Just curious about it. There seems to be some protos floating around out there that I might be interested in and I had never heard of the line.

Thanks!

[Shin Densetsu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Commander

Quick question,

Can anyone tell me more about the unproduced 2005 line called 'Robot Rebellion'? Just curious about it. There seems to be some protos floating around out there that I might be interested in and I had never heard of the line.

Thanks!

It was to be the next theme after Venom vs. Valor. Joes with cybernetic/robotic add on pieces were said to be planned. Designs were being worked on, and then it was announced that 3-3/4" would be placed on hiatus while Sigma 6 was to take its place at retail. Prototypes of Cobra Commander and Firefly made it to ebay. Cobra Commander was similar in design to the Sigma 6 version. Firefly was a repaint of the Venom vs Valor version in ARAH colors. Some of the designs from the Sigma 6 cartoon/figures are said to be based off of Robot Rebellion. Basically the S6 character designs are indicative of what we might have seen in Robot Rebellion. Notice that most of the cast in S6 derived off popular characters were similar to their iconic looks. Also some of the designs for vehicles in S6 were said to be from Robot Rebellion, specifically the robot vehicles. Some of the DTC vehicles and figures may have been slated for Robot Rebellion, and when Robot Rebellion was cancelled, bumped over to DTC. I suspect the new BATs from DTC were originally slated for Robot Rebellion. I think Overkill was to be a major player in Robot Rebellion. Thus far, the only thing we have really seen were the 2 protos mentioned, and the DTC stuff that may have been slated for Robot Rebellion initially. Hopefully at the joecon they show more. It would be interesting to see what they came up with.

[The Commander]

Thanks for the quick reply. I will probably pick up the protos of FireFly and Commander then. I'm trying to get back into the collecting scene after a 10+ year sabbatical.

[Shin Densetsu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Commander

Thanks for the quick reply. I will probably pick up the protos of FireFly and Commander then. I'm trying to get back into the collecting scene after a 10+ year sabbatical.

You're welcome man. I always have a passion for solving mysteries and finding out what happened with cancelled lines. Its interesting to know "what could have been". It intrigues me. Good luck on tracking down those 2 figures, they looked great. I think Cobra Commander even had joints similar to the sigma 6 joints on the 8" figures.

[tkprime]

Well, on that note if prototypes were produced for the Robot Rebellion I would like to see pics of what Hasbro had in store for that line, I heard that bombstrikes backpack hole would have a weapon that could have been added, I understand that the Sigma 6 line may have been in part robot Rebellion, but can't hasbro 1 up those small sized vehicles for 3.3/4 inch use? I love the interchangability of those vehicles, and it's somethng we haven't addressed, our snazzy new figures need the best vehicles, sure I want to see old vehicles updated, but I want the cancelled Battle Rangers line, and the cancelled Robot Rebellion to get some attention in the light Hasbro even showed a unproduced 3/3 4 inch train set playset that went unproduced, I would have bought it, and if shelf space is a factor why don't hasbro up the anty with the build a figure concept with build a playset, imagine it a small set with a figure in 5 or 6 parts that once put together would form a complete base with figures that are specialized for it's use!!!! (ah, why couldn't I be on that design team?

[flash70]

So does anyone have prototype pics???? Man could you guys imagine How much better alot of the Sigma six stuff that came out with robot rebellion at 3 3/4" size. It would have been sweet!!!!

[The Commander]

I seen a full-suited version out there on the net, but yojoe.com has one under their 'MISC' section of CC.

[Shin Densetsu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkprime

Well, on that note if prototypes were produced for the Robot Rebellion I would like to see pics of what Hasbro had in store for that line, I heard that bombstrikes backpack hole would have a weapon that could have been added, I understand that the Sigma 6 line may have been in part robot Rebellion, but can't hasbro 1 up those small sized vehicles for 3.3/4 inch use? I love the interchangability of those vehicles, and it's somethng we haven't addressed, our snazzy new figures need the best vehicles, sure I want to see old vehicles updated, but I want the cancelled Battle Rangers line, and the cancelled Robot Rebellion to get some attention in the light Hasbro even showed a unproduced 3/3 4 inch train set playset that went unproduced, I would have bought it, and if shelf space is a factor why don't hasbro up the anty with the build a figure concept with build a playset, imagine it a small set with a figure in 5 or 6 parts that once put together would form a complete base with figures that are specialized for it's use!!!! (ah, why couldn't I be on that design team?

Actually man, I think Hasbro is thinking of making build-a-vehicles. Small vehicles such as Serpentor's chariot, with different pieces of the vehicle packed with each figure.

[Steevy Maximus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shin Densetsu

It was to be the next theme after Venom vs. Valor. Joes with cybernetic/robotic add on pieces were said to be planned. Designs were being worked on, and then it was announced that 3-3/4" would be placed on hiatus while Sigma 6 was to take its place at retail. Prototypes of Cobra Commander and Firefly made it to ebay. Cobra Commander was similar in design to the Sigma 6 version. Firefly was a repaint of the Venom vs Valor version in ARAH colors. Some of the designs from the Sigma 6 cartoon/figures are said to be based off of Robot Rebellion. Basically the S6 character designs are indicative of what we might have seen in Robot Rebellion. Notice that most of the cast in S6 derived off popular characters were similar to their iconic looks. Also some of the designs for vehicles in S6 were said to be from Robot Rebellion, specifically the robot vehicles. Some of the DTC vehicles and figures may have been slated for Robot Rebellion, and when Robot Rebellion was cancelled, bumped over to DTC. I suspect the new BATs from DTC were originally slated for Robot Rebellion. I think Overkill was to be a major player in Robot Rebellion. Thus far, the only thing we have really seen were the 2 protos mentioned, and the DTC stuff that may have been slated for Robot Rebellion initially. Hopefully at the joecon they show more. It would be interesting to see what they came up with.

To expand on with what I know:
A majority of figure designs in Sigma Six (the pre-Sigma Suit Joe outfits, the villians, the vehicles) were all based on Robot Rebellion material.

Overkill was to be a major villian, and was to have numerous expansion accessories (most of which we never get due to the DTC shift)

Blaine Parker (mainframe) was to have returned and turned into Strongarm, essentially Robo-Joe with the ability to swap one of his arms for BAT accessories

ALL newly tooled DTC figures were slated for the first wave or two of Robot Rebellion, and were primarily used to recoup mold costs. Cobra Commander and Firefly weren't released because "fans were tired of them", and there are several repaints (Kamakura in his pre-Sigma Suit garb) and new figures (CC, new Duke, etc) were left unreleased because of that.

The mini-theme concept (started with Ninja Battles) was to have continued, with the next one featuring details on the Stall family (Barrel Roll, Blackout, Bombstrike). Supposedly Voltar and Muskrat would have returned in one of these themes.

There were plans for new renditions of the Trouble Bubble, Firebat and Rattler (the Sigma Six Firebat is based on this I believe).

Adventure Packs (the mini-vehicle/figure sets) were to continue, with a repaint wave of Jinx w/Ninja Lighting, BAT v4 with Missile Station, and Torpedo (repaint Depth Charge) with Wave Crusher, followed by new sets, among which were planned Grand Slam w/ Jump and Lt. Falcon with RAM

New Crimson Guard and Cobra Trooper figures were planned (ALL NEW)

Mechs and such were to have been highly featured in the series. At one point Amazon had a listing for a 3.75 Mech Walker, which is generally assumed to be the Iron Hammer in 3.75 scale, and a BAT TRacker vehicle, of which we've only seen a "sigma Six" concept drawing from the 2005 con. Both ended up scrapped due to weak DTC sales

At one point, there were plans for a massive $60 GI Joe Headquarters playset, it only reached the conceptual foam core stage.

The direct to DVD movie had a script finished, written by the same crew that did Valor vs. Venom. At the end, it would have featured Storm Shadow becoming a good guy again and a set up for the next theme (which would have featured space and an alien invasion)

More Devil's Due comic packs would have seen released, among those whose molds were nearly done were:
Roadblock
Serpentor
Raptor Viper
And several others I can't recall anymore.

It is VERY important to note that 3.75 sales were VERY strong in 2004, BUT, 12" sales were completely abysmal. Retailers looked at the brand AS A WHOLE, and felt it didn't due as well (even though it was primarily poor 12" sales that kept it down). Sigma Six was largely an internal Hasbro attempt to rejuvenate the brand as Armada had done with Transformers (which at the time was as much a move away from where Transformers were as Sigma Six was to 3.75)

[Shin Densetsu]

Alright, thats a wealth of information I had not known before, I'm moving this to news and rumors! Thanks Steevymaximus!