MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Autobot Cars

2008-06-14T12:13:57Z

71.235.142.128: /* Trivia */ Corrected for English grammar

:''Autobot Cars are a subgroup in the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

'''Autobot Cars''' are a [[subgroup]] of [[Autobots]]. They transform into cars, except when they turn into trucks. They are larger than [[Mini Vehicles|Mini Autobots]]. This designation was used primarily in reference to the toyline, and was not reflected as an official subgroup within the comics or animation.

:''Japanese name:'' '''Autobot'''

Members include:

'''1984 releases'''
*[[Bluestreak]] - Gunner
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] - Scout
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] - Security
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] - Special Operations
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] - Spy
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] - Commander (''Japanese released only'')<ref>The Booklet from TV Magazine</ref>
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] - Military Strategist and Analyst
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] - Medic
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] - Warrior
*[[Sunstreaker]] - Warrior
*[[Trailbreaker]] - Defensive Stratagist
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] - Mechanical Engineer

'''1985 releases'''
*[[Grapple]] - Architect
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] - Maintenance
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] - Search and Rescue
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] - Security Director
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]]-Theoretician
*[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] - Diversionary Tactician
*[[Tracks]] - Warrior

'''1986 releases'''
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] - Data Courier
*[[Hot Rod]] - Cavalier
*[[Kup]] - Warrior

==Trivia==
*The original pre-1986 Autobot Cars were called ''[[Car Robot]]s'' when they originated in the Japanese [[Diaclone]] toyline.

==Reference==
<references/>

[[Category: Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category: Generation 1]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Function

2008-06-06T17:46:07Z

71.235.142.128: /* Cavalier */

I don't know if these are necessarily hardcoded into a Cybertronian. After all, who manufactures someone with a function of "Criminal Overlord"?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 17:29, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
:[[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]]? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 17:34, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
:Yeah, Function is a label that appears in character bios, but whether it's actually the "primary duty programmed into each Transformer" is not clear, and almost certainly varies on a case by case basis. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 17:41, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
::Not to mention we hate huge-ass lists.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 01:50, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
FUNCTION: SHARK. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 20:11, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
:HX just gave me an idea. Why not make this a proper article, as we've done with [[tech spec]] and [[bio]], while still taking the time to ridicule the sheer lunacy of some of the stated functions? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 02:03, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
::I have begun the retool.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 02:25, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
Sounds goods to me, SFH. And not only are some of the functions nuts, but there's alot of overlapping. @_@ Well, I've been wanting to see an article on Functions, so I finally broke down and started one. Yes, I'm a newbie here. I'll check out the 'how-to-edit' feature...one of these days. [[User:Zadok Rox|Zadok Rox]] 02:21, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
==There is a category==
Should this be the main article for Category:Functions , the master category for all the categories transformers get assigned to based on function. Things like medics, Rulers of Cybertron, pirates, spies, artists... [[User:Spriteless|Spriteless]] 04:58, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

== Wrong tact. ==

I think this article is taking the wrong approach. It should be about the "Function" feature on the techspecs of the toys, not the concept that TFs have individual jobs (which is a silly thing to have an article on). Look at the [[tech spec]] and [[bio]] pages for an example of what I mean. They're about a fascet of the toyline/packaging, not just nebulous "in fiction" concepts, which is where this one is now. --[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 05:43, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
:Then feel free to rewrite it. I was just tired of it being five pages of listed functions.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 06:00, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
Yeah, I meant to include the Tech Spec aspect of Function. I was going to work on that, but, wow! Article makeover! Nice job, gang. Thanks alot and God bless. [[User:Zadok Rox|Zadok Rox]] 16:06, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

== Cavalier ==
Hot Rod's function is "cavalier." What's that supposed to mean? - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 02:45, 6 June 2008 (UTC)
:Ever hear of a dictionary? Take two seconds and look the word up. Now if you want an inexplicable function how about [[Skram]] and his function of "Crack Patrol".--[[Special:Contributions/71.235.142.128|71.235.142.128]] 17:46, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

::Cavalier
::1. a horseman, esp. a mounted soldier; knight.
::2. one having the spirit or bearing of a knight; a courtly gentleman; gallant.
::3. a man escorting a woman or acting as her partner in dancing.
::4. (initial capital letter) an adherent of Charles I of England in his contest with Parliament.
::2 works, I guess. "Crack" must be some sort of Cybertronian slang. :) - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 14:29, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

:::My guess would be "1" actually. A cavalier was basically a fast, mobile, powerfull infantry soldier(as they were on hourseback). I'd guess Hot Rod serves the same function with his race car mode standing in for the hourse part.--[[Special:Contributions/71.235.142.128|71.235.142.128]] 17:46, 6 June 2008 (UTC)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Function

2008-06-06T02:59:45Z

71.235.142.128: /* Cavalier */

I don't know if these are necessarily hardcoded into a Cybertronian. After all, who manufactures someone with a function of "Criminal Overlord"?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 17:29, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
:[[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]]? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 17:34, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
:Yeah, Function is a label that appears in character bios, but whether it's actually the "primary duty programmed into each Transformer" is not clear, and almost certainly varies on a case by case basis. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 17:41, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
::Not to mention we hate huge-ass lists.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 01:50, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
FUNCTION: SHARK. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 20:11, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
:HX just gave me an idea. Why not make this a proper article, as we've done with [[tech spec]] and [[bio]], while still taking the time to ridicule the sheer lunacy of some of the stated functions? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 02:03, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
::I have begun the retool.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 02:25, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
Sounds goods to me, SFH. And not only are some of the functions nuts, but there's alot of overlapping. @_@ Well, I've been wanting to see an article on Functions, so I finally broke down and started one. Yes, I'm a newbie here. I'll check out the 'how-to-edit' feature...one of these days. [[User:Zadok Rox|Zadok Rox]] 02:21, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
==There is a category==
Should this be the main article for Category:Functions , the master category for all the categories transformers get assigned to based on function. Things like medics, Rulers of Cybertron, pirates, spies, artists... [[User:Spriteless|Spriteless]] 04:58, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

== Wrong tact. ==

I think this article is taking the wrong approach. It should be about the "Function" feature on the techspecs of the toys, not the concept that TFs have individual jobs (which is a silly thing to have an article on). Look at the [[tech spec]] and [[bio]] pages for an example of what I mean. They're about a fascet of the toyline/packaging, not just nebulous "in fiction" concepts, which is where this one is now. --[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 05:43, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
:Then feel free to rewrite it. I was just tired of it being five pages of listed functions.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 06:00, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
Yeah, I meant to include the Tech Spec aspect of Function. I was going to work on that, but, wow! Article makeover! Nice job, gang. Thanks alot and God bless. [[User:Zadok Rox|Zadok Rox]] 16:06, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

== Cavalier ==
Hot Rod's function is "cavalier." What's that supposed to mean? - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 02:45, 6 June 2008 (UTC)
:Ever hear of a dictionary? Take two seconds and look the word up. Now if you want an inexplicable function how about [[Skram]] and his function of "Crack Patrol".<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Mudflap (slang)

2008-06-06T02:06:30Z

71.235.142.128:

Okay, this is a little ridiculous. If you have to slap a continuity identifier on ''a slang term'', maybe this doesn't need a page.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 01:45, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

:I really think this should be under [[Mudflap (slang)]] like it was originally. Just like the swear "Slag" is under [[Slag (slang)]]. The most distinctive part of it is that it's a slang term not thatit just happens to be from Animated. Definately think it's a distinctive enough bit of TF slang to have a page.--[[Special:Contributions/71.235.142.128|71.235.142.128]] 02:06, 6 June 2008 (UTC)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Mudflap (slang)

2008-06-06T02:05:55Z

71.235.142.128:

Okay, this is a little ridiculous. If you have to slap a continuity identifier on ''a slang term'', maybe this doesn't need a page.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 01:45, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

:I really think this should be under [[Mudflap (slang)]] like it was originally. Just like the
swear "Slag" is under [[Slag (slang)]]. The most distinctive part of it is that it's a slang term not thatit just happens to be from Animated. Definately think it's a distinctive enough bit of TF slang to have a page.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)

2008-04-28T13:56:46Z

71.235.142.128: /* Aerial Rivals ? */ new section

Is this actually a franchise? A franchise has a continuity/ies associated with it in every other use we have. This has like 4, most of which predate Universe 2008. This feels more like an umbrella title for a product 'line' containing offerings from multiple franchises than than a franchise itself. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 01:15, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
:Judging by the list of "franchises" on the [[Franchise]] page (Commemorative Series? Machine Wars?), yeah, this fits. Maybe we need to revise our definition. [[User:JW|JW]] 01:41, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
::As the guy who's put most of that list together, I will say that it includes ''every'' toy line, regardless of the amount of fiction associated with it or the universe that the fiction falls under. Some franchises ''are'' little more than toylines, but ''every'' toyline has some kind of fiction associated with it, even if it's just a lame quote for the character. Maybe that list is more toy lines than true franchises, but I don't know how or where you'd draw the line. But, re: Derik's concern, if "continuity" was the sole requirement for being a franchise, then BW and BM would get sucked up by G1. All the new Universe stuff is being marketed under a common packaging style and title -- that to me is the very definition of a franchise. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 02:01, 18 February 2008 (UTC)
:::So, what do we call this on the front page? Universe 2008? --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 04:18, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

===Video===

Sweet! (fangirl squeal!)

Think there's any chance in high heaven they *might* consider cgi-ing the rest of the '86 movie? I would sssssoooo love to see Soundwave like that!

Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?--[[User:Nightshade83|Nightshade83]] 13:36, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

== As of Botcon... ==

This is shaping up to be a helluva toyline. I thought Classics spoiled us, but I daresay this is better.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 02:46, 28 April 2008 (UTC)

== Wow... Hot Shot is getting a classics toy... ==

Please let it be a new mold... And have a reference to JaAm!11--[[User:Dynamus Prime|Dynamus Prime]] 12:46, 28 April 2008 (UTC)
:It is a new mold. They showed us an early prototype, and it comes with a new Jolt. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 12:50, 28 April 2008 (UTC)

== Aerial Rivals ? ==

Where'd we officially learn the identities of the Aerial Rivials (and did we learn about the K-Mart minicons?). Kyde said they'd be up of Transformers.com but they weren't yet last time I checked. --[[User:71.235.142.128|71.235.142.128]] 13:56, 28 April 2008 (UTC)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Crasher (G1)

2008-04-26T22:14:07Z

71.235.142.128: /* Trivia */ Fracture

:''Crasher is a renegade [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family|continuity families]].''

{{Note |Crasher is a repeated [[easter egg]]/[[homage]] to the [[Tonka GoBots]] character of the same name. It may be assumed that, like her Go-bots counterpart, she is female, but this IS only an assumption.}}

==Fiction==
===IDW comics continuity===
Crasher fought as one of the gladiators with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in the [[Forge]], appearing to be part of [[Clench (G1)|Clench]]'s inner circle. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2}} Later she joined Megatron's team in the arena and in the subsequent Decepticon rebellion. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4}}

===Fun Publications "Shattered Glass"===

The heroic renegade Crasher was a Decepticon courier and cousin to the evil Autobot intellectual [[Blurr (Shattered Glass)|Blurr]]

==Trivia==

*[[Bugbite]] was part of an extra-dimensional team of Go-Bots that traveled to the TF Multiverse, it is unrevealed (as very little is revealed about her at all) whether Crasher might be the same, or if she is just a TF universe alternate version of the character.

*The GoBots version of Crasher (like all GoBots) was actually a cyborg and not a robot, while her Transformers counterpart is probably 100% robotic.

*The live-action movie-verse character [[Fracture]] is a homage to Crasher.

==External links==
[http://tfu.info/Gobots/Renegades/Crasher/crasher.htm GoBots Crasher at TFU.info]

{{-}}

[[Category: Comic-only characters]]
[[Category: Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category: Transformers]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Fracture (Movie)

2008-04-26T22:12:17Z

71.235.142.128: GoBotage is Awesome

:''Fracture is an [[Decepticon]] from the [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie]] [[continuity family]].''
{{mainpic}}

==Toys==
===Transformers (2007)===
*'''Fracture''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Weapon
:A Wal-Mart exclusive redeco of ''Classics'' [[Mirage (G1)#Classics|Mirage]], Fracture transforms into a closed-canopy Formula racer concept car. The front detaches to become a handheld weapon.

==Trivia==

*Fracture's deco is a homage to the Tonka GoBot [[Crasher]].

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{charstub}}

[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Movie characters]]
[[Category: Wal-Mart exclusives]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

MediaWiki talk:Community Portal

2008-04-25T21:50:20Z

71.235.142.128: /* Hate the new skin. */ new section

==Archives==
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive1|Archive1]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive2|Archive2]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive3|Archive3]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive4|Archive4]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive5|Archive5]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive6|Archive6]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive7|Archive7]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive8|Archive8]]

== Continuity / Timeline ==
I'm trying to make some sense of how the various major continuities are handled, overview-wise. Some have their own continuity page; IDW's just got a timeline, with overview stuff shoved here and there among the individual miniseries. Some don't have anything. Some, like the G1 cartoon, are not much more than lists. The ones that exist tend to be hard to find, aren't categorized uniformly, etc... is there a master format for this stuff?{{unsigned|Repowers|12:15, 29 October 2007}}
:There is no master format for continuity pages. Please feel free to make one! It would be a good thing to have! --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 00:55, show30 October 2007 (UTC)
:: You know, I think it would be hot if once we got more timelines up, we began putting Chronology links to the timetable on the story pages. Several Dreamwave comic pages have them, and I think IDW comics should too, since IDW really isn't telling the story in a linear fashion.--[[User:Zodberg|Zodberg]] 09:36, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
:::Sounds like a good idea. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 13:51, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
::Would it make sense to have an overview writeup at the start of each timeline, a few paragraphs or so? Or should "continuity" be a separate page? Where should a chronological list of issues go -- publisher's page, continuity page, timeline page? That's not such a problem with, say, Marvel G1, but Dreamwave's a little messier, IDW's all over the place, and gods help you if you want to sort out the mess that is Marvel UK. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 14:29, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
:: A continuity page should have the following (in my opinion):
:: * A one-paragraph description of the continuity, not more than a few sentences long.
:: * A list of what media belongs to this continuity (which can include some stuff that's vaguely contradictory, but should exclude stuff that's way out there, like Earthforce relative to G1 comics). This can be sorted by publication order, or internal chronology, but if there's a major difference between the two, it should be spelled out.
:: * An overall description of the main events in that continuity, focusing on the events actually chronicled (not the distant past). In particular, for most continuities, changes in the leadership of either side, the changing status (living/dead, present/absent, duplicated by Straxus/encoded on a floppy, etc.)of the big two leaders (usually Optimus Prime and Megatron), any events involving Unicron or Primus, and introductions of major teams or groups of characters (Headmasters, Fuzors) should be in the summary.
:: * If necessary, a timeline, which may end up integrated with one of the above parts.
:: * Pointers to important and closely-related continuities (again, such as Earthforce), discussion of divergences, etc. [[User:JW|JW]] 15:14, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
:::All that sounds pretty good, though I wouldn't get too hung up on following individual characters too much, even the leaders. In Marvel G1, at least, they changed over on a pretty regular basis.
:::On a related note... this and a lot of other overview-type pages are really lost in the shuffle. They should be top-level pages, with everything branching off of them and linking back to them, but instead they're buried and nothing links to them. You start off reading, say, the article on [[Spotlight: Soundwave]]. Where do you go from there to find out more? The IDW issues category? That's the only link out of that page. If you're a newcomer, or even someone with an imperfect memory, how do you know what comes next? Either the individual issue pages need to link to the timeline and continuity pages, or the category page does, or... something.
:::Taking care of it on the category page might be simplest, like what's on the Category:Marvel US issues page. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 19:12, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
:::: Yes, the site is sadly lacking in both "uplinks" and "sidelinks" for the media; links from a TV episode to the TV series, links from an issue of a comic to an overview of the comic, links from one comic to the next comic in that series, etc. [[User:JW|JW]] 19:21, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
::::: I'm still poking around and figuring out what's been done and what's needed; it might take a while to figure out how to start cleaning things up. It looks like we've got some random timelines started (still need ones for the Beast era and a few others), as well as continuity pages for some but not all of the major storylines, so I suppose each major continuity should have both kinds of pages. I wonder if there's a way to use a category or subcategory to get individual episode/issue pages to quickly link back to the main overview pages?... -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 19:28, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
:::: JW, we do have that comics nav template, though I like the comic infobox on wikipedia more. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 20:04, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
::::: Ah... http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Template:Comicnav ...so we do. Very useful. Now we just gotta propagate it over a few hundred comic issue... :S -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 20:25, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
::::: Also, the nav setup only can link up one level. So Infiltration #2 can link up to the main Infiltration page, but not to the IDW continuity page above that. Would putting a variant of this template on the main page for each miniseries, linking up to the continuity page, work instead? Then you're never more than two clicks away from an individual issue to the continuity overview. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 20:25, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
:::::: That, or somehow add it to the main comicnav template, perhaps in <small>small letters</small> above the series name. I don't wanna step on anyone's toes though. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 20:45, 30 October 2007 (UTC)
::::::: That'd make the most sense, to add a "Continuity" level to the template, or alternately a lower-end "Mini-series" option. But hell if I can make sense out of how these things work... that might be a rainy day project, figuring that out. :\ -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 20:51, 30 October 2007 (UTC)

==Image Copyrights==
I asked awhile ago, and nobody seemed to know, so...

I've always been under the impression that images {{c}} someone else should be credited ''not'' just with a note that they belong to someone else, but a ''year'', for much the same reasons we identify ''who'' the image belongs to rather than simply saying 'we don't own it, but it's fair use.' The more info we provide, the more 'seriously' the copyright is being taken. if we wipe our ass with an unadorned, <nowiki>{{fairuse}}</nowiki> clearly we don't think the holder of the copyright is ''important''... or something.

I have a script I've been poking at. It can run through every image detail page on the wiki through a regular expression and pick out which images don't have copyright owners (Hasbro or Takara-- you're supposed to ID which even if you're using <nowiki>{{hastak}}</nowiki>,) which don't have dates, and which don't have any sort of copyright notice at all. (A significant chunk of our images have no notices that they belong to someone else.) It could also drop the offending images into categories to be sorted out and properly labeled. (I imagine I'd give it Steve-o and let it do so logged in as the bot to avoid the update-floods.)

...is anyone interested in this? Does it seem like a good idea? Terrible idea? ...Bueler? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 15:29, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

==Cartoon Episode Format Mark II==
Picking up an old thread here... per some changes I just finished making to all the Beast Era episode pages, IMO:
* The one-line summary should be bold. It's the single most important thing on the page; your eye should leap right to it.
* It should be the very first thing on the page, above the nav box (barring temporary templates like "pics needed".)
* It should be free of links. They're distracting and ugly, and it's kinda absurd to think someone's going to click right off the summary to see what a "Maximal" or whatever is. Links can easily be integrated into the body of the plot summary.

I'd also rather see Quotes before Stats, to keep all the in-universe stuff together before moving to out-universe stuff like writers, air dates, commentary, order of appearance, etc. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 00:13, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

:I agree with all of this, except for the one-line summary being above the nav box. Pure personal preference, though, rather than any sort of functionality - I just don't like the way it looks. In fact, I think putting it below the nav box actually ''helps'' its notice-ability - it "frames" the summary quite nicely between the nav box and the contents box. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 00:22, 27 January 2008 (UTC)
::Heh, I see it the opposite way -- having the summary first provides a frame for the inevitable white space that accompanies the nav box. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 06:24, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

::Picking up on what I said above, putting the stats section down below not just the extended summary but now below the quotes section as well is something I strongly oppose. Episode writers do not get the recognition they deserve. We should not be burying their credits like that. That section belongs ''above'' the summary. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 03:21, 27 January 2008 (UTC)
:::I do hear what you're saying, but honestly I'm less bothered by the recognition factor than by the inconsistency with comic format, where all that junk ''is'' up front (though it often looks pretty bad, IMO.) If it were ''just'' the writer credit, I'd be okay with having it up front (though I ain't gonna be the one who goes back through 78 Beast Era episode pages to change it!) But then you get into the odd condition of having that one bit of info up front, while the rest of the standard information external to the episode's events is much deeper in the article. Having much more stuff up front than that makes for a messy, unattractive, and harder-to-read format compared to having it all bundled in the Stats section... IMO, natch.
:::"If "recognition" is the concern, heck, think of the animators who slaved a lot more than the writers ever did to bring each episode to life. They get no credits at all. Neither does Robert Buckley, who provided music for both Beast series. The list goes on and on. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 06:24, 27 January 2008 (UTC)
::::The information I am suggesting be up front would only be three lines (Written by, Directed by, air date), which I don't think would be very intrusive at all. To my mind, before the summary is the only logical place for this information to be presented, as episodes themselves generally present those two credits up front, and air date is a known factor when watching an episode when it debuts.
::::On the issue of recognition, you make a good point, however my concern is a bit different. Robert Buckley may not get a lot of recognition from the fandom for the music of Beast Wars, but it's not like they give someone ''else'' all the credit on that score, pun semi-intended. But the writers? The fandom often enough acts as if Forward and DiTillio wrote every single word of Beast Wars, and Skir (alone, of course, as the Isenberg Uncertainty Principle remains in full effect) the same for Beast Machines. The story editors are obviously the most important writers, but they didn't do it all on their own.
::::Burying the names of episode writers down below the summary and quotes sections just doesn't sit right with me, is all. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 04:46, 29 January 2008 (UTC)
:::::Hrm... combined with Steve-o's consistency argument, I suppose I could go along with doing it this way, with them all tucked together and separate from/below the one line summary. Written By and Air Date are in one little combined pair of lines now, an easy cut-n-paste to move up front. I don't think anyone's added Director credits to any of the episodes, by the by.
:::::As I said, I'm in no great hurry to do it myself -- my main concern was that the Beast Era show pages had drifted into all sorts of different arrangements, some of which looked pretty sloppy. For better or worse, they're all uniform now. If we're gonna change the layout, let's work on getting one sample page ''just right'', then we can worry about propagating it. To that end, have a look at "[[Chain of Command]]", see if it clicks for you. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 05:33, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I'm thinking if we could merge the ''Japanese title'' into the '''''Stats''' section'' because it seems to fit the section better. --[[User:TX55|TX55]] 03:14, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't have much of a preference, personally, about how to organize these things. However, I do feel pretty strongly that it should be more or less the same for both cartoon episodes and comic issues. Having different organizational schemes for different sorts of fiction doesn't serve much purpose, and makes things harder to get used to. (On the other hand, I ''also'' feel strongly that all of our passages relating fictional events should be in the same tense regardless of if they happen to be on a character page or a story page, but apparently that makes me insane, so don't take my pleas for consistency too seriously.) --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 02:35, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

===Cartoon format mark II.5===
Did we ever make a decision on whether to place the quotes area before the stats section? Because the sheer majority of episode articles (including old ones recently converted to current standards) place the stats before the quotes, but I notice some of the latest Cybertron episode articles are placing the quotes before the stats, which is creating inconsistencies in layout. Bear in mind it will create less work for us if we just leave things the way they are, with stats before quotes. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 09:34, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

==Cartoon continuity headings==
Have we decided on a definative format for this yet? most of the pages with characters who appeared in Sunbow's G1 through to the japanese series (and maybe Beast Wars as well) have quite different headings, and I recall we were worried about ''Transformers Animated'' causing problems with all the 'Animated continuity' headings on character pages. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 07:08, 3 January 2008 (UTC)
:I think we had decided on using "cartoon" instead of "animated." So use "cartoon continuity," or for those who appear in more than one cartoon continuity, use "Generation 1 cartoon continuity," "Beast Wars cartoon continuity," etc. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 07:13, 3 January 2008 (UTC)
::Can we have Diagnostic Drone change all occurrences of "Animated continuity" to "Cartoon continuity"? That'll require some cleanup in the <i>Animated</i> articles, but there are far fewer of those than there are of G1 subjects that are currently mislabeled. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 17:54, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

== Section-title master list ==

I've made a sandbox for the purpose of assembling a [[User:Jackpot/Sandbox/Sections|master list of all section titles]], their relation to each other, and their proper wording/formatting. Please discuss; I've introduced some new ideas, and I'd love to see a consistent guide established. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 01:04, 29 January 2008 (UTC)
:Wow, I think this really look nice and useful. ;D --[[User:TX55|TX55]] 03:44, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

== "First go here! Next go here." ==
I was thinking a bit about the various problems we've got around here -- stuff like incomplete image descriptions, orphaned articles, etc. There's really no one central place where a newcomer (or a regular who feels like doing something useful but doesn't know what) can go to find a quick list of things that need doing. The current help pages just send you to the list of articles in need of creation, which is kind of daunting, especially for a newcomer who has to learn a million standards and Wikia tags. Is there a more comprehensive way to point people in the direction of useful things they could be doing? Whatever it might be, it should include links to:
* Pages in need of creation
* Orphaned pages
* Stubs
* Pics needed
* Any current projects, like the Beast Wars one. Hell, I couldn't find that thing if my life depended on it.
...as well as a note about common problems: dead/missing storylinks, incomplete image descriptions, and whatever else. (Heck, who knows? Maybe it could even distract an IP person long enough to prevent them from screwing with captions.... ahh, who'm I kidding?} -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 21:51, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

:There are some of those things catalogued [[Special:Specialpages|here]], but I think making links to the most important of these categories, and placing them together in one easy-to-find link off the main page, would be best. Perhaps on the Help contents page, since it's linked right off the main page already, in the most logical location? I think that link is a bit small, for what it's worth. --[[User:Sntint|Sntint]] 22:09, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
::One of the projects in the back of my head is a help-page/guide specifically breaking down the creation of character pages, plus the use of "common templates" for them (disambigs, stubs, notes). I'll see if I can scrounge up some time to rough-copy one. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 22:56, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

==Other Maintenance Templates?==
I haven't had much time to do more "substantial" wiki edits lately, but I've been prepping for later with the charstub sub-categories. Fiction really isn't my bag... I mean, I know it in general, but not issue titles and numbers and bla bla. But I figure it's also nice to have the "really needs a lot of stuff" pages separated from the "just needs some stuff in one subsection" ones, especially once I can make a concentrated effort to update the toy sections of various pages. I've been thinking about other similar "needs maintenance" template/categories, but I thought I'd bring it up here since I'm not sure who else might make use of them...<br>
I've noticed quite a lot of pages missing storylinks. I'm not intending on going through a big wiki-wide hunt, but as I go through the stubs and other pages doing little maintenance and tweaks, well, I think I'd like to be able to mark pages I come across that are missing those links they should have. Picture and quote? Isaac Sumdac and/or Tutorbot, "I cannot believe I programmed you with such simplistic information!" (Idea courtesy of Trent Troop.)<br>
I'd swear there was another one, but right now, too tired to think of it and must sleep. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 06:53, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
:Perhaps a tag for a page with too many damn redlinks for concepts that will never need articles?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 07:08, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
::I don't think that will be neccessary, as it's a simple matter of removing the [[ and <nowiki>]]</nowiki>s. Storylinks, though, require some research. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 15:40, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
:::I usually label such pages with <nowiki>{{stub|storylinks}}</nowiki>. [[User:JW|JW]] 15:44, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
::::Trick is, often they're not really stubs, are they? the main info is there, there's just not a "where'd this happen?" link. And maybe it's the data-manager in me that says this, but I think it'd be a lot easier to have a common problem like lack of storylinks as a category all its own, all together for easy identification and maintenance. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 16:11, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

== Disambiguation ==

We need a consensus on hiw we handle disambuigation in article titles. We've had some moving between [[Silverbolt (BW)]] and [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)]], and [[Dirge (Timelines)]] and [[Dirge (Whatever the Botcon 05 set was)]] because there are two Silverbolts in BW and two Dirges in Timelines. However, since one of those Dirges and one of those Silverbolts are G1 characters, the (BW) and (Timelines) tags are fine for the other two. The tags are simply for keeping the articles separate; not for telling you what continuity they're in. Plus, (Timelines) is much easier to type than "(Botcon boxset name I can't remember)". --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 23:35, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

:Somewhat related to the discussion at [[Talk:Starscream (Timelines)]]. My personal criteria is that a name used for two (or more) characters in the same toyline requires more specific disambiguation, regardless of the characters' origin, because readers shouldn't be expected to remember whether some character was already in another toyline. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 23:51, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

::So... what should disambigs be?
:# Distinguished ''only'' when strictly necessary. "Silverbolt (BW)" is fine because, while there were 2 Silverbolt toys in the BW Toyline, the other one is actually Silverbolt (G1)- so only one entry is trying 'sits' in the (BW) disambig, and no more specific disambing is needed. Parenthetical disambigs should be the broadest possible category the article can sit in without conflicting with another article, (usually a continuity family or franchise.) Absolutely no 'bumping' of disambigs as a concession to aesthetics.
:# Distinguished on a logical basis. "Silverbolt (Fuzor)" because there are two Silverbolts in the BW toyline, and the article title should not allow for confusion between the two.
:# Providing continuty info. A hypothetical new character Roller in the 2008 Universe line would be "Roller (Classic)" not "Roller (Universe)"-- so that the article title doesn't mislead people into thinking he's part of the 2004 Universe continuity.
::My problem with #2 ''and'' #3 is that the diambig isn't supposed to convey that information. The first line of the article, right below the title does. It will say 'Silverbolt is a Fuzor in the Beast Wars continuity family...' or 'Roller is a Ultracon in the Classics portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.'
::We are currently usign method #1. I oppose a change to methods 2 or 3 for the following reasons:
:# The '''first line''' of the article already supplies the information that solutions 2 & 3 would seek to add- and does it ''better.''
:# Implementing 2 or 3 would make it harder for ''editors'' to know where article are sitting ("I know there was only one Silverbolt in BW, why is my link to Silverbolt (BW) broken?")
:# The purpose of the parenthetical disambigs is not to convey info- it is to keep articles with the same title from sitting in the same namespace. Attempting to make disambigs convey information actually ''adds ambiguity'', because it would force the the locations the articles sit in to become ''less'' standard.
::Let diambigs be disambigs. If we want to make continuity notes clearer or more prominent, we can look at revising our approach to '''them'''. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 00:41, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

::We already have [[Help:Disambiguation]] to more or less lay this out. (I've just made a couple small changes to it for clarification.) There is going to be no simple rule of thumb which leads to tbe best results in every case, so make the parenthetical as brief and clear as you can. Derik is correct that the purpose of the parenthetical is to give the articles different names so the database doesn't get confused. To help out editors when we make links, it is good for them to be short and easy to remember. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 21:35, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

So, should we move [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)]] and [[Dirge (Decent into Evil)]] and the mirrorverse guys back to [[Silverbolt (BW)]], [[Dirge (Timelines)]] and [[mirrorverse guys (Timelines)]]? --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 22:42, 27 February 2008 (UTC)
:Wait to see if others have strong feelings/argument first. (We have a policy, but it's subject to conseunsus, remember? Also- I think I wrote most of that page so my point of view is unfairly over-represented there.) ''On review, no, apparently this is one policy page I '''didn't''' write. ...why can't I tell Steve-o's writing apart from my own? Scary. :~(
:Personally I say emphatically yes on Dirge, indifferent affirmative on Silverbolt, and wait and see on the Shattered Glass pages. We don't now where/if they fit in existing continuity. There's no point in movinf them a half-dozen times while arguing about unknowables. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:13, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

== Pages about fan sites ==

Is there a policy about this? I wanted to add TF Pulp, but I didn't see any other TF sites on here at all, so I figured I should ask first.
{{unsigned|Might Gaine|2008-02-27T14:04:54}}

:We don't give unofficial sites their own articles. You can link to information on TF Pulp from appropriate pre-existing articles, though. That sort of thing enhances the wiki by allowing people to find further information on the topics they are reading about. Just put it into an "External links" section right before the categories. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 21:18, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

==Cartoon episode title cards redundancy==
Why are we moving towards using the title cards of episodes for the main/starting picture of episode articles? Isn't it redundant to have a boring screenshot with the name of the episode placed next to...... the name of the episode in the actual article itself? Wouldn't it be more interesting to do what we have been doing, and use a screen capture that somehow encapsulates the whole episode, or shows a pivitol point in it that sticks in our memory? --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 02:55, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
:I've wondered the same thing myself, but figured it was a done deal. I too support the "memorable/encapsulating moment" approach. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 03:04, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
::Uh... I'm sorry, I think I started it. ;-) When I was doing some early RiD ep stubs I threw in the titlecards because the early episodes were boring as sin. I think McFeely did it for the JP eps because they tend to have those painterly titlecards...
::Really, it's just something you do if there isn't a ''good'' representative image. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 17:39, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
:::Like Code of Hero (an article that needs a major overhaul itself), I originally put an image of Dinobot's sword lying on the deck of his quarters, because it looked poignant. Did the same for various other Beast Wars episodes. Then Interrobang replaced them all with screencap of the title screens. Gah. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 07:05, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
::::So tell him to stop! ;) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 07:58, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
:::::Sigh. I did it because I like consistency, even with Japanese series. "Dinobot's sword on the ground" might be your favoritest image ever but it's the odd duck out now. (It also looks terrible due to the artifacting brought about by needlessly screwing with the brightness and contrast.) [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 08:36, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
::::::Consistency is Victory- but Transformers Victory was incredibly boring. (Victory Gundam was pretty good though...) [[The Weak Component]], [[Survivor]] and [[End of the Line]] all have virtually ''identical'' title screens- an aerial shot of the Cybertropolis spaceport. That sucks— I'd much rather have an iconic image from each episode. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 10:07, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
::::::::I agree. Using iconic images is really good for the most episode guides, such as [[Code of Hero]], [[The Weak Component]], and several [[B.O.T. (episode)|others]], especially "Code of Hero" and "The Weak Component" are great and good examples. --[[User:TX55|TX55]] 13:38, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
:::::::Personally, I started doing for the Japanese series for the reason Derik gives, because it was usually a unique image made for the title card, or a good one that's representative of the episode. There were some duds, but... consistency. And then... ''Masterforce'' started to do really, ''really'' boring ones, and I was about to give up, then it occurred to me to start using the image from the next-ep preview, which proved a winner in most cases (in fact, I may yet go back and change swap out some of the title-card images with these, if it's a better option). The mention of Victory here amuses me, though, 'cause it's a good example of title cards being boring - it's the same two images of Star Saber and Deathsaurus, rotated in and out, for the whole series. I've used them for the first two episodes just to get them on show, but I plan to use the title-images from the next-episode previews for this one. I mean, when I wake up from the dullness-inducing stupor that Victory induces. - McFeely, at work
::::::::I reverted Dinobot's sword back to the version I uploaded. As I had not viewed the page much since last year, I didn't realize that Repowers tried to brighten it up for some reason - that moment is supposed to focus on the sword, not the room. And it's the 'odd duck out' now because some people have been replacing whatever had served as the main image with the title card. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 12:24, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
:::::::::I brightened it because, when it's reduced for the actual episode page where most people are going to see it, you can't tell what the heck you're looking at. Right now it looks a little bit of vague white stuff in darkness. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 13:36, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
::::::::::Vaat? I can see if plenty fine there, unless you're using a very, very high resolution that makes everything tiny. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 13:54, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
:::::::::::Could be my home monitor, which is HUGE. It does look more discernable from a work computer, though IMO it could still stand to be a tad brighter. -- [[user:repowers|repowers]], not signed in
I've changed my mind on this situation after mulling it over. A winner is FNN. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 03:31, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
:FNN sounds even more like a Simon Furman sound effect than FFN :D --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 04:26, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
::You clearly changed your name after I replied. There's no another answer. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 04:33, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
:::Hnh. FNN never DID want to live forever. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 04:55, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

==Help/policy page namespaces==
As part of the help/policy page revamp I plan to do... eventually... I kind of want to consolidate the pages all into a single namespace. Right now we have [http://transformers.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special%3AAllpages&from=&namespace=12 a bunch of stuff] in the Help namepsace, and [http://transformers.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special%3AAllpages&from=&namespace=4 a bunch of other stuff] in the Transformers Wiki (aka "meta") namespace. This is needlessly confusing. I vastly prefer "Help" for the purposes of typing it all the time, but, the meta namespace is more general purpose and standard... and possibly required for some pages like the title blacklist. So I am inclined to shuffle all the Help namespace pages over to the meta namespace. Does anybody have an opinion on this? --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 17:37, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
:Help seems fine to me. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 17:45, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

== "The Battlestars" page disappeared ==

When the "Battlestar" (team) page got changed to "Battlestars", then "The Battlestars" page, which was the manga, disappeared. What happened? --[[User:Might Gaine|Might Gaine]] 13:36, 8 March 2008 (UTC)
:I don't think that page actually existed in the first place. It was a red link before any moving was done - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 14:04, 8 March 2008 (UTC)
::Hmm. My bad. --[[User:Might Gaine|Might Gaine]] 15:01, 8 March 2008 (UTC)

==Comic character box format Part IV==
I believe we should change it from 'Major characters' to 'Featured characters' like we do in the cartoon recap articles. Doing it as 'Major characters' means writers of these comic articles will just not bother list the incidental characters, such as humans, even ones with dialogue, and if any of these characters have articles, they become orphaned articles. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 06:32, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
:Well I have gone thru nearly the entire U.S. Marvel series and I think I've included just about everyone who had a speaking line, except for folks who were un-named and such. If someone wants to change from "major" to "featured", it doesn't matter to me, but I'm not gonna go thru all 80 issues again and do it. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 20:18, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
::I was concerned because I was looking for the article for that [[Professor Goring]] guy from [[Spotlight: Shockwave]] so I could update the article. To my surprise, Shockwave didn't link or even name him, and somebody had eliminated the 'human' column altogether because evidently we only dealt with 'major' characters. Essentially, Goring's article became orphaned. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 20:32, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
:::Well that was dumb; he should indeed be re-added. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 20:39, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
:::Uh, yeah. That's not good. I support the change to "Featured" not just for this... but let's face it, this wiki is not simply about "Major" characters. The vast wealth of non-major character information is what makes this wiki great, and we should make sure that they are properly linked to so people can find them, even if they weren't looking. "Oh, hey, who's this?" --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 20:39, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
::::MistaTee, well sometimes even unnamed characters can be interesting enough to warrant their own articles if they are interesting in some way/stand out in some way. After all, we have an entire category devoted to unnamed characters. So I think they should have been mentioned in the article in some way. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 04:45, 12 March 2008 (UTC)
:::::Oh, I agree, and if I've missed any, please feel free to add. I do think the 80 issues I've updated is a lot better than they were before though. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 13:58, 12 March 2008 (UTC)
::::::Of course. Is there article template pages somewhere on this wiki or are we copy pasting every time we write a new article? --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 14:07, 12 March 2008 (UTC)
:::::::I've just been going through the Stormbringer articles, and I was ''not at all'' happy with the with the way characters who didn't have significant dialogue (such as ''every'' Pretender besides Bludgeon) were for the most part not even mentioned in the articles. I assume the original writer of these articles just didn't know who they were, but frankly it's just sloppy considering the information available on this wiki even in 2006. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 14:38, 12 March 2008 (UTC)
::::::::I believe I reformatted them to the new format, but just copied the character list from what was there. When I get the chance to re-read, I will add in the others, if someone doesn't beat me to it. Oh, and I am copying and pasting from the previous article, but trying to be consistent. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 15:31, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

:So... what becomes of the former "minor characters" list? Do we even care about those dudes? Take [[Totaled!]] for example -- almost every Earth Autobot to date appears in the story (and most of the Decepticons), but the page currently lists only the speaking ones. Gods help the poor soul who decides to take that task on, but when some nobody like Air Raid makes a rare appearance in the comics, it seems worth noting. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 15:25, 12 March 2008 (UTC)
::IMO, I think those characters should perhaps be in a cameos section, a subset of "Items of note". But I sure as hellz am not going thru the whole Marvel series again to do that. Someone else can have a go at it. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 15:31, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

==Navigation boxes for shared US/UK stories==
I wish I'd noticed [[user:MistaTee|MistaTee]]'s changes to the Marvel US navigation boxes sooner, but that's water under the bridge now. When I set the boxes up, I deliberately left out certain links at points where the continuities split and come back together. The point was that there would be no duplicate links in the box. One hopes that the reader following the UK chain will be smart enough to figure out that the only "Next" link shown will lead to the next step in the chain. This goes double for US stories that have the same Next and Previous links for the UK. Why do the same links need to be duplicated?

Compare:
* [http://transformers.wikia.com/index.php?title=Cold_War%21&oldid=129298 Old version of Cold War]. There's no "next" for the UK spot, 'cause it would just be the same as the US "next" link.
* [[Cold War!|current version of Cold War!]] - two "next" links are identical.

Also compare:
* [http://transformers.wikia.com/index.php?title=Dark_Star%21&oldid=152775 Old version of Dark Star!] - no extraneous info.
* [[Dark Star!|Current version of Dark Star!]] - ''two'' redundant links.

To sum up my take on current version:

Minus:
* Redundant links add to confusion
* Double nav box is ugly and should be avoided when possible

Plus:
* Lists UK publication number right up front
* Consistent format for all US issues.

But I've never been one to favor consistency at the expense of practicality. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 17:54, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

:Now see, I didn't like '''not''' having a next for the UK, even if it's the same as the US one. What I think we really need is a revision of the nav box, and maybe have some more options. First, I think there should be a separator line between the US and UK nav. Secondly, maybe some logic could be programmed in so that IF "next2"="next" THEN it would say "same as U.S. version" or something along those lines. Same for the "prev"/"prev2" naturally. Thoughts? --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 18:10, 11 March 2008 (UTC)
::That sounds like an excellent trade-off -- it gets rid of the bothersome parts while keeping the good bits. Uhhh.... anybody have any idea how to do it? The coding of these things is an utter mystery to me. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 18:20, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

== How to spell Malay. ==

Hello everyone, I've noticed that on the 'English/Malay' dubs, people have spelt word 'Malay' wrong. It doesn't have a 'y', because 'Maylay' is incorrect, so if you see any mistakes, please correct it, thank you! Also, can we not put the word crack head next to it? It's quite offensive.--[[User:akindofdrifter|akindofdrifter]]
:It's meant in jest because the [[RTM 1 dub]] is really, really bad, as if the dubbers didn't know what the hell was going on half of the time. But we have been changing such instances to 'RTM 1 dub name:' lately. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 15:29, 15 March 2008 (UTC)
:"crack head" is describing the dubs, and with good reason. Battleship Maximus is called "Spaceship Bruce", Blaster is called "Billy", Twincast "Blaster", Metroplex "Phillip", Spike "Sparkle", Soundblaster "New Soundwave", Minevera "Nightbeat", The Matrix and Energon cubes "Power Packs, etc... --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 15:35, 15 March 2008 (UTC)
::We should probably get the drone onto the task of replacing "Maylay" with "Malay", however. [[User:JW|JW]] 15:42, 15 March 2008 (UTC)
:::I don't know about the crack head comment, it's better to avoid offending people; 'though, Spaceship Bruce is my favourite, next to Wally. Also, you got your drone right here (yay?), but do we replace it with 'English/Malay dub', or 'RTM dub'? --[[User:akindofdrifter|akindofdrifter]]
::::I fully agree with the removal of "crackhead." Frankly, it IS offensive to equate the oddities that arise from the translation of Japanese into English done by people who's first language was likely neither with being on crack. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 19:14, 15 March 2008 (UTC)
:::::Can we leave it in for just Spaceship Bruce? The others are at least somewhat understandable, but ''Spaceship Bruce''? WTCHOP? --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 19:37, 15 March 2008 (UTC)
::::::Sorry, but I don't wanna label another country saying it's populated by drug addicts. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have Headmasters/Masterforce/Victory in English in the early 90's(?), and for a non-Japanese speaking country, they made a good effort. I guess you can emphasise the weirdness that is Spaceship Bruce, in his bio or the RTM page. So, 'RTM dub' or 'Englsh/Malay' dub? Technically, there was no Malay in the English dubs in the first place, so I'd go for RTM dub :) --[[User:akindofdrifter|akindofdrifter]]
:::::::It takes a real willfully oppressed state of mind to interpret that as a racial/nationalist insult. I mean, you have to really ''want'' to be offended by something, and be on the lookout for any little thing to jump on. 'Cause "crack-head" is pretty clearly referring to the ''dubs'', not the ''entire freaking country'', and I'm not sure why anyone would decide to think otherwise. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 11:32, 16 March 2008 (UTC)
::::::::You know, crackhead is generally a term that refers to ''people'', not ''things''. As I said above, we shouldn't be seen to be equating the people who produced these dubs with crackheads because of what we perceive as humorous oddities in the translation, which are possibly just the perfectly natural result of cultural and linguistic confusion. Now it might not be an insult to the entire nation of Malaysia, but it is still, I think, a bit offensive. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 16:13, 16 March 2008 (UTC)
:::::::::Well, regardless.... shouldn't it actually be the "Crackhead ''RTM-1'' dub"? -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 16:23, 16 March 2008 (UTC)
::::::::::'Cracked-up English/Malay' dub, 'though it's not my idea, and it's not so blunt. Or the shorter 'RTM dub', since there is an [[RTM 1 dub]] page where people can redirect themselves there and elucidate the weirdness of weird names; but do we have to spell Malay with two 'y's? Maybe we can make reference to that on the RTM page again. --[[User:akindofdrifter|akindofdrifter]]
:::::::::I think 'Cracked-up English/Malay' could be used for the article such as [[Ginrai]] and [[Minerva]]('cause their RTM dub name "Optimus Prime" and "Nightbeat" were too... hilarious?), while just "RTM dub" for Fortress Maximus' Spaceship Bruce. Well, just a little opinion. :) --[[User:TX55|TX55]] 12:11, 17 March 2008 (UTC)
:::::::::: Agree! :D --[[User:akindofdrifter|akindofdrifter]]

==Trivia section image formatting==
This issue came up a while ago on [[Talk:Frenzy_%28Movie%29#Image_format|Frenzy's talk page]]. There were opnions both ways, and it wasn't really resolved. The issue is, should images in trivia sections alternate left-right, or be all on one side?

Part of the trouble with alternating sides is that it kills the bullet points. A double bullet has to be inserted for it to show up, and then there's some ambiguity over which bullets should be doubled and which left single. Dpouble bullets can also cause images to overlap the text.

Several folks said there's a lot of ugly white space when the images are stacked on one side. I see it just the opposite on my (admittedly gigantic) screen, with every image having a big empty white space below it when they alternate sides. Apparently it's got something to do with monitor resolution, so there might not be a solid answer. But --

I'd ''love'' so see some screencaps from folks showing how they see things on their monitors. It's a little hard to understand this problem without seeing it from other people's POV.

I started a little Sandbox at [[:user talk:repowers/Sandbox2]] with two different versions of Frenzy's trivia. The first one stacks all the images at the top. Does this work for people on lower monitor resolutions, or does it still look like crap? With them all stacked at the front, I don't see how they could have any white space, regardless of monitor resolution. On my screen, it looks very neat and tidy, while the second one is messy. See:

[http://www.builtstlouis.net/tf/frenzy1.jpg Stacked] <br>
[http://www.builtstlouis.net/tf/frenzy2.jpg Alternating]

Thoughts and input welcomed. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 01:36, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

:Alternating does kind of suck now. I've been putting pics all on the right side where there are bullet points since Wikia updated their software... an update which covered single bullet points if you put an image on the left side of the screen. I suggest cutting down on images in Trivia, since most users here have smaller monitors and use lower resolutions. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 05:44, 17 March 2008 (UTC)
::I think the easiest answer is to just remove the head images. They're essentially redundant and don't really add anything to the reader's understanding. I'd call for a general limit on how many images you can stuff into a section. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 06:27, 17 March 2008 (UTC)
:::I'd remove the head images from the article proper... but then make a text link to them within the relevant paragraph so people can see them anyway if they want to. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 06:35, 17 March 2008 (UTC)
::::That works. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 07:11, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

== Foreign name format ==
I just found the foreign names doesn't have an unified format.
:For example, some are
::''Hungarian name:'' '''Kerék''' ("Wheel"<sup><small>(with or without "")</small></sup>)
:others are
::''Hungarian name'': '''Kerék''' (meaning Wheel<sup><small>(or "Wheel")</small></sup>)

I suggest we could use an unified format like the below:
:<nowiki>:''Foreign name 1:'' '''Name A''' (Form A), '''Name B''' (Form B)</nowiki>
:<nowiki>:''Foreign name 2:'' '''Name''' ("English meaning")</nowiki>

Take [[Hot Rod]] for example, it will look like:
:''Japanese name:'' '''Hot Rodimus''' (Hot Rod), '''Rodimus Convoy''' (Rodimus Prime)
:''Hungarian names:'' '''Nagyágyú''' ("Hot ''Shot''"), '''Rodimusz Fővezér''' ("Prime Commander Rodimus")

Thoughts and idea are welcomed :) --[[User:TX55|TX55]] 09:09, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
:I don't have a strong opinion on how the international names are standardized, but I strongly agree that they should be. I nominate someone else to go through and do it. -[[User:LV|LV]] 21:40, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

== Wookiepedia has a darn nifty interface ==

What would it take for us to create something similar but Transformers-y?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 21:36, 19 March 2008 (UTC)
:I think the admins were adament that we keep a simple, bare-bones default look to the TF wiki, in keeping with our 'let's not take this stuff too seriously' attitude and tone. At least that's what I remember them saying when I suggested an orange layout like what Teletraan I looked like in the cartoon. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 09:34, 21 March 2008 (UTC)
::The current Wookieepedia also doesn't seem to want to cooperate with my comp here at work. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 18:27, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

==Characters lacking visuals category?==
It's dawned on me that there are actually quite a few characters who don't have any form of visual representation. They may have been described, but there are no ''pictures''. While a bulk of these are from prose stories, there's several who were simply mentioned by name in comics, or in external sources (Key Code info, S7 site, etc). More than enough to justify a category.<br>
I think that maybe there should also be a template/visual for this to call attention to this fact on the page right up front. I'm thinking a variation on the current <nowiki>{{mainpic}}</nowiki> template... a silhouette, (different from the mainpic one) and some text saying "This character has no known official visual depiction" or something. Anyone? --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 18:33, 21 March 2008 (UTC)
:Well, for the characters with the mainpic template, the idea is that the mainpic image is there as a placeholder, and to annoy people into tracking down an image.
:However, characters that have never had any visual depiction, and are unlikely to ever get one, don't need a placeholder for their image, and the template will just pointlessly take up room. I'm against the template, but I think the category is a good idea, and will suffice to identify these characters. [[User:JW|JW]] 18:44, 21 March 2008 (UTC)
::I disagree. The point is specifically to call attention to their lack of imagery, so nobody thinks "maybe they do have an image". And considering how little there ''is'' to most of those characters, a little extra visual pizzaz to their pages can't hurt. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 19:06, 21 March 2008 (UTC)
:::''so nobody thinks "maybe they do have an image"'' Are you intending to convey that message to ''editors,'' or casual users? Editors will, in theory, know enough to look for the category. I'm not sure casual users need to have the point brought to their attention.
:::And, it's not like we have scads of frantic editors running around trying to find pics for characters who have only appeared in prose. This may be a solution without a problem. [[User:JW|JW]] 19:27, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

== Timelines disambuig ==

There doesn't seem to be a consensus on how to name the various Timelines articles.

I feel that any disambiguation in the article title should be limited to keeping the articles separate. For instance, [[Optimus Prime (Shattered Glass)]] should be at [[Optimus Prime (Timelines)]] unless there is another Optimus Prime who's first appearance in anything was in Timelines. G1 Prime appearing in the 2007 Timelines comic does not affect this, as he is already at [[Optimus Prime (G1)]]. If G1 Prime being in a Timelines comic affected this, we would need to move [[Cyclonus (Armada)]] to [[Cyclonus (Armada whatever size class he is)]] because a version of G1 Cyclonus appeared in ''Worlds Collide''. The only reason to include the set name in the article title is ''two'' separate characters who first official anything is in ''Timelines''. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 17:18, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

== Shattered Expectations ==

Um, shouldn't those<small><sup>[[Deathsaurus|1]][[Bug Bite|2]]</sup></small> who appear in ''[[Shattered Expectations]]'' have their own page like others<small><sup>[[Optimus Prime (Timelines)|1]][[Grimlock (Timelines)|2]]</sup></small> even their counterparts' article would be short? --[[User:TX55|TX55]] 06:28, 6 April 2008 (UTC)
:I brought this up on [[Category_talk:Mayhem_Suppression_Squad]]. As I said there, I think they should either get their own articles or if that's not warranted just be covered on the Mayhem Suppression Squad article. Either way, I don't think "Shattered Expectations" fiction sections belong on the normal-verse guys' pages. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 07:08, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

==Monaco skin==

Hi -- Have you guys seen the new Monaco skin that's being used on Wikia now? You can see it at [[w:c:muppet|Muppet Wiki]] and [[w:c:marveldatabase|Marvel Database]].

As we've been rolling the skin out across Wikia, there are a few things that we've found when wikis switch to Monaco:

* The number of pageviews goes up. The flyout menus encourage new readers to explore the content on the site, and people end up sticking around on the site for longer.

* The number of new editors goes up. Readers spend more time on the site, and find pages that they want to contribute to. Also, the design makes the edit button more prominent.

* The site is faster. There were some changes made last week to Monaco that make pages load a lot faster than Monobook. Hit "random page" a few times on a Monaco wiki, and you'll see what I mean.

So I'm going around and proselytizing to the Entertainment wikis that are still using Monobook. If you want to make a custom Monaco skin like Marvel Database and Wookieepedia have, I can help you make that happen. What do you guys think? -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 22:31, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

:Monaco does look nice, though it might go against what I understand is the wiki's purpose, which is to be quick and dirty, no fancy stuff and no pretention that this wiki is in any way officially endorsed or serious. At least that's the gist of what I was told after I previously suggested we could make the default colour of this wiki a shade of orange, like the computer systems in the original Transformers cartoons. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 23:16, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

::Yeah, we don't have to do a custom skin -- it could be the basic blue and white. I'm mostly interested in the improved functionality. -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 23:24, 7 April 2008 (UTC)
:::Eh, if it makes the place ''easier'', I don't think the "pure and simple" folks will object.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 23:26, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

And truth be told, I think the main dealbreaker here might be the extent to which Suki and Derik may or may not have farted about with tweaking Monobook. I know they've both made alterations, but I don't know quite what.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 23:34, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

:That stuff won't be affected at all. We can copy Monobook.css over to Common.css, and all of the tweaks that they made will still work. No problems. -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 23:52, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

My biggest concern is the menus. The "by series" list could easily fill the entire vertical direction of the screen. We don't actually have all the series listed on the main page now (Machine Wars, Dinobots, Timelines, Universe (2008), not to mention licenced lines like Animorphs, SWTF, Crossovers).--[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 00:45, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

:Well, the idea with the menus is to be selective rather than comprehensive. It's not supposed to be a complete sitemap for the wiki -- you just want to give the new readers something to click on first.

:On [[w:c:Muppet|Muppet Wiki]], we put up the most popular Muppet Show and Sesame Street characters, and then a link to "More characters". We just want to entice people into making that first click, without overwhelming them with choices.

:I have access to click-through data for the Monaco menus, so it's possible to run some tests. You could put up a set of menus for a few days, and then I'll be able to tell you which items are getting clicked. That way, you could refine the menus so that you could highlight the items that are most likely to get clicked on. I've been doing that with the Muppet menus, and it's fun to see what the readers are actually interested in reading about. -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 23:34, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

::So what do you guys think? I'd like to help you switch over to the new skin... -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 19:10, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
:::For some reason none of the admins have chimed in. I assume they're all off doing useless things like living in Real Life. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 21:10, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

::::Yeah, I left messages for Chris and ItsWalky... -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 21:12, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
:::::You might want to leave messages for [[User:Suki Brits]] and [[User:Steve-o]] as well. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 13:28, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

Well admins? Let's hear your opinions! I find the silence from the staff to be discouraging. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 16:18, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

If there's an actual interest in switching over to Monaco, then I would certainly have nothing against that... but I'd definitely like to hear more from the community first. Aside from that, I have no objections speaking as an admin; the modifications really aren't an issue. On the other hand, speaking as a wiki editor and professional web designer... I would definitely want to use a modified version, as it's got several pretty important issues. My thoughts, in no particular order:
* Search is nigh useless, again. Right now it resembles our ''broken'' Monobook search. I don't think that's a good thing. On the other hand, I'm currently working on fixing that anyway, so it's not like the same couldn't be done for Monaco.
* The header sucks. It really, really does. It's only 150px tall, but it sends a pretty powerful message: we'd rather show you this pretty, irrelevant picture then let you immediately get to article. ''I'' would want the top of the article as close to the top as possible.
:: Gah, I brought it over into another browser that doesn't block ads... and now I see why it's so obnoxiously huge. I am ''strongly'' opposed to putting giant hideous banner ads at the top of everything. Like, it's a little insulting that Wikia really thinks that ''that'' should be the first thing readers see. Teletraan I, like everything else on Wikia, is naturally ad-driven; but Monobook isn't offensive about it.
* The language selection is in a dropdown box, which is a TERRIBLE idea. This personally doesn't affect me, as I don't speak Hungarian, but it's pretty awful for anyone who actually is interested in seeing foreign language versions of articles... and has to click a dropdown menu on every single page if they're curious.
* The "community" box is really unhelpful. Half the content (user page, user talk, etc.) is redundant with the top of the screen, and absolutely nobody is interested in just the most recent two edits. That just leaves the number of articles. This is a lot of wasted room for nothing.
* I ''do'' like that the obnoxious sidebar on the right is gone. The current framing in Monobook wastes all sorts of space and Monaco definitely doesn't ''look'' like it has that problem.
There's also a bunch of minor things, but they don't really matter so much. The big issues are the useless space, a need to do major fixes to search, and the huge obtrusive banner ads (as opposed to the ones on the side in Monobook). But if Wikia's really willing to work with us on it, then by all means, it's up to what the community thinks. --[[User:Suki Brits|Suki Brits]] 20:48, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

:I've been around the Wookieepeedia lately, and I've noticed when you click edit, it loads significantly slower on Monaco than it does on the Monobook format. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 05:25, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

::Hi guys -- Sorry it took me so long to respond. I'll make up for it with a super-long answer. :)

::Yes, absolutely -- I want to work with you on this. Some of the things you've raised I can clear up immediately. For some, I can explain the rationale behind the approach, and show you some stats that may help. And if there are some things that need to get tweaked, I can talk to the designers & tech folks to see if we can come up with a solution.

::Just so you know: I work for Wikia now, but I started out in 2005 as the founder of [[w:c:muppet|Muppet Wiki]]. Working on wikis is my job now, but Muppet Wiki is where my heart lives, so I'm always looking out for what's going to help or hurt "my wiki". I am/was a big Monobook fan, and I was skeptical about Monaco as it was being designed. The thing that made me a Monaco fan was actually trying it out on Muppet Wiki, and then looking at the stats to see how it was working. Muppet Wiki and Teletraan I are very similar -- about a dozen really active contributors, a strong admin team and a community of about 60-80 contributors. So I can share with you what I saw on Muppet Wiki, and what I can see in the pageviews stats.

::First up, the rationale behind some of the decisions made with the new skin. There are some features on the new skin that the most active editors think are useless, like the Community box or the flyout menus. And it's true, those aren't very helpful for the active contributors. They're designed for the anonymous/new people, who are the vast majority of our readers.

::Here's the stats on unique visits for Teletraan I. (Unique visits counts the number of visits to a site, and not the number of pages you look at in each visit. So if you come to the wiki and look at 100 pages, that counts as one unique.) In the last month, there have been 2,725,000 anonymous visits, and 261,000 logged-in user visits. That means 91% of the visits to the site aren't logged-in contributors.

::Logged-in editors make 77% of the edits here, so obviously we're the people who are actually building the content that people are reading. Logged-in editors are important, and the dozen people who make over 100 edits here every month are especially important. Still, if you want to make the community bigger and more active, then you have to think about whether the design of the site encourages anonymous users to sign in and become active members.

::The purpose of designing the new skin was to make the wiki more accessible to the 91% of anonymous readers. Obviously, we have to keep the functionality that the active contributors need in order to build the wiki. At the same time, we have to be aware that the Monobook skin that we're familiar with is kind of confusing for brand-new people.

::For example, the "log in" button is in really small type at the very top right of the screen. From a website design perspective, that's crazy -- it's like we don't want people to find it. The log-in buttons on Monaco are big, green, candy-like buttons. There's one at the top right, and there's another one in the Community box on the sidebar. We want to encourage people to log in.

::In general, having all the important Monobook controls in little bitty tiny type says: We hate people who are older than 40. ("Go back to AOL, old man!") All of the Monobook buttons are in the same font, from the crucial stuff like "Log in" and "Edit this page" to the more obscure controls like "Related changes" and "Permanent link". On Monaco, the stuff that's important to brand-new users is bigger -- log-in, edit, the link to the home page. The search box is at the top, rather than being buried down in the sidebar. The controls that logged-in users need, like "What links here" and "Special pages", are in smaller type -- they're important to us, but a brand-new user wouldn't know what to do with them.

::Okay, so that's my very long introduction... Now I'll respond to the points that you guys have brought up.

::'''Search''': I think when you say that search is broken, you mean that there's just a "Go" button and not a "Search" button next to the search box. (If you mean something else, then let me know.) That's true, and it's something that I struggled with as the design for Monaco was taking shape. I use the Search button all the time, and I was frustrated that it wasn't included. Then I looked at the stats. On Teletraan I in the last month, logged-in users used Go for 91% of searches, and Search for 9%. Anonymous users used Go for 97% of searches. Given that, I think it's okay to make the Search button less prominent. I remember when I first started using wikis, I was totally confused by having two buttons. (Do I want to Go or Search? Well, I want to search, and then go to the search results...) I only figured out the difference through trial and error. So in Monaco, the search box at the top is Go, and then you can have a link to [[Special:Search]] in the toolbox. (Some wikis have that, and some don't -- Muppet has it, if you want to see how it works.)

::'''Community box''': That's one of the features that's designed to encourage brand-new users to explore the site. When you look at a wiki as a new reader, it's not always apparent that there's a community there. You read pages, but you don't necessarily know whether the articles were written today or a year ago. (Unless you look at Recent changes, which a brand-new reader doesn't know to do.) The Community box is designed to bring a little taste of the community activity up to their view. It's not a helpful way for a contributor to keep track of Recent changes, but it does show new people that something's going on. If you come to the site and see that somebody edited a page 15 seconds ago, then you understand that there's an active community. On Muppet Wiki in the last month, 1,404 anonymous readers logged in using the button in the Community box, 1,539 anon readers clicked the "more..." button to go to Recent changes, and 1,287 clicked on article links that they saw in the Latest Activity area. Those are readers who may not have been engaged with the site if they hadn't seen the activity going on in the Community box. On the other hand, logged-in contributors only clicked in the Community box 350 times. It's not designed for us; it's for the 91% of anons.

::'''Obnoxious ads''': This is the one area that's designed to help the company rather than the wiki. Basically, the deal is that Wikia doesn't make a lot of money from the "skyscraper" ads on the right sidebar. Nobody clicks on them, and most advertisers don't bother to make ads like that anymore. Advertisers want banner ads, and they want them at the top of the page. I can't justify this one in wiki terms, except to say that if we want Wikia to stay in business and continue to host wikis, then we need to change the skin to accommodate the changing ad market. Otherwise, there won't be a Wikia after a while.

::'''Languages drop-down''': We changed the list into a drop-down menu because sites like Wookieepedia had a long list, which took up a lot of sidebar space, and only had about 100 clicks on language links in a month. On Teletraan I, there have only been 2 clicks on the language links since October.

::'''Content space''': There is slightly less content area on Monaco when you first come to the page. The sidebar is smaller than the combined left & right Monobook sidebars, so the content area is wider. The banner ad means that the height takes a hit for the first screen. As you scroll down, though, the Monaco content area is bigger than on Monobook, because the page is wider. I can show you some screencaps if you want more info on this.

::'''Slow edits on Wookieepedia''': That looks like a bug that's specific to Wookieepedia... I'm not sure what's going on there. It looks like when you hit edit on Wookiee, it's looking for something from maps.google, and that can slow down the page load for the edit screen. I hadn't seen that before, so I'm really glad you pointed it out. That's not affecting other Monaco wikis like Muppet Wiki or Marvel Database, so there must be something in Wookieepedia's css that's causing that. I'll look into it. If you look at Muppet or Marvel, you'll see that the page load is lightning fast right now. (Not counting periods of site-wide database problems, which affect every skin.)

::So anyway -- this is a huge long post, but I think I responded to everything. As you can tell, I take this stuff really seriously, and I'm willing to put in the time to research the impact and explain what's going on. Do folks have other questions or concerns about Monaco? I could keep talking about this stuff all day. :) -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 17:33, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

:::Personally, as regular contributor, I'm fine with switching to Monaco, so long as we get to keep our new 'random page thumbnail' above the search box (or anywhere, really). I think it's useful for visitors to be able to visit a random page with an interesting thumbnail image rather than simply doing random searches or hitting Random page repeatedly. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 17:44, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

::::I knew there was something I forgot to mention! Yeah, the featured page thumbnail. I think that's something that we can adapt.

::::That feature doesn't have anything to do with search -- it just happens that you can put a picture in the Monobook search box. I actually think what you've made is a little misleading. The picture says "Search" on it, and it's right above the search box -- so as a user, I would assume that if I click that, I'll get some kind of search results page. Instead, it goes to a featured article, which isn't necessarily what you'd expect.

::::The feature is really a rotating spotlight for featured articles, which is cool and visual, and helps to bring readers deeper into the content. It's a great idea. I think it would actually be more effective if it was split away from search, so readers would be more likely to recognize it as a featured-article spotlight.

::::So there are a couple ways to do that in Monaco. The easiest way would be to put it in the sidebar -- check out [[MediaWiki:Monaco-sidebar]] for an example. Here's pics to show what that would look like.

<gallery>
Image:Monacosidebar1.jpg
Image:Monacosidebar2.jpg|You can update this list anytime, so you can freshen it up every day or every week. Or never.
Image:Monacosidebar3.jpg|That big green, fire-snortin' lizard must be included.
Image:Monacosidebar4.jpg|If you click on "Embrace the Knowledge", it takes you to the Allspark article. Obviously.
</gallery>

::::It's not graphical, but it allows you to bring the funny into the sidebar, which you've never been able to do before. One advantage of this approach is that you can add in new articles to the sidebar without having to wait for somebody to make a graphic.

::::If that's not enough and you need to go graphical, then I can talk to our designer, Christian, about creating a widget that can go into the sidebar and have the same function. It could sit above or below the Community box. It would be separate from search, but like I said, that may be a good thing. What do you think? -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 21:48, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

If you want to sell this to Walky... make it orange.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 22:05, 17 April 2008 (UTC)
[[Image:Orangemonaco.jpg|thumb|250px|It could be even oranger if that would help.]]
:Does this work? -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 22:13, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

::The brick skin has a pretty nice brown/orange thing going. That's what I'm using at the moment. --[[User:Professor Icepick|Professor Icepick]] 22:17, 17 April 2008 (UTC)
:::See, that's what was needed to get his attention. The orange will draw him, like a moth to a flame.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 22:24, 17 April 2008 (UTC)
[[Image:Monacobrick.jpg|thumb|250px|Monaco Brick, in all its dark red and orange glory.]]
::::Here's how Brick looks... -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 22:28, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

:::::Do it! --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 00:41, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
::::::I TOLD you guys that we should make this wiki orange (to actually look like Teletraan 1) way back before we even knew about Monaco, but you were all "We are serious business about not taking ourselves seriously". --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 06:44, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

:I don't know all that much about what can and can't be modified, but can't a number of the problems with Monobook be solved simply by changing the css or js files? I'm mainly talking about the small text size for the tabs and login. Plus, most people who edit wikies are probably familiar with Wikipedia's Monobook interface. Plus, I don't think anyone wants the trouble from the ad format being changed again. A few months ago the site started taking showing wider vertical ads, and it was awhile before the horizontal scrolling mess got cleaned up. But then again I'm the guy who uses XP's Classic Windows scheme with Windows 98's colors and icons, so I may be biased when it comes to new interfaces. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 22:41, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

::The Monobook problems can't be solved with css changes. The type size is an example, but it's really a general problem with the layout. Wiki veterans are used to Monobook, but it's not necessarily a great layout for new people. I meet people all the time who read Wikipedia, but when I ask if they've ever made an edit, they say no -- it never occurred to them. I think it's important to make wikis more accessible to new people, and we're finding that Monaco is helping people to explore the wikis and make their first edit.

::Are there other concerns that people have that I can help with? I know that this discussion has gone on a bit, and I'd hate to have it just run out of steam before it gets to a decision. -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 18:15, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
:::It seems like there aren't any more concerns about the new skin, so I'm thinking about changing it over to Monaco tomorrow, unless someone has objections. Once it's switched over, then I can help you out with whatever customization you want. Is that cool? -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 15:55, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
::::A great number of us are indisposed at [[BotCon 2008]] this weekend, but there should still be a handful of us around. So you know! --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 16:09, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
:::::Gyah. I thought we were doing Brick?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 21:17, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

:We can do anything you guys want... I'm just playing around for a minute to see if I can come up with something interesting. It's gonna look bad for the next five minutes... and then we can talk about what you guys want, and fix it up nice. -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 21:21, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

::Okay, never mind. That just looked bad. :) So I set it to Brick. If you guys want to change these colors, we can change them to whatever you like. -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 21:25, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

===Apparently implemented===
Is there any way to override this that '''doesn't''' override the skins on ''every'' Wikia-hosted wiki? - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 21:19, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

:Do you mean, you want to see the skin in Monobook? You can go to Preferences --> Skins, and set your preferred skin to Monobook. You can check or uncheck the box that says "Let the admins override my skin choice" to either see customized skins or not. -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 21:27, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

::Yes, I know that. My problem with that is the "This setting will follow you across Wikia." clause. I don't want to override EVERYWHERE (e.g. Memory Alpha). Just Monaco wikis. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 21:30, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

:::Actually, they're working on switching over to the Monaco skin on Memory Alpha too... At a certain point, pretty much every Wikia wiki is going to end up on Monaco. Is there something about Monaco that you don't like? -- [[User:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue">Danny</font>]]<staff /> ([[User talk:Toughpigs|<font color="Blue" size="1">talk</font>]]) 21:43, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

==Script-style quotes==
There seems to be some disagreement on whether script-style quotes should have quotation marks or not. Personally, I strongly favor including them, for two reasons:
* Visual consistency. There's no reason not to have all the quotes in as similar a format as possible. Having some with quotation marks, and some without, ''in the same section'', seems like needless variation.
* It's... well... it's a ''quote''. We're not writing a screenplay; we're quoting something someone actually said. And a quote gets quotation marks.... fullstop. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 21:18, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

:Hmm, I'm afraid I disagree. They're simply not necessary, and they clutter the page.
:And, regardless of whether we decide to use double-quotes, can we put a stop to script-style where the quotes are are in double-quotes ''and'' italicized? {shudder} [[User:JW|JW]] 21:21, 12 April 2008 (UTC)
::The italics stuff is flat out bad formatting, no disagreement here. There's an earlier discussion about it somewhere on this page or the archives. Nobody should be adding stuff in that format anymore... I hope.
::As for double quotes... um... I have no clue what you're referring to. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 21:23, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

==Gone Too Far==
I've been alerted it's past the 30-day period for "coming soon Club stuff" non-updating. Have at it. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 22:03, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

==Searchbox improvement drive==
So now we have a very nice set of searchboxes, thanks to the lovely design work of M Sipher and the superhuman coding skills of Suki Brits. The effort of these boxes is to show the visitor all of the awesome crap we have. To do that, said cap must in fact be awesome. Unfortunately, a lot of the pages linked to by searchboxes are [[Shatterpoint|imageless]], [[T-AI|missing fiction]], or [[High Wire (Armada)|pretty much content-free]]. Thus, I propose an improvement drive of the searchbox articles. When you click on one of those suckers, try and add something. I dunno how we'd make this official, exactly... - [[User:RolonBolon|RolonBolon]] 06:49, 16 April 2008 (UTC)
:Are these images supposed to show up automatically by/around/with the actual text box in which you type your search parameters? If so, I'm not seeing them in the current Monaco skin.--[[User:Apcog|Apcog]] 14:29, 16 April 2008 (UTC)
::They don't show up in Monaco, Quartz, Cologne Blue, or any other custom theme. Just Monobook, the default. --[[User:Suki Brits|Suki Brits]] 20:15, 16 April 2008 (UTC)
:::Is there a way to get the search box changes to load sooner? The way it is now the custom settings for the box are the last thing to load; it uses the default settings until the google ads finish loading. This can take awhile depending on how the crappy campus wireless is acting. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 20:39, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

I agree with RolonBolon about the searchbox thing. I know we're hard up for help, but why are we spending time creating these little searchbox images using pics from God knows where, yet we've neglected to upload a single image for the actual pages these buttons lead to? Not the mention pages that have absolutely no content whatsoever.
I think we've overreached ourselves, and in the future we should only do these searchbox things for articles that are largely complete and/or have alot of content and imagery, otherwise we look really half-ass and unfocused. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 22:37, 16 April 2008 (UTC)
:Yeah, what drove it home for me was Sixtrain. I see Sixtrain in the Search box. It looks nifty, like it's his box art. I click on the article, no images. Why the heck can't we upload Sixtrain's box art when we evidently have a clear enough copy of it to make a search teaser?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 23:33, 16 April 2008 (UTC)
::I was simply making boxes using what I had on the hard drive as examples, and not everything is good quality at main-image size. I don't think we've "overreached ourselves" at all. At worst, we omit a few items from the searchbox list if their entries are that empty for a little while, OH NOES. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 00:22, 17 April 2008 (UTC)
:::I am of the opinion that a fuzzy picture that can be replaced later is better than no picture at all. It helps users know what it's talking about in the meantime, right? [[User:Spriteless|Spriteless]] 02:24, 17 April 2008 (UTC)
::::We prefer no pic/no content to a crap pic/crap content. I've been taking a break from the Wiki, but it looks like I'm going on another image safari. My scanner not working is annoying. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 06:54, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

The fact that the image is the last one on the page to load isn't just visually annoying; it for some reason also makes whatever you've typed in the search field vanish in Firefox. I've had this happen to me a bunch of times. A lesser annoyance is that the input box moves when the image appears; it would be nice if it could stay in the same place (maybe by making the whole Search box a fixed size?), as it's a bad idea to have a clickable thing that spontaneously jumps around. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 20:31, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
: The way the Search Image works right now, I'd rather not even have them. My computer has slowed down ''epically'' trying to load those images each time, and if it's a high traffic time of day, the rest of the page will basically freeze for 30 seconds or more until that search image gets around to loading. This is extremely annoying when I just need a quick peek at a page before making a link, like checking if Stormcloud is one word or two or if Whirl needs to be disambig-ed in the link. And if I try to click Search to move on to a next page too early, the Image drops down in front and shang-hais my "click", so I go there instead of being able to type in where I want to go.

: I don't like the thing at all. It's been nothing but a hassle for the last day or so. There's already a Random page button right about it -- do we really need this too? --[[User:Xaaron|Xaaron]] 00:30, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
::The same thing has been happening to me lately, and I've never experienced that problem on Wookieepedia. And this is a real problem for me, as I'm actually ''supportive'' of the image icons. We may want review the system. -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 01:30, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
:::Though in fairness, some of that may be due to Wikia's tendency to nearly-crash every weekend. And to be honest, this weekend has been rather traffic low. I mean, seriously, did every head to BotCon a week early? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 02:09, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
::::Let me know if this continues to be an issue during weekdays (well, before Thursday, anyway). If it is, I'll figure out a way to let users optionally turn them off. I've never noticed it slowing down while trying to load, and any sane browser ''shouldn't'', but if that really is happening for some users, something definitely ought to be done about it.
::::I'll also take a look at preserving the form data while the images load, because that is definitely something that really ''should'' happen, too. --[[User:Suki Brits|Suki Brits]] 03:44, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
:::::Things sped back up again shortly after SFH's last post, but I'll post again if it keeps happening regularly. Maybe it was just an anomaly. --[[User:Xaaron|Xaaron]] 03:47, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
:::::'''Furthermore:''' I did a bit of code modification that should make the form retain anything you've typed before the images loads. You may need to do a hard refresh for the change to show up, but lemme know if that doesn't work for anyone. --[[User:Suki Brits|Suki Brits]] 03:52, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

==Templates listing==
Is there a page editors can refer to for templates (messagebox, user notices ect) without having to go through the categories or remembering the last time somebody used it so they can copy-paste it? They seem to be unnecessarily difficult to track down. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 03:43, 20 April 2008 (UTC)
:[http://transformers.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special%3AAllpages&from=&namespace=10 here] --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 04:50, 20 April 2008 (UTC)
::My main concern was not requiring the page soley for myself, but was this page obviously linked on a help page or something somewhere that anybody could find easily? I'd personally like to see this wiki become more user-friendly. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 07:25, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
:::Agreed, as I've [http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Transformers_Wiki_talk:Community_Portal#.22First_go_here.21__Next_go_here..22 said before on this very page]. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 15:05, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
::::Yeah. Our lack of user friendliness might discourage people from joining up. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 17:47, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
:What I'm worried about is that some of the other users would actually be okay with that...-- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 17:48, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
::Well, last time I checked some of these other users don't own the wiki. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 09:12, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

== new template: Comicinfo ==

Please checkout [[Template:Comicinfo]]. It's a little rough around the edges, but something I think could be useful on the comics pages. Comments and suggestions are welcome.--[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 02:42, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

== Masthead ==

Okay, the old Monobook masthead doesn't look so good under Monaco. How do we change this?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 21:31, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

== Sidebar ==

Given that we're getting a lot of Transformers Animated traffic lately, I'd say an item in the Monaco sidebar is likely going to help direct people to the right articles.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 21:45, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

== Hate the new skin. ==

Hate this new skin. Just wanted to say it. The old look was much more pleasent and open to read. New one is just crouded and Blah. THIS is gonna take getting use to. No Sir, I don't like it.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Crasher (G1)

2008-04-25T14:23:18Z

71.235.142.128: There

:''Crasher is a renegade [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family|continuity families]].''

{{Note |Crasher is a repeated [[easter egg]]/[[homage]] to the [[Tonka GoBots]] character of the same name. It may be assumed that, like her Go-bots counterpart, she is female, but this IS only an assumption.}}

==Fiction==
===IDW comics continuity===
A robot looking exactly like Crasher fought as one of the gladiators with Megatron in the [[Forge]], appearing to be part of [[Clench]]'s inner circle. Later she joined Megatron's team in the arena and in the Decepticon rebellion.

===Fun Publications "Shattered Glass"===

The heroic renegade Crasher was a Decepticon courier and cousin to the evil Autobot intellectual [[Blurr (Shattered Glass)|Blurr]]

==Trivia==

*[[Bugbite]] was part of an extra-dimensional team of Go-Bots that traveled to the TF Multiverse, it is unrevealed (as very little is revealed about her at all) whether Crasher might be the same, or if she is just a TF universe alternate version of the character.

*The GoBots version of Crasher (like all GoBots) was actually a cyborg and not a robot, while her Transformers counterpart is probably 100% robotic.

==External links==
[http://tfu.info/Gobots/Renegades/Crasher/crasher.htm GoBots Crasher at TFU.info]

{{-}}

[[Category: Comic-only characters]]
[[Category: Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category: Transformers]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Crasher (G1)

2008-04-25T14:22:33Z

71.235.142.128: How's this?

:''Crasher is a renegade [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family|continuity families]].''

{{Note '''Crasher''' is a repeated [[easter egg]]/[[homage]] to the [[Tonka GoBots]] character of the same name. It may be assumed that, like her Go-bots counterpart, she is female, but this IS only an assumption.}}

==Fiction==
===IDW comics continuity===
A robot looking exactly like Crasher fought as one of the gladiators with Megatron in the [[Forge]], appearing to be part of [[Clench]]'s inner circle. Later she joined Megatron's team in the arena and in the Decepticon rebellion.

===Fun Publications "Shattered Glass"===

The heroic renegade Crasher was a Decepticon courier and cousin to the evil Autobot intellectual [[Blurr (Shattered Glass)|Blurr]]

==Trivia==

*[[Bugbite]] was part of an extra-dimensional team of Go-Bots that traveled to the TF Multiverse, it is unrevealed (as very little is revealed about her at all) whether Crasher might be the same, or if she is just a TF universe alternate version of the character.

*The GoBots version of Crasher (like all GoBots) was actually a cyborg and not a robot, while her Transformers counterpart is probably 100% robotic.

==External links==
[http://tfu.info/Gobots/Renegades/Crasher/crasher.htm GoBots Crasher at TFU.info]

{{-}}

[[Category: Comic-only characters]]
[[Category: Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category: Transformers]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

User talk:71.235.142.128

2008-04-25T14:20:02Z

71.235.142.128: /* Crasher */

Hi, thanks for the Car Show Blow Up summary. However, it is abit... over the top in terms of gag commentary, and that gets in the way of conveying information. I'd suggest scaling it back so we get a mostly 'straight' summary, with abit of humour. Thanks --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 10:56, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

==Website?==
What's the exact link for the page that says Grindcore was inspired by Crush-Bull? [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 13:14, 3 March 2008 (UTC)
:I found it. Never mind, then. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 13:15, 3 March 2008 (UTC)

==Crasher==
You didn't write the article 'in-universe'. It sounds more like something off the Wikipedia if you mention they are an easter egg and they are part of X toyline. Check out how [[Cy-Kill]]'s article was written. We also write fiction sections in the past tense. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 14:17, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

*Didn't put it "in-universe" because in this case there is '''nothing''' in universe to say about Crasher that applies to both universes where she's shown up. It probably HSOULD at least be in italics though... [[User:71.235.142.128|71.235.142.128]] 14:20, 25 April 2008 (UTC)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Crasher (G1)

2008-04-25T13:59:30Z

71.235.142.128: Do we have a GoBot's category? Might be time to consider one...

:''Crasher is a renegade [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family|continuity families]].''

Crasher is a repeated [[easter egg]]/[[homage]] to the [[Tonka GoBots]] character of the same name. It may be assumed that, like her Go-bots counterpart, she is female, but this IS only an assumption.

==Fiction==

===IDW Generation 1===
A robot looking exactly like Crasher fought as one of the gladiators with Megatron in the [[Forge]], appearing to be part of [[Clench]]'s inner circle. Later she joins Megatrons team in the arena and in the Decepticon rebellion.

===Fun Publications "Shattered Glass" universe===

The heroic renegade Crasher is a Decepticon courier and cousin to the evil autobot intellectual [[Blurr (Shattered Glass)|Blurr]]

==Trivia==

*[[Bugbite]] was part of an extra-dimensional team of Go-Bots that traveled to the TF Multiverse, it is unrevealed (as very little is revealed about her at all) whether Crasher might be the same, or if she is just a TF universe alternate version of the character.

*The GoBots version of Crasher (like all GoBots) was actually a cyborg and not a robot, while her Transformers counterpart is probably 100% robotic.

==External links==
[http://tfu.info/Gobots/Renegades/Cy-Kill/cy-kill.htm GoBots Cy-Kill at TFU.info]

{{-}}

[[Category: Comic-only characters]]
[[Category: Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category: Transformers]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Skyfire (disambiguation)

2008-04-24T21:04:17Z

71.235.142.128: Spaceship

The name '''Skyfire''' can refer to several different characters:

*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], the [[Autobot]] scientist from ''[[Generation 1]]'' who was renamed ''Skyfire'' in the cartoon.

*[[Skyfire (RID)|Skyfire]], the [[Decepticon]] jet from ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]''.

*"[[Skyfire (comic issue)|Skyfire]]", the third issue of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] ''Generation 1'' comic.

*"[[Skyfire (spaceship)|Skyfire]]", the Dynobots starship in the IDW comic series.

"Skyfire" is also the name [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]], the Autobot space shuttle from the [[Unicron Trilogy]], had in the Japanese version of ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]''.

'''Skyfire''' is not to be confused with:

*"[[Fire in the Sky]]", the episode of the ''Generation 1'' cartoon in which Skyfire debuted.

*[[Skyblast (disambiguation)|Skyblast]].

*[[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]], the Autobot [[Action Master]] from ''Generation 1''.

*[[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]], the Autobot [[Velocitron]]ian combiner jet from the ''[[Cybertron]]'' portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy]].

{{disambig}}<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Spotlight: Grimlock

2008-04-24T21:01:17Z

71.235.142.128: /* Items of note */

[[Image:Spotlightgrimlock.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Me Grimlock star, Scorponok. Slag off!!!!!]]
{{comicnav | Spotlight (comics)| 14 | seriesname=''The Transformers: Spotlight''| prev=Spotlight: Mirage | next=Spotlight: Wheelie}}
'''If even Grimlock gets a Spotlight, what chance then, do we have?'''
__TOC__
<br clear=all">
==Synopsis==
{{spoiler}}
Agent Red and [[Skywatch]] scientist Weston discuss activating Grimlock. Red feels the recent [[Transformer|extraterrestrial robotic]] activity is a precursor for an invasion and wants Grimlock under their control to help counter the threat. Weston urges caution, stating that the [[Ravage|other]] [[Laserbeak (G1)|robots]] under their control have gone rogue and fears the same with "Thunder-Lizard 1". Red considers this but gives the orders to begin the process.

Grimlock is zapped with electricity, which activate his memories — one where Optimus Prime lambastes him for insubordination, one where he tells his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] not to mind Prime since their controversial methods work, one of the battle against [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and their subsequent entombment in lava. With this, Grimlock awakens, breaks his restraints and after a brief skirmish with security, he escapes the facility. Agent Red tells Weston to find out what went wrong and "fix it" so that they can try again with the other "Thunder Lizards". A Skywatch employee named Kloss ducks into a room and calls the [[Machination]], revealing that a planted virus has had the desired affect on Grimlock and that he is "yours for the taking."

As Grimlock makes his way down the streets and through inhabited areas, he wonders what the local [[human]]s are, and notes that his vocal processor is damaged and his internal chronometer and sensors are not fully functional. He does, however have a transporter chip he can use to recall him to his ship, the ''[[Skyfire (ship)|Skyfire]]'', but he assumes it's been destroyed.

Abraham Dante combines with Scorponok and transports to the [[Lahontan Dam]], where Grimlock has arrived. Grimlock takes an aggressive stance, but Scorponok tells him that his Dynobots are dead and that [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] has him on list of wanted [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]]s. He offers Grimlock to join him in the Machination plot to dominate the Earth by running interference and delaying [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s plans long enough for the Machination to put their plans into action.

Grimlock considers for a second, but smashes Scorponok in the face. He refuses the offer for two reasons: he could turn Scorponok in to Magnus for redemption, and as revenge for Scorponok once robbing an installation the Dynobots were guarding. The two do battle and Scorponok quickly gains the upper hand, mostly due to his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] upgrade. To be fair though, Grimlock's out of ammo.

As Scorponok chokes Grimlock, Grimlock's nearly passes out, but remembers having betrayed the Dynobots in their battle with Shockwave, dooming them to a living death. He activates his transporter chip, which remarkably still works, beaming him back to the ''Skyfire'', which is somewhere buried in ice. He hopes he can use the ship to find the other Dynobots.

As scientists repair the damage to Dante, he is informed that Skywatch have begun work on the remaining Dynobots. He instructs Kloss to install software that will let Skywatch believe they have control of the 'bots, while they will be used to dispose of their former leader.

==Credits==
'''Script:''' [[Simon Furman]]<br>
'''Art:''' [[Marcelo Matere]]<br>
'''Colors:''' [[Zac Atkinson]], [[Liam Shalloo]] and [[Andrew Elder]]<br>
'''Lettering:''' [[Amauri Osorio]]<br>
'''Editor:''' [[Andrew Steven Harris]]<br>
* ''Originally published:'' April 23, 2008
* ''Continuity:'' [[IDW continuity]]

===Major characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobots]]
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticons]]
! style="background:#FFEEB8" | [[Human]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (1)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (in flashbacks) (4)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (6)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (7)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (8)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (9)

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
* [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (13)

| style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top" |
* [[Joshua Red]] (2)
* [[Weston]] (3)
* various [[Skywatch]] employees (5)
* [[Kloss]] (10)
* [[Abraham Dante]] (11)
* [[Machination]] employees (12)
|}

== Errors ==
* One of the word balloons coming from Scorponok should actually be attributed to Grimlock.
* One of Grimlock's captions typos "strength" as "strenght"
* One of Scorponok's speech balloons is partially cut off at the edge of the page, truncating some words.

== Items of note ==
* '''Cameos:''' [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Reapers]] , [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (in flashbacks)
* The Dynobots' ship is named the ''Skyfire'', a homage to [[Jetfire (G1)]]'s name in the cartoon, and ike Skyfire in that continuity it ends up frozen beneath polar ice.
* Advertisements originally stated that Grimlock and Mirage's ''Spotlight''s were "1 of 2" and "2 of 2", respectively, due in March 2008. Due to a delay in Grimlock's, Mirage's was released first (March 5) and Grimlock's was pushed back to 7 weeks later. <ref>Ryall, Chris; IDW forums, Mar 24, 2008 - http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=64871#64871</ref>
* After the story is an [[IDWords]] section about ''[[The Reign of Starscream]]''.
* Contains the ''[[Transformers: Mosaic]]'' "Rank".

===Covers (2)===
[[Image:SpotlightGrimlock_cover2.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Now we know where [[BotCon]] got the idea for [[Shattered Glass]].]]
* '''Cover A:''' Grimlock in front of Scorponok's shadow by Marcelo Matere
* '''Cover RI:''' B&W sketch of cover A

:''NB: A second cover image by Marcelo Matere (right) was solicited, featuring Grimlock's dinosaur head breaking through an image of the Dynobots' robot heads. However, this cover was apparently not released at retail, and is not included on the cover checklist on the inside front cover.''

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Spotlight: Mirage]]''
* "[[Focus On Decepticons]]"
* ''[[The Reign of Starscream]]''
* ''[[Transformers Classics]]'' Volume 1 TPB
* ''[[The Ascending]]'' and ''[[The Gathering]]'' TPBs
* ''[[Target 2006]]'' TPB
* ''[[The Art of IDW's Transformers]]''
* ''Obscure: The Aftermath'' game
* ''[[Transformers: Animated]]'' books (back cover)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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

Rarefied Energon

2008-04-09T11:55:03Z

71.235.142.128: New page: Whereas normal energon provides the fuel that keeps the Transformer race rolling along, '''Rarified Energon''' is something more. In this form it is the base material of all [[Transfor...

Whereas normal [[energon]] provides the fuel that keeps the Transformer race rolling along, '''Rarified Energon''' is something more. In this form it is the base material of all [[Transformer]] life. Rarified Energon is the base of the Transformers physical forms AND the stuff wich [[Sparks]] are made of. Rarified energon is also, apparently, of limited supply throughout the multiverse. If it all were to be used up no more Transforer life would come into being. Given this its protection is of vast importance to [[Primus]], and he as tasked one of his [[Thirteen original Transformers]] with its protection.

{{stub}}

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

Camshaft (G1)

2008-04-06T11:38:35Z

71.235.142.128: /* Dreamwave Generation 1 comics continuity */ put bio first in section as it's supposed to be

{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Autobot|the Autobot from the 2007 Movie|Camshaft (Movie)}}

:''Camshaft is an [[Autobot]] in the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Camshaftg1.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Mild-mannered ninja stuntman who performs daring feats of bravery while avoiding brave feats of daring.]]

'''Camshaft''' is a member of the Autobots' [[Omnibot]] team, serving as their scout.

''('''Note''': While Camshaft was given no bio at the time of his release, he has since received two distinct and somewhat contradictory personalities. See individual entries below.)''

:''Japanese name:'' '''Downshift'''

==Fiction==
===Japanese cartoon continuity===
====2010 Manga====
[[Image:Omnibots group.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Camshaft is on the right, which is left in Japan.]]

During a massive battle on [[Feminia]], [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] introduced his latest combining warrior, [[Predaking]]. Predaking simultaneously took out [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] with a single punch, causing much worry for the Autobots, as [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] was already engaged in battle on [[Earth]]!

From out of nowhere came Camshaft, [[Downshift (G1)|Downshift]] and [[Overdrive]]. They swiftly shifted into vehicle mode(s) and circled Predaking, tying up his legs with cable. Predaking swatted at them to no avail!

[[Image:Camshaft_vehicle.jpg|thumb|100px|This looks much cooler in the manga than it does on the toy.]]

Then the Omnibots transformed into their battle modes and...''drove'' at Predaking, which caused him to topple backwards onto [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], taking them all out.

The assembled Autobots cheered for these three mighty warriors of great justice, who were subsequently never seen or heard of again.

===Dreamwave Generation 1 comics continuity===
''In this reality, Camshaft would never be accused of battlefield heroics. Though he strongly believed the [[Decepticons]] must be stopped, he had no intention of dying for the cause. (Oops.) Highly intelligent, he used his smarts to avoid risk and danger whenever possible.''

When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] released Menasor from containment within the detention banks, the [[combiner]] attacked [[Iacon]], leaving a crumpled pile of Camshaft and the other two Omnibots in its wake. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

=== Universe toy bio ===
Camshaft is still a scout, but is ''also'' a daring [[Spy Changer]] stuntman for [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who calls him a "grim shadow warrior."

:''('''Note''': Being part of the "Universe" line, it is conceivable that this is some "alternate reality" version of Camshaft—who knows?)''

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
* '''Camshaft''' (Omnibot mailaway, 1985)

[[Image:Camshaftg1toy.jpg|left|thumb|My name is a lie!]]

: A re-release of one of the three "Double Changers" from [[Takara]]'s pre-''Transformers [[Diaclone]]'' line, Camshaft transforms into a Mazda Savannah RX-7. He also has a third "assault mode" which compacts his car's length and flips out his spring-loaded missile launcher from his rear window. He was only available in both the US and Japanese markets as a mail-order item. In the US, he cost $5 and four [[robot points]], while in Japan he cost 980 yen and only 2 robot points.

: Camshaft and Downshift had their names swapped for their Japanese Transformers mail-away releases (which were also available in 1985), presumably because the RX-7 featured a rotary engine and therefore did not incorporate a camshaft. The Takara versions also had tech specs, unlike the Hasbro versions.
{{-}}

===Alternators===
* '''Autobot Camshaft''' (2006)
:''Alternators ID number:'' '''23'''

[[Image:Camshaftalternator.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[Bluestreak]]'s brother from another mother.]]

: A [[retool]] of the ''[[Alternators]]'' [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] toy, Camshaft transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed Acura RSX, complete with opening doors, hood, trunk, and an open passenger compartment. His engine becomes a non-firing cannon, plus he carries a clear-plastic nightstick. His rear spoiler and hubcaps are also changed from Prowl's; however, they are the same as those of the blue "civilian" Prowl from Takara's ''Binaltech'' version of the line.

: Like the other late-series ''Alternators'', Camshaft has a state-specific license plate; specifically, Camshaft appears to be registered in Rhode Island (home of [[Hasbro]]).

===Universe===
*'''Autobot Camshaft''' (Spy Changer, 2006)

[[Image:Camshaftspychanger.jpg|left|thumb|125px|His feet look tasty.]]

: For ''[[Universe]]'', Camshaft is identical to the last Kay-Bee [[exclusive]] redeco of [[W.A.R.S.]], transforming into a clear-purple Ford Thunderbird stock car. He was available only on an individual card from discount chains like The Dollar Store.

: This mold was also used to make [[Gearhead]] and the ''[[Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot]] [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]].

: ''Universe'' Camshaft's new "grim shadow warrior" portrayal doesn't mesh well with his more timid portrayal in [[Dreamwave]]'s ''[[More Than Meets The Eye]]'' profile, but in both he is a scout. Given the reality-hopping theme of ''Universe'', they may or may not really be the same being.

{{-}}

==Trivia==
* In later years, toys sporting the name "Camshaft" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Camshaft'''".

* The ''[[Alternators]]'' Mazda RX-8 (which ultimately ended up as [[Jazz (G1)|Meister]]) was originally intended to be named "Camshaft", according to various early store listings and a premature reply from Hasbro's customer service. This would also fit with the early idea of making the Alternators toys "direct updates" of their characters' Generation 1 predecessors. A prototype was leaked to the public in early 2004 sporting the same basic colors as the later Alternators "Autobot Camshaft" toy (the Acura RSX), although it's uncertain whether the prototype colors for the RX-8 were supposed to be indicative of the proposed colors for Camshaft (since the Acura redeco was originally intended as a Bluestreak homage before being renamed into "Autobot Camshaft"). The reason why the RX-8 Alternator was ultimately not named "Camshaft" was apparently because the real-life Mazda RX-8 car doesn't ''have'' a camshaft. Of course, the original Camshaft's RX-7 mode didn't have a camshaft either, but it's unlikely anyone gave a damn since that wasn't a licensed toy.

* The deco for Hasbro's redeco of the ''[[Alternators]]'' Acura RSX mold was originally designed with [[Bluestreak]] in mind—specifically, the original ''Diaclone'' deco for the Generation 1 toy depicted in early catalogs and the toy's instructions. Early leaked packaging samples even sported an abbreviated form of the name "Bluestreak" on their license plates. Ultimately, however, Hasbro decided to rename the toy and release it as "Autobot Camshaft" instead, possibly because they already had a representation of the G1 Bluestreak character in the Alternators line as a Subaru WRX, named "Silverstreak" for trademark reasons. An image from the mini-catalog that came with the ''Diaclone'' predecessors of the Omnibots depicted the toy that would become Camshaft with a Bluestreak-esque head, which some fans believe may have been one of the inspirations for the ''Alternators'' Autobot Camshaft toy...but this seems highly unlikely.

{{-}}
==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Camshaft/camshaft.htm Camshaft at TFU.info]
* [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=40993 Camshaft's unused Universe profile, thanks to Jim S of the Allspark]

[[Category: Alternators]]
[[Category: Autobots]]
[[Category: Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category: Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category: Spy Changers]]
[[Category: Universe characters]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Transformers: Classics

2008-04-05T03:18:18Z

71.235.142.128: updating tense

{{disambig3|Classics}}

[[Image:Classicslogo.jpg|center|300px]]

When the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action Transformers film]] was pushed back from November 2006 to July 2007, [[Hasbro]] needed to create a filler line to bridge the newly created gap in their product offerings. That bridge was a revisitation of the original ''[[Generation 1]]'' characters, dubbed '''''Classics'''''.

Later, [[Mini-Con]]s which were originally meant for the end of the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' line and ''Generation 1''-inspired ''Legends'' [[redeco]]es were also added to expand the line further.

Although no original animation or full-length comic fiction was planned for the line by Hasbro, the [[Fun Publications]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (comic)|Official Transformers Fan Club Magazine comic]] chose to utilize the Classics as the basis of their 2007 story-arc and set them in a continuation of the old Marvel Generation 1 [[Marvel Comics]] universe, a [[splinter timeline]] from this universe that includes everything up until the end of the original Marvel run, but excludes the events of both the concurrent [[Marvel UK]] material and the [[Generation 2]] book that followed, taking things in a new direction instead. Even after the magazine comic moved on to a different [[Transtech|focus]] Fun Publication has continued to utilize the Classic setting and characters in other stories.

==Toyline==
===Legends===
*[[Bumblebee (G1) toys|Bumblebee]]
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]]
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]
*[[Lio Convoy|Leo Prime]]
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]
*[[Trypticon]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Autobot Whirl]]

===Mini-Cons===
*[[Clear Skies Team]]
*[[Demolition Team]]
*[[Dinobots (Mini-Cons)|Dinobots]]
*[[Dirt Digger Team]]
*[[Night Rescue Team]]
*[[Predator Attack Team]]

===Deluxes===
'''Wave 1'''
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Hot Rod|Rodimus]]
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]

'''Wave 2'''
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]

'''Wave 3'''
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]

===Voyagers===
'''Wave 1'''
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]

'''Wave 2'''
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]

===Box sets===
*Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle (versus 2-pack w/DVD)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] vs [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]: Battle for Autobot City (versus 2-pack, Target exclusive)
*[[Constructicon Devastator]] (Wal-Mart exclusive giftset)

===Miscellaneous===
*Optimus Prime (20th Anniversary redeco with talking base)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] with [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Ravage|Battle Ravage]] (Generation 1 reissue; uses the [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] version of the mold, which had a remolded door that can hold two cassettes.)
*Masterpiece Starscream (G1-colored redeco)

==What counts as ''Classics''?==
The ''Classics'' toyline is a little tricky to define because some of the items which one would think belong to it—the Magnus/Skywarp two-pack, for instance, which redecoes two ''Classics'' figures—do not actually say "Classic" anywhere on their packaging. Even the toys that are definitely "real" ''Classics'' toys only have the word on one panel of their packaging as a prefix to their [[size class]] ("Classic Deluxe" or "Classic Voyager").

For simplicity, '''{{SITENAME}}''' is considering all toys that come in the ''Classics''-style packaging to be ''Classics'' toys, even if they do not self-identify as such. Those toys include:

*Prime vs. Megatron Ultimate Battle set
*Magnus vs. Skywarp Battle for Autobot City set
*20th Anniversary Prime redeco
*Mini-Cons (the Mini-Con sets have been referred to as ''Classics'' toys on Hasbro's website, but not on the packaging)
*Toys "R" Us exclusive reissue Soundwave
*Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus (2008)
*Jetfire and Grimlock (2008)
*Masterpiece Starscream Hasbro release

==Uncertain Future?==

Though response to the figures was very positive, the ''Classics'' [[franchise]] was created as a limited line to fill the shelves between ''Cybertron'' and the movie. With the [[Movie (franchise)|Movie]] toyline and the ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' series scheduled to follow it, the fate of the ''Classics'' line was uncertain.

The [[BotCon 2007]] exclusives capitalized on the popularity of the ''Classics'' universe, but even that was not to be the end of things. Hasbro revealed at Botcon 2007 that a new incarnation of [[Universe (franchise)|''Transformers Universe'']] was in the works for Fall 2008 and would operate as a blanket line for their non-Animated product, including a new line glossed as Classics 2.0.

==Henkei! Henkei! Transformers==

'''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers''' is the name of the Japanese version of the ''Classics'' toyline. Like the ''[[Beast Wars Returns]]'' toyline before it, this line will feature several [[redeco]]es of existing figures to make them look more like the original [[character model]]s than their American counterparts. For example, Megatron is silver and black instead of [[neon]] green and gray, Starscream and Grimlock will be colored closer to their show models, Convoy/Prime and Bumble/Bumblebee have less white paint, and Astrotrain has a more [[show-accuracy|show-inspired]] deco of dark gray and purple instead of white and violet. In addition to these tweaks, every toy has various areas cast in chrome, seemingly for no other reason than to create a line-wide commonality.

===Fiction===
Unlike the U.S. version of this line, the Henkei line comes with a mini-manga featuring Convoy, Bumble, Grimlock, Megatron, and Starscream. This short story starts off in the 21st Century with Megatron attacking Tokyo, planning to steal its energy and enslave the humans. Then the Cybertrons arrive to stop the Destrons, saying they will always find the Destrons and stop them thanks to the humans' information lines. Starscream is taken out by Bumble and Grimlock, while Megatron fights Convoy. The Destrons then retreat and the humans thank the Cybertrons. But the battle has only begun...

===Toyline===
====Cybertrons====
*C-01 Convoy (Voyager Optimus Prime)
*C-02 Bumble (Deluxe Bumblebee)
*C-03 Grimlock (Deluxe Grimlock)
*C-04 Rijie (Deluxe Mirage)
*C-05 Hot Rodimus (Deluxe Rodimus/"[[Hot Rod#Trivia|Hot Rod]]")
* [[Skyglide]] (Toys "R" Us promotional exclusive Mini-Con)

====Destrons====
*D-01 Megatron (Voyager Megatron)
*D-02 Starscream (Deluxe Starscream)
*D-03 Astrotrain (Deluxe Astrotrain)

==Universe Classics==

Originally referred to as Classics 2.0 during the Hasbro preview panel, Hasbro announced bringing back ''Classics'' as part of a new [[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe line]], because of high fan support and to pick up the torch of realistic Earth vehicle designs from the ending Movie line. Hasbro said they were focusing primarily on characters who had realistic Earth alt-modes, were not represented in other current lines, and had high repaint potential. Concept art of [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] was shown (same base mold with different heads and alternate chest transformations and weapons). Art of an updated Decepticon triple-changer [[Octane]] was also shown.

Early in January 2008, Hasbro revealed the new character molds and later revealed several redecos of ''Cybertron'' toys at Toyfair 2008 in Febuary:

===Legends===
*[[Onslaught]]
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]

===Deluxe===
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]
*[[Octane|Tankor]] (an update of '''Octane''', not named so due to [[Trademark|trademark issues]])
*[[Sunstreaker]]
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]

===Voyager===
*[[Blaster|Autobot Blaster]] with [[Blockrock|Blockrock Mini-Con]]!
*[[Heavy Load (Universe)|Decepticon Heavy Load]] with [[Drillbit|Drillbit Mini-Con]]!

===Ultra===
*[[Onslaught]]
*[[Powerglide]]
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]

[[Category: Classics| ]]
[[Category: Franchises]]
[[Category: Generation 1]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)

2008-04-01T19:51:11Z

71.235.142.128: /* The comic */

==Separate Continuity?==
So Siph brought it up and Steve-o and I talked about it for a bit... Anyway, how are we going to treat the characters from BotCon 2008? From what we know about the set, it's clearly just G1-but-evil, so I don't think it's different enough to pass off as a separate continuity family. On the other hand, it'd be cleaner to give them their own pages. Meanwhile, pages like Optimus Prime's are long enough that even his fiction sections need to begin being split off anyway.

What I think we should do, at the moment, is treat Mirror Optimus Prime as a split from G1 Prime's page. As.... [[Optimus Prime (G1 mirror)]], maybe? Also, uh, create some [[Optimus Prime (G1 cartoon)]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1 Marvel)]] pages and the like. Akin to Wikipedia, Optimus Prime's main page should have abbreviated versions of these sections which link to the full versions on separate pages. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 02:38, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
:I'm not so sure I'm up for splitting the pages around. True, some like Optimus and Megatron are quite large, but some of them are also ''quite'' small. I just don't think that we should split up just because a page is getting large. We've discussed that kinda idea at Wookieepedia before, and we concluded that it would just be easier to keep it all at one page. -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 02:45, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
::I'm also against splitting up large pages of main characters, since keeping it all in one page would help readers get the full history of the character (well as much as we've written) from the various continuities. Easier for editing too, if one doesn't need to keep track of two different fictional versions of the same character on two different pages (three if you also have to add a summerised version on the main Optimus Prime (G1) page).
::As for Mirror Prime... how about we just call him Optimus Prime (Mirror)? --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 03:05, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
:::Technically, he shouldn't be a new page, so long as he's clearly a G1 Prime. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 03:39, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
Perhaps giving them [[Timelines]] parentheticals would be valid?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 02:50, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Look who all's in the set... Prime, Jazz, Bumblebee, Grimlock and Starscream. Aren't all those pages already hideously long? --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 02:52, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
And oh yeah. I'm against splitting up the Fiction sections. Toys into their own, yes. But I'm leery of splitting up Fiction. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 03:07, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
:So in ten years, when Optimus Prime's page is three times as long, that'll be okay? That sounds a little ridiculous. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 03:13, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

:'''About fiction sections:''' What Walky and I discussed perhaps hasn't been clearly explained here: We're not saying to take the fiction section out entirely like we did with "toys". The idea is that in the case of very long articles (like Prime's), we can take, say, the cartoon subsection, create a new article out of it, and in its spot on the main Prime page just have a summary of the high points with a note "see this other article for all the details". (Of course, his cartoon subsection right now isn't especially complete anyway. He appears in nearly every episode of Seasons 1-2 but most of those events aren't mentioned.) Important stuff in the main article, excruciating detail in a separate article. Perhaps it's not quite time for that yet, but eventually it will be. Like Walky says, G1 Prime's fiction section is just going to get longer and longer.
:'''About Shattered Glass guys:''' If we treat them as distinct characters with their own pages, I think "Shattered Glass" is the appropriate parenthetical. Definitely not "mirror" since that word doesn't seem to be in the description of the set. There should definitely be linking between the Shattered and normal articles, though. Perhaps even with the normal guys having a Timeslines: Shattered Glass subsection that says "see this other article for his evil counterpart".
:--[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 03:47, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
::Hmm...I suppose that's okay, if we keep the main highlights in the main article. But I also agree that now is not the time. -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 03:53, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
:::Then when? Optimus Prime's page, even sans toys, is already twice as long than is recommended. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 03:57, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

::Considering that we treat Universe Obsidian, Tankor, and Inferno as distinct characters with their own pages despite just being alternate timeline variations, then clearly the Shattered Glass guys should get their own articles. "Shattered Glass" would be my choice of parenthetical as well. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 03:58, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
:::Frankly, I've been against splitting those dudes up for some time. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 03:59, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

::I vote for these dudes getting their own pages. If they're "mirror" versions, they have completely different personalities and hence would need completely new profile writeups as well as fiction sections. If you wanna compare Tankor and Obsidian, they were basically the same dudes; they'd just made different choices along the line. This doesn't seem to be the case for the Shattered Glass guys. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 21:25, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Hey, PacifistPrime here.

I just thought I'd chip in with my two cents, since I created these first ''Shattered Glass'' articles last night. I think we should keep the articles for these characters separate, at least for now. Although yes, obviously, it does '''''appear''''' to be the case that ''Shattered Glass'' is just "Mirror G1" (as it were), we don't actually '''''know''''' that yet. I mean, to be fair, I think some of us are gettng ahead of ourselves here. Until we know otherwise for sure, I'm of the opinion that we should treat these as separate characters (just like the alternate universe [[Optimus Prime (Worlds Collide)|Optimus Prime from the ''Armada'' comic]]. I mean, if ''he'' gets his own page, then I think these guys should.

And I certainly think "Shattered Glass" is the preferable paranthetical, since there is (as yet) no other official term like "mirror" being used in relation to the set. Furthermore, it fits with our general naming convention of using the title of the character's native franchise/continuity, e.g. [[Thrust (Armada)]], [[Tankor (BM)]], [[Grimlock (Animated)]] etc..

Cheers,
--[[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]]
:Hey, PP, could you sign your posts with four tildes, so we can see what time you made the post? It helps for keeping track of discussions.
:On-topic, we're staring at the fundamental problem of how "different" a continuity needs to be, to no longer be G1. The most inclusive definition seems to be, "If all the robot characters have the same names and approximate roles as characters from the G1 toyline, it's a G1 continuity. Unless it's the Movie." Time period is irrelevant, human characters are irrelevant, when and how the robots came to Earth is irrelevant, altmodes are irrelevant, the origin of the TF species is irrelevant . . . et cetera.
:But, if want to include Shattered Glass as a G1 continuity, we need to drop "approximate role". Unless "who's the good guy and who's the bad guy" is not considered to be part of "role". [[User:JW|JW]] 21:32, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
::Well, you gotta remember that part of the reason for the continuity family splits here on the Wiki is simple bookkeeping and convenience. The Movie has a big G1 influence; it could also be considered a ground-up reinvention; but either way, it heralded an unprecedented avalanche of new toys, characters and fiction. That alone was a good reason to separate it. By contrast, I don't think Shattered Glass will go much further than a story or two, some bios, and a small set of toys. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 21:45, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
:::''"part of the reason for the continuity family splits here on the Wiki is simple bookkeeping and convenience"''
:::Granted. However, part of our current problem is that a lot of little things have added up to become a big thing. If OP (G1) was just the Marvel comic and the original cartoon, he'd be more manageable, but a bajillion little G1-ish bits have been added on to him. We can keep adding little bits on to him, or we can say that some of them are different enough to warrant a new page. The universe in which he's a murderous fiend fits that bill.
:::(Our criteria can't sensibly be ''size,'' after all.) [[User:JW|JW]] 22:01, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
::::Oh, yeah, I'm all for giving the ''characters'' their own pages -- they share names and bodies, but they have new personalities. But it sounded like some people are wondering if SG should be a whole different continuity family, which IMO is overkill -- I think it can easily fit under the G1 umbrella. I might have just misunderstood what someone was saying, too. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 22:15, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Based on what is known so far about the set/story, I have the following positions:
#Shattered Glass should be placed under the G1 umbrella. Yes, Prime is now evil, but he's still the leader, etc.. His role isn't ''that'' different.
#Each Shattered Glass character should have their own character page, with links back and forth to their "regular" character. Despite thinking of Shattered Glass as being G1, I think that the character differences ''in concert with'' bookkeeping/convenience factors make splitting the best option. I don't want my Bumblebee fiction section to be full of all this stuff about "normal" Bumblebees and then in the middle there's this random evil Bumblebee who has no fictional connections to all the surrounding material.
--[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 17:03, 16 February 2008 (UTC)
: I suppose that works. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 17:19, 16 February 2008 (UTC)
:Steve-o, I'm curious as to what you mean by "fictional connection". I mean, is the fictional connection between OP (IDW) and OP (Marvel) stronger than the fictional connection between OP (Marvel) and OP (Shattered Glass)?
:(Of course, all this essentially gets back to the problem that OP (Marvel) and OP (Sunbow) are from two different universes, but were represented by the same toy(s), and came into being at the same time, so they're "the same guy". I can't find a way of disagreeing with that which doesn't lead to more problems than it solves. Like, those G1 toys who didn't appear in fiction {{m-}} are they from the Marvel universe, the Sunbow universe, or somewhere else entirely? Bleh!) [[User:JW|JW]] 17:58, 16 February 2008 (UTC)
::"Connection" isn't really the right word, but it was the best I could come up with at the time. "Similarity", maybe? I mean, the Bumblebee fiction would read like...
::{{quote|'''Continuity X''': Bumblebee loves humans and does lots of funny and cute stuff to help save the universe. '''Continuity Y''': Bumblebee loves humans and does lots of different but still funny and cute stuff to help save the universe. '''Shattered Glass''': Bumblebee is hardcore evil and wants to kill you for no particular reason. '''Continuity Z''': Bumblebee loves humans and does yet another set of funny and cute stuff to help save the universe.}}
::And that's just not a sensible page. Makes way more sense to split him out.
::--[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 19:59, 16 February 2008 (UTC)
Heya, PacifistPrime here again. I agree that the characters should have separate pages (I mean, if [[Optimus Prime (Worlds Collide)]] gets a page, then ''surely''...!), but I'm unclear about the designation of the overall continuity/universe. Are we simply talking about category tags here, or something else? From a metafictional, rather than organisational, point of view I've always preferred (somewhat controversially) to have a more conservative view of G1 than the "everything but the movie" approach favoured here. In my view, broad issues of toy-accurate altmodes and basic storyline-premise/character mythology are pretty important, which is why I've always argued that the IDWverse and the MovieVerse are each different enough to all prior versions of G1 (even if they're not ''equally'' dissimilar) that they should '''both''' be considered to fall within ''or'' without the G1 continuity family. And, in developments since I originally aired this opinion, I'd say the same now goes for ''Transformers Animated'', which is also evidently a deeply G1-ish universe.

Indeed, now that we've got Animated in the mix, I'd argue that it's become even ''less'' defensible that the IDWverse is being categorised here as part of G1 when these other two aren't. Although it takes some cues from the MovieVerse, granted, I think it's a pretty hard sell to deem Animated as being ''all that much more'' radically different from G1 than the IDWverse, given that both use almost exclusively G1 characters with non-G1-toy accurate designs and drastically different basic storyline premises, human characters and background mythos. Apart from a debatable organisational imperative to avoid splitting articles, I increasingly fail to see a reasonable rational for lumping IDW in with G1 when Animated and Movie are not.

But I digress. As far as ''Shattered Glass'' ' category is concerned, I think it should be regarded as a separate [[continuity]] but probably not belonging to a separate [[continuity family]], ''at least until we know more''.

Also, aren't we jumping the gun a bit with the Timelines categorisation? Sure, it's extremely probable that it'll get that designation, but shouldn't we wait until this is official?

Cheers, [[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]][[User:PacifistPrime|PP]] 07:49, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

==Bring in the funny==
Since this is all about evil twins, I submit that the article is in desperate need of a joke about how they will mainly be identified by their goatees. Anyone else?

(Clearly, however, it would have to be written so that its status as a '''joke''' is clear, lest anyone be misled) [[User:Buttbutt|Buttbutt]] 01:09, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Just remember that Omega Trion would have no facial hair, unlike his good universe counterpart. --[[User:Blue Spider|Blue Spider]] 05:28, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

== The comic ==

...oh God, there's comic preview pages on the Botcon site.

The whole thing is drawn to look like a G2 homage. Linestyle, coloring, ''everything''.

It even has a ''huge'' sprinkling of Furmanisms.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 05:11, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
:Is this supposed to be April Fools? I'm not seeing anything on the Botcon page. All I see is a drawing of a robotic hand on the TF Club main page. They say the comic previews will go up on the 3rd. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 05:40, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
:Nevermind, found em. [http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-comic-preview-and-more-guests-announced-this-week-164541/] --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 05:43, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
::Yeah. Not linked on the main site, but ''hosted'' there. These brought tears to my eyes. They're just made of ''100% pure win''.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 05:45, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
:::This is unmitigated awesome. I love it. They've even got the Double Pretender spider in the background on the second page, wot? The good versions of the evil Botcon characters are pure hilarity.--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 06:48, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
::::Is that... is that Shattered Glass Cicadacon? Dude!
::::Edit: No... no, wait, I'm an idiot. Still bucket-loads of awesome, though - [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 07:17, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
:::::Oh lordy, they're trying to kill the Wiki.

:::::We've got:
:::::*[[Astrotrain (Shattered Glass)]]
:::::*[[Astro-Hook (Shattered Glass)]]
:::::*[[Astro-Line (Shattered Glass)]]
:::::*[[Astro-Sinker (Shattered Glass)]]
:::::*[[Bug Bite (Shattered Glass)]]
:::::*[[Buzzclaw (Shattered Glass)]] or [[Dirge (Shattered Glass)]] (or [[Dirge (Shattered Glass Insecticon)]])
:::::*[[Buzzsaw (Timelines)]]
:::::*[[Deathsaurus (Timelines)]]
:::::*[[Dirge (Shattered Glass)]] (or [[Dirge (Shattered Glass Seeker)]]) or [[Thrust (Timelines)]]
:::::*[[Overbite (Timelines)]]
:::::*[[Seawing (Timelines)]]
:::::*[[Snaptrap (Timelines)]]
:::::*[[Tentakil (Timelines)]]
:::::*[[Thundercracker (Timelines)]]

:::::If they use both Dirges, I will kill somebody. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 07:27, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
::::::To keep things from cluttering up the wiki, I'd suggest a general [[Mayhem Suppression Squad]] page for those guys, seeing as they're only in one panel. Point out that they're Good-Alternate-Universe-Doppelgangers of their 'real' versions, link to said 'real' versions from there and call it a day. [[User:Omnibus|Omnibus]] 19:24, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
:::::::Seems to be the most sensible approach. Should have a sizable trivia section explaining that every one of these was a convention exclusive.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 19:36, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
The whole "I, Grimlock, wot?" thing transcends cool into sublime. [[User:JW|JW]] 11:25, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

Oh my christ. They actually made this universe hilariously awesome. Way to fucking go, Savage & Co. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 13:56, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
:If you ask me, this makes ''all'' the difference. All the goofiness of the concept of this universe, all the silly looks of the figures, all of this is vindicated in this moment with this the most sublime of convention comics. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the Diamond edition of this.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 17:21, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
::...well crud. It was just Sipher pulling one over on us. It could have been beautiful. I want blood, Sipher! Blooooood!--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 17:40, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
:::I KNEW it was too well-written to be a Botcon comic! --[[User:74.57.3.251|74.57.3.251]] 17:47, 1 April 2008 (UTC) ([[User:Detour|Detour at work]])
I dub this "Shattered Expectations"... though I don't think we're DONE with this goofyass take at all. At least, not if we have any say about it. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 18:22, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
:...So, horribly-dashed expectations of awesomeness aside, how Official are the April Fools' Pages? Does Shattered Glass Jazz get a "Shattered Expectations" sub-heading along the lines of the Marvel Comics Continuity/Animated Continuity divide where it says "He was totally G2ishly Evil Mr. T"? [[User:Omnibus|Omnibus]] 18:36, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
::I actually think we ought to do exactly that. Jazz talking like Mr. T is too much fun to go unchronicled.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 18:53, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

Depending on how utterly shit the finished comic is, I hereby present the possibility of forgoing "Shattered Expectations" (which could mean something ''better'' than what you expected) and using "Shattered Hopes" (which means "Man, this is shit"). - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 19:48, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

:These definately need to be in there. Especially since Fun Pub now plans to go back to them at some point since the fandom that they thought would hate it actually loved these better than just about everything else they've ever done. :) Not sure the best way to tag them though.[[User:71.235.142.128|71.235.142.128]] 19:51, 1 April 2008 (UTC)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)

2008-03-25T11:48:17Z

71.235.142.128: /* Cartoon continuity */

{{disambig3|Skydive}}
{{picsneeded}}

:''Skydive is an [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] from the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Skydive_profile.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Bookish flying ace extraodinaire.]]

'''Skydive''', it has been said, would rather read about an aerial battle than take part in one. He's the Aerialbot's resident bookworm and is fascinated by the history and science behind aerial warfare. Within the limits of his design, he's capable of duplicating the flight patterns of anything he sees. His knowledge of aerial warfare and tactics is unmatched. Skydive is probably the most skilled Autobot flier in existence. All of that, and you're more likely to find him secluded in a cozy library than actually in the sky. He's simply too modest and bookish to realize how smart and skilled he really is. Thankfully the rest of the Autobots definitely do.

Skydive combines with his fellow Aerialbots to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

:''Italian name'': '''Log'''<br>
:''French-Canadian name'': '''Parachuto'''

== Fiction ==
===Cartoon continuity===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Laurie Faso]] (US), [[Takurô Kitagawa]] (Japan)

At one point during the eternal war with the Autobots on Earth, Megatron grew fed up with how his opponents ruled the roads and created a group of Decepticon cars known as the [[Stunticon]]s. In order to give his new warriors life, he brought them to Cybertron and tracked down the ancient supercomputer, [[Vector Sigma]], to input cybernetic personalities into the Stunticons. Thanks to a series of traps and drones in their way, the Autobots failed to prevent Megatron from succeeding and returning to Earth. Seeking to even the playing field, Optimus Prime conceived of the idea of retrofitting several broken-down Cybertronian ships into Earthen jets, and bring them to life as a team of Autobot flyers. With the help of his technical savvy soldiers, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], Wheeljack, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and Prime's own creator, [[Alpha Trion]], Optimus's plan was enacted and the Aerialbots were born. {{Storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}
[[Image: Skydive_slingshot.jpg|right|thumb| Skydive tries to explain to Slingshot why his wrist-mounted sundial doesn't work in the shade.]]
Because Optimus Prime specified to Vector Sigma that the Aerialbots be given personalities that required them to learn and grow, and make their own decisions, however, Skydive and his friends were not instantly bound to the Autobot cause. Their sense of pride in their flying ability caused many of them to look down on the other Autobots. Despite their personalities being like night and day, Skydive and Slingshot were frequent flying partners and often on the same side of any argument. Skydive's eye for aerial maneuvering left him just as impressed as the more emotional Slingshot when it came to the [[Seeker]]s' flight skills, and this innocent zest for knowledge led him and his partners into a Decepticon trap. Turning the [[Kronosphere]] on the hapless Autobots, Megatron sent the Aerialbots back in time nine million years. Their journey led them to the earliest days of the war, and they personally saw Megatron maliciously gun down unarmed Cybertronians in his quest for power. Skydive and the other Aerialbots returned to the present with an unshakeable commitment to seeing the Decepticons threat ended. {{Storylink|War Dawn}}

Skydive and [[Slingshot_(G1)|Slingshot]] were once carved up into pieces and somehow put back together by a street kid who also just happened to be a deposed royal prince of a Middle Eastern nation who is also a mechanical genius. Convenient. {{Storylink|Aerial Assault}}

{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}

''Thanks to his previous connection to the [[Creation Matrix]], [[Buster Witwicky]] began experiencing dreams and visions of new Transformers, beginning with an etching of Superion he made without even being consciously aware of it. {{Storylink|Devastation Derby!}} By sharing his visions with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Buster was able to clarify the images and understand the future of the evolution of the Cybertronian race -- amalgam model robots like the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s' [[Devastator]], capable of a more-streamlined merging into a more powerful form. It was these visions which allowed Optimus Prime and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to conceive of and construct the Aerialbots. {{Storylink|Second Generation!}}''

Working on a plan to reverse engineer the gestalt technology the Decepticons used to create Devastator, Optimus Prime and the Autobots staged a daring raid on the Decepticon base of operations, giving [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] enough time to digitally record the Constructicon's electrical transformation pattern for study. {{Storylink|Command Performances!}} Working off that blueprint, Wheeljack successfully created Skydive and the Aerialbots. During the new warriors' testing phase, however, the Autobots were alerted to a Decepticon operation at Hoover Dam. Only the Aerialbots were fast enough to reach the location in time, and so Prime was forced to send them into battle before their programming was completed.

Arriving to find a giant energy siphoning device being channeled through the [[Space Bridge]], [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] deferred to Skydive's strategic knowledge on how to deal with the target. Skydive's preliminary attack run failed to even damage the device, however, and before he could make a second pass the Decepticon jet [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] took the offensive, temporarily grounding Skydive with the disruptive power of his engines.

The Aerialbots eventually turned the tide on the Decepticons and drove them off, giving them time to focus on the energy siphon which was the core of the problem. At Silverbolt's command, they merged into Superion and began dismantling the drill device. A problem arose, however, when [[Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]] controlled pawn [[Ricky Vasquez]] pointed [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (in his gun mode) at the giant Autobot. Because the majority of the Aerialbots were not programmed specifically to protect human life, Superion only saw a potential threat that needed to be eliminated. As the human fought against the Decepticons' control, Silverbolt too fought inside Superion's gestalt mind to protect the human. In the end, Silverbolt was forced to disengage Superion to keep him from destroying the human. Luckily, Ricky was more successful and managed to break the cerebro-shell's hold long enough to point Megatron at the drill and destroy it, ending the threat. {{Storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

After the near disaster at Hoover Dam, Optimus Prime had the Aerialbots shut down and their programming completely erased. Returned to a blank slate, he then inputed fully-programmed personalities for them with the Matrix before their next mission. It, uh...didn't help. In battle with [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] as Superion, the Aerialbots were attacked by [[Circuit Breaker]], deactivated, and captured by [[RAAT]]. It was only a lucky break that they were eventually freed. {{Storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

As [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] took over the Autobots, Skydive and the other Aerialbots took an extended leave of absence from the war, since the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] commander focused Autobot resources on repairing their fallen comrades and prepping the Ark to become spaceworthy again.

Sometime later, it was Skydive, [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]], and [[Air Raid]] who were the first to respond to a distress call from Buster Witwicky, the Autobots' old human ally who had been prisoner to the Decepticons for nearly a year. This led the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces into battle with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had acquired the nigh-infinite power of the [[Underbase]] for himself. The Aerialbots were his first victims, wiped out in a single blast of cosmic power in the skies over New York City. {{Storylink|Dark Star!}}

Along with the other deactivated Autobots aboard the Ark, Skydive and the Aerialbots were eventually revived by the [[Nucleon]] super-energy Grimlock and the Dinobots recovered from [[Hydrus Four]].

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====

''In 2008, Skydive was on monitor duty at [[Autobot City]] when he detected a "disappearing blip" on the radar screens. He alerted [[Blaster]], but before they could ID the contact, the contact ID'ed itself: [[Quintesson]] [[Trident]] attack craft on bombing runs! Skydive was knocked out by the oncoming blast, but Blaster dragged him to a safe place. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

====''Another Time and Place''====

When [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the Decepticons took control of the Nucleon supply at Hydrus Four, Skydive joined Air Raid and Silverbolt in bombing the medical center to announce the Autobots' imminent arrival. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}

====Generation 2====

After the Autobots split into smaller combat units throughout the universe, Skydive was sent to Earth with a group of Autobots under [[Hot Spot]]'s command to deal with the re-emergence of Megatron. The Decepticon's new abilities and [[Cobra]] allies proved a considerable challenge, though. After half their number were killed and their transport destroyed, Skydive volunteered for a strategic play to get inside the enemy-controlled Ark. Shutting off his systems on a time-delay to appear as lifeless machinery to the sensors Megatron had set up in the ship, he was smuggled aboard the Ark by some disguised [[G.I.Joe]] soldiers. {{Storylink|Final Transformations}} Once inside, he received some surprise help from [[Spike Witwicky]], who had returned just in time to reconnect with his [[Headmaster]] partner, [[Fortress Maximus]]. With Fort Max sacrificing his life to distract Megatron and destroy the Ark, Skydive got to safety with [[Doctor Biggles-Jones]], the human scientist Megatron had taken prisoner. {{Storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Once Megatron resurfaced with Starscream and reassumed command of the Decepticon army from [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], Skydive sent a transmission to Optimus Prime and soon left Earth duty to reunite with his fellow Aerialbots in the stars. {{Storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} He was later involved in the ill-fated defense of the planet [[Ethos]], {{storylink|Escalation!}} and the battle for Earth against [[Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian]] armada. {{storylink|Total War}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
* '''Skydive''' (Aerialbot, 1986)
**''Team ID number'': '''A2'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-51'''
**''Accessories'': "[[Nega-gun]]"

: Skydive transforms into an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16 Falcon fighter jet]]. As a "[[Scramble City]]" style combiner, he can form the arm or leg to any super robot of compatible construction, though his nominal placement is as the right leg to [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

:All five Aerialbots were made available as mail-away offers in Japan during ''[[Return of Convoy]]''. Skydive (like all the other limb-jets) cost 1000 yen and two [[robot point]]s.

*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-55'''

: All five Aerialbots were made available in a gift set, released in most markets. The toys are identical to their individually-packaged versions.

===Generation 2===
* '''Skydive''' (Aerialbot, 1994)
**''Team ID number:'' '''A1'''
**''Accessories'': "Mega Gun"

: Skydive was [[redeco]]ed for his ''[[Generation 2]]'' release, gaining a fetching gray and blue scheme.

{{-}}
==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Skydive/skydive.htm Skydive at TFU.info]

[[Category: Aerialbots]]
[[Category: Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category: Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category: Headmasters characters]]
[[Category: Mail order items]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Nature Calls

2008-03-23T15:04:02Z

71.235.142.128:

{{episodenav|animated|14|season=1|prev=Headmaster (episode)|next=Megatron Rising, Part One}}

[[Image:spacebarnaclemonster.jpg|300px|right|thumb| Jinkies! It's the Tar Monster!]]
'''Prowl, Bumblebee and Sari get more than they bargained for when they head out to the remote woods to investigate a mysterious energy signal.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Sumdac megatron's body.png|thumb|150px|FINALLY! I can resurrect the most ruthless warlord in the galaxy and damn my planet to untold suffering and horror!]]

==Stats==
*'''Written by:''' [[Todd Casey]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Ben Jones]], [[Bouakeo Thongkham]], & [[Shunji Oga]]
*'''Original airdate:''' March 22, 2008
*'''Animation studio:''' [[The Answer Studio]]

===Featured characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's Body]] (5)

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (2)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (6)

|}

==Quotes==
'''Bumblebee''': You said to pack the bare essentials!<br>
'''Prowl''': Since when are surround-sound speakers, a strobe light, and a hand-held media player "bare essentials?"<br>
'''Bumblebee''': You should've seen what I left back at the plant.<br>
'''Prowl''': Where did you find room for all of this junk?<br>
''[Bumblebee taps his fingers uncomfortably]''<br>
'''Bumblebee''': [[Exhaust port|I'd...rather not say.]]<br>
:{{m-}}Awkward conversation between '''Bumblebee''' and '''Prowl'''.

"First we must determine this creature's intentions."<br>
''[Creature knocks Prowl aside without provocation]''<br>
"I'm gonna say 'hostile'."<br>
:{{m-}}'''Prowl''' and '''Bumblebee''' meet the monster.

'''Bumblebee''': Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!<br>
''[Creature swipes at Bumblebee and Sari]''<br>
'''Bumblebee''': Okay. Maybe we're a little unclear on the concept of "your own size".<br>
'''Sari''': Maybe you should stop talking logic to a ''creature that has no head!''<br>
:{{m-}}'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari'''.

"Monsters are real? [[Tutor Bot]] is such a liar!"<br>
:{{m-}}'''Sari Sumdac'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s faith in Tutor Bot is shattered.

"Attention, barnacle monster! Come out with your hands over your...okay, you don't have a head. But you get the idea."<br>
:{{m-}}'''Bumblebee''' instructs the creature to surrender.

'''Sari''': And then, they were back to normal, like nothing ever happened. Meanwhile, I'm stuck riding home with no dry clothes and the only Autobot whose car mode doesn't have a ''heater''!<br>
''[Sari sneezes]''<br>
'''Optimus''': You showed a lot of courage and ingenuity, Sari. And hopefully, you'll stop... backfiring soon.<br>
'''Sari''': Hel-''lo'', it's called "sneezing".<br>
''[Sari sneezes, then blows her nose]''<br>
'''Bumblebee''': I don't even wanna know what ''that's'' called.<br>
:{{m-}}The Autobots discover the concept of the common cold.

"Megatron will be so surprised!"<br>
:{{m-}}'''Issac Sumdac''' dooming us all.

==Other notes==
===Continuity errors===
* If space barnacles are killed by heat, how did any survive atmospheric entry?

===Transformers references===
[[Image:aniconstructionvehicles.jpg|right|thumb|150px|They're so [[neon]].]]

* The construction drones are [[Constructicons (G1)|green and purple.]]

* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] body ends up in the [[Megatron (Movie)|deep freeze.]]

[[Image:anisparkplugwitwicky.jpg|right|thumb|150px|This kind of stuff never happened in [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma|Burma]]...]]

* The construction worker looks very [[Sparkplug Witwicky|familiar.]] (He's only credited as "Worker," and is voiced by [[Bumper Robinson]].)

* Bumblebee's combined stinger attack also [[Cheetor (BW)|rings a few bells]].

* Sari remarks that Bumblebee has no heater. Remember that 'Bee took his alternate mode from [[Captain Fanzone]]'s car... and if ''any'' car in Detroit would be old and decrepit and lacking basic amenities, it'd be Fanzone's.

===Real-world references===
* There are actually [[wikipedia:barnacle|barnacles ''not'' from space]]. Neat, huh?

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* So... what happened to that mine worker, anyway?

* Ratchet and Bulkhead, while mentioned, make no appearances in this episode.

* Tutor Bot is mentioned, and in the voice credits for the episode, but does not actually appear.

*...[[Tom Kenny|space barnacles?]]

* Why didn't Sari get scalded by hot water when she soaked Prowl and 'Bee?

{{epstub}}
[[Category:Animated episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Zandar

2008-03-21T10:53:18Z

71.235.142.128:

He's appeared in GIJ/TF comics. He's in canon, and people never remember him. What's not apt about this page?

wait, who are we talking about again?

[[User:Finback|Finback]] 01:08, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

:Considering his entire shtick is being overlooked and forgotten I'd say the page is perfect. Remove the "to be deleated" tag and add the "things that don't exist" cat. and your there. --[[User:71.235.142.128|71.235.142.128]] 10:53, 21 March 2008 (UTC)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Dinobot (Classics)

2008-03-20T12:42:05Z

71.235.142.128:

Should we mention that fact that the dinobot MC team is the only classics mini con team (aside from their recolors) to have powerlinx ports?--[[User:Autobotx1010|Autobotx1010]] 02:31, 7 October 2007 (UTC)

P.S. so does classics bumblebee (and his recolors)

Er... no, because all of the Classics Mini-Cons have PX ports. [[User:Chip|Chip]] 02:42, 7 October 2007 (UTC)

The only Minicons without powerlinx ports are Laserbeak and the retool of one of the weapon-jet team that replaced the port with 5mm peg. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 02:44, 7 October 2007 (UTC)

== Additions/Subtractions ==

2 Questions:

1) Shouldn't the original team leader be listed here as well? The one that's killed in the fanclub story? He's dead but he should still count.

2) I know the answer is probably "no" but I wanted to raise the possibility of this being combined with the G1 Dinobot article. Seems weird at first glance but the fact is in the only fiction they have, or likely will ever have, they serve under G1 Grimlock, and Swoop, who is one of those Dinobots is simultaniously one of these, so ARE they really a seperate team at all? I think the case could be made for their being later recruits for the original Dinobots rather than a distinct Dinobot team. Just a thought.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Aerialbot (G1)

2008-03-20T12:07:29Z

71.235.142.128: Better

{{disambig2|the [[Scramble City]] combiner team from [[Generation 1]]|the [[Micromaster]] combiner team from [[Universe]]|Aerialbot (Universe)}}

:''The Aerialbots are a team of [[Autobot]]s in the [[Generation 1]] continuity family.''

{{picsneeded|Fictional appearances}}

[[Image:Aerialbots_group.jpg|center|thumb|400px|Four future Autobot jerks and one future acrophobe - from left to right: Silverbolt, Air Raid, Fireflight, Skydive and Slingshot.]]

The '''Aerialbots''' are the first Autobot [[Combiner|combiner/gestalt/special team]]. They all transform into Earth-style aircraft and combine to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

*[[Silverbolt (G1) |Silverbolt]] - Concorde SST (Super Sonic Transport) - is the responsible one, the leader, and scared of heights. He keeps the others out of trouble.
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot) |Skydive]] - General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon - is the strategist, the modest and bookish one who doesn't realize he's the best flier the Autobots have.
*[[Fireflight (G1) | Fireflight]] - McDonnel Douglas F-4B Phantom II - is the space case who's a hazard to everything else in the air.
*[[Air Raid (G1) | Air Raid]] - Boeing F-15C Eagle - is a gung-ho, wreckless, fearless, and fun-loving warrior.
*[[Slingshot]] - McDonnel Douglas AV-8B Harrier II - is a loud-mouthed, bragging jerk with VTOL capabillities. He gets the others into trouble.

:''French-Canadian name'': '''Aérobot'''<br>
:''Japanese name:'' '''Airbot'''
:''Polish name'': '''Aerobot'''

==Fiction==
===Animated continuity===
[[Image:Aerialbots_key2.jpg|left|thumb|160px|Its like a very boring rave.]]

In order to fight the [[Autobot|Autobots]] more effectively on the ground, the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] built a [[Combiner|combiner team]] that could convert into cars. However, in order to give these [[Stunticon|Stunticons]] life, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] had to take them to [[Vector Sigma]], a megacomputer deep within [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Vector Sigma could only be activated with a Circuit Key, which was in the hands of the ancient Autobot [[Alpha Trion]]. Megatron stole the Key and succeeded in giving life to the new team. A group of Autobots had been following Megatron, and, to counter the Stunticons, they rebuilt some old, abandoned shuttles into the Aerialbots. However, without the Key, they couldn't activate Vector Sigma. Alpha Trion then revealed that, as one of the first Transformers created, he had the ability to interface his power supply with the megacomputer. Against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s protests, he merged with Vector Sigma, activating it, and his lifeless body fell to the ground. Prime asked Vector Sigma to "Let them [the Aerialbots] think for themselves, to grow in knowledge and wisdom, and let them always value freedom and life wherever they find it." After the Aerialbots were programmed, Alpha Trion's voice came from the megacomputer; his mind had merged with Vector Sigma.

Once on [[Earth]], the Aerialbots fought a brief battle with the Stunticons that ended when Megatron sent a message to his car warriors to return to base. Thinking that the Stunticons had retreated, the Aerialbots' egos soared; all, that is, except [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]. During the fight, he had discovered his fear of heights; he guessed that it came from the fact that he was built from a low-altitude cargo shuttle. Prime helped him deal with the phobia by naming him Aerialbot Leader, thus giving him duties that would keep his mind off of his fear. However, he found his position a hard one to fill. The other Aerialbots, especially [[Slingshot]], saw themselves as better than anyone else. They couldn't understand why the Autobots wasted their time protecting the foolish and inferior humans, and they eventually left the Autobots. Silverbolt, who didn't agree, merely promised Prime he would bring them back, then left with them. After a while, Silverbolt finally convinced them that they owed the Autobots their lives, and they decided to stay with the Autobot army.

[[Image:G1Silverbolt_Key1.jpg|right|thumb|160px|"Goodbye cruel world!"]]

Meanwhile, Megatron had discovered that the Key could "de-energize" Earthen matter, turning it to metal. Hoping to create a new Cybertron, he began sweeping through forests near the [[Seattle-Tacoma area]], turning everything from trees to mountains into metal. The Autobots tried to stop him, but the Stunticons were unstoppable...that is, until the Aerialbots arrived. The two teams formed their gestalt modes, and, as the battle entered the outskirts of a city, [[Omega Supreme (G1)]] arrived and turned the tide. Megatron retreated, but he still had the Key. Silverbolt, braving his phobia, chased him down and destroyed it. {{Storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

A few weeks later, strange energy readings were detected on Cybertron. A team of Autobots and the Aerialbots left to investigate. The Aerialbots, enamored with Cybertron, were on a patrol when they were attacked by three Decepticon jets. Curious, Slingshot surrendered and began to ask the Decepticons questions, like why Prime thought they were evil. All the other Aerialbots except Silverbolt did the same, and Silverbolt followed at a distance. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], feigning friendship, led the naive team into the [[Kronosphere]], a time machine that had been generating the unusual energy readings. As Silverbolt arrived, trying to convince his teammates that they were in a trap, Megatron activated the Kronosphere, intending to send them back to before the beginning of time. Outside of the timestream, they would be trapped in eternal nothingness. However, the other Autobots arrived and destroyed the machine before it could finish its work. The Aerialbots had been sent only nine million years into the past, during the [[Golden Age of Cybertron]] before the [[Great War|Great Wars]] had broken out.

In the past, the Aerialbots met a young Transformer named [[Orion Pax]], who was working at an energy shipment facility. As they got to know each other, Orion soon told them about his admiration of a "new kind" of Transformer that had the ability to fly in robot mode. He was understandably awestruck when the leader of those robots, Megatron, arrived at his workplace under the guise of friendship. After Orion gave him a brief tour, Megatron ordered his disguised troops to attack the facility and take the energon. During the assault, Orion, his girlfriend Ariel, and his friend [[Dion]] were severely injured. The Aerialbots arrived at the scene just as Megatron was leaving. They took Orion to the young Alpha Trion, who was devising ways to fight the Decepticons. He rebuilt Orion into the first of a new breed that would be capable of standing against Megatron. He also gave him a new name: Optimus Prime. Alpha then rebuilt Ariel into [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]], but it is unknown whether Dion was given similar treatment.

Prime inflicted severe damage on the Decepticon forces, but Megatron was still powerful. His raiders were starting to loot a fuel transfer center that would supply him with enough [[energon]] to win the war just as it was beginning. The Aerialbots realized this, and they set up explosives to destroy the energon. However, while they were inside, the Decepticons surrounded the facility, preventing their escape. Now fully aware of Megatron's evil, they set off the charges despite the danger to themselves. Just as the energon detonated, they found themselves being transported back to the present. When they arrived, they saw that the Autobots had repaired the Kronosphere but were fighting the Decepticons and a reanimated [[Guardian Robots|Guardian Robot]]. The Aerialbots combined into Superion and destroyed the Guardian, and Megatron retreated. As the Decepticons flew away, Slingshot swore, "You'll never get away from us, Megatron! We won't stop fighting till you're finished!" {{Storylink|War Dawn}}

[[Image:Aerial_assault4.jpg|left|thumb|160px|Well, they did try to warn us about tensions in the Middle East.]]

Since that time, the Aerialbots have been invaluable to the Earth-bound (and largely flightless) Autobots. When Megatron obtained the ultra-powerful [[Lightning Bug]] from the ruins of an ancient Autobot colony, it was Superion who eventually destroyed the weapon (after having defeated [[Menasor]]). Later, Slingshot and Skydive went undercover at a Middle Eastern airbase to investigate a rash of jet thefts. Late one night, men in laundry trucks began disassembling them and several other jets, carting their components to a car repair shop. There, the parts were jury-rigged into bizarre-looking cars and driven across the border to Megatron's secret base. The planes were then reassembled and used by the Decepticons as a remote-controlled drone armada. With the help of [[Hassan]], a young human who was also investigating the smugglers, Slingshot and [[Skydive (G1)|Skydive]] were rebuilt without being detected. The other Aerialbots soon arrived and began battling the drones, the [[Combaticon|Combaticons]], and Megatron's sphinx-like airborne fortress. As Superion, they beat the Combaticons' gestalt mode [[Bruticus]] and destroyed the fortress by blowing up an oil well. After the Decepticons retreated, the Autobots discovered that [[Ali]], the head of the smuggling operation, had become the ruler of his country by allying himself with Megatron and overthrowing a certain Prince Jamal. Megatron was going to use Ali's drone jets to take over the Middle Eastern oil fields, thus supplying himself with enough energy to conquer the world...and giving Ali a fair share of domination, of course. It was also revealed that the Aerialbots' friend Hassan was actually the deposed Prince Jamal in disguise. {{Storylink|Aerial Assault}}

For many years, the Aerialbots remained a valuable asset to the Autobot cause. When [[Rodimus Prime]] and several other Autobots were trapped on [[Quintessa]], the Aerialbots arrived in a rescue craft and saved them, just as the planet self-destructed. However, the force of the explosion destroyed their ship, and they hurtled helplessly through space until colliding with [[Goo]]#8739-B. There, they fought a giant trash-collecting machine and (later) Decepticon warriors before escaping with the help of the [[Junkion]] [[Wreck-Gar]]. {{Storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}

[[Image:Aerial_forever_2.jpg|right|thumb|160px|"Hey! Didn't you use to have a longer moustache?"]]

Some time later, the Aerialbots were dispatched as part of a reinforcement team to help a group of Autobots who had discovered a [[Quintesson]] base on a large asteroid near Cybertron. The Aerialbots arrived and drove the Quints away, finding [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] heavily damaged and half-conscious. Before blacking out, Perceptor told them that the team had discovered a Quint time machine. Under attack with virtually no hope of escape, the other team members had jumped through the "time window" just moments before their would-be rescuers arrived. Now, the reinforcement team (led by Rodimus Prime) could do nothing but keep the time machine activated and hope that their comrades would come back through. The Autobots also made another discovery at the Quint base: The Quints had used the time machine to extract from the distant past an Autobot named A-3. As Rodimus and A-3 began to converse, the Quintessons returned in force, and a battle ensued. During the battle, chronal energies emanating from the time machine were playing havoc with the nature of space-time. Events were occurring that defied normal linear time, such as endlessly repeating loops and sudden reversals of the timestream. Superion was holding A-3, protecting him from the Quint attacks, when suddenly the ancient robot became Alpha Trion. He told Superion, "You must live, that I may be born," then reverted back to A-3. Then things really got bizarre when a second Superion appeared out of nowhere and began attacking the Quints. The two gestalts proved to be too much for the Quints, who retreated. After they left, the second Superion vanished. Later, the Quints sent the Autobots a holographic message explaining that the time distortions were the result of the activated time machine, and that it had to be destroyed before the space-time continuum was completely unraveled. A-3 volunteered to go back through the window and find the missing Autobots, which he did. Upon their return to 2006, the window was destroyed, and everything appeared to return to normal. The time-traveling Autobots had participated in the first rebellion against the Quintessons 11 million years ago, and that battle was won when A-3 returned through the window and used a secret weapon. {{Storylink|Forever is a Long Time Coming}}

Later, the Aerialbots returned to the Middle East, this time to fight in the African desert nation of [[Carbombya]]. The conniving Decepticon [[Octane]] had convinced [[Abdul Fakkadi]], the ruler of the country, to allow the heavily-damaged [[Trypticon]] to recuperate there, using the super-rich Carbombyan oil as a fuel source. Octane sought to use the power of the oil and the strength of Trypticon to overthrow [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and become leader of the Decepticons. Meanwhile, in order to justify the giant Decepticon's oil consumption, Octane ordered Trypticon to steal famous monuments (including Fort Knox and all of its gold) and place them in Carbombya. The money gleaned from these tourist attractions would make up for the loss of natural resources. But the Autobots soon deduced Trypticon's location, and the Aerialbots were sent to attack. However, their timing was terrible--Galvatron and the main Decepticon army had just arrived in the country to investigate the situation, and the Aerialbots found themselves badly outclassed. They retreated, and Galvatron took over Carbombya, imprisoning Fakkadi. Later, the Aerialbots returned with reinforcements (including the behemoth [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]). They won that battle, driving the Decepticons out of the nation and freeing Fakkadi. Ecstatically grateful for the Autobots' help, Fakkadi swore never to associate with the Decepticons again. On a side note, it is unknown whether there is any connection between Prince Jamal in 1985 and Carbombya in 2006. {{Storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[Image:Aerialbots2.jpg|left|thumb|''Cause when you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the waaay...'']]
The Aerialbots later traveled to an Earth-like world inhabited by humanoids who could produce the [[Harmony]], a manipulation of sound that could be used as either a miraculous healing power or an incredibly destructive force. Naturally, Galvatron sought to possess the Harmony, and the Aerialbots were among the Autobots who tried to stop him. {{Storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

Some time after that incident, the Aerialbots met up once again with Trypticon. Trypticon blasted Air Raid with his powerful fire-breath, but, while the Decepticon dinosaur was recharging, Silverbolt was able to fly into his mouth and inflict heavy damage that disabled him for a brief period of time. {{Storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

Their next assignment was to investigate the Junkions, who had inexplicably attacked the Autobot [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. When they arrived at the junk planet, they found a Quintesson ship in orbit, so they merged into Superion and attacked. Superion inflicted damage on the ship, but he was also heavily injured. Unbeknownst to the Aerialbots, the Quintessons had been using subliminal messages to induce xenophobic hatred in the television-obsessed Junkions. However, Superion's attack had damaged the Quints' transmitter, and the subliminal message turned from "All other life forms are your enemies" to "To care is to share; to share is to care." The brainwashed Junkions blindly obliged, using their own omnidirectional broadcaster to share the original message of hatred with the rest of the galaxy. Every race with any sort of TV technology was affected, and massive interstellar war broke out. {{Storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

The Autobots soon stopped the messages and thereby ended the wars, but the Aerialbots' next major appearance heralded another galactic conflict. They were part of an Autobot team sent to a human laboratory where the late Optimus Prime's body was supposedly stored. The body was there, but it was a trap set by a vengeful scientist to infect the Transformers with the [[Hate Plague]], highly contagious spores that cause maniacal hatred and violence. The Aerialbots were among the first to be infected, and in their subsequent rampage they gravely injured several Autobots (including [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]) and passed the disease to many more. The damaged Autobots were later repaired, and Bumblebee was completely rebuilt into a new form, Goldbug. With their help, the reanimated Optimus Prime was able to cure the Plague by emptying the Matrix. {{Storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

The Aerialbots were later seen fighting the Decepticons, a battle during which the entire team was taken out by the Decepticon [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. Despite being robbed of their power packs while unconscious, one of the Aerialbots was seen jumping with Bumblebee, indicating they survived. {{Storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

====Scramble City OVA (Japan-only)====

===Marvel Comics continuity===
The Aerialbots were created to bolster the [[Earth]]-bound [[Autobot|Autobots]]' depleted forces, counter the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]]' aerial superiority, and utilize the [[combiner]] technology that [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] had stolen from the Decepticons. Their first mission came suddenly when a crisis arose at [[Hoover Dam]]. An employee armed with a super-powerful handgun had taken over the control room and ordered that the dam be shut down. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] suspected [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s involvement, but the only Autobots who could reach the dam fast enough were the newly-constructed Aerialbots. Although [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] had completed their bodies, [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] was the only one whose personality had been fully programmed. Feeling he had no choice, Prime sent them anyway.

Arriving at the dam, they found that it had, indeed, been shut down, and where water used to fall there now hovered a [[space bridge]]. Sitting on the bridge was a giant drilling machine that was slowly boring through the dam. From the machine, a huge pipe led back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The Decepticons' plan was apparent: The water that would normally flow over the dam would be piped to Cybertron, where technologically advanced turbines would generate huge amounts of power. (Cybertron is devoid of water.) As the Aerialbots began to assault the drill, they were intercepted by [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], who had just arrived from Cybertron. During the fight, Silverbolt briefly succumbed to his fear of heights, but he recovered by putting his team's safety before his own. The battle was soon joined by the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] (also new arrivals from Cybertron), but the Aerialbots still managed to win the fight. The drill, however, was impervious to individual attacks, so the Aerialbots combined into [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and began to destroy it. Suddenly, the human who had started the whole mess (under [[Bombshell]]'s mind control) appeared atop the dam and pointed Megatron's gun mode at the Autobot gestalt. As Megatron hurled threats, Superion reached over to crush him. The human, [[Ricky Vasquez]], began to think of his daughter, and Bombshell's control weakened. At the same time, Superion was having a mental crisis of his own: Silverbolt, the only fully-programmed Aerialbot, was the only one who had any respect for human life, and he tried desperately to override the other Aerialbots and stop the gestalt from crushing Ricky. Realizing that he couldn't succeed, he forced his team to disassemble. Meanwhile, Ricky managed to fight the Decepticon mind control just enough to shoot the drill instead of the Aerialbots. The Decepticons left in defeat, and the Aerialbots returned to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

However, the tiny Bombshell was able to sneak into the Ark with the Aerialbots, and he secretly injected a mind-controlling [[cerebro-shell]] into Optimus Prime. But the shell malfunctioned, and the Insecticon could only read Prime's thoughts, not control them. Megatron still used this to his advantage, for when Prime used the [[Creation Matrix]] to give life to more robots, Megatron could secretly access its power and do the same. This occurred when Prime reprogrammed the Aerialbots. Because of their poor performance at Hoover Dam, Optimus had had the team's minds completely wiped and re-created. (It is unknown whether Silverbolt still had a fear of heights after being reprogrammed.) During the process of re-creation, Matrix power was channeled from the cerebro-shell to [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], then to Megatron (via an artificial communications hook-up), and from him into the lifeless [[Stunticon|Stunticons]]. This five-member Decepticon team could transform into Earthen cars, and thus humans would easily confuse them with the Autobots.

The Stunticons began to wreak havoc on a highway, and their attack was not a random one; they were targeting the Autobot [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], who (along with the human [[Donny Finkleberg]]) was searching for a group of Cybertronian Autobots that had been accidentally transported to Earth. As the Stunticons neared Skids, Donny ran off to safety. At that moment, a [[RAAT]] team led by [[Circuit Breaker]] attacked the Decepticons but was somewhat ineffectual. The Stunticons surrounded Skids, who saw the helplessness of his situation and didn't fight back. Then the Aerialbots appeared and began firing at the Stunticons, who pretended to be protecting Skids. Circuit Breaker saw the destructive Stunticons appear to protect the supposed "good guy" Skids, and this further cemented her belief that all robots are evil. After the two Transformer teams merged into their gestalt modes, Circuit Breaker slipped into the fight and blasted Superion with all the energy her suit could provide. This stunned the giant Autobot long enough for the Stunticon gestalt, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], to deal a debilitating blow with his cyclone gun. Skids and Donny used the opportunity to escape and continue their mission. It's unclear exactly what happened after this point-- apparently, the RAAT forces were strong enough to drive Menasor off (or perhaps he simply lost interest). At any rate, the deactivated Superion was taken to RAAT headquarters and dissassembled for study. Several other captured Autobots (incidentally, the same ones Skids and Donny had been looking for) were in similar states of dissection when RAAT again moved into the offensive, this time against the two Decepticon [[Battlecharger|Battlechargers]]. In the heat of the battle, Circuit Breaker unintentionally endangered the lives of civilians (and lost the fight anyway). Because of her poor judgment, she was forbidden to participate in any more assaults on the Battlechargers. Itching for revenge on the two Decepticons, she found that her only possible allies were the disassembled Autobots in her lab. It would have taken too long to properly repair their bodies and reconnect their brains, but she knew she could jury-rig them together into a form that she could control. However, she would not be able to completely subdue them, so she struck a deal: If they would obey her commands, then she would let them go after she had had her revenge on the Battlechargers. And that is just what happened. Unfortunately for her, releasing the Autobots got her fired from RAAT.

Immediately after Ratchet finished repairing the damage inflicted by Circuit Breaker's studies and jury-rigging, the Aerialbots were sent on a new mission: Bumblebee had spotted Bombshell at the grand unveiling of [[Power Station Alpha]], an advanced, mobile nuclear power facility. Sent to assist Bumblebee, the Aerialbots arrived to find their ally in pieces. The anti-terrorist team [[G.I. Joe]] had been guarding the station, and, mistaking Bumblebee for a threat, they had destroyed him. The Aerialbots combined into Superion and briefly battled the humans. The fight was cut short by a radio message from [[Blaster]], who informed Superion that Optimus Prime was dead, and that all Autobots were to return to the Ark. The Aerialbots did just that, leaving Bumblebee's wreckage (and some confused G.I. Joes) behind.

Later, the Decepticons stole Power Station Alpha and began to use it in a plan that would, if enacted, ultimately destroy the Earth. After clearing up some misunderstandings, an alliance was formed between the Autobots, G.I. Joe, and (recognizing the mutual threat) the terrorist organization called [[Cobra]]. While a team of humans sneak-attacked the station, the Aerialbots participated in a diversionary strike on the Decepticons' island base. As human jets battled the Decepticons' air armada, Superion fought an aerial battle with Devastator, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]] combiner. Just as Superion defeated his foe, Alpha was destroyed. The beaten Decepticons retreated, and the Autobot-Joe-Cobra alliance dispersed.

After this point, the Aerialbots faded out of the spotlight. Their next notable appearance was during [[Buster Witwicky]]'s Decepticon captivity. Wanting the awesome power of the mysterious, spaceborne [[Underbase]] for himself, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] used Buster as bait to lure the Autobots into a massive battle with the Decepticons. He would use the confusion to sneak off and find the Underbase before anyone else could. Three Aerialbots (Air Raid, Fireflight, and Skydive) were the Advance Security Patrol that found Buster freezing in the Arctic. After the other Autobots arrived, the battle ensued. However, the combatants soon deduced Starscream's plan, and they forged a shaky alliance to stop him. When they found him, they were able to stop him from absorbing all but a small fraction of the Underbase's power... but that was enough to make him virtually invincible. In a show of force, he sought to destroy three major Earth cities. The Aerialbots were easily eliminated while defending [[New York|New York City]].

Although Starscream was eventually destroyed, the severe microchip damage he inflicted on his victims kept them in deactivation for a very long time. Although the technology to repair them did exist, the Autobots didn't have it on the Ark. The Aerialbots and many others were not revived until [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] found a miracle fuel called [[Nucleon]], and they awoke just in time to fight the demi-god [[Unicron]]. After Unicron's destruction, the Decepticons left Cybertron to conquer other worlds. Under Grimlock's impulsive orders, Aerialbot leader Silverbolt piloted the main pursuit ship that flew right into a Decepticon ambush (nearly destroying the entire Autobot army).

But the Autobots prevailed, and the Decepticons exiled themselves (supposedly) forever. For a time, peace was known. But a situation developed on Earth: Megatron, who knew nothing of the Decepticon exile, was making his presence known through an alliance with Cobra. He had been on board the Ark when it had crashed in northern [[Canada]] shortly after Unicron's defeat. He had repaired and hidden the Ark, then had made a deal with Cobra: He would give them access to the Ark's technology if they would build him a new body (to his specifications, including a "rail gun," a human invention which he considered superior to his fusion cannon). When G.I. Joe discovered that he had returned, they contacted the Autobots on Cybertron, and a team was sent to Earth to stop him. The team consisted of [[Hot Spot (G1)]], [[Brawn]], [[Chase]], [[Override (G1)|Override]], [[Steeljaw]], and the Aerialbot Skydive. Megatron quickly destroyed Steeljaw, Chase, and Brawn, and the Autobots realized that they had to come up with some new tactics. Override distracted Megatron while Skydive and Hot Spot snuck aboard the Ark. At some point, Hot Spot left the Ark to stop Cobra, who had a truckload of Cybertronian technology. After destroying Override, Megatron launched the Ark into orbit, aware of neither Skydive nor a second stowaway, the human [[Spike Witwicky]]. Spike found the body of his [[Headmaster]] partner, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], and merged with it. He and Skydive attacked Megatron, and Max was severely injured. With his last ounce of strength, Max plunged himself into the Ark's [[antimatter]] conversion chamber, setting off a chain reaction that quickly destroyed the ship. Skydive escaped with Megatron's human captive, the brilliant [[Dr. Biggles-Jones]], and delivered her to G.I. Joe. Upon arrival, he found that Hot Spot had succeeding in destroying Cobra's Cybertronian technology, but he had destroyed himself to prevent his own tech from falling into Cobra's hands. As the only Autobot on Earth, Skydive briefly functioned as a liaison between his own army and the humans. When the main Decepticon army returned and began decimating the Earth, Skydive contacted Optimus Prime and asked for reinforcements. When other Autobots arrived and established a presence on the planet, Skydive was reunited with his fellow Aerialbots.

Soon the vicious [[Swarm]] arrived on the Earth and began devouring all Transformers. The Aerialbot Slingshot was destroyed just moments before Megatron arrived with a substance that would make metal virtually indestructible.

===Dreamwave comics continuity===

The Aerialbots, as Superion, played chicken with a nuclear missile. And lost.

[[Category: Aerialbots| ]]
[[Category: Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category: Combiner teams]]
[[Category: Generation 1]]
[[Category: Generation 2]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Reproduction

2008-03-20T12:03:37Z

71.235.142.128: There, clearer and more to the point

[[Image:Babyrobot.gif|thumb|300px|right|When a Mommy-robot and a Daddy-robot love each other very much, they...uh...hey, what ''do'' robots do to make new robots?]]
Various reproduction methods for the Transformers species have been demonstrated across various continuities.

==Mechanical construction==

Sometimes, new Transformers are simply built from scratch, and that's all it takes. A suitable Transformer body is constructed, and when finished and turned on, it just springs to life. Two notable examples of this type of reproduction appear in the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|''Generation 1'' cartoon]]: when [[Wheeljack]] and company create the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, and later when the temporarily super-intelligent [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] creates the [[Technobots]].

[[Image:Dinobuild.gif|left|thumb|"I've been workin' on the Dinobot, all the live long day..."]]

The Dinobots are initially very simple mentally and are ordered to be deactivated because they are too dangerous. Wheeljack then develops a set of crown-like devices to place on the Dinobots which greatly enhances their intellect, although they are still "dumb" and child-like compared to the other Autobots. The Technobots, on the other hand, are immediately fully functional, and some of them are even ''smarter'' than average Transformers. If one were to take these facts as canonically meaningful (rather than simply the whims of the writers of those episodes), it could be guessed that programming a functional Transformer brain from scratch is extremely difficult, such that even Wheeljack is not up to the job. Temporarily super-genius Grimlock may be the only one capable.

At least on the surface, this "built from scratch" approach runs counter to claims in other episodes of the show that [[Vector Sigma]] is needed to create new Transformer life. (See below.) However, since Vector Sigma is presented as being a supercomputer and not a "magical" device like the [[Generation 1 (Marvel comic)|comics']] [[Creation Matrix]], it could fall in with the speculative statements above regarding Grimlock and Wheeljack. Perhaps Vector Sigma is simply an advanced enough computer that it is capable of constructing a working mind.

== Infusion ==

[[Image:Creation Matrix 65.jpg|Right|150px|thumb|Go on, rub it and make a wish...]]
[[Image:VectorSigmaG1.jpg|right|thumbnail|Vector Sigma holds "Disco Night" every Friday at 11 pm.]]

In other stories, once a new Transformer body has been built it, must still be infused with life (what the fiction from the Beast era and after would gloss as a [[spark]]) from a "god-like" outside source. In the ''Generation 1'' cartoon, this source is Vector Sigma; in the Marvel comics, it is the Creation Matrix, which houses the essence of [[Primus]], the Transformers' creator-god. In the [[Beast Era|Beast era]] cartoons, sparks arrive from the [[Allspark]], perhaps through Vector Sigma. (In many continuities, each Transformer's life force is a fragment of Primus's own.) The [[Movie (continuity)|live-action movie]] continuities function with the [[All Spark]] being the source of infusion as well, though in that case, "living" and "sentient" are not quite the same thing. (See: [[Real Gear Robot]].)

In the [[Young Corgi]] book ''[[Desert of Danger]]'', Hot Rod refers to his creation after the ''Ark'' left Cybertron as when he was "[http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/tf/books/corgi-adv/desert/22.html matrixed]". How exactly this would have happened if Optimus Prime was aboard the ''Ark'' with the Matrix at the time is unknown, but one option might be the [[Matrix Flame]].

The Matrix Flame is an artifact which allows Transformers on Cybertron to access the power of the Matrix even when it is no longer on Cybertron. Literally a flame, it is used to breathe life in the super warrior [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] in the UK comics. The flame is somehow linked to the Matrix, and when the Matrix is transported to another dimension during "Target: 2006", the flame goes out, forcing the Autobots on Cybertron to investigate.

The [[Dreamwave]] ''[[More than Meets the Eye]]'' guide provides yet another method of infusion. According to the guide, in Dreamwave continuity, Transformers generally begin life as a skeletal mass of partially formed circuits—a [[Protoform]]. These are kept in stasis pods filled with nurturing nutrient gel. They can be built to certain specifications or be fairly general, allowing the robot to form naturally upon introduction of a spark. Sparks, and hence life, usually come from the Matrix, *BUT*, if the Matrix is absent, life can be granted by attuning the protoform to an energy wavelength similar to the Matrix and then applying a concentrated burst of energon. This alternative is rarely used, as it is extremely resource-consumptive, requiring restrictively high amounts of energon.

The Movie continuities Allspark works by infuson as well, just on an even more impressive scale. It is capable of infusing any inanimate machine with life and simultaniously altering its structure so that it is capable of transforming into a cybertronian-style robot.

== Resurrection ==

[[Image:DedPrim.gif|left|thumb|Don't worry kids, he gets better. Again.]]

Though not quite the same as reproduction, a copy of the mind or essence of a previously living Transformer may be introduced into a new body and, through some vague process, return that Transformer to life. This occurs when [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] creates the [[Combaticon]]s in the G1 cartoon, and in the comic when Prime uses copies of the minds of existing Cybertronians to create the second-series Autobot cars on [[Earth]]. Another example from the comic occurs when Optimus Prime himself is returned to life merely by inputting a human's [[floppy disk]] copy of his mind into a new body.

In his ending to the ''[[Beast Wars: Transmetals]]'' video game, [[Ravage]] uses "a prototype cloning device, based on transreplication technology" to clone the deactivated G1 Decepticons on the ''Ark'' into new protoform bodies, thus reviving them without altering the timeline (and erasing himself) by effectively doubling each robot.

This is included as a means of reproduction because it seems likely from the dialogue that the Autobot cars created via copied minds by Prime on Earth still existed on Cybertron when he left, meaning that if they survived the intermediate 4 million years, two of each of these individuals now exist.

In the [[Unicron Trilogy]] story "[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]", [[Redline]] and [[Falcia]] combine energy from their [[spark frame]]s in order to create a new body for the mind/soul of [[Twirl]] to inhabit after her [[Mini-Con storage panel]] is destroyed in battle. This leads to an interesting relationship between Twirl and Falcia. (See "Familial relationships", below.)

== Budding ==

[[Image:Budding.jpg|right|thumb|Budding doesn't look like much fun at ALL. It looks like ''Aliens versus Predator'' all over again.]]

The [[Generation 2 (Marvel comic)|''Transformers: Generation 2'' comic]] introduced the concept of asexual "budding". Bubbles and lesions of apparently liquid metal form on a robot's chest, accompanied by energy discharge. The process grows more intense, until a large mass of liquid metal bursts free from the chest and slowly forms into a [[protoform]]-like blank figure, and then solidifies into a full Transformer. Illustrations suggest that this is something of a communal event, with others surrounding the budding robot in a circle.

[[Image:TNA.gif|left|thumb|150px|With the right early screening, even [[pegwarmer|pegwarming]] might some day be preventable.]]

It was revealed that (in the Marvel continuity at least) early Transformers reproduced this way until they reached the population level Primus desired. At this turning point, the practice stopped and all memory of it was erased. When the [[Cybertronian Empire]] (possibly under influence of the [[Liege Maximo]]) rediscovered and revived the process sometime during the 4 million years after the ''[[Ark]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s loss, the successive generations of robots produced were increasingly less sentient and emotional (as Primus's lifeforce was apparently spread thinner and thinner between them), and the lifeform called [[Swarm|The Swarm]] was created as a byproduct.

It is established here that Transformers do have genetic material (the Transformer equivalent of DNA) within their cellular structures. (Yes, they also apparently have cellular structures—who knew?) This genetic material is passed down from "parent" to "child" through budding. Its make-up is seen in the picture at left. (Apparently, its design is not taught in the Transformer equivalent of high school Biology, as Megatron does not recognize what he's looking at until Perceptor explains.) This genetic material and basic Transformer cellular structure is also passed to the Swarm. Later, in [[IDW]] continuity, Transformer genetic material is given the designation [[CNA]], and it is what is altered by the malevolent Jhiaxus to create female Transformers.

The other notable fact is that Transformers who have undergone the budding process retain some sort of primal link to their offspring, thus even though they are galaxies apart, the G1 Decepticon [[Onslaught]] doubles over in pain when his descendant [[Mindset]] is destroyed, and the Liege Maximo says he would know if his descendant, Megatron, were to die.

== Sexual reproduction ==

[[Image:Tfreprod marvel28.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"Film the birth?"

"No, got some great footage of the conception, though!"]]

Despite most continuities having male and female genders (gender being a mental and social classification, as opposed to "sexes", a physical distinction) and a definite, strong history of romance existing between these genders, there is little canonical evidence for Transformers reproducing sexually. (Though admittedly, there isn't a lot of direct evidence for [[human]]s reproducing sexually in most Transformers media, which is, after all, aimed towards kids.)

In the ''Generation 1'' cartoon, the male Transformer - [[Female Transformers|female Transformer]] romance could perhaps be explained as an artifact of [[Quintesson]] mental programming very closely echoing the organic life forms the Transformers were built to serve.

On only two occasions in Generation 1 do we get a hint of male and female Transformer romance leading to the formation of family units and the creation of offspring. The first is subtle: [[Wheelie]]'s backstory in some versions mentions his crashing on Quintessa with his parents. The second is more explicit: At the end of the Japanese ''[[Victory]]'' manga, we find out that [[Deathsaurus]] and his forces have been fighting all this time for the sake of his wife [[Esmeryl]], the wives and sisters of the other Decepticons, and all their many children. Awww.

Apart from this, the best case for sexual reproduction in the species could probably be made from ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', where [[Rattrap]] makes numerous off-color remarks throughout the series, especially directed at [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. These comments strongly hint at something sex-like among Transformers, though it could, of course, be merely recreational rather than reproductive.

[[Airazor]] and [[Tigatron]]'s fusion into [[Tigerhawk]] during ''Beast Wars'' could perhaps be seen as an example of sex-like reproduction (i.e., two beings coming together and creating a new being that is a recombination of their components). It could also just be glossed as an extension of the usual Combiner-team type merger.

It is unknown what effect the ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' [[reformatting]] of Transformers into [[technorganic]] beings, which are equal parts organic life and mechanical structure down to a cellular level, has on their reproductive options. It is conceivable but unexplored whether this new form of Transformer life could reproduce sexually.

It should be noted that during a dream-like vision, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt meet in an ethereal state, and the two appear to "merge" their sparks, which may be as close to sexual intercourse as Transformers get, perhaps a more spiritual act than physical.

The [[Transformers (2007)|2007 motion picture]] once again brings up questions about the possibility of a less-than-mechanical form of reproduction. The first and most obvious of these implications comes from [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet's]] less-than-tactful observation of "the [[Samuel James Witwicky|boy]] want[ing] to mate with the [[Mikaela Banes|female]]." Although his grasp of the concept could stem mearly from a familiarity with organic species in general. Optimus Prime's mention of Megatron killing their father, in some related material does suggest Transformers have some understanding of family units.

In the ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' continuity, it seems clear that Transformers do not reproduce sexually. [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] appears stunned when [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] tells him where human babies come from.<ref>Of course, for all we know, she might have whispered, "We buy them on eBay." Or worse.</ref>

On the flip-side, in IDW continuity, female Transformers are specifically created by [[Jhiaxus]]. By altering fundimental [[CNA]] Jhiaxus introduced gender to the species from a malevolent curiousity about what would happen. The depth of the change in this case is unknown, is it limited to appearence and mentality or does it go deeper? If he was truely tring to see how females would affect the evolution of the species it is possible Arcee was created with the capability for some analog of sexual reproduction in mind, but given his abandonment of the experiment and Arcee's resultant unballanced mental state it seems unlikely the depth of the change will be explored.

== Familial relationships ==

[[Image:Bros.gif|thumb|right|150px|The Doublemint Twins they're not.]]

One confusing aspect of this apparent lack of sexual reproduction is the canonical use of genealogical terminology to describe certain relationships. The most common of these is when two Transformers regard each other as siblings: "brothers" (e.g. G1's [[Sideswipe]] and [[Sunstreaker]] or ''Robots In Disguise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]]) or "sisters" ([[Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker]]).

Again, the Dreamwave ''More than Meets the Eye'' guide provides a partial possible answer. According to the guide, when a spark naturally splits as it's being introduced to a protoform, it creates two robots who are "brothers", such as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. When such a spark division is artificially induced, the less balanced and less self-reliant pair created are referred to as "clones". (This definition of "brother" may or may not apply to RID Prime and Magnus, whose brotherhood was said to result from the special circumstance of having been created simultaneously by Alpha Trion).

However, the "[[Beast Era|Beast era]]" widened the issue of reproduction with Rattrap referring to his "great-aunt" [[Arcee]] and in general the practice of Maximals and Predacons referring to the Autobots and Decepticons as their respective "ancestors", as well as themselves as being their "descendants", implying a direct genetic (for want of a better term) lineage. Various sources of debatable canonicity suggest that [[Optimus Primal]] is specifically descended from [[Optimus Prime]], usually through the phrase "his ancestor Optimus Prime" (though the events of [[Optimal Situation]] seem to prove that all Maximals could reasonably consider Optimus Prime their ancestor).

In the absence of sexual reproduction, the use and meaning of these genealogical references is difficult to explain. One possible explanation might be a situation such as when [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] is brought to life in ''Beast Wars''. Her [[spark]] and [[protoform]] are heavily damaged, and Cheetor allows some of his parts to be used as replacements while [[Rhinox]] guides the procedure. To compare to humans, this is something like assisting with childbirth and donating blood or organs. It is unlikely that this happened enough to cause "descendants" as they are described, however. The term may also be used in an ideological sense or even a technological sense, much as the CD or MP3 player is, in a way, a "descendant" of the gramophone.

Other family designations exist as well. [[Wheelie]] has "parents" that were lost in his crash on [[Quintessa]], according some background material. The aforementioned Mini-Con Twirl very specifically calls Falcia her "mother" (which Falcia ''hates'') and seems to treat Redline like a father, since the two's spark frame energies went into constructing her physical form. In the ''Armada'' cartoon, [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] refers to [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] as his brother after Hot Shot saves his life, indicating at least an understanding of the concept. The [[Unicron Trilogy]] universe has also used the term "cousin" for certain Transformers on occasion. The Japanese Generation 1 ''Victory'' manga features Decepticon wives and children. Even the live-action movie features an Optimus and Megatron who are brothers, and it is mentioned in the related Nintendo DS game that Megatron "took the spark" of their father.

'''''See also:''' [[Relatives]]''

== Toys ==
[[Image:Classics cosmos concept.gif|thumb|250px|right|Echography of a sadly aborted Transformer.... Yes, those things happen.]]

In the real-life continuity, when two toy manufacturing companies love each other very much, [[Hasbro|one of them]] may start shooting Transformer design propositions to the [[TakaraTomy|other one]]. There, during several months of gestation, engineers will work on those designs, which will be developed into functional and manufacturable Transformers. Once the Transformer is ready to be produced, its design will be sent to marketing and ultimately to the chain manufacturer for the delivery. Voilà! A new Transformer is born!
{{-}}
==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category: Transformer culture]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Scale

2008-03-19T17:54:35Z

71.235.142.128: /* Alternators Only Toyline to Scale? */

Hi, this is my second (and much larger) personally-originated article. I hope you like it; I certainly had fun writing it.

As I discussed on [[Micro-Continuities]], I'm keen for people to contribute to the article; I'm not overly precious about it. All I'd ask is that if you really hate something, please discuss it HERE first, rather than outright deleting or extensively re-writing it just yet.

I'd particularly appreciate anyone wanting to add examples from other franchises. It's pretty G1 and Beast Era-centric at the moment. More/better pictures would also be great.

Also, I'd REALLY appreciate any suggestions as to what category(ies) this article should be placed in. I'm really scratching my head here...

Anyway, don't be shy, let the newbie know what you think!

Cheers,
[[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]].

:Wonderful article. I enjoyed it. This is something that's always on my mind when I'm looking at my toys or comics. About the proto-humans in Beast Wars, though: proto-humans were smaller than modern humans (around 4 ft tall). So the scale problems, while still an issue, are not as drastic as they seem. I'm not sure how to integrate that into that section. --[[User:Crockalley|Crockalley]] 18:02, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

::Wow, thanks man. And cheers for the protohumans info. Please feel free to contribute anything, especially pictures! Ta, [[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]].

I love the subtle hilarious genius of giving this the Things that Don't Exist category. --[[User:Terrocon Blot|Terrocon Blot]] 05:55, 23 March 2007 (UTC)
:Uncyclopedia reference FTW! --[[User:TVsGrady|TVsGrady]] 04:07, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

== JBW Scales? ==

I remember hearign that the JBW TF's were scaled like classic G1 TF's, not the 8' tall BW-era average, but it's been so longsince i saw parts of BW2 that I can't back that up.<br/>
(This of course creates issues with Primal suddenly getting that size int he teamup. which I suppose is a problem in Robotmasters too.)<br/>
Pic of Robotmasters Primal & Prime vs. a 2-shot from Agenda? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 07:53, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

:I wouldn't know; I've never seen more than the teamup movie of BWII and some painful snippets of BWNeo on YouTube. Frankly I loath the little I've seen of these shows, and most Japanese-originated fiction for that matter, although I don't want to force that opinion on anyone. Love the leader-toys though ;-)

:Please feel free to add anything like that if you can verify it, and if accurate please do point out the resulting scale problem with Primal in relation BW and RM. Cheers, [[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]].

::Such misconceptions were probably caused by the fact that in BWII Most of the Destrons turn into vehicles, the J-Beast Warriors are only G1-Sized if we assume that the Destron's vehicle modes are supposed to be real world scale. They could just be tiny vehicles like in Dawn of Futures Past. Which is probably the most likely, as Lio Convoy has been shown to be the same size as the Lion he scanned, while on the other hand Tasmanian Kid turns into a huge Tasmanian Devil, much like Rattrap turns into a huge rat.

:::But that's inconsistant as well. I did a quick search and found evidence that LioConvoy was about the size of his lion, as you said [http://bigbot.com/beast_wars_2/pictures/cartoon_tv_show/02_White_Lion_Run/], but I also saw an image of Tasmania Kid cradling a tasmanian devil that he scanned in his hands [http://bigbot.com/beast_wars_2/pictures/cartoon_tv_show/04_Lake_Trap/]. Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_devil#Physical_description] places the average length of a Tasmanian devil at 652 mm, which would be over one-fourth the height of an average man. So it's still confusing.-[[User:EricMarrs|EricMarrs]] 23:41, 26 March 2007 (UTC)
::::Contextually, though I haven't seen the episode, I'm betting that's a baby Tazmanian devil.
::::Sale in JBW is weird. It appears that Lioconvoy was 'real' sized, (about 7 feet tall, and transforms into a normal-sized lion.) while others in hsi crew are ridiculously undersized. By contrast- the Destrons turned into TINY versions of jets and such. The toy scale was (loosely) maintained. Robotmasters is fucked though.
::::I might rephrase the entry to more accurately reflect this contradiction. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 00:15, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

== Mini-Cons ==

The first paragraph on Mini-Con scale bugs me. The Earth-based altmodes have always been pretty clearly intended as small-scale reproductions of actual vehicles, no different from how Waspinator is (theoretically) a large-scale reproduction of an actual wasp. So Sparkplug, for instance, has windows because he's a tiny Lamborghini and Lamborghinis have windows. (A case could be made for the non-Earth-design vehicles, I suppose.) It just seems to be inventing an issue for the sake of having something to question on a subject where there's already plenty going on that's questionable... if anything, Mini-Cons in Armada are one of the few cases of ''consistent'' scale in Transformers. --[[User:Andrusi|Andrusi]] 18:23, 25 March 2007 (UTC)
:Well, except the weapons. --[[User:Andrusi|Andrusi]] 18:24, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

: Yeah, I'm not wild about it either. They're not supposed to be having passengers at all ever, and clearly were never intended to... except in ''Cybertron''. (And, well, the SAT, right.) --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 18:43, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

::Well, I take your point, but it seems to me that it's still a valid inclusion. Even if Mini-Cons were never ''intended'' to hold passangers (although for that matter, frankly, how often do you see post-Movie characters actually carrying passangers anyway...?), they nevertheless turn into vehicles that ''appear'' to be able to carry people in them but are too small to actually do so. They are, almost by definition, SCALED DOWN representations of (mostly) real vehicles. So feel free to reword the paragraph, but I still think Mini-Cons warrant a reference. That's my two cents, anyway. Ta, [[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]]

==Question==

Why does Lio Convoy and Primal being the same size in BWII cause a problem. Lio convoy was the same size as a real lion.

==Nanotyrannus?==

You should remove the nanotyrannus caomment since many now believe it's just a young rex.
:Except that when Mainframe created the CGI models for Beast Wars, Nanotyrannus was believed to be a real genus. I always assumed that they had Megatron get his beast mode from scanning Nanotyrannus fossils so he wouldn't completely dwarf the rest of the cast. --[[User:Rotty|Rotty]] 20:36, 5 June 2007 (UTC)
:Maybe the same explanation of Nanotyrannus applies to Meg's beast mode scale-he just scanned the fossil of a juvenile T-Rex. [[User:Darktruth|Darktruth]] 23:17, 16 January 2008 (UTC)

== Scale within Toylines ==

Parts of the paragraph involving the movie toys are very inaccurate, especially the claim that non-Prime or Megatron characters having toys in different classes representing the same body is virtuarlly unprecendeted. If it were just the Legends that were the exception, that would be fine, as the reason for that class was "small versions of the large toys", much the TF-Juniors (same goes for fast-food toys and kabya kits).

The main problem with this is Beast Machines, as the first Megatron (Mega) toy is the same "body" as his TMII form (Ultra), three toys for Cheetor (Mega, Supreme, Deluxe) and Primal (Deluxe, Mega, Supreme), Jetstorm (Deluxe and Ultra), Tankorr (Mega and Basic), and Thrust (Deluxe and Basic). (Yes, the Basics forms of the last two were techinaclly Drones, but the ''Beast Wars Returns'' line released the Basics as the Generals, and the visual difference between General and Drone was some extra paint.) --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 20:41, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

== Awsomeness. ==

Hey man love the article. I wish all of wikipedia could be like that, informal and with a bit of humour, instead of being as about as much fun as getting repeatedly kicked in the face. Lauds.

== Movie ==

While not perfect, the movie has avoided many of the scale issues that previous generations have had, and should be mentioned. As with Beast-Era, this entire new kettle of fish is in need of its own section and should probably be added soon. If anyone can point out any scale problems in-movie (not in the toys, though there are many there) please mention them here. -[[User:King Starscream|King Starscream]] 14:08, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

* In the movie we are shown the All-Spark compressing itself from a massive cube to a much smaller one, in which a human is easily able to hold and run with it. Isn't it reasonable to suggest that the Transformers, being a product of the All-Spark, would be able to, to some degree, compress or expand themselves in the same fashion?
::Yes, but that's a topic for the [[size changing]] article. While this article does talk about size changing (possibly too much), any discussion that's ''just'' about size changing shouldn't be here. [[User:JW|JW]] 20:34, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

== Featured? ==

Any chance of this article becoming a featured article? It contains an enormous ammount of knowledge, and is also witty at the same time. As such, this article could be said to be a perfect example of what this wiki is about. [[User:Tindalos|Tindalos]] 20:39, 12 September 2007 (UTC)
: Well, as the originator of the article, I'd second that! ;-) I'm enormously chuffed to hear you say that, thanks. [[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]].

:: Ideally, I'd like to see the BW sections edited a bit more, and possibly integrated into the top sections of the article. Currently, the article is partly organized by topic (scale and toys, scale and fiction) and partly by franchise. Also, it needs to be trimmed of discussion of size-changing that is not relevant to scale (with that discussion moved into the size changing article). [[User:JW|JW]] 02:10, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

:::Hi there [[User:JW|JW]],
::: Your points are valid, but I'd actually argue that the BW stuff ''should'' stay separate. Although there's no massively logical rationale behind this (scale, after all, is scale), I think the fundamental aesthetic differences between the vehicular TFs that dominate the franchise and the animal altmodes of the Beast Era, especially Season 1 of BW (which is mostly what this material covers, since they were the only significant depiction of "real animal" altmodes) are better discussed separately. I know that falls a little bit afoul of the usually meaningless "toasters versus squishies" dualism, but in this case I really think it just''feels right'' as an organisational divide for this particular article.
:::As to the size-changing stuff; I'll have a closer look but I really thing that some discussion of size-changing is inevitably required with a topic concerning scale.
:::Cheers, [[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]] 23 October 2007
Me again, [[User:JW|JW]],

I've had a close look at the article and I really feel that all the discussion of size-changing herein really ''is'' neccessary, and thoroughly relevant. Sorry.
[[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]] 26th Oct. 07

:If you think the amount of size-changing discussion currently in the article is about right, I won't quibble much. [[User:JW|JW]] 11:50, 26 October 2007 (UTC)

== Metroplex ==

While his "city" mode isn't really shown, Metroplex is about the size of Autobot City in the UK comic ("Space Pirates", to be precise).

[[User:Cliffjumper|Cliffjumper]] 09:42, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

I've added a short line to indicate this, though I'm buggered if I can work out how to link to Space Pirates properly...I've tried it with an underscore, with a space, and both with and without the exclamation mark, but it keeps redirecting me to a new page. Anyone?

[edit]...aha, fixed it. The Space Pirates article has a picture of 'Plex in robot mode that might be useful for this article too, if the Citybot section was more substantially re-written.

[[User:Emvee|Emvee]] 05:10, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

== movie scale alert ==
i think there might be one more scale problem in the 2007 transformers movie : when bumblebee shrinks the all spark he holds it fairly easily with one hand and when ladiesman217 takes it he holds it just as easily with two hands[[User:217.43.84.145|217.43.84.145]] 13:57, 30 December 2007 (UTC)
:Yah, but the All Spark explicitly can change size, so it's hard to argue Bumblebee didn't just shrink it again . . . [[User:JW|JW]] 15:31, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

== Long Article ==

For people who are tempted to add to this article, please note that it is close to the maximum recommended length of 32kb already. Don't add new stuff unless it's pretty important to the article. New material that is ''just'' jokes will probably get cut again to make room for more substantive stuff. [[User:JW|JW]] 11:55, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

== Animated ==

There's nothing in the article about any size inconsistencies that may have cropped up in ''Animated'', so, as the series goes forward, we should probably keep an eye out. Im' guessing the first problems to crop up will involve Prowl, as he's a motorcycle rather than a car or truck. --[[User:Nemesis Primal|Nemesis Primal]] 05:26, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

:I've noticed a few instances, but they're more "animation company screwups" than any kind of consitent scale issues. Look at Prime from the first episode when Bulkhead is loading an injured Prowl onto his bed. Prime's truck mode is HUGE. That's not a consistent thing, though, so I don't know that' it's worth mentioning outside of the episode's "animation errors" listing. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 18:51, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
::Forget Prime. PROWL in robot mode is gigantic in many shots, considering his tiny altmode. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 19:23, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

== minicons ==

i think the gigantion minicons are supposed to be huge because in the episode showing the origin of soundwave and sideways it says that the people turned there planet and THEMSELVES (which would include the minicons on that planet) into giants[[User:81.108.233.59|81.108.233.59]] 17:54, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
:Except they're clearly ''not'', and they're explicitly said to be ''tiny'' to do detail work. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 18:46, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

== Rattrap ==

The article mentions that only Cheetor and Tigatron were seen next to their actual flesh and blood counterparts, but I could have sworn there was a scene where Rattrap was seen next to a real rat (and the real rat was tiny compared to him). In A Better Mousetrap, perhaps? [[User:Excise|Excise]] 14:33, 8 February 2008 (UTC)
:True. Fixed. [[User:JW|JW]] 14:44, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

==Dreamwave Devastator Pic==
While it's an excellent example of scale problems, it doesn't belong in the Toys section (since it's not a pic of a toy), and in the section where it ''does'' belong, we already have a Dreamwave Menasor pic which illustrates the problem. Unless there's another place to put it where it will fit, it should probably be cut. [[User:JW|JW]] 12:53, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

==Alternators ''Only'' Toyline to Scale?==
Perhaps I'm missing the intention of the statements in the article, but a couple of times the Alternators are spelled out as the ''only'' exception to the scale difficulties that plague all-that-is-Transformers. The G2 GoBots (later known as Spychangers) were designed to be 1:64 scale, weren't they? Or is there something wonky about their scale I'm missing?--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 17:30, 19 March 2008 (UTC)
:I think if you place RID Hot Shot, Ironhide, and Mirage next to each other, you'll see that they're only ''roughly'' to the same scale. Mirage is big for an Indy car, and Ironhide is a small pickup. "1:64 scale" in this case means "about yay long". [[User:JW|JW]] 17:38, 19 March 2008 (UTC)
::Yeah, basically in this case it means "Fits most Matchbox/Hotwheels tracks."<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Sentinel Prime (Animated)

2008-03-17T14:06:46Z

71.235.142.128: /* Animated */ Corrected story order

{{disambig3|Sentinel Prime}}
:''Sentinel Prime is an [[Autobot]] in the [[Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Sentinel prime.PNG|right|300px|thumb|'''''SPOOOOOOON!!!''''']]

'''Sentinel Prime''' is a member of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] under the command of [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]. His alt-mode is a monster truck/snowplow hybrid.

Sentinel has a history of rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], who attended the [[Autobot Academy]] with him. In his academy days, he was somewhat of a maverick, leading the more responsible Optimus to refer to him as a "walking malfunction." Of course, he's the one that ended up on the Elite Guard while Optimus was sent off to repair space bridges, of which fact he's all too fond of reminding his former classmate. All things considered, he's kind of a jerk.

==Fiction==
===Animated===
{{ongoing}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Townsend Coleman]] (English), ? (Japanese)
[[Image:animated_sentinel1.JPG|left|thumb|200px|"Party at my starship—Bring Your Own Energon!"]]
Sentinel Prime took Optimus and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] on a mission looking for an old Decepticon warship, hoping to get all the [[energon]] stored within. However, they ran into a pack of massive arachnids. Sentinel Prime tried to hold them off long enough for Optimus and Elita to escape. When he came across the the ship that Optimus and Elita found, Optimus had to drag him away from the exploding energon, forcing them to leave Elita-1 behind. Optimus Prime's radar couldn't find Elita's energy signature, and he assumed that she was dead. A furious Sentinel blamed Optimus Prime for what happened, even though this whole disaster had been ''his'' idea. Jerk. {{storylink|Along Came a Spider}}

Years later, he's still a jerk. When Optimus Prime rings up the Cybertron Elite Guard to tell them of the Decepticons in pursuit, he sneers that a screw-up like Optimus isn't worth the attention of Ultra Magnus. Piping through a visual of the [[All Spark (Animated)|All Spark]] from the cargo hold of the ''Ark'' shuts him up quickly enough. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out!}}

{{-}}

==Trivia==
*Like another [[Captain America|sentinel of liberty]], Sentinel Prime's signature weapon is a round shield that he wears on his arm and throws around the room like a discus. The shield can also project a protective force field.
*Sentinel Prime's blue coloration and especially pronounced chin really make him look like [[wikipedia: Tick (comics)|The Tick]]. He's even voiced by Townsend Coleman, who provided the voice of the Tick in his 1990s animated series. At the minute, we don't know if the character was designed to look like the Tick and the casting was done based on that, or if the casting of Coleman prompted the Tick-style design, or some other combination of factors, but its pretty evident that the writers are working with it, having him utter silly Tick-esque lines like "Energon-y goodness!"

==External links==

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

Swoop (Animated)

2008-03-10T00:32:05Z

71.235.142.128: Here's what they're actually called.

{{disambig3|Swoop}}

:''Swoop is an [[Autobot]] in the [[Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TFAnimated_Swoop.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Gatchaman!]]

'''Swoop''' is a ''Pteranodon'' [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobot]]. He prefers his nice, quiet island to the mainland, but doesn't say no to crossing over for the odd battle. Not only is it fun to see humans scatter at the sight of him, bashing Decepticons with his flaming [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flail_(weapon) flail] is more fun then bashing trees.
==Fiction==

===Transformers Animated cartoon===
{{ongoing}}
Swoop made his appearance along with the other Dinobots, but neither he nor [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] spoke. Like his other Dinobot pals, he can breathe fire and has a flaming weapon—in his case, a flail. He also did not [[Transformation|transform]], as he didn't know he could do that until [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] discovered ''he'' could. {{storylink|Blast from the Past}}<br>
{{spoiler|Survival of the Fittest}}
[[Image:Aniswoopflail.jpg|left|thumb|200px|"Me Swoop give you head start..."]]
He was later forced by the villain [[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]] to kidnap [[Sari Sumdac]] and attack her would-be rescuers, [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]. Once Meltdown was trapped and unable to hurt him, he demonstrated he'd learned to transform and joined his fellow Dinobots in threatening the acid-thrower. However, before Meltdown could be hurt, Swoop's attention was diverted to [[Colossus Rhodes]] and two of Meltdown's mutants, and he and the other Dinobots beat up on them instead. {{storylink|Survival of the Fittest}}

==Toys==
===Transformers Animated===
*'''Swoop''' (Deluxe, 2008)
A part of his pterodon head will end up as his body armor, He will have a boomerang and a mace for his weapons.

[[Category: Autobots]]
[[Category: Animated characters]]
[[Category: Dinobots]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Ransack (G2)

2008-03-07T13:55:25Z

71.235.142.128: /* Marvel Generation 2 comic */ There, now I think it's done.

{{disambig3|Ransack}}{{picsneeded|Fiction}}

:''Ransack is a [[Decepticon]] in the [[Generation 2]] portion of the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:RansackUKG2pro.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Looks like Jerry's already dickie-birdied into the cheese factory, what ho?]]

'''Ransack''' is often tasked for reconnaissance missions over [[Autobot]] encampments, and is well-known for his attack plans and calm demeanor. But once the fighting starts, Ransack fights back; disrupting Autobots from above with his magnetic field generator for stealth attacks. When shot down behind enemy lines, he transforms and battles to the death with his launchable rocket-powered propeller.

(Even though rockets powering a propeller seems like overkill.)

:''European market name'': '''Blitz'''

==Fiction==
===Marvel Generation 2 comic===
Ransack's body was among those designed and built by Bludgeon's forces aboard the Warworld durring his period of exile. The plan was to draw Prime into a trap steal the matrix and use it to bring them to life. The plan worked, although with Megatron at it's head rather than Bludgeon, and Ranksack was brought to life as one of these new Decepticon forces. Ironicly he almost immediately ended up teamed with the Autobots. He helped [[Springer]] set up the "sky sniper" mines that turned out to be utterly useless against the [[Swarm]]. At least he tried.

===IDW comics continuity===
Ransack was held as a prisoner in the [[Garrus-9]] penitentiary complex overseen by Fortress Maximus, stripped down to his [[spark]] and held in a tiny box for an as-of-yet unknown crime or offense. {{note|Ransack's identity as the prisoner here is presumptive, as the Insecticon [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] has been seen to have been free in the reletively recent past. Though he of course might have been captured since.}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 2===
*'''Ransack''' (Rotor Force, 1994)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, 2 x rotors

[[Image:G2_Ransack_toy.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Ransack's greatest regret is getting left out of the WWII era TF/Joe crossover. I mean if he can't get spotlight time there he might as well give up. ]]

: Ransack transforms into a purple [http://www.warbirdalley.com/f4u.htm Chance Vought F4U Corsair] with green pontoons/bombs underneath. As a [[Rotor Force]] toy, Ransack has a propeller that can be launched in vehicle and robot mode, the prop/engine portion of his plane mode becoming a hand-held weapon for robot mode.

: He came with two rotor discs, in case you lost one. (Considering how well they fly, good idea.) Early releases of Ransack and his partner [[Powerdive]] came with black-plastic rotor discs, but this was changed to red after a short while. The black-rotor version is much more uncommon.

{{-}}
==Trivia==
* ''Transformers Generation 2'' #7 mis-spelled his name as "Ransak".

== External links ==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Ransack/ransack.htm Ransack at TFU.info]

[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Generation 2 characters]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Ransack (G2)

2008-03-07T13:48:19Z

71.235.142.128: De-stubbing. That's really all there is to say about this guy I think.

{{disambig3|Ransack}}{{picsneeded|Fiction}}

:''Ransack is a [[Decepticon]] in the [[Generation 2]] portion of the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:RansackUKG2pro.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Looks like Jerry's already dickie-birdied into the cheese factory, what ho?]]

'''Ransack''' is often tasked for reconnaissance missions over [[Autobot]] encampments, and is well-known for his attack plans and calm demeanor. But once the fighting starts, Ransack fights back; disrupting Autobots from above with his magnetic field generator for stealth attacks. When shot down behind enemy lines, he transforms and battles to the death with his launchable rocket-powered propeller.

(Even though rockets powering a propeller seems like overkill.)

:''European market name'': '''Blitz'''

==Fiction==
===Marvel Generation 2 comic===
He helped [[Springer]] set up the "sky sniper" mines that turned out to be utterly useless against the [[Swarm]]. At least he tried.

===IDW comics continuity===
Ransack was held as a prisoner in the [[Garrus-9]] penitentiary complex overseen by Fortress Maximus, stripped down to his [[spark]] and held in a tiny box for an as-of-yet unknown crime or offense. {{note|Ransack's identity as the prisoner here is presumptive, as the Insecticon [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] has been seen to have been free in the reletively recent past. Though he of course might have been captured since.}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 2===
*'''Ransack''' (Rotor Force, 1994)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, 2 x rotors

[[Image:G2_Ransack_toy.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Ransack's greatest regret is getting left out of the WWII era TF/Joe crossover. I mean if he can't get spotlight time there he might as well give up. ]]

: Ransack transforms into a purple [http://www.warbirdalley.com/f4u.htm Chance Vought F4U Corsair] with green pontoons/bombs underneath. As a [[Rotor Force]] toy, Ransack has a propeller that can be launched in vehicle and robot mode, the prop/engine portion of his plane mode becoming a hand-held weapon for robot mode.

: He came with two rotor discs, in case you lost one. (Considering how well they fly, good idea.) Early releases of Ransack and his partner [[Powerdive]] came with black-plastic rotor discs, but this was changed to red after a short while. The black-rotor version is much more uncommon.

{{-}}
==Trivia==
* ''Transformers Generation 2'' #7 mis-spelled his name as "Ransak".

== External links ==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Ransack/ransack.htm Ransack at TFU.info]

[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Generation 2 characters]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Ransack (G2)

2008-03-07T13:45:24Z

71.235.142.128: /* IDW comics continuity */

{{disambig3|Ransack}}{{picsneeded|Fiction}}

:''Ransack is a [[Decepticon]] in the [[Generation 2]] portion of the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:RansackUKG2pro.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Looks like Jerry's already dickie-birdied into the cheese factory, what ho?]]

'''Ransack''' is often tasked for reconnaissance missions over [[Autobot]] encampments, and is well-known for his attack plans and calm demeanor. But once the fighting starts, Ransack fights back; disrupting Autobots from above with his magnetic field generator for stealth attacks. When shot down behind enemy lines, he transforms and battles to the death with his launchable rocket-powered propeller.

(Even though rockets powering a propeller seems like overkill.)

:''European market name'': '''Blitz'''

==Fiction==
===Marvel Generation 2 comic===
He helped [[Springer]] set up the "sky sniper" mines that turned out to be utterly useless against the [[Swarm]]. At least he tried.

===IDW comics continuity===
Ransack was held as a prisoner in the [[Garrus-9]] penitentiary complex overseen by Fortress Maximus, stripped down to his [[spark]] and held in a tiny box for an as-of-yet unknown crime or offense. {{note|Ranksack's identity as the prisoner here is presumptive, as the Insecticon [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] has been seen to have been free in the reletively recent past. Though he of course might have been captured since.}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

{{charstubfiction}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 2===
*'''Ransack''' (Rotor Force, 1994)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, 2 x rotors

[[Image:G2_Ransack_toy.jpg|thumb|right|180px|]]

: Ransack transforms into a purple [http://www.warbirdalley.com/f4u.htm Chance Vought F4U Corsair] with green pontoons/bombs underneath. As a [[Rotor Force]] toy, Ransack has a propeller that can be launched in vehicle and robot mode, the prop/engine portion of his plane mode becoming a hand-held weapon for robot mode.

: He came with two rotor discs, in case you lost one. (Considering how well they fly, good idea.) Early releases of Ransack and his partner [[Powerdive]] came with black-plastic rotor discs, but this was changed to red after a short while. The black-rotor version is much more uncommon.

{{-}}
==Trivia==
* ''Transformers Generation 2'' #7 mis-spelled his name as "Ransak".

== External links ==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Ransack/ransack.htm Ransack at TFU.info]

[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Generation 2 characters]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Female Transformer

2008-03-06T15:48:28Z

71.235.142.128: /* origin of the term */

'''Strika'''

There seems to be some vehemence about Strika's status (or not) as a female.

While I agree that there is no 'definitive' evidence that Strika is female, neither is there 'definitive' evidence that most TFs are male, yet we have no difficulty accepting that fact. To dismiss the (in my view) quite reasonable assumption that Strika is female as 'fan-conjecture' ignores a number of common-sense factors:

* The fact that in the cartoon she was voiced by female voice actor - there is no instance I can recall of a female TF character being voiced by a male actor or vice versa.

* That she is referred to as Obsidian's consort (rather than associate) is not insignificant. There is a nuance of meaning in the term that implies that they are not merely associates, but their relationship would be more similar to that of husband and wife, or domestic companions. The primary meaning of consort is the spouse of a monarch, which would sit well with Obsidian's perceived status.

On this basis, I think that it is reasonable to assert that Strika is intended to be a female character until there is conclusive evidence to the contrary. Perhaps she should be included in this listing, with a disclaimer about lack of formal evidence. To do otherwise would smack of legalistic hair-splitting.

:...I wasn't aware this was even in doubt. It'd require a fairly baroque misreading of Beast Machines to make Strika a dude. (BWR might change that.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:25, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
: I was also unaware. How can she not be a girl? ''Her tech spec calls her a girl.'' --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 04:35, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
: I'd like to third this "what the hell?". --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 04:42, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

::...what do you mean fan-conjecture? He identifies her as his consort. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 06:06, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
:::http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/consort<br>
:::Of the SIX DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS, several of which are military in nature, only ONE is romantic. And again, there is absolutely fuck-all outside of one word with multiple accurate non-romatic applications to suggest any form of romance between the two. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 06:21, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

::::Really? Huh, I didn't think any of the other definitions actually fit...
::::''1. a husband or wife; spouse, esp. of a reigning monarch. Compare PRINCE CONSORT , QUEEN CONSORT.
::::''2. one ship accompanying another.
::::''3. a. a group of instrumentalists and singers who perform music, esp. old music. b. a group of instruments of the same family, as viols, played in concert.
::::''4. a companion, associate, or partner.
::::''5. accord or agreement.
::::That leaves us #1 or #4... on reflection, the way Obsidian says it really '''does''' fit #4 better. *checks TF ultimate guide* Huh, there it calls her his cohort, which again seems to support Obsidian meant she was his partner, not sexytime toy.
::::Perhaps there should be a note on the Strika page? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 07:10, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
:::::Er... perhaps there should be a Strika page? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 07:10, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

::::::Ah, I think I follow something of the "WTF?" I have created - the conjecture is not about Strika's status as a female, but about the nature of the relationship with Obsidian implied from this. Apologies for this misreading.

::::::Having said this, some fundamental points remain - yes, there are 6 definitions of consort, but these are not equal or interchangeable - the most common or accepted usage of the term is almost always the one defined first.

::::::If the creators of Beast Machines had intended a more neutral relationship like associate, partner or companion, they could easily have used those words, and thus have prevented this current debate. However, the fact that they chose to use the word consort does make certain implications far more reasonable. There have been few (if any) female TFs introduced who did not have some manner of romantic or intimate entanglement. Since there is little doubt of Strika's gender, it is reasonable on this basis to assert that Obsidian and Strika were in an interdependent relationship similar to a marriage. Whether this included physical intimacy is neither here nor there, since many marriages can be founded on mutual attachment without intimacy. We can debate the nature of romance until the cows come home, though this wiki is probably not the best forum for this.

::::::So, relationship or not? --[[User:Sofaman|Sofaman]] 12:20, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

::::::::It's been awhile since I watched BM... (I hope to get the DVD set for Christmas) but did Obsidian ever show any affection for Strika? Any sign or romantic involvement aside from calling her his consort? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 13:10, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
::::::::: Not really. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 15:11, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

== "femme" ==

Wasn't this term used already officially? (I remember being irate about something a few weeks back...) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 10:13, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

It sounds better than "fembot" at any rate. That term evokes images of Futurama. - [[User:Nightshade83|Nightshade83]]
:Austin Powers comes to mind first, actually. Images of Futurama would be awesome. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 06:39, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

::I'd have to double-check my Transformers: Decepticons DS game, but I think Barricade uses the term "fembot" as an insult to Create-a-Bot at one point. If so, "fembot" has been used in an official capacity, unfortuately. I still think "femme" without the bot suffix sounds a lot better. -- [[User:Nightshade83|Nightshade83]]
:::Fembot's certainly been used officially. Rattrap said it in "Nemesis," and Downshift's Cyber Key bio mentioned his "femmebot lifebond partner." I know of no uses of "femme" on it's own in canon. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 07:03, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

Really, the Austin Powers fembots are a pop culture reference to the Bionic Woman fembots. Right down to the faceplates falling off.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 07:23, 15 November 2007 (UTC)
===origin of the term===
OK let's explain that again. The way the female transformers are called "femme" is really a reference to the french language in a pun way. You see, "dude" can be translated in French by "mec", which is a slang for "homme" (the french word for "man"). Also, "mec" sound a lot like "mech" (which, but you all know that, is a slang term that refer to battle robots). And there you have it: English word "mech", (which sound like the french word "mec" which means "man" or rather "dude") refers to male robot while the French word "femme" also (used sometimes in English, as in "femme fatale") is used to refer to female transformers, in opposition to mech->mec(French word)->dude->male transformers.
So, the fandom term "femme" does effectively come from a bilingual English-French pun (Mech<->Mec). --[[User:81.242.224.75|81.242.224.75]] 15:24, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
:The problem is, we really need two cites there. First, we need a cite proving that fans ''do'' in fact use "mech" and "femme" in fanfic to refer to male and female Transformers. Then, we need a cite saying that they explictly got this from the French words "femme" and "mec", and not, say, from Ratrap referring to Blackarachnia as an "emasculatin' fembot", from the Futurama "fembots", from the Austin Powers "fembots", or from the Bionic Woman "fembots".
:So, if you can provide a link to some proof of either of those things, we'd be delighted to have it. [[User:JW|JW]] 15:33, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
::well for your second point, the term in discussion is "femme" not "fembot", no need to melt the two everybody know the term "femme fatal". As for your first point, while I have meet the term several time in different fiction, it is not that often used, so Icouldn't really provide the origin personally. Also, please not that I didn't povide the femme<->mech explanation, I just read it and only further explain the logical link between those two words. Ho and sorry to have missed the footnote, didn't have noticed it. --[[User:81.242.224.75|81.242.224.75]] 15:44, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

::: I don't care enough about this to DO IT, but might I suggest that someone who wanted to try and make that case go through the records of the old Alt.transformers.fanfic usenet group from the early days of the fandom and try and track down the earliest uses of the terms in this way, and then see if any of those writers could still be found in the much larger and more disparate fandom of today so they might be asked where they got it from. Who knows if it'd work, but I think it's your only shot at "proof".

== Decepticon Females ==

Should we have a section in here about the relative scarcity of unqualified female Decepticons in high-profile franchises? ("Unqualified" in the sense of "not former Autobots gone bad".) [[User:JW|JW]] 14:54, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

: I think that would be a good idea, considering there's only 3 I can think of in North American releases -- Strika in Beast Machines, Flamewar in the Timelines comics (though those were BotCon exclusives so probably don't count) and Thunderblast in Cybertron. We need more bad girls that have always been bad, and will stay that way. I like the idea of '''SPOILERS''' Blackarachnia in Animated being Elita One, but I would still like to see more pure Decepticon femmes as well. A movieverse Decepticon femme would be cool too.

:Hell, I'm just happy that Hasbro's finally realizing that girls [http://www.lilformers.com/comic0075.php] play with Transformers too. --[[User:Nightshade83|Nightshade83]] 22:15, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
::Well, Strika wasn't a ''Decepticon,'' and she (like Obsidian) might have been an Autobot before becoming a Vehicon. [[User:JW|JW]] 22:28, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
:::Strika's faction, and indeed her role in Cybertron's history, are maddeningly vague.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 22:30, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
::::Okay, so that makes just one female Decepticon who has stayed a Decepticon EVER in any cartoon, and she's ...well, Thunderblast. *Sigh*. At least I can pretend my Arcee black repaint is Flamewar. --[[User:Nightshade83|Nightshade83]] 22:46, 19 February 2008 (UTC)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

2005 IDW continuity

2008-03-06T02:27:39Z

71.235.142.128: /* Media */

[[Image:Escalation_1_a.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Remember that time when this didn't happen?]]

The '''IDW continuity''' is a rebooted [[Generation 1]] universe, begun in 2005 by [[IDW Publishing]]. It re-imagines the Autobot-Decepticon war as a galaxy-spanning conflict, with Cybertron abandoned as a dead husk, and teams from both sides covertly operating on various alien worlds to defend or destroy the native populations -- including Earth.

==Overview==

The IDW universe brings Transformers into the modern day, dispensing with some of the more problematic elements that have dogged previous versions of G1. The Transformers here are recently arrived on Earth; the traditional "crashed on Earth 4 million years ago" approach is not used. Alternate forms are largely updated to modern day vehicles, with robot modes reworked accordingly.

The series is notable as a much more cloak-and-dagger world than many previous iterations of G1. Earth is initially portrayed as simply one of many battlegrounds in a galaxy-spanning war of subversion and conquest. Also of note is that there is a reason [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is not the site of conflict: the planet is a deserted wasteland, a result of the devastation it suffered in the war. The Decepticons follow a [[Siege mode|strict protocol]] of infiltration as they attempt to take over alien worlds. Alternate modes serve a very real and important purpose of disguise, as discovery by natives is strictly forbidden by both factions. Open conflict is rare, and battles are often fought entirely in vehicle forms.

The story opens on Earth, as the Decepticons there have discovered a wildly powerful source of energy, and break protocol to secure it. This soon brings both Megatron and Optimus Prime to the planet, escalating the conflict. The humans are deeply involved as well, both innocent bystanders and active covert organizations such as The [[Machination]] and [[Skywatch]]. Various plot threads, many of them outlined in the ''Spotlight'' series, continually thread into the main story , and echoes of the Transformers' dark and distant past are beginning to gather strength as well.

===Cast===
The series is not constrained by the needs of portraying a current toyline, allowing great freedom in cast selection.

The story opens with an assortment of the more familiar 1984 Autobots operating on Earth, with some of their standard 1984/85 Decepticon foes also present. But the free format allows fan favorites such as Nightbeat and the Battlechargers to be thrown into the mix, and even almost random additions as Hardhead and Dogfight have played roles as the setting expands and more Transformers head to Earth. Many of the latter-day G1 cast have been shown fighting the war on worlds other than Earth, and even a few [[Generation 2]] Autobots have made appearances.

=== New alternate modes ===
Most of the Transformers seen in this continuity feature [[alternate mode]]s updated to the modern day:

* Ratchet: Dodge Sprinter ambulance
* [[Runamuck (G1)#IDW Generation 1 Comics|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout (G1)#IDW_Generation 1 Comics|Runabout]]: Chevrolet Camaro SS
* Thundercracker, [[Skywarp (G1)#IDW Generation 1 Comics|Skywarp]] and [[Starscream (G1)#IDW Comics continuity|Starscream]]: F-22 ''Raptor''
* Prowl: Nissan 350Z police car
* [[Sunstreaker#IDW Generation 1 Comics|Sunstreaker]]: Lamborghini Diablo
* [[Ironhide (G1)#IDW Comics continuity|Ironhide]]: Dodge Sprinter van
* [[Jazz]]: Current-model Porsche 911 (aka 997)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]: Started in Cybertronian mode, then reformatted as a Walther P99 for Earth
* [[Ratbat]]: CD player
* [[Hot Rod]] was reformatted into a Dodge Viper
* [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] started in his familiar mode before being reformatted into a wheeled Earth tank

''Note: In possibly an art error, one of the covers for [[Infiltration (issue 0)|''Infiltration'' #0]] features Jazz with his original Porsche 935 hood/chest.''

====Exceptions====
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (although he possesses a new transformation scheme, making for a different looking robot mode to G1)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)#IDW Generation 1 Comics|Wheeljack]]
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], though he started in his Cybertronian form, similar to his look in ''[[The War Within]]''.
* [[Blitzwing#IDW Comics|Blitzwing]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)#IDW_Comics|Astrotrain]] may also be exceptions, though they appear to have new transformation schemes.
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] have their familiar modes, due to their travel to earth in 1984.
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] also maintain their original forms, having been buried on Earth since the distant past.
* [[Sixshot]]

===Technology===
Several aspects of Transformer technology have been re-evaluated for the series.

Most prominently, the "facsimile circuitry" dummy drivers shown in the G1 [[Marvel Comics continuity]] have been replaced by sophisticated solid-light projections composed of "[[holomatter]]". Holomatter generators are built into each member of the Autobot contingent on Earth; they can function as an avatar for their respective Autobot, even quite some distance away, allowing the Autobots to covertly interact with a planet's natives.

The Decepticons, in a similar vein, make use of [[Facsimile Construct|facsimile constructs]] — synthetic humans grown in special pods from the bodies and minds of kidnapped "template" humans. These replicas are used to destabilize the societies of planets the Decepticons wish to conquer.

Both sides also possess a variant of teleportation technology, seen for example when Megatron travels to Starscream's [[Oregon]] command bunker. This "[[orbital bounce]]" can apparently be coordinated from an Ark spacecraft or the Decepticons' bunker headquarters. Nightbeat describes it as "not the most pleasant way to travel".

[[Size changing]] is a rarity, generally abandoned in these energy-short times. Megatron, encouraged by the energy-rich Ore-13, takes on a size-changing alternate form when he arrives on Earth. His transformation sequence and its attendant mass-displacement process consumes a great deal of energy, and is thus surprising to the Autobots who observe it. Why Soundwave and his cassettes utilized it remains unknown, though perhaps it was a necessity to further his role as a spy.

Conversely, certain technologies do not yet exist as of the series' starting point. Gestalt ([[combiner]]) technology has only appeared as a long-ago experiment, which yielded only the barbaric [[Monstructor]]. [[Pretender]] technology has likewise appeared only as a failed experiment, and [[Headmaster]] and similar binary-bonding tech is just now making its debut after years of covert and illegal development. All of these technologies appear to bestow greatly enhanced power on the users, to the point that [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] devastated the entire planet of Cybertron with his Pretender shell, and Monstructor easily defeated Omega Supreme.

==Media==
The continuity includes the following mini-series, listed in approximate chronological order:

*''[[Megatron Origin]]'' – Four-issue miniseries. [[Megatron]] rises from a laboring miner to founder and leader of the [[Decepticon]] faction.
*''[[Infiltration]]'' – Seven-issue miniseries (issues #0 to #6). On Earth, the Decepticons have discovered a potent new power source, and risk everything to exploit it.
*''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'' – Four-issue miniseries. On the burnt-out husk of Cybertron, Bludgeon works to revive the ultra-powerful but crazed Thunderwing.
*''[[New Avengers/Transformers]]'' – Four-issue miniseries. The Earth Autobots team up with the superhero squad the [[Avengers|New Avengers]] to confront the Decepticons in the country of Latveria.
*''[[Escalation]]'' – Sequel to ''Infiltration''. Six-issue miniseries. The war on Earth breaks out into open conflict as the Decepticons attempt to make use of the newly discovered Ore-13.
*''[[Devastation]]'' – Sequel to ''Escalation''. Six-issue miniseries. Megatron throws caution and protocol to the wind, unleashing his ultimate warrior, Sixshot, on the Earth-based Autobots.
*''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' - Follow=up dealing with the fate of Earth at the hands of the Decepticons following the withdrawl of the Autobots at the end of Devastation.
*''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]'' – Sequel to ''Devastation''.
*''[[Expansion]]'' – Reportedly the sequel to ''Revelation''.

*''[[Spotlight (comics)|Spotlight]]'' {{n-}} A series of one-shot stories focusing on a single Transformer per issue. The stories fit in to various points in the Transformers' history.

==Timeline==
''See main article: [[IDW timeline]].''

==Production==
The universe has been penned almost entirely by veteran Transformers scribe [[Simon Furman]], with the primary exceptions being ''Megatron Origin'' ([[Eric Holmes]]), ''Spotlight: Kup'' ([[Nick Roche]]), and the ''New Avengers'' crossover ([[Stuart Moore]]).

Pencils on the main *ation series were done by [[E. J. Su]]; a variety of artists have penciled the other series in the continuity.

[[Category:Comics]]
[[Category: Continuities]]
{{stub}}<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Turbofire

2008-03-05T15:39:09Z

71.235.142.128:

Should we really say he's a "fairly high-ranking officer?" Sure he's got a tech spec rank of "8" but his function is only "Supplies and Transport" and the bio say nothing about him being a command figure. I'm just curious, is the rank score alone enough to make that call in most folks books? -ZacWilliam, not logged in.
:It's just a joke on the fact that middle-managers are often employees with no real skills. And because all 1993 Euro tech specs had high stats, regardless of function. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 15:31, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

::Thing is, since we put neither the stat numbers nor character functions in our entries someone comming across him who has no background in the character has no way to know it's a joke. I think this may be one of those times where the joke gets in the way of a usefully factual entry. If you didn't know anything else about him you wouldn't get the joke and you'd think we we're saying "dull senior officer" is his official characterization and it's really not at all. See what I mean? -Zac again.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Turbofire

2008-03-05T15:29:02Z

71.235.142.128: New page: Should we really say he's a "fairly high-ranking officer?" Sure he's got a tech spec rank of "8" but his function is only "Supplies and Transport" and the bio say nothing about him being a...

Reproduction

2008-03-05T04:09:09Z

71.235.142.128: /* Mechanical construction */ removed inccorect statement about Animated. Those were "Infused" by key.

[[Image:Babyrobot.gif|thumb|300px|right|When a Mommy-robot and a Daddy-robot love each other very much, they...uh...hey, what ''do'' robots do to make new robots?]]
Various reproduction methods for the Transformers species have been demonstrated across various continuities.

==Mechanical construction==

Sometimes, new Transformers are simply built from scratch, and that's all it takes. A suitable Transformer body is constructed, and when finished and turned on, it just springs to life. Two notable examples of this type of reproduction appear in the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|''Generation 1'' cartoon]]: when [[Wheeljack]] and company create the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, and later when the temporarily super-intelligent [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] creates the [[Technobots]].

[[Image:Dinobuild.gif|left|thumb|"I've been workin' on the Dinobot, all the live long day..."]]

The Dinobots are initially very simple mentally and are ordered to be deactivated because they are too dangerous. Wheeljack then develops a set of crown-like devices to place on the Dinobots which greatly enhances their intellect, although they are still "dumb" and child-like compared to the other Autobots. The Technobots, on the other hand, are immediately fully functional, and some of them are even ''smarter'' than average Transformers. If one were to take these facts as canonically meaningful (rather than simply the whims of the writers of those episodes), it could be guessed that programming a functional Transformer brain from scratch is extremely difficult, such that even Wheeljack is not up to the job. Temporarily super-genius Grimlock may be the only one capable.

At least on the surface, this "built from scratch" approach runs counter to claims in other episodes of the show that [[Vector Sigma]] is needed to create new Transformer life. (See below.) However, since Vector Sigma is presented as being a supercomputer and not a "magical" device like the [[Generation 1 (Marvel comic)|comics']] [[Creation Matrix]], it could fall in with the speculative statements above regarding Grimlock and Wheeljack. Perhaps Vector Sigma is simply an advanced enough computer that it is capable of constructing a working mind.

== Infusion ==

[[Image:Creation Matrix 65.jpg|Right|150px|thumb|Go on, rub it and make a wish...]]
[[Image:VectorSigmaG1.jpg|right|thumbnail|Vector Sigma holds "Disco Night" every Friday at 11 pm.]]

In other stories, once a new Transformer body has been built it, must still be infused with life (what the fiction from the Beast era and after would gloss as a [[spark]]) from a "god-like" outside source. In the ''Generation 1'' cartoon, this source is Vector Sigma; in the Marvel comics, it is the Creation Matrix, which houses the essence of [[Primus]], the Transformers' creator-god. In the [[Beast Era|Beast era]] cartoons, sparks arrive from the [[Allspark]], perhaps through Vector Sigma. (In many continuities, each Transformer's life force is a fragment of Primus's own.) The [[Movie (continuity)|live-action movie]] continuities function with the [[All Spark]] being the source of infusion as well, though in that case, "living" and "sentient" are not quite the same thing. (See: [[Real Gear Robot]].)

In the [[Young Corgi]] book ''[[Desert of Danger]]'', Hot Rod refers to his creation after the ''Ark'' left Cybertron as when he was "[http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/tf/books/corgi-adv/desert/22.html matrixed]". How exactly this would have happened if Optimus Prime was aboard the ''Ark'' with the Matrix at the time is unknown, but one option might be the [[Matrix Flame]].

The Matrix Flame is an artifact which allows Transformers on Cybertron to access the power of the Matrix even when it is no longer on Cybertron. Literally a flame, it is used to breathe life in the super warrior [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] in the UK comics. The flame is somehow linked to the Matrix, and when the Matrix is transported to another dimension during "Target: 2006", the flame goes out, forcing the Autobots on Cybertron to investigate.

The [[Dreamwave]] ''[[More than Meets the Eye]]'' guide provides yet another method of infusion. According to the guide, in Dreamwave continuity, Transformers generally begin life as a skeletal mass of partially formed circuits—a [[Protoform]]. These are kept in stasis pods filled with nurturing nutrient gel. They can be built to certain specifications or be fairly general, allowing the robot to form naturally upon introduction of a spark. Sparks, and hence life, usually come from the Matrix, *BUT*, if the Matrix is absent, life can be granted by attuning the protoform to an energy wavelength similar to the Matrix and then applying a concentrated burst of energon. This alternative is rarely used, as it is extremely resource-consumptive, requiring restrictively high amounts of energon.

{{-}}

== Resurrection ==

[[Image:DedPrim.gif|left|thumb|Don't worry kids, he gets better. Again.]]

Though not quite the same as reproduction, a copy of the mind or essence of a previously living Transformer may be introduced into a new body and, through some vague process, return that Transformer to life. This occurs when [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] creates the [[Combaticon]]s in the G1 cartoon, and in the comic when Prime uses copies of the minds of existing Cybertronians to create the second-series Autobot cars on [[Earth]]. Another example from the comic occurs when Optimus Prime himself is returned to life merely by inputting a human's [[floppy disk]] copy of his mind into a new body.

In his ending to the ''[[Beast Wars: Transmetals]]'' video game, [[Ravage]] uses "a prototype cloning device, based on transreplication technology" to clone the deactivated G1 Decepticons on the ''Ark'' into new protoform bodies, thus reviving them without altering the timeline (and erasing himself) by effectively doubling each robot.

This is included as a means of reproduction because it seems likely from the dialogue that the Autobot cars created via copied minds by Prime on Earth still existed on Cybertron when he left, meaning that if they survived the intermediate 4 million years, two of each of these individuals now exist.

In the [[Unicron Trilogy]] story "[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]", [[Redline]] and [[Falcia]] combine energy from their [[spark frame]]s in order to create a new body for the mind/soul of [[Twirl]] to inhabit after her [[Mini-Con storage panel]] is destroyed in battle. This leads to an interesting relationship between Twirl and Falcia. (See "Familial relationships", below.)

== Budding ==

[[Image:Budding.jpg|right|thumb|Budding doesn't look like much fun at ALL. It looks like ''Aliens versus Predator'' all over again.]]

The [[Generation 2 (Marvel comic)|''Transformers: Generation 2'' comic]] introduced the concept of asexual "budding". Bubbles and lesions of apparently liquid metal form on a robot's chest, accompanied by energy discharge. The process grows more intense, until a large mass of liquid metal bursts free from the chest and slowly forms into a [[protoform]]-like blank figure, and then solidifies into a full Transformer. Illustrations suggest that this is something of a communal event, with others surrounding the budding robot in a circle.

[[Image:TNA.gif|left|thumb|150px|With the right early screening, even pegwarming might some day be preventable.]]

It was revealed that (in the Marvel continuity at least) early Transformers reproduced this way until they reached the population level Primus desired. At this turning point, the practice stopped and all memory of it was erased. When the [[Cybertronian Empire]] (possibly under influence of the [[Liege Maximo]]) rediscovered and revived the process sometime during the 4 million years after the ''[[Ark]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s loss, the successive generations of robots produced were increasingly less sentient and emotional (as Primus's lifeforce was apparently spread thinner and thinner between them), and the lifeform called [[Swarm|The Swarm]] was created as a byproduct.

It is established here that Transformers do have genetic material (the Transformer equivalent of DNA) within their cellular structures. (Yes, they also apparently have cellular structures—who knew?) This genetic material is passed down from "parent" to "child" through budding. Its make-up is seen in the picture at left. (Apparently, its design is not taught in the Transformer equivalent of high school Biology, as Megatron does not recognize what he's looking at until Perceptor explains.) This genetic material and basic Transformer cellular structure is also passed to the Swarm. Later, in IDW continuity, Transformer genetic material is given the designation [[CNA]], and it is what is altered by the malevolent Jhiaxus to create female Transformers.

The other notable fact is that Transformers who have undergone the budding process retain some sort of primal link to their offspring, thus even though they are galaxies apart, the G1 Decepticon [[Onslaught]] doubles over in pain when his descendant [[Mindset]] is destroyed, and the Liege Maximo says he would know if his descendant, Megatron, were to die.

== Sexual reproduction ??? ==

[[Image:Tfreprod marvel28.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"Film the birth? No, got some great footage of the conception, though!"]]

Despite most continuities having male and female genders (gender being a mental and social classification, as opposed to "sexes", a physical distinction) and a definite, strong history of romance existing between these genders, there is little canonical evidence for Transformers reproducing sexually. (Though admittedly, there isn't a lot of direct evidence for [[human]]s reproducing sexually in most Transformers media, which is, after all, aimed towards kids.)

In the ''Generation 1'' cartoon, the male Transformer - [[Female Transformers|female Transformer]] romance could perhaps be explained as an artifact of [[Quintesson]] mental programming very closely echoing the organic life forms the Transformers were built to serve.

On only two occasions in Generation 1 do we get a hint of male and female Transformer romance leading to the formation of family units and the creation of offspring. The first is subtle: [[Wheelie]]'s backstory in some versions mentions his crashing on Quintessa with his parents. The second is more explicit: At the end of the Japanese ''[[Victory]]'' manga, we find out that [[Deathsaurus]] and his forces have been fighting all this time for the sake of his wife [[Esmeryl]], the wives and sisters of the other Decepticons, and all their many children. Awww.

Apart from this, the best case for sexual reproduction in the species could probably be made from ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', where [[Rattrap]] makes numerous off-color remarks throughout the series, especially directed at [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. These comments strongly hint at something sex-like among Transformers, though it could, of course, be merely recreational rather than reproductive.

[[Airazor]] and [[Tigatron]]'s fusion into [[Tigerhawk]] during ''Beast Wars'' could perhaps be seen as an example of sex-like reproduction (i.e., two beings coming together and creating a new being that is a recombination of their components). It could also just be glossed as an extension of the usual Combiner-team type merger.

It is unknown what effect the ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' [[reformatting]] of Transformers into [[technorganic]] beings, which are equal parts organic life and mechanical structure down to a cellular level, has on their reproductive options. It is conceivable but unexplored whether this new form of Transformer life could reproduce sexually.

It should be noted that during a dream-like vision, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt meet in an ethereal state, and the two appear to "merge" their sparks, which may be as close to sexual intercourse as Transformers get, perhaps a more spiritual act than physical.

The [[Transformers (2007)|2007 motion picture]] once again brings up questions about the possibility of a less-than-mechanical form of reproduction. The first and most obvious of these implications comes from [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet's]] less-than-tactful observation of "the [[Samuel James Witwicky|boy]] want[ing] to mate with the [[Mikaela Banes|female]]." Although his grasp of the concept could stem mearly from a familiarity with organic species in general. Optimus Prime's mention of Megatron killing their father, in some related material does suggest Transformers have some understanding of family units.

In the ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' continuity, it seems clear that Transformers do not reproduce sexually. [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] appears stunned when [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] tells him where human babies come from.<ref>Of course, for all we know, she might have whispered, "We buy them on eBay." Or worse.</ref>

On the flip-side, in IDW continuity, female Transformers are specifically created by [[Jhiaxus]]. By altering fundimental [[CNA]] Jhiaxus introduced gender to the species from a malevolent curiousity about what would happen. The depth of the change in this case is unknown, is it limited to appearence and mentality or does it go deeper? If he was truely tring to see how females would affect the evolution of the species it is possible Arcee was created with the capability for some analog of sexual reproduction in mind, but given his abandonment of the experiment and Arcee's resultant unballanced mental state it seems unlikely the depth of the change will be explored.

== Familial relationships ==

[[Image:Bros.gif|thumb|right|150px|The Doublemint Twins they're not.]]

One confusing aspect of this apparent lack of sexual reproduction is the canonical use of genealogical terminology to describe certain relationships. The most common of these is when two Transformers regard each other as siblings: "brothers" (e.g. G1's [[Sideswipe]] and [[Sunstreaker]] or ''Robots In Disguise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]]) or "sisters" ([[Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker]]).

Again, the Dreamwave ''More than Meets the Eye'' guide provides a partial possible answer. According to the guide, when a spark naturally splits as it's being introduced to a protoform, it creates two robots who are "brothers", such as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. When such a spark division is artificially induced, the less balanced and less self-reliant pair created are referred to as "clones". (This definition of "brother" may or may not apply to RID Prime and Magnus, whose brotherhood was said to result from the special circumstance of having been created simultaneously by Alpha Trion).

However, the "[[Beast Era|Beast era]]" widened the issue of reproduction with Rattrap referring to his "great-aunt" [[Arcee]] and in general the practice of Maximals and Predacons referring to the Autobots and Decepticons as their respective "ancestors", as well as themselves as being their "descendants", implying a direct genetic (for want of a better term) lineage. Various sources of debatable canonicity suggest that [[Optimus Primal]] is specifically descended from [[Optimus Prime]], usually through the phrase "his ancestor Optimus Prime" (though the events of [[Optimal Situation]] seem to prove that all Maximals could reasonably consider Optimus Prime their ancestor).

In the absence of sexual reproduction, the use and meaning of these genealogical references is difficult to explain. One possible explanation might be a situation such as when [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] is brought to life in ''Beast Wars''. Her [[spark]] and [[protoform]] are heavily damaged, and Cheetor allows some of his parts to be used as replacements while [[Rhinox]] guides the procedure. To compare to humans, this is something like assisting with childbirth and donating blood or organs. It is unlikely that this happened enough to cause "descendants" as they are described, however. The term may also be used in an ideological sense or even a technological sense, much as the CD or MP3 player is, in a way, a "descendant" of the gramophone.

Other family designations exist as well. [[Wheelie]] has "parents" that were lost in his crash on [[Quintessa]], according some background material. The aforementioned Mini-Con Twirl very specifically calls Falcia her "mother" (which Falcia ''hates'') and seems to treat Redline like a father, since the two's spark frame energies went into constructing her physical form. In the ''Armada'' cartoon, [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] refers to [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] as his brother after Hot Shot saves his life, indicating at least an understanding of the concept. The [[Unicron Trilogy]] universe has also used the term "cousin" for certain Transformers on occasion. The Japanese Generation 1 ''Victory'' manga features Decepticon wives and children. Even the live-action movie features an Optimus and Megatron who are brothers, and it is mentioned in the related Nintendo DS game that Megatron "took the spark" of their father.

'''''See also:''' [[Relatives]]''

== Toys ==
[[Image:Classics cosmos concept.gif|thumb|250px|right|Echography of a sadly aborted Transformer.... Yes, those things happen.]]

In the real-life continuity, when two toy manufacturing companies love each other very much, [[Hasbro|one of them]] may start shooting Transformer design propositions to the [[TakaraTomy|other one]]. There, during several months of gestation, engineers will work on those designs, which will be developed into functional and manufacturable Transformers. Once the Transformer is ready to be produced, its design will be sent to marketing and ultimately to the chain manufacturer for the delivery. Voilà! A new Transformer is born!
{{-}}
==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category: Transformer culture]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Headmaster (Animated)

2008-03-04T16:31:34Z

71.235.142.128: Removed info from eps yet to air

:''The Headmaster is a [[human]] in the [[Animated]] [[continuity family]].''
{{spoiler|Transformers Animated}}

[[Image:Headm_anim.JPG|right|thumb|180px|Galactus and the Leader's secret lovechild.]]

The '''Headmaster''' is a disgruntled [[Isaac Sumdac|Sumdac]] employee who takes control of one of the Autobots for revenge and profit.
==Fiction==
===Animated===

==Toys==
===Animated===
*'''Bulkhead''' (Leader, 2008)
:The Headmaster appears as a second head that can be fitted over Bulkhead's head. This feature is available on all Leader class toys.

{{charstub}}

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

Talk:Quickstrike (BW)

2008-03-04T16:29:43Z

71.235.142.128:

Hi, yeah. This being my first entry and all, I have NO bloody clue how to add all the links and such. If someone could do that, that would be great, thanks.

robert(a)twistedproductions.net

Was quikstrike not a deluxe?--[[User:Grand-majin|Grand-majin]] 16:12, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

::Nope, He was a tiny little basic.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Grindcore

2008-03-03T12:46:42Z

71.235.142.128:

:''Grindcore is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie]] [[continuity family]].''
{{mainpic}}
Grindcore loves noise. Back home on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he loved the noise of everyone's [[alt mode|alt modes]] and the [[Shock Pop]] he enjoyed so much. Here on [[Earth]], heavy metal seems to be his favorite. When he works on various construction projects, it is impossible to not hear him, as his alt modes motor runs loud.

Rock on, buddy. Rock on.

==Trivia==

*Acording to Hasbro's website Japanese Micromaster [[Crush-Bull]] was the inspiration for Grindcore.

==Toys==
===Transformers (2007)===
*'''Grindcore''' (Deluxe Class, 2008)
**''Accessories'': Launcher, missile, Key

: A Wal-Mart [[exclusive]], Grindcore is a [[redeco]] of ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Landmine (Energon)#Cybertron 2|Landmine]], transforming into a green wheeled front loader with a rear-mounted pile driver. His bucket shovel can be raised up and down, while his gimmick is unusual in that the [[Cyber Planet Key]] slot is in his rear wheels. To configure him into attack mode, one flips up the rear wheels (there are smaller wheels to support the rear end of the vehicle to compensate), inserts the Cyber Key into the wheel-hub slots and twists, deploying blades around the circumference of each tire.

: This mold was also used to make [[BotCon 2006]] ''Dawn of Future's Past'' [[Rhinox (BW)#Timelines|Rhinox]].

[[Category: Autobots]]
[[Category: Movie characters]]
[[Category: Toy-only characters]]
[[Category: Wal-Mart exclusives]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Crush-Bull

2008-03-03T12:44:13Z

71.235.142.128:

:''Crush-Bull is a [[Micromaster]] from the [[Operation Combination]] and [[Micromaster Collection]] portions of the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].
{{mainpic}}
'''Crush-Bull''' is a member of the Build Team, six urban-operations Micromasters who can combine to form [[Sixbuilder]]. The Build Team fight alongside the [[Guard City]] team and other Micromasters to protect the Earth from the forces of the mighty [[Decepticon]] Führer [[Scrash]].

In an alternate-timeline/universe, Crush-Bull is the leader of the Build Team. He's strong and deeply committed to following routine when on the job. Combine this with his deep-rooted emotional side, and he can be tricked a little too easily. He also has an [[Bonecrusher (Micromaster Collection)|evil counterpart]] running around.

{{note|Since the Crush-Bull of "Operation Combination" had no bio information whatsoever, it is unknown if the "Micromaster Collection" bio is retroactive, applying to the original version as well, though many fans treat it as such.}}

==Fiction==
===Operation: Combination story pages===
Crush-Bull never appears as an individual, only as a component to Sixturbo's robot mode.

===Micromaster Collection Story===
{{charstubfiction}}

{{-}}

==Trivia==

*Acording to Hasbro's website Crush-Bull was the inspiration for the Walmart exclusive movie-verse Transformer [[Grindcore]].

==Toys==
===Operation: Combination===
*'''Sixbuilder''' (Micromaster Sixteam, 1992)

: The original version of Crush-Bull was available only as part of a Sixbuilder gift set in Japan. Aside from the bulldozer mode, Crush-Bull can form the chest or back of any of the similar-build Six-Teams ([[Sixturbo]], Sixbuilder or [[Sixwing]]), though his nominal placement is as Sixbuilder's back. The original Six-Teams are considered among the more difficult Japanese Generation 1 pieces to find.

: Crush-Bull uses the same mold as the ''[[Universe]]'' Micromaster [[Bonecrusher (Universe Micromaster)|Bonecrusher]], and the [[Bonecrusher (Micromaster Collection)|evil half of Crush-Bull]].

===Micromaster Collection===
*'''Crush-Bull''' (Micromaster, 2003)
:''Sixbuilder ID number'': '''1'''

: In 2003, the entire Sixbuilder team was re-released as part of the "Micromaster Collection", in individual boxes with a number visible to show which mold was inside each box. For this release, the team was extensively [[redeco]]ed; Crush-Bull went from light green to a deep aqua-green. All decals were also replaced with [[paint application]]s. He came packaged with the upper legs to the combined robot mode.

{{-}}
==External Links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1992/Cybertron/Crush-Bull/crush-bull.htm Crush-Bull at TFU.info]

[[Category: Autobots]]
[[category: Combiners]]
[[Category: Micromaster Collection]]
[[Category: Operation Combination characters]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Cloning

2008-03-01T16:35:02Z

71.235.142.128: Disambig. does this work for all?

{{disambig2|all cases of Clones in general |the G1 toy subgroup Clones |Clone (subgroup) }}

:''Cloning is the process of creating a living organism that is exactly (or nearly) identical to another living organism.''

In the case of [[Transformer]]s, clones are created in a number of different ways, and they need not be identical in both modes to be clones. Indeed the original Transformer [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]], Autobots [[Fastlane]] and [[Cloudraker]], and Decepticons [[Pounce]] and [[Wingspan]] shared only their resopective robot modes and had entirely different alternate forms.

==Fiction==

===Marvel Comics continuity===

===Generation 1 cartoon===
The [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s possessed cloning abilities that allowed them to create clones of themselves using metallic debris. Using this, they were able to increase their numbers from three to potentially hundreds of thousands. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} The [[Decepticon]]s attempted to use the Insecticon clones to produce [[energon]] by having the Insecticons ingest organic food, but the Insecticon clones were destroyed by [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

===Beast Wars===

[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] made a habit out of cloning things, especially in relation to his former leutenant [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].

===Dreamwave===

It was established that Transformer clones such as Pounce, Wingspan, Fastlane, and Cloudraker were established by artificially replicating the process that normally leads to Transformer siblings and artificially splitting a spark as it is introduced to a protoform. These pares are less well-balanced and more co-dependant than naturally occuring siblings.

After the [[Great Shutdown]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] began research into cloning. He developed several clones of prominent individuals, using technology he had gained when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] struck a deal with the [[Quintesson]]s over the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]]. When [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] overthrew his regime, Shockwave's clones were not yet ready. The [[Battlecharger]]s discovered his lab while looking for a [[CR chamber]], finding several of the clones who had yet to be activated. However, the computers were processing the information that Shockwave had downloaded from [[Vector Sigma]], spilling into whatever available memory it could find...including [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a clone of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Generation One (Dreamwave comic)|Generation One ongoing}}

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

Clone (subgroup)

2008-03-01T16:33:15Z

71.235.142.128: Added disambig. How's this?

{{disambig2|the G1 toy subgroup Clones| Clones in general|Cloning }}

'''Clones''' are a Transformer pairs that are created to be physically identical in their robot forms, although they have unique alternate modes. It is unclear what purpose this serves, other than perhaps to conserve resources by mass-producing bodies or to instill an element of surprise, since one can't be sure which clone one is facing on the battlefield. Or it is possible that someone was just lazy.

Known clone pairs are:
====Autobots====
*[[Fastlane]] and [[Cloudraker]]

====Decepticons====
*[[Pounce]] and [[Wingspan]]

[[Category: Generation 1]]
[[Category: Subgroups]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Exhaust

2008-02-08T00:42:50Z

71.235.142.128: captioniy

:"Marlboor Wheeljack" is an unnamed [[Decepticon]] in the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].
"'''Marlboor Wheeljack'''" is a huge gladiatorial games fan.
[[Image:Marlboor tww2 v1.jpg|thumb|250px| Anybody got a light?]]
==Fiction==
{{charstub}}

==Trivia==
*Though unnamed and indeed nonspeaking in his fictional appearances, "Marlboor Wheeljack" is referred to as such here due to being a cameo appearance of a [[Diaclone]] variant of the toy that would become [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. The toy featured a retooled head and a different color scheme with "Marlboor" endorsements.

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/issue03/Marborojack/index.htm Review of Marlboro Wheeljack on TFU.info]

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

Sentinel Prime (G1)

2008-02-07T14:54:06Z

71.235.142.128: I agree with the talk page

{{disambig2|the Autobot leader from ''Generation 1''|the Autobot officer from ''Transformers Animated''|Sentinel Prime (Animated)}}

:''Sentinel Prime was an [[Autobot]] leader in several portions of the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].

'''Sentinel Prime''' was [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime's]] immediate predecessor as [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]].

''(His physical appearance and attitude toward war vary between continuities, though his color scheme has stayed surprisingly consistent. See below:)''

==Fiction==

===Marvel Comics continuity===

[[Image:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Well, shoot, who wants the Matrix?]]

Sentinel Prime is mentioned frequently in the recitation of Primes before Optimus, but little or nothing is known of him.

:''(Note: The retelling of [[Unicron|Unicron's]] origin in the UK comics included a brief glimpse of a dying Matrix bearer passing the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to Optimus Prime. However, as he is unnamed, the only way we can presume this being is Sentinel Prime is because, as we are told later, Sentinel Prime was the leader before Optimus. See image to the left.)''

===Dreamwave comics continuity===

:'' Sentinel Prime's biggest shortcoming is that he leads with his head, a peacetime leader in a time of war. His successor, Optimus Prime, leads with his heart, backed by his fists— a much more suitable combination.''

Sentinel Prime was Autobot leader for the first 500,000 years of the [[Great War]]. More physically massive than Optimus Prime, Sentinel Prime's armor was made of trithyllium alloy impregnated with irradiated carbon fibers, unbreakable short of a precisely-aimed point-blank shot.

Sentinel Prime's primary weapons were his swiveling shoulder cannons, capable of firing a variety of specialized payloads including concussive and shrapnel-needle shells, and gyro-inhibiting and magnetic inducer shells. (Disruptive warheads which foul an opponent's systems.) He was also armed with a solar-energy rifle and an energon-charged sword.

Sentinel Prime used an [[electro-disrupter]], a device capable of projecting several copies of his image, to disorient his opponents in battle. When interrupted, electro-disrupter images de-rez, leaving a visible path back to the real projector. Because using direct attacks would reveal which image was the real Sentinel Prime, he must limit himself to indirect weapons like shrapnel shells when using it.

Sentinel Prime's only physical weakness was his shoulder-cannons. A direct hit down their barrel could cause the ammunition inside to explode, causing catastrophic damage. To minimize that risk, he swivels the cannons to his back except when about to fire. <ref>Nearly all of his technical specifications come from descriptions found in the Keepers Trilogy.</ref>

[[Image:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|thumb|"Marley was dead to begin with..."]]

====The War Within====
8.2 million years ago, Sentinel Prime went to reason with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], seeking to reach him with sermon and doctrine. He failed and was tortured and destroyed by Megatron. Megatron was chagrined to discover that Sentinel Prime (suspecting he may be killed) had not brought the Matrix with him into battle.

====The Keepers Trilogy====
The Matrix used a vision of Sentinel Prime to strengthen Optimus Prime's resolve during a battle with Megatron by confronting him with the claim that Megatron had chosen Optimus to be Prime, knowing that he was weak. Megatron's alleged influence over the Prime selection process was never substantiated.

[[Keepers|The Keepers]] subsequently created a robotic duplicate of Sentinel Prime to confuse Optimus and undermine his confidence. Though possessing all of Sentinel Prime's considerable abilities, Optimus eventually realized that the duplicate had been created from his own memories of Sentinel Prime, and was incapable of doing anything ''new.'' Optimus destroyed the duplicate of Sentinel Prime, having largely overcome his own doubts about his fitness to be Autobot leader.

===IDW comics continuity===
[[Image:IDWSent.gif|thumb|120px|right|Do I look pacifistic enough yet?]]

{{note|The original IDW Sentinel Prime sketch included in [[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]] was clearly based on his first (and otherwise only) appearance in the Marvel comics panel shown above. Though his resemblance as drawn in Megatron: Origin is less distinctly similar due to artistic interpretation and the helmet Milne draws him wearing. He also definitely resembles, by and large, the Keepers description of the character, in that he is quite heavily armed. However the keen interest he shows in the use of those weapons and combat in general seem a stark contrast to the "peacetime leader unsuitable for war" portrayed in that continuity. IDW Sentinel is more likely to smash you with his [[Apex armor]] than try to ply you with doctrine.}}

[[Image:IDWSentface.gif|thumb|150px|left|That comes in "Optimus Prime" and "Marvel Comics" inspired varieties...]]

Sentinel Prime assumed office after the disappearance of [[Nova Prime]] into the [[Benzuli Expanse]].

In the ancient past of Cybertron's peacetime, Sentinel Prime operated out of the [[Security Services HQ]] in [[Kaon]], generally regarded as "the worst place on Cybertron." Prime had much disdain for government authority, viewing the ruling [[Senate|Senators]] to be spoiled whiners. He worked alongside [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], his [[second-in-command|lieutenant]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin, Part 1}}

After a surge in illegal gladiatorial bloodsport, he assigned [[Bumper]] and [[Fastback]] to stake out one of the sites associated with the matches as part of a dragnet. Unfortunately, their communications were jammed by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] just prior to their untimely demises.{{storylink|Megatron Origin, Part 2}}

[[Image:IDW_SentPrime_Apexarmor.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Don't tread on me, or I'll [[slag (slang)|slag]] you.]]

Sentinel Prime vowed not to let their deaths be in vain, and at their funeral, the Autobot leader urged others to let their deaths be a call to arms. Eventually, after Senator [[Decimus]] was kidnapped by the [[Seeker]]s at Megatron's orders, Sentinel Prime led a raid on Megatron's base. They captured Megatron and most of the others, but were forced to free Soundwave per Senate directive, much to Prime frustration. {{storylink|Megatron Origin, Part 3}}

[[Image:Sentineltruck.gif|thumb|150px|right|Being Prime requires that your [[Alternate mode|altmode]] have at least six wheels and a trailer. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|It's]] [[Hot Rod|tradition]].]]

When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s "betrayal" led to the eventual eruption of the war, Sentinel Prime held the line at Kaon until he decided to take things to the next level. Thus, Prime returned with his massive "Apex" mode, a battle-armor/super-powerful/more-firepower-than-[[Primus|god]] mode. It didn't make much of a difference, seeing as Megatron tore into it and pulled Prime off a cliff. Sentinel was defeated by Megatron. Afterwards, the former Prime's barely functional body was dumped into the middle of the Autobot forces. Prowl ordered a retreat. We would too.

The next morning, Megatron discussed his next moves with Soundwave...sitting on a throne made out of Prime's Apex armor. {{storylink|Megatron Origin, part 4}}

{{-}}

==Trivia==

*As revealed in the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] roundtable panel at [[BotCon 2007]], the original concept for the convention-[[exclusive]] redeco of [[Cybertron Defense Team|Cybertron Defense]] [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] was Sentinel Prime. The mold DOES bear a decent resemblence to his IDW appearence, but in the end it was decided that [[Springer]] was a better choice for the mold (and likely for the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (comic)|ongoing club comic]] story).

==Footnotes==

<references/>

[[Category: Autobot leaders]]
[[Category: Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category: Autobots]]
[[Category: Matrix bearers]]
[[Category: Comic-only characters]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Energon

2008-01-15T04:12:32Z

71.235.142.128: Added Rarified Energon stuff from Classic comics

{{disambig3|Energon}}

[[Image:EnergonCubesCartoon1.jpg |right|300px|thumb|Taste the not-so-rainbow-but-shiny-pink]]

'''Energon''' is the preferred fuel/energy source of [[Transformer]]s. It has also been shown as food, intoxicating drink, ammunition, even currency. More, it has been discribed as the basic building block of all Transformer's bodies and [[sparks]].

Typically, energon is highly volatile. Even a small impact can cause energon to detonate explosively.

In most continuities, the safest way to transport Energon is when it is condensed into the form of an [[energon cube]]. In this form energon is more stable, but still quite dangerous.

== Generation 1 ==
===Generation 1 cartoon===
Energon is at first the specific power source of choice of the Decepticons exclusively, with the Autobots never using the material in their recorded adventures in the late 20th Century. By 2005, however - by choice or necessity - the Autobots had adopted energon as their fuel also. Energon has also been used as currency, mostly by entities that do not use it as sustenance, on the gambling asteroid of [[Monacus]].

[[Image:Energon.jpg|left|thumb|Skywarp in his fat days, making a sandwich]]
Energon is "refined" or created out of other energy sources, sometimes through machinery, but most often simply by attaching an empty energon cube, or placing one next to, the energy source which will be converted. The cube then goes to work automatically, converting the power source into liquid energon which fills the cube. Liquid energon is a glowing pink in color, but should energon cubes be compressed, it takes on an irridescent rainbow effect.

Energy sources refined into energon have included electricity, magma, oil and steam, pillaged from Earth by the Decepticons a regular basis. When the Autobots began using energon, on the other hand, they set up [[Autobot City]] to harmlessly harness Earth's many renewable resources and acquire the energy that way. The level of power any energon possesses appears to be related to the original base material from which it was converted - the especially pure oil of [[Carbombya]], for example, yielded a particularly potent "super-energon" that created an instantly perceptible increase in vigour and strength in those who consumed it.

=== Generation 1: Blackthorne 3D ===
[[Image:Energon_molecule.jpg|thumb|The final molecule needed for pure energon, which cannot be manufactured, is highlighted at the right. There will be a quiz on Friday, so pay attention.]]
The first issue of [[Blackthorne Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers in 3D]]'' comics featured an unusually specific discussion of energon, although it is outside of mainline continuity, and this information has not been re-used in other canonical sources.

According to Blackthorne, "pure energon" consists of several molecules (perhaps in the form of a macromolecule), one of which contains an element actually named "energon", which cannot be synthesized. The whole macromolecule is often refered to simply as energon.

The element energon is required for the creation of "pure" energon. This implies that an "impure" energon may exist that can be manufactured without the element energon, but is still referred to as energon because of its similar physical properties.

=== IDW Comics Continuity ===

Energon is at the heart of the revised continuity introduced in ''[[Infiltration]]'' and ''[[Stormbringer_(comics)|Stormbringer]]'' arcs. The Transformers apparently stripped Cybertron of its resources (including Energon) during the Autobot-Decepticon War, precipitating the cataclysm that rendered the planet sterile. Thus, the Transformers are spread across the galaxy, seeking new or synthetic sources of fuel - [[Starscream_(G1)|Starscream]] mentions "artificial Energon derivatives" and "scrabbling for micro-ergs of some foul local brew".

The extent of Autobot energy-harvesting operations is as yet unknown, but it is clear that the Decepticons infiltrate and destabilise established societies with developed technology (presumably because local technology makes Energon harvesting quicker and easier) before stripping the infiltrated planets bare. The Autobots typically work to counter Decepticon infiltration units, possibly to deny the Decepticons new sources of energy as much as to protect the unwitting peoples of each planet from Decepticon pillaging.

An offhanded comment made by [[Ratchet_(G1)|Ratchet]] indicates that one method for consuming Energon is the use of a delivery capsule. Presumably, this is the large, coffin-like device used by [[Starscream_(G1)|Starscream]] in the first two pages of ''Infiltration'' #6.

The discovery on Earth of [[Ore-13]], an ore that can be purified into a unique and highly powerful form of Energon, threatens to throw humanity's home straight into the middle of the conflict as both Autobots and Decepticons vie for control of it. Unknown to either faction, Ore-13 was actually created by the Decepticon [[Shockwave|Shockwave]], who seeded Earth with the substance millions of years ago as part of a project he called [[Spotlight:_Shockwave|Regenesis]].

Back on Cybertron, another form of Energon has been discovered by both an Autobot science team led by [[Jetfire_(G1)|Jetfire]] and a Decepticon group led by [[Bludgeon_(G1)|Bludgeon]]; the latter group has used this "Ultra Energon" to resurrect the avatar of the Cybertronian apocalypse, the Decepticon [[Thunderwing_(G1)|Thunderwing]], in a plot to restore Cybertron to its former glory. Given that Bludgeon had uncovered Shockwave's Regenesis project, Ultra-Energon and Ore-13 may be the same substance.

==Beast Era==

As the Blackthorne comics had done before them, the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'']] animated series treated energon as an element in its own right, rather than a refined product of other energies. The ''Beast Wars'' handling of energon was centered around the concept of the element existing in a naturally-occurring raw state as [[Energon crystal|unstable crystal]]s which generated [[Energon radiation|powerful radiation]]. With extended exposure, this radiation threatened to overload the circuits of a normal Transformer, but could not penetrate through organic layers. When [[Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s crews arrived on prehistoric Earth and discovered the planet to be rich in raw energon, they adopted organic-skinned beast modes for the express purpose of shielding them from the radiation.

Although all appearances indicate that energon crystals can be naturally occurring, it was later revealed that the crystals on Earth has been seeded on the planet by the mysterious aliens known as the [[Vok]], apparently as part of their back-up plan to sterilize Earth should the experiment they were conducting on it be disrupted some how. The Beast Wars qualified as such a disruption, and using their [[Planet Buster]] weapon, the Vok detonated the vast majority of Earth's energon with a massive energy beam. The Planet Buster was destroyed by Optimus Primal, and much of the energon not destroyed was converted into a stable state in the form of solid cubes, also known as "energon cubes."

''To bring the Beast Era's portrayal of energon into line with G1's, further writings by parties such as [[Dreamwave]] have presented crystalline energon as the natural state of the mineral, which can then be manually processed to create the safer, more usable liquid energon of G1.''

==Energon==
In the [[Energon (franchise)|''Energon'']] series, energon is presented differently. According to the series' production notes, Energon is formed "as the planets came into contact with solar winds" and create "solar energy crystals from the sun's genetic material,". It is suggested that [[One|The Source]] who created [[Primus]] and [[Unicron]] was Energon itself, sort of a primordial entity. Once the big bang occurred, Energon manifested in the form of various planets and the like. Energon is the key and origin of life and continuously evolves new lifeforms. It is this reason that it is found everywhere in this universe. In this form, it functions much like solar photons. It is said that all life spawns from the 'genetics of solar energy', which is also the essense of Primus. Primus is also known as the Light God, in reference to his status connecting him to Energon. Energon signifies the presense of Primus.

The sub-factions known as [[Omnicon]]s and [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]]s have the unique ability to refine energon and to shape [[Energon weapons]] and power-enhancing [[Energon chip]]s (also called Energon Stars). Omnicon-refined energon is red, while Terrorcon produced energon stars are a more yellowish-green. Terrorcon-produced Energon reacts badly when most Transformers even touch it, sending the one who grabbed it into system shock. However, it appears that those whose superstructures are in some manner Unicron-fashioned (like the Terrorcons) are immune to its negative effects. As such, it's possible these Transformers would have the same negative reaction to an Omnicon-forged Energon Star.

There is also evidence that refined Energon can come in a variety of other colors, including purple, black, and more metallic tones. What other effects these other Energon colors have is undetermined at this time.

There also exist other types of energon: green energon, a corrupted form of the substance that flows through the body of [[Unicron]]; and blue "[[super energon]]", which exists in a pool inside an ancient temple far below the surface of Cybertron.

== Classics continuity ==

A huge store of energon is discovered on Earth. It turns out to be [[Rarified Energon]], hidden there long ago by [[Primus]] as a reserve. In this rarified form energon is the basic primary component of all Transformer's bodies and sparks. According to the caretaker of this energon, the universe's supply of the material is running low and if this is not fixed no future Transformers will ever come online.

==Trivia==
*Drinking [[Liquid Energon]] makes robots get drunk, shout "Energy! Energy!", talk about the "good ol' days", then pass out when the enemy attacks them. {{storylink|Microbots}}

[[Category:Power sources]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Energon]]
[[Category:Substances]]
[[Category:MacGuffins]]
[[Category:Primus]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Autocrusher

2008-01-09T21:28:49Z

71.235.142.128:

Is it REALLY a good idea to use bio information from the awful Beast Wars profiles books? They're hopelessly inaccurate for the Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo characters. [[User:TFVanguard|Vanguard]] 14:00, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

:Regardless of any personal oppinions on their quality, they're just as much official canon as any other official material, which means, I think, they should get exactly the same treatment as any other material.

:IIRC, the idea behind our begining bios is: "Describe who the character is in a general and '''continuity-neutral''' fasion." If something in one portrayle conflicts with something from another than they both get defered to the individual continuity sections below for specific detailing there. So if something describing Autocrasher here from IDW specifically conflicts with the BW2 stuff then the conflict should be noted above and then detailed below. I don't know enough of BW2 myself to judge. --[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 14:14, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

::Blaster gets mini-bios at the head of his 'toon and comic sections because they're so different. When bios are contradictory, follow this model. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 16:24, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

::: Yeah, that's what I was attempting to describe. :)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

AllSpark (Animated)

2007-12-29T14:32:08Z

71.235.142.128: More detailed note and removed speculation

{{disambig3|Allspark}}
:''The All Spark is an artifact in the [[Transformers Animated]] continuity''
[[image:AllsparkTFANI.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Before time began... there was the '''hexagonal prism'''.]]
A device of unknown origin and unimaginable power, the '''All Spark''' can create life itself and was the source of the [[Transformer]] race. For millions of years, [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s waged the [[Great War]] over controlling it, with the Autobots only managing to defeat the Decepticons after they sent the All Spark through a [[space bridge]] portal, keeping it safely out of evil hands and effectively removing the wild card from remaining battles. If wielded by Decepticons, it would be a weapon of destruction like no other.

It seems to have a will of its own, seeking out qualified bearers and uniting even [[Sari Sumdac|unlikely allies]] into a team.

It can also unfold ''really'' purdy.

==Notes==
The All Spark's powers, enigmatic origin, and storyline role are very similar to the [[All Spark|synonymous device]] from the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]]. It's look however is more of a homage to the [[Matrix of Leadership]] (ie. an orangeish container with bracketed handles and a window in front that opens outward to reveal a glowing blue spherical crystal suffused with blue energy). However, the All Spark here is angular and squareish rather that curved and sheroid like the Matrix, basically hybridizing the looks of the movie and G1 devices.

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

Talk:Brawn (G1)

2007-12-21T20:30:37Z

71.235.142.128: Brawn Lives

Brawn didn't die, he just played robotopossom
--------------------------------------------------
I think Brawn went to same tailor as Man-At-Arms from He-Man.

C'mon, he's orange and has a salad-bowl for a head. What more proof need there be?

== Best of Brawn ==

Shockwave: "Prepare to be terminated!"
(Shockwave shoots at Brawn but misses)
(Brawn grabs a large girder)
Brawn: "Prepare for a very large headache!"

Brawn: "Let me get the door!"
(Brawn runs through the door)

== Brawn Lives ==

Noticed the note about the fandom's disscussion/debate of Brawn's death was just removed. I understand the impulse to do so, but at the same time I question if it might not be better left in. There are other pages motivated by and/or explaining aspects of frequent/repeated fandom debate (FIRRIB and the reverse) and the "Brawn Lives" debate/movement/annoyance IS a recurring and frequent aspect of the fandom. I feel like maybe it should get a mention. Or maybe it belongs on the Fandom page? In some sort of "repeating tropes" section. I don't know. Thoughts? [[User:71.235.142.128|71.235.142.128]] 20:30, 21 December 2007 (UTC)<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Black hole (phenomenon)

2007-12-21T20:23:40Z

71.235.142.128:

{{disambig2|the astronomical feature|the robophobic drinking establishment|Black Hole Bar and Grill}}

A '''black hole''' is an astronomical feature that occurs when a massive star collapses into a extremely small singularity so dense than not even light can escape its gravatational field.

Transformers have encountered black holes on a number of occasions and they have frequently been shown to function as portals between alternate universes.

A [[Quintesson]] ship with captured [[Autobots]] and [[Decepticons]] aboard passed through one to a universe where the color spectrum was reversed.

A specially outfitted [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime]] journeyed into one to discover [[nucleon]].

The bounty hunter [[Axer]] traveled through one from the [[Generation 1]] continuity to the [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] continuity.

In the [[Unicron Trilogy]], [[Unicron]]'s destruction created an especially large [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] which threatened to destroy the multiverse.

{{stub}}

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

Constructicon (Animated)

2007-12-14T17:54:33Z

71.235.142.128: Neatened it up as much as possible in our current ignorance

{{cleanup|December 2007}}
{{coming soon}}
''The Constructicons are (likely) Decepticons in the [[Animated]] cartoon continuity.''

There are at least two of them. They are likely Decepticons (duh) and likely change into construction vehicles (double duh). There is at least a 60% chance they'll combine into a larger robot, quite possibly named "Devastator". What's their deal exactly? Nobody knows! (Yet.)

==Fiction==

When the bots are out, the Constructicons come to play with Sari. Run Sari. Run.

==Toy==
Will there be one? Probably, we'd guess, but who can say for sure.

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