Though he's usually associated with a more bestial iteration of Transformers, the villainous Waspinator also showed up in another fan-favorite cartoon. Now, this version of the character is rolling out for a buzzworthy new toy, with a Hasbro employee giving fans a bug-eyed look behind the scenes.
Hasbro designer Mark Maher posted a behind-the-scenes look at Transformers: Age of the Primes Deluxe Animated Fugitive Waspinator on Instagram. Recreating his initial appearance in the series Transformers: Animated, the toy is a redeco from a previous release in 2024. Scheduled for release later this year, the figure is certain to "terrorize" fans' collections by the end of 2025.
New Transformers: Age of the Primes Series Reveals First Autobot vs. Decepticon Release for Old-School Fans
Coming to the Transformers: Age of the Primes is a set featuring two obscure characters in color schemes homaging the early days of Transformers.
A Beast Wars Classic Is Reimagined in Upcoming Transformers: Age of the Primes Toy
Transformers: Age of the Primes Deluxe Animated Fugitive Waspinator is one of the new toys for the current iteration of the Transformers toy line, with the series continuing the previous nostalgia-focused premise of the preceding Transformers: Legacy. That line featured a new action figure based on Bumblebee from Transformers: Animated, and Fugitive Waspinator is a green redeco of that toy. It's specifically based on the character's first form as "Wasp" in the cartoon before he took on a more bestial technorganic design reminiscent of his appearance in Beast Wars: Transformers. In the Transformers: Animated continuity, Wasp was a rival to Bumblebee and shared a similar design to him, with the Decepticon going insane after being falsely imprisoned and later mutated into a "Predacon" by Blackarachnia.
Mark Maher noted some of the design elements that went into the character's new toy, which transforms from a robot into a sports coupe. Of major note are the stinger drills, which are also redecoed from Bumblebee's figure and come with accompanying energy effect accessories. The Deluxe Class figure, like other smaller toys in the new Age of the Primes line, is meant to be a descendant of the diminutive Micronus Prime. Fugitive Waspinator is set to be released in November 2025, with the figure now available for preorder for $25.99 USD. Transformers: Animated debuted in 2007, with the nearly 20-year-old series recently becoming available for digital download on Amazon Prime Video.