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Transformers (film)

2007-08-09T09:37:22Z

211.148.4.141:

:''Transformers is an elaborate cover up in the [[Movie (franchise)|movie]] [[continuity family]].

[[Image:Transformers2007teaserposter.jpg|right|thumb|250px|AU-TO-BOTS ARE WAT-CHING O-VER YOU]]

'''''Transformers''''' is a live action movie released by [[Dreamworks]], with Executive Producer [[Steven Spielberg]] and Director [[Michael Bay]]. The principal cast members are [[Shia LaBeouf]], [[Jon Voight]], and [[Megan Fox]]. Character designs and visual effects were created by [[Industrial Light and Magic]], the effects-wizards behind the ''[[Star Wars]]'' films.

Originally slated to release in the summer of 2006, the film arrived in US theaters on July 3, 2007, and hit UK theaters on July 27 and French theaters on the 25 July. The Australian and Taiwanese release date was June 28, 2007, and premiered there on June 12, 2007. Take ''that'', everywhere else.

__TOC__

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==Main cast==

{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] ([[Mark Ryan]])
*[[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] ([[Darius McCrary]])
*[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] ([[Jess Harnell]])
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] ([[Robert Foxworth]])

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] ([[Jess Harnell]])
*[[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]
*[[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] ([[Jimmie Wood]])
*[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]* / Devastator
*[[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] ([[Reno Wilson]])
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] ([[Hugo Weaving]])
*[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]]
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] ([[Charles Adler]])

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*[[Mikaela Banes]] ([[Megan Fox]])
*[[Bobby Bolivia]] ([[Bernie Mac]])
*[[Glen Whitmann]] ([[Anthony Anderson]])
*[[Robert Epps]] ([[Tyrese Gibson]])
*[[John Keller]] ([[Jon Voight]])
*[[William Lennox]] ([[Josh Duhamel]])
*[[Maggie Madsen]] ([[Rachael Taylor]])
*[[Reggie Simmons]] ([[John Turturro]])
*[[Tom Banachek]] ([[Michael O'Neill]])
*[[Judy Witwicky]] ([[Julie White]])
*[[Ronald Witwicky]] ([[Kevin Dunn]])
*[[Samuel James Witwicky|Sam Witwicky]] ([[Shia LaBeouf]])
|}

<nowiki>* - Brawl is named "Devastator" in the film itself, but "Brawl" in the toyline and all other supporting media. Plot summaries and such will reflect whichever name is relevant to that being described.</nowiki>

==Short synopsis==
[[Image:Big_fight.jpg|left|thumb|In short, giant robots blow each other up.]]

The movie features [[Sam Witwicky]], a plucky teenager who just wants a cool car, but gets more than he bargained for. The beater he and his father take home is actually [[Bumblebee]], an alien robot from the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], who plants Sam down in the middle of a civil war between Bumblebee's benevolent [[Autobot]] comrades and the evil [[Decepticon]]s who threaten the galaxy's peace. Both sides are after the [[All Spark]], a mysterious artifact that landed on Earth ten thousand years ago. The approaching robot-against-robot battle is a coming-of-age moment for Sam, who learns the meaning of his family's motto, "No sacrifice, no victory."

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==Full synopsis==

[[Image:Prime-Sam-Mikaela-poster.jpg|left|thumb|250px|What [[BotCon]] attendees see when they look at [[Peter Cullen]].]]

The film begins with the history of Cybertron's destruction at the hands of Megatron, and his quest to obtain the All Spark. Megatron discovers the All Spark on Earth, but crash-lands in the Arctic Circle, becoming frozen in the ice. Captain Archibald Witwicky and his crew of explorers stumble upon Megatron's body in the late 19th century. Megatron's navigational system is unintentionally activated, and Archibald's eye glasses are imprinted with the coordinates to the All Spark's location. Sector 7, a secret organization of the United States government, discovers the All Spark and builds the Hoover Dam around it to mask the energy signal. The still-frozen Megatron is moved into this facility, and is reverse engineered to further advance human technology.

In the present day, the rest of the Decepticons — Blackout, Scorponok, Frenzy, Barricade, Starscream, Bonecrusher, and Devastator — have already landed on Earth and assumed the disguise of Earth vehicles. Blackout and Scorponok attack a U.S. military base in Qatar in an effort to use the military database to discover the location of Megatron and the All Spark, but they do not succeed. A small group of survivors from the military base attack wander through the desert and are attacked by Scorponok. The Autonomous Robotic Life Form (shortened to "Autobot") known as Bumblebee is also on Earth, disguised as a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro, and looking for Sam Witwicky, the descendant of Captain Archibald Witwicky. As soon as he locates Sam, the two quickly begin to bond as Bumblebee helps Sam try and woo his crush, Mikaela Banes; Sam is unaware of the fact that Bumblebee is an alien, until he witnesses Bumblebee transform and send out a homing signal for the rest of the Autobots. After Blackout's failure, Frenzy infiltrates Air Force One and discovers that Sam possesses the map that will lead the Decepticons to the All Spark. Frenzy and Barricade begin tracking Sam's location.

Barricade confronts Sam, demanding Archibald's glasses. Bumblebee, who is following Sam, transforms and battles Barricade. Mikaela, who is also following Sam, is caught in the crossfire, and leaves with Sam and Bumblebee to rendezvous with the rest of the Autobots. The Autobots — Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet — land on Earth and take on the forms of several Earth vehicles. Sam, Mikaela, and the Autobots return to Sam's home to retrieve the glasses. However, agents from Sector 7 arrive to take Sam and Mikaela into custody. Bumblebee is also apprehended, against the pleas of Sam who assures the agents - to no avail - that he means them no harm.

Frenzy secretly accompanies the group to the Hoover Dam, and releases Megatron from cryogenic stasis. Locating the All Spark, he sends out an alert to the rest of the Decepticons. Megatron escapes, and Sam convinces the Sector 7 agents to release Bumblebee so that he can get the All Spark to Optimus Prime. The Decepticons chase the Autobots, who now possess the All Spark, into a neighboring city. An ensuing battle results in casualties for both sides, with Sam destroying Megatron and the All Spark when he rams it into Megatron's chest. The remains of the Decepticons are cast into the Laurentian Abyss. With no other home to go to - Cybertron having been destroyed by Megatron - the Autobots decide to stay on Earth, and Optimus sends out a signal across space in an effort to locate any surviving Autobots, while Sam and Mikaela begin a relationship. Starscream, one of the Decepticons that survived the battle, leaves Earth.

{{-}}

==Quotes==
''"Before time began, there was the Cube. We know not where it comes from. Only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life; That was how our race was born. For a time, we lived in harmony, but like all great power, some wanted it for good, others for evil. And so began the war - a war that ravaged our planet until it was consumed by death, and the Cube was lost to the far reaches of space. We scattered across the galaxy, hoping to find it and rebuild our home, searching every star, every world. And just when all hope seemed lost, message of a new discovery drew us to an unknown planet called... Earth... but we were already too late."''
:-- '''Optimus Prime's''' opening narration

''"Sir, look outside: do you see that man sitting in the green car? That's my dad. Let me tell you a story about a dream, a boy's dream: A man promised to buy his son a car if I brought up three A's and two thousand dollars. I already have the two thousand and two A's. Your B minus? Poof! There goes the dream. Now ask yourself - what would Jesus do?"''
:-- '''Sam Witwicky''' negotiates a better mark for his Family Geneology project

'''Bobby Bolivia:''' ''"What, with the semi-classic nature of the vehicle, slick wheels and custom paint job-"'' 
'''Sam:''' ''"The paint's faded!"'' 
'''Bobby:''' ''"Y-yeah, but its custom."'' 
'''Sam:''' ''"It's custom faded?"'' 
'''Bobby:''' ''"Well, it's your first car, I wouldn't expect you to understand. ''*turns to Ron*'' Five grand."'' 
'''Ron:''' ''"No, not paying over four. Sorry."'' 
'''Bobby:''' ''"''*turns back to Sam*'' Kid, c'mon, get out, get out of the car. 
'''Sam:''' ''"No, no, no, you said cars pick their drivers!"'' 
'''Bobby:''' ''"Well sometimes they pick a driver with a cheap-ass father, out of the car."'' 
:-- Negotiations over the car at Bolivia's Finest Quality Used Cars and Petting Zoo

(Sam's car leaves in a puff of black smoke) 
''"Wow... you are so cheap."'' 
''"It's his first car... supposed to be like that."''
:-- '''Judy Witwicky''' comments on the car's condition to '''Ron'''

''"I need a credit card! Hey, where's your wallet?"'' 
''"Pocket!"'' *fires gun* 
''"Which pocket?"'' 
''"My ''back'' pocket!"'' *fires gun* 
''"You got ten back pockets!"'' 
''"Left cheek! Left cheek! ''Left cheek!''"'' 
:-- '''Captain Lennox''' and '''Sergeant Epps''' needing a credit card to call the Pentagon

''"The heat's coming!"'' 
''"What, BRING IT!"'' 
:-- '''Lennox''' and '''Epps''' giving the greenlight for Strike Package Bravo to attack Scorponok

''"*''sigh''* That's gonna rust."''
:-- '''Ironhide''' muttering after '''Mojo''' 'leaks lubricant' on his foot and he is ordered ''not'' to terminate the 'rodent'.

'''Ironhide:''' ''"Why are we fighting to save the humans? They're a primative and violent race."'' 
'''Optimus Prime:''' ''"Were we so different? They are a young species, they have much to learn... but I've seen goodness in them. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings... you all know there is only one way to end this war. We must destroy the Cube. If all else fails, I will unite it with the spark in my chest."'' 
'''Ratchet:''' ''"That's suicide! The Cube is raw power, it could destroy you both."'' 
'''Optimus Prime:''' ''"A necessary sacrifice to bring peace to this planet... we cannot let the humans pay for our mistakes. It's been an honor serving with you all. Autobots, roll out!"'' 
:-- The '''Autobots''' discuss their next move.

''"Give me the All Spark, and you may live to be my ''pet''."'' 
''"I'm never giving you this All Spark!"'' 
''"Oh, ''so'' unwise..."''
:-- '''Megatron''' corners '''Sam''' on the rooftop.

''"It's just you and me, Megatron."'' 
''"No, it's just ''ME'', Prime!"'' 
:-- '''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' face off for the fate of the All Spark and Earth.

''"With the All Spark gone, we cannot return life to our planet. And fate has yielded its reward, a new world to call... home. We live among its people now, hiding in plain sight. But watching over them in secret... waiting... protecting. I have witnessed their capacity for courage, and though we are worlds apart, like us, there's more to them than meets the eye. I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving Autobots taking refuge among the stars: We are here... We are waiting."''
:-- '''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration

==Production staff==

[[Image:Movie_Castandcrew2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|WE! DIG! GI-ANT RO-BOTS!]]

* Executive Producer: [[Steven Spielberg]]
* Executive Producer: [[Brian Goldner]]
* Director: [[Michael Bay]]
* Producers: [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]], [[Ian Bryce]], [[Tom DeSanto]], [[Don Murphy]]
* Story by: [[Alex Kurtzman]] & [[Roberto Orci]] and [[John Rogers]],
* Screenwriters: [[Alex Kurtzman]] & [[Roberto Orci]]
* Music by: [[Steve Jablonsky]]

====Visual effects====
* Visual Effects by: [[Industrial Light and Magic]], [[Digital Domain]]
* Production Designer: [[Jeff Mann]]
* Lead Robot Illustrator: [[Ben Procter]]
* ILM Visual Effects Supervisior: [[Scott Farrar]]
* Art Director: [[Alex Jaeger]]

{{-}}

==Prequel material==
Prior to the movie's release [[IDW]] Publishing released a four issue limited comic series entitled "[[Prime Directives]]", which chronicles the events which bring the Transformers to [[Earth]]. A novel, ''[[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday]]'', is about the truth behind humankind's first venture into space and how that event is related to the Transformers' presence on Earth, both past and present.

Since the movie's plot brings the audience into things from Sam's POV, as he learns of not only the Transfomers' war but mankind's past history with Cybertronians, the prequel material provides a better handle on the intricate storyline.

It should be noted, however, that some dialogue in the film contradicts the prequel material, specifically pertaining to the years in which the frozen Megatron was moved from the Arctic to Hoover Dam.

==Soundtrack==

On July 3, 2007, Warner Bros Records released a ''Transformers'' soundtrack full of songs from or inspired by the motion picture.

*1. "What I've Done" - [[Linkin Park]]
*2. "Doomsday Clock" - [[Smashing Pumpkins]]
*3. "This Moment" - [[Disturbed]]
*4. "Before It's Too Late (Sam and Mikaela's Theme)" aka "Fiction" - [[Goo Goo Dolls]]
*5. "Pretty Handsome Awkward" - [[The Used]]
*6. "Passion's Killing Floor" - [[HIM]]
*7. "What It Feels Like To Be A Ghost?" - [[Taking Back Sunday]]
*8. "Second To None" - [[Styles Of Beyond]]
*9. "End Of The World" - [[Armor For Sleep]]
*10. "Retina and the Sky" - [[Idiot Pilot]]
*11. "Technical Difficulties" - [[Julien-K]]
*12. "Transformers Theme" - [[Mute Math]]

==Reception==

The movie set multiple records when it opened, including biggest opening week gross for a non-sequel ($155.4 million), biggest Tuesday release gross ($27.4 million), biggest July 4th gross ($29 million), and the biggest foreign film opening in mainland China ($3 million). The world digs giant robots, it seems.

Currently, two sequels are planned, with [[Shia LaBeouf]] and [[Peter Cullen]] signed for both. Michael Bay and the screenwriters have as yet not signed on to return for the sequels, but have mentioned they are very excited to do it.

==Trivia==

* The Autobot computer generated models consisted of 35,592 total pieces, 7,435,478 polygons, 95,247 rig nodes, and 20,258 texture maps. If laid end to end, the pieces would stretch 3.11 miles.
* For all the robots combined, there are 60,217 pieces of geometry, 123,509,502 polygons, 144,341 rigging nodes, and 34,215 texture maps.<ref>Robertson, Barbara (2007). Heavy Metal. ''Computer Graphics, 30''(7), 12-17.</ref>

==External links==
* [http://www.transformersmovie.com/ Transformersmovie.com]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/ ''Transformers'' at IMDB.com]
* [http://www.transformersalbum.com/ ''Transformers The Albu''m]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers_%28film%29 ''Transformers'' 2007 film on Wikipedia]
* [http://www.capalert.com/capreports/transformers.htm ''Transformers'' CAPalert.com review]

==References==

<references />

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{{Nav-movie}}

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[[Category: Films]]

[[Category: Movie|*]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

Tarantulas (BW)

2007-08-02T05:17:28Z

211.148.4.141: /* ''Beast Wars'' cartoon */

:''Tarantulas is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] from the [[Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1]]/[[Beast Era]] [[continuity family]].
:''His name is also officially spelled "'''Tarantulus'''".''

[[Image:Tarantulasbw.jpg|right|thumb|250px|"And fries! Lots of FRIES!"]]

'''Tarantulas''' is the scheming mad scientist of the Predacon crew. The type of mad scientist who experiments on living beings, cackling all the while, and then if things go wrong happily eats what's left as his midday snack. He was one of the Predacons to join [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] during his theft of the [[Golden Disc]] and the search for [[Earth]]. In addition to being an utterly psychotic, sadistic sociopath (even by Predacon standards, which is something he appears to wear with pride), Tarantulas has a record for treachery rivaled by few other Transformers. Tarantulas is actually an agent of the [[Tripredacus Council]] who is trying to coax the Beast Wars toward an unspecified goal, where neither Autobot or Decepticon won the Great War.

Tarantulas has a particularly notable hatred of the [[Vok]] aliens, a hatred strong enough to make him work to eliminate them by any means.

''Japanse name'': '''Tarans'''

==Fiction==
===Toy Bio===

Tarantulas is a sneaky, mysterious ninja feared across the galaxy. A master of the martial arts, he's suspected in the disappearances of many [[human|earthlings]] and rumors swirl of giant cocoons where he stores his prey.

''('''Note:''' The [[Tech Spec]] bios of the first wave of Beast Wars toys predate the development of the Beast Wars cartoon and its backstory. Instead they seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict with their battles taking place on present day, human-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead.)''

===Optimus Primal VS Megatron pack-in comic===

Tarantulas is guarding the Predacon's jungle-based genetics lab along with Megatron and Waspinator. When the Maximals discover them he engages Razorbeast in combat briefly before Megatron calls retreat and destroys the lab. ''(This story predates the Animated continuity and seems to be set on present day earth, see note above.)''

===Animated continuity===
====''Timelines: Dawn of Future's Past'' comic====
[[Image:Tarantulasdawn.jpg|left|thumb|250px|See, a cyber planet key in the corner of the pic, He's working for [[Unicron]]! Get him!]]

As [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and his rogue band of Predacons escaped [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in their stolen ship, the ''[[Darksyde]]'', Tarantulas was in charge of scanning the disk for a desired set of coordinates. While Megatron was not watching, he was in secret communications with a member of the [[Tripredacus Council]]. (The reflections in his helmet show the silhouette of [[Ram Horn (BW)|General Ram Horn]].)

Using the decoded coordinates, the ''Darksyde'' opened a [[transwarp]] portal, which it and the [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']] passed through.

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Alec Willows]] (US), [[Yūichi Nagashima]] (Japan)

Tarantulas was one of the original crew on the [[Darksyde]] when it crashed to prehistoric Earth. As Megatron's technical leader, he manned the scanners to appropriate Beast Forms based on the most powerful local creatures.

Tarantulas caused as many problems for Megatron as he fixed. Tarantulas always needed a separate hideout to plot other, evil schemes, and he managed to stay one step ahead of most of his 'allies'. The only partner he worked with frequently - though they betrayed each other just as often - was [[Blackarachnia]].

When Tarantulus learned of the [[Vok]] and their impending return to Earth, he spent his best efforts to capture a working [[stasis pod]] to craft an escape shuttle. At the hour of the Vok's return, he finally crafted one. Unknown to him, Megatron had known of his and Blackarachina's plans, and threw a wrench in the works - [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]. Inferno stomped into the room, interrupted his download of the stasis pod's datatracks, torched Tarantulas, and was defeated by Blackarachnia.

Fortunately for him, Blackarachnia picked up his discarded download visor. Tarantulas jumped into her mind, controlling her (presumably from his stasis-locked body). When the [[quantum surge]] knocked out all of the Transformers on Earth, his body was upgraded to a Transmetal form, complete with a motorcycle vehicle mode. He maintained a link to Blackarachnia's mind, but was forced to severe it when she threatened to to commit suicide - which would also off-line him.

At some undisclosed point, Tarantulas discovered the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the flagship of the [[Decepticon]] fleet. Although his longterm goals for the vessel are unknown, he did manage to restore the ship to working function, complete with a Predacon control console. {{storylink|Nemesis, Part 1}}

When the transwarp explosion finally reached through the time warp and had enough potency to enter Cybertronian space, Tarantulas's alliances were revealed; he was a member of the [[Predacon Secret Police]] and an agent of the [[Tripredacus Council]]. The Tripredacus Council was the first alerted of the transwarp explosion, and realized it was Megatron's ship. Ravage was sent to ally with the Maximals, arrest Megatron, and then betray and destroy them all.

Allied with the Maximals, and with his stealth ship, they easily overwhelmed Megatron. Tarantulas knocked out the power to his ship at the exact moment, allowing an easy capture.

Megatron managed to manipulate Ravage into his servitude using a recording of the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] on the Golden Disc and gained his freedom. Tarantulas joined Ravage on his stealth ship for an attack on the [[Axalon]]. However, Tarantulas was blown to pieces by Rattrap through a combination of the rodent's demolition bombs and the explosion of the ship. Tarantulas survived, though, and was quickly put back together by his spider drones.

Megatron, in all his wisdom, forgave Tarantulas' treachery, as it was simply the Predacon way and Tarantulas was too useful to execute. Tarantulas appeared back in the Precadon camp on a regular basis -- though it would later become clear that he was still very busy working on his own agenda, apparently during his numerous unexplained absences. He battled the Maximals alongside Megatron's Transmetal raptors (a harbinger of [[Dinobot 2|things to come]]), and helped the other Predacons construct a massive disruptor ray (which ultimate backfired on them.) When the Maximals attempted to remove Blackarachnia's shell program, he revealed to Megatron that he had included "certain safeguards" that guaranteed she would not survive, and joined the other Predacons in an attack on the Maximals that was meant to disrupt the attempted shell removal. He fired the missile which knocked the Maximals' power offline at a crucial instant, seemingly bringing an end to his "treacherous creation". Enraged by the death of his beloved, [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] attempted to kill the scientist, but was thwarted by [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]], who was later defeated by a revived—and [[Transmetal]]ized—Blackarachnia.

Tarantulas participated in the Predacons' next attempt to retake the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', but manipulated [[Quickstrike]] into throwing Megatron onto the lava, while he set the Ark's engines to overload. At this point, he claimed to be descended from neither the Autobots nor the Decepticons, which was why he was willing to destroy the core members of both factions then present (in stasis-lock) in the Ark. Megatron survived his lava-dunking, becoming a Transmetal 2 in the process. However, Megatron had lost his patience. While he tolerated Tarantulas' treachery, he could not tolerate incompetence. Tarantulas survived, however, and fled back to his lair.

When the [[Vok]] emmisarry [[Tigerhawk]] arrived on Earth shortly afterwards, Tarantulas managed to disable and capture him. Tarantulas intended to force the all-powerful being into his servitude by drawing the Vok influences out of his body and reprogramming him. Tarantulas' scheme backfired, however, as his energy beam device expelled two actual Vok out of Tigerhawk. The formless spectres attempted to take over Tarantulas' body. Panicking, he opened fire on them -- a futile gesture that merely served to spin the energy device around, till its rays were blasting him and his lab equipment. Overloaded by the beams, Tarantulas exploded, leaving nothing behind but his boots; the remainder of his equipment detonated seconds later, blowing the lair to rubble. Cheetor managed to rescue the inert Tigerhawk, and Tarantulas was presumed dead. When Megatron learned of Tarantulas' death, he referred to him derisively as "Unicron's spawn".

====3H ''Primeval Dawn'' comics====
[[Image:Primeval Tarantulas.jpg|right|thumb|Tarantulas doesn't really hate the Vok so much as he wants to kill them and wear their skin as a Vok suit, even though the Vok don't have skin—he's that insane.]]
Following the Beast Wars, Tarantulas' body returned to life, reanimated by the Vok powers he previously absorbed. The undead Tarantulas, along with a rebuilt Ravage (as [[Tripredacus Agent]]), nurtured new troops to life through enigmatic means, growing [[Razorclaw (BW)|Razorclaw]] and [[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] in tubes. The remaining Vok anticipated Tarantulas' plan to destroy the rest of them, take their power, and fashion the timestream to his desires, and so they assembled an army of their own consisting of [[Primal Prime]], [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], and [[Tigatron]]. Tarantulas met this opposition in battle, overwhelmed them, and ripped the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from Primal Prime's chest. Wounded critically, the Maximals withdrew to the [[Ark]]. Tarantulas ordered Ravage to take Razorclaw, Iguanus, and their new recruit [[Spittor]] and assault the Ark in order to finish them off.

''([[3H Productions]] dissolved before this storyline could be completed. It can be assumed that the Matrix of Leadership was restored to Optimus Prime's body at the end of this altercation, and that the Maximals were triumphant.)''

====3H ''Universe'' comics====
When the influence of [[Unicron]] sways [[Blackarachnia]] to the side of darkness, she is surprised to see Tarantulas (still in his undead body) greet her as she joins the ranks of the [[Minions of Unicron]].

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==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
*'''Tarantulas''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
: ''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-4''', '''VS-4'''

: Part of the first wave if ''Beast Wars'' product, Tarantulas transforms into an organic spider (NOT a tarantula). His abdomen contains a spring-loaded missile launcher, which fires the anchor-missile kept in his spider-butt. This missile is attached by a string so he can hang from things like a real spider. The launcher can be removed and used as a robot-mode weapon, using any of his front four spider-legs as missiles. Like all early Deluxe-and-up ''Beast Wars'' toys, his has two different robot-mode "heads", a robot-mode one and a "mutant" face. He is almost always depicted using the mutant face.

: There is a variation of this toy in the [[Hasbro]] line: later releases (the smooth-bubble) lack the yellow paint on his elbows.

: The Japanese release of Tarantulas was originally unchanged, and could also be purchased in a two-pack with [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]. Later, a slightly-color-altered version was released, using a brighter shade of green and a slightly-darker gray. The color-altered version also replaced the blue eyes on the 'robot' head with gold as well as the black eyes of the 'mutant' head.

: This mold was used to make the first [[Blackarachnia]] toy.

*'''Orcanoch''' ([[MicroVerse]], 1997)
: A small, non-transforming micro-figure of Tarantulas came with the [[MicroVerse]] [[Orcanoch]] playset. It was presumably painted based on the original design, as its a bright copper rather than purple.

*'''Tarantulas''' (Deluxe Transmetal, 1998)
: ''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-44'''

: Part of the first assortment of [[Transmetal]]s, Tarantulas transforms into a robotic spider. He also has a third "transport" mode, flipping down a wheel from his abdomen and a saw-blade under his beast-head, making a spidey-cycle. The saw detaches for robot mode to become a hand-held weapon.

: The Japanese version is slightly different, replacing the "TARANTULAS" [[tampograph]] with "DESTRON" and the Predacon sigil, plus his robot-mode eyes were painted as a single visor to better match the show.

*'''Tarantulas''' (Deluxe "Fox Kids" Transmetal, 1999)

: A [[redeco]] of the Transmetal Tarantulas toy in grays, silver and black. He and a Transmetal [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] redeco were part of the little-seen second wave of Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] "Fox Kids" toys, so called for the advertisements for the Fox channel on the packaging (as the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] has moved there from syndication). Internal Hasbro documents have listed this toy as "'''Steel Tech Tarantulas'''", a name that did not make it to final packaging.

*'''Predacon Tarantulus''' (Tenth Anniversary, 2006)

:This toy is a slight [[redeco]] of the original Tarantulas toy, more closely resembling Tarantulas' appearance in the cartoon (save the big Predacon faction sigil tampograph). Part of the second wave of ''Beast Wars'' 10th Anniversary product, he came with a DVD of the episode "[[Spider's Game]]", plus the left leg to [[Trans-Mutate]].

===Merchandise===

==Trivia==
* Tarantulas' origins are a bit complicated. He declares in "[[Other Victories]]" that he and the [[Tripredacus Council]] have origins other than Autobot and Decepticon, such that they would not be affected by the destruction of the Ark. Megatron's line about "Unicron's spawn" was apparently not intended by [[Bob Forward]] to be taken literally -- it was more of a generic insult than a statement of fact. [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/f06828ec523295c1?dmode=source&output=gplain] (Forward's own inkling was that they might be descended from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s Cybertronian Empire.) But, much like [[Terrorsaur]]'s line about "[[Darksyde|the darkside]]", this line developed a life of its own. Eventually this connection was reasserted in [[3H Productions]]' ''Primeval Dawn'' storyline, making it "true" for at least one branching timeline.

* In the Japanese dub of Beast Wars, Tarantulas retained his trademark cackle, however, it was a little ''different''. His voice was very high-pitched and he shrieked almost constantly. His trademark laugh more closely resembled a wicked witch of sorts.

* Early promotional pictures showed the original Tarantulas toy as being transparent orange, but the final toy was a clear deep purple instead. Presumably, this was for a little visual variety in the early line, which already had a largely-tan toy ([[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]) and a largely yellow toy ([[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]) in the Deluxe range, plus another then-planned clear-orange Mega-sized Predacon arachnid ([[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]) and [[Tigatron]] who was at one point slated to be a traditional orange tiger.

* The original Tarantulas toy has ''nine'' eyes in beast mode, as does the show model. This makes characters' references to him as "eight-eyes" rather... interesting.

[[Image:TarantulasArm.jpg|right|thumb|150px|He tastes everything he holds.]]
* In the original control art for Tarantulas, the claws are shown in the same configuration as used in the show. In other words, the claws were somehow swapped during the assembly process and have remained as such on every version of the mold thereafter.

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/Tarantulas/tarantulas.htm Tarantulas at TFU.info]

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[[Category: Beast Wars characters]]
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[[Category: Universe characters]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>