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Miracle (episode)

2010-02-08T18:01:13Z

68.219.38.123: /* Miscellaneous trivia */

{{picsneeded}}

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|series2=Micron Legend
|ep=42
|prev=Depart
|next=Puppet
|title=Miracle
|japanese=奇跡 (ふっかつ) - miracle
|romaji=Kiseki [Fukkatsu]
|translation=Miracle (Revival)
|image=
|caption=
|production code=TF: A-42
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Shōji Tonoike]]
|director=[[Shin'ichirō Aoki]]
|animation studio=[[Actas]]
|airdate=[[October 31]], 2003 (US) [[October 17|17 October]] 2003 (Japan)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}

'''Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons... IN SPAAAAAACE!!!'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Sshot-arm-42-1.jpg|right|150px|thumb|so first this happens, and then nine months later, a Prime pops out like this.]]
Aboard the [[Autobot]] spaceship [[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]], Alexis and her friends look back on Earth as they head towards Cybertron. Fred eats some chocolate and Billy cries that he forgot his video camera. On the bridge, Hot Shot and the Autobots salute Earth and the memory of Optimus Prime.

On the [[Hydra Cannon|Decepticons' ship]], Megatron orders the ship to be turned around so the Autobots can be destroyed.

Sparkplug, still holding Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], meets with several Mini-Cons. Moments later, hundreds of glowing lights swarm around the Autobot ship. High Wire - in English - introduces the lights as Mini-Con friends. After the swarm of Minis are introduced, the [[Street Action Mini-Con Team]] trigger a flashback in the humans to [[Chase (episode)|that time they saw a big evil in cyberspace]]. High Wire names the evil [[Unicron]].

Blurr tries to pilot the Axalon through an asteroid field. In the thick of the space debris, the Decepticons start their attack. Alexis notices the Mini-Cons also running to help the Autobots in the battle. Thrust fights against Jetfire, Cyclonus fights against Blurr, and Starscream and Hot Shot continue their long-standing grudge. Scavenger erotically battles against Demolishor. Megatron easily overpowers Side Swipe.

When Megatron aims the [[Requiem Blaster]] at the Axalon, Hot Shot stands in his way. Meanwhile, on the Axalon's hull, Perceptor and Sparkplug present The Matrix to the swarm of their gathered friends. Several Mini-Cons plunge into the Matrix, where something begins to take shape.

Megatron degrades Hot Shot, but a large sphere of green light swoops around and knocks Megatron aside. To everybody's astonishment, Optimus stands alive. With a Max Flare, Optimus ruins the Decepticon's attack. At the end of the episode, Megatron is glad that Optimus is back.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Sideswipe]] (9)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (10)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (11)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (12)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (13)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (14)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (15)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (26)

|c2=
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (16)
*[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] (17)
*[[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] (18)
*[[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (22)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (23)
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (24)

|c3=
*[[Alexis]] (1)
*[[Rad White|Rad]] (2)
*[[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (3)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (4)
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (5)

|h4=[[Mini-Con|Mini-Cons]]|c4=
*[[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (6)
*[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (7)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (8)
*[[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] (20)
*[[Perceptor (Armada)|Perceptor]] (25)

|c5=
*[[Unicron]] (21) (flashback)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hey, guys, would you put a lid on it? We're having a moment over here!"
:—'''Alexis'''

"Friends." 
"Huh?" 
"Yes, they are friends." 
"HEY! They're friendly!"
:—'''High Wire''' and '''Rad''' discuss the newly-arrived Mini-Cons

'''Carlos:''' "Hey dude, what's he saying?" 
'''Rad:''' "Haven't got a clue? — What's wrong?" 
'''High Wire:''' "Enemy."

"Unicron..."
:—'''High Wire'''

"That's it! I'll give you to the count of three to get offa me!" 
"Like you can count."
:—'''Demolishor''' and '''Scavenger'''

"I'd never thought I'd say this, but it's good to have you back, Prime."
:—'''Megatron''', pleased that his old foe is alive

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Micron Legend''===
===Lost in translation===
===Animation and/or technical glitches===
* Alexis sees [[Iceberg]] in the hallway and calls him by his Japanese name, Junk. You should be used to this kind of thing by now.
* Optimus is missing the jaw on his Autobot logo in the last shot.

===Continuity errors===
===Real-world references===
* Hot Shot says that it's "time to sink a battleship," possibly referencing the [[wikipedia: Battleship (game)|popular kids game.]]

===Miscellaneous trivia===
[[Image:Flashbox.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Don't shoot! I don't know anything about Anonymous!"]]
* The Prime-Transforms sequence airs at the start of the episode, rather than after the first scene.
* Smokescreen finally has his name changed to Hoist.
* The arrival of the Mini-Cons is explained in the [[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]] series of comics that came with each Japanese Micron Legend DVD release.
* Megatron's happiness over Prime's return matches his disappointment that Prime died in "[[Crisis]]".
* This episode debuts several non-toy Mini-Cons with unique designs, who would later get bios from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]], such as [[Flashbox]].
* Note how Megatron felt incomplete ever since Prime was killed in "[[Crisis]]". [[Afterdeath!|Sounds]] [[Gone but Not Forgotten!|familiar.]]

[[Category:Armada episodes]]

Trademark

2010-02-05T20:17:24Z

68.219.38.123: /* Descriptive trademarks */

[[Image:Aniarrival04 tifof trademark.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Silly Porter C. Powell, you can't copyright a name! You're thinking of a Trademark!]]
A '''trademark''' is a name, phrase or symbol used by a company to distinguish their goods or services from those of other companies in a similar range, preventing "brand confusion". Trademarks are indicated by a ™ symbol, or in the case of '''registered trademarks''', a ® symbol. [[Hasbro]]'s ability to legally secure a trademark dictates what proper nouns they will use to describe a toy, gimmick, or line.

It is ''not'' the same thing as [[copyright]].

Hasbro does not strictly ''need'' to claim trademarks for the character names applied to individual toys. Some toy companies do not claim them, though this is most often in the case of short-lived licensed lines based on movies or video games. But, Hasbro values the advantages of maintaining established characters (or character types) in the long term, and they wish to be able to hold exclusive claim to those names and use them as long as possible without fear of litigation from or loss to another company.

Trademark law is full of gray areas and complexity; otherwise lawyers couldn't charge exorbitant sums for their services in that field. The whims of the judges who look at the cases also play into the end results. However, there are guidelines and general rules that can explain why items end up named like they do.

==Trademark basics==
Trademarks are categorized into groups of products/services, so when a company applies for a trademark, lawyers compare them to similar marks within the same category, not across all products ever. ''Transformers'' toys fall under '''International Class 28, "Toys and Sporting Goods."'''

The name "[[Bumblebee (disambiguation)|Bumblebee]]" provides an illustration of how these categories work: during the time Hasbro was unable to mark a ''Transformers'' toy named "Bumblebee" (see "notable cases", below), Hasbro licensee [[Fun-4-All]] was able to release a keychain named Bumblebee, because keychains are not categorized as "Toys and Sporting Goods". Similarly, the character of Bumblebee could be referred to by that name within a comic book, since the comic company was not actually claiming it as a trademark within that field. If they were to release a comic ''series'' titled "Bumblebee", though, a trademark search and claim for comics would have been needed.

This is also why there can be car batteries with "[[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]]" as a brand name, despite having no connection to Hasbro or ''Transformers''. Hasbro does not make car batteries or anything along the lines of automobile parts, so the odds of "brand confusion" are exceedingly remote, making the battery-maker safe from litigation.

Often, companies that own character-based Intellectual Property (IP) will apply for trademarks across a vast swath of categories to maximize the range of product on which they can use that name. Around the time of ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'', Konami brought the wildly successful Japanese collectible card game franchise ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' to the US. Among the trademarks they applied for across multiple categories was "Space Megatron," the name of one of the game cards (called simply "Megatron" in Japan). Some [[Fandom|fans]], upon hearing this, believed that Hasbro was in danger of losing the "Megatron" trademark. However, since Hasbro had made steady and repeated use of the name over the course of the previous decade ([[Megatron (G1)/toys|over a dozen toys branded “Megatron”]] between 1990 and 2001, plus media association thanks to five years of the name belonging to a central villain of the associated TV shows), this seems unlikely. The card in question did end up being called "Space Megatron" because at the time that Konami applied for that trademark, Hasbro did not have any ''Transformers'' trading or playing cards and thus could not contest the claim in that field. However, no "Megatron" toys were produced in association with the ''Yu-Gi-Oh'' brand. Still, Hasbro ultimately didn't manage to successfully register the name "Megatron" until 2005.

{{quote|How foolish is it that some other beings in the multiverse have stolen my name?|[[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]|[[What Lies Beneath, Part Three|Energon #22]] (letters page)}}

==Relevance==
===Brand recognition===
Originally, Hasbro didn't put as much emphasis on outstanding characters for the ''Transformers'' toy line from a marketing standpoint as they do today. Toys were supposed to have a shelf life of two years at maximum, to be replaced by new toys, which would be entirely new characters. With the exception of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (only in the cartoon and comic fiction) and [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]], all the new-toy line-ups from 1985 through 1987 were entirely new characters (not counting variants or reuses of existing sculpts, such as the [[Targetmaster]] versions of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] etc.), as were most of the [[Pretender|Pretenders]] and all of the [[Micromaster|Micromasters]] released by Hasbro. As a consequence, Hasbro only bothered to register a small number of trademarks in the 1980s, such as "[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]" or "[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]".

Hasbro didn't originally realize how much of a crucial part recognizable characters had played in the success of the original ''Transformers'' series until they were facing the massive viewer backlash following Optimus Prime's death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. As a consequence, the first entirely new ''Transformers'' toy to be released under the name of an older toy intended to represent the same character was the [[Powermaster]] version of Optimus Prime in 1988, followed by the [[Classic Pretender]] versions of [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in 1989. Following that, about half of the [[Action Master]] line-up in 1990 consisted of "classic" characters from the 1984-85 toy line-up.

Since then, Hasbro have been putting more emphasis on recognizable characters in all their ''Transformers'' lines, and by extension, on recurring names in general—although ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' put it to a stretch with modified names such as "[[Optimus Primal]]", and numerous characters sporting the names of older ''Transformers'' toys, but not sharing any other similarities with those characters beyond the name.

===Market situation===
Hasbro wasn't the only company slowly coming to realize the importance of recognizable, "iconic" characters, however: Similar discoveries were made by competing companies at the same time. Since "characters" were no longer considered easily replaced throwaway elements of toy lines, companies began to put a stronger focus on developing, emphasizing and defending their intellectual properties—which included the characters' individual names: For comparison, back in the 1980s, it was possible for both [[Hasbro]] and [[Tonka]] to have toys named [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] in their respective ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' and ''[[Tonka GoBots|GoBots]]'' toy lines at the same time, without either company bothering to cause any legal problems with the other one. Likewise, Hasbro were able to release a [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]] named [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] in 1985 even though Tomy's US branch had registered the name as a trademark that same year (Tomy was still separate from [[Takara]] at that time). Hasbro didn't even start slapping a ™ claim after individual toys' names on their packaging until 1988, suggesting that they weren't really bothered that another company might use those names for their own toys.

In contrast to that, toy companies enforce their trademarks a lot more rigidly these days. As a consequence, Hasbro's lawyers have become a lot more conservative, objecting the use of any names they fear ''might'' interfere with another company's trademark. This has resulted in quite a few names becoming "off limits" for any further use as part of a ''Transformers'' toy line, at least until the other company decides to abandon the name in question. In return, Hasbro have also performed several not-so-nice maneuvers to seize a trademark in order to prevent their competitor Bandai from introducing certain toy lines on the US market under their original names, such as "Machine Robo Rescue" or "Crush Gear". Furthermore, Hasbro's legal department also prefers to modify certain names in order to make them easier to defend in court... since Hasbro wouldn't want one of their competitors to release a toy under a name so similar to a ''Transformers'' toy's that it could easily cause confusion on behalf of the customers.

==Protection and loss==
Once a trademark is claimed, legal protection of that mark hinges primarily on usage. A company cannot defend a trademark that they never actually use. Protection of a trademark in the action figure world typically lasts roughly a year, though this (like most anything involving trademark law) is not ironclad. ([[#BumblebeeCase|See "notable cases" below.]]) The longer and more frequently a company uses a trademark ("consistent use"), the stronger their case becomes to retain ownership of it should it be contested by a competitor.

Registered trademarks are a stronger level of protection, thanks to a more involved process (and some more fees): With a standard trademark claim (™), a company that feels that another company is infringing on one of their trademarks needs to ''actively'' prove that they have used the trademark (preferably consistently) if they want to take legal action against their competitor. With a registered trademark (®), on the other hand, that process becomes somewhat automated: A company regularly needs to provide the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with evidence of consistent use of the trademark in question anyway in order to guarantee continued registration—otherwise, the USPTO will consider the trademark "abandoned" and cancel the registration. If ''that'' company now feels another company is infringing on one of their their trademarks, the burden of proof of consistent use has become automated, and they have an 800–pound gorilla (i.e. the USPTO) backing them up on their case.

Note, however, that even registered trademarks are not by any means absolute protection: Even a registered trademark can be lost due to lack of use (abandonment) or a successful challenge from another company.

===Descriptive trademarks===
Defensibility is also determined by the name itself and its distinctive qualities regarding to what it’s being applied. One could not reasonably expect to claim trademark of "Apple" as a product name for apples. But for, say, computers, which would not otherwise be referred to as an "apple", that works. In regards to toys and ''Transformers'', "Car" would be basically impossible to defend successfully as a distinct trademark. "Carblast", however, is fairly strong, being a made-up compound word highly unlikely to be used elsewhere. "Autobot Carblast" is even more defensible, thanks to the addition of a clearly nonsensical word, which is ''by itself'' very strong, like "[[Rodimus (disambiguation)|Rodimus]]" or "[[Cybertron (disambiguation)|Cybertron]]".

Because Hasbro has been shoring up some of their infrequently-used "common word" names in recent years by adding prefixes (such as "Autobot [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]" or "Decepticon [[Frenzy (disambiguation)|Frenzy]]"), fans sometimes mistake this to mean that reclaiming a trademark from another company is as simple as writing a faction name in front of it. This is ''not true''. If it were, then a competitor such as [[Bandai]] could release a line of robot toys called "Megazord Transformers" with an "Optimus Prime Zord" toy and get away with it. Hasbro's addition of extra words to these old names is primarily to strengthen the claim to a name that is currently (likely) uncontested and Hasbro is likely to try and use often in the future. It is also the case that the names Hasbro has reinforced in this way are all real English words, not made-up words. Real words are harder to defend as a trademark than [[Blastification|nonsense words]]. Adding nonsense to a real word makes it more defensible, but adding nonsense to somebody else's active trademark is only asking for trouble.

Another popular method Hasbro uses to modify real words to make them more distinctive (and thus easier to defend) is by using an alternate spelling (in other words, a deliberate "misspelling"), such as "Tank'''o'''r", "Demolish'''o'''r", "Spitt'''o'''r" or "Scatt'''o'''rshot".

Based on some of Hasbro's naming choices, it could be argued that the strategy of Hasbro's IP lawyers is somewhat conservative or cautious. They may be able to defend more than they try to defend, but they choose not to take that risk.

===Genericized trademarks===
Trademarks can also be lost by allowing a term to become a "[[wikipedia:genericized_trademark|genericized trademark]]" — effectively, letting their mark become a common term, like "aspirin" for acetylsalicylic acid. Aspirin was once a trademarked brand name controlled by Bayer, but in a 1921 court case it was ruled that the name had become genericized and could be used by all manufacturers of acetylsalicylic acid. Other brand names that have become genericized include "thermos" for [[Aladdin Industries|vacuum flasks]] (genericized in the USA in 1963), "linoleum" for floor covering, and "zipper" for a method of fastening fabric. Brand names that are also in danger of becoming genericized (but are currently still protected as trademarks) include "Kleenex" for facial tissues, "Jell-o" for processed, gelatinized pig hooves, "Xerox" for photocopies, and "Google" for computer searches.

[[Image:Productdoesnotconvert.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Product also does not xerox, kleenex, or jello.]]
Recently, Hasbro has realized that using the word "transform" as a verb to describe the [[Transformation|process of changing a ''Transformers'' toy from one mode into another one]] would make the brand name "Transformers" descriptive, making the mark indefensible. The end result would have been a loss of the mark ''Transformers'' as a registered trademark, allowing competitors to use the term "transformer" as a generic term for ''their'' shape-shifting robot toys and thus creating further confusion among parents when asked to buy a ''Transformer''.

As a consequence, Hasbro has implemented various methods of preventing this. For example, use of "transform" as a verb when being used to describe product is almost strictly forbidden in certain written materials<ref>[[Greg Sepelak]], author of the [[Transformers The Game|''Transformers The Game'']] strategy guide from [[BradyGames]]</ref>: If it's a toy that "converts", Hasbro can argue that ''Transformers'' is not merely a descriptive term, thus allowing for trademark protection to persist. Although this mandate does not extend to character dialogue within fiction, synonyms like "convert" (or simply "change") are used in Hasbro's own products (like packaging [[Call-out|call-outs]] and instructions) and in licensees' products (such as game guides).

As a matter of fact, "Transformer" ("with a capital initial") is listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as a description of "a type of children's toy, first manufactured in Japan, consisting of a model robot which can be transformed into another toy". However, since the term is identified as a "proprietary name" and Hasbro is specifically mentioned in the name etymology, the entry makes it pretty clear that the term is not a catch-all description of a general product type, but tied to a specific manufacturer, hence posing no threat to Hasbro's exclusive claim of the trademark.<ref name="oxford">[http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry_main/50256225?query_type=word&queryword=Transformer&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=ump0-DmIxzp-1209&result_place=2&case_id=ump0-rzJWHE-1213&hilite=50256225 Oxford Englisch Dictionary entry for "Transformers"] (note: Only available for registered users)</ref> The fact that the entry has been in the dictionary since 1993 also implies that Hasbro has never seen any need for intervention. (The same dictionary also has an entry for Mattel's "Barbie", for that matter.)

{{-}}

===The international market===
Since Hasbro is a company rooted in the United States, the focus of trademarks is also naturally on the United States market. Trademark law differs across countries and the availability of terms can differ. Using above examples, "aspirin" is also a genericized word in several other countries including the United Kingdom, but there are many other countries where it is still a protected trademark including Germany, Canada, Mexico and others. In these countries producers of acetylsalicylic acid must use a different term. Similarly there is less danger of the terms "Kleenex" or "Xerox" becoming genericised in the United Kingdom as these terms are rarely used to refer to anything other than the relevant company's products. The status of a trademarked word in one country often has little bearing on its use in other jurisdictions.

Unlike in the early 1990s, when name [[variant]]s were abundant across the various international (particularly European) markets—especially when the [[The Transformers (toyline)|''Generation 1'' toyline]] had been cancelled in the USA, but was still being continued with all-new toys in Europe and other places—Hasbro now aim for a uniform brand representation. In other words, a toy has the same name in every country it's released in by Hasbro (thus making Japanese names an anomaly). However, that could mean a toy that can't be released by Hasbro under its originally intended name in the USA (because another company is already using the trademark), but could easily be released under that name in the United Kingdom, will still be released under the substitute name chosen for the US market everywhere in the world, because it's easier to manage than individual names for individual markets.

In theory, however, this could also backfire: A toy's name that has been cleared for use in the USA by Hasbro's legal department might conflict with another company's trademark in another country. This ''has'' actually happened back in 1985, when Hasbro/[[Milton Bradley]] introduced the ''Generation 1'' toyline on the European market: A Dutch manufacturer of kitchen utensils held the trademark for "Optimus" and reportedly caused problems with name [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]], initially resulting in MB holding back the release of the Optimus Prime toy and declaring [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] the leader of the Autobots instead. (The conflict was eventually settled, and the Optimus Prime toy released.) Note, however, that this is a rather unusual case: In general, European trademark law is a lot less rigid than it is in the USA, and Hasbro generally refrain from using any trademark claims after names on their international packaging, either because that would require them to actively try to defend those trademarks in ''every single country'' they release those toys in, or because ™ has no legal power in many countries outside the USA.

Although there are no known recent examples of ''Transformers'' toys that couldn't be released in specific countries for ''trademark'' reasons, there is at least one case where the intention to release a toy on other markets ''did'' affect the ''United States'' name of the toy: For the [[Transformers Animated (toyline)|''Animated'' toyline]], Hasbro registered the name [[Snarl (Animated)|Slag]], in homage to the [[Slag (G1)|''Generation 1'' character of the same name]]. Even though the trademark was never opposed, and Hasbro renewed it as recently as Christmas of 2007, they were eventually informed that "[[Slag (slang)|slag]]" was considered a slur word not only in ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', but also in the United Kingdom. As a consequence, Hasbro decided to change the toy's name into "Snarl", and released it under that name on all worldwide markets, including the United States.

==Names that require(d) prefixes or suffixes==
===Hasbro===
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]]: Autobot Blades
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]: Autobot Blaster
*[[Bludgeon (disambiguation)|Bludgeon]]: Decepticon Bludgeon (''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Bludgeon (RID)|Bludgeon]] was officially named "[[Destructicon]] Bludgeon", with an individual ™ claim after each word, which at least ''technically'' means that Hasbro still claimed "Bludgeon" as a trademark by itself in 2003)
*[[Brawl (disambiguation)|Brawl]]: Decepticon Brawl, Deep Desert Brawl, Desert Blast Brawl (also used as part of multi-pack names such as "Freeway Brawl" or "Back Road Brawl" that don't actually include a "Brawl" character)
*[[Bruticus (disambiguation)|Bruticus]]: Predacon Bruticus, Bruticus Maximus
*[[Camshaft (disambiguation)|Camshaft]]: Autobot Camshaft
*[[Cosmos (disambiguation)|Cosmos]]: Autobot Cosmos
*[[Devastator (disambiguation)|Devastator]]: Constructicon Devastator
*[[Drag Strip]]: Decepticon Drag Strip
*[[Dropshot (disambiguation)|Dropshot]]: Decepticon Dropshot
*[[Fracture]]: Decepticon Fracture
*[[Frenzy (disambiguation)|Frenzy]]: Decepticon Frenzy
*[[Grapple]]: Autobot Grapple (misspelled as "Auotbot Grapple" in several instances on the ''[[Commemorative Series]]'' reissue's packaging)
*[[Groove (disambiguation)|Groove]]: Autobot Groove
*[[Heavy Load (disambiguation)|Heavy Load]]: Decepticon Heavy Load
*[[Hot Spot (disambiguation)|Hot Spot]]: Autobot Hot Zone (the ultimate real "Autobot Carblast" case - renaming "Hot Spot" into "Hot Zone" ''and'' adding an "Autobot" prefix) used only once, the [[Titanium Series]] figure is simply named "Hot Zone", without prefix
*[[Hound (disambiguation)|Hound]]: Autobot Hound
*[[Jazz (disambiguation)|Jazz]]: Autobot Jazz, Final Battle Jazz, Battle Jazz, Stealth Ninja Jazz (thus far only released in Australia), Freeway Jazz (currently still unreleased)
*[[Primus]]: Cybertron Primus (exceptional since it has never been used as a Transformers toy's name before)
*[[Ratchet (disambiguation)|Ratchet]]: Autobot Ratchet, Rescue Ratchet, Rescue Torch Ratchet, Desert Tracker Ratchet
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]: Battle Ravage, Command Ravage (both abandoned, back to simply "Ravage" since 2007)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]: Decepticon Rumble
*[[Roadbuster]]: Autobot Roadbuster
*[[Scrapper (disambiguation)|Scrapper]]: Decepticon Scrapper (''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' [[Devastator (G1)|Constructicon Devastator]] giftset only; the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toy is simply named "Scrapper")
*[[Skids (disambiguation)|Skids]]: Autobot Skids, Missile Blast Skids
*[[Tarantulas]]: Predacon Tarantulus (using the spelling "Tarantul'''u'''s" only once), Predacon Tarantulas
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]: Autobot Tracks
*[[Whirl (disambiguation)|Whirl]]: Autobot Whirl
*[[Wheelie (disambiguation)|Wheelie]]: Autobot Wheelie

====Prefixes NOT required for trademark reasons====
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]: "Autobot Optimus Prime" for a single release of the ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' Voyager Class toy with "battle damage" deco that was only available in Asia and from US-based online retailers. In this case, the "Autobot" prefix was probably only intended to distinguish this release from all the numerous other "Optimus Prime" toys from the ''Movie'' line.
*[[Reverb (Movie)|Reverb]]: "Decepticon Reverb" for the unreleased ''Movie'' Scout. This happened only two years after the release of the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Recon Mini-Con Team|Shadow Recon Mini-Con Team]], which contained a toy named "[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]]" without a prefix. In 2009, a toy from the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' line was also named "[[Reverb (ROTF)|Reverb]]", again without a prefix.
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]: "Autobot Wheeljack" for the [[KB Toys]] exclusive "G1" [[Spy Changer|Spychanger]]... but only on the cardbacks of the entire Spychanger lineup. On the front side of his own card, he was simply named "Wheeljack", without a prefix.
*[[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]]: "Decepticon Sideways" for a ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' two-pack with [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] that has thus far only been released in the United Kingdom. Presumably, this was simply because "Decepticon Sideways" sounds better together with "Autobot Wheelie" than a mere "Sideways" without the prefix.

===TakaraTomy===
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetas]]: Cybertron Cheetas
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Rod]]: Cybertron Hot Rod
*[[Inferno (disambiguation)|Inferno]]: Cybertron Inferno
*[[Octane|Octone]]: Destron Octone
*[[Perceptor (disambiguation)|Perceptor]]: Cybertron Perceptor
*[[Slingshot|Sling]]: Cybertron Sling
*[[Bluestreak|Streak]]: Cybertron Streak
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vorter]]: Destron Vorter
*[[Wildrider]]: Stuntron Wildrider

Oddly, while TakaraTomy's versions of the ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' toys used the same names as their Hasbro counterparts, including "Autobot" and "Decepticon" prefixes, the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' line somewhat deviates from this formula: TakaraTomy dropped the "Autobot" prefix for [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Springer (ROTF)|Springer]] and the "Decepticon" prefix for [[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]], while adding ''more'' prefixes for toys whose Hasbro versions ''don't'' have prefixes:
*[[Blazemaster]]: Autobot Blazemaster
*[[Breakaway (ROTF)|Breakaway]]: Autobot Breakaway
*[[Knock Out (ROTF)|Knock Out]]: Autobot Knock Out
*[[Overload (ROTF)|Overload]]: Decepticon Overload
*[[Rampage (ROTF)|Rampage]]: Decepticon Rampage
*[[Mixmaster (ROTF)|Mixmaster]]: Decepticon Mixmaster
{{Note|This applies to listings of these toys by online stores and in Japanese hobby magazines in Katakana. The English names on the packaging are unchanged from the Hasbro versions of those toys.}}

For the ''[[Device Label]]'' line, which falls into a different product category than "toys", TakaraTomy also needed prefixes for some names:
*[[Grimlock (disambiguation)|Grimlock]]: Device Grimlock
*[[Ravage (disambiguation)|Jaguar]]: Device Jaguar

==Notable/unusual cases==
{{note|This is not a list of every lost ''Transformers'' trademark ever, just some instances with unusual or interesting twists.}}
* As mentioned above, "Bumblebee" was unavailable to Hasbro for many years. The name was being used as a registered trademark by a company called Playcore for their "Buzz the Bumble Bee" swing as of 2003, and as Hasbro had not used the name for a toy since 1995, their case to contest was likely a weak one. The ''[[Super Collection Figure|Heroes of Cybertron]]'' PVC two-pack with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] was officially named "Autobot Espionage Team" for that reason, although the [[bio]] on the back of the packaging identified the two characters as "Bumblebee" and "Spike" (but without claiming them as trademarks). However, in March 2005, Hasbro tried to reclaim the trademark, due to its intended association with a principal character in the [[Transformers (2007)|big-deal live-action movie]] and its associated merchandise planned across a great many categories. However, the registration attempt was contested in July 2005, both by a production company named "Bumble Bee Productions, Inc." and by an online toy retailer named "Bumblebee Toys", both of which argued that the mark, as it was filed under the "toys" field, was too close to their own registered marks. Ultimately, Hasbro abandoned the registration attempt for "Bumblebee" in 2006 and simply decided to use the name as a "normal", non-registered trademark instead. The movie's release date being pushed back a year meant that the first "Bumblebee"-branded ''Transformers'' toys in over a decade were a 3" ''[[Titanium Series]]'' figure and a toy from the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' line. (Playcore, or more accurately, its subsidiary Swing-N-Slide no longer manufactures the "Buzz the Bumble Bee" swingset.<ref>[http://www.drillspot.com/products/291165/Swing-N-Slide_NE_4541_Buzz_Bumble_Bee_Swing Retailer site] mentioning the discontinuation. Also, said swing is no longer visible/available on Swing-N-Slide's official site.</ref>)

* "[[Bluestreak]]" is one of the most infamous cases of a name of a classic character being unavailable to Hasbro, since a company named Gendron, Inc. registered the name "Toledo 'Blue Streak'" in 2002. All toys based on the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' Bluestreak character released since then are officially named "Silverstreak" instead. (Note that this does only affect Hasbro; while the character is traditionally known as simply "Streak" in Japan, [[TakaraTomy]] have recently released a blue [[redeco]] of the ''[[Alternators|Binaltech]]'' Streak toy, named "Bluestreak".)

* Next to Bluestreak, "[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]" is the most well-known case of a name unavailable to Hasbro. Mattel has registered various "confusingly similar" trademarks over the years, among them "Ho! Ho! Hot Rod", "Hot Rods" and "Hott Rodd". Hasbro's original substitute name for the ''[[Commemorative Series]]'' line of reissues was "Rodimus Major"; "[[Rodimus (Energon)|Rodimus]]" was used for [[Energon (toyline)|Energon]] and then later also for the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' Deluxe toy and the [[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]] Legends toy; and the toy based on the ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] character has been confirmed to be named "Rodimus Minor".

* "[[Shockwave (disambiguation)|Shockwave]]" was temporarily lost to a company named Lanard Toys, Ltd—who actually used it in their ''The Corps!'' military figure series, direct competitors to Hasbro's ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''. An ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' toy designed as an homage to ''Generation 1'' Shockwave was named "[[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]]" instead, as was the ''[[Alternators]]'' toy. However, Lanard had abandoned the registration for the "Shockwave" trademark shortly prior to the release of the ''Alternators'' toy (too late to change the name on the packaging), so Hasbro seized the opportunity and slapped the name onto the next best [[Shockwave (Cybertron)|Mini-Con]] just to claim it back. They have since been able to use it for [[Shockwave (Animated)|other toys]] more closely based on the ''Generation 1'' character. Ironically, a figure from Hasbro's ''G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary'' line based on an older figure from 1988 named [http://www.yojoe.com/action/88/shockwave.shtml "Shockwave"] was relased under the name [http://www.yojoe.com/action/08/shockblast.shtml "Shockblast"] in 2008, presumably either in an attempt to avoid brand confusion or maintain the "Shockblast" trademark. Either way, Hasbro apparently considers the name "Shockwave" more iconic for the ''Transformers'' character.

* In 2001, Hasbro trademarked "[[Skyfire (RID)|Skyfire]]" for use in the ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line. However, at the same time, their competitor Mattel applied for a registered trademark on the name for a vehicle/accessory in their ''Max Steel'' toy line. Without any past usage to call on to contend Mattel's claim, Hasbro lost the trademark for "Skyfire" to the stronger registered claim within a very short time frame. This resulted in the name "[[Sky Blast]]", used first on an ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]], then for the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Omnicon]] [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]], who is a clear [[homage]] to the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] character, "[[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]]".

* A particularly odd case: During the 1990s, another company held the "[[Sideswipe (disambiguation)|Sideswipe]]" trademark in the "toys" field, even though Hasbro still released [[Sideswipe (G1)|two toys]] using that name as part of the ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' line (it's unclear if this resulted in any legal repercussions for Hasbro). When Hasbro finally managed to reclaim the name for the [[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]] line, the name was now parsed as "[[Side Swipe (RID)|Side Swipe]]", in two words, for whatever reason. The only two toys since then to spell "Sideswipe" as one word again were the [[OTFCC 2003]] [[exclusive]] and the [[Armada (toyline)|''Armada'']] [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Super-Con]]. However, the former was referred to as "Side Swipe" when featured as a cross-sell on the packaging for the OTFCC 2003 [[Shadow Striker]]/[[Roulette]] two-pack, whereas a packaging variant for the latter released as part of the "[[The Unicron Battles|Unicron Battles]]" refresh of the ''Armada'' line also saw the name changed to "Side Swipe". After many years' worth of "Side Swipe" toys, the ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 Universe]]'' Deluxe toy finally hailed the return of "Sideswipe" (as one word).

* In 2005, [[Fun Publications]] was forced to change the name of a [[BotCon 2005]] exclusive intended as an homage to ''Generation 1'' [[Outback]] to "Fallback". The Outback Steakhouse restaurant chain has successfully applied for "Outback" across a ''vast'' number of categories. Since Hasbro had not used the name for a product since 1993, there seems to be no way for them to wrest control of Outback Steakhouse's active claim to the mark without heavy modification - the "Outback" name was used for a 2008 exclusive ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' figure, as well as a forthcoming limited release, as "Stuart 'Outback' Selkirk." TFWiki.net then presumes it is only a matter of time until fans start clamoring for a figure of [[Judd Nelson|Judd "Hot Rod" Nelson]], although [[Casey_Kasem#Trivia|Casey "Bluestreak" Kasem]] is still probably out of the question.

* Similar trademark problems affected other items in the BotCon 2005 set: notably, [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] began life as [[Moonracer]] until it was discovered Royal Treasury, LLC owned the "[http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=78095736 King Moonracer]" trademark for toys from the [[wikipedia:Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(TV_special)#The_Island_of_Misfit_Toys|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]] TV special. Unfortunately, Moonracer was already well into production when Fun Publications learned the name was unavailable, and due to the time involved in trademark searches, a suitably appropriate alternative could not be found. This necessitated the use of Chromia — reportedly their "third or fourth choice", but a name which ''had'' cleared legal.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/e39fbfb4b4bd2b3a alt.toys.transformers post] by [[Lanny Lathem]] explaining the Moonracer/Chromia SNAFU.</ref> [[Brian Savage]] expressed particular vexation with this turn of events at the BotCon 2005 organizer's panel.

* According to Hasbro copy writer [[Forest Lee]] at [[BotCon 2006]], Hasbro's IP lawyers were initially skittish about using the name "[[Matrix of Leadership]]" on packaging for the 20th Anniversary version of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], as they were unaware of the history of the term "[[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]" within the brand, and feared confusion with the franchise surrounding the film, ''[[wikipedia:The_Matrix_(series)|The Matrix]]''. Although the lawyers were satisfied and allowed "Matrix" to be used in that instance, it appeared that some variation of the term "[[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]]" would supplant "Matrix" in future ''Transformers'' franchises, until ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' used "Matrix of Leadership" as a name for a MacGuffin (contradicting the writers' earlier statements that the Matrix would not appear in the live-action movies, and the All Spark would be a replacement for it). "All Spark" is, of course, an easier mark to defend because — unlike "matrix" — it is a contrived compound word that doesn't have any other meaning.

==Footnotes==
<references />

==See Also==
* [[Transformers names in other Hasbro lines]]
* [[Blastification]]

==External links==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark Trademarks at Wikipedia]
* [http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/tmep/1400.htm#_Toc536248429 US Trademark & Patent Office]
*[http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/trademarks/g1_trademarks_intro.php Extensive article about Transformers-related trademarks at TFArchive.com]

[[Category:Toys]]

Artemis & Moon II Report

2010-02-02T23:36:54Z

68.219.38.123:

[[Image:ArtemisMoonSecondReport01.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]

"'''Artemis & Moon II Report'''" (アルテミス&ムーンII通信 ''Artemis & Moon Second Tsūshin'') is a short segment of the ''[[Beast Wars II (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' cartoon, hosted by the title characters [[Moon (BWII)|Moon]] and [[Artemis]], two mysterious bots stationed on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] of [[Gaea]]. During these sessions, the duo would report upon and discuss the events and participants of the battles taking place on the post-apocalyptic world. However, as Moon would oftentimes become distracted, or lacked the necessary tact when speaking to his fellow host, these reports would usually quickly dissolve into brief incidents of violence between the two...

Security seemed somewhat lacking when concerning the set from where the report was broadcast, as oftentimes the Predacons or Maximals being commented upon would butt in and make their opinions known to Moon and Artemis, along with whatever audience they had.

==Notes==

*The ''Artemis & Moon Second Report'' is not in continuity with the actual plot of the series, but just a light-hearted way to fill twenty-two minutes.

*The first three episodes of the series featured either [[Tasmania Kid]] or [[Lio Convoy]] relaying info to the audience. The ''Artemis & Moon II Report'' did not begin until the fourth episode, "[[The Lake Trap]]".

[[Category:Beast Wars II]]

Over-Run (G1)

2010-02-02T04:52:08Z

68.219.38.123: /* IDW comics continuity */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Over-Run}}

:''Over-Run is a [[Autobot]] [[Action Master]] in the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Over-RunG1.jpg|thumb|350px|Apocalypse Now! M*A*S*H! Whirlybirds!]]

A fiercely individual perfectionist, domineering and arrogant (even downright tyranical), '''Over-Run''' acts like the air war with the Decepticons is his own personal responsibility, and he'll yell angry instructions or abuse at anyone of any rank he sees as getting in the way of his winning it. Needless to say, this makes him pretty unpopular with the other airborne Autobots. If he wasn't a very effective warrior in an arena where they are traditionally outmatched, it's unlikely Over-run would be anywhere but in the brig by now. He IS dedicated to the Autobot cause, though; he just sees beating the Decepticons as far more important than rudeness and the feeling of his inferior comrades. He'll apologize after the war ends. Maybe.

He rules the skies in his [[Attack Copter]].

:''French-Canadian name'': '''Zélé'''

==Fiction==
===Commercial animation===
Over-Run stood with various other Autobots as Optimus Prime proposed that they become [[Action Master|Action Masters]]. {{storylink|Commercial|Action Master commercial}}

Later, aboard his [[Attack Copter]], he battled Starscream on Cybertron. {{storylink|Commercial|Action Master vehicles commercial}}

===IDW comics continuity===
[[Image:SpotlightArcee Autobotsfighting.jpg|thumb|left|200px|]]
Over-Run was one of several Autobots under the command of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] on the [[Garrus-9]] penal colony. He and the other soldiers failed to stop a Decepticon attack force from liberating the facility's [[Pretender Monster|newest inmates]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Over-Run''' (Action Master Action Blaster Vehicle, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' Rotary Photon Pulse Laser Cannon, 2 x Side Concussion Cannons (left and right), 2 x Magnetic Missiles, engine cover, rotor

[[Image:G1_Overrun_toy.jpg|thumb|right|200px|REAL effective windscreen, there]]

: Over-Run is unusual for an ''Action Master'' due to his rather monochromatic colour scheme, as he is made primarily out of a single shade of red plastic. All of his other colours are paint applications. Over-Run's sculpt suggests that before becoming an Action Master, he once transformed into a Cybertronic helicopter, due to the canopy and rotor shaft details on his torso. Appropriately, his Action Master vehicle is a small attack helicopter, and when not using the helicopter as his ride, Over-Run wields the vehicle's rotary photon pulse laser cannon and engine cover as weapon and shield, respectively.

: Over-Run can ride inside the cockpit of the attack helicopter, which can also transform into a small cannon emplacement/base, with the rotors being stored underneath and extra armour flipping forward from the rear fuselage.

{{-}}

==Trivia==
[[Image:Sprocketoverruncommercial.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Overshadowed by a [[Mini-Con]].]]

*Over-Run's only appearance anywhere for eighteen years was in the original [[Action Master]]s commercial, as one of the Autobots encircling [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] who answer his call to become "stronger, faster, more alive."

*Over-Run's Attack Copter-mountable handheld laser gun is, fittingly, a remold of one of [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]'s side-mounted cannons.

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Over-Run/over-run.htm Over-Run at TFU.info]

[[Category: Action Masters]]
[[category: Autobots]]

Metrodome

2010-02-02T04:47:11Z

68.219.38.123: /* Generation 1 */

[[Image:Metrodome.JPG|frame|Can't we just get beyond Metrodome?]]
'''Metrodome''' is a UK-based company that produces and distributes DVDs to the country, and is the current official distributor of ''Transformers'' [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] DVDs. Unlike [[Madman Entertainment|other]] [[Kid Rhino|distributors]], they have not secured the rights to any other Transformers series, but have distinguished themselves by being the first to release the various Japanese Generation 1 series.

Metrodome is owned by [[TV-Loonland]], who, until 2008, were the owners of [[Sunbow Productions]] and master license holder of the ''Generation 1'' television series.

The budget label '''Prism Leisure''' was a sub-distributor of Metrodome's until they went into [[wikipedia:administration (law)|administration]] in June 2007.<ref>[http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUS103785+28-Mar-2008+RNS20080328 Metrodome Group PLC Preliminary Results for the year ended 31 December 2007] at Reuters.</ref>

==Releases==
Having inherited the Transformers license from previous holder [[Maverick Entertainment]], who had only managed to release the first season before losing the licence, Metrodome, in a surprising move, opted to pick up where that company had left off, saving their own first season release until after they had gotten through the other seasons.

===Generation 1===
*PPA1412 — '''''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers: The Movie]]''''' ([[June 2]], 2003)
:The first release by Metrodome was a budget-range vanilla DVD of the Transformers movie, released through Prism Leisure.
*MTD5118 — '''''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' — Season 2 Part 1''' ([[November 17]], 2003)
:Contains the episodes "[[Autobot Spike]]" through to "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]" across three discs, plus extra features on the third disc including a blooper reel, the [[dialogue script]] to "Autobot Spike", some footage shot at [[Unofficial conventions|Auto Assembly 2003]], character profiles, a [[Titan Books|Titan]] comic strip, a fan art gallery, a promotional toy gallery and a quiz.
:Also comes packaged with exclusive postcards feauring new artwork by [[Lee Sullivan]].
*MTD???? — '''''Transformers'' — Bumper Collection Special''' ([[April 5]], 2004)
:Re-release of the first disc from the Season 2 Part 1 set. Contains the episodes "Autobot Spike" through to "[[Enter the Nightbird]]".
*MTD5150 — '''''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2''' ([[May 3]], 2004)
:Contains the episodes "[[The Golden Lagoon]]" through to "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]" across three discs, plus extra features on the third disc including more character profiles and scripts, another quiz and fan art gallery, [[Transformers (Melbourne House)|the Atari video game's]] trailer and a game called "[[Scrambled Transformers]]".
:Also comes packaged with exclusive postcards featuring new artwork by [[Andrew Wildman]], and "[[The Beast Within]]" mini-comic.
<center><gallery>
Image:Metrodome TFTheMovie DVD.jpg|'''''Transformers: The Movie'''''
Image:Metrodome G1Season2Part1 DVD.jpg|'''Season 2 Part 1'''
Image:Metrodome BumperCollection DVD.jpg|'''Bumper Collection'''
Image:Metrodome G1Season2Part2 DVD.jpg|'''Season 2 Part 2'''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

*MTD5162 — '''''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4''' ([[August 30]], 2004)
:Contains the complete seasons three and four across four discs, plus extra features on the fourth disc including ''another'' quiz and fan art gallery, even more scripts, masks to print and cut out, some footage shot at Auto Assembly 2004 and exclusive interviews with Lee Sullivan, Andrew Wildman and [[Simon Furman]].
:Also comes packaged with exclusive postcards featuring new artwork by Andrew Wildman, Bill Gilson and Isabel Monstran (Age 9), as well as "[[The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences]]" mini-comic.
*MTD5168 — '''''Transformers'' — Season 1''' ([[October 11]], 2004)
:Contains the complete first season across two discs, plus a third disc full of extra features including the perennial quiz and scripts, some more character profiles, [[commercial]]s, [[Public service announcement|PSAs]], footage shot at Transformerscon 2004, a run-down of animation errors from season 2, and interviews with [[Flint Dille]], [[Earl Kress]], [[Buzz Dixon]] and [[David Wise]]
:Also comes packaged with exclusive postcards featuring new artwork by Lee Sullivan.
*MTD5169 — '''''Transformers'' — Season 1''' (October 11, 2004)
:Limited run of the Season 1 set as above that also came with a "Free Collector's Tin" big enough to comfortably accommodate all four G1 box sets.
*MTD5214 — '''''Transformers: The Movie'' — Reconstructed''' ([[September 5]], 2005)
:Given that the movie had seen multiple VHS and budget DVD releases in then-recent years, Metrodome sought to produce a special version of the movie that would distinguish itself from these cheaper options. "Reconstructed" was the result, featuring a new remastered version of the film that exposed the entire visible picture from the film's negative. An assortment of extras including TV adverts, trailers and comparisons between the US and UK versions of the film could not, however, make up for the poor standards conversion, inconsistent remaster, and general pointlessness of the project.
<center><gallery>
Image:Metrodome G1Seasons3&4 DVD.jpg|'''Season 3 and Season 4'''
Image:Metrodome G1Season1 DVD.jpg|'''Season 1'''
Image:Metrodome G1Collector'sTin.jpg|'''Free Collector's Tin'''
Image:Metrodome TFTheMovie Reconstructed DVD.jpg|'''''Transformers: The Movie'' Reconstructed'''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

*MTD???? — '''''Transformers: The Movie''''' (UMD, [[September 12]], 2005)
*MTD???? — '''''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection''' ([[September 4]], 2006)
:All four Generation 1 box sets, along with ''Transformers: The Movie'' — Reconstructed, collected together in one fourteen-disc set.
:This set also contains a free double-sided poster depicting the US and UK movie poster artwork.
*MTD???? — '''''Transformers'' — The Classic Episodes''' ([[April 30]], 2007)
:Contains the episodes "[[More than Meets the Eye (episode)|More than Meets the Eye]]", "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]", "[[Dark Awakening]]", "[[Heavy Metal War]]", "The Golden Lagoon", "[[Call of the Primitives]]", "[[Starscream's Brigade]]" and "[[Ghost in the Machine]]".
*MTD5296 — '''''Transformers: The Movie'' — Ultimate Edition''' ([[June 4]], 2007)
:In the same vein as [[Sony]]'s 20th Anniversary Edition of the movie, this two-disc set features a new widescreen remaster of the film. A multitude of extras include trailers, tv spots, character profiles, interviews with Flint Dille and [[Peter Cullen]] and commentary on the film by Chris McFeely. Like the other special editions of the film released around this time, the set includes "[[Scramble City]]", also with commentary from McFeely.
<center><gallery>
Image:Metrodome TFTheMovie UMD 2005.jpg|'''''Transformers: The Movie'' UMD''' (2005 release)
Image:Metrodome G1CompleteCollection DVD.jpg|'''Complete Generation One Collection'''
Image:Metrodome ClassicEpisodes DVD.jpg|'''The Classic Episodes'''
Image:Metrodome TFTheMovie UltimateEdition DVD.jpg|'''''Transformers: The Movie'' Ultimate Edition'''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

*MTD???? — '''''Transformers: The Movie''''' (Blu-ray, [[October 1]], 2007)
*MTD???? — '''''Transformers: The Movie''''' (UMD, [[December 7]], 2007)
*MTD???? — '''''Classic Transformers'' — Series One: Part One''' ([[December 26]], 2007)
:Re-release of the first disc from the Season 1 set. Contains the episodes "More than Meets the Eye" through to "S.O.S. Dinobots".
*MTD???? — '''''Classic Transformers'' — Series One: Part Two''' (December 26, 2007)
:Re-release of the second disc from the Season 1 set. Contains the episodes "[[Fire on the Mountain]]" through to "Heavy Metal War".
<center><gallery>
Image:Metrodome TFTheMovie Blu-ray.jpg|'''''Transformers: The Movie'' Blu-ray'''
Image:Metrodome TFTheMovie UMD 2007.jpg|'''''Transformers: The Movie'' UMD''' (2007 release)
Image:Metrodome G1Series1Part1 DVD.jpg|'''''Classic Transformers'' Series One: Part One'''
Image:Metrodome G1Series1Part2 DVD.jpg|'''''Classic Transformers'' Series One: Part Two'''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

*MTD???? — '''''Transformers'' — Season One''' ([[June 15]], 2009)
*MTD???? — '''''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One''' (June 15, 2009)
*MTD???? — '''''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part Two''' (June 15, 2009)
*MTD???? — '''''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four''' {{sic}} (June 15, 2009)
<center><gallery>
Image:Metrodome G1Season1 DVD 2009.jpg|'''Season One'''
Image:Metrodome G1Season2Part1 DVD 2009.jpg|'''Season Two: Part One'''
Image:Metrodome G1Season2Part2 DVD 2009.jpg|'''Season Two: Part Two'''
Image:Metrodome G1Seasons3&4 DVD 2009.jpg|'''Season's Three & Four'''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

===The Takara Collection===
*MTD5197 — '''The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] Collection Vol 1 — ''[[The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: Headmasters]]''''' ([[September 26]], 2005)
:A four-disc box set collecting the entire ''Headmasters'' anime series. The set features the original Japanese audio track with newly-created (and inconsistent) English subtitles, with the infamous [[Omni Productions]] dub as a second option. The masters supplied to Metrodome proved slightly incomplete, however, lacking the "next episode" previews, and the few segments that come before the title cards of certain episodes. The set features audio commentaries on three episodes by UK fan [[Chris McFeely]].
*MTD5249 — '''The Takara Collection Vol 2 — ''[[Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Transformers: Super-God Masterforce]]''''' ([[May 15]], 2006)
:A five-disc box set collecting the ''Super-God Masterforce'' anime series (omitting the clip show that was broadcast as the final episode of the series in Japan). This set includes only the Japanese audio with subtitles, this time translated by [[Jordan L. Derber]]. The set again features three audio commentaries by McFeely. Cover art by [[Nick Roche]].
*MTD5262 — '''The Takara Collection Vol 3 — ''[[Victory (cartoon)|Transformers: Victory]]''''' (December 26, 2006)
:A four-disc box set collecting the entire ''Victory'' anime series. As with ''Masterforce'', the set includes only the Japanese audio, subs by Derber, and three commentaries by McFeely. Notably, the set omits the six (!) clip shows present in the original broadcast run of the series, featuring only the core 32 episodes. Cover art by Nick Roche.
*MTD???? — '''''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection''' ([[September 3]], 2007)
:A collection of the three ''Headmasters'', ''Super-God Masterforce'' and ''Victory'' box sets. The final disc of the ''Victory'' set is re-authored to include the set's sole new exclusive - ''[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Zone]]'', with a commentary by McFeely.
<center><gallery>
Image:Metrodome Headmasters DVD.jpg|'''Headmasters'''
Image:Metrodome Masterforce DVD.jpg|'''Masterforce'''
Image:Metrodome Victory DVD.jpg|'''Victory'''
Image:Metrodome Takara CompleteCollection DVD.jpg|'''Complete Collection'''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Metrodome's Generation 1 releases use the remastered production masters which originated with the [[Kid Rhino]] release of the series (and contain all the inherent errors). Additionally, they include [[Magno Sound & Video]]'s 5.1 audio (with added sound effects), but use a modified version of their 2.0 track.
*One of the sets' most distinctive extra features is a collection of [[Dialogue script|dialogue scripts]] for nearly every Generation 1 episode.
*The packaging and title menu for the third disc of the Season 2 Part 1 set both claim that it includes the dialogue scripts for "Episodes 16-17", but only the script for episode 17, "Autobot Spike", is actually included on the disc.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersdvd.com/ Metrodome's Transformers DVD homepage]

{{stub}}
[[Category:Home video]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Headmasters franchise]]
[[Category:Masterforce]]
[[Category:Victory]]
[[Category:Zone]]

Skyblast (Movie)

2010-01-29T00:03:18Z

68.219.38.123: /* Transformers (2007) */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Skyblast}}
:''Skyblast is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Movie (franchise)|2007 movie franchise]] in the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TitanOmnicons.jpg|right|230px|thumb|Skyblast (left) hates word balloons—canon!]]
'''Skyblast''' is an aerial daredevil. Feeling himself literally above all the others, he doesn't want people's friendship, but he will happily take their admiration. He corkscrews through the air easily, creating intricate patterns with his exhaust fumes while downing [[Decepticon]] fliers left and right. But when push comes to shove, no one can question his dedication to the Autobot cause, and his willingness to take a bullet for any of his teammates without a second thought.

==Fiction==
===IDW ''Transformers'' movie comics===
Skyblast contacted [[Prowl (Movie)|Prowl]] to let him know that the battle was over and Megatron was returning. {{storylink|Defiance issue 3}}

He much later partook in the attack on Starscream's new Allspark at [[Simfur]] {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream issue 4}} and squared off against [[Divebomb (Movie)|Divebomb]]. Shockingly, he was rescued by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream issue 5}}

===Titan Magazines===
As a recruit, Skyblast underwent training missions with [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]], said training being "attack that heavily armed Decepticon base!" Skyblast provided the covering fire for that one. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5|Lost In Space 3: Ironhide}}

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[[Image:SkyblastVersusScorponok.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"Oh slag, an attack from the ground! If only I had the ability to fly!"]]

He's gone up in the world since then. Skyblast was seemingly the leader of the Autobot reinforcements hiding on the moon. He knew all they had going for them was the element of surprise - he ''didn't'' know the Decepticons knew about them {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 9|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1}} until [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] was right on top of them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 10|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 2}} He was unable to put up any fight and was almost speared by [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]], and the quicker-thinking [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] took charge. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 11|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 3}} Skyblast headed for his pre-designated target of [[Hoover Dam]] and in the resulting battle against [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], he was nearly killed until [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] stepped in. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 12|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 4}}

Aside from finding the [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]] fragment {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 14|Aftermath Part 1}}, Skyblast's main contribution on Earth has been engaging in multiple battles to protect human sites and convoys from Decepticon attack. The fact the Autobots' are outnumbered is getting to him. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 16|Dark Spark}}

[[Image:Titan22_Skyblast.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Toy accuracy's nice and all, except when you ''draw in the peg hole.'']]

When the Autobots headed off to Cybertron, he was the first to notice Cybertron had come to ''them'' and [[Unicron|looked a bit different]]... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 19|Return to Cybertron: Part 3}} He contributed in the battle against the Unicron-possessed Cybertron, only to return to Earth and find the Decepticons had taken over a large swathe of America. He was grouchy about the [[United States military]] giving the Autobots a cold reception, but was told to button it by Ironhide. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 21|Hard Target}}

Skyblast played a key role in rescuing [[Mikaela Banes]], flying over the battle and releasing a sound-emitting device that scattered an unprepared Decepticon airforce. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 22|The Decepticon Who Haunted Himself}}

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==Toys==
===Transformers (2007)===
[[Image:Mov2007-toy_Skyblast.JPG|right|300px|thumb|right|If I turn my kibble like this, it looks like a hat, right?]]
*'''Skyblast''' (Scout, 2007)

: Part of the second assortment of Target-[[exclusive]] Scouts, Skyblast is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] mold, transforming into a Cybertronic starfighter. He comes with multiple accessories that can attach to his jet mode for rocket-boosters and an underslung cannon. In robot mode, these parts re-assemble to form a giant spear.

: This mold was also used to make his fellow movieverse Autobot [[Air Raid (Movie)|Air Raid]]. Skyblast himself was later [[Repurposing|repurposed]] as [[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]] [[Star Saber (SG)|Star Saber]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/Skyblast/skyblast.htm More information on Skyblast at TFU.info]''
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==Notes==
* Skyblast's mold was also used as the basis for the non-transforming ''[[Attacktix]]'' Decepticon piece [[Thrust (Attacktix)|Thrust]], as well as the CGI models for [[Backslash]] and pre-beast [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] in "[[Theft of the Golden Disk]]".
* The stock photography for Skyblast in robot mode shows his nosecone in a configuration that is impossible without removing it and re-attaching it; pointed backwards off of his head with the cockpit towards the sky.

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Movie characters]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]