The Trans-Bots are more than meets the eye. Because they’re Transformers. Look, there’s Megatron right there.

A Transformer by any other name…

I have no idea what the hell the deal was with these things. Were they knockoffs of the Transformers line? Since this was still the early days of the Transformers (the ad is from a comic cover-dated February 1985), were these just an early marketing effort for toys that were originally repurposed Japanese molds? No clue, but that’s clearly Megatron there on the bottom, oddly shaped bow-legs at the ready, and surely the “Transforming Weapon” of the copy. Also,love the “Deception Plane” and the descriptions that clearly delineate Soundwave and Reflector, the tripartite camera Decepticon that was only available through mail order.

I see that Heroes World was the purveyor that was hawking these. I think they were reasonably reputable, which seems to negate any “the mob stole a truck-load of loose Transformers and had to fence them fast” explanation.