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To sell toys

2010-06-06T12:37:35Z

193.62.51.5: /* Killing off old product */

[[Image:MarvelUS-19.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hasbro wasn't quite sure whether to advertise this expensive toy until the fans forced their hand.]]

To understand ''Transformers'' fiction, it is important to understand that it exists '''to sell toys.''' [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] are toy companies, and they are primarily interested in continuing to sell [[Toy|toys]] to children and adults. The cartoons, comic books, etc., mostly exist to make this happen. To be sure, they normally [[Transformers (2007)#Reception|make a profit in their own right]], but this is regarded as mere gravy.

The "to sell toys" effect often distorts the fiction in interesting ways. Primarily, since you can't usually sell someone the same toy twice<ref>Except for repaints of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].</ref>, Hasbro and Takara constantly introduce new toys, and often require the creators of the fiction to introduce the new characters into ongoing storylines. Older characters (whose toys are no longer being sold) are shoved aside to make room.

Another effect of "to sell toys" is when the toys have gimmicks which must be explained in the fiction. Sometimes ([[Mini-Con]]s) this is relatively easy, while other times it requires a lot of imagination on the part of the writers (the in-comic explanations for the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster]]s are kinda wonky).

The UK [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|movie-based ''Transformers'' comic]] takes this to more blatant heights. Not only do the movie toys like [[Clocker (Movie)|Clocker]] and [[Skyblast (Movie)|Skyblast]] appear in strips, not only has the editor told readers in "Mech Mail" that all the toys are great and should be bought... but there is a specific four-page feature every week called ''Top Gear'', which exists solely to promote the newest Transformers merchandise. This has led to readers being told how great [[Optimash Prime]] was.

==Casting==
===Huge casts===
[[Image:CosmicRust-BigGroup.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Pokeformers|Gotta catch 'em all!]]]]
Hasbro makes a lot of toys at once, and they generally want all of them to appear in their fiction. This can force writers to bring in vast numbers of characters all at once, sometimes with awkward results. Examples include:

* The first issue of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Generation 1 comics]], "[[The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers]]", in which ''twenty-eight'' different robots appeared and introduced themselves, even though only a handful are important to the plot.

* The 1987 ''[[Headmasters (comic)|Headmasters]]'' Limited Series, which introduced over ''sixty'' characters in the course of four issues, including all the first waves of [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster]]s, all their [[Nebulos|Nebulan]] partners, the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], and [[Monsterbot]]s.

* The cartoon episode "[[The Rebirth]]" likewise abruptly introduced a deluge of the 1987 toyline characters, mostly the same ones seen in ''Headmasters''.

* In the first four episodes of ''[[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'', eighteen characters are introduced in quick succession.

* From #9 onwards, [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's movie-based ''Transformers'']] has heavily bumped up the cast with new toys. In one example, #17 brought in nine new toys in eleven pages; only one of the five Decepticons got any real focus or dialogue.

===Random casting===
The Hasbro-induced need to show all the toys can also cause stories to suddenly focus on a new character, sometimes dropping ongoing plot threads about older ones. Examples include:

* Season 2 of the cartoon introduced many new characters/buyable toys with no explanation; despite never having been seen before, the story treats them as though they have [[Beachcomber (G1)|been there]] [[Perceptor (G1)|the whole]] [[Tracks (G1)|time]].

[[Image:Decepticonpretenders-behold.jpg|right|200px|thumb|After seven issues, it's finally time for these six dudes to do something!]]
[[Image:Optimusprimeg1preearthmarvel2.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Apparently, the Triggerbots didn't make much of an impression on Prime.]]

* The comic issue "[[Pretender to the Throne!]]" suddenly introduces a dozen Autobots and Decepticons that we've never met before, and follows their adventures. The story adds nothing to the long-range plot that couldn't have been accomplished by using existing characters; these teams were added to the mix to promote their new toys.

* Many issues of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] had cover blurbs in the form "Introducing the _______!", where the blank was whatever the latest line of toys was. The following issues specifically introduce new toys on the cover: [[Repeat Performance!|#8]], [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|#10]], [[Brainstorm!|#11]], [[Command Performances!|#19]], [[Aerialbots over America!|#21]], [[Crater Critters|#29]], [[The Cure!|#30]], [[Pretender to the Throne!|#40]], [[People Power!|#42]], [[Ca$h and Car-nage!|#46]], [[Club Con!|#47]], and [[Yesterday's Heroes!|#60]]. Throw in a few covers where new characters were pictured but not named, and that's 1/5th of the series.

* In [[Spacehikers!|issue #36]] of the Marvel comics, when [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] decides that he needs help in dealing with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s inept leadership, he doesn't turn to any of the ''dozens'' of Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which include two combiner teams and Omega Supreme. No, he has to call in his "old buddy"/new toy, [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]].

* In the prelude to the [[Underbase Saga]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] were the lead characters in a story set before the Transformers came to [[Earth]]. But rather than palling around with the likes of Jazz or Prowl, they are instead shown alongside the newest "gimmick" characters, the [[Triggercon]]s and the [[Triggerbot]]s.

* [[Mainframe Entertainment]] planned to use [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] in ''Beast Wars'', but [[Tigatron]] appeared instead because he had an upcoming toy, and to save money as his CGI model was only a slight tweak of [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s. <ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/9c79c4226fc6dd28/30c3cdf158ea6e52?lnk=st&q=bob+forward+beast+wars+tigatron+wolfang&rnum=1#30c3cdf158ea6e52 Ben Yee relays some info from Bob Forward in regards to Wolfang being replaced by Tigatron in the Beast Wars cartoon]</ref>

* Rather than revealing stuff about the [[Vok]] and [[Tarantulas]], a long-running subplot, "[[Other Victories]]" spends much of its time telling us how great [[Tigerhawk]] is and how we should buy his toy.

* The [[First (and Second) in Flight|sixth issue]] of ''[[The Arrival]]'' stops following the regular cast so it can flag the awesome cool out-now-in-shops [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] toy.

* Prominent generals in [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's movieverse]] Decepticon army change frequently and without any acknowledgment as new toys jostle for (and gain) space.

===Limited casting===
On the opposite side of things, Hasbro doesn't want to pay to depict characters that aren't selling toys. This can force a story, particularly an animated cartoon, to have a smaller cast than it otherwise might.

[[Image:Metamorphdeceps2.JPG|right|200px|thumb|The full might of the Decepticon army.]]

* The early episodes of [[Armada (cartoon)|''Armada'']] featured only the toys available on the shelves. This resulted in two ridiculously small teams going to [[Earth]] for the all-important mission of gathering Mini-Cons, rather inexplicable in story terms.

* [[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Both the Dreamwave]] and [[Armada (Panini comic)|Panini comics]] suffered exactly the same problem, but it gets worse: [[First Encounter|the first ''Armada'' episode]] reused models of older Transformers as generic background guys to bump numbers up. The comics ''didn't''. So Megatron apparently conquers all of planet Cybertron with an army of three guys, whereas the city/planet defending Autobots are just five blokes.

* Dreamwave would also [[Dreamwave Armada issue 10|feature a scene on Cybertron]], where the ''only'' Autobot who seemed to exist was [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]].

* For the movie prequels, IDW got around this by deciding that [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] was going to be a [[Class Alpha drone unit|series of drones]] instead of one guy, allowing for really big battle scenes despite a then-limited number of toys. {{storylink|Movie Prequel (2007)}} (It would later turn out there was ''also'' Dreadwing who was one guy.) Titan Magazines would borrow this, and turn other Decepticons into drone series too.

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==Plot==
===Forced explication===
{{main|Introdump}}

Rather than simply showing up in the background, new toy/characters often overtly introduce themselves, often with a ridiculous description of their special abilities. The Marvel comic is rife with examples, but it shows up across numerous fictions.

[[Image:Introdump decepticons marvelus01.jpg|right|200px|thumb|There's probably three other Decepticons hidden among that lot...]]

* Again, [[The Transformers (issue)|''Transformers'' #1]] has two huge splash pages in which 28 characters do nothing but stand around and tell each other who they are and what they can do.

* The two-part Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1|Dinobot Island]]" features many new 1985 characters getting their own short little introductory scene, often with a characteristic bit of self-description ([[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]: "I'd rather stay in my stunning auto mode!" [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]: "I'm ''always'' ready for action!" [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]: "Wow, like, I hope we don't destroy this place before we can study it!")

* "[[The Rebirth]]" has ''three different sequences'' in which large new groups of characters form a lineup and introduce themselves to viewers one after another. Strangely enough, much of this screen- and dialogue-time is given over to Nebulan partners; the "main" Transformer characters get no such introductions, even though they are the items kids would have to purchase to acquire the Nebulan accessories. For instance, [[Spasma]], [[Monzo]], and [[Peacemaker]] (all speaking characters) are introduced by name as part of various lineups, but their in-store hosts [[Apeface]], [[Weirdwolf]], and [[Pointblank]] are never named (and Weirdwolf never even speaks).

* "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]" has the Maximals walk on one-by-one admiring their beast modes, loudly explaining their names and showing character traits. This also gives the impression they deliberately changed their names to fit these new beast modes for no apparent reason.

===Gimmicks===
When the toys can do something special, fiction writers must often go out of their way to show the gimmick in action.

* The Headmaster gimmick got [[Headmasters (comic)|an entire Limited Series comic book]] devoted to it.

* The comic issue "[[Pretender to the Throne!]]" features [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] proudly creating the [[Pretender]]s, gloating that they will hide the Decepticons' identities from the Autobots "until it is too late". Not only does the plan not actually work, it's also a plot point with absolutely zero lead-in or build-up—at no point has Scorponok ever expressed concern about his troops being detected by the Autobots, and we've never even met the Pretender characters before. It was brought about solely because the new toys had to be jammed into the story. (The, uh, story of returning Optimus Prime's character to the comic book because he had [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|a new toy]].)

* [[Rotor Force]] made their debut in "[[New Dawn]]", and both here and in subsequent ''Generation 2'' issues would primarily fight enemies not with guns like everyone else, but by firing their giant rotors at them. Page 3 of ''New Dawn'' actually shows them having to ''stop and reattach their rotors'' before they can carry on fighting.

[[Image:Mistaken Identity Galvatronscourge.jpg|right|250px|thumb|It's Morphin Time! MASTODON!]]

* ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] had six alternate modes and the cartoon really wanted you to see them, which is why [[Battle Protocol|his first appearance]] is as ''a giant hand for no reason''. It gets sillier when he turns into Galvatron and gains four more modes. In "[[Mistaken Identity]]", he turns into his "Iron Mammoth" form when facing off against [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|a hostile Fortress Maximus]] even though he doesn't ''do'' anything in his form except stand there ''as he was already doing''.

* [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] and [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] are the only Autobot jets in the ''Animated'' line. (Not counting the toyless [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]].) To fully big this up, their origin story has it that there have ''never been'' any flying Autobots before, despite them having been in (and won) a long and bitter war with enemies who ''often fly''.

The [[Unicron Trilogy]], noted for its gimmicks in all three toylines, was particularly notorious in this regard:

* The quest for power-enhancing [[Mini-Con]]s practically defined the plot of the ''[[Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' cartoon, with both factions out to recruit or capture all the Mini-Cons.

* [[Powerlinx|Powerlinxing]] is shown again and again and again in ''[[Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', despite having comparatively little relevance to most episode plotlines.

* [[Cyber Key]] powerups are likewise shown repeatedly in ''[[Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]].''

* All three series were also marked by lengthy transformation sequences which highlighted the gimmicks in very toy-accurate animation (and also made production cheaper, thanks to [[Stock footage|recycled footage]]).

===Strange developments===
Shoehorning loads of new characters with new powers can compel the writers to do things with the plot that, in all probability, they otherwise wouldn't.

* Marvel UK had to promote the [[Special Teams]] toys ''before'' they knew how they'd be appearing in the US reprints. To get around this, [[Simon Furman]] wrote a story arc titled ''[[Second Generation!]]'', where [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], Optimus and Shockwave <strike>watched an advert</strike> saw a Matrix-induced vision of the Special Teams.

* In the US Marvel comics, the simultaneous introduction of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] and [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] and the introduction of the Pretenders both saw a lot of rigamarole involved in explaining why both the Autobots and the Decepticons had new members with identical numbers/gimmicks at the same time.

* Season 3 of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] almost completely ignored the characters of the previous two seasons that were no longer on toy shelves. The 1985 Autobot cars, for example, are not seen at all. [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and the 1985 Mini-Vehicles, by contrast, show up now and again, as their toys were still shipping. Even Starscream, who was ''dead'', managed to get a couple of Season 3 episodes all to himself; again, his toy sold through 1986.

* The first thirteen issues of the ''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Armada]]'' comic were focused around the Mini-Cons, with plots often revolving around their desire to be seen as equals and not be enslaved. Then without ''any'' prior set-up, the last five issues turn into a dimension-spanning battle against [[Unicron]]—who had just had a new and expensive toy.

[[Image:Samprowl.jpg|right|100px|thumb|<strike>Upgrades are bad.</strike> Upgrades are GOOD. We have always been at war with <strike>Eurasia</strike> Eastasia.]]

* "[[A Fistful of Energon]]" has [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] learn not to use upgrades, and gives up using powerful samurai armour. But whoops, Hasbro thought "hey, we could make a toy out of that armour"! And so in [[Five Servos of Doom|a later episode]], Prowl ''regains'' it and the show hurriedly claims that the upgrade is fine ''now'' cos Prowl realizes now that it's the Autobot, not the upgrade.

* The [[France|French]] decided to be good sports and start using propeller-driven nuclear bombers again, just so [[Octane|Tankor]] could be used ([[All Hail Megatron issue 11]]).

* [[Ransack (ROTF)|Ransack]] has been on Earth for a while, in hiding from other Decepticons while he waits for orders from [[the Fallen]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.7|Turnabout}} Ransack is a member of a race that can scan any object and take its form as a disguise. Ransack moves around in the cunning disguise of ''a 100-year-old plane''. (At least, unlike the previous example, the oldness of the alt-mode was pointed out.)

* In Titan's ''Revenge of the Fallen'' comic, [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] go from being [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee's]] responsibility to bugging [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] to being [[Sideswipe (ROTF)|Sideswipe's]] responsibility in the space of three issues, all to allow each issue to focus on a specific toy-bearing movie star. Similarly, only one or two Decepticons per issue are sent on a mission, when presumably the Fallen might want to send loads of guys to silence the twins.

{{-}}

===Awkward continuity===
[[Image:Earthforce.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This happened... er.... look just buy the toys, ok?!]]

Sometimes the requirement to feature new toys can be so strong that continuity takes a major backseat and stories are produced that feature combinations of characters that make the story very difficult to slot into the main continuity. The Marvel UK comic was especially prone to this as it could not always foresee where, when and how characters would be introduced:

* The ''[[Transformers Annual 1986]]'' contains many stories featuring toys from the 1985 release long before they were formally introduced in the regular comic, often interacting with other characters who would be out of action by then. As a result few of the stories easily fit the continuity of the weekly comic.
* The demands of Hasbro UK for the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster]]s to be featured heavily even before the US ''[[Headmasters (comic)|Headmasters]]'' mini-series was available meant that both the ''[[Transformers Annual 1988]]'' and the regular strip "[[Worlds Apart!]]" contain a slightly different set of events that are odds with the mini-series.
* The requirement to give prominence to the rereleased toys in the [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] range resulted in one the biggest continuity trainwrecks of all, [[Earthforce]]. Nearly two decades later fans are still uncertain where it fits in continuity, and even [[Simon Furman]] admits to being unsure.<ref>"Looking back, as I try my hardest not to do, it's very hard to tie the Earthforce stories into a specific time frame (in terms of the US continuity), because (if I'm brutally honest) I didn't try too hard to make it work in the first place. By that point, I was just trying to tell a bunch of fun UK stories that didn't necessarily impact on the larger (US) storyline. How was I to know 15 or so years later people would be trying to reconcile it all?" [http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_furman.php TransFans.net - Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'].</ref>
* Trapped between the need to pimp toys and the problem of not knowing what the plot of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' would be, Titan just threw up their hands and unambiguously set their lead strip in [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)#Alternate universe|an alternate universe]].

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===Power levels===
In order to make new characters seem more ''totally awesome'', they're often depicted as ultra-powerful in their initial appearances. Once they become old news, they frequently seem to lose their super-charged abilities.

* The Generation 1 cartoon introduced [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] as the ultimate threat. Once newer combiner teams came along, however, he was less of a threat, easily defeated at various times by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and even [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]].

[[Image:Buzzsawyikes4.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Buzzsaw reminds Omega Supreme he's not a new toy any more.]]

* The Marvel comics feature [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] as nigh-invulnerable and ultimately powerful in [[Command Performances!|his début issue]], slaughtering 2/3rds of the Decepticon forces sent to attack him. Just [[Dark Star (issue)|two years later]], he's getting his butt handed to him by the likes of [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], one of his original victims.

* In her first appearance on the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] effortlessly blasts [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] to pieces. She never displays such a level of power again.

* Similarly, [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was presented as a huge threat when he first appeared, but just a few episodes later, he seems just slightly tougher than the average Predacon (save for a few notable occasions).

* [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] was actually a credible threat for his first couple of episodes.

* The [[Commandos]] were far more powerful and competent than the Predacons, who were made even ''less'' powerful and competent as episodes went on. Remarkably, this was actually used in the plot, with Megatron focusing on the new toys while the Predacons became underdogs trying to get their old status back and one-up the new guys.

[[Image:ArmTVTidalWave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Before he shrank in the wash.]]
* ''Any'' new toy character in the Unicron Trilogy cartoons is almost guaranteed to win the day's battle.

* [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] was a staggering behemoth as big as the sky in his introduction, and his ability to combine with Megatron LITERALLY gave the battle advantage to the Decepticons until his equally powerful counterpart [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] was introduced. By the time of the ''Energon'' cartoon, Tidal Wave is just this tall guy (but not as tall as he used to be) and is treated as just another Decepticon, even after he gets a body upgrade in the form of "Mirage".

* When the newly redecoed Jetfire and Optimus combine in Dreamwave's Armada comic, they are so powerful ''they can hurt Unicron himself''.

* [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] ruler [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] was incredibly powerful when he was first introduced, but later on, he's getting slaps on the wrist by [[Lori]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], and schooled by [[Bud Hansen|Bud]], ultimately becoming more of a sympathetic comedic bumbler than a credible threat.

* The Decepticons in ''Animated'' started off as being so horrifically powerful that the entire Autobot team had to take on a ''single'' one. By Season 3, this no longer happens. Uniquely, this was ''deliberate'' by the writers: they wanted to show the Decepticons as supreme threats, and have the Autobots gradually being better at dealing with them.

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===New bodies===
There's rarely a compelling reason for a Transformer to get an a brand-new body in fiction; it's simply to promote a new toy. It has become a default way to keep a popular character on shelves, rather than having to kill them off and introduce a new character to keep moving toys. Sometimes fiction writers are able to work these alterations in elegantly... sometimes not.

[[Image:Bumblebeeskindeep.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ratchet pulls a Kitty Pryde on Bumblebee.]]

* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] was rebuilt and upgraded into Goldbug following his near-destruction... and is later rebuilt back into Bumblebee to sell the [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Pretender|new Classic Pretender toy]]. The reason given is that [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] deliberately downgraded Goldbug against his will because he liked his old form better, something Bumblebee is strangely fine with.

* Season 2 of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' introduced the new [[Transmetal]] toys in short order, requiring some strange sci-fi waffling to explain why members of both teams suddenly got special new bodies. The writers had originally planned to introduce these changes gradually, across the length of Season 2, but Hasbro ordered them to be brought in immediately. (The slow-and-gradual notion would eventually appear during Season 3.)

* The [[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons feature [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] getting recolored and renamed "Galvatron" ''three times''; at the start of each subsequent series, he's given a different body but called Megatron ''again'', because the name "Megatron" just sells more toys. (This also means Hasbro gets to keep the [[trademark]] "Galvatron".)

* Several times during the Unicron Trilogy, characters get new paint jobs as part of some magical power-up enhancement. These new color schemes exist solely to promote redecorated toys like "[[Ironhide (Energon)|Energon Ironhide]]" or "[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys|Powerlinx Hot Shot]]". Even the comics got in on the action, introducing the redecorated versions of [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus]] during the Unicron arc.

* The three future members of the [[Cybertron Defense Team]] get shot up by Megatron, then transmogrify through the power of [[Burning Justice|BLAZING HEART OF JUSTICE]] into new forms. These new forms, of course, were just hitting shelves at a toy store near you.

* In the course of the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] gets irritated at a slight against his alternate mode, and scans a new form. Voila, suddenly he's got ''two'' toys on the shelf!

* When [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''Transformers'' comic originally came out, there were no Generation 1-themed toys to flog, and many characters were given altered designs for the series. Then along came ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'', featuring new toys of Generation 1 characters, and suddenly multiple characters get new, toy-accurate bodies in ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'', for no apparent in-story reason. Later, [[Bluestreak]] even gets a namechange to ''Silver''streak to fit his toy.

* [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] was originally grey, but when he was reunited with the ''Animated'' Decepticons, he changed his colours to purple while referring to it as his proper look. Why he changed colouration to go undercover was not explained, but it may have something to do with a purple-coloured Shockwave toy being out when that episode aired.

* In ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] start out as an old ice cream truck combiner but after a disastrous mission [[NEST]] decides to upgrade them to new individual [[General Motors]] vehicles. New toys ''and'' product placement!

===Abrupt conclusions===
[[Image:MarvelUSG2-12.jpg|right|150px|thumb|It's the end of the road for Transformers Generation 2! That can't bode well for the toyline.]]

Just as ''Transformers'' fiction lives at Hasbro's pleasure, so too does it die. Falling sales, a change of plans, and standard [[rebranding]] can all cause a storyline to come to a sudden end when Hasbro decides to pull the plug.

* The American Generation 1 cartoon got a somewhat rushed conclusion in the form of "[[The Rebirth]]", rather than a full fourth season.

* The Generation 1 comics were nearly canceled at [[On the Edge of Extinction!|issue #75]], but granted a reprieve. The stay of execution was only temporary, however; with the Generation 1 toyline ending, the comic was terminated a mere five issues later, resulting in a rather hasty concluding plotline.

* Hasbro was only willing to support the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|''Generation 2'' comic]] for twelve issues, unless it proved an unqualified (perhaps phenomenal) success. Aware of this from the start, writer Simon Furman was able to plot a story arc that reached its finale as the series ended (and poked fun at it with a character whose name is a pun on "[[Jhiaxus (G2)|Gee, axe us]]".)

* The writers of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon reportedly never had any idea if they'd be back for another season. When the axe fell with Season 3, they had only three episodes left to wrap up the whole series.

* Hasbro nearly killed off the just-begun comic series ''The Wreckers'' in 2001, wishing instead for [[3H Productions|3H]] to focus on a ''[[Universe (2003 comic)|Universe]]'' comic advertising its current toyline.

* Even though ''[[Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' wasn't abruptly canceled, Kids WB ended the series on the cliffhanger of the episode "[[Revelation (episode)|Revelation]]", leaving millions of kids tuning in next time only to get a re-run of ''Xiaolin Showdown''. The reason? The Cybertron Defense Team toys hadn't hit stores yet.

* With ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' coming out in June, Titan had to end their alternate universe storyline in May so they could tie in early—an issue earlier than planned. The main strip handled this, with the notable exception of [[Jazz (Movie)#Titan Magazines Transformers movie comics|the Jazz plot arc]] going completely unresolved, but it played havoc with working out the IDW reprints!

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==Death==
===Killing off old product===
[[Image:Tftm1986a.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Guess who's no longer in the Mini Vehicles case assortment?]]
[[Image:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Publisher's clearing house.]]
[[Image:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Scorponok, Terrorsaur, we're condemning you to a fiery death 'cause Waspinator has a bigger fan club.]]
The most obvious To Sell Toys effect comes from the temporary nature of retail sales. Even in the 1980s, toys rarely stayed on the shelves past two years; today that timespan is much smaller. Once a toy is no longer selling, Hasbro has no interest in supporting fiction about that character—especially when there's newer toys to promote. Therefore, writers are often compelled to remove characters from the story by killing them off. Sometimes this happens through carefully developed story arcs, but it's easier to do it with huge, apocalyptic battles with massive numbers of casualties.

This has become less common in recent years, as Hasbro has come to realize that their target audiences can actually get attached to certain characters, and might not enjoy seeing them die random, brutal, meaningless [[death]]s.

* In ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', numerous main characters are killed or changed in the movie's first 30 minutes, including [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]. They are replaced by a slew of new characters; in fact, the poster for the movie shows ''only'' new characters (unless you count [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and possibly [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. And technically [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclnous]] are upgraded [[Megatron (G1)|forms]] of [[Thundercracker (G1)| existing]] [[Bombshell (G1)| characters]]. But aside from that, everybody else is new) .

* Numerous characters are killed in the Marvel UK comics saga "[[Time Wars]]". The Grim Reaper seemed to spare either popular characters (Megatron and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]) or newer characters ([[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]], [[Catilla]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], for example.)

* The [[Underbase Saga]] features a super-powerful [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] killing literally ''dozens'' of characters; some place the count over fifty. The survivors were mostly from the [[Pretender]], [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]], and [[Targetmaster]] ranks, those being the then-current toy lines. However, the explanation (Underbase power didn't affect those TFs with organic components) meant that even the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], new toys at the time, met their end.

* The climactic [[On the Edge of Extinction!|battle with Unicron]] 25 issues later killed off many of the Underbase survivors, whose shelf run had ended.

* With its enormously expensive CGI animation, ''Beast Wars'' was particularly vulnerable to toy-based interference. The expense of creating and animating a CGI body model meant that the character roster had to remain fairly constant; the introduction of all-new characters usually required the removal of an equal number of pre-existing characters. And so, [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] and [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] die just in time for the arrival of [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. (Frustrated with the situation, the writers carefully planned out<ref>http://www.builtstlouis.net/tf/manic/m-botcon.html</ref> the demise of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], anticipating that someone would have to be removed to make way for [[Rampage (BW)|newer characters]].) [[Tigerhawk]] was introduced and then killed off within three episodes, due to corporate uncertainty about whether the toy would actually be produced.

* ''[[The Reign of Starscream]]'' would end up killing a large number of Autobots in one issue, after their toys had been around for a while; as they'd not made an appearance in the comics until this mini, this is both an example of Huge Cast ''and'' Product Clearing. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream issue 3}} It would then go on to bump off some Decepticons, while its sequel ''Alliance'' slaughtered ''hordes'' of Decepticons with old toys. Mowry is the new Furman... {{storylink|Alliance (comic)}}

===Hi-and-die===
[[Image:Chuffer cof.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Likely dialog: "SHEEEAAGH!!"]]
Kids don't want to buy a toy of a character who's dead. So if the plot calls for someone to die, smart money bets on the character who has a toy as the survivor. The guy without a toy, who you've never heard of before? Toast. This is the Transformers version of ''Star Trek's'' infamous [[wikipedia:redshirt_syndrome|redshirt syndrome]].

* This approach was particularly common in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#UK comics|UK comics]]. Characters created specifically so they could be killed off include Wrecker leader [[Impactor]], Autobot/zombie food [[Chuffer]], Tailgate's Autobot trainee buddies/mutant fodder [[Subsea]] and [[Flattop (Autobot)|Flattop]], and the sixth member of the "Magnificent Six", [[Stampede]].

* The US comics also used this approach on occasion, as with [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s poignantly adorable buddy [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]].

* The ''Energon'' cartoon introduced [[Padlock]], whose purpose was to die at [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]]'s hands, proving motivation for toy-character [[Wing Saber]].

* ''Animated'' chucked in [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] so Ratchet could have a tragic past where he failed to save someone. (And ''then'' she got a toy!)

* The [[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Animated comic]] wants to do a story arc about an Autobot who's really a spy and then have him killed. Quick, [[Afterburn|make someone up]]!

{{-}}

===Resurrection===
Killing off a character isn't always toy-motivated; sometimes it's a dramatic plot development. But it can also be a problem if Hasbro decides to make a new toy of that character.

[[Image:Inferno dies agenda2.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Only a flesh wound!]]

* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has been resurrected [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|so many times]] that it's practically a defining character trait. His original revival in the cartoon didn't correspond to any actual toy release, but the Marvel comic brought him back specifically to advertise his [[Powermaster]] form. A second death-and-revival introduced his [[Action Master]] body. And a ''third'' death-and-revival in ''Generation 2'' brought him into his [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#G2Hero|Hero]] toy form.

* The Japanese killed off Optimus (or "Convoy" as they called him) in [[The Headmasters (cartoon)|''The Headmasters'']]. A few years later, they not only brought him back with a new toy {{storylink|The Battlestars (story page)}}, the ''entire franchise'' for that year was called [[Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy]].

* Numerous "dead" characters were brought back into the Marvel comic series when their Classics and/or Action Master versions were released. Many were "deactivated" rather than outright dead; however, very few ''non'' Action Master characters showed up alongside them.

* The series writers for ''Beast Wars'' considered [[Optimus Primal]] dead and gone at the end of Season 1. Hasbro, however, had a [[Transmetal]] Optimus Primal toy to promote, and so he was returned to life in Season 2. Hasbro wanted him brought back in the first minutes of the season premiere, but the writers managed to convince them that it would be better to do so at the ''end'' of the two-episode story.

* At the end of Season 2 of ''Beast Wars'', [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] was pretty clearly shown being killed—being ''disintegrated''—but in the next season appeared to have just been bruised and cracked, because Hasbro was not ready to have a Mega-scaled toy removed from the series.

* Pretty much ''nobody'' could successfully die in the [[Energon (cartoon)|''Energon'' cartoon]]. [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]], [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], [[Wing Saber|Wing Dagger]], and [[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] all die and/or are resurrected from the dead during the course of the show.

* [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] still had toys out in 2008. The [[bio]] for All Spark-Enhanced Autobot Jazz states he was brought back from near-death by the All Spark and is "more powerful than ever". Voila, Jazz comes back from the dead thanks to the All Spark in Titan's tie-in comic! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 16|Dark Spark}} Optimus even uses the ''term'' "Autobot Jazz" in a later issue... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 21|Hard Target}}

{{-}}

===Untouchables===

[[Image:Armorhide_drawhisfire.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Really, they could just stand there making rude noises at Starscream.]]

Obviously, if a character ''does'' have a current toy (or soon will), they're not going to die, even if the plot or common sense indicates they should.

* [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] had betrayed [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] to the Maximals, ruining his greatest shot at victory. As he declared, "There will be no more betrayals!", she would pay the price: being knocked into stasis lock so the Maximals could fix her and she could stay on their team. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

* Megatron himself was in a prime position to be terminated, as were the Maximals later on, in "[[The Weak Component]]". Since this was only episode 6 and everyone had toys out, the cast politely agreed not to take this opportunity to end a brutal war for the planet.

* Titan's Movie strip was moved to an alternate universe, where you'd [[Rhythms of Darkness!|expect nobody to be safe from death]]. However, most of the cast had toys out, so whether it was a desperate guerrilla fight against Decepticon occupation, the rise of [[Unicron]], a [[Decepticon Civil War]], or the final battle, very few characters bought it. The big exception was [[Divebomb (Movie)|Divebomb]], dying in his first story, but he didn't have a toy in the UK, so he was [[Furmanism|surplus to requirements]].

==Notable exceptions==
There are, however, a few notable exception to the To Sell Toys effect:

===Toys not released in the relevant market===

[[Image:Swoopg1marvelukfirst.jpg|right|200px|thumb|YOU CAN'T HAVE ME.]]

Occasionally the ''Transformers'' fiction released in a particular country features characters whose toys were not released in that country. The Marvel UK comic featured two variants of this phenomenon:

* Characters inherited from the US strips. Some, such as [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], were given fairly prominent roles in the US stories reprinted in the UK comic and so it was hard to ignore them completely in the UK originated material despite their toys not being around to need advertising. However the decision to develop the Predacons (even before their US appearances were reprinted), to have entire storylines focusing on Swoop, and also to keep Shockwave in continuity even after he'd been (supposedly) killed off in the US comic goes beyond this.

* Characters not featured in the US strips. Bizarrely the UK comic also made use of some characters such as [[Roadbuster]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Chop Shop]] and [[Venom (G1)|Venom]], despite their toys not being available on UK toy shelves. None of these characters were inherited from the US material.

Writer [[Simon Furman]] has since stated that when writing the stories he was generally unaware of which toys were unavailable in the UK: "We largely took our cue from what characters were being introduced into the US storyline. If there was a release schedule for the toys in the UK, we rarely saw it... But in the case of Swoop and the Predacons, I don't think I was consciously aware (at the time) that we were dealing with toys not generally available in the UK. They were just extant characters, and therefore fair game." <ref>[http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_furman.php TransFans.net - Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'].</ref>

This would happen again with Titan, as foreign exclusives palled around with UK-available toys.

{{-}}

===Post-Marvel comics===
[[Image:Infiltration 1b.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Hey, Runamuck, it's our first appearance on a comic book cover in twenty years!" "Heh heh, now if only we could appear on toy store shelves..."]]

Both [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] and [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics, the two recent holders of the license to publish ''Transformers'' comic books, sometimes produce comics using whichever toy line is current (e.g., Dreamwave's ''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Armada]]'' comic or IDW's [[Transformers (2007)|2007 movie]] tie-ins), and sometimes publish comics using whatever characters they please (e.g., ''[[The War Within]]'' and ''[[Escalation (IDW)|Escalation]]''). The characters in their "discretionary" comics are often not currently available in toy form ([[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], a current character in IDW's G1 continuity, has only recently had a toy on shelves after twenty years), sometimes are drawn with bodies that have ''never'' been toys (most of the ''War Within'' characters), and sometimes are toys that were never available outside of specific countries ([[Lio Convoy]] in IDW's ''Beast Wars'').

[[Chris Ryall]], IDW Editor-in-Chief and writer of the miniseries adapting the 2007 movie to comics, had stated on IDW's forums that Hasbro does not dictate what comics IDW must make ("Nope, no dictates at all from Hasbro. We put the plan together, send to them for approval.").<ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=69377</ref> By the time of ''All Hail Megatron'', however, the ''Universe'' line came out and Hasbro asked IDW to start using some of those designs. <ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=102461&sid=2298445cdfba342643da80282a95cc7a#102461 Guido reveals the Hasbro request]</ref> This practice seems to have been thrown out for the new Ongoing title.

===''Timelines'' Firestar/Flareup===
During the development of the [[BotCon]] [[Descent into Evil]] set, it was found out that the name "[[Firestar]]" could not be used due to trademark reasons. As such, the toy that would've been her was assigned a new identity as [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]]. [[Ben Yee]] at first wanted to mention in her [[bio]] that Firestar had died, but refrained from doing so because of "fear Hasbro would not appreciate [him] "killing" one of their characters in any way".<ref>[http://www.bwtf.com/toyreviews/timelines/descent/flareup Flareup toy notes at BWTF.com]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Toys]]

Grimlock (RID 2001)

2010-04-20T10:42:45Z

193.62.51.5: /* Trivia */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Grimlock}}
:''Grimlock is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Rid grimlock.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Everybody samba!]]
'''Grimlock''' is the second-in-command of the [[Build Team]], and a seasoned warrior. Though harsh-looking, he is rather calm and upbeat, and is actually the team's best tactician.

{{bigquote|Respect builds great warriors.|Grimlock's motto}}

:''Japanese name:'' '''Build Hurricane'''

==Fiction==
===''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tom Wyner]] (English), [[Hiroki Takahashi]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Wedge's Short Fuse Grimlockvehicle.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Who wants sno-cones?]]
When the [[Autobot Brothers]] encountered the Build Team in an unfinished tunnel, Grimlock was slightly chagrined at his teammates' enthusiastic endorsement of team leader [[Wedge]]. When Wedge secured the team a chance for combat, Grimlock similarly warned [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]] not to get Wedge's hopes up before the young bot had even gotten into battle. On arriving at the site where the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] were trying to steal diamonds, he and [[Heavy Load (RID)|Heavy Load]] helpfully began transporting the goods. After the Predacons captured Wedge, Grimlock warned Heavy Load that turning the disk containing the space bridge map over would be treason and subsequently ended up chasing a penguin which had snatched the disk — fortunately the disk turned out to be a decoy. The Build Team were triumphant! {{storylink|Wedge's Short Fuse}}

[[Image:Landfill Grimlockcomputer.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Me Grimlock fix computer.]]
After the completion of the Arctic link, Wedge was spoiling to do some more combat practice, and sent the more-diligent Grimlock to program the data into the main space bridge terminal computer. Unfortunately he was tracked by [[Ro-Tor (RID)|Ro-Tor]], who led the rest of the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] to the terminal. Once the space bridge was fixed, he and the rest of the Build Team combined into [[Landfill (RID)|Landfill]] in order to chase off [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] and [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] from the north energy research facility. {{storylink|Landfill (episode)|Landfill}}

After [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] and the Predacons attacked the [[CGA Tower]], Wedge helped to hold it up, but the rest of the Build Team were forced to stay back. They defended the tower against Scourge's attack and formed Landfill in order to dig a new foundation for the tower, allowing the safe release of the hostages. {{storylink|Sky-Byte Saves the Day}}

On discovering that the [[Commando|Commandos]] had been attacking construction equipment, the Build Team decided to face the Decepticons alone, and Hightower sabotaged the space bridge to keep the other Autobots away. On confronting the Decepticons, Grimlock grappled unsuccessfully with [[Rollbar (RID)|Rollbar]]. Build Team soon formed Landfill and eventually narrowly defeated [[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]]. Afterward they enjoyed a soothing oil bath with [[Team Bullet Train]]. {{storylink|A Test of Metal}}

Grimlock and the Build Team helped test the space bridge (even though they obviously knew it would work). {{storylink|Lessons of the Past}}

[[Image:Fortress Maximus Grimlockwedge.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Grimlock?! What happened to you?" "Me Grimlock not know, but me Grimlock think beer, 3 hookers, and a midget were involved."]]
Sent to dig at a site beneath [[Metro City]] where they'd worked before, the Build Team began to experience hallucinations as they had last time. Grimlock tried to reason with Wedge, but soon fell prey to the hallucinations himself. Eventually they broke through to a cavern containing [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]] and formed Landfill to fight the Decepticons who then arrived. {{storylink|Fortress Maximus (episode)|Fortress Maximus}} Grimlock and the rest of Build Team subsequently hid Fortress Maximus in a huge building in the middle of the city. {{storylink|Koji Gets His Wish}}

[[Image:A Friendly Contest Grimlockmegaoctane.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Supermegahyperultra Robo Headsmash Attack of Doom, go!]]
With [[Doctor Kenneth Onishi|Doctor Onishi]] recovered, the Build Team and [[Autobot Brothers]] began a race to locate the last five [[O-Part|O-Parts]]. Grimlock successfully dug up the second O-Part. {{storylink|A Friendly Contest}}

The Build Team accompanied the Autobot Brothers on a mission to find [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]] beneath an ancient temple. This was fortunate, as the Decepticons caved the temple in on top of them, and the Build Team were able to dig the Autobots out. They subsequently helped to guard Fortress Maximus. To no one's surprise, the Decepticons attacked, and Build Team formed Landfill to help see them off. {{storylink|Maximus Emerges}}

When Scourge made a second attempt to control Maximus in the Sahara Desert, the Build Team and Team Bullet Train picked up a large number of children and took them to the site via the global space bridge. There the children were able to command Maximus to stop. {{storylink|The Human Element}}

When the Decepticons launched an attack on the Autobot base, the Build Team was called to a predetermined location with the rest of the Autobots to spring a trap on their foe. When the [[Megastar]] joined the fight, they formed Landfill, who was promptly blown apart by the battle station's firepower. {{storylink|Surprise Attack!}}

After the defeat of the Megastar, Landfill was formed again to fight the Decepticons while [[Omega Prime]] engaged in combat with Galvatron. Galvatron unleashed his cyber-bats, causing Prime to call a retreat, and the Autobots found themselves trapped in a space bridge tunnel rapidly filling with molten lava. Although they escaped, Galvatron soon had them at his mercy again. {{storylink|Galvatron's Revenge}}

As Galvatron attempted to attack Optimus Prime, Landfill and the other Autobots blocked his attack and were paralysed by Galvatron's power. They remained in this state until Omega Prime was able to defeat Galvatron in the Earth's core. Afterward, just for fun, the Build Team did some more work on the space bridge. {{storylink|The Final Battle (RID)|The Final Battle}}

==Toys==
===''Robots in Disguise''===
{{anchor|DeluxeGrimlock}}
*'''Grimlock''' (Deluxe, 2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-019'''
**''Accesories'': Hoe-claw

[[Image:RID Grimlock Toy.JPG|right|250px|thumb|If you squint real hard I almost look like a dinosaur...]]
: Grimlock transforms into a green backhoe who, in contrast to his team mates, has relatively realistic proportions. His shovel arm is articulated at the connection joint to the body and the bucket itself, while his cabin can be rotated. In robot mode, Grimlock is armed with his shovel arm, which has a flip-out pincer claw. Combined with his team, he can form either the upper body (and arms) or one of the legs of Landfill.

: He was initially released as part of the [[Takara]] ''Car Robots'' line as Build Hurricane. The [[Hasbro]] ''Robots in Disguise'' version adds several small [[Paint application|paint applications]] to him for detail.

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Scavenger (Universe Ultra)|Scavenger]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BuildKing}}

*'''Build King''' (Multi-pack, 2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-022'''

: In Japan, the entire Build Team set of [[Wedge]], [[Heavy Load (RID)|Heavy Load]], [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]] and Grimlock was made available. The toys included were identical to the individual Takara releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|Landfill}}

*'''Landfill''' (Multi-pack, 2003)

: A mainly-yellow [[redeco]] of the entire Build Team was released as a [[Wal-Mart]] [[exclusive]] in November of 2003, as a multi-pack released on "[[Black Friday (event)|Black Friday]]", the day after Thankgiving, the most hellishly overcrowded shopping day of the year. The set cost considerably less than four individual deluxes.

==Trivia==
*This is the only character that bears the name Grimlock and does not transform into a carnivorous [[Dinosaur|death lizard]]. Although it isn't the only toy as G1 Grimlock's alternators toy is that of a Ford Mustang.

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise characters]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]

Death

2010-03-10T22:58:26Z

193.62.51.5: /* Spark transfer */

[[Image:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And lo, the children did weep.]]

''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, crushed into cubes, and even utterly disintegrated. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[Image:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|400px|[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]

There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.
{{--}}
===Weaponsfire===
{{quote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[Image:Tftm1986a.jpg|right|200px|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]

[[Image:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]

[[Image:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]

[[Image:Blades1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Sorry, nameless guy, your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]

Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
* In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]:
** Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], were victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl both went down after ''one shot''.
** [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep]]s, exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
** Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

* In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
** [[Impactor]] was cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
** Most deaths in the ''[[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]]'' book occurred from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims exploded spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum]] {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}, [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] {{storylink|New Dawn}}, and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]{{storylink|Escalation!}}.

* In the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
** [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} The apparent cause of his demise is his refusal to enter protective [[stasis lock]], as other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage.
** [[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

* ''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:Image:Sshot-arm-39-4.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis}}

* [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] G1 comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is killed by an assassin's blast. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 1}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3}}

* [[Movie continuity]]: [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both died from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}}

* "[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
{{--}}
===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
* In the Marvel comics:
** [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] was the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroyed his body. (In UK continuity, he survived as a raggedy, bodiless head.) {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}
** In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] died in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
** [[Finback]] was presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
** [[Optimus Primal]] was blown to bits -- terminally so -- by the [[transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
** [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] was killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

* Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer]]s) were destroyed when part of their ship exploded with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
* ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] met his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Doubledealer]] was shot, fell off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
* Movie continuity: [[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] fell off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after losing his balance when his arm was shot off, and he shattered to pieces as he tumbled down. ''{{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}''
* The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] fell off a cliff and shattered. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.

===Crushing===
[[Image:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|right|175px|DO NOT WANT]]
[[Image:TFAni TransWarped LongArm Cliffjumper Cube.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Before time began, there was... THE CUBE.]]

Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
* In the Marvel comics:
** [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] was smashed between [[Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] all met this fate when they were stepped on by Unicron. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

* [[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
** [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
** [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power}}
** His brother [[Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}

* ''Animated'' cartoon: [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] is (possibly) killed by a garbage compactor-like crushing device. (An "out" by writer [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]] was intended to show his still-pulsing spark within his cubified remains, but this did not make it into the show, leaving his fate ambiguous at best.) {{storylink|TransWarped}}

===Melting===
[[Image:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]

[[Image:Fallout title.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]

They're made of metal; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few if any have survived it.
* In the G1 cartoon:
** An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
** Another acid vat was used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* In the Marvel comics:
** Victims of the Deception [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron were reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
** It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}
** [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] was partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently died. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] used some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

* In the Beast Era cartoons:
** [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] were apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
** Optimus Primal's body was seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout}}

===Incineration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[Image:Armada 52 - Prime hangon to Galvatron.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Galvatron died to save everyone and came back ''twice''—you lose, [[Jesus]]!]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as ghosts and/or disembodied sparks:
* Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
** [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
** [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding energon grid, but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
** [[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
** And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[Image:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[Image:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]

Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots. Being eaten (and, presumably, digested) generally proves fatal:
* In the G1 cartoon:
** Various life forms were routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. This included [[Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
** Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* In the Marvel comic:
** The [[Mecannibal]]s ate robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they could actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
** Unicron skewered [[Brainstorm]] and ate him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devoured [[Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The Swarm "devoured" innumerable Cybertronian troopers and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this was through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* The Sharkticons killed two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutant]]s by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

===Disassembly===
[[Image:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]

Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts can occasionally kill them:
* Marvel comics: [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] met this fate in an alternate future, when Swoop used a machine to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}
* Movie continuity: Being ripped in half killed [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]]. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[Image:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|right|150px| "CHUK!" is good, but I could really go for a "Shakkooosh" right about now.]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
* In the Marvel comics:
** The Megatron clone killed Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
** Several of the Wreckers were killed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
** [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] had his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* In the movie continuity:
** Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}} [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]], and [[The Fallen]]. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
** Decapitation was an inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroyed most of his head, was fatal.

===Vivisection===
[[Image:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|right|150px| Ahhhh, there we go...]]

{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}

Getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
* Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
* Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
* ''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur was killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}
* Movie continuity: [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (ROTF)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}

In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually passed over in favor of the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
* In the Marvel comics:
** In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
** The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}

[[Image:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|right|200px|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]

Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
* In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage was killed when Depth Charge pierced his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
* ''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] died when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rammed his sword right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
* ''Cybertron'': Galvatron died after being impaled with [[Rhisling]] by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
* Movie continuity: Optimus Prime died from a stab wound through the chest. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
* ''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] - already reduced to a spark within the matrix - ceased to be when Megatron annihilated his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
* [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}

Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/All Spark/another dimension.
* When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this dimension. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* ''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead".
* ''Animated'' cartoon: Prowl dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
* Movie continuity: Jetfire rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}

[[Image:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[Image:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|right|200px|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]

The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in [[wikipedia:Water intoxication|a horrible death]]. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
* In the Marvel comics:
** An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughtered dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}} which reportedly burned out millions of their microchips. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers were seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
** Starscream himself was killed when he absorbed all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}
** [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] was apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect was more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down (issue)}}

* ''Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] died from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
* Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] was killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoved the [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] got caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
* Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] died from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
* Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (ROTF)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[Image:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave {{storylink|The Last Stand}}, who are later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
* The crew of the original Ark is deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
* Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[Image:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|200px|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]

{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}

Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
* Marvel comic:
** Optimus Prime was able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separated it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] was abruptly decapitated by sword, but was just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
* G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime was disassembled into his component parts, but functioned just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connected a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel}}
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}}, and even put it back on himself one time. He even accidently swapped heads with Megatron once. Megatron was not amused. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] was just fine when one of the Reapers whacked his head off. (He didn't fare so well when another Reaper crushed his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

===Dismemberment===
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
* Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
* The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spent quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}

* In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
** Megatron de-sparked most of Cybertron's population and stored their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
** Blackarachnia's spark wandered around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
** Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wandered the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
* Marvel comics:
** The [[Trans-Time Dimensional Portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
** Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
* IDW comics: Megatron severely damaged Optimus Prime in battle and planned on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigned death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly entered [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|Escalation (IDW)|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[Image:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|right|250px| ]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|A random Quintesson, "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

* Generation 1 cartoon: Optimus Prime was simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he was alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
* Marvel Comics: Optimus Prime's mind was encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents were loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lived again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal was restored to life when Rhinox managed to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
* ''Armada'' Smokescreen is shot through the chest at point blank range by the Requeim Blaster but his spark survives and is put into a new body.
* ''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both had their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survived, and were placed into new bodies. (The upshot of all of this is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron]] was placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chose to let his life end, and expired anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

==="Magical" substances===
* Marvel Comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon brought many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
* ''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron was revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is parsed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[Image:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|right|150px|]]

* In the Marvel comics:
** The [[Last Autobot]] was granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he used to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
** Optimus Prime was eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
** Optimus Prime was restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* In the movie continuity:
** The Allspark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)}}
** Optimus Prime was restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

* ''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal]]'s body was destroyed, but the All Spark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout}}
* ''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] was brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
* "[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] was resurrected when he and his gestaltmates were combined together and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brought [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infused him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
* Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
* Starscream survived his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
* [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He was eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
* [[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] can be killed off in one dimension, only to still be alive and well in another (or many others), due to the varying properties of different dimensions (reverse-time, dimensions, for example are key to revival of the singularities).
* ''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] could not be killed so long as he retained his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead.
* Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] could essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them.
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
* Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* Sunstreaker's death in ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' is intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
* Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, was more a moment of dramatic pathos -- knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

===Consequences of war===
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
* Impactor's death was used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
* The ''Generation 2'' book featured several deaths which drove home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction served to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

===Increased threat===
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
* The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
* Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
* In "[[Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!

===Cast thinning===
Transformers stories are notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they roll on; Generation 1 was particularly notorious for this because of its longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle. Examples are rife in the fiction, especially the Marvel Comics.

* In the Marvel comics:
** The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline got rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
** The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly cleared out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
** The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
* [[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] dealt with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}

Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
* The numerous casualties of "[[The Transformers: The Movie]]" were fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
* Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed -- quickly -- to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
* Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!

==Fleshling death==
In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[Image:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|right|150px|thumb|One dead dog]]

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Two dead dogs]]

Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
* A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barked at [[Wilder]] and was kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
* The [[Murdered puppy]] was shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] once reminded [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
* The puppy-like [[Noble]] was shot at by [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}.
* A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally caused an avalanche which killed his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
* "[[Law of the Jungle]]" also portrays the deaths of four different forest animals (a bug is eaten by a frog, which is eaten by a snake, which is taken off to be eaten by a bird. Later, an orange tiger kills an antelope). This is a rare "Consequences of War" example.
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] also once ate an eagle, {{storylink|Power Surge}} while Tarantulas ate a cute little rat {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}, and nearly ate an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] had to fight a saber-toothed tiger off a cliff killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
* [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] used [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
* Human villain [[Tyler "Trophy" White]] had a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}

{{-}}

===Human death===
[[Image:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|right|thumb|250px|This didn't happen much.]]

* Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
* Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
* In every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed.
* Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Armada]]'', ''[[Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding mention of human death -- even when human cities are being directly attacked, as in "[[Multiplicity, Pt. 2]]".
* Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
* The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
* [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW comics]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
* The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000, and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]]), though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]].
* The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue 10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. [[Sam Witwicky]], meanwhile, was stated to have died.
* Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men militia]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opened fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people was seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}

==Characters who die a lot==
* [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
* [[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who gets [[:Image:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
* [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] — the unlucky guy from ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' who gets sliced, diced, and fricasseed every other episode only to be fully functional in time to get [[Slag (slang)|slagged]] ''again''.
* [[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]], a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently. For no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
* [[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:Image:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:Image:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].
* [[Starscream (Animated)]] - the unlucky guy that constantly gets killed, decapitated, or maimed by others, only to be brought back to life.

==See also==
* [[Transformer funerary practices]]
* [[To sell toys]]

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Death

2010-03-10T22:57:38Z

193.62.51.5: /* Spark transfer */

[[Image:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And lo, the children did weep.]]

''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, crushed into cubes, and even utterly disintegrated. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[Image:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|400px|[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]

There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.
{{--}}
===Weaponsfire===
{{quote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[Image:Tftm1986a.jpg|right|200px|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]

[[Image:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]

[[Image:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]

[[Image:Blades1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Sorry, nameless guy, your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]

Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
* In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]:
** Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], were victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl both went down after ''one shot''.
** [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep]]s, exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
** Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

* In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
** [[Impactor]] was cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
** Most deaths in the ''[[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]]'' book occurred from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims exploded spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum]] {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}, [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] {{storylink|New Dawn}}, and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]{{storylink|Escalation!}}.

* In the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
** [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} The apparent cause of his demise is his refusal to enter protective [[stasis lock]], as other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage.
** [[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

* ''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:Image:Sshot-arm-39-4.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis}}

* [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] G1 comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is killed by an assassin's blast. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 1}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3}}

* [[Movie continuity]]: [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both died from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}}

* "[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
{{--}}
===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
* In the Marvel comics:
** [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] was the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroyed his body. (In UK continuity, he survived as a raggedy, bodiless head.) {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}
** In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] died in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
** [[Finback]] was presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
** [[Optimus Primal]] was blown to bits -- terminally so -- by the [[transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
** [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] was killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

* Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer]]s) were destroyed when part of their ship exploded with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
* ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] met his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Doubledealer]] was shot, fell off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
* Movie continuity: [[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] fell off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after losing his balance when his arm was shot off, and he shattered to pieces as he tumbled down. ''{{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}''
* The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] fell off a cliff and shattered. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.

===Crushing===
[[Image:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|right|175px|DO NOT WANT]]
[[Image:TFAni TransWarped LongArm Cliffjumper Cube.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Before time began, there was... THE CUBE.]]

Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
* In the Marvel comics:
** [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] was smashed between [[Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] all met this fate when they were stepped on by Unicron. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

* [[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
** [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
** [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power}}
** His brother [[Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}

* ''Animated'' cartoon: [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] is (possibly) killed by a garbage compactor-like crushing device. (An "out" by writer [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]] was intended to show his still-pulsing spark within his cubified remains, but this did not make it into the show, leaving his fate ambiguous at best.) {{storylink|TransWarped}}

===Melting===
[[Image:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]

[[Image:Fallout title.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]

They're made of metal; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few if any have survived it.
* In the G1 cartoon:
** An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
** Another acid vat was used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* In the Marvel comics:
** Victims of the Deception [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron were reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
** It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}
** [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] was partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently died. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] used some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

* In the Beast Era cartoons:
** [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] were apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
** Optimus Primal's body was seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout}}

===Incineration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[Image:Armada 52 - Prime hangon to Galvatron.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Galvatron died to save everyone and came back ''twice''—you lose, [[Jesus]]!]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as ghosts and/or disembodied sparks:
* Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
** [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
** [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding energon grid, but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
** [[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
** And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[Image:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[Image:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]

Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots. Being eaten (and, presumably, digested) generally proves fatal:
* In the G1 cartoon:
** Various life forms were routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. This included [[Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
** Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* In the Marvel comic:
** The [[Mecannibal]]s ate robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they could actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
** Unicron skewered [[Brainstorm]] and ate him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devoured [[Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The Swarm "devoured" innumerable Cybertronian troopers and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this was through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* The Sharkticons killed two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutant]]s by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

===Disassembly===
[[Image:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]

Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts can occasionally kill them:
* Marvel comics: [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] met this fate in an alternate future, when Swoop used a machine to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}
* Movie continuity: Being ripped in half killed [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]]. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[Image:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|right|150px| "CHUK!" is good, but I could really go for a "Shakkooosh" right about now.]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
* In the Marvel comics:
** The Megatron clone killed Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
** Several of the Wreckers were killed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
** [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] had his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* In the movie continuity:
** Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}} [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]], and [[The Fallen]]. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
** Decapitation was an inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroyed most of his head, was fatal.

===Vivisection===
[[Image:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|right|150px| Ahhhh, there we go...]]

{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}

Getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
* Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
* Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
* ''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur was killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}
* Movie continuity: [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (ROTF)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}

In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually passed over in favor of the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
* In the Marvel comics:
** In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
** The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}

[[Image:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|right|200px|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]

Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
* In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage was killed when Depth Charge pierced his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
* ''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] died when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rammed his sword right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
* ''Cybertron'': Galvatron died after being impaled with [[Rhisling]] by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
* Movie continuity: Optimus Prime died from a stab wound through the chest. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
* ''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] - already reduced to a spark within the matrix - ceased to be when Megatron annihilated his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
* [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}

Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/All Spark/another dimension.
* When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this dimension. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* ''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead".
* ''Animated'' cartoon: Prowl dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
* Movie continuity: Jetfire rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}

[[Image:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[Image:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|right|200px|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]

The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in [[wikipedia:Water intoxication|a horrible death]]. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
* In the Marvel comics:
** An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughtered dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}} which reportedly burned out millions of their microchips. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers were seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
** Starscream himself was killed when he absorbed all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}
** [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] was apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect was more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down (issue)}}

* ''Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] died from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
* Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] was killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoved the [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] got caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
* Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] died from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
* Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (ROTF)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[Image:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave {{storylink|The Last Stand}}, who are later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
* The crew of the original Ark is deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
* Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[Image:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|200px|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]

{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}

Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
* Marvel comic:
** Optimus Prime was able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separated it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] was abruptly decapitated by sword, but was just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
* G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime was disassembled into his component parts, but functioned just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connected a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel}}
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}}, and even put it back on himself one time. He even accidently swapped heads with Megatron once. Megatron was not amused. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] was just fine when one of the Reapers whacked his head off. (He didn't fare so well when another Reaper crushed his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

===Dismemberment===
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
* Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
* The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spent quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}

* In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
** Megatron de-sparked most of Cybertron's population and stored their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
** Blackarachnia's spark wandered around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
** Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wandered the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
* Marvel comics:
** The [[Trans-Time Dimensional Portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
** Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
* IDW comics: Megatron severely damaged Optimus Prime in battle and planned on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigned death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly entered [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|Escalation (IDW)|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[Image:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|right|250px| ]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|A random Quintesson, "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

* Generation 1 cartoon: Optimus Prime was simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he was alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
* Marvel Comics: Optimus Prime's mind was encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents were loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lived again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal was restored to life when Rhinox managed to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
* ''Armada'' Smokescreen is shot in the chest at point blank range but his spark survives and is put into a new body.
* ''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both had their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survived, and were placed into new bodies. (The upshot of all of this is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron]] was placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chose to let his life end, and expired anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

==="Magical" substances===
* Marvel Comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon brought many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
* ''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron was revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is parsed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[Image:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|right|150px|]]

* In the Marvel comics:
** The [[Last Autobot]] was granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he used to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
** Optimus Prime was eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
** Optimus Prime was restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* In the movie continuity:
** The Allspark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)}}
** Optimus Prime was restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

* ''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal]]'s body was destroyed, but the All Spark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout}}
* ''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] was brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
* "[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] was resurrected when he and his gestaltmates were combined together and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brought [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infused him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
* Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
* Starscream survived his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
* [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He was eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
* [[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] can be killed off in one dimension, only to still be alive and well in another (or many others), due to the varying properties of different dimensions (reverse-time, dimensions, for example are key to revival of the singularities).
* ''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] could not be killed so long as he retained his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead.
* Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] could essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them.
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
* Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* Sunstreaker's death in ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' is intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
* Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, was more a moment of dramatic pathos -- knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

===Consequences of war===
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
* Impactor's death was used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
* The ''Generation 2'' book featured several deaths which drove home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction served to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

===Increased threat===
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
* The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
* Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
* In "[[Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!

===Cast thinning===
Transformers stories are notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they roll on; Generation 1 was particularly notorious for this because of its longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle. Examples are rife in the fiction, especially the Marvel Comics.

* In the Marvel comics:
** The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline got rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
** The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly cleared out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
** The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
* [[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] dealt with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}

Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
* The numerous casualties of "[[The Transformers: The Movie]]" were fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
* Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed -- quickly -- to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
* Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!

==Fleshling death==
In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[Image:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|right|150px|thumb|One dead dog]]

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Two dead dogs]]

Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
* A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barked at [[Wilder]] and was kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
* The [[Murdered puppy]] was shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] once reminded [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
* The puppy-like [[Noble]] was shot at by [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}.
* A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally caused an avalanche which killed his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
* "[[Law of the Jungle]]" also portrays the deaths of four different forest animals (a bug is eaten by a frog, which is eaten by a snake, which is taken off to be eaten by a bird. Later, an orange tiger kills an antelope). This is a rare "Consequences of War" example.
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] also once ate an eagle, {{storylink|Power Surge}} while Tarantulas ate a cute little rat {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}, and nearly ate an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] had to fight a saber-toothed tiger off a cliff killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
* [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] used [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
* Human villain [[Tyler "Trophy" White]] had a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}

{{-}}

===Human death===
[[Image:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|right|thumb|250px|This didn't happen much.]]

* Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
* Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
* In every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed.
* Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Armada]]'', ''[[Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding mention of human death -- even when human cities are being directly attacked, as in "[[Multiplicity, Pt. 2]]".
* Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
* The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
* [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW comics]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
* The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000, and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]]), though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]].
* The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue 10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. [[Sam Witwicky]], meanwhile, was stated to have died.
* Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men militia]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opened fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people was seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}

==Characters who die a lot==
* [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
* [[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who gets [[:Image:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
* [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] — the unlucky guy from ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' who gets sliced, diced, and fricasseed every other episode only to be fully functional in time to get [[Slag (slang)|slagged]] ''again''.
* [[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]], a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently. For no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
* [[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:Image:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:Image:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].
* [[Starscream (Animated)]] - the unlucky guy that constantly gets killed, decapitated, or maimed by others, only to be brought back to life.

==See also==
* [[Transformer funerary practices]]
* [[To sell toys]]

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Death

2010-03-10T22:55:57Z

193.62.51.5: /* Spark transfer */

[[Image:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And lo, the children did weep.]]

''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, crushed into cubes, and even utterly disintegrated. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[Image:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|400px|[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]

There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.
{{--}}
===Weaponsfire===
{{quote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[Image:Tftm1986a.jpg|right|200px|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]

[[Image:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]

[[Image:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]

[[Image:Blades1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Sorry, nameless guy, your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]

Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
* In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]:
** Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], were victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl both went down after ''one shot''.
** [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep]]s, exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
** Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

* In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
** [[Impactor]] was cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
** Most deaths in the ''[[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]]'' book occurred from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims exploded spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum]] {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}, [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] {{storylink|New Dawn}}, and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]{{storylink|Escalation!}}.

* In the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
** [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} The apparent cause of his demise is his refusal to enter protective [[stasis lock]], as other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage.
** [[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

* ''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:Image:Sshot-arm-39-4.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis}}

* [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] G1 comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is killed by an assassin's blast. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 1}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3}}

* [[Movie continuity]]: [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both died from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}}

* "[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
{{--}}
===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
* In the Marvel comics:
** [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] was the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroyed his body. (In UK continuity, he survived as a raggedy, bodiless head.) {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}
** In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] died in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
** [[Finback]] was presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
** [[Optimus Primal]] was blown to bits -- terminally so -- by the [[transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
** [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] was killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

* Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer]]s) were destroyed when part of their ship exploded with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
* ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] met his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Doubledealer]] was shot, fell off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
* Movie continuity: [[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] fell off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after losing his balance when his arm was shot off, and he shattered to pieces as he tumbled down. ''{{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}''
* The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] fell off a cliff and shattered. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.

===Crushing===
[[Image:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|right|175px|DO NOT WANT]]
[[Image:TFAni TransWarped LongArm Cliffjumper Cube.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Before time began, there was... THE CUBE.]]

Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
* In the Marvel comics:
** [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] was smashed between [[Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] all met this fate when they were stepped on by Unicron. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

* [[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
** [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
** [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power}}
** His brother [[Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}

* ''Animated'' cartoon: [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] is (possibly) killed by a garbage compactor-like crushing device. (An "out" by writer [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]] was intended to show his still-pulsing spark within his cubified remains, but this did not make it into the show, leaving his fate ambiguous at best.) {{storylink|TransWarped}}

===Melting===
[[Image:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]

[[Image:Fallout title.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]

They're made of metal; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few if any have survived it.
* In the G1 cartoon:
** An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
** Another acid vat was used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* In the Marvel comics:
** Victims of the Deception [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron were reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
** It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}
** [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] was partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently died. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] used some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

* In the Beast Era cartoons:
** [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] were apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
** Optimus Primal's body was seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout}}

===Incineration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[Image:Armada 52 - Prime hangon to Galvatron.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Galvatron died to save everyone and came back ''twice''—you lose, [[Jesus]]!]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as ghosts and/or disembodied sparks:
* Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
** [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
** [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding energon grid, but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
** [[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
** And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[Image:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[Image:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]

Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots. Being eaten (and, presumably, digested) generally proves fatal:
* In the G1 cartoon:
** Various life forms were routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. This included [[Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
** Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

* In the Marvel comic:
** The [[Mecannibal]]s ate robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they could actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
** Unicron skewered [[Brainstorm]] and ate him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devoured [[Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** The Swarm "devoured" innumerable Cybertronian troopers and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this was through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* The Sharkticons killed two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutant]]s by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

===Disassembly===
[[Image:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]

Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts can occasionally kill them:
* Marvel comics: [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] met this fate in an alternate future, when Swoop used a machine to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}
* Movie continuity: Being ripped in half killed [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]]. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[Image:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|right|150px| "CHUK!" is good, but I could really go for a "Shakkooosh" right about now.]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
* In the Marvel comics:
** The Megatron clone killed Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
** Several of the Wreckers were killed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
** [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] had his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* In the movie continuity:
** Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}} [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]], and [[The Fallen]]. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
** Decapitation was an inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroyed most of his head, was fatal.

===Vivisection===
[[Image:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|right|150px| Ahhhh, there we go...]]

{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}

Getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
* Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
* Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
* ''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur was killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}
* Movie continuity: [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (ROTF)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}

In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually passed over in favor of the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
* In the Marvel comics:
** In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
** The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}

[[Image:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|right|200px|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]

Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
* In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage was killed when Depth Charge pierced his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
* ''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] died when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rammed his sword right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
* ''Cybertron'': Galvatron died after being impaled with [[Rhisling]] by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
* Movie continuity: Optimus Prime died from a stab wound through the chest. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
* ''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] - already reduced to a spark within the matrix - ceased to be when Megatron annihilated his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
* [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}

Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/All Spark/another dimension.
* When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this dimension. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* ''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead".
* ''Animated'' cartoon: Prowl dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
* Movie continuity: Jetfire rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}

[[Image:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[Image:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|right|200px|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]

The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in [[wikipedia:Water intoxication|a horrible death]]. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
* In the Marvel comics:
** An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughtered dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}} which reportedly burned out millions of their microchips. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers were seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
** Starscream himself was killed when he absorbed all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}
** [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] was apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect was more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down (issue)}}

* ''Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] died from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
* Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] was killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoved the [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] got caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
* Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] died from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
* Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (ROTF)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[Image:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave {{storylink|The Last Stand}}, who are later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
* The crew of the original Ark is deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
* Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[Image:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|200px|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]

{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}

Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
* Marvel comic:
** Optimus Prime was able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separated it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] was abruptly decapitated by sword, but was just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
* G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime was disassembled into his component parts, but functioned just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connected a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel}}
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}}, and even put it back on himself one time. He even accidently swapped heads with Megatron once. Megatron was not amused. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
* IDW G1 continuity: [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] was just fine when one of the Reapers whacked his head off. (He didn't fare so well when another Reaper crushed his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

===Dismemberment===
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
* Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
* The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spent quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}

* In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
** Megatron de-sparked most of Cybertron's population and stored their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
** Blackarachnia's spark wandered around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
** Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wandered the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
* Marvel comics:
** The [[Trans-Time Dimensional Portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
** Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
* IDW comics: Megatron severely damaged Optimus Prime in battle and planned on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigned death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly entered [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|Escalation (IDW)|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[Image:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|right|250px| ]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|A random Quintesson, "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

* Generation 1 cartoon: Optimus Prime was simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he was alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
* Marvel Comics: Optimus Prime's mind was encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents were loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lived again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal was restored to life when Rhinox managed to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
* ''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both had their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survived, and were placed into new bodies. (The upshot is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
* ''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron]] was placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chose to let his life end, and expired anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

==="Magical" substances===
* Marvel Comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon brought many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
* ''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron was revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is parsed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[Image:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|right|150px|]]

* In the Marvel comics:
** The [[Last Autobot]] was granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he used to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
** Optimus Prime was eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
** Optimus Prime was restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

* In the movie continuity:
** The Allspark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)}}
** Optimus Prime was restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

* ''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal]]'s body was destroyed, but the All Spark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout}}
* ''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] was brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
* "[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] was resurrected when he and his gestaltmates were combined together and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brought [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infused him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
* Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
* Starscream survived his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
* [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He was eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
* [[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] can be killed off in one dimension, only to still be alive and well in another (or many others), due to the varying properties of different dimensions (reverse-time, dimensions, for example are key to revival of the singularities).
* ''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] could not be killed so long as he retained his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead.
* Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] could essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them.
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
* Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* Sunstreaker's death in ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' is intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
* Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, was more a moment of dramatic pathos -- knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

===Consequences of war===
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
* Impactor's death was used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
* The ''Generation 2'' book featured several deaths which drove home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction served to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

===Increased threat===
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
* The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
* Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
* In "[[Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!

===Cast thinning===
Transformers stories are notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they roll on; Generation 1 was particularly notorious for this because of its longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle. Examples are rife in the fiction, especially the Marvel Comics.

* In the Marvel comics:
** The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline got rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
** The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly cleared out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
** The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
* [[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] dealt with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}

Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
* The numerous casualties of "[[The Transformers: The Movie]]" were fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
* Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed -- quickly -- to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
* Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!

==Fleshling death==
In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[Image:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|right|150px|thumb|One dead dog]]

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Two dead dogs]]

Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
* A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barked at [[Wilder]] and was kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
* The [[Murdered puppy]] was shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] once reminded [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
* The puppy-like [[Noble]] was shot at by [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}.
* A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally caused an avalanche which killed his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
* "[[Law of the Jungle]]" also portrays the deaths of four different forest animals (a bug is eaten by a frog, which is eaten by a snake, which is taken off to be eaten by a bird. Later, an orange tiger kills an antelope). This is a rare "Consequences of War" example.
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] also once ate an eagle, {{storylink|Power Surge}} while Tarantulas ate a cute little rat {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}, and nearly ate an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] had to fight a saber-toothed tiger off a cliff killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
* [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] used [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
* Human villain [[Tyler "Trophy" White]] had a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}

{{-}}

===Human death===
[[Image:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|right|thumb|250px|This didn't happen much.]]

* Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
* Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
* In every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed.
* Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Armada]]'', ''[[Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding mention of human death -- even when human cities are being directly attacked, as in "[[Multiplicity, Pt. 2]]".
* Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
* The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
* [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW comics]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
* The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000, and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]]), though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]].
* The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue 10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. [[Sam Witwicky]], meanwhile, was stated to have died.
* Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men militia]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opened fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people was seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}

==Characters who die a lot==
* [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
* [[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who gets [[:Image:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
* [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] — the unlucky guy from ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' who gets sliced, diced, and fricasseed every other episode only to be fully functional in time to get [[Slag (slang)|slagged]] ''again''.
* [[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]], a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently. For no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
* [[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:Image:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:Image:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].
* [[Starscream (Animated)]] - the unlucky guy that constantly gets killed, decapitated, or maimed by others, only to be brought back to life.

==See also==
* [[Transformer funerary practices]]
* [[To sell toys]]

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Megatron (G1)/toys

2010-02-24T02:10:35Z

193.62.51.5: /* Universe (2008) */

{{suite}}[[Image:Instructionart-megatrong2combat.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Many toys have been made of '''[[Generation 1]] [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'''. So many, they have to get their own page!

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Megatron toy.jpg|right|350px|thumb|This photo needs an orange cap or someone might shoot the wiki.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Decepticon Leader, 1984/1985)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''16'''
**''Accessories (Hasbro release)'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon"
**''Accessories (Takara release)'': Sword, "high-density infrared laser cannon", 20 bullets

: Released in the first year of the ''Transformers'' toyline, the original Megatron toy began life as the ''[[Microman]]'' figure "Gun Robo - P38", which transforms into an accurate replica of a Walther P-38 pistol. This ''Microman'' figure was availble in two forms: a standard version in two color schemes (one grey, one black), and the "Gun Robo - P38 U.N.C.L.E.", outfitted with three distinctive acessories—a scope, a silencer and a stock—that replicate the appearance of the unique, specialized Walther pistol seen in the popular 1960s spy television series ''[[Wikipedia:The Man from U.N.C.L.E.|The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' <ref>https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/cia-museum/spy-fi-archives/item08.html</ref> It was the "U.N.C.L.E." version, with all of its special accessories, that was released by Hasbro as Megatron. When the figure is in robot mode, the sight doubles as his signature arm-mounted [[fusion cannon]], but can also be combined with the other attachments to form either a "Particle Beam Cannon" weapons emplacement that Megatron can man, or a "Telescopic Laser Cannon" that connects to the figure as an over-shoulder weapons array. The pieces can also form a turret that a ''Microman'' figure can sit on and operate (that's what the tiny handles on Megatron's fusion cannon are for), but this feature was naturally left out of the ''Transformers'' version's instructions. Megatron also came with a chromed silver "high-density infrared laser cannon" that plugs into his either of his hands.

: The original ''Microman'' release of the toy that would be Megatron featured a spring-loaded firing mechanism that allowed the toy to shoot ([[for safety reasons|dangerously small]]) plastic bullets one at a time from its barrel. A similar launching mechanism was also built into the stock piece, which could launch the bullets when the accessories were configured into their weapons emplacement mode. As with all missile-firing gimmicks, this feature was removed from the Hasbro release of the toy, though the ports into which the bullets were inserted are still present.

: Megatron has had several variations, reissues and [[redeco]]s released down through the years; this article strives to list each distinct edition of the toy under its own respective series. The earliest variation of the toy came in 1985, when (like all toys originally available in 1984) Megatron was given a factory-applied [[rubsign]]. Then, the following year, when he was no longer a part of the toy assortment sold at retail, Megatron was made available as a mail-away item in the "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]" flier packed in with boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $21.50 and five [[robot points]].

: Perhaps the most significant variant of Megatron released in these early years was the version of the figure released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] in Japan. Instead of using the ''Microman'' "U.N.C.L.E." figure as Hasbro had, Takara released the ''standard'' version of the Gun Robo P-38 ''Microman'' figure, in its grey color scheme, which featured flat grey plastic on the chest and arms (where Hasbro's toy was chromed), and blue plastic on the inner arms and legs (where Hasbro's was red). Most notably, like that standard ''Microman'' figure, Takara's Megatron did not come with the stock, silencer and scope accessories (lacking even the attachment point for his cannon on his right arm), but instead came with a silver-chromed sword and retained his original bullet-firing mechanism. Takara's [[package art]] for the figure was an entirely different illustration from the Hasbro version, showing this toy's accessories, but it still erroneously showed the figure with red plastic on its limbs. This coloration was later [[Repurposing|repurposed]] by [[e-Hobby]] for a new character named [[Megaplex]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|VSX}}
[[Image:Convoy_megatron_vsx.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Convoy VS Megatron''' (Multi-pack, 1985)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VSX'''
**''Accessories'': Sword, "high-density infrared laser cannon", 20 bullets

: In Japan, Megatron was also made available in a special two-pack with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]]. Both toys were identical to their individual releases. In Megatron's case, that means unchromed gray plastic, blue instead of red, and a functional firing mechanism and sword, instead of the scope, silencer and stock. This box also used an altered version of the individual release's box-art, turning his head sideways to face Prime, as opposed to the original's camera-facing head position.

{{-}}{{anchor|GoodBye}}
[[Image:G1toy_goodbye_megatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Good Bye Megatron''' (Multi-pack, 1986)
**''Accessories'': Sword, "high-density infrared laser cannon", 20 bullets, targeting sight/fusion cannon

: Megatron was released again as part of a special "Good Bye" set to commemorate his passing ([[Galvatron (G1)|of sorts]]) in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', packaged with [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] (who also was now no more). Although it still lacked the chrome seen on the Hasbro version of the toy, this edition of the figure replaced the blue plastic seen on previous Takara releases with Hasbro's show-accurate red, and included the fusion cannon accessory for the first time with a Takara release, complete with the mounting point now added to Megatron's right arm. Though still lacking the silencer and stock, the toy retained its Japanese-exclusive sword accessory and its bullet-firing mechanism, with one modification: The bullets, formerly blue, were now red.

: Despite the change to the toy's colors, the box art on this set, the same art used for the [[Hasbro]] releases, was recolored to match the blue of the ''previous'' releases. Whoops.

{{-}}
*'''Galvatron''' (Decepticon [[City Commander]], 1986)

{{main|Galvatron (G1)/toys}}

{{-}}{{anchor|ActionMaster}}
*'''Neutro-Fusion Tank with Megatron''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories'': Neutro-Fusion Tank, 4 missiles, "twin laser cannon"
[[Image:Neutro-fusiontanktoy1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Uh-oh! Visual interest!]]
: Megatron returned as an ''[[Action Master]]'' in 1990, and as with most ''Action Master'' figures, he could not transform. His sculpt was based heavily upon the character's animation model design. Megatron is compatible with all other Action Master accessories and vehicles.

: He came packaged with the [[Neutro-Fusion Tank]], a large tank vehicle whose hull could transform into a base/gun emplacement, with the turret forming a flight pod. Four "corrosive smoke shell" accessories mounted on both sides of the tank. There are seats for two Action Master figures on the front on either side of the barrel, another seat inside the turret, and four pegs on the back of the tank for standing additional Action Master figures.

:The tank's turret can detach and become a "jet throne," which features flip-out wings, and the body of the tank transforms into a missile-launcher battle station. The battle station has two seats on either side behind the missile launchers (non-firing) and a stowing bay in the center for an additional figure.

:In a fairly notable omission, ''Action Master'' Megatron did not come with the character's iconic fusion cannon accessory. In 1992, however, a Japanese fan sculpted his own cannon accessory, which could plug into the figure's arm using the shoulder screw-hole (seen in the image at right). In a surprising move, Takara gave this cannon their approval and allowed it to be officially sold with their copyright stamp at a Japanese convention {{fact|which one?}} for only one day, at the price of 2000 yen.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1990/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Action Master Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|2000reissue}}
[[Image:G1toy_2000_megatron_reissue.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Megatron''' (reissue, 2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''16-S'''
**''Accessories'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon", sword, 20 bullets

:This reissue of the original Megatron figure combines the best aspects of the Hasbro and Takara versions into the most "complete" version of Megatron available at that point. The set features the chromed chest and arms and red plastic of the Hasbro release, and includes the silencer, stock and sight/cannon, while also coming with Takara's sword and functional bullet-firing mechanism.

:This reissue was redecoed to make the simultaneously available exclusive "Megatron Black Version" (see below).

{{-}}{{anchor|BlackG1}}
[[Image:G1toy_black_megatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Megatron Black Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''16-S'''
**''Accessories'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon", sword, 20 bullets

: Where the original Takara Megatron toy made use of one of the two color schemes of the original ''Microman'' Gun Robo P38 toy, this redeco of the 2000 reissue Megatron is an homage to the ''second'', black color scheme for the ''Microman'' toy. Available exclusively through e-Hobby and pre-orders at [[BotCon Japan 2000]], "Megatron Black Version" features dark gunmetal chrome, black plastic instead of grey, and distinctive brown gun handle-grips, fists and "inner helmet". The chrome replaces the flat black plastic of the original ''Microman'' toy, which also had blue plastic on its legs and arms that is here supplanted by Megatron's now-traditional red. The toy was limited to 1000 pieces.

: E-Hobby later reissued Megatron Black Version in February, 2009. This release includes a [[Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.|mini-comic]] explaining the story behind the redeco.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2000/Destron/BlackMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Megatron Black Version at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2Megatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|G2 Megatron is always ready for tank combat in one of Earth's many green and purple jungles.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Decepticon, 1992)
**''Accessories'': Rifle, 6 missiles, sight

: Owing to the inability of Hasbro to re-release the original Megatron because that toy was a pistol, ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' Megatron was released in 1992 as a large green M1A1 Abrams main battle tank. His main gimmick was a 'lock and load' cannon that can load most of his projectile ammunition, and then fire them one at a time. This was accompanied by electronic sounds (including engine, laser and cannon sound effects) and [http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=894768596.wav a voice chip].

: In robot mode, Megatron is by the standards of the time, a very large robot, towering over all ''Generation 2'' incarnations of Optimus Prime. His legs were immobile, but he had upper shoulder rotation and elbow joints. His left arm, when raised, activates a laser sound. Pressing down on his head activates his battlecry '''"Megatron Attack!"'''. His main cannon still functions in this mode.

: This mold was slightly redecoed (with new stickers) as [[Megastorm]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1993/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Generation 2 Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Hero}}
[[Image:G2 CombatHero Megatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|By this point, the purple had almost completely taken over his body.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Hero, 1995)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TRF-2'''
**''Accessories'': Rifle, 2 air-launch missiles

:Megatron was released again the following year as "Hero" Megatron: a smaller, but similarly styled tank based off the M1 Abrams. This Megatron was purple and came with a bellows that fired an air-propelled missile. Both missiles could be kept on Megatron thanks to clips on his turret, which become his robot mode arms... conveniently kinda simulating the "classic" Megatron arm cannon to boot.

: Hero Megatron was designed with articulation in mind, so he was loaded with multiple swivel and universal joints, giving him far greater movement compared to his original ''Generation 2'' toy.

: This toy was released in Europe, albeit with a "MEGATRON RULES"-free blank chest sticker, as [[Archforce]]. It was also [[Redeco|redecoed]] into ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Bludgeon (RID)|Bludgeon]] in 2003 (which has since been [[Repurposing|repurposed]] to become "[[Shattered Glass]]" [[Bludgeon (SG)|Bludgeon]]).

::*''[http://tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Hero Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|Go-Bot}}
[[Image:Megatron-G2GoBot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He'd be a better shot if he could only see over his hood-chest.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Go-Bot, 1995)
**''Accessories'': Rifle

: Part of the second assortment of [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]], this version of Megatron is a mild [[redeco]] of the Autobot [[Blowout]], transforming into a 1:64-scale Porsche 959 sports car with through-axle construction. This not only makes him roll exceptionally fast in car mode, but also makes him largely compatible with playsets from the "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" toy-car lines. Megatron and Blowout share the same blue and black inner robot colors, but Megatron uses opaque silver plastic with a shiny metallic silver paint overcoat, as opposed to Blowout's smoky-clear plastic. (All of the toys from the first wave that had transparent plastics were released in this wave with opaques instead; Blowout and [[Firecracker]] became new versions of Megatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] respectively, while [[Gearhead]] and [[Motormouth]] stayed themselves.)

: In Japan, his hood was tampographed with a stylized "T" with the ''Transformers'' logo set within the top bar, the same deco that appears on Go-Bots [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the Japanese release of Go-Bots Optimus Prime.

:This mold was also used to make Go-Bots [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Hot Shot (RID)|Hot Shot]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1995/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Go-Bot Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|CombatHero}}
[[Image:CombatHeroMegatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I AM POWERED BY UNOBTAINIUM!]]
*'''Megatron''' (Combat Hero, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': rifle, 2 air-launch missiles

: This kinda-sorta "arctic"-camo version of the [[#Hero|Hero Megatron]] toy was solicited to numerous retailers, and is one of a great many ''Generation 2'' toys to never see the light of day. Precious few samples of this toy exist.

: At [[BotCon 1996]], a donated Combat Hero Megatron was one of the items in the charity auction, along with several other canceled ''Generation 2'' toys.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}{{anchor|ATB}}
[[Image:G2toy_ATB_megs_and_screamer.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
*'''A.T.B. Megatron''' (Decepticon, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': 12 missiles, 2 missiles launchers

: A planned-but-canceled redeco of ''Generation 2'' [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]], Megatron would have transformed into a "flying wing" Advanced Tactical Bomber (when combined with his smaller "partner" [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]) with an under-slung six-missile gatling cannon. Each wing can store three mose missiles, which can "carpet-bomb" targets below by pressing the pressure-launch buttons above each. He can also transform into a treaded "tank" mode, activated by removing Starscream from the jet mode and activating a spring-loaded [[autotransform]] mechanism in his wings.

: This toy's deco was used to make ''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'''s [[BB]] and [[Starscream (BWII)|Starscream]] out of the same mold-set. This mold was also used to make ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Dreadwind (RID)|Dreadwind]] and ''[[Robot Masters]]'' [[Gigant Bomb]].

: According to the Toy Fair 1995 Transformers presentation, the toy's missiles were intended to glow in the dark. This feature was not carried over with the Beast Wars II BB/Starscream set.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BWtoy-MegatronBasic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Go Gators!]]
* '''Optimus Primal VS Megatron''' (Basic 2-pack, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

: The initial version of ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Megatron transformed into a green alligator. The toy is a [[retool]] of [[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] with new alligator and robot heads, and no frill. The screw hole for the frill bracket remains. Both toys were released at roughly the same time.

:Whether this toy can be considered the ''Beast Wars'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] character as seen in the primary fiction is a matter of debate. Released before the animated series began, which established Megatron as a separate entity from Generation 1 Megatron, the accompanying profiles and mini-comic seem to assume that the Beast Wars are a progression of the same characters from the Autobot/Decepticon war. Whether the animated series's [[retcon]] affected this set of toys is probably a matter of personal preference. It can be interpreted as representing one of the more interesting [[micro-continuity|micro-continuities]].

:More recently, the ''[[Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' has asserted that, in [[Beast Wars timeline (IDW)|IDW's version of ''Beast Wars'' continuity]], Megatron's alligator body was suggested by the ''Darksyde'''s computer as a potential alternate mode, but he rejected it in favor of the more powerful T-Rex, without ever actually reformatting into it. Thus, this [[micro-continuity]] posits alligator-mode Megatron as an essentially theoretical alternate form that never actually came to be.

:This mold was additionally used to make the purple-recolored Megaligator (who may or may not be a separate character to either Megatron or Megatron Beast Wars Megatron). It was also proposed for [[Albitron]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1996/Predacon/MegatronGator/megatron.htm More information on Beast Wars Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWultra}}
[[Image:Bwmegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't call him Barney.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Ultra, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

: This Megatron transformed into a purple organic ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. He has limited articulation in beast mode, but his dinosaur head can [[Water-squirting gimmick|shoot water]]. In robot mode, he has no hands, as his right arm ends with his dinosaur head, and his tail, folded into a pincer, forms his left arm. The outer shells of his dinosaur thighs conceal spring-loaded missile launchers that fire anchor-shaped projectiles.

: His robot head feature two bat-like wing adornments that fold to become a [[mutant head]].

:Like his previous Beast Wars toy, this toy was released before the animated series premiered, and represented G1 Megatron having upgraded his Alligator body into a more powerful form.

: This mold was also used to make the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobot]] [[T-Wrecks]].

{{-}}{{anchor|GatorJ}}
* '''Megaligator''' (Basic, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

: In Japan, the gator Megatron toy was also sold as an individual toy, as well as in a VS pack with Optimus. The individual release is identical to the two-pack version, which is in turn identical to the Hasbro version.

{{-}}{{anchor|CDgator}}
*'''Convobat vs Megaligator''' (Basic 2-pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''S-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

:This figure is a purple [[redeco]] of Megatron's alligator form, and was sold with a red and blue redeco of Bat Primal. This may or may not be intended to be the same character as Megatron or Generation 1 Megatron.

===Machine Wars===
[[Image:MWMegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And that's why Thundercracker turned green.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Basic, 1997)
**''Accessories'': 2-part rifle

: Sharing a mold with his concurrently-released ally [[Megaplex]] (which had been a canceled mold developed for ''Generation 2''), ''[[Machine Wars]]'' Megatron transforms from a [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor fighter jet]] to robot mode with a spring-loaded one-step transformation. The two halves of his rifle store in the back of his robot-mode legs.

: Oddly, the ''Machine Wars'' stock photos (and even the boxart) portray Megatron as the gray F-22 jet and Megaplex as the blue one, the ''opposite'' of the actual toys. This means that either the package designers made the mistake, or the toys were packaged on the wrong cards. The latter is more likely, since gray is more associated with Megatron than blue. Like most other toys in the line, the boxart was recycled from an earlier figure, in this case from the [[Predator]] [[Falcon (G1)|Falcon]].

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrust]], ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Wind Sheer (RID)|Wind Sheer]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' [[Air Hunter]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1997/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Machine Wars Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Choro-Q Robo===

* '''Megatron TV Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''Q/03'''

:''[[Choro-Q|Choro-Q Robo]]'' Megatron is a small, cutesified transforming figure of the Decepticon leader. He is the only ''Choro-Q Robo'' Transformers figure that does not come with a weapon accessory, but after all, he does turn ''into'' a gun. In a bizarre and hilarious touch, Megatron has weels on his base and barrel, so that he can share the communal feature of the ''Choro-Q Robo'' figures: a pull-back motor!

* '''Megatron Black Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''Q/04'''

:This version of ''Choro-Q Robo'' Megatron is a redeco of the first, decked out in a metallic color scheme based on the "Black Version" of the reissue of the Generation 1 figure released earlier that year.
{{-}}
===Transformers Collection===
{{anchor|TFCMegatron}}
*'''Megatron''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''6'''
**''Accessories'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon", sword, 20 bullets

:The original Generation 1 Megatron figure was again reissued in 2003 as part of Takara's "[[Transformers Collection]]" series. This release was identical to the previous 2000 reissue, in that it featured the colors of the Hasbro release of the toy, and all the accessories of both the Hasbro and Takara versions, but this time, it also included a new energon mace weapon, as used by the Decepticon leader in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]". Much like the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|"New Year Special"]] version of Optimus Prime released the previous year, Megatron also came with a sheet of Decepticon [[insignia]] stickers of different sizes, and a Decepticon mouse pad.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Transformers Collection Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TFCStarscream}}
[[Image:TFC09ScreamerHoldingMegs.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Sometimes I just... want to be held.]]
* '''Starscream''' (Transformers Collection, 2002)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''9'''

: The "[[Transformers Collection]]" [[reissue]] of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] includes an original accessory, a Generation-1-[[Scale|scaled]] representation of Megatron in his Walther P-38 altmode. Needless to say, he doesn't transform, but he is designed to be capable of being "held" by Starscream... in both modes!

: Megatron's handle splits apart to reveal a peg, which can be inserted into a secondary specialized right hand included with Starscream especially for this purpose. While the gun's peg slots into the hand, the hand itself features an additional peg that slots into the corresponding hole in the other half of the gun. He can also attach to Starscream's jet mode; the right-hand side of Megs' handle features a square peg which is designed to fit snugly in gaps in Stasrcream's pectorals, as in [[S.O.S. Dinobots|that one episode where he does just that]]. Unfortunately, this peg has, for no fathomable reason, been cast in the same sky blue color as Screamer's hands, unnecessarily making it ''as obtrusive as humanly possible''.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Destron/AnimeStarscream/starscream.htm More information on Transformers Collection Starscream at TFU.info]''
{{--}}
===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[Image:STFMegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime's gun.]]
*'''Megatron''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GTF 07'''
**''Accessories:'' Fusion cannon/scope

: ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' Megatron was released in the second wave of the diminutive Takara toyline, including only his fusion cannon. Easily the most complex of the ''Smallest Transforming'' figures, Megatron is a just-barely-simplified version of his original Generation 1 toy, possessing the same transformation scheme and retaining most of his articulation.

:Just as ''Smallest Transforming'' Optimus Prime's trailer was released as a separate figure in the line, so too were a set of silencer and stock attachments originally intended to be released for Megatron in the line's third wave. Unfortunately, this wave, and most of the other original figures it was set to contain, was cancelled, and so Megatron was left under-armed.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2004/Destron/SmallestMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Smallest Transforming Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:Wst vsx megatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
* '''Convoy vs Megatron''' (multipack, 2004)
** ''Japanese ID Number:'' '''VSX'''
** ''Accessories:'' Fusion cannon/scope

:Available exclusively through [[Dengeki Hobby]] magazine, this ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' two-pack contains both Optimus Prime and Megatron, in homage to the original 1984 "VSX" giftset containing the original versions of the two leaders. While Optimus is unaltered from his original release, Megatron takes the homage a little further, removing the swirled pattern from the original figure's chest and replacing the red plastic with blue to emulate the original Takara version of the full-size Generation 1 figure.
{{--}}

===Robot Masters===
[[Image:RMReverseConvoy toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My Convoy counterpart is nearby. Real nearby.]]
*'''Reverse Convoy / Rebirth Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-24'''
**''Accessories'': "Reverse Blaster", missile

: A [[retool]] of the ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' "Hero Megatron" toy, Rebirth Megatron transforms into a heavily modified blue and tan [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|M1 Abrams tank]]. In addition to a new "[[Reverse Convoy]]" head that flips out of the same compartment as the head on the original version of the mold, the toy features a brand new "Mega Blaster" cannon assembly that houses most of the toy's new features. The Mega Blaster fires a spring-loaded blue missile, and the rear of the cannon can be removed and transformed into the hand-held "Reverse Blaster" weapon, featuring twin barrels and a rack of six (non-removable) missiles. Once the Reverse Blaster is removed, the toy's "Rebirth Megatron" head can be rotated out from the back of the cannon to take the place of Reverse Convoy's head between the figure's shoulders.

: The original version of this mold was use to make [[Archforce]] and ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Bludgeon (RID)|Bludgeon]] (which has been [[Repurposing|repurposed]] to also be "[[Shattered Glass]]" [[Bludgeon (SG)|Bludgeon]]). The toy still retains the opening panels on its forearms, despite no longer featuring the large missiles they are designed to store.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/ReverseConvoy/reverseconvoy.htm More information on Reverse Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumGIJoeHeroesMegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|THE BOX OF DOOM.]]
*'''Megatron''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Stand with nameplate

:Part of the very first wave of six-inch ''[[Titanium Series]]'' toys, Megatron was inspired by [[Dreamwave Productions]]' first ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' crossover, set in an alternate-reality World War II. Since that Megatron's gun form was nonviable as a toy, a tank alternate mode (of undetermined, probably-entirely-made-up model) was designed. The backstory of the Megatron from the crossover, including references to Cobra, was retained on the package, make it the first U.S. figure ever produced as part of a ''G.I. Joe / [[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' crossover.

:Although the figure looks somewhat impressive, it notably has the tendency to fall apart during transformation and was relatively difficult to pose in robot mode without it falling over.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/TitMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Titanium Megatron at TFU.info]]'

{{-}}{{anchor|TiWarWithin}}
[[Image:Megatrontitaniumtww.jpg|right|300px|thumb|THE... NAP OF DOOM?]]
*'''War Within Megatron''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Arm cannon, shield, stand with nameplate

:A new ''Titanium Series'' Megatron based on his [[The War Within|''War Within'']] design was initially shown at [[BotCon 2006]], and was released in spring of 2007. Like the original comic book design, his robot mode has a removable arm cannon and shield, but unlike the original comic book design, his robot mode transforms into his alternate mode at a different angle.

:As opposed to the earlier toy, this one has a more posable robot mode, but somewhat unimpressive alternate mode, being little more than lying the toy on its back and attaching the gun/shield. There is a small clip on the back of the toy which designer [[Don Figueroa]] said was to hold his sword, seen in the comic book, but that accessory was ultimately not produced.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/TitTWWMegatron/megatron.htm More information on War Within Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|WarWithin2pack}}
[[Image:Titanium_war_within_2pack.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''War Within Optimus Prime / War Within Megatron''' (2-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Arm cannon, shield

:This Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] two-pack features [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron as they appeared in the ''War Within'' comic series. Though the Megatron in this set is identical to its individual release, Optimus loses the paint wash, making him much cleaner-looking.

: The set also came with [[The War Within issue 5|the fifth issue of the ''War Within'' comic book]], featuring a variant cover exclusive to this release.
{{--}}
===Classics (2006)===
[[Image:Megatronclassicstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Paint me black and give me to a kid, ASAP.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Voyager, 2006)

:''Classics'' Megatron is a "fusion blaster" based loosely on the original Megatron toy and appears to transform into a [[:Image:N-strike maverick.jpg|Nerf N-Strike Maverick blaster]] to comply with modern US toy gun regulations (an orange cap on a Walther P-38 won't cover it). Its scope/arm cannon houses a working crosshairs and its trigger includes clicking action. In order to pass modern safety regulations (both the government's and Hasbro's), its blaster mode includes lots of purple and green, plus bright orange on both the tip of the "barrel" and the scope.

:Although some official Hasbro photographs, including those appearing on the toy's packaging, show the gun mode's trigger and other small parts as being orange, those parts were gray in later stock photography and the final release.

:In these above-mentioned early promotional photographs, Megatron also had noticeably different "eyebrow" paint applications that matched those of the original Megatron toy. These were two small black triangles on a gray plastic forehead. The final release has the placement of the black reversed, with two small gray triangles and a black forehead, sometimes referred to as Megatron's "unibrow" by fans.

:It has been recently discovered that the orange parts on Megatron, particularly the more exposed ones, seem to have their colors fade out over time. The exact cause of this change has not yet been discovered but care should be taken to avoid this from happening.

:Curiously enough, the UK version of the packaging reads "Scope becomes canon!".

:''Classics'' Megatron was redecoed in Japan as part of the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]] Transformers'' line by [[TakaraTomy]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/ClassicsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Classics Voyager Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Ultimate.2BBattle}}

[[Image:MegatronUltimateBattle.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The only Transformer capable of Moonwalking, seriously. Well apart from Armada Scavenger but that's a different story]]
*'''Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle''' (Deluxe versus set, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Rifle

: The Megatron included in this two-pack is a tank inspired by the first Megatron toy from ''Generation 2''. Instead of a right hand, its arm ends in a blade with "spinning dervish action." He is packaged with Optimus Prime and "[[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle|The Ultimate Battle]]" DVD. Later releases of this toy in Mexico and some European countries had him individually packed but otherwise unchanged from the original release.

:Many (all?) units of this figure have Megatron's splayed feet [[Misassembly|swapped and assembled backwards]], a fact which is not immediately apparent as the "heel" half of his feet are actually larger than the "toe" half (this is the opposite of most splay-footed transformers), and the situation is not helped by the promotional (exhibit A, to your right) and box-art photography displaying an identically misassembled figure. However, examination of the instructions and any attempt to transform Megatron into tank mode immediately demonstrate the mistake, which is easily corrected by unscrewing the halves of his lower legs, reversing the foot pieces, and attaching each to the opposite leg.

:In 2008, the Optimus Prime vs Megatron set, sans DVD, has been reissued to outlets like Kay Bee in new [[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]] packaging. The feet are still misassembled. The same set has also been seen at Dollar General and Big Lots! stores since 2007.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/ClassicsDVDMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Classics Deluxe Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Masterpiece===
* '''20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/Masterpiece Convoy''' (2003/2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-1'''

[[Image:GunmodeMegsMasterpieceConvoy.jpg|left|230px|thumb|Bang bang! He shot me down! Bang bang! I hit the ground...]]
: The Masterpiece Prime/Convoy included an accessory of Megatron in his classic Walther P-38 altmode. Although non-transforming, it is quite detailed and includes the individually removable silencer / barrel extension, scope, and (hinged) stock.
: Although notionally [[Scale|scaled]] to be wielded by Masterpiece Prime, the handle is marginally too short and thus has a sliding joint diagonally across the butt of the gun, thus slightly lengthening and narrowing the grip so that Prime can actually hold it. The reason for this odd design concept is unknown.
: Needless to say, the later-released Masterpiece [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] (and [[Skywarp (G1)|his]] [[Thundercracker (G1)|redecoes]]) can also hold this version of Megatron, and far more appropriately too!
: The stock extension connecting clamp is prone to breakage to the chagrin of owners who keep theirs sealed and untouched.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/20thPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

* '''Masterpiece Ultra Magnus''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-2'''

:A redeco of the non-transforming Megatron gun accessory was included with Masterpiece Ultra Magnus, itself a redeco of Masterpiece Convoy. For this release, the accessory was colored in the style of Megatron Black Version.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Masterpiece Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
*'''Megatron''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-5'''

[[Image:MasterpieceMegsBox.jpg|right|180px|thumb|You will pay dearly for this. Literally and metaphorically...]]
: Scaled to the same height as 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/Masterpiece Convoy, Masterpiece Megatron is designed to make a figure closely resembling Megatron's fairly non-[[Show-accuracy|toy-accurate]] original animation model actually able to transform into a realistic (if oversized) Walther P-38 altmode. Something which, on paper, should be impossible. This results in an ''incredibly'' complex transformation, likely making it one of the most elaborate ''Transformers'' toys to date, even including the unusually complicated automorphing Movie toys.

[[Image:MasterpieceMegsBigAssCannon.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Dude, I don't even need to fire this thing. I could, like, totally just bash you to death with it...]]
: Similar to Masterpiece Starscream, Megatron contains virtually zero die-cast, the only metal components being his feet and some structural rods (and not even as many as you'd expect). Combined with the fact that most of his parts are very thin in order to accommodate the intricacy of the transformation, this results in a comparatively light toy for its size.

: Megatron has the least articulation of the Masterpiece line, lacking the ability to pivot out at the shoulder by more than a small angle, and his head cannot look upwards. The figure is completely incapable of rotating its arms sideways at the elbows. Also, due to the fact that the fusion cannon is very large (being [[Scale|scaled]] for a realistic gun mode sight), it butts into the gun mode barrel behind his right shoulder whenever his arm is raised at any angle other than straight ahead.

: Accessories include Megatron's purple energy flail from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]", the light saber (referred to by Takara as an "energy dagger" for obvious legal reasons) used in his duel against Prime in "[[The Transformers: The Movie]]", as well as the discarded laser pistol with which he subsequently kills him. Also included is a tiny translucent [[Kremzeek]] figure. His fusion cannon also contains a powerful red LED which casts a short-range spotlight when a button is pressed.

[[Image:HLJplug.jpg|right|180px|thumb|If you transformed into a gun, wouldn't plugging your barrel be the equivalent of a vasectomy?]]
: Due to updated realistic toy gun laws, a debate arose surrounding the Masterpiece Megatron toy. Many fans thought the toy would prove difficult to import into the United States. These fears led some online importers to modify the toys to comply with customs laws. Although initially believed that this would involve permanently painting both the sight and barrel tips blaze orange or gluing on a large plug, final versions have been comparatively discreet. Manufactured by the individual importers, some retailers have elected to attach a rounded red plug into the barrel with ''permanent'' "adhesive", while others have used a flat-tipped yellow plug that was apparently only temporarily secured with double-sided tape. Still other retailers chose not to modify the toys at all.

: Additionally, Australians have also had to deal with strict gun and gun replica laws. While some collectors have managed to receive their Megatrons without incident, Australian Customs and the Federal Police have seized mass shipments and individual packages of the toy sent by certain online retailers, as they now classify ''Masterpiece'' Megatron as a gun replica. It is possible to collect a seized Megatron from customs if you live in New South Wales, but it requires a special permit issued by the government. To get this permit, you must go through a lengthy process to prove that you are elligible to own the figure and that you won't misuse it. The only exception is South Australia, where it is perfectly legal to own MP-5, but you must get it from within the country...which seems stupid when you think how hard it is to get him into the country in the first place.
: After much discussion with the Queensland Police and Customs, one collector was able to verify that, under Queensland law, it was classified as a "restricted" import. Further inquiries showed that importation was allowed if the importer held a B709A license to import replicas, and that whilst a license was required to import, there are (currently) no laws governing registering the item or providing secure "gun cabinet" storage. Obtaining this license involved mailing off an application plus photographs of the item, along with a statutory declaration stating that if the item was ever sold or disposed of that the collector would inform the police for tracking purposes. The issued license permitted importation of 1 figure only and was valid for 3 months. Customs allowed the import without incident.

: Given the relatively thin clips throughout the toy to hold it tightly together in gun mode, Megatron's plastic components are particularly prone to breakage, especially on the clips on the upper black grip plates and some of the silver sections near the trigger. Some owners of this figure have also reported rust and tarnish problems for this figure. Seibertron.com is hosting a guide<ref>[http://seibertron.com/energonpub/viewtopic.php?t=16106 MP-05 Megatron's Cosmic Rust, aka Tarnish problem (with pics) solutions inside]</ref> to combat the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] problem.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Destron/MPMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Masterpiece Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Sports Label===
*'''Megatron Nike Free 7.0''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''02'''
[[Image:Nikeatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Some idiots thought I was going to be life-sized! Fools! Foooools!!!]]

:Seeking to exploit the tremendous energy potential of sweatshops, Megatron has taken on this new altmode to cement his alliance with [[wikipedia:Nike,_Inc.|Nike Inc.]], since [[Cobra]] evidently wasn't enough of an evil empire for him...

:''[[Sport Label]]'', a rather unusual product line comprised of a mere three entries, entirely utilizes the same body mold with different heads, making this the first time Optimus and Megatron have had identical bodies.

:Something of a [[shellformer]], Nikeatron is colored primarily black and gray in his altmode of a realistic-looking, scaled-down Nike sneaker, complete with (gratuitously long) real fabric shoelaces. In robot mode, he incorporates a little additional red in predictable areas and has a somewhat uniquely-shaped yet instantly recognizable G1-inspired head, with rather snooty (or camp, take your pick) pursed lips. An undocumented aspect of his transformation is that his gun, which splits in two halves and stores inside his [[kibble]] when transforming (much like [[Rattrap]]'s) has two handle pegs on opposite sides, so that the gun can be held either at its far end or halfway along its length. Additionally, the Megatron figure has an extra peg hole in his right forearm (well, technically so does Prime), allowing you to insert the mid-length plug of his black-colored weapon at this point, positioning the weapon in such a way as to resemble (''vaguely'') his traditional [[fusion cannon]], rather than simply holding it in his hand.

:Somewhat perversely, Sneakertron's feet are sculpted in the likeness of his own sneaker altmode, so in effect, ''he is wearing himself!'' Kinky...

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Destron/SLMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Sports Label Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===

*'''Megatron''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''02'''
**''Accessories'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon", sword, 20 bullets

:The original Generation 1 Megatron figure was reissued yet again in 2007 as part of TakaraTomy's new line of "[[Encore|Transformers Encore]]" reissues. Like previous reissues, this Megatron features the Hasbro colors and the accessories from both Hasbro and Takara editions of the figure, but this time, he features a tan finish to his chrome rather than the normal colorless-silver finish.
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Megatron Toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Megatron's palette must be swapped... no matter the cost."]]
*'''Megatron''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''D-01'''

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]] Transformers'' Megatron is a redeco of the ''Classics'' version. He features a significantly altered colour scheme, generally to make the toy more closely resemble his appearance in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon and the original toyline. His chest plate is chromed silver, as well as the top of his knee guards.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/ClassicsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Henkei Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
*'''Megatron''' (Legends of Cybertron, 2008)

[[Image:Megatronlegend2008.jpg|right|200px|thumb|His shoulders hurt too, buddy!]]
:A [[Legends Class]] version of Megatron inspired by his ''Generation 2'' tank design, although featuring a more realistic shade of green.
:Sadly, because of his transformation, when transformed into tank mode his turret doesn't turn around.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/LegendsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Universe Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
[[Image:Universe2008-toy SEMegatron.JPG|right|250px|thumb|G1 paint scheme but G2 alt mode. If it triple changed into a purple dinosaur then we could say it's the best of the 80's and 90's.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Deluxe Class: Special Edition, 2008)

:A redeco of the "Ultimate Battle" Megatron from ''Classics'', this time featuring a G1-inspired deco of grays, red and black. This new deco takes advantage of the mould break-up to add an additional plastic colour (5, rather than the original's 4). In actuality the dark grey parts on the original version of the mould are now divided between light grey, red and black plastic on the "Special Edition" version. This is really obvious if one compares their guns. "Ultimate Battle" Megatron's is solid grey, while "Special Edition" Megatron's sports a red stock.

:The Special Edition toy was designed for Australasian markets and features a bookbox style packaging with black-and-white boxart. The box better be good since he supports an inflated price tag as well (usually about 150% the standard Deluxe price for Deluxe figures outside the U.S., but it wasn't uncommon for him to be sold solo for as much as the "Special Edition" double-pack). He was not available at retail in North America, but was for sale on Hasbrotoyshop.com, like the other Special Edition toys.

:His feet are correctly assembled this time around, so yay for that.

:Oddly enough, this Megatron and the three other Universe Special Edition toys were included in Taiwanese special value packs each containing a ''[[Revenge of the Fallen]]'' DVD.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/HTSMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Special Edition Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternity===
[[Image:Alternity Megatron Toy Blade Silver.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Behold, my Inertia Manipulating Device under my Skirt Armor!!!]]
*'''Nissan Fairlady Z feat. Megatron''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' 2 "tesseractal swords"
:The ''[[Alternity]]'' Megatron toy transforms into a 1:32 scale model of a Nissan 370Z and features die-cast metal parts and rubber tires. The figure wields two "tesseractal swords" which can be pegged at its hips, or stored under the car in vehicle mode. Each forearm features a flip-out "gravital blade."

: The toy is available in two color variants: "Blade Silver" and "Premium Le Mans Blue." Another variant, "Diamond Black", will be due out soon.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Wireless Microphone===
[[Image:MegsMicrophone.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Die kids construction--it's a lost art.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Nasta, 1984)
:One of the earliest pieces of Megatron merchandise is also one of the strangest. Taking the form of Megatron's Walther P-38 gun mode--itself quite controversial and anachronistic due to [[For safety reasons|recent safety regulations]]--the microphone allows children to broadcast their voices to a nearby AM radio by pointing the gun at their mouth and speaking into it.

:'''''Seriously'''''.
{{-}}

===Super Collection Figure / Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:HOC-figure Megatron.JPG|right|150px|thumb|]]
* '''Megatron (2000)'''

:Megatron is a small non transforming figure available in blind packed boxes as part of Act 1 of Takara's SCF series.

* '''Megatron with energy weapon (2000)'''

:One of the chase items in Act 1 of Takara's SCF series. He now comes with his energon flail and is painted metallic grey.

* '''Megatron (2002)'''

:Available packaged in a blister pack, he is cast in translucent plastic to enable a light-pipe effect for his eyes.

* '''Megatron with Laserbeak (2003)'''

:Available in Act 4. Also available in Wave 5 of the Heroes of Cybertron series with the light pipe gimmick.

* '''Convoy Vs Megatron (2002)'''

:A Tokyo Toy Show exclusive includes a redeco of the Megatron SCF figure with a battle damage paint scheme. Both figures include their normal hands as well as the energon axe and energon flail.
===MyClone===
* '''Megatron (2003)'''

===Hard Hero===
[[Image:HardHero Megatron bust.JPG|right|150px|thumb|]]
*'''Megatron''' (2002)

:The second of [[Hard Hero]]'s series of ''Transformers'' products, Megatron is a six-inch tall bust sculpted from cold-cast porcelain.

*'''Megatron''' (2003)

:A 12.5-inch tall Megatron statue sculpted aiming his fusion cannon while screaming in rage.
{{-}}
===Palisades===
[[Image:Palisades_Megatron.jpg|thumb|right|150px|]]
* '''Megatron''' ([[Palisades]], 2005)

:Megatron is a six-inch-tall polystone statue on a silver Decepticon-insignia stand. He is decorated with dirt to simulate battle damage, and has articulation in his head and arms. The statue was an [[exclusive]] at San Diego Comic-Con 2005.

{{-}}

===Diamond Select===
[[Image:DecepticonSnowGlobe.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
* '''Decepticon Snow Globe''' (Diamond Select, 2007)

:Megatron is featured in [[Diamond Select]]'s Decepticon-themed snow globe, sitting on a throne inside the globe whilst pointing with one hand and holding an [[energon cube]] in the other. The globe's base is based on [[Decepticon Headquarters]] from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]. It was sculpted by [[Art Asylum]].

{{-}}
[[Image:Megatron statue.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Wonder if they used his legs to make another [[Alligatorcon]]?]]
* '''Megatron''' (Diamond Select, 2008)

:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2008, this Megatron mini-bust was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 1,500 pieces. The sculpt features Megatron perched above a raised Decepticon symbol while the front of the bust showcases the [[Heart of Cybertron]] as seen in the G1 episode "[[Microbots]]".
{{-}}
[[Image:Reformatted statue.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Sure, he's NTFS now but he dreams of one day being [[Grand Galvatron|FAT32]].]]
* '''Reformatted Megatron''' (Diamond Select, 2008)

:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2008, Reformatted Megatron was an exclusive to on-line retailer Action Figure Xpress. He was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 600 pieces. Set above [[Unicron]], the sculpt features Megatron in the beginning stages of his reformation into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] as featured in [[The Transformers: The Movie]].
{{-}}

===Attacktix===
*'''Megatron''' (Booster, 2007)
[[Image:Attacktix Megatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|How am I supposed to aim with this thing in the way?]]
{{attacktix
|ID=TF2-20
|faction=Decepticon
|class=Leader
|special=Recover - 16/26 (61%) success ratio
|cost=40
|speed=6
|attacktype=Shooter (Force Blast)
}}
{{-}}
:Based on his G1 cartoon appearance, this Megatron toy is a killer. He was available only in the Series 2 Starter Set along with ''[[Generation 1]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Landquake (Energon)|Landquake]] and ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Skywarp (Armada)|Skywarp]].

:Megatron has an incredibly powerful translucent missile (don't fire it at children or small dogs if you value their lives) and a ''Recover'' special power that allows the figure to stand back up if there's another Decepticon in play. Two Megatrons are a dangerous combination, feeding each other's recover powers and making them very hard to kill off. Plus you can pretend one of them is [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]].

:As an added bonus, because of the way it is worded, you can use the ''Cybertron'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] vehicle mode figure's ''Transform'' power to bring Megatron into play from your back-ups.
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:RobotHeroes UltraMagnusMegatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cuteness through tyranny!]]
*'''Ultra Magnus and Megatron''' (2007)

:''[[Robot Heroes]]'' Megatron is an adorably [[super-deformed]] figurine depicting the Decepticon leader aiming his fusion cannon with a great big smile on his mouth. Megatron has swivel articulation in his shoulders and was sold in a two-pack with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]].
{{-}}
[[Image:RobotHeroes SupermetalMegatron.JPG|right|120px|thumb|]]
*'''Decepticon Sneak Attack''' (multi-pack, 2007)

:"Supermetal Finish" Megatron is a redeco of the standard ''Robot Heroes'' Megatron, colored a shiny silver instead of white. He was only available in a Wal-Mart exclusive five-pack alongside "Hologram" [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], "Supermetal Finish" [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]].
{{-}}

===Revoltech===
*'''Megatron''' (2007)
**''Yamaguchi Series number:'' '''025'''
**''Accessories:'' Alternate head, 3 alternate hands (left & right open palms, right gun-holding hand)

[[Image:Revoltech Megatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Action Masters? Eat your Spark out!]]
:A non-transforming but ''highly'' articulated Megatron action figure(ine), ''[[Revoltech]]'' Megatron uses the ''Revoltech'' "revolver joints" (appropriate, if you think about it...) for maximum poseability. Megs includes a non-removable fusion cannon and a few alternate hands, as well as an alternate head with its mouth open in either a smirk, growl or sneer, [[Dull surprise|depending on how you read it]]. His sculpting is explicitly in the style of [[Pat Lee|Pat "serfdom" Lee]]'s interpretation of Megatron.

:This figure uses specialized gray revolver joints in order to better blend with the surrounding sculpted parts.
{{-}}
*'''Starscream''' (2008)
**''Yamaguchi Series number:'' '''046'''

:The [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Revoltech|''Revoltech'' Starscream]] toy included a Megatron accessory in his Walther P-38 altmode. While the silencer and scope are molded on, the stock can be removed in order to allow him to be wielded. He can be held by any ''Revoltech'' toy with a standardized gun-wielding hand, including Megatron himself.
{{-}}
===Mighty Muggs===
[[Image:MightyMuggs_Megatron.jpg|right|thumb|175px]]
*'''Megatron''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' Fusion cannon

: This [[super-deformed]], non-transformable Megatron figure uses the standard [[Mighty Muggs]] body template, with swivel joints in his neck and limbs. He comes with a similarly super-deformed version of his fusion cannon that fits into a hole on his right arm.

{{-}}

===Transformers Wacky Wobblers===
*'''Megatron''' (2009)

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Skywarpatron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Skywarp really DID need close supervision.]]
* It seems that no-one could get Megatron's box art right in Japan. His standard release used edited box art from the standard Microchange P-38 toy's black deco, recolored to Megatron's US toy color scheme with shiny 'chrome' and red on his legs and arms instead of the Japanese toy's flat gray and blue. The VS-X art replaced the red with blue, but kept the 'chrome'. The art on the 'Goodbye Megatron' set used edited US box art (which in turn was the Microchange P-38 UNCLE art with an added sigil) that replaced the red with blue, yet this toy used red plastic.

* In a possible fit of madness, a triple changer was proposed that would switch between [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (possibly mistaken for Starscream), Megatron, and Skywarp's jet mode.

[[Image:Megalvatron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|This toy IS a time paradox.]]
* In a slightly more sane attempt, another triple changer was proposed which would switch between Megatron, a very awkward [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and a Walther P-38 handgun with a futuristic silencer and laser sight.

* According to [[Don Figueroa]], the mysterious clip on the back of 6" Titanium ''War Within'' Megatron was meant to carry the sword Megatron was depicted as using in ''The War Within''. As in the comics, it would presumably have resembled the sword packaged with various versions of G1 Megatron. It may have been omitted due to cost concerns.

* G2 Megatron's lock-and-load shoulder cannon was remolded slightly and reused as the main cannon on the [http://www.yojoe.com/sgtsavage/panther.shtml I.R.O.N Panther Tank] in the very short-lived 1995 [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] line ''Sgt. Savage & The Screaming Eagles''.
{{-}}

==Footnotes==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm Megatron at TFU.info]
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Megatron Megatron's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/1783/Generation+2/Megatron+ATB.html Gallery of ATB Megatron with comparison to BB at Transformers At the Moon]
* [http://www.theunclegun.com/ Unclegun.com - The Walther P-38 as seen in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]
*[http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=ngAuAAAAEBAJ Megatrons patent]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
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Megatron (G1)/toys

2010-02-24T02:04:52Z

193.62.51.5: /* Classics (2006) */

{{suite}}[[Image:Instructionart-megatrong2combat.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Many toys have been made of '''[[Generation 1]] [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'''. So many, they have to get their own page!

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Megatron toy.jpg|right|350px|thumb|This photo needs an orange cap or someone might shoot the wiki.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Decepticon Leader, 1984/1985)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''16'''
**''Accessories (Hasbro release)'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon"
**''Accessories (Takara release)'': Sword, "high-density infrared laser cannon", 20 bullets

: Released in the first year of the ''Transformers'' toyline, the original Megatron toy began life as the ''[[Microman]]'' figure "Gun Robo - P38", which transforms into an accurate replica of a Walther P-38 pistol. This ''Microman'' figure was availble in two forms: a standard version in two color schemes (one grey, one black), and the "Gun Robo - P38 U.N.C.L.E.", outfitted with three distinctive acessories—a scope, a silencer and a stock—that replicate the appearance of the unique, specialized Walther pistol seen in the popular 1960s spy television series ''[[Wikipedia:The Man from U.N.C.L.E.|The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' <ref>https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/cia-museum/spy-fi-archives/item08.html</ref> It was the "U.N.C.L.E." version, with all of its special accessories, that was released by Hasbro as Megatron. When the figure is in robot mode, the sight doubles as his signature arm-mounted [[fusion cannon]], but can also be combined with the other attachments to form either a "Particle Beam Cannon" weapons emplacement that Megatron can man, or a "Telescopic Laser Cannon" that connects to the figure as an over-shoulder weapons array. The pieces can also form a turret that a ''Microman'' figure can sit on and operate (that's what the tiny handles on Megatron's fusion cannon are for), but this feature was naturally left out of the ''Transformers'' version's instructions. Megatron also came with a chromed silver "high-density infrared laser cannon" that plugs into his either of his hands.

: The original ''Microman'' release of the toy that would be Megatron featured a spring-loaded firing mechanism that allowed the toy to shoot ([[for safety reasons|dangerously small]]) plastic bullets one at a time from its barrel. A similar launching mechanism was also built into the stock piece, which could launch the bullets when the accessories were configured into their weapons emplacement mode. As with all missile-firing gimmicks, this feature was removed from the Hasbro release of the toy, though the ports into which the bullets were inserted are still present.

: Megatron has had several variations, reissues and [[redeco]]s released down through the years; this article strives to list each distinct edition of the toy under its own respective series. The earliest variation of the toy came in 1985, when (like all toys originally available in 1984) Megatron was given a factory-applied [[rubsign]]. Then, the following year, when he was no longer a part of the toy assortment sold at retail, Megatron was made available as a mail-away item in the "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]" flier packed in with boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $21.50 and five [[robot points]].

: Perhaps the most significant variant of Megatron released in these early years was the version of the figure released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] in Japan. Instead of using the ''Microman'' "U.N.C.L.E." figure as Hasbro had, Takara released the ''standard'' version of the Gun Robo P-38 ''Microman'' figure, in its grey color scheme, which featured flat grey plastic on the chest and arms (where Hasbro's toy was chromed), and blue plastic on the inner arms and legs (where Hasbro's was red). Most notably, like that standard ''Microman'' figure, Takara's Megatron did not come with the stock, silencer and scope accessories (lacking even the attachment point for his cannon on his right arm), but instead came with a silver-chromed sword and retained his original bullet-firing mechanism. Takara's [[package art]] for the figure was an entirely different illustration from the Hasbro version, showing this toy's accessories, but it still erroneously showed the figure with red plastic on its limbs. This coloration was later [[Repurposing|repurposed]] by [[e-Hobby]] for a new character named [[Megaplex]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|VSX}}
[[Image:Convoy_megatron_vsx.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Convoy VS Megatron''' (Multi-pack, 1985)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VSX'''
**''Accessories'': Sword, "high-density infrared laser cannon", 20 bullets

: In Japan, Megatron was also made available in a special two-pack with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]]. Both toys were identical to their individual releases. In Megatron's case, that means unchromed gray plastic, blue instead of red, and a functional firing mechanism and sword, instead of the scope, silencer and stock. This box also used an altered version of the individual release's box-art, turning his head sideways to face Prime, as opposed to the original's camera-facing head position.

{{-}}{{anchor|GoodBye}}
[[Image:G1toy_goodbye_megatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Good Bye Megatron''' (Multi-pack, 1986)
**''Accessories'': Sword, "high-density infrared laser cannon", 20 bullets, targeting sight/fusion cannon

: Megatron was released again as part of a special "Good Bye" set to commemorate his passing ([[Galvatron (G1)|of sorts]]) in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', packaged with [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] (who also was now no more). Although it still lacked the chrome seen on the Hasbro version of the toy, this edition of the figure replaced the blue plastic seen on previous Takara releases with Hasbro's show-accurate red, and included the fusion cannon accessory for the first time with a Takara release, complete with the mounting point now added to Megatron's right arm. Though still lacking the silencer and stock, the toy retained its Japanese-exclusive sword accessory and its bullet-firing mechanism, with one modification: The bullets, formerly blue, were now red.

: Despite the change to the toy's colors, the box art on this set, the same art used for the [[Hasbro]] releases, was recolored to match the blue of the ''previous'' releases. Whoops.

{{-}}
*'''Galvatron''' (Decepticon [[City Commander]], 1986)

{{main|Galvatron (G1)/toys}}

{{-}}{{anchor|ActionMaster}}
*'''Neutro-Fusion Tank with Megatron''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories'': Neutro-Fusion Tank, 4 missiles, "twin laser cannon"
[[Image:Neutro-fusiontanktoy1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Uh-oh! Visual interest!]]
: Megatron returned as an ''[[Action Master]]'' in 1990, and as with most ''Action Master'' figures, he could not transform. His sculpt was based heavily upon the character's animation model design. Megatron is compatible with all other Action Master accessories and vehicles.

: He came packaged with the [[Neutro-Fusion Tank]], a large tank vehicle whose hull could transform into a base/gun emplacement, with the turret forming a flight pod. Four "corrosive smoke shell" accessories mounted on both sides of the tank. There are seats for two Action Master figures on the front on either side of the barrel, another seat inside the turret, and four pegs on the back of the tank for standing additional Action Master figures.

:The tank's turret can detach and become a "jet throne," which features flip-out wings, and the body of the tank transforms into a missile-launcher battle station. The battle station has two seats on either side behind the missile launchers (non-firing) and a stowing bay in the center for an additional figure.

:In a fairly notable omission, ''Action Master'' Megatron did not come with the character's iconic fusion cannon accessory. In 1992, however, a Japanese fan sculpted his own cannon accessory, which could plug into the figure's arm using the shoulder screw-hole (seen in the image at right). In a surprising move, Takara gave this cannon their approval and allowed it to be officially sold with their copyright stamp at a Japanese convention {{fact|which one?}} for only one day, at the price of 2000 yen.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1990/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Action Master Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|2000reissue}}
[[Image:G1toy_2000_megatron_reissue.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Megatron''' (reissue, 2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''16-S'''
**''Accessories'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon", sword, 20 bullets

:This reissue of the original Megatron figure combines the best aspects of the Hasbro and Takara versions into the most "complete" version of Megatron available at that point. The set features the chromed chest and arms and red plastic of the Hasbro release, and includes the silencer, stock and sight/cannon, while also coming with Takara's sword and functional bullet-firing mechanism.

:This reissue was redecoed to make the simultaneously available exclusive "Megatron Black Version" (see below).

{{-}}{{anchor|BlackG1}}
[[Image:G1toy_black_megatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Megatron Black Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''16-S'''
**''Accessories'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon", sword, 20 bullets

: Where the original Takara Megatron toy made use of one of the two color schemes of the original ''Microman'' Gun Robo P38 toy, this redeco of the 2000 reissue Megatron is an homage to the ''second'', black color scheme for the ''Microman'' toy. Available exclusively through e-Hobby and pre-orders at [[BotCon Japan 2000]], "Megatron Black Version" features dark gunmetal chrome, black plastic instead of grey, and distinctive brown gun handle-grips, fists and "inner helmet". The chrome replaces the flat black plastic of the original ''Microman'' toy, which also had blue plastic on its legs and arms that is here supplanted by Megatron's now-traditional red. The toy was limited to 1000 pieces.

: E-Hobby later reissued Megatron Black Version in February, 2009. This release includes a [[Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.|mini-comic]] explaining the story behind the redeco.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2000/Destron/BlackMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Megatron Black Version at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2Megatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|G2 Megatron is always ready for tank combat in one of Earth's many green and purple jungles.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Decepticon, 1992)
**''Accessories'': Rifle, 6 missiles, sight

: Owing to the inability of Hasbro to re-release the original Megatron because that toy was a pistol, ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' Megatron was released in 1992 as a large green M1A1 Abrams main battle tank. His main gimmick was a 'lock and load' cannon that can load most of his projectile ammunition, and then fire them one at a time. This was accompanied by electronic sounds (including engine, laser and cannon sound effects) and [http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=894768596.wav a voice chip].

: In robot mode, Megatron is by the standards of the time, a very large robot, towering over all ''Generation 2'' incarnations of Optimus Prime. His legs were immobile, but he had upper shoulder rotation and elbow joints. His left arm, when raised, activates a laser sound. Pressing down on his head activates his battlecry '''"Megatron Attack!"'''. His main cannon still functions in this mode.

: This mold was slightly redecoed (with new stickers) as [[Megastorm]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1993/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Generation 2 Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Hero}}
[[Image:G2 CombatHero Megatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|By this point, the purple had almost completely taken over his body.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Hero, 1995)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TRF-2'''
**''Accessories'': Rifle, 2 air-launch missiles

:Megatron was released again the following year as "Hero" Megatron: a smaller, but similarly styled tank based off the M1 Abrams. This Megatron was purple and came with a bellows that fired an air-propelled missile. Both missiles could be kept on Megatron thanks to clips on his turret, which become his robot mode arms... conveniently kinda simulating the "classic" Megatron arm cannon to boot.

: Hero Megatron was designed with articulation in mind, so he was loaded with multiple swivel and universal joints, giving him far greater movement compared to his original ''Generation 2'' toy.

: This toy was released in Europe, albeit with a "MEGATRON RULES"-free blank chest sticker, as [[Archforce]]. It was also [[Redeco|redecoed]] into ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Bludgeon (RID)|Bludgeon]] in 2003 (which has since been [[Repurposing|repurposed]] to become "[[Shattered Glass]]" [[Bludgeon (SG)|Bludgeon]]).

::*''[http://tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Hero Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|Go-Bot}}
[[Image:Megatron-G2GoBot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He'd be a better shot if he could only see over his hood-chest.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Go-Bot, 1995)
**''Accessories'': Rifle

: Part of the second assortment of [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]], this version of Megatron is a mild [[redeco]] of the Autobot [[Blowout]], transforming into a 1:64-scale Porsche 959 sports car with through-axle construction. This not only makes him roll exceptionally fast in car mode, but also makes him largely compatible with playsets from the "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" toy-car lines. Megatron and Blowout share the same blue and black inner robot colors, but Megatron uses opaque silver plastic with a shiny metallic silver paint overcoat, as opposed to Blowout's smoky-clear plastic. (All of the toys from the first wave that had transparent plastics were released in this wave with opaques instead; Blowout and [[Firecracker]] became new versions of Megatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] respectively, while [[Gearhead]] and [[Motormouth]] stayed themselves.)

: In Japan, his hood was tampographed with a stylized "T" with the ''Transformers'' logo set within the top bar, the same deco that appears on Go-Bots [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the Japanese release of Go-Bots Optimus Prime.

:This mold was also used to make Go-Bots [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Hot Shot (RID)|Hot Shot]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1995/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Go-Bot Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|CombatHero}}
[[Image:CombatHeroMegatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I AM POWERED BY UNOBTAINIUM!]]
*'''Megatron''' (Combat Hero, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': rifle, 2 air-launch missiles

: This kinda-sorta "arctic"-camo version of the [[#Hero|Hero Megatron]] toy was solicited to numerous retailers, and is one of a great many ''Generation 2'' toys to never see the light of day. Precious few samples of this toy exist.

: At [[BotCon 1996]], a donated Combat Hero Megatron was one of the items in the charity auction, along with several other canceled ''Generation 2'' toys.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}{{anchor|ATB}}
[[Image:G2toy_ATB_megs_and_screamer.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
*'''A.T.B. Megatron''' (Decepticon, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': 12 missiles, 2 missiles launchers

: A planned-but-canceled redeco of ''Generation 2'' [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]], Megatron would have transformed into a "flying wing" Advanced Tactical Bomber (when combined with his smaller "partner" [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]) with an under-slung six-missile gatling cannon. Each wing can store three mose missiles, which can "carpet-bomb" targets below by pressing the pressure-launch buttons above each. He can also transform into a treaded "tank" mode, activated by removing Starscream from the jet mode and activating a spring-loaded [[autotransform]] mechanism in his wings.

: This toy's deco was used to make ''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'''s [[BB]] and [[Starscream (BWII)|Starscream]] out of the same mold-set. This mold was also used to make ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Dreadwind (RID)|Dreadwind]] and ''[[Robot Masters]]'' [[Gigant Bomb]].

: According to the Toy Fair 1995 Transformers presentation, the toy's missiles were intended to glow in the dark. This feature was not carried over with the Beast Wars II BB/Starscream set.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BWtoy-MegatronBasic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Go Gators!]]
* '''Optimus Primal VS Megatron''' (Basic 2-pack, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

: The initial version of ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Megatron transformed into a green alligator. The toy is a [[retool]] of [[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] with new alligator and robot heads, and no frill. The screw hole for the frill bracket remains. Both toys were released at roughly the same time.

:Whether this toy can be considered the ''Beast Wars'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] character as seen in the primary fiction is a matter of debate. Released before the animated series began, which established Megatron as a separate entity from Generation 1 Megatron, the accompanying profiles and mini-comic seem to assume that the Beast Wars are a progression of the same characters from the Autobot/Decepticon war. Whether the animated series's [[retcon]] affected this set of toys is probably a matter of personal preference. It can be interpreted as representing one of the more interesting [[micro-continuity|micro-continuities]].

:More recently, the ''[[Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' has asserted that, in [[Beast Wars timeline (IDW)|IDW's version of ''Beast Wars'' continuity]], Megatron's alligator body was suggested by the ''Darksyde'''s computer as a potential alternate mode, but he rejected it in favor of the more powerful T-Rex, without ever actually reformatting into it. Thus, this [[micro-continuity]] posits alligator-mode Megatron as an essentially theoretical alternate form that never actually came to be.

:This mold was additionally used to make the purple-recolored Megaligator (who may or may not be a separate character to either Megatron or Megatron Beast Wars Megatron). It was also proposed for [[Albitron]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1996/Predacon/MegatronGator/megatron.htm More information on Beast Wars Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWultra}}
[[Image:Bwmegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't call him Barney.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Ultra, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

: This Megatron transformed into a purple organic ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. He has limited articulation in beast mode, but his dinosaur head can [[Water-squirting gimmick|shoot water]]. In robot mode, he has no hands, as his right arm ends with his dinosaur head, and his tail, folded into a pincer, forms his left arm. The outer shells of his dinosaur thighs conceal spring-loaded missile launchers that fire anchor-shaped projectiles.

: His robot head feature two bat-like wing adornments that fold to become a [[mutant head]].

:Like his previous Beast Wars toy, this toy was released before the animated series premiered, and represented G1 Megatron having upgraded his Alligator body into a more powerful form.

: This mold was also used to make the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobot]] [[T-Wrecks]].

{{-}}{{anchor|GatorJ}}
* '''Megaligator''' (Basic, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

: In Japan, the gator Megatron toy was also sold as an individual toy, as well as in a VS pack with Optimus. The individual release is identical to the two-pack version, which is in turn identical to the Hasbro version.

{{-}}{{anchor|CDgator}}
*'''Convobat vs Megaligator''' (Basic 2-pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''S-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

:This figure is a purple [[redeco]] of Megatron's alligator form, and was sold with a red and blue redeco of Bat Primal. This may or may not be intended to be the same character as Megatron or Generation 1 Megatron.

===Machine Wars===
[[Image:MWMegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And that's why Thundercracker turned green.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Basic, 1997)
**''Accessories'': 2-part rifle

: Sharing a mold with his concurrently-released ally [[Megaplex]] (which had been a canceled mold developed for ''Generation 2''), ''[[Machine Wars]]'' Megatron transforms from a [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor fighter jet]] to robot mode with a spring-loaded one-step transformation. The two halves of his rifle store in the back of his robot-mode legs.

: Oddly, the ''Machine Wars'' stock photos (and even the boxart) portray Megatron as the gray F-22 jet and Megaplex as the blue one, the ''opposite'' of the actual toys. This means that either the package designers made the mistake, or the toys were packaged on the wrong cards. The latter is more likely, since gray is more associated with Megatron than blue. Like most other toys in the line, the boxart was recycled from an earlier figure, in this case from the [[Predator]] [[Falcon (G1)|Falcon]].

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrust]], ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Wind Sheer (RID)|Wind Sheer]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' [[Air Hunter]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1997/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Machine Wars Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Choro-Q Robo===

* '''Megatron TV Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''Q/03'''

:''[[Choro-Q|Choro-Q Robo]]'' Megatron is a small, cutesified transforming figure of the Decepticon leader. He is the only ''Choro-Q Robo'' Transformers figure that does not come with a weapon accessory, but after all, he does turn ''into'' a gun. In a bizarre and hilarious touch, Megatron has weels on his base and barrel, so that he can share the communal feature of the ''Choro-Q Robo'' figures: a pull-back motor!

* '''Megatron Black Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''Q/04'''

:This version of ''Choro-Q Robo'' Megatron is a redeco of the first, decked out in a metallic color scheme based on the "Black Version" of the reissue of the Generation 1 figure released earlier that year.
{{-}}
===Transformers Collection===
{{anchor|TFCMegatron}}
*'''Megatron''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''6'''
**''Accessories'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon", sword, 20 bullets

:The original Generation 1 Megatron figure was again reissued in 2003 as part of Takara's "[[Transformers Collection]]" series. This release was identical to the previous 2000 reissue, in that it featured the colors of the Hasbro release of the toy, and all the accessories of both the Hasbro and Takara versions, but this time, it also included a new energon mace weapon, as used by the Decepticon leader in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]". Much like the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|"New Year Special"]] version of Optimus Prime released the previous year, Megatron also came with a sheet of Decepticon [[insignia]] stickers of different sizes, and a Decepticon mouse pad.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Transformers Collection Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TFCStarscream}}
[[Image:TFC09ScreamerHoldingMegs.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Sometimes I just... want to be held.]]
* '''Starscream''' (Transformers Collection, 2002)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''9'''

: The "[[Transformers Collection]]" [[reissue]] of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] includes an original accessory, a Generation-1-[[Scale|scaled]] representation of Megatron in his Walther P-38 altmode. Needless to say, he doesn't transform, but he is designed to be capable of being "held" by Starscream... in both modes!

: Megatron's handle splits apart to reveal a peg, which can be inserted into a secondary specialized right hand included with Starscream especially for this purpose. While the gun's peg slots into the hand, the hand itself features an additional peg that slots into the corresponding hole in the other half of the gun. He can also attach to Starscream's jet mode; the right-hand side of Megs' handle features a square peg which is designed to fit snugly in gaps in Stasrcream's pectorals, as in [[S.O.S. Dinobots|that one episode where he does just that]]. Unfortunately, this peg has, for no fathomable reason, been cast in the same sky blue color as Screamer's hands, unnecessarily making it ''as obtrusive as humanly possible''.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Destron/AnimeStarscream/starscream.htm More information on Transformers Collection Starscream at TFU.info]''
{{--}}
===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[Image:STFMegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime's gun.]]
*'''Megatron''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GTF 07'''
**''Accessories:'' Fusion cannon/scope

: ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' Megatron was released in the second wave of the diminutive Takara toyline, including only his fusion cannon. Easily the most complex of the ''Smallest Transforming'' figures, Megatron is a just-barely-simplified version of his original Generation 1 toy, possessing the same transformation scheme and retaining most of his articulation.

:Just as ''Smallest Transforming'' Optimus Prime's trailer was released as a separate figure in the line, so too were a set of silencer and stock attachments originally intended to be released for Megatron in the line's third wave. Unfortunately, this wave, and most of the other original figures it was set to contain, was cancelled, and so Megatron was left under-armed.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2004/Destron/SmallestMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Smallest Transforming Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:Wst vsx megatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
* '''Convoy vs Megatron''' (multipack, 2004)
** ''Japanese ID Number:'' '''VSX'''
** ''Accessories:'' Fusion cannon/scope

:Available exclusively through [[Dengeki Hobby]] magazine, this ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' two-pack contains both Optimus Prime and Megatron, in homage to the original 1984 "VSX" giftset containing the original versions of the two leaders. While Optimus is unaltered from his original release, Megatron takes the homage a little further, removing the swirled pattern from the original figure's chest and replacing the red plastic with blue to emulate the original Takara version of the full-size Generation 1 figure.
{{--}}

===Robot Masters===
[[Image:RMReverseConvoy toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My Convoy counterpart is nearby. Real nearby.]]
*'''Reverse Convoy / Rebirth Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-24'''
**''Accessories'': "Reverse Blaster", missile

: A [[retool]] of the ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' "Hero Megatron" toy, Rebirth Megatron transforms into a heavily modified blue and tan [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|M1 Abrams tank]]. In addition to a new "[[Reverse Convoy]]" head that flips out of the same compartment as the head on the original version of the mold, the toy features a brand new "Mega Blaster" cannon assembly that houses most of the toy's new features. The Mega Blaster fires a spring-loaded blue missile, and the rear of the cannon can be removed and transformed into the hand-held "Reverse Blaster" weapon, featuring twin barrels and a rack of six (non-removable) missiles. Once the Reverse Blaster is removed, the toy's "Rebirth Megatron" head can be rotated out from the back of the cannon to take the place of Reverse Convoy's head between the figure's shoulders.

: The original version of this mold was use to make [[Archforce]] and ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Bludgeon (RID)|Bludgeon]] (which has been [[Repurposing|repurposed]] to also be "[[Shattered Glass]]" [[Bludgeon (SG)|Bludgeon]]). The toy still retains the opening panels on its forearms, despite no longer featuring the large missiles they are designed to store.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/ReverseConvoy/reverseconvoy.htm More information on Reverse Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumGIJoeHeroesMegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|THE BOX OF DOOM.]]
*'''Megatron''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Stand with nameplate

:Part of the very first wave of six-inch ''[[Titanium Series]]'' toys, Megatron was inspired by [[Dreamwave Productions]]' first ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' crossover, set in an alternate-reality World War II. Since that Megatron's gun form was nonviable as a toy, a tank alternate mode (of undetermined, probably-entirely-made-up model) was designed. The backstory of the Megatron from the crossover, including references to Cobra, was retained on the package, make it the first U.S. figure ever produced as part of a ''G.I. Joe / [[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' crossover.

:Although the figure looks somewhat impressive, it notably has the tendency to fall apart during transformation and was relatively difficult to pose in robot mode without it falling over.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/TitMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Titanium Megatron at TFU.info]]'

{{-}}{{anchor|TiWarWithin}}
[[Image:Megatrontitaniumtww.jpg|right|300px|thumb|THE... NAP OF DOOM?]]
*'''War Within Megatron''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Arm cannon, shield, stand with nameplate

:A new ''Titanium Series'' Megatron based on his [[The War Within|''War Within'']] design was initially shown at [[BotCon 2006]], and was released in spring of 2007. Like the original comic book design, his robot mode has a removable arm cannon and shield, but unlike the original comic book design, his robot mode transforms into his alternate mode at a different angle.

:As opposed to the earlier toy, this one has a more posable robot mode, but somewhat unimpressive alternate mode, being little more than lying the toy on its back and attaching the gun/shield. There is a small clip on the back of the toy which designer [[Don Figueroa]] said was to hold his sword, seen in the comic book, but that accessory was ultimately not produced.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/TitTWWMegatron/megatron.htm More information on War Within Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|WarWithin2pack}}
[[Image:Titanium_war_within_2pack.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''War Within Optimus Prime / War Within Megatron''' (2-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Arm cannon, shield

:This Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] two-pack features [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron as they appeared in the ''War Within'' comic series. Though the Megatron in this set is identical to its individual release, Optimus loses the paint wash, making him much cleaner-looking.

: The set also came with [[The War Within issue 5|the fifth issue of the ''War Within'' comic book]], featuring a variant cover exclusive to this release.
{{--}}
===Classics (2006)===
[[Image:Megatronclassicstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Paint me black and give me to a kid, ASAP.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Voyager, 2006)

:''Classics'' Megatron is a "fusion blaster" based loosely on the original Megatron toy and appears to transform into a [[:Image:N-strike maverick.jpg|Nerf N-Strike Maverick blaster]] to comply with modern US toy gun regulations (an orange cap on a Walther P-38 won't cover it). Its scope/arm cannon houses a working crosshairs and its trigger includes clicking action. In order to pass modern safety regulations (both the government's and Hasbro's), its blaster mode includes lots of purple and green, plus bright orange on both the tip of the "barrel" and the scope.

:Although some official Hasbro photographs, including those appearing on the toy's packaging, show the gun mode's trigger and other small parts as being orange, those parts were gray in later stock photography and the final release.

:In these above-mentioned early promotional photographs, Megatron also had noticeably different "eyebrow" paint applications that matched those of the original Megatron toy. These were two small black triangles on a gray plastic forehead. The final release has the placement of the black reversed, with two small gray triangles and a black forehead, sometimes referred to as Megatron's "unibrow" by fans.

:It has been recently discovered that the orange parts on Megatron, particularly the more exposed ones, seem to have their colors fade out over time. The exact cause of this change has not yet been discovered but care should be taken to avoid this from happening.

:Curiously enough, the UK version of the packaging reads "Scope becomes canon!".

:''Classics'' Megatron was redecoed in Japan as part of the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]] Transformers'' line by [[TakaraTomy]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/ClassicsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Classics Voyager Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Ultimate.2BBattle}}

[[Image:MegatronUltimateBattle.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The only Transformer capable of Moonwalking, seriously. Well apart from Armada Scavenger but that's a different story]]
*'''Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle''' (Deluxe versus set, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Rifle

: The Megatron included in this two-pack is a tank inspired by the first Megatron toy from ''Generation 2''. Instead of a right hand, its arm ends in a blade with "spinning dervish action." He is packaged with Optimus Prime and "[[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle|The Ultimate Battle]]" DVD. Later releases of this toy in Mexico and some European countries had him individually packed but otherwise unchanged from the original release.

:Many (all?) units of this figure have Megatron's splayed feet [[Misassembly|swapped and assembled backwards]], a fact which is not immediately apparent as the "heel" half of his feet are actually larger than the "toe" half (this is the opposite of most splay-footed transformers), and the situation is not helped by the promotional (exhibit A, to your right) and box-art photography displaying an identically misassembled figure. However, examination of the instructions and any attempt to transform Megatron into tank mode immediately demonstrate the mistake, which is easily corrected by unscrewing the halves of his lower legs, reversing the foot pieces, and attaching each to the opposite leg.

:In 2008, the Optimus Prime vs Megatron set, sans DVD, has been reissued to outlets like Kay Bee in new [[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]] packaging. The feet are still misassembled. The same set has also been seen at Dollar General and Big Lots! stores since 2007.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/ClassicsDVDMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Classics Deluxe Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Masterpiece===
* '''20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/Masterpiece Convoy''' (2003/2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-1'''

[[Image:GunmodeMegsMasterpieceConvoy.jpg|left|230px|thumb|Bang bang! He shot me down! Bang bang! I hit the ground...]]
: The Masterpiece Prime/Convoy included an accessory of Megatron in his classic Walther P-38 altmode. Although non-transforming, it is quite detailed and includes the individually removable silencer / barrel extension, scope, and (hinged) stock.
: Although notionally [[Scale|scaled]] to be wielded by Masterpiece Prime, the handle is marginally too short and thus has a sliding joint diagonally across the butt of the gun, thus slightly lengthening and narrowing the grip so that Prime can actually hold it. The reason for this odd design concept is unknown.
: Needless to say, the later-released Masterpiece [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] (and [[Skywarp (G1)|his]] [[Thundercracker (G1)|redecoes]]) can also hold this version of Megatron, and far more appropriately too!
: The stock extension connecting clamp is prone to breakage to the chagrin of owners who keep theirs sealed and untouched.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/20thPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

* '''Masterpiece Ultra Magnus''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-2'''

:A redeco of the non-transforming Megatron gun accessory was included with Masterpiece Ultra Magnus, itself a redeco of Masterpiece Convoy. For this release, the accessory was colored in the style of Megatron Black Version.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Masterpiece Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
*'''Megatron''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-5'''

[[Image:MasterpieceMegsBox.jpg|right|180px|thumb|You will pay dearly for this. Literally and metaphorically...]]
: Scaled to the same height as 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/Masterpiece Convoy, Masterpiece Megatron is designed to make a figure closely resembling Megatron's fairly non-[[Show-accuracy|toy-accurate]] original animation model actually able to transform into a realistic (if oversized) Walther P-38 altmode. Something which, on paper, should be impossible. This results in an ''incredibly'' complex transformation, likely making it one of the most elaborate ''Transformers'' toys to date, even including the unusually complicated automorphing Movie toys.

[[Image:MasterpieceMegsBigAssCannon.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Dude, I don't even need to fire this thing. I could, like, totally just bash you to death with it...]]
: Similar to Masterpiece Starscream, Megatron contains virtually zero die-cast, the only metal components being his feet and some structural rods (and not even as many as you'd expect). Combined with the fact that most of his parts are very thin in order to accommodate the intricacy of the transformation, this results in a comparatively light toy for its size.

: Megatron has the least articulation of the Masterpiece line, lacking the ability to pivot out at the shoulder by more than a small angle, and his head cannot look upwards. The figure is completely incapable of rotating its arms sideways at the elbows. Also, due to the fact that the fusion cannon is very large (being [[Scale|scaled]] for a realistic gun mode sight), it butts into the gun mode barrel behind his right shoulder whenever his arm is raised at any angle other than straight ahead.

: Accessories include Megatron's purple energy flail from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]", the light saber (referred to by Takara as an "energy dagger" for obvious legal reasons) used in his duel against Prime in "[[The Transformers: The Movie]]", as well as the discarded laser pistol with which he subsequently kills him. Also included is a tiny translucent [[Kremzeek]] figure. His fusion cannon also contains a powerful red LED which casts a short-range spotlight when a button is pressed.

[[Image:HLJplug.jpg|right|180px|thumb|If you transformed into a gun, wouldn't plugging your barrel be the equivalent of a vasectomy?]]
: Due to updated realistic toy gun laws, a debate arose surrounding the Masterpiece Megatron toy. Many fans thought the toy would prove difficult to import into the United States. These fears led some online importers to modify the toys to comply with customs laws. Although initially believed that this would involve permanently painting both the sight and barrel tips blaze orange or gluing on a large plug, final versions have been comparatively discreet. Manufactured by the individual importers, some retailers have elected to attach a rounded red plug into the barrel with ''permanent'' "adhesive", while others have used a flat-tipped yellow plug that was apparently only temporarily secured with double-sided tape. Still other retailers chose not to modify the toys at all.

: Additionally, Australians have also had to deal with strict gun and gun replica laws. While some collectors have managed to receive their Megatrons without incident, Australian Customs and the Federal Police have seized mass shipments and individual packages of the toy sent by certain online retailers, as they now classify ''Masterpiece'' Megatron as a gun replica. It is possible to collect a seized Megatron from customs if you live in New South Wales, but it requires a special permit issued by the government. To get this permit, you must go through a lengthy process to prove that you are elligible to own the figure and that you won't misuse it. The only exception is South Australia, where it is perfectly legal to own MP-5, but you must get it from within the country...which seems stupid when you think how hard it is to get him into the country in the first place.
: After much discussion with the Queensland Police and Customs, one collector was able to verify that, under Queensland law, it was classified as a "restricted" import. Further inquiries showed that importation was allowed if the importer held a B709A license to import replicas, and that whilst a license was required to import, there are (currently) no laws governing registering the item or providing secure "gun cabinet" storage. Obtaining this license involved mailing off an application plus photographs of the item, along with a statutory declaration stating that if the item was ever sold or disposed of that the collector would inform the police for tracking purposes. The issued license permitted importation of 1 figure only and was valid for 3 months. Customs allowed the import without incident.

: Given the relatively thin clips throughout the toy to hold it tightly together in gun mode, Megatron's plastic components are particularly prone to breakage, especially on the clips on the upper black grip plates and some of the silver sections near the trigger. Some owners of this figure have also reported rust and tarnish problems for this figure. Seibertron.com is hosting a guide<ref>[http://seibertron.com/energonpub/viewtopic.php?t=16106 MP-05 Megatron's Cosmic Rust, aka Tarnish problem (with pics) solutions inside]</ref> to combat the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] problem.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Destron/MPMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Masterpiece Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Sports Label===
*'''Megatron Nike Free 7.0''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''02'''
[[Image:Nikeatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Some idiots thought I was going to be life-sized! Fools! Foooools!!!]]

:Seeking to exploit the tremendous energy potential of sweatshops, Megatron has taken on this new altmode to cement his alliance with [[wikipedia:Nike,_Inc.|Nike Inc.]], since [[Cobra]] evidently wasn't enough of an evil empire for him...

:''[[Sport Label]]'', a rather unusual product line comprised of a mere three entries, entirely utilizes the same body mold with different heads, making this the first time Optimus and Megatron have had identical bodies.

:Something of a [[shellformer]], Nikeatron is colored primarily black and gray in his altmode of a realistic-looking, scaled-down Nike sneaker, complete with (gratuitously long) real fabric shoelaces. In robot mode, he incorporates a little additional red in predictable areas and has a somewhat uniquely-shaped yet instantly recognizable G1-inspired head, with rather snooty (or camp, take your pick) pursed lips. An undocumented aspect of his transformation is that his gun, which splits in two halves and stores inside his [[kibble]] when transforming (much like [[Rattrap]]'s) has two handle pegs on opposite sides, so that the gun can be held either at its far end or halfway along its length. Additionally, the Megatron figure has an extra peg hole in his right forearm (well, technically so does Prime), allowing you to insert the mid-length plug of his black-colored weapon at this point, positioning the weapon in such a way as to resemble (''vaguely'') his traditional [[fusion cannon]], rather than simply holding it in his hand.

:Somewhat perversely, Sneakertron's feet are sculpted in the likeness of his own sneaker altmode, so in effect, ''he is wearing himself!'' Kinky...

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Destron/SLMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Sports Label Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===

*'''Megatron''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''02'''
**''Accessories'': Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon", sword, 20 bullets

:The original Generation 1 Megatron figure was reissued yet again in 2007 as part of TakaraTomy's new line of "[[Encore|Transformers Encore]]" reissues. Like previous reissues, this Megatron features the Hasbro colors and the accessories from both Hasbro and Takara editions of the figure, but this time, he features a tan finish to his chrome rather than the normal colorless-silver finish.
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Megatron Toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Megatron's palette must be swapped... no matter the cost."]]
*'''Megatron''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''D-01'''

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]] Transformers'' Megatron is a redeco of the ''Classics'' version. He features a significantly altered colour scheme, generally to make the toy more closely resemble his appearance in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon and the original toyline. His chest plate is chromed silver, as well as the top of his knee guards.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/ClassicsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Henkei Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
*'''Megatron''' (Legends of Cybertron, 2008)

[[Image:Megatronlegend2008.jpg|right|200px|thumb|His shoulders hurt too, buddy!]]
:A [[Legends Class]] version of Megatron inspired by his ''Generation 2'' tank design, although featuring a more realistic shade of green.
:Sadly, because of his transformation, when transformed into tank mode his turret doesn't turn around.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/LegendsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Universe Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
[[Image:Universe2008-toy SEMegatron.JPG|right|250px|thumb|]]
*'''Megatron''' (Deluxe Class: Special Edition, 2008)

:A redeco of the "Ultimate Battle" Megatron from ''Classics'', this time featuring a G1-inspired deco of grays, red and black. This new deco takes advantage of the mould break-up to add an additional plastic colour (5, rather than the original's 4). In actuality the dark grey parts on the original version of the mould are now divided between light grey, red and black plastic on the "Special Edition" version. This is really obvious if one compares their guns. "Ultimate Battle" Megatron's is solid grey, while "Special Edition" Megatron's sports a red stock.

:The Special Edition toy was designed for Australasian markets and features a bookbox style packaging with black-and-white boxart. The box better be good since he supports an inflated price tag as well (usually about 150% the standard Deluxe price for Deluxe figures outside the U.S., but it wasn't uncommon for him to be sold solo for as much as the "Special Edition" double-pack). He was not available at retail in North America, but was for sale on Hasbrotoyshop.com, like the other Special Edition toys.

:His feet are correctly assembled this time around, so yay for that.

:Oddly enough, this Megatron and the three other Universe Special Edition toys were included in Taiwanese special value packs each containing a ''[[Revenge of the Fallen]]'' DVD.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/HTSMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Special Edition Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternity===
[[Image:Alternity Megatron Toy Blade Silver.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Behold, my Inertia Manipulating Device under my Skirt Armor!!!]]
*'''Nissan Fairlady Z feat. Megatron''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' 2 "tesseractal swords"
:The ''[[Alternity]]'' Megatron toy transforms into a 1:32 scale model of a Nissan 370Z and features die-cast metal parts and rubber tires. The figure wields two "tesseractal swords" which can be pegged at its hips, or stored under the car in vehicle mode. Each forearm features a flip-out "gravital blade."

: The toy is available in two color variants: "Blade Silver" and "Premium Le Mans Blue." Another variant, "Diamond Black", will be due out soon.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Wireless Microphone===
[[Image:MegsMicrophone.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Die kids construction--it's a lost art.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Nasta, 1984)
:One of the earliest pieces of Megatron merchandise is also one of the strangest. Taking the form of Megatron's Walther P-38 gun mode--itself quite controversial and anachronistic due to [[For safety reasons|recent safety regulations]]--the microphone allows children to broadcast their voices to a nearby AM radio by pointing the gun at their mouth and speaking into it.

:'''''Seriously'''''.
{{-}}

===Super Collection Figure / Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:HOC-figure Megatron.JPG|right|150px|thumb|]]
* '''Megatron (2000)'''

:Megatron is a small non transforming figure available in blind packed boxes as part of Act 1 of Takara's SCF series.

* '''Megatron with energy weapon (2000)'''

:One of the chase items in Act 1 of Takara's SCF series. He now comes with his energon flail and is painted metallic grey.

* '''Megatron (2002)'''

:Available packaged in a blister pack, he is cast in translucent plastic to enable a light-pipe effect for his eyes.

* '''Megatron with Laserbeak (2003)'''

:Available in Act 4. Also available in Wave 5 of the Heroes of Cybertron series with the light pipe gimmick.

* '''Convoy Vs Megatron (2002)'''

:A Tokyo Toy Show exclusive includes a redeco of the Megatron SCF figure with a battle damage paint scheme. Both figures include their normal hands as well as the energon axe and energon flail.
===MyClone===
* '''Megatron (2003)'''

===Hard Hero===
[[Image:HardHero Megatron bust.JPG|right|150px|thumb|]]
*'''Megatron''' (2002)

:The second of [[Hard Hero]]'s series of ''Transformers'' products, Megatron is a six-inch tall bust sculpted from cold-cast porcelain.

*'''Megatron''' (2003)

:A 12.5-inch tall Megatron statue sculpted aiming his fusion cannon while screaming in rage.
{{-}}
===Palisades===
[[Image:Palisades_Megatron.jpg|thumb|right|150px|]]
* '''Megatron''' ([[Palisades]], 2005)

:Megatron is a six-inch-tall polystone statue on a silver Decepticon-insignia stand. He is decorated with dirt to simulate battle damage, and has articulation in his head and arms. The statue was an [[exclusive]] at San Diego Comic-Con 2005.

{{-}}

===Diamond Select===
[[Image:DecepticonSnowGlobe.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
* '''Decepticon Snow Globe''' (Diamond Select, 2007)

:Megatron is featured in [[Diamond Select]]'s Decepticon-themed snow globe, sitting on a throne inside the globe whilst pointing with one hand and holding an [[energon cube]] in the other. The globe's base is based on [[Decepticon Headquarters]] from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]. It was sculpted by [[Art Asylum]].

{{-}}
[[Image:Megatron statue.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Wonder if they used his legs to make another [[Alligatorcon]]?]]
* '''Megatron''' (Diamond Select, 2008)

:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2008, this Megatron mini-bust was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 1,500 pieces. The sculpt features Megatron perched above a raised Decepticon symbol while the front of the bust showcases the [[Heart of Cybertron]] as seen in the G1 episode "[[Microbots]]".
{{-}}
[[Image:Reformatted statue.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Sure, he's NTFS now but he dreams of one day being [[Grand Galvatron|FAT32]].]]
* '''Reformatted Megatron''' (Diamond Select, 2008)

:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2008, Reformatted Megatron was an exclusive to on-line retailer Action Figure Xpress. He was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 600 pieces. Set above [[Unicron]], the sculpt features Megatron in the beginning stages of his reformation into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] as featured in [[The Transformers: The Movie]].
{{-}}

===Attacktix===
*'''Megatron''' (Booster, 2007)
[[Image:Attacktix Megatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|How am I supposed to aim with this thing in the way?]]
{{attacktix
|ID=TF2-20
|faction=Decepticon
|class=Leader
|special=Recover - 16/26 (61%) success ratio
|cost=40
|speed=6
|attacktype=Shooter (Force Blast)
}}
{{-}}
:Based on his G1 cartoon appearance, this Megatron toy is a killer. He was available only in the Series 2 Starter Set along with ''[[Generation 1]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Landquake (Energon)|Landquake]] and ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Skywarp (Armada)|Skywarp]].

:Megatron has an incredibly powerful translucent missile (don't fire it at children or small dogs if you value their lives) and a ''Recover'' special power that allows the figure to stand back up if there's another Decepticon in play. Two Megatrons are a dangerous combination, feeding each other's recover powers and making them very hard to kill off. Plus you can pretend one of them is [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]].

:As an added bonus, because of the way it is worded, you can use the ''Cybertron'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] vehicle mode figure's ''Transform'' power to bring Megatron into play from your back-ups.
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:RobotHeroes UltraMagnusMegatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cuteness through tyranny!]]
*'''Ultra Magnus and Megatron''' (2007)

:''[[Robot Heroes]]'' Megatron is an adorably [[super-deformed]] figurine depicting the Decepticon leader aiming his fusion cannon with a great big smile on his mouth. Megatron has swivel articulation in his shoulders and was sold in a two-pack with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]].
{{-}}
[[Image:RobotHeroes SupermetalMegatron.JPG|right|120px|thumb|]]
*'''Decepticon Sneak Attack''' (multi-pack, 2007)

:"Supermetal Finish" Megatron is a redeco of the standard ''Robot Heroes'' Megatron, colored a shiny silver instead of white. He was only available in a Wal-Mart exclusive five-pack alongside "Hologram" [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], "Supermetal Finish" [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]].
{{-}}

===Revoltech===
*'''Megatron''' (2007)
**''Yamaguchi Series number:'' '''025'''
**''Accessories:'' Alternate head, 3 alternate hands (left & right open palms, right gun-holding hand)

[[Image:Revoltech Megatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Action Masters? Eat your Spark out!]]
:A non-transforming but ''highly'' articulated Megatron action figure(ine), ''[[Revoltech]]'' Megatron uses the ''Revoltech'' "revolver joints" (appropriate, if you think about it...) for maximum poseability. Megs includes a non-removable fusion cannon and a few alternate hands, as well as an alternate head with its mouth open in either a smirk, growl or sneer, [[Dull surprise|depending on how you read it]]. His sculpting is explicitly in the style of [[Pat Lee|Pat "serfdom" Lee]]'s interpretation of Megatron.

:This figure uses specialized gray revolver joints in order to better blend with the surrounding sculpted parts.
{{-}}
*'''Starscream''' (2008)
**''Yamaguchi Series number:'' '''046'''

:The [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Revoltech|''Revoltech'' Starscream]] toy included a Megatron accessory in his Walther P-38 altmode. While the silencer and scope are molded on, the stock can be removed in order to allow him to be wielded. He can be held by any ''Revoltech'' toy with a standardized gun-wielding hand, including Megatron himself.
{{-}}
===Mighty Muggs===
[[Image:MightyMuggs_Megatron.jpg|right|thumb|175px]]
*'''Megatron''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' Fusion cannon

: This [[super-deformed]], non-transformable Megatron figure uses the standard [[Mighty Muggs]] body template, with swivel joints in his neck and limbs. He comes with a similarly super-deformed version of his fusion cannon that fits into a hole on his right arm.

{{-}}

===Transformers Wacky Wobblers===
*'''Megatron''' (2009)

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Skywarpatron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Skywarp really DID need close supervision.]]
* It seems that no-one could get Megatron's box art right in Japan. His standard release used edited box art from the standard Microchange P-38 toy's black deco, recolored to Megatron's US toy color scheme with shiny 'chrome' and red on his legs and arms instead of the Japanese toy's flat gray and blue. The VS-X art replaced the red with blue, but kept the 'chrome'. The art on the 'Goodbye Megatron' set used edited US box art (which in turn was the Microchange P-38 UNCLE art with an added sigil) that replaced the red with blue, yet this toy used red plastic.

* In a possible fit of madness, a triple changer was proposed that would switch between [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (possibly mistaken for Starscream), Megatron, and Skywarp's jet mode.

[[Image:Megalvatron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|This toy IS a time paradox.]]
* In a slightly more sane attempt, another triple changer was proposed which would switch between Megatron, a very awkward [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and a Walther P-38 handgun with a futuristic silencer and laser sight.

* According to [[Don Figueroa]], the mysterious clip on the back of 6" Titanium ''War Within'' Megatron was meant to carry the sword Megatron was depicted as using in ''The War Within''. As in the comics, it would presumably have resembled the sword packaged with various versions of G1 Megatron. It may have been omitted due to cost concerns.

* G2 Megatron's lock-and-load shoulder cannon was remolded slightly and reused as the main cannon on the [http://www.yojoe.com/sgtsavage/panther.shtml I.R.O.N Panther Tank] in the very short-lived 1995 [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] line ''Sgt. Savage & The Screaming Eagles''.
{{-}}

==Footnotes==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm Megatron at TFU.info]
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Megatron Megatron's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/1783/Generation+2/Megatron+ATB.html Gallery of ATB Megatron with comparison to BB at Transformers At the Moon]
* [http://www.theunclegun.com/ Unclegun.com - The Walther P-38 as seen in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]
*[http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=ngAuAAAAEBAJ Megatrons patent]

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Combiner

2010-02-08T13:39:11Z

193.62.51.5: /* Armada */

[[Image:GestaltTrioTVMagazine.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The most devastating case of tea-bagging ever.]]
A '''combiner''' is a group of Transformers that assemble and combine their bodies into a single machine, or that composite machine itself. Most combiners form a larger Super Robot with its own unique personality (a character in its own right), but other varieties of combiner exist, forming vehicles, weapons, or other items. Combiners tend to be considerably larger and more powerful than the average Transformer, equivalent to strategic-grade weapons.

There are a number of combiner-related terms that can be easy to mix up, partially because some of them are used interchangeably. Additionally, most of them have no formal definition and thus may be used differently by different fans. Consequently, most of the discussion which follows should not be taken as the word of [[Primus]], but as a rough description of common usage.

==Terms for combiners==
[[Image:Combiner logo.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Worst...logo...ever.]]
'''Combiner''': As above, a member of a group of Transformers who assemble into a composite form. Also refers to that composite form itself. This is the most general term for all combining Transformers. "Combiner" is the most common term for combining Transformers that has been used by Hasbro in an official capacity, starting with the ''[[Micromaster]] Combiners'' from 1990 (with the exception of the more limited "special teams" and a recent official use of the term "gestalt"), having even appeared with its own logo on ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' toy packaging.

[[Image:DevastatorDissectionDreamwave.jpg|right|250px|thumb|What, no Terror Claws? No Cranium Regulation Unit? What kind of lame dissection is this?!]]
'''Gestalt''': Fan-terminology for a certain class of combiners—generally used only for "big robot" combiners with emergent personalities. The term is nebulously defined, such that some fans would consider a two-member combiner such as [[Squawkbox]] a gestalt, but other fans would not. This is probably the fandom's second most frequently-used term for combining Transformers. Its use in Transfandom is derived from the principle of [[wikipedia:gestalt_psychology|gestalt psychology]], which is sometimes simplified to mean "greater/different than the sum of its parts," though a few fans consider this term pretentious and obtuse. The term remained firmly in realm of [[fanon]] for years, although it did appear in some ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' design sketches implying that Hasbro designers used the term occasionally, until in 2007 "gestalt" [[Canonizing|made its first official appearance]], in the bio of the ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] toy, once more in 2007's "[[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]]" referring to [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], and again in 2009 in the "[[First (and Second) in Flight]]" comic where [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] describes [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire's]] & [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm's]] combination into [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] as a sort of "gestalt powerlink".

'''Scramble City combiner''': A specific type of [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] giant gestalt that follows the five-member design featured in the Japanese "[[Scramble City]]" OVA. The team leader is larger than the other members and forms the main body of the combiner, while the others are smaller and form the limbs. The limbs are interchangeable, although there is always a generally-accepted “normal” formation. Further, the limbs are interchangeable from one Scramble City combiner to another, making for a large number of bizarre combinations. (See [[Abomenaticus]], [[Autobot Super Scramble]], [[Comperian]], [[Decepticon Super Scramble]], and [[Scramble 7]].) Limbs are also able to attach to and augment Metroplex & Metrotitan (see “Trivia” below). Note that this term is purely descriptive rather than being a proper name.

'''Special Team''': A synonym for Scramble City combiner. When the Scramble City toys were marketed in Europe they were referred to as Special Teams, and the term even appeared in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|UK comic book]] series. The term was used in some marketing materials in the US, such as packing lists for the toy [[Case assortment|case assortments]], but never appeared in US fiction until the [[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|''Ultimate Guide'']] was published in 2004. It was also used as the name for a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] five-pack of [[redeco]]s of ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Legends Class|Legends]] toys released under the ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' banner, "Special Team Leaders". Ironically, none of these toys were actually ''combiners''—the term simply referred to the ''characters'', since the redecos were [[homage]]s to the leaders of ''Generation 1'' combiner times, four of which were "Scramble City" combiners.

'''Super Robot''': A robot which is formed through the combination of two or more Transformers. Powered-up robot modes composed of only one Transformer who combines with some of their own accessories are often also referred to as Super Robots, such as [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] or the incarnations of Prime from ''Robots in Disguise'' and all three ''[[Unicron Trilogy]]'' series. It is probably safe to informally refer to any such mode as a Super Robot (thus including, say, G1 [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and ''Energon'' [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]]). Note that this means Super Robots are not always combiners and do not have to have their own personality. Rather, Super Robot and combiner are two different categories of Transformer which ''sometimes'' overlap. A one-robot Super Robot may also be referred to as that robot's [[Super Mode]].

'''Fusilateral quintrocombiner''': Coined by [[Simon Furman]] in [[Swarm (issue)|issue 9]] of the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|''Generation 2'' comic]] to refer to the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. It presumably is meant to refer to all the Scramble City teams except possibly the Seacons, as their combined forms consist of six robots (not five, so they could possibly be fusilateral hexocombiners I guess...). It may also apply to the Predacons, but it doesn't matter because nobody uses this term anyway.

'''Amalgam model''': Yet another obscure term for combiners first used by Simon Furman via [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] in the "[[Devastation Derby!]]" story in the UK comic books.

==Types of combiner==
As mentioned above, most combiners form a super robot. However, there are many other types of combining in the Transformers multiverse.

In the ''Energon'' franchise, most of the Autobot characters were able to combine with each other in pairs much like ''[[Victory (franchise)|Victory]]'''s [[Multiforce]]. These combined forms can probably be considered Super Robots. The combined form was simply controlled by whichever Autobot was "on top". Make whatever jokes you will.

''Generation 1'' contains many examples of combined [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]], including [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], [[Dreadwing (G1)|Dreadwing]], [[Big Powered]], the [[Triple Combination Battlestar Attack|Battlestar]], and the [[Targetmaster|Double Targetmasters]].

The [[Micromaster Combiner|Micromaster Combiners]] are made up of Transformers whose altmodes combine into vehicles, with one partner being the front and another the rear. The combined forms do not have specific names. Thanks to the generic peg-and-socket connection method used, any two Micromaster combiners can be linked (though some such as the dump truck/space shuttle combo may attract comment). These altmode combiners should not be confused with the Micromaster "Sixcombiners", six-robot teams who combine to form a Super Robot.

The [[Unicron Trilogy]]'s [[Mini-Con|Mini-Cons]] brought to the fiction combined weapon modes, like the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] & [[Dark Saber]] swords, [[Requiem Blaster]] cannon, and [[Skyboom Shield]].

==Not combiners==
Not all cases of multiple things attaching to each other are combiners. As mentioned above, many Super Robots—which are formed through a conglomeration of parts—are not combiners. [[Landmine (Energon)|''Energon'' Landmine]], for example.

A similar case can be found in [[multi-component Transformer|Transformers who have two or more "components" which combine into a single entity]]. [[Sky Lynx (G1)|G1 Sky Lynx]] has lynx and dino-bird components, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|G1 Omega Supreme]] has tank, base, and rocket components, and [[Magmatron]] has three dinosaur components. However, all of these components are considered to be "part of" the overall Transformer, even through they can act independently. The [[Duocon]]s are another case of this sort. All of these examples are ''not'' combiners because there is only ''one'' Transformer involved in each of them, regardless of how many bodies that Transformer may simultaneously operate. Such robots are occasionally referred to as "Reverse Combiners" within the fandom.

(Confusing things further are the comics which treated Sky Lynx and the Duocons as triple changers, able to transform between the combined mode and the ones for individual components without any parts separating off.)

Sometimes a smaller Transformer will attach to and enhance a larger Transformer in some way. This is the case when Mini-Cons powerlink with bulks, as well as with [[Binary bonding|binary-bonded]] partners like [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], [[Powermaster]]s/[[Godmaster]]s, [[Kiss Player]]s and [[Breastforce]] members. Although these examples do include more than one Transformer (or a Transformer and a fleshling), they are not considered "combiners". The simplest justification for this is that, in these cases, the "combined" form is almost exactly the same in appearance as the non-combined form.

And sometimes [[Beast (G1)|things just combine for no real reason at all. Just deal with it. We hate it, oh God yes, but there it is. We're sorry.]]

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====Marvel comics continuity====
=====Combiner teams=====
{{noteukonly}}
The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s were designed and built by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as the first combiner team. They were given life through [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] energy stored in [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s head. The Constructicons had considerable difficulty coordinating together as Devastator in their first mission. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

''The [[Special Teams]] were first conceived within [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s mind shortly after the human had relinquished control of the Creation Matrix to Optimus Prime. Shockwave was able to view this data remotely and prepare for their development.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Seeing the potential in combiner technology, the Autobots decided to learn how to utilize it themselves. They staged an attack on a Decepticon coal mining base which drew out the Constructions. When they combined, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] was there recording their transformation pattern. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} They used this information to construct the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. Unfortunately, they were forced to go on their first mission with only [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt's]] personality programming completed, leaving the rest of the team, and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], rather indifferent towards [[human]] casualties. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} After their first mission proved a failure, Optimus Prime had [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] wipe their memory, and started reprogramming them with the Creation Matrix. However, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who had gotten a lift to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] on Silverbolt's plane mode, had injected Optimus Prime with a [[cerebro-shell]] with which [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] was able to steal energy from the Creation Matrix and bring his newly-built combiner team, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to life. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} The [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s next combiner teams to become part of their faction's Earth-bound crew. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

{{note|The exact origin of the Protectobots and Combaticons is not revealed.}}

''The combining [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s were summoned to Earth from Cybertron by Megatron.'' {{storylink|Prey!}} The Predacons were ''again'' summoned to Earth by Shockwave. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} The [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s were part of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s crew and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s were part of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s crew on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. They had the ability to combine. {{storylink|Headmasters (comic)|Headmasters}} ''The [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]]s were combiners that were summoned from Cybertron to Earth by Shockwave.'' {{storylink|Enemy Action!}} They later came under the command of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

{{note|It is not revealed how the Combiner technology that was developed on Earth was found among these Cybertron based crews. Some of the Decepticons on Cybertron were in contact with Earth Decepticons, so perhaps the technology was passed along and the Cybertron Autobots stole it from the Cybertron Decepticons. Or the Cybertron Transformers just developed the technology independently.}}

=====Other combiners=====
[[Darkwing]] and [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] combine to form [[Dreadwing (G1)|Dreadwing]]. {{storylink|People Power!}} They appear to keep their individual personalities in their combined mode instead of merging their minds.

====Cartoon continuity====
On Cybertron, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]] were existing Transformers who were brainwashed by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] to become Decepticons. Megatron also adapted them with the ability to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to challenge [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Omega Supreme pursued the Constructicons for millions of years. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} In 1894, the Constructicons were (re?)created on [[Earth]] with the ability to combine to bolster the Decepticons' strength. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

{{note|For more on the conflicting origin of the Constructicons, see [[Constructicon (G1)#Origin inconsistency|here]].}}

The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s and [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s were built from scratch and given personality by [[Vector Sigma]]. They were designed with the ability to combine. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] installed the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s [[personality component]]s into junked military vehicles. This brought the vehicles to life with the ability to combine. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

The [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s became part of the Autobot forces on Earth and were able to combine. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Years later, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s originated as combiners under the command of the [[Quintesson]]s. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}} The combinable [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s were part of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s troops. An intellectually enhanced [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] created the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s with the ability to combine. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

====Dreamwave comics continuity====
Experiments in combining were conducted both before and during the early phase of the civil war, in a process known as [[mass intellect]]. However, the combined forms suffered in that the stronger minds tended to drown out the weaker ones. Following the failure of the planetary engine turbines, the Constructicons turned their attention to the mass intellect process. They eventually developed a hyper vortex processor that managed to preserve the individuals minds in the combined whole. Testing the process on themselves, the Constructicons combined into Devastator. While the Constructicons were able to preserve their minds, Devastator was hampered by the need of all six Constructicons to agree on a course of action, which was usually destroy the Autobots. As a result, the combined intellects of the Constructicons did not translate to Devastator, who instead suffered serious mental disabilities. Despite this, Devastator's destructive capabilities greatly pleased Megatron, and he ordered the Constructicons to continue their experiments.<ref>[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]</ref>
{{stub}}

====IDW comics continuity====
[[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] was the first combiner and was designed through experimentation by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. Unfortunately, in this first prototype, the merging process led to insanity. The team was captured by the Autobots {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} and placed into the custody of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] while [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]] studied them with the goal of rehabilitating them. The technology stymied Jetfire, who estimated it would take a lot more study before progress could be made. He didn't get the chance, however, since the [[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]] were soon captured by the [[Decepticon Secret Service]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} Monstructor was then captured by unidentified minions of [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} and used to guard the [[Nega-Core]] on Rotan. He was engaged in combat by the Decepticon Secret Service and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] while the Autobots sneaked around him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

One year later, the Decepticons have the combiner [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] as part of their army. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2}}

===Robots in Disguise===
Robots in Disguise loves combiners. In fact, the majority of the cast combine in one way or another.

=====One-robot combiners=====
*In the television show, [[Megatron (RID)| Megatron]] (and presumably, Galvatron) was able to transform into his hand mode and then combine with his ship.
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)| Optimus Prime]] is able to combine with his "base" to form a super robot.

=====Two-robot combiners=====
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)| Optimus Prime]] is capable of combining with his [[Relatives| brother]] [[Ultra Magnus (RID)| Ultra Magnus]] to form [[Omega Prime]].

=====Three-robot combiners=====
*[[Team Bullet Train]], consisting of [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]], [[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]] and [[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]], combine into [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]].
*[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]] is technically a three robot combination, [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]] and [[Emissary]] combine together to form Fortress Maximus' head, which connects to the body.

=====Four-robot combiners=====
*The [[Build Team]], [[Wedge]], [[Grimlock (RID)|Grimlock]], [[Heavy Load (RID)|Heavy Load]] and [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]], can combine into the robot [[Landfill (RID)|Landfill]].

=====Five-robot combiners=====
*The combined form of the [[Commandos]] is a being named [[Ruination (RID)| Ruination]]. This combiner is controlled almost entirely by [[Mega-Octane]], in order to be a more effective, coordinated being than most other combiners.

{{stub}}

===Armada===
Optimus Prime could combine with his trailer to form a Super Mode robot. With this ability at his disposal, he beat the tar out of every Decepticon at least once. Then a new magic mushroom appeared: Jetfire. During a battle with the Decepticons, the Autobots were totally getting slagged by Megatron's new tactician Thrust and his 'henchman' Tidal Wave. Right when it seemed hopeless, a space shuttle fell from the sky and combined with Optimus to form Jet Optimus. Needless to say, Megatron was rather surprised. The Decepticons kept trying to beat the Autobots and miserably failed each time, frequently due to this new team-up, which also helped the Autobots survive and win the Unicron Battles. A third magic mushroom appeared late on in the series literally out of nowhere. Prime's new 'sroom, named Overload, formed a large pair of cannons ontop of Super Optimus' shoulders. Overload's additonal firepower, combined with the already impressive firepower of the Requiem Blaster, enabled Optimus to destroy the being known as Sideways.

The decepticons were not without their own combiner. Tidal Wave was able to combine with Megatron to form additional armor and a back-mounted rocket pack. The only practical upshot of this is that megatron could now fly, which came in handy from time to time. The three mini-con companions of the humans Rad, Alexis and Carlos could band together to form Perceptor. These three appeared again in Energon, albeit with new bodies. There were three more mini-con combiner teams that could form the Star Saber, the Skyboom Shield and the Requiem Blaster. A forth weapon existed as a dark clone of the Star Saber, weilded by the evil Nemesis Prime.

===Energon===
During this period, one couldn't swing a dead cybercat without hitting a combiner, as every Autobot, save for the Omnicons, was capable of merging with another, or with an augmenting portion of his vehicle mode. Then the [[Bruticus Maximus| three]] [[Constructicon Maximus| Maximus]] [[Superion Maximus| teams]] arrived, giving the Decepticons two five-part combiners and the Autobots one.
{{see|Spark of Combination}}

===Live-action film series===
Experimental combiner technology was developed by the Decepticons for combat advantage (yeah, that's right, the 'Cons do invent stuff themselves sometimes) and then used on the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s who are able to form [[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]]. Comfort was rather decidedly not on the top of the list of priorities and, as a result, the process is brutally painful to the Transformers involved, which also makes the combiners fuse in a very aggressive and painful manner (it's a vicious circle). The mental and physical torture involved leaves Devastator only interested in causing destruction.<ref>Devastator's [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/Battle-Bios.cfm Battle Bio] at Hasbro.com</ref>

[[Knock Out (ROTF)|Knock Out]] hopes to undergo the "combination retrofit" process.<ref>Knock Out's toy bio.</ref>

{{note|No details are given regarding this "combination retrofit" technology, but it is a possible factor in [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]]'s ice cream truck mode and the combined mode of [toy continuity] [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Chromia (ROTF)|Chromia]], and [[Elita-1 (ROTF)|Elita-1]].}}

Combiners are not limited to one combination scheme. Their final form may also vary.<ref>[http://unicron-events-interviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/hasbro-q-10212009.html Hasbro's answer to Unicron.com] as part of the [[Hasbro Q&A/October 2009#Unicron.com|October 2009 Q&A]].</ref>

==Combiner list==
{{note|Due to the many uses of redecoes as new characters and convenience for reading, each mold is listed on its own line, with all different-character decoes/retools on the same line.}}
;Combiners with two members
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Jet Optimus]]
*[[Mega-Dinobot]]
*[[Decibel]]
*[[Legout]]
*[[Slamdance]]
*[[Squawkbox]]
*[[Dreadwing (G1)]] / [[Darkwings]]
*[[Stormtrooper (G2 Cybertronian)|Stormtrooper]]s
*[[Multiforce]] members
**[[Wingwaver]]
**[[Dashtacker]]
**[[Machtackle]] 
*[[Dreadwing (G2)]] / [[Formation Scream]] / [[Dreadwing (RID)]] / [[Gigant Sniper]]
*[[Powered Master|Powered Masters]]
**[[Sky Powered]]
**[[Land Powered]]
**[[Big Powered]] ''(actually consists of three members)''
*[[Safeguard (Animated)]]
*[[Skids (ROTF)]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)]] in ice cream truck mode

;Combiners formed by main bodies with power-up partners
:''See also: [[Super Mode]]''
*[[Ginrai|God Ginrai]]
*[[Star Saber (Victory)|Victory Saber]]
*[[Omega Prime]]
*The combined form of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Wing Saber]]
*[[Optimus Supreme (Energon)]]
*[[Optimus Prime Super Modes#Live-action film series|Power Up Optimus Prime]] (''aka'' [[Optimus Prime Super Modes#Live-action film series|Jetpower Optimus Prime]])

{{note|Optimus Prime and Jetfire are not combiner in the fiction {{m-}} Optimus simply uses Jetfire's corpse as parts to enhance his strength and firepower.}}

;Combiners with three or more members (non-Scramble City type)
*[[Devastator (G1)]]
*[[Devastator (ROTF)]]
*[[Predaking]]
*[[Raiden]]
*[[Monstructor (G1)]] / [[Dinoking]]
*[[Road Caesar]]
*[[Liokaiser]]
*[[Landcross (Victory)|Landcross]]
*[[Magnaboss]] / [[Magnaboss II]]
*[[MegaWing Galvatron]]
*[[Dark MegaWing Galvatron]]
*[[Prime Processing Unit]] {{storylink|Collect and Save}}
*[[Tripredacus]] / [[Tripledacus]]
*[[Rail Racer (RID)]]
*[[Landfill (RID)]] / [[Constructicon Devastator (Ultra)]]
*Unnamed [[Minibot combiner]] {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8}}
*[[Beast (G1)|Beast]] {{storylink|The Beast Within|The Beast Within}}
*[[Insectrain]] {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}}
*[[Reedman]]
*The combined form of [[Arcee (Movie)]], [[Chromia (ROTF)]], and [[Elita-1 (ROTF)]] (toy-only)

;Scramble City-type combiners
*[[Bruticus (G1)]] / [[Battle Gaia]] / [[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]]
*[[Defensor (G1)]] / [[Guard City]]
*[[Menasor (G1)]]
*[[Superion (G1)]]
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]
*[[Computron (G1)|Computron]]
*[[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]]<ref name="seacon">With extra "limb" robot used as weapon.</ref> / [[King Poseidon]]<ref name="seacon" /> / [[God Neptune]]

;Official mix-n-match Scramble City combiners
* [[Abomenaticus]]
* [[Autobot Super Scramble]]
* [[Comperian]]
* [[Decepticon Super Scramble]]
* [[Scramble 7]]

;Micromaster-type combiners
*[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads
**[[Barrage (Micromaster)|Barrage]] and [[Heave]]
**[[Blackout (G1)|Blackout]] and [[Spaceshot]]
**[[Blast Master]] and [[Phaser]]
**[[Direct-Hit (G1)|Direct-Hit]] and [[Power Punch (G1)|Power Punch]]
**[[Excavator (G1)|Excavator]] and [[Stonecruncher (G1)|Stonecruncher]] / [[Retro]] and [[Surge]]
**[[Fireshot (G1)|Fireshot]] and [[Vanquish (G1)|Vanquish]]
**[[Full-Barrel]] and [[Overflow]]
**[[Grit (G1)|Grit]] and [[Knockout (G1)|Knockout]]
**[[Half-Track (G1)|Half-Track]] and [[Meltdown (G1)|Meltdown]]
**[[Hammer (G1)|Hammer]] and [[Sledge (G1)|Sledge]] / [[Cement-Head]] and [[Terror-Tread]]
**[[Missile Master]] and [[Moonrock]]
**[[Oiler]] and [[Slide]]
**[[Power Run]] and [[Strikedown]]
**[[Roadburner]] and [[Wheel Blaze]]
*[[Sixliner]] / [[Sixtrain]]<ref>Sixtrain was redecoed and retooled from Sixliner.</ref> / [[Rail Racer (Universe)]]<ref>Universe Rail Racer uses the same deco as Takara's 2003 redecoed "reissue" of Sixtrain.</ref>
*[[Sixbuilder]] / [[Decepticon Sixbuilder]] / [[Constructicon Devastator (Micromaster)]]
*[[Sixturbo]] / [[Defensor (Universe)]]
*[[Sixwing|Sixwing / Berserker Sixwing / Destron Sixwing]] / [[Superion (Universe)]]

;Mini-Con combiners
*[[Perceptor (Armada)#Armada_3|Perceptor (Armada)]] / [[Perceptor (Universe)]]
*[[Perceptor (Armada)#Energon_3|Perceptor (Energon)]] / [[Heavy Metal (Energon)|Heavy Metal]] / [[Windcharger (Energon)]] / [[Perceptor (Armada)#Cybertron|Perceptor (Cybertron)]]
*[[Mirror]] / [[Nightcreeper]]
*[[Requiem Blaster]]
*[[Skyboom (Armada)]]
*[[Star Saber (Armada)]] / [[Vorpal Saber]] / [[Energon Saber]] / [[Blizzard Saber]]

;Maximus-type combiners
*[[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] / [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus Maximus (G1)]] (Universe) / [[Bruticus Maximus (ROTF)]]
*[[Constructicon Maximus]] / [[Devastator (G1)|Constructicon Devastator (Classics)]]
*[[Superion Maximus]] / [[Superion (G1)]] (Universe) / [[Superion (ROTF)]]
*[[Nexus Prime]]

==Unused concepts==
Combiners were a very popular idea during the Generation 1 toyline and as such there are loads of scrapped combiner designs that never got past the drawing board. Among them were:
*A Scramble City style dinosaur combiner. The body is a T-Rex, while the limbs are a Pterodactyl (right arm), Ankylosaurus (left leg), Dimetrodon (left arm), and Styracosaurus (right leg)<ref>[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p22</ref>

*A decidedly goofy organic insect combiner composed of a stag beetle (right leg), another beetle (left leg), grasshopper (left arm), fly (right arm), and a cockroach body.<ref name="p99">[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p99</ref>

*A cybernetic beast combiner that did not form a robot, but rather a large cybernetic monster. It is formed from a cyber bat, mole, stag beetle, and a couple of fish things.<ref name="p99" />

*A fifteen (!) vehicle Micromaster combiner where the only attached parts not contained by the component robots were the large robot fists. This combiner consists of three uniformly colored teams (in a similar fashion to the vehicular Voltron of the same time period):
**Air team (blue)- two jets, two helicopters, a space shuttle.
**Construction team (green)- a hauler, a bulldozer, a steam shovel, a tank (don't ask), a missile carrier (don't ask).
**Street team (red)- two cars, a motorcycle, a formula racer, a jeep.<ref name="p108">[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p108</ref>
[[Image:ClassicVehicombiner.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Either the smallest steamboat ever, or the largest car in existence.]]
*Another, simpler dinosaur combiner composed of a Pterodactyl, a not-really-a-Stegosaurus, and a T-Rex with a very large head. The three combine into a dinosaur thing similar to [[Magmatron]]'s combined dino mode. It shares many visual characteristics with Tomy's relatively simple robot designs.<ref name="p108" />
*A five vehicle combiner (evidently not Scramble City in nature) composed of a steam engine (right arm), steam boat (torso), car (right leg), truck (left leg), and plane (left arm).
*A base consisting mostly of ramps and a hollow tower in the center that combined with 14 non-transforming cars and vans. Two vehicles make up each limb, with three crammed in the chest, two for feet, and one that slides into the tower's gun platform to form the head. The ramps would then act as an exoskeleton to contain all of the components.<ref name="p79">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p79</ref>
*A robot formed from a truck cab and four cars with no robot modes that each have flip out weapon arrays. This may qualify more as a conventional "super robot" than a standard combiner, but we may never know.<ref name="p80">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p80</ref>
*A "Duocon" (or rather, "Triocon", in this case) style robot formed by three cars. One car splits in half to form the arms, another splits for the legs, and a third folds in half to reveal the robot head and connect it all together.<ref name="p80">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p80</ref>
*A Concorde jet that split into two robots, where the front portion's robot can pop out three wheels and a spare cockpit to give it a land mode. Presumably the larger rear robot could do the same.<ref name="p81">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p81</ref>
*Two military convoy "trains", one good, one evil, of six vehicles each hooked together that combine along the lines of Devastator but with loads more guns. The robot core is formed by a tractor trailer that leads either convoy, the good one being long nosed, the evil one being flat, each with trailers that open up into small cannon platforms usable by the five smaller robots. Said trailers also become their respective combined form's handgun. The other five members each have a specific large weapon such as a missile rack or chaingun that they can also use in robot mode.<ref name="p83">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p83</ref>

==Trivia==
*[[Devastator (G1)|G1 Devastator]] and [[Raiden]] are the only combiners from [[Diaclone]] toylines.
*[[Scramble City]]-type combiners were initially designed to be a sub-line of [[Diaclone]] called... what else... Scramble City. This goes along with their ability to interact with and attach to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] & [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], the designs of which were also originally intended for the Diaclone line.
*Six of the seven released G1 Scramble City-type combiners were apparently released in themed pairs, themes usually further reinforced by their team members' tech spec bios to some extent.
**Aerialbots (air vehicles) and Stunticons (ground vehicles)
**Protectobots (rescue vehicles) and Combaticons (offensive vehicles... and a space shuttle)
**Technobots (futuristic vehicles) and Terrorcons (fantastical beasts)
**The Seacons are the odd men out, but the above mentioned unreleased dinosaur Scramble City combiner may have been an intended adversary.
*In [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic continuity [[Squawkbox]] exists before Combiner technology has become available to either faction. This means that either Squawkbox is the core being and he's later split into [[Squawktalk]] and [[Beastbox]] or um... someone at IDW screwed up.

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Combiners| ]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Gimmicks]]

Combiner

2010-02-08T13:35:28Z

193.62.51.5: /* Armada */

[[Image:GestaltTrioTVMagazine.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The most devastating case of tea-bagging ever.]]
A '''combiner''' is a group of Transformers that assemble and combine their bodies into a single machine, or that composite machine itself. Most combiners form a larger Super Robot with its own unique personality (a character in its own right), but other varieties of combiner exist, forming vehicles, weapons, or other items. Combiners tend to be considerably larger and more powerful than the average Transformer, equivalent to strategic-grade weapons.

There are a number of combiner-related terms that can be easy to mix up, partially because some of them are used interchangeably. Additionally, most of them have no formal definition and thus may be used differently by different fans. Consequently, most of the discussion which follows should not be taken as the word of [[Primus]], but as a rough description of common usage.

==Terms for combiners==
[[Image:Combiner logo.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Worst...logo...ever.]]
'''Combiner''': As above, a member of a group of Transformers who assemble into a composite form. Also refers to that composite form itself. This is the most general term for all combining Transformers. "Combiner" is the most common term for combining Transformers that has been used by Hasbro in an official capacity, starting with the ''[[Micromaster]] Combiners'' from 1990 (with the exception of the more limited "special teams" and a recent official use of the term "gestalt"), having even appeared with its own logo on ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' toy packaging.

[[Image:DevastatorDissectionDreamwave.jpg|right|250px|thumb|What, no Terror Claws? No Cranium Regulation Unit? What kind of lame dissection is this?!]]
'''Gestalt''': Fan-terminology for a certain class of combiners—generally used only for "big robot" combiners with emergent personalities. The term is nebulously defined, such that some fans would consider a two-member combiner such as [[Squawkbox]] a gestalt, but other fans would not. This is probably the fandom's second most frequently-used term for combining Transformers. Its use in Transfandom is derived from the principle of [[wikipedia:gestalt_psychology|gestalt psychology]], which is sometimes simplified to mean "greater/different than the sum of its parts," though a few fans consider this term pretentious and obtuse. The term remained firmly in realm of [[fanon]] for years, although it did appear in some ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' design sketches implying that Hasbro designers used the term occasionally, until in 2007 "gestalt" [[Canonizing|made its first official appearance]], in the bio of the ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] toy, once more in 2007's "[[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]]" referring to [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], and again in 2009 in the "[[First (and Second) in Flight]]" comic where [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] describes [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire's]] & [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm's]] combination into [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] as a sort of "gestalt powerlink".

'''Scramble City combiner''': A specific type of [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] giant gestalt that follows the five-member design featured in the Japanese "[[Scramble City]]" OVA. The team leader is larger than the other members and forms the main body of the combiner, while the others are smaller and form the limbs. The limbs are interchangeable, although there is always a generally-accepted “normal” formation. Further, the limbs are interchangeable from one Scramble City combiner to another, making for a large number of bizarre combinations. (See [[Abomenaticus]], [[Autobot Super Scramble]], [[Comperian]], [[Decepticon Super Scramble]], and [[Scramble 7]].) Limbs are also able to attach to and augment Metroplex & Metrotitan (see “Trivia” below). Note that this term is purely descriptive rather than being a proper name.

'''Special Team''': A synonym for Scramble City combiner. When the Scramble City toys were marketed in Europe they were referred to as Special Teams, and the term even appeared in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|UK comic book]] series. The term was used in some marketing materials in the US, such as packing lists for the toy [[Case assortment|case assortments]], but never appeared in US fiction until the [[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|''Ultimate Guide'']] was published in 2004. It was also used as the name for a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] five-pack of [[redeco]]s of ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Legends Class|Legends]] toys released under the ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' banner, "Special Team Leaders". Ironically, none of these toys were actually ''combiners''—the term simply referred to the ''characters'', since the redecos were [[homage]]s to the leaders of ''Generation 1'' combiner times, four of which were "Scramble City" combiners.

'''Super Robot''': A robot which is formed through the combination of two or more Transformers. Powered-up robot modes composed of only one Transformer who combines with some of their own accessories are often also referred to as Super Robots, such as [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] or the incarnations of Prime from ''Robots in Disguise'' and all three ''[[Unicron Trilogy]]'' series. It is probably safe to informally refer to any such mode as a Super Robot (thus including, say, G1 [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and ''Energon'' [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]]). Note that this means Super Robots are not always combiners and do not have to have their own personality. Rather, Super Robot and combiner are two different categories of Transformer which ''sometimes'' overlap. A one-robot Super Robot may also be referred to as that robot's [[Super Mode]].

'''Fusilateral quintrocombiner''': Coined by [[Simon Furman]] in [[Swarm (issue)|issue 9]] of the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|''Generation 2'' comic]] to refer to the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. It presumably is meant to refer to all the Scramble City teams except possibly the Seacons, as their combined forms consist of six robots (not five, so they could possibly be fusilateral hexocombiners I guess...). It may also apply to the Predacons, but it doesn't matter because nobody uses this term anyway.

'''Amalgam model''': Yet another obscure term for combiners first used by Simon Furman via [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] in the "[[Devastation Derby!]]" story in the UK comic books.

==Types of combiner==
As mentioned above, most combiners form a super robot. However, there are many other types of combining in the Transformers multiverse.

In the ''Energon'' franchise, most of the Autobot characters were able to combine with each other in pairs much like ''[[Victory (franchise)|Victory]]'''s [[Multiforce]]. These combined forms can probably be considered Super Robots. The combined form was simply controlled by whichever Autobot was "on top". Make whatever jokes you will.

''Generation 1'' contains many examples of combined [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]], including [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], [[Dreadwing (G1)|Dreadwing]], [[Big Powered]], the [[Triple Combination Battlestar Attack|Battlestar]], and the [[Targetmaster|Double Targetmasters]].

The [[Micromaster Combiner|Micromaster Combiners]] are made up of Transformers whose altmodes combine into vehicles, with one partner being the front and another the rear. The combined forms do not have specific names. Thanks to the generic peg-and-socket connection method used, any two Micromaster combiners can be linked (though some such as the dump truck/space shuttle combo may attract comment). These altmode combiners should not be confused with the Micromaster "Sixcombiners", six-robot teams who combine to form a Super Robot.

The [[Unicron Trilogy]]'s [[Mini-Con|Mini-Cons]] brought to the fiction combined weapon modes, like the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] & [[Dark Saber]] swords, [[Requiem Blaster]] cannon, and [[Skyboom Shield]].

==Not combiners==
Not all cases of multiple things attaching to each other are combiners. As mentioned above, many Super Robots—which are formed through a conglomeration of parts—are not combiners. [[Landmine (Energon)|''Energon'' Landmine]], for example.

A similar case can be found in [[multi-component Transformer|Transformers who have two or more "components" which combine into a single entity]]. [[Sky Lynx (G1)|G1 Sky Lynx]] has lynx and dino-bird components, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|G1 Omega Supreme]] has tank, base, and rocket components, and [[Magmatron]] has three dinosaur components. However, all of these components are considered to be "part of" the overall Transformer, even through they can act independently. The [[Duocon]]s are another case of this sort. All of these examples are ''not'' combiners because there is only ''one'' Transformer involved in each of them, regardless of how many bodies that Transformer may simultaneously operate. Such robots are occasionally referred to as "Reverse Combiners" within the fandom.

(Confusing things further are the comics which treated Sky Lynx and the Duocons as triple changers, able to transform between the combined mode and the ones for individual components without any parts separating off.)

Sometimes a smaller Transformer will attach to and enhance a larger Transformer in some way. This is the case when Mini-Cons powerlink with bulks, as well as with [[Binary bonding|binary-bonded]] partners like [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], [[Powermaster]]s/[[Godmaster]]s, [[Kiss Player]]s and [[Breastforce]] members. Although these examples do include more than one Transformer (or a Transformer and a fleshling), they are not considered "combiners". The simplest justification for this is that, in these cases, the "combined" form is almost exactly the same in appearance as the non-combined form.

And sometimes [[Beast (G1)|things just combine for no real reason at all. Just deal with it. We hate it, oh God yes, but there it is. We're sorry.]]

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====Marvel comics continuity====
=====Combiner teams=====
{{noteukonly}}
The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s were designed and built by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as the first combiner team. They were given life through [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] energy stored in [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s head. The Constructicons had considerable difficulty coordinating together as Devastator in their first mission. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

''The [[Special Teams]] were first conceived within [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s mind shortly after the human had relinquished control of the Creation Matrix to Optimus Prime. Shockwave was able to view this data remotely and prepare for their development.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Seeing the potential in combiner technology, the Autobots decided to learn how to utilize it themselves. They staged an attack on a Decepticon coal mining base which drew out the Constructions. When they combined, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] was there recording their transformation pattern. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} They used this information to construct the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. Unfortunately, they were forced to go on their first mission with only [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt's]] personality programming completed, leaving the rest of the team, and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], rather indifferent towards [[human]] casualties. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} After their first mission proved a failure, Optimus Prime had [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] wipe their memory, and started reprogramming them with the Creation Matrix. However, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who had gotten a lift to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] on Silverbolt's plane mode, had injected Optimus Prime with a [[cerebro-shell]] with which [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] was able to steal energy from the Creation Matrix and bring his newly-built combiner team, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to life. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} The [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s next combiner teams to become part of their faction's Earth-bound crew. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

{{note|The exact origin of the Protectobots and Combaticons is not revealed.}}

''The combining [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s were summoned to Earth from Cybertron by Megatron.'' {{storylink|Prey!}} The Predacons were ''again'' summoned to Earth by Shockwave. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} The [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s were part of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s crew and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s were part of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s crew on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. They had the ability to combine. {{storylink|Headmasters (comic)|Headmasters}} ''The [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]]s were combiners that were summoned from Cybertron to Earth by Shockwave.'' {{storylink|Enemy Action!}} They later came under the command of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

{{note|It is not revealed how the Combiner technology that was developed on Earth was found among these Cybertron based crews. Some of the Decepticons on Cybertron were in contact with Earth Decepticons, so perhaps the technology was passed along and the Cybertron Autobots stole it from the Cybertron Decepticons. Or the Cybertron Transformers just developed the technology independently.}}

=====Other combiners=====
[[Darkwing]] and [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] combine to form [[Dreadwing (G1)|Dreadwing]]. {{storylink|People Power!}} They appear to keep their individual personalities in their combined mode instead of merging their minds.

====Cartoon continuity====
On Cybertron, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]] were existing Transformers who were brainwashed by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] to become Decepticons. Megatron also adapted them with the ability to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to challenge [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Omega Supreme pursued the Constructicons for millions of years. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} In 1894, the Constructicons were (re?)created on [[Earth]] with the ability to combine to bolster the Decepticons' strength. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

{{note|For more on the conflicting origin of the Constructicons, see [[Constructicon (G1)#Origin inconsistency|here]].}}

The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s and [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s were built from scratch and given personality by [[Vector Sigma]]. They were designed with the ability to combine. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] installed the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s [[personality component]]s into junked military vehicles. This brought the vehicles to life with the ability to combine. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

The [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s became part of the Autobot forces on Earth and were able to combine. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Years later, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s originated as combiners under the command of the [[Quintesson]]s. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}} The combinable [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s were part of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s troops. An intellectually enhanced [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] created the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s with the ability to combine. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

====Dreamwave comics continuity====
Experiments in combining were conducted both before and during the early phase of the civil war, in a process known as [[mass intellect]]. However, the combined forms suffered in that the stronger minds tended to drown out the weaker ones. Following the failure of the planetary engine turbines, the Constructicons turned their attention to the mass intellect process. They eventually developed a hyper vortex processor that managed to preserve the individuals minds in the combined whole. Testing the process on themselves, the Constructicons combined into Devastator. While the Constructicons were able to preserve their minds, Devastator was hampered by the need of all six Constructicons to agree on a course of action, which was usually destroy the Autobots. As a result, the combined intellects of the Constructicons did not translate to Devastator, who instead suffered serious mental disabilities. Despite this, Devastator's destructive capabilities greatly pleased Megatron, and he ordered the Constructicons to continue their experiments.<ref>[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]</ref>
{{stub}}

====IDW comics continuity====
[[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] was the first combiner and was designed through experimentation by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. Unfortunately, in this first prototype, the merging process led to insanity. The team was captured by the Autobots {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} and placed into the custody of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] while [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]] studied them with the goal of rehabilitating them. The technology stymied Jetfire, who estimated it would take a lot more study before progress could be made. He didn't get the chance, however, since the [[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]] were soon captured by the [[Decepticon Secret Service]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} Monstructor was then captured by unidentified minions of [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} and used to guard the [[Nega-Core]] on Rotan. He was engaged in combat by the Decepticon Secret Service and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] while the Autobots sneaked around him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

One year later, the Decepticons have the combiner [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] as part of their army. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2}}

===Robots in Disguise===
Robots in Disguise loves combiners. In fact, the majority of the cast combine in one way or another.

=====One-robot combiners=====
*In the television show, [[Megatron (RID)| Megatron]] (and presumably, Galvatron) was able to transform into his hand mode and then combine with his ship.
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)| Optimus Prime]] is able to combine with his "base" to form a super robot.

=====Two-robot combiners=====
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)| Optimus Prime]] is capable of combining with his [[Relatives| brother]] [[Ultra Magnus (RID)| Ultra Magnus]] to form [[Omega Prime]].

=====Three-robot combiners=====
*[[Team Bullet Train]], consisting of [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]], [[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]] and [[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]], combine into [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]].
*[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]] is technically a three robot combination, [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]] and [[Emissary]] combine together to form Fortress Maximus' head, which connects to the body.

=====Four-robot combiners=====
*The [[Build Team]], [[Wedge]], [[Grimlock (RID)|Grimlock]], [[Heavy Load (RID)|Heavy Load]] and [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]], can combine into the robot [[Landfill (RID)|Landfill]].

=====Five-robot combiners=====
*The combined form of the [[Commandos]] is a being named [[Ruination (RID)| Ruination]]. This combiner is controlled almost entirely by [[Mega-Octane]], in order to be a more effective, coordinated being than most other combiners.

{{stub}}

===Armada===
Optimus Prime could combine with his trailer to form a Super Mode robot. With this ability at his disposal, he beat the tar out of every Decepticon at least once. Then a new magic mushroom appeared: Jetfire. During a battle with the Decepticons, the Autobots were totally getting slagged by Megatron's new tactician Thrust and his 'henchman' Tidal Wave. Right when it seemed hopeless, a space shuttle fell from the sky and combined with Optimus to form Jet Optimus. Needless to say, Megatron was rather surprised. The Decepticons kept trying to beat the Autobots and miserably failed each time, frequently due to this new team-up, which also helped the Autobots survive and win the Unicron Battles. A third magic mushroom appeared late on in the series literally out of nowhere. Prime's new 'sroom, named Overload, formed a large pair of cannons ontop of Super Optimus' shoulders. Overload's additonal firepower, combined with the already impressive firepower of the Requiem Blaster, enabled Optimus to destroy the being known as Sideways.

The decepticons were not without their own combiner. Tidal Wave was able to combine with Megatron to form additional armor and a back-mounted rocket pack. The only practical upshot of this is that megatron could now fly, which came in handy from time to time. There were also three mini-con combiner teams that could form the Star Saber, the Skyboom Shield and the Requiem Blaster. A forth weapon existed as a dark clone of the Star Saber, weilded by the evil Nemesis Prime.

===Energon===
During this period, one couldn't swing a dead cybercat without hitting a combiner, as every Autobot, save for the Omnicons, was capable of merging with another, or with an augmenting portion of his vehicle mode. Then the [[Bruticus Maximus| three]] [[Constructicon Maximus| Maximus]] [[Superion Maximus| teams]] arrived, giving the Decepticons two five-part combiners and the Autobots one.
{{see|Spark of Combination}}

===Live-action film series===
Experimental combiner technology was developed by the Decepticons for combat advantage (yeah, that's right, the 'Cons do invent stuff themselves sometimes) and then used on the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s who are able to form [[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]]. Comfort was rather decidedly not on the top of the list of priorities and, as a result, the process is brutally painful to the Transformers involved, which also makes the combiners fuse in a very aggressive and painful manner (it's a vicious circle). The mental and physical torture involved leaves Devastator only interested in causing destruction.<ref>Devastator's [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/Battle-Bios.cfm Battle Bio] at Hasbro.com</ref>

[[Knock Out (ROTF)|Knock Out]] hopes to undergo the "combination retrofit" process.<ref>Knock Out's toy bio.</ref>

{{note|No details are given regarding this "combination retrofit" technology, but it is a possible factor in [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]]'s ice cream truck mode and the combined mode of [toy continuity] [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Chromia (ROTF)|Chromia]], and [[Elita-1 (ROTF)|Elita-1]].}}

Combiners are not limited to one combination scheme. Their final form may also vary.<ref>[http://unicron-events-interviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/hasbro-q-10212009.html Hasbro's answer to Unicron.com] as part of the [[Hasbro Q&A/October 2009#Unicron.com|October 2009 Q&A]].</ref>

==Combiner list==
{{note|Due to the many uses of redecoes as new characters and convenience for reading, each mold is listed on its own line, with all different-character decoes/retools on the same line.}}
;Combiners with two members
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Jet Optimus]]
*[[Mega-Dinobot]]
*[[Decibel]]
*[[Legout]]
*[[Slamdance]]
*[[Squawkbox]]
*[[Dreadwing (G1)]] / [[Darkwings]]
*[[Stormtrooper (G2 Cybertronian)|Stormtrooper]]s
*[[Multiforce]] members
**[[Wingwaver]]
**[[Dashtacker]]
**[[Machtackle]] 
*[[Dreadwing (G2)]] / [[Formation Scream]] / [[Dreadwing (RID)]] / [[Gigant Sniper]]
*[[Powered Master|Powered Masters]]
**[[Sky Powered]]
**[[Land Powered]]
**[[Big Powered]] ''(actually consists of three members)''
*[[Safeguard (Animated)]]
*[[Skids (ROTF)]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)]] in ice cream truck mode

;Combiners formed by main bodies with power-up partners
:''See also: [[Super Mode]]''
*[[Ginrai|God Ginrai]]
*[[Star Saber (Victory)|Victory Saber]]
*[[Omega Prime]]
*The combined form of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Wing Saber]]
*[[Optimus Supreme (Energon)]]
*[[Optimus Prime Super Modes#Live-action film series|Power Up Optimus Prime]] (''aka'' [[Optimus Prime Super Modes#Live-action film series|Jetpower Optimus Prime]])

{{note|Optimus Prime and Jetfire are not combiner in the fiction {{m-}} Optimus simply uses Jetfire's corpse as parts to enhance his strength and firepower.}}

;Combiners with three or more members (non-Scramble City type)
*[[Devastator (G1)]]
*[[Devastator (ROTF)]]
*[[Predaking]]
*[[Raiden]]
*[[Monstructor (G1)]] / [[Dinoking]]
*[[Road Caesar]]
*[[Liokaiser]]
*[[Landcross (Victory)|Landcross]]
*[[Magnaboss]] / [[Magnaboss II]]
*[[MegaWing Galvatron]]
*[[Dark MegaWing Galvatron]]
*[[Prime Processing Unit]] {{storylink|Collect and Save}}
*[[Tripredacus]] / [[Tripledacus]]
*[[Rail Racer (RID)]]
*[[Landfill (RID)]] / [[Constructicon Devastator (Ultra)]]
*Unnamed [[Minibot combiner]] {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8}}
*[[Beast (G1)|Beast]] {{storylink|The Beast Within|The Beast Within}}
*[[Insectrain]] {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}}
*[[Reedman]]
*The combined form of [[Arcee (Movie)]], [[Chromia (ROTF)]], and [[Elita-1 (ROTF)]] (toy-only)

;Scramble City-type combiners
*[[Bruticus (G1)]] / [[Battle Gaia]] / [[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]]
*[[Defensor (G1)]] / [[Guard City]]
*[[Menasor (G1)]]
*[[Superion (G1)]]
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]
*[[Computron (G1)|Computron]]
*[[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]]<ref name="seacon">With extra "limb" robot used as weapon.</ref> / [[King Poseidon]]<ref name="seacon" /> / [[God Neptune]]

;Official mix-n-match Scramble City combiners
* [[Abomenaticus]]
* [[Autobot Super Scramble]]
* [[Comperian]]
* [[Decepticon Super Scramble]]
* [[Scramble 7]]

;Micromaster-type combiners
*[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads
**[[Barrage (Micromaster)|Barrage]] and [[Heave]]
**[[Blackout (G1)|Blackout]] and [[Spaceshot]]
**[[Blast Master]] and [[Phaser]]
**[[Direct-Hit (G1)|Direct-Hit]] and [[Power Punch (G1)|Power Punch]]
**[[Excavator (G1)|Excavator]] and [[Stonecruncher (G1)|Stonecruncher]] / [[Retro]] and [[Surge]]
**[[Fireshot (G1)|Fireshot]] and [[Vanquish (G1)|Vanquish]]
**[[Full-Barrel]] and [[Overflow]]
**[[Grit (G1)|Grit]] and [[Knockout (G1)|Knockout]]
**[[Half-Track (G1)|Half-Track]] and [[Meltdown (G1)|Meltdown]]
**[[Hammer (G1)|Hammer]] and [[Sledge (G1)|Sledge]] / [[Cement-Head]] and [[Terror-Tread]]
**[[Missile Master]] and [[Moonrock]]
**[[Oiler]] and [[Slide]]
**[[Power Run]] and [[Strikedown]]
**[[Roadburner]] and [[Wheel Blaze]]
*[[Sixliner]] / [[Sixtrain]]<ref>Sixtrain was redecoed and retooled from Sixliner.</ref> / [[Rail Racer (Universe)]]<ref>Universe Rail Racer uses the same deco as Takara's 2003 redecoed "reissue" of Sixtrain.</ref>
*[[Sixbuilder]] / [[Decepticon Sixbuilder]] / [[Constructicon Devastator (Micromaster)]]
*[[Sixturbo]] / [[Defensor (Universe)]]
*[[Sixwing|Sixwing / Berserker Sixwing / Destron Sixwing]] / [[Superion (Universe)]]

;Mini-Con combiners
*[[Perceptor (Armada)#Armada_3|Perceptor (Armada)]] / [[Perceptor (Universe)]]
*[[Perceptor (Armada)#Energon_3|Perceptor (Energon)]] / [[Heavy Metal (Energon)|Heavy Metal]] / [[Windcharger (Energon)]] / [[Perceptor (Armada)#Cybertron|Perceptor (Cybertron)]]
*[[Mirror]] / [[Nightcreeper]]
*[[Requiem Blaster]]
*[[Skyboom (Armada)]]
*[[Star Saber (Armada)]] / [[Vorpal Saber]] / [[Energon Saber]] / [[Blizzard Saber]]

;Maximus-type combiners
*[[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] / [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus Maximus (G1)]] (Universe) / [[Bruticus Maximus (ROTF)]]
*[[Constructicon Maximus]] / [[Devastator (G1)|Constructicon Devastator (Classics)]]
*[[Superion Maximus]] / [[Superion (G1)]] (Universe) / [[Superion (ROTF)]]
*[[Nexus Prime]]

==Unused concepts==
Combiners were a very popular idea during the Generation 1 toyline and as such there are loads of scrapped combiner designs that never got past the drawing board. Among them were:
*A Scramble City style dinosaur combiner. The body is a T-Rex, while the limbs are a Pterodactyl (right arm), Ankylosaurus (left leg), Dimetrodon (left arm), and Styracosaurus (right leg)<ref>[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p22</ref>

*A decidedly goofy organic insect combiner composed of a stag beetle (right leg), another beetle (left leg), grasshopper (left arm), fly (right arm), and a cockroach body.<ref name="p99">[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p99</ref>

*A cybernetic beast combiner that did not form a robot, but rather a large cybernetic monster. It is formed from a cyber bat, mole, stag beetle, and a couple of fish things.<ref name="p99" />

*A fifteen (!) vehicle Micromaster combiner where the only attached parts not contained by the component robots were the large robot fists. This combiner consists of three uniformly colored teams (in a similar fashion to the vehicular Voltron of the same time period):
**Air team (blue)- two jets, two helicopters, a space shuttle.
**Construction team (green)- a hauler, a bulldozer, a steam shovel, a tank (don't ask), a missile carrier (don't ask).
**Street team (red)- two cars, a motorcycle, a formula racer, a jeep.<ref name="p108">[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p108</ref>
[[Image:ClassicVehicombiner.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Either the smallest steamboat ever, or the largest car in existence.]]
*Another, simpler dinosaur combiner composed of a Pterodactyl, a not-really-a-Stegosaurus, and a T-Rex with a very large head. The three combine into a dinosaur thing similar to [[Magmatron]]'s combined dino mode. It shares many visual characteristics with Tomy's relatively simple robot designs.<ref name="p108" />
*A five vehicle combiner (evidently not Scramble City in nature) composed of a steam engine (right arm), steam boat (torso), car (right leg), truck (left leg), and plane (left arm).
*A base consisting mostly of ramps and a hollow tower in the center that combined with 14 non-transforming cars and vans. Two vehicles make up each limb, with three crammed in the chest, two for feet, and one that slides into the tower's gun platform to form the head. The ramps would then act as an exoskeleton to contain all of the components.<ref name="p79">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p79</ref>
*A robot formed from a truck cab and four cars with no robot modes that each have flip out weapon arrays. This may qualify more as a conventional "super robot" than a standard combiner, but we may never know.<ref name="p80">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p80</ref>
*A "Duocon" (or rather, "Triocon", in this case) style robot formed by three cars. One car splits in half to form the arms, another splits for the legs, and a third folds in half to reveal the robot head and connect it all together.<ref name="p80">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p80</ref>
*A Concorde jet that split into two robots, where the front portion's robot can pop out three wheels and a spare cockpit to give it a land mode. Presumably the larger rear robot could do the same.<ref name="p81">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p81</ref>
*Two military convoy "trains", one good, one evil, of six vehicles each hooked together that combine along the lines of Devastator but with loads more guns. The robot core is formed by a tractor trailer that leads either convoy, the good one being long nosed, the evil one being flat, each with trailers that open up into small cannon platforms usable by the five smaller robots. Said trailers also become their respective combined form's handgun. The other five members each have a specific large weapon such as a missile rack or chaingun that they can also use in robot mode.<ref name="p83">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p83</ref>

==Trivia==
*[[Devastator (G1)|G1 Devastator]] and [[Raiden]] are the only combiners from [[Diaclone]] toylines.
*[[Scramble City]]-type combiners were initially designed to be a sub-line of [[Diaclone]] called... what else... Scramble City. This goes along with their ability to interact with and attach to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] & [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], the designs of which were also originally intended for the Diaclone line.
*Six of the seven released G1 Scramble City-type combiners were apparently released in themed pairs, themes usually further reinforced by their team members' tech spec bios to some extent.
**Aerialbots (air vehicles) and Stunticons (ground vehicles)
**Protectobots (rescue vehicles) and Combaticons (offensive vehicles... and a space shuttle)
**Technobots (futuristic vehicles) and Terrorcons (fantastical beasts)
**The Seacons are the odd men out, but the above mentioned unreleased dinosaur Scramble City combiner may have been an intended adversary.
*In [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic continuity [[Squawkbox]] exists before Combiner technology has become available to either faction. This means that either Squawkbox is the core being and he's later split into [[Squawktalk]] and [[Beastbox]] or um... someone at IDW screwed up.

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Combiners| ]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Gimmicks]]

Combiner

2010-02-08T13:34:06Z

193.62.51.5: /* Armada */

[[Image:GestaltTrioTVMagazine.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The most devastating case of tea-bagging ever.]]
A '''combiner''' is a group of Transformers that assemble and combine their bodies into a single machine, or that composite machine itself. Most combiners form a larger Super Robot with its own unique personality (a character in its own right), but other varieties of combiner exist, forming vehicles, weapons, or other items. Combiners tend to be considerably larger and more powerful than the average Transformer, equivalent to strategic-grade weapons.

There are a number of combiner-related terms that can be easy to mix up, partially because some of them are used interchangeably. Additionally, most of them have no formal definition and thus may be used differently by different fans. Consequently, most of the discussion which follows should not be taken as the word of [[Primus]], but as a rough description of common usage.

==Terms for combiners==
[[Image:Combiner logo.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Worst...logo...ever.]]
'''Combiner''': As above, a member of a group of Transformers who assemble into a composite form. Also refers to that composite form itself. This is the most general term for all combining Transformers. "Combiner" is the most common term for combining Transformers that has been used by Hasbro in an official capacity, starting with the ''[[Micromaster]] Combiners'' from 1990 (with the exception of the more limited "special teams" and a recent official use of the term "gestalt"), having even appeared with its own logo on ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' toy packaging.

[[Image:DevastatorDissectionDreamwave.jpg|right|250px|thumb|What, no Terror Claws? No Cranium Regulation Unit? What kind of lame dissection is this?!]]
'''Gestalt''': Fan-terminology for a certain class of combiners—generally used only for "big robot" combiners with emergent personalities. The term is nebulously defined, such that some fans would consider a two-member combiner such as [[Squawkbox]] a gestalt, but other fans would not. This is probably the fandom's second most frequently-used term for combining Transformers. Its use in Transfandom is derived from the principle of [[wikipedia:gestalt_psychology|gestalt psychology]], which is sometimes simplified to mean "greater/different than the sum of its parts," though a few fans consider this term pretentious and obtuse. The term remained firmly in realm of [[fanon]] for years, although it did appear in some ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' design sketches implying that Hasbro designers used the term occasionally, until in 2007 "gestalt" [[Canonizing|made its first official appearance]], in the bio of the ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] toy, once more in 2007's "[[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]]" referring to [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], and again in 2009 in the "[[First (and Second) in Flight]]" comic where [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] describes [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire's]] & [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm's]] combination into [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] as a sort of "gestalt powerlink".

'''Scramble City combiner''': A specific type of [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] giant gestalt that follows the five-member design featured in the Japanese "[[Scramble City]]" OVA. The team leader is larger than the other members and forms the main body of the combiner, while the others are smaller and form the limbs. The limbs are interchangeable, although there is always a generally-accepted “normal” formation. Further, the limbs are interchangeable from one Scramble City combiner to another, making for a large number of bizarre combinations. (See [[Abomenaticus]], [[Autobot Super Scramble]], [[Comperian]], [[Decepticon Super Scramble]], and [[Scramble 7]].) Limbs are also able to attach to and augment Metroplex & Metrotitan (see “Trivia” below). Note that this term is purely descriptive rather than being a proper name.

'''Special Team''': A synonym for Scramble City combiner. When the Scramble City toys were marketed in Europe they were referred to as Special Teams, and the term even appeared in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|UK comic book]] series. The term was used in some marketing materials in the US, such as packing lists for the toy [[Case assortment|case assortments]], but never appeared in US fiction until the [[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|''Ultimate Guide'']] was published in 2004. It was also used as the name for a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] five-pack of [[redeco]]s of ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Legends Class|Legends]] toys released under the ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' banner, "Special Team Leaders". Ironically, none of these toys were actually ''combiners''—the term simply referred to the ''characters'', since the redecos were [[homage]]s to the leaders of ''Generation 1'' combiner times, four of which were "Scramble City" combiners.

'''Super Robot''': A robot which is formed through the combination of two or more Transformers. Powered-up robot modes composed of only one Transformer who combines with some of their own accessories are often also referred to as Super Robots, such as [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] or the incarnations of Prime from ''Robots in Disguise'' and all three ''[[Unicron Trilogy]]'' series. It is probably safe to informally refer to any such mode as a Super Robot (thus including, say, G1 [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and ''Energon'' [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]]). Note that this means Super Robots are not always combiners and do not have to have their own personality. Rather, Super Robot and combiner are two different categories of Transformer which ''sometimes'' overlap. A one-robot Super Robot may also be referred to as that robot's [[Super Mode]].

'''Fusilateral quintrocombiner''': Coined by [[Simon Furman]] in [[Swarm (issue)|issue 9]] of the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|''Generation 2'' comic]] to refer to the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. It presumably is meant to refer to all the Scramble City teams except possibly the Seacons, as their combined forms consist of six robots (not five, so they could possibly be fusilateral hexocombiners I guess...). It may also apply to the Predacons, but it doesn't matter because nobody uses this term anyway.

'''Amalgam model''': Yet another obscure term for combiners first used by Simon Furman via [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] in the "[[Devastation Derby!]]" story in the UK comic books.

==Types of combiner==
As mentioned above, most combiners form a super robot. However, there are many other types of combining in the Transformers multiverse.

In the ''Energon'' franchise, most of the Autobot characters were able to combine with each other in pairs much like ''[[Victory (franchise)|Victory]]'''s [[Multiforce]]. These combined forms can probably be considered Super Robots. The combined form was simply controlled by whichever Autobot was "on top". Make whatever jokes you will.

''Generation 1'' contains many examples of combined [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]], including [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], [[Dreadwing (G1)|Dreadwing]], [[Big Powered]], the [[Triple Combination Battlestar Attack|Battlestar]], and the [[Targetmaster|Double Targetmasters]].

The [[Micromaster Combiner|Micromaster Combiners]] are made up of Transformers whose altmodes combine into vehicles, with one partner being the front and another the rear. The combined forms do not have specific names. Thanks to the generic peg-and-socket connection method used, any two Micromaster combiners can be linked (though some such as the dump truck/space shuttle combo may attract comment). These altmode combiners should not be confused with the Micromaster "Sixcombiners", six-robot teams who combine to form a Super Robot.

The [[Unicron Trilogy]]'s [[Mini-Con|Mini-Cons]] brought to the fiction combined weapon modes, like the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] & [[Dark Saber]] swords, [[Requiem Blaster]] cannon, and [[Skyboom Shield]].

==Not combiners==
Not all cases of multiple things attaching to each other are combiners. As mentioned above, many Super Robots—which are formed through a conglomeration of parts—are not combiners. [[Landmine (Energon)|''Energon'' Landmine]], for example.

A similar case can be found in [[multi-component Transformer|Transformers who have two or more "components" which combine into a single entity]]. [[Sky Lynx (G1)|G1 Sky Lynx]] has lynx and dino-bird components, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|G1 Omega Supreme]] has tank, base, and rocket components, and [[Magmatron]] has three dinosaur components. However, all of these components are considered to be "part of" the overall Transformer, even through they can act independently. The [[Duocon]]s are another case of this sort. All of these examples are ''not'' combiners because there is only ''one'' Transformer involved in each of them, regardless of how many bodies that Transformer may simultaneously operate. Such robots are occasionally referred to as "Reverse Combiners" within the fandom.

(Confusing things further are the comics which treated Sky Lynx and the Duocons as triple changers, able to transform between the combined mode and the ones for individual components without any parts separating off.)

Sometimes a smaller Transformer will attach to and enhance a larger Transformer in some way. This is the case when Mini-Cons powerlink with bulks, as well as with [[Binary bonding|binary-bonded]] partners like [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], [[Powermaster]]s/[[Godmaster]]s, [[Kiss Player]]s and [[Breastforce]] members. Although these examples do include more than one Transformer (or a Transformer and a fleshling), they are not considered "combiners". The simplest justification for this is that, in these cases, the "combined" form is almost exactly the same in appearance as the non-combined form.

And sometimes [[Beast (G1)|things just combine for no real reason at all. Just deal with it. We hate it, oh God yes, but there it is. We're sorry.]]

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====Marvel comics continuity====
=====Combiner teams=====
{{noteukonly}}
The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s were designed and built by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as the first combiner team. They were given life through [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] energy stored in [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s head. The Constructicons had considerable difficulty coordinating together as Devastator in their first mission. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

''The [[Special Teams]] were first conceived within [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s mind shortly after the human had relinquished control of the Creation Matrix to Optimus Prime. Shockwave was able to view this data remotely and prepare for their development.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Seeing the potential in combiner technology, the Autobots decided to learn how to utilize it themselves. They staged an attack on a Decepticon coal mining base which drew out the Constructions. When they combined, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] was there recording their transformation pattern. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} They used this information to construct the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. Unfortunately, they were forced to go on their first mission with only [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt's]] personality programming completed, leaving the rest of the team, and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], rather indifferent towards [[human]] casualties. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} After their first mission proved a failure, Optimus Prime had [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] wipe their memory, and started reprogramming them with the Creation Matrix. However, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who had gotten a lift to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] on Silverbolt's plane mode, had injected Optimus Prime with a [[cerebro-shell]] with which [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] was able to steal energy from the Creation Matrix and bring his newly-built combiner team, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to life. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} The [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s next combiner teams to become part of their faction's Earth-bound crew. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

{{note|The exact origin of the Protectobots and Combaticons is not revealed.}}

''The combining [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s were summoned to Earth from Cybertron by Megatron.'' {{storylink|Prey!}} The Predacons were ''again'' summoned to Earth by Shockwave. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} The [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s were part of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s crew and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s were part of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s crew on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. They had the ability to combine. {{storylink|Headmasters (comic)|Headmasters}} ''The [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]]s were combiners that were summoned from Cybertron to Earth by Shockwave.'' {{storylink|Enemy Action!}} They later came under the command of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

{{note|It is not revealed how the Combiner technology that was developed on Earth was found among these Cybertron based crews. Some of the Decepticons on Cybertron were in contact with Earth Decepticons, so perhaps the technology was passed along and the Cybertron Autobots stole it from the Cybertron Decepticons. Or the Cybertron Transformers just developed the technology independently.}}

=====Other combiners=====
[[Darkwing]] and [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] combine to form [[Dreadwing (G1)|Dreadwing]]. {{storylink|People Power!}} They appear to keep their individual personalities in their combined mode instead of merging their minds.

====Cartoon continuity====
On Cybertron, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]] were existing Transformers who were brainwashed by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] to become Decepticons. Megatron also adapted them with the ability to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to challenge [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Omega Supreme pursued the Constructicons for millions of years. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} In 1894, the Constructicons were (re?)created on [[Earth]] with the ability to combine to bolster the Decepticons' strength. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

{{note|For more on the conflicting origin of the Constructicons, see [[Constructicon (G1)#Origin inconsistency|here]].}}

The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s and [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s were built from scratch and given personality by [[Vector Sigma]]. They were designed with the ability to combine. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] installed the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s [[personality component]]s into junked military vehicles. This brought the vehicles to life with the ability to combine. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

The [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s became part of the Autobot forces on Earth and were able to combine. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Years later, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s originated as combiners under the command of the [[Quintesson]]s. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}} The combinable [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s were part of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s troops. An intellectually enhanced [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] created the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s with the ability to combine. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

====Dreamwave comics continuity====
Experiments in combining were conducted both before and during the early phase of the civil war, in a process known as [[mass intellect]]. However, the combined forms suffered in that the stronger minds tended to drown out the weaker ones. Following the failure of the planetary engine turbines, the Constructicons turned their attention to the mass intellect process. They eventually developed a hyper vortex processor that managed to preserve the individuals minds in the combined whole. Testing the process on themselves, the Constructicons combined into Devastator. While the Constructicons were able to preserve their minds, Devastator was hampered by the need of all six Constructicons to agree on a course of action, which was usually destroy the Autobots. As a result, the combined intellects of the Constructicons did not translate to Devastator, who instead suffered serious mental disabilities. Despite this, Devastator's destructive capabilities greatly pleased Megatron, and he ordered the Constructicons to continue their experiments.<ref>[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]</ref>
{{stub}}

====IDW comics continuity====
[[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] was the first combiner and was designed through experimentation by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. Unfortunately, in this first prototype, the merging process led to insanity. The team was captured by the Autobots {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} and placed into the custody of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] while [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]] studied them with the goal of rehabilitating them. The technology stymied Jetfire, who estimated it would take a lot more study before progress could be made. He didn't get the chance, however, since the [[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]] were soon captured by the [[Decepticon Secret Service]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} Monstructor was then captured by unidentified minions of [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} and used to guard the [[Nega-Core]] on Rotan. He was engaged in combat by the Decepticon Secret Service and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] while the Autobots sneaked around him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

One year later, the Decepticons have the combiner [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] as part of their army. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2}}

===Robots in Disguise===
Robots in Disguise loves combiners. In fact, the majority of the cast combine in one way or another.

=====One-robot combiners=====
*In the television show, [[Megatron (RID)| Megatron]] (and presumably, Galvatron) was able to transform into his hand mode and then combine with his ship.
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)| Optimus Prime]] is able to combine with his "base" to form a super robot.

=====Two-robot combiners=====
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)| Optimus Prime]] is capable of combining with his [[Relatives| brother]] [[Ultra Magnus (RID)| Ultra Magnus]] to form [[Omega Prime]].

=====Three-robot combiners=====
*[[Team Bullet Train]], consisting of [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]], [[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]] and [[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]], combine into [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]].
*[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]] is technically a three robot combination, [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]] and [[Emissary]] combine together to form Fortress Maximus' head, which connects to the body.

=====Four-robot combiners=====
*The [[Build Team]], [[Wedge]], [[Grimlock (RID)|Grimlock]], [[Heavy Load (RID)|Heavy Load]] and [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]], can combine into the robot [[Landfill (RID)|Landfill]].

=====Five-robot combiners=====
*The combined form of the [[Commandos]] is a being named [[Ruination (RID)| Ruination]]. This combiner is controlled almost entirely by [[Mega-Octane]], in order to be a more effective, coordinated being than most other combiners.

{{stub}}

===Armada===
Optimus Prime could combine with his trailer to form a Super Mode robot. With this ability at his disposal, he beat the tar out of every Decepticon at least once. Then a new magic mushroom appeared: Jetfire. During a battle with the Decepticons, the Autobots were totally getting slagged by Megatron's new tactician Thrust and his 'henchman' Tidal Wave. Right when it seemed hopeless, a space shuttle fell from the sky and combined with Optimus to form Jet Optimus. Needless to say, Megatron was rather surprised. The Decepticons kept trying to beat the Autobots and miserably failed each time, frequently due to this new team-up, which also helped the Autobots survive and win the Unicron Battles. A third magic mushroom appeared late on in the series literally out of nowhere. Prime's new 'sroom, named Overload, formed a large pair of cannons ontop of Super Optimus' shoulders. Overload's additonal firepower, combined with the already impressive firepower of the requiem blaster, enabled Optimus to destroy the being known as Sideways.

The decepticons were not without there own combiner. Tidal wave was able to combine with Megatron to form additional armor and a back-mounted rocket pack. The only practical upshot of this is that megatron could now fly, which came in handy from time to time. There were also three mini-con combiner teams that could form the Star Saber, the Skyboom Shield and the Requiem Blaster. A forth weapon existed as a dark clone of the Star Saber, weilded by the evil Nemesis Prime.

===Energon===
During this period, one couldn't swing a dead cybercat without hitting a combiner, as every Autobot, save for the Omnicons, was capable of merging with another, or with an augmenting portion of his vehicle mode. Then the [[Bruticus Maximus| three]] [[Constructicon Maximus| Maximus]] [[Superion Maximus| teams]] arrived, giving the Decepticons two five-part combiners and the Autobots one.
{{see|Spark of Combination}}

===Live-action film series===
Experimental combiner technology was developed by the Decepticons for combat advantage (yeah, that's right, the 'Cons do invent stuff themselves sometimes) and then used on the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s who are able to form [[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]]. Comfort was rather decidedly not on the top of the list of priorities and, as a result, the process is brutally painful to the Transformers involved, which also makes the combiners fuse in a very aggressive and painful manner (it's a vicious circle). The mental and physical torture involved leaves Devastator only interested in causing destruction.<ref>Devastator's [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/Battle-Bios.cfm Battle Bio] at Hasbro.com</ref>

[[Knock Out (ROTF)|Knock Out]] hopes to undergo the "combination retrofit" process.<ref>Knock Out's toy bio.</ref>

{{note|No details are given regarding this "combination retrofit" technology, but it is a possible factor in [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]]'s ice cream truck mode and the combined mode of [toy continuity] [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Chromia (ROTF)|Chromia]], and [[Elita-1 (ROTF)|Elita-1]].}}

Combiners are not limited to one combination scheme. Their final form may also vary.<ref>[http://unicron-events-interviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/hasbro-q-10212009.html Hasbro's answer to Unicron.com] as part of the [[Hasbro Q&A/October 2009#Unicron.com|October 2009 Q&A]].</ref>

==Combiner list==
{{note|Due to the many uses of redecoes as new characters and convenience for reading, each mold is listed on its own line, with all different-character decoes/retools on the same line.}}
;Combiners with two members
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Jet Optimus]]
*[[Mega-Dinobot]]
*[[Decibel]]
*[[Legout]]
*[[Slamdance]]
*[[Squawkbox]]
*[[Dreadwing (G1)]] / [[Darkwings]]
*[[Stormtrooper (G2 Cybertronian)|Stormtrooper]]s
*[[Multiforce]] members
**[[Wingwaver]]
**[[Dashtacker]]
**[[Machtackle]] 
*[[Dreadwing (G2)]] / [[Formation Scream]] / [[Dreadwing (RID)]] / [[Gigant Sniper]]
*[[Powered Master|Powered Masters]]
**[[Sky Powered]]
**[[Land Powered]]
**[[Big Powered]] ''(actually consists of three members)''
*[[Safeguard (Animated)]]
*[[Skids (ROTF)]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)]] in ice cream truck mode

;Combiners formed by main bodies with power-up partners
:''See also: [[Super Mode]]''
*[[Ginrai|God Ginrai]]
*[[Star Saber (Victory)|Victory Saber]]
*[[Omega Prime]]
*The combined form of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Wing Saber]]
*[[Optimus Supreme (Energon)]]
*[[Optimus Prime Super Modes#Live-action film series|Power Up Optimus Prime]] (''aka'' [[Optimus Prime Super Modes#Live-action film series|Jetpower Optimus Prime]])

{{note|Optimus Prime and Jetfire are not combiner in the fiction {{m-}} Optimus simply uses Jetfire's corpse as parts to enhance his strength and firepower.}}

;Combiners with three or more members (non-Scramble City type)
*[[Devastator (G1)]]
*[[Devastator (ROTF)]]
*[[Predaking]]
*[[Raiden]]
*[[Monstructor (G1)]] / [[Dinoking]]
*[[Road Caesar]]
*[[Liokaiser]]
*[[Landcross (Victory)|Landcross]]
*[[Magnaboss]] / [[Magnaboss II]]
*[[MegaWing Galvatron]]
*[[Dark MegaWing Galvatron]]
*[[Prime Processing Unit]] {{storylink|Collect and Save}}
*[[Tripredacus]] / [[Tripledacus]]
*[[Rail Racer (RID)]]
*[[Landfill (RID)]] / [[Constructicon Devastator (Ultra)]]
*Unnamed [[Minibot combiner]] {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8}}
*[[Beast (G1)|Beast]] {{storylink|The Beast Within|The Beast Within}}
*[[Insectrain]] {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}}
*[[Reedman]]
*The combined form of [[Arcee (Movie)]], [[Chromia (ROTF)]], and [[Elita-1 (ROTF)]] (toy-only)

;Scramble City-type combiners
*[[Bruticus (G1)]] / [[Battle Gaia]] / [[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]]
*[[Defensor (G1)]] / [[Guard City]]
*[[Menasor (G1)]]
*[[Superion (G1)]]
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]
*[[Computron (G1)|Computron]]
*[[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]]<ref name="seacon">With extra "limb" robot used as weapon.</ref> / [[King Poseidon]]<ref name="seacon" /> / [[God Neptune]]

;Official mix-n-match Scramble City combiners
* [[Abomenaticus]]
* [[Autobot Super Scramble]]
* [[Comperian]]
* [[Decepticon Super Scramble]]
* [[Scramble 7]]

;Micromaster-type combiners
*[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads
**[[Barrage (Micromaster)|Barrage]] and [[Heave]]
**[[Blackout (G1)|Blackout]] and [[Spaceshot]]
**[[Blast Master]] and [[Phaser]]
**[[Direct-Hit (G1)|Direct-Hit]] and [[Power Punch (G1)|Power Punch]]
**[[Excavator (G1)|Excavator]] and [[Stonecruncher (G1)|Stonecruncher]] / [[Retro]] and [[Surge]]
**[[Fireshot (G1)|Fireshot]] and [[Vanquish (G1)|Vanquish]]
**[[Full-Barrel]] and [[Overflow]]
**[[Grit (G1)|Grit]] and [[Knockout (G1)|Knockout]]
**[[Half-Track (G1)|Half-Track]] and [[Meltdown (G1)|Meltdown]]
**[[Hammer (G1)|Hammer]] and [[Sledge (G1)|Sledge]] / [[Cement-Head]] and [[Terror-Tread]]
**[[Missile Master]] and [[Moonrock]]
**[[Oiler]] and [[Slide]]
**[[Power Run]] and [[Strikedown]]
**[[Roadburner]] and [[Wheel Blaze]]
*[[Sixliner]] / [[Sixtrain]]<ref>Sixtrain was redecoed and retooled from Sixliner.</ref> / [[Rail Racer (Universe)]]<ref>Universe Rail Racer uses the same deco as Takara's 2003 redecoed "reissue" of Sixtrain.</ref>
*[[Sixbuilder]] / [[Decepticon Sixbuilder]] / [[Constructicon Devastator (Micromaster)]]
*[[Sixturbo]] / [[Defensor (Universe)]]
*[[Sixwing|Sixwing / Berserker Sixwing / Destron Sixwing]] / [[Superion (Universe)]]

;Mini-Con combiners
*[[Perceptor (Armada)#Armada_3|Perceptor (Armada)]] / [[Perceptor (Universe)]]
*[[Perceptor (Armada)#Energon_3|Perceptor (Energon)]] / [[Heavy Metal (Energon)|Heavy Metal]] / [[Windcharger (Energon)]] / [[Perceptor (Armada)#Cybertron|Perceptor (Cybertron)]]
*[[Mirror]] / [[Nightcreeper]]
*[[Requiem Blaster]]
*[[Skyboom (Armada)]]
*[[Star Saber (Armada)]] / [[Vorpal Saber]] / [[Energon Saber]] / [[Blizzard Saber]]

;Maximus-type combiners
*[[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] / [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus Maximus (G1)]] (Universe) / [[Bruticus Maximus (ROTF)]]
*[[Constructicon Maximus]] / [[Devastator (G1)|Constructicon Devastator (Classics)]]
*[[Superion Maximus]] / [[Superion (G1)]] (Universe) / [[Superion (ROTF)]]
*[[Nexus Prime]]

==Unused concepts==
Combiners were a very popular idea during the Generation 1 toyline and as such there are loads of scrapped combiner designs that never got past the drawing board. Among them were:
*A Scramble City style dinosaur combiner. The body is a T-Rex, while the limbs are a Pterodactyl (right arm), Ankylosaurus (left leg), Dimetrodon (left arm), and Styracosaurus (right leg)<ref>[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p22</ref>

*A decidedly goofy organic insect combiner composed of a stag beetle (right leg), another beetle (left leg), grasshopper (left arm), fly (right arm), and a cockroach body.<ref name="p99">[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p99</ref>

*A cybernetic beast combiner that did not form a robot, but rather a large cybernetic monster. It is formed from a cyber bat, mole, stag beetle, and a couple of fish things.<ref name="p99" />

*A fifteen (!) vehicle Micromaster combiner where the only attached parts not contained by the component robots were the large robot fists. This combiner consists of three uniformly colored teams (in a similar fashion to the vehicular Voltron of the same time period):
**Air team (blue)- two jets, two helicopters, a space shuttle.
**Construction team (green)- a hauler, a bulldozer, a steam shovel, a tank (don't ask), a missile carrier (don't ask).
**Street team (red)- two cars, a motorcycle, a formula racer, a jeep.<ref name="p108">[[Transformers Generations Deluxe]], p108</ref>
[[Image:ClassicVehicombiner.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Either the smallest steamboat ever, or the largest car in existence.]]
*Another, simpler dinosaur combiner composed of a Pterodactyl, a not-really-a-Stegosaurus, and a T-Rex with a very large head. The three combine into a dinosaur thing similar to [[Magmatron]]'s combined dino mode. It shares many visual characteristics with Tomy's relatively simple robot designs.<ref name="p108" />
*A five vehicle combiner (evidently not Scramble City in nature) composed of a steam engine (right arm), steam boat (torso), car (right leg), truck (left leg), and plane (left arm).
*A base consisting mostly of ramps and a hollow tower in the center that combined with 14 non-transforming cars and vans. Two vehicles make up each limb, with three crammed in the chest, two for feet, and one that slides into the tower's gun platform to form the head. The ramps would then act as an exoskeleton to contain all of the components.<ref name="p79">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p79</ref>
*A robot formed from a truck cab and four cars with no robot modes that each have flip out weapon arrays. This may qualify more as a conventional "super robot" than a standard combiner, but we may never know.<ref name="p80">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p80</ref>
*A "Duocon" (or rather, "Triocon", in this case) style robot formed by three cars. One car splits in half to form the arms, another splits for the legs, and a third folds in half to reveal the robot head and connect it all together.<ref name="p80">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p80</ref>
*A Concorde jet that split into two robots, where the front portion's robot can pop out three wheels and a spare cockpit to give it a land mode. Presumably the larger rear robot could do the same.<ref name="p81">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p81</ref>
*Two military convoy "trains", one good, one evil, of six vehicles each hooked together that combine along the lines of Devastator but with loads more guns. The robot core is formed by a tractor trailer that leads either convoy, the good one being long nosed, the evil one being flat, each with trailers that open up into small cannon platforms usable by the five smaller robots. Said trailers also become their respective combined form's handgun. The other five members each have a specific large weapon such as a missile rack or chaingun that they can also use in robot mode.<ref name="p83">[[Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2]], p83</ref>

==Trivia==
*[[Devastator (G1)|G1 Devastator]] and [[Raiden]] are the only combiners from [[Diaclone]] toylines.
*[[Scramble City]]-type combiners were initially designed to be a sub-line of [[Diaclone]] called... what else... Scramble City. This goes along with their ability to interact with and attach to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] & [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], the designs of which were also originally intended for the Diaclone line.
*Six of the seven released G1 Scramble City-type combiners were apparently released in themed pairs, themes usually further reinforced by their team members' tech spec bios to some extent.
**Aerialbots (air vehicles) and Stunticons (ground vehicles)
**Protectobots (rescue vehicles) and Combaticons (offensive vehicles... and a space shuttle)
**Technobots (futuristic vehicles) and Terrorcons (fantastical beasts)
**The Seacons are the odd men out, but the above mentioned unreleased dinosaur Scramble City combiner may have been an intended adversary.
*In [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic continuity [[Squawkbox]] exists before Combiner technology has become available to either faction. This means that either Squawkbox is the core being and he's later split into [[Squawktalk]] and [[Beastbox]] or um... someone at IDW screwed up.

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Combiners| ]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Gimmicks]]