MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Pete Sinclair

2025-07-02T22:45:13Z

86-46:

{{disambig3|Peter}}

[[Image:Petesinclair.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Alienating fans with functional moral compasses since 2016.]]
'''Pete Sinclair''' formerly worked for the now-defunct [[Fun Publications]], most notably in editing [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club magazine]], contributing to its corresponding fiction, answering questions across various fan message boards, and serving as a highly ineffectual public relations officer.

Behind the scenes, Sinclair helped run [[BotCon]]s for several years starting with [[3H Productions|3H Enterprises]], keeping panels running smoothly and heading events such as the charity auction. When 3H split apart in 2002 and the "primary" Transformers fan convention lost the use of the BotCon name, instead becoming [[BotCon|OTFCC]], Sinclair joined with [[Jon Hartman|Jon]] and [[Karl Hartman]] in launching the unofficial BotCon 2004 convention. When the official convention license moved to Fun Publications and got the BotCon name back, Sinclair moved to FP as a fandom consultant. He worked for them as a full-time employee until [[Hasbro]] revoked BotCon's license in 2016.

In 2020, a different management team began to announce and gauge interest for upcoming BotCon conventions, once again as unofficial and unlicensed events. Sinclair continued working with them, now under the auspices of his own company, Night Shining, Inc.

==Fiction==
===Prevenge===
{{voiceactor|Himself (English)}}
{{storylink|Prevenge}}
{{charstubfiction}}

==Managing editor==
*''[[Crossing Over]]''
*''[[Transcendent]]''
*''[[Reunification]]''
*''[[The Coming Storm]]''
*''[[A Flash Forward]]''
*''[[Battle Lines]]''
*''[[Beast Wars Shattered Glass]]''
*''[[Alone Together]]''
*''[[Another Light]]''
*''[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]''
*"[[Games of Deception]]"
*"[[Shattered Glass (issue)|Shattered Glass]]"
*"[[Wings of Honor]]"
*"[[Generation 2: Redux]]"
*"[[The Stunti-Con Job]]"
*[[The Wreckers: Finale Part 1|Wreckers: Finale Part I]]
*"[[Invasion (issue)|Invasion]]"
*"[[Termination]]"
*"[[A Common Foe]]"
*"[[Hoist the Flag]]"
*"[[Cybertron's Most Wanted]]"
*"[[Armada Volume 5]]"

==Editor==
*[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Collectors' Club Magazine]] issue #5 onwards

==Writer==
*"[[Dawn of Future's Past]]" (co-written with [[Forest Lee]])
*"[[At Fight's End]]" (co-written with [[Jesse Wittenrich]])
*''The Coming Storm'' (co-written with Jesse Wittenrich)
*''Battle Lines'' (co-written with Jesse Wittenrich)
*''A Flash Forward'' (co-written with Jesse Wittenrich)
*''Beast Wars Shattered Glass'' (co-written with [[Ben Yee]] and [[Matt Frank]])
*''[[Alone Together: Prologue]] (co-written with Jesse Wittenrich)
*''Another Light''(co-written with [[Jesse Wittenrich]])
*''Of Masters and Mayhem'' (co-written with [[Jesse Wittenrich]])
*"Invasion" (co-written with Ben Yee)
*"[[Timeless]]" (co-written with Jesse Wittenrich)
*"Cybertron's Most Wanted" (co-written with Jesse Wittenrich)
*"[[Another Con]]" comic strips in [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Collector's Club magazine]] (with [[Rob Meyer]])
*"[[A Cliffjumper(s) Tale]]" (credited as "Pierre Jean Saint-Clair")

==Story==
*"[[The Razor's Edge]]" (with Ben Yee)
*''The Coming Storm''
*''Battle Lines''
*"Dawn of Future's Past"
*"[[Games of Deception]]" (with Forest Lee and Ben Yee)
*"Shattered Glass"

==Notes==
* When asked at the final panel of [[BotCon 2016]] what the one unproduced exclusive he wished had been made was, he answered that a [[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Generations|''Generations'' Armada Starscream]] retool into [[Jetstorm (BM)|''Beast Machines'' Jetstorm]] had been planned for that year. He also wished for a [[Rodimus (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Rodimus]] out of [[Springer (G1)#Voyager|''Generations'' Springer]].

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1e8EKoW4bc Transformers For Your Listening Pleasure interview with Pete Sinclair]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinclair, Pete}}
[[Category:Editors]]
[[Category:Real people]]
[[Category:Writers]]

User:86-46

2025-07-02T22:44:06Z

86-46: Created page with "86 = Transformers movie 46 = age"

86 = Transformers movie
46 = age

Beastformers (franchise)

2025-07-02T22:42:35Z

86-46: Undo revision 1814834 by John Pannozzi (talk)

{{disambig2|the franchise|the species|Beastformer (species)}}
 
{{nav-beastformers}}
 
[[Image:BEASTFORMERS BACKcomp.JPG|right|upright=2.33|thumb|Collect every one of these incredible creatures who battle for fun! (''Subject to availability and Takara's whims'')]]

'''''Transformers: Beastformers''''' (トランスフォーマービーストフォーマー ''Toransufōmā Bīsutofōmā'')—later just '''''Beastformers''''', dropping the ''Transformers'' branding in its second year—is a sub-line/spin-off of the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' toyline released in 1987, concurrent with the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1987 (The Headmasters)|The Headmasters]]'' series. The series focuses on the titular [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformer]]s, a race of alien anthropomorphic animals from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], whose struggles intersect with those of the Transformers.

The toyline at the center of this series had been released in [[Hasbro]]'s markets the previous year, as 1986's '''''Battle Beasts'''''; the toys were developed jointly by the two companies, as most of the ''Transformers'' line was at this point. ''Battle Beasts'' had no fictional ties to ''Transformers'' whatsoever (it barely had fiction ''at all''), but as the toys are overwhelmingly identical between the two markets, most western fans consider them to be functionally the same thing as ''Beastformers'', and don't care if their "[[White Leo]]" is technically a "Pirate Lion". But since ''Beastformers'' is the one genuinely tied to ''Transformers'', this wiki defaults to using the Takara names, and only covers the Hasbro iteration of the line in brief for comparison.

==Fiction==
===''Beastformers''===
[[File:RebellionBeast Wheelie Daniel captured.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1|"I demand to speak to my lawyer."]]
''Transformers: Beastformers'' got its big fictional push with a {{w|backdoor pilot}} episode early in the [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|''Headmasters'' cartoon]], "[[Rebellion on Planet Beast]]". In it, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] helps the evil [[Alligatron]] in his attempted takeover of Beast in exchange for prisoners of war, and the heroic Beasts put out a call for help from the Autobots, with of course the good guys winning in the end. After this episode, the series never returned to planet Beast again. A few toy-based Beastformers appeared as prisoners in a later episode, and a cartoon-original Beastformer played a small but vital role in yet another, but otherwise, that one episode makes up the bulk of original ''Transformers''-era ''Beastformers'' fiction. The Autobots and Decepticons return to Beast in a special installment of the [[Transformers: The Headmasters (manga)|''Headmasters'' comic]], "[[The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!]]", although this would later be seemingly ignored/forgotten.

Outside of these handful of ''Transformers'' appearances, the main story of ''Beastformers'' was told through text stories included in numerous [[Beastformers catalog|pack-in pamphlets and catalogs]], which fleshed out the world of Beast a bit more. While at first tying in to the ''Headmasters'' episode (such as including the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] and [[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]]), those stories would eventually drop connections to ''Transformers'' as the ''Beastformers'' brand tried to establish its own identity.

[[File:Legends White Lune.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1|[[White Lune]], a new character from the Beastformers' 2017 ''Legends'' storyline.]]
When the series was given a soft-reboot sequel and rebranding as just ''Beastformers'' in 1988, the lore of planet Beast got even deeper, finally properly tying in the toys' Fire/Wood/Water theme that the previous fiction had all but ignored. The series introduced the [[Three Wise Ones]], ancient entities who founded planet Beast and were the progenitors of the [[Laser Beast]] race that later spawned the Beastformers. The [[Gems of Motion and Stillness|six gems balancing the powers of Fire, Wood and Water]] they left behind had become unbalanced due to the prior war (now ended) and were causing natural disasters. Worse still, said disasters flooded the subterranean home of the still-extant Laser Beasts, who moved to the surface and started a war of conquest. Once again, this story was mostly told through packaging blurbs and pack-in materials, with the characters' included bio cards expanding on the various societies of planet Beast. There were two "big" pieces of new fiction, in the form of two issues of the ''[[Hero Special]]'' mook (magazine/book) series: ''[[Hero Special 4: Beastformers]]'' and ''[[Hero Special 12: Laser Beasts]]''. Aside from character bios and setting text, these also featured fumetti "photonovel" comics assembled from photographs of the actual toys set up in diorama environments, telling the tales of major moments in the Beastformers' past and present (minus those pesky Transformers).

And after that, a whole lot of nothing as the ''Beastformers'' line ended. While there would be a few unnamed cameos in ''Transformers'' media here and there (mostly in Hasbro-backed media, amusingly enough), these rarely amounted to more than a single panel or obtuse reference in text. However, in 2017, the ''Beastformers'' story was picked up again in the [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Transformers Legends'' comic]], beginning in "[[LG51 Doublecross Prologue|Vol. 47: LG51 Doublecross Prologue]]", continuing from the unconcluded Beastformer/Laser Beast war that had been untouched for the better part of three decades... notably tying it back to ''Transformers'' pretty extensively.
{{--}}

===''Battle Beasts''===
[[File:BattleBeasts comic 1.GIF|upright=1|thumb|Blackthorne's ''Battle Beasts'' #1. Nobody you know ever owned this.]]
By contrast (and really only here for comparison/completion's sake), Hasbro's ''Battle Beasts'' was uncharacteristically light on any form of fiction for toylines of the time, especially Hasbro's. The cardbacks largely just advertised the Fire/Wood/Water play gimmick with a slight in-universe flavor. The characters' names were not even readily available to kids, with the only source to name them all being a mail-away poster... in fact, the cardbacks even said that each beast had two identical doppelgangers with different elements, so were all three [[Killer Fish|carp beasts]] named "Killer Carp", or...?

Comics publisher [[Blackthorne Publishing|Blackthorne]], the people responsible for the very short-lived ''[[Transformers in 3-D]]'' comics, put out a black-and-white ''Battle Beasts'' comic which was more successful than their ''Transformers'' one, in that it made it to ''four'' issues before being canceled. Good luck finding copies. Or even scans.

The comic is set on an unnamed planet inhabited by sentient, armored animals, each imbued with the power of one of the three elements: Water, Fire and Wood. Their powers and the health of their world are maintained by the Soulspirit, a ghostly figure that—strangely for a planet of talking animals—appears to be [[human]]. By keeping her animal charges and their nature totems in harmony, the Soulspirit helps maintain a balance that prevents the return of her ancient enemy Ruhin, the sludgy lord of chaos. An evil plot by the totem-switching, mind-controlling crime lord [[Green Chameles|Chameleon]], and his minions [[Devilbat|Blitzkrieg Bat]], [[Graysharp|Rocky Rhino]], and [[Cuttledeep|Cutthroat Cuttlefish]], disrupts the Soulspirit's planetary totem renewal ritual: the subsequent psychic totem disruption drives every creature on the planet insane and makes them start viciously attacking each other. The only beasts spared from this madness are Chameleon's forces and a small group of heroes ([[Drillfrog|Horny Toad]], [[Night Owl|Knight Owl]], and [[Bonga|Gargantuan Gorilla]]) who had already tried and failed to stop him. With their world now plunged into madness and nonstop war, the heroic faction must journey to find the one being on the planet—the near-mythical [[White Leo|Sunburst Warrior]]—who can restore the harmony and sanity of the Battle Beasts. But they must hurry, because the disruption of the balance of nature has also revived the evil Ruhin!

Not ''too'' unlike the 1988 ''Beastformers'' setup, by pure coincidence.
{{--}}

==Toys==
[[File:BF-toy FireWaterWood.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|1) You hear that commercial in your head, admit it. 2) That lower row was the absolute ''$#!+'' to 80s kids. Major playground bragging rights.]]
Battle Beasts/Beastformers are soft-plastic figures of anthropomorphic animals in high-tech armor, each about 1.5 inches tall, with swivel-jointed shoulders and a weapon accessory. The fist-holes and weapon handles are 3 mm wide, making them compatible with numerous later ''Transformers'' toys, particularly the [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse/Legion-class]] toys.

Both beast and weapon have an ID number molded into them, making matching easy; this would turn out to be incredibly helpful, as ''Beastformers'' is somewhat notorious for mismatching weapons and beasts. You'd get the right weapon more often than not, but "not" still happened a lot. While this was actually turned into part of the line's gimmick in its second incarnation (matching weapon and beast gave advantages in the attached dice-based game), it's unknown why this happened a good ''year'' prior to the game's introduction.

Each figure features a "Battle Emblem" [[rubsign]] that shows one of three "elemental powers": Fire, Water or Wood. Since the symbols were heat-activated, it was (mostly) impossible to determine what each toys' symbol was until they were freed from their packaging. These rubsigns were key to a simple rock-paper-scissors-style battle game: Fire burned Wood, Wood floated on Water, Water put out Fire. A fourth power, Burstsun, was a rare special power introduced later in the line; decades later, this would be reused as the personal emblem of the otherwise unrelated [[Solarbot]].

As ''Beastformers'', they were packaged in individual boxes with bio cards; the design of both would change multiple times over the course of the year (detailed below). These were typically set out in large display boxes holding 36 individual figures. ''Battle Beasts'' packaged them as two-packs with semi-randomized pairings (we're not about to try and suss out all the patterns) and no personal information whatsoever, with only a mail-away poster providing names for the beasts once the first three series were released. Both companies also put out multi-packs and larger vehicles; ''Beastformers'' vehicles came with specific pack-in characters, while ''Battle Beasts'' simply tossed in a random figure.

''Most'' of the normal ''Battle Beasts'' product was eventually released in ''Beastformers''. Both lines have a number of variants and toolings not available in the other, though ''Beastformers'' certainly has more individual figures all told, thanks to the late-run [[Laser Beast]] releases (only about half of which saw very short-lived and limited distribution in Hasbro markets). As noted, the overwhelming majority of the toys are physically identical between the Hasbro and Takara markets, with the only recurring difference between all toys a small manufacturing sticker added to the soles of the Takara toys (which tends to fall off and get lost over time).
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Beastformers'' (1987)===
====Series 1====
[[Image:SnakeBomb-MIB.jpg|right|upright=.67|thumb|You can't keep me in here! I have to fight He-Man!]]
The initial assortment of Beastformers were packaged in ''Transformers''-style boxes, with Autobot-allied beasts in red boxes and Decepticon-allied in purple, with the familiar grid pattern below. These boxes are otherwise generic, with no individual names or marking on the packaging whatsoever, with a plastic window to show the beast inside. These were shipped in display cases of thirty-six individual boxes, with "Pack A" and "Pack B" styles: each case had twelve different beasts packed at three each, with six beasts unique to each case.

Like the other ''Headmasters'' toys of the time, each one also came with an individual bio card, with a painted character image on a red or purple grid on the front, and character data and line-art of the toy on the back. The cards were held in black sleeves to keep them hidden while in-package, as there was a chance the card would instead be the rare "[[Holography Mirror]]" card instead, with a hologram image [[Platinum Tiger]]'s toy on the front. It appears that this card was randomly packed in one box per case, but this has not been confirmed.

Oddly, despite the toys themselves having ID numbers molded into them (and their weapons), the bio cards do not have any form of ID number for the characters whatsoever, despite the other toys in the ''Transformers'' line having them.

The sleeves also contained a questionnaire pamphlet, and by sending five of these (filled out of course) to the address provided, the sendee would be entered into a drawing to win a [[Gnaw (G1)#Toys|Sharktron]] toy, which was not available in the normal-retail Takara ''Transformers'' line.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pack A figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Alligatron#Toys|Alligatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Battle Bear#Toys|Battle Bear]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Big Serow#Toys|Big Serow]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drillfrog#Toys|Drillfrog]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Elephan#Toys|Elephan]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Flykick#Toys|Flykick]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Golder#Toys|Golder]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Killer Fish#Toys|Killer Fish]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snakebomb (Beastformers)#Toys|Snakebomb]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[White Leo#Toys|White Leo]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wildthunder#Toys|Wildthunder]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Yellow Giraffe#Toys|Yellow Giraffe]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pack B figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beafox#Toys|Beafox]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Black Turtle#Toys|Black Turtle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bonga#Toys|Bonga]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devilbat#Toys|Devilbat]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grayox#Toys|Grayox]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Graysharp#Toys|Graysharp]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
?? 
?? 
?? 
?? 
?? 
?? 
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:BF-toy White Leo.jpg|upright=1|thumb|[[White Leo#Toys|White Leo]], face of the franchise.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Mail-away prizes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sharkticon (species)#Toys|Sharktron]]}}
|}{{-}}

====Series 2====
At this point, ''Beastformers'' boxes changed to using green behind the grids for both sides, but kept the Autobot/Decepticon markings. The upper-right "flap" of the box also added the "Pack" letter of the shipping case, each one indicating a different randomly-packed prize card:

:'''C''' — The "[[Secret Photo]]" card featuring White Leo
:'''D''' — The "[[Bewitching Serpent Seal]]" card featuring Cobrander

Just as before, each case had six unique beasts, with twelve re-released Series 1 toys filling out the other halves. Once again kids could send away five filled-out pack-in questionnaires to enter a prize draw for a Transformer not available at retail, this time the "Firebot" [[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repug (aka Monsterbot Repugnus)]].

The pack-in bio cards also got a redesign at this point, with the returning characters' cards getting the change as well. The front of the card replaced the grid background with a forest backdrop framing a yellow sky, with the painted portrait in the middle. The nametags and cardbacks were otherwise the same style as before.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pack C figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bullorn#Toys|Bullorn]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brown Gyro#Toys|Brown Gyro]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Dark Raccoon#Toys|Dark Raccoon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smileduck#Toys|Smileduck]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strong Hippo#Toys|Strong Hippo]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wavemoose#Toys|Wavemoose]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Beafox (re-release)}}
{{Bp-d1|Black Turtle (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|Bonga (re-release)}}
{{Bp-d1|Devilbat (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|Flykick (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|White Leo (re-release)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pack D figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beavop#Toys|Beavop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jungaroo#Toys|Jungaroo]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Power Jaguar#Toys|Power Jaguar]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Power Nozzle#Toys|Power Nozzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Red Octo#Toys|Red Octo]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sea Iron#Toys|Sea Iron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|Alligatron (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|Battle Bear (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|Big Serow (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|Golder (re-release)}}
{{Bp-d1|Killer Fish (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|Yellow Giraffe (re-release)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:BF-toy RedOcto.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Red Octo#Toys|Red Octo]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Mail-away prizes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repug]]}}
|}{{-}}

====Series 3====
With the third wave release, the line expanded slightly, with a new multi-pack (including [[exclusive]] variations of the two leader figures), as well as a transforming "[[Fortress (Beastformers)|Fortress]]" that unfolds into a large playset.

The packaging for this series did not change at all outside of the "Pack" letters, and again, each case had six all-new beasts and six re-releases. The rare prize card was the same for each Pack type: the "VS [[Holography Mirror]]", a ''double'' hologram card showing Platinum Tiger or Green Chameles depending on which way your turned it. Repug even stuck around as the mail-in-drawing prize.

While the packaging didn't change much, the bio cards for the new characters did change in one very significant way: they no longer used the fully-painted character images, instead using the comic-style line-art used for the Hasbro ''Battle Beasts'' checklist-poster. The re-released characters, however, kept the "series 2" style cards.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pack E figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Green Chameles#Toys|Green Chameles]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Iguanamonss#Toys|Iguanamonss]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Razorkukku#Toys|Razorkukku]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strong Panda#Toys|Strong Panda]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ultragas#Toys|Ultragas]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Undergroun#Toys|Undergroun]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|Alligatron (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|Beafox (re-release)}}
{{Bp-d1|Devilbat (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|Flykick (re-release)}}
{{Bp-d1|Killer Fish (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|White Leo (re-release)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pack F figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Baboon#Toys|Baboon]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cuttledeep#Toys|Cuttledeep]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Eagle Killer#Toys|Eagle Killer]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Junior Dragon#Toys|Junior Dragon]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Night Owl#Toys|Night Owl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Polar Battle Bear (Beastformers)#Toys|Polar Battle Bear]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
?? (re-release) 
?? (re-release) 
?? (re-release) 
?? (re-release) 
?? (re-release) 
?? (re-release)
|
|width="20%" valign="top", rowspan=2|[[File:BF-toy Iguanamonss.jpg|upright=1|thumb|[[Iguanamonss#Toys|Iguanamonss]]]][[File:BF-toy StrongPanda.jpg|upright=1|thumb|[[Strong Panda#Toys|Strong Panda]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Burstsun Special Set (type 1) ([[White Leo#Toys|Burstsun White Leo]], [[Black Jaguar#Toys|Black Jaguar]], [[Būpink#Toys|Būpink]], [[Dog Hunter#Toys|Dog Hunter]], [[Dream Eater#Toys|Dream Eater]], [[Muskhorn#Toys|Muskhorn]], [[Pangol#Toys|Pangol]], [[Slo#Toys|Slo]], [[White Cow#Toys|White Cow]], [[Udan#Toys|Udan]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Burstsun Special Set (type 2) ([[Alligatron#burstsun|Ghost Alligatron]], Black Jaguar, Būpink, [[Crowmax#Toys|Crowmax]], [[Earthhog#Toys|Earthhog]], [[Mingo Kid#Toys|Mingo Kid]], Pangol, Slo, White Cow, Udan)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Fortress'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Phoenix#Toys|Red Phoenix]] (w/ [[Flykick#Toys|Flykick]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Mail-away prizes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cobrander#ceramic|Ceramic Special Cobrander]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repug]]}}
|}

{{note|The Burstsun Special set comes with two different sets of figures, but you don't know which set you get until you open it up. Yes, you had to get both sets for a complete collection. The non-White-Leo/Alligatron figures would be made available again later, with different bio cards.}}

Those familiar with ''Battle Beasts'' have probably noticed quite a few omissions in the above lists. Despite multiple checklists and promotional materials showing the full range of 76 figures found in ''Battle Beasts'', only 54 of them appear to have actually been released in ''Transformers: Beastformers''. Yes, even characters who ''appeared in the Beastformers episode of the Transformers anime'' were skipped in the ''Transformers'' line. Most of those missing toys ''would'' see release in the next version of the ''Beastformers'' toyline....


{{-}}

===''Beastformers'' and ''Beastformers: Laser Beasts'' (1988)===
[[File:BF-toy Series4Boxes.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb]]
[[File:BF-toy Unarchy-Symbol.jpg|right|thumb|Laser Beast [[Unarchy]], with symbol [[gimmick]] on display.]]
In 1988, ''Beastformers'' became its own line, all ''Transformers'' branding excised from the packaging, now branded with the tagline "Role-Playing! Animal Army!!" (ロールプレーイング!アニマル軍団!! ''Rōru Purēingu! Animaru Gundan!!'', rendered as "Role Playing Animal Team" in English on the packaging). Importantly, this series saw the release of almost all the ''Battle Beasts'' figures that the ''Transformers: Beastformers'' line skipped, though in exchange many ''Transformers''-era figures didn't make the jump to the "RPG" line.

While the figures were still (mostly) released in individual boxes, the packaging got a near-total redesign, though the forest backdrop from the previous series' cards remained. These boxes showed maps of planet Beast on the back, made up of thirty-eight kingdoms, each ruled by two Beastformer warriors in a post-Transformers-war setting. These boxes are again generic, now across the entire line. Early versions of the boxes (Packs G and H) advertised the possibility that the included bio card inside could instead be a rare holofoil card with a "Burstsun" Battle Emblem packed into a small baggie on its back for you to affix to the Beastformer of your choice, but later (and seemingly more common) releases dropped all "rare card" promos and the "Pack" markings, and added a sticker on the bottom-front with the toy's name on it.

The pack-in cards were similarly reworked. While they still used the line art from the ''Transformers'' era cast poster, the art was completely recolored to be more accurate to the actual toys, plus some characters who were drawn with incorrect weapons got edited art with the correct ones. The back of these cards have a ''lot'' more character information, and details on the powers of their "[[MVP Weapon]]" including rules and point values for the new "[[Beastformers Role-Playing Game]]" for the line. Pack-in catalogs contained rules for the dice-based battle game. And the ID numbers on the toys were finally added to the cards and name-stickers.

At this point, many Beastformers were also made available in [[gacha|gashapon capsule machines]] for the same price as the normal boxed toys (200 yen). These toys lacked bio cards, and came with completely random weapons. More importantly, there were rare all-white/cream "Rare Type" versions of (supposedly) fifteen of the gashapon Beastformers, which nowadays go for a couple hundred dollars a pop. However, only twelve white/cream versions have been confirmed so far, and all of them from the original ''Transformers'' "series 1" lineup. (It is also up for debate as to how many of the normal toys were available in gacha machines: the included paperwork does not say how many were available, and also shows Brown Gyro, a Beastformer not available in the RPG line... but we've already established that Takara's ''Beastformers'' paperwork is pretty unreliable so maybe even that "15 white Beasts" thing is incorrect and there were only ever 12.)

At some point in this series, the Beastformers' rubsigns underwent a change. Later samples of the toys (as well as late-run Hasbro ''Battle Beasts'' releases) could have Battle Emblems that revealed ''full color'' Fire/Water/Wood illustrations rather than the mood-ring-style black outlines against a multi-hued backdrop. (It does not appear that there was ever a full-color Burstsun symbol.)

The standalone ''Beastformers'' line saw a major expansion of available product. The ''Battle Beasts'' motorized "Battle Chariots" and remaining two transforming "Transport Stations" were released in Japan as the "[[Head Hunter]]s" and "[[Fortress (Beastformers)|Fortress]]es" respectively, plus a re-release of the prior Red Phoenix Fortress in this new packaging style.

But most importantly, this series also introduced the '''[[Laser Beast]]s''' (レーザービースト, ''Rēzā Bīsuto'') subline, tagged "Role-Playing! Neo Animal Army!!" (ロールプレーイング!ネオアニマル軍団!! ''Rōru Purēingu! Neo Animaru Gundan!!'', rendered as "Role Playing Neo Animal Team" in English). This new faction of evil warriors emerged from an underground kingdom when the planet's three elements were out of balance and destroyed their home. Rather than having rubsigns, these beast warriors have [[light-piping|clear marbles that would reveal their randomly-installed Fire/Wood/Water element when looked through into a light source]]. And instead of melee weapons, they came with large rifles. A number of new mini-vehicles and multi-packs were also released for this series. Laser Beast packaging was different, with a shadowy-blue theme and strange alternate versions of the planet's continents shown on the hidden inner box-flaps. Oh, also they cost 50 yen more than the 200-yen Beastformers, sold in cases of 24 (12 beasts packed 2 each, a completely different lineup in each case).

The Laser Beasts were intended to be released in Hasbro's markets as the '''Shadow Warriors''', but they never made it to a wide release: packaged samples of the twelve "series 1" toys have been found, plus some even rarer samples of "Battle Chargers", individually-sold Shield Battlers that included characters who weren't sold as Shield Battlers in Japan. Because of this, as well as the somewhat short lifespan of the line at this point, Laser Beasts routinely go for hefty amounts on the secondary market even in Japan, easily demanding hundred-plus price tags apiece... ''especially'' the second series of individually-boxed figures and box sets.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="99.3%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Beastformers''' (Pack G)
*1 [[White Leo#Toys|White Leo]] (re-release)
*4 [[Flykick#Toys|Flykick]] (re-release)
*19 [[Hedgehog#Toys|Hedgehog]]
*20 [[Badshark#Toys|Badshark]]
*21 [[Bowdog#Toys|Bowdog]]
*22 [[Rabbit Kid#Toys|Rabbit Kid]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*23 [[Bluehorse#Toys|Bluehorse]]
*24 [[Giader#Toys|Giader]]
*25 [[Violethorn#Toys|Violethorn]]
*26 [[Bombsheep#Toys|Bombsheep]]
*27 [[Deaspider#Toys|Deaspider]]
*28 [[Crabhit#Toys|Crabhit]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Beastformers''' (Pack H)
*49 [[Flying Attacker#Toys|Flying Attacker]]
*50 [[Platinum Tiger#Toys|Platinum Tiger]]
*55 [[Koala Gray#Toys|Koala Gray]]
*69 [[Zebra Ball#Toys|Zebra Ball]]
*71 [[Duck Diver#Toys|Duck Diver]]
*75 [[Peguinis#Toys|Peguinis]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*??
*??
*??
*??
*??
*??
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=6|[[File:BF-toy RabbitKid.jpg|upright=1|thumb|[[Rabbit Kid#Toys|Rabbit Kid]]]][[File:BF-toy Peguinis.jpg|upright=1|thumb|[[Peguinis#Toys|Peguinis]]]][[File:BF-toy Tigerburn.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Laser Beast [[Tigerburn#Toys|Tigerburn]]]][[File:BF-toy WoodBeetle.jpg|uprhgt=1|thumb|[[Wood Beetle]] Fortress]][[File:BF-toy GreatestConfrontation box.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Beast Planet's Greatest Confrontation Set]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Beastformers''' (''Name-sticker box'')
*1 White Leo (re-release)
*2 [[Big Serow#Toys|Big Serow]] (re-release)
*4 Flykick (re-release)
*5 [[Killer Fish#Toys|Killer Fish]] (re-release)
*11 [[Battle Bear#Toys|Battle Bear]] (re-release)
*12 [[Devilbat#Toys|Devilbat]] (re-release)
*13 [[Bonga#Toys|Bonga]] (re-release)
*15 [[Alligatron#Toys|Alligatron]] (re-release)
*16 [[Beafox#Toys|Beafox]] (re-release)
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*17 [[Black Turtle#Toys|Black Turtle]] (re-release)
*35 [[Jungaroo#Toys|Jungaroo]] (re-release)
*43 [[Cuttledeep#Toys|Cuttledeep]] (re-release)
*45 [[Junior Dragon#Toys|Junior Dragon]] (re-release)
*46 [[Night Owl#Toys|Night Owl]] (re-release)
*53 [[Strong Panda#Toys|Strong Panda]] (re-release)
*54 [[Shield Dragon#Toys|Shield Dragon]]
*55 [[Koala Gray#Toys|Koala Gray]] (re-release)
*57 [[Black Jaguar#Toys|Black Jaguar]] (re-release)
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*58 [[Dream Eater#Toys|Dream Eater]] (re-release)
*59 [[Cobrander#Toys|Cobrander]]
*60 [[Baboon#Toys|Baboon]] (re-release)
*61 [[Dog Hunter#Toys|Dog Hunter]] (re-release)
*62 [[Būpink#Toys|Būpink]] (re-release)
*63 [[Razorkukku#Toys|Razorkukku]] (re-release)
*64 [[Muskhorn#Toys|Muskhorn]] (re-release)
*65 [[Pangol#Toys|Pangol]] (re-release)
*66 [[Slo#Toys|Slo]] (re-release)
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*67 [[Earthhog#Toys|Earthhog]] (re-release)
*68 [[White Cow#Toys|White Cow]] (re-release)
*69 [[Zebra Ball#Toys|Zebra Ball]] (re-release)
*70 [[Eagle Killer#Toys|Eagle Killer]] (re-release)
*71 [[Duck Diver#Toys|Duck Diver]] (re-release)
*72 [[Crowmax#Toys|Crowmax]] (re-release)
*73 [[Mingo Kid#Toys|Mingo Kid]] (re-release)
*75 [[Peguinis#Toys|Peguinis]] (re-release)
*76 [[Udan#Toys|Udan]] (re-release)
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Gashapon white versions'''
*1 [[White Leo#White|White Leo]]
*2 [[Big Serow#White|Big Serow]]
*3 [[Golder#White|Golder]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*4 [[Flykick#White|Flykick]]
*5 [[Killer Fish#White|Killer Fish]]
*11 [[Battle Bear#White|Battle Bear]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*12 [[Devilbat#White|Devilbat]]
*13 [[Bonga#White|Bonga]]
*15 [[Alligatron#White|Alligatron]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*16 [[Beafox#White|Beafox]]
*17 [[Black Turtle#White|Black Turtle]]
*18 [[Yellow Giraffe#White|Yellow Giraffe]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Laser Beasts''' (series 1)
*77 [[Blue Eagle#Toys|Blue Eagle]]
*78 [[Sparkshark#Toys|Sparkshark]]
*79 [[Sairon#Toys|Sairon]]
*80 [[Unarchy#Toys|Unarchy]]
*81 [[Tigerburn#Toys|Tigerburn]]
*82 [[Condorassin#Toys|Condorassin]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*83 [[Groundwolf#Toys|Groundwolf]]
*84 [[Flysailor#Toys|Flysailor]]
*85 [[Zariganian#Toys|Zariganian]]
*86 [[Rainbow Sam#Toys|Rainbow Sam]]
*87 [[Sur#Toys|Sur]]
*88 [[Brainmouse#Toys|Brainmouse]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Laser Beasts''' (series 2)
*89 [[Brown Lion#Toys|Brown Lion]]
*92 [[Hustlebear#Toys|Hustlebear]]
*95 [[Dragon Seahorn#Toys|Dragon Seahorn]]
*97 [[Sea Panic#Toys|Sea Panic]]
*98 [[Puzzlecolor#Toys|Puzzlecolor]]
*100 [[Scopecougar#Toys|Scopecougar]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*104 [[Jeerermonkey#Toys|Jeerermonkey]]
*105 [[Hornhead#Toys|Hornhead]]
*106 [[Monkeyfighter#Toys|Monkeyfighter]]
*107 [[Flying Dragon#Toys|Flying Dragon]]
*108 [[Kickback (LB)#Toys|Kickback]]
*110 [[Green Rayfer#Toys|Green Rayfer]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Battlecruisers'''
*[[Battle Buzzsaw]] (w/ [[Dinogator#Toys|Dinogator]])
*[[Battle Eagle]] (w/ [[Skybat#Toys|Skybat]])
*[[Battle Savanna]] (w/ [[Slag King#Toys|Slag King]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
*[[Battle Drill#prizes|Battle Drill]] (yellow) (w/ [[Skullgrotes#Toys|Skullgrotes]]{{fact}})
*Battle Drill (red) (w/ [[Kingbuster#Toys|Kingbuster]])
*Battle Drill (blue) (w/ Kingbuster)
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Head Hunters'''
*[[Sheep Hunter]] (w/ [[Rabbit Kid#Toys|Rabbit Kid]])
*[[Stag Hunter]] (w/ [[Bombsheep#Toys|Bombsheep]])
*[[Tiger Hunter]] (w/ [[Platinum Tiger#Toys|Platinum Tiger]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Fortresses'''
*[[Red Phoenix]] (w/ [[Flykick#Toys|Flykick]])
*[[Shocking Shark]] (w/ [[Strong Hippo#Toys|Strong Hippo]])
*[[Wood Beetle]] (w/ [[Wavemoose#Toys|Wavemoose]])
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
* Perfect 6 Set ([[Crystal Killer Fish#Toys|Crystal Killer Fish]], [[Baboon#Toys|Baboon]], [[Cobrander#Toys|Cobrander]], [[Eagle Killer#Toys|Eagle Killer]], [[Shield Dragon#Toys|Shield Dragon]], and either [[Demonkey#Toys|Demonkey]] or [[Little Serow#Toys|Little Serow]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
* [[Shield Battler-6]] ([[Grencats#Toys|Grencats]], [[Fighthorn#Toys|Fighthorn]], [[Battlefennec#Toys|Battlefennec]], [[Killerhound#Toys|Killerhound]], [[Stronghurricane#Toys|Stronghurricane]], [[Manteaufrenzy#Toys|Manteaufrenzy]], Red & Gray [[W Battler]]s)
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
* Beast Planet's Greatest Confrontation Set ([[Platinum Tiger#Toys|Platinum Tiger]] w/ [[Tiger Hunter#Toys|Tiger Hunter]], [[Yellow Giraffe#Toys|Yellow Giraffe]], [[Golder#Toys|Golder]], vs [[Skullgrotes#Toys|Skullgrotes]] w/ gold [[Battle Drill#Toys|Battle Drill]], [[Kingbuster#Toys|Kingbuster]], [[Salmomancer#Toys|Salmomancer]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Other merch'''
* [[Beastformers Battlefield Map]]
|}

Finally... if you've been keeping track, you may have noticed that there are ''still'' two Battle Beasts/Beastformers missing from these lists. It does appear that, despite being in numerous checklists and whatnot across two different iterations of the line, even getting full "RPG" style bios, [[Scout Mouse]] and [[Yellow Camelus]] were ultimately never released in Japan.
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
After three decades of nothing, new toys of ''Beastformers'' characters were released in Takara's ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Transformers Legends]]'' toyline, as the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] partners to the new [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]] toys. These molds were originally designed for Hasbro's ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' line, and while the small robots were modeled after the ''Beastformers'' characters, Hasbro chose to give them different names, treating them as Cybertronians who just happened to look that way. Takara, however, took the last step and directly named them after their sculpt inspirations, and made it ''very'' explicit that they were the same characters in the attached [[Transformers Legends (comic)|pack-in/online manga]], and made some other toys out to be new forms for ''Beastformers'' characters as well.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''General retail'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|LG51 [[Doublecross#Legends|Targetmaster Doublecross]] (w/ [[White Leo#Legends|White Leo]] & [[White Lune#Toys|Haywire]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|LG64 [[Seaspray (G1)#Legends|Seaspray]] & [[Tigerburn#Legends|Lione]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[TakaraTomy Mall]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|LG-EX [[Repugnus (G1)#LGEX|Repug]] & [[Grotusque#Legends|Grotes]] (w/ [[Platinum Tiger#Legends|Platinum Tiger]] and [[Hedgehog#Legends|Hedgehog]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Legendstoy-LG51-Doublecross head.jpg|thumb]]
|}
{{note|While the packaging calls the toys "Haywire" and "Lione", the associated manga made those toys out to be new forms for [[White Lune]] and (temporarily at least) [[Tigerburn]], respectively. [[Skullgrotes]] was shown to take over [[Shuffler]]'s body, using the ''Titans Return'' Shuffler head that didn't get released in Japan. [[Scopecougar]] got a similar new body, merging with [[Toraizer]] to create a nonexistent redeco of Lione.}}

==Notes==
* Due to the manufacturing processes of the time, there are a ''lot'' of ''very'' minor variations for many toys in the Hasbro ''Battle Beasts'' line, particularly in the first Series; most of these boil down to "slightly lighter/darker plastic/paint tone" and "slightly glossier/matte paint" and the occasional "company info printing difference". This is on top of the more immediately-obvious larger variants (largely found in Series 2), like changed armor colors. It's uncertain how many of these variants were also present in the ''Beastformers'' run, not helped by many of them appearing in ''Beastformer'' catalogs and other materials.
* The "RPG" era pack-in fliers with the game rules hint at a possible [[Campaign item|promotional campaign]] that never was. In the section about the MVP Weapon use, it mentions something called "Gold Power" ({{ruby|G|ゴールド}}パワー ''Gōrudo Pawā''), which is tied to "lamé weapons" (ラメ武器 ''rame buki''). But all it says about this is "Its power is not yet known to anyone"; no mention of this is ever made in any other ''Beastformers'' material going forward, and the reprinted game rules in the ''[[Hero Special 4: Beastformers]]'' mook omits that bit entirely. It sounds like Takara had plans to offer special "metallic" weapons at some point, and "store-specific promotional campaign" seems a likely outlet. But, in the absence of any other information on these, that's just speculation.
* At the 2009 [[San Diego Comic-Con|Comic-Con]], it was announced that Diamond Select, the producer of Minimates, bought the Battle Beasts [[trademark]]. [http://battlebeasts.blogspot.com/2010/02/battle-beasts-return-look-at-comic-con.html] In 2012, [[IDW Publishing]] [http://battlebeasts.blogspot.com/2012/04/press-release-dump-diamond-select-toys.html released a ''Battle Beasts'' miniseries] based on the Minimates, completely unrelated to ''Transformers''... or the original ''Battle Beasts'', for that matter.
* TakaraTomy's ''[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/beastsaga/ Beast Saga]'' toyline shares many similarities to ''Beastformers'', including being set on Beast and featuring several returning characters, but is not considered a direct continuation of the latter. [http://www.saikyojump.com/topics-beast/index.html A manga] began serialization in ''Saikyo Jump'' in early 2012, and was adapted into [http://www.beastsaga.tv/ an anime] in January 2013, though the story is again unrelated to ''Transformers''.

===Foreign names===
*''French:'' '''Les Dragonautes''', '''Comba Nimaux''' (Canada)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Bestias de Combate'''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P1Lt0Tgm47d8GTpBwvGx32y6JqzKHVY408TwetdlHVg/edit?usp=sharing Google Doc of transcripts & translations of Beastformers bios & pack-in/packaging materials]
*[http://www.toyarchive.com/BattleBeasts/BattleBeasts1.html Battle Beasts info at Super Toy Archive]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5O26Dtubh0 Toy commercial on YouTube]

[[Category:Beastformers franchise| ]]
[[Category:Japanese franchises]]
[[Category:The Headmasters]]
[[Category:Other Hasbro properties]]
[[Category:Other TakaraTomy properties]]

Talk:Mike S. Miller

2025-07-02T22:42:17Z

86-46:

Shall we mention that he is a conservative Christian with some... less-than-popular views on the Middle East and gays? Not that I want to politicize the wiki too much, but he's not known for much else. --[[User:John Pannozzi|John Pannozzi]] ([[User talk:John Pannozzi|talk]]) 21:39, 25 April 2017 (EDT)
:I don't know why that matters to the wiki, unless he's somehow said that, I dunno, MTMTE specifically is part of the Gay Agenda or whatever. We have articles on lots of people with bad opinions as-is. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] ([[User talk:Hooper X|talk]]) 10:40, 26 April 2017 (EDT)
::Are we ''really'' going to use the Wiki to call-out people with unpopular/ignorant political opinions just for the smug satisfaction of virtue-signaling? --[[User:DrSpengler|DrSpengler]] ([[User talk:DrSpengler|talk]]) 11:07, 26 April 2017 (EDT)
:::ha ha watch me --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] ([[User talk:ItsWalky|talk]]) 13:07, 25 November 2018 (EST)
:::No. That behavior is completely inappropriate. [[User:86-46|86-46]] ([[User talk:86-46|talk]]) 18:42, 2 July 2025 (EDT)
On a separate note, the Firebrand Fantasy Art site seems to have been changed into some sort of garage remodeling thingy. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] ([[User talk:Khajidha|talk]]) 13:37, 25 November 2018 (EST)

The World In Your Eyes Part Four

2025-07-02T22:40:44Z

86-46: /* Transformers references */ Inappropriate

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #4
|prev=The World In Your Eyes Part Three
|next=The World In Your Eyes Part Five
|caption=
|image=TF2019 04 cvrA.jpg
|title="The World In Your Eyes Part Four"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 1]], 2019
|coverdate=April 2019
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Sara Pitre-Durocher]] (pg. 1-6), [[Angel Hernandez]] (pg. 7-16), [[Andrew Griffith]] (pg. 17-20)
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Tom Waltz]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Celebrations of life and death go hand in hand on a divided Cybertron, while Chromia's investigation turns up a new lead.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], and [[Geomotus]] pick their way through the badlands of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as Geomotus uses his skills to search for any new potential evidence. It's not long, however, before a figure in the distance draws Windblade's attention—a figure that Chromia immediately recognizes as [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], a reclusive hermit who's chosen to cut ties with modern Cybertronian civilization. The two police-bots give chase; Windblade is able to quickly subdue the fleeing bot, informing him that they just need to ask a few questions about [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s recent murder. Cyclonus initially evades their questions, but finally reveals that he did see Brainstorm arrive at the [[energon transmission station]] not long before his death. Chromia isn't convinced, however, and asks him to come to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] so that they can conduct a proper interview. If he ''doesn't'' show up in one cycle, she warns, then [[Security Operations]] will be back with reinforcements to bring him in.

As Cyclonus watches the three depart, he mumbles to an unseen voice that he has no intention of going to Iacon, intent on continuing his self-imposed exile. The voice, it turns out, belong to ghostly figments of Cyclonus's imagination; the mangled remains of his old wartime compatriots chide each other, and Cyclonus, for not telling Chromia the truth—for Cyclonus really ''did'' see another 'bot on the night of the murder...

In Iacon itself, joyful crowds gather at the great [[Forge Pyramid|Pyramid]] to celebrate the unveiling of a newly forged [[Transformer]], among them [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Rubble]]. Rubble is captivated by the sheer size of the crowd, but Bumblebee isn't quite as moved: it feels wrong, he concludes, to have a new forging so soon after Rubble's own creation and Brainstorm's murder. The conversation comes to end when Rubble spies [[Gauge|the new Transformer]] leaving the Pyramid; just like Rubble was, she is greeted by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]]—filling in for the still-absent [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]—and introduced to her mentor [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], ready to begin her own journey of self-discovery.

As the crowd disperses, Bumblebee and Rubble pass by a gaggle of fervent [[Reversionist]]s; Bumblebee is quick to dismiss their religious fanaticism, but a nearby confrontation between an [[Autobot]] and an [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] threatens to turn ugly, and Bumblebee intervenes before anyone can get seriously injured. Unfortunately, the scuffle has caught the attention of an already irritated [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and his partner [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]], annoyed with having been pulled off more pressing assignments to run security duty. Rubble pipes up: perhaps ''he'' could be of use in identifying the [[Voin]] he encountered?

Bumblebee gently reminds his ward that the compound nature of the species makes an individual Voin are almost impossible to identify, and an uninterested Prowl snaps at the both of them to leave. On their way back to Rubble's apartment, Bumblebee tells the young 'bot that he needs to leave him again: a funeral is being held that night for Brainstorm, and Bumblebee will be attending, though when Rubble wonders if this is connected to his previous leave of absence, Bumblebee brushes off the question and tells him not to worry about it.

Evening falls as the mourners prepare themselves; that night, a Reversionist orator presides over the ceremony that will see Brainstorm's remains cremated within a [[plasma pyre]], metaphorically returning his body to Cybertron. [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] whispers to Orion that the notably atheistic Brainstorm would've hated having a Reversionist speak at his funeral; and his words prompt Orion to grimly reflect on his recent history of compromise with his fellow Autobots: compromise to allow the Reversionists to preside over the funeral, lest the group feel antagonized and join the Ascenticons, compromise to allow the recent forging to take place over his concerns that the ceremony was a calculated political move to paper over the rising tension in Cybertronian society... as Brainstorm's coffin is guided toward the pyre, Orion wonders if it's ''him'' who can't keep up with changing times. Orion turns his thoughts to his fellow senator, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], and pointedly wonders aloud how [[Termagax]] would feel about the way her ideas have been co-opted by Megatron's leadership of her Ascenticons and the recent actions of [[The Rise]].

Exasperated, Megatron snaps that he's already denounced the actions of The Rise, and will gladly do so again if needed; when Orion suggests that Termagax speak publicly to weigh in on the question, Megatron reminds his fellow senator that she has voluntarily gone into seclusion, and a 'bot with such deep-held convictions will not be easily persuaded to return. But when Ironhide suggests that Termagax is ''afraid'' of seeing what Megatron and his followers have done with her movement, Megatron nearly raises his hand in anger and is only stopped by Orion. Megatron tersely reminds Ironhide of his place and suggests that they ''both'' respect this somber occasion; as the Cybertronians look on, Brainstorm's coffin is consumed by light as his coffin enters the pyre.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in hallucinatory form. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] (12)

|h2=[[Decepticon|Ascenticon]]s|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (18)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (19)

|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (1)
* [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (2)
* [[Geomotus]] (3)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (4)
* ''[[Gridlock]]'' (5)
* ''[[Highfire]]'' (6)
* ''[[Grudge]]'' (7)
* ''[[Provoke]]'' (8)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (9)
* [[Rubble]] (10)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (11)
* [[Gauge]] (13)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (14)
* [[Greenlight]] (15)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (16)
* [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] (17)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (20)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (21)
* [[Accelerator]] (22)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (23)
{{!}}}
}}

==Quotes==
"I was '''trying''' to start a '''conversation'''." 
"Very kinetic approach you've got to that."
:—'''Windblade''' and '''Cyclonus'''

"It's not important. If they think '''one''' death matters, they've forgotten what real trouble looks like."
:—One of '''Cyclonus<nowiki>'</nowiki>s''' hallucinations

"What did you think, though, when you met me for the first time?" "It really was all pretty confusing, you know. I'm not sure how much of it I understood. I... uh... I do remember thinking you were very yellow. I mean... you '''are''' quite yellow, aren't you? Overall."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Rubble'''

"They could make tripping over your own feet into a mystical experience. Sacred, even."
:—'''Bumblebee''' on the Reversionists

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Cyclonus put in a cameo appearance [[The World In Your Eyes Part Three|in the previous issue]], which established that, like [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], Cyclonus is a veteran of the war against the [[Exarchon|Threefold Spark]]. Keeping that in mind, it's likely that his ghostly compatriots are based on his memories of the fallen 'bots who perished in said war.
* The nature of the "blue bot" that Cyclonus allegedly glimpsed at the energon transmission station is not expounded on; it ''might'' be another, as yet unseen, individual... or could it be Rubble himself?
* Bumblebee namedropped the Reversionists in [[The World In Your Eyes Part Two|issue #2]].
* This issue clarifies the nature of the [[Voin]], first glimpsed in [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|issue #1]]; the ape-like creatures are revealed to be "slaved organics," nonsentient beings bound to the will of the floating octopus... though author [[Brian Ruckley]] had previously revealed this fact in an interview during the leadup to issue #1.

===Transformers references===
* As with most preexisting characters in the comic thus far, Cyclonus is largely based on a recently released action figure—in his case, his 2015 ''[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generations|Combiner Wars]]'' toy—however, artist [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]] has added a few artistic embellishments to make him closer resemble his [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|''More than Meets the Eye'' counterpart]], most notably his long, claw-like fingers.
* Other character designs have been grabbed from all over the place: Arcee's brief cameo is based on [[:File:Synergy-Coralus-Arcee.jpg|the body]] [[Umi Miyao]] designed for her in the recent ''[[Synergy: A Hasbro Creators Showcase|Synergy]]'' [[An Arcee Sort of Day|anthology strip]] (immediately recognizable due to the inset "square" in her chestplate), while [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] provides the first glimpse we've gotten at his ''Siege'' toy, which—unsurprisingly—appears to be a retool of [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ironhide]]. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], meanwhile, is drawn to resemble his [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|original IDW self]], much like Brainstorm.
* Bumblebee notes that this unnamed new Cybertronian will be entrusted to Arcee, who's had a few notable stints as a teacher in both the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'' cartoon]] and the [[Post|final issue of the original IDW continuity]]. Moreover, he muses that the new Transformer will essentially get a second mentor, describing Arcee and Greenlight as "inseparable."
* Rubble mentions that, like all Transformers, he began as a [[Spark]], rising up from the core of Cybertron via the [[Well of All Sparks]]. This is an idea that began with the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave continuity]], but it would be the [[Aligned continuity family]] that expounded on the concept and crystallized it into its modern form, depicting it as a very literal "well" connected to the core of the planet and the mechanism by which new Sparks could be ignited.
* Ironhide's position as head of Senate security is a trait based on his original [[bio]], which established him as the chief security officer among the Autobots. This characteristic hadn't gotten much traction until 2016, when it was revisited in the pages of ''Till All Are One''.

===Errors===
* On page nine, Perceptor's legs are blue with silver thighs, rather than their proper red-and-blue colouration.
* The generic Autobot on page eleven sports a miscoloured grey insignia on his left shoulder.
* On page sixteen, the first "i" in "insistent" is not bolded.

===Covers (6)===
* '''Cover A:''' Orion Pax's allies and enemies watch as he walks down the street, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
* '''Cover B:''' Prowl's on the case, by [[Umi Miyao]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' A tourism poster advertising [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], by [[Jeffrey Veregge]]
* '''The Fellowship exclusive cover A:''' A battle-damaged [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], by [[John Gallagher]].
* '''The Fellowship exclusive cover B:''' A clean version of Shockwave, by John Gallagher.
* '''Second printing cover:''' Uncolored background version of cover B, by [[Umi Miyao]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 04 cvrA.jpg|Let's do "The Walk"!
File:TF2019 04 cvrB.jpg|Where's Nightbeat?
File:TF2019 04 cvrRI.jpg
File:TF2019 04 cvrRE1.jpg
File:TF2019 04 cvrRE2.jpg
File:TF2019 04 2ndptng.jpg|Second printing
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Clue: Candlestick'' comic
* Various ''[[Ghostbusters]]'' comics
* ''Usagi Yojimbo'' comic
* ''[[Star Trek]]: Year Five'' comic

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: The World In Your Eyes''''' ([[January 22]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684055318 / ISBN 978-1684055319
** Collects ''Transformers'' (2019) issues #1–12.
** Bonus material includes alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]] Volume 98: The World In Your Eyes''''' ([[October 7]], 2020)
** Collects ''Transformers'' (2019) issues #1–7.
** Bonus material includes a cover gallery, a Q&A with series writer [[Brian Ruckley]], and an intro by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: The World In Your Eyes''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v98.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection Volume 98: The World In Your Eyes''''' – cover art by [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] (Quake) and [[Cachét Whitman]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.allspark.com/2019/04/full-preview-for-transformers-4/ Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:World In Your Eyes Part 4}}
[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

Nightshade (ES)

2025-07-02T22:39:57Z

86-46: /* Notes */ Inappropriate for children

{{factions|terran|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Terran from ''EarthSpark''|the BotBot|Nightshade (BotBots)}}
:''Nightshade is a [[Terran]] from the [[Transformers: EarthSpark (franchise)|EarthSpark]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Nightshade-earthspark-stock.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Give a hoot! Read a book!]]

A [[Terran]] with a flair for the dramatic and boundless confidence, '''Nightshade Malto''' can seem weirdly distant at times. It's not that they're unfriendly by any measure: while they can certainly be glib and quick with a quip, they approach nearly everything and everyone with bright eyes and a huge smile. They're fascinated and delighted with the world they've found themselves in, and long to experience as much of it as possible. It's just that they'll do so on ''their'' terms. Nightshade prefers a quiet time reading rather than the energetic physical play of their siblings (or the endless online media onslaught that [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] enjoys). They're often in their lab tinkering away on some new device to aid their family, though they have a tendency to spring these surprises without warning, which can be awkward, or worse, depending on how ambitious Nightshade was feeling at the time. But as much time as they spend alone, they always come back in time, ever happy to join in family game nights and group celebrations.

But their bright, easygoing, giving nature should not be mistaken as weakness. Though they're generally averse to conflict, they do not abide threats to family, friends or even strangers they've just met, and they ''will'' fight with everything they have to protect those in need. Their incredible aerial maneuverability in both modes and quick thinking make them a very unpredictable opponent who aims to stop the fight as quickly as possible... after all, there are so many, many much nicer things to be doing.

{{bigquote|I always knew my pronouns felt right, but... what a wonderful word for a wonderful experience.|Nightshade on "nonbinary"|"[[Home, Part 1]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Z Infante]] (English), [[Kappei Yamaguchi]] (Japanese)|[[Benjamin Bollen]] (French), [[Mario Heras]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Adolfo Moreno]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Carole Fernandez]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Lorenzo Crisci]] (Italian), [[Kateřina Petrová]] (Czech), [[Haorui Li]] (Mandarin), [[Anna Szymańczyk]] (Polish), [[Tim Kreuer]] (German), [[Lim Chaebin]] (Korean)}}

[[File:AgeOfEvolution1-Nightshadeonline.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.33|]]
Nightshade was brought to life at the same time as their other siblings [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] and [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] by the Malto siblings [[Mo Malto| Mo]] and [[Robby Malto| Robby]] via the [[Emberstone]] in the same cave where their other siblings, [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], were first created. The otherwise happy moment was interrupted by a cave-in caused by a battle outside the cave between [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] against the Decepticon Seekers, [[Skywarp (ES)| Skywarp]] and [[Nova Storm (ES)| Nova Storm]]. {{storylink|Age of Evolution, Part 1}} Despite being only a few seconds old, Nightshade and the other new Terrans instinctually came to their new family's rescue by shielding them from the collapsing cave rubble.

Emerging from the collapsed cave, they were warmly greeted by Optimus, who inquired about Nightshade and their siblings' names. Unlike Hashtag and Jawbreaker, Nightshade instinctually knew their name right off the bat and said what a delight it was to meet them. Sensing the pain the other Maltos and Terrans felt about learning their [[Dot Malto|mother]] was held captive by someone called [[Mandroid]], Nightshade volunteered to help them. While planning "Operation: Terran Horse", Nightshade, via their connection to Mo through her [[cyber-sleeve]], informed Optimus their pronouns were "they" and "them" and that male or female pronouns didn't fit them. While infiltrating Mandroid's base with Jawbreaker and Hashtag by posing as Decepticons who had captured Optimus, Nightshade was unable to hide their horror at Mandroid's experiments he was performing on the captured [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]]. Their ruse quickly exposed, a battle erupted that saw Mandroid's base turn into a walking mech that required the combined efforts of the Malto family and their allies to take down. Following the battle, Nightshade was formally introduced to Dot and welcomed into her family. {{storylink|Age of Evolution, Part 2}}

Now a formal member of the Malto household, Nightshade found the cramped living quarters of the family barn unsuitable as a living space for their Terran siblings and set out to construct a new one. They covertly ended up recruiting Thrash to aide them in this, who was looking to try and bond with his new younger sibling. When Hashtag and Twitch returned with Bumblebee from a mishap with G.H.OS.T., Nightshade used the family gathering to introduce everyone to the [[Dugout|new base]] they had constructed beneath the farmstead. {{storylink|Hashtag: Oops}} Nightshade was present at the family movie night that showed off the movie Hashtag made while trying to find Jawbreaker an alt-mode. {{storylink|Outtakes}}

[[File:NightshadeOwlMode MissedConnection.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|'''Tarantulas:''' "We offer power and purpose. What can you offer us? What can you offer me?" '''Nightshade:''' "I have a [[Mo Malto|sister]]"]]
Worried that Nightshade was isolating themself from their family because they didn't share many interests, Alex introduced Nightshade to the ''[[Winged Sentinel]]'' books by his favorite author, [[D.E. O'Neil]]. Taken by the stories of daring heroism, Nightshade resolved to meet O'Neil, who was a Witwicky local, feeling they had found someone they could bond with. They quickly worked out O'Neil's current address and took off to visit... only to discover their "current address" was a cemetery, as the author was in fact deceased. But an encounter with a "groundskeeper" soon led to Nightshade instead discovering the reclusive Decepticon scientist, [[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]]. Bonding with the Decepticon spider over their shared interests in science and shared ''lack'' of interest in continuing the Autobot/Decepticon conflict, Nightshade aided Tarantulas in constructing a holographic projector that would allow him to completely avoid detection from G.H.O.S.T. During this partnership, Tarantulas expanded the young Terran's mindset on what alt-modes could be. Following a miscommunication, Tarantulas came to believe Nightshade was a prisoner of their human parents and kidnapped the two with the intent of wiping their memories so he could take Nightshade on the run with him. When Nightshade rescued their parents, they scanned a statue of the ''Winged Sentinel'' owl, granting them a new [[beast mode]]. Besting Tarantulas in combat just as the rest of Nightshade's family arrived on scene, Nightshade convinced Bumblebee to give the spider a second chance. When G.H.O.S.T. showed up, Tarantulas decided to make the best of this second chance and volunteered to lead G.H.O.S.T. away to let the Maltos escape. {{storylink|Missed Connection}}

When [[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] arrived at the Malto family farm hot on Bumblebee's trail, Nightshade and Hashtag used the opportunity to show off the new "Emergency Lockdown" protocol they had installed in the Terran base. Sealing up the base whenever a G.H.O.S.T. vehicle (Hashtag excluded) approached the area, it made entry or exit of the dugout virtually impossible. Unfortunately the two hadn't worked out all the kinks yet and discovered that instead of keeping the lockdown going for 10 minutes after Schloder departed, it was instead set for 10 ''hours''. Stuck in the base, Nightshade and the others were unable to help Bumblebee and Dot in their attempts to evade G.H.OS.T. When Dot and Alex returned later that night and informed them Bee had to go back on the run, Nightshade comforted the devastated Twitch. {{storylink|Security Protocols}}

[[File:HomePart1-Nightshadeowl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|left|'''Random civilians:''' "Oh, what a perfect stuffed owl." '''Nightshade:''' "STUFFED!? I beg you pardon!?"]]
Still new to the concept of gift-giving, for their present to Dot on Mother's Day, Nightshade made several secret modification to their mother's prosthetic leg in hopes of making her life easier. While it proved critical in aiding Dot and the others in taking care of a mutated mother bear that was terrorizing them, Nightshade was confronted by Dot that they needed to ask for permission when tampering with something as personal as Dot's leg. Nightshade apologized and in the future promised to work with Dot if they wanted to modify her leg. {{storylink|Bear Necessities}} When Nightshade, and their other siblings, were taken to [[Spacebridge Memorial Park]] by Megatron to learn of the history of the Cybertronian War, they found their meeting interrupted by the return of the dormant Decepticon [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]. When Shockwave initiated an overload of the power chamber of the derelict Space Bridge, Nightshade worked with Robby and Thrash to disconnect them while Megatron battled it out with Shockwave. {{storylink|Warzone}}

[[File:NightshadeAndSamChat HomePartOne.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|"Now, child, flying is not merely some crude, mechanical process. It is a delicate art. Purely aesthetic. Poetry of motion. And the best way to learn it is to do it."]]

When the Terrans were taken on a nightly visit to [[Philadelphia]] by Robby and Mo, Nightshade went by themself when the group split up and got a chance to act out their heroic fantasies when they saved a young person from an attempted mugging. Taking note of the pronoun pins on <choose><option>their</option><option>her</option></choose> purse, Nightshade introduced themself to [[Sam (ES)|Sam]], who warmed up to the Terran when they told <choose><option>them</option><option>her</option></choose> of their own pronouns. It was talking with Sam where Nightshade learned of the concept of being "non-binary", which they felt was a wonderful word to describe themself. Upon reuniting with their family, Nightshade was surprised to see Bumblebee along with them. Needing help in tracking down the lost Autobot, [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]], Nightshade eagerly joined him. {{storylink|Home, Part 1}} However, the search for Grimlock soon turned into a battle with the returning Mandroid. After taking down one of Mandroid's newest Arachnamech creations, Nightshade and the rest of their family found themselves having to fight the mind-controlled Hashtag. Taking the fight to the city above, Nightshade discovered attempts to forcibly remove her control chip were blocked by a forcefield. Eventually, they were all able free their sister when they were empowered by a mysterious energy that originated from the cave where the Terrans had been born. With their sister freed, Nightshade and the others raced back to Witwicky in hopes of getting home before their parents woke up. {{storylink|Home, Part 2}}

The kids encountered Grimlock while collecting flowers in the woods and had to flee back to the farm, where they eventually fought the Dinobot into submission.{{storylink|A Stygi Situation}} When Robby's cyber-sleeve manifested a new shield ability, Optimus smuggled the entire Malto family into G.H.O.S.T. HQ to have [[Teletraan I (ES)|Teletraan I]] scan the devices. The kids were later training in the base's rec room when Mandroid took control of it, unleashing a holographic Megatron on them, and though Hashtag was able to shut it down, the fight resulted in Robby's cyber-sleeve becoming inactive and the emotional link between the kids was lost. {{storylink|Disarmed}}

While trying to reactivate the cyber-sleeves with the cave water that the Maltobots were using to energize, the kids stumbled on a cave system through which [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]], Nova Storm and Skywarp were trying to escape. Things were complicated more when they encountered the energon-feeding [[Dweller (ES)|Dweller]], forcing them to try to enact a desperate plan to imprison it so it couldn't escape the caves. {{storylink|What Dwells Within}} Robby's cyber-sleeve began affecting his health, and Dot assured the other kids that they'd do all they could to help the boy get better. When the other human members of the Malto family lapsed into unconsciousness, the Maltobots took care of them until they recovered, having had an encounter with Quintus Prime that restored both Robby's health and the cyber-sleeves. {{storylink|Prime Time (episode)|Prime Time}}

When Bumblebee was assigned the task of infiltrating G.H.O.S.T. HQ, he borrowed Nightshade's [[mobile hologram emitter]] and the latest Smart Trainer. The kids resolved to help their mentor, and to this end, once Twitch located the entrance to the HQ, Nightshade, Thrash and Robby joined her in sneaking in. They bumped into Schloder and managed to persuade him to help them, leading them to find G.H.O.S.T. had taken possession of the space bridge. During the ensuing fight with [[Karen Croft|Agent Croft]]'s [[Ghoid]]s, the group used the space bridge to escape to the outside. {{storylink|Stowed Away, Stowaways}} Pursued by a Mandroid-controlled Shockwave, the group headed into Witwicky where they were joined by the rest of the Malto kids and managed to take down the Decepticon, shortly before being surrounded by G.H.O.S.T. agents. With a timely intervention by their parents, they were able to escape back to the farm and revive Shockwave, only for Croft to arrive with an army of Ghoids. A battle ensued during which the Maltos, with the help of the Autobots, overcame the Ghoids, only to face Croft deactivating the Autobots and the arrival of Mandroid, grotesquely enhanced into a new robotic form. {{storylink|The Battle of Witwicky}}

The Malto family attempted to escape from Mandroid and his two [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] henchmen, however eventually family members were picked off and only Twitch and Nightshade were left. The pair again sneaked into G.H.O.S.T. HQ to free Bumblebee, Schloder and the captive Decepticons, though the latter were unenthusiastic about helping and simply left. The remaining quartet found Mandroid preparing to use the space bridge to wipe out all Cybertronian life on the planet and during the resulting fight, the group escaped through the space bridge portal. {{storylink|The Last Hope, Part 1}} On their way to the huge Spire Mandroid had erected, the group encountered mind-controlled Autobots but were also reunited with Hashtag, Jawbreaker and Thrash. Nightshade battled the Sharkticons with Jawbreaker and Hashtag, allowing Twitch and Thrash to go on ahead, however Mandroid successfully activated his superweapon, putting Nightshade and the other Transformers on Earth into shutdown. Fortunately Mo and Robby were able to reverse the process using their cyber-sleeves to channel the power of Quintus Prime, and the Malto family were reunited. {{storylink|The Last Hope, Part 2}}

During a mission to retrieve a shard of the shattered Emberstone, Nightshade took out Nova Storm. Robby came up with a plan, involving him, Nightshade and Twitch infiltrating the Decepticon base to steal the Embershard collection there while the others created a diversion. Though the mission went well, they ran into Aftermath on the way out and the Chaos Terran reclaimed the shards as they escaped. {{storylink|Aftermath (ES episode)|Aftermath}} Nightshade joined the family in searching for loose Embershards in the area surrounding Witwicky. {{storylink|In Ruins}} While disposing of junk from the old G.H.O.S.T. base, the Terrans found themselves having to battle reactivated ghoids. {{storylink|Control Alt Delete}} Nightshade and [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] mounted a study of cyber-syncing after Robby, Mo, Twitch and Thrash discovered the ability to combine. {{storylink|Togetherness}}

As part of the [[Polyhex Protocol]], the Malto family took part in an assault course to decide who would go on an Autobot mission. Nightshade was eliminated when they failed to make the rope swing. {{storylink|Spitfire (episode)|Spitfire}} Nightshade was accessing the embershard containment when the perimeter alarms went off, however Twitch went to deal with it. {{storylink|The Imposters}} Nightshade and the others lent a hand when Robby and Hashtag ran into Decepticon issues while trying to clean Optimus's trailer. {{storylink|Dude, Where's My Trailer?}} While putting away the last of the embershards, Nightshade was blasted with chaos energy, but was fortunately unharmed. {{storylink|Witwicky, Part 1}} Learning that Starscream intended to take control of the Titan [[Terratronus]], the Autobots launched an attack on the Decepticon base in which Nightshade took part. Unfortunately Starscream reassembled the Emberstone and used it to offline the Autobot forces, until Robby and Mo were later able to reclaim it and bring everyone back to life. {{storylink|Witwicky, Part 2}}

Nightshade created a [[hyper-reality film projector]] and Robbie's intention to take Izzy to a movie gave them the perfect opportunity to try the invention out. Unfortunately during the movie Hashtag bumped the projector, resulting in the [[Mole Bot]]s escaping the film and having to be rounded up by the Terrans. What's worse, Robbie and Izzy became trapped in the movie until Nightshade was able to extract them. {{storylink|Attack of the Drive-In Movie}} The Malto kids were lured into a trap by Fairmaestro, who had them take part in a series of tests which they failed solely due to Twitch helping everyone else. This resulted in Hashtag, Jawbreaker and Nightshade being trapped as part of a ride until they were able to escape and help Twitch overcome Fairmaestro. {{storylink|The Great Escape}}

The Malto kids took the [[Hypershuttle]] to a disused G.H.O.S.T. base in the [[Arctic]] for some snow fun. This ended when Megatron and Optimus, infected with [[Hate Plague]], turned up and fought each other until it turned out cold was an effective cure. {{storylink|Fire and Ice}} The family assembled at the Autobot base for a briefing on the Hate Plague. Armed with the knowledge of how to cure it, Nightshade modified the [[Smart Trainer 5009]] to dispense freezing gas on command, and was able to use it to cure [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] when the investigation into the Hate Plague resulted in the Autobot being infected. {{storylink|The Truth Is Out There}}

When the [[Quintesson]]s arrived in a huge ship, the Autobots and Maltos assembled at the edge of the [[Chaos Dome]] to greet it. The Quintessons destroyed the dome, unleashing a violent storm of chaos energies that threatened the town, however Nightshade quickly came up with a plan to deal with it. With Wheeljack's help, they modified Optimus's trailer {{storylink|Judgment Day, Part 1}} to incorporate the [[Cyber Slayer]] and the bodies of the deactivated Chaos Terrans. The plan succeeded, though Nightshade had to help with implementation, and the storm was absorbed, reviving the Chaos Terrans. Nightshade later flew Mo to Terratronus's spark chamber where Mo was able to use the [[Spark Regenerator Key]] to bring the Titan back online, and Nightshade was also a member of the family who took part in cyber-syncing with Terratronus, giving her enough power to defeat the Quintessons. {{storylink|Judgment Day, Part 2}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition''===
{{voiceactor|[[Aaron Landon]] (English)|[[Frans Limburg]] (Dutch), [[Emmanuel Rausenberger]] (French), [[Andi Kroesing]] (German), [[Mosè Singh]] (Italian), [[Robert Ciszewski]] (Polish), [[David García]] (Spanish)}}
{{charfictionstub|{{storylink|Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition}}}}

==Toys==
===''EarthSpark''===
[[File:ES-toy Nightshade Deluxe.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|That's the kind of thousand-yard stare that only comes from a veteran of the Culture Wars. ''(Hasbro Version Pictured)'']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Terran Nightshade''' (Deluxe, 2023)}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy ID Number'': '''ESD-05'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[November 1]], 2023
:*''Accessories'': Left and right owl wings, 2 knives, Mandroid torso (Hasbro release only)

: Released as part of the third wave of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (toyline)|EarthSpark]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Nightshade transforms into a robotic/statuesque hawk owl in thirteen steps. Nightshade's wings, owl face, and back of the robot head are made of a rubber material. The wings come separately in the packaging and must be assembled. While they can be removed for [[show-accuracy]], they are not designed to, and doing so can stress the rubber connection points. The wings can be removed at the sturdier ball joint connection though. Nightshade has two knives that can be stored in slots on top of the wings.

[[File:TF-ES-JP-ESD-05-Deluxe-Nightshade.jpg|upright=1|left|thumb|''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]

: This toy also comes packed with the torso to the [[Mandroid]] [[Build a Figure|build-a-figure]], though there are releases spotted in Europe that omit that part and remove all mention of it from the packaging. A later variant, released in the fifth wave, features new packaging and omits the Mandroid BAF piece.

: The TakaraTomy release of the toy features a more extensive, much more screen-accurate paint deco, and omits the Mandroid piece. The wings come pre-assembled in this release.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* An early concept for Nightshade was that they identified as "Terran" rather than male or female, as they did not consider gender to be an important part of their identity. This concept was dropped at some point during ''Earthspark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s development in favor of making the character explicitly non-binary, but this early draft persisted long enough that a version of the backstory found its way into the [[Transformers EarthSpark The Official Guidebook|official ''Earthspark'' guidebook]], as well as several foreign-language websites.
*The original pitch for Nightshade came from ''EarthSpark'' creator [[Dale Malinoswki]], and was conceived as non-binary from the beginning.
* While other nonbinary characters like [[Screwball]] had previously been introduced in other extended ''Transformers'' media, Nightshade is the first character to be openly identified as such in a ''Transformers'' cartoon. ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' previously featured a sort of edge case in the form of [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]], but the character was not intentionally written that way, instead falling into the realm of [[pseudocanon]] via [[authorial intent]] in response to a recurring [[animation error]].
* Originally, Nightshade's alternate mode was to be a monstrous gargoyle. This idea was tweaked at some point during the show's development, and Nightshade ultimately wound up with a stylized owl alternate mode instead. Notably, ''The Official Guidebook'' still refers to their alternate mode as a gargoyle.
* Different localizations have interpreted Nightshade's gender depending on the availability of gender-neutral pronouns in the relevant language:
** In the Hungarian dub, which lacks gendered pronouns entirely, Nightshade initially speaks in the plural, using ''mi'' and ''minket'' ("we" and "us") instead of ''én'' and ''engem'' ("I" and "me"), and the subject of Nightshade's gender is not addressed. This speech quirk is dropped in subsequent episodes.
** In the Brazilian Portuguese dub, Nightshade is referred to as ''elu'', a neologistic system popularized on the Internet to accommodate the lack of formal gender-neutral pronouns in the Portuguese language.
** In the Italian dub, Nightshade is simply described as "not identifying in either gender" and dialogue tries to avoid using gendered pronouns as much as possible, albeit in a few occasions they end up using male-coded terms when it's impossible to do otherwise.
** In the Japanese dub, Nightshade's first-person {{w|Japanese pronoun|pronoun}} is ''boku'' (僕, ボク), commonly used in real life as an informal pronoun by males, but can be used by women with tomboyish or feminist connotations, especially in media. (Pronouns in Japanese are not strictly gendered. Second-person and third-person pronouns are not gendered most of the time.) The Japanese dub of "[[Home, Part 1]]" has Nightshade explain that they don't think of themselves as a boy or a girl, and the conversation with Sam uses the loanword "nonbinary" (ノンバイナリー ''nonbainarī'') to describe this.
** In the German dub, Nightshade's pronouns are ''dei'' and ''dem'', which are two of many different pronouns used by nonbinary people in the German language.
** In the Mandarin dub, Nightshade's third-person pronoun is the plural ''tāmen'' (他们), which is an unusual localization choice implying multiple personalities. In reality, gendered pronouns in Mandarin are limited to spelling variants in writing, all of which are homophones. Thus, when referring to nonbinary individuals, most Mandarin speakers in China use the Latin spelling ''ta'' (with no Chinese character) or revert the masculine ''tā'' (他) to its archaic unisex function; an alternative is to revive the literary pronouns ''qú'' (佢), ''yī'' (伊), or ''qí'' (其). Nightshade's gender identity is explicitly addressed.
** In the Czech dub, Nightshade uses the masculine plural pronoun ''oni'', along with its respective case and declension forms. Czech does not have any commonly used gender-neutral pronouns (although ''one'' has been proposed as one).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Nightshade''' (ナイトシェード ''Naitoshēdo'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Gyorsacél''' ("High-Speed Steel")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Yèyǐng''' (夜影, "Night Shadow")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:EarthSpark Autobots]]
[[Category:Nonbinary characters]]
[[Category:Terrans]]

Dick Gautier

2025-07-02T22:38:50Z