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Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac

2009-10-30T14:31:19Z

69.86.75.87: /* Notes */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac''
|image=Allsparkalmanaccover.jpg
|caption=[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s going to have his hands full cleaning these two up.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|written by=[[Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster]]
|date=[[August 19]], 2009
|illustrated by=
|continuity=[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]
|pagecount=220
|ISBN=ISBN 1600104878 
ISBN 978-1600104879
}}

{{bigquote|What a brilliant book! Probably the best I've ever read, human or Cybertronian. I can't recommend it strongly enough!|[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], the rear cover of The AllSpark Almanac}}

'''''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac''''' is a <s>lusty</s> happy love-letter written to {{SITENAME}} for our carnal pleasure.

==Contents==
*Foreword, by [[Derrick J. Wyatt]]
*Introduction, by the authors
*Interstitial A: ''[[Transformers Hero]]''
*Chapter 1: [[Autobot]]s
*Interstitial B: Lighting
*Chapter 2: [[Decepticon]]s
*Interstitial C: [[Transformation]]s
*Chapter 3: [[Human]]s
*Interstitial D: Opening Credits
*Chapter 4: Events
*Interstitial E: [[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Titan Magazines]]
*Chapter 5: Culture
*Interstitial F: Design Evolution
*Chapter 6: [[Detroit]]
*Interstitial G: [[Bee in the City]]
*Chapter 7: Settings
*Interstitial H: Backgrounds
*Afterword, by [[Marty Isenberg]]
*A Word from [[Hasbro]]
*Acknowledgments

==Notes==

This book is an encyclopedic examination of the entire ''Transformers Animated'' storyline universe. It presents exhaustively thorough character profiles and summaries of the first two seasons of the cartoon and the ''Animated'' [[The Arrival|Arrival]] comic book...''all written completely in-universe'', in the form of "interviews" with the characters or excerpts from their journals and other in-story media.

"Interstitial" interludes are presented out-of-universe and describe the design process behind the art, animation, and locations, as well as brief story summaries of the [[Titan Books|Titan Magazines]] ''Animated'' issues. Elements of toy design are covered as well, but comparatively briefly.

There are also an ''insane'' number of [[easter egg|obscure references]] to Transformers minutiae culled from the 25-year history of the [[Transformers brand|brand]], as well as other sci-fi and entertainment franchises as well. Basically, ''all'' proper nouns and names refer to something or someone, even if that someone is a possibly non-existent character only mentioned once in a letters page of a foreign comic. And that's before we start talking about the ''numbers'': Almost every seemingly incongruous alphanumeric string is a reference to another franchise, be it a ''Star Trek'' stardate or a Terminator's official designation. And that's just the content in English—about a third of the book's pages have large stretches covered in [[Cybertronix]]. Deciphered, these include non-Transformers-related passages, such as extensive, verbatim quotes from diverse sources ranging from Tennyson's ''Ulysses'' to ''Max Headroom''.

Derrick Wyatt has promised that there will be a second AllSpark Almanac, and that it will feature all of the [[Cyber-Ninja Corps|Cyber-Ninjas]].[http://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/statuses/3990883557]

==Chapter 1 - Autobots==
Chapter one covers all Autobots who appear in the first two seasons of the cartoon.

{{collist|3|
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] by Ultra Magnus
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] by Lockdown
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] by Captain Fanzone
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] by Bulkhead
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] by Sari
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] by Bumblebee
*[[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]] by Blackarachnia
**[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]
**[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]]
**[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] by Ratchet
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] by Bulkhead
*[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] by Ratchet
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] by Bumblebee
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] by Bumblebee
*[[Wasp]] by Shockwave
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] by Ratchet}}

===Transformers references===

* Pg 15 – [[Optimus Prime (Animated) | Optimus Prime]]'s axe is identified as a [[Solitarium]] ultra-axe.

* Pg 20a – As mentioned in his tech spec, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is a [[Protihex]] Medical Mechanical graduate.

* Pg 20b – [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] refers to Ratchet with the nickname “Cool Hand Lube”, an epithet coined for [[Ratchet (G1)|the original Ratchet]].

* Pg 34 – Unnamed in the ''Animated'' cartoon, the alien planet visited by the young Optimus, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] populated by giant spiders is here given the named [[Archa Seven]]. Presumably, this puts it in the same system as [[Akalo|Archa Nine]].

* Pg 35 – Sentinel Prime's [[Skyboom (Animated)|shield]] is dubbed a [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom shield]].

* Pg 44 – Ratchet recalls an old flame from [[Crystal City]].

* Pg 55 – [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme's]] profile contains numerous references.
:The language describing Omega's strength deliberately hearkens back to Generation 1 [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega's]] Transformers Universe profile, describing how he can pulverize “steel cubes” of impressive volume and hit diminutive items from a great distance with his head cannon. Numerous Cybertronian units of [[Category:Measurements|measurement]] are used in the process; Omega is said to be able to like 600,000 kilo-units (a measurement used by [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in the ''Animated'' episode "[[Rise of the Constructicons]]"); the dimensions of the aforementioned cube are given in mechanometers (used in the Generation 1 episode "[[City of Steel]]" and mentioned twice more in the book); and the distance at which he can blast a small object is given in hics (from the Marvel UK 1991 annual story "[[The Magnificent Six!]]" and used once more in the book).
:Omega is also noted to be armed with concussion blasters (the personal weapon of Generation 1 [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]), pulsar bombs (used by the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] on two occasions in the [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] cartoon), quasar beams (Generation 2 [[Blowout]] and Beast Wars [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] both wielded quasar cannons), friction cannons (G1 [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] was armed with a friction blaster) and aquasting missiles (weapon of choice of the Beast Wars Fuzor [[Injector]]).
:And finally, Omega has armor enhanced with [[rheanimum]].

===Real-world references===

* Pg 46 – Ratchet speculates that Wreck-Gar must have “27,000 gags” hidden in his trash bin. The number 27 is a running gag in [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s songs... Al, of course, being the voice actor who played Wreck-Gar.

===Errors===
* Page 33: The [[Magnus Hammer]] is referred to as a "Storm'''breaker'''" hammer instead of "Storm'''bringer'''," a previously-given name for the weapon.

==Chapter 2 - Decepticons==
Character models for all Decepticons who appeared in Animated seasons one and two.
{{collist|3|
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] by Lugnut
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Lugnut]] by Blitzwing
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] by Lugnut
*[[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]] by Bulkhead
**[[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]]
**[[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] by Megatron
*[[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] by The Angry Archer
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] by Sari
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] by himself
*[[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] by Thundercracker
*[[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] by Ramjet
*[[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] by Sunstorm
*[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] by Skywarp
*[[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] by Slipstream
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] by Prowl
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 60 – Mentioned here and restated on pg 127, Megatron's swords are forged from [[tironium]]. As noted in his tech specs, his armor can deflect anti-proton lasers.

* Pg 66 – As on his toy packaging, Lugnut is referred to with the nickname "The [[Kaon]] Krusher".

* Pg 74 – Shockwave's cannon can fire blasts from anywhere in the electromagnetic spectrum, just like Generation 1 [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] could.

* Pg 77 – Swindle's gyro gun and scatter blaster are named after the weapons of the original Generation 1 [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]].

* Pg 81 – Starscream claims to be the handsomest 'bot "this side of the [[Benzuli Expanse]]".

* Pg 83-84 – Having gone unnamed in the Animated cartoon, [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] and [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] were all given names and powers derived from their Generation 1 counterparts when they were released as toys. The liar and female clones did not get toys, but ''The AllSpark Almanac'' carries on the trend; the liar clone is named [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] and is noted to have a reinforced nosecone for mid-air collisions, while the female clone gets the brand new name of [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] (which was previously revealed at [[BotCon 2009]]).

* Pg 88 – Numerous weapons used by Lockdown in the cartoon are here given the names of similar weapons from other corners of the Transformers multiverse. He is armed with [[sleep net]]s (from the Generation 1 coloring book ''[[Bumblebee to the Rescue!]]''), [[nova spray]], and a [[lightning whip]]. His chainsaw is also described as being “micro-serrated”, language frequently used to describe the beak of Generation 1 [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 66 - Blitzwing calls Lugnut a “five-eyed, no-brained, flying purple people eater,” paraphrasing the 1958 Sheb Wooley song, “Purple People Eater”.

* Pg 82 – Starscream's first sycophantic clone is given the numerical designation [[Clone number 2716057|#2716057]], the serial number of hard-drinking robot Bender from Futurama. The first cowardly clone, meanwhile, is marked [[Clone number 3370318|#3370318]], the serial number of Bender's identical duplicate, Flexo.

==Chapter 3 - Humans==
Character models and the occasional background image for the major humans of Animated.
{{collist|3|
*[[Sari Sumdac]] by Bulkhead
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] by Megatron
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Carmine Fanzone]] by Sari
*The [[Angry Archer]] by Swindle
*[[Professor Princess|Professor Penny Princess, PhD]] by Sari
*[[Nanosec]] by Slo-Mo
*[[Slo-Mo]] by Nanosec
*[[Headmaster (Animated)|The Headmaster]] by Bulkhead
*[[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Colossus Rhodes]] by Meltdown
*[[Fusion creature]]s
**[[Fusion creature|BAT-MONSTER]] by Grimlock
**The [[Fusion creature|Seafood Louis creature]] by Fanzone
*[[Master Disaster]] by Blurr
*[[Street Demon]] by Bulkhead
**[[Ming-Li]] and [[Roxy Sparkles]] by Sari
**[[Shana Story]] and [[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] by Bumblebee
*[[Porter C. Powell]] by Headmaster
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 94 – Swindle plans to imitate [[Angry Archer]]'s antiquated dialect to help facilitate his next deal with the [[Darkling Lords]] of [[Prysmos]]. This is a reference to the 1987 Hasbro toyline, [[Visionaries]]; Prysmos was the planet upon which that series was set, and the Darkling Lords were the villains of the franchise. Visionaries was also a back-up strip for the UK Marvel Transformers comics.

* Pg 101 – The name of Prometheus Black's company is given as [[Biotech Unbound]], referring to the Greek poem, “Prometheus Unbound”, which was also the title of a ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Prometheus Unbound|episode]].

*Pg 103 – In the Animated cartoon, the bat-monster is noted as having formerly been Meltdown's lawyer. Here, Captain Fanzone notes that the shark-monster was his stock broker. In addition, he calls it a "[[Seafood Louis]] creature"

* Pg 105 – [[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] is named after [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s [[Solon Kitakaze (Victory)|cyborg son]] from the infamously kooky [[Victory (franchise)|Victory]] manga.

===Real-world references===
* Pg 97 – [[Slo-Mo]] is here given the first name of Samantha, and on pg 143, the surname of Lomow. So hey, it turns out that her real name is the same as Hasbro Senior Vice President of Global Marketing [[Samantha Lomow]], on whom she was based.

* Pg 105 – [[Ming-Li]] is named after author Jim Sorenson's wife, Ming-Li Wang. [[Shana Story]] is named for a friend of author Bill Forster, Shana Storey, who is credited in the acknowledgments section of their previous book, [[The Ark II — A Compendium of Japanese Character Designs|The Ark II]].

* Pg 106 – Porter C. Powell's limousine is branded as a “TUX model”, named for the Tonka [[Tonka GoBots|GoBot]] it was designed to resemble.

===Errors===
* Page 95: The "d" is left out of "Powdered Sugar."

==Chapter 4 - Events==
The episodes and comic stories that make up the primary Animated continuity, in order.
{{collist|2|
*[[Transform and Roll Out]] as three Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime and a page from Isaac Sumdac's journal
*[[Dispatches]] as musings from [[Vector Prime]]
*[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Total Meltdown]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Blast from the Past]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[The Arrival issue 4#.22A Few Loose Strands.22|A Few Loose Strands]] as [[Venus (magazine)|Venus]], the trans-dimensional magazine for Decepti-femmes
*[[The Thrill of the Hunt]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Ratchet
*[[The Arrival #5]] as a page from Swindle's ledger and an evaluation form
*[[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Along Came a Spider]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 2#.22Whatever Happened To Whatisname.3F.22|Whatever Happened To Whatisname?]] as a page from Professor Princess' diary
*[[Sound and Fury]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 2#.22Attention Surplus Disorder.22|Attention Surplus Disorder]] as two pages from the [[Detroit Powell Press]]
*[[Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found]] as Lugnut's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[The Arrival #3]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Survival of the Fittest]] as a police report from Captain Fanzone
*[[Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 4#.22The Insincerest Form of Flattery.22|The Insincerest Form of Flattery]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Bulkhead
*[[Nature Calls]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Prowl
*[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Elite Guard]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Return of the Headmaster]] as Sentinel Prime's private journal and a letter from Sari to her absent father
*[[Mission Accomplished]] as Megatron's Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]] as a box of [[Garbage O's]] cereal
*[[Velocity]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Bumblebee
*[[Rise of the Constructicons]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[A Fistful of Energon]] as Starscream's Internal Log
*[[SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy]] as excerpts from interrogations conducted by Captain Fanzone
*[[Autoboot Camp]] as Shockwave's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[First (and Second) in Flight]] as a page from Ultra Magnus' memoirs
*[[Black Friday (episode)|Black Friday]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Sari, No One's Home]] as a letter from Sari to her absent father
*[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]] as Megatron's Internal Log
*[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
}}

===Transformers references===

*Pg 112 – An observation of the events of the [[Dispatches|first issue]] of the Animated comic by the trans-dimensional [[Vector Prime]]. He uses the aforementioned Universal Stream classification system to catalog this manuscript, identifying the Animated cartoon universe as “Malgus 1207.26 Alpha”. The designation is later used again on pg 117.

* Pg 116 - Presumably, the trans-dimensional magazine [[Venus (magazine)|Venus]] is named for Beast Wars [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia's]] voice actor, [[Venus Terzo]]. Whatever currency its cover price is in, its represented with a “B” in Predacon Cybertronix! Blackarachnia wears the crown, shoulderpads and cape donned by Generation 1 Starscream for his coronation in [[The Transformers: The Movie]]. References on the cover include:
:*“Sparkmate” is a term used in the N64 Beast Wars: Transmetals video game, to describe Tigatron and Airazor's romantic bond.
:*[[Chain of Command]] is the title of a Beast Wars episode.
:*Readers are invited to compare several pairs of Decepticon and Predacon fembots:
:**[[Clio]] is a Decepticon [[Powermaster]] mentioned by [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] in the letters page of issue #315 of Marvel UK's Generation 1 comic. She is pitted against [[Lyzack]], sister of Decepticon Breastforce warrior [[Leozack]], who appears in the final issue of the Victory manga.
:**[[Manta Ray (BW)|Manta Ray]] is a Beast Wars McDonalds Happy Meal figure, who was established as being female by IDW Publishing's Beast Wars Sourcebook. She is up against the equally aquatic [[Scylla]], from [[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]].
:**[[Flamewar]] and [[Nightracer]] are both BotCon [[exclusive]] female Decepticons, from 2005 and 1995, respectively. The match-up has a deeper meaning; Nightracer was created by notorious Decepticon fan [[Raksha]], and some fans believe that Flamewar's personality is based on Raksha, though her creator [[Ben Yee]] denies it.
:*Revenge of the Fallen's Pretender [[Alice]] teaches readers how to disarm a foldspace warhead, a weapon which appears in the second issue of the UK's 2007 live-action movie comic.
:*The magazine's gossip columnist is [[Freezon]], the Decepticon car included with Tyco's Transformers Electric Racing Set released in the 1980s. She is dishing the dirt on Lugnut and [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]'s relationship, which was established in Strika's profile, published in issue #24 of the Transformers Collectors Club Official Magazine.
:*[[Beta Maxx]] is the partner of BotCon 2007 exlusive Alpha Trion, while [[Caliburn]] is partnered with 2004 exclusive, [[Megazarak]]. The cover identifies them as Mini-Cons, despite the fact that no previous writings ever done so (Caliburn is explicitly a [[Micromaster]], while Beta Maxx has only been referred to as an Autobot). Funnily enough, in late 2008, author Jim Sorenson was involved in an argument on the Transformers Wiki about Beta Maxx being a Mini-Con... hmmmn. Anyway, they're talking to Cybertron [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]].

* Pg 119a – Most of the weapons Swindle sells Lugnut and Blitzwing, and the planets he gets them from, are established, if obscure, Transformers items and locales. Most of them were named in the comic story this page covers, "[[Everything Must Go]]", but a few more things are named here. The full list includes:
:*An [[anti-gravity gun|anti-gravity cannon]] from the planet [[Andellor]].
:*A [[triple crusher cannon]] from the planet Talos Four (probably derived from a mistake on TFWIKI.Net, which misspelled [[Taros Four]] in this manner for a time).
:*A decompression pump from [[Torkulon]].
:*[[Glass gas]] and a [[Digital Impact Mace]] (the weapon of choice of [[BotCon 2000]] exclusive toy [[Apelinq]]) from the planet [[Darhos]].
:*Super glue from the [[Menonia]].
:*An [[omega bomb]] from [[Ganzvort]].
:*Two [[Nemesis Shield]]s from [[Garo]] and [[Comb|Com]].
:*A [[Chaosmaster Bomb]] from [[Xeptos]].
:*Circuitry repair patches from [[Cheyne]].

* Pg 119b – Optimus's evaluation form is rendered in the style of classic Transformers [[Tech Spec]]s, but not any one particular design. The training exercise from the comic story “Survival Skills” is revealed to have taken place on [[Kaiba-5]].

* Pg 124-125 The article text of the Detroit Powell Press included in the AllSpark Almanc contain numerous references.
:*[[Irwin Spoon]] was a journalist who appeared in a three-part story in Marvel UK's Generation 1 comic.
:*[[Quake-Maker]] is a supervillain from the UK's Animated comic.
:*The [[Mechanic]] is a human criminal who battled the Autobots in two issues of the Marvel's original Generation 1 comic.
:*The [[Jack Boys]] are a motorcycle gang from the Super-God Masterforce cartoon.
:*[[Jake Lomax]] is a mob boss from issue #13 of Marvel's Generation 1 comic.
:*[[Jacob Lee Bonaventure]] is an industrialist from IDW's [[Hearts of Steel]] mini-series.

:The sidebar on the page also makes numerous references:
:*“Defensor United” refers, of course, to the Generation 1 [[Defensor (G1)|Protectobot combiner]], but more specifically to the recurring discussions of [[Mecha-soccer]] in the Marvel UK comic's letters page, where Defensor United played in the Cybertron Premier Division. The team is thrashed by real-life football team West Ham at [[Tigatron Stadium]], the venue named for the [[Tigatron|Beast Wars character]], which appeared in the Animated episode, [[Five Servos of Doom]].
:*In the Animated universe, the Generation 1 Decepticon ally, mad scientist [[Doctor Arkeville]], is the surgeon general! He recommends [[Ding Dong]]s (favored by the [[President of the United States]] in the live-action movie!) as a cure for the [[Hate Plague]], a rage-inciting disease that appeared in the Generation 1 two-part episode, [[The Return of Optimus Prime]].
:*Racing queen [[Junko Shiragami]] is a human female from the Binaltech Asterisk toyline (who was in turn based upon [[Kelly]] from Robots in Disguise). Here, she is dating scientist [[Michael Avery]], who appeared in the 2007 movie prequel novel, [[Ghosts of Yesterday]].
:*Street Demon racer Roxy Sparkles (earlier named on page 105) is here noted to be a member of the band [[Purple Fungus]], who were a favorite of [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] in the Find Your Fate Junior novel, [[Attack of the Insecticons]].
:*“Princess Ringo” was the nickname by which Kiss Players character [[Ringo Chikuma]] preferred to be known. Here, she has recently visited [[Mont Porte]], the country that is home to the Super-God Masterforce Headmaster Junior [[Minerva]].

:Adverts refer to:
:*[[Dancitron]], a musical event named for a dance club from the Generation 1 cartoon episode [[Auto-Bop]]. Cold Slither is playing here, a band from the G.I. Joe cartoon episode of the same name, created as part of an evil Cobra plot. The piece of music composed as their [[Cold Slither|signature tune]] was used as incidental music in several Transformers episodes.
:*Wyatt Toys, the toy store named after Animated art director [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] which appears in several episodes of the cartoon. The advert notes that the store sells [[Diaclone]] and [[Microman]] figures, the two toylines that were Transformers' progenitors.
:*Roadhog Horton's Motorcycle Show, named after [[Roadhog Horton]], a member of the bounty-hunting motorcyclist [[Roadjammer]]s from [[Ca$h and Car-nage!|issue #46]] of the Marvel Generation 1 comic. His show also features autograph signings from Rorza, a reference to the [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III|Rocket-Cycle Racer from Rigel III]] of the same name from issue #44.
:*A horror movie named “[[Monster from Mars]]”, an elaborate reference to the movie of the same name that was the central plot element of [[Monstercon from Mars!]], issue #45 of the Marvel comic. In said issue, Decepticon Pretender [[Skullgrin]] starred in the title role; this poster features a monster designed to look like Skullgrin in the style of Meltdown's [[fusion creature]]s, in reference to the fact that Skullgrin's fellow Pretenders [[Submarauder (G1)|Submarauder]] and [[Bomb-Burst]] were the base for the two fusion creatures in the cartoon. In both the original comic and this version, the movie is directed by [[Rollie Friendly]] and stars [[Jake Colton]] and [[Carissa Carr]]; this version also adds [[Karen Fishook]], an actress from the Generation 1 cartoon episode, “Hoist Goes Hollywood”. The movie's soundtrack is by the [[High Rollahz]], a band featured in the “Keepers Trilogy” novel, [[Hardwired]].

* Pg 127 – Unnamed in the original comic "[['Bots of Science]]", Ratchet here notes that he has dubbed the cure for Cosmic Rust "[[Corrostop]]". Its ingredients include [[Ingredient X]] and [[razon gas]].

* Pg 134 – The [[Steelhaven (Animated)|Elite Guard ship]] is here given the name ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]''.

* Pg 136 – Sari's notebook paper is decorated with an illustration of "Hello [[Nekomimi A and Nekomimi B|Nekomimi]] Pop-Star", a chibified, "Hello Kitty"-style version of Nekomimi A from the Energon episode, "[[Distribution]]". Nekomimi B appears on pg 147 in a similar fashion.

* Pg 138-139
:*The brand of the tire in the logo is [[Wheeljack]] Tyres!

:*In the “fueltritional facts” box alone, there are references to:
:**mercury sauce, a favorite of the [[Mecannibal]]s from the Marvel Generation 1 comic
:**[[Rarified Energon]], introduced in the Transformers Collectors Club magazine storyline, [[Crossing Over]]
:**[[Energon Z]] from [[Zone (franchise)|Zone]]
:**budianskium basil (referring to Transformers writer [[Bob Budiansky]])
:**grated gears (a serving suggestion for ants by Beast Wars [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] in [[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]])
:**janick jaAm (see below.)

:*The word jumble unscrambles to read “You lived like a warrior ans died to an hero”, an infamous quote from the late-1990s fanfic by MG-Dinobot, “Dinobot's Old Technology”, which was itself a misquote from the Beast Wars episode [[Code of Hero]]. The quote went on to become one of the most famous online memes from that era of Transformers [[fandom]].
:**The answer at the bottom of the page, however, claims it actually says “WhY mY ShOuldErs hUrT?”, a tortured quote from British fan Blueshift's famous re-scripting of the first Armada pack-in mini-comic. This was also the source of the above-mentioned “jaAm” line, which was since been immortalized on the license plate and packaging bio of the 2009 Universe Hot Shot figure.

:*Illustration B in the “spot the difference” puzzle is, of course, Generation 1 [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock's]] [[character model]].

* Pg 145 – Ultra Magnus's memoir is prefaced with a haiku from "[[Sky-Byte (Animated)|Sky-Byte]], Decepticon poet", referencing the loveable haiku-writing [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] from ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]''. He has to be Decepticon here, of course, because there are no Predacons in the ''Animated'' universe. In the course of this page, Magnus mentions [[mitotic spark]]s and the [[Angarix Sector]], a region of space introduced in the Generation 1 episode "[[The Quintesson Journal]]".

* Pg 148 – Megatron refers to the act of [[branding]] the Constructicons with the Decepticon symbol as the "[[Rite of the Deceptibrand]]," after the Autobot equivalent, the "[[Rite of the Autobrand]]".

===Real-world references===
{{Main|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac/Events Real-world references}}

===Errors===
* Page 133: "...have tried harder to recruit the Dinobots as allies, but I was so angry at Prowl's deception that I..." is repeated immediately following the first use in the third paragraph.

* Page 145: The "c" is left out of "First (and Second) in Flight."

==Chapter 5 - Culture==
A catch-all for other aspects of Animated including ships, monsters and customs.
{{collist|3|
*The [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] by Optimus Prime
*Autobot Cybertronian forms by Ultra Magnus
*Decepticon Cybertronian forms by Starscream
*The [[Death's Head (Animated)|Death's Head]] by Lockdown
*[[Autobot Shuttle (Animated)|Autobot Shuttle]] by Blitzwing
*[[Automaton|Sumdac robots]] by Porter C. Powell
*Bulkhead's Art by Ratchet, Optimus Prime and Sari
*[[Halloween]] by Bulkhead and Bumblebee
*[[Space barnacles]] by Sari
*[[Nanite|Nanobots]] by Ratchet
*The Media by Soundwave
*[[Ability|Powers]] by Prowl
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 161 – Starscream uses the expression “a few [[lipole]]s short of a nest”, referring to the metal-eating bat-creatures native to Jupiter's moon [[Io]], from the Generation 1 multi-part episode, [[Five Faces of Darkness]].

* Pg 164 – Lockdown's spaceship is named the ''[[Death's Head (Animated)|Death's Head]]'', after a certain [[Death's Head (G1)|freelance peacekeeping agent]], yes? It has been upgraded using parts obtained from the planets [[Jörmungandr]] and [[Taxxon]], and the [[Jabbi-Ko]] aliens, outfitted with Vandarian holographic technology (from the same planet as the [[Vandarian fuzz-worm]]s) and [[cybertitanium]] cables (among other items mentioned below as they're non-''Transformers'' references).

* Pg 170 – Bulkhead describes candy as being like [[Ultra-Energon]] for kids.

* Pg 174 – Newscaster [[Lester Black]] is revealed to be the great-nephew of [[Hector Ramirez (Animated)|Hector Ramirez]], a callback to the [[Hector Ramirez (G1)|Generation 1 news reporter of the same name]] (who was actually unnamed in his one ''Transformers'' cartoon appearance).

===Real-world references===
* Pg 164 – Lockdown's spaceship used to be an “IG-2000” class ship, referring to the [[Star Wars]] ship that bore that name. It is outfitted with Deckard cannons (named for Rick Deckard from Blade Runner), Samus-blasters (named for Samus Aran from Metroid), and isomorphic controls preventing anyone other than Lockdown from piloting it, as does Doctor Who's TARDIS. Lockdown rounds out the paragraph by saying “a bot's got to know his limitations”, paraphrasing Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force.

* Pg 165 - “A three hour tour!” cackles Blitzwing, quoting the theme tune of Gilligan's Island.
*Pg 170/171 - Among the [[Halloween]] costumes are a [http://ghostbusters.wikia.com/wiki/Samhain Samhain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headless_Horseman Headless Horseman], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_Samurai#Afro_Samurai Afro Samurai], [[Destro]], [[Cobra Commander]] and [[General Hawk]].

==Chapter 6 - Detroit==
People, places and things in and about Detroit.
{{collist|3|
*[[Augustus Edsel|Detroit's Leadership]] by Sentinel Prime
*Buildings by Jazz
*[[Blackwater Prison]] by Captain Fanzone
*Solar Fusion by Porter C. Powell
*[[Human|Organic Inhabitants]] by Sentinel Prime
*Emergency Responders by Captain Fanzone
*Earth Vehicles by Jazz
*Stupid Organics (i.e. animals) by Sentinel Prime
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 178 – [[Augustus Edsel|Mayor Edsel]] is revealed to be the nephew of famous actor [[Harold Edsel (G1)|Harold Edsel]].

* Pg 183 – The [[Sidney Biggles-Jones Memorial Solar Fusion Plant]] is named after the [[Sidney Biggles-Jones|scientist]] from the Marvel Comics ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' / ''Generation 2'' crossover. The other scientists named as working on solar fusion, [[Brian Jones (Animated)|Brian Jones]], [[Daichi Onishi]], [[Peter Morris (Animated)|Peter Morris]], and [[Felix Adle]], are named after (respectively) [[Brian Jones (Energon)|Dr. Jones]] from ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'', Doctor [[Kenneth Onishi]], [[Professor Morris]] and [[Professor Adle]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 189 – [[Jeff Litvack]] is a friend of Jim Sorenson's, who he credits in the acknowledgments of this book. [[Krista Kohlhausen]] is Bill Forster's “favorite person,” according to the acknowledgments of The Ark.

==Chapter 7 - Settings==
Background pictures and associated character models from the first two seasons of Animated.
{{collist|3|
*[[Autobot Earth Base]] by Bulkhead
*[[Decepticon Earth Base]] by Mixmaster and Scrapper
*[[Sumdac Systems]] by Isaac Sumdac
*[[Nemesis (Animated)|The Nemesis]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]] by Prowl
*[[Meltdown's Subterranean Lab]] by Cyrus "The Colossus" Rhodes
*[[Archa Seven]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Autobot boot camp]] by Ultra Magnus
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 200 – The generic Sumdac Systems technicians are named [[Eddie Fairchild and Matt Conroy]]. These are the names of two prototypical characters who existed in the development phase of the Generation 1 cartoon, who eventually evolved into [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Chip Chase]].

* Pg 203 – Noted architect George R. Apple. [[Grapple|G.R.Apple]]? Anybody? Anybody? C'mooon!

* Pg 206 – The [[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]] is equipped with a Grand Mal class force field, named after the [[Grand Mal]], the giant fortress-cum-giant head occupied by Beast Wars [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the latter stages of the Beast Machines cartoon. It has a cybertroid alloy star drive (just like the Generation 1 [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]], as mentioned in the G1 episode [[Microbots]]), and has the most sophisticated sensor array this side of the [[Eshems Nebula]], a region of space introduced in IDW Publishing's live-action movie-based [[Defiance]] series.

* Pg 207 – To escape the damaged Nemesis, the Decepticons used Devolan escape pods. The planet [[Devola]] was the site of a huge victory for the Decepticon [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] in the Armada universe.

* Pg 211 – The crashed Decepticon ship on Archa Seven is named the [[Twilight (Animated)|Twilight]], after the [[Twilight (G2)|flagship]] from the Marvel Generation 2 comics.

==Interstitials==
The only place in the book where out-of-universe is presented, the interstitial pages covered divergent continuities as well as select aspects of the animation process.

==Literary elements==
Including the copyright information, title page, foreword and afterwords, notes from the authors and acknowledgments.

===Transformers references===
* Pg 9a – [[Jim Sorenson (Quadwal -3760.925 Theta)|Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster (Quadwal -3760.925 Theta)|Bill Forster]] hail from [[universal stream]] Quadwal -3760.925 Theta. Universal streams are a means of classifying the numerous Transformers universes devised by authors [[Greg Sepelak]] and [[Trent Troop]], which first appeared in the Transformers Collectors Club story, [[Withered Hope]]. This particular classification, however, makes no sense, save for the “Theta” suffix, which indicates a “spoken word” or “live performance” scenario. The “-” sign also indicates they're from a reverse parallel universe, akin to the Shattered Glass fiction introduced at [[BotCon 2008]], the only other universal stream to be marked like this. “Don't ask,” the authors say.
** But we're the goddamned Transformers Wiki, so screw that "don't ask" stuff. We're nerds, we're gonna do this thing. "Quadwal" is an obvious play on "fourth wall," which is what this universal stream is breaking. September 25, 3760 BC is the first day of the Hebrew calendar, specifically the date some believe Creation began. (So that "-" sign has a double meaning!) So Sorenson and Forster hail from the Real Life Universe, or the negative universe version of it, hence why they are incarcerated criminals.

* Pg 9b – The Reverse-Pretender technology used by Sorenson and Forster is a reference to several 1980s Transformers toy [[commercial]]s, which featured a child leaping into the air and transforming into Ultra Magnus.

* Pg 215 - Marty Isenberg mentions a [[GEEWUN|certain group of fans]], canonizing yet another fan-made term.

===Errors===
* Page 2: In the indicia, the latter "r" is left out of "characters".

==External Links==
[http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/digipedia/annotated_almanac.html Full annotated listing of MOST hidden references in the Almanac]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category: IDW titles]]
[[Category: Reference texts]]

Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac

2009-10-30T14:30:03Z

69.86.75.87: /* Notes */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac''
|image=Allsparkalmanaccover.jpg
|caption=[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s going to have his hands full cleaning these two up.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|written by=[[Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster]]
|date=[[August 19]], 2009
|illustrated by=
|continuity=[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]
|pagecount=220
|ISBN=ISBN 1600104878 
ISBN 978-1600104879
}}

{{bigquote|What a brilliant book! Probably the best I've ever read, human or Cybertronian. I can't recommend it strongly enough!|[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], the rear cover of The AllSpark Almanac}}

'''''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac''''' is a <s>lusty</s> happy love-letter written to {{SITENAME}} for our carnal pleasure.

==Contents==
*Foreword, by [[Derrick J. Wyatt]]
*Introduction, by the authors
*Interstitial A: ''[[Transformers Hero]]''
*Chapter 1: [[Autobot]]s
*Interstitial B: Lighting
*Chapter 2: [[Decepticon]]s
*Interstitial C: [[Transformation]]s
*Chapter 3: [[Human]]s
*Interstitial D: Opening Credits
*Chapter 4: Events
*Interstitial E: [[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Titan Magazines]]
*Chapter 5: Culture
*Interstitial F: Design Evolution
*Chapter 6: [[Detroit]]
*Interstitial G: [[Bee in the City]]
*Chapter 7: Settings
*Interstitial H: Backgrounds
*Afterword, by [[Marty Isenberg]]
*A Word from [[Hasbro]]
*Acknowledgments

==Notes==

This book is an encyclopedic examination of the entire ''Transformers Animated'' storyline universe. It presents exhaustively thorough character profiles and summaries of the first two seasons of the cartoon and the ''Animated'' [[The Arrival|Arrival]] comic book...''all written completely in-universe'', in the form of "interviews" with the characters or excerpts from their journals and other in-story media.

"Interstitial" interludes are presented out-of-universe and describe the design process behind the art, animation, and locations, as well as brief story summaries of the [[Titan Books|Titan Magazines]] ''Animated'' issues. Elements of toy design are covered as well, but comparatively briefly.

There are also an ''insane'' number of [[easter egg|obscure references]] to Transformers minutiae culled from the 25-year history of the [[Transformers brand|brand]], as well as other sci-fi and entertainment franchises as well. Basically, ''all'' proper nouns and names refer to something or someone, even if that someone is a possibly non-existent character only mentioned once in a letters page of a foreign comic. And that's before we start talking about the ''numbers'': Almost every seemingly incongruous alphanumeric string is a reference to another franchise, be it a ''Star Trek'' stardate or a Terminator's official designation. And that's just the content in English—about a third of the book's pages have large stretches covered in [[Cybertronix]]. Deciphered, these include non-Transformers-related passages, such as extensive, verbatim quotes from diverse sources ranging from Tennyson's ''Ulysses'' to ''Max Headroom''.

Derrick Wyatt has promised that there will be a second AllSpark Almanac, and that it will feature all of the [[Cyber Ninja Corps|Cyber Ninjas]].[http://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/statuses/3990883557]

==Chapter 1 - Autobots==
Chapter one covers all Autobots who appear in the first two seasons of the cartoon.

{{collist|3|
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] by Ultra Magnus
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] by Lockdown
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] by Captain Fanzone
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] by Bulkhead
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] by Sari
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] by Bumblebee
*[[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]] by Blackarachnia
**[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]
**[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]]
**[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] by Ratchet
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] by Bulkhead
*[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] by Ratchet
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] by Bumblebee
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] by Bumblebee
*[[Wasp]] by Shockwave
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] by Ratchet}}

===Transformers references===

* Pg 15 – [[Optimus Prime (Animated) | Optimus Prime]]'s axe is identified as a [[Solitarium]] ultra-axe.

* Pg 20a – As mentioned in his tech spec, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is a [[Protihex]] Medical Mechanical graduate.

* Pg 20b – [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] refers to Ratchet with the nickname “Cool Hand Lube”, an epithet coined for [[Ratchet (G1)|the original Ratchet]].

* Pg 34 – Unnamed in the ''Animated'' cartoon, the alien planet visited by the young Optimus, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] populated by giant spiders is here given the named [[Archa Seven]]. Presumably, this puts it in the same system as [[Akalo|Archa Nine]].

* Pg 35 – Sentinel Prime's [[Skyboom (Animated)|shield]] is dubbed a [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom shield]].

* Pg 44 – Ratchet recalls an old flame from [[Crystal City]].

* Pg 55 – [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme's]] profile contains numerous references.
:The language describing Omega's strength deliberately hearkens back to Generation 1 [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega's]] Transformers Universe profile, describing how he can pulverize “steel cubes” of impressive volume and hit diminutive items from a great distance with his head cannon. Numerous Cybertronian units of [[Category:Measurements|measurement]] are used in the process; Omega is said to be able to like 600,000 kilo-units (a measurement used by [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in the ''Animated'' episode "[[Rise of the Constructicons]]"); the dimensions of the aforementioned cube are given in mechanometers (used in the Generation 1 episode "[[City of Steel]]" and mentioned twice more in the book); and the distance at which he can blast a small object is given in hics (from the Marvel UK 1991 annual story "[[The Magnificent Six!]]" and used once more in the book).
:Omega is also noted to be armed with concussion blasters (the personal weapon of Generation 1 [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]), pulsar bombs (used by the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] on two occasions in the [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] cartoon), quasar beams (Generation 2 [[Blowout]] and Beast Wars [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] both wielded quasar cannons), friction cannons (G1 [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] was armed with a friction blaster) and aquasting missiles (weapon of choice of the Beast Wars Fuzor [[Injector]]).
:And finally, Omega has armor enhanced with [[rheanimum]].

===Real-world references===

* Pg 46 – Ratchet speculates that Wreck-Gar must have “27,000 gags” hidden in his trash bin. The number 27 is a running gag in [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s songs... Al, of course, being the voice actor who played Wreck-Gar.

===Errors===
* Page 33: The [[Magnus Hammer]] is referred to as a "Storm'''breaker'''" hammer instead of "Storm'''bringer'''," a previously-given name for the weapon.

==Chapter 2 - Decepticons==
Character models for all Decepticons who appeared in Animated seasons one and two.
{{collist|3|
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] by Lugnut
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Lugnut]] by Blitzwing
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] by Lugnut
*[[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]] by Bulkhead
**[[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]]
**[[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] by Megatron
*[[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] by The Angry Archer
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] by Sari
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] by himself
*[[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] by Thundercracker
*[[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] by Ramjet
*[[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] by Sunstorm
*[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] by Skywarp
*[[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] by Slipstream
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] by Prowl
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 60 – Mentioned here and restated on pg 127, Megatron's swords are forged from [[tironium]]. As noted in his tech specs, his armor can deflect anti-proton lasers.

* Pg 66 – As on his toy packaging, Lugnut is referred to with the nickname "The [[Kaon]] Krusher".

* Pg 74 – Shockwave's cannon can fire blasts from anywhere in the electromagnetic spectrum, just like Generation 1 [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] could.

* Pg 77 – Swindle's gyro gun and scatter blaster are named after the weapons of the original Generation 1 [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]].

* Pg 81 – Starscream claims to be the handsomest 'bot "this side of the [[Benzuli Expanse]]".

* Pg 83-84 – Having gone unnamed in the Animated cartoon, [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] and [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] were all given names and powers derived from their Generation 1 counterparts when they were released as toys. The liar and female clones did not get toys, but ''The AllSpark Almanac'' carries on the trend; the liar clone is named [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] and is noted to have a reinforced nosecone for mid-air collisions, while the female clone gets the brand new name of [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] (which was previously revealed at [[BotCon 2009]]).

* Pg 88 – Numerous weapons used by Lockdown in the cartoon are here given the names of similar weapons from other corners of the Transformers multiverse. He is armed with [[sleep net]]s (from the Generation 1 coloring book ''[[Bumblebee to the Rescue!]]''), [[nova spray]], and a [[lightning whip]]. His chainsaw is also described as being “micro-serrated”, language frequently used to describe the beak of Generation 1 [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 66 - Blitzwing calls Lugnut a “five-eyed, no-brained, flying purple people eater,” paraphrasing the 1958 Sheb Wooley song, “Purple People Eater”.

* Pg 82 – Starscream's first sycophantic clone is given the numerical designation [[Clone number 2716057|#2716057]], the serial number of hard-drinking robot Bender from Futurama. The first cowardly clone, meanwhile, is marked [[Clone number 3370318|#3370318]], the serial number of Bender's identical duplicate, Flexo.

==Chapter 3 - Humans==
Character models and the occasional background image for the major humans of Animated.
{{collist|3|
*[[Sari Sumdac]] by Bulkhead
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] by Megatron
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Carmine Fanzone]] by Sari
*The [[Angry Archer]] by Swindle
*[[Professor Princess|Professor Penny Princess, PhD]] by Sari
*[[Nanosec]] by Slo-Mo
*[[Slo-Mo]] by Nanosec
*[[Headmaster (Animated)|The Headmaster]] by Bulkhead
*[[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Colossus Rhodes]] by Meltdown
*[[Fusion creature]]s
**[[Fusion creature|BAT-MONSTER]] by Grimlock
**The [[Fusion creature|Seafood Louis creature]] by Fanzone
*[[Master Disaster]] by Blurr
*[[Street Demon]] by Bulkhead
**[[Ming-Li]] and [[Roxy Sparkles]] by Sari
**[[Shana Story]] and [[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] by Bumblebee
*[[Porter C. Powell]] by Headmaster
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 94 – Swindle plans to imitate [[Angry Archer]]'s antiquated dialect to help facilitate his next deal with the [[Darkling Lords]] of [[Prysmos]]. This is a reference to the 1987 Hasbro toyline, [[Visionaries]]; Prysmos was the planet upon which that series was set, and the Darkling Lords were the villains of the franchise. Visionaries was also a back-up strip for the UK Marvel Transformers comics.

* Pg 101 – The name of Prometheus Black's company is given as [[Biotech Unbound]], referring to the Greek poem, “Prometheus Unbound”, which was also the title of a ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Prometheus Unbound|episode]].

*Pg 103 – In the Animated cartoon, the bat-monster is noted as having formerly been Meltdown's lawyer. Here, Captain Fanzone notes that the shark-monster was his stock broker. In addition, he calls it a "[[Seafood Louis]] creature"

* Pg 105 – [[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] is named after [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s [[Solon Kitakaze (Victory)|cyborg son]] from the infamously kooky [[Victory (franchise)|Victory]] manga.

===Real-world references===
* Pg 97 – [[Slo-Mo]] is here given the first name of Samantha, and on pg 143, the surname of Lomow. So hey, it turns out that her real name is the same as Hasbro Senior Vice President of Global Marketing [[Samantha Lomow]], on whom she was based.

* Pg 105 – [[Ming-Li]] is named after author Jim Sorenson's wife, Ming-Li Wang. [[Shana Story]] is named for a friend of author Bill Forster, Shana Storey, who is credited in the acknowledgments section of their previous book, [[The Ark II — A Compendium of Japanese Character Designs|The Ark II]].

* Pg 106 – Porter C. Powell's limousine is branded as a “TUX model”, named for the Tonka [[Tonka GoBots|GoBot]] it was designed to resemble.

===Errors===
* Page 95: The "d" is left out of "Powdered Sugar."

==Chapter 4 - Events==
The episodes and comic stories that make up the primary Animated continuity, in order.
{{collist|2|
*[[Transform and Roll Out]] as three Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime and a page from Isaac Sumdac's journal
*[[Dispatches]] as musings from [[Vector Prime]]
*[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Total Meltdown]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Blast from the Past]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[The Arrival issue 4#.22A Few Loose Strands.22|A Few Loose Strands]] as [[Venus (magazine)|Venus]], the trans-dimensional magazine for Decepti-femmes
*[[The Thrill of the Hunt]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Ratchet
*[[The Arrival #5]] as a page from Swindle's ledger and an evaluation form
*[[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Along Came a Spider]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 2#.22Whatever Happened To Whatisname.3F.22|Whatever Happened To Whatisname?]] as a page from Professor Princess' diary
*[[Sound and Fury]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 2#.22Attention Surplus Disorder.22|Attention Surplus Disorder]] as two pages from the [[Detroit Powell Press]]
*[[Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found]] as Lugnut's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[The Arrival #3]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Survival of the Fittest]] as a police report from Captain Fanzone
*[[Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 4#.22The Insincerest Form of Flattery.22|The Insincerest Form of Flattery]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Bulkhead
*[[Nature Calls]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Prowl
*[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Elite Guard]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Return of the Headmaster]] as Sentinel Prime's private journal and a letter from Sari to her absent father
*[[Mission Accomplished]] as Megatron's Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]] as a box of [[Garbage O's]] cereal
*[[Velocity]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Bumblebee
*[[Rise of the Constructicons]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[A Fistful of Energon]] as Starscream's Internal Log
*[[SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy]] as excerpts from interrogations conducted by Captain Fanzone
*[[Autoboot Camp]] as Shockwave's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[First (and Second) in Flight]] as a page from Ultra Magnus' memoirs
*[[Black Friday (episode)|Black Friday]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Sari, No One's Home]] as a letter from Sari to her absent father
*[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]] as Megatron's Internal Log
*[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
}}

===Transformers references===

*Pg 112 – An observation of the events of the [[Dispatches|first issue]] of the Animated comic by the trans-dimensional [[Vector Prime]]. He uses the aforementioned Universal Stream classification system to catalog this manuscript, identifying the Animated cartoon universe as “Malgus 1207.26 Alpha”. The designation is later used again on pg 117.

* Pg 116 - Presumably, the trans-dimensional magazine [[Venus (magazine)|Venus]] is named for Beast Wars [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia's]] voice actor, [[Venus Terzo]]. Whatever currency its cover price is in, its represented with a “B” in Predacon Cybertronix! Blackarachnia wears the crown, shoulderpads and cape donned by Generation 1 Starscream for his coronation in [[The Transformers: The Movie]]. References on the cover include:
:*“Sparkmate” is a term used in the N64 Beast Wars: Transmetals video game, to describe Tigatron and Airazor's romantic bond.
:*[[Chain of Command]] is the title of a Beast Wars episode.
:*Readers are invited to compare several pairs of Decepticon and Predacon fembots:
:**[[Clio]] is a Decepticon [[Powermaster]] mentioned by [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] in the letters page of issue #315 of Marvel UK's Generation 1 comic. She is pitted against [[Lyzack]], sister of Decepticon Breastforce warrior [[Leozack]], who appears in the final issue of the Victory manga.
:**[[Manta Ray (BW)|Manta Ray]] is a Beast Wars McDonalds Happy Meal figure, who was established as being female by IDW Publishing's Beast Wars Sourcebook. She is up against the equally aquatic [[Scylla]], from [[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]].
:**[[Flamewar]] and [[Nightracer]] are both BotCon [[exclusive]] female Decepticons, from 2005 and 1995, respectively. The match-up has a deeper meaning; Nightracer was created by notorious Decepticon fan [[Raksha]], and some fans believe that Flamewar's personality is based on Raksha, though her creator [[Ben Yee]] denies it.
:*Revenge of the Fallen's Pretender [[Alice]] teaches readers how to disarm a foldspace warhead, a weapon which appears in the second issue of the UK's 2007 live-action movie comic.
:*The magazine's gossip columnist is [[Freezon]], the Decepticon car included with Tyco's Transformers Electric Racing Set released in the 1980s. She is dishing the dirt on Lugnut and [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]'s relationship, which was established in Strika's profile, published in issue #24 of the Transformers Collectors Club Official Magazine.
:*[[Beta Maxx]] is the partner of BotCon 2007 exlusive Alpha Trion, while [[Caliburn]] is partnered with 2004 exclusive, [[Megazarak]]. The cover identifies them as Mini-Cons, despite the fact that no previous writings ever done so (Caliburn is explicitly a [[Micromaster]], while Beta Maxx has only been referred to as an Autobot). Funnily enough, in late 2008, author Jim Sorenson was involved in an argument on the Transformers Wiki about Beta Maxx being a Mini-Con... hmmmn. Anyway, they're talking to Cybertron [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]].

* Pg 119a – Most of the weapons Swindle sells Lugnut and Blitzwing, and the planets he gets them from, are established, if obscure, Transformers items and locales. Most of them were named in the comic story this page covers, "[[Everything Must Go]]", but a few more things are named here. The full list includes:
:*An [[anti-gravity gun|anti-gravity cannon]] from the planet [[Andellor]].
:*A [[triple crusher cannon]] from the planet Talos Four (probably derived from a mistake on TFWIKI.Net, which misspelled [[Taros Four]] in this manner for a time).
:*A decompression pump from [[Torkulon]].
:*[[Glass gas]] and a [[Digital Impact Mace]] (the weapon of choice of [[BotCon 2000]] exclusive toy [[Apelinq]]) from the planet [[Darhos]].
:*Super glue from the [[Menonia]].
:*An [[omega bomb]] from [[Ganzvort]].
:*Two [[Nemesis Shield]]s from [[Garo]] and [[Comb|Com]].
:*A [[Chaosmaster Bomb]] from [[Xeptos]].
:*Circuitry repair patches from [[Cheyne]].

* Pg 119b – Optimus's evaluation form is rendered in the style of classic Transformers [[Tech Spec]]s, but not any one particular design. The training exercise from the comic story “Survival Skills” is revealed to have taken place on [[Kaiba-5]].

* Pg 124-125 The article text of the Detroit Powell Press included in the AllSpark Almanc contain numerous references.
:*[[Irwin Spoon]] was a journalist who appeared in a three-part story in Marvel UK's Generation 1 comic.
:*[[Quake-Maker]] is a supervillain from the UK's Animated comic.
:*The [[Mechanic]] is a human criminal who battled the Autobots in two issues of the Marvel's original Generation 1 comic.
:*The [[Jack Boys]] are a motorcycle gang from the Super-God Masterforce cartoon.
:*[[Jake Lomax]] is a mob boss from issue #13 of Marvel's Generation 1 comic.
:*[[Jacob Lee Bonaventure]] is an industrialist from IDW's [[Hearts of Steel]] mini-series.

:The sidebar on the page also makes numerous references:
:*“Defensor United” refers, of course, to the Generation 1 [[Defensor (G1)|Protectobot combiner]], but more specifically to the recurring discussions of [[Mecha-soccer]] in the Marvel UK comic's letters page, where Defensor United played in the Cybertron Premier Division. The team is thrashed by real-life football team West Ham at [[Tigatron Stadium]], the venue named for the [[Tigatron|Beast Wars character]], which appeared in the Animated episode, [[Five Servos of Doom]].
:*In the Animated universe, the Generation 1 Decepticon ally, mad scientist [[Doctor Arkeville]], is the surgeon general! He recommends [[Ding Dong]]s (favored by the [[President of the United States]] in the live-action movie!) as a cure for the [[Hate Plague]], a rage-inciting disease that appeared in the Generation 1 two-part episode, [[The Return of Optimus Prime]].
:*Racing queen [[Junko Shiragami]] is a human female from the Binaltech Asterisk toyline (who was in turn based upon [[Kelly]] from Robots in Disguise). Here, she is dating scientist [[Michael Avery]], who appeared in the 2007 movie prequel novel, [[Ghosts of Yesterday]].
:*Street Demon racer Roxy Sparkles (earlier named on page 105) is here noted to be a member of the band [[Purple Fungus]], who were a favorite of [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] in the Find Your Fate Junior novel, [[Attack of the Insecticons]].
:*“Princess Ringo” was the nickname by which Kiss Players character [[Ringo Chikuma]] preferred to be known. Here, she has recently visited [[Mont Porte]], the country that is home to the Super-God Masterforce Headmaster Junior [[Minerva]].

:Adverts refer to:
:*[[Dancitron]], a musical event named for a dance club from the Generation 1 cartoon episode [[Auto-Bop]]. Cold Slither is playing here, a band from the G.I. Joe cartoon episode of the same name, created as part of an evil Cobra plot. The piece of music composed as their [[Cold Slither|signature tune]] was used as incidental music in several Transformers episodes.
:*Wyatt Toys, the toy store named after Animated art director [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] which appears in several episodes of the cartoon. The advert notes that the store sells [[Diaclone]] and [[Microman]] figures, the two toylines that were Transformers' progenitors.
:*Roadhog Horton's Motorcycle Show, named after [[Roadhog Horton]], a member of the bounty-hunting motorcyclist [[Roadjammer]]s from [[Ca$h and Car-nage!|issue #46]] of the Marvel Generation 1 comic. His show also features autograph signings from Rorza, a reference to the [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III|Rocket-Cycle Racer from Rigel III]] of the same name from issue #44.
:*A horror movie named “[[Monster from Mars]]”, an elaborate reference to the movie of the same name that was the central plot element of [[Monstercon from Mars!]], issue #45 of the Marvel comic. In said issue, Decepticon Pretender [[Skullgrin]] starred in the title role; this poster features a monster designed to look like Skullgrin in the style of Meltdown's [[fusion creature]]s, in reference to the fact that Skullgrin's fellow Pretenders [[Submarauder (G1)|Submarauder]] and [[Bomb-Burst]] were the base for the two fusion creatures in the cartoon. In both the original comic and this version, the movie is directed by [[Rollie Friendly]] and stars [[Jake Colton]] and [[Carissa Carr]]; this version also adds [[Karen Fishook]], an actress from the Generation 1 cartoon episode, “Hoist Goes Hollywood”. The movie's soundtrack is by the [[High Rollahz]], a band featured in the “Keepers Trilogy” novel, [[Hardwired]].

* Pg 127 – Unnamed in the original comic "[['Bots of Science]]", Ratchet here notes that he has dubbed the cure for Cosmic Rust "[[Corrostop]]". Its ingredients include [[Ingredient X]] and [[razon gas]].

* Pg 134 – The [[Steelhaven (Animated)|Elite Guard ship]] is here given the name ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]''.

* Pg 136 – Sari's notebook paper is decorated with an illustration of "Hello [[Nekomimi A and Nekomimi B|Nekomimi]] Pop-Star", a chibified, "Hello Kitty"-style version of Nekomimi A from the Energon episode, "[[Distribution]]". Nekomimi B appears on pg 147 in a similar fashion.

* Pg 138-139
:*The brand of the tire in the logo is [[Wheeljack]] Tyres!

:*In the “fueltritional facts” box alone, there are references to:
:**mercury sauce, a favorite of the [[Mecannibal]]s from the Marvel Generation 1 comic
:**[[Rarified Energon]], introduced in the Transformers Collectors Club magazine storyline, [[Crossing Over]]
:**[[Energon Z]] from [[Zone (franchise)|Zone]]
:**budianskium basil (referring to Transformers writer [[Bob Budiansky]])
:**grated gears (a serving suggestion for ants by Beast Wars [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] in [[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]])
:**janick jaAm (see below.)

:*The word jumble unscrambles to read “You lived like a warrior ans died to an hero”, an infamous quote from the late-1990s fanfic by MG-Dinobot, “Dinobot's Old Technology”, which was itself a misquote from the Beast Wars episode [[Code of Hero]]. The quote went on to become one of the most famous online memes from that era of Transformers [[fandom]].
:**The answer at the bottom of the page, however, claims it actually says “WhY mY ShOuldErs hUrT?”, a tortured quote from British fan Blueshift's famous re-scripting of the first Armada pack-in mini-comic. This was also the source of the above-mentioned “jaAm” line, which was since been immortalized on the license plate and packaging bio of the 2009 Universe Hot Shot figure.

:*Illustration B in the “spot the difference” puzzle is, of course, Generation 1 [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock's]] [[character model]].

* Pg 145 – Ultra Magnus's memoir is prefaced with a haiku from "[[Sky-Byte (Animated)|Sky-Byte]], Decepticon poet", referencing the loveable haiku-writing [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] from ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]''. He has to be Decepticon here, of course, because there are no Predacons in the ''Animated'' universe. In the course of this page, Magnus mentions [[mitotic spark]]s and the [[Angarix Sector]], a region of space introduced in the Generation 1 episode "[[The Quintesson Journal]]".

* Pg 148 – Megatron refers to the act of [[branding]] the Constructicons with the Decepticon symbol as the "[[Rite of the Deceptibrand]]," after the Autobot equivalent, the "[[Rite of the Autobrand]]".

===Real-world references===
{{Main|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac/Events Real-world references}}

===Errors===
* Page 133: "...have tried harder to recruit the Dinobots as allies, but I was so angry at Prowl's deception that I..." is repeated immediately following the first use in the third paragraph.

* Page 145: The "c" is left out of "First (and Second) in Flight."

==Chapter 5 - Culture==
A catch-all for other aspects of Animated including ships, monsters and customs.
{{collist|3|
*The [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] by Optimus Prime
*Autobot Cybertronian forms by Ultra Magnus
*Decepticon Cybertronian forms by Starscream
*The [[Death's Head (Animated)|Death's Head]] by Lockdown
*[[Autobot Shuttle (Animated)|Autobot Shuttle]] by Blitzwing
*[[Automaton|Sumdac robots]] by Porter C. Powell
*Bulkhead's Art by Ratchet, Optimus Prime and Sari
*[[Halloween]] by Bulkhead and Bumblebee
*[[Space barnacles]] by Sari
*[[Nanite|Nanobots]] by Ratchet
*The Media by Soundwave
*[[Ability|Powers]] by Prowl
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 161 – Starscream uses the expression “a few [[lipole]]s short of a nest”, referring to the metal-eating bat-creatures native to Jupiter's moon [[Io]], from the Generation 1 multi-part episode, [[Five Faces of Darkness]].

* Pg 164 – Lockdown's spaceship is named the ''[[Death's Head (Animated)|Death's Head]]'', after a certain [[Death's Head (G1)|freelance peacekeeping agent]], yes? It has been upgraded using parts obtained from the planets [[Jörmungandr]] and [[Taxxon]], and the [[Jabbi-Ko]] aliens, outfitted with Vandarian holographic technology (from the same planet as the [[Vandarian fuzz-worm]]s) and [[cybertitanium]] cables (among other items mentioned below as they're non-''Transformers'' references).

* Pg 170 – Bulkhead describes candy as being like [[Ultra-Energon]] for kids.

* Pg 174 – Newscaster [[Lester Black]] is revealed to be the great-nephew of [[Hector Ramirez (Animated)|Hector Ramirez]], a callback to the [[Hector Ramirez (G1)|Generation 1 news reporter of the same name]] (who was actually unnamed in his one ''Transformers'' cartoon appearance).

===Real-world references===
* Pg 164 – Lockdown's spaceship used to be an “IG-2000” class ship, referring to the [[Star Wars]] ship that bore that name. It is outfitted with Deckard cannons (named for Rick Deckard from Blade Runner), Samus-blasters (named for Samus Aran from Metroid), and isomorphic controls preventing anyone other than Lockdown from piloting it, as does Doctor Who's TARDIS. Lockdown rounds out the paragraph by saying “a bot's got to know his limitations”, paraphrasing Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force.

* Pg 165 - “A three hour tour!” cackles Blitzwing, quoting the theme tune of Gilligan's Island.
*Pg 170/171 - Among the [[Halloween]] costumes are a [http://ghostbusters.wikia.com/wiki/Samhain Samhain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headless_Horseman Headless Horseman], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_Samurai#Afro_Samurai Afro Samurai], [[Destro]], [[Cobra Commander]] and [[General Hawk]].

==Chapter 6 - Detroit==
People, places and things in and about Detroit.
{{collist|3|
*[[Augustus Edsel|Detroit's Leadership]] by Sentinel Prime
*Buildings by Jazz
*[[Blackwater Prison]] by Captain Fanzone
*Solar Fusion by Porter C. Powell
*[[Human|Organic Inhabitants]] by Sentinel Prime
*Emergency Responders by Captain Fanzone
*Earth Vehicles by Jazz
*Stupid Organics (i.e. animals) by Sentinel Prime
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 178 – [[Augustus Edsel|Mayor Edsel]] is revealed to be the nephew of famous actor [[Harold Edsel (G1)|Harold Edsel]].

* Pg 183 – The [[Sidney Biggles-Jones Memorial Solar Fusion Plant]] is named after the [[Sidney Biggles-Jones|scientist]] from the Marvel Comics ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' / ''Generation 2'' crossover. The other scientists named as working on solar fusion, [[Brian Jones (Animated)|Brian Jones]], [[Daichi Onishi]], [[Peter Morris (Animated)|Peter Morris]], and [[Felix Adle]], are named after (respectively) [[Brian Jones (Energon)|Dr. Jones]] from ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'', Doctor [[Kenneth Onishi]], [[Professor Morris]] and [[Professor Adle]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 189 – [[Jeff Litvack]] is a friend of Jim Sorenson's, who he credits in the acknowledgments of this book. [[Krista Kohlhausen]] is Bill Forster's “favorite person,” according to the acknowledgments of The Ark.

==Chapter 7 - Settings==
Background pictures and associated character models from the first two seasons of Animated.
{{collist|3|
*[[Autobot Earth Base]] by Bulkhead
*[[Decepticon Earth Base]] by Mixmaster and Scrapper
*[[Sumdac Systems]] by Isaac Sumdac
*[[Nemesis (Animated)|The Nemesis]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]] by Prowl
*[[Meltdown's Subterranean Lab]] by Cyrus "The Colossus" Rhodes
*[[Archa Seven]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Autobot boot camp]] by Ultra Magnus
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 200 – The generic Sumdac Systems technicians are named [[Eddie Fairchild and Matt Conroy]]. These are the names of two prototypical characters who existed in the development phase of the Generation 1 cartoon, who eventually evolved into [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Chip Chase]].

* Pg 203 – Noted architect George R. Apple. [[Grapple|G.R.Apple]]? Anybody? Anybody? C'mooon!

* Pg 206 – The [[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]] is equipped with a Grand Mal class force field, named after the [[Grand Mal]], the giant fortress-cum-giant head occupied by Beast Wars [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the latter stages of the Beast Machines cartoon. It has a cybertroid alloy star drive (just like the Generation 1 [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]], as mentioned in the G1 episode [[Microbots]]), and has the most sophisticated sensor array this side of the [[Eshems Nebula]], a region of space introduced in IDW Publishing's live-action movie-based [[Defiance]] series.

* Pg 207 – To escape the damaged Nemesis, the Decepticons used Devolan escape pods. The planet [[Devola]] was the site of a huge victory for the Decepticon [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] in the Armada universe.

* Pg 211 – The crashed Decepticon ship on Archa Seven is named the [[Twilight (Animated)|Twilight]], after the [[Twilight (G2)|flagship]] from the Marvel Generation 2 comics.

==Interstitials==
The only place in the book where out-of-universe is presented, the interstitial pages covered divergent continuities as well as select aspects of the animation process.

==Literary elements==
Including the copyright information, title page, foreword and afterwords, notes from the authors and acknowledgments.

===Transformers references===
* Pg 9a – [[Jim Sorenson (Quadwal -3760.925 Theta)|Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster (Quadwal -3760.925 Theta)|Bill Forster]] hail from [[universal stream]] Quadwal -3760.925 Theta. Universal streams are a means of classifying the numerous Transformers universes devised by authors [[Greg Sepelak]] and [[Trent Troop]], which first appeared in the Transformers Collectors Club story, [[Withered Hope]]. This particular classification, however, makes no sense, save for the “Theta” suffix, which indicates a “spoken word” or “live performance” scenario. The “-” sign also indicates they're from a reverse parallel universe, akin to the Shattered Glass fiction introduced at [[BotCon 2008]], the only other universal stream to be marked like this. “Don't ask,” the authors say.
** But we're the goddamned Transformers Wiki, so screw that "don't ask" stuff. We're nerds, we're gonna do this thing. "Quadwal" is an obvious play on "fourth wall," which is what this universal stream is breaking. September 25, 3760 BC is the first day of the Hebrew calendar, specifically the date some believe Creation began. (So that "-" sign has a double meaning!) So Sorenson and Forster hail from the Real Life Universe, or the negative universe version of it, hence why they are incarcerated criminals.

* Pg 9b – The Reverse-Pretender technology used by Sorenson and Forster is a reference to several 1980s Transformers toy [[commercial]]s, which featured a child leaping into the air and transforming into Ultra Magnus.

* Pg 215 - Marty Isenberg mentions a [[GEEWUN|certain group of fans]], canonizing yet another fan-made term.

===Errors===
* Page 2: In the indicia, the latter "r" is left out of "characters".

==External Links==
[http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/digipedia/annotated_almanac.html Full annotated listing of MOST hidden references in the Almanac]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category: IDW titles]]
[[Category: Reference texts]]

Heavy Metal War

2009-10-30T14:21:30Z

69.86.75.87: /* Technical or animation glitches */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=16
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=10
|image=HeavyMetalWar Primedefeated.jpg
|caption=The agony of defeat
|title="Heavy Metal War"
|production code=#700-13
|airdate=[[December 15]], 1984
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron challenges Optimus Prime to a one on one battle to end the war.'''

:''Japanese title:'' セイバートロン星の掟 (''Cybertron-sei no Okite'', "The Laws of Planet Cybertron")
:''German ''Generation 2'' title:'' "'''Der Zweikampf'''" ("The Duel")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:HeavyMetalWar Megatron invitation.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Silly Megs, tricks are for kids!]]
A busy construction site is attacked by driver-less construction equipment, and several components are stolen. The construction vehicles return to Decepticon headquarters and are revealed to be the newly built [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. The components they stole are parts to a machine that will allow [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] to absorb the [[power chip rectifier]]s from his [[Decepticon]] warriors.

While the final preparations are completed on the machine, Megatron flies to [[Autobot]] headquarters and makes [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] an offer he can't refuse. Megatron offers the Autobot leader a one on one battle with the winner staying on [[Earth]] to do as he pleases, and the loser taking his army and exiling themselves to deep space. Prime, confident in his own abilities, accepts the challenge and sets the match.

[[Image:HeavyMetalWar Megatron powerup.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Fear me, for I have the power of... poo gas!!]]

Knowing that Prime would be unable to resist a chance to honorably end their conflict, Megatron returns to the Decepticon base and uses the newly completed machine to gain all of the special powers of his warriors. [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s teleportation, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s sonic boom, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]'s seismic attack, etc. Knowing that Megatron would now be unbeatable, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] voices concerns that the Autobot computer [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] would be able to detect what Megatron had done. Anticipating this problem, Megatron dispatches the Constructicons to take care of the computer.

The two armies arrive at the battle site, and the contest begins. Megatron unleashes a barrage of powers (while Starscream gives a running commentary), and Prime is outclassed at every step. Not knowing that he has been deceived, Prime concedes the fight and comments that he underestimated Megatron. The shocked Autobots begin the trek back to base, and the Decepticons follow to make sure they leave.

[[Image:Heavy Metal War Devastator.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Not Brawl.]]

Meanwhile, the Constructicons have nearly tunneled their way into the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and Teletraan I. Teletraan I, sensing the imminent danger, activates the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. The Dinobots respond and start pounding on the Constructicons, opening up a lava channel in the process. The battle not going in their favor, the Constructicons pull out one last trick and combine into the super warrior, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. The returning Autobots see the battle, but are unable to help. Inside the Ark, Teletraan I is able to show that Megatron cheated, and the Autobots rush outside to help the Dinobots.

[[Image:Heavy Metal War Decepticons beat.JPG|right|200px|thumb|You'd think Starscream would be used to this, but no...]]

Distracted by one of [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s holograms, Devastator is shot by Optimus Prime and falls apart and into the lava. The other Decepticons are routed by the Autobots and also pushed into the lava. There is much rejoicing.

...Until Megatron rises from the lava, vowing that the Decepticons will rise again.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (12)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (13)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (14)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (15)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (19)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (20)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (23)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (24)
*[[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] (25)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (26)
*[[Bluestreak]] (27)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (28)
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (29)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (30)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (31)
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (32)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (35)
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (36)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (37)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (38)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (39)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (40)
* Holographic giant [[Autobot]] (42)
|c2=
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (1)
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (2)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (3)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (4)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (5)
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (6)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (7)
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (8)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (11)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (21)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (22)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (33)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (34)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (41)

|c3=
*Construction Workers (1)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (16)
*[[Chip Chase]] (17)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"Forgive me, but I believe your boast sounds vaguely familiar."
:—'''Starscream''', after hearing another of Megatron's promises to destroy the Autobots.

"Let's see how he likes my new [[Shock blast cannon|shockblast cannon]]! ''[The cannon explodes in his hands]'' Uhh... hnh... that's a shock, all right."
:—'''Wheeljack'''

"But I need my power chip rectifier. Besides, the Cybertron Code of Combat requires each warrior to fight as he is, without additional reinforcement. You wouldn't want to cheat, would you, Megatron?" 
"I will win by any means! At any cost! Even if it means terminating ''you'', Starscream!" 
"I was only raising a legal point..."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Megatron'''

"Doesn't this remind you of the gladiatorial combats in ancient Rome?" 
"Maybe it would if I knew what you were talkin' about." 
"It's Earth history, Ironhide! Skip it!"
:—'''Chip''' and '''Ironhide''' on the duel between Optimus and Megatron.

"No destroy Teletraan I. Dinobots destroy you!"
:—'''Grimlock''' after hearing the Constructicons' plans to destroy Teletraan I.

'''Sludge''': Sludge not see these Decepticons before. 
'''Snarl''': Not see again either. Because we dynamite them to pieces! 
'''Slag''': Dinobots no fool around! 
'''Grimlock''': Right! Dinobots transform!
:—'''Sludge, Snarl, Slag, and Grimlock''' carrying on a conversation while fighting the Constructicons.

"It's bad news, Scrapper. They've brought out the heavy artillery." 
"Then it's time we did the same! Only heavier!"
:—'''Hook''' and '''Scrapper''' as the Constructicons prepare to merge into Devastator for the first time

"Prepare to meet your doom. Nothing can withstand the might of Devastator!"
:—'''Devastator''' speaking to the Dinobots.

"Nothing defeats the Devastator! Nothing!" 
"Nothing, little one? Ha ha ha! What would you say about ''me''? HAHAHAHAHA!"
:—'''Devastator''' and a '''"Giant Autobot"'''

"It is ended." 
"Is it really over, Optimus? I mean, have we seen the end of this war? Forever?" 
"Who can say, Spike? In this vast universe, is anything truly forever?"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Spike''', with a question that is quickly answered, at least for the audience

"Uhhh... we shall rise... AGAIN."
:—'''Megatron''' floating in lava

==Notes==
===Technical or animation glitches===
* The [[Kid Rhino]] DVD version of this episode is full of animation errors that do not appear in the original broadcast version or prior home video releases (as a result of incomplete film masters being used for the DVD), as well as crude attempts made by Rhino to fix some of these errors. Some of these are aesthetic complaints—such as when the Rhino DVD portrays the power-chip smelter as a featureless rectangular smear, lacking all the light effects and animation that should be present. The animation sequence of Megatron landing at the Autobot base ''is missing entirely'', and is replaced by looped animation from later in ithe episode of Megatron landing after a jump. Other new errors actually confuse the plot—perhaps most notably, when Rhino DVD Optimus Prime hurls a boulder at Megatron, Megatron now does ''not'' use Skywarp's teleportation ability to get out of the way, and the boulder ''flies straight through him'' with nobody seeming to care, including Megatron himself. Meanwhile, as the Constructicons are tunneling underground towards the Autobot base, the Rhino DVD visuals occasionally show them driving aboveground with a clear blue sky. But, uhhh, hey, that silver DVD case sure is shiny and pretty!

* When Megatron descends to speak to the Autobots, and at two points during the duel with Optimus Prime, he is colored dark gray.

* In the Rhino DVD version, during this confrontation, [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] runs up and uses his [[glass gas]] on Megatron. However, he is coloured like [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]].

* When Megatron is talking to Starscream while the Constructicons are building the infuser machine, Starscream is colored like Skywarp.

* When Megatron laughs maniacally after being infused with the power of the other Decepticons, his head is disproportionately small, and his Decepticon insignia moves independently of his body.

* When Megatron talks to Starscream after that, Starscream's air vent "boobs" are colored white instead of black.

* In the Rhino DVD version, when the Constructicons move out to dig the passage to the Autobot headquarters, [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] is constantly moving a bit back and forth while driving, as if the animation frames are not ordered properly.

*When the Autobots transform, Optimus Prime's left headlight blinks as if indicating to turn left, even though he turns right.

*During the duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron, where are the Autobots seen in the background sitting, in midair?

* In the Rhino DVD version, when Skywarp boasts that Megatron acquired the power of teleportation from him, he is colored like Starscream, who is seen sitting right next to him.

* When the Autobots cheer inside their headquarters, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s insignia is missing.

* When the Constructicons transform to dig a tunnel into the control room of the Ark, [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]'s head is colored yellow.
*When [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] is towing Optimus's trailer, at one point he is an orange-colored Optimus Prime.

* When the Autobots transform to robot mode for the war, Ironhide transforms from robot mode to vehicle mode. Wasn't it the other way round? He is also ''seen'' in his robot mode a second later. Uh...

* After coming online, Grimlock has his original head design, before quickly switching to his regular one.

* When [[Megatron (G1)|Megs]] finds out the "Giant [[Autobot]]" is a hologram, his cannon [[kibble]] is gone for a brief second.

===Continuity errors===
* This episode gives the first of [[Constructicon (G1)|three contradictory origins]] for the Constructicons.

* The building site that the Constructicons raid is a power plant. One of the construction workers states that it will be able to provide the whole planet with limitless energy, begging the question of why the Decepticons didn't raid such a powerful energy source for energon.

* Ironhide is apparently able to detect the Decepticons by himself, without relying on Teletraan I. However, in "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1]]", the Autobots were unable to detect the approaching Decepticons with Teletraan I sabotaged.

* Optimus Prime takes out Devastator with a single shot from his laser rifle, something rather at odds with the later portrayal of combiners as nigh-invulnerable. Maybe they were upgraded?

* It's a bit strange that Starscream of all mechs should be concerned with legalities and suggest that Megatron try to fight honorably... but there ''is'' a touch of sarcasm when he says "You wouldn't want to ''cheat'', would you, Megatron?"

* So the Decepticons couldn't '''FLY''' out of the lava when they fell in?

===Transformers references===
* This episode introduces the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]].

* When the Constructicons are tunneling, Scrapper refers to [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] as "[[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]". In their [[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|''More Than Meets The Eye'']] bio, Dreamwave would paint this as a deliberate derogatory term other Decepticons sometimes refer to him as.

* This episode is also the "source" of the aborted "Lava Bath Safety" deco for the original Megatron toy.

* The ''Law of Cybertron'' will be invoked again many years later, to resolve the Generation 2 War. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|The Autobots Triumph in the Battle of Good Vs. Evil!}}

===Trivia===
* Scenes and dialogue deleted from this episode include Wheeljack showing off the latest improvements he has made to the Dinobots outside Autobot Headquarters (during which Megatron arrives), Scavenger referring to Scrapper with the misnomer of "[[Gravedigger]]", and Megatron using Soundwave's mind-reading powers on Optimus Prime during their fight.
**An extended portion of dialogue is also cut from Megatron's address to Optimus Prime, resulting in the rather clumsy line in the finished episode, "Our war has gone on for millions of years -- Decepticons fighting Autobots -- in which opposing leaders -- you and I, Optimus Prime -- may do battle." In the episode's dialogue script, following "Decepticons fighting Autobots," Megatron finishes his first sentence by lamenting the endless nature of the war. Prime shares in his regret, but deems it necessary as long as Megatron continues his pursuit of conquest. Megatron then speaks again, raising the topic of the "age-old law of combat," then picking up the finished line from "in which opposing leaders..."
* During Teletraan's montage of the sources of Megatron's acquired powers, the descriptions for the individual Decepticons are verbatim quotes from the [http://transformers.winterchill.com/bible/biblepage34.html Transformers Series Bible's "Decepticon Rollcall" page], albeit including several lost-in-translation typographical errors ("Decepticon Lider", "Decepticon Commicator", "Sky Warp"). The most notable of those is [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (misspelled as "Runble") being identified as a [[FIBRIR|"red robot"]]. Furthermore, the seemingly random numbers listed on those screens are actually Hasbro's product codes for the respective toys. Interestingly enough, [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] is given a product number, even though he was never released at mass retail. However, the renditions of the Decepticons are ''not'' the official model sheets for those characters, but rather all-new drawings.

==Home video releases==
*''[[The Original Transformers]]'' — Volume 6: Evolution Revolution (VHS, 2000)

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/heavy_metal_war.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

S.O.S. Dinobots

2009-10-30T14:18:43Z

69.86.75.87: /* Rhino DVD release */ -"Heavy Metal War" was by FAR the most botched Rhino DVD ep. This was a close second.

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=8
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=7
|image=FHE-SOSDinobots.jpg
|caption="Uh, who?" '''"Everybody!"'''
|title="S.O.S. Dinobots"
|production code=#700-05
|airdate=[[October 27]], 1984
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Autobots create the Dinobots, but can barely control these new powerful warriors.'''

:''Japanese title:'' ダイノボット誕生! (''Dinobot Tanjō!'', "Dinobots Are Born!")
:''German Generation 2 title:'' Die Dinobots (''The Dinobots'')
{{TOCclear}}
==Synopsis==
[[Image:SOSDinobots_fossilcavern.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Guys, I think we found [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]'s stash.]]

A series of tremors turns the attentions of the Autobots into the ancient stone surrounding their volcano headquarters. Deep sensor scans reveal [[dinosaur]] fossils, which pique the curiosity of Optimus Prime. Spike explains that dinosaurs were very powerful reptiles that lived on [[Earth]] millions of years ago. He takes Hound on a tour of a natural history museum to further illustrate his paleontological crash-course. Hound snaps a few holograms of dinosaur bone displays, inspiring Wheeljack and Ratchet to construct robotic versions of dinosaurs.

[[Image:SOSDinobots_Grimlockwrecks_Teletraan.jpg|thumb|right|150px|When the [[television|TV]] no work, Me know how to fix it!]]

Elsewhere, the Decepticons stake out the [[Great Falls]] hydroelectric power facility. Reflector and Soundwave return with the data they gathered, and Megatron orders a strike.

Wheeljack unveils the three new additions to their ranks: the Dinobots Grimlock, Slag and Sludge. The demonstration of their power turns sour as they run amuck, their primitive brains unable to control their raw strength. The Dinobots begin attacking their fellow Autobots, even destroying [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan]].

[[Image:SOSDinobots_Ravage_window.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Holy Hell!]]

The Autobots finally rein in the rampaging Dinobots thanks to Wheeljack's [[magnetic inducer]]. Prime declares the terrible trio to be too dangerous. Despite Wheeljack's desperate entreaties, Prime pulls the plug on the project, and orders the Dinobots holed up in a cavern in the Ark, never to be activated again.

The Decepticons arrive at the Great Falls, and the humans try to reach the Autobots via Teletraan I. Their distress signal goes unheard, as Teletraan I is currently offline thanks to the Dinobot rampage.

[[Image:SOSDinobots_Autobotsfall.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Bet you wished you scanned air vehicle forms now, huh?]]

With Teletraan I out of commission, it's up to individual Autobot scouts like Hound to be on the lookout for Decepticon activity. Hound's sensors detect the ransacking of the Great Falls plant, and he and Spike go to investigate. Hound radios in his findings to the Ark, and Optimus Prime leaves with a strike force, leaving Bumblebee behind to guard the base.

The Autobots arrive at the Great Falls, but the Decepticons are ready for them. A battle erupts, and Megatron fires his fusion cannon directly powered by the Great Falls output. He blasts the cliff-face where the Autobots stand, sending them falling into the raging waters below.

[[Image:SOSDinobots_Megatron_falls.jpg|thumb|left|200px|I've warned you about that, mighty Megatron.]]

Disobeying orders, Bumblebee arrives at the Great Falls and picks up Spike. They return to the Ark, informing Wheeljack and Ratchet of the Autobots' failure at the Great Falls. Wheeljack decides to reactivate the Dinobots. He has secretly developed a series of memory components that would upgrade the Dinobots' brains. The Dinobots awaken. Still relatively simple-minded, they are now much more intelligent than the mindless monsters that first appeared. Sludge, Slag and Grimlock carry out Wheeljack's orders and fly to the Great Falls.

[[Image:SOSDinobots_SSMegatron_attacks_Dinobots.jpg|thumb|right|150px|When you get shot at, you die. When the Dinobots get shot at, they '''glow with a holy light'''.]]

The Decepticons pull the soggy Autobots from the drink and truss them up with [[Energon chains]]. Just as the Decepticons are about to execute the captives, the Dinobots arrive and make short work of the Decepticons who retreat as Wheeljack frees the Autobot captives. Wheeljack and Bumblebee brace themselves for reprimands for disobeying Prime's direct orders, but Prime concedes he was wrong. He accepts the Dinobots as the newest members of the Autobot forces. The Autobots cheer the decision, and the Dinobots growl their approval.

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (2)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (3)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (4)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (6)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (7)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (8)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (11)
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (12)
*[[Bluestreak]] (13)
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (14)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (19)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (20)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (21)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (22)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (23)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (24)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (25)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (27)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (28)
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (29)

|c2=
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (8)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (9)
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (15)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (16)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (17)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] {18)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (30)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (5)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (26)
}}

==Quotes==
"Well I'll be a Cybertronic bolt-bat!"
:—'''Sideswipe'''

"Maybe Hound's got [[Glitch mouse|glitch mice]] in his databanks again!"
:—'''Bluestreak''', mocking Hound's radar accuracy, to the amusement of no one

"Nice shootin', if you were aimin' for the sky!"
:—'''Rumble''' goading Bluestreak

"Which ones... friends?" 
"Ones with... face like this...uh, I think." 
"That... good enough for Slag."
:—'''Slag''' and '''Sludge''' determine friend from foe by using faction symbols.

"If on Decepticon turf you happen to tumble, look out robot, 'cause here comes Rumble!"
:—'''Rumble'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s clever combat banter

==Notes==

===Animation or technical glitches===
* The exposition-spouting tourist visiting the Great Falls hydroelectric power plant has hair that turns from red to black from one shot to the next.

* Spike identifies a ''Brontosaurus'' during his tour of the museum's dinosaur exhibit, though there does not appear to be a ''Brontosaurus'' on display. Though, to be fair, it may just be Spike's error, or the ''Brontosaurus'' skeleton might be out of the camera's view. (Also, by the time this episode took place, [[Wikipedia:Brontosaurus|''Brontosaurus'' was a deprecated genus]], but that's just picking nits.)

* Wheeljack's line of dialogue, "Autobots, meet Dinobots" is delivered by Ratchet.

* As Wheeljack introduces the Dinobots, the foreground characters slide magically against the background scenery due to an error in animation.

* As the Autobots react with shock upon seeing the Dinobots, all three audible lines in the scene—"Look at the size of those things", "Great Cybertron", and "Holy heterodyne"—are animated as being spoken by Bluestreak. The lines were evidently not scripted as belonging to any specific characters, as they are provided respectively by [[Peter Cullen]] (using neither Prime nor Ironhide's voice), [[Dan Gilvezan]] (sounding like himself) and [[Gregg Berger]] (who shouldn't be voicing ''any'' of the assembled Autobots!).

*As Huffer mocks the Dinobots, he says: "Dinobots, huh? I thought you were supposed to make ''dino''saurs!" The emphasis, of course, should be on the "saurs".

* Optimus Prime's line, "Interesting, but what else can they do?" is delivered by Cliffjumper.

* After Ratchet rights a tipped over Bumblebee in the thick of the Dinobot rampage, the section of Ratchet obscured by a foreground Bumblebee is still missing.

* When the Decepticons arrive at the Great Falls plant, a foreground Decepticon Seeker's leg is colored a deep yellow… an error, but as close as [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] ever came to appearing on Earth in a Generation 1 cartoon.

* Bluestreak is shown knocked over by Gears, and then immediately standing in the next shot.

[[Image:SOSDinobots_bluePrime.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Not Powered Convoy. And don't even think about [[redeco|it]], [[e-Hobby]]!]]

* Quite a few coloring mix-ups in the battle at the Great Falls, including Sunstreaker painted as Sideswipe, Bluestreak as Trailbreaker, Brawn as Hound, Optimus Prime as Sideswipe, Trailbreaker as Gears, and Mirage as Bluestreak. There are also two very noticeable shots of Prime painted blue.

* While the Autobots are trapped in Energon Chains, Optimus is colored entirely blue and Trailbreaker is entirely grey.

* When Skywarp drops bombs on Grimlock, all the parts on Grimlock that are meant to be grey are black.

* When the Decepticons retreat at the end of the episode, Skywarp is painted in Starscream colors.

* Near the end, Bumblebee's Autobot insignia in his chest is missing in one shot.

===Continuity errors===
* Though the holographic dinosaurs illustrated in the episodes matched some of the concepts of the early ‘80s, their depiction is outdated by today's standards. The dinosaurs in the show are the sluggish, tail-dragging cold-blooded variety not in keeping with more modern theories of warm-blooded, bird-like animals.

* When the holographic dinosaurs are shown, a brontosaurus is seen living alongside a ''Triceratops'' and a ''Tyrannosaurus''. In reality, the brontosaurus (well, ''Apatosaurus''...oh, you know what we mean) lived in the Jurassic Period, while the ''Triceratops'' and the ''Tyrannosaurus'' lived during the Cretacious Period. So basically, they were separated by millions of years, but apparently, [[Wikipedia:The Flintstones|in a cartoon, that doesn't matter]].

* The data gathered by Reflector and Soundwave leads Megatron to conclude with relish that the Great Falls contain enough energy to vanquish the Autobots and control the universe...but that's really nothing new. The Decepticons have targeted hydroelectric power sources before.

*What is it about falling into the river that is so devastating to the Autobots? We've seen that Autobots can deal with being in the water (Hound in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]", various Autobots in "[[The Ultimate Doom]]", Springer, Kup, and Arcee in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', etc.). It's possible that the fall itself damaged them, but the Autobots are clearly shown struggling around in the water. Then again, Optimus Prime needed Jazz's help to escape the rushing river in "More Than Meets the Eye, Part 2".

* It's possible the editorial pace of the show plays with time and space, but taken at face value, the Autobots build three Dinobots in the span of time it takes the Decepticons to decide to attack the Great Falls.

===Rhino DVD release===
[[Image:dvd broadcast.jpg|right|thumb|Pretty colors are more important than things making sense!]]

* The chapter stops for this episode on the Rhino DVD are: Opening / Old Bones / "Dinobots Must Die" / Fusion Power / Permanent Dysfunction / Dinobots Will Stay.

* Though all G1 episodes released on DVD by Rhino were altered in some way, both with additional sound effects and unintentional changes induced by not using the finalized broadcast masters, this one is particularly screwed up:
** The Rhino version uses a faulty take for the shot where the Dinobots demonstrate their power by clearing rubble. In the DVD, the blasts from the Dinobots' mouths are missing, and the rubble does not vanish. The broadcast version, though, has both effects. (See illustration).
** When the Autobots arrive at the Great Falls and they transform from vehicle mode to robot mode, the shot of Bluestreak is reversed, and he is shown transforming from robot to car. The broadcast version used the correct take.
** Not so much a goof, but the Rhino DVD version of this episode has a rainbow visible at the Great Falls when Megatron lands. This is not in the broadcast version.
** Another difference in the broadcast version and the Rhino DVD version is when Hound contacts the Ark with a recon report. The glowing light on his chest and forehead are blue in the broadcast version, but red in the DVD version.

===Continuity notes===
* Flying Autobots:
** Gears takes to the air to attack the Decepticons at the power plant, and Wheeljack flies alongside the Dinobots. These abilities are never explained within the cartoon itself. However, according to the [[Tech Specs]], these two (along with Sideswipe) are the original Autobots who are SUPPOSED to be fight-capable; Gears is equipped with compressed air boosters and Wheeljack has solid-fuel rockets in his arms. Gears would never be shown to use his flight capabilities again; Wheeljack, however, will fly again in "[[A Plague of Insecticons]]" and actually use his arm-rockets in "[[The Core]]".
**The Dinobots are also shown to be able to fly in robot mode under their own power; they will consistently retain this ability all the way through Season 2 and the Movie.

* Transformer gadgets:
** Ironhide is equipped with a [[sonadar]] sensor array that extends from his forearm, capable of penetrating solid rock. The findings of the sensor are displayed in the windshield in his chest.
** Sideswipe is equipped with piston arms, that allow him to punch through stone walls. Here, they are simply heavy protrusions that he slams into the rock to break it up, but when they show up again in "[[A Plague of Insecticons]]" they actually operate like pneumatic jackhammers. His pistons are also misinterpreted as a ''hand-held'' jackhammer in "[[Fire on the Mountain]]".

*Megatron actually refers to his [[fusion cannon]] by that name.

* Slag's triceratops frill can reflect Optimus Prime's laser rifle.

* Laserbeak does not appear but is mentioned in this episode, as Megatron credits him for gathering intelligence at the Great Falls.

===Trivia===
*In the Japanese version, the Dinobots' roars were replaced with kaiju roars (mostly an altered version of Baragon's roar).

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/sos_dinobots.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category: Generation 1 episodes]]

Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2

2009-10-26T16:53:29Z

69.86.75.87: /* Real-world references */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=67
|series2=2010
|ep2=2
|image=FFOD2 Galvatron sparks.JPG
|caption=Only Galvatron can see the Energon Fairies
|title="Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2"
|production code=#700-87
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|airdate=[[September 2]], 1986
|written by=[[Flint Dille]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''As a near death experience on Chaar allows Rodimus Prime to discover who kidnapped the Autobots, Cyclonus and Scourge head to rescue Galvatron...only to find that something is very wrong with their leader.'''

:''Japanese title:'' ルビークリスタルの秘密 (''Yomaigaeru Shin Hakai Taitei'', "The Revived New Emperor of Destruction")
:''German title:'' "'''Die fünf Gesichter der Finsternis, Teil 2'''" ("The five Faces of Darkness, Part 2")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:FFOD2 Rodimus Grimlock asteroid ship.jpg|left|200px|thumb|If he dead, me Grimlock eat him.]]

On [[Chaar]], the [[Decepticon]]s have discovered the snooping [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. However, the Decepticons cannot muster enough energy to power their weapons, so they opt to beat the two [[Autobot]]s to death. They overwhelm Rodimus and Grimlock, but scatter at the sight of a meteor...which turns out to be a [[Skuxxoid]] ship commandeered by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. They grab Rodimus and Grimlock, but Rodimus is non-responsive. [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] allows them to leave, as he has more pressing matters...such as finding [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]].

[[Image:FFOD2 Quintesson court.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Who left that camera on?!]]

On [[Quintessa]], the [[Quintesson]]s are interrogating [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], who is Cybertron's [[Chief of Security]]. They seem to know the true answers to their questions, even though he lies. They learn that [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is militarily secure, but that Kup is worried about [[Earth]]'s security. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] are surprised that the Quintessons seem to know so much, but the Quintessons end their discussion by trying their hand at interrogating Spike.

Elsewhere, Springer sets the Skuxxoid ship down. A badly injured Rodimus is mumbling Springer's name and that of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], and Arcee believes that Rodimus is naming Springer as the new [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]. Suddenly, Rodimus's [[Spark|life force]] disappears. Arcee assumes the worst, but Grimlock points out that the Matrix didn't appear, so he is still alive. As for Rodimus Prime's life force, it's going on a very trippy (yet poorly animated) journey through the Matrix, seeing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[It|a skull-like thing]], a few robots...and the Quintessons. Coming back online, Rodimus realizes that it was the Quintessons who kidnapped the others, not the Decepticons.

On Quintessa, Spike, Magnus, and Kup overpower their guards, taking a Quintesson judge named [[Judge Deliberata|Deliberata]] hostage. When they confront the court, however, the Quintessons merely sentence him to die in the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] tanks as well. The pit opens, plunging Spike and the Autobots into the pit along with Deliberata. The side of the pit opens, allowing the other Quintessons to watch. They like to watch.

[[Image:FFOD2 Scourge rescuing Galvatron.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Everyone out of the pool!]]

Heading to [[Thrull]], Cyclonus sends [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] to pull Galvatron from the plasma pool. Cyclonus and the [[Sweep]]s greet their leader, only to discover that he has been driven insane by the plasma baths. Galvatron immediately proceeds to lay the smackdown on his would-be rescuers, but Scourge, who speaks crazy, manages to talk him down. Galvatron declares that they have an empire to regain, and they depart, but not before Galvatron destroys Thrull.

[[Image:FFOD2 Sharkticon pit.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Sharkticon infested custard.]]

On Quintessa, as the Sharkticons begin to swarm in, Spike asks why they're being executed, and the Quintessons say that Spike is guilty of associating with the Autobots, who are guilty of theft. Magnus assumes that they are talking about the Decepticons, but the Quintessons point out that the Autobots inhabit Cybertron. Above, the Skuxxoid ship flies through the sky, only to be destroyed by the Quintessons' defense systems. However, the Autobots were not on board, instead arriving in Springer's [[Alternate mode|copter mode]]. The Quintesson tribunal flees Grimlock's would-be assault, while Springer pulls the others out of the Sharkticon tank. The [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] arrive with their [[Autobot Fleet|escape ship]]. However, the Quintessons, obsessed with destroying the Matrix, detonate a [[core bomb]] on Quintessa. Safely in the distance, they watch their homeworld explode.

[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3|To be continued...]]

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (2)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (13)
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (14)
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (18)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (19)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)| Silverbolt]] (24)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (25)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (26)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (27)
*[[Slingshot]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (3)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (4)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (5)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (6)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (7)
*[[Wildrider]] (8)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (10)
*[[Motormaster]] (11)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (12)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (15)
*[[Sweep|Sweeps]] (16)
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (23)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (20)

|c4=
*[[Quintesson]]s (17)
*[[Judge Deliberata]] (21)
*[[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] (22)
}}

== Quotes ==
"It just don't pack the wallop it used to!" 
"Yeah, because we're out of energy, dummy!"
:—'''Vortex''' and '''Swindle''' exposit for the audience.

'''Cyclonus''': Those miserable Skuxxoids! 
'''Scourge''': They can't be working with the Autobots. 
'''Swindle''': Ehh, they'd sell out to anybody for the right price. 
'''Cyclonus''': If anyone would know, Swindle...
:—It takes one to know one, Swindle.

'''Quintesson 1''': You are the Autobot Kup. You are Cybertron's chief of security. 
'''Kup''': Naw, my name's Teaspoon! And I'm Cybertron's chief dishwasher. 
'''Quintesson 2''': Zero percent probability of truth. Identification positive. 
'''Quintesson 1''': Tell us the status of Cybertron's defenses. 
'''Kup''': Total shambles after the last war. Three kids and a dog could take the planet. 
'''Quintesson 2''': Four percent probability of truth. Defenses at optimum levels. Direct assault not viable.
:—The Quintessons interrogate Kup. They apparently lack a sense of humor.

'''Ultra Magnus''': Where are you taking us? 
'''Quintesson''': To your judgement. 
'''Kup''': Right. We're gonna get a fair trial, and then they're gonna kill us.
:—Kup already knows how the Quintesson's justice system works.

'''Spike:''' Makes you wish for the good old days, doesn't it? Y'know, before the... ''fighting''... broke out? Bears versus the Luna Colony? It was fourth quarter, fourth down, thirty yards to go, you remember that play? 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' Nooo... 
'''Spike:''' How 'bout ''you'', Kup? 
'''Kup:''' Nope. But in a jam like that, all you can do is... ''rush 'em and pray!'' 
:—Magnus rather predictably misses Spike's cue to make a break for it

"Alright, Quintessons, you have a choice. Release us, or I turn your buddy here into bluey juice!"
:—'''Spike'''

"Pay us no mind. We just...like to watch.
:—The '''Quintessons''' creepily enjoy Sharkticons attacking Ultra Magnus, Kup and Spike.

'''Galvatron''': ''Who'' disturbs my plasma bath? 
'''Cyclonus''': Mighty Galvatron, we have come to deliver you from— 
'''Galvatron''': My empire of ash?! 
''[Galvatron hits Cyclonus on the head.]'' 
'''Galvatron''': My bastion of brimstone?! Rih! 
''[Galvatron hits Cyclonus on the head. Again.]'' 
'''Galvatron''': My kingdom of desolation?! Nnah! 
''[Galvatron hits Cyclonus on the head yet again, and then punches him into the plasma pool.]'' 
'''Galvatron''': Did I ask you for deliverance? Nnah! DID I?! 
''[Galvatron kicks Cyclonus, who attempts to get out, back into the plasma pool. Then he proceeds to blow up a rock in the pool.]'' 
'''Galvatron''': Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Ah, Cyclonus! How wonderful to see you again!
:—Galvatron shows Cyclonus the true definition of craziness.

"Mighty Galvatron, I have learned your lesson! I now know not only that you are the leader, but also why." 
"Such insight is rare! Watch out for this one, Cyclonus. One day, he might take your place."
:—'''Scourge''' and '''Galvatron''' speak crazy.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
[[Image:Bigrumle.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Eat more and grow bigger.]]
* Apparently, AKOM ''never'' got any model sheet updates. Older character models used in the episode include:
** Grimlock, who has his early, flattened robot head design (not seen since Season 1!)
** Soundwave, who has a white backpack instead of blue (it was just barely visible in one or two shots in "[[The Core]]".)
* Rodimus Prime gets a new voice... or more correctly, an ''old'' one! Actor [[Ted Schwartz]] had been originally cast as Rodimus and recorded several episodes, but was then replaced by [[Dick Gautier]], who dubbed over all his lines for the finished, broadcast episodes. The "previously on" segment in this episode, however, is compiled using the original Schwartz audio! A single Schwartz-spoken line can also be heard in [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3|the next episode]].
** Gautier himself continues to voice Rodimus within the actual episode, though he lacks the super-bass modulation he had in Part 1.
* Rodimus also has a new gun! He toted a red gun in Part 1; here his weapon is light gray.
* Grimlock's dino mouth doesn't move for his "Me Grimlock no hurt" line.
* While walking with his fellow Decepticons, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] is as tall as [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. He should be barely half as tall. Breakdown should also be a head or so shorter. The mid-section of his left arm mostly disappears for a few frames as Grimlock shoots him.
* The Decepticon advance during Rodimus's "en masse" line contains all sorts of strangeness. "Rumble" has a totally redesigned chest, "Soundwave" has two windows like Optimus Prime, and "Breakdown" has a new chest and a Dead End-like head. A mangled Wildrider is also half visible at the screen's edge.
* Someone forgot that Onslaught was beat to hell at the end of last episode, battered and with a broken backpack gun. He's totally intact here. For that matter, ''none'' of the Deceptions are in the sorry physical state we saw them in last episode; their damage is never seen again.
* The claws that pick up Rodimus and Grimlock are shown emerging from a circular hatch. Later, they're shown to be permanently attached to the outside of the ship.
* Cyclonus's jet windows aren't colored:
** As he turns from firing on the departing Rodimus on Chaar.
** As Galvatron bashes him away for the first time on Thraal.
** As Galvatron advises him to "Watch out for this one".
* The energon cubes are glowing in the whitish-yellowish style seen in very early episodes of Season 1, rather than the pink that was seen throughout Season 2 as well as in the previous episode.
* Kickback is standing with Dragstrip as Cyclonus prepares to leave Chaar. He's supposed to be dead.
* Four Sweeps fly off with Cyclonus, even though seven were in the shot immediately prior.
* The floatation beam of the head Quintesson judge is off-center.
* When Kup sasses the Quintessons by referring to himself as 'Cybertron's chief dishwasher', observe the Quintesson on the throne (the one closest to the screen). One of the faces is mouthing Kup, word for word! This seems to persist for the rest of the scene.
* During the "answer he suppresses" line, the Quintesson's faces all slide around on their bulb together. The animators probably meant this to be expressive, but it's really not clear that they should be able to move around at all.
* Magnus is in prison, but he's still got his shoulder missiles. Shouldn't he be disarmed?
* Even ''after'' being savagely beaten by the Decepticons to the point of death, Rodimus' character model shows absolutely no signs of damage. This is even more unusual when you consider the ''extremely'' damaged condition of the Decepticons earlier in the episode.
* Arcee's lower helmet segment is colored the same rose pink as her face as she monitor's Rodimus's life force. It should be the same white as the rest of her helmet.
* Rodimus's spoiler centerpiece is yellow instead of orange as he sits up after his vision.
* Arcee's nose is missing its outlines in several shots on the asteroid. It's visible only by its shading.
* When Rodimus confirms that Grimlock saved his life on Quintessa, his helmet is drawn very...oddly.
* In the previous episode, when [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] first learns of Galvatron's location, the lava pool where Galvatron was submerged appeared in a small crater. When Cyclonus actually does find Galvatron, the location not only seem different, but the crater has gotten larger as well. Finally, when [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] pulls Galvatron out, the lava pool is the size of a small lake.

[[Image:Springerfivefacescopter.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Lucky that Springer has a twenty-foot-high blade shaft.]]
* Is Magnus ''supposed'' to have little eyeballs drawn in the white circles on his waist? 'Cause they make it look like he has a cartoon face on his pelvis.
* Kup is drawn delivering Magnus's line "You're confusing us with Decepticons."
* The line "Carry out the executions" is shown, via cross-fade, to be delivered by two different Quint faces, even though it's spoken by a single voice.
* Judging by how the Autobots (and Sharkticons) are standing, the Sharkticon pool is maybe 3 feet deep.
* As the Sharkticons move in, Kup is shown bashing two of them. The shot changes, and the two Sharkticons are both gone, with a new one now moving in from a distance.
* Arcee's first shot makes its laser sound effect before its fired.
* The spatial physics of Springer carrying the other three Autobots is pretty much physically impossible.
* As Kup says to keep fighting, both he and the Sharkticon facing him are doing some kind of funk hoedown dance, but neither is actually fighting the other.
* During the "as they die" line, the Egyptian-looking Quintesson in the center of the shot has a gray forehead, instead of blue.
* Silverbolt is drawn [[scale|so huge]] in jet mode that the Autobots climb aboard him like humans boarding an actual SST. Now ''that'' is [[Size changing|mass shifting]].

===Continuity errors===
* Grimlock and Rodimus's blasts have absolutely no effect on the Decepticons.
* Rodimus, you may not ''like'' being stomped ''en masse'', but that hardly makes your under-energized, weaponless attackers "cowards".
* After the Autobots retreat, Cyclonus just throw his gun away!
* Wait a minute. The Quintessons? The ''Quintessons''? You mean those guys who when we last saw them were seconds away from being massacred by their rebellious Sharkticon subjects? How are they not all dead?!
* Before his life force temporarily enters the Matrix, Rodimus says "My time in the light is short..." Arcee claims that's what Optimus Prime said when he was dying. It's ''possible'' this happened off-screen, but it certainly wasn't shown in [[The Transformers: The Movie|the movie]]. About the closest thing he did say is "Do not grieve. Soon, I shall be one with the Matrix..."
* Death-by-Sharkticon was pretty much instantaneous in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. Here, the Sharkticons just stand around staring at their quarry while everybody gabs on and on.
* Kup's question "Why do I feel like I've seen this before?" may speak to some faulty memory chips, since he ''has'' seen this ''exact same thing'' before, just a few weeks or months prior. If he's just being rhetorical, it's an odd choice of phrasing.
* The Quintesson that was sentenced along with Spike, Kup and Ultra Magnus vanishes after they take the plunge, at least until Rodimus makes an attempt to rescue them, where he is once again seen with them.
* Galvatron's claim that he is "more powerful than ever" is pretty questionable, considering that he is never again shown atomizing anybody like he did to Starscream. Then again, pretty much ''everything'' he claims is pretty questionable. He is, no kidding, fruitcake flapjacks ''crazy''.
* Broadside makes his bizarre "debut" in this episode, as his jet mode character model is used as the Autobots' rescue ship. It's not ''really'' him, though, as the ship is destroyed in the next episode. He would make an even more screwed up second debut in "[[The Killing Jar]]", serving as a ''Decepticon ship'', complete with a correctly-voiced speaking part.
* Silverbolt orders Slingshot to pull the others out, but it's Silverbolt who lands and carries them away.
* Fireflight was never given explicit orders to leave the ship, but is shown returning to it. Silverbolt, who ''did'' leave the ship, is ''not'' shown returning.

===Real-world references===
* ''[[Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
** The Sweeps take off from Chaar, and later from Thrull (to escape Galvatron's onslaught) with the sound of the ''Millenium Falcon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s engine burst noise (most likely flying past cam before landing on Yavin IV.)
** As Galvatron takes off from Thrull, a second Star Wars effect plays: this time the sound of the [[Death Star]]'s combined superlaser beam streaking towards Alderaan. The ''Millenium Falcon'' effect is recycled as Cyclonus and company follow their leader.
* The laser sound effect as the Autobot ship opens fire on the Quint gun emplacement is the same one used by the alien death rays in the original ''War of the Worlds'' movie.<ref>[http://zobovor.tripod.com/five_faces_of_darkness_part_2_bloopers.html Zobovor's Bloopers list for "Five Faces of Darkness Part 2"]</ref>

===Other notes===
* After all the shadowy mystery surrounding the Quintessons' identity last episode, there's absolutely no drama to the reveal in this episode. We get an establishing shot of Quintessa, and then cut to the Quints interrogating Kup as if we were picking up from a commercial break or something.
* Despite "Five Faces of Darkness"'s reputation for horrific art, there are some decent moments here and there: the closeup of Vortex and Swindle; the Sharkticon fleeing from the exploding cannon.

==Footnotes and External links==
<references/>

* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/five_faces_of_darkness_part_2.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

File:HeadmastersScale.jpg

2009-10-16T21:05:46Z

69.86.75.87:

A ''[[The Headmasters (franchise)|Headmasters]]''-era scale comparison of [[Daniel Witwicky]], [[Chromedome]], [[Raiden]], [[Metroplex]], and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. We can scientifically calculate Fortress Maximus would be 7 to 10 umptillion feet tall.

{{hastak}}

Scale

2009-10-16T21:03:57Z

69.86.75.87: /* Citybots */ -cutting down on whitespace

[[Image:OptimusSnakeEyes.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And the truck's how big...?]]
'''Scale''' in ''Transformers'' is, not to put too fine a point on it, screwed.

Virtually no era, franchise, fiction, [[Toy|toyline]] or other incarnation of ''Transformers'' has presented scale in a logical or believable fashion. (The only exceptions are the 1:24 toys for ''[[Alternators]]'' and ''[[Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]'', but they [[Atari Hitotonari|have their own problems]].) Most fans agree that one must either ignore it or accept it, lest they be tempted to explain these problems and in the process fanwank themselves into oblivion.

However, the scale problems of ''Transformers'' still merit description.

{{bigquote|"Clearly, the pitiful humans at Hasbro are so overwhelmed by the awesomeness of Cybertronian life forms that they can't get the scale right."|[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]|[[Transformers Comic issue 23|Star Scream's #23]]}}

==Scale within toylines==

===Toys out of scale with others in the same line===
[[Image:DiacloneScale.jpg|right|350px|thumb|That little guy — who comes from the same toyline as all those vehicles — is supposed to be a normal-sized human. Yeeeah.]]
The early [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toyline]], especially the pre-[[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]] lines, were repackaged and [[Redeco|redecoed]] toys from several different Japanese toylines. The crucial point is that the toylines were initially unrelated. The characters ''should'' be in scale to each other as they all have real-world altmodes that (should) pass for real vehicles. However, since ''[[Diaclone]]'' toys were not part of the same line as ''[[Microman]]'' toys, scale issues arose. ''Diaclone'' figures such as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] are more-or-less in correct scale to each other (though problems already arise with [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], whose [[alternate mode]]s are based on ''the same car'' yet are not quite the same size), but many of the [[Mini Vehicle]]s from the ''New Microman'' line are clearly far too small by comparison. Even aside from their deformed penny-racer proportions, a [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Volkswagen Beetle]] Microman toy is disproportionately tiny when compared to a [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Porsche 935]] Diaclone toy. The disparity becomes even more obvious with [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] such as [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (a tank) and [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] (a hovercraft), who should be many times their actual size.

Another glaring scale problem comes in the form of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], who turn into F-15 Eagles which, in real life, are 19.4 m (63.8 feet) long. Correctly scaled, this would make their robot modes ''colossal'' compared to most Autobots. Similarly, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], despite also coming from the ''Diaclone'' line, are too small. Far worse is the other ''Diaclone'' combiner team, the [[Trainbot]]s, who have train engine altmodes, yet their toys are among the ''smallest'' of the ''Diaclone'' releases.

Transformers are currently formalised to a variety of [[size class|size classes]], which dictate the approximate cost and dimensions of a figure. Consequently, if the powers that be release toys of two characters in the same line in the same size class, they're going to come out in the same size. Even if one character's a [[Starscream (Movie)|twenty-metre fighter jet]] and the other's a [[Ironhide (Movie)|five-metre pickup truck]]. So don't expect this one to go away any time soon.

===Toys out of scale within teams===
Even toys specifically [[combiner|designed to interact with each other]] suffer from this problem. The [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] are wildly out of scale to each other—[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]'s space shuttle mode should dwarf [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], with the others somewhere in between. Instead, they're about the same size. Among the Constructicons, [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] is designed to look like a gigantic [[Wikipedia:Image:Liebherr t282 1.jpg|"earth-mover" mining truck]]. He should be able to carry all his teammates in his bed, with some crowding. Similarly, [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (a Concorde jet) is dramatically undersized compared to his fighter-jet [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] teammates. These scale problems are necessary to avoid misproportioned gestalt forms.

Don't even ask about the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] with their [[Groove (G1)|motorcycle]] and [[Blades (G1)|helicopter]] limbs...

===Same alternate mode, different sizes===
Other scale problems come from characters who transform into the same (or similar) [[alternate mode]]s, but whose toys are different sizes. For example, [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] transforms into an F-15 Eagle, but his toy is half the size of [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]'s. The same can be said for the Lamborghini Countach [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], who should be the same size as [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], not significantly smaller. These discrepancies are also seen in the other [[Scramble City]] combiners with Earth altmodes, whose toys are all smaller than similar earlier toys.

===Multiple scales of same character===
Although it was never really a problem in [[The Transformers (toyline)|the original toyline]] (later retro-iterations of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime]] e.g. [[Masterpiece]] don't count), later franchises sometimes released multiple versions of the same character in different [[size class]]es ''within the same product line'', usually limited to the leader characters. Multiple versions of [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Megatron]] in ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' weren't exactly an example of this, as they represented different bodies, but ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' began the problem in earnest with three different [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor toys]] released over the course of the line. With one toy at the Supreme size point, one at the Mega point, and a third slight variant at the Deluxe point, there was no real indication of which size if any was the "correct" one. The same line also released two different [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] toys, two different Tankor toys, two different Thrust toys, and two different Optimus Primals. (Though in the case of the Vehicons one of each pair could be considered a distinct "drone" version; in the media the "drones" and the "sparked" Vehicons were physically indistinguishable.)

[[Image:TFAnimated RolloutCommand OptimusPrime toy.jpg|right|230px|thumb|Hooray. I'm in scale with nobody.]]
''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' continued the trend, with several prominent characters receiving a smaller [[Spy Changer]] toy in addition to their larger toy, such as [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] and [[X-Brawn]]. The ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line featured both a Super-Con and Super-Base version of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]] featuring the same design at different size classes, an issue repeated with [[Megatron (Armada)/toys|Megatron]] in ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''. The introduction of the "Legends of Cybertron" size class in ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' only compounded matters, as a plethora of different characters were released at a size wildly out of scale with any of their contemporaries. ''Cybertron'' also featured the first notable case of out-of-scale toys being at least partially explained in the fiction with [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], who did change size over the course of the series.

With the explosion of toys for the [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]], even more scale problems erupted. The line offered both Voyager and Leader Class iterations of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Prime]] and [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], not to mention nearly all of the movie's onscreen cast getting a Fast Action Battler toy which introduces scale problems between the toys and one another. The fact that [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] came with a small Scorponok, and a separate Deluxe class [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]] was released, only expands the scale problems when one realizes that the Blackout and Deluxe Scorponok toys are meant to interact. Blackout can carry the small Scorponok ''while'' clipped on to the larger one as well, effectively transporting ''both'' at the same time, which makes the entire assembly a nightmare of scaling problems.

This mishmash has expanded even further in the ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' line, with Activator, Deluxe, Voyager, and even Supreme Class versions of [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]. [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], meanwhile, has Activator, Deluxe, Voyager and Leader Class toys. And there's even three different sizes for poor [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]: Leader, Voyager, and Activator.

Originally, the intent was apparently to make the popular [[Optimus (disambiguation)|Optimus]] and [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] characters available at lower price points than just the large and expensive "Leader" class, so that children with less money would not miss out, while also forcing [[completist]] [[User:ItsWalky|collectors]] to buy multiple versions of one character. The result, however, is that it creates further confusion about scale within the toyline, as the contradictory sizes of these toys leave it [[Personal canon|up to the fans]] to determine which is the "correct" version, either using apparent [[show-accuracy]] or other criteria. Sometimes this creates even further problems, though—if one assumes that the Voyager Class ''Movie'' Prime is the "correct" version, then he either has comically small seats for human passengers or [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] has absurdly large seats.

===Toys out of scale with themselves===
[[Image:G1 Broadside toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Kill me. Just... kill me now.]]
[[Triple Changer]]s create a whole new set of problems. [[Octane]] transforms from a 20 m (60') tanker truck into a 65 m (200') jumbo jet. [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] transforms from an Earth jet into an entire ''aircraft carrier.''

Even a two-mode toy can have this problem. Twentieth Anniversary Optimus Prime has wheels which are pretty tiny for a Freightliner truck, while his rear hitch section is too thick. These out-of-proportion vehicle parts were necessary to give his robot mode [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] proportions.

===Toys with roleplay altmodes===
The characters with roleplay altmodes such as Generation 1 [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], or [[Laserbeak (Armada)|''Armada'' Laserbeak]] are scaled to be human-scale (well, kid-scale). Since the [[size changing]] seen in the fiction is not possible for real toys (at least, that's what [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''wants'' us to think), this human-scaling makes in some cases for inordinately large robot modes. E.g., [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s toy, in robot mode, is taller than most other Transformers.

The opposite problem is seen with [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Masterpiece Megatron]], whose robot mode is in scale with Masterpiece Optimus Prime. The result is that, while he may transform into a very accurately-proportioned handgun, it's unmistakably much larger than the real thing. (Not that this has stopped him being widely banned as a "realistic firearm replica"...)

===Fanciful altmodes===
Most post-[[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]] Generation 1 characters (for that matter, most post-Generation 1 lines) are difficult to accurately scale, as they generally transform into futuristic or Cybertronian vehicles whose size we don't really know. (Or, indeed, they don't transform into vehicles at all.) The scale of characters such as [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Hot Rod]] or [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] is fairly arbitrary and can only be estimated by their relative size to other characters in the fiction (although most fiction is highly inconsistent in this regard, see below). Nevertheless, if one assumes that most vehicle altmodes are intended for human-sized passengers, comparing toys such as [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Lightspeed (Technobot)|Lightspeed]] suggests the combiner scale problem continues.

===Big toys===
It goes without saying that the [[city-bot]] and planetbot toys (such as [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Unicron]]) are not remotely to scale with normal Transformer toys. While they are indeed ''large'' toys, they're only two to five times bigger than typical Transformer toys, and thus transform into "cities" and "planets" about the (relative) size of a bungalow. The scale problems extend to the details. Some of the citybot toys have visible windows, which are too large for a city, suggesting instead a medium-sized building.

However, it's hard to begrudge Hasbro not offering us a [[Primus]] toy the size of an asteroid. Where would we keep it?

===An exception===
There has only been one notable exception to all of this scale weirdness in the toys: the ''Alternators'' toyline, where every toy is a 1:24-scale representation of a real car, and thus they are in perfect scale with each other. Unfortunately, for practical reasons this limits the choice of altmodes. A Blast Off (space shuttle) toy in scale with the Alternators toys would be 1.6 m (5.1') long, while a Broadside (aircraft carrier) toy at that scale would be over 12 m (40'). (Hasbro actually displayed [[Prototype|mock-ups]] for an unproduced line of "military" Transformers in scale with the Alternators during the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour; two of them recycled parts of ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Unicron]], and were thus [[Size class|Supreme-sized]], which made said potential toyline not particularly commercially viable for Hasbro.)

== Scale within fictions ==
Scale issues abound within the fiction, especially the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]. Some can be attributed to [[animation error]]s, such as layering problems,[[:Image:Tinybluestreak.jpg|1]][[:Image:Huge Ironhide and Small Ratchet.jpg|2]][[:Image:CarnageMiniBlaster.jpg|3]] but some "errors" were deliberate choices, for a variety of reasons.

===Fictional scale vs. toy scale===
[[Image:TeenyCliff.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Frighteningly toy-accurate.]]
[[Image:Powerglide Astoria Marygoaround.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Actually, [[Kiss Players (franchise)|disturbing fiction]] is probably more of a concern than scale issues.]]
G1 ''Transformers'' fiction often depicts characters to the same relative scale as the toys, which duplicates the intra-toyline problems described above. The cartoon, for example, shows Prime, Megatron and Soundwave as about the same height, Seekers and Autobot cars as slightly shorter (though not as much as the toys are), and Minibots as smaller yet. This scale was carried over to their vehicle forms, resulting in differently-sized cars that, based on real world measurements, should be virtually the same size.

[[Image:Omegasupreme astrotrain.jpg|right|180px|thumb|I know he's meant to be big, but holy crap, dude!]]
For another example, the Marvel Comics portrayed the Pretenders as literal interpretations of their toys: 60-foot humans with full scale Transformers inside. The "disguise" aspect of this was later explained by having Landmine and Cloudburst encounter giant, transformer-sized humanoids on an alien planet which made them appear to be of a "normal" scale.

Transformers fiction commonly shrinks or inflates characters, relative to their toy sizes. "Giant" characters such as [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] are, even aside from any [[size changing]] for transport purposes, clearly not in the same scale in toy form as they are depicted on screen. [[Mini-Cassette|Cassette characters]] such as [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]'s toys are roughly the same height as most Minibots, while in the show they are usually portrayed as human-sized.

[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] are usually shown to be of a fairly similar height (although Magnus is much bulkier), whereas there is a considerable difference between the size of their toys. By the same token, Rodimus is always depicted as being an equal stature to his opposing leader [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], whereas the toy Galvatron is instead the same size as Magnus. Optimus Prime is also usually shown as only a head or so shorter than Magnus (if that), which gets very strange when you realise that a [[redeco]] of Prime's toy forms but a small part of Magnus' robot mode.

[[Image:Beastwarsmaxgroup.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Airazor picks the Ultra-class figure.]]
The cast of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' were size-tweaked quite a bit, relative to the toyline. The most noticeable problem is Optimus Primal, who has an Ultra toy (the "level four" size, almost twice the size of the "level three" Mega next-largest Maximal toys), but is shorter than both Dinobot and Rhinox (both of whom are "level two" Deluxe sized toys). Further, Cheetor and Tigatron's toys use the same (Deluxe) mold, but Tigatron is a head taller in the show (both because tigers are larger than cheetahs, and because Cheetor is "a kid"). New and altered characters in later seasons were generally more consistent in size (and appearance) with the toys.

The ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]''' toyline was ''far'' worse in size discrepancies with the cartoon. Of the Maximals featured in the show, the tallest character, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], is the ''shortest'' toy, while the diminutive [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] is a massive Ultra-class toy. And, sadly, the most show-accurate toy, Air Attack [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]], is a ''ginormous'' Supreme figure, towering over the other toys. (Weirdly, the King Kong-like size of this toy became canon in one specific [[micro-continuity]]. {{storylink|Prime Spark}})
{{-}}

[[Image:ShrinkingHeavy.jpg|right|180px|thumb|I lost thirty tons, thanks to the Jump-Cut! Thank you, Jump-Cut!]]
In the otherwise fairly toy-scale-savvy [[Unicron Trilogy]], [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Metroplex]] and the other citizens of [[Gigantion]] are depicted as gargantuan in animation, whereas the toys are merely among the normal boxed size-classes. Within the animation, this causes problems with their Mini-Con partners, who are depicted as human-sized in robot mode by themselves, but when shown directly interacting with their larger partners, are scaled up right along with their partner... resulting in some temporarily gigantic Mini-Cons!

The Japanese ''[[Cybertron (franchise)#Galaxy Force|Galaxy Force]]'' release of Metroplex, dubbed "Megalo Convoy", included an exclusive [[redeco]] of the [[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]] [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime toy]] to indicate the "correct" scale.

The ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' franchise has its share of scale problems when comparing its toyline to the cartoon (not helped by multiple releases of some characters in different sizes—see above), with several characters seeming roughly one [[size class]] too small, such as the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]] being a mix of one Voyager size and two Deluxes, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] looking rather diminutive as a Deluxe, and, most egregiously, [[Lugnut]] as a ''very'' squat Voyager who's shorter than even some Deluxes. (As with Voyager-class Bulkhead, more of his mass went into his width, plus his weapon takes away some from his robot mode.) Conversely, the traditionally stunted [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] is marginally too tall and bulky to be in correct scale to his otherwise fairly accurate core teammates, assuming one includes Voyager [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] and Leader [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in their lineup. In fact, Animated is one of those toylines where you're not quite sure who you're supposed to base correct scale on.

===Inconsistent portrayal===
[[Image:OmegaSupremeintro.jpg|left|175px|thumb|No! Don't wash him in hot water! He'll...]]
[[Image:Omegasupreme-blasterandgrimlock.jpg|right|200px|thumb|...too late.]]
Even if a size was decided on, it often didn't remain consistent. The height of the cartoon's [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], just to name one, frequently varied between episodes.

The [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|Generation 1 Marvel comic]] is notorious for changing the relative sizes of various characters. A single Transformer's size is rarely consistent between artists. For example, Rumble and Frenzy vary in height relative to Soundwave. A panel in the "[[Time Wars]]" shows [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Scattershot]], and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] all the same height. [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], titanic in his original appearance, {{storylink|Command Performances!}} shrunk steadily in subsequent issues until he was not much taller than the average Transformer. Fortress Maximus suffered a similar problem, shrinking in size even though he was explicitly rebuilt to be twice as tall as the average Transformer.

[[Image:Beastwarriors scale.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Beast Megatron's size vs. Optimus Prime's in America... and Japan. Looks like the Blasty Zone adds on a few tons to Beast Era characters.]]
Between the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and the [[Beast Era]], the majority of the Cybertronian race considerably downgraded in size at the [[Great Upgrade]]. When entering the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], the Beast Warriors are quite small compared to the dormant Generation 1 characters, especially [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]—but just ''how'' much bigger varies quite a bit from scene to scene and episode to episode. When interacting with the Autobot technology of the Ark and the [[Autobot shuttle]], the Maximals are often dealing with equipment grossly oversized for them (standing on the chairs to reach the controls, turning knobs the size of their heads); yet the Ark also seems to feature some human-sized computer control panels. {{storylink|Master Blaster|Master Blaster}} Without any height booster, Blackarachnia can interface well with these controls.

On the other hand, ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' depicted Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars'' characters like Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal as being exactly the same size. Lovely. It's possible that passage through the [[Blasty Zone]] may somehow [[Wikipedia:Boom tube#Later Additions to the Concept|account for this discrepancy]].

===Explicit size changes===
{{main|size changing}}

Numerous characters are explicitly shown to shrink or expand at various times.

====Human-scaled alternate modes====
Blaster becomes a human-size radio; Megatron shrinks into a Transformer-scaled handgun. The cartoons and comics typically show this without explanation, leaving the reader to attribute it to advanced alien technology.

====Pretenders====
Some versions of the Pretenders are shown to explicitly shrink when hiding in their human-sized outer shells. In the U.S. toy commercials, Grimlock, Bumblebee, and Jazz in their new Pretender forms were small enough to fit in Powermaster Optimus Prime's hand. So, at least in that [[micro-continuity]], they were human-sized. ''[[Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' featured Pretenders who did not have outer shells but rather an ill-defined holistic transformation which explicitly involved size changing. A vaguely similar explanation appeared in [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' encyclopedia.

===Implicit size changes===
Characters often change size in a less explicit fashion when transforming. These changes in scale are usually attributed to size-changing by that portion of the fan base who like to find explanations for things. The other explanation is that the artists hoped the audience wouldn't notice. It can also be supposed that they are hiding their mass somewhere (car style Transformers storing mass in their passenger compartments when in humanoid form, Starscream folding his wings flat, the buildings in a city-bot collapsing to eliminate the spaces normally occupied by humans, boat-bots filling up or getting rid of the vast empty areas used to provide buoyancy) or puffing up with empty space, but at a certain point, things just get silly. Some Transformers are smaller than solid blocks of the mass contained in their alt modes: Unicron would have to be about as thick as the Earth's crust while in planetary form, and Optimus would probably be blown away by a stiff breeze in his larger incarnations.

====Transport characters====
In the original cartoon, Transformers that act as transport for other Transformers, such as [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], will often dramatically change size relative to their compatriots between one shot and the next. For example, Cosmos is ''much'' shorter than Blaster in robot form; yet Blaster easily fits within his spacecraft mode. Likewise, a whole squad of Decepticons can fit into Astrotrain's shuttle mode easily, yet he's an ordinary-sized trooper in his robot form.

Sometimes the cartoon would show ordinarily-scaled characters such as Cyclonus, Thrust or Huffer carrying another Transformer in their cockpit, implying either a tiny passenger or a huge vehicle. Even Omega Supreme, who is supposed to be huge, would have to have a greatly expanded scale for his rocket ship component to accommodate passengers as shown on the cartoon.

The Marvel comics commonly sidestepped this issue by not using Transformers as transport characters, or else requiring the passengers to transform into their explicitly smaller forms to be carried. Yet they were not immune to this problem. In one story, the Pretender [[Cloudburst]] exited his shell, transformed into jet mode, and then his shell (and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]]) boarded him as a passenger. The fact that his ''outer'' shell was now much smaller than the ''inner'' robot was quietly ignored. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}}

Dreamwave's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' series of bio comics tried to explain this for characters such as Astrotrain and Broadside by saying they're able to expand themselves to increase cargo space in vehicle mode, though their armor becomes thinner as it is spread out more. Conversely, the series notes, in robot mode, all that armor and structure being compressed into a smaller form makes that mode stronger and more durable for combat.

<center><gallery>
Image:MakeHoistHuffer.jpg|Definitely ''not'' toy-accurate.
Image:Ironhide carried into Ratchet.jpg|...And not to mention [[Ironhide (G1)|th]][[Ratchet (G1)|is]].
</gallery></center>

====Combiner characters====
[[Image:DreamwaveCover6.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Since when is a sedan nine stories tall?]]
[[Combiner]] characters are often depicted as far larger than the sum of their parts. Characters such as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] are frequently shown as [[That big green, fire-snortin' lizard|Godzilla]]-sized. Given that their limbs are mere cars and construction vehicles, this is patently absurd. ([[Superion (G1)|Superion]], by contrast, ''would'' be building-sized, given that his torso is a 100-seat jetliner.)

Combiners are also often out-of-scale with other Transformers; a combiner with cars for legs and another car for its torso should be only twice as tall as a one-car Transformer, but they are routinely drawn as five to dozens of times taller than their comrades.

Sometimes, they are even out of scale in their own team; [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'s torso is an [[Onslaught (G1)|anti-aircraft truck]], while one of his limbs is a [[Blast Off (G1)| space shuttle]] and another is a [[Swindle (G1)|Jeep]]. For this to work, ether Blast Off has to shrink, or Swindle needs to grow.

====Scale problems and size-changing====
Some fans interpret the many otherwise-unexplained scale issues above to all be the result of [[size changing]], but this is debatable. If virtually all characters use mass-shifting (or whatever) to gain or drop a few feet of height for no logical reason, the technology would be pointlessly mundane. There's also no known reason for (e.g.) the Seekers to choose to get ''shorter'' when going into battle. A to-scale Starscream in robot mode could kick Bumblebee around like a soccer ball. There's simply no positive evidence that size-changing is so widespread.

===Undersized alternate modes===
Many Transformers are portrayed in fiction as having alternate modes that are smaller than the real-life objects they are imitating. Sometimes this is deliberate, allowing them to match their toy scale and/or be of a similar size to other characters; in other cases, it is essentially an artistic error.

Toys at the lowest price points usually include "mini" or "micro" in their name. [[Mini Vehicle]]s [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]], [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]], and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] are usually depicted as smaller than other Transformers in fiction, even though their alternate modes should have them towering over other characters. This often results in minuscule vehicle forms; Seaspray is a tiny hovercraft, despite being covered with doors and windows.

[[Image:Hotrodpatrolcommercial.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Do you have change for four hot rods?]]
The [[Micromaster]]s are explicitly downsized Transformers, roughly the size of a human in the comics, meaning that they ''should'' have explicitly tiny vehicle modes... which wouldn't make for very convincing disguises. The Micromasters are about the same height in robot mode, but they transform into equally tiny cars, trucks, planes, tanks, and other vehicles that should be vastly different sizes.

Despite this, the Marvel comic featured [[Roadhandler (G1)|Roadhandler]] carrying a human passenger in his vehicle form, as though he were a full-sized car. The Dreamwave miniseries ''[[Micromasters]]'' suggested that the Micromasters were scaled down to interact more easily with "smaller beings". Whether that meant creatures of human scale or even smaller stature is never clarified, but the Micromasters' passenger compartments are presumably too small to accommodate human passengers.

The [[Mini-Con]]s of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] are another race of small robots who stand approximately the same height as humans and, like the Micromasters before them, are clearly modeled to carry passengers. Really teeny passengers. (Notable exceptions are [[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (in his original body), [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]], and [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]], who become small one-man conveyances.) This results from the Mini-Cons scanning normal vehicles and then resizing them to fit, retaining now-useless passenger compartments. In the [[Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]], the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]] have slightly-larger-than-human robot modes, but their alternate modes are large enough for a single human passenger, implying either a little size-changing or that their cockpits are kinda cramped. Though the Recon Team all originate from Gigantion, and seeing how partnered Mini-Cons seem to change size to fit their larger companions, a little size shift to accomodate a passenger doesn't seem too far-fetched compared to other scale issues.

Likewise, the [[Beast Era]] Maximals and Predacons possess roughly human-size bodies; yet when portrayed as vehicles on Cybertron ("[[Dawn of Future's Past]]", the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] in ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''), they feature seats and cockpits that, at their size, should be basically useless.

====Citybots====
[[Image:EarlyGalvatronTVMagazine1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|If you were ever this big in the cartoon, then we might call you a city.]]
[[Image:HeadmastersScale.jpg|right|200px|thumb|See above. Way, way, way above.]]
[[City-bot|A few characters]] have "city" alternate modes. As actual real-life cities can sprawl for many miles, a [[city-bot]] that can notionally house a population of humans, ''let alone'' Transformers, should have a robot-mode that'd make [[Hojoni|Godzilla]] look like a gecko. Suffice to say, almost no fiction even ''begins'' to approximate the logical size of a true "city-bot". In the American and Japanese cartoons, all four were shown as massive robots capable of housing many normal-sized Transformers. Even so, it would take something along the lines of the grossly undersized depictions of [[Unicron]] (see below) even to begin to represent reasonably the colossal size of a transformed city; so in the context of Transformers, "city" is perhaps better read as "building" or "fortress".

These city-bots often have "small" robots forming vital components. Scorponok has a "human-sized" being forming his head. [[Full-Tilt]], [[Six-Gun]], and [[Slammer]] must logically be building-sized in robot-mode to be in-scale with Trypticon and Metroplex, but, again, are not drawn as such.

The Marvel Generation 1 comic sidestepped this issue by depicting Trypticon, Fortress Maximus and Scorponok as merely "large-standard" characters. However, Metroplex, during his one, brief appearance, was depicted as being immensely larger, crushing Quintesson attack cruisers under foot without batting an eyelid. He was still considerably smaller than a city, however, but this was justified by him merely serving as the 'transformation core' for Autobot City: Earth, not the actual city itself.
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====Planets and planetbots====
[[Image:Cybertronplanet.jpg|left|250px|thumb|If we're generous and assume Cybertron is only the size of Earth's moon, then the larger visible buildings are roughly the size of Massachusetts stood on end, and you could wedge France into that gash. (Which would probably improve both Cybertron and France.)]]
Scale when it comes to planets is so fraught it's painful. The problems of describing citybots as "cities" is a thousand times worse if [[Unicron]] is supposed to have a planet alternate mode, and [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is in turn supposed to be of similar size. Though different stories have compared Cybertron/Primus and Unicron to drastically different real planets, the fact remains that they are ''planets'', and yet are shown in such insane scale to characters as to suggest they are the size of a ''very'' small moon (or [[Darth Vader|space station]]).

To start with, Cybertron was shown throughout ''Generation 1'' with buildings visible from space. Although this was intended to show that the planet was technological in nature, it makes little sense, as the structures would have to be the size of small ''nations'' to be visible. If the buildings were in fact supposed to be skyscrapers (or even ''2000 A.D.''-style arcologies) sized for 10 m (30') robots, Cybertron would still be less than 150km (100 miles) across. The rather [http://www.starwars.com/databank/location/coruscant/index.html Coruscant]-like shots of Cybertron in ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' may be less distinctive or "Cybertronian", but are ''far'' more believable. (Some people reason that the Transformers' advanced technology, along with their large size and their not needing to breathe, means that buildings actually CAN be that big.)

Unicron is a more extreme problem. Assuming no [[size changing]] occurs during his transformation (and really, what possible reason would he have to become ''smaller''?), in robot mode he would be so massive that any shot featuring a recognizable ''part'' of his body, let alone the whole thing, would be on a scale such that no normal Transformer would even be visible. [[Image:UnicronEatsGalvyMmmm.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Either Galvy is humungo, or Lithone is tiiinyyy!!!]]Scenes in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] in which he directly interacts with normal Cybertronians are blatantly absurd (though totally phat-looking). Shots such as the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] fleeing his grasping hand, a starship penetrating his eye, impaling [[Brainstorm]] on his fingernail, {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} or ''especially'' him picking up Galvatron between his fingers before swallowing him, break any concept of "planetary" scale.

If Cybertron is the size of Earth's moon (and that's generous), and Unicron is about the size of Cybertron, his hands would be about the size of Europe and Galvatron (to the right) would be about the size of Denmark.

There is no explanation for any of this. Just go with it.

The depiction of Unicron's scale in ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' was (debatably) a slight improvement, in that physical interaction with normal beings was not attempted. He preferred instead to communicate with normal Transformers by possessing one of them. {{storylink|Sideways (RID)|Sideways}} Nevertheless, shots featuring [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] and [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] standing on his neck are still ''farcically'' out of scale.

===Oversized alternate modes===
[[Image:RattrapLOVEScheetor.jpg|right|180px|thumb|I'm tellin' ya, all da rats in Brooklyn are dis big!]]
Much less common are instances of a Transformer turning into an overscaled real-world object. Most such instances occur in the ''Beast Wars'' era.

Although the Beast Warriors are consistent day-to-day in their relative size to each other, their scale in relation to their real-world animal equivalents is more complex. While the bug characters such as [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] are obviously scaled-up, other characters are more subtly not quite the right size.

[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Tigatron]] are shown standing next to real members of their species, and they are both the same size as the animals in question. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}} This makes them (and Cheetor in particular, since he's around more) the measuring sticks for the other characters. Therefore, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] is a rather small rhinoceros, and [[Optimus Primal]] is a roughly normal (or female) gorilla. However [[Rattrap]] is a monstrously huge rat, the size of a large dog (indeed, the writers stated that Season 1 Rattrap was 5' (1.5 m) tall<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/8227a6ca84c0238d Bob Forward gives Rattrap's height from the show bible]</ref>). Likewise [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] is considerably larger than a real velociraptor. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], however, is a tiny specimen of a T. Rex. In their interactions with adult [[protohuman]]s, the Transformer characters seem between twice and three times their height. Considering our ancestors really were smaller than modern humans, this is not extremely wrong, but it deserves noting.

However, thanks to the scaling up of the bug characters, it is relatively safe to assume that the Transformers scanned only animal ''forms'' and then rescaled them to fit their own size, which is actually slightly more believable than all other series, in which the Transformers use mass shifting to make their alt modes the ''right'' size.

===Artistic license===
====Variation for characterization====
[[Image:Prime has a huge head.jpg|left|150px|thumb|With 20th Anniversary Prime and Smallest Transformers Bumblebee, you can actually recreate this scene.]]
Some scale problems are for the sake of characterization. For example, Optimus Prime is routinely shown as thoroughly gargantuan, several stories in height, and capable of cradling humans in his palm. If he's the size of a real truck, Prime in robot mode should be 8–10 m (25'–30') tall, at best. He's drawn large because he's a leader character.

Conversely, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] is sometimes shown only a few feet taller than an average human, while in reality he would be 3–5 m (10'–15') tall (the Marvel comic actually states he's 15' tall {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}). He's drawn small because he's a human-friendly character, and a junior member of the Autobots.

With fighter jet alternate modes, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] should be among the largest everyday Transformers and would ''tower'' over their Autobot adversaries; instead, the animation depicts characters such as [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] as about the same height. Though jets are much larger than cars, they're drawn the same height so the battles appear fair. (And also to make it easier to animate; blocking a shot where characters differ radically in height is difficult.)

In a related vein, sometimes Transformers are able to enter human buildings, fitting through their doors and running up their staircases without crashing through. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}} A cast that couldn't enter buildings would be grossly inconvenient for telling some stories, so the animators fudge things.

{{-}}

====Intentionally strange scale====
[[Image:MarvelUS-01.jpg|right|200px|thumb|One side makes you larger, one side makes you small. (Op's been noshing on the first side too much.)]]
Sometimes artists draw a character at a different size [[Authorial intent|intentionally]]. For example, on the cover of the [[The Transformers (issue)|first issue]] of [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|the original ''Transformers'' comics series]], Optimus Prime is extremely huge compared to the highway, bridge, and normal cars. ([[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] is bigger than usual, too.) This is purely for dramatic effect.

Another notable example is the splash screen for the "[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/bible/index.html World of the TRANSFORMERS]" website, which depicts [[Optimus Primal]] (in his original gorilla body) as the same size as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|G1 Optimus Prime]] and [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Movie Optimus Prime]], directly contradicting the size difference seen in "[[Optimal Situation]]" and elsewhere (except for ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'').

Artwork for the [[:Image:VaderVsPrime.jpg|''Star Wars'']] subline features [[:Image:Megatronvsluke.jpg|humans from another galaxy]] standing at the same height as Transformers, although this is simply because most of the figures in [[Attacktix|the tabletop game advertised by this artwork]] are the same size.

[[Image:World of the Transformers ent.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Meet the Supreme class Munky Optimus Primal.]]
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===The 2007 ''Transformers'' movie===
[[Image:Moviescale1.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Scale is absolutely not an issue in the movie. Riiight.]]
The creators of the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]] took great pains to avoid out-of-scale issues. (Well, greater than previous franchises.) This is sometimes reflected in the choice of vehicle or the design of their robot mode. E.g., [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] is an extended-hood cab in order to have more mass with which to make a taller robot mode. [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s robot mode is nearly as wide as it is tall, with shorter, digitigrade legs, so the massive jet-former won't end up twice as tall as Optimus. In the case of [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]], his huge alternate mode simply results in a hulking, towering robot mode.

There are still minor scale issues to be found, though. For example, Optimus Prime can hold both [[Sam Witwicky|Sam]] and [[Mikaela Banes|Mikaela]] in one hand. Comparing this shot with when he picks up [[Archibald Witwicky]]'s glasses a few minutes later, it seems the glasses have lenses a foot (30cm) in diameter. This is a visual cheat so the glasses are visible to the audience. There's also debate about whether [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]]'s head could compact itself into a slim mobile phone. The [[Movie (toyline)|movie-franchise toys]], meanwhile, are only intermittently consistent (particularly since some of the secondary ones are redecos of toys from previous lines), with the largest contrast among the "primary" toys being between Deluxe Class [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], a motorcycle, and Voyager Class Decepticons with helicopters as their [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]], such as [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] and [[Incinerator (Movie)|Incinerator]]. However, many of the wheeled vehicles are close to 1:35 scale, although Deluxe Class [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] and Classic Camaro [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] are ''obviously'' not the same scale. Even more oddly, the vehicle modes of Classic Camaro Bumblebee and Concept Camaro Bumblebee are not the same scale, yet their robot heads are the same size (albeit different sculpts).

[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] is another point of topic here. Whilst in the [[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|film]], they worked on keeping his size relative to those of his components, in the [[Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|game]] he was far larger.

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==Official scale guides ==
[[Image:Tfcartoonscaleguideic1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Official Scale Guides]]
[[Image:Beastwarsscalepreliminary.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Beast Wars Season 1 scale guide]]
Animators and comic book artists received official scale guides showing relative and (in some cases) absolute heights. Some of these were published in the character model guides ''[[The Ark: A Complete Compendium of Character Designs|The Ark]]'' and ''[[The Ark II — A Compendium of Japanese Character Designs|The Ark II]].'' Though they were sometimes ignored, they still give insight into the official scale of characters in Generation 1. However, even here, there are problems. Devastator in the Season One scale guide was approximately 2.5 times the height of Optimus Prime, but by Season Two he was somewhat less than twice Prime's height.

''Beast Wars'' likewise had an official scale guide, which appeared as a bonus on the DVD set of Season 2. Despite this guide, the series writers have indicated some measure of disregard for relative scale, when it suited the needs of dramatic tension.<ref>[http://builtstlouis.net/tf/manic/m-botcon.html BotCon 98 report - see "ON THE SIZES OF CHARACTERS"]</ref> Thus, Optimal Optimus is ''ungodly'' tall in his first appearance, later reduced to perhaps two times the height of the rest of the cast.

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==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/6db411e03e75a342?dmode=source Estimated "real-life" heights for several Transformers, derived from the size of their alt-modes, archived from alt.toys.transformers on groups.google.com]

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