MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Prowl (G1)/toys

2011-06-04T18:41:19Z

174.52.105.183:

{{picsneeded|many of the toys}}
{{suite}}

[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] has many toys! All of them are pricks.
==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Prowl toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I ain't fallin' for no banana in the tailpipe...]]
* '''Prowl''' (Autobot Car, 1984/1985/1990/2002/2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''09''', '''TFC-02'''
**''Accessories:'' "Acid pellet gun", left & right missile launchers, 3 "wire-guided missiles"

: Prowl was part of the first series of Autobots released in 1984, reusing a mold originally developed for a ''[[Diaclone]]'' [[Wikipedia:Nissan_280ZX|Datsun Fairlady Z (280 ZX)]] police car, with his decals altered to remove the "Diaclone" marks. (The European "[[Classics (Europe)|Classic Heroes]]" re-release retained the ''Diaclone'' stickers, for unknown reasons).

[[Image:Prowl-Mexico.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Also known as "El Pricko".]]
: In 1985, Mexico imported ''Transformers'', but there were some notable changes on numerous toys. Prowl's helmet, arms, and boots turned black, plus his "POLICE" decals became "POLICIA". There was also a widely available [[running change]] [[variant]] (or just factory error) that left out the black paint on his car hood.

:In 2002, the original 1984 Prowl toy was [[reissue|re-released]] by Takara as part of the [[Transformers Collection]] series in Japan. This version has slightly-altered decals, and fully-functional spring-loaded missile launchers.

: In 2003, Hasbro released their own reissue of ''Generation 1'' Prowl as part of the [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] "[[Commemorative Series]]" line in the US. This version of Prowl used a softer, unchromed black plastic for his rifle and missiles owing to [[For safety reasons|breakage issues]], plus his launchers are completely non-firing. He uses the same decals as the Japanese Transformers Collection release.

: The same mold was retooled for [[Bluestreak]], and again for [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Prowl/prowl.htm More information on Prowl at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/Prowl/prowl.htm More information on Commemorating Series reissue Prowl]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|ActionMaster}}

* '''Prowl''' (Action Master Blaster, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' Turbo Cycle, small cannon, 2 x missiles, 2 x engine covers (left & right), shield/gas tank cover

: A non-transforming action figure, [[Action Master]] Prowl is modeled after his cartoon model with a few toy-based liberties taken. He came with his [[Turbo Cycle]] vehicle, though the main figure was compatible with all other Action Master vehicles and weapons.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Prowl/prowl.htm More information on Action Master Prowl at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Prowl-bw-magnaboss-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Prick with claws. Gitit, gitit, huh huh huh?]]
*'''Magnaboss''' (Ultra, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' Tail

: Prowl transforms from a lion into a robot, with his cat-butt turning into a "cyber tail claw" weapon. He is able to combine with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], his package buddies, into [[Magnaboss]]. Prowl transforms into Magnaboss' head.

: This mold was used to make [[Lio Junior]].

:The Magnaboss toy included no information about its 3 components beyond their names. The character was finally established by [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] to be Generation 1 Prowl a decade after its release in 2007.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Prowl/prowl.htm More information on ''Beast Wars'' Prowl at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Machine Wars===
[[Image:Mwprowl.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Do you have any idea how fast you were going?]]
* '''Prowl''' (Basic, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' Gun (gun body & barrel)

: Sharing a mold with ''[[Machine Wars]]'' [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], Prowl transforms into a Formula-1 race car, and converts to robot mode with a spring-loaded, one-step transformation. His rifle-halves store in his legs in car mode. He—and the entire ''Machine Wars'' line—was available only at Kay-Bee stores.

: Prowl's usual function is strategist, but, in an ironic twist, in this first non-police car form he's described as chief of security.

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Skid-Z (RID)|Skid-Z]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Autobot/Prowl/prowl.htm More information on ''Machine Wars'' Prowl at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[Image:STF Prowl.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wee-woo-wee-woo-wee-woo.]]
* '''Prowl''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GTF-09'''

: Released in Wave 2 of ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'', this Prowl is the smallest possible transforming toy based upon the original Prowl toy. He faithfully reproduces the transformation sequence for the most part, but due to parts-cost limitations, he has little articulation, his legs cannot separate and his wheels do not roll.

: This mold was also used to make the ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' version of [[Bluestreak]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/SmallestProwl/prowl.htm More information on Smallest Transforming Prowl]''
{{-}}

===Alternators/Binaltech===
[[Image:AlternatorsProwl.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You better get a lawyer, son...]]
* '''Prowl''' (Alternator, 2005/2006)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''16'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-15'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, traffic direction baton

: ''[[Alternators]]'' Prowl transforms into a fully-licensed 1:24-scale [[wikipedia:Acura_RSX|Acura RSX]] with police lights, opening doors, hood and trunk. His engine becomes a (non-firing) gun, while a clear-plastic nightstick is hidden under his car-mode rear section. He was among the last of the "red box" Alternators, but was included in new "white box" assortments in 2006. The "white box" version of Prowl has additional Acura logos on the rear of the car that the "red box" version did not.

[[Image:BinaltechProwl.jpg|left|300px|thumb|...you better get a real good one.]]

: For his standard Japanese ''Binaltech'' release, Prowl got a different vehicle mode deco based on a real Japanese police car (the [[Hasbro]] version's deco being based more on the original [[The Transformers (toyline)|''Generation 1'' toy]]), a different spoiler mold, "Type R" rims compared to the ''Alternators'' version's "Type S" rims, right-side steering, a Japanese police cherry blossom emblem instead of an Acura logo, and gray plastic instead of stony-blue. He was also labeled as a "Honda Integra Type-R", the model's make in Japan.

: Multiple reports suggest that at least the ''Binaltech'' version suffers from a [[design flaw]]: The wing mirrors are simply ''glued'' onto the doors for whatever reason, and the glue is not particularly strong. Trying to open a door by pulling on the mirror could likely result in the mirror snapping off.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/AltProwl/prowl.htm More information on ''Alternators'' Prowl]''
{{-}}

[[Image:Binaltech Blue Prowl toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Prowl on his day off.]]
* '''Prowl Vivid Blue Pearl Edition''' (Binaltech, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-15'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, traffic direction baton

: Like [[Jazz (G1)|Meister]], Prowl got two different ''Binaltech'' decos released in equal numbers. The second version, known as Vivid Blue Pearl Prowl, is a civilian version with no police lights, a mostly blue interior, a Honda logo (instead of the cherry blossom emblem) on the grill, and a solid blue car-shell. His robot-mode parts remained mostly the same color, however.

: This mold (the Japanese blue Prowl variant, combined with parts from American police Prowl) was used to make ''Alternators'' [[Camshaft (G1)|Camshaft]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/BTProwl/prowl.htm More information on ''Binaltech'' Prowl Vivid Blue Pearl Edition]''
{{-}}

* '''Prowl Satellite Patrol Edition''' (Binaltech "USA Edition", 2005?)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, traffic direction baton

: The [[Hasbro]] version of Prowl, using the Hasbro red box packaging, was supposed to have been released in Japan as an exclusive "[[USA Edition]]" to a satellite TV provider named Takarand. The only notable difference from the Hasbro version was the "Satellite Patrol" (spelled "satillite" in official preview photos) markings on his doors. It is unknown if this toy was ever actually released, however.

{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
*'''Prowl''' (Autobot Spy Changer, 2005)
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: A redeco of the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl 2]] mold, ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' Prowl transforms into a modified Chevrolet Caprice police car with through-axle construction for super-speedy rolling on smooth surfaces. His gun hides as his car mode's tailpipe. Originally only available at Kay-Bee stores in packaging with no sub-line markings, his entire assortment was later repackaged under the ''Universe'' banner and sold through "dollar store" chains like Family Dollar.

: This mold was also used to make ''another'' [[Prowl (Spychanger)|Prowl]] for ''Universe'', who is neither ''Robots in Disguise'' "Prowl 2" ''nor'' Generation 1 Prowl. Confused yet?

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/SpyProwl/prowl.htm More information on ''Universe'' (2003) Spychanger Prowl]]''

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
[[Image:Universe 2008 Prowl toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Sticky prick.]]
*'''Prowl''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: Prowl transforms into a modified [[wikipedia:Nissan_350Z|Nissan 350Z]] similarly to Prowl's appearance in [[IDW Publishing]]'s [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|''Generation 1'' comics]]. Like previous ''Generation 1'' Prowl toys, his paint job is based upon that of a Japanese police car. The [[prototype]] and pre-production versions of Prowl featured a traditional American-style rectangular light bar, but the production toy features a swept-back modern light bar.

: Many buyers have reported that after repeated handling of the toy, the paint on the pieces of Prowl molded from translucent plastic (his doors, his roof, the sides of his hood and front bumper) quickly becomes sticky to the touch and begins to smear and rub off. Presumably, this owes something to the plastic and paint failing to bond properly, although what allowed the toy to leave factories with this flaw undetected is unknown. Sticky paint has not been reported on ''every'' Prowl; there is some suggestion that temperature and humidity play a role in whether or not it occurs. It has been suggested that the problem only affects the first run of Prowl figures, but sticky figures have been purchased at retail when the line was launched in the United Kingdom just over a month after its American debut. Also, on a lot of the UK release toys, all the pieces that are molded white plastic have a very faint pink tinge.

: This mold was redecoed for ''[[Timelines (franchise)|Timelines]]'' [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetstar]] and retooled to make ''Universe'' [[Bluestreak|Silverstreak]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and ''Timelines'' [[Rapido]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUProwl/prowl.htm More information on ''Universe'' (2008) Prowl]''
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Prowl toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Shiny prick.]]
*'''Prowl''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-08'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: The Japanese ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Prowl is a retool and partial redeco of ''Universe'' Prowl, changing the swept-back American light bar with a more rounded Japanese lightbar, and having a more consistent coating of white paint. He also features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] silver parts such as his gun, Acid Blasters and his vehicle mode spoiler. Universe Prowl's orange Autobot symbol was changed to the more standard red for the Henkei release.

:Soon after his release, some customers have reported that ''Henkei'' Prowl suffers from the same sticky paint problem that plagued many ''Universe'' Prowls.

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
*'''War Within Prowl''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' Display stand

: This version of Prowl transforms into a Cybertronic hovercar, based on his design from the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] ''[[The War Within]]'' comics. Initially canceled due to the end of the Titanium Series line, Hasbro eventually released this figure as a Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] in the fall of 2008.

: The vehicle mode as pictured on the packaging for this toy contains two transformation errors (compared to the instructions). His toes (sticking up at the rear of the vehicle) should be folded back, revealing small red and blue emergency lights. Also, the left and right sides of the vehicle should be slid outwards, turning them into nacelles rather than integral parts of the main body.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TitProwl/prowl.htm More information on ''Titanium Series'' War Within Prowl]''
{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[Image:TF2010_Legends_G1Prowl.jpg|thumb|300px|Tiny prick (tee-hee)]]
*'''Prowl''' (Legends Class, 2011)

:Part of the Reveal the Shield subline, Legends Prowl transforms into a police car resembling his 2008 Universe toy with a rubsign on the hood. As a robot he features limited articulation, and no painted eyes. The instruction line art on the back of his packaging shows a robot mode with no lightbar on the back, foretelling a possible future retool.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Prowl was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

*'''Prowl''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''19'''

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Prowl game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s.

===Hard Hero===
[[Image:HardHero Prowl bust.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Who needs legs when one has LOGIC??]]
*'''Prowl''' (2002)

:A cold-cast porcelain bust labelled as number 3 in [[Hard Hero]]'s series of ''Transformers'' busts, Prowl is six inches tall with a seven-inch wide "wingspan" and wielding his acid pellet gun in his left hand. 100 copies of this product were signed by sculptor [[Jason Ray]].

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
[[Image:Tf2-16-400.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I got a big... gun.]]
*'''Prowl''' (Booster, <strike>2007</strike>)
**''Accessories:'' Missile

: Planned to be in part of the Series 2 wave of ''[[Attacktix]]'', Prowl is a Captain class unit with the special ability to stun an opposing player unit. His sculpt is based upon his Generation 1 cartoon model with some additional details. His weapon is a '''hugely''' oversized version of his rifle, capable of firing a large silver projectile.
{{canceledattacktix}}
{{-}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:3DBattleCard_Prowl.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Paper prick.]]
*'''Prowl''' (2007)

: A 25-point "uncommon" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Prowl "transforms" into a black and white police car that vaguely resembles a Nissan Z. He uses the same parts layout as [[Transformers (2007)|Movie]] [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], [[Swerve (Movie)|Swerve]] and [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]].

{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
[[Image:Prowl statue.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Prowl 2 of Prowl busts.]]
* '''Prowl''' (Diamond Select, 2009)

:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Prowl was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 250 pieces. Prowl, along with his "brothers" [[Bluestreak]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], is exclusive to online retailer Toyrocket.com. The bust features Prowl's acid pellet gun and twin missile launchers. The missile launchers can be attached via magnets on either side of his head.
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroesprowllaserbeak.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He's smiling—must have his DVDs alphabetized.]]
*'''Prowl and Laserbeak''' (2009)

:''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' Prowl would have been a happy little non-transforming figure. The figure has the standard swiveling head and arms, and in a bizarre sculpting oddity, has a wheel well on one foot but not the other. He would have come in a two-pack with [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], but the Generation 1-themed portion of the ''Robot Heroes'' line was canceled before they saw retail release. Several unpackaged samples have made it into the hands of collectors, however.

{{canceledtoy}}

===Mighty Muggs===
[[Image:MightyMuggs_Prowl.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Adowable pwick.]]
*'''Prowl''' (2010)
:''Accessories:'' Gun

: This [[super-deformed]], non-transformable Prowl figure mostly uses the standard [[Mighty Muggs]] body template, and features same door-wings molds as [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Jazz]]. He has swivel joints in his neck and arms and comes with his trademark acid pellet gun. Prowl was originally meant to be released in the fourth wave of Mighty Muggs Transformers, but the Transformers section of the toyline was canceled before the wave was released. The toy was eventually made available as an exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con 2010.

{{-}}

==Notes==
* Prowl's ''[[Diaclone]]'' predecessor also came with additional, optional stickers that would identify him as being part of the police forces from existing Japanese cities, namely Tokyo, Sapporo, Sendai, Osaka and Fukuoka. The original ''Transformers'' instruction booklet shows a visible Diaclone label sheet, complete with these optional stickers, which did not make it to the final product.
* ''Machine Wars'' Prowl's card-art is actually an altered version of the art for the ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Laser Rod]] [[Jolt (G2)|Jolt]].
* [[Transmetal 2]] [[Prowl II|Prowl]] may ''possibly'' be the same spark as the Generation 1 character reincarnated...though the [[Beast Wars Sourcebook|IDW series]] makes this REALLY complicated. ''Urgh''.
* At [[OTFCC 2004]], Hasbro stated that there was no Prowl ''Alternators'' toy in the works, but some other emergency vehicle (which got a chorus of boos).
* The Acura RSX ''[[Alternators]]'' mold was originally supposed to be [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], with a different head sculpt. Eventually, however, it was decided to release the toy as Prowl instead, even though the Subaru Impreza sculpt's robot mode had more resemblance to Prowl and the Acura RSX sculpt's robot mode had more resemblance to Red Alert. Control drawings of the figure with the originally intended Red Alert head sculpt can be found in the Japanese ''[[Transformers Collection 2007]]'' book, among other places.

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Spy Changers]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Walmart

2011-05-22T18:00:37Z

174.52.105.183: The name has only ever been spelled "Wal*Mart" by folks online who figger an asterisk is kinda sorta like a star, and can't be bothered to type "WAL★MART" in ASCII.

[[Image:OnlyAtWalmart.jpg|right|300px]]

'''Walmart''' (previously parsed as "Wal-Mart" until 2008) is one of the biggest discount department store chains in the United States, with branches in many other countries{{Quantify}}.

Over the years, they have carried a lot of [[exclusive]] ''Transformers'' [[toy]]s, in addition to the regular mass retail releases.

Walmart employees are also often accused of not really caring about what they sell{{Whom}}in addition to a lax return policy, making Walmart one of the main victims of [[toy swapping]].

Walmart is also the parent company of [[Sam's Club]].

==Fiction==
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
During a battle against [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] crashed through a Wal-Mart in [[Las Vegas]]. {{storylink|Hardwired}}

==List of Walmart exclusive toys==

===[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]===
*[[Rattrap]] ([[Transmetal]] [[redeco]])
*[[Ravage (G1)/toys|Tripredacus Agent]]

===[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]===
*[[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] vs. [[Axer]]
*[[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]] five-pack, contains:
**[[Armorhide (RID)|Armorhide]]
**[[Mega-Octane]]
**[[Movor]]
**[[Ro-Tor (RID)|Ro-Tor]]
**[[Rollbar (RID)|Rollbar]]

{{Note|This was the first of two Ruination giftset Walmart carried as an exclusive. The first one, still in ''Robots in Disguise'' packaging, sported a uniform "urban" camo deco fot the team members; the second one, now in ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' packaging, sported a uniform "desert" camo deco.}}

===[[Dinobots (toyline)|Dinobots]]===
*[[Grimlock (Dinobots)|Grimlock]] and [[Terranotron (Dinobots)|Terranotron]] (AKA Swoop)
*[[Snarl (Dinobots)|Snarl]] and [[Sludge (Dinobots)|Sludge]]
*[[Triceradon (Dinobots)|Triceradon]] and [[Slapper (Dinobots)|Slapper]]

{{note|''Dinobots'' was a small Walmart exclusive mini-"line", available during the run of the ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line, which consisted of three two-packs.}}

===[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]===
* [[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Road Wrecker Mini-Con Team]] & [[Night Attack Mini-Con Team]] six-pack, contains:
** [[Buzzsaw (Armada)|Buzzsaw]]
** [[Drill Bit (Armada)|Drill Bit]]
** [[Dualor]]
** [[Broadside (Armada)|Broadside]]
** [[Fetch]]
** [[Scattor (Armada)|Scattor]]
* [[Race Mini-Con Team]] & [[Space Mini-Con Team]] six-pack, contains:
** [[Dirt Boss (Armada)|Dirt Boss]]
** [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]]
** [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]]
** [[Astroscope]]
** [[Payload (Armada)|Payload]]
** [[Sky Blast]]

{{Note|Although the larger packaging for these three six-packs was new, the toys themselves were unchanged from their ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' releases. Despite the name on the packaging, the "Road Wrecker Team" actually used the toys' original Destruction Team colors. Both packs were also available at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores, and eventually appeared in Dollar General locations.}}

===[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]===
*[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]] & [[Ironhide (Universe)|Ironhide]] two-pack (Spychangers)
*[[Optimus Prime (Universe Spychanger)|Optimus Prime]] & [[Prowl (Spychanger)|Prowl]] two-pack (Spychangers)
*[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] (Deluxe redeco)
*[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] (Deluxe redeco)
*[[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]] five-pack, contains:
**[[Armorhide (RID)|Armorhide]]
**[[Mega-Octane]]
**[[Movor]]
**[[Ro-Tor (RID)|Ro-Tor]]
**[[Rollbar (RID)|Rollbar]]

{{Note|This was the ''second'' Ruination giftset Walmart carried as an exclusive. The first one, still in ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' packaging, sported a uniform "urban" camo deco fot the team members; the second one, now in ''Universe'' packaging, sported a uniform "desert" camo deco.}}

*[[Sunstorm (Universe)|Sunstorm]] with [[Street Action Mini-Con Team (Universe)|Street Action Mini-Con Team]]
*Opposites Attack ([[Excellion (Cybertron)|Excellion]] vs. [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]])
*Search for the Pirate Moon ([[Downshift (Energon)|Downshift]] vs. [[Cannonball (Cybertron)|Cannonball]])

{{note|The toys in these two-packs (Opposites Attack, Search for the Pirate Moon) were unchanged from the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Deluxe Class toys of the same names. Both packs were originally available as non-exclusive mass retail releases in the Philippines in September 2007, and were later available as Walmart [[exclusive]] [[Black Friday (event)|Black Friday]] releases in the United States in November of the same year.}}

===[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]===
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] with [[Dirt Boss (Armada)|Dirt Boss]]
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] with [[Dirt Boss (Armada)|Dirt Boss]]
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] with [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]]
*[[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)|Dirt Boss]] with [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]]
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys|Hot Shot]] with [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]]
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] with [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]]

{{Note|The Deluxe Class toys were unchanged from their single releases. The [[Mini-Con]]s were available in one deco, each with two different Deluxes, and came with a [[Tiny Tins|Tiny Tin]].}}

*[[Primus|Cybertron Primus]] with Bonus Mini-Cons:
**[[Strongarm (Cybertron)|Strongarm]]
**[[Offshoot (Cybertron)|Offshoot]]
**[[Knockdown (Cybertron)|Knockdown]]
**[[Nightscream (Cybertron)|Nightscream]]

{{Note|Primus was unchanged from his single release. Likewise, the Mini-Cons were unchanged from the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' Mini-Cons [[Strongarm (Classics)|Strongarm]], [[Dirt Rocket]], [[Knockdown (Classics)|Knockdown]] and [[Thunderwing (Classics)|Thunderwing]], respectively.}}

===[[Classics (2006)|Classics (2006)]]===
*[[Devastator (G1)|Constructicon Devastator]] giftset, contains:
**[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]
**[[Scrapper (G1)|Decepticon Scrapper]]
**[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
**[[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]]
**[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]
*[[Starscream (G1)/toys|Masterpiece Starscream]]

===[[Movie (toyline)|Movie (2007)]]===
*[[Protoform]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] with poster
*[[Protoform]] [[Starscream (Movie)/toys|Starscream]] with poster
{{Note|These two toys were identical to their mass retail releases. The only thing "exclusive" to Walmart is the addition of a poster, which is advertised on the packaging.}}
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] vs. [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]]: First Encounter two-pack
{{Note|These toys were also identical to their single releases.}}
*"Leader for the Ages" two-pack, contains:
**[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|2007 Optimus Prime]]
**[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|1984 Optimus Prime]]
{{Note|2007 Optimus Prime is the [[Fast Action Battler]], "1984" Optimus Prime is the one from the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' "Ultimate Battle" two-pack.}}
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] Blaster (redeco of ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' role-play weapon)
*[[Jolt (Movie)|Jolt]]
*[[Big Daddy (Movie)|Big Daddy]]
*[[Divebomb (Movie)|Divebomb]]
*[[Grindcore (Movie)|Grindcore]]
*[[Fracture (Movie)|Decepticon Fracture]]
*[[Breakaway (Movie)|Breakaway]]
*[[Crankcase (Movie)|Crankcase]]
*Mass Media Battle two-pack, contains:
**[[Speed Dial 800]]
**[[Booster X10]]
*Robo Recon Team two-pack, contains:
**[[Spy Shot 6]]
**[[Longview (Movie)|Longview]]
*Brain Scrambler Team two-pack, contains:
**[[Power Up VT6]]
**[[Zoom Out 25X]]
{{Note|These [[Real Gear Robot]]s were all identical to their single releases.}}
*[[Robot Replicas]] [[Megatron (Movie)/toys|Megatron]] vs. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] (battle damaged [[redeco]]s)
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] Voice Changer Bonus Pack with [[T.E.C.H.]] [[Digital Dagger]]
{{Note|These role-play accessories were identical to their single releases.}}
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Ultimate Bumblebee]] with "Bonus Value" [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]] & [[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]]
*Cyber Stompin' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] with Bonus [[Cyber Slammers]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]]
*Cyber Stompin' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] with Bonus [[Cyber Slammers]] [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]]
*"The Legacy of Bumblebee" three-pack, contains:
**[[Classics (2006)|Classic]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]]
**[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] ([[Premium Series]])
**[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]] [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]
*"Decepticon Sneak Attack" five-pack ([[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]), contains:
**[[Mirage (G1)|"G1" Mirage]] (hologram deco)
**[[Cliffjumper (G1)|"G1" Cliffjumper]]
**[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|"G1" Optimus Prime]] (supermetal finish)
**[[Skywarp (G1)|"G1" Skywarp]]
**[[Megatron (G1)/toys|"G1" Megatron]] (supermetal finish)
*"The Finale Battle" five-pack ([[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]), contains:
**[[Ratchet (Movie)|"Movie" Autobot Ratchet]]
**[[Jazz (Movie)|"Movie" Autobot Jazz]]
**[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|"Movie" Optimus Prime]]
**[[Blackout (Movie)|"Movie" Blackout]]
**[[Megatron (Movie)/toys|"Movie" Megatron]]

===[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe (2008)]]===
*[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (red redeco)
*[[Skyjack|Skyfall]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Masterpiece Skywarp]]
*War of the Waves ([[Air Raid (Universe 2008)|Air Raid]] vs. [[Storm Surge (Universe)|Storm Surge]]) (Cybertron Series)
*The Data War ([[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] vs. [[Hardtop (Cybertron)|Hardtop]]) (Cybertron Series)
{{Note|These two-packs contain unchanged versions of the Scout Class toys from the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 ''Movie'' toyline]] of the same name, which were available exclusively at [[Target]] stores in the USA, and (at least some of them) as mass releases in Europe. The ''Universe'' two-pack versions were also found at [[Walmart]]-owned Asda stores in the United Kingdom and at Target stores in Australia.}}

===[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Transformers Animated]]===
*"The Revenge of Blackarachnia" two-pack, contains:
**[[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys|Optimus Prime]]
**[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]]
*"Battle in Space" two-pack, contains:
**[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]
**[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]

===[[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]===
*[[Skywarp (ROTF)|Skywarp]]
*[[Ramjet (Movie)|Ramjet]]
* "The Fury of Fearswoop" three-pack, contains:
:*[[Fearswoop (ROTF)|Fearswoop]] (Deluxe)
:*[[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] (Legends, "battle damaged")
:*[[Sideswipe (ROTF)|Sideswipe]] (Legends, "battle damaged")
* [[Blowpipe (ROTF)|Blowpipe]] vs. [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] (Leader Class) with "Bonus Value" Deluxe Class [[Camshaft (Movie)|Autobot Camshaft]]
*[[Megatron (Movie)/toys|Megatron]] (Leader Class) with "Bonus Value" Deluxe Class [[Camshaft (Movie)|Autobot Camshaft]]
*[[Beachcomber (ROTF)|Beachcomber]] vs. [[Deadlift]]
*[[Slap Dash]] vs. [[Trenchmouth]]
*[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] Legends-class seven-pack.

===[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers (2010)]]===
* "Bombing Run Battle" two-pack, contains:
:*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] (Deluxe Class)
:*[[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] (Legends Class)
* "Desert Ruins brawl" two-pack, contains:
:*[[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]] (Deluxe Class)
:*[[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]] (Legends Class)
* "Starscream's Assault" two-pack, contains:
:*[[Starscream (Movie)/toys|Starscream]] (Voyager Class)
:*[[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] (Deluxe Class)
* "The Fury Of Bonecrusher" two-pack, contains:
:*[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys|Ironhide]] (Voyager Class)
:*[[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] (Deluxe Class)

===[[Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]===
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys 4|Bumblebee]] (Deluxe class)
*[[Sideswipe (Movie)#Deluxe Class toys 3|Sideswipe]] (Deluxe class)
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys 2|Optimus Prime]] (Deluxe Class)
*"Bumblebee / Soundwave with Rodimus" 3-pack contains:
:*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Cyberverse|Bumblebee]] (Cyberverse Legion - ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Legends Class redeco)
:*[[Soundwave (ROTF)#Cyberverse|Soundwave]] (Cyberverse Legion - ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Legends Class redeco)
:*[[Rodimus (DOTM)|Rodimus]] (Cyberverse Legion - ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Legends Class [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] redeco)
{{comingsoontoy}}

==List of non-toy Walmart exclusives==

===Movie (2007)===
* ''[[Transformers (2007)|Transformers]]'' movie DVD with exclusive bonus DVD [[Transformers: Beginnings|Beginnings]]

==Unreleased toys==
Over the years, some toys that were originally intended as Walmart exclusives were ultimately never released. In some cases, they were ultimately made available through other venues instead.

===[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]===
* [[Leatherhide]] vs. [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (Halloween Horrorcons)
* [[Nightprowler]] vs. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (Halloween Horrorcons)
* [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranhaking]] giftset, contains:
** [[Skalor|Archerbot]]
** [[Nautilator]]
** [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]
** [[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]]
** [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]]
** [[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]

{{Note|This set of "[[Seacon (G1)|Piranhacons]]" was originally intended for the ''Universe'' line, but Walmart had later asked [[Hasbro]] to release it in ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' packaging instead before backing out of the deal altogether. Eventually, the toys, now named "Seacons" again, were released via the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] in 2008.}}

==Notes==
* A 2009 television ad for Walmart's [[Black Friday (event)|"Cyber Week"]] deals featured two moms discussing the [[Ramjet (Movie)#Revenge_of_the_Fallen|"''Revenge of the Fallen'' Ramjet Raptor"]] figure available at Walmart, only to be interrupted by an overweight "nerd" who gleefully informs them that the "Ramjet raptor figure was added to the Transformers family in 2009," although he personally prefers [[Skywarp (ROTF)|Skywarp]].
** God dammit. We're totally the new Trekkies, aren't we?

==External links==
*[http://www.walmart.com/ Official Walmart website]
*[[Wikipedia:Wal-Mart|Wal-Mart at Wikipedia]]

[[category:Companies]]
[[category:Retailers]]

Barrage (Insecticon)

2011-04-13T04:44:10Z

174.52.105.183:

{{factions|decepticon|ultracon}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Insecticon|the Generation 1 Autobot Micromaster|Barrage (Micromaster)}}
:''Barrage is a [[Decepticon]] [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:DW G1Barrage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Crotchguns!]]
'''Barrage''' believes winning is not enough, all must be leveled to the ground, and then the rubble should be burned and the ashes scattered to the wind. Merciless and cruel, he feels kindness of any sort is allowing the enemy hope, and that is unacceptable. He will shoot the retreating and the wounded, and even those taken prisoner. Barrage takes no prisoners. Then he'll keep firing until the battlefield is a smoldering crater. When he's deployed to a battlefield, even the other Decepticons take a few steps back. He's disliked even among their ranks. Maybe it's those beady, creepy little red eyes.

==Fiction==
===Dreamwave Generation 1 continuity===
[[Image:AgeofWrath1_Barrage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Barrage speaks a delicious pun to an equally delicious hologram.]]
After the fragmentation of the Decepticon forces following [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s seeming destruction in a [[space bridge]] accident, Barrage joined [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s [[Ultracon|Ultracons]]. Along with fellow Ultracons [[Chop Shop]] and [[Venom (G1)|Venom]], he was involved in an altercation with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. Barrage accompanied his leader to the [[Autobot]]/Decepticon peace ceremony at [[Tyger Pax]], where he granted a brief, violent 'interview' to the holo-image of [[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 1|The Age of Wrath #1}}

When Megatron and his [[Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] retook [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and reunified the Decepticons, Barrage was assigned to supervise enslaved Autobot miners at [[Internment Camp Pi]] in [[Praxus]]. While there, he and [[Octane]] delivered a brutal beatdown to the rebellious [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], but were beaten back by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 2|The Age of Wrath #2}}

Barrage, along with Chop Shop, [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]], and Venom, remained on Cybertron following the departure of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and the [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]. The planet's chronic [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] shortage reduced them to a vampiric existence, forcing them to capture [[Micromaster]]s and drain them of their fuel. While pursuing [[Falcon (OC)|Falcon]] and [[Flanker]] in the [[Wastelands]], they ran into the middle of a conflict between the [[Hot Rod Patrol]] and [[Race Track Patrol]]. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}}

[[Image:VictimsoftheRevolution_Barrage_dies.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]
After devouring Falcon they soon set upon the other Micromasters, but were driven back by the timely arrival of [[Groundshaker]], who left with the Hot Rod Patrol. The subsequent arrival of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] prevented them from devouring the Race Track Patrol, but he did toss them Flanker as a snack. {{storylink|The Gray Race}} The Insecticons subsequently abducted the Race Track Patrol and several other Micromasters from [[Little Iacon]], in an attempt to ferret out the Hot Rod Patrol and gain some new recruits in the process. When [[Blaze Master]] refused to sign up, Barrage shot him unconscious. En route to Decepticon HQ, Barrage's [[sonic rifle]] was stolen by the kleptomaniacal Chop Shop. {{storylink|Recipe for Hate}} Upon reaching headquarters, Barrage and his cohorts were caught in the middle of a Micromaster invasion. After watching Ransack fall, Barrage was decapitated by [[Roadhandler (G1)|Roadhandler]]. {{storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

{{-}}
===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs the Transformers'' comics continuity===
As part of [[Serpent O.R.]]'s forces, Barrage defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] strike force. In the course of the battle, he was shot by [[Lady Jaye]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

===IDW comics continuity===
[[Image:Stormbringer4 DCon groundforces.jpg|left|200px|thumb|YOOOOOOOOOOOO...Cons?]]
Barrage was stationed on board the ''[[Thanatos]]''. When [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] returned to decimate Cybertron once more, Barrage joined the battle under [[Headstrong]]'s command, serving as ground forces backing up [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the Wreckers in their struggle. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

{{-}}
==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1 barrage toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't laugh at his guns.]]
*'''Barrage''' (Deluxe Insecticon, 1985)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, sword

:A [[redeco]] of [[#Notes|''Armored Insect Battalion Beetras'' Beet-Gadol]], Barrage transforms into a predominantly green and yellow rhinoceros beetle. As a robot, it is among the most posable of all Generation 1 toys. It is also notable for being among the very few insect Transformers to have all of its beast mode legs folded away and out of sight in robot mode.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Barrage/barrage.htm More information on Barrage at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
==Notes==
* Barrage, like all of the Deluxe Insecticons, was designed and originally produced by [[Takatoku Toys]] for inclusion in their ''Armored Insect Battalion Beetras'' toyline (機甲虫隊ビートラス). Decoed in black and grey, the mold first saw release under the name Beet-Gadol. Takatoku Toys went out of business a short while later in 1984, and their assets were purchased by fellow Japanese toymaker [[Bandai]]. At that time, the American market was one Bandai was not very active in, which made it a competitor of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], but not of [[Hasbro]]. Due to this, the company had no objection to licensing various Takatoku molds to Hasbro in 1985 for sale in the American market primarily as part of their version of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|''The Transformers'' toyline]]. Nowadays, Bandai has a worthwhile interest in every market and since it only once licensed the molds, there is little likelihood that Chop Shop and company will ever be put up for reissue.
* Since Hasbro and Takara shared the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] as promotional material for their respective versions of the toyline, Barrage and the other Deluxe Insecticons were not included in its cast to avoid giving Japanese market-competitor Bandai free publicity. The group was also omitted from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|US Marvel comics]] and barely appeared in the UK Marvel comics, making them the least "successful" of the Takatoku molds. This trend has continued in fiction since, the team's current highlight being their role in the ''[[Transformers: Micromasters|Micromasters]]'' comics.
* Although he never appeared in the official G1 cartoon, Barrage does make a non-speaking cameo in the April 10, 2001 episode of Family Guy entitled "Tiegs For Two."
* Poor Barrage was one of several Transformers that never got a ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Transformers Universe]]'' bio. One was written by Budiansky but was rarely seen [http://boltax.blogspot.com/2010/12/extended-bios.html until it was put on the ''Disciples of Boltax'' blog].

==External links==
*[http://www.diaclone.net/gattaioh/beet/gad/index.html Beet-Gadol at Diaclone.net] (Japanese)

[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Insecticons]]
[[Category:Ultracons]]

I Can Read!

2011-04-02T05:51:19Z

174.52.105.183: It helps to understand the meanings of the words you're using.

[[Image:I Can Read book nameplate.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Hooray! Your formative childhood experiences are irrevocably conflated with a soulless corporation's [[To sell toys|merchandising efforts]]! [[Ravage (ROTF)|This snarling hellbeast]] approves!]]
'''''I Can Read!''''' books are published by [[HarperCollins Publishers]].

==Books==
===''Transformers''===
*"[[Meet the Autobots]]" ([[May 22]], [[2007]])
*"[[Meet the Decepticons]]" (May 22, 2007)

===''Transformers Animated''===
*"[[Robot Roll Call]]" ([[May 6]], [[2008]])
*"[[The Decepticons Invade!]]" ([[September 16]], 2008)

===''Revenge of the Fallen''===
*"[[I Am Optimus Prime (ROTF)|I Am Optimus Prime]]" ([[May 12]], [[2009]])
*"[[Rise of the Decepticons]]" (May 12, 2009)

===''Hunt for the Decepticons''===
*"[[Ratchet to the Rescue]]" ([[August 3]], [[2010]])
*"[[Satellite Meltdown]]" (August 3, 2010)
*"[[Buddy Brawl]]" ([[December 7]], 2010)

==External link==
*[http://www.icanread.com ''I Can Read!'' official site]
*''[[wikipedia:I Can Read!|I Can Read!]]'' article at Wikipedia

{{stub}}

[[Category:Storybooks]]

Dave Edwards

2011-03-09T22:23:40Z

174.52.105.183: New page: '''Dave Edwards''', better known as Zobovor, is an obsessive-compulsive member of the Transformers fandom, primarily active on alt.toys.transformers. His contributions to the offi...

'''Dave Edwards''', better known as Zobovor, is an obsessive-compulsive member of the Transformers [[fandom]], primarily active on [[alt.toys.transformers]]. His contributions to the official Transformers product include working with [[Rhino Entertainment]] on their release of the Transformers cartoon on DVD in 2002.

Zobovor also coined many of the fandom terms used on this wiki, including [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]] and [[pseudocanon]].

==External links==
* [http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/index.html ZMFTS!]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Dave}}[[Category:Fandom]]

Fandom

2011-03-09T22:08:07Z

174.52.105.183:

[[Image:Transformers-cosplayers.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Typical fans. A Sunday.]]
{{bigquote|These fools worship Transformers!|[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]|"[[The God Gambit]]"}}

The community of Transformers fans is referred to as a '''fandom'''. While the term technically encompasses any group of kids coming together to talk about Transformers in a sandbox, it is commonly used to refer to the people from college-age and up who participate in the online fandom. The fandom has long played a role in the [[Transformers timeline|history of the franchise]]. Most notably, [[BotCon]] is their [[wikipedia:Mardi_Gras|Mardi Gras]], an official convention geared almost totally to adult fans.

Individually, or as a group, Transformers fans can be referred to as '''Transfans'''. This may [[wikipedia:Transfan|raise eyebrows]] among the uninitiated, but it sure beats "Trannies."

==History==
===Before the internet===
The earliest form of interaction between ''Transformers'' fans that went beyond the usual schoolyard talks was the [[Letters page|Letters Pages]] in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Generation 1'' comics]] by [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]. In addition, the [[S.T.A.R.S.]] fan club can be viewed as the first form of an officially organized "fandom", although interaction between individual members was still limited at best.

Unofficial fanclubs were formed as early as 1986. One of them, the [http://webspace.webring.com/people/ip/pierrimus/ Transmasters] club, even got a shoutout in the letters pages in [[The Last Autobot?|issue 79]] of the Marvel US G1 comic (published in 1991), leading to a huge influx of new members, soon growing to 300 members globally. The original organizers of the club soon began to crumble under the weight, leaving matters to new members who would take over responsibilities. A [http://www.the-hub.co.uk/tmuk/ British branch] of the club was also formed, which would go on to produce a prolific amount of stories, art and fanzines, and whose early members included the now-pro [[James Roberts]] and [[Nick Roche]]. The club was even officially recognized by [[Hasbro]] in 1991, legally giving them permission to use the ''Transformers'' likeness for non-profit purposes.

===The early days of online fandom===
As fans grew older, those few that did not outgrow their hobby (like most children do) eventually found a form of communicating with each other on the internet. Emerging from comic-centric bulletin boards such as the CCC (Comics Collectors' Club), a mailing list was created in April of 1993, coinciding with early rumors about the impending launch of the [[Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toyline]]. Later that year, still before the ''Generation 2'' toyline was launched, the mailing list was abandoned in favor of a text-only [[wikipedia:Usenet|Usenet]] newsgroup named [[alt.toys.transformers]] (a.t.t.), which was launched on September 11, 1993. Many of the members of the mailing list and a.t.t. had previously also been members of the Transmasters fanclub, which was now rendered somewhat anachronistic by the internet.

Because Usenet is one of the oldest parts of the internet (dating from 1979), a.t.t. functioned as a central hub where all members of the then-small fandom interacted together. Indeed, it would not be unfair to say that for most of the 1990s, a.t.t. ''was'' the online fandom. ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' showrunners [[Bob Forward]] and [[Larry DiTillio]] later also used a.t.t. as a means of communicating with the fans, and even recruited one of them, [[Ben Yee]] (who had also started out with the Transmasters club), to work as a consultant for the show.

Another form of online fan interaction was the text-based MUSH (Multi-User Shared Hallucination), a shared online role-playing environment. Many MUSHers were also ATTers.

===Rise of the World Wide Web===
During the late 1990s, the first individual fan sites were launched on the World Wide Web. Most of them started out as personal collector showcase/information sites, and while many of them have either disappeared from the web since then or not been updated in a decade, some still exist to this very day, such as [http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/tf/ Steve-o Stonebraker's site] (launched in 1995, currently semi-abandoned), [http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/index.shtml Dave Van Domelen's site] (launched in 1996), Ben Yee's [http://www.bwtf.com/ BWTF.com] (originally launched as beastwars.net in 1997, recently reconstructed) and the Lukis Bros. [http://www.unicron.com/ Unicron.com] (launched in 1997, moved to its top level domain in 1998).

[http://www.tfarchive.com/ The Transformers Archive] was originally also launched as a private site in 1996 and eventually moved to its current domain in 1999. Its sister site, [http://www.transfans.co.uk/ Transfans.co.uk], was originally launched as Transfans.com in 1998. Both sites gained message boards in late 2000, but were mostly known for offering downloads of old cartoon episodes and scanned comic book pages for years, a practice Hasbro still silently tolerated at that time—until a cease and decist order in January of 2003. Since then, TFArchive has started to focus mostly on comic and toy reviews, while Transfans is mostly known for interviews these days. Both sites have comparably small, but stable communities.

Aside from the British fandom, Scandinavian fans were among the most active non-Americans in the online ''Transformers'' fandom during the late 1990s. In 1998, several Scandinavian ''Transformers'' fans decided to form their own fanclub, the Nordic Transfan Association, which eventually got its own website, [http://www.ntfa.net/ NTFA.net], in 2001. NTFA remains one of the largest European ''Transformers'' fan communities to this very day.

===Early message boards and tensions in the fandom===
Some of these early sites, particularly Ben Yee's, also featured message boards, which were used as an alternative to a.t.t. by some fans. While Ben Yee soon closed his board again due to frequent trolling and lack of moderation, another fan named Renaud Lefebvre launched his own site, [http://www.bigbot.com/ Bigbot.com], in 1998, which also featured downloads and a message board, Bottalk.

Even though Renaud was in contact with ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' showrunner [[Bob Skir]], thus briefly making Bottalk ''the'' primary Transformers discussion hub during that time, his tight-handed way of moderating his board eventually led to mass bannings, coupled with a mass exodus to a newly created board, named The Allspark, in November of 1999. Due to the backlash from his moderating style, Lefebvre has maintained an isolationist stance for Bottalk, ignoring the existence of other Transformers-related websites (with the occasional content copied and images hotlinked from the official Hasbro website). In return, Bottalk is ignored by the rest of the fandom, yet continues as a small but active board.

The Allspark eventually encountered internal friction itself—when the community, under a new owner, moved to the new domain [http://www.allspark.com/ Allspark.com] in 2001, several members gained illegitimate control of the Ezboard site and attempted to turn the old board into a ''second'' Allspark community (now also available under [http://www.allspark.net/ Allspark.net]). The .com site remains the much larger of the two Allsparks to this very day, whereas the other board has faded into obscurity.

This era also saw the launch of the first ''Transformers'' podcast, [http://www.tfradio.net Radio Free Cybertron], in September 1999, which was also one of the first podcasts ''ever'', existing at a time before the term existed.

===The Big Bang===
In the early 2000s, the World Wide Web exploded with new ''Transformers'' fan sites. This coincided with the onset of the "nostalgia boom," when numerous properties from the 1980s were relaunched in various forms—in the case of ''Transformers'', these were the ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' lines and the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] comics. This caused a growth spurt for the fandom, with new arrivals eschewing the outdated Usenet and instead using web-based message boards.

[http://www.seibertron.com/ Seibertron.com] was launched in 2000, originally as an informational website, later expanded to include toy galleries and a message board. These days, the site views itself as one of the biggest ''Transformers'' fan communities.

Its biggest competitor is [http://www.tfw2005.com/ TFW2005.com], which was originally launched as a private fan site named [http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/transformers/ Transformer World 2005] in early 2000. It first moved to its current domain in May 2000, added a message board and soon started to offer downloads of Japanese ''[[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episodes. In July of 2001, TFW2005 merged with two other sites, [http://transformers.pitas.com/ Transformers News] and the Matrix Magazine, to form a new super-site, Transfandom.com. The honeymoon didn't last long, as frictions among the merged site's staff caused TFW2005 (including its boards) to return to its old domain in January of 2003, while Transfandom (now with its own board) continued alternatively under the domains Transfandom.net and Transfandom.com again, ultimately fading into obscurity and eventually disappearing from the internet altogether in the fall of 2007. Meanwhile, TFW2005 is said to have close ties with Hasbro (albeit only unofficially), and is also often the go-to site for representatives of other official parties, such as screenwriter [[Roberto Orci]].

Another site that would eventually become large was originally launched in 2001 as TFExchange.com. In May of 2002, a hostile takeover by a URL sniper caused the site to move to its current domain, [http://tformers.com/ TFormers.com]. These days, TFormers is part of the Entertainment News International network that includes [http://toynewsi.com/ Toy News International], [http://jediinsider.com/ Jedi Insider] and [http://enewsi.com/ Entertainment News International]. Similar to Bigbot, TFormers also prefers to pretend that other fan sites don't exist. The biggest rival for TFormers is TFW2005, which dates back to Hasbro employee [[Aaron Archer]] blaming TFormers for causing his superiors to order Aaron to cease posting at TFW2005's boards.

In addition to these considerably large sites, there are countless smaller sites, some of them being mostly collector showcase sites run by individuals, while others have their own message board communities. Fan communities not based in the United States have also emerged in considerable numbers, with sites often concentrating on a single country, or at least a clearly defined area (such as the aforementioned Scandinavian NTFA), many of them also operating in other languages than English.

The large boom of Transformers fan sites on the World Wide Web also had an effect on the established Usenet newsgroup alt.toys.transformers. Activity on the group dropped off, leading many of its members to venture beyond its confines and into the message board world. Given the large number of different boards, the preferences of the users, and the enmities that formed between sites, it was no longer really possible to "know everyone," as it was in a.t.t.'s heyday.

The situation remains the same today, only more so, as the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]] has turned a perennially strong franchise into a runaway powerhouse, attracting countless fans young and old, new and nostalgic, across the globe.

{{-}}

==Mindset==
[[Image:Improsonedinferno.jpg|thumb|250px|right|There are very few things all Transformers fans can agree on. Not even the ''trolls'' have ever tried to defend ''this'' one.]]
Describing the general mindset of Transformers fandom is difficult, if not outright impossible, due to its extremely diverse nature. It's often claimed that the fandom hates everything and generally [[Ruined FOREVER|rejects any notion of "change"]]<ref name="change">Which is ironic, considering the entire ''premise of the [[Transformers brand|brand]]'' is [[Transformation| "change"]].</ref>, but even that is not entirely true.

What ''is'' probably true, however, is that the fandom can't ''agree'' on anything...well, almost anything. Even [[Transformers (2007)|''Transformers'' movie]] producer [[Don Murphy]], who repeatedly postulated that the fandom can't agree on anything, admitted that the vast majority of the fandom was supportive of [[Peter Cullen]] and [[Frank Welker]] being the best, if not the only, reasonable choices for the voice actors of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] in the movie, respectively.<ref name="cullenwelker">Ultimately, only Cullen was actually signed on by director [[Michael Bay]], while [[Hugo Weaving]] was cast as Megatron, much to the dismay of many fans. Welker later got to voice [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] in the sequel, ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', however.</ref> Other rare instances of the fandom largely agreeing on something were the overwhelmingly positive reaction to both ''[[Shattered Expectations]]''<ref name="shattered">Much to the surprise of [[Trent Troop|its]] [[Greg Sepelak|creators]], who had penned the comic as an April Fools joke, not expecting anyone besides their closest friends actually to ''enjoy'' their wicked sense of humor.</ref> and ''[[Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', and the general rejection of the [[Energon (cartoon)|''Energon'' cartoon]], or at least its lackluster English dub by [[Voicebox Productions|Voicebox]].<ref name="kiss">And yes, there ''are'' quite a few people who defended ''[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]''.</ref> Furthermore, following the demise of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]], fans almost unanimously despise [[Pat Lee]] as a human being, with those who initially oppose this notion usually changing their opinion as soon as they learn about his business practices.<ref name="funana">Opinions about his [[dull surprise|art style]], however, are still mixed.</ref>

[[Image:SunstreakerComparison.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Bring out the pitchforks... and get me some popcorn. This is going to be an entertaining afternoon.]]Other than that, there have been numerous instances of fans preferring one of the myriad incarnations of the ''Transformers'' mythos over another one (or all other ones), even going so far as accusing fans who disagree with them of not being "[[true fan]]s". In the early days of the ''Transformers'' online fandom, disagreements centered around the question of whether the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]] or the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comic]] represented the "true" [[canon]], and whether the portrayal of characters in the cartoon (such as their [[FIRRIB|coloration]]) should be [[show-accuracy|given priority]] over their [[toy]]s. Then came the ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', which split the fandom into those who [[Trukk not munky|rejected the new series]] (without even having seen it yet) and those who were at least willing to give it a chance.

Subsequent series such as ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'', ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the [[live-action film series]] and ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' were met with equally mixed (and vocal, from both sides of the spectrum) reactions, [[Pokeformers|each for its own reasons]]. Furthermore, there are even fans of the newer series who [[GEEWUN|reject]] [[Generation 1 (franchise)|the original series]] (or, in some cases, at least its vocal fans). And lastly, the debate over whether [[Hasbro]] or [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#Other|makes the better toys]] will probably rage on for the rest of eternity.

Aside from these radically polarized positions, however, there are also a large number of fans who have [[personal canon|personal preferences]] for one aspect of the ''Transformers'' brand over others—toys over cartoons, cartoons over comics, Japanese fiction over Western fiction, [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] over Dreamwave—while at least tolerating the rest (and its fans), if not actually enjoying it to some degree. Lastly, some fans who once belonged to a "hater" camp in a fandom debate have later become more tolerant towards the aspect of the brand against which they were once so outspoken, or have even entirely changed their opinion on the matter in retrospect.

==Quotes==

{{quote|The fan base is really vocal.|[[Andy Schmidt]]|[http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/2009-09-14-transformers_N.htm 'Transformers' comic creator sees 'a richer, deeper portrait'] @ USAToday.com, September 15, 2009}}

{{quote|The fans are very vocal and we listened.|[[Michael Bay]]|[http://www.transformersclub.com/tfrof-intv09.cfm TFCC Toy Fair 2009 ''Revenge of the Fallen'' interview], February 17, 2009}}

{{quote|To their credit, [[Hasbro]] tried to warn us. They told us there was a huge and rabid fan base out there that cared ''deeply'' about all things TF.|[[Bob Forward]]|foreword to the ''[[Matrix Quest (Titan)|Matrix Quest]]'' trade paperback, 2002}}

{{quote|With ‘Transformers’ we had this really rabid following. To be frank, I wanted to have some way where we could at least hear what people think.|2=[[Don Murphy]]|3=[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/business/media/09fans.html?_r=2&oref=slogin Fans Get to Talk About ‘Transformers,’ and the Knives Are Unsheathed], ''The New York Times'', July 9, 2007}}

{{quote|Transformers fans aren't the folks who just casually pick up an issue, and then read it, shrug and move on to the next thing, indifference radiating from them as they do. No, these fans care about the property and the characters. I mean they ''really'' care.|[[Chris Ryall]]|foreword to [[The Reign of Starscream]] trade paperback, 2008}}

{{quote|It is amazing how wonderful and loyal the fans have been to us "Transformer" actors...I know Peter Cullen and I have both talked about this at length. I am happy the fans felt it was important.|[[Frank Welker]]|[http://movieblog.ugo.com/movies/frank-welker-interview Interview with UGO.com], September 14, 2009}}

{{quote|I’m happy that people care enough about this brand to voice their opinions – for better or worse.|[[Eric Siebenaler]]|[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/156231-tfw2005-interview-hasbro-designer-eric-siebenaler.html "TFW2005 Interview with Hasbro Designer Eric Siebenaler"], November 4, 2007}}

{{quote|It's true that it's always the winners that write history, but it's the losers that do the TRANSFORMERS [[Wikipedia]] entry.|[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], [[Transformers Comic issue 2.7|Starscream's Stars #7]]}}

==References==
Many references to the fandom have been made in official Transformers fiction.

===Beast Wars===
The story editors of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]], [[Bob Forward]] and [[Larry DiTillio]], interacted with the fandom via alt.toys.transformers, and worked numerous "shout-outs" into the series.

* In "[[Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs]]", a loopy [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] declared that he was "Not wacko, Wonko! Wonko the Sane!" In addition to being the name of a character in ''[[Wikipedia:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', "Wonko the Sane" was a screen name used by [[Ben Yee]].

* In "[[Before the Storm]]", the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] computer informed [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] of a "code A-T-T alert," and Megatron later initiated a "voice code A-T-T override," both references to alt.toys.transformers.

* Also in "Before the Storm", Megatron mused that "There is a storm coming. A storm of such power, such magnitude, it is beyond imagination!" This was a reference to the website of fan James Hooks, called "Beyond Imagination" (itself named after a tagline for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.)

* In [[Nemesis Part 2]], [[Optimus Primal|Optimus Primal's]] line "encoding transmission M Sipher" refers to the screen name of [[Greg Sepelak]].

* Also in "Nemesis Part 2," Megatron instructs [[Dinobot II]] to fire on "targeting grid 3H," referring to [[3H Enterprises]].

* Numerous locations throughout the series were references to the names (both screen and real) of fans:
**[[Grid Darcerin]]
**[[Grid Joona]]
**[[Grid Scylla]]
**[[Sector Tallories]]
**[[Subsector Hooks]]
**[[Tengu Sector]]

===Universe===
* The ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Ultra Class [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] toy's [[Paint operation|painted deco]] features a reference to long-time Transformer fan [[User:Monzo|Monzo]]'s screen-name and birthday. Jealousy sold separately.
* [[Acid Storm]]'s [[bio]] personality and "Hyperion-3" blasters are also references to Monzo.
* The 2008 [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] toy's license plate and [[bio]] made the character's fan-propogated love of "[[JaAm]]" official.

===Generation 1 comic books===
* Artists [[Joe Ng]] and [[Alex Milne]] have both drawn shout-outs to TFW2005.com into their art.
* Alex Milne drew [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] and [[Ravage (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Ravage]] as corpses in his art to make Internet fanboy [[David Willis]] sad.

===Animated===
* [[Animated Personality Vangelus]]

==Adopted fan terminology==
Several terms initially used only by fans have been adopted by writers of official Transformers materials, thus becoming a part of the [[canon]].

*[[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]]
*[[Darksyde|Darkside]]
*[[Combiner|Gestalt]]
*[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]
*[[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] (Technically, this one originated in a 1984 J.C. Penney catalog, but widespread usage within the fandom is what led to its official use.)
*[[Rainmaker|Rainmakers]] (The term was actually used by [[Bluestreak]] in "[[Divide and Conquer]]", but only as a colloquial description of their actions. As with "Seekers", repeated fan usage ultimately led to its adoption as an official group name.)
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]'s "[[Punch of Kill Everything]]"

==Fans gone official==
Many members of the online fandom have gone on to contribute to Transformers in an official capacity. One of the most prolific ones is probably [[Ben Yee|Benson "Ben" Yee]], who started out as an active fan (under the screenname "Wonko the Sane") and defended the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] in its early phase at [[alt.toys.transformers]]. Ben was eventually hired to work as a consultant for the show. Later, he was made a member of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]'s Advisory Board and has since written officially licensed ''Transformers'' comic book stories for both [[IDW Publishing]] and [[Fun Publications]].

Another name widely recognized among fan circles is [[Don Figueroa]], who gained early fandom fame for his fan comic ''Macromasters'', which featured original robot designs created by him. Don also created large transformable, scratch-built toys based on his characters. He was later hired by [[Dreamwave Productions]] as a comic book artist and developed the comic series ''[[The War Within]]'' together with writer [[Simon Furman]], and also developed pre-Earth designs for every single character that appeared in the comic. Don continued to draw Transformers comics for Dreamwave, IDW Publishing and Fun Publications and even worked as a toy designer for Hasbro (including some designs for the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' line and major work on the ''[[Titanium Series]]'' line), but eventually departed from official Transformers work in late 2007... only to return a year later.

Aside from Don, other artists were also recruited by Dreamwave and IDW from within the fandom, among them [[Guido Guidi]], [[Joe Ng]], [[Alex Milne]] and [[Nick Roche]], although not all of them were active participants in the Transformers fandom prior to going official. Meanwhile, Dreamwave writer [[Adam Patyk]] had been an active participant in discussions at ATT during the 1990s.

Other international fans also started doing official work that made their names known outside their domestic fandoms, such as Japanese super-fan [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], who wrote and drew the ''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]'' manga as well as various other mangas, wrote the ''[[Alternators|Binaltech]]'' [[Story of Binaltech|backstory]] and worked as a toy designer for Takara on occasion.

Some of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy designers were also originally active members of the fandom, such as [[Andrew Frankel]] (aka "Swiper" or "Sideswipe"), [[Joseph Kyde]] or [[Alex Androski]].

Other fans who have done official work for Hasbro, Takara, comic book companies or other third party licensees include:

* [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]
* [[Adam Alexander]] (aka "Botch")
* [[Aaron Black]] (aka "Delta Star")
* [[Mark Bristow]] (aka "Bodycount")
* [[Josh Burcham]] (aka "DCJosh", aka "GodFireConvoy")
* [[Kris Carter]] (aka "Drivaaar")
* [[Stuart Denyer]]
* [[Jordan Derber]] (aka "Buster Darkwings")
* [[Doug Dlin]]
* [[Dave Edwards]] (aka "Zobovor")
* [[Tim Finn]]
* [[Bill Forster]]
* [[Rob Gerbracht]] (aka "Tengu")
* [[Andrew Hall]] (aka "Hydra")
* [[Jon Hartman]]
* [[Karl Hartman]]
* [[Chris Ho]] (aka "Vangelus")
* [[Dan Khanna]]
* [[Shaun Knowler]] (aka "White Rabbit" or "Beachcomber")
* [[Matt Kuphaldt]] (aka "Jackpot")
* [[Joana Lafuente]]
* [[Nick Leffler]]
* [[Chris McFeely]]
* [[Frank Milkovich]] (aka "Crobot91")
* [[Josh Nizzi]]
* [[Raksha]]
* [[Daniel Ross]] (aka "Mouth04")
* [[Greg Sepelak]] (aka "M Sipher")
* [[Liam Shalloo]]
* [[Pete Sinclair]]
* [[Jim Sorenson]]
* [[Chris Tang]] (aka "Ravestrike")
* [[Brandie Tarvin]]
* [[Frank Todaro]] (aka "Broadcast")
* [[Priscilla Tramontano]]
* [[Trent Troop]]
* [[Josh van Reyk]] (aka "Richter")
* [[Graham Weaver]] (aka "Liquid Velcro!")
* [[David Willis]] (aka "Walky")
and others....

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Fandom| ]]