MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Argos

2019-05-11T14:54:51Z

Anonymous X:

{{stub}}
[[File:Argos it.jpg|right |thumb|250px|When you see this sign, it's a warning that a thoroughly miserable retailing experience awaits.]]

'''Argos''' is a major retailer in the [[United Kingdom]], which has occasionally released [[exclusive]]s in the UK market. Rather than being a traditional "bricks and mortar" retailer per se, the retailer's product range is in a printed catalogue, updated bi-annually, with the merchandise available to order in-store via quoting the catalogue number at the counter. (Well, if that particular branch has said item currently in stock. And the rise of online retail has changed the business model somewhat over the last decade or so.)

==List of Argos exclusive toys==
{{note|This list only refers to the United Kingdom market..}}

===''Transformers'' (2007)===
====Deluxe Class toys====
*'''[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Deluxe_Class_toys |Bumblebee]] and [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Voyager_Class_toys|Optimus Prime]]''' (Argos-exclusive two-pack, 2007)

===''Revenge of the Fallen''===
====Legends====
{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Devastator (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Constructicon Devastator]] ([[Hightower (ROTF)#Toys|Hightower]], [[Long Haul (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Long Haul]], [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Mixmaster]], [[Overload (ROTF)#Toys|Overload]], [[Rampage (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Rampage]], [[Scavenger (ROTF)#Toys|Scavenger]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)#Toys|Scrapper]])}}

===''The Last Knight''===
====Reveal the Shield====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Tiny Turbo Changer 3-Pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#RtSTinyTurbo3pack|Optimus Prime]], [[Steelbane#TinyTurboChanger|Steelbane]], and [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#RtSTinyTurbo3pack|Bumblebee]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''1-Step Turbo Changer Mega Pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Optimus Prime]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Bumblebee]], [[Grimlock (AOE)#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Grimlock]], [[Hound (Movie)#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Hound]], [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Megatron]], and [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Barricade]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#TLKRevealTheShieldVoyager|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Role-play masks'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#The Last Knight|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#The Last Knight|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}

===''Bumblebee''===
====Bumblebee Greatest Hits====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multipacks'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Bumblebee Cassette Pack (w/ [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#CassettePack|Bumblebee]], [[Frenzy (Movie)#Bumblebee|Frenzy]], [[Buzzsaw (ROTF)#Bumblebee|Buzzsaw]], [[Howlback (BB)#Bumblebee|Howlback]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (ROTF)#Bumblebee|Soundwave]] & [[Doombox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Electronic toys'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Greatest Hits|Music FX Bumblebee]]}}
|
|}
{{--}}

==External links==
*[http://www.argos.co.uk/ Official Argos website]

[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Retailers]]

Gimmick

2019-05-10T18:08:19Z

Anonymous X: /* See also */

{{disambig2|real-life features of Transformer toys|the Transformer from the IDW comics|Disappeared}}

[[File:Stepper gimmick.jpg|upright=1|thumb|[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]]? LAME! Transformation? MEGA LAME!!]]
{{bigquote|Big deal! Probably some MicroHeadTargetmaster with a Pretender shell!|[[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]], "[[Starting Over!]]"}}
{{bigquote|Basically, I feel that the TFs died because [[Hasbro]] got carried away with inventing dumb gimmicks that often hampered the Transformers' transformation, appearance, etc."''|Alexander Hart{{now|November 8, 1994}}, [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/6c9da6c9bb55e5d5 alt.toys.transformers]}}
The dictionary gives several definitions of a '''"gimmick"''', but in relation to [[Toy|Transformers toys]] it is usually used to mean "a feature added to a toy to enhance its play value or make it more attractive to buyers". They may also be called "action features". Common gimmicks found on [[Transformer]]s are:

*Weapons, which may be static, deployable, or projectile-launching,
*[[Headmaster (technology)|Interaction]] [[Targetmaster (technology)|with]] [[Breastforce|other]] [[Combiner|Transformers]],
*Electronic sounds or lights,
*Rolling wheels,
*Articulated limbs, and
*Transformation itself, or [[Action Master|the lack thereof]].

==Definition==
[[Image:Laserprime gimmick.jpg|left|upright=1|thumb|The light-up sword and articulation are so [[Playskool]]ish.]]
The term "gimmick" has a vaguely pejorative sense, and some [[fandom|Transformers fans]] profess a dislike for all gimmicks on Transformers. A look at the above list makes this seem strange; a truly gimmick-free Transformer toy would be no more than a static statue and several of the gimmicks mentioned have been with the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] from the very start, making a Transformer who does not feature at least one or two of these seem oddly incomplete. One would be very surprised for instance, to find a figure which transformed into a car or other ground vehicle which did not roll or to find one who had no weapons to use in [[robot mode]]. Usually, however, the real if unspoken argument is that [[articulation]] and [[transformation (toys)|transformation]] are the preferred features, and others are unwanted because they tend to interfere with these favored two. This is most noticeable with the [[Unicron Trilogy]] lines of toys, where a set uniform feature was incorporated into all of a given line's figures (such as ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Mini-Con]]s or ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Cyber Planet Key]]s), thus drawing more attention to it than the actual figure.

[[File:RobotPoints Bot87.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Other types of gimmicks are not directly related to the toys themselves, but more related to buying the actual merchandise in the store. All of these are extra incentive to bump a toy's value in the customer's eye, but unlike the previous examples, these do not necessarily have representations in fiction. These could be codes that can be entered online, such as the ones found in the ''[[Hunt for the Decepticons]]'' promotion, or the codes found on the Cyber Planet Keys. With these codes in hand, online movies, stories etc. could be unlocked for you to see. [[Robot Point]]s or stickers from specially-marked [[N.E.S.T. Global Alliance]] products served as incentive to get customers to buy specially marked figures because they were (in some countries) the only way to get your hands on mail-away exclusive figures. Other gimmicks might include specially made VHS tapes, such as [[Razorclaw (BW)|Razorclaw]], who came with a VHS tape containing the episodes "[[Aftermath]]" and "[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]]", DVDs, such as the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video#Pack-in disc|The Battle Begins]]'' two pack from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]''. Finally, some figures may come with previously unattainable weapons/pieces/characters, such as the 10th anniversary ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)| Beast Wars: Transformers]]'' figures, who each came with one piece to complete a [[Transmutate (character)|Transmutate]].

On the other hand, these fans may believe that attempts to add play value are bound to make Transformers into [[Playskool]] baby toys instead of the [[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|adult collectibles]] they should be. How silly that would be.
{{-}}

==Gimmicks and fiction==
[[File:Armada Megatron toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Why do I come with a little robot?]]]]
In some [[franchise]]s, virtually every gimmick present is given an explanation on how it fits into the fictional universe. Occasionally this explanation is limited to the toy [[bio]]s, television [[commercial]]s, or [[packaging]] blurbs. For example, [[Action Master]]s were not simply non-transformable toys of a transformable character, the characters themselves fictionally lost the ability to transform. In other franchises nothing is fictionally significant about non-transformable toys such as [[Robot Replicas]] and [[Power Bots]].

Other toys that do not represent anything in particular in the fiction include [[Activators]], [[Cyber Slammers]], [[Fast Action Battlers]], etc

==Official usage==
[[File:Gimmick.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Gimmicks that ''admit'' they're gimmicks? LAMEST EVER!]]
Generally speaking, the word "gimmick" itself is not used in official Hasbro or TakaraTomy advertising or packaging blurbs, perhaps due to a pejorative association, or merely sounding like too generic a term. More recently, however, certain toys in TakaraTomy's [[Transformers United|''United'' toyline]] have call-outs to one of the toy's features under the caption "GIMMICK", such as [[Scrapheap (G1)#United|Scrapheap]]'s ability to ride (and be ridden by) [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#United|Wreck-Gar]], or [[Unicron/toys#United|Ark Unicron]]'s Key-activated chest cannon.

==See also==
{{collist|4|
*[[Action Master]]
*[[Articulation]]
*[[Automorph Technology]]
*[[Autotransformation]]
*[[C joint]]
*[[Color changing]]
*[[Combiner]]
*[[Cyber Planet Key]]
*[[Cyber Slammers]]
*[[Gravity Bot]]
*[[Light-emitting diode]]
*[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]
*[[Hunt for the Decepticons]]
*[[Light-piping]]
*[[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|Mail-away exclusives]]
*[[Mech Alive]]
*[[MechTech]]
*[[Megavisor]]
*[[Mini-Con]]
*[[Missile]]
*[[Mutant head]]
*[[Powerlinx]]
*[[Powermaster]]
*[[Pretender]]
*[[Prime Master]]
*[[Pull-back motor]]
*[[Redeco]]
*[[Retractable string gimmick]]
*[[Robot Point]]s
*[[Rubsign]]
*[[Cyber Key Codes|Secret codes]]
*[[Soundbox]]
*[[Sparking gimmick]]
*[[Stealth Force]]
*[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]
*[[Transformation (toys)|Transformation]]
*[[Triggerbot]]/[[Triggercon]]
*[[Triple Changer]]
*[[Water-squirting gimmick]]
*[[Weapon]]
}}

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Gimmicks| ]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Argos

2019-05-10T17:06:39Z

Anonymous X:

{{stub}}
[[File:Argos it.jpg|right |thumb|250px|When you see this sign, it's a warning that a thoroughly miserable retailing experience awaits.]]

'''Argos''' is a major retailer in the [[United Kingdom]], which has occasionally released [[exclusive]]s in the UK market. Rather than being a traditional "bricks and mortar" retailer per se, the retailer's product range is in a printed catalogue, updated bi-annually, with the merchandise available to order in-store via quoting the catalogue number at the counter. (Well, if that particular branch has said item currently in stock. And the rise of online retail has changed the business model somewhat over the last decade or so.)

==List of Argos exclusive toys==
{{note|This list only refers to the United Kingdom market..}}

===''Transformers'' (2007)===
====Deluxe Class toys====
*'''[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Deluxe_Class_toys |Bumblebee]] and [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Voyager_Class_toys|Optimus Prime]]''' (Argos-exclusive two-pack, 2007)
{{-}}

===[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]===
====Legends====
{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Devastator (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Constructicon Devastator]] ([[Hightower (ROTF)#Toys|Hightower]], [[Long Haul (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Long Haul]], [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Mixmaster]], [[Overload (ROTF)#Toys|Overload]], [[Rampage (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Rampage]], [[Scavenger (ROTF)#Toys|Scavenger]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)#Toys|Scrapper]])
|}

===[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]===
====Reveal the Shield====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Tiny Turbo Changer 3-Pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#RtSTinyTurbo3pack|Optimus Prime]], [[Steelbane#TinyTurboChanger|Steelbane]], and [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#RtSTinyTurbo3pack|Bumblebee]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''1-Step Turbo Changer Mega Pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Optimus Prime]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Bumblebee]], [[Grimlock (AOE)#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Grimlock]], [[Hound (Movie)#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Hound]], [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Megatron]], and [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Barricade]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#TLKRevealTheShieldVoyager|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Role-play masks'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#The Last Knight|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#The Last Knight|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}

===[[Transformers: Bumblebee (toyline) |Bumblebee]]===
====Bumblebee Greatest Hits====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multipacks'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Bumblebee Cassette Pack (w/ [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#CassettePack|Bumblebee]], [[Frenzy (Movie)#Bumblebee|Frenzy]], [[Buzzsaw (ROTF)#Bumblebee|Buzzsaw]], [[Howlback (BB)#Bumblebee|Howlback]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (ROTF)#Bumblebee|Soundwave]] & [[Doombox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Electronic toys'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Greatest Hits|Music FX Bumblebee]]}}
|
|}
{{--}}

==External links==
*[http://www.argos.co.uk/ Official Argos website]

[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Retailers]]

Exclusive

2019-05-10T17:05:14Z

Anonymous X: /* See also */

{{picsneeded| Non-Japanese foreign exclusives}}
[[Image:Ratchettoytimelines.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Weren't at [[BotCon 2005]]? Then I hope you like [[eBay]]!]]

The term '''exclusive''' is most often used in reference to a toy (or other item) that was only available at a specific store or venue rather that at standard retail in normal assortments.

While occasionally these are simply already-released toys in new packaging (often as multi-packs at a reduced price), most often they are [[redeco]]es. [[Megabolt|Very]] [[Titanium Series|rarely]], a toy developed for a defunct line will find itself released as an exclusive to a particular retailer, so the company can make back at least ''some'' of the development costs that went into it.

As a rule, new [[mold]]s are not created for the purpose of being exclusives, because the very high costs of creating the steel tooling elements cannot be recouped with a low production run through a limited venue. Of course, all rules have exceptions, and in this case there is exactly one: [[General Motors|Chevrolet/General Motors]] had the financial resources sufficient to convince [[Hasbro]] to produce an entirely new and unique very limited-edition Transformer [[Swerve (Chevy)|just for them]].

==Store exclusives==
[[Image:Loadhauler.jpg|left|150px|thumb|[[Hauler|RoadHauler]], exclusive to [[e-HOBBY]]. It takes longer to read this caption than it does to watch his entire onscreen performance.]]

Though store exclusives in ''Transformers'' date back as far as [[1989]]'s [[Kmart]]-only releases of the "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]" [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee]], [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]], the practice saw little use in the US until [[KB Toys]] stores got its own exclusive mini-line ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' in 1997. Store exclusives tied in directly to the main retail line, however, remained minimal in the following years, with ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' getting one or two.

The success of the 2001 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' series caused a boom for the franchise, resulting in the "big four" chains ([[Walmart]], [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]], [[Target]], and KB Toys) each getting their own Transformers available only at their stores. Since then, store-exclusives have persisted to this day, with ebbs and flows of the amount of exclusive product depending on the overall strength of the brand. To this day, multiple store exclusives are released each year in the US... with the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 live-action movie toy line]] creating a rush of exclusives that left 2001 in the dust.

[[Image:RID Scourge toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] was a prominent repeating character, but his "main" toy was sold only at ToysЯUs in the US.]]

In Japan, short-run exclusives are fairly common. There are multiple outlets for exclusives; in addition to the occasional "normal" store redeco, the [[TakaraTomy]]-affiliated [[e-HOBBY]] online remains a steady venue for exclusives of all sorts. Many brick-and-mortar stores also frequently receive very short-run smaller exclusives (such as [[Mini-Con]]s) that are ''technically'' given away free, but only as a "bonus" to people who bought certain toys (or a certain amount of toys) at the stores on a certain date. Magazine mail-aways remain a popular outlet for exclusive redecos in Japan, though that practice has fallen out of favor in the US.

Of course, an item that is a retailer exclusive in one country may be released through a different retailer in another country, or be a normal mass-retail release altogether. The biggest example of this is the string of "[[USA Edition]]" toys from TakaraTomy, which are (almost completely) toys from Hasbro's lines in (mostly) unchanged packaging, released in Japan through exclusive outlets rather than as part of the normal line.

{{-}}

=="Shared" exclusives==
[[File:TFU03-toy Buckethead.jpg|thumb|200px|left]]
A relatively young phenomenon are so-called "shared exclusives", which can best be described as "available in several places, but not available anywhere else". An early example are the ''[[Transformers:_Energon_(toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Road Wrecker Mini-Con Team]]/[[Night Attack Mini-Con Team]] and [[Race Mini-Con Team]]/[[Space Mini-Con Team]] combo packs, which were available at both Toys"R"Us and Walmart stores (but not anywhere else). The concept has seen more widespread use in more recent years, often in the form of so-called "online exclusives", which means those figures or sets are available at several different online retailers (sometimes inluding the online storefronts of major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Toys"R"Us and Kmart), but are not supposed to be sold in brick and mortar stores (at least in theory). Examples include the ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Giftset#Ultimate Gift Set|"Ultimate Gift Set"]], various ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' figures and sets and the ''[[Transformers: Generations#Combiner Wars (2015-2016)|Combiner Wars]]'' "May Mayhem" figures and "Collection Packs". However, some of the ''Platinum Edition'' sets were also shared between online retailers and Toys"R"Us stores, which complicates matters further.

==Convention & club exclusives==
[[Image:BCBreakdown.jpg|right|200px|thumb|If you opened this, you probably regret it now.]]

Convention exclusives have a more consistent history, starting back in 1994 with [[BotCon 1994]]'s ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], which had been slated for normal retail release with the rest of the team, but ultimately cancelled. The following year saw the first convention-exclusive toy [[redeco]]ed specifically for the convention, [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]] (albeit not to the original specifications).

From then on, each official Transformers convention has had at least one exclusive toy... in fact, as time has gone on, the scale of convention exclusives has only expanded, with multi-toy packs, larger molds, and even [[retool]]ed items.

In 2005, [[Fun Publications]] expanded exclusives by producing toys available only to members of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. While one each year is produced as a "free" incentive for signing up, in 2006 the first separately-purchased exclusive, [[Astrotrain (Cybertron)|Astrotrain]], was produced based on fan-reaction to an unreleased retail exclusive. Several more club exclusives have been released since then, some of them based on cancelled redecos from defunct lines, while others sported decos specifically designed by Fun Publications.

After BotCon’s cancellation, exclusives are now found at the brand new [[HasCon]].
{{-}}

==Exclusives in other countries==
[[File:Movietoy bee and optimus 2pk.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Not found in Japan]]
While exclusives have a long history in the United States and Japan, they were rather uncommon in many other countries until recently. The biggest exception was [[Toys"R"Us]], which carried the ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' line of reissues as an exclusive not only in the USA, but also in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Beginning with the ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' line, Toys"R"Us also started to sell exclusives through many other of their international branches, starting with the "Decepticon Desert Attack" two-pack of [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] and [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]], which was also available in several European countries. This makes Toys"R"Us exclusives the most consistent exclusive releases across the globe, with the major exception of their Japanese branch.

Other than that, it becomes more complicated: Toys that are exclusive to store chains that only exist in the United States can be exclusive to other stores in other countries. For example, most toys that are exclusive to [[Target]] stores were usually exclusive to Zellers stores in Canada (back when Zellers still existed). With later installments of the [[live-action film series]] such as ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'', ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' and ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]'', Hasbro aimed for a very "global" approach by offering many, if not all exclusive figures to stores around the world, and any attempt at gathering a complete list of international retailers that carried specific figures is bound to be an exercise in futility. The ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' sub-lines ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' and ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' also saw numerous exclusives released internationally, including some European markets, albeit not quite to the same extent as the movie lines. Sometimes, exclusives might even be released in international markets before they become available in the US, and might even be easier to obtain there as well due to a different supply vs. demand ratio.

It's also possible for toys that are released as exclusives in the USA to be available as general releases in other countries, such as the Target exclusive Scout Class toys from the ''Movie'' line. In return, toys that are available as mass releases in the USA can also end up as exclusives in other countries: For example, in the United Kingdom, the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' were originally only available at [[Argos]] stores; and a non-[[AllSpark Power]] variant of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Nighwatch Optimus Prime]] was also released as an Argos exclusive.

In Australia, stores that commonly carry exclusives are Target (not related to the US chain except for the name and the logo), which became famous for offering an imported version of Takara's [[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]] [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], Kmart (also not related to the US chain of the same name), BigW, Myer, Mr Toys Toyworld and Toys"R"Us. With the exception of Masterpiece Ultra Magnus, nearly all of these exclusives were also released by Hasbro in the USA, either as mass retail toys or as exclusives. For example, ''Alternators'' [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]], both [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]/[[San Diego Comic-Con]] exclusives in the USA, were released as Toyworld exclusives in Australia.

Lastly, in recent years there has also been the occasional multi-pack that was released as a store exclusive in various countries, but was not released in the USA at all. For the 2007 ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' line, this was a two-pack of Voyager Class [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and Delxue Class [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]], released as an Argos exclusive in the UK and as a Kmart exclusive in Australia, and "Voyager y Unleashed" two-packs of Unleashed Bumblebee with either Voyager Class [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] or [[Ratchet (Movie)|Autobot Ratchet]], exclusive to Sam's Club stores in Mexico; and for the ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' line, some European Toys"R"Us stores (in Germany and the UK, at least) got an exclusive Deluxe Class [[Ratchet (Animated)|Autobot Ratchet]]/[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] two-pack.

==Why exclusives?==
[[Image:Timelinestoy-AlphaTrion.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Fans wanted this for decades, and now they can have it... well, about 1,000 can have it.]]

God hates you and doesn't want you to have toys.

Aside from that, exclusives for both stores and conventions are ''incentives'' to get interested buyers to the stores/shows to make other purchases. While you're here for that Transformer or ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' Clonetrooper set that can only be found at this store... hey, Dr. Pepper is also four for ten bucks. And look, the new ''Venture Bros.'' DVD set is out. Need some paper towels? Tube socks?

For store exclusives, often the chain will request (or in the case of Wal*Mart, demand) an exclusive, perhaps even suggesting (or, again, demanding) a specific price point, should the line be proving popular. Sometimes, Hasbro or Takara may solicit items already in the works as exclusives to stores. Several toys that had been slated for normal retail release, but canceled in the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, for example, were ultimately released as Target exclusives in 2006, and over the last several years, many other items planned for mass-retail were relegated to exclusive status when their standard retail assortments were cancelled, such as the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' versions of [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Ravage (G1)/toys|(Jaguar) Ravage]].

Convention/club exclusives are a bit different, and involve a lot more work done outside of Hasbro/Takara's offices. The convention organizers themselves write up proposals to the company, including the molds they would like to use, color arrangements, names, any new tools they wish to make, and such. These plans very often change depending on mold availability (sometimes molds are lost, or deteriorated, or are being used for other releases) or plans that Hasbro/Takara have in store for the future. In almost every instance, the convention-exclusive toys would not exist ''at all'' if the convention organizers did not request (and pay for) them.

[[Image:Classics Thundercracker Toy.jpg|left|200px|thumb|{{w|Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade|Indiana, let it go.}}]]

The exclusives from [[BotCon 2006]] and [[BotCon 2007|2007]] proved particularly controversial. Many fans complained about the difficulty and expense of acquiring these figures that were representations of very well-liked characters (i.e. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]), characters that had played major roles in stories and never previously received toys ([[Alpha Trion (disambiguation)|Alpha Trion]]), or characters traditionally envisioned as part of a "set" of which other members were easily available at standard retail ([[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]).

Passions were most intense about the exclusives representing the very popular and conspicuous ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' characters — especially after Hasbro revealed that, to their own surprise, sales had proven strong enough that the line would be [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|revived in 2008]], potentially leaving "holes" in some fans' collections.

However, the business decision of using popular characters as convention exclusives has been a sound one: Primus Package attendees contribute the bulk of revenue for the convention, and so turning the toys from "also-rans" into "must-haves" helps keep the show running and growing. It is the responsibility of each fan to determine how much they want to devote to their hobby, both in terms of the emotional devotion they have towards particular characters and collection styles, and financial devotion that they will invest to get what they have chosen to desire.
{{-}}

==See also==
* [[Argos]]
* [[Costco]]
* [[e-HOBBY]]
* [[Figure Ō]]
* [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]
* [[JUSCO]]
* [[KB Toys]]
* [[Kmart]]
* [[LaOX]]
* [[Market six]]
* [[Sam's Club]]
* [[Target]]
* [[Toys"R"Us]]
* [[Toy's Dream Project]]
* [[Walmart]]

[[Category:Exclusives| ]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Exclusive

2019-05-10T17:04:57Z

Anonymous X: /* Exclusives in other countries */ direct link

{{picsneeded| Non-Japanese foreign exclusives}}
[[Image:Ratchettoytimelines.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Weren't at [[BotCon 2005]]? Then I hope you like [[eBay]]!]]

The term '''exclusive''' is most often used in reference to a toy (or other item) that was only available at a specific store or venue rather that at standard retail in normal assortments.

While occasionally these are simply already-released toys in new packaging (often as multi-packs at a reduced price), most often they are [[redeco]]es. [[Megabolt|Very]] [[Titanium Series|rarely]], a toy developed for a defunct line will find itself released as an exclusive to a particular retailer, so the company can make back at least ''some'' of the development costs that went into it.

As a rule, new [[mold]]s are not created for the purpose of being exclusives, because the very high costs of creating the steel tooling elements cannot be recouped with a low production run through a limited venue. Of course, all rules have exceptions, and in this case there is exactly one: [[General Motors|Chevrolet/General Motors]] had the financial resources sufficient to convince [[Hasbro]] to produce an entirely new and unique very limited-edition Transformer [[Swerve (Chevy)|just for them]].

==Store exclusives==
[[Image:Loadhauler.jpg|left|150px|thumb|[[Hauler|RoadHauler]], exclusive to [[e-HOBBY]]. It takes longer to read this caption than it does to watch his entire onscreen performance.]]

Though store exclusives in ''Transformers'' date back as far as [[1989]]'s [[Kmart]]-only releases of the "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]" [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee]], [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]], the practice saw little use in the US until [[KB Toys]] stores got its own exclusive mini-line ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' in 1997. Store exclusives tied in directly to the main retail line, however, remained minimal in the following years, with ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' getting one or two.

The success of the 2001 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' series caused a boom for the franchise, resulting in the "big four" chains ([[Walmart]], [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]], [[Target]], and KB Toys) each getting their own Transformers available only at their stores. Since then, store-exclusives have persisted to this day, with ebbs and flows of the amount of exclusive product depending on the overall strength of the brand. To this day, multiple store exclusives are released each year in the US... with the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 live-action movie toy line]] creating a rush of exclusives that left 2001 in the dust.

[[Image:RID Scourge toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] was a prominent repeating character, but his "main" toy was sold only at ToysЯUs in the US.]]

In Japan, short-run exclusives are fairly common. There are multiple outlets for exclusives; in addition to the occasional "normal" store redeco, the [[TakaraTomy]]-affiliated [[e-HOBBY]] online remains a steady venue for exclusives of all sorts. Many brick-and-mortar stores also frequently receive very short-run smaller exclusives (such as [[Mini-Con]]s) that are ''technically'' given away free, but only as a "bonus" to people who bought certain toys (or a certain amount of toys) at the stores on a certain date. Magazine mail-aways remain a popular outlet for exclusive redecos in Japan, though that practice has fallen out of favor in the US.

Of course, an item that is a retailer exclusive in one country may be released through a different retailer in another country, or be a normal mass-retail release altogether. The biggest example of this is the string of "[[USA Edition]]" toys from TakaraTomy, which are (almost completely) toys from Hasbro's lines in (mostly) unchanged packaging, released in Japan through exclusive outlets rather than as part of the normal line.

{{-}}

=="Shared" exclusives==
[[File:TFU03-toy Buckethead.jpg|thumb|200px|left]]
A relatively young phenomenon are so-called "shared exclusives", which can best be described as "available in several places, but not available anywhere else". An early example are the ''[[Transformers:_Energon_(toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Road Wrecker Mini-Con Team]]/[[Night Attack Mini-Con Team]] and [[Race Mini-Con Team]]/[[Space Mini-Con Team]] combo packs, which were available at both Toys"R"Us and Walmart stores (but not anywhere else). The concept has seen more widespread use in more recent years, often in the form of so-called "online exclusives", which means those figures or sets are available at several different online retailers (sometimes inluding the online storefronts of major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Toys"R"Us and Kmart), but are not supposed to be sold in brick and mortar stores (at least in theory). Examples include the ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Giftset#Ultimate Gift Set|"Ultimate Gift Set"]], various ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' figures and sets and the ''[[Transformers: Generations#Combiner Wars (2015-2016)|Combiner Wars]]'' "May Mayhem" figures and "Collection Packs". However, some of the ''Platinum Edition'' sets were also shared between online retailers and Toys"R"Us stores, which complicates matters further.

==Convention & club exclusives==
[[Image:BCBreakdown.jpg|right|200px|thumb|If you opened this, you probably regret it now.]]

Convention exclusives have a more consistent history, starting back in 1994 with [[BotCon 1994]]'s ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], which had been slated for normal retail release with the rest of the team, but ultimately cancelled. The following year saw the first convention-exclusive toy [[redeco]]ed specifically for the convention, [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]] (albeit not to the original specifications).

From then on, each official Transformers convention has had at least one exclusive toy... in fact, as time has gone on, the scale of convention exclusives has only expanded, with multi-toy packs, larger molds, and even [[retool]]ed items.

In 2005, [[Fun Publications]] expanded exclusives by producing toys available only to members of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. While one each year is produced as a "free" incentive for signing up, in 2006 the first separately-purchased exclusive, [[Astrotrain (Cybertron)|Astrotrain]], was produced based on fan-reaction to an unreleased retail exclusive. Several more club exclusives have been released since then, some of them based on cancelled redecos from defunct lines, while others sported decos specifically designed by Fun Publications.

After BotCon’s cancellation, exclusives are now found at the brand new [[HasCon]].
{{-}}

==Exclusives in other countries==
[[File:Movietoy bee and optimus 2pk.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Not found in Japan]]
While exclusives have a long history in the United States and Japan, they were rather uncommon in many other countries until recently. The biggest exception was [[Toys"R"Us]], which carried the ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' line of reissues as an exclusive not only in the USA, but also in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Beginning with the ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' line, Toys"R"Us also started to sell exclusives through many other of their international branches, starting with the "Decepticon Desert Attack" two-pack of [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] and [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]], which was also available in several European countries. This makes Toys"R"Us exclusives the most consistent exclusive releases across the globe, with the major exception of their Japanese branch.

Other than that, it becomes more complicated: Toys that are exclusive to store chains that only exist in the United States can be exclusive to other stores in other countries. For example, most toys that are exclusive to [[Target]] stores were usually exclusive to Zellers stores in Canada (back when Zellers still existed). With later installments of the [[live-action film series]] such as ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'', ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' and ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]'', Hasbro aimed for a very "global" approach by offering many, if not all exclusive figures to stores around the world, and any attempt at gathering a complete list of international retailers that carried specific figures is bound to be an exercise in futility. The ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' sub-lines ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' and ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' also saw numerous exclusives released internationally, including some European markets, albeit not quite to the same extent as the movie lines. Sometimes, exclusives might even be released in international markets before they become available in the US, and might even be easier to obtain there as well due to a different supply vs. demand ratio.

It's also possible for toys that are released as exclusives in the USA to be available as general releases in other countries, such as the Target exclusive Scout Class toys from the ''Movie'' line. In return, toys that are available as mass releases in the USA can also end up as exclusives in other countries: For example, in the United Kingdom, the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' were originally only available at [[Argos]] stores; and a non-[[AllSpark Power]] variant of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Nighwatch Optimus Prime]] was also released as an Argos exclusive.

In Australia, stores that commonly carry exclusives are Target (not related to the US chain except for the name and the logo), which became famous for offering an imported version of Takara's [[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]] [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], Kmart (also not related to the US chain of the same name), BigW, Myer, Mr Toys Toyworld and Toys"R"Us. With the exception of Masterpiece Ultra Magnus, nearly all of these exclusives were also released by Hasbro in the USA, either as mass retail toys or as exclusives. For example, ''Alternators'' [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]], both [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]/[[San Diego Comic-Con]] exclusives in the USA, were released as Toyworld exclusives in Australia.

Lastly, in recent years there has also been the occasional multi-pack that was released as a store exclusive in various countries, but was not released in the USA at all. For the 2007 ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' line, this was a two-pack of Voyager Class [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and Delxue Class [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]], released as an Argos exclusive in the UK and as a Kmart exclusive in Australia, and "Voyager y Unleashed" two-packs of Unleashed Bumblebee with either Voyager Class [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] or [[Ratchet (Movie)|Autobot Ratchet]], exclusive to Sam's Club stores in Mexico; and for the ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' line, some European Toys"R"Us stores (in Germany and the UK, at least) got an exclusive Deluxe Class [[Ratchet (Animated)|Autobot Ratchet]]/[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] two-pack.

==Why exclusives?==
[[Image:Timelinestoy-AlphaTrion.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Fans wanted this for decades, and now they can have it... well, about 1,000 can have it.]]

God hates you and doesn't want you to have toys.

Aside from that, exclusives for both stores and conventions are ''incentives'' to get interested buyers to the stores/shows to make other purchases. While you're here for that Transformer or ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' Clonetrooper set that can only be found at this store... hey, Dr. Pepper is also four for ten bucks. And look, the new ''Venture Bros.'' DVD set is out. Need some paper towels? Tube socks?

For store exclusives, often the chain will request (or in the case of Wal*Mart, demand) an exclusive, perhaps even suggesting (or, again, demanding) a specific price point, should the line be proving popular. Sometimes, Hasbro or Takara may solicit items already in the works as exclusives to stores. Several toys that had been slated for normal retail release, but canceled in the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, for example, were ultimately released as Target exclusives in 2006, and over the last several years, many other items planned for mass-retail were relegated to exclusive status when their standard retail assortments were cancelled, such as the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' versions of [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Ravage (G1)/toys|(Jaguar) Ravage]].

Convention/club exclusives are a bit different, and involve a lot more work done outside of Hasbro/Takara's offices. The convention organizers themselves write up proposals to the company, including the molds they would like to use, color arrangements, names, any new tools they wish to make, and such. These plans very often change depending on mold availability (sometimes molds are lost, or deteriorated, or are being used for other releases) or plans that Hasbro/Takara have in store for the future. In almost every instance, the convention-exclusive toys would not exist ''at all'' if the convention organizers did not request (and pay for) them.

[[Image:Classics Thundercracker Toy.jpg|left|200px|thumb|{{w|Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade|Indiana, let it go.}}]]

The exclusives from [[BotCon 2006]] and [[BotCon 2007|2007]] proved particularly controversial. Many fans complained about the difficulty and expense of acquiring these figures that were representations of very well-liked characters (i.e. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]), characters that had played major roles in stories and never previously received toys ([[Alpha Trion (disambiguation)|Alpha Trion]]), or characters traditionally envisioned as part of a "set" of which other members were easily available at standard retail ([[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]).

Passions were most intense about the exclusives representing the very popular and conspicuous ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' characters — especially after Hasbro revealed that, to their own surprise, sales had proven strong enough that the line would be [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|revived in 2008]], potentially leaving "holes" in some fans' collections.

However, the business decision of using popular characters as convention exclusives has been a sound one: Primus Package attendees contribute the bulk of revenue for the convention, and so turning the toys from "also-rans" into "must-haves" helps keep the show running and growing. It is the responsibility of each fan to determine how much they want to devote to their hobby, both in terms of the emotional devotion they have towards particular characters and collection styles, and financial devotion that they will invest to get what they have chosen to desire.
{{-}}

==See also==
* [[Costco]]
* [[e-HOBBY]]
* [[Figure Ō]]
* [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]
* [[JUSCO]]
* [[KB Toys]]
* [[Kmart]]
* [[LaOX]]
* [[Market six]]
* [[Sam's Club]]
* [[Target]]
* [[Toys"R"Us]]
* [[Toy's Dream Project]]
* [[Walmart]]

[[Category:Exclusives| ]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Argos

2019-05-09T15:58:13Z

Anonymous X: Created page with "{{stub}} When you see this sign, it's a warning that a miserable retailing experience awaits. '''Argos''' is a major retailer in the ..."

{{stub}}
[[File:Argos it.jpg|right |thumb|250px|When you see this sign, it's a warning that a miserable retailing experience awaits.]]

'''Argos''' is a major retailer in the [[United Kingdom]], which has occasionally released [[exclusive]]s in the British market. Rather than being a traditional "bricks and mortar" retailer per se, the retailer's product range is in a printed catalogue, updated bi-annually, with the merchandise available to order in-store via quoting the catalogue number at the counter. (Well, if that particular branch has said item currently in stock. And the rise of online retail has changed the business model somewhat over the last decade or so.)

==List of Argos exclusive toys==
{{note|This list only refers to the United Kingdom market..}}

===[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]===
====Legends====
{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Devastator (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Constructicon Devastator]] ([[Hightower (ROTF)#Toys|Hightower]], [[Long Haul (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Long Haul]], [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Mixmaster]], [[Overload (ROTF)#Toys|Overload]], [[Rampage (ROTF)#Legends Class toys|Rampage]], [[Scavenger (ROTF)#Toys|Scavenger]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)#Toys|Scrapper]])}}
|}

===[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]===
====Reveal the Shield====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Tiny Turbo Changer 3-Pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#RtSTinyTurbo3pack|Optimus Prime]], [[Steelbane#TinyTurboChanger|Steelbane]], and [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#RtSTinyTurbo3pack|Bumblebee]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''1-Step Turbo Changer Mega Pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Optimus Prime]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Bumblebee]], [[Grimlock (AOE)#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Grimlock]], [[Hound (Movie)#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Hound]], [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Megatron]], and [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#BigWTurboChanger6Pack|Barricade]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#TLKRevealTheShieldVoyager|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Role-play masks'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#The Last Knight|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#The Last Knight|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}

===[[Transformers: Bumblebee (toyline) |Bumblebee]]===
====Bumblebee Greatest Hits====
Exclusive to [[Target]] in the United States and to Argos in the United Kingdom, this subline focuses on a 1980s "music" theme.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multipacks'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Bumblebee Cassette Pack (w/ [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#CassettePack|Bumblebee]], [[Frenzy (Movie)#Bumblebee|Frenzy]], [[Buzzsaw (ROTF)#Bumblebee|Buzzsaw]], [[Howlback (BB)#Bumblebee|Howlback]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (ROTF)#Bumblebee|Soundwave]] & [[Doombox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Electronic toys'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Greatest Hits|Music FX Bumblebee]]}}
|
|[[File:Bumblebee-Movie-Greatest-Hits-Leader-Soundwave-and-Doombox.jpg|thumb|250px|Greatest Hits Leader Class Soundwave]]
|}
{{--}}

==External links==
*[http://www.argos.co.uk/ Official Argos website]

[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Retailers]]

Oil rig

2019-05-07T21:43:56Z

Anonymous X:

{{stub}}
An '''oil rig''' is a [[human]]-constructed device and structure used to extract the liquid energy source known as [[oil]] from the [[Earth]], often to be transported by pipelines or [[oil tanker]]s. These structures can be placed on ground, or offshore in bodies of [[water]], the latter known as oil platforms.

Human culture stipulates that [[hard hat]]s are compulsory headwear when on or near oil rigs. Oil rigs often attract the attention of [[Decepticon]]s for a variety of reasons.

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
[[Blackrock Enterprises]] was in possession of a [[oil-drilling platform|high-tech oil rig]] placed off the coast of [[Oregon]], which was assaulted by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], and later with assistance of some of the operational Decepticons under his command, capturing it to become a temporary Decepticon base of operations. [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], and [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] where seen repairing the facility while Shockwave returned to the Decepticon-occupied [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] . {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Shockwave coordinated the later assault on the [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]] from the offshore oil rig. {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[Category:Technology]]

Oil rig

2019-05-07T14:34:52Z

Anonymous X:

An '''oil rig''' is a [[human]]-constructed device and structure used to extract the liquid energy source known as [[oil]] from the [[Earth]], often to be transported by pipelines or [[oil tanker]]s. These structures can be placed on ground, or placed offshore in bodies of [[water]], the latter known as oil platforms.

Human culture stipulates that [[hard hat]]s are compulsory headwear when on or near oil rigs. Oil rigs often attract the attention of [[Decepticon]]s for a variety of reasons.

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
[[Blackrock Enterprises]] was in possession of a [[oil-drilling platform|high-tech oil rig]] placed off the coast of [[Oregon]], which was assaulted by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], and later with assistance of some of the operational Decepticons under his command, capturing it to become a temporary Decepticon base of operations. [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], and [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] where seen repairing the facility while Shockwave returned to the Decepticon-occupied [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] . {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}} Shockwave coordinated the later assault on the [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]] from the offshore oil rig. {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[Category:Technology]]

Oil rig

2019-05-07T14:30:10Z

Anonymous X:

An '''oil rig''' is a [[human]]-constructed device and structure used to extract the liquid energy source known as [[oil]] from the [[Earth]], often to be transported by pipelines or [[oil tanker]]s. These structures can be placed on ground, or placed offshore in bodies of [[water]], the latter known as oil platforms.

Human culture stipulates that [[hard hat]]s are compulsory headwear when on or near oil rigs. Oil rigs often attract the attention of [[Decepticon]]s for a variety of reasons.

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
[[Blackrock Enterprises]] was in possession of a [[oil-drilling platform|high-tech oil rig]] placed off the coast of [[Oregon]], which was assaulted by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] and the operational Decepticons under his command, capturing it to become a temporary Decepticon base of operations. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

[[Category:Technology]]

Predaking (G1)

2019-05-06T23:05:04Z

Anonymous X: /* Generations */

{{disambig3|Predaking}}
{{factions|decepticon|hofsilver}}
:''Predaking is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Predakingg1.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|Sucks to be Defensor and Superion... and every Autobot combiner ever.]]
'''Predaking''' is the ferocious fusion of all five of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]: [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]], [[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]], [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]], [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]], and team leader [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]. Predaking is highly unusual, perhaps even unique, among [[combiner]]s by the successful fusion of each of his component elements' physical abilities and personalities. Most others of his kind are rendered [[Devastator (G1)|stupid]], [[Bruticus (G1)|suggestible]], or borderline [[Menasor (G1)|insane]] by the merging of minds, but the five Predacons are united by their shared love of the hunt, and produce a single complete persona. Between his physical prowess, unexpected mental acuity, and animalistic, almost instinct-fast hunting actions, Predaking is one of the most dangerous and intimidating weapons ever added to the Decepticon ranks. [[Victor Caroli|As a weapon he is without equal; as a warrior he is without restraint. He can lift five hundred tons without straining a circuit]]. When Predaking is on your trail, all hope is lost.

Unless your name is [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]].

{{bigquote|Predaking has the power! He needs nothing more!|Predaking has the power to survive|"[[Nightmare Planet]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Bud Davis]] (English), [[Minoru Inaba]] (Japanese)|[[Yuan Guoqing]] (Chinese), [[Edgar Fruitier]] (French (Canada)), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness''), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, ''Chaos''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''Nightmare Planet''), [[Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch]] (German, ''The Quintesson Journal''), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German, ''Call of the Primitives'')}}
[[File:FFOD5 Predaking.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Never argue with a guy with horns on his knees.]]
Predaking first saw action during the short-lived Decepticon-[[Quintesson]] alliance in the year 2005. The Predacons attempted to prevent [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]], [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], the human [[Marissa Faireborn]] and the magnificent [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] from escaping Jupiter's moon of [[Io]] with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]]. When the individual Predacons failed, they merged into Predaking, but were quickly defeated by Sky Lynx. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

Soon afterward, the Decepticons took over the slave mining planet of [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], forcing [[Dread slaves|the hapless prisoners]] to mine the super-hard [[death crystal]]s in a scheme by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] to destroy Cybertron with a [[Death crystal cannon|giant death crystal firing cannon]]. When several slaves were frightened out of the mine by the monster [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]], Predaking swooped down to recapture the escapees. Later, during an Autobot attack that saw Sky Lynx buried under tons of rock, Predaking separated Blurr, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], Wheelie and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] from [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] by blocking off the mine entrace with his laser [[sword]]. He continued to force the Autobots back to Sky Lynx (who had managed to escape the landslide) while shrugging off their laser fire. Meanwhile, Kup lured Chaos out of the volcano, causing another landslide that this time buried Predaking under tons of rock. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

[[File:Nightmare-planet-predaking-goodart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Do you like Predaking?" "I don't know - I've never Predaked."]]
During an assassination attempt on the Autobots, the Predacons formed Predaking right before the Quintessons unleashed a nightmare effect on the Transformers. They were all confronted with solidified dream images taken from the mind of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. Predaking was quickly overpowered by the creatures and, after he split up, a dragon kidnapped Razorclaw to a distant castle, leaving the Predacons unable to combine again. After the dream-inducer was destroyed and the Predacons were reunited, Razorclaw was ready to resume the battle with the Autobots and ordered the transformation into Predaking. Unfortunately, Headstrong's leg had been injured fighting a giant dream Galvatron, and he was unable to join into their combined form. Without the might of Predaking, the Predacons chose to flee. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

[[File:Predaking primatives.jpg|left|thumb|Schrödinger's Cel: Simultaneously well-drawn and poorly-drawn.]]
Predaking was patrolling space when he picked up on a Quintesson transmission. Tracing it to a jungle-like planet, he split into his component parts to locate the source of the signal more easily. Once Sky Lynx and the Autobots beat the Predacons to the transmitting journal canister, they reformed as Predaking to renew their vendetta against Sky Lynx. Galvatron and [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] soon joined Predaking, but his interest in revenge on Sky Lynx outmatched their interest in the journal, and Galvatron had to remind Predaking repeatedly and forcefully to keep his mind(s) on the mission. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}} Later on, Predaking fought alongside Galvatron and the Decepticons in Europe, but soon vanished before the whole "[[Ultimate Weapon]]" scheme was finished. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

On [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]], Predaking fought alongside the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] combiner [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] until they, along with the other "primitive" animal-based Transformers, were called away by [[Oracle (G1)|Primacron's assistant]]. They were led to an ancient world, in the hopes their primitive instincts would defeat [[Primacron]]'s latest creation, the energy-draining [[Tornedron]]. After the defeated [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s corpse seemingly crushed Grimlock, the primitives split up and ran for their lives. The Predacons continued to run until Headstrong declared he would rather stand and fight than die running. Concurring, his fellow Predacons merged with him to form Predaking, but were quickly put into stasis lock by Tornedron. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

As part of a series of Decepticon attacks on [[Japan]], Predaking and [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] pursued [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] in the Sea of Japan. He was later part of the strike force led by the Matrix-possessed [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]]. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

After the [[Hate Plague]] spread throughout the galaxy, Predaking was seen hunting down Galvatron with Scourge and Cyclonus. How robots infected with homicidal madness could work together as a hunting party, much less share a combined form, is anybody's guess. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Transformers 2010'' story pages=====
The Predacons were built through cooperation between the Decepticons and the [[Quintesson]]s. Though they worked for the Decepticons, they were commanded by the Quintessons. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)|Part 3 and Part 4}}

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' manga=====
[[File:SRLTManga5 Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
During an attack on the planet [[Feminia]], Predaking took out a distracted [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], only to suffer an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}
{{--}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:MysteryPlanetMaster Hot Rod stops Predaking combination.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] stopped the Predacons from merging into Predaking once by ramming Razorclaw in the gut before the combination was complete. (That's what they get for transforming without a [[stock footage]] sequence.) {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} The next time he was seen, Predaking helped [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] try to steal the [[Sol 1]] satellite. He was defeated by [[Raiden]] and the Headmasters. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Predaking was defeated by Raiden and the Headmasters again when he confronted them over an erupting volcano in [[Peru]]. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} And yet ''again'' by the Headmasters alone on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]]. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

[[File:HM14 Headmasters vs Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Predaking joined the Decepticons on their space mission to gather energy from throughout the universe. He battled Raiden on the [[Twin Star]] planets. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} Predaking later struggled with [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] on [[Paradise]]. (A warrior without equal struggling with a slow-to-act uber-nerd. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.) {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}}

Back on Earth, Predaking and [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] fought Raiden on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but politely stopped fighting when the battle between <s>the more expensive toys</s> Fortress Maximus and MegaZarak took center stage. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

Predaking and Bruticus sank the ocean liner ''[[Queen World]]''. Predaking later protected a [[Death Tower]] in [[Santiago]], [[Chile]] against the Throttlebots. Then the Autobot Targetmasters arrived and [[Pointblank]] downed him with ONE SHOT. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The combiner took part in a final great battle against the Autobots at the North Pole, however his rematch with Raiden was interrupted when Scorponok threw Fortress Maximus at them. After the Autobots used their [[Head Formation]] to end the Decepticon plan, Predaking and the other Decepticons fled Earth. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{--}}

=====''The Headmasters'' manga=====
During the Decepticons' second attempt to overtake planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Predaking joined [[Alligatron]] and a unit of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] in attacking a squad of Autobot [[Beastformer]]s. [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] managed to save the Beastformers, though they allowed themselves to be captured in the process. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' manga=====
Predaking appeared to make a triumphant comeback with a squadron of other legendary Decepticons, attacking the Autobot [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]]s on Earth. However, "Predaking" was revealed to have been nothing more than an illusion created by [[King Poseidon]], who was subsequently defeated. {{storylink|Burn, Super Soul! The New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

=====''Zone'' manga and story pages=====
[[File:PredakingZone1.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Look out, he's dressed as Bootsy Collins!]]

Years later, after several more Decepticon leaders had come and gone, the faction came under the rulership of the supernatural entity [[Violen Jiger]], who assembled a team of [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] from Decepticon history. Predaking was enlisted as his "Beast General" and outfitted with new armor and weaponry to make him even more powerful than before, and sent forth to conquer planets in pursuit of Violen Jiger's goal of creating a [[Decepticon Zone]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}}

One the first worlds to fall to their wrath was Predaking's old stomping ground, planet Feminia, which the generals destroyed utterly. One month later, following the generals' theft of the new power source [[Energon Z]] from the Autobot base on [[Micro|planet Zone]], Predaking, [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]], [[King Poseidon]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] launched an assault on the Earth in order to obtain the [[Zodiac]], the mystical final component in Violen Jiger's plan which lay hidden on the planet. Predaking attacked Japan, centering on [[Mount Fuji]], and was soon joined there by the other generals, where they came under attack from the Autobot [[Micromaster]]s. The tiny 'bots were no match for the giant generals, but the fight was then taken up by the Autobot [[Powered Master]]s [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Sonic Bomber]]. In the course of the battle, the Zodiac was unearthed from its subterranean hiding spot, and everyone began grappling over it. Unfortunately for the generals, when Trypticon tried blasting the Autobots with an Energon Z beam, it reacted with the Zodiac and granted the Powered Masters new "Zone Mode" alternate forms, the power of which allowed them to soundly defeat the generals and drive them off. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Transformers: Zone}}

Later, Predaking, a self-professed master of aerial combat, challenged the Powered Masters to battle. Dai Atlas and [[Sonic Bomber]] combined into [[Sky Powered]] and beat him swiftly and soundly. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 6}} Later still, he and the other generals later schooled [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] and the [[Metrosquad]] in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 7}}
{{--}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Yukimasa Kishino]] (Japanese)}}

{{note|The ''Zone'' cartoon tells a slightly different, expanded version of Predaking and the other generals' battle with the Powered Masters, which had a particularly different outcome for Predaking.}}
[[File:PredaBrain1.jpg|upright=1.15|thumb|Now that's what I call a splitting headache!]]
Arriving in Japan at the base of Mount Fuji, Predaking almost crushed local boy [[Akira Serikawa]], but the human was snatched to safety by the Autobot Micromaster [[Whisper (Zone)|Whisper]]. Predaking then came under fire from the Micromaster forces who arrived in the [[Galaxy Rocket]], and was soon joined in battling the little Autobots by Tryticon. Together, they almost destroyed the Galaxy Rocket, until the timely arrival of Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber. Predaking proceeded to engage Dai Atlas, but the Autobot soon broke off their fight when Devastator arrived on the scene and made a play for the Zodiac's hiding place underground. Through Devastator and King Poseidon's combined efforts, the Zodiac was discovered; King Poseidon attempted to toss it to his comrades, but Predaking and Trypticon wound up crashing into one another in their eagerness to grab the Zodiac, allowing Dai Atlas to seize it. Predaking could only watch as the Autobots used the "Zone Mode" forms the Zodiac granted them to destroy King Poseidon and Trypticon; attempting to flee, he was thwarted in his efforts by Dai Atlas, who sliced him into two from head to crotch. Predaking's vaguely organic-looking brain was momentarily exposed before he died, his bisected halves exploding impressively. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
{{-}}

=====Ask Vector Prime=====
Predaking had an organic brain?! Did Violen Jiger use [[GoBot]] tech to rebuild him?! News of this had freaked out [[Vector Prime]] and caused him to run to the [[Chronarchitect]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/02}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Predaking participated in a tumultuous battle on a moon base. As he descended upon the battlefield, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] stood united against him. {{storylink|Decipher the Decepticon}}

===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Predaking optimus prime prey.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1| "''Fear''"]]
''Predaking's first outing on [[Earth]] was in the course of a hunt by the Predacons against the [[Autobot]] leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Prime having foiled the Predacons' initial attacks individually, they merged into Predaking and resumed the chase. Essentially Predaking's role in that hunt concluded once he had flushed Prime out into the open and worn him down, thus rendering him vulnerable to the attack of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. The Predacons returned over the [[space bridge|Space Bridge]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:Predaking gone but not forgotten.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1| "''Fear'' my slightly pronouncing crotch!"]]
Predaking's ''next'' foray on Earth was part of a scheme by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] to destabilise Megatron's sanity to such an extent that the way would be clear for Shockwave to take command. Shockwave supplied fake [[Insignia|Autobrands]] to the Predacons (and thus Predaking by extension) and the Predacons ambushed Megatron in the swamps of Florida. ''Megatron did not recall who the Predacons were thanks to a bout of amnesia connected to his earlier involvement with them.'' The Predacons had similar difficulties subduing Megatron in their individual forms and merged to become Predaking. Predaking fared little better against Megatron and was rendered unconscious by a blast from the deranged Decepticon's [[fusion cannon]]. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

''Divebomb found life on Earth so dull he contemplated buggering off back to Cybertron, but knew he couldn't because it would leave the other Predacons unable to form Predaking.'' {{storylink|Grudge Match!}}
{{--}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Eons ago, the Predacons were banished from Cybertron to [[Beast (planet)|Beest]], where their higher functions degraded, rendering them feral. Megatron, who had been overthrown by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (well, thrown out of a shuttle), tracked down the Predacons, then modified them to become combiners, creating Predaking. {{storylink|Welcome to the Jungle}}

[[File:Predaking Combaticons screwed.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Starscream thanks Primus he had the sense to finish his will this morning.]]
Starscream and his [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] were in training (with Sky Lynx of all people as a target) when Predaking suddenly arose from the sea, seeking to capture the treacherous Decepticon [[Air Commander]]. The Combaticons quickly formed into (the much-less intelligent) [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and counter-attacked by destroying Predaking's shoulder-mounted guns. Forced back, Predaking quickly put down his opponent by firing one of his foot cannons at Bruticus' head, blasting off part of his face.

When Starscream fled, lamenting Bruticus' latest defeat, Predaking attempted to follow until Bruticus crushed one of his wings and threw him onto the island. Damaged, but not defeated, Predaking easily dodged the slow-witted Combaticon combiner's rifle blast, then erected a defensive energy field around himself to deflect the follow-up shot. As Bruticus pondered a possible rifle malfunction, Predaking punched his rival in the face with a spiked knuckle, then impaled the crippled Bruticus upon Headstrong's horn, finally deactivating the Combaticons.

This was the first time he won a fight. And it was against a fellow [[Decepticon]]. Oh well, better than nothing. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''The Beast Within''===
As the Dinobots unleashed the [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] on the Decepticons, the Predacons attempted to form Predaking as a counter to this awesome force. The Beast barely broke its stride, destroying Predaking utterly, to the absolute shock of the assembled Decepticons. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtOfWar2 Predaking vs Piranacon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Someone hasn't read the rest of this page.]]
The Predacons and [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]] got into a territorial argument after Megatron's death, which led to a face off between Predaking and [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]]. Predaking emerged the victor but was stopped by [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] before he could finish the aquatic combiner off. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}} After Serpent O.R. recruited the Predacons into his new Decepticon army, he was tracked down by a group of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]], but Predaking protected his new leader by stomping [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] unconscious. The Decepticons then organized an attack on an Autobot peace ceremony, during which Predaking, Piranacon and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] took out [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} He then spent the remainder of the battle hunting down civilians. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}
{{-}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] unleashed Predaking, boasting that the gestal's combined animal strength was unparalleled, an ensemble of Battle Beasts stood united to prove him wrong. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:Kre-O JP comic 08 - Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Then he used his fight money to buy two of every animal on Cybertron. And then he herded them onto a boat, and then he beat the scrap out of every single one!]]
Predaking was defeated by his lack of cuteness! {{storylink|Behemoth Combination! But They're Cute? The Predacon Unit}} He later teamed up with [[Devastator (Kre-O)|Devastator]] and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] to fight [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], who defeated the trio by rolling into their legs. {{storylink|Kre-O Micro-Changers Combiners comic}}
{{-}}

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
Predaking was put under the command of a younger soldier in the Decepticon army by the tail-end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. After Optimus Prime and Galvatron both met their ends on the battlefield, the leader of Predaking's squad took the name "[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]" and sought to take advantage of the Autobot army's state of disarray. To this end, he unleashed Predaking upon a [[Tigatron|peace negotiator]] who visited his camp, and then set out to attack the Primal Council himself. Predaking slew many enemy units before being confronted by the Tripredacus Council and their allies. To further their own goals, these 'bots combined into [[Predacus]], beat down Predaking, and skewered him with his own sword, killing him. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Predaking was among the Decepticons forces nestled safely behind [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s force field when the combined forces of the Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] came to stop them from absorbing the [[sun]]. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:TheIronKlaw-Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|He breathes fire! Just like [[Predaking (Prime)|the other Predaking-]] wait is that coming out of his '''KNEE'''?!]]
The Predacons had attempted to combine in the past, but Predaking was not born until after the Predacons were forcibly brainwashed into serving as [[Iron Klaw|Count "Iron Klaw" van Rani]] by [[Merklynn|Garrison Kreiger]], using a copy of the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]] to improve upon their prior combiner technology and grant them the power of true combination, allowing them to form the mighty Predaking.

As Predaking, van Rani deployed the team in his [[Iron Castle]] in [[Kalistan]] to defend the interests of the [[Iron Ring]], and the combiner wound up battling [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]], [[Action Man]] and [[Ayana Jones|Mayday]], who could do little but just stay alive until [[Snake-Eyes]] destroyed Kreiger's Talisman emulator inside the castle. Without the Talisman's energy, the individual personalities of the argumentative Predacons reasserted themselves and Predaking collapsed into his components, with Kup blowing up Razorclaw's head soon afterwards in the hopes that Predaking would never return. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

[[File:Unicron6 Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|left|"I have a [[Predaking (G1)#Generations|new toy]], too, but all I get is this single tiny panel? [[To sell toys|This is unfair]]."]]
Even that didn't keep Predaking down for long, though, as the repaired combiner joined van Rani, [[Miles Mayhem]], and [[Doctor X]] in [[Venice]], defending the planet from an army of invading [[Maximal]]s alongside some [[Red Shadows]]. {{storylink|Ceremony}}
{{-}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
{{voiceactor|[[Samoa Joe]] (English)}}
[[File:Machinima-POTP-Predaking-fires.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Deal the cards, that's what he does now.]]
[[File:POTP-Ep10-Saga's-End-Fallen-decapitates-Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
As [[Volcanicus (Generations)|Volcanicus]] was fighting [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Victorion]] in [[Primal Swamp]], Predaking interrupted their battle and demanded Victorion hand over the [[Enigma of Combination]]. When she failed to produce it, Predaking began attacking her in a rage. {{storylink|Volcanicus (episode)|Volcanicus}} As he clutched Victorion and tussled with Windblade, Predaking was distracted by Perceptor, letting the others attack and temporarily stun him before escaping. However, he got to his feet and went after them, himself pursued by Volcanicus. Everyone stopped, however, when they came across [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] entering a mysterious dome. {{storylink|Without Warning}} He continued to ignore Victorion's insistence that she did not have the Enigma, believing he would need it to survive the coming events. He took down Volcanicus, Perceptor and Windblade, but before he could attack Victorion, Megatron reemerged and threatened him with the [[Requiem Blaster (Megatronus)|Requiem Blaster]]. Though he declared he was no longer bound to Megatron's orders, he accepted his former leader's claims that they would notify him should they find the Enigma, and he departed for parts unknown. {{storylink|Primal (POTP)|Primal}} Megatron ultimately made good on his promise, and Predaking soon arrived in the [[Well of All Sparks|Well of Sparks]] to attack Megatronus and attempt to take the Enigma. This ultimately proved short-lived, as Megatronus overpowered the Combiner and ripped his head off, killing him. {{storylink|Saga's End}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
*The Predacons came to the aid of a trio of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] who found themselves unable to handle the Dinobots. After rushing into battle, the Predacons combined into Predaking, and fought the Dinobots from the air. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Predacons|Predacons commercial}}
*Predaking found [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] walking alone through a field, and came swooping down from the skies to attack them. He was thwarted by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], who blasted him back before unleashing his flame-breath onto Predaking. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sky Lynx|Sky Lynx commercial}}
*During a massive battle between Kreons, Predaking's components assembled themselves into his gestalt form. He and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] then proceeded to send the Autobots fleeing for their tiny lives. {{storylink|Commercial#Kre-O|KRE-O Transformers Micro Changers and Combiners Construction Sets commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TheTransformersPS2 Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|So... he has two goals then?]]
{{voiceactor|???}}

Right when the Jewel of Mystery was within sight of the Autobots, Predaking roared (which sounded more like a moan), stating that the Autobots would not have the Jewel. Dropping in front of them, Predaking stated his mission: "Destroy...Autobots! Keep...Jewel! My...Only...Goal!" Rodimus Prime recognized the hulking combination of the Predacons and warned the Autobots that he was tough. Predaking fought the Autobots, but despite being aided by a mass of Decepticon foot soldiers, the Predacon gestalt was defeated. Deciding to go back to base, Predaking turned around and flew away. Once Rodimus was sure Predaking was out of hearing range, he expressed gratitude for the fact that Predaking was an idiot. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Earth Wars Predaking.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb| Fear my HIGH HEELS!!!!! And my sword!]]
Predaking is the fearsome combination of the likemindedness of all the Predacons along with some developmental technology in the form of the Quintesson Hive mind. Seeing as they revel in the hunt, Megatron was impressed with Predaking's singlemindedness.

The Predacons were deployed once the Dinobots came to find the Enigma Of Combination. Using Bombshell's Cerebro-shells on an unknowing Jetfire, the Predacons led the Dinobots into a trap. Knowing they were so close, the dinobots broke role and started to attack!

Optimus, hearing the news, sent Superion to handle the situation, while likewise, Megatron sent Bruticus as back up for the Predacons. Both Superion and Bruticus battled until Volcanicus and Predaking emerged.
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

Predaking can be formed once all 3 to 4 star Predacons have been collected. You can even sub in a 5 star Divebomb, if available.

*'''Class''' - Combiner
*'''Weapons''': Predaking jumps on to his opponents, stomps on defenses, and deals massive damage with his giant sword. He can also has a built in Flamethrower, and can send a beam into the air that will come back down as meteors that deal high damage.
*'''Abilities''':
**'''Infernum Blade''' - Jump and strike with the Infernum Blade! Deals Heavy damage to the target and anything directly behind it.
**'''Fire And Brimstone''' - Set a wide area on fire dealing as average of 2,280 damage over 8 seconds.
**'''Extinction''' - A shower of meteors bombards a very large area dealing an average damage over 10 seconds. Quadruple damage to walls.
*'''Cooldown''': 15 seconds to 20 seconds.

{{chargamestub}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Predaking toy.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|It's your own fault if you ignored this when it was reissued, you know.]]
*'''Predaking''' ([[1986]]/[[2004]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-78'''
**''Accessories:'' X-ray laser cannon, [[Sonic sword#Toys|sonic sword]], 4 combiner extremities, head
:''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' Predaking is, by far, the largest of the traditional central component-leader-type combiner toys. He is formed by combining all five Predacons together. Unlike the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1986 (Scramble City and Transformers 2010)|Scramble City]]-style toys such as [[Bruticus (G1)#Toys|Bruticus]] or [[Defensor (G1)#Toys|Defensor]], Predaking's arms and legs are not interchangeable, but can switch sides allowing the construction of a more [[show-accuracy|show-accurate]] toy. Razorclaw's sonic sword and [[beast mode]] cannon serve as Predaking's primary weapons, with Tantrum and Headstrong's back-mounted cannons as his feet.

:Like Defensor and Bruticus, Predaking's components were released in both plastic and metal versions. In his combined mode featuring each member in [[die-cast]] form, Predaking is rather heavy for a Transformer. A complete combiner weighs in at exactly 1 kilogram (2.2lbs). This however does not upset the balance of the toy, as Headstrong and Tantrum have the bulk of the die-cast. Japan only received the plastic versions during the original run of the Generation 1 toylines.

:Hasbro only released the individual Predacons, but a [[giftset]] was available in Japan. In late 2004, Predaking was reissued to much rejoicing of people who could not afford the after market prices on a vintage piece. This reissue used metal parts, and the pieces that were originally soft plastic were now hard plastic.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Predaking/predaking.htm More information on Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
*'''Predaking''' ([[2010]]/[[2017]])
**''Accessories:'' Razorclaw's sword and cannon, 4 combiner extremities, head
:Released on [[November 27]], 2010 as part of [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)#TakaraTomy Welcome to Transformers 2010 campaign|Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' line, Predaking featured significant differences from the previous releases. His yellow plastic was replaced with gold plastic, most of which was painted over gold. The orange, red, black, and gray plastic was replaced with metallic fleck equivalents. Nearly every [[sticker]] has been redesigned from the original, and an optional label sheet to be applied to the robot, beast, and combined mode eyes has been included. Like the previous reissue, this version featured die-cast parts.

:Many of the individual figures featured changes to their face paint in either overall color or application.

:This figure comes with 3 points towards the 2010 Sound Station Redemption campaign, they can be found hidden in the upper right corner front flap of the packaging.
{{-}}

===Kre-O===
[[File:Kre-O-Micro-Changers-Combiner-G1-Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|And from that day forward, anytime a bunch of animals are together in one place, it's called a ZOO! Unless it's a farm!]]
*'''Predaking''' (Micro-Changer Combiner, [[2013]])
**''Set number'': '''A2227'''
**''Pieces'': '''79'''
:One of the first [[Kreon]] [[Micro-Changer]] combiner sets. The four component Kreons, [[Razorclaw (G1)#Kre-O|Razorclaw]], [[Headstrong (G1)#Kre-O|Headlock]], [[Tantrum (G1)#Kre-O|Torox]], and [[Divebomb (G1)#Kre-O|Divebomb]], can be rebuilt into their alternate modes. They can also be rebuilt into Predaking by taking them apart and combining their pieces.

:Like all of the Micro Changer combiner sets, Predaking comes with only one ''Kre-O'' display brick, and a sticker sheet composed of his leg detailing and a ''Kre-O'' logo. Due to the leg stickers being slightly transparent, applying them to the black-colored leg parts can render the details being semi-transparent. The instructions also did not mention where the ''Kre-O'' logo sticker should be placed. Also, Predaking's combined mode's waist part is somehow prone to falling off the assembly while posing, and he has a problem standing straight due to how the legs are constructed.

:The packaging accidentally switches Headstrong and Tantrum's new trademark-friendly names, labeling the former as "Torox" and the latter as "Headlock".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Kre-OPredaking/predaking.htm More information on Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Platinum Edition===
[[File:Platinum-Edition-Predaking.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Predaking''' (2013)
**'''10 OF 30'''
**''Accessories:'' Predaking's sword, Razorclaw's sword and cannon, 4 combiner extremities, head
:''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Predaking is similar to the 2010 release, complete with die-cast metal parts. New to this release is a gold [[redeco]] of the [[Star Saber (Prima)#Beast Hunters|Star Saber]] of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Beast Hunters (2013)|Beast Hunters]]'' [[Optimus Prime (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Voyager Class Optimus Prime]]. In addition to several pre-applied stickers, five sheets of labels from the 2010 release are also included. Finally, he has a designated number as part of the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' line.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/PlatinumPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Platinum Edition'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:POTP-Titan-Predaking-set.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I‘ve come to slay [[Predaking (Prime)|a dragon]].]]
*'''Predaking''' (Titan Class, [[2018]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''PP-31'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[September 29]], 2018'''
**''Accessories'': [[Onyx Prime#Generations|Onyx]] Prime Master, [[Onyx Matrix]] frame, 4 combiner extremities, 2 shoulder cannons, arm cannon (formed by two guns)
:''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]] Predaking is an all-new Titan Class-sized combiner composed of [[Razorclaw (G1)#Generations|Razorclaw]], [[Tantrum (G1)#Generations|Torox]] (a renamed Tantrum due to trademark availability issues), [[Rampage (G1)#Generations|Rampage]], [[Headstrong (G1)#Generations|Headstrong]], and [[Divebomb (G1)#Generations|Divebomb]]. He also comes with the Onyx Matrix, containing [[Onyx Prime#Generations|Onyx Prime]], a [[Prime Master]]. The Matrix can be attached inside Predaking's chest, under Razorclaw's beast head.
[[File:POTPPredakingSword.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.66|Challenge accepted, 3P-ers!]]
:In July 2018, 5 Predakings with packages signed by [[Shogo Hasui]] were released as a giveaway prize for Toys"R"Us Taiwan's sale campaign (which ran July 15–31.).<ref>https://www.facebook.com/TransformersNeverDie/photos/a.629496500464227.1073741828.478564562224089/1770291019718097/?type=3&theater</ref>

:On November 11, 2018, Hasbro's TianMao site provided a free [[Sonic sword#Generations|sonic sword]] for every Predaking purchased, as a promotional item for China's Singles Day (the Chinese equivalent of [[Black Friday (event)|Black Friday]]).<ref>https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a21m2.8958473.0.0.40f5639167zksJ&id=580472727102&skuId=3865613613064</ref> The sword "blade" is made of very soft rubbery plastic, with a hidden rod inside it containing a wooden ballpoint pen. Unfortunately, even with the rod inside, many collectors found the sword to be unstable and prone to drooping or falling apart under its own weight.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Forms Robo===
*'''Predaking''' (1987)
:Predaking was also among the ten characters who were rendered as part of the ''[[Forms Robo]]'' line of oversized ''keshigomu'' figures. He came individually packaged in a plastic baggie, and was available in red, yellow, green, or blue. Of the various ''Forms Robo'' figures, Predaking is easily the hardest to find, rarely appearing on the secondary market.
{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[File:Titanium Predaking.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Squattie]]
*'''Predaking''' (3" Robot Masters, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Display stand, sword
:As part of the ''Titanium'' series 3" line, Predaking is constructed of mostly [[die-cast]] metal and plastic parts, but cannot transform and has very limited articulation. His sculpt and colour scheme is based upon the original G1 toy, but has Rampage and Divebomb occupying each other's positions, like the cartoon and comic model.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/TitPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Titanium Series'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[File:Robotheroesricochetpredaking.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|As if Predaking could get any cuter. Valiant effort, though.]]
*'''Ricochet vs Predaking''' (2-pack, 2009)
:''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' Predaking is a small, [[super deformed]] and absolutely adorable figurine with articulated shoulders. He was only available in a two-pack with [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]].

:The United States release of this two-pack has been cancelled, but it has been found in other markets such as Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/RHPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:1986protopredacons.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|You'd cover that face, too.]]
[[File:PredakingChaosLightsaber.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb]]
*Razorclaw's head was originally designed to transform into Predaking's. This was dropped for unknown reasons.
*Predaking was designed by toy and anime mechanical designer [[Akitaka Mika]],<ref>[http://www.ex.org/ex/3.4/09-feature_akitaka2.html Interview with Akitaka Mika]</ref> and was the only one of his proposed designs to actually be produced as a toy. This possibly explains why the Predacons do not conform to the then-contemporary [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style of combining.
**Despite this, Predaking's arms and legs are still frequently swapped from side to side in varying ways between different media.
*While Predaking's Generation 1 character model seems to accurately recreate his head, somehow the design is frequently lost in translation, resulting in plenty of [[:File:Predaking_primatives.jpg|feature-less]], [[:File:Nightmare-planet-predaking-goodart.jpg|slate faced]] Predakings, to the point where this discrepancy shows up as late as the ''[[:File:HM14 Headmasters vs Predaking.jpg|Headmasters anime]]''. This might account for his slightly oddball head redesign in Transformers Zone, where it seems Predaking's forehead protrusions were misinterpreted as two separate eyes.
*A Predaking [[Action Master]] was planned at one point, but apparently went no further than a concept sketch. It was intended to be the included rider of a transforming dirt bike.<ref>''[[Transformers Generations|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]'', p111</ref> While Predaking was scrapped, the bike was refined and included with the Action Master [[Axer (G1)#Generation 1|Axer]].
*Incidentally, the aforementioned concept art was found in an [http://www.worlds-worst.com/worldsworst/wwnp_article.php?69 Arby's parking lot] after the end of [[BotCon 2000]], where it had presumably come unstowed.
*''Kre-O'' Predaking was originally announced as "Predicus" at [[San Diego Comic-Con]]. The name was corrected for the toy release, but remains "Predicus" on the Micro Changers Combiners bio-poster available on the Kre-O website.
*''Kre-O'' [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]], who misses out being part of the gestalt, instead comes separately in a blind-packed bag.
*A proposed but unrealized [[Fun Publications]] [[BotCon]] [[exclusive]] was a redeco of [[Tigerhawk]] into a non-combiner ''Beast Wars''-style Predaking.<ref>[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/bc14br.html BotCon 2014 attendee report]</ref>
*Predaking in ''[[Transformers: Earth Wars]]'' takes many cues from the G1 animation model, but also the "[[IP infringing item|third-party]]" Mastermind Creations version of Predaking.
*Outside his debut, Predaking very rarely uses his [[Sonic sword]] in the Generation 1 cartoon; he does briefly wield what looks like a purple lightsaber in the episode [[Chaos (episode)|Chaos]], however.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Predaking''' (プレダキング ''Puredakingu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Chōng Yúnxiāo''' (China, 冲云霄, "Rush to the sky")
*''Russian:'' '''Vreditel'''' (Вредитель, "Wrecker")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Predacons]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Power of the Primes]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Zone Decepticons]]

Predacon (G1)

2019-05-06T04:21:03Z

Anonymous X: /* Generations */

{{factions|decepticon|predacon}}
{{disambig3|Predacon}}
:''The Predacons are a [[Decepticon]] [[subgroup]], and later the progenitors of the future [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:TFSummerSpecial cover.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Know that there are only five Predacons, and that they all share an awesome color scheme!]]
The '''Predacons''' are a subgroup of Decepticons who transform into powerful, savage animals.

The subgroup is composed of:

*The ever-patient [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (leader)
*The cheerful [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]]
*The stubborn [[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]]
*The easily distracted [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]]
*The wrathful [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]]

They combine to form the deadly [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]].

The group also may include [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:FFOD5 Predacons.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4]]
At the behest of the [[Quintesson]]s, nominally allied with the Decepticons, the Predacons were sent to Jupiter's moon [[Io]] to retrieve [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[Transformation cog|Transformation Cog]] from [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. Oddly, despite being constantly touted as the most fearsome and vicious warriors in the galaxy, the Predacons were beaten off fairly easily by this small band of Autobots, unable even harm their human ally [[Marissa Faireborn]]. The terrifying [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] proved a bit more of a challenge, but was soon dispatched by Sky Lynx. The separated Predacons fell back in disarray as the Autobots made their escape. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Chaos-predacons-robotmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Everyone forgets we can also turn into robots.]]
The Predacons later served directly under [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. The Predacons appeared in many of Galvatron's schemes in the ensuing year, ranging from oppressing the people of [[Paradron]], {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}} to mining [[death crystal]]s on the planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where they got their first rematch with Sky Lynx. Though they proved effective in the planet's jungle environments, and managed to knock Sky Lynx out of the battle, they were unable to stop Kup from commandeering Galvatron's death crystal cannon. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}.

They also found themselves ensnared in a bizarre dream-fueled world as part of a Quintesson plot, forcing them to cooperate - or at least tolerate - the Autobots trapped there with them. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

{{groupstub}}
{{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}} {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:Call-of-the-primitives-predacons4.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The Predacons were part of a large Decepticon squad fighting Autobots on the Moon, when a voice from space called them away. Abandoning the battle, the Predacons and a variety of other beastial Transformers boarded Trypticon and rocketed off into space to answer the call. Along the way, the Predacons stirred up some trouble and had a brawl with the Dinobots. Arriving on an ancient world, they learned that the [[Primacron|creator]] of [[Unicron]] had unleashed a new all-destroying energy creature... which soon arrived and attacked. Razorclaw ordered the assembled Transformers to split up to evade the creature, but later the Predacons decided it would be better to make a stand instead of running. Merging in to Predaking, they fearlessly faced their foe, but were quickly dispatched. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

The Predacons were among the many Transformers were infected by the [[Hate Plague]] - Headstrong got it from Brawl, and soon spread it to Razorclaw. Later, having formed Predaking, they were moments from destroying the still-healthy Galvatron when they were quickly shooed away by some passing Autobots. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Back on Earth, the separated Predacons were among a group of infected Transformers who broke into Autobot City and were on the verge of destroying the inert Optimus Prime when the Autobot leader awoke and used the Matrix of Leadership's energies to cure them all. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''Transformers 2010'' story pages=====
The Predacons were built through cooperation between the Decepticons and the Quintessons. Though they work for the Decepticons, they are commanded by the Quintessons. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)|Part 3 and Part 4}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{groupstub}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon, manga, and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. The Predacons were among the selected, but only in the form of Predaking. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
Splitting off from the Decepticons in the wake of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], the Predacons formed [[Predacon (BW)|their own faction]], supplementing their forces with Transformers from stasis pods which [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] pilfered from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s secondary laboratory. {{Storylink|A Common Foe}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
''Summoned to [[Earth]] by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to help him hunt down and destroy an isolated and vulnerable [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], the Predacons travelled across the [[space bridge]] and (after showing off their skills by doing some target shooting on [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]) were quickly approved of by their new employer. Before leaving on their mission, however, they were approached by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], who convinced them to turn on Megatron and destroy him instead. Their attempt at treachery would result in both Megatron and Optimus being transported to Cybertron and believed dead by their respective teams for some time.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:Predacons-GoneButNotForgotten.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Attacking Megatron's so nice we did it twice!]]

Shockwave, who was seeking to rid himself of an addled and insane Megatron (driven mad by the recent death of Optimus Prime), [[Deep space receiving tower|contacted]] the Predacons and hired them to ambush and kill the Decepticon leader. (''It was explained to the Predacons, who were understandably concerned about having to deal with Megatron yet again, that their target had recently lost his memory, and thus would not recall meeting them before, or their subsequent betrayal of him.'') The Predacons eagerly agreed to the mission, seeing it as a possible challenge for their skills, and disguised themselves as Autobots in order to convince Megatron that Optimus Prime was not only still alive, but had been the one who sent them. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

{{note|Unlike most of their contemporaries, the Predacons appeared to be an elite group of hunters, who seemed to exist as mercenaries outside of the usual Decepticon hierarchy—they had no qualms about trying to murder their supposed leader, so long as it seemed challenging and the money was right. Their legendary skill was so well-known that even Shockwave remembered them as the greatest hunters on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], despite having been buried in a swamp for several millennia!}}

''Deciding to stay on Earth, the Predacons quickly grew bored with the lack of any real sport there. Their previous encounters with Optimus and Megatron had been so exciting that they had expected to find the planet a little more challenging. While rampaging randomly across the country, they soon encountered the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], and found them to be worthy opponents. Both teams were closely matched in terms of power, and were strongly devoted to "looking after their own". Furthermore, it was revealed that [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] were actually old enemies from their days back on Cybertron. As the battle ended, the Predacons looked forward to causing their new rivals no end of trouble in the future.'' {{storylink|Grudge Match!}}

[[File:Predacons-ColdWar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Do these guys ever attack the Autobots?]]
New Decepticon leader [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] dispatched the Predacons to raid a chemical storage facility outside of [[Huntsville]], [[Alabama]] for rocket fuel. Having succeeded, they joined Ratbat for an assault on [[Intelligence and Information Institute|I.I.I.]]'s [[Oregon]] headquarters, in order to examine the corpses of the [[Throttlebot]]s, whom Triple-I had recently executed. After making short work of the [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] forces guarding the base, they located the crushed Autobot bodies, only to find that their [[brain module]]s had been removed. Ratbat and the Predacons tracked the brains (which had been transplanted into toy cars) to [[S. Witwicky Auto Repairs & Tow Service|Witwicky Auto Repair]], which they destroyed, and then to a local mall, where they were out manoeuvered and defeated by the "toy soldiers" and their human allies, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] and [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]]. {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}

Under Ratbat's command, the Predacons participated in the full-scale attack against the Autobots on the moon, {{storylink|Totaled!}} as well as two major battles in the Arctic, facing both [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok's]] Decepticons and later the Autobots who had been lured there in a trap. Shortly after, the Predacons were part of the combined Autobot-Decepticon team to stop the [[Underbase]]-fueled [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] from destroying [[Tokyo]], but were easily destroyed by him. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

====Earthforce====
{{earthforcefiction}}
Razorclaw and Rampage were on a reconnaissance mission for Shockwave when they found [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], right at the moment he found out he had been the victim of an [[April Fools' Day]] joke. They laughed. That was stupid of them. {{storylink|Snow Fun!}} Grimlock's warning that there were Predacons in the area fresh in his head, [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] assumed that [[Fantasy Predacon|they]] were responsible for the disappearance of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. {{storylink|Mystery!}}

When Megatron and Shockwave attempted to reunite their disparate forces, the Predacons attended the [[Enclave]]. It didn't end harmoniously thanks to the intervention of the Earthforce. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} Later, they attacked the [[Earthbase]] under [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s command, but were driven off. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Predacons lost and found.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Eons ago, the Predacons were Decepticon warlords who had been banished from Cybertron to the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beest]]. While on the planet, the Predacons' higher functions degraded, causing them to become feral. [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] tracked down the exiled Predacons on Beest and, with the aid of three members of the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], subdued and rebuilt them, allowing them to combine into the fearsome Predaking. {{storylink|Welcome to the Jungle}}

Their first target was [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s base on Cybertronian [[Wastelands]], where the Predacons drew out and attacked [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], killing the latter. Before Shockwave could properly react to this turn of events the Predacons had taken over the base and subdued the rest of his troops. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}

Later, Megatron returned to Earth, and entered the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' to punish [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] for shooting him in the void of space. {{storylink|War and Peace}} The Predacons were sent to fight Starscream's elite squad, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], while the latter were training on the island of [[Guadalcanal]]. Predaking's firepower forced the Combaticons to combine into [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], and the warriors significantly damaged each other. However, while Bruticus was strong and determined, Predaking had superior intelligence compared to the slow-witted Combaticon combiner, and he savagely defeated Bruticus, putting him in [[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Predacons art of war.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95]]
Divebomb was among [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s troops as they waited patiently for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s force field around [[Teletran 3]] to dissipate. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

Following the defeat of Shockwave, the Predacons were forced to live in the [[Gladiator Zone]], where they created their own territory and were none too pleased with [[Nautilator]] intruding on it. When the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] joined with his comrades to form [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]], the Predacons formed Predaking and fought him. Predaking came out on top, but before he could finish the Seacons off, he was stopped by [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], who told both subgroups that he was the offspring of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}}

Joining Serpent O.R.'s new Decepticon army, the Predacons helped capture a group of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] and argued with the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] during a meeting. As Predaking, they later attacked an Autobot peace ceremony and took out [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} He spent the rest of the battle hunting down innocent civilians before returning to the Decepticon headquarters, where Divebomb and Rampage failed to notice that their former prisoners were sneaking up on them. Meanwhile, Tantrum and Headstrong were among the Decepticons preparing to defend their base from a major Autobot/G.I. Joe assault. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} Alongside several other subgroup leaders, Razorclaw protected Serpent O.R. from a furious Optimus Prime, but was killed when [[Cobra Commander]] took control of Serpent O.R.'s body. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

===Dawn of Future's Past===
{{note|The events of "Dawn of Future's Past" are also integrated into the [[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]].}}
[[File:DawnofFuturesPast G1Predacons.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|METAL! \m/]]
After the end of the Great War the remaining Predacons formed the new [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon faction]]. Divebomb is known to have recruited several ex-Decepticons for the faction. Some time after the [[Great Reformatting]], Razorclaw returned as their leader. As usual, they swore revenge against the Maximals. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

{{note|According to [[Pete Sinclair]], the scene takes place 50-100 years after ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''. He also stated that the original Rampage, Tantrum, and Headstrong died at the end of the Great War, and the guys standing behind Razorclaw are their [[Relatives|descendants]].}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:Predacons SL Jazz.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Know that our Cybertronian modes are awesome.]]
Before the war, the Predacons were trained in the arts of combat by [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}} They soon found their calling in the underground [[Gladiatorial combat|gladiatorial]] pit fights that dominated the Cybertronian underworld; though they quickly climbed the ranks thanks to their fighting techniques, they remained wary of the powerful [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Like many gladiators, they joined [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s budding Decepticon faction during the uprising against the [[Senate]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

When Megatron was overthrown by [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]] early in the war, the Predacons refused to serve a new leader and left Cybertron on a hunting trip, killing native species for sport across many worlds before they ran out of prey and fuel on [[Canis Tor]]. They then turned on each other, but before they could get to cannibalizing their own teammates, [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] showed up and let them know Megatron had returned. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} The Predacons rejoined the Decepticon army and participated in an assault on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], where they killed [[Slinger]] and battled the Dynobots. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

During the war, the Predacons became a Tactical Assault Unit loyal to Megatron. [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] prepared himself for a possible Predacon attack while enacting the [[Regenesis]] project, and was caught off-guard when he was instead attacked by the Dynobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}} At some point, the Predacons attempted to modify themselves into a [[combiner]] team, but failed. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

After the Battle of [[Thunderhead Pass]], Razorclaw was involved in a Decepticon scheme to demoralize the Autobots and claim as much of their territory on the planet as possible. [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] used [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to subvert the will of [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], forcing the Autobot to make an assassination attempt on [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], "The Voice" of the Autobot cause. And so, just as the Autobot forces were gathering around their transmitters, waiting for the pre-scheduled broadcast that would never come, Razorclaw caught them off-guard with a massive full-frontal assault on the enemy trenches. Besides his Predacons, he led [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]], [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]], [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]], and even the mighty [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] himself into battle. Although details are slim, this offensive was apparently a major blow to the Autobot cause. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[File:IDWongoing11 Predacons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1| We serve [[China]]..... oh wait, they have no Energon. KILL THEM ALL! ]]
At one point on Cybertron, the Predacons hunted down and killed two squads of Autobots, leaving [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] the only survivors. Between the two, they managed to defeat four out of the five Predacons, but Razorclaw got the better of Jazz in a one-on-one battle and was about to execute him when Autobot reinforcements arrived and forced him to back off. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}}

After [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s reactivation and subsequent return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the Predacons were dispatched to ensure that his defeat was final this time, with Megatron giving Razorclaw explicit instructions: if Cybertron must die, then so be it. Razorclaw started a countdown on an orbital bombardment powerful enough to destroy Cybertron, but stood at the console with his finger on the button, ready to cancel it in the event that Thunderwing was defeated. He remarked that he was hesitant to destroy Cybertron unless it was absolutely necessary, but was willing to do it if it was. During the Autobots' battle with Thunderwing, Razorclaw sent two assault teams under Divebomb and Headstrong to assist the Autobots, but ordered them to retreat when Thunderwing revealed his "ultra-mode". Razorclaw cancelled the countdown with one second remaining after [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] defeated Thunderwing. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

Following Megatron's defeat on [[Earth]], Starscream took leadership but feared that Razorclaw would challenge him. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Uneasy Lies the Head}} This did not happen, as two years later, Razorclaw was overseeing the hundreds of Decepticons gathered on a desolate planetoid somewhere, rather enjoying it when they turned to cannibalism. {{storylink|All His Engines}} The other four Predacons were left behind on Earth, where they formed an alliance with the [[China|Chinese]] government to defend their nation in exchange for [[energon]]. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"|Hawk Among the Sparrows}} Led by Rampage, they clashed with the Autobots (allied with [[Skywatch]]) and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] (allied with [[North Korea]]), but ultimately the Chinese energon factories were destroyed, and the Predacons saw no need to stick around any further. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"|All My Sins Remembered}} As for Razorclaw, he tried to defend the Decepticon base from [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] only to fall victim to a [[cerebro-shell]] and forced to turn on Starscream. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}}

[[File:TheIronKlaw-Predacons.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Disco inferno!]]
After the war against [[D-Void]], the Predacons were reunited on Cybertron, where they were imprisoned by the Autobots and fitted with [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chips]]. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} Like most Decepticons, they went on a riot when Megatron returned. {{storylink|City on Fire}} They were among the disenfranchised Decepticons on Cybertron who joined up with [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] when he took leadership of the faction and swore to conquer Earth. However, Galvatron's troops were defeated in [[Shanghai]] in a three way war between them, the Autobots and the Chinese military. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}}

Remaining on Earth, the Predacons fell into the employ of the villainous human "[[Iron Klaw]]", who used [[Merklynn|Garrison Kreiger]]'s technology to forcibly brainwash them into loyal soldiers. He also improved on their botched combiner technology, allowing them to form Predaking. As Predaking, they were deployed to defend Iron Klaw's castle from an infiltration by Kup, [[Ayana Jones|Mayday]], and [[Action Man]], but separated when [[Snake-Eyes|Snake Eyes]] smashed the machinery keeping them brainwashed. While the team was left confused, Razorclaw attempted to take revenge by killing any nearby humans and was in turn shot in the head by Kup. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

Despite this seeming setback, the Predacons, including Razorclaw, returned to duty during [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s attack on Earth, forming Predaking to defend [[Venice]] from [[Maximal]] invasion. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Predaking toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.9|It's called "Animal Planet" 'cause WE took it over!]]
*'''Predaking''' (1986, 2004)
**[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]]
**[[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]]
**[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]]
**[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]
**[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]]

:The Predacons were sold boxed in 1986 and 1987. They are by far the largest combining team of the G1 toyline, as all five members are the same comparatively large size. They share a unified color scheme of red, orange, yellow, gray and black. Each transforms from a robot armed with a sword and handgun to a chunky mechanical animal; the five toys combine together to form [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. Some of Predaking's add-on kibble is used by his individual components as weaponry.

:In late 2004, the Predaking [[giftset]] was reissued in Japan to much rejoicing of people who could not afford the after market prices on a vintage piece. This reissue used metal parts, and the pieces that were originally soft plastic were now hard plastic.
{{-}}

[[File:G1 Gnaw toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|A Predacon. ''Suuurrrrrrrrre.'']]
*'''Gnaw''' (Decepticon, 1986)
:[[Gnaw (G1)#Generation 1|Gnaw]] was an Animatron in the Japanese toyline. As in the American toy line, Gnaw transforms into a [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]].
{{-}}

*'''Predaking''' (2010/2017)
:A reissue of Predaking was released on November 27, 2010. As part of TakaraTomy's Celebration 2010 line, Predaking featured new [[package art]], and the toys themselves had significant differences from the previous releases. His yellow plastic was replaced with gold plastic, most of which was painted over gold. The orange, red, black, and gray plastic was replaced with metallic fleck equivalents. Nearly every [[sticker]] has been redesigned from the original, and an optional label sheet to be applied to the robot, beast, and combined mode eyes has been included.
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:TF-Universe-2008-Razorclaw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Special Team Leaders''' (2008)
**'''Razorclaw'''
:[[Razorclaw (G1)#Universe .282008.29|Razorclaw]] is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends of Cybertron]] [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] toy, transforming into a robotic lion. This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Lio Convoy|Leo Prime]].
{{-}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:Timelinestoy-RazorclawWoH.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
*'''Razorclaw''' (BotCon attendee figure, [[2009]])
:[[Razorclaw (G1)#Timelines|Razorclaw]] is a [[retool]] and [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]], featuring a new head. Razorclaw transforms into a mechanical lion. Each forelimb/arm has a Cyber-Key-released spring-loaded claw, and his tail becomes a blade-whip for robot mode. He can also transform into a massive clawed arm that can attach to the Leader-class ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#CybSuper1|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#CybSuper1|Megatron]] toys. Razorclaw came with a translucent [[Cyber Planet Key|Golden Disk Key]].

:The original version of this mold was also used to make [[Nemesis Breaker]] and was separately retooled into ''Universe'' [[Lio Convoy|Leo Prime]].
{{-}}

===Platinum Edition===
[[File:Platinum-Edition-Predaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Predaking''' (2013)
:This reissue of [[Predaking (G1)#Platinum Edition|Predaking]] is similar to the 2010 release, complete with die-cast metal parts and the five sheets of labels from the 2010 release. Different this time, though, is Predaking's sword being reused from Beast Hunters Voyager Class Optimus Prime's Star Saber.
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:POTP-Titan-Predaking-set.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7| We have come to slay [[Predaking (Prime)|a dragon...]] and your cash. ]]
*'''Predaking''' (2018)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''PP-31'''
:''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Predaking is a Titan Class Combiner set comprising five Voyager-sized figures: [[Razorclaw (G1)#Generations|Razorclaw]], [[Tantrum (G1)#Generations|Torox]] (a renamed Tantrum due to trademark availability issues), [[Rampage (G1)#Generations|Rampage]], [[Headstrong (G1)#Generations|Headstrong]], and [[Divebomb (G1)#Generations|Divebomb]]. He also comes with the Onyx Matrix, containing [[Onyx Prime#Generations|Onyx Prime]], a [[Prime Master]]. The Matrix can be attached inside Predaking's chest, under Razorclaw's beast head.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Forms Robo===
*'''Predaking''' (1987)
:Predaking was also among the ten characters who were rendered as part of the ''[[Forms Robo]]'' line of oversized ''keshigomu'' figures. He came individually packaged in a plastic baggie, and was available in red, yellow, green, or blue. Of the various ''Forms Robo'' figures, Predaking is easily the hardest to find, rarely appearing on the secondary market.
{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[File:Titanium Predaking.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
*'''Predaking''' (3" Robot Masters, 2006)
:As part of the ''Titanium'' series 3" line, Predaking is constructed of mostly [[die-cast]] metal and plastic parts, but cannot transform and has very limited articulation. His sculpt and colour scheme is based upon the original G1 toy, but has Rampage and Divebomb occupying each other's positions, like the cartoon and comic model.
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:Robotheroesricochetpredaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Ricochet & Predaking''' (Robot Heroes, [[2009]])
:''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' Predaking is a small, [[super deformed]] and absolutely adorable figurine with articulated shoulders. He was only available in a two-pack with [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]]. While the United States release of this two-pack was been cancelled, it has been found in other markets such as Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
{{-}}

==Notes==
*The Predacons appear to be based on the [[Anibot]]s, a group of five Autobots who appeared in an early version of the script for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]]. These Anibots had the same animal modes as the Predacons (with the minor difference of a leopard instead of a tiger), and would also have combined into a larger robot, albeit a robot ''dragon''. Based on early internal [[character model|model sheets]] that were offered on [[eBay]] in 2016, it would appear that they had their faction changed first, briefly going by the interim name "Ani''cons''", before being given their final team name.<ref name="modelsheets">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/93711-more-unseen-tftm-designs-plus-some-early-colors-and-some-show-design/?p=3191211 Early model sheets] at The Allspark.</ref>
*According to the 1986 vendor catalog, the gold plastic swords were originally intended to be [[:File:1986protopredacons.jpg|gold chromed]].
*In Japanese media, [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]] is labeled an Animatron.
*Unlike the situation with the "[[Dinobot (G1)|dinosaur]]" [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], there tends to be little fandom discussion that [[Headstrong (G1)|two]] [[Tantrum (G1)|members]] of this team do not have '''preda'''tory animals as alternate modes.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Animatron''' (アニマトロン ''Animatoron'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Lüèshí Jīngāng''' (Taiwan, 掠食金剛, "Predator Vajra"), '''Jù Zhēngníng''' (China, 巨狰狞, "Giant Malevolent")
*''Russian:'' '''Vredikon''' (Вредикон, "Hurtcon")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars subgroups]]
[[Category:Combiner teams]]
[[Category:Decepticon subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Predacons| Predacon (G1)]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) subgroups]]
[[Category:Predacons| Predacon (G1)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe subgroups]]

Oil rig

2019-05-01T15:14:11Z

Anonymous X: Created page with "An '''oil rig''' is a human-constructed device and structure used to extract the liquid energy source known as oil from the Earth, often to be transported by pipel..."

An '''oil rig''' is a [[human]]-constructed device and structure used to extract the liquid energy source known as [[oil]] from the [[Earth]], often to be transported by pipelines and [[oil tanker]]s. [[Hard hat]]s are usually required headwear for humans based on oil rigs.

Oil rigs often attract the attention of [[Decepticon]]s for a variety of reasons.

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
[[Blackrock Enterprises]] was in possession of a [[oil-drilling platform|high-tech oil rig]] off the coast of [[Oregon]], which was assaulted by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] and the operational Decepticons under his command, capturing it to become a temporary Decepticon base of operations. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

North America

2019-05-01T14:10:25Z

Anonymous X: Created page with "'''North America''' is continent on Earth. Its mainland is home to the United States of America, its politer neighbour Canada, and Mexico to the south. It is a..."

'''North America''' is continent on [[Earth]]. Its mainland is home to the [[United States of America]], its politer neighbour [[Canada]], and [[Mexico]] to the south. It is arguably the most significant of Earth's continents for the Transformers saga.

The continent is surrounded by the [[Pacific Ocean]] to its west, and the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] in its east coast.

North American islands include [[Carob Island]], [[Club Con]], [[Cobra Island]], [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]], [[Griffin Rock]], [[Montrose Island]], and [[Wayward Island]]. [[Cuba]] is a sovereign island nation in North America; North American island territories include [[Puerto Rico]] (United States) and [[Greenland]] (Denmark).

==External links==
*{{w|North America}} at Wikipedia

[[Category:Continents]]
[[Category:Earth]]
[[Category:North America]]

Realvision

2016-03-03T00:10:14Z

Anonymous X:

[[File:Flames Boltax Realvision.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]

'''Realvision''' is a type of virtual reality-like simulation. Any resemblance to [[Wikipedia:Holodeck|similar technology in a famous science fiction franchise]] is purely coincidental.

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
At [[Club Con]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] used the captive [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] as a successful test subject for the Realvision technology. Subsequently, Ratbat used Realvision to enable himself and [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] to relive a pivotal moment in ancient [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] history: [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s decision to launch the [[Underbase]] into space rather than let it fall into [[Decepticon]] hands. Unbeknownst to Ratbat and Starscream, Buster managed to sneak into the Realvision simulation and spy on the proceedings. {{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}}

[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 technology]]

The Flames of Boltax!

2016-03-03T00:05:56Z

Anonymous X: /* Other notes */

{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #48
|prev=Club Con!
|next=Cold War!
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #196–197
|prev2=Club Con!
|next2=Cold Comfort and Joy!
|title="The Flames of Boltax!"
|image=MarvelUS-48.jpg
|caption=This cover wins the award for "Most Blatant Case of False Promotion" in the history of the series.
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=September [[1988]]
|coverdate=January [[1989]]
|writer=[[Bob Budiansky]]
|penciler=[[José Delbo]]
|inker=[[Danny Bulanadi]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Bill Oakley]]
|editor=[[Don Daley]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}
'''Read on, but only if you're willing to tempt madness... even death.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] finds himself being chased by strange creatures through an alien landscape. He suddenly takes a laser blast to the chest... only to find no damage has been done at all. A moment later, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] and the [[Decepticon]]s re-materialize around him. It seems they had developed a new full-sensory holographic projection system called [[Realvision]] and needed a guinea pig to test it. [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] announces that they are now prepared to review the [[Autobot]] tapes, which captures Buster's attention. Of course, Ratbat sends him back to his cell instead of letting him observe.

[[File:FlamesofBoltax-Triggerbots.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin'...]]
Ratbat and Starscream activate the Realvision and find themselves holographically present on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] more than four million years ago, near the dawn of the [[Cybertronian Civil Wars]]. They witness a convoy of Autobots, consisting of the [[Triggerbot]]s and [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]]. Prime, it seems, has come up with the idea of enlisting the aid of High Circuitmaster [[Boltax (G1)|Boltax]] and his vast font of knowledge, in the hopes that it can be used to end the war before it grows out of control. The Triggerbots question this, knowing it will violate a neutrality agreement and could escalate the war, but Prime thinks it's worth the risk. As the Autobots negotiate their way through several traps on the road to Boltax, they remain unaware that [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and the [[Triggercon]]s—seeing the neutrality agreement is now off—are dogging their every move.

Back in the real world, Buster uses the time-honored "air shaft trick" to break out of his cell in order to get a look at what's on the tapes.

In Realvision, Optimus Prime and his soldiers approach Boltax's [[Temple of Knowledge]]. The Circuitmaster's disciples allow Optimus alone to pass through and see Boltax. The Circuitmaster does not offer Prime any direct aid, but instead instructs him to seek what he's looking for inside the [[Underbase]]. (As each [[Transformer]] mind carries a [[database|DATAbase]], the Underbase is said to be a collection of knowledge that UNDERlies all dataBASEs.)

Buster enters the Realvision scenario just as Optimus Prime begins to bathe in the light of the Underbase and Megatron blasts his way in through Boltax and the disciples. Confronted by Megatron, Optimus Prime informs his enemy that the knowledge and power of the Underbase is too much for any one being to possess. Megatron blows Optimus Prime away and heads toward the Underbase. Badly injured, Optimus manages to manipulate the temple's controls and launch the Underbase on a never-ending course through space instead of letting Megatron claim it. While he's full of shame, Ratbat notes this is what made his career.

With the Realvision over, Ratbat and Starscream review what they've learned and recognize the power of the Underbase is not a myth, as it is generally thought in the present. What's more, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] informs them that the course calculations within the cassettes tell that the Underbase will be passing through the [[Earth]]'s solar system within a week's time. Ratbat and Starscream both begin to scheme on how to capture the power of the Underbase for themselves (though Starscream does show some rare discipline by using his inner monologue instead of broadcasting his treachery for everyone to hear).

As Buster prepares to sneak off and try to warn the Autobots, he runs head-first into a wall and is discovered by the Decepticons...

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Raindance]] (8)
*[[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] (9)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'' (10)
*''[[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]]'' (11)
*''[[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]]'' (12)
*''[[Override (G1)|Override]]'' (13)
|c2=
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] (3)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] (4)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (5)
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (6)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (7)
*''[[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]]'' (14)
*''[[Windsweeper]]'' (15)
*''[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'' (16)
*''[[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]]'' (17)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (19)
|c3=
*[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] (1)
|c4=
*''[[Boltax (G1)|Boltax]]'' (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"At this stage in his career, Optimus is clearly but a young, foolish officer. The Optimus of '''today''' would never endanger an innocent like Boltax!" 
"Then he became even '''more''' foolish with '''age'''!"
:—'''Ratbat''' and '''Starscream'''

"They survived '''again!''' Watching screws '''rust''' is more entertaining than this!"
:—'''Starscream'''

"Step aside, Boltax!" 
"Please... you must turn back. I cannot allow you to pass." 
"I didn't come to ask for your '''permission!'''
:—'''Megatron''', as he puts his fist right through '''Boltax''''s avatar

"Cybertron's greatest treasure--gone. All because I let pride and glory--not reason--dictate my actions. All because of '''me'''. I shall live with this shame for the rest of my existence."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' starts down the path of eternal angst

"What--?! The '''fleshling!''' How long have '''you''' been here?!" 
"Perhaps long enough to have heard Optimus Prime's warning -- that too much knowledge can lead to madness... even '''death?!'''
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Ratbat''' catch Buster eavesdropping

==Notes==
===Artwork and technical errors===
[[File:FlamesofBoltax-SoundwaveRatbat.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|Soundwave rocks the shades-and-mouth combo. A classic fashion statement.]]
* Page 2, panel 3: Starsceam's face is colored half silver, half dark gray. (Together with his yellow eyes, he looks like he's cosplaying as [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]!)
* Jose Delbo misinterpreted the badly-drawn faceplate on Soundwave's character art as a mouth, and drew him accordingly several times during his run. This issue is by far the most prominent example.
*Optimus Prime is given a Cybertronian truck mode, yet his robot form is unchanged, sporting Earthly truck details (a common error in G1 stories.) This alternate mode is different from the Cybertronian alt mode he had in [[The Transformers (issue)|issue #1]]. In addition, Backstreet, Dogfight and Overdrive all have Earthly alt-modes while on Cybertron, with the creative team apparently hoping their toyetic imperfections will make them pass as alien.
* Dogflight flies around with his front landing gear down.
*In the UK printing, the US cover is used as an interior page that is placed immediately after Megatron shoots Optimus Prime. This page doesn't mesh well with the other pages, since it exaggerates Optimus's injury, and since the art style is completely different from that of the other pages. This is probably due to the UK needing filler due to the shortening of the US stories.

===Scientific errors===
*Assuming the "molten mercury mines" are literally molten mercury, they're not much of a hazard to Transformers, since mercury is "molten" at room temperature and boils well below the melting point of steel. The worst it might do is cause a short-circuit if it gets at live wires.

===Continuity notes===
*Following functions given on their toys' bio cards, for the Realvision experience, [[Raindance]] provides the video and [[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] the audio. This will be the last we ever see of the pair in the Marvel continuity.
*Optimus Prime is still a callow youth, to the extent that the Triggerbots will openly question his orders (and be right). Megatron is already aware of him and he's already Prime, so bearing the Matrix did ''not'' make him automatically leader.
*This seems to be the event that makes Marvel Optimus the guilt-ridden depression sufferer we know so well.
*Backstreet refers to "[[circuit sects]]" as creepy weirdos, up to who-knows-what.

===Character profiles===
{{collist|4|
*[[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]
*[[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]]
*[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]]
}}

===Other notes===
* The highly simplified [[Floro Dery|Dery-ized character models]] of Optimus and Megatron contrast quite markedly with the very toy-accurate designs of the Triggerbots and Triggercons. The former look like they don't actually transform; the latter look like they shouldn't be able to walk.
*Starscream and Buster both come across as really, REALLY thick considering how hard it is for them to grasp the Realvision concept. We bet they both shout "Don't go upstairs!!" during horror flicks, too.
*The Realvision device itself is most likely inspired by the Holodeck from the ''[[Wikipedia:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' television series, which debuted roughly a year before this issue was published.

===Bot Roster===
* Autobots: 75 active; 5 bodyless Throttlebots. (80 total)
** The two captive Autobot tapes are never shown active and never join up with the Earth crew and are not tallied here.
* Ratbat's Decepticons: 46 active; 4 offline/missing. (50 total)
* Scorponok's Decepticons: 25 active.

===UK printing===
'''Issue #196'''
*'''Backup strips:''' ''[[Action Force (comic)|Action Force]] - Jungle Moves'' and ''[[Combat Colin]]''
*'''[[Transformers AtoZ|AtoZ]]:''' [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]

'''Issue #197'''
*'''Backup strips:''' ''Action Force - Jungle Moves'' and ''Combat Colin''

===IDW ''Classics'' reprinting===
[[File:FlamesofBoltax-SoundwaveRatbatIDW.jpg|right|300px|thumb|aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]]
* Page 2: Soundwave is recolored in blue and his mouth is edited out, while his nose and cheekbones remain intact. This is true for most of his appearances in this issue.
* Page 3: See image on right. Seriously, the whole issue is like that.
* Page 15: Panel 1, the top of the cylinder of light which Optimus Prime is standing in is now yellow. Green remains intact in other panels.

{{-}}

===Covers (8)===
<gallery>
File:MarvelUS-48.jpg|'''US Issue #48''' - And if you believe this...
File:MarvelUK-196.jpg|'''UK Issue #196''' - Aunt Ethel's knitting went unrecognized as a potent Decepticon weapon
File:MarvelUK-197.jpg|'''UK Issue #197''' - And for an encore, this was a FOUR-STAR story! Ha! Ha! Ha!
File:Titan-DarkStarSC.jpg|'''''Dark Star'' TPB'''
</gallery>
*'''US issue #48 cover:''' Megatron and a defeated Prime, by [[José Delbo]]
*'''UK issue #196 cover:''' Dogfight and Optimus Prime attacked, by [[Art Wetherell]] and [[Stephen Baskerville]]
*'''UK issue #197 cover:''' Optimus Prime being blasted, by Stephen Baskerville
*'''''Dark Star'' TPB cover:''' Starscream, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]], [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]], Dogfight, and half a [[Mecannibal]] by Andrew Wildman.
<gallery>
File:Titan-DarkStarHC.jpg|'''''Dark Star'' HC'''
File:Classic Transformers Vol4.jpg|'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 4'''
File:BestofOptimus.jpg|'''''Best of Optimus Prime'''''
File:TFClassicsVol4.jpg|'''''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4'''
</gallery>
*'''''Dark Star'' Hardback cover:''' Starscream victorious by [[Seth Fisher]] and [[Chris Blythe]].
*'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 4 cover:''' Panels from US issues [[Skin Deep|#59]] and [[Yesterday's Heroes!|#60]], pencils by José Delbo, inks by [[Dave Hunt]] and colours by Nel Yomtov.
*'''''Best of Optimus Prime'' cover:''' Optimus Prime by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
*'''''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4 cover:''' Starscream by [[Guido Guidi]].

===Advertisements===
*None yet identified.

===Reprints===
*[[2004]] — ''[[Transformers: Dark Star]]''
*[[2009]] — [[Classic Transformers Volume 4|''Classic Transformers'' Volume 4]]
*[[2010]] — ''[[The Transformers: Best of Optimus Prime]]''
*[[2012]] — [[The Transformers Classics, Vol. 4|''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flames of Boltax!}}
[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

The Flames of Boltax!

2016-03-03T00:04:46Z

Anonymous X: /* Other notes */

{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #48
|prev=Club Con!
|next=Cold War!
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #196–197
|prev2=Club Con!
|next2=Cold Comfort and Joy!
|title="The Flames of Boltax!"
|image=MarvelUS-48.jpg
|caption=This cover wins the award for "Most Blatant Case of False Promotion" in the history of the series.
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=September [[1988]]
|coverdate=January [[1989]]
|writer=[[Bob Budiansky]]
|penciler=[[José Delbo]]
|inker=[[Danny Bulanadi]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Bill Oakley]]
|editor=[[Don Daley]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}
'''Read on, but only if you're willing to tempt madness... even death.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] finds himself being chased by strange creatures through an alien landscape. He suddenly takes a laser blast to the chest... only to find no damage has been done at all. A moment later, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] and the [[Decepticon]]s re-materialize around him. It seems they had developed a new full-sensory holographic projection system called [[Realvision]] and needed a guinea pig to test it. [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] announces that they are now prepared to review the [[Autobot]] tapes, which captures Buster's attention. Of course, Ratbat sends him back to his cell instead of letting him observe.

[[File:FlamesofBoltax-Triggerbots.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin'...]]
Ratbat and Starscream activate the Realvision and find themselves holographically present on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] more than four million years ago, near the dawn of the [[Cybertronian Civil Wars]]. They witness a convoy of Autobots, consisting of the [[Triggerbot]]s and [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] of the [[Autobot Fourth Computerized Division]]. Prime, it seems, has come up with the idea of enlisting the aid of High Circuitmaster [[Boltax (G1)|Boltax]] and his vast font of knowledge, in the hopes that it can be used to end the war before it grows out of control. The Triggerbots question this, knowing it will violate a neutrality agreement and could escalate the war, but Prime thinks it's worth the risk. As the Autobots negotiate their way through several traps on the road to Boltax, they remain unaware that [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and the [[Triggercon]]s—seeing the neutrality agreement is now off—are dogging their every move.

Back in the real world, Buster uses the time-honored "air shaft trick" to break out of his cell in order to get a look at what's on the tapes.

In Realvision, Optimus Prime and his soldiers approach Boltax's [[Temple of Knowledge]]. The Circuitmaster's disciples allow Optimus alone to pass through and see Boltax. The Circuitmaster does not offer Prime any direct aid, but instead instructs him to seek what he's looking for inside the [[Underbase]]. (As each [[Transformer]] mind carries a [[database|DATAbase]], the Underbase is said to be a collection of knowledge that UNDERlies all dataBASEs.)

Buster enters the Realvision scenario just as Optimus Prime begins to bathe in the light of the Underbase and Megatron blasts his way in through Boltax and the disciples. Confronted by Megatron, Optimus Prime informs his enemy that the knowledge and power of the Underbase is too much for any one being to possess. Megatron blows Optimus Prime away and heads toward the Underbase. Badly injured, Optimus manages to manipulate the temple's controls and launch the Underbase on a never-ending course through space instead of letting Megatron claim it. While he's full of shame, Ratbat notes this is what made his career.

With the Realvision over, Ratbat and Starscream review what they've learned and recognize the power of the Underbase is not a myth, as it is generally thought in the present. What's more, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] informs them that the course calculations within the cassettes tell that the Underbase will be passing through the [[Earth]]'s solar system within a week's time. Ratbat and Starscream both begin to scheme on how to capture the power of the Underbase for themselves (though Starscream does show some rare discipline by using his inner monologue instead of broadcasting his treachery for everyone to hear).

As Buster prepares to sneak off and try to warn the Autobots, he runs head-first into a wall and is discovered by the Decepticons...

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Raindance]] (8)
*[[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] (9)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'' (10)
*''[[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]]'' (11)
*''[[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]]'' (12)
*''[[Override (G1)|Override]]'' (13)
|c2=
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] (3)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] (4)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (5)
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (6)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (7)
*''[[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]]'' (14)
*''[[Windsweeper]]'' (15)
*''[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'' (16)
*''[[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]]'' (17)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (19)
|c3=
*[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] (1)
|c4=
*''[[Boltax (G1)|Boltax]]'' (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"At this stage in his career, Optimus is clearly but a young, foolish officer. The Optimus of '''today''' would never endanger an innocent like Boltax!" 
"Then he became even '''more''' foolish with '''age'''!"
:—'''Ratbat''' and '''Starscream'''

"They survived '''again!''' Watching screws '''rust''' is more entertaining than this!"
:—'''Starscream'''

"Step aside, Boltax!" 
"Please... you must turn back. I cannot allow you to pass." 
"I didn't come to ask for your '''permission!'''
:—'''Megatron''', as he puts his fist right through '''Boltax''''s avatar

"Cybertron's greatest treasure--gone. All because I let pride and glory--not reason--dictate my actions. All because of '''me'''. I shall live with this shame for the rest of my existence."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' starts down the path of eternal angst

"What--?! The '''fleshling!''' How long have '''you''' been here?!" 
"Perhaps long enough to have heard Optimus Prime's warning -- that too much knowledge can lead to madness... even '''death?!'''
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Ratbat''' catch Buster eavesdropping

==Notes==
===Artwork and technical errors===
[[File:FlamesofBoltax-SoundwaveRatbat.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|Soundwave rocks the shades-and-mouth combo. A classic fashion statement.]]
* Page 2, panel 3: Starsceam's face is colored half silver, half dark gray. (Together with his yellow eyes, he looks like he's cosplaying as [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]!)
* Jose Delbo misinterpreted the badly-drawn faceplate on Soundwave's character art as a mouth, and drew him accordingly several times during his run. This issue is by far the most prominent example.
*Optimus Prime is given a Cybertronian truck mode, yet his robot form is unchanged, sporting Earthly truck details (a common error in G1 stories.) This alternate mode is different from the Cybertronian alt mode he had in [[The Transformers (issue)|issue #1]]. In addition, Backstreet, Dogfight and Overdrive all have Earthly alt-modes while on Cybertron, with the creative team apparently hoping their toyetic imperfections will make them pass as alien.
* Dogflight flies around with his front landing gear down.
*In the UK printing, the US cover is used as an interior page that is placed immediately after Megatron shoots Optimus Prime. This page doesn't mesh well with the other pages, since it exaggerates Optimus's injury, and since the art style is completely different from that of the other pages. This is probably due to the UK needing filler due to the shortening of the US stories.

===Scientific errors===
*Assuming the "molten mercury mines" are literally molten mercury, they're not much of a hazard to Transformers, since mercury is "molten" at room temperature and boils well below the melting point of steel. The worst it might do is cause a short-circuit if it gets at live wires.

===Continuity notes===
*Following functions given on their toys' bio cards, for the Realvision experience, [[Raindance]] provides the video and [[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] the audio. This will be the last we ever see of the pair in the Marvel continuity.
*Optimus Prime is still a callow youth, to the extent that the Triggerbots will openly question his orders (and be right). Megatron is already aware of him and he's already Prime, so bearing the Matrix did ''not'' make him automatically leader.
*This seems to be the event that makes Marvel Optimus the guilt-ridden depression sufferer we know so well.
*Backstreet refers to "[[circuit sects]]" as creepy weirdos, up to who-knows-what.

===Character profiles===
{{collist|4|
*[[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]
*[[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]]
*[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]]
}}

===Other notes===
* The highly simplified [[Floro Dery|Dery-ized character models]] of Optimus and Megatron contrast quite markedly with the very toy-accurate designs of the Triggerbots and Triggercons. The former look like they don't actually transform; the latter look like they shouldn't be able to walk.
*Starscream and Buster both come across as really, REALLY thick considering how hard it is for them to grasp the Realvision concept. We bet they both shout "Don't go upstairs!!" during horror flicks, too.
:The Realvision device itself is most likely inspired by the Holodeck from the [[Wikipedia:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]] television series, which debuted a year before this issue was published.

===Bot Roster===
* Autobots: 75 active; 5 bodyless Throttlebots. (80 total)
** The two captive Autobot tapes are never shown active and never join up with the Earth crew and are not tallied here.
* Ratbat's Decepticons: 46 active; 4 offline/missing. (50 total)
* Scorponok's Decepticons: 25 active.

===UK printing===
'''Issue #196'''
*'''Backup strips:''' ''[[Action Force (comic)|Action Force]] - Jungle Moves'' and ''[[Combat Colin]]''
*'''[[Transformers AtoZ|AtoZ]]:''' [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]

'''Issue #197'''
*'''Backup strips:''' ''Action Force - Jungle Moves'' and ''Combat Colin''

===IDW ''Classics'' reprinting===
[[File:FlamesofBoltax-SoundwaveRatbatIDW.jpg|right|300px|thumb|aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]]
* Page 2: Soundwave is recolored in blue and his mouth is edited out, while his nose and cheekbones remain intact. This is true for most of his appearances in this issue.
* Page 3: See image on right. Seriously, the whole issue is like that.
* Page 15: Panel 1, the top of the cylinder of light which Optimus Prime is standing in is now yellow. Green remains intact in other panels.

{{-}}

===Covers (8)===
<gallery>
File:MarvelUS-48.jpg|'''US Issue #48''' - And if you believe this...
File:MarvelUK-196.jpg|'''UK Issue #196''' - Aunt Ethel's knitting went unrecognized as a potent Decepticon weapon
File:MarvelUK-197.jpg|'''UK Issue #197''' - And for an encore, this was a FOUR-STAR story! Ha! Ha! Ha!
File:Titan-DarkStarSC.jpg|'''''Dark Star'' TPB'''
</gallery>
*'''US issue #48 cover:''' Megatron and a defeated Prime, by [[José Delbo]]
*'''UK issue #196 cover:''' Dogfight and Optimus Prime attacked, by [[Art Wetherell]] and [[Stephen Baskerville]]
*'''UK issue #197 cover:''' Optimus Prime being blasted, by Stephen Baskerville
*'''''Dark Star'' TPB cover:''' Starscream, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]], [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]], Dogfight, and half a [[Mecannibal]] by Andrew Wildman.
<gallery>
File:Titan-DarkStarHC.jpg|'''''Dark Star'' HC'''
File:Classic Transformers Vol4.jpg|'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 4'''
File:BestofOptimus.jpg|'''''Best of Optimus Prime'''''
File:TFClassicsVol4.jpg|'''''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4'''
</gallery>
*'''''Dark Star'' Hardback cover:''' Starscream victorious by [[Seth Fisher]] and [[Chris Blythe]].
*'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 4 cover:''' Panels from US issues [[Skin Deep|#59]] and [[Yesterday's Heroes!|#60]], pencils by José Delbo, inks by [[Dave Hunt]] and colours by Nel Yomtov.
*'''''Best of Optimus Prime'' cover:''' Optimus Prime by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
*'''''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4 cover:''' Starscream by [[Guido Guidi]].

===Advertisements===
*None yet identified.

===Reprints===
*[[2004]] — ''[[Transformers: Dark Star]]''
*[[2009]] — [[Classic Transformers Volume 4|''Classic Transformers'' Volume 4]]
*[[2010]] — ''[[The Transformers: Best of Optimus Prime]]''
*[[2012]] — [[The Transformers Classics, Vol. 4|''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flames of Boltax!}}
[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

Blurr (G1)

2016-01-23T23:21:40Z

Anonymous X: /* Generation 1 */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Blurr}}
:''Blurr is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

This page is best read at high speeds.

[[File:Blurrg1.jpg|325px|thumb|He runs faster than ten fast men.]]
'''Blurr''' is positively and incontrovertibly without possibility of any doubt the fastest-thinking, fastest-talking and fastest-driving data courier and messenger from the planet of Cybertron, and if you or your friend or anybody else you know or anybody else you might not know or in fact anybody at all wants to send any kind of message or dispatch or parcel or data or in fact anything at all to any base or station or out-of-the-way depot, barracks, headquarters, outpost, or post office and it is absolutely essential to deliver it immediately or at the earliest opportunity and without any delay of any kind regardless of Decepticons or obstacles or foul weather or gloom of night then Blurr's the one to pick, sir, so just give him the good word and the item in question and Blurr is off like a Cybertronic race horse, if there were such a thing as a Cybertronic race horse, and if such a beast was able to break the sound barrier on land and leave only dust clouds and lingering after-images, because Blurr leaves only dust clouds and lingering after images, but he'll be off that quickly with your message in hand, and if any hostile power or enemy or Decepticon ambush should get in the way then he'll hit them with a blast from his electro-laser which will reverse the polarity of their microcircuits and they'll be stopped. Dead.

His [[Targetmaster]] partner is [[Haywire]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[John Moschitta]] (English), [[Ken Yamaguchi]] (Japanese), [[Eiji Itō]] (Japanese, "The Rebirth")|[[Lei Changxi]] (Chinese), [[Bernd Simon]] (German), [[Kai Taschner]] (German, Generation 2 Dub), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Spanish), [[Massimo Corizza]] (Italian, first Season 3 dub)}}

[[File:TFTMBlurr.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|What do you wanna make? You wanna make some wood-davers with me? I got pine cones! I got peanut butter! I got everything we need! I said pine cones! Pine cones! Gonna be successful! Gonna be phenomenally successful! Sell 'em at the corner store! Sell 'em at the five and dime!]]
In [[2005]], Blurr was part of the Autobot detachment stationed at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on [[Earth]], under [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s command. Using his hyper-speed, he quickly alerted the Autobot ranks when [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and his Decepticons arrived to attack the city. In defending the city, Blurr combined non-stop chatter with non-stop firepower and helped hold the Decepticons at bay until [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and reinforcements could arrive from [[Moonbase One]].

In the aftermath of the attack, Blurr was working on repairs with several of the remaining Autobots when [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] struck. After failing to get the obstinate [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] aboard a shuttle ("They were impossible impossible impossible!"), Blurr tossed the job over to [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and leapt aboard the second shuttle with Ultra Magnus. Pursued by Galvatron through space, the shuttle crew managed to escape only after detonating three-quarters of the ship. In need of repairs, they landed hard on the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]]. While Blurr was attending to some welding work, Galvatron and his soldiers caught up with them. Things went from bad to worse after Galvatron killed Ultra Magnus and took the [[Matrix of Leadership]], leaving the Autobots to deal with the planet's native inhabitants, the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Hostilities suddenly ceased, however, when Hot Rod and Kup arrived from [[Quintessa]] and negotiated a peace with the Junkions (complete with dance sequence!). Blurr then flew into the final battle with the planet-eater [[Unicron]] aboard the Junkion starship and was present when Hot Rod (now Rodimus Prime) reclaimed Cybertron in the name of the Autobots. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Blurr’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]” and the storybook “[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]."}}

As part of their "new era of peace and prosperity", the Autobots hosted the first annual [[Galactic Olympics]] several months later. Blurr really wanted to compete in the races, but instead was forced onto a mission with [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] to bring [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]] to Autobot City on Earth. This simple courier run soon became more hectic than it was worth, though. Running into the newly revived Decepticon leader, Galvatron, Blurr and Wheelie were the first Autobots to face his renewed power and ended up marooned on [[Jupiter]]'s moon of [[Io]]. There they encountered kamikaze creatures known as [[lightpole]]s, who struck in unison like a hive and could transform into explosive missiles. The Autobots received support from [[Marissa Faireborn]] of [[Earth Defense Command]], but it wasn't until [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] arrived that they finally managed to fight their way through a squad of [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] and get off that rock. Blurr and Wheelie made it back to Autobot City and, after a short game of "Hot Potato" to get the cog through attacking Decepticons, restored Metroplex's transforming ability just in time to sic the giant Autobot on his rival, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness}}

[[File:Chaos Kup Blurr piloting ship.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Blurr participated in several important Autobot missions in the following months. When Kup uncovered a plot by the Decepticons to acquire the indestructible [[death crystal]]s for their own purposes, Blurr joined him and an Autobot unit to visit the source of the crystals on planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]]. Blurr faced the Predacons again on Dread and was almost consumed by quickmud before Sky Lynx pulled him free. Blurr and the other Autobots managed to keep [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] busy long enough for Kup to rouse [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]], the creature who was the source of the death crystals. Turning the crystals against Chaos himself, the Autobots destroyed the monster and deprived the Decepticons of their new weapon. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

When Optimus Prime briefly returned from the dead, Blurr was aboard his flagship during the intended assault on the [[Quintesson]]s' new home planet. He received word from Cybertron that Hot Rod and the other Autobots they were supposed rushing off to "avenge" were in fact alive, and preparing to rendez-vous with the fleet. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:ForeverLongTimeComing Blurr carrying Blaster.jpg|thumb|left|200px!|If you're gonna ride, Dann-o .... Whoops, wrong script!]]
Later, Blurr joined [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] in exploring a bowl-shaped asteroid near Cybertron, and in doing so came across a [[Quintesson]] [[Time Window]]. During the battle with the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] and Quintesson star cruisers, Blurr fell through the time window along with [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] and some of his cassettes. The Autobots found themselves 11 million years in the past, working with [[Beta (G1)|Beta]] and her rebellion as the first Autobots stood up against their Quintesson masters. Once the rebel leader, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|A-3]], returned and used his [[Coder Remote]] on the [[Dark Guardian]]s, Blurr and his auto-buddies made their way back through the vortex and into the present once again. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

When the Autobots detected a seemingly threatening vessel in their airspace, Blurr attempted to interrogate the pilot, [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] of [[Paradron]]. Rather than being intimidated, however, Sandstorm just asked if there was something wrong with Blurr's timing program. Kup was quick to come to the young Autobot's defense and informed the Paradronian, "Naaaah, that's just the way he is." {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Blurr was among the Autobot warriors who assaulted the occupied nation of [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]], to prevent the Decepticons from making more super-energon off of the country's oil reserves. [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] beached himself off the coast to launch Blurr, Rodimus Prime, Wheelie and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] onto the nation's soil. After the Decepticons were driven off, they freed [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] and his advisors, and (somewhat reluctantly) restored him to power. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:GhostMachine Blurr violated airspace.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Sir, we're being violated!"]]
During the second coming of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s ghost, Blurr was working monitor duty on Cybertron with Springer. He was very good at his job, identifying [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] on an entry vector and the return of Unicron's eyes, but people kept having to interrupt his reports because he would. Not. Stop. Talking. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (episode)|Ghost in the Machine}} Later on, he was part of the peace envoy overseeing the negotiations between [[Xetaxxis]] and [[Lanarq]]. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}} Blurr was also present for the unveiling of the new power generator on Cybertron, but even he wasn't fast enough to keep Grimlock from making a mess of things. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:FaceOfNijika Blurr dangling.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
During an encounter with the Decepticons, Blurr and several Autobots encountered a "[[quadrant lock]]" created by the Quintessons and ended up falling through it along with [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Their landing on the planet [[Zamojin (planet)|Zamojin]] was a harsh one, and Blurr's leg strut was too damaged for him to walk. Separated from the scientist Perceptor in the fall, Blurr asked Rodimus and Ultra Magnus to leave him while they searched for their missing comrade. The leaders agreed, since Perceptor was also the one best suited for repairing Blurr's leg. Unfortunately, the helpless Blurr was soon found by the superstitious and powerful local populace and taken to a nearby city, where the people planned to toss him into a molten pool. In a wacky turn of events, though, that soak was just what Blurr needed to realign his leg components, and he popped out of the pool as fast as ever. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

When the [[Hate Plague]] was released, Blurr was one of several Autobots who were damaged and taken out of action early during the catastrophe.{{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} As a result, he was unaffected by the plague and, after some repair work by a Quintesson, was available to help the newly active Optimus Prime in his search for a cure. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Rebirth1 Hardhead and Blurr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Why isn't there more slashfic about this?]]
Sometime later, on Cybertron, Blurr was beaten in a race by Hot Rod and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. This was done in part to help prove the engineer [[Brainstorm]]'s theory that Autobots could function better with human partners somehow incorporated into their fighting discipline. Little did anyone realize how soon that theory would be tested. After a major Decepticon offensive on Autobot City, Optimus Prime radioed Kup, Blurr and the others on Cybertron, warning them that the Decepticons were headed for the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], deep beneath the planet's surface. The Autobots arrived just in time to prevent [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] from unleashing too much [[plasma energy]] using the key he'd stolen from Earth. What little plasma energy had been released, however, was enough to overcharge the engines of the Autobot ship, launching them out into space.

[[File:Rebirth2 Blurr with gun.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Please pretend he is holding Haywire and not his regular gun. Thank you.]]
Blurr and his comrades crash-landed on the planet [[Nebulos]] and were quickly taken hostage by a group of rebels fighting against the machine army of their overlords, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]]. The Autobots managed to convince their "hosts" to release them when the Decepticons arrived in hot pursuit, but Blurr and several other warriors were deactivated and taken hostage by the Decepticons as they fled. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} Brainstorm decided to put his ideas into action and created binary-bonded partnerships between the remaining Autobots and the rebels, forming [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. The Headmasters rescued Blurr and the others, but were soon forced to fight again when the Decepticons joined forces with the Hive, having created both Headmaster and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] duos in response. This tech-war continued when Brainstorm scanned one of the Hive Targetmasters and used those scans to recreate the technology for the remaining Autobots. Blurr was binary-bonded with [[Haywire]], one of the Nebulan sharpshooters. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}

He and the rest of the Autobots returned to Cybertron to try to prevent Galvatron from opening the Plasma Energy Chamber, but were unsuccessful. The day was ultimately saved by Spike and the Nebulons, who brought about a new [[Golden Age]], and Blurr was seen celebrating with the rest of the Autobots. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese animated continuity as described above, except that the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. Additionally, this continuity moves the events of [[2006]] forward to [[2010]], and inserts several additional events into the newly-created intervening years.}}

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
Blurr participated in a space mission under the command of Rodimus Prime. He helped the other Autobots get the space-faring civilians to safety during a Decepticon attack while Rodimus battled Galvatron. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}} On another occasion, he battled the [[Megatron Corps]] — five clones of the old Decepticon leader being remotely controlled by Galvatron. Once Blurr and the others attacked Galvaton directly, the Megatron Corps fell all to pieces. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}} Blurr was also seen acting in defense of the planet [[Feminia]]. The Autobots protected the Prime Energy Tower from an all-out Decepticon attack. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

=====Controverse=====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Controverse}}}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Ken Yamaguchi]] (Japanese)|[[Simon Broad]] (English, Omni Productions dub)}}

[[File:Headmasters rodimus kup blurr.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|And nothing of value was lost.]]

In [[2011]], Blurr was stationed on the Autobots' new tertiary base of operations, the planet [[Athenia]]. While other Autobots were dispatched to Cybertron during Galvatron's assault, Blurr remained behind as part of the rear guard. He observed what appeared to be a passing star on the monitors, but the image eventually cleared up to reveal a ''[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|starship]]'', headed for Cybertron. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even after the arrival of the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], Blurr continued to fret over the situation. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} As Autobots forces engaged the Decepticons on several fronts on several planets, Blurr remained at home base with Kup and Arcee to practice his exposition. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

When Galvatron unleashed his [[Madmachine]], Blurr couldn't understand how one little bug could possibly threaten Vector Sigma. Arcee had to explain how the Decepticons could increase its magnetic power to the point where even the supercomputer would be in danger. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} When the Aerialbots were brought down by a [[Metamorphose|dangerous meteorite]], Blurr informed Rodimus Prime the rescue team had been intercepted by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Blurr was still taking messages with Kup and Arcee on Athenia weeks later. For a ridalin-deprived courier, he sure seems to stand around a lot. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Blurr watched helplessly as Galvatron beat the scrap out of Rodimus Prime. Only after the Decepticon Commander wandered off to have a meeting with [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] did Blurr work up the courage to go see if Rodimus was okay. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} With the destruction of Cybertron, Blurr joined Rodimus Prime and Kup in their quest to look for a new planet to settle on. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

He apparently had time to sneak back in when he heard Fortress was having a party, though. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}}

{{-}}

====Rodimus vs. Cyclonus====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
Blurr is four million years old. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

''Hundreds of years ago, Blurr and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] were captured by aliens from the planet [[Tyroxia]], but Hot Rod managed to escape in a [[Hot Rod's shuttle|ship]]. The ship was pursued by the [[Tyroxian]]s, but the aliens were intercepted a [[Kup's ship|ship]] piloted by the Autobot [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], an old-timer who had considered himself obsolete and had sent himself off to pasture. Hot Rod implored Kup to help him and Blurr, but Kup maintained that he was done with the war and was of no use to anyone. Ultimately, Kup had to rescue Hot Rod and Blurr from the Tyroxians one final time, and the old mech decided to give the war one more go.'' {{storylink|Kup's Story!}}

[[File:RingofHate-Blurremissary.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Oh no! [[:File:Bonk.jpg|Context!]]]]
Blurr was part of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s unit on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] when the commander reached a turning point. After Blurr helped free a group of captive Autobots being herded into the [[smelting pool]], Fortress Maximus announced that he was quitting the war and leaving for the peaceful planet [[Nebulos]]. Blurr and the others were stunned by this announcement, but nonetheless decided to join Fortress Maximus in his exile.

Blurr was sent as an ambassador to the Nebulan capital city, [[Koraja]]. However, the politician [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] did not trust these visitors to his world, and so he sabotaged the meeting to convince the others to rise up against the Autobots. While Blurr spoke, [[Krunk]] fired a magenetic polarizer weapon at Blurr's arm, which caused it to spasm and topple a fountain sculpture. As the debris bounced around, endangering the surrounding civilians, Zarak's personal militia retaliated, and Blurr fled.

Fortress Maximus didn't give up on peace with the Nebulans, however, and he took Blurr and the others back into Koraja. In order to prove to the Nebulans that he could be trusted, Fortress Maximus offered his head to them. A few other Autobots followed his lead and offered their heads, while Blurr and the rest surrendered only their weapons. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

The headless Autobots were kept under surveillance by the Nebulans, while Blurr's group of weaponless Autobots retreated to the forest, where they began construction of their headquarters. When the [[Council of Peers]] arrived to inspect the Autobots' efforts, Blurr showed them around. He pointed out Hot Rod, who was listening in on their Cybertron headquarters, but not transmitting anything, lest the Decepticons learn their location. Zarak and [[Vorath]] took this opportunity to lock onto the frequency, and they later used this information to contact the Decepticons. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[File:BrothersinArmor-Targetmasters.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Wonder what happens if you forget to catch them.]]
The Decepticons arrived, and after both sides adopted the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] process, the Headmaster Autobots were captured by the Decepticons. Blurr and the remaining Autobots who lived in the forest remained weaponless, so they teamed up with various Nebulans who sided with the Autobot-allied Nebulan [[Galen]] and thus were considered criminals by the Council of Peers. Blurr's partner was [[Haywire]], who had, like the others, undergone the [[Targetmaster]] process to become a weapon for his partner.

Blurr and the other Targetmasters headed for [[The Nursery]], where they found themselves under attack by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. The Autobots' new Targetmaster powers overwhelmed the Decepticons, but not before the Nursery was reduced to rubble. Zarak, who was Scorponok's Headmaster partner, realized that this war was quickly destroying the planet he loved, and so he freed the Autobot Headmasters, allowing the Autobots to leave Nebulos. The Decepticons followed Blurr and the other Autobots to [[Earth]], where they wished to respond to an Autobot distress signal. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

When Galen died on Earth and his role as Fortress Maximus's Headmaster partner was assumed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], Spike led Kup and the other Targetmasters on a mission to the [[Club Con|Decepticon's island headquarters]] to rescue his brother, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. After Blurr and the other Targetmasters were attacked by the island's defense measures, the island transformed into a spaceship and launched into space. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}} Soon, Fortress Maximus's Autobots met up with the Earth-bound Autobots led by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and somehow the two Autobot camps wound up witnessing a battle between Grimlock and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] for Autobot leadership. Blurr, along with the Autobots from both camps, began to watch this battle on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s Decepticons unleashed a surprise attack. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Allfalldown-blurr.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Blurr's keyboard doesn't even HAVE a spacebar.]]
When the Decepticon [[Air Strike Patrol]] attacked [[MacDill Air Force Base]] on Earth, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (who had returned to command) led most of the Autobot Army into battle, including Blurr, leaving only a skeleton crew behind on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} After Scorponok's Decepticons arrived as well, Prime ordered Blurr and the rest of his troops to return to the Ark, suspecting an unknown entity was orchestrating this battle behind the scenes. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} When Blurr and the others returned to the Ark, they discovered that not only was [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] missing, but in his absence [[Blackjack]] had disabled the skeleton crew and placed bombs on board. Blackjack, who was startled by the Autobots, dropped the bomb, which started the countdown. Kup refused to allow the Autobots to flee the Ark in its shuttles, citing the lack of time to evacuate their fallen comrades in the medical bays, which prompted Blurr to panic. Blurr and the others were saved when Ratchet, who had been kidnapped by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (the mastermind behind the whole affair), arranged for the bombs to be teleported to Cybertron. Instead of blowing up the Ark, the bomb detonated inside Megatron's headquarters, apparently killing both Megatron and Ratchet. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

When the Matrix-possessed Thunderwing invaded the Ark, Blurr used his speed to good advantage, dodging the Decepticon's attacks and punching the Matrix-aura demon repeatedly. These blows accomplished little, though, and the aura punched him back. {{storylink|All Fall Down}} The Matrix was believed to be lost in this battle, and so Optimus Prime, who feared the imminent arrival of their race's godlike enemy, [[Unicron]], took drastic measures. The Autobot leader surrendered his forces to Scorponok's Decepticons, hoping to secure an alliance against the coming Chaos Bringer. This did not please Blurr and the other Autobots, who were forced to turn over their weapons and Nebulan partners. {{storylink|Surrender!}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
In the future year [[2003]], Blurr was among the many Autobots stationed at the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] began his plans for a new [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. It was his responsibility to send a hyper-speeded radio signal to Earth's governments, informing them about the secret plans for the city. Apparently, the Autobots decided regular codes would be too much work, so they just had Blurr dictate the plans! {{storylink|Ark Duty}} He was also on-site a year later at the grand opening of Autobot City, and helped defend their honored human guests from an assault by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and the Decepticons. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

[[File:MarvelUK87 Blurr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Looking rather green in the gills]]
Shortly after the attack on Autobot City in [[2006]], Blurr received some psychic coaching from Unicron to follow the new Decepticon leader, Galvatron, back through time to [[1986]] and stop his plans. Blurr was joined by Kup and Hot Rod, and upon materializing in the 20th century they joined forces with the local Ultra Magnus. Being as colossally powerful as Galvatron was, Blurr and his allies decided subterfuge was the better course of action than brute force. In order to get Galvatron to return to the future without a fuss, they manipulated him into believing he had travelled cross-time to an alternate 1986, where his actions in the past would have no effect on his future. It really proved to be that simple, and so Galvatron returned to 2006 with his cronies, and Blurr, Kup and Hot Rod quickly followed suit. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

[[File:MarvelUK119 Kup Blurr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And thrust!, 2!, 3!]]
After Unicron was defeated in 2006, Galvatron again fled back in time. Blurr was once again on the team that went back to retrieve him, this time teamed with Kup, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and Hot Rod, now as the newly risen Autobot leader, Rodimus Prime. {{storylink|Burning Sky!}} It was déjà vu all over again, as the future Autobots again joined forces with 20th century Ultra Magnus to counter Galvatron's latest scheme. The evil Decepticon planned to use a [[power siphon|magma siphon]] to drain power out of the [[Earth's core|planet's volcanic core]], and gain the strength of a god in the process. Blurr and Kup were taken out of action early in the game and, despite the best laid plans, the future Autobots only managed to stop Galvatron's power siphon: the Decepticon himself remained in the past as they returned to the future. {{storylink|Fire on High!}}

Blurr remained one of Rodimus Prime's finest soldiers in the future. In [[2008]], he helped defend the Autobot position against a massive Decepticon offensive, {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}} and accompanied Rodimus Prime on a rescue mission to Earth when the [[Quintesson]]s lay siege to Autobot City. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

When the [[Time rift|timestorm]] exploded over space in [[2009]], Blurr joined Rodimus Prime and several other Autobots in travelling back to [[1989]], in the hopes of somehow removing the menace caused by Galvatron's long-term temporal distortion. Unfortunately, the mechanics of the time-jump mass displacement shunted Optimus Prime and other Autobots of 1989 into [[Limbo]] as they arrived, leaving smoldering earth in their wakes. The neophyte Autobot sub-commander [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] jumped to the wrong conclusions and led his 20th century warriors into battle with their 21st century counterparts. Blurr was double-teamed by [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] before Optimus managed to communicate with Maximus through the Matrix in Rodimus Prime's chest and call an end to the fighting. Despite being thrown for the loop, AND shot by Galvatron once the Autobots all lined up on one side, Blurr held out through the entire fight, and was still standing during Optimus Prime's climactic brawl with Galvatron, after nearly every other warrior had been downed. {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:MarvelUK224 Head Toss.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|Why couldn't Haywire be a Headmaster partner?]]
After the Time Wars, the Autobots returned to 2009, but found it radically changed in their absence. It seemed the timestream had rebooted itself as if Galvatron had never left for the past to cause the timestorm. With Galvatron still around to lead the Decepticons, they had managed to maintain control over Cybertron after the war with Unicron, and the Autobots held only a meager resistance movement on their homeworld. Blurr, Rodimus and the others returned to this "new" war as best they could, but were hopelessly outmatched on Cybertron. After suffering a communications breakdown with one of their outposts, Rodimus Prime and allies arrived only to find Galvatron had taken control of the base and slaughtered the Autobots present. He saved a particularly gruesome fate for Blurr, and actually tossed the poor Autobot's severed head at Rodimus Prime once he arrived. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

In another version of the future, Blurr actually survived! He lived 'til at least the year [[2510]] when he personally delivered the news to Rodimus Prime that the last Decepticon had been killed and the war was over. Of course, a new war between the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] and the [[Wrecker]]s broke out within a solar cycle, so Blurr still had a chance to get killed in battle. {{storylink|Peace}}

====="Rhythms of Darkness!" future timeline=====
In yet another alternate future, the Autobots faced near-extinction in [[2009]] when [[Unicron]] destroyed Cybertron and [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] had very nearly conquered Earth. Blurr and Kup were killed by [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] during the Decepticons' rise to power. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}} {{storylink|Hunters}} {{storylink|Stargazing}} {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}} {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}} {{storylink|Judgment Day!}} {{storylink|The Final Battle!}}}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
In [[2012]], while Optimus Prime was away on Earth, Blurr was stationed on Cybertron under the command of Hot Rod. Blurr could offer no useful advice when [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] put his plan to steal [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s remains into action by enveloping the [[Hall of Silence]] in a [[null field]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}} Without options, Hot Rod was forced to order the destruction of the Hall, inadvertently covering Soundwave's escape with the remains. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

When [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] arrived on Cybertron and began corrupting Autobots' programming, Blurr remained unaffected. He saw [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] using the "Gene Key" on [[Over-Run (G1)|Over-Run]], and knew what to avoid after that. Along with [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]], [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]], he formed a small group of survivors. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Three}} They met up with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] at the [[Nursery]], and joined forces. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}} At the Civil Defense Hub, Blurr and the others fought through the evil Autobot and Decepticon defenders, retaking the defense grid. Unfortunately, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the ''[[Valiant (G1)|Valiant]]'' were returning from Earth at that time, and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] had already keyed in an attack sequence. Even Blurr's speed couldn't race through all possible combinations of the deactivation sequence fast enough, so Crosshairs shot one of the Clones and promised to shoot the other if he didn't shut the missiles down. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

Blurr worked security at [[Eugenesis Plaza]] during Hot Rod's first disastrous speech as leader of the Autobots. {{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} He later defended the [[Presidium]] on the parapets during the Decepticon uprising. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}

Afterwards, Blurr joined Ultra Magnus in hunting down [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], but they were ambushed by [[Unicron cultists]] and lost their quarry. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} He was also seen with a group of Autobots speeding to the rescue of the [[Demon|Primordial Cybertronians]] when the [[Primum Fugae]] attacked. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

Blurr served on the bridge of Rodimus Prime's flagship when they attacked the [[Hub (G2)|Hub]], but even his hyper-reflexes weren't fast enough to raise shields against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s counter-attack. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} After being held prisoner, the Autobots escaped the Hub after Jhiaxus was taken down by the [[Underbase]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} Back on Cybertron, Blurr and the Autobots discovered their world corrupted into a global necropolis by the Dark Matrix. They tracked the threat through the [[Space Bridge]] to [[Nebulos]] and Earth, and Blurr joined Ultra Magnus's squad on the first world where they defeated the possessed Galvatron and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Blurr took part in a mission to an asteroid to find a new source of [[energon]]. When [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] discovered a [[Observer|small life form]], Blurr had great fun playing with it, until Lightspeed insisted on conducting tests. After Magnus took the others in pursuit of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] and ran into a bunch more Decepticons, Blurr was instructed to bring [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] to the battleground. Blurr did so and even got to take a swipe at [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], but was promptly picked up and tossed into the distance by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. He came back pretty quickly, though. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

When [[Monitorus]] arrived on Cybertron with the news that [[Tau-Ursa]] had been attacked and leveled by the Decepticons, Blurr rushed him to Optimus Prime and started alliterating a lot in his speech. They were soon interrupted by a Decepticon attack, which Blurr took part in an attempt to repel. As it turned out, the attack was a diversion while Galvatron used his new [[Nullification Cannon]] to nullify Cybertron's energon supplies.

Later, Blurr and Hot Rod traveled to Tau-Ursa to inspect the damage and search for stray Decepticons. They stumbled on [[Apeface|Ape Face]], who had found a [[Logicon]] warning beacon. A struggle ensued, and Blurr was able to wrest the beacon's recording tape from the Decepticon. The pair high-tailed it back to Cybertron, where the tape turned out to contain the coordinates to [[Metascan Alpha]], a planet containing a vast storehouse of energon. Blurr accompanied Optimus on a mission to the Decepticons' base on a derelict space destroyer to destroy the Nullification Cannon. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
Blurr was part of the crew of an Autobot ship that was studying the Universe. He asked Springer to make note of several nearby stars. After being hit by meteors, they were forced to make landfall on the nearby Junk planet. Once they had landed, Blurr scouted out their surroundings, unaware that he was being watched by the Junkions. Wanting his engine, that Junkions chased him down and attacked the Autobots. The fighting stopped when Kup arrived on-world, and used the universal greeting to calm down the Junkions. Now friends, the Junkions and the Autobots worked together to fix the damaged ship. Blurr and the Autobots then blasted off and went on their way. {{storylink|Battle on the Junk Planet}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Galvatron Attacks}}}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Blurr was part of a small strike team of Autobots assembled by Ultra Magnus to help the Dinobots, who were currently engaged in battle against the Decepticons, just outside of Autobot City. After they defeated the Decepticons, Blurr and the others were cheered on by the nearby oil rig workers as they drove back to Autobot City. {{storylink|Battle at Oil Valley}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}

Blurr was returning from a road trip with Daniel, Hound and Hot Rod, Bumblebee, Kup, Wheelie, Springer and Sunstreaker when the group paused to eat at a rest stop. As the Autobots ingested Energon Cubes, Hot Rod asked Kup to tell a story. Kup told the others the story of how, upon first crash landing in Mt. St. Hillary, the Ark had lost an enormous shipment of Energon Cubes that remained lost to the day. Enthralled by Kup's story, the rest of the group were all eager to go looking for this lost treasure. When they realized that Laserbeak had been spying on them the whole time, and would soon inform Galvatron about the lost Energon shipment, BLurr and the others rushed back to Metroplex to inform Ultra Magnus. Blurr was the first to reach Ultra Magnus, but as he was talking too fast, Ultra Magnus could not understand a word that Blurr was saying. After a brief conference, Ultra Magnus led his troops to the Ark's crash site. Finding the Decepticons there already, the two factions began to fight. When the Energon stash was uncovered, it was completely gobbled up by Starscream who proclaimed himself the most powerful Decepticon. With nothing left to fight over, BLurr and the Autobots left Galvatron and Starscream to their squabble. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Hot Rod's Escape}}}}

===Toy pack-in material===
The Decepticons having stolen the Matrix of Creation, Blurr was called up by Ultra Magnus to help retrieve it. The Autobots used an army of [[decoy]]s to distract the Decepticons, while Blurr, Hot Rod, Kup and Ultra Magnus infiltrated their base. Blurr then blasted the Matrix out of the crystal that held it, and the Autobots made their getaway. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}}

===Desert of Danger===
{{notemultipath}}
Blurr was stationed on the planet Nebulos when the Decepticons hatched a scheme to smuggle on-planet [[Attack Squad robot]]s. He was available as back up to the more active Hot Rod during his missions. {{storylink|Desert of Danger}}

===Autobot Alert!===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:AutobotAlertMetroplex.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Alongside Springer and Beachcomber, Blurr was assigned a secret mission; to uncover the location of a sphere of cybertite, containing an ancient Autobot formula. When Decepticon storm troopers blasted their way into the Autobots’ research lab, Blurr was able to escape the skirmish and report back to Autobot headquarters about the situation. Upon his arrival at Metroplex city, Blurr learned that the Autobots had just learned of another crisis at hand; the Decepticons were taking over Earth’s communication satellites. In spite of this, both he and Kup insisted that dealing with the Decepticons who stole the coded message should take top priority.

If Ultra Magnus agreed to prioritize theft of the coded message, Blurr was part of the captive audience that listened to Kup divulge information about an ancient Autobot formula. Blurr took off towards the Autobots’ desert research centre along with a number of other Autobots. Once there, they learned from Springer that the Cybertite sphere containing the formula was discovered by humans during the 16th century. If the Decepticons had decoded Springer's message, they would be searching off the coast of California, where the ship containing the sphere had sunk. If they hadn’t decoded the message, the Decepticons would still be digging in the nearby crater.

If the Autobots decided to scope out the nearby crater first, Blurr raced Hot Rod to it, finding it void of any Decepticon activity. Combing the crater, the pair then found Beachcomber tied to an explosive device, and set out to rescue him. Once freed, Beachcomber informed the pair that the Decepticons had long ago broken the code and were already en route to retrieve the cybertite sphere. It would now be much to late to catch up to the Decepticons, and all hope to retrieve the orb before them was lost.

If Ultra Magnus decided to assume that the Decepticons had already decrypted the message, he ordered his forces to split up to more efficiently address the situation. Blurr was sent ahead to scout out the crater while the rest of the Autobots headed for the California coast. Fast as he was, Blurr was able to make it to the crater, double back, and meet up with the rest of the Autobot forces just as they arrived at the California coast. En route, he had spotted the incoming Decepticons, and warned Ultra Magnus to act quickly. The Autobots then needed to decide whether they would raise the ship themselves, or try and ambush the Decepticons after they had done so.

In one of the possible plans that Ultra Magnus came up with, Sludge and Hot Rod worked together to retrieve the sphere from the ship. Blurr was then tasked to return the sphere to Metroplex, while the rest of the Autobots lay hidden, ready to ambush the Decepticons. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
Blurr was one of the Autobot Targetmasters who ruined a Decepticon energy operation at the Nebulan north pole by using thermal lasers to sink [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] into the melting ice he had rested upon. {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Cold War Blurr punches Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Hammertime.]]
After [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s "joint" takeover of Cybertron with Ultra Magnus, Blurr was among the Autobots who rebelled against the idea. He joined an underground Autobot cell led by Kup and Hot Rod to oppose Shockwave. Along with fellow cell members Hot Rod and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], he observed a Decepticon shuttle (actually piloted by the Dinobots) from the [[Wastelands]]. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}}

Later, after [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]] brought an unconscious Optimus Prime to their base, Blurr and Wheelie tried to subdue the legendary Autobot from mistakenly pounding Gnaw to death after he woke up. (Blurr's attempt was to punch Optimus in the face, which nearly broke his hand. Points for gumption.) {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} Soon after, Blurr participated in Optimus Prime's Autobot uprising, battling the Decepticons and [[Guardian robot]]s, which ended Shockwave's rule. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:SpotlightBlurr-ImTheNews.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Before the war, Blurr was the number one [[Cybertronian sport|racer]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}} He once raced against [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] {{storylink|Iron in the Blood}} and during the [[Clampdown (event)|Clampdown]], he won the [[Ibex Cup]] for the tenth cycle running. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} When he retired, he planned to buy and run his favourite bar, [[the Circle]]. Obsessive mega-fan [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] mistook a hurried 'yeah go away now' gesture to mean Blurr wanted to open the bar with ''him''. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

The stardom provided by Blurr's racing success meant he got into the best clubs, was worshiped by fans, and was a grade-A jackass, to the point where he couldn't be bothered remembering his [[Piston (mechanic)|co-workers]]' names. However all this changed when the war broke out. The race track was bombed and the races themselves canceled. Blurr found himself despairing, due to his life falling apart and to both factions attempting to recruit him. Not long after encountering [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]], who attempted to convince him to join the Decepticon ranks, Blurr got caught up in a gunfight that resulted in the death of Piston, one of his coworkers, as well as friend and colleague [[Fasttrack (IDW)|Fasttrack]]. After being on the receiving end of some harsh but fair words from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|a young pre-Prime Optimus]], he realized that he'd been relying upon the races to give him purpose in life; and beyond that—serving the Autobot cause would give him an even better purpose. Blurr accepted the mission to attempt to inform [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] of the Decepticons' attack plans and became an Autobot. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}}

[[File:Blurr at Party The Iron Age.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]
Unfortunately, Zeta Prime went on to become an oppressive tyrant who only pushed the planet further into war, and Blurr would long harbor regret for having saved his life. {{storylink|Night and the City}} Having found his way into illegal underground racing during Zeta's rule, Blurr was hanging out at the [[Brake-Street]] underground racing hub when he witnessed Optimus Prime's rallying call for additional support against the new Decepticon rule. {{storylink|Broadcast}} He was quick to join the Autobots in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and participate in the battle for control of Cybertron. {{storylink|Endgame}} During the Autobots' battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Blurr led a harassment team to lure the monster into a trap. {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}}

Sometime after that, Blurr was working with Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] in defense of one of Cybertron's major cities. Using his speed, he broke through the Decepticon ranks and kept them distracted while the other Autobots held the line. He and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] were seen celebrating later on at the victory party. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

Several million years later, Blurr was part of a unit led by [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and successfully drove the Decepticons off an unknown planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}} Blurr later began working alongside the Wreckers and was captured by [[Turmoil]] alongside several of them, but was rescued by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] who recruited him into a new elite fighting unit on board the starship ''[[Trion]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

[[File:Slowmotionmoviewalkahm5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Blurr battles without honor or humanity.]]
After [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] was recruited into the crew of the ''Trion'', Blurr spent quite some time playing [[Go (game)|Go]] with him, although the name of the game confused him. He later reported [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s status to Kup and helped save [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] from [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Lost & Found}}

Blurr was on the ''Trion'' when the ship was shot down and forced to crash-land on the devastated surface of Cybertron. Blurr and the rest of the team survived the crash and met up with Optimus Prime's unit, who were also stranded on the planet. Prime had suffered heavy damage back on Earth, and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] was now in charge. When Jazz got a little uppity with Kup, Blurr tried to bring him down...only to find out that "hard core" beats fast every time. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} The two Autobot units began working together under Kup and Jazz, and found themselves on the run from the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} Blurr and Drift were sent out on scouting patrol to keep the Autobots informed of the Swarm's movements. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

Unfortunately, Blurr was too far away when the swarm actually made their move, and by the time he reached his comrades with a warning, they were already under attack. He later offered to blow up a bridge to keep the swarm away, but Kup wouldn't let him, as not even Blurr could outrun an explosion. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}} The Autobot base was eventually overrun by the swarm, but Blurr and the others were saved by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}

[[File:RudeAwakening-Blurrcar.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.85|Hey, look, I have an Earth mode!]]
Two years later, Blurr was still stationed on Earth with the Autobots under Optimus Prime's command. After Prime surrendered himself to [[Skywatch]], Blurr initially rejected Hot Rod's proposal to abandon the humans and their planet. He remained behind in the caves with the Autobots who, after a vote, came under [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]'s leadership. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Once [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] arrived, however, the mood in the camp shifted appreciably. Many Autobots noticed Bumblebee's lack of authority in the shadow of Ultra Magnus and began to worry they would be somehow blamed or even arrested for Prime's actions. Blurr chose to leave the Autobots along with [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], and they drove off to find Hot Rod. Not long after their departure, though, the foursome were attacked by a Skywatch patrol. Blurr's comrades were disabled by [[Mode lock|mode-lock]] technology, and only his hyper-speed allowed him to escape capture as well. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}}

[[File:ImpossibleKnot-Blurr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|Or wait, no. Sorry.]]
All of Blurr's speed was useless when he didn't know where to go. He wandered the desert for days, fruitlessly trying to reach Hot Rod's group via his Autobot comms. Eventually, he was confronted by Bumblebee and his unit, who had made a Faustian deal with Skywatch to hunt down the Decepticons still active on the planet. Blurr was the first Autobot Skywatch had sent them after, and the Autobots had only agreed after [[Gordon Horiuchi|their contact]] demonstrated the ability to mode-lock the Autobots remotely using the badges which had been provided to them. Blurr, already anxious, didn't take Bumblebee's request to surrender very well, and he actually shot his friend in the chest while trying to escape. He was brought back to the caves by the Autobots, but they ultimately refused to turn him over to Skywatch. They found a way to escape Skywatch's domination when Bumblebee's badge malfunctioned due to Blurr's blast, leaving him unaffected by the mode lock. In order to keep Skywatch in the dark, they enlisted Blurr to recover a duplicate yellow Volkswagen Beetle to turn over to Skywatch as "Bumblebee". Despite his concerns, Blurr reluctantly agreed to help with the plan. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

[[File:Blurr Enemies of the System.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]
After the termination of their short-lived alliance with Horiuchi, Ultra Magnus returned, demanding assistance from Bumblebee's Autobots to arrest the self-declared [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|"Rodimus Prime"]] and his followers for colluding with [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'s Decepticons. Overruling Bumblebee's authority, he also deputised Blurr, dismissing Bumblebee's protests that the speedy Autobot had recently endured a major trauma at the hands of Skywatch. They arrived at the construction site of Rodimus's starship and watched as the two Autobot commanders bickered over the point of arresting somebody for treason now that the war was over. However, all argument between the Autobots ceased when Swindle revealed his treachery through his latest creation: the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] combiner [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}}

The battle against the new gestalt warrior was going poorly for Blurr and the others until help literally dropped from the sky...landing right on top of Swindle. Optimus Prime joined the fight and the Autobots eventually managed to subdue Menasor. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}} At Bumblebee's discretion, Blurr and the other Autobots allied themselves fully with Skywatch. {{storylink|All His Engines}}

Four months later, the Decepticons returned to Earth and devastated the Autobot-Skywatch base. Ultra Magnus led Blurr and the others to regroup at Omega Supreme, though they were chased by humans with Cybertronian weaponry on the way. The convoy came to a swift stop when it ran into Megatron, whose new and upgraded body allowed him to shrug off the Autobots' firepower and take them all out with a single blast. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}}

A few weeks later, Blurr was present at Omega Supreme when Rodimus came back from space with a bunch of long-lost Autobots in tow. He listened to [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] tell stories, then joined the rest of the Autobots in leaving Earth and returning to Cybertron. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} Back on their home planet, they fought against both [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s and Megatron's Decepticons. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}} {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}}

[[File:Blurr communicator Devisive.jpg|thumb|left|upright=2.0]]
With the war officially over, [[NAIL|unaffiliated Cybertronians]] came flooding back to Cybertron, and in order to keep everything in check the Autobots had the captured Decepticons act as enforcers. This had the expected results. Blurr, Prowl and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] caught [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] and [[Horri-Bull (G1)|Horri-Bull]] assaulting [[Tappet]] for writing graffiti, but to Blurr's confusion, Prowl had him arrest the ''victim'' for disturbing the peace. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} Blurr later did crowd control against a Decepticon riot that had broken out in response to [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s death. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

Blurr was soon placed as a guard at the [[reclamation tunnel]]s, overseeing Decepticons working at sifting through refuse. When [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]] was found murdered in a tunnel, Blurr informed [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] of the Decepticon's identity and led him to the only witness, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who was infected with a [[cerebro-shell]]. Blurr was shortly ordered to pursue [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who found aid in the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. The Decepticons overwhelmed and knocked out the Autobot, but [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] was sent to the rescue and carried Blurr to safety. Blurr later woke up worse for the wear and berated Prowl for allowing him to enter a dangerous situation without backup. {{storylink|Devisive}}

In need of something to do while he recovered from his injuries, Blurr remembered his old plan to run a bar one day. He was unsure if it was the right time and place for it, but found support in [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] and decided to reopen [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] the next day, leaving the Autobot army behind. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} While serving Starscream and [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]], he was asked for his input on Turmoil's arrival on Cybertron and told them of his experiences with meeting Turmoil and Drift years earlier. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}} Bumblebee later approached Blurr asking him for help in finding a lost Ironhide, but he refused to return to the Autobot fold because of Prowl, whose recent actions were reminding him of Zeta Prime and his own regrets about saving the corrupt Prime. He relented once Bumblebee asked him to do it for Ironhide's sake. {{storylink|Night and the City}}

Blurr was sent out into the Cybertronian wilderness to search for Ironhide and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], but was interrupted when a sudden explosion ripped a hole in the ground. He was less than thrilled when Prowl and Wheeljack showed up to investigate, but followed them into the underground where they found the ancient [[Crystal City]] and a gigantic inactive [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]]. While Prowl wanted to keep everyone else out of the cave, Blurr and Metalhawk disagreed and led several Decepticons into it, and as a result they witnessed the Metrotitan's surprising announcement that Starscream was the conqueror who would unite all Cybertronians. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}}

When the Decepticon population began rioting in celebration of Megatron's return, Blurr took refuge in Maccadam's alongside some of his loyal patrons. {{storylink|City on Fire}} While barring the place up he was approached by Arcee, who claimed Dirge and Swindle had incriminating information about Prowl and convinced Blurr to bring them to Bumblebee. {{storylink|The Verge}} Agreeing to investigate, Bumblebee and Metalhawk followed them to Prowl's quarters only for the group to be caught in a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Blurr was injured trying to protect Swindle, who repaid him by hiding him away from the fighting. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

In the aftermath of the battle, Starscream rose to leadership of the neutrals and had all Autobots and Decepticons banished from Iacon. Though he officially left the Autobots in favor of remaining in the city, Blurr had no love for Starscream and flatly refused to let him use Maccadam's as a place to "connect" with the populace. {{storylink|Three Monologues}} He was then distracted from the rebuilding of his bar by what appeared to be an early sunrise. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} The cause of this turned out to be the arrival of the [[Necrotitan]], which proceeded to emanate a wave of destruction that devastated Iacon. Starscream attempted to shield Blurr and several other neutrals from the wave's advance. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} As the titan wandered into Iacon, Blurr grabbed a gun and tried to fight it off, {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} then helped [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] evacuate civilians from the burning city. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

Following the defeat of the Necrotitan, Blurr boarded the returned ''[[Lost Light]]'' to check out its own bar, [[Swerve's]]. He didn't recognize the owner. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} He went on to attend the trial of Megatron {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} and reestablish Maccadam's Old Oil House in [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], what with Iacon being ruined and all. When [[Cityspeaker]] [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] stopped by, he provided her with free drinks and complaints about the recent blackouts. {{storylink|A 'Bot and Her City}} After Windblade was injured in an explosion, [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] and [[Longtooth]] showed up at Maccadam's looking to interview people on the matter, and Blurr had to show them the exit. He later followed Windblade, [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], and the two reporters into Metroplex's insides to confirm Windblade's claim that Starscream was "mining" the titan for [[Regenesis]] ore. {{storylink|Windblade issue 2|Windblade vol. 1 #2}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Signal to Noise}} {{storylink|Windblade issue 3|Windblade vol. 1 #3}} {{storylink|Windblade issue 4|Windblade vol. 1 #4}} {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 4|Windblade vol. 2 #4}} {{storylink|Race Against the Light}} {{storylink|The Transformers: Redemption|Redemption}} {{storylink|Choose Me}}}}

===''Transformers United''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|A New Battle!}}}}
When a deadly nano-virus infected the Autobots stationed on Earth, Blurr, along with the rest of the tragetmasters and headmasters, found himself immune to it. Blurr and the rest of the healthy Autobots traveled to Nebulos in order to retrieve a cure concocted by Supreme Scientist Zella. Once there, Blurr determined that there was no Decepticon activity via their ship's computer. Suspicious nonetheless, Kup left Blurr in charge of the ship's computer while he led a squad into the field. Kup's suspicions were confirmed when it was revealed that a squad of Decepticons had hidden in inner-space nearby to avoid detection. The Autobots retrieved the cure nonetheless, and Blurr was commended for his heroic actions when he returned to Earth. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Commercial appearances==
* Blurr, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod]] came to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s aid when the Autobot leader was fighting against [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. Blurr used his speed to good use against both Starscream and Skywarp, but was stopped dead in his tracks by a shot courtesy of Cylonus.{{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, Rodimus Prime|Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge and Rodimus Prime commercial}}
*A stone sculpture of Blurr was savaged by Weirdwolf as part of his training. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Decepticon Headmasters|Decepticon Headmasters commercial}}
*Blurr charged into battle alongside Rodimus Prime, Kup and Wheelie, firing at the enemy, until he got knocked aside by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'s "rocket car" mode. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sixshot|Sixshot commercial}}
*Blurr and Rodimus drove to one of the Autobots' laboratory, only to be informed by a distressed [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] that there had been an accident, and that the newest Autobots were monsters! Fortunately, they were still Autobots nonetheless, and helped ward off a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Monsterbots|Monsterbots commercial}}
*Blurr fought alongside Rodimus Prime on Cybertron as Transformers, both Autobots and Decepticons, left their world to expand the war to the planet [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}

==Games==
===The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth===
[[File:C64Blurr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|I can transform too! *flump*]]
Along with his fellow Autobots, Blurr protected Earth from the menace of the Decepticons. He was ostensibly under the command of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth}}

===The Transformers (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Phil Gibbon]] (English)}}
When [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] threatened the universe using [[Zel Quartz]] in 2010, Blurr was one of the Autobots warriors who travelled back in time to 2003 to prevent Zel Quartz from ever being cultivated for use by Cybertronians.

====Decepticon story====
While searching for Zel Quartz in the present, the Decepticons hunted down several leads, including a drill bit forged from a meteorite. Separated from the rest of his team in the crash, Blurr confronted the Decepticons in the desert as they searched for the drill.

====Autobot story====
Blurr rejoined the present and future Autobots in their campaign after the second false lead for the quartz on [[Zel Samine]]. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Following a Decepticon attack on [[New York City]], Blurr joined [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s team of infiltrators on a hunt for Decepticons. They were thwarted by three of the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. {{storylink|War Dawn (Legends)|War Dawn}} Blurr joined a team led by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to help track down the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives (Legends)|Call of the Primitives}}

Blurr was involved in a conflict with [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and his Decepticons, which led to his Autobot teammates, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] being forced to take cover in the [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (Legends)|Dark Awakening}}

In the aftermath of the restoration of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Blurr was part of a team led by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] which attempted to map the changes to their planet. They were briefly delayed by [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]]. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (Legends)|The Autonomy Lesson}}
===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsBlurr.jpg|thumb|right|300px|]]
Blurr participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Blurr toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Cybertron's zippiest doorstop wedge.]]
*'''Blurr''' (Autobot Car, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-79'''
**''Accessories'': "Electro-laser" rifle, shield

:Blurr transforms into a blue Cybertronic hovercar. As his type of vehicle didn't have traditional rubber-tired wheels, he instead had small plastic wheels on his robot legs, which were tucked underneath the length of the hovercar mode. The nose portion of the vehicle detaches to serve as a shield in [[robot mode]].

:The initial releases of this toy have decals on the side of his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] pontoons that are cut in a "V" shape. Later releases made the decals a simpler four-sided shape with a darker blue in the former empty part of the "V", matching the plastic color beneath. There is also a variation to his rifle; the main body of the rifle has three small holes in the rectangular indent just over the hand-peg, but only on ''one side''. Samples with the holes on either side of the rifle have been found. The large circular indent at the back of the rifle body, a detail that appears on both sides of the gun, is also deeper on the side that the three holes appear on.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Blurr/blurr.htm More information on Blurr at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.toyteardown.co.uk/?p=130 Blurr G1 teardown at toyteardown.co.uk]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|Targetmaster}}
[[File:G1-toy BlurrTargetmaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Blurr''' (Targetmaster, 1987)
**''Accessories'': Haywire Targetmaster, shield

:A [[retool]] of the previous year's toy, Blurr was adapted to be able to hold his Nebulan/weapon [[Haywire]], replacing his pistol from the previous release. His fist-holes were widened to accommodate Haywire's [[5mm post]], plus a weapon-mount point was added to his midsection/vehicle-hood. Thanks to the wider fist-holes, the peg for Blurr's shield was also expanded.

:This toy uses the "full" variant of the original toy's pontoon decals, as well as using a darker aqua-blue paint for the front tips of the pontoons. His shield has also been painted with this shade of aqua, an inexplicable ''addition'' to the toy's [[paint operation]]s.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1987/Autobot/Blurr/blurr.htm More information on Targetmaster Blurr at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-Blurr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|He brought guns to a [[sword]]-toy.]]
*'''Blurr''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories'': Sniper rifle, left & right pistols

:Blurr is a [[retool]] of ''Generations'' [[Drift (G1)#Generations|Drift]], transforming into a cross between a [[Wikipedia:Nissan Silvia#S15|Nissan Silvia S15]] and a [[Wikipedia:Mitsubishi FTO|Mitsubishi FTO]]. Tooling changes involve a new head, a less prominent spoiler, a large sniper rifle to replace Drift's long sword, two smaller handguns to replace the smaller swords and modified inside panels of the doors to accommodate said handguns. The head sculpt is influenced by [[Guido Guidi]]'s Blurr redesign from ''[[Spotlight: Blurr]]''. The sniper rifle has a pivoting handle in the middle so that Blurr can hold the rifle easily with both fists, while the two handguns can plug into the end of the barrel, forming a bipod, or if you feel like it, a crazy (but awesome) THREE-barreled rifle.

:For some reason, the ankle strut, molded of clear plastic, is ''completely'' painted over.

:The original version of this sculpt, though with Blurr's handguns also being included, was also used to make [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]] [[Drift (SG)|Drift]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Autobot/Blurr/blurr.htm More information on ''Generations'' Blurr at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===United===
[[File:United-AutobotBlurr-toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Blurr, wearing his rarely seen nighty-nite pajamas.]]
*'''Autobot Blurr''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''UN-16'''
**''Accessories:'' "Blaster rifle", left & right "laser blaster guns"

:Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' toys, "Autobot Blurr" is a [[redeco]] of ''Generations'' Blurr, being heavily inspired by the [[IDW Publishing]] rendition of the character that the toy is based upon. Among other deco changes, he has been redecoed into multiple, less-contrasting shades of light blue, his torso and crotch have been painted silver, and his ''entire'' vehicle mode has been slathered in paint, including painting his vehicle sides in metallic blue, and painting his rear grille in silver.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1toy-Blurrprotohead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I used to have a huge zit on my forehead unsightly unsightly unsightly!]]
[[File:FriedmanAuctionBlurrModelEdit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*So an early version of Blurr was pretty different, huh? Weird.
*In 2010, a set of Blurr's original color models from ''The Transformers: The Movie'' went up for sale on Heritage Auctions, sold from [[Ron Friedman|Ron Friedman's]] collection of [[Sunbow Productions]] materials. In contrast to his final model and toys, this early color model depicted him with lavender parts.
*No matter the continuity, Blurr's pattern of speech inevitably becomes inspired by his original cartoon portrayal's speed-talking. You can try to write him differently. [[Bob Budiansky]] did. [[Shane McCarthy]] did. But it [[Simon Furman|won't]] [[Zander Cannon|last]].
*Forbes.com declared Blurr to be the fastest fictional car, beating out Speed Racer's ''[[wikipedia:Mach Five|Mach Five]]'' by a top speed difference of over 500mph.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/07/fastest-fictional-cars-forbeslife-cx_mn_de_0507fictional_slide_2.html Blurr named fastest car by Forbes]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Blurr''' (ブラー ''Burā'')
*''English:'' '''Wally''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub)
*''French:'' '''Brouillo''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Blörr''', '''Hadari''' (''The Movie'', "Sputtery")
*''Italian:'' '''Flash'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Luōsuo''' (啰嗦, "Wordy")
*''Russian:'' '''Blurr''' (Блер ''Bler'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Athletes]]
[[Category:Bartenders]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Ladybird Books Autobots]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Quickmix (Cybertron)

2016-01-22T23:59:33Z

Anonymous X: /* Cybertron */

{{factions|gigantion|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Quickmix}}
:''Quickmix is a [[Gigantion]] [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]] portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:CybQuickmixArt.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Burst me bagpipes!]]

'''Quickmix''' is [[Gigantion]]'s leader [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex's]] right-hand-mech. He is cautious and a bit set in his ways, but he's also incredibly brave in battle and "knows a lot about a lot", as Metroplex puts it. But when things get hairy, he's also rational enough to know that sometimes, you ''do'' have to bend the rules.

==Fiction==
===''Cybertron'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Daingerfield]] (English), [[Kenichi Mochizuki]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:GiantCybertronQuickmix.jpg|right|thumb|Crivens, it's dahk 'ere!]]

[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] introduced Quickmix to the Autobots. He had heard of the planet's [[Cyber Planet Key]] and also heard it was in the central layer. When they found the Decepticons attempting to enter lower layers of [[Gigantion]], Quickmix stopped [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]] from drilling by defeating him in combat. The Decepticons attacked and he was able to fend off [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] before stopping Menasor from attacking [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]]. Afterward he agreed that the Autobots could search for the Cyber Planet Key in what used to be off limits territory. {{storylink|Giant}} He looked for hard data on the key, but his endeavors came up fruitless. When [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] attacked with his new power he knocked [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] into the air, but she was caught by Quickmix. Quickmix turned his sights against the Decepticon leader, but was quickly smashed into the ground. {{storylink|Fury}}

Quickmix began unleashing cement over the ''[[Atlantis]]'', burying it. He was later placed as part of the backup team when the Autobots split up. He followed [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] in the attempt to save [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] from [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], but was ultimately not needed. {{storylink|City}} He later came with the rescue team to attend to [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] after his battle with [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]. He covered Thundercracker with concrete to shut him up {{storylink|Ambush}} and watched Coby's reaction as [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] and [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]]'s signals disappeared. {{storylink|Challenge}}

[[File:Optimus-StarscreamVSQuickmix.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|"Why am I here?" "Well, who else is going to be rammed into a wall?"]]

Quickmix watched as Coby ran diagnostics on the injured [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]], then made fun of him. He then headed down with the rest of the backup team to the inner layer of Gigantion. He, Landmine, and Coby went into the ''[[Lemuria (Cybertron)|Lemuria]]'' to find the Cyber Planet Key. Once inside he led the group with the help of Coby's map. Quickmix was about to grab the key when [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] appeared out of nowhere and slammed him into the wall. After recovering he joined the rest of the Autobots in shooting Galvatron. {{storylink|Optimus (episode)|Optimus}} He later watched as Vector Prime inserted the final Cyber Planet Key into the [[Omega Lock]]. When Galvatron arrived to steal the Omega Lock, Quickmix was one of the first to charge into battle and also one of the first defeated. During the air battle he helped save the kids from a falling boulder with the help of Menasor. {{storylink|Showdown (Cybertron)|Showdown}}

Quickmix helped theorize that they needed to build a generator to help build a space bridge. Afterward he left the planet with the Autobots {{storylink|Guardian (episode)|Guardian}} and returned to [[Primus]] so they can all fight Galvatron together. {{storylink|Homecoming (episode)|Homecoming}} He sparred with [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], who now equaled him in size, chasing the Decepticon off with his Cyber Key Power. {{storylink|End}}

[[File:Unfinished-QuickmixExtinguish.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.05|"Time to mix it up! ...that's bad even for me."]]

Quickmix helped the rockets used to kick Jungle Planet back into orbit. When one of the rockets caught fire, he attempted to extinguish it, but to no avail. He later added his strength to manually adjust the planet's trajectory. {{storylink|Unfinished}} After the war, he was quite excited to build in the space bridge project. He offered to carry [[Brakedown (Cybertron)|Brakedown]]'s bag onto the starship, but the old Autobot wouldn't have any of it. In the end he was part of [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'s team into the stars.{{storylink|Beginning}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Cybertron===
[[File:Cybertron-toy Quickmix.JPG|right|upright=1.67|thumb|As orange-hued as a [[Wikipedia: Irn-Bru|notorious Scottish soda.]]]]
*'''Quickmix''' (Voyager, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Missile, pipes/twin-barreled blaster, Giant Planet Cyber Key

: Quickmix transforms into a Cybertronic (Gigantian?) cement mixer with a drum that actually turns (though on a [[Ratchet (mechanism)|ratcheting joint]]). The top of the mixing assembly flips up to reveal a control panel for Quickmix's pack-in [[Mini-Con]], [[Stripmine]], to stand on; pegs fold out that plug into holes in Stripmine's arms for stability. Stripmine can also connect to the control panel in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] by plugging his "handle" into the hole on the station and fitting his treads on the platform.

[[File:Quickmix-workmode.jpg|left|125px|thumb|Uh, yeah. "Work" mode. Just take our word for it.]]
: In [[robot mode]], plugging a [[Cyber Planet Key]] into the Key jack on his drum splits it open and reveals his spring-loaded missile launcher. The "pipe" piece on his left arm is actually removable and can be repositioned on his arm, peg onto any of his [[Powerlinx]] hardpoints, or even used as a hand-held "blaster" thanks to its own Powerlinx peg. He also has an alternate "work" robot mode, which basically just pushes his hips up into his torso and raises his shoulders up. He comes with a silver-bordered Gigantion Cyber Planet Key, with the [[Cyber Key Codes|Key Code]] "'''ve37'''" on the back.

: In Japan, Quickmix was only available through [[e-HOBBY]]'s online ordering service, in [[Hasbro]] packaging, in October of 2006... ten months after ''Galaxy Force'' stopped in Japan.

: This mold was later used to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Heavy Load (Universe)|Heavy Load]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/Quickmix/quickmix.htm More information on Quickmix at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
* Quickmix's "work mode" is usually only seen in the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] as a "halfway" point in his vehicle-to-robot stock footage transformation sequence. Unlike those of [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] and [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]], Quickmix's work mode was also omitted from the instructions of his American release. Closer inspection of the show reveals that Quickmix seems to alternate between his work and regular modes at random in specific scenes.
* According to the color guide unlocked by his Cyber Planet Key, Quickmix's working title was "[[Mixmaster (disambiguation)|Mix Master]]".
* Whether by design or accident, Quickmix shares a few physical similarities with the original [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]], making him an [[homage]] of sorts (although with a color scheme closer to [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]]'s).
*For whatever reason, Quickmix's toy was originally listed in [[Walmart]] computers and on Walmart's public website as "Armor Scattorshot". It's possible that this was an old working name for [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Scattorshot]] that got somehow applied to the wrong toy.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Blendar''' (ブレンダル ''Burendaru'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Beretva''' (1st dub, "Cutthroat razor"), '''Mixer''' (2nd dub)
*''Russian:'' '''Smesitel'''' (Смеситель, "Mixer")

[[Category:Cybertron Autobots]]
[[Category:Gigantion]]

Maryland

2016-01-15T18:30:41Z

Anonymous X:

'''Maryland''' is a state located in the eastern [[United States of America]] on planet [[Earth]]. The state is the location of [[Andrews Air Force Base]], a major [[human]] military installation, and borders the national capital [[Washington, D.C.]]

It is unknown if this state is the birthplace of the human delicacy known as [[Wikipedia:Maryland Cookies|cookies]].

==Fiction==
===Titan movie comics===
{{notetitantlg}}
The dispossessed Autobot forces set up temporary base at [[Andrews Air Force Base]], without any warm welcomes from the [[United States Air Force]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 21|Hard Target}}

==Notes==
*The [[Omni Productions]] dub of the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' episode "[[Tanker Hijack Operation]]" renders the setting [[Marine City]] as Maryland (pronounced ''Merry Land''); Primus knows why.

==External link==
*[[Wikipedia:Maryland|Maryland at Wikipedia]]

[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Movie locations]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]

Maryland

2016-01-15T18:30:15Z

Anonymous X:

'''Maryland''' is a state located in the eastern [[United States of America]] on planet [[Earth]]. The state is the location of [[Andrews Air Force Base]], a major [[human]] military installation, and borders the national capital [[Washington, D.C.]]

It is unknown if this state is the birthplace if the human delicacy known as [[Wikipedia:Maryland Cookies|cookies]].

==Fiction==
===Titan movie comics===
{{notetitantlg}}
The dispossessed Autobot forces set up temporary base at [[Andrews Air Force Base]], without any warm welcomes from the [[United States Air Force]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 21|Hard Target}}

==Notes==
*The [[Omni Productions]] dub of the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' episode "[[Tanker Hijack Operation]]" renders the setting [[Marine City]] as Maryland (pronounced ''Merry Land''); Primus knows why.

==External link==
*[[Wikipedia:Maryland|Maryland at Wikipedia]]

[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Movie locations]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]

Maryland

2016-01-15T14:52:42Z

Anonymous X: Created page with "'''Maryland''' is a state located in the eastern United States of America on planet Earth. The state if the location of Andrews Air Force Base, a major human m..."

'''Maryland''' is a state located in the eastern [[United States of America]] on planet [[Earth]]. The state if the location of [[Andrews Air Force Base]], a major [[human]] military installation, and borders the capital [[Washington, D.C.]]

It is unknown if this state is the birthplace if the [[human]] delicacy known as [[Wikipedia:Maryland Cookies|cookies]].

===Titan Magazines ''Transformers'' movie comics===
{{notetitantlg}}
Dispossessed Autobots set up temporary base at [[Andrews Air Force Base]], without much of a warm welcome from the [[United State Air Force]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 21|Hard Target}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon continuity===
The [[Omni Productions]] dub of the episode [[Tanker Hijack Operation]] renders the setting [[Marine City]] as Maryland; Primus knows why.

==External links==
*[[Wikipedia:Maryland|Maryland at Wikipedia]]

[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Movie locations]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]

Double Dinobot

2016-01-15T00:41:42Z

Anonymous X: /* Trivia */ rv, not relevant trivia for the BW television series

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=14
|series2=BWJtoon
|ep2=17
|prev2=Dark Designs
|next2=Spider's Game
|image=Dinobot mirror.jpg
|caption="Hmm. He looks good, but is he tasty...?"
|title="Double Dinobot"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate= [[November 5]], [[1996]]
|written by=[[Rowby Goren]]
|directed by=[[John Pozer]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron creates a non-transforming clone of Dinobot in an effort to disable Sentinel'''.

==Synopsis==
[[File:Double Dinobot Megatron clone.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Isn't he cute?]]
[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] creates a ''Velociraptor'' clone based on the [[DNA]] of the [[Maximal]] [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Clone One]], which also possesses a copy of Dinobot's mind.

[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] attacks the real Dinobot while on patrol, leading the Maximal into a cave where a swift move allows Terrorsaur to escape and bury Dinobot in a cave-in. Meanwhile, Clone One is sent to infiltrate the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]] in his place. Clone One tells [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] that there's a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] camp in [[Grid Omega]] and insists Primal himself should go. Primal instead sends the Clone and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] to fix the camp's exact location.

[[File:Double Dinobot Rattrap clone.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|What's funnier? Seeing someone falling off a log, or causing someone to fall off a log and then laughing at them for falling off.]]
Rattrap transforms to attack the alleged base and ''almost'' discovers the Clone's inability to transform, but stands down when the Clone reminds him this is a ''recon'' mission. Rattrap is puzzled by this uncharacteristic show of restraint, but stands down. While crossing an open lava flow, Clone One kicks the bridge out from under Rattrap, apparently sending him to his death.

In the meantime, the real Dinobot digs himself out of the rubble in the cave.

[[File:Double Dinobot Clone shock.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|This is what really wiped out the dinosaurs.]]
Clone One returns to the ''Axalon'' (now crewed only by Optimus Primal) and fakes an injury, telling Primal that they discovered the Predacon camp under cover of a "stealth device" and Rattrap is trapped. Despite having just received a report from Rhinox that Grid Omega shows no signs of Predacon activity, Optimus Primal activates [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] and leaves to rescue Rattrap. Clone One struggles to deactivate the shield without Dinobot's authorization codes and is repeatedly shocked by Sentinel, who recognises him as Dinobot, but doesn't detect a Maximal [[spark]].

Optimus Primal and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] rendezvous in Grid Omega, where they pick up Rattrap's trail. Rattrap, who landed on a chunk of rock, rides it along the lava flow, but is forced to leap for his life when the flow becomes a lava waterfall. He lands up on a ledge and then [[wikipedia:Rocket jumping|grenade jumps]] back to stable ground, where he encounters Cheetor and Primal and informs them of "Dinobot"'s treachery.

Meanwhile, the real Dinobot returns to the ''Axalon'' and deactivates the perimeter shield. Clone One believes he has finally succeeded and summons Megatron. The two Dinobots come face to face and are momentarily baffled as their identical reflexes cause them to mirror one another's reactions. Clone One realizes the situation first and attacks, but Dinobot transforms and challenges his clone to a fight. Discovering that his double cannot transform, Dinobot returns to [[beast mode]] and the two fight on equal terms. The Clone is losing ground, but a lucky blow appears to knock Dinobot unconscious. Clone One eagerly goes to meet Megatron, not realizing that Dinobot was playing [[robotopossum]].

[[File:Double Dinobot Dinobot teeth.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"...Mmmm, he was quite tasty."]]
Dinobot poses as his clone and greets Megatron outside the base and flatters his ego while discovering his plan to ambush the Maximals as they return from Grid Omega then use their own defense grid to finish them off. Dinobot activates the perimeter shield just as Megatron is walking through it, shocking him badly. Megatron initially believes the clone has betrayed him just as Dinobot did, but is cheered to learn that's not the case. With the arrival of the other Maximals, Megatron retreats.

The Maximals survey the damaged command center in dismay and inquire what happened to the clone. Dinobot informs them that it is gone for good…and was 'quite tasty'.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (6)
*[[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (7)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (9)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (10)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (1)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (2)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (4)
*[[Clone One]] (5)
}}

==Quotes==
"At last, an ''end'' to the boredom!"
:—'''Dinobot''', delighted to be attacked

"Peaceful as an R-chamber. Looks like old chopper face is seein' things."
:—'''Rattrap'''

"I just knew I smelled a rat... and it wasn't even ''me!''"
:—'''Rattrap''' jumps to the wrong conclusion.

"What in the Inferno are you?" 
"What you might have been, had you not betrayed Megatron."
:—'''Dinobot''' meets '''Clone One'''

"Ooh, your brilliance is an inspiration to me!" 
"Oh, you are an enchanting creature! I may just clone the rest of my troops."
:—'''Dinobot''' posing as his clone, to '''Megatron'''

"You're ''disgusting.''" 
:—'''Optimus''' expresses his thoughts of '''Dinobot's''' actions

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*More of an oddity than an error, but due to the angle the shot was rendered in, as Dinobot transforms into [[robot mode]] to enter the cave, you may notice how his robot torso and sword miraculously appear in shrunken form behind or above (but clearly separate from) his dinosaur mode, before merging with the rest of his body to complete transformation. Later, as he tries to fight his clone, the robot torso correctly appears from within the beast's body.
*When Terrorsaur creates a cave-in to trap Dinobot, the latter hurries towards the screen, and you can very briefly see the insides of his animation model's head, as the "camera" passes into him.
*During the clash between the Dinobots, the one who gets launched forward by the chair has some very weird things going on with his body. Namely, it gets so distorted, that the point where the legs meet the torso seemingly turn inside out, and flesh that wasn't there before (or afterwards) juts out of his sides. Also, while barely noticeable, his left arm jumps out of position for just a frame a few seconds before the chair hits him.

===Trivia===
* Clone One's skin will later be seen on the wall of Dinobot's room. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
* Megatron was extremely pleased to learn the clone had not betrayed him. Had Dinobot led him to think his clones were unreliable, it probably would have saved the Maximals a lot of trouble…. ''Ah, hindsight.''
* Megatron would clone Dinobot twice more; the [[Cyber raptor]]s in [[Cutting Edge]] and [[Dinobot II]] in [[Feral Scream Part 1]].
* The Chamber Dinobot's clone was created in appears to be an extensively refitted Predacon [[CR chamber|R-Chamber]].
* Megatron is seemingly incapable of cloning Dinobot on sunny days with lots of butterflies. SOMEONE has been reading too much [[wikipedia:Mary Shelley|Mary Shelley]], folks.
* When Dinobot first encounters his clone, and the two mimic each other's movements, it is perhaps a reference to the famous mirror scene from the Marx Brothers movie [[wikipedia:Duck Soup (1933 film)|Duck Soup.]]
*While the Dinobot clone is trying to deactivate Sentinel, a holographic Maximal logo appears with [[Cybertronix]] writing under it saying "who is this putz scally user". Then the shot changes to behind the projection as some more text appears next to a diagram that says "hey ian go f**k yourself", making one wonder what either [[Ian James Corlett]] or [[Ian Pearson]] did to piss off an animator. Then the words 'Merv Griffin' display.
*When Clone One is called a "ZombieBot" by Scorponok, and when he growls and bites at him, Tigatron's scream is heard instead.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Clone'''" ("The Clone")

:*''Title:'' "'''Double DinoBot'''" (Canada)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il vero e il falso'''" ("The Real and the Fake")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dinobot ga Futari ni?'''" (ダイノボットが二人に?, "Two Dinobots?")
::*''Original airdate:'' [[January 21|21 January]] [[1997]]
::* For comedic effect, the [[Clone One|Clone Dinobot]] speaks with a whiney, high-pitched voice rather than an identical copy of Dinobot's tone (which seems like it would be a dead giveaway that he's a fake, but hey). In fact, he also gets Dinobot's verbal tic wrong. Rather than hiss and repeat the noise ''-da'', the Clone Dinobot instead wheezes ''-de''. One other unique aspect of the Clone Dinobot's voice is his distinctive, ''incredibly goofy'' laugh. Something along the lines of, ''Goooo hoo hoo hoo hooooo''.
::* When the real Dinobot reveals his ruse to Megatron near the end of the episode by transforming, Megatron laments, "So, you have killed my ''adorable'' clone. ''And he was so cute...''"
::*In this version, Dinobot ate his clone with julienned cabbages and bell peppers with some [[wikipedia:mirin|mirin]], salt and pepper

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dinobot Duplo'''" ("Double Dinobot")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Doble de Dinobot'''" (America, "The Double Dinobot")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — There are 2 Dinobots? ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 ([[Universal]])
;[[Wikipedia:LaserDisc|LaserDisc]]
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 2 — The Saga Continues! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Powder River Basin

2016-01-14T15:26:15Z

Anonymous X: Created page with "The '''Powder River Basin''' is a geographical feature on Earth, located within the American states of Wyoming and Montana. The name ..."

The '''Powder River Basin''' is a geographical feature on [[Earth]], located within the [[United States of America|American states]] of [[Wyoming]] and [[Montana]].

The name of the area derives from the [[Wikipedia: Powder River (Wyoming and Montana)|Powder River]], presumably consisting of [[water]], which flows through it.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], desperately low on fuel, ended up in the eastern Wyoming part of the Powder River Basin. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}}

The Decepticons built their [[Wyoming base]] in a coal strip mine within the region, with additional fortifications built by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

==External links==
*{{w|Powder River Basin}} at Wikipedia

[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Pacific Northwest]]

Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers

2016-01-13T17:59:35Z

Anonymous X: /* Beast Wars */ copyedit, hopefully makes more sense.

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Over the years, many '''misconceptions and urban legends''' have sprung up within ''Transformers'' [[fandom]], often resulting from such factors as fuzzy childhood memories, inaccurate catalog illustrations, and mistranslations of foreign material.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Transformers is (only) a cartoon from the Eighties that has been brought back into vogue recently.'''
: A misconception usually held by casual fans or nostalgic adults is that Transformers went away some time around 1986 (or 1987, or 1988—pick your year). People who stumbled across a newer incarnation of the Transformers franchise before 2007 commonly assumed that it had only recently popped back up as an attempt to cash in on '80s nostalgia. From 2007 onwards, people who were (obviously) aware of the [[live-action film series]] commonly believed that it was the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]] that brought the franchise back from limbo. Neither assumption is correct.
:In fact, the [[Transformers brand]] has been continuous since 1984 (there was a brief gap between 1990 and 1993 as far as the United States market was concerned, but the brand still continued with new products in other markets). It includes many [[Franchise|lines of toys, cartoons and comics]] that span nearly three decades, with no sign of stopping, as Hasbro considers it a core brand. Each line has experienced varying degrees of success, rebooting when its target audience gets too old or uninterested in the toyline and fiction.
:Some of this misconception is based on the fact that most of the original audience stopped watching and following the franchise after its cancellation, or even before (as it wasn't "cool" to be kiddy once puberty hit). Without any exposure to the market, the toyline and the new cartoons, they simply assume that ''Transformers'' has sunk in popularity, quality and/or sales, since it's not what they remember.
:It ''is'' true that Transformers hit a low point of popularity in the early 1990s, with the cancelation of Generation 1 and the unremarkable sales of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''. But the successor ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' line re-established the brand for a new generation beginning in 1996, and Transformers has been a dominant toy franchise ever since. While it's true that the live-action movies caused a major hike in popularity for the brand, they didn't revive a long-forgotten franchise; rather, they merely turned a steadily successful toy series into a major worldwide multimedia phenomenon.
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*'''Generation 1 obviously has the best toys, cartoons and characters.'''
:Casual fans likewise tend to assume automatically that the original 1980s iteration of Transformers is the best and most successful line to date, with all other successors being unpopular and/or unsuccessful ventures.
:While it's hard to measure the overall success of every line in all its aspects, the original line has been surpassed in both quality and sales multiple times over. In factors such as realistic alternate forms, durability, articulation, action features, and complexity, various later toylines have all exceeded Generation 1. And while fiction can't be measured objectively, many fans will swear up and down by some of the later incarnations of ''Transformers''.
:Arguably, Transformers is in an endless cycle of creating [[true fan|new fans who share new opinions on what is "teh greatest"]].
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*'''Powermaster Optimus Prime was the first, ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.'''
[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1984—the original.]]
[[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1988—the Powermaster version.]]
:This one claims that the [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy, originally released in 1988, is the ''original'', first Optimus Prime toy ever released, rather than the ''earlier'', non-Powermaster toy, which is an entirely different mold and was originally available in 1984. This phenomenon is particularly common in [[eBay]] auctions, where Powermaster Optimus Prime toys are frequently advertised as "ORIGINAL Optimus Prime".
:The reasons for this misconception are obvious: Numerous people arrived late to the party—that is, became fans of the original ''Transformers'' line after the ''real'' original Optimus Prime toy had vanished off the shelves in 1986 (the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was still shown in reruns on TV). Any of them looking for a toy of the iconic [[Autobot]] leader would only find the Powermaster toy on store shelves starting in 1988. Fast-forward to 20 years later, and people who weren't really paying a lot of attention to the brand for the past few years, now looking to sell off their childhood toys, would naturally conclude that the toy they got as a kid was the ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.
:The phenomenon is even more widespread in countries such as Germany, where the cartoon wasn't officially shown on TV until 1989(!). By that point, the ''original'' toy, which had originally been released by [[Milton Bradley]] in the European market in 1985, was long gone off the shelves. Thus, the only Optimus Prime toy available to kids who had only just become fans because of the cartoon was the Powermaster version. Admittedly, gray imports of the Mexican version of the ''original'' toy by [[IGA]] were also available in European stores around this time, and Hasbro themselves would release the original toy again two years later as part of their European-exclusive [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line of reissues. However, the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy was still a lot more widespread.

*'''20th Anniversary Optimus Prime was the Optimus Prime toy available in the 1980s/Alternators are the same toys that were available in the 1980s.'''

[[File:20thAnniversary OptimusPrimesm.jpg|125px|thumb|Sadly, this didn't exist until 2003.]]
:This misconception usually comes from people who, upon seeing the 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy (which was originally released in 2003/2004), honest-to-god swear it's the toy they had when they were a kid. Similarly, there are also people who believe that the toys from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' line are the same toys they had as kids, when they're most likely confusing them with the original Autobot Cars, which are about half the size.
:The reasons for this aren't too hard to guess: People were a lot smaller when they were kids, so obviously the original Transformers toys seemed a lot larger to them. Since these fans didn't repeatedly hold or play with their Transformers while growing up, they weren't constantly adjusting to the toys' size in relation to their own. This resulted in blurred memories of outright ''gargantuan'' Transformers toys available in the 1980s. (One might wonder how tall those people would remember [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] being.)
:When confronted with the original toys—now relatively small because the fans have grown up—these people often reject them, insisting the "original" toys were ''larger'' (occasionally even accusing the ''real'' original toys of being downsized [[knockoff]]s). Showing them the Alternators or 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, on the other hand, will bring back warm (albeit incorrect) memories.

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*'''A "giant"-sized Optimus Prime toy was available during Generation 1.'''
:A variant of the above of sorts. In at least a few cases, claims regarding a "giant" Generation 1 Prime may stem from dim memories of coming across [http://www.pleasesavemerobots.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/skorbyg2.html oversized Optimus Prime knockoffs that were made in Korea]—or because they had the ''normal'' Prime as kids, when they (the former kids) were about ''half'' the height they are now (see above). Other people also may have blurred memories of the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy's larger [[robot mode]] when combined with his trailer.
:The release of 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime didn't exactly help matters either (again, see above).

*'''"Bumblejumper" is a fan name for a yellow version of Cliffjumper./Bumblejumper was sold both on Bumblebee and Cliffjumper cards.'''
[[File:G1-toy Bumper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Bumper", who later would be known as "Bumper".]]
:As part of the launch of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toyline]] in 1984, Hasbro released two Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] toys, [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], both of which had vehicle modes that used [[Choro-Q]]-like proportions. Bumblebee was based on a classic Volkswagen Beetle, whereas Cliffjumper was based on a Porsche 924 Turbo. In all the official advertising as well as the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon series]] and the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]], Bumblebee was consistently colored yellow, whereas Cliffjumper was colored red (not counting one-off coloring and [[animation error]]s). However, Hasbro also released a red Bumblebee and a yellow Cliffjumper, both of which used the same cardbacks as the regular versions.
:In addition, Hasbro also released a [[Bumper (G1)|''third'' mold]] using a similar body structure and transformation scheme, based on a Mazda Familia 1500XG. This toy had originally been available as part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, but was not officially advertised as a ''Transformers'' toy. (Note that this toy is not to be confused with [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], a yellow [[retool]] of Cliffjumper released in 1986.) To this very day, only yellow samples of this toy in ''Transformers'' packaging have surfaced, all of them on "Cliffjumper" cards. The color variants for Bumblebee and Cliffjumper continued to be available with the 1985 assortment (which featured [[rubsign]]s and the Mini Vehicle toys packaged in robot mode rather than in [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]), whereas no samples of the Mazda Familia in 1985 packaging have surfaced thus far.
:Fans later started to refer to the Mazda Familia mold by portmanteau names such as "Bumblejumper", "Cliffbee" and "Bumper". The last of these names was eventually made official when a character based on the toy made appearances in the ongoing [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|''Generation One'' Volume 1]] comic series by [[Dreamwave Productions]] and in the ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' mini-series by [[IDW Publishing]]. However, fans who know about the Bumblebee/Cliffjumper color variants, but are unaware of the existence of the Mazda Familia mold, occasionally incorrectly assume that the name "Bumblejumper" refers to the yellow color variant of Cliffjumper... which is simply referred to as "yellow Cliffjumper" by most fans.

*'''A now-rare (and thus valuable) blue variant of Bluestreak was available during Generation 1.'''

[[File:G1 Bluestreak boxart.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|You had this as a kid. The picture, that is. Not the toy.]]
:The very earliest [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] toy [[catalog]]s used a photo of a blue-sided ''[[Diaclone]]'' Fairlady Z to represent [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]; photographs of the same toy were used for Bluestreak's own [[Instructions|instruction booklet]]. The same blue-sided color scheme was also used on his [[Package art|box art]]; which was in turn shown on ''every'' 1984 instruction booklet as a sample tech spec.
:All this gave rise to a long-standing myth that a blue Bluestreak toy was sold under the ''Transformers'' brand during Generation 1, with some people going so far as to "remember" owning blue Bluestreaks as children, or at least knowing someone else who did. Adding to the confusion, ''[[wikipedia:ToyFare|ToyFare]]'' magazine has a long history of listing the supposed blue Bluestreak as a "foreign [[variant]]" in its monthly price guide.
:However, actual samples of a blue-sided Bluestreak in a sealed ''Transformers'' box have ''never'' appeared, and the [[Karl Hartman|collectors who have been at it since the very beginning]] and [[Jon Hartman|amassed ''insane'' numbers of rare Transformers]] have never seen one.
: Oddly enough, numerous other Transformers toys from that era were depicted in both catalogues and packaging art with colors they were never released in —[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], for example— yet Bluestreak is the only one to be (mis)remembered in this manner, perhaps because his name is ''Blue''streak, so he had to have been blue, right?

*'''A show-accurate Skyfire toy was available during Generation 1.'''

[[File:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Patience. You just have to wait 22 years.]]
:Due to some legal entanglements, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was renamed "Skyfire" for the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], with a [[character model]] that bore only a vague resemblance to the toy. Some confused viewers seem to have come away assuming that there had to be a [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] Generation 1 toy by the name of Skyfire. (The ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Jetfire toy is actually designed as a mix between the original toy and the cartoon character model.)

*'''Some Generation 1 toy molds were in use as long ago as 1974.'''
:Some ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]''-derived toys have the text "©1974 TAKARA" stamped on them, and as a result are occasionally sold on eBay with descriptions such as "original 1974 [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]]". However, the date 1974 refers to the introduction of the original [[Microman]] franchise due to the way Japanese IP law worked at the time; the first ''Microchange'' toys weren't even designed until the early 1980s.

*'''A winged variant of Sludge was available during Generation 1.'''
:A [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] [[knockoff]] that featured wings and a pterodactyl-like beast head was fairly commonplace during the Generation 1 era, and in some cases people who owned this knockoff as children seem to have misremembered it as being a [[Hasbro]] or [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-produced [[variant]].<ref name="Sludge Knockoff">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Sludge1.html http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Sludge1.html]</ref>

*'''A Unicron toy was available during Generation 1.'''
[[File:Unicron Proto.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Seriously, aren't you glad your poor parents didn't have to waste like a hundred bucks on this back in '86?]]
:No toys of [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] were available (or even produced beyond [[prototype]]) until 2003. In fact, the mere ''existence'' of those prototypes wasn't actually officially confirmed until many years later. The first [[Unicron/toys|official Unicron toy]] to be released came out as part of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line in 2003 and was a brand new mold, not based on an old, unused prototype.
:The fictional existence of a ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' Unicron toy is likely based on schoolground one-upmanship: if one kid had a larger toy such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a rival kid would claim to have a Unicron toy in order to appear cooler, but would most likely retire to his bed a sobbing mess, knowing in his heart that one day God would punish him for being a HUGE FIBBER.
:What could also have attributed to this misconception was the voice actor for Unicron himself, Orson Welles. He died before the movie's release and the part in the 1986 movie was his last for his death in 1985. He loathed the part and could not even remember his character's name; he was quoted as saying, "I play a big toy who attacks a bunch of smaller toys," mistakenly assuming there was a toy for him.

*'''The reissue Soundwave toys released by Takara are reverse-engineered from Soundblaster because the original molds are lost.'''
:Both the ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' and ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] releases have different tape buttons and hinges than the ones found on the vintage Hasbro release. While the vintage Hasbro Soundwave had inset controls and an internal tape deck hinge, the Takara reissues have a large button block that serves as a pivot point for an external tape deck hinge. The supposed reason for this is the mold for the original versions of the buttons and door are lost or worn out, so a new single tape door was made to work with the Soundblaster mold.
:In fact, the buttons and hinge used on the reissue Soundwaves were originally a [[retool]]ed running change [[variant]] of Takara's original 1985 release of Soundwave. The further Soundblaster retool was based on the later Japanese version of Soundwave, as were the reissues. Presumably, the original mold in its original condition ''is'' lost - but this happened ''long'' before Takara retooled Soundwave into Soundblaster.

*'''A few years ago, a crazy old man claimed he had created the original ''Transformers'' toys.'''
:In 2005, the ''Transformers'' [[fandom]] learned, by way of a newspaper article posted by an internet fan site, of the existence of [[Henry Orenstein]], a former toymaker. Although the main focus of the article was Orenstein's then-current achievements in the field of poker, it also implied that Orenstein had "created" the original ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' toys, and even featured a photo that depicted a somewhat confused-looking Orenstein holding [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|20th Anniversary Optimus Prime]], with his facial impression strongly implying that he had never seen this particular toy before. Many fans subsequently assumed that this was a deluded old man who believed he had created the concept of ''Transformers'' toys, even though the fandom knew full well by this point that the original toys were originally created in Japan. His status as the "creator" of the ''Transformers'' toy line was subsequently repeated in several other articles about the man, possibly directly based on its mention in the original 2005 article.
:The ''fact'' is that Orenstein had worked for [[Hasbro]] during the 1980s, and was the person who had convinced [[George Dunsay]], then Hasbro's Vice President of R&D, to acquire the rights to a (more or less) innovative type of Japanese toys, which would eventually become known as the original ''Transformers'' toys. In addition, Orenstein shares the original patent for the [[rubsign]]s with Dunsay. Aside from that, his contribution to the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] is marginal at best. Obviously, the writer of said newspaper article had only marginal knowledge of the history of the ''Transformers'' brand, was told what was most likely nothing more than an anecdote by Orenstein (his biography is full of fascinating episodes, by the way), and subsequently inflated it massively with hyperbole, possibly in an attempt to gain more attention to his article due to the popularity of the brand, even before the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]]. The only question is, where did the photographer get the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime toy from?

===Generation 2===
*'''"Generation 2" means "after ''The Transformers: The Movie''."'''
:This common but explicitly false idea probably stems from the many casual fans who grew up with the original ''Transformers'' line but stopped paying much attention around 1986, when the animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' debuted and the ''Transformers'' craze began to die down. Many such fans regained some interest in ''Transformers'' many years later, particularly with hype surrounding the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]]. Seeing the phrase "Generation 2" batted around in fandom, it might seem natural to assume it refers to the big changeover that happened with the animated film. It certainly didn't help that, early in the life of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]], [[Pat Lee]] shared in this misconception, leading other new arrivals to the fandom to ape his use of the term.
:While the original animated movie certainly marked a change from one "generation" of toys to another, along with some new design trends, the phrase "Generation 2" refers to [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|a very specific franchise]], marketed from 1992 to 1995—years after the animated film had come and gone. Its relative obscurity probably contributes to the mis-attribution of the term, as ''Generation 2'' marks a low point in popularity for ''Transformers'' as a whole.

===Beast Wars===
*'''Beast Wars didn't originally have the Transformers branding.'''
:While the early design of [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]] toy packaging had the Transformers brand name in a smaller typeface than the Beast Wars logo, the toy range was ''always'' officially titled ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' from day one. Later on, with the release of the [[Transmetal]]s and [[Fuzor]]s subranges, the Transformers name was increased in size and prominence on the packaging. Also a source of confusion for people in the [[United Kingdom]] is that Beast Wars figures were sold there in multilingual packaging which further reduced the prominence of the Transformers branding, and that British commercial broadcaster [[GMTV]] edited the Transformers name from the title sequence of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|television series]].

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise''===
*'''The ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline was known as "Transformers 2000" in Japan.'''
:As information about the then-new [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Car Robots'' toyline]] began to trickle out of Japan in 2000, early rumors purportedly from Japanese sources indicated that it was officially named "Transformers 2000".<ref name="Transformers 2000">http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/e6436b92178f0c0a</ref> It's possible those Japanese sources were also going by early, inaccurate rumors or perhaps a soon-to-be-discarded working title for the line. The idea persisted with many Western fans well after the true name of the show was revealed, encouraged by online import retailers (who were equally misinformed) using the title to promote pre-orders on their sites.

*'''''Robots in Disguise'' Side Burn was so complex, the toy's designer later apologized.'''
:Basically. [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Car Robots'']] [[Side Burn (RID)|Speedbreaker]] was the first ''Transformers'' toy designed by [[Hironori Kobayashi]], and it kind of shows. In a later interview, he admitted that the development process was a "painful experience" and an "admonition" to do better in the future.<ref name="Translated interview at ToyboxDX">http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?3,97799,97800</ref>

===Alternators===
*'''A yellow version of Alternators Tracks was released to North American stores (but then recalled by Hasbro).'''

[[File:YellowTracks.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Only in Japan, baby.]]
:When [[Hasbro]] (and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) originally announced the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' version of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in 2004, the toy's [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode's]] primary color was yellow. This caused the ire of a significant portion of the fandom, which insisted that the toy had to be ''blue'', like its ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' predecessor.
:However, while Takara did release their ''Binaltech'' version of the toy in yellow, stolen [[Prototype|samples]] of the Hasbro version eventually surfaced which were indeed blue rather than yellow. Hasbro eventually confirmed at [[OTFCC 2004]] that the initial idea had been to release the toy in yellow first, and then later as a running change [[variant]] in blue, like Takara would ultimately do. However, Hasbro had encountered problems at the test shot stage, where it became evident that some of the toy's innards were shining through the yellow plastic. As a result, plans for a release of the yellow version were scrapped, and it was decided to release the blue version from the get-go.
:However, around the time when the yellow version of ("Autobot") Tracks was originally supposed to arrive in stores, rumors started circulating that some stores (usually [[Walmart]]) had indeed received a shipment of the toy, but were then asked by Hasbro to send back the entire batch. Some variants of this rumor later even claimed having seen a cell photo from the friend of a friend depicting a yellow Alternators Tracks in packaging on top of a case sporting a "RETURN TO SENDER" note. Conveniently, circumstance always prevented these people from taking a photo and sharing it with the internet public.
:Needless to say, no substantial evidence has ever surfaced to back up these claims. Furthermore, there are several factors that make this story extremely doubtful: First, Hasbro—in their own words—discovered the problems with the see-through yellow plastic at the test shot stage (which is the entire ''point'' of this part of the production run). Why would they actually bother to continue the production run, print the packaging, pack the toy and send it to stores and ''then'' decide to recall it? Never mind that toy recalls are usually done due to safety concerns, not because of ''looks''. Also, we've seen "leaked" (read: stolen) packaged samples of pretty much every single Alternators toy several months prior to its official release. Yellow Tracks? The last thing we saw of him was an unpackaged, painted sample with (intentionally) off-color Autobot [[insignia]] and "NOT FOR SALE" markings. In all the years since the toy's alleged stealth shipment to stores, not a single packaged sample has surfaced. Years later, longtime TFW2005 member Napjr, who hails from Mexico, admitted that he might have inadvertently helped spreading this rumor, originally started by a fake sighting by another Mexican fan.<ref name="napjr">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/featured-radicons/260952-august-2009s-featured-radicon-napjr.html Napjr interview at TFW2005.]</ref>
:The only "packaged" versions of a yellow ''Alternators'' Tracks we ever got to see were internet pranks of the "yellow ''Binaltech'' Tracks in photoshopped Hasbro box" variety. Which, of course, didn't help matters at all.
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[[File:WindchargerOverdrive.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Castrated at the request of Honda.]]
*'''Hasbro omitted ''Alternators'' Windcharger's gun barrel for safety reasons.'''

: When the first stolen [[Prototype|test shots]] of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] surfaced in 2004, the toy sported an extraordinarily long gun barrel (which doubled as the [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]'s drive shaft). The toy was ultimately released without the barrel, which was not shown or mentioned anywhere on the packaging or in the instructions. Indeed, Windcharger's weapon accessory was officially identified as a "shield" on the back of the packaging (in addition to the actual, ragtop roof shield). [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], on the other hand, later released their own ''Binaltech'' version of the toy (named [[Overdrive]]) with the full barrel, prominently shown in the official promotional photos.

:The initial fan theory upon seeing the barrel-less toy was that Hasbro had gutted it [[for safety reasons]], under the notion that the long barrel might pose a choking hazard. Even though this was refuted by actual experts on toy safety standards, the rumor still persisted. An official response from Hasbro's customer service department to an e-mail inquiry (published on a fan site's message board) confirmed that the reason for the barrel's omission was "so the accessory would not look like a weapon".<ref name="Windcharger gun barrel">"http://forums.tformers.com/talk/index.php?showtopic=13088 Response from Hasbro's customer service department regarding the lack of Alternators Windcharger's gun barrel.</ref> Eventually, Hasbro (in the presence of Takara representatives) would confirm the full story at [[BotCon 2005]]: It had indeed been Honda, specifically their North American branch, that had asked to remove the gun barrel and all references to "weapons" from the toy, its packaging and included paperwork. Honda's Japanese department, on the other hand, had no such concerns, which is why Takara were able to release the ''Binaltech'' version with the barrel intact.

===Masterpiece===
*'''Masterpiece Convoy has more diecast parts than 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/Masterpiece Convoy is made almost entirely out of diecast/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime is made entirely out of plastic.'''
:This misconception was started by now defunct Hong Kong-based online retailer Action-HQ<ref name="plasticahq">[http://tformers.com/transformers-20th-anniversary-optimus-prime-plastic/2150/news.html "20th Anniversary Optimus Prime Plastic?"], November 2003.</ref> and ''might'' have been extrapolated from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' toys, which are made entirely out of plastic (except for the rubber tires) for their Hasbro releases, whereas their Japanese ''Binaltech'' counterparts feature a few parts made out of [[die-cast|die-cast metal]].
:In fact, however, the amount of die-cast metal parts versus injection-[[mold]]ed plastic parts is the same between 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and his Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Convoy counterpart. The only differences between the two toys (not counting the packaging) are the shortened smokestacks for Hasbro's 20th Prime and the addition of painted battle damage that is missing from the Takara version.

===Transformers Collection===
[[File:G1 Vol.1 Issue2 1.jpg|thumb|100px|A solicitation of then upcoming Takara reissues? Not really.]]
*'''Takara's ''Transformers Collection'' had something to do with Dreamwave.'''
:In 2002, Takara launched their series of [[Generation 1 reissues]] named ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'', also commonly referred to as "bookbox reissues" or even "Dreamwave reissues" among fans. The reason for that is simple: The [[package art]], especially for early releases such as [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Meister]] or [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]], was directly taken from the covers of and promotional posters for [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] first ''[[Prime Directive|Generation One]]'' mini-series drawn by [[Pat Lee]]. A common misconception among fans at that time was that Takara was coordinating their reissues with Dreamwave. Some even tried to predict upcoming reissues based on the existing Dreamwave covers. Yet [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]] never materialized.

:In fact, probably the main reason why Takara recycled Pat's Dreamwave artwork of those characters for the [[packaging]] of their reissues was its coincidental availability: The artwork had already been created and paid for, so why commission new art when they could just use what already exists? Furthermore, only about half of the TFC reissues actually sported "Dreamwave" package art, whereas the rest ''did'' use newly-commissioned art drawn by Japanese artist [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], who has never in his life worked for Dreamwave and had been drawing in this style long before Pat Lee rose to his brief "superstar artist" fame.
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===Prime===
*'''''Transformers: Prime'' was not initially planned to have any toys.'''
:The [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|toy line]] for ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' was ''very'' delayed, debuting roughly a year after the associated cartoon had premiered. Previously, at a [[BotCon 2010]] panel about the then-upcoming ''Prime'' cartoon, a Hasbro representative had made a statement that they weren't talking about toys just then. ''Transformers'' fandom being [[Red Alert (G1)|what]] [[Breakdown (G1)|it is]], a widespread belief developed that Hasbro was never going to make ''Prime'' toys ''at all.'' As additional information gradually surfaced, this evolved into a rumor that ''Prime'' would only have a small number of toys, with some further speculating that they would also be limited to the Deluxe [[size class]] (since initially only Deluxes had been seen). The eventual revelation of a full ''Prime'' toyline caused the belief to evolve once more, with the new theory being that there wasn't ''originally'' going to be a ''Prime'' toyline, but Hasbro changed their minds due to demand.
:The reality, as usual, was much less apocalyptic. The statement from the Hasbro Studios panel was never intended to refer to anything except the panel itself—the people ''in that room'' weren't going to be discussing toys ''at that panel''. (In fact, [[Eric Siebenaler]] expressed excitement about [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]'s toy at the very same panel.) As for the delay in the line's launch, put simply, this was for appearance's sake. Hasbro wanted to establish ''Prime'' as a strong ''fictional'' franchise, rather than merely [[To sell toys|a glorified toy commercial]], and reasonably concluded that launching a toyline immediately would detract from that goal. There ''was'' a point when a few ''Prime'' toys were planned to be released under the ''[[Transformers: Generations]]'' banner, but since ''Generations'' was at that time exclusively Deluxes, the aforementioned Bulkhead (a Voyager) indicates that this idea had already been abandoned when the rumors started.
:In short, this is just a matter of fans jumping to conclusions based on misinterpreted statements.

===Europe (all generations)===
*'''Optimus Prime's toy was originally not released in Europe due to a trademark conflict.'''
[[File:Jetfire-Dutch.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Oddly enough, Optimus Prime can still be seen in the background.]]
:In 1985, Hasbro launched the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|''Transformers'' line]] on the European continent, using the domestic subsidiaries of [[Milton Bradley]], whom Hasbro had recently merged with, to distribute the toys in countries such as France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The "MB"-branded ''Transformers'' toys were released in two [[wave]]s before the packaging started to sport "Hasbro" logos in 1986. However, the first wave was a rather odd line-up, with many prominent characters missing, among them [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]]. Instead, MB declared [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] the leader of the Autobots and even depicted him as such in [[In the Transformers|a pack-in mini-comic]]. Furthermore, Dutch comic book publisher [[Junior Press]], which published a translated version of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comic]], initially renamed Optimus Prime into "Jetfire" for all his comic appearances. Optimus Prime's toy was eventually released with the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'', and the Junior Press comics subsequently referred to him by his correct name. The reason for Optimus Prime's initial omission from the MB line-up is claimed to be due to a [[trademark]] conflict: A Swedish manufacturer of kitchen utensils named "[http://www.optimusstoves.com/ Optimus]" allegedly made the use of the name unfeasible for the time being. This theory was widely accepted by the majority of the Transformers [[fandom]] for many years.

:It wasn't until several years later that the theory was put into question, if not to say completely refuted: A manufacturer of kitchen utensils usually does not operate in the "toys" field, thus making a trademark conflict unlikely to begin with. The rumor originates from an editor's note in the Junior Press comic trying to explain the "Optimus"/"Jetfire" name confusion and subsequent rectification, which claims that the ''Transformers'' were originally ''two'' toy lines by different manufacturers in the United States, and MB had only released one of them in the Netherlands, while the "[[copyright]]" to the name "Optimus Prime" belonged to the other manufacturer. Many years later, this editor's note (including the incorrect use of the term "copyright" rather than "trademark") was cited by a Dutch fan who added his own speculation (without marking it as such) about the "Optimus" company in a response to a website article about the MB Transformers, thus spawning the urban myth that was subsequently accepted by the fandom.<ref name="optimusdutch">[http://www.fredsworkshop.com/veuro2.html The origin (?) of the "Optimus trademark conflict in Europe" rumor?] at The Complete Transformers Variants Page</ref>

:A much more likely explanation for the entire two-wave MB line-up that brings more sense to another odd portion of the Junior Press editor's note is the fact that a French company named [[Joustra]] released their own version of [[TakaraTomy|Takara's]] ''[[Diaclone]]'' line in many of the same markets as MB would release their ''Transformers'' toys in. The theory suggests that because of Joustra's exclusive contract with Takara, any toys from their ''Diaclone'' line-up were initially off-limits for MB's ''Transformers'' line-up.<ref name="mijofive">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-5/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 5" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref> A related theory suggests that Joustra's parent company, Ceji, got into financial trouble at the time, prompting them to sign a deal with MB to allow them to use their existing (but still unsold) ''Diaclone'' stock and release it in ''Transformers'' packaging instead. This explains why the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'' matches up almost perfectly with Joustra's ''Diaclone'' line-up.<ref name="mijofour">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-4/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 4" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref>

*'''The Generation 1 Seacon Overbite was released under the name "Jawbreaker" in some European markets.'''
[[File:JawbreakerComic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|UK comic exclusive name variant!]]
:This appears to originate from the fact that [[Enemy Action!|issue 152]] of the Marvel UK comics, the first appearance of the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], refers to [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] as "Jawbreaker", a name repeated in his appearance in [[Salvage!|issue 160]] and an "A to Z" profile in the [[Transformers Annual 1989]]. In the early days of the Transformers online fandom, when information about (and scans of) the UK comics were made available to a larger number of American fans for the first time, they concluded that this must mean that the toy had been released under a different name in Europe—which is not ''entirely'' unfounded: Generation 1 toys ''had'' been released under alternate names in Canada and Italy; and many of the tail-end G1 toys that were released following the cancellation of the line on the United States market were also available in several name variants in various European markets. A further variation of this rumor even cited legal (possibly [[trademark]]) reasons as an explanation for the alleged name change.
:However, no substantial evidence has ever surfaced to back up this rumor; in fact, European fans, when questioned, all claimed to recall that the toy was called "Overbite" when released in their respective countries (except for Italy, where [[GiG]] actually didn't release the Seacons ''at all''). Furthermore, the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] in [[City of Fear!|issue #164]] of the UK comic features a question by a confused (British) reader who inquires about the "Jawbreaker" name, since the toy was called "Overbite" when released in the UK (which then results in a made-up-on-the-spot explanation on behalf of the Marvel staff to reconcile both names).
:So, why ''did'' the story identify the character as "Jawbreaker"? It's likely that writer [[Simon Furman]] simply got a few names mixed up, since the Overbite toy's instructions refer to his ''weapon'' as a "Jawbreaker cannon", and his weapon mode for Piranacon is called "Jawbreaker weapon" in the Piranacon assembly instructions. That, or "Jawbreaker" was an early working name for Overbite. Or, as his first appearance was very early in the year, when the story was written Marvel UK had received incomplete information about a toy that was not yet on sale.

*'''Some toys were exclusively (or predominantly) available in the United Kingdom (sometimes also the Netherlands).'''
:This likely stems from the fact that during the early days of the Transformers online fandom, when information from European countries was shared with American fans, two of the most active fanbases (or, at least, fanbases with members who were capable of, and interested in, engaging in conversations using the English language) as far as Europe was concerned were based in the UK and in the Netherlands. As a result, when information about toys (or toy variants) that were not available in the United States was spread, there simply were no fans from Germany or France around to confirm that the toys in question had also been officially available in their respective countries. (Although to be fair, it's quite possible that some toys, such as the [[Milton Bradley]]-branded Generation 1 toys, were indeed released in bigger quantities in the Netherlands than in Germany or France.)<ref name="mbpart6">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-6/ "MB Transformers: Part 6"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>
:As a result, the red variant of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] was initially branded a "Netherlands" release, as were some the Mexican toys originally produced by [[IGA]] for the Mexican market that were later imported to Europe through gray channels and sold in at least half a dozen countries (most notably exotic variations such as blue versions of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]]). Meanwhile, tail-end G1 releases after the toyline had been cancelled as far as the United States market was concerned, such as the [[Action Master Elite]]s, the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" reissues, the [[Turbomaster]]s or the [[Obliterator]]s, were often referred to as "UK exclusives" (and are occasionally still to this very day), even though all of them were also available in numerous other countries—some of them even in Canada and Australia!
:Simply put, there are very few toys that were actually exclusive to a single European country: ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Meister]] and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|Megatron]] have both only been released in Italy as far as the European (but not the American, or Australian, or Asian) market is concerned. Even the red "Powerlinx" version of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]], which had originally been available as a "[[USA Edition]]" in Japan and was later found in Israel of all places, also has confirmed sightings for Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. The toy was even found in ''Australia'', but only in stores that also occasionally sell toys imported from other countries, and again in European packaging, oddly enough.
:The first ''genuine'' "UK exclusives" were released as part of the accompanying [[Movie (toyline)|toyline]] for the 2007 [[Transformers (film)|''Transformers'' live action movie]], namely a three-pack containing the Deluxe Class toys [[Jazz (Movie)|Autobot Jazz]], [[Protoform]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and [[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]], and a two-pack, named "Towed to Safety", which contained the first of the two Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] molds and [[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]] (''not '' to be confused with the Screen Battles—aka "Battle Scenes"—"Final Stand" set, which was ''also'' available in the UK), both of them in their original decos. Meanwhile, other multi-packs or minor variants of toys from the 2007 movie toyline that were available in the UK but not in the United States were also available in other places, such as Japan, Hong Kong, Australia or other European countries again.

*'''A green variant of Trailbreaker was available in some European countries.'''
:This belief seems to stem from the fact that [[IGA]]'s Mexican version of [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (which, like most Mexican Transformers, was widely available on the European gray market circa 1989, as mentioned above) used the same head sculpt as [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. But like the "Blue" Bluestreak, no samples of an actual green version of the Trailbreaker mold actually sold ''as'' "Trailbreaker" have been found.

===Takara vs. Hasbro===
*'''Takara (alternatively, Hasbro) are ''solely'' responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing (all, or certain specific) ''Transformers'' toys.'''
: This was true only for the original [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toys]], and possibly also the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toys]]. Most of the toys from 1984 to 1986 were imported (and, occasionally, slightly altered) versions of already-existing Japanese toys originally designed and released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. Following that, Takara developed new toys both for the Japanese and the Western market, now specifically with ''Transformers'' in mind. The primary exceptions are a handful of toys licensed from other Japanese companies (Jetfire, Whirl and Roadbuster, for example), and the 1986 toys for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]], which were mostly based on designs by [[Floro Dery]].
: However, ever since 1988,<ref name="dunsay">[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/images/full/BC04Dunsay.jpg BotCon 2004 program guide interview with George Dunsay]</ref> most "main" line toys released both in Japan and the Western hemisphere (such as the [[Unicron Trilogy]], ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'', the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 Movie line]] and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]/[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'') have been designed and developed in cooperation between [[Hasbro]] (or its subsidiary [[Kenner]]) and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] (now TakaraTomy). (For the specifics of this joint venture development process, see the article about [[toy]]s.)
: Still, numerous reasons have led some people to assume incorrectly that ''all'' ''Transformers'' toy lines were ''solely'' developed by only one of the two companies:
:* The Western public and mainstream media, naturally, tend to be unaware of the existence of Takara (TakaraTomy these days). It's therefore logical to assume that Hasbro, the company responsible for distributing Transformers toys outside Japan, is also solely responsible for developing and manufacturing the toys. The fact that Hasbro regularly chooses not to mention their Japanese business partner in official press releases and interviews hasn't exactly helped matters, either.
:* On the other hand, Western anime fans are used to Japanese companies being solely responsible for designing robot toys, which are then imported and sold by Western companies. For lack of better knowledge, those people then simply assume the same also applies to ''Transformers'' toys — namely, that Takara does ''all'' the design and engineering work on their own, and Hasbro is merely the Western ''distributor'' of those toys. The fact that the back of Hasbro's packaging for ''Transformers'' toys sports a small note saying "Manufactured under license from Takara Co., Ltd." (changed to "TOMY Company, Ltd." on more recent toys) is occasionally cited as "proof" that Takara is the sole manufacturer of ''Transformers'' toys as well. A long paper trail of evidence to the contrary<ref name="Hasbro Tour">[http://www.seibertron.com/events/gallery.php?event_id=70&size=0&start=272 Exemplary rundown] of the development process of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]], shown during the Hasbro tour at [[BotCon 2007]]. Of course, Hasbro just replaced the name "Takara" in some of the steps with "Hasbro" in order to convince fans that... yeah, riiiight.</ref> has not been able to convince those people of the flaws in their conspiracy theory — rather, some of them have even postulated the existence of a so-called "Hasbro PR machine", whose sole purpose is to convince ''Transformers'' fans that Hasbro actually has a larger part in the development of ''Transformers'' toys than is actually the case.<ref name="Propaganda">[http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?1,88668 ToyBoxDX thread with anime fanboys arguing that "Takara is an enormous toy '''manufacturing''' company. Hasbro doesn't manufacturer anything. The sole reason for its existence is for marketing the products of their partners and wholly-owned subs. Just to be clear here - Takara is bigger than Hasbro."] They wouldn't even believe that [[Joe Kyde]] actually worked at Hasbro. No kidding.</ref>
: That being said, there ''are'' indeed a few toys originally developed by either Hasbro or Takara without the other one's involvement, and then later picked up by the other company, but they're fewer than usually assumed: For Takara, those include the new molds for ''[[Beast Wars II (toyline)|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'', plus various mostly short-lived, collector-aimed, niche market lines (such as the new ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' molds, the ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'', the ''[[Hybrid Style]]'' toys etc.); for Hasbro, those are mostly either toys originally based on fiction-based franchises that did not originate with Hasbro (such as ''[[Animorphs]]'' or the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars Transformers]]'' and their later successor, ''[[Transformers: Crossovers]]''), cross-brand lines ''within'' Hasbro where the Transformers toys only make up one part of the overall lineup (such as the [[Titanium Series]] and the [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] figures) and a few very rare "main" line Transformers toys such as the ''Generation 2'' [[Power Master]]s and [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]], [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]], [[Alpha Quintesson]], [[Kicker Jones#Toys|Energon Kicker]] and [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] from ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''.

*'''Takara's Japanese-market releases are always of intrinsically better quality than their U.S. counterparts. (E.g., they have sweeter exclusives, and are always more show-accurate, have more accessories, and have tighter quality control.)'''
: This one depends a bit on the speaker, as it can either be a genuine misconception, a matter of opinion, or at worst, [[Personal canon|willful]] [[True fan|snobbery]]. But, like any broad generalization, it does have some basis.
:*"Better quality" can refer to the fact that Japanese versions of individual toys sometimes have clear plastic instead of painted-on windows like [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Movie Bumblebee]], or have vac-metallized parts where the equivalent U.S. release doesn't, like [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|''Energon'' Optimus Prime/Grand Convoy]]. Or, "better" quality can refer to the fact that Japan is a less litigious society, with different toy safety laws, and Takara can thus give [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Prime]] toys old-school long smokestacks, which are now shortened in the U.S. [[for safety reasons]]. These laws also mean that [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Masterpiece Megatron]] is freely available in Japan, but hard to get in the U.S. (the exact opposite of ''real'' handguns, ironically).
:*"More [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] decos" does have some basis, as Takara frequently releases its toys later than Hasbro does Stateside, and thus they are better able to reflect discrepancies between late-run changes to a character's coloration in a show (such as with the original [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] or [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|''Armada'''s Tidal Wave]]). The most extreme example of this was ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)#2005 (Beast Wars Returns)|Beast Wars Returns]]'', the Japanese release of ''Beast Machines'', which was ''years'' later than in the U.S., allowing Takara to add a lot of the deco that was added to the characters by [[Mainframe Entertainment]] that was not accurate to the original toys.
:*"More accessories" mostly comes from the fact that ''some'' of Takara's releases have some extra accessories, but the only cases of this before the reissues were [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s two [[sword]]s, Megatron's sword and bullets (even though the Japanese release lacked the barrel, scope and stock extensions) and clear cases from the various cassettes. Japanese reissues have included additional accessories from the cartoon (the axe, chain mace, Energon cubes and gun mode Megatron in the ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' reissues of Optimus and Megatron, Insecticons and Starscream, respectively, the Matrix from New Year's Convoy). Some ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Super Link]]'' releases came with [[redeco]]ed [[Energon weapon]]s as well. ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]] came with two missile launchers and missiles not included with ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe .282008.29|Hot Shot]] due to budget constraints, and featured the original tooling for the rear bumper for their inclusion. In contrast, ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Lambor]] was ''lacking'' the supercharger engine accessory ''Universe'' Sideswipe came with—TakaraTomy officially confirmed that they had ''deliberately omitted the optional piece of accessory'' to make the toy more "G1-accurate".<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009|''Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref>
:*"Sweeter exclusives" is really a matter of taste. If endless redecos of Generation 1 toys as completely unprecedented Generation 1 characters, buying $40 worth of toys you got a month ago for a single [[Mini-Con]], and shelling out half your mortgage for [[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]] gold chrome figures is what floats your boat, then yeah, Japan has better exclusives.
:*"Tighter [[quality control]]" is a total myth. Takara products are manufactured under much the same production conditions as Hasbro's: Pretty much everything for both markets is made in China—in fact, according to Hasbro [[Australia]] representatives and Hasbro designer [[Eric Siebenaler]], ''all'' of the Transformers toys jointly developed between Hasbro and Takara/TakaraTomy are manufactured at factories contracted to the Japanese toy company. This means Takara is (at least indirectly) responsible for whatever quality control problems occur with Hasbro-released toys. Takara's standards of quality control for their domestically-released toys are just as likely to let mistakes creep through. Just ask any buyer of ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Thundercracker]] how well his weapons stay attached to the arms. And let's not even get started on ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy's]] first production run.
:*The fields in which Takara genuinely excels Hasbro are comparably minor: Takara's [[stock photography]] generally tends to be more impressive than Hasbro's, without obvious mistransformations and awkward poses, and at the same time looks more representative of the actual toy due to less reliance on blatant digital touch-ups. Likewise, Takara's [[instructions]] tend to be more detailed and useful than Hasbro's.

===Other===
[[File:SteamhammerEnergonUniverse.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Not literally a waste of packaging material.]]
*'''"Repackaged" toys are ''literally'' unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of the old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to stores.'''

:Every so often, a ''Transformers'' toy line features seemingly identical toys in multiple different [[packaging]] versions, such as multi-packs containing toys that were previously available separately. In addition, some toy lines also feature [[rebranding|rebranded]] items, namely toys that were originally released under one line, but are later re-released as part of another line with virtually no changes to the toy itself, only the packaging it is available in. The final stages of the original ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line took the concept of "rebranding" to a new level, featuring numerous straight re-releases of toys from the since-ended ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' lines, among many others. Since then, it has been repeated with the 2006 ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' line, the 2008 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, the 2010 ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' line and many others. Because a common [[fandom]] term for those releases is "repackages", a popular misconception claims that those toys are ''literally'' "repackages": namely, unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of their old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to (different) stores. (The same train of thought also—very rarely—suggests that "repaints", another common fan term for [[redeco]]s, are ''literally'' "[[repaint]]s", i.e. existing toys painted over in new colors, rather than new production runs from the same toolings using new plastic colors.)

:Needless to say, this theory is dubious for various reasons. Generally, old unsold toys are ''not'' sent back to Hasbro. They either [[Shelfwarmer|remain in the store]] until someone finally decides to buy them, or the store somehow dumps them, such as by selling them off to closeout chains. And even ''if'' Hasbro did regularly get sent back huge shipments of unsold toys, they'd be highly unlikely to go through the effort (and additional cost) of literally repackaging them. Hasbro confirmed this in January of 2009, stating that due to the toys being manufactured in Asia, it would be a waste of time and money to repackage them only to sell them at the same price-point.<ref>[http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1934 SirStevesGuide.com, Tri-Weekly Hasbro Q&A - January 30th]</ref> Thus, they are ''not'' repackaged old product, but new production runs of previous product. These days, this misconception should be much easier to dispel: Every toy now features a manufacturing date stamp etched into the figure, as well as a product code [[tampograph]]ed onto the figure, thus proving that a figure was manufactured more recently than its superficially identical predecessor.

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[[File:SmokesniperStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The similarities are astounding. Especially those that aren't there.]]
*'''A new toy that is vaguely reminiscent of an older toy is a retool of said toy.'''

:Hasbro likes to [[redeco]] toys a lot (usually to recoup the R&D costs for developing the original [[mold]]). They also like to release redecos of toys from older lines in newer lines. In some instances, Hasbro also don't just redeco a toy, they [[retool]] it (or create new toolings for new parts that replace parts of the old version of the toy)—sometimes to improve a feature or fix an error, but sometimes also to give the toy new features or [[gimmick]]s, or simply to make it different enough from the original version so owners of the original version would be interested in buying the "retool" as well.

:Some of those retools are comparably minor (such as [[Jazz (Movie)|Final Battle Jazz]] from the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 Movie line]]), whereas others can be pretty elaborate. Sometimes the retools are so elaborate that the line between "retool" and "new [[mold]]" gets blurred. The most drastic instances in this regard would be [[K-9]] from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (based on [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] from the same line) and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] from ''Cybertron'' (based on the original ''Cybertron'' Crumplezone toy), both of which have most, if not ''all'' of their parts entirely retooled. Another borderline case would be the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]]s [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]] and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]], which were released around the same time and are based on the same basic design, share a similar body structure and have very similar [[alternate mode]]s.

:However, sometimes fans ''definitely'' get too far decrying a new toy a "retool" (or "remold"). Toys that share some superficial design similarities, coupled with similar transformation schemes, are often mistaken for retools even though they're simply that: Similar toys based on the same general design, maybe even directly influenced by the older toy, but nothing more. For more examples, see: [[retool#Not actually a retool|retool]].

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*'''Hasbro lost the rights to a lot of G1 Transformers names. That is why you see toys named "Autobot Jazz" or "Decepticon Brawl" these days. Takara is more competent than Hasbro and doesn't need to change their toys' names.'''

:That's not quite how name rights —aka [[trademark]]— work. There are indeed instances where another company has snatched a trademark, making it unavailable for Hasbro's use. The reason is because trademarks need to be consistently used in commerce (roughly once every year or so), or it could be considered "abandoned", making it open for grabs should another company try to claim it. "[[Hot Rod/toys|Hot Rod]]" is unavailable to [[Hasbro]] because Mattel holds several similar trademarks, "[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]" was too similar to Gendron's "Toledo 'Blue Streak'" trademark, and a company named Lanard held the trademark "Shockwave" until a few years ago. This prompted Hasbro to use substitute names for toys based on these characters, such as "Rodimus Major" and "Rodimus" for Hot Rod, "Silverstreak" for Bluestreak and "Shockblast" for Shockwave (Hasbro has since managed to reacquire the "Bluestreak" and "Shockwave" trademarks).

:Meanwhile, the names with prefixes such as "Autobot" or "Decepticon"? Those are usually non-compound single real words from the English language. Hasbro's legal department considers them too "generic" to be easily defensible as trademarks, hence the addition of prefixes such as "Autobot Jazz", "Decepticon Brawl "or "Constructicon Devastator" for better protection. This does ''not'' work with names already trademarked by another company–otherwise, [[Bandai]] could release a toy named "Megazord Optimus Prime" tomorrow, and Hasbro couldn't do anything about it.

:For a while, it seemed like these trademark quibbles were limited to Hasbro, and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] was somehow exempt due to a different market situation. However, the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' line saw the emergence of quite a few "Cybertron", "Destron" and "[[Stunticon (G1)|Stuntron]]" prefixes, implying that the trademark situation on the Japanese market was changing, and starting with the [[Movie (toyline)|''Movie'' line]], TakaraTomy (now adopting Hasbro names instead of their established Japanese-market names) began to use "Autobot" and "Decepticon" prefixes. With ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers United|United]]'', TakaraTomy even used prefixes for names Hasbro has been able to use ''without'' prefixes.

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*'''Hasbro is responsible for your local store not having the newest toys right now.'''

: Hasbro actually has almost nothing to do with distribution (when Product A arrives in Store B) beyond making sure the manufactured product leaves the factories and shipyards of China at the desired time. Once the items arrive on US shores, they are almost immediately sent from the ships to the distribution centers for the retail chains that ordered them. From there, it's more truck rides to various regional warehouses, which is all controlled by the retailers, not Hasbro. After that, the schedule for taking product from those warehouses and putting it on shelves is dictated by each chain's inventory system.

: It's ''conceivable'' that Hasbro could take more control of the situation, but that would require chains like Wal-Mart to release the vise-like death grip they have on manufacturers' nuts that lets them dictate how the system works—and they're sooooooo not doing that.

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*'''Hasbro should totally cater to the wishes of older collectors, as they purchase the most Transformers product.'''

: Fans would like to think they've got some sway over the direction of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]]. After all, they've been buying toys for many years (as opposed to the limited purchasing span of most children), and they buy many ''more'' toys than any individual child. And in truth, Hasbro does pay attention to the desires and discussions of its older buyers, even designing certain line segments like ''Alternators'' or ''Classics'' and its successors with collectors as the primary target audience.

: Collectors, however, simply can't compare to the vast numbers of children out there whose parents buy Transformers for them. The bulk of Transformers product is purchased for and/or by young children, and if a company like Hasbro wants to stay in business and keep making money (and by extension, more toys), it must design and market its products accordingly. No accurate figures exist on the collector/children ratio, but estimates mentioned at BotCon panels range from around 10% to 20% of all purchases coming from older collectors—enough to be worth listening to, but not at all the driving force behind the brand. Past toylines have shown that betting ''too much'' on sales from adult collectors can be disastrous.

: Furthermore, it's not as though the [[fandom|fans]] speak with a unified voice. More often, for every fan pushing for one particular idea, there's another fan who thinks that same idea is boring or [[Ruined FOREVER|awful]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====General====
*'''Transformers were meant as a "genderless" race. Arcee and the other female Transformers were added to the brand because feminists complained about the Transformers all being male.'''
: When [[Bob Budiansky]] was assigned to work out the character details for the toys, he initially intended some of them to represent female characters, like [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. However, he was not given permission by [[Hasbro]] to include females because the company feared it would have a negative impact on the sales of those toys.<ref>[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954 Rusting Carcass interview]</ref>
: For the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comics]], this was not a big deal, even though Budiansky still slipped in a female Cybertronian in the form of [[Aunty]]. For the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] however, Hasbro's interests had to be matched with those of the TV networks that would broadcast ''The Transformers''. Since television requires a bigger investment than comics, but also offers the potential for a much better payoff, it is of interest for a TV network to broadcast material that reaches the highest possible demographic. Women make up half the population, so TV networks want at least one (hero) female character to bring in their views. Female characters were considered for inclusion in the cartoon as in its earliest planning stages, but story editors [[Bryce Malek]] and [[Dick Robbins]] chose not to pursue this angle until "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]" introduced [[Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]]. In other Transformers cartoons, Female [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] have also been added to their respective series because of network demands, whereas [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were a request from the writers to Hasbro.
: Despite persistent stories, there is no documented instance of feminists demanding the inclusion of female Transformers (and likely, they've got something better to do than complain about another generic boys show like there are hundreds of). There is, however, a comic story called "[[Prime's Rib!]]" which presents Arcee's introduction to the Autobot ranks as an attempt by Optimus Prime to appease [[Feminist mob|human feminists]]. While the story is obviously satire, through hearsay it has become believed by some that it is what actually happened.

====The original cartoon====
*'''The original ''The Transformers'' series was redubbed anime which originated in Japan, just like ''Battle of the Planets'', ''Voltron'', ''Robotech'' and other such shows screened in the '80s.'''
: Although most moderate-to-hardcore fans are well aware that this is a fallacy, there are those more casual fans (or those who have not rewatched the Generation 1 cartoon since childhood) who are under the misconception that [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] was an anime.
: Although the original toyline and thus the characters' basic visual designs were taken from Japanese-originated products, the original characters, names, factions and entire story premise of the whole ''Transformers'' franchise were developed in the United States by [[Hasbro]], [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and eventually [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. Although the animation was farmed out to [[Toei|Japanese]] (and later also [[AKOM|Korean]] and [[Unknown Filipino animation studio|Filipino]]) [[Tokyo Movie Shinsha|studios]], the writing and original voice recording of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|all four seasons of the original series]] plus ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'' was entirely done in America.
: This misconception probably stems from distant childhood memories of the cartoon, the fact that shows like the aforementioned ''Robotech'' were redubbed anime and the ''Transformers''' obvious Japanese influences. This ''may'' also be due to passing exposure to [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]] and the [[Unicron Trilogy]] shows which, viewed as an adult, are ''very'' obviously redubbed anime.
: This is in part related to the misconception that '''all''' ''Transformers'' toys are ''solely'' designed, developed and manufactured by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], and all [[Hasbro]] ever does is to put them in new packaging and distribute them in the Western market (see above). Because this is true for other Japanese robot toylines, and therefore it must also apply to ''Transformers''.

*'''''The Headmasters'' was going to be dubbed into English and shown in America.'''
: In America, "Season 4" consisted of "The Rebirth", a 3-episode mini-series. In Japan, "The Rebirth" was ignored, and a full-fledged series titled ''The Headmasters'' continued the story instead. Rumors once swirled in the fandom of an American-led dub of ''The Headmasters'' series; the dub was largely finished, goes the story, till the materials were lost in a warehouse fire.
: Given the meandering pace of the series (common for Japanese shows but anathema to American sensibilities), the presence of numerous characters who had no toy equivalent on US shelves, the incompatibility with the "[[Nebulan]]" head characters, the number of Japanese cultural references, and the very existence of "[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Rebirth]]", this rumor seems unlikely on the surface.
: More to the point, no official confirmation or other evidence has ever surfaced to back it up. In all likelihood the rumor was probably a [[wikipedia:Chinese whispers|Chinese Whisper]] from the fact that the laughably-bad English language [[Omni Productions]] dub (or "Star TV" dub) was screened on UK satellite TV during the 1990s.

====The Transformers: The Movie====
[[File:TFTM dead gray Prime.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Traumatizing enough as it is, frankly.]]
*'''There exists an "uncut version" of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' containing all sorts of non-kid-friendly content.'''

: These stories stem mainly from the fact that many home-video releases of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' omit two relatively minor instances of characters using profanity, which during the 1990s resulted in some [[alt.toys.transformers]] posters advertising "uncut" VHS copies of the movie for sale, thus either intentionally or unintentionally creating the myth of a really foul-mouthed and ultra-violent alternate version of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. At least one poster claimed to have uncut reels of the original film showing a number of violent scenes,<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/07464cbfbb5d0cc9/8aee0b30765b2b4a?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a THE UNCUT JAPANESE TRANSFORMERS MOVIE]</ref> but, unsurprisingly, was unwilling to provide any form of proof.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/799fec40c1aa285e/6af42e4099affa04?hl=en# Doth the Canadian protesteth too much?]</ref> So have ended all claims of uncut footage from the film.

:A much stranger rumor, whose origins are unclear, claims that the original theatrical cut of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' depicted [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] crumbling into dust after dying, and that that scene was cut by the distributor in mid-release because children were traumatized by the imagery. Interestingly, the "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" track on the original soundtrack album does contain ten extra seconds of music. At the end, just before the song's final low-octave percussion sequence, there is a very distinct series of notes that appears nowhere else in the song and is not in the onscreen version. However, no other evidence of this "lost" animation sequence exists among the many storyboards, preliminary animations, interviews, varying formats, etc., that have come to light. The myth could be related to the death of Starscream, a few scenes later, where Starscream '''does''' indeed crumble to dust after being shot by Galvatron; time and distance could lead fans to confuse the two scenes.

:These claims should not be confused with the extra storyboarded scenes and early script revisions which have come to light over the years, which do in fact contain a lot more violence. But no evidence exists that any of these sequences, even those that made it to storyboard, were ever animated. Especially given the expense of producing full animation.

::''See also: [[The Transformers: The Movie#Edits]].''

{{-}}
*'''Some portions of Unicron's dialogue were recorded by an actor other than Orson Welles.'''

: A common rumor in the Western fandom claimed that Unicron's final lines ("Destiny... you cannot destroy my.. destiny!") were recorded by [[Leonard Nimoy]], based on claims that those lines sounded "different" from the rest of [[Orson Welles]]' lines.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092106/trivia IMDB.com reference to the Leonard Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor.]</ref> Compounding the rumor is the fact that Welles died shortly after recording his ''TF:TM'' lines<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/This-Orson-Welles/dp/030680834X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6174389-3113623?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182349938&sr=8-1 According to one biography, Welles recorded his ''TF:TM'' lines on October 5, 1985 and died five days later.]</ref> (and indeed, one version of the rumor has Welles actually dying ''before'' completing his lines). Despite being debunked repeatedly (including by [[Susan Blu]] and [[Wally Burr]], both of whom should know), this one still pops up from time to time.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/387399-leonard-nimoy-officially-announced-voice-sentinel-prime-13.html#post5858748 Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor repeated by TFW2005 user "RedAlert Rescue".]</ref><ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2007/07/when_orson_welles_was_a_transformer.single.html Slate.com discusses the Unicron rumor.]</ref>

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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie''/Scatman Crothers coined the term "ginormous", which has since been added to several dictionaries.'''

: In ''The Transformers: The Movie'', [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], voiced by [[Scatman Crothers]], described [[Unicron]] as "a ginormous, weird-looking planet". The word "ginormous", a portmanteau of "gigantic" and "enormous", was officially added by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary in 2007.<ref name="webster">[http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords07.htm Merriam-Webster adding the word "ginormous]</ref>

: Some fans believe that Crothers had coined the term, which is incorrect for several reasons. Even putting aside the notion that under this theory, Crothers is assumed to have ad-libbed the line (rather than simply reading it from [[Ron Friedman]]'s script), the term has actually been around for much longer, being listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as a "British informal" word that has existed since at least the 1940s, and was originally military slang.<ref name="oxford">[http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ginormous Oxford dictionary entry for "ginormous"]</ref>

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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was never released in Japan.'''

: It is true that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was not released in Japan at the same time it was released in [[Hasbro]]'s markets, with Japanese fans instead getting the ''[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]'' OVA to explain the changes going into the third season of the show (second for Japan). But ''The Movie'' ultimately made it to Japanese theaters in August 1989. The various discrepancies between it and subsequent Japan-only Generation 1 fiction (such as who [[Prowl (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|didn't]] [[Wheeljack (G1)#Victory cartoon|survive]] the movie) are largely a matter of the Japanese animators and writers being unaware of the precise details of the film.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216153#post216153</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216478#post216478</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=30800</ref>

{{-}}
*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in Japan under the title "Matrix Forever".'''

: "[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix|Matrix Forever]]" is actually the shortened and slightly mistranslated title of a 20-minute video created to promote the Japanese release of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', but some Western fans have been confused into thinking that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' itself was renamed "Matrix Forever".<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/a5d29844863d2c29</ref>

====Japanese Generation 1 fiction====
*'''In Japanese continuity, Megatron and Galvatron are two separate characters.'''
:There are a few instances of Japanese fiction (and advertising) that would seem to support this notion, all of which can be attributed to a lack of communication between [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] prior to the release of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. All of them were ultimately ignored by the "primary" fiction, namely the (dubbed) third season of the cartoon (named ''Transformers: 2010'' in Japan) and the accompanying manga, which followed the Western story concept of Galvatron being a reformatted [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]].
:The [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|second issue]] of ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]'' [[manga]] depicts [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] commanding [[Megatron Corps|a legion of automatons]] created in [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s image, which some non-Japanese-speaking fans misinterpreted as depicting Galvatron and Megatron co-existing.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=179</ref>

*'''In Japanese continuity, the Destrons (Decepticons) were invaders from a planet called Destron.'''
:The [[Autobot]]s were renamed "Cybertrons" in the Japanese translation, resulting in a misconception that the Destrons ([[Decepticon]]s) must hail from somewhere other than the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Japanese translation also used slightly different spellings for the faction, "Cybertron" (literally: サイバトロン, "Sa-i-ba-to-ro-n"), and the planet, (literally: セイバートロン, "Se-i-baa-to-ro-n"), commonly interpreted as "Seibertron" by Western fans, in order to avoid confusion, even though both words originally started out based on the English name "Cybertron".<ref name="tfa522">[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 The Transformers Archive essay about various urban legends surrounding the Transformers franchise]</ref>
:This rumor presumably originates from an article a Thomas Wheeler had written for ''Attic's Collectible Toys and Values Monthly'' during the hiatus between the [[The Transformers (toyline)|G1]] and [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|G2]] toylines. According to that article, Hasbro chose not to follow this element of the story because of the similarity between the term "Destron" and ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'''s "[[Destro]]" character. Of course, seeing as the story originated in America to begin with and was only dubbed into Japanese later on, this doesn't make a lot of sense. In later years, Wheeler wrote toy reviews for Master Collector's website, which occasionally also display a certain lack of knowledge about various toys and the ''Transformers'' brand's overall history, so it doesn't seem entirely out of place for him.

*'''Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus are both members of a "Space Mafia".'''
:[[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]] and [[Blue Bacchus]], two characters from ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Victory]]'', both have their function listed as "Space Gangster". An early fan translation of their on-package [[bio]]s misinterpreted the Japanese word for "gangster" to mean "Mafia", hence the belief that a "Space Mafia" exists in the Japanese Generation 1 universe.

*'''Metrotitan is a zombie version of Metroplex.'''
: [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] was a Destron [[redeco]] of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] from the ''[[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]]'' portion of Japanese Generation 1 continuity. For unclear reasons, Western fans believe that Metrotitan was a "zombified" version of Metroplex, and a stranger variation on this rumor holds that Metrotitan was somehow "regrown" from one of Metroplex's legs.<ref name="tfa522" />

====European Generation 1 fiction====
*'''Starscream and Shrapnel are female characters in the French dub of Generation 1.'''
: This rumor is only partly true. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Transformers'' cartoon]] used three different dub teams for the French version: one for the TV show's dub broadcast in Quebec, one for the TV show's dub broadcast in France and one for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] used in both countries. Neither of the TV show's dubs depict [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] as a female as he uses a distinctively male voice;<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOCYZRxypM YouTube: Doublage de France: Combaticons et Égo]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMXCeXw5Vdo Doublage Québécois: Égo et Dr. Croc-en-ville]</ref> however, the movie's dubbing team used a female voice for Starscream, and at one point [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] calls Starscream "une imbécile" (articles in French are gender-specific), clearly cementing Starscream's movie status as a female.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20080612225831/http://www.bigbot.com/mp3/transformers_mp3.shtml#Femmes</ref> All the same is also true for [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], who is even referred to as "Mademoiselle Shrapnel" by [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] in the movie.

*'''The German version of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was edited and didn't depict Starscream's death scene.'''
: German TV didn't air a dubbed version of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] until 1989. ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' was aired for the first time on German TV in 1994, with only one repeat. For unknown reasons, a rumor was circulating for several years claiming that [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] death was considered too "violent" for German TV standards for children's programs and had therefore been edited out.<ref>[http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fassung&fid=7489&vid=38680 German movie database ''still'' listing the rumor about Starscream's "edited death" in TF:TM]</ref> However, recordings of the TV airing still exist, which don't feature any obvious edits other than [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike's]] infamous "swear" line. Furthermore, a German DVD edition of the movie released in 2004 that features an entirely different dub also depicts Starscream's death in all its glory.

*'''An Earthforce story was written to promote the non-combining Constructicon toys.'''
:The comic story "[[Desert Island Risks!]]" from issue 264 of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel UK]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|G1 comic]] reveals that the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] have somehow lost their ability to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. As a result, they try to build another Devastator as a new robot.

:Some fans mistakenly believe that this is somehow related to a re-release of the Constructicons (now in yellow) that were available in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|Europe]] after the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' toyline had ended in the USA. Those Constructicons omitted the extra parts necessary to form Devastator; and furthermore, [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] and [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (neither of them officially named in this version; all six toys came on multi-purpose cardbacks simply named "Constructicon") were [[retool]]ed to omit the tabs that were necessary for combining them (and [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]) when forming Devastator. Since the toys couldn't combine into Devastator anymore, fans believe that the [[Earthforce]] comic story was intended to serve as an "explanation" for this.

:The problem with this theory, however, is that the yellow "Euro" Constructicon toys were released in 1992; the comic story, however, had already come out in early 1990. If anything, "Desert Island Risks!" was based on the [[Action Master]] version of Devastator, which no longer consisted of six individual Constructicons. (Also, the individual Constructicons don't even appear in the story.)

===Beast Wars===
*'''In Japanese ''Beast Wars'' continuity, Optimus Primal and Megatron were the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes.'''
: While ''Beast Wars'' Megatron and Optimus Primal were identified in early packaging as new incarnations of Generation 1 Megatron and Optimus Prime in the Western release of the toyline, the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon remained consistent with the original English language version in keeping the characters separate. In the Japanese dub of "[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]", ''Beast Wars'' Megatron, while relating the tale of the Golden Disk to Ravage, even describes Generation 1 Megatron as "My ancestor Megatron".<ref>我先祖のメガトロン, ''Waga senzo no Megatron''</ref>

[[File:BWIICatalogCover01.jpg|thumb|Everything you know is a lie!]]
*'''The characters of the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoons hail from the same time-period as the cast of ''Beast Wars''.'''
:''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' remain at present the only Japanese-exclusive Transformers cartoons to have never been subtitled in their entirety, either officially or by fans. As such, even here on TFWiki, knowledge of their absolute specifics is far from 100%. But this particular misconception does have a nugget of truth in it: The first [[Catalog#Beast Wars II|pack-in catalog]] included with the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' toys did indeed present [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]] and [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] as contemporaries of ''Beast Wars'' Optimus Primal and Megatron. Subsequently, the Hasbro toy bios of [[Transmetal 2]] [[Cybershark]] and ''[[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]'' [[Magmatron]] further complicated matters by making vague yet recognizable references to the two Japanese cartoons: Cybershark's bio alluded to the ''Beast Wars II'' [[Seacon (BWII)|Seacons]], and Magmatron's bio recalled both ''Beast Wars Neo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hunt for the [[Angolmois]] capsules and the character's "[[Emperor of Destruction]]" title; both likely derived from the original misconception.

:In truth, however, the [[Emissary of the Fourth Planet|thirty-sixth episode]] of the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon established that the planet [[Gaea]], on which the series was set—which was clearly intimated to be a future version of [[Earth]]—had been lifeless for tens of thousands of years. As the ''Beast Wars'' characters hailed from a time only 300 years after the Generation 1 era, when Earth was still populated, this made it apparent that their native time was ''long'' after that of the ''Beast Wars'' cast. A scant few weeks later, the [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!|''Beast Wars II'' movie]] corroborated this with a guest appearance from Optimus Primal, who was treated as a figure of legend, and not a present-day equal of Lio Convoy's (though, many a fan initially interpreted this as supporting the above-mentioned misconception of Optimus Primal being the same person as Optimus Prime in Japan). Nearly a decade later, a fan translation of TakaraTomy's [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)/src|2007 timeline]], which clearly dated ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' shows to tens of thousands of years after the home-time of the ''Beast Wars'' cast, was the first exposure many English-speaking fans had to this idea, having long taken the catalog as immutable canon for the cartoon, but that is now firmly relegated to the status of a [[micro-continuity]]. As for the aforementioned toy bios, the references they made were thankfully parsed vaguely enough to mean little, if anything at all, to those unaware of either Japanese series, and many Hasbro toy bios from the Beast Era were already often contradictory to the material presented in the cartoons to begin with, to the point that the bios can be and generally are considered part of a separate continuity all on their own.

:In contrast to the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon, though, the [[Free the Captured Matrix!|third chapter]] of the [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Beast Wars II'' manga]], set in a different continuity from the cartoon, ''did'' follow the catalog's lead by showing Optimus Primal existing on Cybertron at the same time as Lio Convoy. Similarly, the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' casts appear as contemporaries of the ''Beast Wars'' characters in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]]'' comic books, which was likely less a deliberate choice and more a product of the original misconception (except, here, the timeline of these comics treats the events that parallel those of ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' as having happened ''before'' the home time-period of the ''Beast Wars'' instead of during or after, which ''was'' a deliberate choice).

*'''In ''Beast Wars II'', Apache is a drunkard as part of a Native American stereotype.'''
: [[Apache]] did indeed get drunk in the first episode of the ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' cartoon, but only in grief, believing (erroneously) that his actions earlier had caused the death of [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]] (which didn't happen). He did not get drunk again for the duration of the cartoon, nor did he ever do so in the manga. Outside of that, the Native American stereotype "common" to Japanese fictions is a stoic, silent, and often mystical warrior—none of which could be used to describe Apache accurately at all.
: That's not to say there aren't [[Jointron|some ethnic stereotypes]] in BWII that could be considered pretty offensive.
: Amusingly enough, in the sixth installment of the [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Beast Wars II'' manga]], ''Lio Convoy'' gets drunk for no apparent reason and ends up trashing Apache's room.

===Beast Machines===
*'''A ''Beast Machines'' writer said, "Real heroes don't use guns."'''
:''Beast Machines'' was the first (but not the last) ''Transformers'' series to explicitly avoid all hand-held projectile [[weapon]]ry. While the [[Vehicon (BM)|villains]] still had traditional "blasters" mounted on their bodies, some of the [[Maximal|heroes]]' weapons were more esoteric (such as [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s energy-web attack, activated by putting her hands on the ground, or [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s gauntlets, powered by absorbing enemy fire). According to story editor [[Bob Skir]], this creative decision was agreed upon between the story editors, [[Fox Kids]], [[Mainframe Entertainment]], and [[Hasbro]],<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> and it is indeed reflected in the toys as well.

:Note that many Maximals had weaponry that was functionally no different from a "gun"—compare [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]]'s hip-mounted energy cannons, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s back-mounted sonic blaster, or Optimus Primal's chest-mounted energy disc launcher to [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]'s shoulder-mounted ray guns or [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'s wrist-mounted energy... tossing thingies.

:On his website, Skir also elaborated on his own position as a writer choosing if or how to portray gun use, including this statement: "Our heroes use their wiles and resourcefulness, plus a few cool weapons. Guns? I've never been a fan of them myself, and do not write heroes who need them."<ref>[http://members.aol.com/zobovor/guns.html Article on the fan Dave "Zobovor" Edwards' personal site,] quoting Bob Skir's original gun statement.</ref> Some fans interpreted Skir as condemning ''all'' gun use, even in the real world, no matter the circumstances. This led to the misquote, "Real heroes don't use guns,"<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/be5e55a90df944bb/b748601b997b3508#b748601b997b3508 Alt.toys.transformers thread] with the misquote and attendant assumptions right at the start.</ref> which remains a notoriously persistent error in the fandom. Skir, responding to the controversy, said on his site that "there '''are''' heroes who '''do''' need guns (such as the [[Punisher]]). Spider-Man doesn't need guns. Neither does the [[Hulk]]. And neither do Optimus, Cheetor, Black Arachnia{{sic}}, et al."<ref name="Skir" />
:Notably, the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|series]] [[Unicron Trilogy|immediately]] [[Movie (franchise)|following]] ''Beast Machines'' did return to classic hand-held gun use among both heroes and villains. However, the more recent ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' series has again eschewed guns, probably because of its younger target audience.

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise''===
*'''The Japanese ''Car Robots'' cartoon was a direct sequel to ''Beast Wars Neo''.'''
: Some fans seem to have concluded, based on the similar animation style and overall tone, that the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|''Car Robots'' cartoon]] was meant to pick up where ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' had left off, but all indications are that ''Car Robots'' wasn't meant to take place in any pre-existing TF continuity. But now Takara says it's in the Generation 1 continuity.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=490</ref>

===Transformers (2007)===
[[File:Japaneseflowchart.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look! No 2007 movie!]]
*'''The movie series takes place in the Generation 1 timeline in Japan.'''
: This is another one of those instances where one TakaraTomy thing, very early in the life cycle of a new ''Transformers'' [[franchise]], will say one thing about said franchise, and then literally ''everything else ever'' will say another.

: When the live-action movie series was getting started, TakaraTomy went live with their "World of Transformers" web site. The website timeline made the rather bizarre claim that the 2007 live-action movie also somehow took place in the Japanese Generation 1 continuity in 2007, but this was ''not'' reflected by the accompanying flow-chart, and was established to not be the case by the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)/src|''Kiss Players'' timeline]] (which noted that the movie-verse Autobots and Decepticons came from another universe when they appeared in a ''Beast Wars'' crossover). And of course, nothing else ever attempted to make the connection.

:So... technically, in one [[micro-continuity]] this is true. Everywhere else? Not so much.

{{-}}
*'''''Transformers'' was nearly rated R by the MPAA.'''
: In the spring of 2007, it was reported that ''[[wikipedia:Disturbia|Disturbia]]'', a then-upcoming [[DreamWorks]] film starring [[Shia LaBeouf]] and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], had received an R rating from the [[wikipedia:Motion Picture Association of America|Motion Picture Association of America]]. That film's rating was eventually lowered to PG-13 on appeal, but in the meantime some ''Transformers'' fans became confused and believed that it was ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' that had been rated R, leading to some heated discussion on ''Transformers'' message boards.

{{-}}
[[File:MovieCreditsNoBrawl.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Invisible credit.]]
*'''Brawl is named in the credits.'''

: The Decepticon tank, who was named "Devastator" in a subtitle in the movie, ended up being named "[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]" in [[Hasbro|Hasbro's]] [[Movie (toyline)|toy line]]. Both Hasbro and the screenwriters, [[Alex Kurtzman]] and [[Roberto Orci]], have expressly favored the toy's name, referring to the name in the movie as an "error".

: Since the character has a "speaking" line in the movie, some fans claim that the voice actor is named in the ending credits, and the character's name is stated as "Brawl" there. In fact, however, there's no credit ''at all'' for the character, under either name, as he has no voice actor, his "speaking role" being little more than echo-y electronic gibberish.

{{-}}
[[File:BanachekMustacheMan.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|One of these is not like the others.]]
*'''The Decepticons' hologram is Tom Banachek.'''

: Several Decepticons in the movie are seen using a holographic "pilot"/"driver" based on the same short-haired, mustache-clad human with an intense stare, only wearing different clothes to match their respective [[alternate mode]]s. Since [[Tom Banachek]], the head of [[Sector Seven]]'s Advanced Research Division, also sports a mustache, a short-cropped hairstyle and a pretty intense stare, many fans mistakenly believe that the Decepticons' hologram is meant to look like him.

: There are two problems with that. One, the Decepticons' hologram, dubbed "[[Moustache Man]]" in the credits, is played by real-life United States Air Force Major [[Brian Reece]], whereas Tom Banachek is portrayed by established actor [[Michael O'Neill]].

:Two... how would the Decepticons know who Banachek even was to model a hologram after him?

{{-}}

===Animated===

*'''The Japanese dub of ''Transformers Animated'' presents it as a prequel to the live-action movies.'''

:This appears to have ''some'' basis: Back in March 2010, the then-recent edition of ''[[TV Magazine]]'' published some early pre-release information about the Japanese dub of the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'' cartoon]]. Among the details announced was the name-change of [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] to "Ironhide", and changing his character to be closer in personality to [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] from the [[live-action film series|live-action movies]]. The article allegedly also claimed that because [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] was not Supreme Commander of the Autobots in ''Animated'', the cartoon would be "set chronologically before the live action movies".<ref name="tvmagani">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/animated-8/latest-edition-of-tv-magazine-reveals-new-transformers-animated-japan-details-169265/ TFW2005 reporting on ''TV Magazine'' article about the Japanese dub of the ''Transformers Animated'' cartoon], March 2010.</ref>

:In actuality, however, not much of this has been reflected in the dub itself: Aside from the aforementioned renaming of Bulkhead into "Ironhide", there's nothing in the Japanese dub that ties the ''Animated'' cartoon any closer to the live-action movies than its American counterpart.

===Revenge of the Fallen===

*'''Barricade's return?'''
:A common misconception among fans is that [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade's]] Saleen Mustang alternate mode was spotted on the set of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', possibly as part of the alleged "disinformation campaign" director [[Michael Bay]] repeatedly insisted he had initiated. In fact, however, a truck transporting three "Barricade" prop vehicles was spotted in Culver City, California, in March 2008, more than ''two months'' before principal shooting for ''Revenge of the Fallen'' started.<ref name="vehspotted">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/transformersnews.php?id=6980 Superhero Hype reporting on the spotting of Barricade vehicles in March 2008]</ref> There's been no indication that this had any significance other than moving the prop cars... someplace. Barricade would not make his reappearance until the ''next'' movie, ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.

===Prime===
*'''The High Moon Studios games are part of G1.'''
{{quote|We really did look very closely at Generation 1 stuff and tried to capture what for us was the essence of the characters.|[[Sean Miller]], Director Character and Animation|[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]}}
:With its designs aiming at a video gamer audience who grew up with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], the development team for ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' took a great deal of inspiration from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]] for such things as characters and the design aesthetic for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]</ref> A [[Commercial#War for Cybertron|commercial]] even depicted Shockwave ordering Soundwave to play [[The Touch|a song]] made famous by the [[The Transformers: The Movie|original animated movie]]. Furthermore, War for Cybertron toys were sold as part of the ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' toyline that featured Generation 1-styled characters. These factors led many to believe the game was actually part of Generation 1.

:To be fair, there was and is virtually no information available to the average fan that ''War for Cybertron'' is not part of Generation 1. Hasbro has essentially been folding ''War for Cybertron'' into their modern continuity, and have been informing dedicated fans of this fact through [[Hasbro Q&A|question and answer sessions]].<ref>"The official story of the original 13 and specifically Alpha Trion has not been explored fully in the modern continuity that Transformers War for Cybertron, Exodus, and Prime are a part of." [[Hasbro Q&A/September 2010: Answers]]</ref> The [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)|''War for Cybertron'' comic adaptation]] and [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172 online timeline] actually are adaptations from ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', which is the basis for the new modern continuity fiction.

:Canonically, both WfC and its sequel Fall of Cybertron are in the Aligned continuity, but beyond suggestions and mandatory changes from Hasbro, High Moon Studios doesn't seem to care about Hasbro's declarations of canon. In the art book for the sequel to WfC, ''[[The Art of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'', the only influences of the concept art and designs mentioned are G1 related. Dreamwave, the original cartoon, and other concepts and ideas from Generation 1 are cited, but the fact that Cliffjumper's head is based off of Prime Cliffjumper's is not mentioned, nor are the modifications to Optimus Prime's gun, Megatron's new body, [[Tox-En]], or the other assorted influences from Prime.

*'''''War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron'' is a prequel to the G1 cartoon.'''
:With its designs aiming at a 20-something audience who grew up on the original cartoon, many gamers would be forgiven for mistaking ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' for a prequel, and it doesn't help that the developers at [[High Moon Studios]] advertised the game as such. More savvy fans would recognize that the game is generally irreconcilable with the cartoon (or any other Generation 1 continuity for that matter): the circumstances of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s rise to power would contradict "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", and Optimus's [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|predecessor]] does not possess the Matrix, unlike his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon|cartoon counterpart]]. The Autobots left Cybertron because the [[Core]] shut down, not because energy sources were depleted, and characters like [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]], [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]], [[Cyclonus (WFC)|Cyclonus]], the [[Aerialbot (WFC)|Aerialbots]] and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] wouldn't be on Cybertron or even ''exist''. Additionally, the game draws inspiration from other continuities, including characters not from Generation 1 like [[Slipstream (WFC)|Slipstream]] and [[Demolishor (WFC)|Demolishor]]. The game does share a lot of similarities with Dreamwave's ''[[War Within (franchise)|War Within]]'' series (where Jetfire and Trypticon are present), but it cannot take place in that continuity either.

==Companies==
===Marvel Comics===
*'''John Romita designed the Generation 1 character models.'''
:The rumor here comes about through a misreading of the credits to [[The Transformers Universe]]. Legendary Marvel Comics artist John Romita, Sr. was listed as "Art Director", leading readers to assume that he was in charge of designing or developing the various [[character model]]s used in the series (and reprinted in said comic). However, Romita was actually the Art Director for Marvel Comics as a whole at the time. The majority of the character models were in fact done by [[Floro Dery]], who went uncredited.<ref>See [http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/01/11/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-85/ Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed] for more information.</ref>

===TakaraTomy===
*'''Takara was taken over by Tomy.'''
:In 2005, it was announced that Takara, longtime Japanese manufacturer/distributor of Transformers toys, and former competitor Tomy would merge into a new company, named [[TakaraTomy]], as of March 1, 2006. Some fans misinterpreted the media coverage, believing that Takara had been bought out by rival Tomy. This was not helped by official press releases declaring Tomy the "surviving company", Tomy having the majority of shares, and the merged company simply going by the name "Tomy" outside Japan.
:The name issue is easily explained, as it was done for purely pragmatic reasons. "Tomy" is an internationally established brand, since the company already had divisions in many other countries prior to the merger, and distributed their toys under their own name there. Takara, meanwhile, had mostly abandoned ventures into international markets years ago, and had its products distributed through other companies (such as [[Hasbro]]) instead. Therefore, the merged company decided to use the better-known name for its international business, while it would continue as "TakaraTomy" within Japan itself.
:Now, as for the specifics of the merger... Although the merger ratio was set at 0.356 of a Tomy share for each Takara share (including a split of Tomy's stock), and the companies announced a layoff of 15% of their combined workforce mostly on the Takara side, the term "merger" (as compared to "take-over") was prominently used in all the official announcements by the two companies, and twisting tiny details into a de facto "takeover" of Takara by Tomy is effectively splitting hairs.

*'''e-Hobby is owned by Takara (TakaraTomy).'''
:The [[e-HOBBY]] shop is owned by Part One, Ltd. Although the company has had close ties with Takara for decades, the online store also sells toys by other companies, primarily TakaraTomy's rival [[Bandai]].
:The online store ''directly'' owned by TakaraTomy, meanwhile, is [[TakaraTomy Mall]] (formerly Toy Hobby Market).

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 Ten popular but incorrect rumors about Japanese Transformers]

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Lists]]

Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers

2016-01-13T16:45:49Z

Anonymous X: /* Beast Wars */

{{picsneeded}}
Over the years, many '''misconceptions and urban legends''' have sprung up within ''Transformers'' [[fandom]], often resulting from such factors as fuzzy childhood memories, inaccurate catalog illustrations, and mistranslations of foreign material.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Transformers is (only) a cartoon from the Eighties that has been brought back into vogue recently.'''
: A misconception usually held by casual fans or nostalgic adults is that Transformers went away some time around 1986 (or 1987, or 1988—pick your year). People who stumbled across a newer incarnation of the Transformers franchise before 2007 commonly assumed that it had only recently popped back up as an attempt to cash in on '80s nostalgia. From 2007 onwards, people who were (obviously) aware of the [[live-action film series]] commonly believed that it was the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]] that brought the franchise back from limbo. Neither assumption is correct.
:In fact, the [[Transformers brand]] has been continuous since 1984 (there was a brief gap between 1990 and 1993 as far as the United States market was concerned, but the brand still continued with new products in other markets). It includes many [[Franchise|lines of toys, cartoons and comics]] that span nearly three decades, with no sign of stopping, as Hasbro considers it a core brand. Each line has experienced varying degrees of success, rebooting when its target audience gets too old or uninterested in the toyline and fiction.
:Some of this misconception is based on the fact that most of the original audience stopped watching and following the franchise after its cancellation, or even before (as it wasn't "cool" to be kiddy once puberty hit). Without any exposure to the market, the toyline and the new cartoons, they simply assume that ''Transformers'' has sunk in popularity, quality and/or sales, since it's not what they remember.
:It ''is'' true that Transformers hit a low point of popularity in the early 1990s, with the cancelation of Generation 1 and the unremarkable sales of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''. But the successor ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' line re-established the brand for a new generation beginning in 1996, and Transformers has been a dominant toy franchise ever since. While it's true that the live-action movies caused a major hike in popularity for the brand, they didn't revive a long-forgotten franchise; rather, they merely turned a steadily successful toy series into a major worldwide multimedia phenomenon.
{{-}}
*'''Generation 1 obviously has the best toys, cartoons and characters.'''
:Casual fans likewise tend to assume automatically that the original 1980s iteration of Transformers is the best and most successful line to date, with all other successors being unpopular and/or unsuccessful ventures.
:While it's hard to measure the overall success of every line in all its aspects, the original line has been surpassed in both quality and sales multiple times over. In factors such as realistic alternate forms, durability, articulation, action features, and complexity, various later toylines have all exceeded Generation 1. And while fiction can't be measured objectively, many fans will swear up and down by some of the later incarnations of ''Transformers''.
:Arguably, Transformers is in an endless cycle of creating [[true fan|new fans who share new opinions on what is "teh greatest"]].
{{-}}
*'''Powermaster Optimus Prime was the first, ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.'''
[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1984—the original.]]
[[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1988—the Powermaster version.]]
:This one claims that the [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy, originally released in 1988, is the ''original'', first Optimus Prime toy ever released, rather than the ''earlier'', non-Powermaster toy, which is an entirely different mold and was originally available in 1984. This phenomenon is particularly common in [[eBay]] auctions, where Powermaster Optimus Prime toys are frequently advertised as "ORIGINAL Optimus Prime".
:The reasons for this misconception are obvious: Numerous people arrived late to the party—that is, became fans of the original ''Transformers'' line after the ''real'' original Optimus Prime toy had vanished off the shelves in 1986 (the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was still shown in reruns on TV). Any of them looking for a toy of the iconic [[Autobot]] leader would only find the Powermaster toy on store shelves starting in 1988. Fast-forward to 20 years later, and people who weren't really paying a lot of attention to the brand for the past few years, now looking to sell off their childhood toys, would naturally conclude that the toy they got as a kid was the ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.
:The phenomenon is even more widespread in countries such as Germany, where the cartoon wasn't officially shown on TV until 1989(!). By that point, the ''original'' toy, which had originally been released by [[Milton Bradley]] in the European market in 1985, was long gone off the shelves. Thus, the only Optimus Prime toy available to kids who had only just become fans because of the cartoon was the Powermaster version. Admittedly, gray imports of the Mexican version of the ''original'' toy by [[IGA]] were also available in European stores around this time, and Hasbro themselves would release the original toy again two years later as part of their European-exclusive [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line of reissues. However, the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy was still a lot more widespread.

*'''20th Anniversary Optimus Prime was the Optimus Prime toy available in the 1980s/Alternators are the same toys that were available in the 1980s.'''

[[File:20thAnniversary OptimusPrimesm.jpg|125px|thumb|Sadly, this didn't exist until 2003.]]
:This misconception usually comes from people who, upon seeing the 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy (which was originally released in 2003/2004), honest-to-god swear it's the toy they had when they were a kid. Similarly, there are also people who believe that the toys from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' line are the same toys they had as kids, when they're most likely confusing them with the original Autobot Cars, which are about half the size.
:The reasons for this aren't too hard to guess: People were a lot smaller when they were kids, so obviously the original Transformers toys seemed a lot larger to them. Since these fans didn't repeatedly hold or play with their Transformers while growing up, they weren't constantly adjusting to the toys' size in relation to their own. This resulted in blurred memories of outright ''gargantuan'' Transformers toys available in the 1980s. (One might wonder how tall those people would remember [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] being.)
:When confronted with the original toys—now relatively small because the fans have grown up—these people often reject them, insisting the "original" toys were ''larger'' (occasionally even accusing the ''real'' original toys of being downsized [[knockoff]]s). Showing them the Alternators or 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, on the other hand, will bring back warm (albeit incorrect) memories.

{{-}}

*'''A "giant"-sized Optimus Prime toy was available during Generation 1.'''
:A variant of the above of sorts. In at least a few cases, claims regarding a "giant" Generation 1 Prime may stem from dim memories of coming across [http://www.pleasesavemerobots.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/skorbyg2.html oversized Optimus Prime knockoffs that were made in Korea]—or because they had the ''normal'' Prime as kids, when they (the former kids) were about ''half'' the height they are now (see above). Other people also may have blurred memories of the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy's larger [[robot mode]] when combined with his trailer.
:The release of 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime didn't exactly help matters either (again, see above).

*'''"Bumblejumper" is a fan name for a yellow version of Cliffjumper./Bumblejumper was sold both on Bumblebee and Cliffjumper cards.'''
[[File:G1-toy Bumper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Bumper", who later would be known as "Bumper".]]
:As part of the launch of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toyline]] in 1984, Hasbro released two Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] toys, [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], both of which had vehicle modes that used [[Choro-Q]]-like proportions. Bumblebee was based on a classic Volkswagen Beetle, whereas Cliffjumper was based on a Porsche 924 Turbo. In all the official advertising as well as the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon series]] and the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]], Bumblebee was consistently colored yellow, whereas Cliffjumper was colored red (not counting one-off coloring and [[animation error]]s). However, Hasbro also released a red Bumblebee and a yellow Cliffjumper, both of which used the same cardbacks as the regular versions.
:In addition, Hasbro also released a [[Bumper (G1)|''third'' mold]] using a similar body structure and transformation scheme, based on a Mazda Familia 1500XG. This toy had originally been available as part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, but was not officially advertised as a ''Transformers'' toy. (Note that this toy is not to be confused with [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], a yellow [[retool]] of Cliffjumper released in 1986.) To this very day, only yellow samples of this toy in ''Transformers'' packaging have surfaced, all of them on "Cliffjumper" cards. The color variants for Bumblebee and Cliffjumper continued to be available with the 1985 assortment (which featured [[rubsign]]s and the Mini Vehicle toys packaged in robot mode rather than in [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]), whereas no samples of the Mazda Familia in 1985 packaging have surfaced thus far.
:Fans later started to refer to the Mazda Familia mold by portmanteau names such as "Bumblejumper", "Cliffbee" and "Bumper". The last of these names was eventually made official when a character based on the toy made appearances in the ongoing [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|''Generation One'' Volume 1]] comic series by [[Dreamwave Productions]] and in the ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' mini-series by [[IDW Publishing]]. However, fans who know about the Bumblebee/Cliffjumper color variants, but are unaware of the existence of the Mazda Familia mold, occasionally incorrectly assume that the name "Bumblejumper" refers to the yellow color variant of Cliffjumper... which is simply referred to as "yellow Cliffjumper" by most fans.

*'''A now-rare (and thus valuable) blue variant of Bluestreak was available during Generation 1.'''

[[File:G1 Bluestreak boxart.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|You had this as a kid. The picture, that is. Not the toy.]]
:The very earliest [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] toy [[catalog]]s used a photo of a blue-sided ''[[Diaclone]]'' Fairlady Z to represent [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]; photographs of the same toy were used for Bluestreak's own [[Instructions|instruction booklet]]. The same blue-sided color scheme was also used on his [[Package art|box art]]; which was in turn shown on ''every'' 1984 instruction booklet as a sample tech spec.
:All this gave rise to a long-standing myth that a blue Bluestreak toy was sold under the ''Transformers'' brand during Generation 1, with some people going so far as to "remember" owning blue Bluestreaks as children, or at least knowing someone else who did. Adding to the confusion, ''[[wikipedia:ToyFare|ToyFare]]'' magazine has a long history of listing the supposed blue Bluestreak as a "foreign [[variant]]" in its monthly price guide.
:However, actual samples of a blue-sided Bluestreak in a sealed ''Transformers'' box have ''never'' appeared, and the [[Karl Hartman|collectors who have been at it since the very beginning]] and [[Jon Hartman|amassed ''insane'' numbers of rare Transformers]] have never seen one.
: Oddly enough, numerous other Transformers toys from that era were depicted in both catalogues and packaging art with colors they were never released in —[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], for example— yet Bluestreak is the only one to be (mis)remembered in this manner, perhaps because his name is ''Blue''streak, so he had to have been blue, right?

*'''A show-accurate Skyfire toy was available during Generation 1.'''

[[File:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Patience. You just have to wait 22 years.]]
:Due to some legal entanglements, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was renamed "Skyfire" for the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], with a [[character model]] that bore only a vague resemblance to the toy. Some confused viewers seem to have come away assuming that there had to be a [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] Generation 1 toy by the name of Skyfire. (The ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Jetfire toy is actually designed as a mix between the original toy and the cartoon character model.)

*'''Some Generation 1 toy molds were in use as long ago as 1974.'''
:Some ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]''-derived toys have the text "©1974 TAKARA" stamped on them, and as a result are occasionally sold on eBay with descriptions such as "original 1974 [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]]". However, the date 1974 refers to the introduction of the original [[Microman]] franchise due to the way Japanese IP law worked at the time; the first ''Microchange'' toys weren't even designed until the early 1980s.

*'''A winged variant of Sludge was available during Generation 1.'''
:A [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] [[knockoff]] that featured wings and a pterodactyl-like beast head was fairly commonplace during the Generation 1 era, and in some cases people who owned this knockoff as children seem to have misremembered it as being a [[Hasbro]] or [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-produced [[variant]].<ref name="Sludge Knockoff">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Sludge1.html http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Sludge1.html]</ref>

*'''A Unicron toy was available during Generation 1.'''
[[File:Unicron Proto.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Seriously, aren't you glad your poor parents didn't have to waste like a hundred bucks on this back in '86?]]
:No toys of [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] were available (or even produced beyond [[prototype]]) until 2003. In fact, the mere ''existence'' of those prototypes wasn't actually officially confirmed until many years later. The first [[Unicron/toys|official Unicron toy]] to be released came out as part of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line in 2003 and was a brand new mold, not based on an old, unused prototype.
:The fictional existence of a ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' Unicron toy is likely based on schoolground one-upmanship: if one kid had a larger toy such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a rival kid would claim to have a Unicron toy in order to appear cooler, but would most likely retire to his bed a sobbing mess, knowing in his heart that one day God would punish him for being a HUGE FIBBER.
:What could also have attributed to this misconception was the voice actor for Unicron himself, Orson Welles. He died before the movie's release and the part in the 1986 movie was his last for his death in 1985. He loathed the part and could not even remember his character's name; he was quoted as saying, "I play a big toy who attacks a bunch of smaller toys," mistakenly assuming there was a toy for him.

*'''The reissue Soundwave toys released by Takara are reverse-engineered from Soundblaster because the original molds are lost.'''
:Both the ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' and ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] releases have different tape buttons and hinges than the ones found on the vintage Hasbro release. While the vintage Hasbro Soundwave had inset controls and an internal tape deck hinge, the Takara reissues have a large button block that serves as a pivot point for an external tape deck hinge. The supposed reason for this is the mold for the original versions of the buttons and door are lost or worn out, so a new single tape door was made to work with the Soundblaster mold.
:In fact, the buttons and hinge used on the reissue Soundwaves were originally a [[retool]]ed running change [[variant]] of Takara's original 1985 release of Soundwave. The further Soundblaster retool was based on the later Japanese version of Soundwave, as were the reissues. Presumably, the original mold in its original condition ''is'' lost - but this happened ''long'' before Takara retooled Soundwave into Soundblaster.

*'''A few years ago, a crazy old man claimed he had created the original ''Transformers'' toys.'''
:In 2005, the ''Transformers'' [[fandom]] learned, by way of a newspaper article posted by an internet fan site, of the existence of [[Henry Orenstein]], a former toymaker. Although the main focus of the article was Orenstein's then-current achievements in the field of poker, it also implied that Orenstein had "created" the original ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' toys, and even featured a photo that depicted a somewhat confused-looking Orenstein holding [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|20th Anniversary Optimus Prime]], with his facial impression strongly implying that he had never seen this particular toy before. Many fans subsequently assumed that this was a deluded old man who believed he had created the concept of ''Transformers'' toys, even though the fandom knew full well by this point that the original toys were originally created in Japan. His status as the "creator" of the ''Transformers'' toy line was subsequently repeated in several other articles about the man, possibly directly based on its mention in the original 2005 article.
:The ''fact'' is that Orenstein had worked for [[Hasbro]] during the 1980s, and was the person who had convinced [[George Dunsay]], then Hasbro's Vice President of R&D, to acquire the rights to a (more or less) innovative type of Japanese toys, which would eventually become known as the original ''Transformers'' toys. In addition, Orenstein shares the original patent for the [[rubsign]]s with Dunsay. Aside from that, his contribution to the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] is marginal at best. Obviously, the writer of said newspaper article had only marginal knowledge of the history of the ''Transformers'' brand, was told what was most likely nothing more than an anecdote by Orenstein (his biography is full of fascinating episodes, by the way), and subsequently inflated it massively with hyperbole, possibly in an attempt to gain more attention to his article due to the popularity of the brand, even before the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]]. The only question is, where did the photographer get the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime toy from?

===Generation 2===
*'''"Generation 2" means "after ''The Transformers: The Movie''."'''
:This common but explicitly false idea probably stems from the many casual fans who grew up with the original ''Transformers'' line but stopped paying much attention around 1986, when the animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' debuted and the ''Transformers'' craze began to die down. Many such fans regained some interest in ''Transformers'' many years later, particularly with hype surrounding the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]]. Seeing the phrase "Generation 2" batted around in fandom, it might seem natural to assume it refers to the big changeover that happened with the animated film. It certainly didn't help that, early in the life of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]], [[Pat Lee]] shared in this misconception, leading other new arrivals to the fandom to ape his use of the term.
:While the original animated movie certainly marked a change from one "generation" of toys to another, along with some new design trends, the phrase "Generation 2" refers to [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|a very specific franchise]], marketed from 1992 to 1995—years after the animated film had come and gone. Its relative obscurity probably contributes to the mis-attribution of the term, as ''Generation 2'' marks a low point in popularity for ''Transformers'' as a whole.

===Beast Wars===
*'''Beast Wars didn't originally have the Transformers branding.'''
:While the early [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]] toy packaging had the Transformers brand name in a smaller typeface than the (much larger) Beast Wars logo, the toy range was ''always'' '''Beast Wars: Transformers''' from day one. Later on, with the release of the [[Transmetal]]s and [[Fuzor]]s subranges, the Transformers name was increased in size and prominence on the packaging. Also a source of this confusion for people in the [[United Kingdom]] is that Beast Wars figures were available in 'Beast Wars Biocombat' or 'Beast Wars Anti-Mutants' multilingual packaging which further reduced the prominence of the Transformers branding, and that British commercial broadcaster [[GMTV]] edited the Transformers name out of the title sequence of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|television series]].

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise''===
*'''The ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline was known as "Transformers 2000" in Japan.'''
:As information about the then-new [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Car Robots'' toyline]] began to trickle out of Japan in 2000, early rumors purportedly from Japanese sources indicated that it was officially named "Transformers 2000".<ref name="Transformers 2000">http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/e6436b92178f0c0a</ref> It's possible those Japanese sources were also going by early, inaccurate rumors or perhaps a soon-to-be-discarded working title for the line. The idea persisted with many Western fans well after the true name of the show was revealed, encouraged by online import retailers (who were equally misinformed) using the title to promote pre-orders on their sites.

*'''''Robots in Disguise'' Side Burn was so complex, the toy's designer later apologized.'''
:Basically. [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Car Robots'']] [[Side Burn (RID)|Speedbreaker]] was the first ''Transformers'' toy designed by [[Hironori Kobayashi]], and it kind of shows. In a later interview, he admitted that the development process was a "painful experience" and an "admonition" to do better in the future.<ref name="Translated interview at ToyboxDX">http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?3,97799,97800</ref>

===Alternators===
*'''A yellow version of Alternators Tracks was released to North American stores (but then recalled by Hasbro).'''

[[File:YellowTracks.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Only in Japan, baby.]]
:When [[Hasbro]] (and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) originally announced the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' version of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in 2004, the toy's [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode's]] primary color was yellow. This caused the ire of a significant portion of the fandom, which insisted that the toy had to be ''blue'', like its ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' predecessor.
:However, while Takara did release their ''Binaltech'' version of the toy in yellow, stolen [[Prototype|samples]] of the Hasbro version eventually surfaced which were indeed blue rather than yellow. Hasbro eventually confirmed at [[OTFCC 2004]] that the initial idea had been to release the toy in yellow first, and then later as a running change [[variant]] in blue, like Takara would ultimately do. However, Hasbro had encountered problems at the test shot stage, where it became evident that some of the toy's innards were shining through the yellow plastic. As a result, plans for a release of the yellow version were scrapped, and it was decided to release the blue version from the get-go.
:However, around the time when the yellow version of ("Autobot") Tracks was originally supposed to arrive in stores, rumors started circulating that some stores (usually [[Walmart]]) had indeed received a shipment of the toy, but were then asked by Hasbro to send back the entire batch. Some variants of this rumor later even claimed having seen a cell photo from the friend of a friend depicting a yellow Alternators Tracks in packaging on top of a case sporting a "RETURN TO SENDER" note. Conveniently, circumstance always prevented these people from taking a photo and sharing it with the internet public.
:Needless to say, no substantial evidence has ever surfaced to back up these claims. Furthermore, there are several factors that make this story extremely doubtful: First, Hasbro—in their own words—discovered the problems with the see-through yellow plastic at the test shot stage (which is the entire ''point'' of this part of the production run). Why would they actually bother to continue the production run, print the packaging, pack the toy and send it to stores and ''then'' decide to recall it? Never mind that toy recalls are usually done due to safety concerns, not because of ''looks''. Also, we've seen "leaked" (read: stolen) packaged samples of pretty much every single Alternators toy several months prior to its official release. Yellow Tracks? The last thing we saw of him was an unpackaged, painted sample with (intentionally) off-color Autobot [[insignia]] and "NOT FOR SALE" markings. In all the years since the toy's alleged stealth shipment to stores, not a single packaged sample has surfaced. Years later, longtime TFW2005 member Napjr, who hails from Mexico, admitted that he might have inadvertently helped spreading this rumor, originally started by a fake sighting by another Mexican fan.<ref name="napjr">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/featured-radicons/260952-august-2009s-featured-radicon-napjr.html Napjr interview at TFW2005.]</ref>
:The only "packaged" versions of a yellow ''Alternators'' Tracks we ever got to see were internet pranks of the "yellow ''Binaltech'' Tracks in photoshopped Hasbro box" variety. Which, of course, didn't help matters at all.
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[[File:WindchargerOverdrive.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Castrated at the request of Honda.]]
*'''Hasbro omitted ''Alternators'' Windcharger's gun barrel for safety reasons.'''

: When the first stolen [[Prototype|test shots]] of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] surfaced in 2004, the toy sported an extraordinarily long gun barrel (which doubled as the [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]'s drive shaft). The toy was ultimately released without the barrel, which was not shown or mentioned anywhere on the packaging or in the instructions. Indeed, Windcharger's weapon accessory was officially identified as a "shield" on the back of the packaging (in addition to the actual, ragtop roof shield). [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], on the other hand, later released their own ''Binaltech'' version of the toy (named [[Overdrive]]) with the full barrel, prominently shown in the official promotional photos.

:The initial fan theory upon seeing the barrel-less toy was that Hasbro had gutted it [[for safety reasons]], under the notion that the long barrel might pose a choking hazard. Even though this was refuted by actual experts on toy safety standards, the rumor still persisted. An official response from Hasbro's customer service department to an e-mail inquiry (published on a fan site's message board) confirmed that the reason for the barrel's omission was "so the accessory would not look like a weapon".<ref name="Windcharger gun barrel">"http://forums.tformers.com/talk/index.php?showtopic=13088 Response from Hasbro's customer service department regarding the lack of Alternators Windcharger's gun barrel.</ref> Eventually, Hasbro (in the presence of Takara representatives) would confirm the full story at [[BotCon 2005]]: It had indeed been Honda, specifically their North American branch, that had asked to remove the gun barrel and all references to "weapons" from the toy, its packaging and included paperwork. Honda's Japanese department, on the other hand, had no such concerns, which is why Takara were able to release the ''Binaltech'' version with the barrel intact.

===Masterpiece===
*'''Masterpiece Convoy has more diecast parts than 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/Masterpiece Convoy is made almost entirely out of diecast/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime is made entirely out of plastic.'''
:This misconception was started by now defunct Hong Kong-based online retailer Action-HQ<ref name="plasticahq">[http://tformers.com/transformers-20th-anniversary-optimus-prime-plastic/2150/news.html "20th Anniversary Optimus Prime Plastic?"], November 2003.</ref> and ''might'' have been extrapolated from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' toys, which are made entirely out of plastic (except for the rubber tires) for their Hasbro releases, whereas their Japanese ''Binaltech'' counterparts feature a few parts made out of [[die-cast|die-cast metal]].
:In fact, however, the amount of die-cast metal parts versus injection-[[mold]]ed plastic parts is the same between 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and his Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Convoy counterpart. The only differences between the two toys (not counting the packaging) are the shortened smokestacks for Hasbro's 20th Prime and the addition of painted battle damage that is missing from the Takara version.

===Transformers Collection===
[[File:G1 Vol.1 Issue2 1.jpg|thumb|100px|A solicitation of then upcoming Takara reissues? Not really.]]
*'''Takara's ''Transformers Collection'' had something to do with Dreamwave.'''
:In 2002, Takara launched their series of [[Generation 1 reissues]] named ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'', also commonly referred to as "bookbox reissues" or even "Dreamwave reissues" among fans. The reason for that is simple: The [[package art]], especially for early releases such as [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Meister]] or [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]], was directly taken from the covers of and promotional posters for [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] first ''[[Prime Directive|Generation One]]'' mini-series drawn by [[Pat Lee]]. A common misconception among fans at that time was that Takara was coordinating their reissues with Dreamwave. Some even tried to predict upcoming reissues based on the existing Dreamwave covers. Yet [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]] never materialized.

:In fact, probably the main reason why Takara recycled Pat's Dreamwave artwork of those characters for the [[packaging]] of their reissues was its coincidental availability: The artwork had already been created and paid for, so why commission new art when they could just use what already exists? Furthermore, only about half of the TFC reissues actually sported "Dreamwave" package art, whereas the rest ''did'' use newly-commissioned art drawn by Japanese artist [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], who has never in his life worked for Dreamwave and had been drawing in this style long before Pat Lee rose to his brief "superstar artist" fame.
{{-}}

===Prime===
*'''''Transformers: Prime'' was not initially planned to have any toys.'''
:The [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|toy line]] for ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' was ''very'' delayed, debuting roughly a year after the associated cartoon had premiered. Previously, at a [[BotCon 2010]] panel about the then-upcoming ''Prime'' cartoon, a Hasbro representative had made a statement that they weren't talking about toys just then. ''Transformers'' fandom being [[Red Alert (G1)|what]] [[Breakdown (G1)|it is]], a widespread belief developed that Hasbro was never going to make ''Prime'' toys ''at all.'' As additional information gradually surfaced, this evolved into a rumor that ''Prime'' would only have a small number of toys, with some further speculating that they would also be limited to the Deluxe [[size class]] (since initially only Deluxes had been seen). The eventual revelation of a full ''Prime'' toyline caused the belief to evolve once more, with the new theory being that there wasn't ''originally'' going to be a ''Prime'' toyline, but Hasbro changed their minds due to demand.
:The reality, as usual, was much less apocalyptic. The statement from the Hasbro Studios panel was never intended to refer to anything except the panel itself—the people ''in that room'' weren't going to be discussing toys ''at that panel''. (In fact, [[Eric Siebenaler]] expressed excitement about [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]'s toy at the very same panel.) As for the delay in the line's launch, put simply, this was for appearance's sake. Hasbro wanted to establish ''Prime'' as a strong ''fictional'' franchise, rather than merely [[To sell toys|a glorified toy commercial]], and reasonably concluded that launching a toyline immediately would detract from that goal. There ''was'' a point when a few ''Prime'' toys were planned to be released under the ''[[Transformers: Generations]]'' banner, but since ''Generations'' was at that time exclusively Deluxes, the aforementioned Bulkhead (a Voyager) indicates that this idea had already been abandoned when the rumors started.
:In short, this is just a matter of fans jumping to conclusions based on misinterpreted statements.

===Europe (all generations)===
*'''Optimus Prime's toy was originally not released in Europe due to a trademark conflict.'''
[[File:Jetfire-Dutch.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Oddly enough, Optimus Prime can still be seen in the background.]]
:In 1985, Hasbro launched the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|''Transformers'' line]] on the European continent, using the domestic subsidiaries of [[Milton Bradley]], whom Hasbro had recently merged with, to distribute the toys in countries such as France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The "MB"-branded ''Transformers'' toys were released in two [[wave]]s before the packaging started to sport "Hasbro" logos in 1986. However, the first wave was a rather odd line-up, with many prominent characters missing, among them [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]]. Instead, MB declared [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] the leader of the Autobots and even depicted him as such in [[In the Transformers|a pack-in mini-comic]]. Furthermore, Dutch comic book publisher [[Junior Press]], which published a translated version of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comic]], initially renamed Optimus Prime into "Jetfire" for all his comic appearances. Optimus Prime's toy was eventually released with the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'', and the Junior Press comics subsequently referred to him by his correct name. The reason for Optimus Prime's initial omission from the MB line-up is claimed to be due to a [[trademark]] conflict: A Swedish manufacturer of kitchen utensils named "[http://www.optimusstoves.com/ Optimus]" allegedly made the use of the name unfeasible for the time being. This theory was widely accepted by the majority of the Transformers [[fandom]] for many years.

:It wasn't until several years later that the theory was put into question, if not to say completely refuted: A manufacturer of kitchen utensils usually does not operate in the "toys" field, thus making a trademark conflict unlikely to begin with. The rumor originates from an editor's note in the Junior Press comic trying to explain the "Optimus"/"Jetfire" name confusion and subsequent rectification, which claims that the ''Transformers'' were originally ''two'' toy lines by different manufacturers in the United States, and MB had only released one of them in the Netherlands, while the "[[copyright]]" to the name "Optimus Prime" belonged to the other manufacturer. Many years later, this editor's note (including the incorrect use of the term "copyright" rather than "trademark") was cited by a Dutch fan who added his own speculation (without marking it as such) about the "Optimus" company in a response to a website article about the MB Transformers, thus spawning the urban myth that was subsequently accepted by the fandom.<ref name="optimusdutch">[http://www.fredsworkshop.com/veuro2.html The origin (?) of the "Optimus trademark conflict in Europe" rumor?] at The Complete Transformers Variants Page</ref>

:A much more likely explanation for the entire two-wave MB line-up that brings more sense to another odd portion of the Junior Press editor's note is the fact that a French company named [[Joustra]] released their own version of [[TakaraTomy|Takara's]] ''[[Diaclone]]'' line in many of the same markets as MB would release their ''Transformers'' toys in. The theory suggests that because of Joustra's exclusive contract with Takara, any toys from their ''Diaclone'' line-up were initially off-limits for MB's ''Transformers'' line-up.<ref name="mijofive">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-5/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 5" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref> A related theory suggests that Joustra's parent company, Ceji, got into financial trouble at the time, prompting them to sign a deal with MB to allow them to use their existing (but still unsold) ''Diaclone'' stock and release it in ''Transformers'' packaging instead. This explains why the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'' matches up almost perfectly with Joustra's ''Diaclone'' line-up.<ref name="mijofour">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-4/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 4" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref>

*'''The Generation 1 Seacon Overbite was released under the name "Jawbreaker" in some European markets.'''
[[File:JawbreakerComic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|UK comic exclusive name variant!]]
:This appears to originate from the fact that [[Enemy Action!|issue 152]] of the Marvel UK comics, the first appearance of the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], refers to [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] as "Jawbreaker", a name repeated in his appearance in [[Salvage!|issue 160]] and an "A to Z" profile in the [[Transformers Annual 1989]]. In the early days of the Transformers online fandom, when information about (and scans of) the UK comics were made available to a larger number of American fans for the first time, they concluded that this must mean that the toy had been released under a different name in Europe—which is not ''entirely'' unfounded: Generation 1 toys ''had'' been released under alternate names in Canada and Italy; and many of the tail-end G1 toys that were released following the cancellation of the line on the United States market were also available in several name variants in various European markets. A further variation of this rumor even cited legal (possibly [[trademark]]) reasons as an explanation for the alleged name change.
:However, no substantial evidence has ever surfaced to back up this rumor; in fact, European fans, when questioned, all claimed to recall that the toy was called "Overbite" when released in their respective countries (except for Italy, where [[GiG]] actually didn't release the Seacons ''at all''). Furthermore, the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] in [[City of Fear!|issue #164]] of the UK comic features a question by a confused (British) reader who inquires about the "Jawbreaker" name, since the toy was called "Overbite" when released in the UK (which then results in a made-up-on-the-spot explanation on behalf of the Marvel staff to reconcile both names).
:So, why ''did'' the story identify the character as "Jawbreaker"? It's likely that writer [[Simon Furman]] simply got a few names mixed up, since the Overbite toy's instructions refer to his ''weapon'' as a "Jawbreaker cannon", and his weapon mode for Piranacon is called "Jawbreaker weapon" in the Piranacon assembly instructions. That, or "Jawbreaker" was an early working name for Overbite. Or, as his first appearance was very early in the year, when the story was written Marvel UK had received incomplete information about a toy that was not yet on sale.

*'''Some toys were exclusively (or predominantly) available in the United Kingdom (sometimes also the Netherlands).'''
:This likely stems from the fact that during the early days of the Transformers online fandom, when information from European countries was shared with American fans, two of the most active fanbases (or, at least, fanbases with members who were capable of, and interested in, engaging in conversations using the English language) as far as Europe was concerned were based in the UK and in the Netherlands. As a result, when information about toys (or toy variants) that were not available in the United States was spread, there simply were no fans from Germany or France around to confirm that the toys in question had also been officially available in their respective countries. (Although to be fair, it's quite possible that some toys, such as the [[Milton Bradley]]-branded Generation 1 toys, were indeed released in bigger quantities in the Netherlands than in Germany or France.)<ref name="mbpart6">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-6/ "MB Transformers: Part 6"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>
:As a result, the red variant of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] was initially branded a "Netherlands" release, as were some the Mexican toys originally produced by [[IGA]] for the Mexican market that were later imported to Europe through gray channels and sold in at least half a dozen countries (most notably exotic variations such as blue versions of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]]). Meanwhile, tail-end G1 releases after the toyline had been cancelled as far as the United States market was concerned, such as the [[Action Master Elite]]s, the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" reissues, the [[Turbomaster]]s or the [[Obliterator]]s, were often referred to as "UK exclusives" (and are occasionally still to this very day), even though all of them were also available in numerous other countries—some of them even in Canada and Australia!
:Simply put, there are very few toys that were actually exclusive to a single European country: ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Meister]] and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|Megatron]] have both only been released in Italy as far as the European (but not the American, or Australian, or Asian) market is concerned. Even the red "Powerlinx" version of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]], which had originally been available as a "[[USA Edition]]" in Japan and was later found in Israel of all places, also has confirmed sightings for Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. The toy was even found in ''Australia'', but only in stores that also occasionally sell toys imported from other countries, and again in European packaging, oddly enough.
:The first ''genuine'' "UK exclusives" were released as part of the accompanying [[Movie (toyline)|toyline]] for the 2007 [[Transformers (film)|''Transformers'' live action movie]], namely a three-pack containing the Deluxe Class toys [[Jazz (Movie)|Autobot Jazz]], [[Protoform]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and [[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]], and a two-pack, named "Towed to Safety", which contained the first of the two Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] molds and [[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]] (''not '' to be confused with the Screen Battles—aka "Battle Scenes"—"Final Stand" set, which was ''also'' available in the UK), both of them in their original decos. Meanwhile, other multi-packs or minor variants of toys from the 2007 movie toyline that were available in the UK but not in the United States were also available in other places, such as Japan, Hong Kong, Australia or other European countries again.

*'''A green variant of Trailbreaker was available in some European countries.'''
:This belief seems to stem from the fact that [[IGA]]'s Mexican version of [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (which, like most Mexican Transformers, was widely available on the European gray market circa 1989, as mentioned above) used the same head sculpt as [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. But like the "Blue" Bluestreak, no samples of an actual green version of the Trailbreaker mold actually sold ''as'' "Trailbreaker" have been found.

===Takara vs. Hasbro===
*'''Takara (alternatively, Hasbro) are ''solely'' responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing (all, or certain specific) ''Transformers'' toys.'''
: This was true only for the original [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toys]], and possibly also the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toys]]. Most of the toys from 1984 to 1986 were imported (and, occasionally, slightly altered) versions of already-existing Japanese toys originally designed and released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. Following that, Takara developed new toys both for the Japanese and the Western market, now specifically with ''Transformers'' in mind. The primary exceptions are a handful of toys licensed from other Japanese companies (Jetfire, Whirl and Roadbuster, for example), and the 1986 toys for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]], which were mostly based on designs by [[Floro Dery]].
: However, ever since 1988,<ref name="dunsay">[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/images/full/BC04Dunsay.jpg BotCon 2004 program guide interview with George Dunsay]</ref> most "main" line toys released both in Japan and the Western hemisphere (such as the [[Unicron Trilogy]], ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'', the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 Movie line]] and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]/[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'') have been designed and developed in cooperation between [[Hasbro]] (or its subsidiary [[Kenner]]) and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] (now TakaraTomy). (For the specifics of this joint venture development process, see the article about [[toy]]s.)
: Still, numerous reasons have led some people to assume incorrectly that ''all'' ''Transformers'' toy lines were ''solely'' developed by only one of the two companies:
:* The Western public and mainstream media, naturally, tend to be unaware of the existence of Takara (TakaraTomy these days). It's therefore logical to assume that Hasbro, the company responsible for distributing Transformers toys outside Japan, is also solely responsible for developing and manufacturing the toys. The fact that Hasbro regularly chooses not to mention their Japanese business partner in official press releases and interviews hasn't exactly helped matters, either.
:* On the other hand, Western anime fans are used to Japanese companies being solely responsible for designing robot toys, which are then imported and sold by Western companies. For lack of better knowledge, those people then simply assume the same also applies to ''Transformers'' toys — namely, that Takara does ''all'' the design and engineering work on their own, and Hasbro is merely the Western ''distributor'' of those toys. The fact that the back of Hasbro's packaging for ''Transformers'' toys sports a small note saying "Manufactured under license from Takara Co., Ltd." (changed to "TOMY Company, Ltd." on more recent toys) is occasionally cited as "proof" that Takara is the sole manufacturer of ''Transformers'' toys as well. A long paper trail of evidence to the contrary<ref name="Hasbro Tour">[http://www.seibertron.com/events/gallery.php?event_id=70&size=0&start=272 Exemplary rundown] of the development process of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]], shown during the Hasbro tour at [[BotCon 2007]]. Of course, Hasbro just replaced the name "Takara" in some of the steps with "Hasbro" in order to convince fans that... yeah, riiiight.</ref> has not been able to convince those people of the flaws in their conspiracy theory — rather, some of them have even postulated the existence of a so-called "Hasbro PR machine", whose sole purpose is to convince ''Transformers'' fans that Hasbro actually has a larger part in the development of ''Transformers'' toys than is actually the case.<ref name="Propaganda">[http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?1,88668 ToyBoxDX thread with anime fanboys arguing that "Takara is an enormous toy '''manufacturing''' company. Hasbro doesn't manufacturer anything. The sole reason for its existence is for marketing the products of their partners and wholly-owned subs. Just to be clear here - Takara is bigger than Hasbro."] They wouldn't even believe that [[Joe Kyde]] actually worked at Hasbro. No kidding.</ref>
: That being said, there ''are'' indeed a few toys originally developed by either Hasbro or Takara without the other one's involvement, and then later picked up by the other company, but they're fewer than usually assumed: For Takara, those include the new molds for ''[[Beast Wars II (toyline)|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'', plus various mostly short-lived, collector-aimed, niche market lines (such as the new ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' molds, the ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'', the ''[[Hybrid Style]]'' toys etc.); for Hasbro, those are mostly either toys originally based on fiction-based franchises that did not originate with Hasbro (such as ''[[Animorphs]]'' or the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars Transformers]]'' and their later successor, ''[[Transformers: Crossovers]]''), cross-brand lines ''within'' Hasbro where the Transformers toys only make up one part of the overall lineup (such as the [[Titanium Series]] and the [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] figures) and a few very rare "main" line Transformers toys such as the ''Generation 2'' [[Power Master]]s and [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]], [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]], [[Alpha Quintesson]], [[Kicker Jones#Toys|Energon Kicker]] and [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] from ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''.

*'''Takara's Japanese-market releases are always of intrinsically better quality than their U.S. counterparts. (E.g., they have sweeter exclusives, and are always more show-accurate, have more accessories, and have tighter quality control.)'''
: This one depends a bit on the speaker, as it can either be a genuine misconception, a matter of opinion, or at worst, [[Personal canon|willful]] [[True fan|snobbery]]. But, like any broad generalization, it does have some basis.
:*"Better quality" can refer to the fact that Japanese versions of individual toys sometimes have clear plastic instead of painted-on windows like [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Movie Bumblebee]], or have vac-metallized parts where the equivalent U.S. release doesn't, like [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|''Energon'' Optimus Prime/Grand Convoy]]. Or, "better" quality can refer to the fact that Japan is a less litigious society, with different toy safety laws, and Takara can thus give [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Prime]] toys old-school long smokestacks, which are now shortened in the U.S. [[for safety reasons]]. These laws also mean that [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Masterpiece Megatron]] is freely available in Japan, but hard to get in the U.S. (the exact opposite of ''real'' handguns, ironically).
:*"More [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] decos" does have some basis, as Takara frequently releases its toys later than Hasbro does Stateside, and thus they are better able to reflect discrepancies between late-run changes to a character's coloration in a show (such as with the original [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] or [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|''Armada'''s Tidal Wave]]). The most extreme example of this was ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)#2005 (Beast Wars Returns)|Beast Wars Returns]]'', the Japanese release of ''Beast Machines'', which was ''years'' later than in the U.S., allowing Takara to add a lot of the deco that was added to the characters by [[Mainframe Entertainment]] that was not accurate to the original toys.
:*"More accessories" mostly comes from the fact that ''some'' of Takara's releases have some extra accessories, but the only cases of this before the reissues were [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s two [[sword]]s, Megatron's sword and bullets (even though the Japanese release lacked the barrel, scope and stock extensions) and clear cases from the various cassettes. Japanese reissues have included additional accessories from the cartoon (the axe, chain mace, Energon cubes and gun mode Megatron in the ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' reissues of Optimus and Megatron, Insecticons and Starscream, respectively, the Matrix from New Year's Convoy). Some ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Super Link]]'' releases came with [[redeco]]ed [[Energon weapon]]s as well. ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]] came with two missile launchers and missiles not included with ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe .282008.29|Hot Shot]] due to budget constraints, and featured the original tooling for the rear bumper for their inclusion. In contrast, ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Lambor]] was ''lacking'' the supercharger engine accessory ''Universe'' Sideswipe came with—TakaraTomy officially confirmed that they had ''deliberately omitted the optional piece of accessory'' to make the toy more "G1-accurate".<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009|''Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref>
:*"Sweeter exclusives" is really a matter of taste. If endless redecos of Generation 1 toys as completely unprecedented Generation 1 characters, buying $40 worth of toys you got a month ago for a single [[Mini-Con]], and shelling out half your mortgage for [[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]] gold chrome figures is what floats your boat, then yeah, Japan has better exclusives.
:*"Tighter [[quality control]]" is a total myth. Takara products are manufactured under much the same production conditions as Hasbro's: Pretty much everything for both markets is made in China—in fact, according to Hasbro [[Australia]] representatives and Hasbro designer [[Eric Siebenaler]], ''all'' of the Transformers toys jointly developed between Hasbro and Takara/TakaraTomy are manufactured at factories contracted to the Japanese toy company. This means Takara is (at least indirectly) responsible for whatever quality control problems occur with Hasbro-released toys. Takara's standards of quality control for their domestically-released toys are just as likely to let mistakes creep through. Just ask any buyer of ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Thundercracker]] how well his weapons stay attached to the arms. And let's not even get started on ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy's]] first production run.
:*The fields in which Takara genuinely excels Hasbro are comparably minor: Takara's [[stock photography]] generally tends to be more impressive than Hasbro's, without obvious mistransformations and awkward poses, and at the same time looks more representative of the actual toy due to less reliance on blatant digital touch-ups. Likewise, Takara's [[instructions]] tend to be more detailed and useful than Hasbro's.

===Other===
[[File:SteamhammerEnergonUniverse.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Not literally a waste of packaging material.]]
*'''"Repackaged" toys are ''literally'' unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of the old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to stores.'''

:Every so often, a ''Transformers'' toy line features seemingly identical toys in multiple different [[packaging]] versions, such as multi-packs containing toys that were previously available separately. In addition, some toy lines also feature [[rebranding|rebranded]] items, namely toys that were originally released under one line, but are later re-released as part of another line with virtually no changes to the toy itself, only the packaging it is available in. The final stages of the original ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line took the concept of "rebranding" to a new level, featuring numerous straight re-releases of toys from the since-ended ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' lines, among many others. Since then, it has been repeated with the 2006 ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' line, the 2008 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, the 2010 ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' line and many others. Because a common [[fandom]] term for those releases is "repackages", a popular misconception claims that those toys are ''literally'' "repackages": namely, unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of their old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to (different) stores. (The same train of thought also—very rarely—suggests that "repaints", another common fan term for [[redeco]]s, are ''literally'' "[[repaint]]s", i.e. existing toys painted over in new colors, rather than new production runs from the same toolings using new plastic colors.)

:Needless to say, this theory is dubious for various reasons. Generally, old unsold toys are ''not'' sent back to Hasbro. They either [[Shelfwarmer|remain in the store]] until someone finally decides to buy them, or the store somehow dumps them, such as by selling them off to closeout chains. And even ''if'' Hasbro did regularly get sent back huge shipments of unsold toys, they'd be highly unlikely to go through the effort (and additional cost) of literally repackaging them. Hasbro confirmed this in January of 2009, stating that due to the toys being manufactured in Asia, it would be a waste of time and money to repackage them only to sell them at the same price-point.<ref>[http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1934 SirStevesGuide.com, Tri-Weekly Hasbro Q&A - January 30th]</ref> Thus, they are ''not'' repackaged old product, but new production runs of previous product. These days, this misconception should be much easier to dispel: Every toy now features a manufacturing date stamp etched into the figure, as well as a product code [[tampograph]]ed onto the figure, thus proving that a figure was manufactured more recently than its superficially identical predecessor.

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[[File:SmokesniperStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The similarities are astounding. Especially those that aren't there.]]
*'''A new toy that is vaguely reminiscent of an older toy is a retool of said toy.'''

:Hasbro likes to [[redeco]] toys a lot (usually to recoup the R&D costs for developing the original [[mold]]). They also like to release redecos of toys from older lines in newer lines. In some instances, Hasbro also don't just redeco a toy, they [[retool]] it (or create new toolings for new parts that replace parts of the old version of the toy)—sometimes to improve a feature or fix an error, but sometimes also to give the toy new features or [[gimmick]]s, or simply to make it different enough from the original version so owners of the original version would be interested in buying the "retool" as well.

:Some of those retools are comparably minor (such as [[Jazz (Movie)|Final Battle Jazz]] from the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 Movie line]]), whereas others can be pretty elaborate. Sometimes the retools are so elaborate that the line between "retool" and "new [[mold]]" gets blurred. The most drastic instances in this regard would be [[K-9]] from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (based on [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] from the same line) and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] from ''Cybertron'' (based on the original ''Cybertron'' Crumplezone toy), both of which have most, if not ''all'' of their parts entirely retooled. Another borderline case would be the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]]s [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]] and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]], which were released around the same time and are based on the same basic design, share a similar body structure and have very similar [[alternate mode]]s.

:However, sometimes fans ''definitely'' get too far decrying a new toy a "retool" (or "remold"). Toys that share some superficial design similarities, coupled with similar transformation schemes, are often mistaken for retools even though they're simply that: Similar toys based on the same general design, maybe even directly influenced by the older toy, but nothing more. For more examples, see: [[retool#Not actually a retool|retool]].

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*'''Hasbro lost the rights to a lot of G1 Transformers names. That is why you see toys named "Autobot Jazz" or "Decepticon Brawl" these days. Takara is more competent than Hasbro and doesn't need to change their toys' names.'''

:That's not quite how name rights —aka [[trademark]]— work. There are indeed instances where another company has snatched a trademark, making it unavailable for Hasbro's use. The reason is because trademarks need to be consistently used in commerce (roughly once every year or so), or it could be considered "abandoned", making it open for grabs should another company try to claim it. "[[Hot Rod/toys|Hot Rod]]" is unavailable to [[Hasbro]] because Mattel holds several similar trademarks, "[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]" was too similar to Gendron's "Toledo 'Blue Streak'" trademark, and a company named Lanard held the trademark "Shockwave" until a few years ago. This prompted Hasbro to use substitute names for toys based on these characters, such as "Rodimus Major" and "Rodimus" for Hot Rod, "Silverstreak" for Bluestreak and "Shockblast" for Shockwave (Hasbro has since managed to reacquire the "Bluestreak" and "Shockwave" trademarks).

:Meanwhile, the names with prefixes such as "Autobot" or "Decepticon"? Those are usually non-compound single real words from the English language. Hasbro's legal department considers them too "generic" to be easily defensible as trademarks, hence the addition of prefixes such as "Autobot Jazz", "Decepticon Brawl "or "Constructicon Devastator" for better protection. This does ''not'' work with names already trademarked by another company–otherwise, [[Bandai]] could release a toy named "Megazord Optimus Prime" tomorrow, and Hasbro couldn't do anything about it.

:For a while, it seemed like these trademark quibbles were limited to Hasbro, and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] was somehow exempt due to a different market situation. However, the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' line saw the emergence of quite a few "Cybertron", "Destron" and "[[Stunticon (G1)|Stuntron]]" prefixes, implying that the trademark situation on the Japanese market was changing, and starting with the [[Movie (toyline)|''Movie'' line]], TakaraTomy (now adopting Hasbro names instead of their established Japanese-market names) began to use "Autobot" and "Decepticon" prefixes. With ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers United|United]]'', TakaraTomy even used prefixes for names Hasbro has been able to use ''without'' prefixes.

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*'''Hasbro is responsible for your local store not having the newest toys right now.'''

: Hasbro actually has almost nothing to do with distribution (when Product A arrives in Store B) beyond making sure the manufactured product leaves the factories and shipyards of China at the desired time. Once the items arrive on US shores, they are almost immediately sent from the ships to the distribution centers for the retail chains that ordered them. From there, it's more truck rides to various regional warehouses, which is all controlled by the retailers, not Hasbro. After that, the schedule for taking product from those warehouses and putting it on shelves is dictated by each chain's inventory system.

: It's ''conceivable'' that Hasbro could take more control of the situation, but that would require chains like Wal-Mart to release the vise-like death grip they have on manufacturers' nuts that lets them dictate how the system works—and they're sooooooo not doing that.

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*'''Hasbro should totally cater to the wishes of older collectors, as they purchase the most Transformers product.'''

: Fans would like to think they've got some sway over the direction of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]]. After all, they've been buying toys for many years (as opposed to the limited purchasing span of most children), and they buy many ''more'' toys than any individual child. And in truth, Hasbro does pay attention to the desires and discussions of its older buyers, even designing certain line segments like ''Alternators'' or ''Classics'' and its successors with collectors as the primary target audience.

: Collectors, however, simply can't compare to the vast numbers of children out there whose parents buy Transformers for them. The bulk of Transformers product is purchased for and/or by young children, and if a company like Hasbro wants to stay in business and keep making money (and by extension, more toys), it must design and market its products accordingly. No accurate figures exist on the collector/children ratio, but estimates mentioned at BotCon panels range from around 10% to 20% of all purchases coming from older collectors—enough to be worth listening to, but not at all the driving force behind the brand. Past toylines have shown that betting ''too much'' on sales from adult collectors can be disastrous.

: Furthermore, it's not as though the [[fandom|fans]] speak with a unified voice. More often, for every fan pushing for one particular idea, there's another fan who thinks that same idea is boring or [[Ruined FOREVER|awful]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====General====
*'''Transformers were meant as a "genderless" race. Arcee and the other female Transformers were added to the brand because feminists complained about the Transformers all being male.'''
: When [[Bob Budiansky]] was assigned to work out the character details for the toys, he initially intended some of them to represent female characters, like [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. However, he was not given permission by [[Hasbro]] to include females because the company feared it would have a negative impact on the sales of those toys.<ref>[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954 Rusting Carcass interview]</ref>
: For the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comics]], this was not a big deal, even though Budiansky still slipped in a female Cybertronian in the form of [[Aunty]]. For the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] however, Hasbro's interests had to be matched with those of the TV networks that would broadcast ''The Transformers''. Since television requires a bigger investment than comics, but also offers the potential for a much better payoff, it is of interest for a TV network to broadcast material that reaches the highest possible demographic. Women make up half the population, so TV networks want at least one (hero) female character to bring in their views. Female characters were considered for inclusion in the cartoon as in its earliest planning stages, but story editors [[Bryce Malek]] and [[Dick Robbins]] chose not to pursue this angle until "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]" introduced [[Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]]. In other Transformers cartoons, Female [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] have also been added to their respective series because of network demands, whereas [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were a request from the writers to Hasbro.
: Despite persistent stories, there is no documented instance of feminists demanding the inclusion of female Transformers (and likely, they've got something better to do than complain about another generic boys show like there are hundreds of). There is, however, a comic story called "[[Prime's Rib!]]" which presents Arcee's introduction to the Autobot ranks as an attempt by Optimus Prime to appease [[Feminist mob|human feminists]]. While the story is obviously satire, through hearsay it has become believed by some that it is what actually happened.

====The original cartoon====
*'''The original ''The Transformers'' series was redubbed anime which originated in Japan, just like ''Battle of the Planets'', ''Voltron'', ''Robotech'' and other such shows screened in the '80s.'''
: Although most moderate-to-hardcore fans are well aware that this is a fallacy, there are those more casual fans (or those who have not rewatched the Generation 1 cartoon since childhood) who are under the misconception that [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] was an anime.
: Although the original toyline and thus the characters' basic visual designs were taken from Japanese-originated products, the original characters, names, factions and entire story premise of the whole ''Transformers'' franchise were developed in the United States by [[Hasbro]], [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and eventually [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. Although the animation was farmed out to [[Toei|Japanese]] (and later also [[AKOM|Korean]] and [[Unknown Filipino animation studio|Filipino]]) [[Tokyo Movie Shinsha|studios]], the writing and original voice recording of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|all four seasons of the original series]] plus ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'' was entirely done in America.
: This misconception probably stems from distant childhood memories of the cartoon, the fact that shows like the aforementioned ''Robotech'' were redubbed anime and the ''Transformers''' obvious Japanese influences. This ''may'' also be due to passing exposure to [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]] and the [[Unicron Trilogy]] shows which, viewed as an adult, are ''very'' obviously redubbed anime.
: This is in part related to the misconception that '''all''' ''Transformers'' toys are ''solely'' designed, developed and manufactured by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], and all [[Hasbro]] ever does is to put them in new packaging and distribute them in the Western market (see above). Because this is true for other Japanese robot toylines, and therefore it must also apply to ''Transformers''.

*'''''The Headmasters'' was going to be dubbed into English and shown in America.'''
: In America, "Season 4" consisted of "The Rebirth", a 3-episode mini-series. In Japan, "The Rebirth" was ignored, and a full-fledged series titled ''The Headmasters'' continued the story instead. Rumors once swirled in the fandom of an American-led dub of ''The Headmasters'' series; the dub was largely finished, goes the story, till the materials were lost in a warehouse fire.
: Given the meandering pace of the series (common for Japanese shows but anathema to American sensibilities), the presence of numerous characters who had no toy equivalent on US shelves, the incompatibility with the "[[Nebulan]]" head characters, the number of Japanese cultural references, and the very existence of "[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Rebirth]]", this rumor seems unlikely on the surface.
: More to the point, no official confirmation or other evidence has ever surfaced to back it up. In all likelihood the rumor was probably a [[wikipedia:Chinese whispers|Chinese Whisper]] from the fact that the laughably-bad English language [[Omni Productions]] dub (or "Star TV" dub) was screened on UK satellite TV during the 1990s.

====The Transformers: The Movie====
[[File:TFTM dead gray Prime.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Traumatizing enough as it is, frankly.]]
*'''There exists an "uncut version" of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' containing all sorts of non-kid-friendly content.'''

: These stories stem mainly from the fact that many home-video releases of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' omit two relatively minor instances of characters using profanity, which during the 1990s resulted in some [[alt.toys.transformers]] posters advertising "uncut" VHS copies of the movie for sale, thus either intentionally or unintentionally creating the myth of a really foul-mouthed and ultra-violent alternate version of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. At least one poster claimed to have uncut reels of the original film showing a number of violent scenes,<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/07464cbfbb5d0cc9/8aee0b30765b2b4a?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a THE UNCUT JAPANESE TRANSFORMERS MOVIE]</ref> but, unsurprisingly, was unwilling to provide any form of proof.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/799fec40c1aa285e/6af42e4099affa04?hl=en# Doth the Canadian protesteth too much?]</ref> So have ended all claims of uncut footage from the film.

:A much stranger rumor, whose origins are unclear, claims that the original theatrical cut of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' depicted [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] crumbling into dust after dying, and that that scene was cut by the distributor in mid-release because children were traumatized by the imagery. Interestingly, the "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" track on the original soundtrack album does contain ten extra seconds of music. At the end, just before the song's final low-octave percussion sequence, there is a very distinct series of notes that appears nowhere else in the song and is not in the onscreen version. However, no other evidence of this "lost" animation sequence exists among the many storyboards, preliminary animations, interviews, varying formats, etc., that have come to light. The myth could be related to the death of Starscream, a few scenes later, where Starscream '''does''' indeed crumble to dust after being shot by Galvatron; time and distance could lead fans to confuse the two scenes.

:These claims should not be confused with the extra storyboarded scenes and early script revisions which have come to light over the years, which do in fact contain a lot more violence. But no evidence exists that any of these sequences, even those that made it to storyboard, were ever animated. Especially given the expense of producing full animation.

::''See also: [[The Transformers: The Movie#Edits]].''

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*'''Some portions of Unicron's dialogue were recorded by an actor other than Orson Welles.'''

: A common rumor in the Western fandom claimed that Unicron's final lines ("Destiny... you cannot destroy my.. destiny!") were recorded by [[Leonard Nimoy]], based on claims that those lines sounded "different" from the rest of [[Orson Welles]]' lines.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092106/trivia IMDB.com reference to the Leonard Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor.]</ref> Compounding the rumor is the fact that Welles died shortly after recording his ''TF:TM'' lines<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/This-Orson-Welles/dp/030680834X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6174389-3113623?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182349938&sr=8-1 According to one biography, Welles recorded his ''TF:TM'' lines on October 5, 1985 and died five days later.]</ref> (and indeed, one version of the rumor has Welles actually dying ''before'' completing his lines). Despite being debunked repeatedly (including by [[Susan Blu]] and [[Wally Burr]], both of whom should know), this one still pops up from time to time.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/387399-leonard-nimoy-officially-announced-voice-sentinel-prime-13.html#post5858748 Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor repeated by TFW2005 user "RedAlert Rescue".]</ref><ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2007/07/when_orson_welles_was_a_transformer.single.html Slate.com discusses the Unicron rumor.]</ref>

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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie''/Scatman Crothers coined the term "ginormous", which has since been added to several dictionaries.'''

: In ''The Transformers: The Movie'', [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], voiced by [[Scatman Crothers]], described [[Unicron]] as "a ginormous, weird-looking planet". The word "ginormous", a portmanteau of "gigantic" and "enormous", was officially added by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary in 2007.<ref name="webster">[http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords07.htm Merriam-Webster adding the word "ginormous]</ref>

: Some fans believe that Crothers had coined the term, which is incorrect for several reasons. Even putting aside the notion that under this theory, Crothers is assumed to have ad-libbed the line (rather than simply reading it from [[Ron Friedman]]'s script), the term has actually been around for much longer, being listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as a "British informal" word that has existed since at least the 1940s, and was originally military slang.<ref name="oxford">[http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ginormous Oxford dictionary entry for "ginormous"]</ref>

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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was never released in Japan.'''

: It is true that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was not released in Japan at the same time it was released in [[Hasbro]]'s markets, with Japanese fans instead getting the ''[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]'' OVA to explain the changes going into the third season of the show (second for Japan). But ''The Movie'' ultimately made it to Japanese theaters in August 1989. The various discrepancies between it and subsequent Japan-only Generation 1 fiction (such as who [[Prowl (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|didn't]] [[Wheeljack (G1)#Victory cartoon|survive]] the movie) are largely a matter of the Japanese animators and writers being unaware of the precise details of the film.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216153#post216153</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216478#post216478</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=30800</ref>

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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in Japan under the title "Matrix Forever".'''

: "[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix|Matrix Forever]]" is actually the shortened and slightly mistranslated title of a 20-minute video created to promote the Japanese release of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', but some Western fans have been confused into thinking that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' itself was renamed "Matrix Forever".<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/a5d29844863d2c29</ref>

====Japanese Generation 1 fiction====
*'''In Japanese continuity, Megatron and Galvatron are two separate characters.'''
:There are a few instances of Japanese fiction (and advertising) that would seem to support this notion, all of which can be attributed to a lack of communication between [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] prior to the release of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. All of them were ultimately ignored by the "primary" fiction, namely the (dubbed) third season of the cartoon (named ''Transformers: 2010'' in Japan) and the accompanying manga, which followed the Western story concept of Galvatron being a reformatted [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]].
:The [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|second issue]] of ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]'' [[manga]] depicts [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] commanding [[Megatron Corps|a legion of automatons]] created in [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s image, which some non-Japanese-speaking fans misinterpreted as depicting Galvatron and Megatron co-existing.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=179</ref>

*'''In Japanese continuity, the Destrons (Decepticons) were invaders from a planet called Destron.'''
:The [[Autobot]]s were renamed "Cybertrons" in the Japanese translation, resulting in a misconception that the Destrons ([[Decepticon]]s) must hail from somewhere other than the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Japanese translation also used slightly different spellings for the faction, "Cybertron" (literally: サイバトロン, "Sa-i-ba-to-ro-n"), and the planet, (literally: セイバートロン, "Se-i-baa-to-ro-n"), commonly interpreted as "Seibertron" by Western fans, in order to avoid confusion, even though both words originally started out based on the English name "Cybertron".<ref name="tfa522">[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 The Transformers Archive essay about various urban legends surrounding the Transformers franchise]</ref>
:This rumor presumably originates from an article a Thomas Wheeler had written for ''Attic's Collectible Toys and Values Monthly'' during the hiatus between the [[The Transformers (toyline)|G1]] and [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|G2]] toylines. According to that article, Hasbro chose not to follow this element of the story because of the similarity between the term "Destron" and ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'''s "[[Destro]]" character. Of course, seeing as the story originated in America to begin with and was only dubbed into Japanese later on, this doesn't make a lot of sense. In later years, Wheeler wrote toy reviews for Master Collector's website, which occasionally also display a certain lack of knowledge about various toys and the ''Transformers'' brand's overall history, so it doesn't seem entirely out of place for him.

*'''Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus are both members of a "Space Mafia".'''
:[[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]] and [[Blue Bacchus]], two characters from ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Victory]]'', both have their function listed as "Space Gangster". An early fan translation of their on-package [[bio]]s misinterpreted the Japanese word for "gangster" to mean "Mafia", hence the belief that a "Space Mafia" exists in the Japanese Generation 1 universe.

*'''Metrotitan is a zombie version of Metroplex.'''
: [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] was a Destron [[redeco]] of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] from the ''[[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]]'' portion of Japanese Generation 1 continuity. For unclear reasons, Western fans believe that Metrotitan was a "zombified" version of Metroplex, and a stranger variation on this rumor holds that Metrotitan was somehow "regrown" from one of Metroplex's legs.<ref name="tfa522" />

====European Generation 1 fiction====
*'''Starscream and Shrapnel are female characters in the French dub of Generation 1.'''
: This rumor is only partly true. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Transformers'' cartoon]] used three different dub teams for the French version: one for the TV show's dub broadcast in Quebec, one for the TV show's dub broadcast in France and one for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] used in both countries. Neither of the TV show's dubs depict [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] as a female as he uses a distinctively male voice;<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOCYZRxypM YouTube: Doublage de France: Combaticons et Égo]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMXCeXw5Vdo Doublage Québécois: Égo et Dr. Croc-en-ville]</ref> however, the movie's dubbing team used a female voice for Starscream, and at one point [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] calls Starscream "une imbécile" (articles in French are gender-specific), clearly cementing Starscream's movie status as a female.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20080612225831/http://www.bigbot.com/mp3/transformers_mp3.shtml#Femmes</ref> All the same is also true for [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], who is even referred to as "Mademoiselle Shrapnel" by [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] in the movie.

*'''The German version of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was edited and didn't depict Starscream's death scene.'''
: German TV didn't air a dubbed version of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] until 1989. ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' was aired for the first time on German TV in 1994, with only one repeat. For unknown reasons, a rumor was circulating for several years claiming that [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] death was considered too "violent" for German TV standards for children's programs and had therefore been edited out.<ref>[http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fassung&fid=7489&vid=38680 German movie database ''still'' listing the rumor about Starscream's "edited death" in TF:TM]</ref> However, recordings of the TV airing still exist, which don't feature any obvious edits other than [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike's]] infamous "swear" line. Furthermore, a German DVD edition of the movie released in 2004 that features an entirely different dub also depicts Starscream's death in all its glory.

*'''An Earthforce story was written to promote the non-combining Constructicon toys.'''
:The comic story "[[Desert Island Risks!]]" from issue 264 of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel UK]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|G1 comic]] reveals that the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] have somehow lost their ability to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. As a result, they try to build another Devastator as a new robot.

:Some fans mistakenly believe that this is somehow related to a re-release of the Constructicons (now in yellow) that were available in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|Europe]] after the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' toyline had ended in the USA. Those Constructicons omitted the extra parts necessary to form Devastator; and furthermore, [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] and [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (neither of them officially named in this version; all six toys came on multi-purpose cardbacks simply named "Constructicon") were [[retool]]ed to omit the tabs that were necessary for combining them (and [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]) when forming Devastator. Since the toys couldn't combine into Devastator anymore, fans believe that the [[Earthforce]] comic story was intended to serve as an "explanation" for this.

:The problem with this theory, however, is that the yellow "Euro" Constructicon toys were released in 1992; the comic story, however, had already come out in early 1990. If anything, "Desert Island Risks!" was based on the [[Action Master]] version of Devastator, which no longer consisted of six individual Constructicons. (Also, the individual Constructicons don't even appear in the story.)

===Beast Wars===
*'''In Japanese ''Beast Wars'' continuity, Optimus Primal and Megatron were the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes.'''
: While ''Beast Wars'' Megatron and Optimus Primal were identified in early packaging as new incarnations of Generation 1 Megatron and Optimus Prime in the Western release of the toyline, the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon remained consistent with the original English language version in keeping the characters separate. In the Japanese dub of "[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]", ''Beast Wars'' Megatron, while relating the tale of the Golden Disk to Ravage, even describes Generation 1 Megatron as "My ancestor Megatron".<ref>我先祖のメガトロン, ''Waga senzo no Megatron''</ref>

[[File:BWIICatalogCover01.jpg|thumb|Everything you know is a lie!]]
*'''The characters of the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoons hail from the same time-period as the cast of ''Beast Wars''.'''
:''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' remain at present the only Japanese-exclusive Transformers cartoons to have never been subtitled in their entirety, either officially or by fans. As such, even here on TFWiki, knowledge of their absolute specifics is far from 100%. But this particular misconception does have a nugget of truth in it: The first [[Catalog#Beast Wars II|pack-in catalog]] included with the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' toys did indeed present [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]] and [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] as contemporaries of ''Beast Wars'' Optimus Primal and Megatron. Subsequently, the Hasbro toy bios of [[Transmetal 2]] [[Cybershark]] and ''[[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]'' [[Magmatron]] further complicated matters by making vague yet recognizable references to the two Japanese cartoons: Cybershark's bio alluded to the ''Beast Wars II'' [[Seacon (BWII)|Seacons]], and Magmatron's bio recalled both ''Beast Wars Neo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hunt for the [[Angolmois]] capsules and the character's "[[Emperor of Destruction]]" title; both likely derived from the original misconception.

:In truth, however, the [[Emissary of the Fourth Planet|thirty-sixth episode]] of the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon established that the planet [[Gaea]], on which the series was set—which was clearly intimated to be a future version of [[Earth]]—had been lifeless for tens of thousands of years. As the ''Beast Wars'' characters hailed from a time only 300 years after the Generation 1 era, when Earth was still populated, this made it apparent that their native time was ''long'' after that of the ''Beast Wars'' cast. A scant few weeks later, the [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!|''Beast Wars II'' movie]] corroborated this with a guest appearance from Optimus Primal, who was treated as a figure of legend, and not a present-day equal of Lio Convoy's (though, many a fan initially interpreted this as supporting the above-mentioned misconception of Optimus Primal being the same person as Optimus Prime in Japan). Nearly a decade later, a fan translation of TakaraTomy's [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)/src|2007 timeline]], which clearly dated ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' shows to tens of thousands of years after the home-time of the ''Beast Wars'' cast, was the first exposure many English-speaking fans had to this idea, having long taken the catalog as immutable canon for the cartoon, but that is now firmly relegated to the status of a [[micro-continuity]]. As for the aforementioned toy bios, the references they made were thankfully parsed vaguely enough to mean little, if anything at all, to those unaware of either Japanese series, and many Hasbro toy bios from the Beast Era were already often contradictory to the material presented in the cartoons to begin with, to the point that the bios can be and generally are considered part of a separate continuity all on their own.

:In contrast to the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon, though, the [[Free the Captured Matrix!|third chapter]] of the [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Beast Wars II'' manga]], set in a different continuity from the cartoon, ''did'' follow the catalog's lead by showing Optimus Primal existing on Cybertron at the same time as Lio Convoy. Similarly, the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' casts appear as contemporaries of the ''Beast Wars'' characters in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]]'' comic books, which was likely less a deliberate choice and more a product of the original misconception (except, here, the timeline of these comics treats the events that parallel those of ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' as having happened ''before'' the home time-period of the ''Beast Wars'' instead of during or after, which ''was'' a deliberate choice).

*'''In ''Beast Wars II'', Apache is a drunkard as part of a Native American stereotype.'''
: [[Apache]] did indeed get drunk in the first episode of the ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' cartoon, but only in grief, believing (erroneously) that his actions earlier had caused the death of [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]] (which didn't happen). He did not get drunk again for the duration of the cartoon, nor did he ever do so in the manga. Outside of that, the Native American stereotype "common" to Japanese fictions is a stoic, silent, and often mystical warrior—none of which could be used to describe Apache accurately at all.
: That's not to say there aren't [[Jointron|some ethnic stereotypes]] in BWII that could be considered pretty offensive.
: Amusingly enough, in the sixth installment of the [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Beast Wars II'' manga]], ''Lio Convoy'' gets drunk for no apparent reason and ends up trashing Apache's room.

===Beast Machines===
*'''A ''Beast Machines'' writer said, "Real heroes don't use guns."'''
:''Beast Machines'' was the first (but not the last) ''Transformers'' series to explicitly avoid all hand-held projectile [[weapon]]ry. While the [[Vehicon (BM)|villains]] still had traditional "blasters" mounted on their bodies, some of the [[Maximal|heroes]]' weapons were more esoteric (such as [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s energy-web attack, activated by putting her hands on the ground, or [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s gauntlets, powered by absorbing enemy fire). According to story editor [[Bob Skir]], this creative decision was agreed upon between the story editors, [[Fox Kids]], [[Mainframe Entertainment]], and [[Hasbro]],<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> and it is indeed reflected in the toys as well.

:Note that many Maximals had weaponry that was functionally no different from a "gun"—compare [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]]'s hip-mounted energy cannons, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s back-mounted sonic blaster, or Optimus Primal's chest-mounted energy disc launcher to [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]'s shoulder-mounted ray guns or [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'s wrist-mounted energy... tossing thingies.

:On his website, Skir also elaborated on his own position as a writer choosing if or how to portray gun use, including this statement: "Our heroes use their wiles and resourcefulness, plus a few cool weapons. Guns? I've never been a fan of them myself, and do not write heroes who need them."<ref>[http://members.aol.com/zobovor/guns.html Article on the fan Dave "Zobovor" Edwards' personal site,] quoting Bob Skir's original gun statement.</ref> Some fans interpreted Skir as condemning ''all'' gun use, even in the real world, no matter the circumstances. This led to the misquote, "Real heroes don't use guns,"<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/be5e55a90df944bb/b748601b997b3508#b748601b997b3508 Alt.toys.transformers thread] with the misquote and attendant assumptions right at the start.</ref> which remains a notoriously persistent error in the fandom. Skir, responding to the controversy, said on his site that "there '''are''' heroes who '''do''' need guns (such as the [[Punisher]]). Spider-Man doesn't need guns. Neither does the [[Hulk]]. And neither do Optimus, Cheetor, Black Arachnia{{sic}}, et al."<ref name="Skir" />
:Notably, the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|series]] [[Unicron Trilogy|immediately]] [[Movie (franchise)|following]] ''Beast Machines'' did return to classic hand-held gun use among both heroes and villains. However, the more recent ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' series has again eschewed guns, probably because of its younger target audience.

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise''===
*'''The Japanese ''Car Robots'' cartoon was a direct sequel to ''Beast Wars Neo''.'''
: Some fans seem to have concluded, based on the similar animation style and overall tone, that the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|''Car Robots'' cartoon]] was meant to pick up where ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' had left off, but all indications are that ''Car Robots'' wasn't meant to take place in any pre-existing TF continuity. But now Takara says it's in the Generation 1 continuity.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=490</ref>

===Transformers (2007)===
[[File:Japaneseflowchart.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look! No 2007 movie!]]
*'''The movie series takes place in the Generation 1 timeline in Japan.'''
: This is another one of those instances where one TakaraTomy thing, very early in the life cycle of a new ''Transformers'' [[franchise]], will say one thing about said franchise, and then literally ''everything else ever'' will say another.

: When the live-action movie series was getting started, TakaraTomy went live with their "World of Transformers" web site. The website timeline made the rather bizarre claim that the 2007 live-action movie also somehow took place in the Japanese Generation 1 continuity in 2007, but this was ''not'' reflected by the accompanying flow-chart, and was established to not be the case by the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)/src|''Kiss Players'' timeline]] (which noted that the movie-verse Autobots and Decepticons came from another universe when they appeared in a ''Beast Wars'' crossover). And of course, nothing else ever attempted to make the connection.

:So... technically, in one [[micro-continuity]] this is true. Everywhere else? Not so much.

{{-}}
*'''''Transformers'' was nearly rated R by the MPAA.'''
: In the spring of 2007, it was reported that ''[[wikipedia:Disturbia|Disturbia]]'', a then-upcoming [[DreamWorks]] film starring [[Shia LaBeouf]] and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], had received an R rating from the [[wikipedia:Motion Picture Association of America|Motion Picture Association of America]]. That film's rating was eventually lowered to PG-13 on appeal, but in the meantime some ''Transformers'' fans became confused and believed that it was ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' that had been rated R, leading to some heated discussion on ''Transformers'' message boards.

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[[File:MovieCreditsNoBrawl.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Invisible credit.]]
*'''Brawl is named in the credits.'''

: The Decepticon tank, who was named "Devastator" in a subtitle in the movie, ended up being named "[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]" in [[Hasbro|Hasbro's]] [[Movie (toyline)|toy line]]. Both Hasbro and the screenwriters, [[Alex Kurtzman]] and [[Roberto Orci]], have expressly favored the toy's name, referring to the name in the movie as an "error".

: Since the character has a "speaking" line in the movie, some fans claim that the voice actor is named in the ending credits, and the character's name is stated as "Brawl" there. In fact, however, there's no credit ''at all'' for the character, under either name, as he has no voice actor, his "speaking role" being little more than echo-y electronic gibberish.

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[[File:BanachekMustacheMan.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|One of these is not like the others.]]
*'''The Decepticons' hologram is Tom Banachek.'''

: Several Decepticons in the movie are seen using a holographic "pilot"/"driver" based on the same short-haired, mustache-clad human with an intense stare, only wearing different clothes to match their respective [[alternate mode]]s. Since [[Tom Banachek]], the head of [[Sector Seven]]'s Advanced Research Division, also sports a mustache, a short-cropped hairstyle and a pretty intense stare, many fans mistakenly believe that the Decepticons' hologram is meant to look like him.

: There are two problems with that. One, the Decepticons' hologram, dubbed "[[Moustache Man]]" in the credits, is played by real-life United States Air Force Major [[Brian Reece]], whereas Tom Banachek is portrayed by established actor [[Michael O'Neill]].

:Two... how would the Decepticons know who Banachek even was to model a hologram after him?

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===Animated===

*'''The Japanese dub of ''Transformers Animated'' presents it as a prequel to the live-action movies.'''

:This appears to have ''some'' basis: Back in March 2010, the then-recent edition of ''[[TV Magazine]]'' published some early pre-release information about the Japanese dub of the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'' cartoon]]. Among the details announced was the name-change of [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] to "Ironhide", and changing his character to be closer in personality to [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] from the [[live-action film series|live-action movies]]. The article allegedly also claimed that because [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] was not Supreme Commander of the Autobots in ''Animated'', the cartoon would be "set chronologically before the live action movies".<ref name="tvmagani">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/animated-8/latest-edition-of-tv-magazine-reveals-new-transformers-animated-japan-details-169265/ TFW2005 reporting on ''TV Magazine'' article about the Japanese dub of the ''Transformers Animated'' cartoon], March 2010.</ref>

:In actuality, however, not much of this has been reflected in the dub itself: Aside from the aforementioned renaming of Bulkhead into "Ironhide", there's nothing in the Japanese dub that ties the ''Animated'' cartoon any closer to the live-action movies than its American counterpart.

===Revenge of the Fallen===

*'''Barricade's return?'''
:A common misconception among fans is that [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade's]] Saleen Mustang alternate mode was spotted on the set of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', possibly as part of the alleged "disinformation campaign" director [[Michael Bay]] repeatedly insisted he had initiated. In fact, however, a truck transporting three "Barricade" prop vehicles was spotted in Culver City, California, in March 2008, more than ''two months'' before principal shooting for ''Revenge of the Fallen'' started.<ref name="vehspotted">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/transformersnews.php?id=6980 Superhero Hype reporting on the spotting of Barricade vehicles in March 2008]</ref> There's been no indication that this had any significance other than moving the prop cars... someplace. Barricade would not make his reappearance until the ''next'' movie, ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.

===Prime===
*'''The High Moon Studios games are part of G1.'''
{{quote|We really did look very closely at Generation 1 stuff and tried to capture what for us was the essence of the characters.|[[Sean Miller]], Director Character and Animation|[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]}}
:With its designs aiming at a video gamer audience who grew up with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], the development team for ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' took a great deal of inspiration from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]] for such things as characters and the design aesthetic for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]</ref> A [[Commercial#War for Cybertron|commercial]] even depicted Shockwave ordering Soundwave to play [[The Touch|a song]] made famous by the [[The Transformers: The Movie|original animated movie]]. Furthermore, War for Cybertron toys were sold as part of the ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' toyline that featured Generation 1-styled characters. These factors led many to believe the game was actually part of Generation 1.

:To be fair, there was and is virtually no information available to the average fan that ''War for Cybertron'' is not part of Generation 1. Hasbro has essentially been folding ''War for Cybertron'' into their modern continuity, and have been informing dedicated fans of this fact through [[Hasbro Q&A|question and answer sessions]].<ref>"The official story of the original 13 and specifically Alpha Trion has not been explored fully in the modern continuity that Transformers War for Cybertron, Exodus, and Prime are a part of." [[Hasbro Q&A/September 2010: Answers]]</ref> The [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)|''War for Cybertron'' comic adaptation]] and [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172 online timeline] actually are adaptations from ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', which is the basis for the new modern continuity fiction.

:Canonically, both WfC and its sequel Fall of Cybertron are in the Aligned continuity, but beyond suggestions and mandatory changes from Hasbro, High Moon Studios doesn't seem to care about Hasbro's declarations of canon. In the art book for the sequel to WfC, ''[[The Art of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'', the only influences of the concept art and designs mentioned are G1 related. Dreamwave, the original cartoon, and other concepts and ideas from Generation 1 are cited, but the fact that Cliffjumper's head is based off of Prime Cliffjumper's is not mentioned, nor are the modifications to Optimus Prime's gun, Megatron's new body, [[Tox-En]], or the other assorted influences from Prime.

*'''''War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron'' is a prequel to the G1 cartoon.'''
:With its designs aiming at a 20-something audience who grew up on the original cartoon, many gamers would be forgiven for mistaking ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' for a prequel, and it doesn't help that the developers at [[High Moon Studios]] advertised the game as such. More savvy fans would recognize that the game is generally irreconcilable with the cartoon (or any other Generation 1 continuity for that matter): the circumstances of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s rise to power would contradict "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", and Optimus's [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|predecessor]] does not possess the Matrix, unlike his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon|cartoon counterpart]]. The Autobots left Cybertron because the [[Core]] shut down, not because energy sources were depleted, and characters like [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]], [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]], [[Cyclonus (WFC)|Cyclonus]], the [[Aerialbot (WFC)|Aerialbots]] and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] wouldn't be on Cybertron or even ''exist''. Additionally, the game draws inspiration from other continuities, including characters not from Generation 1 like [[Slipstream (WFC)|Slipstream]] and [[Demolishor (WFC)|Demolishor]]. The game does share a lot of similarities with Dreamwave's ''[[War Within (franchise)|War Within]]'' series (where Jetfire and Trypticon are present), but it cannot take place in that continuity either.

==Companies==
===Marvel Comics===
*'''John Romita designed the Generation 1 character models.'''
:The rumor here comes about through a misreading of the credits to [[The Transformers Universe]]. Legendary Marvel Comics artist John Romita, Sr. was listed as "Art Director", leading readers to assume that he was in charge of designing or developing the various [[character model]]s used in the series (and reprinted in said comic). However, Romita was actually the Art Director for Marvel Comics as a whole at the time. The majority of the character models were in fact done by [[Floro Dery]], who went uncredited.<ref>See [http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/01/11/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-85/ Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed] for more information.</ref>

===TakaraTomy===
*'''Takara was taken over by Tomy.'''
:In 2005, it was announced that Takara, longtime Japanese manufacturer/distributor of Transformers toys, and former competitor Tomy would merge into a new company, named [[TakaraTomy]], as of March 1, 2006. Some fans misinterpreted the media coverage, believing that Takara had been bought out by rival Tomy. This was not helped by official press releases declaring Tomy the "surviving company", Tomy having the majority of shares, and the merged company simply going by the name "Tomy" outside Japan.
:The name issue is easily explained, as it was done for purely pragmatic reasons. "Tomy" is an internationally established brand, since the company already had divisions in many other countries prior to the merger, and distributed their toys under their own name there. Takara, meanwhile, had mostly abandoned ventures into international markets years ago, and had its products distributed through other companies (such as [[Hasbro]]) instead. Therefore, the merged company decided to use the better-known name for its international business, while it would continue as "TakaraTomy" within Japan itself.
:Now, as for the specifics of the merger... Although the merger ratio was set at 0.356 of a Tomy share for each Takara share (including a split of Tomy's stock), and the companies announced a layoff of 15% of their combined workforce mostly on the Takara side, the term "merger" (as compared to "take-over") was prominently used in all the official announcements by the two companies, and twisting tiny details into a de facto "takeover" of Takara by Tomy is effectively splitting hairs.

*'''e-Hobby is owned by Takara (TakaraTomy).'''
:The [[e-HOBBY]] shop is owned by Part One, Ltd. Although the company has had close ties with Takara for decades, the online store also sells toys by other companies, primarily TakaraTomy's rival [[Bandai]].
:The online store ''directly'' owned by TakaraTomy, meanwhile, is [[TakaraTomy Mall]] (formerly Toy Hobby Market).

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 Ten popular but incorrect rumors about Japanese Transformers]

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Lists]]

Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers

2016-01-13T15:40:03Z

Anonymous X: /* Toys */

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Over the years, many '''misconceptions and urban legends''' have sprung up within ''Transformers'' [[fandom]], often resulting from such factors as fuzzy childhood memories, inaccurate catalog illustrations, and mistranslations of foreign material.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Transformers is (only) a cartoon from the Eighties that has been brought back into vogue recently.'''
: A misconception usually held by casual fans or nostalgic adults is that Transformers went away some time around 1986 (or 1987, or 1988—pick your year). People who stumbled across a newer incarnation of the Transformers franchise before 2007 commonly assumed that it had only recently popped back up as an attempt to cash in on '80s nostalgia. From 2007 onwards, people who were (obviously) aware of the [[live-action film series]] commonly believed that it was the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]] that brought the franchise back from limbo. Neither assumption is correct.
:In fact, the [[Transformers brand]] has been continuous since 1984 (there was a brief gap between 1990 and 1993 as far as the United States market was concerned, but the brand still continued with new products in other markets). It includes many [[Franchise|lines of toys, cartoons and comics]] that span nearly three decades, with no sign of stopping, as Hasbro considers it a core brand. Each line has experienced varying degrees of success, rebooting when its target audience gets too old or uninterested in the toyline and fiction.
:Some of this misconception is based on the fact that most of the original audience stopped watching and following the franchise after its cancellation, or even before (as it wasn't "cool" to be kiddy once puberty hit). Without any exposure to the market, the toyline and the new cartoons, they simply assume that ''Transformers'' has sunk in popularity, quality and/or sales, since it's not what they remember.
:It ''is'' true that Transformers hit a low point of popularity in the early 1990s, with the cancelation of Generation 1 and the unremarkable sales of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''. But the successor ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' line re-established the brand for a new generation beginning in 1996, and Transformers has been a dominant toy franchise ever since. While it's true that the live-action movies caused a major hike in popularity for the brand, they didn't revive a long-forgotten franchise; rather, they merely turned a steadily successful toy series into a major worldwide multimedia phenomenon.
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*'''Generation 1 obviously has the best toys, cartoons and characters.'''
:Casual fans likewise tend to assume automatically that the original 1980s iteration of Transformers is the best and most successful line to date, with all other successors being unpopular and/or unsuccessful ventures.
:While it's hard to measure the overall success of every line in all its aspects, the original line has been surpassed in both quality and sales multiple times over. In factors such as realistic alternate forms, durability, articulation, action features, and complexity, various later toylines have all exceeded Generation 1. And while fiction can't be measured objectively, many fans will swear up and down by some of the later incarnations of ''Transformers''.
:Arguably, Transformers is in an endless cycle of creating [[true fan|new fans who share new opinions on what is "teh greatest"]].
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*'''Powermaster Optimus Prime was the first, ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.'''
[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1984—the original.]]
[[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1988—the Powermaster version.]]
:This one claims that the [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy, originally released in 1988, is the ''original'', first Optimus Prime toy ever released, rather than the ''earlier'', non-Powermaster toy, which is an entirely different mold and was originally available in 1984. This phenomenon is particularly common in [[eBay]] auctions, where Powermaster Optimus Prime toys are frequently advertised as "ORIGINAL Optimus Prime".
:The reasons for this misconception are obvious: Numerous people arrived late to the party—that is, became fans of the original ''Transformers'' line after the ''real'' original Optimus Prime toy had vanished off the shelves in 1986 (the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was still shown in reruns on TV). Any of them looking for a toy of the iconic [[Autobot]] leader would only find the Powermaster toy on store shelves starting in 1988. Fast-forward to 20 years later, and people who weren't really paying a lot of attention to the brand for the past few years, now looking to sell off their childhood toys, would naturally conclude that the toy they got as a kid was the ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.
:The phenomenon is even more widespread in countries such as Germany, where the cartoon wasn't officially shown on TV until 1989(!). By that point, the ''original'' toy, which had originally been released by [[Milton Bradley]] in the European market in 1985, was long gone off the shelves. Thus, the only Optimus Prime toy available to kids who had only just become fans because of the cartoon was the Powermaster version. Admittedly, gray imports of the Mexican version of the ''original'' toy by [[IGA]] were also available in European stores around this time, and Hasbro themselves would release the original toy again two years later as part of their European-exclusive [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line of reissues. However, the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy was still a lot more widespread.

*'''20th Anniversary Optimus Prime was the Optimus Prime toy available in the 1980s/Alternators are the same toys that were available in the 1980s.'''

[[File:20thAnniversary OptimusPrimesm.jpg|125px|thumb|Sadly, this didn't exist until 2003.]]
:This misconception usually comes from people who, upon seeing the 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy (which was originally released in 2003/2004), honest-to-god swear it's the toy they had when they were a kid. Similarly, there are also people who believe that the toys from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' line are the same toys they had as kids, when they're most likely confusing them with the original Autobot Cars, which are about half the size.
:The reasons for this aren't too hard to guess: People were a lot smaller when they were kids, so obviously the original Transformers toys seemed a lot larger to them. Since these fans didn't repeatedly hold or play with their Transformers while growing up, they weren't constantly adjusting to the toys' size in relation to their own. This resulted in blurred memories of outright ''gargantuan'' Transformers toys available in the 1980s. (One might wonder how tall those people would remember [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] being.)
:When confronted with the original toys—now relatively small because the fans have grown up—these people often reject them, insisting the "original" toys were ''larger'' (occasionally even accusing the ''real'' original toys of being downsized [[knockoff]]s). Showing them the Alternators or 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, on the other hand, will bring back warm (albeit incorrect) memories.

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*'''A "giant"-sized Optimus Prime toy was available during Generation 1.'''
:A variant of the above of sorts. In at least a few cases, claims regarding a "giant" Generation 1 Prime may stem from dim memories of coming across [http://www.pleasesavemerobots.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/skorbyg2.html oversized Optimus Prime knockoffs that were made in Korea]—or because they had the ''normal'' Prime as kids, when they (the former kids) were about ''half'' the height they are now (see above). Other people also may have blurred memories of the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy's larger [[robot mode]] when combined with his trailer.
:The release of 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime didn't exactly help matters either (again, see above).

*'''"Bumblejumper" is a fan name for a yellow version of Cliffjumper./Bumblejumper was sold both on Bumblebee and Cliffjumper cards.'''
[[File:G1-toy Bumper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Bumper", who later would be known as "Bumper".]]
:As part of the launch of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toyline]] in 1984, Hasbro released two Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] toys, [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], both of which had vehicle modes that used [[Choro-Q]]-like proportions. Bumblebee was based on a classic Volkswagen Beetle, whereas Cliffjumper was based on a Porsche 924 Turbo. In all the official advertising as well as the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon series]] and the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]], Bumblebee was consistently colored yellow, whereas Cliffjumper was colored red (not counting one-off coloring and [[animation error]]s). However, Hasbro also released a red Bumblebee and a yellow Cliffjumper, both of which used the same cardbacks as the regular versions.
:In addition, Hasbro also released a [[Bumper (G1)|''third'' mold]] using a similar body structure and transformation scheme, based on a Mazda Familia 1500XG. This toy had originally been available as part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, but was not officially advertised as a ''Transformers'' toy. (Note that this toy is not to be confused with [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], a yellow [[retool]] of Cliffjumper released in 1986.) To this very day, only yellow samples of this toy in ''Transformers'' packaging have surfaced, all of them on "Cliffjumper" cards. The color variants for Bumblebee and Cliffjumper continued to be available with the 1985 assortment (which featured [[rubsign]]s and the Mini Vehicle toys packaged in robot mode rather than in [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]), whereas no samples of the Mazda Familia in 1985 packaging have surfaced thus far.
:Fans later started to refer to the Mazda Familia mold by portmanteau names such as "Bumblejumper", "Cliffbee" and "Bumper". The last of these names was eventually made official when a character based on the toy made appearances in the ongoing [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|''Generation One'' Volume 1]] comic series by [[Dreamwave Productions]] and in the ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' mini-series by [[IDW Publishing]]. However, fans who know about the Bumblebee/Cliffjumper color variants, but are unaware of the existence of the Mazda Familia mold, occasionally incorrectly assume that the name "Bumblejumper" refers to the yellow color variant of Cliffjumper... which is simply referred to as "yellow Cliffjumper" by most fans.

*'''A now-rare (and thus valuable) blue variant of Bluestreak was available during Generation 1.'''

[[File:G1 Bluestreak boxart.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|You had this as a kid. The picture, that is. Not the toy.]]
:The very earliest [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] toy [[catalog]]s used a photo of a blue-sided ''[[Diaclone]]'' Fairlady Z to represent [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]; photographs of the same toy were used for Bluestreak's own [[Instructions|instruction booklet]]. The same blue-sided color scheme was also used on his [[Package art|box art]]; which was in turn shown on ''every'' 1984 instruction booklet as a sample tech spec.
:All this gave rise to a long-standing myth that a blue Bluestreak toy was sold under the ''Transformers'' brand during Generation 1, with some people going so far as to "remember" owning blue Bluestreaks as children, or at least knowing someone else who did. Adding to the confusion, ''[[wikipedia:ToyFare|ToyFare]]'' magazine has a long history of listing the supposed blue Bluestreak as a "foreign [[variant]]" in its monthly price guide.
:However, actual samples of a blue-sided Bluestreak in a sealed ''Transformers'' box have ''never'' appeared, and the [[Karl Hartman|collectors who have been at it since the very beginning]] and [[Jon Hartman|amassed ''insane'' numbers of rare Transformers]] have never seen one.
: Oddly enough, numerous other Transformers toys from that era were depicted in both catalogues and packaging art with colors they were never released in —[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], for example— yet Bluestreak is the only one to be (mis)remembered in this manner, perhaps because his name is ''Blue''streak, so he had to have been blue, right?

*'''A show-accurate Skyfire toy was available during Generation 1.'''

[[File:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Patience. You just have to wait 22 years.]]
:Due to some legal entanglements, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was renamed "Skyfire" for the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], with a [[character model]] that bore only a vague resemblance to the toy. Some confused viewers seem to have come away assuming that there had to be a [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] Generation 1 toy by the name of Skyfire. (The ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Jetfire toy is actually designed as a mix between the original toy and the cartoon character model.)

*'''Some Generation 1 toy molds were in use as long ago as 1974.'''
:Some ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]''-derived toys have the text "©1974 TAKARA" stamped on them, and as a result are occasionally sold on eBay with descriptions such as "original 1974 [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]]". However, the date 1974 refers to the introduction of the original [[Microman]] franchise due to the way Japanese IP law worked at the time; the first ''Microchange'' toys weren't even designed until the early 1980s.

*'''A winged variant of Sludge was available during Generation 1.'''
:A [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] [[knockoff]] that featured wings and a pterodactyl-like beast head was fairly commonplace during the Generation 1 era, and in some cases people who owned this knockoff as children seem to have misremembered it as being a [[Hasbro]] or [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-produced [[variant]].<ref name="Sludge Knockoff">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Sludge1.html http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Sludge1.html]</ref>

*'''A Unicron toy was available during Generation 1.'''
[[File:Unicron Proto.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Seriously, aren't you glad your poor parents didn't have to waste like a hundred bucks on this back in '86?]]
:No toys of [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] were available (or even produced beyond [[prototype]]) until 2003. In fact, the mere ''existence'' of those prototypes wasn't actually officially confirmed until many years later. The first [[Unicron/toys|official Unicron toy]] to be released came out as part of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line in 2003 and was a brand new mold, not based on an old, unused prototype.
:The fictional existence of a ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' Unicron toy is likely based on schoolground one-upmanship: if one kid had a larger toy such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a rival kid would claim to have a Unicron toy in order to appear cooler, but would most likely retire to his bed a sobbing mess, knowing in his heart that one day God would punish him for being a HUGE FIBBER.
:What could also have attributed to this misconception was the voice actor for Unicron himself, Orson Welles. He died before the movie's release and the part in the 1986 movie was his last for his death in 1985. He loathed the part and could not even remember his character's name; he was quoted as saying, "I play a big toy who attacks a bunch of smaller toys," mistakenly assuming there was a toy for him.

*'''The reissue Soundwave toys released by Takara are reverse-engineered from Soundblaster because the original molds are lost.'''
:Both the ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' and ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] releases have different tape buttons and hinges than the ones found on the vintage Hasbro release. While the vintage Hasbro Soundwave had inset controls and an internal tape deck hinge, the Takara reissues have a large button block that serves as a pivot point for an external tape deck hinge. The supposed reason for this is the mold for the original versions of the buttons and door are lost or worn out, so a new single tape door was made to work with the Soundblaster mold.
:In fact, the buttons and hinge used on the reissue Soundwaves were originally a [[retool]]ed running change [[variant]] of Takara's original 1985 release of Soundwave. The further Soundblaster retool was based on the later Japanese version of Soundwave, as were the reissues. Presumably, the original mold in its original condition ''is'' lost - but this happened ''long'' before Takara retooled Soundwave into Soundblaster.

*'''A few years ago, a crazy old man claimed he had created the original ''Transformers'' toys.'''
:In 2005, the ''Transformers'' [[fandom]] learned, by way of a newspaper article posted by an internet fan site, of the existence of [[Henry Orenstein]], a former toymaker. Although the main focus of the article was Orenstein's then-current achievements in the field of poker, it also implied that Orenstein had "created" the original ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' toys, and even featured a photo that depicted a somewhat confused-looking Orenstein holding [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|20th Anniversary Optimus Prime]], with his facial impression strongly implying that he had never seen this particular toy before. Many fans subsequently assumed that this was a deluded old man who believed he had created the concept of ''Transformers'' toys, even though the fandom knew full well by this point that the original toys were originally created in Japan. His status as the "creator" of the ''Transformers'' toy line was subsequently repeated in several other articles about the man, possibly directly based on its mention in the original 2005 article.
:The ''fact'' is that Orenstein had worked for [[Hasbro]] during the 1980s, and was the person who had convinced [[George Dunsay]], then Hasbro's Vice President of R&D, to acquire the rights to a (more or less) innovative type of Japanese toys, which would eventually become known as the original ''Transformers'' toys. In addition, Orenstein shares the original patent for the [[rubsign]]s with Dunsay. Aside from that, his contribution to the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] is marginal at best. Obviously, the writer of said newspaper article had only marginal knowledge of the history of the ''Transformers'' brand, was told what was most likely nothing more than an anecdote by Orenstein (his biography is full of fascinating episodes, by the way), and subsequently inflated it massively with hyperbole, possibly in an attempt to gain more attention to his article due to the popularity of the brand, even before the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]]. The only question is, where did the photographer get the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime toy from?

===Generation 2===
*'''"Generation 2" means "after ''The Transformers: The Movie''."'''
:This common but explicitly false idea probably stems from the many casual fans who grew up with the original ''Transformers'' line but stopped paying much attention around 1986, when the animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' debuted and the ''Transformers'' craze began to die down. Many such fans regained some interest in ''Transformers'' many years later, particularly with hype surrounding the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]]. Seeing the phrase "Generation 2" batted around in fandom, it might seem natural to assume it refers to the big changeover that happened with the animated film. It certainly didn't help that, early in the life of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]], [[Pat Lee]] shared in this misconception, leading other new arrivals to the fandom to ape his use of the term.
:While the original animated movie certainly marked a change from one "generation" of toys to another, along with some new design trends, the phrase "Generation 2" refers to [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|a very specific franchise]], marketed from 1992 to 1995—years after the animated film had come and gone. Its relative obscurity probably contributes to the mis-attribution of the term, as ''Generation 2'' marks a low point in popularity for ''Transformers'' as a whole.

===Beast Wars===
*'''Beast Wars didn't originally have the Transformers branding attached to it.'''
*While the early [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]] toy packaging had the Transformers brand name in smaller type than the (much larger) Beast Wars logo, the Beast Wars toy range was ''always'' '''Beast Wars: Transformers''' from day one. Later on, with the release of the [[Transmetal]]s and [[Fuzor]]s subranges, the Transformers name was placed on front of Beast Wars, and increased the size and prominence of the Transformers name on the packaging. Also a source of this confusion for people in the [[United Kingdom]] is that Beast Wars figures were available in multilingual packaging as either Beast Wars Biocombat' or 'Beast Wars Anti-Mutants', further reducing the prominence of the Transformers branding, and that British commercial broadcaster [[GMTV]] edited the Transformers name out of the title sequence on their airings of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|television series]].

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise''===
*'''The ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline was known as "Transformers 2000" in Japan.'''
:As information about the then-new [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Car Robots'' toyline]] began to trickle out of Japan in 2000, early rumors purportedly from Japanese sources indicated that it was officially named "Transformers 2000".<ref name="Transformers 2000">http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/e6436b92178f0c0a</ref> It's possible those Japanese sources were also going by early, inaccurate rumors or perhaps a soon-to-be-discarded working title for the line. The idea persisted with many Western fans well after the true name of the show was revealed, encouraged by online import retailers (who were equally misinformed) using the title to promote pre-orders on their sites.

*'''''Robots in Disguise'' Side Burn was so complex, the toy's designer later apologized.'''
:Basically. [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Car Robots'']] [[Side Burn (RID)|Speedbreaker]] was the first ''Transformers'' toy designed by [[Hironori Kobayashi]], and it kind of shows. In a later interview, he admitted that the development process was a "painful experience" and an "admonition" to do better in the future.<ref name="Translated interview at ToyboxDX">http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?3,97799,97800</ref>

===Alternators===
*'''A yellow version of Alternators Tracks was released to North American stores (but then recalled by Hasbro).'''

[[File:YellowTracks.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Only in Japan, baby.]]
:When [[Hasbro]] (and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) originally announced the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' version of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in 2004, the toy's [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode's]] primary color was yellow. This caused the ire of a significant portion of the fandom, which insisted that the toy had to be ''blue'', like its ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' predecessor.
:However, while Takara did release their ''Binaltech'' version of the toy in yellow, stolen [[Prototype|samples]] of the Hasbro version eventually surfaced which were indeed blue rather than yellow. Hasbro eventually confirmed at [[OTFCC 2004]] that the initial idea had been to release the toy in yellow first, and then later as a running change [[variant]] in blue, like Takara would ultimately do. However, Hasbro had encountered problems at the test shot stage, where it became evident that some of the toy's innards were shining through the yellow plastic. As a result, plans for a release of the yellow version were scrapped, and it was decided to release the blue version from the get-go.
:However, around the time when the yellow version of ("Autobot") Tracks was originally supposed to arrive in stores, rumors started circulating that some stores (usually [[Walmart]]) had indeed received a shipment of the toy, but were then asked by Hasbro to send back the entire batch. Some variants of this rumor later even claimed having seen a cell photo from the friend of a friend depicting a yellow Alternators Tracks in packaging on top of a case sporting a "RETURN TO SENDER" note. Conveniently, circumstance always prevented these people from taking a photo and sharing it with the internet public.
:Needless to say, no substantial evidence has ever surfaced to back up these claims. Furthermore, there are several factors that make this story extremely doubtful: First, Hasbro—in their own words—discovered the problems with the see-through yellow plastic at the test shot stage (which is the entire ''point'' of this part of the production run). Why would they actually bother to continue the production run, print the packaging, pack the toy and send it to stores and ''then'' decide to recall it? Never mind that toy recalls are usually done due to safety concerns, not because of ''looks''. Also, we've seen "leaked" (read: stolen) packaged samples of pretty much every single Alternators toy several months prior to its official release. Yellow Tracks? The last thing we saw of him was an unpackaged, painted sample with (intentionally) off-color Autobot [[insignia]] and "NOT FOR SALE" markings. In all the years since the toy's alleged stealth shipment to stores, not a single packaged sample has surfaced. Years later, longtime TFW2005 member Napjr, who hails from Mexico, admitted that he might have inadvertently helped spreading this rumor, originally started by a fake sighting by another Mexican fan.<ref name="napjr">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/featured-radicons/260952-august-2009s-featured-radicon-napjr.html Napjr interview at TFW2005.]</ref>
:The only "packaged" versions of a yellow ''Alternators'' Tracks we ever got to see were internet pranks of the "yellow ''Binaltech'' Tracks in photoshopped Hasbro box" variety. Which, of course, didn't help matters at all.
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[[File:WindchargerOverdrive.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Castrated at the request of Honda.]]
*'''Hasbro omitted ''Alternators'' Windcharger's gun barrel for safety reasons.'''

: When the first stolen [[Prototype|test shots]] of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] surfaced in 2004, the toy sported an extraordinarily long gun barrel (which doubled as the [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]'s drive shaft). The toy was ultimately released without the barrel, which was not shown or mentioned anywhere on the packaging or in the instructions. Indeed, Windcharger's weapon accessory was officially identified as a "shield" on the back of the packaging (in addition to the actual, ragtop roof shield). [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], on the other hand, later released their own ''Binaltech'' version of the toy (named [[Overdrive]]) with the full barrel, prominently shown in the official promotional photos.

:The initial fan theory upon seeing the barrel-less toy was that Hasbro had gutted it [[for safety reasons]], under the notion that the long barrel might pose a choking hazard. Even though this was refuted by actual experts on toy safety standards, the rumor still persisted. An official response from Hasbro's customer service department to an e-mail inquiry (published on a fan site's message board) confirmed that the reason for the barrel's omission was "so the accessory would not look like a weapon".<ref name="Windcharger gun barrel">"http://forums.tformers.com/talk/index.php?showtopic=13088 Response from Hasbro's customer service department regarding the lack of Alternators Windcharger's gun barrel.</ref> Eventually, Hasbro (in the presence of Takara representatives) would confirm the full story at [[BotCon 2005]]: It had indeed been Honda, specifically their North American branch, that had asked to remove the gun barrel and all references to "weapons" from the toy, its packaging and included paperwork. Honda's Japanese department, on the other hand, had no such concerns, which is why Takara were able to release the ''Binaltech'' version with the barrel intact.

===Masterpiece===
*'''Masterpiece Convoy has more diecast parts than 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/Masterpiece Convoy is made almost entirely out of diecast/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime is made entirely out of plastic.'''
:This misconception was started by now defunct Hong Kong-based online retailer Action-HQ<ref name="plasticahq">[http://tformers.com/transformers-20th-anniversary-optimus-prime-plastic/2150/news.html "20th Anniversary Optimus Prime Plastic?"], November 2003.</ref> and ''might'' have been extrapolated from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' toys, which are made entirely out of plastic (except for the rubber tires) for their Hasbro releases, whereas their Japanese ''Binaltech'' counterparts feature a few parts made out of [[die-cast|die-cast metal]].
:In fact, however, the amount of die-cast metal parts versus injection-[[mold]]ed plastic parts is the same between 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and his Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Convoy counterpart. The only differences between the two toys (not counting the packaging) are the shortened smokestacks for Hasbro's 20th Prime and the addition of painted battle damage that is missing from the Takara version.

===Transformers Collection===
[[File:G1 Vol.1 Issue2 1.jpg|thumb|100px|A solicitation of then upcoming Takara reissues? Not really.]]
*'''Takara's ''Transformers Collection'' had something to do with Dreamwave.'''
:In 2002, Takara launched their series of [[Generation 1 reissues]] named ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'', also commonly referred to as "bookbox reissues" or even "Dreamwave reissues" among fans. The reason for that is simple: The [[package art]], especially for early releases such as [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Meister]] or [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]], was directly taken from the covers of and promotional posters for [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] first ''[[Prime Directive|Generation One]]'' mini-series drawn by [[Pat Lee]]. A common misconception among fans at that time was that Takara was coordinating their reissues with Dreamwave. Some even tried to predict upcoming reissues based on the existing Dreamwave covers. Yet [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]] never materialized.

:In fact, probably the main reason why Takara recycled Pat's Dreamwave artwork of those characters for the [[packaging]] of their reissues was its coincidental availability: The artwork had already been created and paid for, so why commission new art when they could just use what already exists? Furthermore, only about half of the TFC reissues actually sported "Dreamwave" package art, whereas the rest ''did'' use newly-commissioned art drawn by Japanese artist [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], who has never in his life worked for Dreamwave and had been drawing in this style long before Pat Lee rose to his brief "superstar artist" fame.
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===Prime===
*'''''Transformers: Prime'' was not initially planned to have any toys.'''
:The [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|toy line]] for ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' was ''very'' delayed, debuting roughly a year after the associated cartoon had premiered. Previously, at a [[BotCon 2010]] panel about the then-upcoming ''Prime'' cartoon, a Hasbro representative had made a statement that they weren't talking about toys just then. ''Transformers'' fandom being [[Red Alert (G1)|what]] [[Breakdown (G1)|it is]], a widespread belief developed that Hasbro was never going to make ''Prime'' toys ''at all.'' As additional information gradually surfaced, this evolved into a rumor that ''Prime'' would only have a small number of toys, with some further speculating that they would also be limited to the Deluxe [[size class]] (since initially only Deluxes had been seen). The eventual revelation of a full ''Prime'' toyline caused the belief to evolve once more, with the new theory being that there wasn't ''originally'' going to be a ''Prime'' toyline, but Hasbro changed their minds due to demand.
:The reality, as usual, was much less apocalyptic. The statement from the Hasbro Studios panel was never intended to refer to anything except the panel itself—the people ''in that room'' weren't going to be discussing toys ''at that panel''. (In fact, [[Eric Siebenaler]] expressed excitement about [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]'s toy at the very same panel.) As for the delay in the line's launch, put simply, this was for appearance's sake. Hasbro wanted to establish ''Prime'' as a strong ''fictional'' franchise, rather than merely [[To sell toys|a glorified toy commercial]], and reasonably concluded that launching a toyline immediately would detract from that goal. There ''was'' a point when a few ''Prime'' toys were planned to be released under the ''[[Transformers: Generations]]'' banner, but since ''Generations'' was at that time exclusively Deluxes, the aforementioned Bulkhead (a Voyager) indicates that this idea had already been abandoned when the rumors started.
:In short, this is just a matter of fans jumping to conclusions based on misinterpreted statements.

===Europe (all generations)===
*'''Optimus Prime's toy was originally not released in Europe due to a trademark conflict.'''
[[File:Jetfire-Dutch.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Oddly enough, Optimus Prime can still be seen in the background.]]
:In 1985, Hasbro launched the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|''Transformers'' line]] on the European continent, using the domestic subsidiaries of [[Milton Bradley]], whom Hasbro had recently merged with, to distribute the toys in countries such as France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The "MB"-branded ''Transformers'' toys were released in two [[wave]]s before the packaging started to sport "Hasbro" logos in 1986. However, the first wave was a rather odd line-up, with many prominent characters missing, among them [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]]. Instead, MB declared [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] the leader of the Autobots and even depicted him as such in [[In the Transformers|a pack-in mini-comic]]. Furthermore, Dutch comic book publisher [[Junior Press]], which published a translated version of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comic]], initially renamed Optimus Prime into "Jetfire" for all his comic appearances. Optimus Prime's toy was eventually released with the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'', and the Junior Press comics subsequently referred to him by his correct name. The reason for Optimus Prime's initial omission from the MB line-up is claimed to be due to a [[trademark]] conflict: A Swedish manufacturer of kitchen utensils named "[http://www.optimusstoves.com/ Optimus]" allegedly made the use of the name unfeasible for the time being. This theory was widely accepted by the majority of the Transformers [[fandom]] for many years.

:It wasn't until several years later that the theory was put into question, if not to say completely refuted: A manufacturer of kitchen utensils usually does not operate in the "toys" field, thus making a trademark conflict unlikely to begin with. The rumor originates from an editor's note in the Junior Press comic trying to explain the "Optimus"/"Jetfire" name confusion and subsequent rectification, which claims that the ''Transformers'' were originally ''two'' toy lines by different manufacturers in the United States, and MB had only released one of them in the Netherlands, while the "[[copyright]]" to the name "Optimus Prime" belonged to the other manufacturer. Many years later, this editor's note (including the incorrect use of the term "copyright" rather than "trademark") was cited by a Dutch fan who added his own speculation (without marking it as such) about the "Optimus" company in a response to a website article about the MB Transformers, thus spawning the urban myth that was subsequently accepted by the fandom.<ref name="optimusdutch">[http://www.fredsworkshop.com/veuro2.html The origin (?) of the "Optimus trademark conflict in Europe" rumor?] at The Complete Transformers Variants Page</ref>

:A much more likely explanation for the entire two-wave MB line-up that brings more sense to another odd portion of the Junior Press editor's note is the fact that a French company named [[Joustra]] released their own version of [[TakaraTomy|Takara's]] ''[[Diaclone]]'' line in many of the same markets as MB would release their ''Transformers'' toys in. The theory suggests that because of Joustra's exclusive contract with Takara, any toys from their ''Diaclone'' line-up were initially off-limits for MB's ''Transformers'' line-up.<ref name="mijofive">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-5/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 5" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref> A related theory suggests that Joustra's parent company, Ceji, got into financial trouble at the time, prompting them to sign a deal with MB to allow them to use their existing (but still unsold) ''Diaclone'' stock and release it in ''Transformers'' packaging instead. This explains why the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'' matches up almost perfectly with Joustra's ''Diaclone'' line-up.<ref name="mijofour">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-4/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 4" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref>

*'''The Generation 1 Seacon Overbite was released under the name "Jawbreaker" in some European markets.'''
[[File:JawbreakerComic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|UK comic exclusive name variant!]]
:This appears to originate from the fact that [[Enemy Action!|issue 152]] of the Marvel UK comics, the first appearance of the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], refers to [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] as "Jawbreaker", a name repeated in his appearance in [[Salvage!|issue 160]] and an "A to Z" profile in the [[Transformers Annual 1989]]. In the early days of the Transformers online fandom, when information about (and scans of) the UK comics were made available to a larger number of American fans for the first time, they concluded that this must mean that the toy had been released under a different name in Europe—which is not ''entirely'' unfounded: Generation 1 toys ''had'' been released under alternate names in Canada and Italy; and many of the tail-end G1 toys that were released following the cancellation of the line on the United States market were also available in several name variants in various European markets. A further variation of this rumor even cited legal (possibly [[trademark]]) reasons as an explanation for the alleged name change.
:However, no substantial evidence has ever surfaced to back up this rumor; in fact, European fans, when questioned, all claimed to recall that the toy was called "Overbite" when released in their respective countries (except for Italy, where [[GiG]] actually didn't release the Seacons ''at all''). Furthermore, the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] in [[City of Fear!|issue #164]] of the UK comic features a question by a confused (British) reader who inquires about the "Jawbreaker" name, since the toy was called "Overbite" when released in the UK (which then results in a made-up-on-the-spot explanation on behalf of the Marvel staff to reconcile both names).
:So, why ''did'' the story identify the character as "Jawbreaker"? It's likely that writer [[Simon Furman]] simply got a few names mixed up, since the Overbite toy's instructions refer to his ''weapon'' as a "Jawbreaker cannon", and his weapon mode for Piranacon is called "Jawbreaker weapon" in the Piranacon assembly instructions. That, or "Jawbreaker" was an early working name for Overbite. Or, as his first appearance was very early in the year, when the story was written Marvel UK had received incomplete information about a toy that was not yet on sale.

*'''Some toys were exclusively (or predominantly) available in the United Kingdom (sometimes also the Netherlands).'''
:This likely stems from the fact that during the early days of the Transformers online fandom, when information from European countries was shared with American fans, two of the most active fanbases (or, at least, fanbases with members who were capable of, and interested in, engaging in conversations using the English language) as far as Europe was concerned were based in the UK and in the Netherlands. As a result, when information about toys (or toy variants) that were not available in the United States was spread, there simply were no fans from Germany or France around to confirm that the toys in question had also been officially available in their respective countries. (Although to be fair, it's quite possible that some toys, such as the [[Milton Bradley]]-branded Generation 1 toys, were indeed released in bigger quantities in the Netherlands than in Germany or France.)<ref name="mbpart6">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-6/ "MB Transformers: Part 6"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>
:As a result, the red variant of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] was initially branded a "Netherlands" release, as were some the Mexican toys originally produced by [[IGA]] for the Mexican market that were later imported to Europe through gray channels and sold in at least half a dozen countries (most notably exotic variations such as blue versions of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]]). Meanwhile, tail-end G1 releases after the toyline had been cancelled as far as the United States market was concerned, such as the [[Action Master Elite]]s, the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" reissues, the [[Turbomaster]]s or the [[Obliterator]]s, were often referred to as "UK exclusives" (and are occasionally still to this very day), even though all of them were also available in numerous other countries—some of them even in Canada and Australia!
:Simply put, there are very few toys that were actually exclusive to a single European country: ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Meister]] and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|Megatron]] have both only been released in Italy as far as the European (but not the American, or Australian, or Asian) market is concerned. Even the red "Powerlinx" version of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]], which had originally been available as a "[[USA Edition]]" in Japan and was later found in Israel of all places, also has confirmed sightings for Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. The toy was even found in ''Australia'', but only in stores that also occasionally sell toys imported from other countries, and again in European packaging, oddly enough.
:The first ''genuine'' "UK exclusives" were released as part of the accompanying [[Movie (toyline)|toyline]] for the 2007 [[Transformers (film)|''Transformers'' live action movie]], namely a three-pack containing the Deluxe Class toys [[Jazz (Movie)|Autobot Jazz]], [[Protoform]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and [[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]], and a two-pack, named "Towed to Safety", which contained the first of the two Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] molds and [[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]] (''not '' to be confused with the Screen Battles—aka "Battle Scenes"—"Final Stand" set, which was ''also'' available in the UK), both of them in their original decos. Meanwhile, other multi-packs or minor variants of toys from the 2007 movie toyline that were available in the UK but not in the United States were also available in other places, such as Japan, Hong Kong, Australia or other European countries again.

*'''A green variant of Trailbreaker was available in some European countries.'''
:This belief seems to stem from the fact that [[IGA]]'s Mexican version of [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (which, like most Mexican Transformers, was widely available on the European gray market circa 1989, as mentioned above) used the same head sculpt as [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. But like the "Blue" Bluestreak, no samples of an actual green version of the Trailbreaker mold actually sold ''as'' "Trailbreaker" have been found.

===Takara vs. Hasbro===
*'''Takara (alternatively, Hasbro) are ''solely'' responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing (all, or certain specific) ''Transformers'' toys.'''
: This was true only for the original [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toys]], and possibly also the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toys]]. Most of the toys from 1984 to 1986 were imported (and, occasionally, slightly altered) versions of already-existing Japanese toys originally designed and released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. Following that, Takara developed new toys both for the Japanese and the Western market, now specifically with ''Transformers'' in mind. The primary exceptions are a handful of toys licensed from other Japanese companies (Jetfire, Whirl and Roadbuster, for example), and the 1986 toys for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]], which were mostly based on designs by [[Floro Dery]].
: However, ever since 1988,<ref name="dunsay">[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/images/full/BC04Dunsay.jpg BotCon 2004 program guide interview with George Dunsay]</ref> most "main" line toys released both in Japan and the Western hemisphere (such as the [[Unicron Trilogy]], ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'', the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 Movie line]] and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]/[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'') have been designed and developed in cooperation between [[Hasbro]] (or its subsidiary [[Kenner]]) and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] (now TakaraTomy). (For the specifics of this joint venture development process, see the article about [[toy]]s.)
: Still, numerous reasons have led some people to assume incorrectly that ''all'' ''Transformers'' toy lines were ''solely'' developed by only one of the two companies:
:* The Western public and mainstream media, naturally, tend to be unaware of the existence of Takara (TakaraTomy these days). It's therefore logical to assume that Hasbro, the company responsible for distributing Transformers toys outside Japan, is also solely responsible for developing and manufacturing the toys. The fact that Hasbro regularly chooses not to mention their Japanese business partner in official press releases and interviews hasn't exactly helped matters, either.
:* On the other hand, Western anime fans are used to Japanese companies being solely responsible for designing robot toys, which are then imported and sold by Western companies. For lack of better knowledge, those people then simply assume the same also applies to ''Transformers'' toys — namely, that Takara does ''all'' the design and engineering work on their own, and Hasbro is merely the Western ''distributor'' of those toys. The fact that the back of Hasbro's packaging for ''Transformers'' toys sports a small note saying "Manufactured under license from Takara Co., Ltd." (changed to "TOMY Company, Ltd." on more recent toys) is occasionally cited as "proof" that Takara is the sole manufacturer of ''Transformers'' toys as well. A long paper trail of evidence to the contrary<ref name="Hasbro Tour">[http://www.seibertron.com/events/gallery.php?event_id=70&size=0&start=272 Exemplary rundown] of the development process of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]], shown during the Hasbro tour at [[BotCon 2007]]. Of course, Hasbro just replaced the name "Takara" in some of the steps with "Hasbro" in order to convince fans that... yeah, riiiight.</ref> has not been able to convince those people of the flaws in their conspiracy theory — rather, some of them have even postulated the existence of a so-called "Hasbro PR machine", whose sole purpose is to convince ''Transformers'' fans that Hasbro actually has a larger part in the development of ''Transformers'' toys than is actually the case.<ref name="Propaganda">[http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?1,88668 ToyBoxDX thread with anime fanboys arguing that "Takara is an enormous toy '''manufacturing''' company. Hasbro doesn't manufacturer anything. The sole reason for its existence is for marketing the products of their partners and wholly-owned subs. Just to be clear here - Takara is bigger than Hasbro."] They wouldn't even believe that [[Joe Kyde]] actually worked at Hasbro. No kidding.</ref>
: That being said, there ''are'' indeed a few toys originally developed by either Hasbro or Takara without the other one's involvement, and then later picked up by the other company, but they're fewer than usually assumed: For Takara, those include the new molds for ''[[Beast Wars II (toyline)|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'', plus various mostly short-lived, collector-aimed, niche market lines (such as the new ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' molds, the ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'', the ''[[Hybrid Style]]'' toys etc.); for Hasbro, those are mostly either toys originally based on fiction-based franchises that did not originate with Hasbro (such as ''[[Animorphs]]'' or the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars Transformers]]'' and their later successor, ''[[Transformers: Crossovers]]''), cross-brand lines ''within'' Hasbro where the Transformers toys only make up one part of the overall lineup (such as the [[Titanium Series]] and the [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] figures) and a few very rare "main" line Transformers toys such as the ''Generation 2'' [[Power Master]]s and [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]], [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]], [[Alpha Quintesson]], [[Kicker Jones#Toys|Energon Kicker]] and [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] from ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''.

*'''Takara's Japanese-market releases are always of intrinsically better quality than their U.S. counterparts. (E.g., they have sweeter exclusives, and are always more show-accurate, have more accessories, and have tighter quality control.)'''
: This one depends a bit on the speaker, as it can either be a genuine misconception, a matter of opinion, or at worst, [[Personal canon|willful]] [[True fan|snobbery]]. But, like any broad generalization, it does have some basis.
:*"Better quality" can refer to the fact that Japanese versions of individual toys sometimes have clear plastic instead of painted-on windows like [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Movie Bumblebee]], or have vac-metallized parts where the equivalent U.S. release doesn't, like [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|''Energon'' Optimus Prime/Grand Convoy]]. Or, "better" quality can refer to the fact that Japan is a less litigious society, with different toy safety laws, and Takara can thus give [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Prime]] toys old-school long smokestacks, which are now shortened in the U.S. [[for safety reasons]]. These laws also mean that [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Masterpiece Megatron]] is freely available in Japan, but hard to get in the U.S. (the exact opposite of ''real'' handguns, ironically).
:*"More [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] decos" does have some basis, as Takara frequently releases its toys later than Hasbro does Stateside, and thus they are better able to reflect discrepancies between late-run changes to a character's coloration in a show (such as with the original [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] or [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|''Armada'''s Tidal Wave]]). The most extreme example of this was ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)#2005 (Beast Wars Returns)|Beast Wars Returns]]'', the Japanese release of ''Beast Machines'', which was ''years'' later than in the U.S., allowing Takara to add a lot of the deco that was added to the characters by [[Mainframe Entertainment]] that was not accurate to the original toys.
:*"More accessories" mostly comes from the fact that ''some'' of Takara's releases have some extra accessories, but the only cases of this before the reissues were [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s two [[sword]]s, Megatron's sword and bullets (even though the Japanese release lacked the barrel, scope and stock extensions) and clear cases from the various cassettes. Japanese reissues have included additional accessories from the cartoon (the axe, chain mace, Energon cubes and gun mode Megatron in the ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' reissues of Optimus and Megatron, Insecticons and Starscream, respectively, the Matrix from New Year's Convoy). Some ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Super Link]]'' releases came with [[redeco]]ed [[Energon weapon]]s as well. ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]] came with two missile launchers and missiles not included with ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe .282008.29|Hot Shot]] due to budget constraints, and featured the original tooling for the rear bumper for their inclusion. In contrast, ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Lambor]] was ''lacking'' the supercharger engine accessory ''Universe'' Sideswipe came with—TakaraTomy officially confirmed that they had ''deliberately omitted the optional piece of accessory'' to make the toy more "G1-accurate".<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009|''Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref>
:*"Sweeter exclusives" is really a matter of taste. If endless redecos of Generation 1 toys as completely unprecedented Generation 1 characters, buying $40 worth of toys you got a month ago for a single [[Mini-Con]], and shelling out half your mortgage for [[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]] gold chrome figures is what floats your boat, then yeah, Japan has better exclusives.
:*"Tighter [[quality control]]" is a total myth. Takara products are manufactured under much the same production conditions as Hasbro's: Pretty much everything for both markets is made in China—in fact, according to Hasbro [[Australia]] representatives and Hasbro designer [[Eric Siebenaler]], ''all'' of the Transformers toys jointly developed between Hasbro and Takara/TakaraTomy are manufactured at factories contracted to the Japanese toy company. This means Takara is (at least indirectly) responsible for whatever quality control problems occur with Hasbro-released toys. Takara's standards of quality control for their domestically-released toys are just as likely to let mistakes creep through. Just ask any buyer of ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Thundercracker]] how well his weapons stay attached to the arms. And let's not even get started on ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy's]] first production run.
:*The fields in which Takara genuinely excels Hasbro are comparably minor: Takara's [[stock photography]] generally tends to be more impressive than Hasbro's, without obvious mistransformations and awkward poses, and at the same time looks more representative of the actual toy due to less reliance on blatant digital touch-ups. Likewise, Takara's [[instructions]] tend to be more detailed and useful than Hasbro's.

===Other===
[[File:SteamhammerEnergonUniverse.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Not literally a waste of packaging material.]]
*'''"Repackaged" toys are ''literally'' unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of the old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to stores.'''

:Every so often, a ''Transformers'' toy line features seemingly identical toys in multiple different [[packaging]] versions, such as multi-packs containing toys that were previously available separately. In addition, some toy lines also feature [[rebranding|rebranded]] items, namely toys that were originally released under one line, but are later re-released as part of another line with virtually no changes to the toy itself, only the packaging it is available in. The final stages of the original ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line took the concept of "rebranding" to a new level, featuring numerous straight re-releases of toys from the since-ended ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' lines, among many others. Since then, it has been repeated with the 2006 ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' line, the 2008 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, the 2010 ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' line and many others. Because a common [[fandom]] term for those releases is "repackages", a popular misconception claims that those toys are ''literally'' "repackages": namely, unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of their old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to (different) stores. (The same train of thought also—very rarely—suggests that "repaints", another common fan term for [[redeco]]s, are ''literally'' "[[repaint]]s", i.e. existing toys painted over in new colors, rather than new production runs from the same toolings using new plastic colors.)

:Needless to say, this theory is dubious for various reasons. Generally, old unsold toys are ''not'' sent back to Hasbro. They either [[Shelfwarmer|remain in the store]] until someone finally decides to buy them, or the store somehow dumps them, such as by selling them off to closeout chains. And even ''if'' Hasbro did regularly get sent back huge shipments of unsold toys, they'd be highly unlikely to go through the effort (and additional cost) of literally repackaging them. Hasbro confirmed this in January of 2009, stating that due to the toys being manufactured in Asia, it would be a waste of time and money to repackage them only to sell them at the same price-point.<ref>[http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1934 SirStevesGuide.com, Tri-Weekly Hasbro Q&A - January 30th]</ref> Thus, they are ''not'' repackaged old product, but new production runs of previous product. These days, this misconception should be much easier to dispel: Every toy now features a manufacturing date stamp etched into the figure, as well as a product code [[tampograph]]ed onto the figure, thus proving that a figure was manufactured more recently than its superficially identical predecessor.

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[[File:SmokesniperStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The similarities are astounding. Especially those that aren't there.]]
*'''A new toy that is vaguely reminiscent of an older toy is a retool of said toy.'''

:Hasbro likes to [[redeco]] toys a lot (usually to recoup the R&D costs for developing the original [[mold]]). They also like to release redecos of toys from older lines in newer lines. In some instances, Hasbro also don't just redeco a toy, they [[retool]] it (or create new toolings for new parts that replace parts of the old version of the toy)—sometimes to improve a feature or fix an error, but sometimes also to give the toy new features or [[gimmick]]s, or simply to make it different enough from the original version so owners of the original version would be interested in buying the "retool" as well.

:Some of those retools are comparably minor (such as [[Jazz (Movie)|Final Battle Jazz]] from the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 Movie line]]), whereas others can be pretty elaborate. Sometimes the retools are so elaborate that the line between "retool" and "new [[mold]]" gets blurred. The most drastic instances in this regard would be [[K-9]] from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (based on [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] from the same line) and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] from ''Cybertron'' (based on the original ''Cybertron'' Crumplezone toy), both of which have most, if not ''all'' of their parts entirely retooled. Another borderline case would be the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]]s [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]] and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]], which were released around the same time and are based on the same basic design, share a similar body structure and have very similar [[alternate mode]]s.

:However, sometimes fans ''definitely'' get too far decrying a new toy a "retool" (or "remold"). Toys that share some superficial design similarities, coupled with similar transformation schemes, are often mistaken for retools even though they're simply that: Similar toys based on the same general design, maybe even directly influenced by the older toy, but nothing more. For more examples, see: [[retool#Not actually a retool|retool]].

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*'''Hasbro lost the rights to a lot of G1 Transformers names. That is why you see toys named "Autobot Jazz" or "Decepticon Brawl" these days. Takara is more competent than Hasbro and doesn't need to change their toys' names.'''

:That's not quite how name rights —aka [[trademark]]— work. There are indeed instances where another company has snatched a trademark, making it unavailable for Hasbro's use. The reason is because trademarks need to be consistently used in commerce (roughly once every year or so), or it could be considered "abandoned", making it open for grabs should another company try to claim it. "[[Hot Rod/toys|Hot Rod]]" is unavailable to [[Hasbro]] because Mattel holds several similar trademarks, "[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]" was too similar to Gendron's "Toledo 'Blue Streak'" trademark, and a company named Lanard held the trademark "Shockwave" until a few years ago. This prompted Hasbro to use substitute names for toys based on these characters, such as "Rodimus Major" and "Rodimus" for Hot Rod, "Silverstreak" for Bluestreak and "Shockblast" for Shockwave (Hasbro has since managed to reacquire the "Bluestreak" and "Shockwave" trademarks).

:Meanwhile, the names with prefixes such as "Autobot" or "Decepticon"? Those are usually non-compound single real words from the English language. Hasbro's legal department considers them too "generic" to be easily defensible as trademarks, hence the addition of prefixes such as "Autobot Jazz", "Decepticon Brawl "or "Constructicon Devastator" for better protection. This does ''not'' work with names already trademarked by another company–otherwise, [[Bandai]] could release a toy named "Megazord Optimus Prime" tomorrow, and Hasbro couldn't do anything about it.

:For a while, it seemed like these trademark quibbles were limited to Hasbro, and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] was somehow exempt due to a different market situation. However, the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' line saw the emergence of quite a few "Cybertron", "Destron" and "[[Stunticon (G1)|Stuntron]]" prefixes, implying that the trademark situation on the Japanese market was changing, and starting with the [[Movie (toyline)|''Movie'' line]], TakaraTomy (now adopting Hasbro names instead of their established Japanese-market names) began to use "Autobot" and "Decepticon" prefixes. With ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers United|United]]'', TakaraTomy even used prefixes for names Hasbro has been able to use ''without'' prefixes.

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*'''Hasbro is responsible for your local store not having the newest toys right now.'''

: Hasbro actually has almost nothing to do with distribution (when Product A arrives in Store B) beyond making sure the manufactured product leaves the factories and shipyards of China at the desired time. Once the items arrive on US shores, they are almost immediately sent from the ships to the distribution centers for the retail chains that ordered them. From there, it's more truck rides to various regional warehouses, which is all controlled by the retailers, not Hasbro. After that, the schedule for taking product from those warehouses and putting it on shelves is dictated by each chain's inventory system.

: It's ''conceivable'' that Hasbro could take more control of the situation, but that would require chains like Wal-Mart to release the vise-like death grip they have on manufacturers' nuts that lets them dictate how the system works—and they're sooooooo not doing that.

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*'''Hasbro should totally cater to the wishes of older collectors, as they purchase the most Transformers product.'''

: Fans would like to think they've got some sway over the direction of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]]. After all, they've been buying toys for many years (as opposed to the limited purchasing span of most children), and they buy many ''more'' toys than any individual child. And in truth, Hasbro does pay attention to the desires and discussions of its older buyers, even designing certain line segments like ''Alternators'' or ''Classics'' and its successors with collectors as the primary target audience.

: Collectors, however, simply can't compare to the vast numbers of children out there whose parents buy Transformers for them. The bulk of Transformers product is purchased for and/or by young children, and if a company like Hasbro wants to stay in business and keep making money (and by extension, more toys), it must design and market its products accordingly. No accurate figures exist on the collector/children ratio, but estimates mentioned at BotCon panels range from around 10% to 20% of all purchases coming from older collectors—enough to be worth listening to, but not at all the driving force behind the brand. Past toylines have shown that betting ''too much'' on sales from adult collectors can be disastrous.

: Furthermore, it's not as though the [[fandom|fans]] speak with a unified voice. More often, for every fan pushing for one particular idea, there's another fan who thinks that same idea is boring or [[Ruined FOREVER|awful]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====General====
*'''Transformers were meant as a "genderless" race. Arcee and the other female Transformers were added to the brand because feminists complained about the Transformers all being male.'''
: When [[Bob Budiansky]] was assigned to work out the character details for the toys, he initially intended some of them to represent female characters, like [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. However, he was not given permission by [[Hasbro]] to include females because the company feared it would have a negative impact on the sales of those toys.<ref>[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954 Rusting Carcass interview]</ref>
: For the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comics]], this was not a big deal, even though Budiansky still slipped in a female Cybertronian in the form of [[Aunty]]. For the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] however, Hasbro's interests had to be matched with those of the TV networks that would broadcast ''The Transformers''. Since television requires a bigger investment than comics, but also offers the potential for a much better payoff, it is of interest for a TV network to broadcast material that reaches the highest possible demographic. Women make up half the population, so TV networks want at least one (hero) female character to bring in their views. Female characters were considered for inclusion in the cartoon as in its earliest planning stages, but story editors [[Bryce Malek]] and [[Dick Robbins]] chose not to pursue this angle until "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]" introduced [[Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]]. In other Transformers cartoons, Female [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] have also been added to their respective series because of network demands, whereas [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were a request from the writers to Hasbro.
: Despite persistent stories, there is no documented instance of feminists demanding the inclusion of female Transformers (and likely, they've got something better to do than complain about another generic boys show like there are hundreds of). There is, however, a comic story called "[[Prime's Rib!]]" which presents Arcee's introduction to the Autobot ranks as an attempt by Optimus Prime to appease [[Feminist mob|human feminists]]. While the story is obviously satire, through hearsay it has become believed by some that it is what actually happened.

====The original cartoon====
*'''The original ''The Transformers'' series was redubbed anime which originated in Japan, just like ''Battle of the Planets'', ''Voltron'', ''Robotech'' and other such shows screened in the '80s.'''
: Although most moderate-to-hardcore fans are well aware that this is a fallacy, there are those more casual fans (or those who have not rewatched the Generation 1 cartoon since childhood) who are under the misconception that [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] was an anime.
: Although the original toyline and thus the characters' basic visual designs were taken from Japanese-originated products, the original characters, names, factions and entire story premise of the whole ''Transformers'' franchise were developed in the United States by [[Hasbro]], [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and eventually [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. Although the animation was farmed out to [[Toei|Japanese]] (and later also [[AKOM|Korean]] and [[Unknown Filipino animation studio|Filipino]]) [[Tokyo Movie Shinsha|studios]], the writing and original voice recording of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|all four seasons of the original series]] plus ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'' was entirely done in America.
: This misconception probably stems from distant childhood memories of the cartoon, the fact that shows like the aforementioned ''Robotech'' were redubbed anime and the ''Transformers''' obvious Japanese influences. This ''may'' also be due to passing exposure to [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]] and the [[Unicron Trilogy]] shows which, viewed as an adult, are ''very'' obviously redubbed anime.
: This is in part related to the misconception that '''all''' ''Transformers'' toys are ''solely'' designed, developed and manufactured by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], and all [[Hasbro]] ever does is to put them in new packaging and distribute them in the Western market (see above). Because this is true for other Japanese robot toylines, and therefore it must also apply to ''Transformers''.

*'''''The Headmasters'' was going to be dubbed into English and shown in America.'''
: In America, "Season 4" consisted of "The Rebirth", a 3-episode mini-series. In Japan, "The Rebirth" was ignored, and a full-fledged series titled ''The Headmasters'' continued the story instead. Rumors once swirled in the fandom of an American-led dub of ''The Headmasters'' series; the dub was largely finished, goes the story, till the materials were lost in a warehouse fire.
: Given the meandering pace of the series (common for Japanese shows but anathema to American sensibilities), the presence of numerous characters who had no toy equivalent on US shelves, the incompatibility with the "[[Nebulan]]" head characters, the number of Japanese cultural references, and the very existence of "[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Rebirth]]", this rumor seems unlikely on the surface.
: More to the point, no official confirmation or other evidence has ever surfaced to back it up. In all likelihood the rumor was probably a [[wikipedia:Chinese whispers|Chinese Whisper]] from the fact that the laughably-bad English language [[Omni Productions]] dub (or "Star TV" dub) was screened on UK satellite TV during the 1990s.

====The Transformers: The Movie====
[[File:TFTM dead gray Prime.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Traumatizing enough as it is, frankly.]]
*'''There exists an "uncut version" of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' containing all sorts of non-kid-friendly content.'''

: These stories stem mainly from the fact that many home-video releases of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' omit two relatively minor instances of characters using profanity, which during the 1990s resulted in some [[alt.toys.transformers]] posters advertising "uncut" VHS copies of the movie for sale, thus either intentionally or unintentionally creating the myth of a really foul-mouthed and ultra-violent alternate version of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. At least one poster claimed to have uncut reels of the original film showing a number of violent scenes,<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/07464cbfbb5d0cc9/8aee0b30765b2b4a?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a THE UNCUT JAPANESE TRANSFORMERS MOVIE]</ref> but, unsurprisingly, was unwilling to provide any form of proof.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/799fec40c1aa285e/6af42e4099affa04?hl=en# Doth the Canadian protesteth too much?]</ref> So have ended all claims of uncut footage from the film.

:A much stranger rumor, whose origins are unclear, claims that the original theatrical cut of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' depicted [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] crumbling into dust after dying, and that that scene was cut by the distributor in mid-release because children were traumatized by the imagery. Interestingly, the "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" track on the original soundtrack album does contain ten extra seconds of music. At the end, just before the song's final low-octave percussion sequence, there is a very distinct series of notes that appears nowhere else in the song and is not in the onscreen version. However, no other evidence of this "lost" animation sequence exists among the many storyboards, preliminary animations, interviews, varying formats, etc., that have come to light. The myth could be related to the death of Starscream, a few scenes later, where Starscream '''does''' indeed crumble to dust after being shot by Galvatron; time and distance could lead fans to confuse the two scenes.

:These claims should not be confused with the extra storyboarded scenes and early script revisions which have come to light over the years, which do in fact contain a lot more violence. But no evidence exists that any of these sequences, even those that made it to storyboard, were ever animated. Especially given the expense of producing full animation.

::''See also: [[The Transformers: The Movie#Edits]].''

{{-}}
*'''Some portions of Unicron's dialogue were recorded by an actor other than Orson Welles.'''

: A common rumor in the Western fandom claimed that Unicron's final lines ("Destiny... you cannot destroy my.. destiny!") were recorded by [[Leonard Nimoy]], based on claims that those lines sounded "different" from the rest of [[Orson Welles]]' lines.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092106/trivia IMDB.com reference to the Leonard Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor.]</ref> Compounding the rumor is the fact that Welles died shortly after recording his ''TF:TM'' lines<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/This-Orson-Welles/dp/030680834X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6174389-3113623?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182349938&sr=8-1 According to one biography, Welles recorded his ''TF:TM'' lines on October 5, 1985 and died five days later.]</ref> (and indeed, one version of the rumor has Welles actually dying ''before'' completing his lines). Despite being debunked repeatedly (including by [[Susan Blu]] and [[Wally Burr]], both of whom should know), this one still pops up from time to time.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/387399-leonard-nimoy-officially-announced-voice-sentinel-prime-13.html#post5858748 Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor repeated by TFW2005 user "RedAlert Rescue".]</ref><ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2007/07/when_orson_welles_was_a_transformer.single.html Slate.com discusses the Unicron rumor.]</ref>

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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie''/Scatman Crothers coined the term "ginormous", which has since been added to several dictionaries.'''

: In ''The Transformers: The Movie'', [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], voiced by [[Scatman Crothers]], described [[Unicron]] as "a ginormous, weird-looking planet". The word "ginormous", a portmanteau of "gigantic" and "enormous", was officially added by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary in 2007.<ref name="webster">[http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords07.htm Merriam-Webster adding the word "ginormous]</ref>

: Some fans believe that Crothers had coined the term, which is incorrect for several reasons. Even putting aside the notion that under this theory, Crothers is assumed to have ad-libbed the line (rather than simply reading it from [[Ron Friedman]]'s script), the term has actually been around for much longer, being listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as a "British informal" word that has existed since at least the 1940s, and was originally military slang.<ref name="oxford">[http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ginormous Oxford dictionary entry for "ginormous"]</ref>

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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was never released in Japan.'''

: It is true that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was not released in Japan at the same time it was released in [[Hasbro]]'s markets, with Japanese fans instead getting the ''[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]'' OVA to explain the changes going into the third season of the show (second for Japan). But ''The Movie'' ultimately made it to Japanese theaters in August 1989. The various discrepancies between it and subsequent Japan-only Generation 1 fiction (such as who [[Prowl (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|didn't]] [[Wheeljack (G1)#Victory cartoon|survive]] the movie) are largely a matter of the Japanese animators and writers being unaware of the precise details of the film.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216153#post216153</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216478#post216478</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=30800</ref>

{{-}}
*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in Japan under the title "Matrix Forever".'''

: "[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix|Matrix Forever]]" is actually the shortened and slightly mistranslated title of a 20-minute video created to promote the Japanese release of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', but some Western fans have been confused into thinking that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' itself was renamed "Matrix Forever".<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/a5d29844863d2c29</ref>

====Japanese Generation 1 fiction====
*'''In Japanese continuity, Megatron and Galvatron are two separate characters.'''
:There are a few instances of Japanese fiction (and advertising) that would seem to support this notion, all of which can be attributed to a lack of communication between [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] prior to the release of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. All of them were ultimately ignored by the "primary" fiction, namely the (dubbed) third season of the cartoon (named ''Transformers: 2010'' in Japan) and the accompanying manga, which followed the Western story concept of Galvatron being a reformatted [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]].
:The [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|second issue]] of ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]'' [[manga]] depicts [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] commanding [[Megatron Corps|a legion of automatons]] created in [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s image, which some non-Japanese-speaking fans misinterpreted as depicting Galvatron and Megatron co-existing.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=179</ref>

*'''In Japanese continuity, the Destrons (Decepticons) were invaders from a planet called Destron.'''
:The [[Autobot]]s were renamed "Cybertrons" in the Japanese translation, resulting in a misconception that the Destrons ([[Decepticon]]s) must hail from somewhere other than the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Japanese translation also used slightly different spellings for the faction, "Cybertron" (literally: サイバトロン, "Sa-i-ba-to-ro-n"), and the planet, (literally: セイバートロン, "Se-i-baa-to-ro-n"), commonly interpreted as "Seibertron" by Western fans, in order to avoid confusion, even though both words originally started out based on the English name "Cybertron".<ref name="tfa522">[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 The Transformers Archive essay about various urban legends surrounding the Transformers franchise]</ref>
:This rumor presumably originates from an article a Thomas Wheeler had written for ''Attic's Collectible Toys and Values Monthly'' during the hiatus between the [[The Transformers (toyline)|G1]] and [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|G2]] toylines. According to that article, Hasbro chose not to follow this element of the story because of the similarity between the term "Destron" and ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'''s "[[Destro]]" character. Of course, seeing as the story originated in America to begin with and was only dubbed into Japanese later on, this doesn't make a lot of sense. In later years, Wheeler wrote toy reviews for Master Collector's website, which occasionally also display a certain lack of knowledge about various toys and the ''Transformers'' brand's overall history, so it doesn't seem entirely out of place for him.

*'''Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus are both members of a "Space Mafia".'''
:[[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]] and [[Blue Bacchus]], two characters from ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Victory]]'', both have their function listed as "Space Gangster". An early fan translation of their on-package [[bio]]s misinterpreted the Japanese word for "gangster" to mean "Mafia", hence the belief that a "Space Mafia" exists in the Japanese Generation 1 universe.

*'''Metrotitan is a zombie version of Metroplex.'''
: [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] was a Destron [[redeco]] of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] from the ''[[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]]'' portion of Japanese Generation 1 continuity. For unclear reasons, Western fans believe that Metrotitan was a "zombified" version of Metroplex, and a stranger variation on this rumor holds that Metrotitan was somehow "regrown" from one of Metroplex's legs.<ref name="tfa522" />

====European Generation 1 fiction====
*'''Starscream and Shrapnel are female characters in the French dub of Generation 1.'''
: This rumor is only partly true. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Transformers'' cartoon]] used three different dub teams for the French version: one for the TV show's dub broadcast in Quebec, one for the TV show's dub broadcast in France and one for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] used in both countries. Neither of the TV show's dubs depict [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] as a female as he uses a distinctively male voice;<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOCYZRxypM YouTube: Doublage de France: Combaticons et Égo]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMXCeXw5Vdo Doublage Québécois: Égo et Dr. Croc-en-ville]</ref> however, the movie's dubbing team used a female voice for Starscream, and at one point [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] calls Starscream "une imbécile" (articles in French are gender-specific), clearly cementing Starscream's movie status as a female.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20080612225831/http://www.bigbot.com/mp3/transformers_mp3.shtml#Femmes</ref> All the same is also true for [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], who is even referred to as "Mademoiselle Shrapnel" by [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] in the movie.

*'''The German version of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was edited and didn't depict Starscream's death scene.'''
: German TV didn't air a dubbed version of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] until 1989. ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' was aired for the first time on German TV in 1994, with only one repeat. For unknown reasons, a rumor was circulating for several years claiming that [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] death was considered too "violent" for German TV standards for children's programs and had therefore been edited out.<ref>[http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fassung&fid=7489&vid=38680 German movie database ''still'' listing the rumor about Starscream's "edited death" in TF:TM]</ref> However, recordings of the TV airing still exist, which don't feature any obvious edits other than [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike's]] infamous "swear" line. Furthermore, a German DVD edition of the movie released in 2004 that features an entirely different dub also depicts Starscream's death in all its glory.

*'''An Earthforce story was written to promote the non-combining Constructicon toys.'''
:The comic story "[[Desert Island Risks!]]" from issue 264 of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel UK]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|G1 comic]] reveals that the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] have somehow lost their ability to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. As a result, they try to build another Devastator as a new robot.

:Some fans mistakenly believe that this is somehow related to a re-release of the Constructicons (now in yellow) that were available in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|Europe]] after the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' toyline had ended in the USA. Those Constructicons omitted the extra parts necessary to form Devastator; and furthermore, [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] and [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (neither of them officially named in this version; all six toys came on multi-purpose cardbacks simply named "Constructicon") were [[retool]]ed to omit the tabs that were necessary for combining them (and [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]) when forming Devastator. Since the toys couldn't combine into Devastator anymore, fans believe that the [[Earthforce]] comic story was intended to serve as an "explanation" for this.

:The problem with this theory, however, is that the yellow "Euro" Constructicon toys were released in 1992; the comic story, however, had already come out in early 1990. If anything, "Desert Island Risks!" was based on the [[Action Master]] version of Devastator, which no longer consisted of six individual Constructicons. (Also, the individual Constructicons don't even appear in the story.)

===Beast Wars===
*'''In Japanese ''Beast Wars'' continuity, Optimus Primal and Megatron were the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes.'''
: While ''Beast Wars'' Megatron and Optimus Primal were identified in early packaging as new incarnations of Generation 1 Megatron and Optimus Prime in the Western release of the toyline, the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon remained consistent with the original English language version in keeping the characters separate. In the Japanese dub of "[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]", ''Beast Wars'' Megatron, while relating the tale of the Golden Disk to Ravage, even describes Generation 1 Megatron as "My ancestor Megatron".<ref>我先祖のメガトロン, ''Waga senzo no Megatron''</ref>

[[File:BWIICatalogCover01.jpg|thumb|Everything you know is a lie!]]
*'''The characters of the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoons hail from the same time-period as the cast of ''Beast Wars''.'''
:''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' remain at present the only Japanese-exclusive Transformers cartoons to have never been subtitled in their entirety, either officially or by fans. As such, even here on TFWiki, knowledge of their absolute specifics is far from 100%. But this particular misconception does have a nugget of truth in it: The first [[Catalog#Beast Wars II|pack-in catalog]] included with the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' toys did indeed present [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]] and [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] as contemporaries of ''Beast Wars'' Optimus Primal and Megatron. Subsequently, the Hasbro toy bios of [[Transmetal 2]] [[Cybershark]] and ''[[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]'' [[Magmatron]] further complicated matters by making vague yet recognizable references to the two Japanese cartoons: Cybershark's bio alluded to the ''Beast Wars II'' [[Seacon (BWII)|Seacons]], and Magmatron's bio recalled both ''Beast Wars Neo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hunt for the [[Angolmois]] capsules and the character's "[[Emperor of Destruction]]" title; both likely derived from the original misconception.

:In truth, however, the [[Emissary of the Fourth Planet|thirty-sixth episode]] of the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon established that the planet [[Gaea]], on which the series was set—which was clearly intimated to be a future version of [[Earth]]—had been lifeless for tens of thousands of years. As the ''Beast Wars'' characters hailed from a time only 300 years after the Generation 1 era, when Earth was still populated, this made it apparent that their native time was ''long'' after that of the ''Beast Wars'' cast. A scant few weeks later, the [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!|''Beast Wars II'' movie]] corroborated this with a guest appearance from Optimus Primal, who was treated as a figure of legend, and not a present-day equal of Lio Convoy's (though, many a fan initially interpreted this as supporting the above-mentioned misconception of Optimus Primal being the same person as Optimus Prime in Japan). Nearly a decade later, a fan translation of TakaraTomy's [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)/src|2007 timeline]], which clearly dated ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' shows to tens of thousands of years after the home-time of the ''Beast Wars'' cast, was the first exposure many English-speaking fans had to this idea, having long taken the catalog as immutable canon for the cartoon, but that is now firmly relegated to the status of a [[micro-continuity]]. As for the aforementioned toy bios, the references they made were thankfully parsed vaguely enough to mean little, if anything at all, to those unaware of either Japanese series, and many Hasbro toy bios from the Beast Era were already often contradictory to the material presented in the cartoons to begin with, to the point that the bios can be and generally are considered part of a separate continuity all on their own.

:In contrast to the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon, though, the [[Free the Captured Matrix!|third chapter]] of the [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Beast Wars II'' manga]], set in a different continuity from the cartoon, ''did'' follow the catalog's lead by showing Optimus Primal existing on Cybertron at the same time as Lio Convoy. Similarly, the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' casts appear as contemporaries of the ''Beast Wars'' characters in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]]'' comic books, which was likely less a deliberate choice and more a product of the original misconception (except, here, the timeline of these comics treats the events that parallel those of ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' as having happened ''before'' the home time-period of the ''Beast Wars'' instead of during or after, which ''was'' a deliberate choice).

*'''In ''Beast Wars II'', Apache is a drunkard as part of a Native American stereotype.'''
: [[Apache]] did indeed get drunk in the first episode of the ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' cartoon, but only in grief, believing (erroneously) that his actions earlier had caused the death of [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]] (which didn't happen). He did not get drunk again for the duration of the cartoon, nor did he ever do so in the manga. Outside of that, the Native American stereotype "common" to Japanese fictions is a stoic, silent, and often mystical warrior—none of which could be used to describe Apache accurately at all.
: That's not to say there aren't [[Jointron|some ethnic stereotypes]] in BWII that could be considered pretty offensive.
: Amusingly enough, in the sixth installment of the [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Beast Wars II'' manga]], ''Lio Convoy'' gets drunk for no apparent reason and ends up trashing Apache's room.

===Beast Machines===
*'''A ''Beast Machines'' writer said, "Real heroes don't use guns."'''
:''Beast Machines'' was the first (but not the last) ''Transformers'' series to explicitly avoid all hand-held projectile [[weapon]]ry. While the [[Vehicon (BM)|villains]] still had traditional "blasters" mounted on their bodies, some of the [[Maximal|heroes]]' weapons were more esoteric (such as [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s energy-web attack, activated by putting her hands on the ground, or [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s gauntlets, powered by absorbing enemy fire). According to story editor [[Bob Skir]], this creative decision was agreed upon between the story editors, [[Fox Kids]], [[Mainframe Entertainment]], and [[Hasbro]],<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> and it is indeed reflected in the toys as well.

:Note that many Maximals had weaponry that was functionally no different from a "gun"—compare [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]]'s hip-mounted energy cannons, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s back-mounted sonic blaster, or Optimus Primal's chest-mounted energy disc launcher to [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]'s shoulder-mounted ray guns or [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'s wrist-mounted energy... tossing thingies.

:On his website, Skir also elaborated on his own position as a writer choosing if or how to portray gun use, including this statement: "Our heroes use their wiles and resourcefulness, plus a few cool weapons. Guns? I've never been a fan of them myself, and do not write heroes who need them."<ref>[http://members.aol.com/zobovor/guns.html Article on the fan Dave "Zobovor" Edwards' personal site,] quoting Bob Skir's original gun statement.</ref> Some fans interpreted Skir as condemning ''all'' gun use, even in the real world, no matter the circumstances. This led to the misquote, "Real heroes don't use guns,"<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/be5e55a90df944bb/b748601b997b3508#b748601b997b3508 Alt.toys.transformers thread] with the misquote and attendant assumptions right at the start.</ref> which remains a notoriously persistent error in the fandom. Skir, responding to the controversy, said on his site that "there '''are''' heroes who '''do''' need guns (such as the [[Punisher]]). Spider-Man doesn't need guns. Neither does the [[Hulk]]. And neither do Optimus, Cheetor, Black Arachnia{{sic}}, et al."<ref name="Skir" />
:Notably, the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|series]] [[Unicron Trilogy|immediately]] [[Movie (franchise)|following]] ''Beast Machines'' did return to classic hand-held gun use among both heroes and villains. However, the more recent ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' series has again eschewed guns, probably because of its younger target audience.

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise''===
*'''The Japanese ''Car Robots'' cartoon was a direct sequel to ''Beast Wars Neo''.'''
: Some fans seem to have concluded, based on the similar animation style and overall tone, that the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|''Car Robots'' cartoon]] was meant to pick up where ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' had left off, but all indications are that ''Car Robots'' wasn't meant to take place in any pre-existing TF continuity. But now Takara says it's in the Generation 1 continuity.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=490</ref>

===Transformers (2007)===
[[File:Japaneseflowchart.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look! No 2007 movie!]]
*'''The movie series takes place in the Generation 1 timeline in Japan.'''
: This is another one of those instances where one TakaraTomy thing, very early in the life cycle of a new ''Transformers'' [[franchise]], will say one thing about said franchise, and then literally ''everything else ever'' will say another.

: When the live-action movie series was getting started, TakaraTomy went live with their "World of Transformers" web site. The website timeline made the rather bizarre claim that the 2007 live-action movie also somehow took place in the Japanese Generation 1 continuity in 2007, but this was ''not'' reflected by the accompanying flow-chart, and was established to not be the case by the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)/src|''Kiss Players'' timeline]] (which noted that the movie-verse Autobots and Decepticons came from another universe when they appeared in a ''Beast Wars'' crossover). And of course, nothing else ever attempted to make the connection.

:So... technically, in one [[micro-continuity]] this is true. Everywhere else? Not so much.

{{-}}
*'''''Transformers'' was nearly rated R by the MPAA.'''
: In the spring of 2007, it was reported that ''[[wikipedia:Disturbia|Disturbia]]'', a then-upcoming [[DreamWorks]] film starring [[Shia LaBeouf]] and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], had received an R rating from the [[wikipedia:Motion Picture Association of America|Motion Picture Association of America]]. That film's rating was eventually lowered to PG-13 on appeal, but in the meantime some ''Transformers'' fans became confused and believed that it was ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' that had been rated R, leading to some heated discussion on ''Transformers'' message boards.

{{-}}
[[File:MovieCreditsNoBrawl.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Invisible credit.]]
*'''Brawl is named in the credits.'''

: The Decepticon tank, who was named "Devastator" in a subtitle in the movie, ended up being named "[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]" in [[Hasbro|Hasbro's]] [[Movie (toyline)|toy line]]. Both Hasbro and the screenwriters, [[Alex Kurtzman]] and [[Roberto Orci]], have expressly favored the toy's name, referring to the name in the movie as an "error".

: Since the character has a "speaking" line in the movie, some fans claim that the voice actor is named in the ending credits, and the character's name is stated as "Brawl" there. In fact, however, there's no credit ''at all'' for the character, under either name, as he has no voice actor, his "speaking role" being little more than echo-y electronic gibberish.

{{-}}
[[File:BanachekMustacheMan.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|One of these is not like the others.]]
*'''The Decepticons' hologram is Tom Banachek.'''

: Several Decepticons in the movie are seen using a holographic "pilot"/"driver" based on the same short-haired, mustache-clad human with an intense stare, only wearing different clothes to match their respective [[alternate mode]]s. Since [[Tom Banachek]], the head of [[Sector Seven]]'s Advanced Research Division, also sports a mustache, a short-cropped hairstyle and a pretty intense stare, many fans mistakenly believe that the Decepticons' hologram is meant to look like him.

: There are two problems with that. One, the Decepticons' hologram, dubbed "[[Moustache Man]]" in the credits, is played by real-life United States Air Force Major [[Brian Reece]], whereas Tom Banachek is portrayed by established actor [[Michael O'Neill]].

:Two... how would the Decepticons know who Banachek even was to model a hologram after him?

{{-}}

===Animated===

*'''The Japanese dub of ''Transformers Animated'' presents it as a prequel to the live-action movies.'''

:This appears to have ''some'' basis: Back in March 2010, the then-recent edition of ''[[TV Magazine]]'' published some early pre-release information about the Japanese dub of the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'' cartoon]]. Among the details announced was the name-change of [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] to "Ironhide", and changing his character to be closer in personality to [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] from the [[live-action film series|live-action movies]]. The article allegedly also claimed that because [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] was not Supreme Commander of the Autobots in ''Animated'', the cartoon would be "set chronologically before the live action movies".<ref name="tvmagani">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/animated-8/latest-edition-of-tv-magazine-reveals-new-transformers-animated-japan-details-169265/ TFW2005 reporting on ''TV Magazine'' article about the Japanese dub of the ''Transformers Animated'' cartoon], March 2010.</ref>

:In actuality, however, not much of this has been reflected in the dub itself: Aside from the aforementioned renaming of Bulkhead into "Ironhide", there's nothing in the Japanese dub that ties the ''Animated'' cartoon any closer to the live-action movies than its American counterpart.

===Revenge of the Fallen===

*'''Barricade's return?'''
:A common misconception among fans is that [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade's]] Saleen Mustang alternate mode was spotted on the set of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', possibly as part of the alleged "disinformation campaign" director [[Michael Bay]] repeatedly insisted he had initiated. In fact, however, a truck transporting three "Barricade" prop vehicles was spotted in Culver City, California, in March 2008, more than ''two months'' before principal shooting for ''Revenge of the Fallen'' started.<ref name="vehspotted">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/transformersnews.php?id=6980 Superhero Hype reporting on the spotting of Barricade vehicles in March 2008]</ref> There's been no indication that this had any significance other than moving the prop cars... someplace. Barricade would not make his reappearance until the ''next'' movie, ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.

===Prime===
*'''The High Moon Studios games are part of G1.'''
{{quote|We really did look very closely at Generation 1 stuff and tried to capture what for us was the essence of the characters.|[[Sean Miller]], Director Character and Animation|[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]}}
:With its designs aiming at a video gamer audience who grew up with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], the development team for ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' took a great deal of inspiration from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]] for such things as characters and the design aesthetic for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]</ref> A [[Commercial#War for Cybertron|commercial]] even depicted Shockwave ordering Soundwave to play [[The Touch|a song]] made famous by the [[The Transformers: The Movie|original animated movie]]. Furthermore, War for Cybertron toys were sold as part of the ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' toyline that featured Generation 1-styled characters. These factors led many to believe the game was actually part of Generation 1.

:To be fair, there was and is virtually no information available to the average fan that ''War for Cybertron'' is not part of Generation 1. Hasbro has essentially been folding ''War for Cybertron'' into their modern continuity, and have been informing dedicated fans of this fact through [[Hasbro Q&A|question and answer sessions]].<ref>"The official story of the original 13 and specifically Alpha Trion has not been explored fully in the modern continuity that Transformers War for Cybertron, Exodus, and Prime are a part of." [[Hasbro Q&A/September 2010: Answers]]</ref> The [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)|''War for Cybertron'' comic adaptation]] and [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172 online timeline] actually are adaptations from ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', which is the basis for the new modern continuity fiction.

:Canonically, both WfC and its sequel Fall of Cybertron are in the Aligned continuity, but beyond suggestions and mandatory changes from Hasbro, High Moon Studios doesn't seem to care about Hasbro's declarations of canon. In the art book for the sequel to WfC, ''[[The Art of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'', the only influences of the concept art and designs mentioned are G1 related. Dreamwave, the original cartoon, and other concepts and ideas from Generation 1 are cited, but the fact that Cliffjumper's head is based off of Prime Cliffjumper's is not mentioned, nor are the modifications to Optimus Prime's gun, Megatron's new body, [[Tox-En]], or the other assorted influences from Prime.

*'''''War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron'' is a prequel to the G1 cartoon.'''
:With its designs aiming at a 20-something audience who grew up on the original cartoon, many gamers would be forgiven for mistaking ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' for a prequel, and it doesn't help that the developers at [[High Moon Studios]] advertised the game as such. More savvy fans would recognize that the game is generally irreconcilable with the cartoon (or any other Generation 1 continuity for that matter): the circumstances of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s rise to power would contradict "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", and Optimus's [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|predecessor]] does not possess the Matrix, unlike his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon|cartoon counterpart]]. The Autobots left Cybertron because the [[Core]] shut down, not because energy sources were depleted, and characters like [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]], [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]], [[Cyclonus (WFC)|Cyclonus]], the [[Aerialbot (WFC)|Aerialbots]] and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] wouldn't be on Cybertron or even ''exist''. Additionally, the game draws inspiration from other continuities, including characters not from Generation 1 like [[Slipstream (WFC)|Slipstream]] and [[Demolishor (WFC)|Demolishor]]. The game does share a lot of similarities with Dreamwave's ''[[War Within (franchise)|War Within]]'' series (where Jetfire and Trypticon are present), but it cannot take place in that continuity either.

==Companies==
===Marvel Comics===
*'''John Romita designed the Generation 1 character models.'''
:The rumor here comes about through a misreading of the credits to [[The Transformers Universe]]. Legendary Marvel Comics artist John Romita, Sr. was listed as "Art Director", leading readers to assume that he was in charge of designing or developing the various [[character model]]s used in the series (and reprinted in said comic). However, Romita was actually the Art Director for Marvel Comics as a whole at the time. The majority of the character models were in fact done by [[Floro Dery]], who went uncredited.<ref>See [http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/01/11/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-85/ Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed] for more information.</ref>

===TakaraTomy===
*'''Takara was taken over by Tomy.'''
:In 2005, it was announced that Takara, longtime Japanese manufacturer/distributor of Transformers toys, and former competitor Tomy would merge into a new company, named [[TakaraTomy]], as of March 1, 2006. Some fans misinterpreted the media coverage, believing that Takara had been bought out by rival Tomy. This was not helped by official press releases declaring Tomy the "surviving company", Tomy having the majority of shares, and the merged company simply going by the name "Tomy" outside Japan.
:The name issue is easily explained, as it was done for purely pragmatic reasons. "Tomy" is an internationally established brand, since the company already had divisions in many other countries prior to the merger, and distributed their toys under their own name there. Takara, meanwhile, had mostly abandoned ventures into international markets years ago, and had its products distributed through other companies (such as [[Hasbro]]) instead. Therefore, the merged company decided to use the better-known name for its international business, while it would continue as "TakaraTomy" within Japan itself.
:Now, as for the specifics of the merger... Although the merger ratio was set at 0.356 of a Tomy share for each Takara share (including a split of Tomy's stock), and the companies announced a layoff of 15% of their combined workforce mostly on the Takara side, the term "merger" (as compared to "take-over") was prominently used in all the official announcements by the two companies, and twisting tiny details into a de facto "takeover" of Takara by Tomy is effectively splitting hairs.

*'''e-Hobby is owned by Takara (TakaraTomy).'''
:The [[e-HOBBY]] shop is owned by Part One, Ltd. Although the company has had close ties with Takara for decades, the online store also sells toys by other companies, primarily TakaraTomy's rival [[Bandai]].
:The online store ''directly'' owned by TakaraTomy, meanwhile, is [[TakaraTomy Mall]] (formerly Toy Hobby Market).

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 Ten popular but incorrect rumors about Japanese Transformers]

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Lists]]

Video games

2015-10-15T15:03:05Z

Anonymous X: /* Other */ clarify

[[File:MarvelUS-24.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|But I can't die!... I pressed up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start!]]With a brand as large as [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'']], it is surprising how few '''video games''' have been produced for it. Until the obligatory [[Live-action film series|live action movie]] tie-in software deluge in 2007, Transformers video games were largely limited to the [[Japan]]ese market.

==''Generation 1'' games==
*''[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy]]'' ([[Family Computer|Famicom]])
*''[[The Transformers (Commodore 64)|The Transformers]]'' (Commodore 64, Sinclair Spectrum)
*''[[The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth]]'' (Commodore 64)
*[[Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|''Transformers: The Headmasters'']] (Famicom Disk System)
*[[The Transformers (Game Boy Advance)|''The Transformers'']] ([[Game Boy|GBA]] — unreleased)
*''[[The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers]]'' (PS2)
*''[[Transformers G1: Awakening]]'' (mobile phone, Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Rising]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Battle Tactics]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (mobile game)|Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Ultimate Allstars]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Devastation]]'' (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360)

==Beast Era games==
*''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|Beast Wars: Transformers]]'' (PC, PS)
*[[Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|''Ketō Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Senshi Saikyō Ketteisen'']] (GBC)
*''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals]]'' (PS)
*''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals]]'' (N64)

==Unicron Trilogy games==

*''[[Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' (PS2)
*''[[Transformers Cybertron: Quest for Cybertron|Quest for Cybertron]]'' (ION - Unreleased)

==Movie universe games==
*''[[Transformers The Game (console)|Transformers The Game]]'' (PS2, PS3, 360, Wii, PC)
*''[[Transformers The Game (PSP)|Transformers The Game]]'' (PSP)
*''[[Transformers (Glu)|Transformers]]'' (mobile phone)
*''[[Transformers Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Wii/PS2)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (Wii, PS2)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (PSP)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (PSP)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Autobots/Decepticons|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Glu)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (mobile phone)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|Transformers Dark of the Moon]]'' (360, PS3)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition]]'' (Wii/3DS)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Glu)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]'' (mobile phone)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (3DS)
*''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (mobile game)|Transformers: Age of Extinction]]'' (Android, iOS)

==''Animated'' games==
*''[[Transformers Animated: The Game]]'' (NDS)

==''War for Cybertron'' games==
{{main|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)}}

*''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*''[[Transformers: Cybertron Adventures]]'' (Wii)
*''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|Transformers: War for Cybertron — Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (3DS)

==''Prime'' games==
*''[[Transformers: Prime - The Game]]'' (Wii, WiiU, NDS, 3DS)

==Online games==
:''For further information, see: [[Online games]]''

==Other==
Though not a Transformers game, the [[Hudson Soft]] GameCube and PlayStation 2 game ''[[DreamMix TV World Fighters]]'', only released in Japan, features Transformers as both playable characters and cameos. Due to characters from at least three different companies being involved, legal entanglement makes it highly unlikely that the game will ever leave the country.

In the '90s, a game based on ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' was in development for the Super Nintendo console, but the project was dropped. It has been rumored that this project then evolved into the SuperFX enabled game ''[[wikipedia:Vortex (video game)|Vortex]]''. This is supported by ''Vortex'' being made by Argonaut Software (the company that was supposed to release the ''Generation 2'' game), the fact that the game involved a polygon-based transforming robot, and the timing of the release. However, Michael Wong-Powell, programmer of Vortex, told British magazine [[wikipedia:Retro Gamer|Retro Gamer]] in 2015 that Vortex and Transformers Generation 2 were developed as separate games by Argonaut, with the Transformers game ultimately being cancelled.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Making of: Vortex |journal=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=147 |pages=38-41 |date=October 2015}}</ref>

''[[Transformers Battle Universe]]'' for the Net Jet features characters from the ''Generation 1'', ''Beast Wars'', ''Movie'', and ''Animated'' franchises, belonging to all four instead of any particular one.

The [[Nintendo]] [[Wii U]] game ''[[Splatoon]]'' briefly featured a promotional tie-in with ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' in North America.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] met [[Carly]] in [[Robots Video Arcade]] while Bumblebee was playing ''[[Robot Resource]]''. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
[[Ethan Zachary]] enjoyed playing ''[[Multi-World]]'' on his [[Energy Futures Industries|employer's]] computer after hours. When [[Decepticon]]s and [[Autobot]]s showed up to fight over the [[hydrothermocline]], Zachary proposed settling their differences by playing a game of ''Multi-World''. [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] won by cheating, so [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] agreed to allow himself to be destroyed, per the initial agreement. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

Later, Zachary allowed Optimus Prime's personality (which was backed-up on a [[floppy disk]]) to exist as a character in the game [[Hyper-Fax]]. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

===''Animated''===
[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] enjoyed playing video games. {{stub}}

When [[Wasp]] was disgused as Bumblebee, Bulkhead proposed using a game of ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' to reveal the true Bumblebee. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

===''Transformers'' film===
An [[Xbox 360]] console, which is designed to allow [[human]]s to play video games, was turned into a [[Xbox 360 robot|robot]] by the [[AllSpark]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}

===''Prime''===
[[Jack Darby (Prime)|Jack]], [[Miko Nakadai (Prime)|Miko]], [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]], and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] enjoyed playing a [[generic racing game]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} {{storylink|Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap}}

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Video games| ]]

Video games

2015-10-09T23:31:11Z

Anonymous X:

[[File:MarvelUS-24.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|But I can't die!... I pressed up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start!]]With a brand as large as [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'']], it is surprising how few '''video games''' have been produced for it. Until the obligatory [[Live-action film series|live action movie]] tie-in software deluge in 2007, Transformers video games were largely limited to the [[Japan]]ese market.

==''Generation 1'' games==
*''[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy]]'' ([[Family Computer|Famicom]])
*''[[The Transformers (Commodore 64)|The Transformers]]'' (Commodore 64, Sinclair Spectrum)
*''[[The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth]]'' (Commodore 64)
*[[Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|''Transformers: The Headmasters'']] (Famicom Disk System)
*[[The Transformers (Game Boy Advance)|''The Transformers'']] ([[Game Boy|GBA]] — unreleased)
*''[[The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers]]'' (PS2)
*''[[Transformers G1: Awakening]]'' (mobile phone, Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Rising]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Battle Tactics]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (mobile game)|Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Ultimate Allstars]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Devastation]]'' (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360)

==Beast Era games==
*''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|Beast Wars: Transformers]]'' (PC, PS)
*[[Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|''Ketō Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Senshi Saikyō Ketteisen'']] (GBC)
*''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals]]'' (PS)
*''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals]]'' (N64)

==Unicron Trilogy games==

*''[[Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' (PS2)
*''[[Transformers Cybertron: Quest for Cybertron|Quest for Cybertron]]'' (ION - Unreleased)

==Movie universe games==
*''[[Transformers The Game (console)|Transformers The Game]]'' (PS2, PS3, 360, Wii, PC)
*''[[Transformers The Game (PSP)|Transformers The Game]]'' (PSP)
*''[[Transformers (Glu)|Transformers]]'' (mobile phone)
*''[[Transformers Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Wii/PS2)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (Wii, PS2)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (PSP)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (PSP)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Autobots/Decepticons|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Glu)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (mobile phone)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|Transformers Dark of the Moon]]'' (360, PS3)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition]]'' (Wii/3DS)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Glu)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]'' (mobile phone)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (3DS)
*''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (mobile game)|Transformers: Age of Extinction]]'' (Android, iOS)

==''Animated'' games==
*''[[Transformers Animated: The Game]]'' (NDS)

==''War for Cybertron'' games==
{{main|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)}}

*''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*''[[Transformers: Cybertron Adventures]]'' (Wii)
*''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|Transformers: War for Cybertron — Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (3DS)

==''Prime'' games==
*''[[Transformers: Prime - The Game]]'' (Wii, WiiU, NDS, 3DS)

==Online games==
:''For further information, see: [[Online games]]''

==Other==
Though not a Transformers game, the [[Hudson Soft]] GameCube and PlayStation 2 game ''[[DreamMix TV World Fighters]]'', only released in Japan, features Transformers as both playable characters and cameos. Due to characters from at least three different companies being involved, legal entanglement makes it highly unlikely that the game will ever leave the country.

In the '90s, a game based on ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' was in development for the Super Nintendo console, but the project was dropped. It has been rumored that this project then evolved into the SuperFX enabled game ''[[wikipedia:Vortex (video game)|Vortex]]''. This is supported by ''Vortex'' being made by Argonaut Software (the company that was supposed to release the ''Generation 2'' game), the fact that the game involved a polygon-based transforming robot, and the timing of the release. However, Michael Wong-Powell, programmer of Vortex, told British magazine [[wikipedia:Retro Gamer|Retro Gamer]] in 2015 that Vortex and Transformers were developed as separate games by Argonaut, with the Transformers games ultimately being cancelled.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Making of: Vortex |journal=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=147 |pages=38-41 |date=October 2015}}</ref>

''[[Transformers Battle Universe]]'' for the Net Jet features characters from the ''Generation 1'', ''Beast Wars'', ''Movie'', and ''Animated'' franchises, belonging to all four instead of any particular one.

The [[Nintendo]] [[Wii U]] game ''[[Splatoon]]'' briefly featured a promotional tie-in with ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' in North America.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] met [[Carly]] in [[Robots Video Arcade]] while Bumblebee was playing ''[[Robot Resource]]''. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
[[Ethan Zachary]] enjoyed playing ''[[Multi-World]]'' on his [[Energy Futures Industries|employer's]] computer after hours. When [[Decepticon]]s and [[Autobot]]s showed up to fight over the [[hydrothermocline]], Zachary proposed settling their differences by playing a game of ''Multi-World''. [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] won by cheating, so [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] agreed to allow himself to be destroyed, per the initial agreement. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

Later, Zachary allowed Optimus Prime's personality (which was backed-up on a [[floppy disk]]) to exist as a character in the game [[Hyper-Fax]]. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

===''Animated''===
[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] enjoyed playing video games. {{stub}}

When [[Wasp]] was disgused as Bumblebee, Bulkhead proposed using a game of ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' to reveal the true Bumblebee. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

===''Transformers'' film===
An [[Xbox 360]] console, which is designed to allow [[human]]s to play video games, was turned into a [[Xbox 360 robot|robot]] by the [[AllSpark]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}

===''Prime''===
[[Jack Darby (Prime)|Jack]], [[Miko Nakadai (Prime)|Miko]], [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]], and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] enjoyed playing a [[generic racing game]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} {{storylink|Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap}}

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Video games| ]]

Video games

2015-10-09T23:29:42Z

Anonymous X:

[[File:MarvelUS-24.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|But I can't die!... I pressed up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start!]]With a brand as large as [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'']], it is surprising how few '''video games''' have been produced for it. Until the obligatory [[Live-action film series|live action movie]] tie-in software deluge in 2007, Transformers video games were largely limited to the [[Japan]]ese market.

==''Generation 1'' games==
*''[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy]]'' ([[Family Computer|Famicom]])
*''[[The Transformers (Commodore 64)|The Transformers]]'' (Commodore 64, Sinclair Spectrum)
*''[[The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth]]'' (Commodore 64)
*[[Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|''Transformers: The Headmasters'']] (Famicom Disk System)
*[[The Transformers (Game Boy Advance)|''The Transformers'']] ([[Game Boy|GBA]] — unreleased)
*''[[The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers]]'' (PS2)
*''[[Transformers G1: Awakening]]'' (mobile phone, Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Rising]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Battle Tactics]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (mobile game)|Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers Ultimate Allstars]]'' (Android, iOS)
*''[[Transformers: Devastation]]'' (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360)

==Beast Era games==
*''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|Beast Wars: Transformers]]'' (PC, PS)
*[[Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|''Ketō Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Senshi Saikyō Ketteisen'']] (GBC)
*''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals]]'' (PS)
*''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals]]'' (N64)

==Unicron Trilogy games==

*''[[Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' (PS2)
*''[[Transformers Cybertron: Quest for Cybertron|Quest for Cybertron]]'' (ION - Unreleased)

==Movie universe games==
*''[[Transformers The Game (console)|Transformers The Game]]'' (PS2, PS3, 360, Wii, PC)
*''[[Transformers The Game (PSP)|Transformers The Game]]'' (PSP)
*''[[Transformers (Glu)|Transformers]]'' (mobile phone)
*''[[Transformers Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Wii/PS2)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (Wii, PS2)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (PSP)|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (PSP)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Autobots/Decepticons|Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Glu)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (mobile phone)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|Transformers Dark of the Moon]]'' (360, PS3)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition]]'' (Wii/3DS)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Glu)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]'' (mobile phone)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (3DS)
*''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (mobile game)|Transformers: Age of Extinction]]'' (Android, iOS)

==''Animated'' games==
*''[[Transformers Animated: The Game]]'' (NDS)

==''War for Cybertron'' games==
{{main|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)}}

*''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*''[[Transformers: Cybertron Adventures]]'' (Wii)
*''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|Transformers: War for Cybertron — Autobots/Decepticons]]'' (NDS)
*''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'' (360, PS3, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U, PC)
*Half of ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'' (3DS)

==''Prime'' games==
*''[[Transformers: Prime - The Game]]'' (Wii, WiiU, NDS, 3DS)

==Online games==
:''For further information, see: [[Online games]]''

==Other==
Though not a Transformers game, the [[Hudson Soft]] GameCube and PlayStation 2 game ''[[DreamMix TV World Fighters]]'', only released in Japan, features Transformers as both playable characters and cameos. Due to characters from at least three different companies being involved, legal entanglement makes it highly unlikely that the game will ever leave the country.

In the '90s, a game based on ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' was in development for the Super Nintendo console, but the project was dropped. It has been rumored that this project then evolved into the SuperFX enabled game ''[[wikipedia:Vortex (video game)|Vortex]]''. This is supported by ''Vortex'' being made by Argonaut Software (the company that was supposed to release the ''Generation 2'' game), the fact that the game involved a polygon-based transforming robot, and the timing of the release. However, Michael Wong-Powell, programmer of Vortex, told British magazine [[wikipedia:Retro Gamer]] in 2015 that Vortex and the Transformers game were developed as separate games by Argonaut, with Transformers ultimately being cancelled.

''[[Transformers Battle Universe]]'' for the Net Jet features characters from the ''Generation 1'', ''Beast Wars'', ''Movie'', and ''Animated'' franchises, belonging to all four instead of any particular one.

The [[Nintendo]] [[Wii U]] game ''[[Splatoon]]'' briefly featured a promotional tie-in with ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' in North America.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] met [[Carly]] in [[Robots Video Arcade]] while Bumblebee was playing ''[[Robot Resource]]''. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
[[Ethan Zachary]] enjoyed playing ''[[Multi-World]]'' on his [[Energy Futures Industries|employer's]] computer after hours. When [[Decepticon]]s and [[Autobot]]s showed up to fight over the [[hydrothermocline]], Zachary proposed settling their differences by playing a game of ''Multi-World''. [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] won by cheating, so [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] agreed to allow himself to be destroyed, per the initial agreement. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

Later, Zachary allowed Optimus Prime's personality (which was backed-up on a [[floppy disk]]) to exist as a character in the game [[Hyper-Fax]]. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

===''Animated''===
[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] enjoyed playing video games. {{stub}}

When [[Wasp]] was disgused as Bumblebee, Bulkhead proposed using a game of ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' to reveal the true Bumblebee. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

===''Transformers'' film===
An [[Xbox 360]] console, which is designed to allow [[human]]s to play video games, was turned into a [[Xbox 360 robot|robot]] by the [[AllSpark]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}

===''Prime''===
[[Jack Darby (Prime)|Jack]], [[Miko Nakadai (Prime)|Miko]], [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]], and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] enjoyed playing a [[generic racing game]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} {{storylink|Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap}}

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Video games| ]]

People Power!

2015-09-26T22:29:39Z

Anonymous X: /* Continuity errors */

{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #42
|prev=Totaled!
|next=The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)
|title="People Power!"
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #176–177
|prev2=Totaled!
|next2=The Cosmic Carnival
|image=MarvelUS-42.jpg
|caption=Get... in... me... belly!
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=March [[1988]]
|coverdate=July 1988
|writer=[[Bob Budiansky]]
|breakdowns=[[José Delbo]]
|finishes=[[Dave Hunt]] & [[Don Hudson]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Bill Oakley]]
|editor=[[Don Daley]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}

'''A small band of Autobots take Optimus Prime's consciousness to Nebulos to have a new body built for him, but encounter some potentially deadly challenges.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Dreadwing g1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Just rude, really.]]
On the planet [[Nebulos]], an alien jet attacks the [[Gardens of Eternal Peace and Harmony Macrobiotic Restaurant]]. The jet splits into the bickering Decepticons [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]], who each discharge a transformable humanoid passenger. The two bio-engineered Nebulans, [[Hi-Test]] and [[Throttle (G1)|Throttle]], confront the maitre d' and demand a dozen of the restaurant's best entrées.

Meanwhile, the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' arrives in orbit over Nebulos. Its crew, [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]], [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], and [[Getaway]], journey to the surface and meet with the Nebulan scientist, [[Hi-Q]], at [[Hi-Q Industrial Research Complex|his research facility]]. Hi-Q is reluctant to help them in their mission to construct a new body for [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], though not because he's unwilling.

Hi-Q explains that after the departure of the Transformers from their world, {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}} he and his former partner Hi-Test were charged with preventing the [[Transformer]]s from ever returning. Under his direction, a bomb was detonated, tainting all fuel sources on the planet so as to be poisonous to any Transformer. Hi-Q's success drove the jealous Hi-Test to quit, however.

When Darkwing and Dreadwind arrived looking for [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s crew, they soon found themselves victim of this poisoning, and lay dormant for a time. Hi-Test recruited the thief Throttle to steal Hi-Q's research into what he called the [[Powermaster]] process, allowing a bio-engineered Nebulan to serve as a replacement power source for a poisoned Transformer. Hi-Test and Throttle undergo the necessary alterations, and partner with the two Decepticons, reviving them. A major side-effect is that, in order to generate the energy, the Nebulans must consume huge quantities of food, and many of Darkwing and Dreadwind's attacks are to secure supplies. Hi-Q has thus far been unable to devise a way to stop them.

Goldbug says ''they'' can stop the rampaging Decepticons, but Hi-Q reminds them that they, too, will be poisoned if they partake of local fuel resources. Goldbug is adamant that they at least stay and complete their mission, despite the danger to themselves. Hi-Q says that he, his staff, and his facilities are at their disposal... but that he will not be saddened when the Autobots inevitably fall.

Darkwing and Dreadwind, meanwhile, attack the [[Council of Peers]] at [[Koraja]], determined this time to find out what happened to Scorponok's crew. The Autobots hear of the attack and come to the rescue, only to get soundly trounced by the Powermaster-enhanced Decepticons.

Returning to the lab, the steadily-weakening Autobots complete Optimus Prime's new body with Hi-Q's help. Even though he will only live a short while in his poisoned body, Prime's mind is transferred into the body. He can now combine with a new trailer component, granting him greater power than ever before—an upgrade he can't wait to use in [[Pretender to the Throne!|the next game!]] Goldbug despairs; even restoring him to life hasn't convinced Optimus that he's not just a computer simulation.

But, suddenly, Optimus Prime is struck by pain as the poisoned fuel kicks in. He realizes that since he can feel pain and potentially die, he must be alive... and thanks Goldbug for freeing him from the living death of the disk for a few precious moments of life. Hi-Q is struck by the realization that the Autobots are both alive and as noble as any Nebulan he's met. He volunteers to save Optimus by undergoing the Powermaster process himself. Three of his staff eagerly agree to help out Joyride, Getaway and Slapdash. Only the pacifist [[Kari]] refuses to participate, but luckily, Goldbug is quite fuel efficient and has plenty of fuel reserves left.

Some time later, Darkwing and Dreadwind have coerced the location of the Autobots from the Nebulans, and move to attack Hi-Q's lab. They are met by the rejuvenated Powermaster Autobots, however, who can now match them shot for shot. The entry of Optimus Prime into the battle causes it to end very quickly; the Decepticons crash and burn. Hi-Q confronts Hi-Test, pointing out what his petty jealousy has caused: the return of war to Nebulos. The Council has already sentenced Hi-Test and Throttle to exile from Nebulos; they rejoin their partners and rocket off to parts unknown.

Goldbug prepares to depart alone in the ''Steelhaven''; the Powermaster process has inextricably tied the Autobots and the Nebulans together, and the robots are now bound to the world of their partners. But Kari points out that Nebulos may not be a suitable home for the binary-bonded Nebulans anymore. Hi-Q realizes she's right—their presence endangers the planet. The Autobots and their new partners all say a sad farewell to Nebulos.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Getaway]] (6)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] (7)
*[[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]] (8)
*[[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] (9)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (15)
|c2=
*[[Dreadwing (G1)|Dreadwing]] (1)
*[[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] (2)
*[[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] (3)
|h4=[[Nebulan]]s|c4=
*[[Hi-Test]] (4)
*[[Throttle (G1)|Throttle]] (5)
*[[Lube]] (10)
*[[Hotwire]] (11)
*[[Kari]] (12)
*[[Hi-Q]] (13)
*[[Rev]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Time to separate, '''Darkwing! Get off my back!'''" 
"Only a '''rust infection''' could be worse than staying there, '''Dreadwind!'''"
:—the Powermasters introduce themselves to the reader, fully in character.

"You'll pay for that insult, Nebulan - with your '''life!''' 
"And without him what would become of '''you''', Darkwing --? ...You would grind to a halt, your body corroding, festering, sinking into an irreversible, inoperative '''oblivion''', with no hope for --" 
"Stuff the rosy forecast, Dreadwind. I get the point."
:—'''Darkwing''' and '''Dreadwind''', ladies and gentlemen

"Your fuel is poisoned. You're... dying." 
"Of course. Dying... such a '''fascinating''' sensation. But... in order to die... I would have to be more than just a pattern of magnetized bits on a disc. Much more. I must be '''alive.'''" 
"And '''I''' have '''doomed''' you. I... am sorry, Optimus." 
"Don't apologize, old friend. Existing on that disc... was a living death. Escaping it... for these few moments of precious life... is well worth it. I... thank you."
:—'''Goldbug''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

"Better the black abyss of permanent shutdown than any more of this barrage!" 
"You take the abyss route, Dreadwind -- I'm taking '''off!'''"
:—'''Dreadwind''' and '''Hi-Test'''

==Notes==
===Artwork and technical errors===
[[File:DelboPMPrimeSwipe.jpg|thumb|200px|right|One of Delbo's most blatant swipes.]]
* On the cover, Joyride is colored like Hound (or maybe Hardhead), and Getaway is colored like Cliffjumper.
*The Nebulan capital city of [[Koraja]] appears radically different than it did in the ''Headmasters'' miniseries; the new version of Koraja is both much larger and more overtly high-tech than the miniseries' version.
*The [[Gardens of Eternal Peace and Harmony Macrobiotic Restaurant]] that Dreadwind and Darkwing attack at the start of the story has "RESTAURANT" written across the entrance in English instead of [[Nebulanese]]; a flying cab has TAXI written on it.
* Page 6, panel 9: Hi-Test is shown in his Powermaster armor before he's actually become a Powermaster.
*For his first appearance in his [[Optimus Prime Super Modes|super-robot mode]], [[José Delbo]] swiped Optimus Prime's pose directly from his [[character model]] as depicted in his ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' profile.

===Continuity errors===
* Goldbug describes Hi-Q as "precisely the human we came to see". Whether describing Nebulans as "human" is an error or not depends on how pedantic you want to be; the Nebulans are for all intents and purposes identical to the humans of Earth. Furthermore, the "error" could just be chalked up to a mistake on Goldbug's part - he's never been to Nebulos before.
*Goldbug says Optimus Prime looks identical to how he remembered, but there are a few minor changes made to his character model to make it look more like the toy, including hip wheels, no gas cans on his legs, and smokestacks that protrude from inside of his shoulders instead of attached on the outside.
*Is it really plausible that a humanoid could power a full-size Transformer via the contents of their stomach, particularly one with high fuel demands required by flight capability? Admittedly, this all could be a self-aware parody of the already-typical 'Decepticons raid resources for fuel' storyline.
* The three Powermasters-to-be are supposed to be lying helpless in the repair bay while Optimus Prime is reactivated, but they're shown up and about instead.

===Continuity notes===
*Slapdash, Joyride, and Getaway all made their first appearances in [[Totaled!|the previous issue]], in which they were charged with guarding the Optimus Prime disk on board ''Steelhaven''.
*Hi-Q explains the steps that the [[Council of Peers]] took to keep invading robots off Nebulos after [[Brothers in Armor!!|the final issue]] of the ''Headmasters'' miniseries. Flashbacks recall the first battle at Koraja and the final panels of the ''Headmaster'' series as the Nebulans rebuild.
* The Autobots literally start ''falling apart'' from lack of fuel, a conceit not seen before or after this issue.


===UK printing===
'''Issue #176'''
*'''Backup strips:''' ''[[Action Force (comic)|Action Force]] - Pit-Fall'' and ''[[Combat Colin]]''
*'''[[Transformers AtoZ|AtoZ]]:''' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (updated)
*In [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Grim Grams]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] declines to answer a puzzle involving guessing the identity of a [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] who transforms into a T-Rex, hates [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], and answers the letter page.

'''Issue #177'''
*'''Backup strips:''' ''Action Force - Pit-Fall'' and ''Combat Colin''
*In Grim Grams, Grimlock states he doesn't believe that an appearance by an issue of Transformers on long running UK soap ''Coronation Street'' could be considered an honor.

===Other trivia===
*The letters page of the US printing confirmed a second 4-issue ''Transformers Universe'' to be released in the summer of 1988, which was seemingly canceled at the last minute due to declining sales. As a result, starting with issue [[Club Con!|#47]] Universe profiles were occasionally included in issues of the ongoing series, allowing [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] to maintain the per issue page quota while also reducing production costs.

===Covers (8)===
<gallery>
File:MarvelUS-42.jpg|'''US issue #42''' - Mummy, is that how babies are born?
File:MarvelUK-176.jpg|'''UK issue #176''' - Oh no, not [[:Image:Bonk.jpg|again!]]
File:MarvelUK-177.jpg|'''UK issue #177''' - Yep, he's back, and here to stay. Until he gets killed [[Still Life!|again.]] And then is [[End of the Road! (US)|back to stay again.]] And then gets killed [[A Rage in Heaven!|again.]] Because [[Hasbro|the Fates]] have decreed [[To sell toys|that this is the path of the Hero.]]
File:Titan-MaximumForceSC.jpg|'''''Maximum Force'' TPB'''
</gallery>
*'''US issue #42 cover:''' battle royal by [[José Delbo]] and [[Dave Hunt]].
*'''UK issue #176 cover:''' Darkwing and Dreadwind by [[Kev Hopgood]]; the image of Dreadwind from this cover was reused as part of the first "Dread Tidings" masthead during the character's stint on Marvel UK letters page.
*'''UK issue #177 cover:''' Optimus Prime cover by [[Jeff Anderson]] proclaiming the character's return. This image would later be cropped and used as the character portrait in the info block on future UK covers.
*'''''Maximum Force'' TPB cover:''' [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a [[Targetmaster]] gun, the ''Steelhaven'' and half of [[Skullgrin]]'s head by [[Andrew Wildman]]
<gallery>
File:Titan-MaximumForceHC.jpg|'''''Maximum Force'' HC'''
File:Idw-tfmag1.GIF|'''''Transformers: Magazine'' #1'''
File:Classic Transformers Vol3.jpg|'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 3'''
File:TFClassicsVol4.jpg|'''''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4'''
</gallery>
*'''''Maximum Force'' Hardback cover:''' Skullgrin by [[Peter Snejbjerg]]
*'''''Transformers: Magazine'' #1 cover:''' Optimus Prime and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] fight by ???
*'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 3 cover:''' Panels from this issue and US issues [[Child's Play (issue)|#35]] and [[Spacehikers!|#36]]. Art and pencils by José Delbo, pencils by [[Don Perlin]], finishes by Dave Hunt & Don Hudson, inks by [[Ian Akin]] & [[Brian Garvey]], colours by Nel Yomtov.
*'''''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4 cover:''' [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] by [[Guido Guidi]].

===Advertisements===
*None yet identified.

===Reprints===
*[[2004]] — ''[[Transformers: Maximum Force]]''
*[[2007]] — ''[[Transformers: Magazine]]'' #1
*[[2009]] — [[Classic Transformers Volume 3|''Classic Transformers'' Volume 3]]
*[[2012]] — [[The Transformers Classics, Vol. 4|''The Transformers Classics'' Vol. 4]]

[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise

2015-04-26T12:41:42Z

Anonymous X: /* Knitting Pattern */ copyright date on the knitting pattern is 1986, yes I did ask my mother to look for it in the attic ;)

{{suite}}

'''Optimus Prime''' is a bit of a shill.
==Stamp Bot==
[[File:OptimusPrime-StampBot-1984.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Truck stamp is cool!]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (1984)

:Made by HG Toys, Stamp Bot Optimus Prime is a small, non-poseable figurine of Optimus Prime based on his toy with a rubber stamp on the base, and a cap with a felt "floor" that was soaked in ink. The stamp made an image of Optimus Prime's cab mode.
{{-}}

==Knitting Pattern==
[[File:Transformers-knitting-pattern.JPG|thumb|Here to transform your sweater into something that will get your ass kicked.]]
* '''Wendy DK 3015''' (1986)
: Produced by U.K. company Wendy DK and designed by Joy Gammon, this pamphlet contained patterns for two ''Transformers''-themed sweaters, one featuring Optimus Prime in robot mode, one featuring Optimus Prime in vehicle mode. The patterns were sized as Children's Large, so you're going to have to upscale it quite a bit if you want your <s>girlfriend</s> mom to knit you one.
{{-}}

==Oral Care Station==
*'''Optimus Prime Oral Care Station''' (1984/85?)
:An electric toothbrush in the likeness of Optimus Prime. A battery-operated feature causes the toothbrush (attached at Prime's left wrist) to move back and forth. The set also included a cup for [[water]], an extra brush head, and a stand to hold the various accoutrements.
::*''[https://www.flickr.com/photos/14985789@N07/3207711517/?rb=1 Image at Flickr.com]
::*''[http://fredsworkshop.com/oral.html Images of the Oral Care Station in-box at FredsWorkshop.com]''

==The Transformers Cookie Jar==
*'''The Transformers Cookie Jar''' (1984?)
:A ceramic cookie jar in the likeness of Optimus Prime's head. The top of Prime's head lifts off for the storage of delicious baked goods or Energon or what-have-you. The cookie jar was manufactured by [[Great American Housewares]] under license from [[Hasbro]].
::*''[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/179468-optimus-prime-cookie-jar-price-check.html Images of The Transformers Cookie Jar at TFW2005]''

==Transformers Milk Caramel==
[[File:Tfcaramel optimus prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Note: Do not eat! ... the candy. The toys taste better.]]
*'''Convoy''' (1985)
**''ID number:'' '''1'''

:A small soft-rubber figurine (known as a ''keshigomu'' in Japan) of Optimus Prime was released as part of [[Kabaya]]'s line of ''[[Transformers Milk Caramel]]'' [[candy toy]]s. Like all the figures from the 1985 range, Prime came blindpacked, and was available in a variety of colors including white, blue, yellow, green and orange. As the name of the series suggests, he came with a piece of caramel candy.

*'''Convoy''' (1985)
**''ID number:'' '''1'''
:A second Optimus Prime ''keshigomu'' was included in the second wave of ''Milk Caramel'' figures, sporting some broader proportions and more toy-based design cues like visible wheels, holding its gun in its left hand, rather than its right. This figure was available in red, yellow and blue variations; a baffling variant is known to exist with a ''Decepticon'' symbol on its left shoulder!

*'''Convoy''' (1985)
**''ID number:'' '''2'''
:The second ''Milk Caramel'' wave also contained a third Optimus Prime figure, largely identical to the second, except with its gun in its right hand, and holding its left arm aloft. Again, this figure was available in red, yellow and blue variations.
{{-}}

==Transformers Choco==
[[File:Tfchoco optimusprime.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Convoy''' (1985)
:A small solid-color snap-together model kit of Optimus Prime was released by Kabaya as part of their ''[[Transformers Choco]]'' line, coming packaged with small chocolate candies similar to [[M&M's]] called "Chocolate Dots". The kit can transform from robot to vehicle mode, though this version of Prime doesn't have any hands.

*'''Convoy''' (1985)
**''Accessories:'' Two fists
:A second ''Choco'' version of Prime was upsized from the first a little, and was given a pair of removable fists, the right one clutching Prime's [[ion blaster]].
{{-}}

==Transformers Gum==
[[File:Tfgum optimusprime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' (1985)
**''Accessories:'' Two fists, ion blaster
:In addition to the small ''Choco'' model kit, Kabaya also released a larger version of Prime under their ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line. Essentially a downsized version of the original Prime toy (sans trailer), the kit is sculpted from black, red and grey plastic, features stickers rather than paint applications for details, and came with a stick of gum.
{{-}}
[[File:Tfgum2010 g1prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster
:The first wave of 2010's revival of the ''Transformers Gum'' series served up a double dose of Prime, beginning with this new model kit of the original Generation 1 version of the character. Sculpted from white, red and blue plastic, the kit features a positively ''ungodly'' amount of stickers to make it look presentable, and comes with Prime's traditional ion blaster weapon, which stores on the rear of his cab in vehicle mode.
{{-}}
[[File:Tfgum2010 henkei prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/laser cannon
:The second Prime figure in the 2010 ''Gum'' line was this kit of his ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''/''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (franchise)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' body. As with the Generation 1 model, this figure is made from white, red and blue plastic and uses ''lots'' of stickers. It comes with the ''Classics''' figure's transforming smokestack/laser cannon weapon.
{{-}}

==Decoy==
[[File:Decoy optimus prime.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (multi-pack, 1986)
*'''Defeat Trypticon Strategy Game''' (board game, 1986)

:Optimus Prime was among the many characters rendered by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] as part of their series of 1.5" ''keshigomu'' figurines. Like all the Autobots in the series, Prime was molded in soft red rubber, and featured a number sculpted into his back that was the sum total of his [[Tech Spec]]s, for use in the various games that could be played with the figurines. Prime was available as part of a 22-piece box set of Autobot figures, as a playing piece in the Defeat Trypticon Strategy Game, and later, in a peach coloration randomly packed as part of various other box sets.

*'''Optimus Prime''' (1987)
**''Checklist number:'' '''31'''

: The Prime figurine was later brought over to [[Hasbro]] markets as part of the "[[Decoy]]" promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number (31, in Prime's case). Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Decoy Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
==Vinyl figurine==
[[File:Optimus Prime Vinyl Figure set.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Vinyl Prime leads his decoys into battle.]]
*'''Scramble Gun Set''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''Part.1'''
:Optimus Prime was one of several characters released by [[Seven]] and Takara as large vinyl figurines in a variety of different novelty sets. Prime came packaged with a roleplay pistol (the titular "Scramble Gun"), an Autobot badge, and four randonly assigned peach-colored decoy figures. In [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Vinyl figurine|"Part.2"]] of the set Prime is replaced by a vinyl Ultra Magnus.{{-}}

==Gold Convoy Trophy==
[[File:Gold Convoy Trophy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Thou will worship this golden convoy. Or Perish!]]

: A gold chrome trophy in the likeness of Optimus Prime was given as an award to an unknown number of distinguished [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] employees and as a [[Lucky Draw]] (alongside the [[Chromedome (G1)|Silver Chromedome Trophy]]) in [[TV Magazine]] in 1988. The two different releases have different plaques but appear to be otherwise identical. If you're an Optimus Prime merchandise completist, good bloody luck finding this one.
{{-}}

==Vehicle Play Tent==
*'''ERO''' (1984?)
[[File:Vehicleplaytent.jpg|thumb|Both a big truck ''and'' a series of tubes.]]
:The Vehicle Play Tent was part of the deluge of Transformers merchandise in the 80s. The tent was constructed by means of a series of plastic tubes that fit into sockets on corner pieces (similar to the "k'nex" building system that arrived a few years later), then a vinyl cover was slipped over this PVC skeleton to make the tent.
{{-}}

==Metalforce==
* '''Convoy''' (2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MFC-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, alternate hand, unpainted rifle, Matrix, helmet and hand
[[File:MetalforceConvoy.jpg|thumb|I'm expensive!]]

: ''Metalforce'' Convoy is a large vinyl figurine sculpted to very closely resemble Optimus Prime as he appeared in the original television series, and at the time was the most accurate product depiction of Optimus Prime's cartoon appearance.

:The figure has useful swivel joints at the shoulders and neck, and not-so-useful ones at the wrists and knees. It comes fully painted and pre-assembled, but true to his garage figure origins his Ion blaster must be cut free using a hobby knife, then assembled. His clear blue chest window piece is removable to allow the installation of his [[Matrix of Leadership/toys|Matrix of Leadership]], as is a ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Movie]]''-style Matrix cover (not pictured). He also comes with an alternate hand that allow him to hold his accessories, as well as unpainted and uncut duplicates of his Matrix, hands and helmet, for some reason...

:Metalforce Prime was available in both a matte-paint "anime" version that more precisely echoed the colors of the actual series, and a metallic-paint version (pictured), which is less [[show-accuracy|show-accurate]] but more shiny. The plain-colors version was the first release and has an Autobot symbol tampograph on his shoulder as per [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the cartoon]], while the later metallic-finish version instead came with a decal sheet.

{{-}}
==Choro-Q==
*'''Convoy''' (2000)

:''[[Choro-Q]]'' Convoy is a [[redeco]] of the Domra Truck toy from Takara's ''Choro-Q'' toyline of non-transforming [[super-deformed]] vehicles. He was an [[exclusive]] at [[BotCon]] Japan 2000, and features a [[pull-back motor]] and a rear license plate that reads "BotCon Japan 2000".

:Along with ''Choro-Q'' [[Mirage (G1)|Ligier]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]], Convoy was given out randomly to convention attendees. Each toy was limited to 1000 pieces.

==Super Collection Figure==

[[File:Super collection figure primes.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]

*'''Convoy''' (2000)
: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Optimus Prime was available as part of the first wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a clear plastic version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures.

*'''Convoy''' (2000)
:Also available in the first ''Super Collection Figure'' wave was a rare "chase" version of the Prime figure, decorated in metallic paint and replacing his gun-wielding right hand with his [[energon-axe]].

*'''Convoy (Trailer Mode)''' (2000)
:Part of the second ''Super Collection Figure'' act, this is the only ''SCF'' figure of a vehicle mode Transformer. As with the previous non-chase Prime figure, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a clear plastic version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve blindpacked figures.

*'''Convoy w/ Megatron Gun''' (2000)
:The second ''Super Collection Figure'' wave, like the first, also had its own Optimus Prime chase figure, this one wielding Megatron in gun mode and wearing [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]'s [[jet pack|rocket pack]], as seen in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]".

*'''Convoy Damage Version''' (2001)
:There was no mass-release Optimus Prime figure for the third ''Super Collection Figure'' act, but there was another rare chase figure, this time a battle-damaged version of the original figure from the first act.

*'''Convoy''' (2001)
:For the fourth ''Super Collection Figure'' wave, Prime was rendered weaponless, speaking into the open communication panel on his left arm. Like all the figures in the fourth wave, Prime was available in both standard full color and metallic silver "pewter" versions, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. In eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Prime came packaged with the left arm of the collectable [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] build-a-figure.

*'''Convoy w/ Matrix''' (2001)
:This version of Prime was a chase figure in the fifth ''Super Collection Figure'' act, and depicted the Autobot leader, rendered in metallic silver, opening the Matrix.

*'''Convoy w/ Megatron Gun''' (2002)
:The sixth ''Super Collection Figure'' wave featured yet another mass-release version of Prime. Again wielding Megatron, much like the chase figure from the second wave, this figure came with an interchangeable empty fist. The figure was available in both full color and pewter versions in an equal ratio, and in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version came with the head for the wave's [[Grand Maximus]] build-a-figure.

*'''Star Convoy''' (2002)
:After taking a break for the seventh wave, Prime returned for the eighth ''Super Collection Figure'' wave, which would prove to be the final Generation 1-themed set of figures. This figure of Prime in his Star Convoy body was available in both full color and pewter versions in an equal ratio, and in eight out of every ten cases, the colored version came with the right arm for the wave's [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] build-a-figure.

{{-}}
[[File:Scf convoy set.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Exclusive Convoy Set''' (2002)
:Available exclusively at the Japanese Wonder Festival convention, this set included the "Convoy w/ Megatron Gun" figure from the sixth wave, and the vehicle mode Prime from act 2, both decorated in colored metallic paint. The set was limited to only 1000 units.

{{-}}{{anchor|ConfrontationSet}}
[[File:Scf confrontation set.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''TF Confrontation Set 01: Convoy vs Megatron''' (2002)
**''Accessories:'' Energon-axe

:Exclusive to the Tokyo Game Show, this special set included the original first-wave Optimus Prime figure, along with the Megatron PVC from the same wave. Both featured new battle damage [[paint operation]]s, and came with the interchangeable energon-axe and mace weapons from their first-wave chase figures. As with the Wonder Festival set, this set was also limited to 1000 units.
{{-}}

==Heroes of Cybertron==

When the ''Super Collection Figure'' series was imported to become Hasbro's ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line, the figures were all cast entirely in translucent colored plastic, then painted over, save for the eyes and a small patch on the back of their heads, giving them all a [[light-piping]] gimmick. Unlike the Japanese figures, they were sold in individual blister packaging, with character profile cards.

* '''Optimus Prime''' (2002)
:A ''Heroes of Cybertron'' release of the first ''Super Collection Figure'' Optimus Prime figure.

* '''Powermaster Optimus Prime Apex Armor''' (2002)
: Actually a repaint of the ''Super Collection Figure'' of Prime's ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' lookalike [[Ginrai|God Ginrai]], this figurine is based on Ginrai's appearance in the ''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon, and depicts Prime combined with his trailer and [[Apex Bomber]].

* '''Optimus Prime with Plasma Weapon''' (2002)
:This second-wave ''Heroes of Cybertron'' release of the chase figure from the first ''Super Collection Figure'' wave was a little different from its Japanese progenitor, lacking its metallic paint.

* '''Powermaster Optimus Prime Spark Attack''' (2002)
: Another unusual figure, this second-wave figurine is a redeco of the first God Ginrai/Powermaster Prime Apex Armor PVC figure, cast in translucent orange plastic. The figure emulates God Ginrai performing his "God Fire Guts" attack, although the ''Super Collection Figure'' Fire Guts God Ginrai figure was actually metallic golden.

*''' Optimus Prime with Communicator''' (2003)
:This fifth-wave ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figure is a release of the Prime figure from the fourth ''Super Collection Figure'' wave. It came with the head and weapons for the wave's collectable [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] build-a-figure.

<center><gallery>
File:HOCPrime.jpg|Hey Spike, pull my finger.
File:HOCPrime_axe.jpg|Energon Axe: Only used in [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2|one episode]]. Ever.
File:Aaoptimus.jpg|Don't tell anyone, but this crap is HEAVY!
File:Pmoptimus.jpg|This can't be [[Spark attack|Spark Attack]]! His is so energetic that... he BURNS.
</gallery></center>

{{-}}

==Hard Hero==
[[File:HardHero OptimusPrime bust.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Bust, 2002)

: Optimus Prime was the first ''Transformers'' bust released by [[Hard Hero]]. He is approximately six inches tall at the head (8.5 at the gun) and is made out of cold-cast porcelain. There were also a version of the bust signed by the sculptor, limited to 100 samples.

{{-}}

[[File:HHero OptimusStatue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Not there. There!]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Full figure statue, 2003)

:Hard Hero also created a 13-inch tall Optimus Prime statue. It is sculpted pointing with his left hand while holding his ion rifle in his right.

{{-}}

==MyClone==
*'''Optimus Prime'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MFT001''' and '''MFT006'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base
: Optimus Prime was released three times in the [[MyClone]] line, all in the first wave of toys. He was released in both robot and truck mode, while a clear Optimus in robot mode was one of two chase figures along with a clear Megatron.

==Generation 1 Figure-Collection==

[[File:Bottlecap prime gun.JPG|thumb]]

*'''Convoy (gun)''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

:At only one inch in height, this Optimus "bottlecap" figurine (so named because its display base is the size of a bottlecap) was one of fourteen blindpacked figures available in Kabaya's Transformers [[Generation 1 Figure-Collection]]. The figure was rendered in both a standard "retro" black and white color scheme, and [[:File:Bottlecap chase prime.jpg|a rare full-color]] [[chase figure|chase]] version, and came with a leaflet, personalized with cartoon screen captures.
{{-}}
[[File:Bottlecap prime pointing.JPG|thumb]]
*'''Convoy (pointing)''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-2'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

:The second Prime figure in the Generation 1 collection was much like the first, only sculpted with an empty hand, pointing off into the distance like a lot of Optimus Prime figures are wont to do.
::*''[http://snakas.web.fc2.com/misc_item/kabaya_bottle.htm More information on the Bottlecap Collection at Autobase Aichi]''

{{--}}

==KT Figure Collection - The Transformers==
*'''Convoy''' (KT Figure Collection, 2004)
: This figure was designed by [[Yuki Ohshima]] and produced by [[KT Figure Collection]]. The figure is actually a mini bust of Optimus Prime, which includes the head and the upper body without arms. The chest design comes with translucent blue windows and a grill on the midsection. There is also a button in the back. Pushing the button will open the chest and cause the Matrix to emerge, similar to the scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

*'''Convoy "Revival version"''' (''[[Figure Ō]]'' exclusive, 2004)
: The 82nd issue of the hobby magazine ''[[Figure Ō]]'' came with a [[redeco]] version of Optimus Prime's mini bust. It is painted completely silver, making him appear to be coated with the special alloy from "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]".

<center><gallery>
File:Optimus_Prime_KT.jpg|Thanks for helping me... [[City of Steel (episode)|pull myself together]].
File:Optimus_Prime_ex_KT.jpg|No, I am [[redeco|NOT]] [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]! I'm silver, not [[:File:Magnuslongshot.jpg|white]].
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

==Palisades==
[[File:Palisades WarWithinPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
* '''The War Within Optimus Prime''' ([[Palisades]], 2005)

:'''The War Within'' Optimus Prime is a six-inch-tall polystone mini statue based on his appearance in the popular [[War Within (franchise)|''War Within'' comic book series]]. Prime stands on a silver Autobot-insignia stand, is decorated with dirt to simulate battle damage, and has articulation in his head and arms. The statue was limited to 1500 pieces worldwide.

{{-}}

==Titanium Series==
[[File:TitaniumRMWWPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Squattie]]
* '''War Within Optimus Prime''' (3" Robot Masters, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, display stand

: ''War Within'' Optimus Prime is the second toy representation of Optimus Prime as he appears in ''War Within''. Constructed partially of die-cast metal, this three inch version cannot transform and has some articulation, limited to his shoulders, head and waist.

{{-}}
[[File:TitaniumRMG1Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Drop and give me twenty, soldier!]]
* '''Optimus Prime''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, display stand

: The first Titanium representation of G1 Optimus Prime has a well-proportioned sculpt based on his 20th Anniversary toy. Constructed partially of die-cast metal, this three inch version cannot transform and has some articulation, limited to his shoulders, head and waist.

{{-}}
* '''Optimus Prime (Battle Damaged)''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, display stand
: This is a repaint of the 3" G1 Optimus Prime titanium figurine, with a 'battle-damaged' deco.

*'''Optimus Prime & Bumblebee''' (2-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, display stand
: A Toys 'R' Us [[exclusive]] two-pack, this set features "Supermetal Finish" (read: shiny) versions of the "Robot Master" ''Titaniums'' Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.

==Diamond Select==
[[File:Optimus Prime Mini-bust.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Autobots, Roll Out!!]]
* '''Optimus Prime''' (Diamond Select, 2007)
:A mini-bust of Optimus Prime based on his appearance in the comic was released by [[Diamond Select]] in 2007. The figure includes the upper body of Optimus Prime, carrying his laser rifle and posed as if preparing to charge. The Matrix of Leadership is sculpted into the base of the statue.

{{-}}
[[File:Ark Globe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*'''Autobot Snow Globe''' (Diamond Select, 2007)

:Optimus Prime is also featured in Diamond Select's Autobot-themed snow globe, posing above a [[Mount St. Hilary]] base which also features the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. The globe was sculpted by [[Art Asylum]].

{{-}}

[[File:DST08 FinalBattlePrimeBust.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Hold this for a moment won't you.]]
* '''Final Battle Optimus Prime''' (Diamond Select, 2008)
:Final Battle Optimus Prime was exclusive to the online retailer Action Figure Xpress. He was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. Optimus Prime is shown after his climactic battle with Megatron during Transformers: The Movie; shortly before he passed the Matrix of Leadership (which is also removable here) to Ultra Magnus. His base features the life support readout that monitored both his declining health and eventual death.

{{-}}

[[File:DST SDCCToonPrimeBust.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
* '''G1 Animated Optimus Prime''' (Diamond Select, 2008)
:G1 Animated Optimus Prime was exclusive to the 2008 San Diego Comic Con. He was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and features a more matte color scheme to better match the cartoon's palette.

{{-}}

[[File:DiamondSelect PowermasterOptimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*'''Powermaster Optimus Prime''' (Diamond Select, 2010)

:This fourth Optimus Prime bust was to be based on his [[Powermaster]] incarnation, but appears to have been canceled.

{{canceledtoy}}

{{-}}
[[File:DiamondSelect OptimusPrime bustbank.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*'''Optimus Prime Bust Bank''' (Diamond Select, 2010)

:A 6-inch hollow Optimus Prime bust to keep your spare change safe! It would've featured articulation in its shoulders and neck, but like the Powermaster bust, it never saw release.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

==First 4 Figures==
[[File:SnakeEyes OptimusPrime statue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
*'''Snake-Eyes & Optimus Prime Statue''' (2007)

:[[First 4 Figures]] produced a statue based on the cover of [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|issue 1]] of ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers]]'', featuring an Optimus Prime in the [[Cobra]] [[HISS tank]] body he used in that series. Prime is an 8-inch tall one-armed bust, and ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> resident ninja [[Snake-Eyes]] stands battle-ready in his open palm.

{{-}}
[[File:StormShadow OptimusPrime statue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
* '''Storm Shadow & Optimus Prime Statue''' (2007)

: First 4 Figures's second ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' statue is 7.5 inches tall and is based on the cover of [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|issue 5]]. This one depicts [[Cobra]]'s own ninja, [[Storm Shadow]], taking a stance above Optimus Prime's damaged head. The statue was limited to 1000 samples.

{{-}}

==Transformers (2007)==
*'''Optimash Prime''' (2007)
{{main|Optimash Prime}}
{{-}}
[[File:Softimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Freedom is the right of all sentient beings... in bed.]]
*'''Softimus Prime''' (2007)

:Softimus Prime is, as his name suggests, a plush G1 Optimus Prime toy. Obviously, he has no problems with articulation and passes the drop test with flying colors. His main draw is the ability to "transform" into his Freightliner FL86 vehicle mode by turning the plush toy inside out, his transformation roughly similar to the Powermaster cab Prime's. He features Movie-style faction symbols on his right arm and both sides of his cab mode. He is love.

{{-}}
==Robot Heroes==
[[File:RH Optimus vs Ravage.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Mini-Me!]]
*'''Optimus Prime Vs Ravage''' (2007)

: Packed with [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]], Optimus Prime is one of the first figures in the Transformers segment of the ''Heroes'' franchise. As with all ''Heroes'' figures, Optimus Prime is a simple, yet well-detailed two-inch tall figurine with exaggerated, cartoony proportions. He is sculpted holding his Ion Blaster rifle in his right fist and his left arm in a pointing pose. He is also love, and demands that you pull his [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3#Notes|Finger of Doom]].

: This version of Optimus was later also released as part of a set with a 100-piece [[jigsaw puzzle]].

[[File:Robot Hero Supermetal Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|100px|Cuteness is the right of all sentient beings.]]
*'''Decepticon Sneak Attack''' (2007)

: "Supermetal Finish" Optimus Prime is a special shiny [[redeco]] of the previous Robot Hero. He came in a Wal-Mart exclusive multipack also including "Hologram" [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], "Supermetal Finish" [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]] and [[Skywarp (G1)/toys|Skywarp]].

{{-}}

[[File:RH Prime vs Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'Til all are cute.]]
*'''Optimus Prime Vs Unicron''' (2007)

: Packed with [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]], a second SD Optimus Prime for the Transformers segment of the ''Heroes'' franchise. This version of the Chibimus Prime has him opening the Matrix of Leadership to shine the Autobots' darkest hour. Better him than [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]].

{{-}}

==Attacktix==

*'''Optimus Prime''' (Starter Set, 2007)
[[File:Attacktix Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|He shoots sideways. The direction, not [[Sideways (RID)|the character]].]]
{{attacktix
|ID=TF2-19
|faction=Autobot
|class=Leader
|special=Last Stand - 13/26 (50%) success ratio
|cost=40
|speed=6
|attacktype=Shooter (Force Blast)
}}
{{-}}
:Optimus Prime will shoot you down. He was released as part of the 2007 Starter Set along with ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]], ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Landquake (Energon)|Landquake]] and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Skywarp (Armada)|Skywarp]].

:Optimus' Last Stand special allows him to stand up if he's the only figure in your team left in play. If you're down to two men you might even be tempted to shoot your own man just to keep Optimus Prime in play. Don't though. [[Peter Cullen]] wouldn't approve.

:Sadly you can't bring him into play with the ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Super Optimus Prime]] vehicle mode because he's not ''Super'' Optimus Prime.
{{-}}

==Revoltech==
[[File:Revoltech Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Windowbra!]]
*'''Convoy''' (2007)
**''Series number:'' '''019'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, two clenched fists, gun-wielding right hand, pointing right hand, open left hand

:A non-transforming but ''highly'' articulated Optimus Prime action figure(ine), ''[[Revoltech]]'' Convoy uses the ''Revoltech'' "revolver joints" for maximum poseability. Prime comes with his now-standard ion blaster and Matrix of Leadership accessories, as well as a few alternate hands; while one of the hands is specifically designed to grip the ion blaster, he can't really do anything dramatic with the Matrix, and it just sort of sits in his open-palmed left hand. His sculpting is explicitly in the style of [[Pat Lee|Pat "serfdom" Lee]]'s interpretation of Prime, but due to physical constraints has no lack of perspective.

:Unsurprisingly, this mold was redecoed to create ''Revoltech'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]]. Magnus comes with a new hand mold that can be used to connect him and Prime together in a handshake.

{{--}}

==Mighty Muggs==
[[File:MightyMuggs OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|Optimus lost his ears in the rock tumbler.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2009)
:''Accessories:'' Ion rifle

: This [[super-deformed]], non-transformable Optimus Prime figure uses the standard [[Mighty Muggs]] body template, with swivel joints in his neck and limbs. He comes with a similarly super-deformed version of his ion rifle.

{{-}}

[[File:MightyMuggs MetallicOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|Optimus, did you polish your head in the Shine-O Ball-O?]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' Ion rifle

: An [[exclusive]] to the 2009 [[San Diego Comic-Con]], this Optimus Prime Mugg has a shiny metallic finish.

{{-}}

==Transformers Wacky Wobblers==
[[File:WackyWobblers G1OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2009)

: This Optimus Prime [[wikipedia:Bobblehead|bobblehead]] is part of the popular ''[[Wacky Wobblers]]'' line produced by [[wikipedia:Funko|Funko]]. Aside from the standard-issue big wobbling head, he features an ion rifle molded onto his right hand and his arms swivel at the shoulders. Optimus is affixed to a base with his name on it.
{{-}}

==USB-Powered Speaker Head==
*'''Optimus Prime USB-Powered Speaker Head'''
[[File:G1-optimusprime-merc-speaker.jpg|thumb]]
: As a 6.5" figure, Optimus Prime's head is built-in with [[Wikipedia:Universal Serial Bus|USB]]-powered speakers. There are two speaker inside each side of Optimus Prime's head. The control panel, USB port, and earphone port is locate in the back of the head. Under the neck, there is a display to support the head.
: The speaker is redecoed to create Ultra Magnus Speaker.
{{-}}

==Transformers Backpacks==
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2009)

:Made by [[F*A*B Starpoint]], these backpacks are allegedly "engineered for style, safety, comfort... and saving the Universe!" The Generation 1 Optimus Prime design features a stock silhouette of Optimus Prime surrounded by stars, like the [[Paramount Pictures]] logo, while on the lower compartment there is a gigantic Autobot sigil.

==Universal Studios==
*'''Optimus Prime plushie'''

:Created for the [[Transformers: The Ride – 3D|the Transformers ride at Universal Orlando]], a [[super-deformed]] plush toy of Optimus was made available at the Supply Vault gift shop near the opening of the ride.

==Ornaments==
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2007)
[[File:OptimusPrimeG1Ornament.jpg|thumb|100px]]

:Manufactured by [[American Greetings]] as part of their Heirloom ornament collection, this hanging sculpt of Optimus Prime is based upon the 20th Anniversary toy release.

*'''Optimus Prime''' (2014)
[[File:Optimus-prime-keepsake-Hallmark.jpg|thumb|Hallmark 2014 Ornament|upright=1.1]]
:Manufactured by [[Hallmark]] as part of their Keepsake ornament collection as part of the Hasbro series which includes ornaments based on [[My Little Pony]] G1, the electronic game Simon, and the board game Sorry, this hanging sculpt of Optimus Prime is based upon the original G1 toy cab in robot mode posed like 1984 box art.
{{-}}

==Mecha Nations==
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2014)
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Energon Axe, Removable Armor.
[[File:klog tfop 003.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime, not the shrink wrap!]]

:Created by [[Kids Logic]], this [[super-deformed]] G1 Optimus Prime stands 6" tall and is articulated. He features a metallic color scheme, removable armor and replacement hands. He also features LED light up eyes, lights, weapons and [[Creation Matrix]].

{{-}}
==Ultimetal==
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2014)
**''ID number:'' '''UM-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, energon-axe, small Matrix, 24 armor pieces, 2 smokestacks, large Matrix, display stand, 8 display stand parts, remote control

: ''Ultimetal'' Optimus Prime is a large non-transforming figure produced by [[Art Storm]], standing at an impressive 1 foot 4 inches/43 cm and made from extensive [[die-cast]] metal. Packaged in four different boxes, he features plenty of articulation and detail, including an opening chest and numerous magnetically attached armor panels that, when removed, reveal Prime's internal anatomy. He also has electronic light-up eyes and roof lights as well as 20 spoken English phrases, all activated via remote control. His [[mouthplate]] even moves when he talks, just like in the cartoon!

: Prime comes with an ion blaster which can also be opened to reveal technical detail, an energon-axe, and two Matrices of Leadership of different sizes. The smaller one fits into his chest, where it can be lit up by an LED, while the larger one lights up on its own and can be held in his hands or placed on display. Prime's display stand has smaller stands for the Matrix and ion blaster and also has light-up parts.

::*''[http://artstorm.co.jp/ultimetal_optimusprime.html More information on ''Ultimetal'' Optimus Prime at Art Storm's official site]''

{{-}}

==EX Gōkin==
*'''Convoy''' (2014)
**''Accessories:'' Two fists, two open hands, two gripping hands, right pointing hand, ion blaster, energon-axe, display stand

: A 6.6-inch tall non-transforming Optimus Prime action figure was produced by Art Storm as part of their ''EX Gōkin Transformers Series'' line. He comes with his trademark blaster and energon-axe as well a number of extra hands, and his chest opens to reveal a non-removable Matrix.

::*''[http://artstorm.co.jp/exgokin_transformersseries_convoy.html More information on ''EX Gōkin'' Convoy at Art Storm's official site]''
{{-}}
==D-Style==
[[File:D-Style-OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You got D-touch. You got D-power]]
*'''Convoy''' (2015)
**''ID number:'' '''43'''
**''Accessories:'' Two fists, pointing right hand, Ion blaster, energon-axe, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, Convoy cab with trailer

:An Optimus Prime was produced by [[Kotobukiya]] as part of ''[[D-Style]]'', their franchise-spanning line of super deformed model kits. His accessories include an ion blaster, an energon-axe, a Matrix that can store in his chest, and a tiny super deformed representation of his truck mode which can carry the ion blaster. Moving his antennae causes his mouthplate to move up and down.

:For a small figure it includes a large amount of articulation, including ankle tilts and top of legs tilting away from the yellow codpiece.

: The Convoy Trailer, ion blaster and the gold part of the Matrix all require painting. In addition, on promotional images ''all'' the black details and lines (for example on the front thighs and round the edge of the yellow codpiece) are painted and the eyes have been painted blue instead of left as clear plastic.

: Amusingly, the head has the [http://www.1999.co.jp/itbig29/10294593z.jpg mouth-less face] underneath Optimus' mouthplate, as a either a reference to the error from [[The Search for Alpha Trion]] or limitation in the model kit (or both).

:This mold was also used to make ''D-Style'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#D-Style|Black Convoy]].
{{-}}

==ES Gōkin==
*'''Convoy''' (2015)
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, display stand

:Optimus Prime was also released as part of Art Storm's ''ES Gōkin'' series, a line of posable super deformed figures. He comes with his trademark gun which he can hold in either hand.

::*''[http://artstorm.co.jp/esgokin_convoy.html More information on ''ES Gōkin'' Convoy at Art Storm's official site]''
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]

The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

2014-12-24T00:46:22Z

Anonymous X: /* Notes */ other music used in game

{{album
|series=''The Transformers: The Movie — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
|image=TFTM Soundtrack.jpg
|caption=
|label=[[Scotti Bros. Records]]
|releasedate=[[August 8]], [[1986]] [[March 10]], [[1992]] (CD)
|prodnumber=
|asin=
|next='Til All Are One: Featuring Stan Bush and Vince DiCola
|reissue=1999 CD re-release
|image2=TFTM Soundtrack CD.jpg
|caption2=
|label2=Scotti Bros. Records [[Volcano Entertainment]]
|releasedate2=1999
|prodnumber2=61422-32015-2
|asin2=B00000I01C
|reissue2=''20th Anniversary Edition''
|image3=TFTM Soundtrack Anniversary Edition.jpg
|caption3=
|label3=Volcano Entertainment [[Sony|Legacy Recordings]]
|releasedate3=[[May 29]], 2007
|prodnumber3=88697-09656-2
|asin3=B000PHW236
}}
'''''The Transformers: The Movie — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''''' is the official soundtrack issued in 1986 on the day of the movie's release (August 8th), featuring songs used in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

The album was originally released on Scotti Bros. Records, and sold in both vinyl LP (long-playing) record form and audio cassette. On March 10th, 1992, it was released on CD with a scaled-down version of the original artwork, and then again in 1999 with a new cover (there is no new [[copyright]] information on either CDs' booklet or outer case to indicate when they were released).

The movie's soundtrack is a mixture of arena rock and "hair metal" songs by an array of obscure artists, mixed with synthesizer instrumental tracks by Vince DiCola. A lone New Wave-style track by genre parodist [["Weird Al" Yankovic]] rounds out the set.

==Track listing==
# "[[The Touch]]" - [[Stan Bush]]
# "[[Instruments of Destruction]]" - [[N.R.G.]]
# "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" - [[Vince DiCola]]
# "[[Dare]]" - Stan Bush
# "[[Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way]]" - [[Kick Axe|Spectre General]]
# "[[The Transformers (Theme)]]" - [[Lion]]
# "[[Escape (song)|Escape]]" - Vince DiCola
# "[[Hunger]]" - Spectre General
# "[[Autobot/Decepticon Battle]]" - Vince DiCola
# "[[Dare to Be Stupid]]" - [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]

==3H Edition==
In 1997, the newly-formed [[3H Productions|3H Enterprises]] produced as a [[BotCon 1997]] [[exclusive]] a double-CD set called ''[['Til All Are One: Featuring Stan Bush and Vince DiCola]]''. The second disc contains all of the background score (by Vince DiCola) that was not on the original soundtrack, including several "alternate" pieces for scenes that used songs from the original soundtrack, plus "[[Legacy]]", the audition piece that got Vince the job. Other albums released by 3H which include music from the movie are ''[[BotCon '97 - The Concert]]'', ''[[Vince DiCola Presents: The Protoform Sessions]]'', ''[[Artistic Transformations: Themes and Variations]]'', and ''[[Lighting Their Darkest Hour: The Complete Music Score for TFTM]]''. All of these 3H albums are long since sold out.

==''20th Anniversary Edition''==
On May 29, 2007, [[Sony|Legacy Recordings]] re-released the soundtrack in a ''20th Anniversary Edition'' containing the above tracks from the original 1986 release plus these additional tracks:

:11. "[[Unicron Medley]]" - Vince DiCola
::A compilation of "Unicron's Theme", "Witness to a Funeral" and "The Enemy Revealed" from ''[['Til All Are One: Featuring Stan Bush and Vince DiCola|'Til All Are One]]''
:12. "[[Moon Base 2 - Shuttle Launch]]" - Vince DiCola
::Released as "2005" on '''Til All Are One''
:13. "[[Megatron Must Be Stopped]]" (Parts 1 and 2) - Vince DiCola
::Released as "City Under Siege" and "Showdown" on '''Til All Are One''
:14. The Transformers Theme (Alternate) - Stan Bush and Vince DiCola
{{-}}

==Notes==
* It's so '80s that it ''hurts''.
* ''Escape'' was later used as the title song for the [[Wikipedia:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]] version of the computer game [[Wikipedia:Turrican|Turrican]].<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqAsGDgvPyo Damn thieving German game developers</ref> ''Death of Optimus Prime'' was used as the music for the end sequence on completion of the game, albeit in a more upbeat rearrangement.
* An Australian radio comedy series called ''Get This'' also used four tracks from the soundtrack for a sketch called 'Passiona High', about a nerd who wins a synthesizer competition. The songs used were "The Touch," "Dare", "Escape" and "Autobot/Decepticon Battle"

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{musicstub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack}}
[[Category:Generation 1 albums]]

The Transformers: The Movie promo

2014-12-10T02:24:00Z

Anonymous X: /* Notable differences */

[[File:TFTM promo title card.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm getting all nipply...]]
Early in the production of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', a '''promotional trailer''' was made to sell the project to potential investors.

{{bigquote|A new motion picture will transform the summer of 1986 into an incredible adventure.|The promo's opening blurb.}}

This trailer features a fair bit of test footage that was either changed or cut before the movie's release, together with a few lines of unique narration by [[Victor Caroli]].

==Notable differences==
[[File:TFTMpromo-SnarlWithSwoop.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|"Hey man. How long have you been there for?"]]
*There are close-up shots of both of [[Unicron]]'s pincers piercing [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]]'s surface.
**Unicron's inner workings have a much more organic appearance to them.
*The [[Autobot shuttle]] is a slightly different design and colour scheme.
*When [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] tells his story about the [[Ick-Yak]] to the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], they are sitting around in robot mode.
**Kup's dialogue is from a different take to that which was used in the movie.
**[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] is also prominently featured in this scene, despite being relegated to cameo status within the actual movie. However, this comes at the cost of [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], who doesn't appear at all in this scene, as per the original script's description of "the four Dinobots".
**[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky|Daniel]] are shown travelling in the same shuttlecraft as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]].
*What is shown of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] is a bit more energetic and violent than the final version.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is drawn in his [[Diaclone]] colours.[[File:DiacloneMagnusAnime1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Y'all know me. Still the same O.G.]]
**[[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] is mostly white.
*Rather than the [[Matrix of Leadership]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] wears a glowing-pink wireframe around his neck, which may be the jar holding the [[Life Spark]] of Optimus Prime, which was in early versions of the script before being replaced by the Matrix in the final film.
*Galvatron falls inside Unicron as he transforms, only to suddenly reappear outside of him.
*Unicron in robot mode has an orange mohawk and is missing his [[facial hair]].

In addition to the above points, there are a few lighting and sound effects featured that were changed for the movie's release.

Musically, the trailer is soundtracked with selections from [[wikipedia:James Horner|James Horner]]'s score to ''[[wikipedia:Star Trek III: The Search for Spock|Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'' (specifically, the "Return to Vulcan" and "Bird of Prey Decloaks" cues).

==Japanese version==
A slightly re-edited version of the trailer exists that features Japanese captions on screen. Apart from these captions, there is little difference between the two versions; the opening blurb has been removed (probably due to it being pointless in front of an audience that can't read English), and some of the blank footage between cuts has been trimmed down. An excerpt from an instrumental track by the legendary British metal band Iron Maiden, "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" (from their 1984 album ''Powerslave'') is heard in this promo as well.

This version was available in Japan on the [[Transformers Hero]] Laserdisc. The laserdisc was widely bootlegged on VHS tape in the US.

==Theatrical version==
The promo was later cut down to around 90 seconds in length (from its original 4¼ minutes), re-cropped to fit a widescreen aspect ratio, and sent out to cinemas as the movie's first [[commercial|theatrical trailer]].

[[File:TFTM promo theatrical.jpg|thumb|left|225px|''The Transformers: The Migraine™'']]
This version is composed of the original opening blurb, a new flashy title card (which is so awesome that it is shown 2½ times by the time the trailer ends), a shorter version of the scene aboard the Autobot shuttle including the captions that introduce the new characters and their voice actors but omitting Kup's monologue, and the Battle of Autobot City sequence.

The theatrical version also differs from the original promo in that it is scored with [[Vince DiCola]]'s "[[Escape (song)|Escape]]", a cue taken directly from [[The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|the movie's soundtrack]], together with some brand new Victor Caroli narration.

Being a trailer, it is preceded by the perennial [[wikipedia:MPAA|MPAA]] green screen and the [[De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]] logo, and ends with a promise that the movie will be "coming this summer to a theatre near you".

==Home video releases==
The different versions of the promotional trailer have been made available to the general public as a bonus feature on a few DVDs:

[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) — The Japanese version. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2005 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — Reconstructed ([[Metrodome]]) — The Japanese version. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — 20th Anniversary Special Edition ([[Sony|Sony BMG]]) — The theatrical version. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — 20th Anniversary Special Edition (Sony BMG) — The original version, but with commentary by [[Paul Hitchens]] in lieu of the audio track. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — Ultimate Edition (Metrodome) — The Japanese version.

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTg95728_-8 The Japanese version of the promo on YouTube]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh3wgldJxRM The theatrical version of the promo on YouTube]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie promo}}
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]

Bob Budiansky

2014-12-10T01:12:25Z

Anonymous X: /* External links */ correct URL

{{disambig3|Bob}}
{{factions|hofgold}}

{{bigquote|... when [fans have] contacted me for one reason or another, like for an interview for instance, they don’t understand how I’m not as passionate about the Transformers as they are now, even though I worked on them for so long. All I could basically say is, "Well, I enjoyed working on them while I did it, but it was a job, and then after I finished that job I moved onto the next job".|Bob Budiansky|[http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2007/09/looking-back-with-bob-budiansky.html "Looking Back With Bob Budiansky"] interview}}

[[File:Bobbudiansky.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Not actually Kirk Cameron. You can tell because he writes about Earth being millions of years old.]]
'''Bob Budiansky''' (born [[March 15]], 1954) was the writer of most of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel US ''Transformers'' comic book]] series and the creator of much of the mythos, characters, and names behind the first several years of the franchise.

In late 1983, [[Hasbro]] approached [[Marvel Comics]] to create a storyline around a series of transforming toy robots they had licensed from Takara. Editors [[Denny O'Neil]] and [[Jim Shooter]] created some of the early background for ''Transformers'', including several names, but much of the material for the first 28 characters was rejected by Hasbro. Revision duties were passed to editor/writer Bob Budiansky, who renamed most of the characters and revised the personalities... with a week's deadline ''during Thanksgiving''. <ref name="moonbase2">[http://traffic.libsyn.com/moonbase2/BobBinterview.mp3 Bob Budiansky interview at Moonbase 2]</ref> Though [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was named by O'Neil, Bob Budiansky is responsible for the names of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and countless others.

Due to its success, ''The Transformers'' four-issue miniseries became an ongoing. None of the three writers had been able to 'get' the Transformers mythos during the miniseries, and Bob Budiansky spent a lot of time directing the story as its editor -- and even ''he'' thinks it was a total mess because nobody could keep track.<ref name="Interview at Rusting Carcass">[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954/t/Bob-Budiansky.html Interview at Rusting Carcass]</ref> Because of this, after he was replaced as editor (due to Marvel internal rules) he was made the writer from #5 on: he was the only one who knew enough about the mythos! It was in these years that he developed popular characters [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] into the roles they're famous for today; the only characters at this time he ''didn't'' create were the [[The Transformers: The Movie|movie ones]], who were specifically created for the film by [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. He did, however, create the concept of the Autobot [[Creation Matrix|Matrix]]. Budiansky continued to write [[bio]]s and name characters until the end of the original series, working off pictures of the toys and what they could do, with names based on whatever the hell he'd just read or seen or heard about that week. When new concepts like [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s or [[Pretender]]s were created by Hasbro, Budiansky would be given the job of working out story treatments for them and adding them to the Transformers mythos.<ref name="moonbase2"/>

[[File:BobBudianskyDVD.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Bob today.]]

During his run, Bob was constantly kept up to date on Hasbro's plans: information about new toys and their model sheets were sent to him, he attended meetings at their Rhode Island HQ, he visited their annual toy exhibitions. Outside of pimping their wares, Hasbro left him alone. It was up to him whether or not he wanted to follow the cartoon's lead, he wasn't told to keep the target audience in mind (he made the decision himself), and he was even allowed to not use the future-set movie cast.<ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Metal Machine interview]</ref>

Towards the end of his time on the comic book series, Budiansky started to feel fatigue. It was complicated and frustrating, from a story-crafting point of view, [[To sell toys|to introduce so many new characters in so few issues]]. At Budiansky's recommendation, the writer of the Marvel UK ''Transformers'' comic, [[Simon Furman]], took over Budiansky's duties on the US comic.

An artist as well, Budianksy also drew several covers for ''Transformers'' and pencilled the first half of his final issue.

As the quote notes, Transformers was a job he enjoyed at the time but is still just a job he did twenty years ago. Not that he isn't pleased to have a 25 year old franchise as his legacy! Until he got onto the [[Internet]] and searched his own name in the 90s, he didn't realise it was still such a big deal with fans and was both amused ''and'' bemused to learn the truth. In the early 2000s, he started to give interviews to fans and websites. This led to him coming back briefly to adapt ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' for [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] and he was given an option to pitch to them again, but decided not to as he was far removed from the current Transformers status quo.

Outside of ''Transformers'' Budiansky is perhaps best known for drawing ''[[Ghost Rider]]'', creating ''Sleepwalker'' and writing the entire series, and serving as group editor-in-chief of the ''[[Spider-Man]]'' titles between 1994 & 1995. In addition, at one point he was assigned to Marvel's "Special Projects" section; this followed his promotion to "executive editor".<ref>Marvel Comics Bullpen Bulletin for December 1991, as printed in ''Excalibur'' #47, cover date February 1992</ref>

==''Transformers'' comics credits==
{{bigquote|If there are older Transformers fans who feel my stories were too geared to children—hey, good insight! That was the audience I was playing to.|Bob tells it like it is, at [http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Metal Machine.net]}}

Marvel ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel U.S.|The Transformers]]'' (US):

:Editor - [[The Transformers Four-Issue Limited Series|Issues 1–4]]
:Writer - Issues 5–15, 17–32, 35–42, 44–55
:Penciller - [[The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!|Issue 55]]
:Cover Artist - Issues [[Rock and Roll-Out!|14]], [[Crater Critters|29]], [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|31]], [[Monstercon from Mars!|45]], [[Club Con!|47]]

Marvel ''[[The Transformers Universe]]''

:Writer/Consulting Editor - Issues 1–4

Marvel ''[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|Transformers: The Movie]]'' comic adaptation

:Editor - Issues 1–3

Marvel ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' mini-series

:Writer - Issues 1–4
:Cover Artist - [[Ring of Hate!|Issue 1]]

IDW ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' comic adaptation

:Writer - Issues 1–4

==Convention appearances==

{{bigquote|"I discovered there were all of these websites, these discussion boards... [people] were passionate about [Transformers], emotional about it. I was despised! People hated me! *laughs* ... still carrying grudges about the fact I wrote '[[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom]]' or something!"|Bob on 90s Internet fandom, [http://traffic.libsyn.com/moonbase2/BobBinterview.mp3 at Moonbase 2], 31.10-31.51}}

*[[OTFCC 2004]]
*[[Unofficial conventions|Iacon One]]
*[[BotCon 2010]]

==Budianskyisms==
Though not as prominent or well-remembered as the so-called "[[Furmanism]]s" that successor writer Simon Furman would popularize, Bob Budiansky also had a few turns of phrase that he repeatedly fell back on:

[[File:Thetorquerifle.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Enjoy a nice serving of Brown Betty, with DEATH!! But mostly, eat death.]]
* "Have some (X), courtesy of my (Y)!"

:where
:"X" = some form of damage, dismemberment or death
:"Y" = the special weapon of the character in question

:Examples:
: "Have some metal-eating slime, courtesy of my [[Corrosive slime-shooter|slime gun]], Autobots!"—Blot {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}
: "Have a mechanical malfunction, courtesy of my [[concussion weapon|concussion cannon]]!"—Breakdown {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}
: "Just a case of bad balance, courtesy of my [[electro-scrambler]]."—Blaster {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}
: "Energy feedback, courtesy of my electro-scrambler, tinhead."—Blaster {{storylink|Totaled!|Totaled!}}
: "You're going on a one-way trip, [[Monzo]], courtesy of my [[anti-gravity gun]]!"—Skullcruncher {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

* "I hope you (A) as well as you (B)!"

:where
:"A" = perform some action, typically shooting
:"B" = boast, brag, or some other meaningless non-action

:Examples:
: "You ''boast'' better than you ''shoot'', Dreadwind!"—Goldbug {{storylink|People Power!}}
: "Grrr—I hope you ''shoot'' straighter than you ''think'', Weirdwolf!"—Skullcruncher {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}
: "Only if you ''aim'' as well as you ''brag'', Brawl!"—First Aid {{storylink|Used Autobots}}

* "This wasn't in (Z)!"

:where
:"Z" = amusingly bureaucratic item with no bearing on the situation at hand.

:Examples:
:"This...this wasn't in my job description!"—anonymous railway worker {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}
:"This wasn't on the trail guide!"—anonymous skier {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}
:"None of this was in the rehearsal!"—Sky Lynx {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

==Trivia==

* As Bob's quotes above show, for a while in organised fandom he was [[the Fallen]] of the writing world, his stories dismissed or ripped into as being juvenile and silly. His reputation in fandom has gone up since the start of the 21st century, something he attributes to doing interviews.

* Bob's stories almost always have a human guest star involved and the Transformers getting involved in human affairs and finding them odd. He's stated this was because he thought the most interesting part was seeing these two vastly different races and worlds colliding with each other - or, more bluntly, "The Transformers were on Earth!".<ref>[http://www.oneshallstand.com/articles/bob_budiansky.html Budiansky interview archived at One Shall Stand]</ref>

* He's a fan of the first [[Transformers (film)|Bay movie]] and thinks that the Transformer/human interaction is similar to his own stories.<ref name="Interview at Rusting Carcass"/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?R=3D17280F-19B9-F369-1080-6B4D52898CFD:en_US Hall of Fame video]
*[http://www.oneshallstand.com/reviews/articles/bob_budiansky.html First known interview with Bob Budiansky]
*[http://www.alteredstatesmag.com/features/qanda/bbudiansky_1.php A Little Q&A with Bob Budiansky]
*[http://www.bwtf.com/interviews/bb204/ Bob Budiansky Interview at BWTF.com]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/32bc08f5d9b4678b? Transcript of Budiansky/Furman panel from OTFCC 2004]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/80a6fffaad63aa8d? Transcript of Budiansky/Figueroa panel from Iacon One]
*[http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2007/09/looking-back-with-bob-budiansky.html Looking Back with Bob Budiansky]
*[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Metal Machine interview with Bob]
* [http://traffic.libsyn.com/moonbase2/BobBinterview.mp3 Bob Budiansky interview at Moonbase 2]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Budiansky, Bob}}
[[Category:Convention guests]]
[[Category:Editors]]
[[Category:IDW Publishing]]
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Writers]]

User:Anonymous X

2014-08-07T00:04:58Z

Anonymous X:

Hello there! I am from the [[United Kingdom|UK]], and have been a Transformers fan since [[1985]], initially due to my interest in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel_UK|Marvel UK]] comic series.

Slug (disambiguation)

2014-08-04T18:26:50Z

Anonymous X: disambig to Slugfest, another dinosaur

'''Slug''' is a name used for several concepts in Transformers continuities.

{{disamb|y=1985|Slug, an alternate name for [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] from [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]].}}
{{disamb|y=2012|[[Slug (FOC)|Slug]], the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] member and [[Dinobot (FOC)|Dinobot]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].}}
{{disamb|y=2014|[[Slug (AOE)|Slug]], the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobot]] from ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (franchise)| Age of Extinction]]''.}}
{{disamb|y=2014|[[Slug (Kre-O)|Slug]], the Dinobot from the ''[[Kre-O]]'' continuity.}}
{{disamb|y=2014|[[Slug (CB)|Slug]], the Dinobot from the ''[[Construct-Bots]]'' continuity.}}

Slug should not be confused with

* [[Slog]], the [[Decepticon]] [[Pretender Monster]] from Generation 1.
* [[Slag (disambiguation)|Slag]], name used in previous continuities.
* [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]], the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]] from Generation 1.

{{disambig}}

Diaclone

2014-01-29T22:06:15Z

Anonymous X: /* See also */

[[File:Diaclone-GRB logo.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Di...a...cloooooooone!!!]]
'''''Diaclone''''' (ダイアクロン ''Daiakuron'') was one of two [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] toy lines (the other being ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'') from which the earliest [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] ''Transformers'' toys came.

The ''Diaclone'' toyline was first introduced in [[1980]], but it was not until March [[1982]] that toys with [[Alternate mode|alt modes]] based on realistic, present-day vehicles began to appear as part of the "Car Robots" sub-line. The first one was the ''Diaclone'' predecessor of [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], whom [[Hasbro]] now considers the first fully-fledged transforming car-to-robot toy ever designed.<ref name="hof2010">[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/movie-news/TRANSFORMERS-HALL-OF-FAME-INAUGURAL-MEMBERS.cfm Hasbro press release for the 2010 Transformers Hall of Fame inductees]</ref> Its vehicle form was based on an older Takara toy, the "Cosmo Countach" from the ''[[Microman]]'' "Micro Command" sub-line released in 1978, which transformed into a half-robot, half-car hybrid.<ref name="command">[http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~mikuro/sub1-6.htm "Micro Command" toys, including the Cosmo Countach]</ref>

Before the [[Transformers brand]] was introduced, Takara directly exported some ''Diaclone'' toys to North America under the brand names ''[[Diakron]]'' and ''[[Kronoform]]'', but those lines met with very little success.

In [[1983]], [[Hasbro]] representatives discovered ''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' toys at the Tokyo Toy Show, and soon struck a deal to create the ''Transformers'' brand.

The [[1984]] and [[1985]] [[Autobot Cars]], 1984 [[Decepticon Planes]], 1985 [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, 1985 [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, [[Trainbot]]s, [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s, [[Powerdasher]]s, [[Jumpstarter]]s, [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], 1984 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]] and [[1986]] [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ultra Magnus]] toys all originated from ''Diaclone''.

When ''Transformers'' proved an unqualified success, plans for a 1985 ''Diaclone'' line were scrapped, and ''Transformers'' was imported to Japan in its place. These aborted toys, which would have been part of a sub-line called ''Jizai Gattai'' ("[[Free-Combination|Free Combination]]") were then incorporated into the ''Transformers'' toyline in 1986 as the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]].

{{picsneeded|Catalog scans}}

==Toy range (incomplete)==
The following list covers all Diaclone releases that were later rereleased as Transformers. Diaclone molds with no Transformer releases are generally not listed as they fall outside the purview of this site.
===Baku-Ten Attack Robo===
Released in the ''Transformers'' line as the [[Jumpstarter]]s.

* Drill Tank Type — Available in two decos. Dark blue limbs with grey chest or dark blue limbs with red chest. (Transformers releases [[Twin Twist]]/[[Salt-Man Z]]/[[Robot-Man Z]] all utilized completely new decos)
* Jet Type - Available in two decos. Dark blue chest with red limbs or dark blue chest with grey limbs. (Transformers releases [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]/[[Salt-Man X]]/[[Robot-Man X]] all utilized completely new decos)

===Car Robots===
[[File:Sunstreaker-diaclone.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Maybe they died when the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashed?]]

*No. 1 Countach LP500S — The Diaclone red deco was changed to yellow for release as [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]].
*No. 2 Onebox Cherry Vanette — The Diaclone black deco was changed to red for release as [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]].
*No. 3 Countach Patrol Car Type — Not released as a Transformer.
*No. 4 Onebox Ambulance Type — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Ratchet (G1)/toys|Ratchet]].
*No. 5 4WD Hi-luxe — The Diaclone black deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. The Diaclone version was also available in blue and yellow decos.
*No. 6 Honda City R — The Diaclone silver deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]]. The Diaclone version was also available in red. This mold was later redecoed as [[Screech (Generations)|Screech]].
*No. 7 Fairlady Z — The Diaclone blue deco was changed to silver for release as [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]. The Diaclone version was also available in silver with a black hood.
*No. 8 4WD Wrecker Type — The Diaclone red deco was changed to green for release as [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]. The Diaclone version was also available in blue.
[[File:DiacloneSkids.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*No. 9 Honda City Turbo — The Diaclone blue deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Skids (G1)|Skids]]. The Diaclone version was also available in black and red decos.
*No.10 Fire Engine — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]. This mold was later redecoed as [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]].
*No.11 Fairlady Z Racing Type — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]].
*No.12 J59 Jeep — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. This mold was later redecoed as [[Detritus (G1)|Detritus]].
*No.13 Police Car Fairlady Z — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]].
*No.14 Porsche 935 Turbo — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Jazz]]. This mold was later redecoed as [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]].
*No.15 New Countach LP500S — The Diaclone red deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]. The Diaclone version was also available in black and yellow decos, which were later used for [[Deep Cover]] and [[Tigertrack]] .
*No.16 F-1 Ligier JS11 — The Diaclone blue deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. A red version was also available as a Diaclone.
*No.17 Battle Convoy — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged, except for some decals on the trailer, for release as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]].
*No.18 Lancia Stratos Turbo — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys|Wheeljack]]. A remolded version served as the inspiration for [[Marlboor Wheeljack]].
*No.19 New Countach Police Car — The Diaclone police deco was changed to a fire chief deco for release as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]. The original deco was later used for [[Clamp Down]].
[[File:TrasformerSuperBuggy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|What, no TF love for Powered Buggy?]]
*No.20 Crane — The Diaclone deco was virtually unchanged for release as [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]. This mold was later redecoed as [[Hauler]].
*No.21 Corvette Stingray — The Diaclone red deco was changed to blue for release as [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]. The Diaclone red deco was released as Tracks in Europe and later as [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]].

*Powered Convoy — The Diaclone deco was reversed for release as [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]]. The Diaclone version was also available in a chrome deco. The Powered Buggy accessory was excised from all Transformers releases.

===Construction Vehicle Robo===

There were two Diaclone releases available. There were many coloring differences between the two but only the most obvious are listed below. All six received new green and purple decos for release in the ''Transformers'' line. The same molds were also released during ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' with the green changed to yellow and, later, orange.
*No. 1 Bulldozer - Orange in both versions. ([[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]])
*No. 2 Power Shovel - Orange in both versions. ([[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]])
*No. 3 Shovel-dozer - Orange in both versions. ([[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]])
*No. 4 Truck Crane - Red in version one, blue in version two. ([[Hook (G1)|Hook]])
*No. 5 Dump Truck - Red in both versions. ([[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]])
*No. 6 Concrete Mixer - Red in version one, blue in version two. ([[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]])

The [[Combiner]] pieces were predominately blue in version one and red in version two.

===Dashers===
The Dashers were released in ''Transformers'' as the [[Powerdasher]]s. They were only available via mail-order and [[Robot Point]]s, and never even got individual names!

*Sky Dasher ([[Cromar]])
*Drill Dasher ([[Zetar (G1)|Zetar]])
*F-1 Dasher ([[Aragon]])

===Dinosaur Robo===
[[File:DiacloneSwoop.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Ohh, so [[Show-accuracy|''that's'']] where his color scheme came from.]]
The Dinosaur Robo molds became the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] in ''Transformers''. Duh. All of the TF releases had softer plastic in certain places. There were also several differences in decos between the Diaclone and Transformers versions, mostly the replacement of blue paint with red.

*Tyrannosaurus ([[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]])
*Triceratops ([[Slag (G1)|Slag]])
*Brontosaurus ([[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]])
*Stegosaurus ([[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]])
*Pteranodon ([[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]])

===Double Changers===
The Double Changers were released as the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]], and like the Powerdashers, were only available via mail-order and Robot Points.

*Ferrari BB ([[Overdrive]])
*Savanna RX-7 ([[Camshaft (G1)|Camshaft]])
*Celica XX ([[Downshift (G1)|Downshift]])

===F-15 Robo===
The F-15 Robo mold was the source for the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. The black and purple deco used for [[Skywarp (G1)/toys|Skywarp]] was created for the ''Transformers'' line, and was never available as a Diaclone. The decos and remolded wings for the [[Conehead]]s were also original to Transformers.

* Super-high-speed fighter type ([[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]])
* Acrobat type ([[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]])

===Insecter Robo===
In Diaclone, these were mechs used by the Waruder, the "bad guys" of that universe. In ''Transformers'' they were released as the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] with new purple, black and yellow decos. Much later, the Diaclone decos were released as the [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive [[Insecticon clone|Insecticon Clones]].

*Kabutoron ([[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]/[[Salvo]])
*Battas ([[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]/[[Shothole]])
*Kuwagatler ([[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]/[[Zaptrap]])

===Train Robo===
The Train Robo molds were only released as Transformers in Japan during the ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (franchise)|Headmasters]]'' franchise as [[Raiden]] and his individual components, the [[Trainbot]]s. There were two color variations released for the Diaclone line, making 12 individual trains total. Numbers 7-12 are much rarer and were never released as a giftset.

*No. 1 [[wikipedia:Tōkaidō Shinkansen|Tōkaidō]] [[wikipedia:0 Series Shinkansen|0 Series Shinkansen]] ([[Shouki]])
*No. 2 [[wikipedia:JNR Class EF65|EF65-1000]] [[wikipedia:Blue Train (Japan)|Blue Train]] ([[Getsuei]])
*No. 3 [[wikipedia:Tōhoku Shinkansen|Tōhoku]] [[wikipedia:Jōetsu Shinkansen|Jōetsu]] [[wikipedia:200 Series Shinkansen|200 Series Shinkansen]] ([[Yukikaze (Headmasters)|Yukikaze]])
*No. 4 [[wikipedia:Tōkaidō Main Line|Tōkaidō Main Line]] 153 Express Train ([[Suiken]])
*No. 5 L-[[wikipedia:Limited express|Limited Express]] [[wikipedia:485 series|485]] ([[Seizan]])
*No. 6 [[wikipedia:JNR Class DE10|DE10]] Diesel Locomotive ([[Kaen]])
*No. 7 Tōkaidō 0 Series Shinkansen Metallic (Silver Liner)
*No. 8 Limited Express [[wikipedia:JNR Class ED76|EF76]] (Battle Liner)
*No. 9 [[wikipedia:Doctor Yellow|Doctor Yellow 922]] (Yellow Liner)
*No. 10 [[wikipedia:Yokosuka Line|Yokosuka Line]] [[wikipedia:113 series|113]] (Miracle Liner)
*No. 11 [[wikipedia:Sleeping car|Sleeper Express]] [[wikipedia:583 series|583]] (Thunder Liner)
*No. 12 DE10 Diesel Locomotive Transparent (Crystal Liner)

===Triplechangers===
[[File:G1-toy Overcharge.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Only the Jet Fighter Type [[Triple Changer]] was ever released in the ''Transformers'' line, but the Helicopter Type made a cameo in a [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] comic. [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] may have been in development when the change to the Transformers brand occurred.

*No. 1 Jet Fighter Type ([[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], purple and beige deco/[[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]], original Diaclone dark green and white deco)
*[[Jet-helicopter Decepticon|No. 2 Helicopter Type]]

{{-}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[Wyatt Toys]] advertised Diaclone and [[Microman]] toys for sale in the [[Detroit Powell Press]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|The AllSpark Almanac}}

==Notes==
*Designs from Diaclone were plagiarized for the Korean animated movie ''Diatron 5'' (다이아트론5), which is currently haunting Walmart dollar bins as [http://www.amazon.com/SPACE-TRANSFORMERS/dp/B000FHDNZW Space Transformers].
*Like ''Transformers'' after it, ''Diaclone'' was also released in other countries, in some cases licensed to other companies:
**Takara themselves had a short run on the US market under the name ''[[Diakron]]'', featuring three toys that were later released as ''Transformers'' in different colors.
**Italian company [[GiG]] initially released toys under the name ''Diaclone'', but soon changed it to ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} in a blatant attempt of cashing in on Hasbro's success with ''Transformers'' without obtaining a second license, featuring a blend of ''Diaclone'' toys and elements original to Hasbro's ''Transformers'' line.
**French company [[Joustra]] released the toys under the name ''Diaclone'' in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, featuring a blend of [[Micro Change]] and Diaclone toys with unique packaging designs and origin stories, but eventually sporting factory-applied [[Autobot]] or [[Decepticon]] [[insignia|stickers]] due to production reasons.
**Takara themselves released toys in Finland under the name ''Diaclone'', sharing elements of the packaging design with GiG's ''Trasformer'' line. This release is notable for a unique black version of the Corvette Stingray (pre-[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]).

==See also==
* [[Pre-Transformer]]s
* [[Diakron]]
* [[Kronoform]]
* [[Micro Change]]
* [[Trasformer]]

==External links==
* [http://www.diaclone.net Diaclone.Net]
* [http://1501bc.com/pretf/ Diaclone] at the Pre-Transformers Page

==Footnotes==
<references/>

{{stub}}
[[Category:Japanese franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]
[[Category:Other TakaraTomy properties]]

Transformers Collectors' Club

2013-09-06T13:19:38Z

Anonymous X: /* Fun Publications */ direct link

[[Image:Collectorsclub.png|right|300px]]

The '''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club''' is, naturally enough, the officially licensed fan club for the [[Transformers brand]].

==3H==
The first iteration of the fan club began during [[3H Productions]]' tenure as the convention license holder. Initial efforts to get the fan club going were largely ineffectual. A single magazine issue saw publication. This version of the fan club essentially dissolved when 3H lost their license from Hasbro in 2004.

* [[The Official Transformers Collectors' Club Magazine issue 1]]

==Fun Publications==
In 2005, the fan club license was acquired (along with the official convention rights) by [[Fun Publications]]. Fun Pub immediately launched a new web site to raise interest in the reformatted club, and has actively posted news, updates, and new features since then. The club web site is closely tied to that of BotCon.

Membership for United States fans starts at $40 for one year. Rates are higher for international fans or quicker postage. Current benefits with a 1-year membership include:

* <strike>12 issues of Fun Publications' ''[[Master Collector]]'' newsprint classifieds</strike>
* Six issues of the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Transformers Collectors' Club Official Magazine]], each including an issue of the club comic.
* An [[exclusive]] ''Transformers'' figure, free with each year's paid membership:
** 2005: [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]]
** 2006: [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]]
** 2007: [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]]
** 2008: [[Topspin (Classics)|Topspin]]
** 2009: [[Heatwave (Timelines)|Heatwave]]
** 2010: [[Dion#Timelines|Elite Guard Dion]] (with [[Cop-Tur (G1)|Cop-Tur]])
** 2011: [[Side Burn (G1)|Side Burn]]
** 2012: [[Runamuck (G1)#Timelines|Runamuck]]
** 2013: [[Depth Charge (BW)#Timelines|Depth Charge]]
* Access to the Collectors' Club store, <strike>forums, and member-exclusive content on the Collectors' Club website, including [[exclusive]] [[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]] fiction and various character [[bio]]s.</strike>
* Ability to buy Collectors' Club exclusive toys. To date, these toys have included:
** 2006: [[Astrotrain (Cybertron)|Astrotrain]] and [[Airazor (BW)#Timelines|''Chromia 10'' pilot (Airazor)]]
** 2008: [[Nightbeat (G1)#Timelines|Nightbeat]] and [[Seacon (G1)#Timelines|Seacons]]
** 2010: [[Punch (G1)#Timelines 2|Punch/Counterpunch]] and [[Cyclonus (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Cyclonus]]
** 2011: [[Ramjet (G1)#Timelines|G2 Ramjet]] and [[Cheetor (Animated)|''Animated'' Cheetor]]
** 2012: [[Runabout (G1)#Timelines|Over-Run]] and [[Drift (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Drift]]
* Discounts on [[BotCon]] preregistration

Starting in 2012, a subscription service will be implemented, where 6 exclusive figures will be offered at cheaper prices.

* [[Scourge (RID)#Timelines|Scourge]] (a black and teal redeco of [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Toys#Transformers (2010)|2010 Optimus Prime]])
* [[Breakdown (G1)#G1TimelinesBreakdown|Breakdown]] (Redeco of [[Breakdown (G1)#toys|''G2 Redux'' Breakdown]])
* [[Jackpot (Animated)|Jackpot]] (redeco of [[Jazz (Animated)#toys|''Animated'' Jazz]])
* [[Slipstream (WFC)|Slipstream]] (new head retooling of [[Starscream (WFC)|''Prime'' First Edition Starscream]])
* [[Circuit (Movie)#Timelines|Circuit]] (redeco of [[Axor#Transformers (2010)|2010 Axor]])
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Timelines|Ultra Mammoth]] (redeco of [[Big Convoy#Beast Wars Neo|''Beast Wars Neo'' Big Convoy]] in [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s colors)

Only members receive membership benefits, making the organization an evil entity that exists solely for the purpose of denying fans benefits that they didn't pay for.

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersclub.com/ http://www.transformersclub.com/]

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category: Fun Publications]]

1898

2011-06-14T14:44:20Z

Anonymous X: Yukon formation

{{yearofthe|1898}}
The year '''1898''' (MDCCCXCVIII) predates the launch of the [[Transformers brand]] by eighty-six years.

{{see|Transformers timeline}}

==Fiction==
===Live-Action Movie Continuity===
====Events====
* Between [[November 18|November 18th]], [[1890]] and [[February 15|February 15th]] 1898, the [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seeker]] [[Jetfire (ROTF)|Jetfire]] takes the [[alternate mode|alt mode]] of a Pre-dreadnought battleship and masquerades as the [[United States Navy#U.S.S. Maine (ACR-1)|USS ''Maine'']].

* Between his return from the Arctic Expedition and January 1, [[Archibald Witwicky|Captain Witwicky]] is confined to the [[Boston Secure Hospital]].{{Storylink|Movie Prequel issue 2|Movie Prequel #2}}

* [[January 1]] — While exploring a cave system beneath the [[Sierra Nevada mountains]] [[Walter Simmons]] and [[Theodore Joseph Wells|Joseph Wells]] are attacked by a [[Cave brute|race of inhuman monsters]]. After dispatching the creatures, the men are approached by agent [[Billy North]] of the [[United States of America|United States]] Secret Service. {{storylink|Original}}

* ???? — [[William McKinley|President McKinley]] sends Joseph Wells and Walter Simmons to investigate [[Archibald Witwicky]]'s claims of a [[Megatron (Movie)|giant metal man]] found frozen in the Artic. {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 1|Movie Prequel #1}}

* ???? — Witwicky's claims of a frozen giant found during the [[National Arctic Circle Expedition]] in [[1897]] are "officially" discredited by Wells and Simmons. Witwicky's personal effects are sent on to [[Clarence Witwicky|his family]]. {{Storylink|Movie Prequel issue 2|Movie Prequel #2}}

* ???? — The [[First Seven]] are formed.

* [[February 15]] — The First Seven reach the "Ice devil". Upon sensing a near comatose Megatron's energy signature, Jetfire leaves to investigate it, leaving the crew to believe the ship was sunk by a mysterious explosion. Events of [[Original]] take place.

* The group that would become [[Sector Seven]] has a fragment of the [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]] (and possibly the [[Covenant of Primus]]) in its archives, some 79 years before the disk's creation in [[1977]]. Other artifacts collected include blueprints for a flying saucer, a strange arm and a map of [[Skull Island]]. {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 2|Movie Prequel #2}}

====Deaths====
=====February=====
* [[February 15]] — [[Billy North]]

==Non-Fiction==
===Events===
*???? — The [[Boxer Rebellion]].
* [[June 13]] — The [[Yukon]] Territory in [[Canada]] was formed, as a split from the existing Northwest Terrorities.

[[Category:Lists]]
[[Category:Real-world events by year]]

Yukon Territory

2011-06-13T22:06:37Z

Anonymous X: Redirecting to Yukon

#REDIRECT [[Yukon]]

Yukon

2011-06-13T22:04:58Z

Anonymous X: not-so-good "stub" article - which can be improved upon, honest!

'''Yukon''' (also colloquially known as ''the'' Yukon, or Yukon Territory) is a federal territory of [[Canada]] on [[Earth]]. Yukon sits on the western border of Canada and is directly east of the [[United States of America|American state]] of [[Alaska]], and shares the Alaskan arctic and subarctic weather conditions, i.e. it is extremely cold there. Brrrr.

====Dreamwave ''Energon'' comics====
The town (if you can call it that, with a recorded population of 47) of [[Abyss]] was situated in the Yukon territory.

Whilst [[Kicker Jones]] and [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] worked to install [[Base Unit 1]], [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] arrived with [[Omnicon]]s [[Arcee (Energon)|Arcee]], [[Signal Flare (Energon)|Signal Flare]] [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] and [[Strongarm (Energon)|Strongarm]]. The Omnicons were captured by, broke free of, battled, then defeated [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]] in Yukon wilderness {{storylink|Omni-Potent}}

A recently-revived and powered-up [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] fought [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] leader [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] to the latter's death in the Yukon.
{{storylink|No Exit}}

==External links==
*[[wikipedia:Yukon|Yukon at Wikipedia]]

[[Category:Canada| ]]
[[Category:Energon locations]]

Talk:Hive (planet)

2011-04-04T19:51:06Z

Anonymous X: /* Move */

Okay, if the planet's name translates, literally, into "hive planet," why are we sticking it at the Japanese name?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 03:26, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
:I mean, putting it at its romanized Japanese name may make this ''look'' more cool and distinct, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a planet that has fallen victim to the Japanese Transformers fiction habit of naming planets as literally as possible. Let's just hang a lampshade on it and be done with it.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 03:36, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
::"the Japanese Transformers fiction habit": The Japanese name for Mars is 火星 (''Kasei''), which literally means "Fire Planet" (Well, actually, they use "sei" indiscriminately between planets and stars, and thus the character has the actual meaning of "stellar body", but I'm going off topic). All of the planets have similar names ("Sky King Planet", "Wood Planet", "Soil Planet", etc.). That's how the Japanese language is, not how a niche set of writers name planets. In that context, it's a proper name, just like [[Zangetsu]], which translates into "Crescent Moon", or [[Mugen]], which has three different meanings. If you're going to take it adamantly literally as "hive planet", well, then it's not a proper noun—it's just a planet that's a hive, then. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 04:06, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
::::Or "stellar hive", depending on how you interpret the Kanji. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 04:11, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
:::...I'm not usually receptive to this kind of argument, but i think Interrobang makes a good point.
:::We should note that it's called "Hive" in the RTM dub though. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:10, 20 July 2009 (EDT)

==Move==

Okay, with this second move, I have to object. I was ''okay'' with it being at "Susei", as that was at least a kind of ''name'', but this is now basically a fucking ''descriptor'' in another language, and it just makes my eyes curdle looking at it in the middle of otherwise English sentences. Also, [[The Ark: A Complete Compendium of Character Designs|The Ark]] calls it "Hive". So let's just move the damn thing to Hive so it has a proper name in a language we speak. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 15:14, 4 April 2011 (EDT)
:Well if both Omni and the Ark books call it Hive, then yeah, to Hive it should go. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 15:17, 4 April 2011 (EDT)
::Baka! I object! McFeely-tachi gokusu neko-chan shogei! Nihongu Klinzhai kasahstan alibaba! Er... yeah. Agreed.--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 15:23, 4 April 2011 (EDT)
:::I fully agree with everything Chris said. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 15:33, 4 April 2011 (EDT)
::::Chris is right. This is, after all, an English language wiki project.--[[User:Anonymous X|Anonymous X]] 15:51, 4 April 2011 (EDT)

Talk:Action Master Elite

2011-01-11T19:07:22Z

Anonymous X:

What was the cost for these when they were originally released in the U.K.? Does anyone know? [[Special:Contributions/95.148.10.0|95.148.10.0]] 08:35, 9 January 2011 (EST)
:The AM Elites weren't officially released in the UK.--[[User:Anonymous X|Anonymous X]] 14:07, 11 January 2011 (EST)

Spacehikers!

2010-09-02T00:32:20Z

Anonymous X: /* Items of note */ nerdy note about Sky Lynx's warp speed ability

{{disambig2|the comic issue|the group of kids that appear in this issue|Spacehikers}}
{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #36
|prev=Child's Play (issue)
|next=Toy Soldiers!
|title="Spacehikers!"
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #143–144
|prev2=Brothers in Armor!!
|next2=Stargazing
|image=MarvelUS-36.jpg
|caption=I'll feed ye to the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]], argh!
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=September 1987
|coverdate=January 1988
|writer=[[Bob Budiansky]]
|penciler=[[José Delbo]]
|inkers=[[Ian Akin]] & [[Brian Garvey]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Diana Albers]]
|editor=[[Don Daley]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}

'''A group of children are caught in the cross-fire of inter-Autobot politics.'''

==Synopsis==
Sky Lynx arrives in our solar system, answering a plea from old friend Wheeljack for help in overthrowing the current [[Autobot]] leader Grimlock, obsessed with locating and imprisoning Blaster, to the exclusion of fighting the [[Decepticon]]s. When Blaster is located giving four [[Earth]] children a joy ride in the incapacitated form of Blast Off, the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] immediately opens fire. To save the kids, Blaster orders Blast Off to stop and be picked up by the Ark, but one of the children tosses Blaster out an airlock to ensure that Blaster is not captured.

With Blast Off safely incarcerated on board the Ark, the children are discovered, and Wheeljack sees to their needs. Grimlock holds a trial, accusing the children of aiding a traitor, and sentences them to execution. This is a ploy to bring Blaster out into the open, but as the children are made to "walk the plank" into deep space, Sky Lynx rescues them instead.

When Sky Lynx enters a meteor shower too dangerous for the Ark to navigate safely, Grimlock leads the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] outside to pursue the rogue Autobot. Meanwhile, Blaster successfully makes it inside the Ark, where the other Autobots practically beg him to take command of the Autobots from Grimlock. However, when the Dinobots surround Sky Lynx, Blaster surrenders to the Dinobots in order to ensure the children's safety.
{{-}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (1)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (4)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (5)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (6)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (7)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (8)
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (10)
* [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (15)
* [[Grapple]] (16)
* [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (17)
* [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (18)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (19)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (20)
* [[Twin Twist]] (21)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (22)
* [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] (23)
* [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (24)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (25)
* [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] (26)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (27)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (28)
* [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (29)
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (30)
* [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (31)
* [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (32)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (33)
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (34)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (35)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (36)
* [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] (37)
* [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (38)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (39)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (40)
|c2=
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (flashback) (2)
* [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (flashback) (3)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (9)
|c3=
'''[[Spacehikers]]'''
* Robin (11)
* Jed (12)
* Sammy (13)
* Allan (14)
}}

==Errors==
* [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] is seen shooting at Sky Lynx on Cybertron on page 2, but Breakdown was created on [[Earth]].
* Jed's exposition about how Blaster controls Blast Off due to Allan putting the mode lock on him is in a Transformer style word balloon.
* On page 5 Blaster warns Sammy not to mess with an airlock hatch or he might get sucked into space. On page 7, Sammy opens it without an explosive decompression. It is an airlock though, so it probably could be opened without catastrophe, but that doesn't explain why Sammy ignored Blaster's advice.
* On the very next frame on page 7, Blaster emerges from ''Sky Lynx's'' airlock, not Blast Off's. (It's apparently pretty easy to get all those transforming space shuttles confused.)
* On page 18, Wheeljack reports that Sky Lynx has entered a meteor shower. Since the rocks are not within Earth's atmosphere, this is an inaccurate term. The rocks should ideally be referred to as "meteoroids" or, even better (given their size), "asteroids."
* Blaster surrenders largely because the Spacehikers' vacuum suits only had two hours worth of air, and it's about to run out. However, the kids are ''inside'' Sky Lynx, and later issues show the kids riding around inside him with no need for suits. This inconsistency is not explained.

==Items of note==
* ''References to other Transformers continuities/issues:'' This issue starts several hours ''before'' the end of the previous story, "[[Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play]]".
*Sky Lynx mentions travelling "a few hundred light years", after "shifting into warp speed", not only indicating that Sky Lynx can travel interstellar distances, but that [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has moved a ''considerable'' distance from the Alpha Centauri star system.
* Apparently Blast Off's vehicle disguise goes so far as to incorporate an airlock accessible from inside himself.
* Apart from the mode-locked and incommunicado Blast Off, this issue features no Decepticons.
* The show on the TV set in panel 7, page 9 is ''[[wikipedia:Sledge_Hammer!|Sledge Hammer!]]'', which also had a brief (two-issue) tie-in comic book published by Marvel.
* Although Grimlock says he doesn't intend to kill the children, he doesn't seem to do anything that would prevent them from getting killed, should his suspicion that Blaster will come to save them prove wrong.
* This issue establishes Sky Lynx as a [[Triple Changer]] of sorts, changing from space shuttle to dino-bird to lynx without ever splitting into two components as his toy does. The dino-bird mode still retains the four-legged undercarriage; this would not be the case [[The Cosmic Carnival|later]].
* Amongst the Autobots seen aboard the Ark are several one panel cameos by characters not previously seen in the US comic including Twin Twist and Sandstorm. Neither of them appeared elsewhere in the US Generation 1 comic, and in the UK comic both were established as members of the [[Wrecker]]s operating from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and thus could not have been part of the Ark's crew. Gears and Sideswipe also appear, having been not seen (and presumed deactivated) since the battle in [[Prime Time!|#12]] (although both were active in the UK). Also, at this point in UK continuity [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] should be in [[limbo]] rather than on the Ark.
* The plot threads of this issue are left hanging for some time. We don't find out what Grimlock does with Blaster until issue [[Totaled!|#41]], and the fate of Sky Lynx and the Spacehikers isn't revealed until issue [[The Cosmic Carnival|#44]]. This is at least partly due to the need [[To sell toys|to introduce new toylines]]; the issues in between feature all the new characters from the ''[[Headmasters (comic)|Headmasters]]'' miniseries coming to Earth, ''and'' the introduction of the [[Pretender|Pretenders]] and [[Powermaster]]s. The time is also used to deal with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug's]] faction of Autobots (shuffling most of them off to limbo for a good half-dozen issues themselves), and to give us the completely tangential story "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]" ... with all these characters, is it any wonder Budiansky began to burn out?

===UK printing===
* In [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Grim Grams]] for issue #143, Grimlock discusses plot points in the UK annuals while expressing his dislike for a [[Beast (G1)|Dinobot Combiner]], and shoots down a letter supposedly from [[Stylor]] to correct a typo which rendered [[Gort]] as Grot, saying he prefers the way Grot sounds.
* The UK issue #143 features Transformers A-Z for [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]
* In Grim Grams for UK issue #144, Grimlock kindly corrects the spelling mistakes caused by some poor Mum's typewriter, attempts to explain some of the [[Frank Springer|dumb stubbies]]' mistakes in the [[Headmasters (comic)|Headmaster]] back-up stories, and again expresses his extreme distaste for the idea of a Dinobot combiner.

===Covers (3)===
<gallery>
Image:MarvelUS-36.jpg|'''US issue #36''' - Luckily there's no gravity in space!
Image:MarvelUK-143.jpg|'''UK issue #143''' - Half an hour later, the claw is still going for it
Image:MarvelUK-144.jpg|'''UK issue #144''' - Look, seriously, NO GRAVITY
</gallery>
* '''US issue #36 cover:''' Sky Lynx comes to the children's rescue, by [[Frank Springer]].
* '''UK issue #143 cover:''' A giant claw about to grab Blast Off, by [[Martin Griffiths]].
* '''UK issue #144 cover:''' Grimlock leaping/falling feet first from the Ark, by [[Barry Kitson]] and [[Robin Bouttell]].

===Advertisements===
* None yet identified.

[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

Optimus Prime (TransTech)

2010-08-31T00:23:57Z

Anonymous X: /* Notes */ link to article on the specific Optimus Prime mentioned, although IMO the likeness isn't that obvious...

{{factions|ttautobot}}
{{disambig3|Optimus Prime}}
:''Optimus Prime is an [[Autobot]] [[Transcendent Technomorph]] from the TransTech [[continuity]].''

[[Image:Optimusprimetranstech.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Barack Obama|Yes, we can!]]]]
As a young archivist, '''Optimus Prime''' saw the corruption of his government as a tragic pitfall that impeded the language of hope. Though his trade versed him well in the sordid history of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the imperfect rules who guided it, he nonetheless believed in the power of the system.

Eventually, thanks to his rousing and inspirational speeches about hope, unity, and justice, Optimus Prime became part of that system, and with [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]]'s help, he was able to purge the corrupt officials who had damaged it. Now, Prime leads the Cybertronian High Senate, while [[Megatron (TransTech)|Commander Megatron]] has forged a parallel path in the military. Prime sometimes doubts Megatron's intentions and is worried that he might be abusing his power, but so far, Prime's idealism overrules his skepticism. Prime's ultimate goal is to make [[Axiom Nexus]] a shining beacon to the countless war-torn universes he's studied, and starting trouble within his own administration would undercut his message of unity.

Though he is a government official, Optimus Prime is not without weaponry. Each shoulder houses a generator that allows him to summon directed currents of radiation that will cause his targets to short circuit and deactivate. His massive forearms are likewise filled with various armaments, and his entire body is heavily armored. He is his Cybertron's current [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-bearer.<ref name="ttccprofile">Optimus Prime's profile, published in [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 24]]</ref>

==Fiction==
===''TransTech''===
[[Tyger Pax]]'s vast historical records started Optimus on his thirst for knowledge. As an archivist, he read everything he could, from its constant struggles to maintain peace, to [[Unicron|extra-dimensional threats]], to the seemingly unbreakable cycle of political corruption. Despite all this, he believed that one day his Cybertron could be an example to the less-fortunate Cybertrons of other dimensions, and so Optimus began to speak out. He was a gifted orator, and so followers began to gather around him from all political sides. Even the more military-minded [[Decepticon]]s began to listen, especially a young mech named [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]]. Together, they forged an alliance that carried them upwards through their respective hierarchies of power.

It was after a short term in the [[Binary House]] and a quick ascension to the [[High Senate]] that Optimus and Megatron uncovered a vast conspiracy that linked [[Sentinel Prime (TransTech)|Sentinel Prime]] to the [[Liege Maximo]]. So severe was this revelation that it nearly destroyed the entire government and the peace it had maintained for so long. However, in its wake, as numerous officials were crowded into prison, Optimus was promoted to Prime. He strives to govern with the fairness and civility that he preached about all those years ago, and to bring a new Golden Age of hope to Cybertron, and so far, he's largely succeeded.<ref name="ttccprofile">Optimus Prime's profile, published in [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 24]]</ref>

[[Image:Transtechcheetorratbatprimestarscream.jpg|left|300px|thumb|<strike>Change</strike> Transformation we can believe in.]]

Optimus Prime and the rest of the High Senate granted an audience to two "[[outworlder]]s" who had requested a conversation with Optimus. Though the two outworlders, [[Path Finder]] and [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]], were victims of a multiversal cataclysm on an exploratory mission and had arrived wrongly in [[Axiom Nexus]], Megatron viewed them with cold contempt and suspicion. While Prime had compassion for the stranded mechanoids, his legal hands were tied, and, as Megatron would remind him, rightfully so. Their plight was nothing compared to the potential dangers they offered. Optimus wished the outworlders well in their new home. {{storylink|Withered Hope}}

Meanwhile, other mechanoids of interest had landed in Axiom Nexus. Through [[Ratbat (TransTech)|Senator Ratbat]], Megatron sought permission to attempt more invasive procedures, for killing [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]] could lead to significant breakthroughs in learning. Optimus Prime would have nothing to do with it. He considered their desired actions to be murderous. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 4}}

Optimus Prime was next seen responding to a situation at the [[Transwarp Complex]] in Axiom Nexus. A group of rogues led by [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] had broken into the complex and assaulted Shockwave and Megatron and several others, and Optimus Prime arrived with [[Cheetor (TransTech)|Cheetor]], [[Starscream (TransTech)|Starscream]], and [[Silverbolt (TransTech)|Silverbolt]]. Ultimately, Alpha Trion's group was able to escape through a gateway into another dimension. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Optimusprimetranstechconcept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He transforms into vehicle mode by...uh...well, crap, let's just import ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Car Robots]]''.]]

* Optimus Prime's design was originally created when ''[[Transtech]]'' was a planned sequel to ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'', and as such, it was possibly originally intended to be the same character as either ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''/''Beast Machines'' [[Optimus Primal]] or [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Since [[Fun Publications]]' ''TransTech'' stories take place in their own universe, it is likely this Optimus no longer has any overt ties to other Optimi.

* He would have been our first [[Trukk not munky|munkytruk]].

*He seems to share some resemblances to [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] from [[Transformers: War for Cybertron]].

* Optimus Prime's ardent studies, his beliefs, his inspirational speeches about hope and unity, his quick term in the [[Binary House]] and subsequent rise to the highest position of power after ousting a corrupt administration...all seem closely inspired by the life of [[Barack Obama]]. It may seem at first coincidental, but even his profile's quote paraphrases Obama's keynote speech at 2004's Democratic National Convention: "Today, we are not Autobots and Decepticons, Maximals and Predacons. Today we are all Cybertronians." So, uh, is Megatron supposed to be [[wikipedia:Joe_ Biden|Joe Biden]], or what?

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:Transcendent Technomorphs]]

The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

2010-08-24T00:56:48Z

Anonymous X: /* Notes */ specifying which version of Turrican; the game was converted to many different computer and games console formats, but only the Commodore 64 version Transformers-influenced music

{{album
|series=''The Transformers: The Movie — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
|image=TFTM Soundtrack.jpg
|caption=
|label=[[Scotti Bros. Records]]
|releasedate=[[August 8]], [[1986]] [[March 10]], [[1992]] (CD)
|prodnumber=
|asin=
|next='Til All Are One: Featuring Stan Bush and Vince DiCola
|reissue=1999 CD re-release
|image2=TFTM Soundtrack CD.jpg
|caption2=
|label2=Scotti Bros. Records [[Volcano Entertainment]]
|releasedate2=1999
|prodnumber2=61422-32015-2
|asin2=B00000I01C
|reissue2=''20th Anniversary Edition''
|image3=TFTM Soundtrack Anniversary Edition.jpg
|caption3=
|label3=Volcano Entertainment [[Sony|Legacy Recordings]]
|releasedate3=[[May 29]], 2007
|prodnumber3=88697-09656-2
|asin3=B000PHW236
}}
'''''The Transformers: The Movie — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''''' is the official soundtrack issued in 1986 on the day of the movie's release (August 8th), featuring songs used in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

The album was originally released on Scotti Bros. Records, and sold in both vinyl LP (long-playing) record form and audio cassette. On March 10th, 1992, it was released on CD with a scaled-down version of the original artwork, and then again in 1999 with a new cover (there is no new copyright information on either CDs' booklet or outer case to indicate when they were released).

The movie's soundtrack is a mixture of arena rock and "hair metal" songs by an array of obscure artists, mixed with synthesizer instrumental tracks by Vince DiCola. A lone New Wave-style track by genre parodist [["Weird Al" Yankovic|"Weird Al" Yankovic]] rounds out the set.

==Track listing==
# "[[The Touch]]" - [[Stan Bush]]
# "[[Instruments of Destruction]]" - [[N.R.G.]]
# "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" - [[Vince DiCola]]
# "[[Dare]]" - Stan Bush
# "[[Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way]]" - [[Kick Axe|Spectre General]]
# "[[The Transformers (Theme)]]" - [[Lion]]
# "[[Escape (song)|Escape]]" - Vince DiCola
# "[[Hunger]]" - Spectre General
# "[[Autobot/Decepticon Battle]]" - Vince DiCola
# "[[Dare to Be Stupid]]" - [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]

==3H Edition==
In 1997, the newly-formed [[3H Productions|3H Enterprises]] produced as a [[BotCon 1997]] [[exclusive]] a double-CD set called ''[['Til All Are One (CD)|'Til All Are One]]''. The second disc contains all of the background score (by Vince DiCola) that was not on the original soundtrack, including several "alternate" pieces for scenes that used songs from the original soundtrack, plus "[[Legacy]]", the audition piece that got Vince the job. Other albums released by 3H which include music from the movie are ''[[BotCon '97: The Concert]]'', ''[[The Protoform Sessions]]'', ''[[Artistic Transformations]]'', and ''[[Lighting Their Darkest Hour]]''. All of these 3H albums are long since sold out.

==''20th Anniversary Edition''==
On May 29, 2007, [[Sony|Legacy Recordings]] re-released the soundtrack in a ''20th Anniversary Edition'' containing the above tracks from the original 1986 release plus these additional tracks:

:11. "[[Unicron Medley]]" - Vince DiCola
:12. "[[Moon Base 2 - Shuttle Launch]]" - Vince DiCola
:13. "[[Megatron Must Be Stopped]]" (Parts 1 and 2) - Vince DiCola
:14. The Transformers Theme (Alternate) - Stan Bush and Vince DiCola
{{-}}

==Notes==
* It's so '80s that it ''hurts''.
* ''Escape'' was later used as the title song for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64 Commodore 64] version of the computer game [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turrican Turrican].<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqAsGDgvPyo Damn thieving German game developers</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{stub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack}}
[[Category:Albums]]
[[Category: Generation 1]]

Midnighter XR-4

2010-08-23T00:34:06Z

Anonymous X: RGRs never returned for the RotF toy line, so this line can be safely altered.

{{factions|decepticonfilm}}
{{picsneeded|Non-mistransformed main pic}}
:''Midnighter XR-4 is a [[Decepticon]] [[Real Gear Robot]] from the [[Movie (franchise)|2007 movie franchise]] in the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:MidnighterXR-4r.jpg|right|294px|thumb|My feet hurt. Who mistransformed me?]]
If [[Autobot]] Intelligence tells you that '''Midnighter XR-4''' is planning to attack you at noon...well, go ahead and take a long lunch. He somehow manages to be late for anything and everything he plans—ironically, because he's so obsessed with punctuality, he's invariably too preoccupied actually to ''be'' on time. Combined with his twitchy and paranoid nature, this does not help his effectiveness as a warrior.

{{quote|Never a minute of peace.|Midnighter XR-4's packaging tagline}}

==Toys==
===Transformers (2007) ===
* '''Midnighter XR-4''' (Real Gear Robots, 2008)

[[Image:MidnighterXR-4a.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Do you understand me? I hate you. I want to torture you. I want to leave doctors puzzling for years over how I’ve done the things I want to do to you.]]
: A [[redeco]] of [[Meantime]], Midnighter XR-4 transforms into a (non-functional) digital wristwatch of a made-up model. Like all [[Real Gear Robots]] toys, his robot mode is apparently at 1:1 scale. Midnighter XR-4's display reads the time of 4:35 p.m., with a date of Tuesday, July 26th. The display face rotates around to display the time properly as a watch, and then again to align for robot mode. He has an Auto-Morph feature as well: Pulling his legs down makes his head and shoulders rise as part of the transformation. You'll need the tiny wrists of a little girl to wear him in watch mode without cutting off all the circulation to your hand.

: Midnighter has a minor factory error in that his shoulders are swapped, which leads to an uneven wristband in watch mode. This is easily fixed by popping the shoulders off and swapping them.

: Midnighter was part of the final wave of Real Gear Robots, along with [[Twitcher F451]] and [[Farsight T-20]].

{{-}}

==Trivia ==
* Midnighter XR-4 appears to be wearing a miniature version of himself on his left wrist.

* Midnighter XR-4's display when read upside down spells "Seth", a birthday present from the toy's designer to his brother (according to the [[BotCon 2008]] [[Hasbro]] designer's panel).

*With a Rank stat of 8, Midnighter has the highest Rank of the Decepticon Real Gears, which may make him their leader by default.

[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Movie characters]]
[[Category:Real Gear Robots]]
[[Category:Toy-only characters]]
[[Category:Watches]]

Twitcher F451

2010-08-23T00:33:27Z

Anonymous X: /* Transformers */ remove uncertainty-based final sentence; the RGRs never returned for the RotF toy line.

{{factions|decepticonfilm}}
:''Twitcher F451 is a [[Decepticon]] [[Real Gear Robot]] from the [[Movie (franchise)|2007 movie franchise]] in the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Twitcher robot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The mighty snotmonkey!]]
'''Twitcher F451''' is a bastard. After a few minutes of observation, he can formulate a target's complete psychological profile, including all of their weaknesses, hang-ups, and frailties. He then exploits all of those weaknesses to the best of his abilities, an act in which he takes immense pleasure. He likes it so much that he "practices" on his fellow Decepticons, ensuring that even his teammates treat him like [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]].

{{quote|Pushing your buttons.|Twitcher F451's packaging tagline}}

==Toys==
===Transformers===
*'''Twitcher F451''' (Real Gear Robots, 2008)

[[Image:Twitcher controller.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Not huge like X-Box]]
: A [[redeco]] of [[High Score 100]], Twitcher F451 transforms into a (non-functional) wireless video game console controller of made-up model. Several companies have produced actual working controllers at a scale only slightly larger (though considerably thicker), but Twitcher F451's lack of a pair of analog triggers beneath his shoulder buttons means he is incompatible with the [[Xbox 360 robot|Xbox 360]]. Twitcher is one of the few Real Gear Robots to contain an Automorph gimmick; when you press up the switch on the controller's front, the robot's head raises and its shoulder pads flip into place. Like all [[Real Gear Robots]] toys, his robot mode is supposedly at 1:1 scale.

: Twitcher was part of the final wave of Real Gear Robots for the first movie line, along with [[Farsight T-20]] and [[Midnighter XR-4]].

==Trivia==
* Twitcher F451's name may be a reference to ''[[wikipedia:Fahrenheit_451|Fahrenheit 451]]'', a 1953 science fiction novel by Ray Bradbury and the temperature at which books burn. This guy doesn't want to see you not playing video games.

* Twitcher F451's deco appears to be an homage to [[wikipedia:Master_Chief_(Halo)|Master Chief]], the main protagonist for the Xbox 360 ''[[wikipedia:Halo_(series)|Halo]]'' franchise.

[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Movie characters]]
[[Category:Real Gear Robots]]
[[Category:Toy-only characters]]

Decoy (G1)

2010-08-18T00:50:12Z

Anonymous X: /* Notes */ extra trivia for the easily amused

:''Decoys are [[Drone|drones]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:PackIn DecoyCollection Comic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"In fact, I'll do the Autobots one better: I'll destroy all my troops so my army is NOTHING but decoys!"]]

'''Decoys''' are drone replicas of [[Transformer]]s used to distract the enemy. If [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s decoy is any indication, they're about half the size of the Transformers they represent. They seem to have the ability to fly, or at least fall with their arms outstretched.

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in mini-comic===
In response to the [[Decepticon]]s stealing the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], Ultra Magnus had <strike>[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]</strike>[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] build an army of decoys to keep the Decepticons occupied while the main [[Autobot]] team would infiltrate their base. First Aid claimed that there was a decoy in every Autobot's image.

As Magnus set the plan in motion, the decoy army flew into position and successfully distracted the Decepticons. An Autobot squad was able to get inside the base and take out the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] guarding the Matrix. Moments later, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] fumed at the Autobots' ruse and declared that the Decepticons would develop their ''own'' set of decoys, presumably to try the exact same trick later on. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}} It is unknown if this flawless plan was ever carried out.

==Toys==
===Takara===
[[Image:ReflectorDecoy1.jpg|right|150px|thumb|The Autobots will never see this one coming!]]

:The decoys were originally developed as game pieces for Japanese ''Transformers'' board games. They were one-piece statuettes made from molded rubber. They were also sold in larger box sets:

:* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22'''
::([[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], [[Bluestreak]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Grapple]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Jazz]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]])

:*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 9'''
::([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]], [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]])

:*'''Destron Hero Collection 22'''
::([[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]], [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]], [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]], [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]], [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]], [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Shockwave]], [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]])

:Several (if not all) of the Decoys were later re-released in a series of blindpacked boxes, with several new characters added to the mix: [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. These figures came in multiple colors, including red, blue, yellow and green. Later still, larger figures of these eight new characters were released in a small wave of their own, standing at roughly twice the height of a normal Decoy.

===Hasbro===
:In 1987, [[Hasbro]] brought over fifty-two of the designs as "decoys" and randomly packaged them with the smaller carded toys of the time: the [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] and [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. The Throttlebots could come with either Autobot or Decepticon pieces, while the combiners only had decoys of the faction they belonged to.

:There is one notable change in the Hasbro version of the decoys: the numbers on the back of the pieces are a simple "checklist" number.

:While the Autobot pieces were only available in red, the Decepticon pieces came in both red and purple. The red versions are part of an early run and are ''much'' harder to find as they were ''only'' available early on and ''only'' with the Throttlebots, and therefore are considerably more expensive on the secondary market.

:Though Laserbeak was made available in the Japanese Destron pack, he was supposedly not available as part of the Hasbro offerings, not being listed on the comic's checklist. [[Karl Hartman]] and [[Jon Hartman]] believe he was, though, and if anyone can offer photo proof of Laserbeak on a Hasbro card, contact them!

::*[http://www.tfu.info/subgroup/decoys.htm Decoy information at TFU.info]

==Notes==
* The one decoy drawn clearly is a copy of Ultra Magnus, yet that decoy toy was never available in the US. It is therefore unclear whether the fictional decoys correspond at all to the toys.
* The comic that advertised the decoys in US clearly states, both inside and outside of the fiction, that there is a decoy for every Transformer. Yet, this is clearly not so. In fact, nearly ''every'' decoy available was for a Transformer that was no longer being distributed. Conversely, Transformers that were then-currently available (such as Ultra Magnus, noted above) did not have a decoy available.
* This wasn't the first time that "decoys" showed up in ''Transformers;'' the concept goes all the way back to the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Generation 1'' cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]".
* A slightly tripped-out [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjrOvKPPP4k Italian Transformers commercial] offered the suggestion that kids could paint their Decoy figures.

[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Cybertron (planet)

2010-08-17T01:48:05Z

Anonymous X: /* The Headmasters cartoon */ added storylinks

<div style="position:absolute; right:1.15em; top:1.3em; font-size:95%;" id="TemplateUserinfo" class="plainlinksneverexpand">
For more images, please visit the '''[[Cybertron (planet)/gallery|gallery]]'''.</div>

{{disambig3|Cybertron}}

[[Image:Cybertronplanet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The planet Cybertron, as seen in the original series. Not pictured: Realistically sized buildings.]]

'''Cybertron''' is the home planet of the [[Transformer|Transformers]] and (usually) the body of their creator, [[Primus]]. Cybertron is ([[Beast Machines (cartoon)|almost]] [[Universe (2003 comic)| always]]) a shining metal, technological world; a planet of towering future cities without end and vast metallic plains, spiraling metal mountains and bottomless neon-lit chasms. Battling over control of Cybertron and its resources is frequently the motivation for, or origin of, the Transformers epic wars. Beyond these facts much about Cybertron can differ between continuities, see individual entries below.

{{bigquote|This world is older than you can imagine. It has sailed the starscape...tending budding galaxies...forever a buffer to [[Unicron|the approaching darkness]]. And now its fate...is in your hands.|A voice to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[The War Within issue 6|''The War Within'' #6]]}}

:''Japanese name:'' '''Cybertron''' (セイバートロン ''Seibātoron'', except for "The Rebirth")<ref>For decades, Western fans have typically opted to render the Japanese pronunciation of the planet's name as "Seibertron" (pronounced "Say-ber-tron") in order to distinguish it from the Japanese name of the Autobots, the "Cybertrons" (pronounced "Sigh-ber-tron"). However, several Japanese sources actually spell it as "Cybertron" in English, including the [[Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|''Headmasters'' video game]], the covers of the ''"Planet of Cybertron Guide"'' books included with Takara's mid-90s laserdisc sets of the original cartoon, a ''Beast Wars'' [http://www18.tok2.com/home/jackhama/transformers/bwtcard_2/img/043.jpg trading card], and the packaging for ''Galaxy Force'' toys. Sources beyond these are surprisingly scarce, although an article in the December 1985 issue of ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'' did render the planet's name in English as, of all things, "Saybertron".</ref>
:''Hungarian name'': '''Kibertron'''<ref>This is regarded as the "most" official of all name-variations, being first used in the Marvel comics (the basic source of all translations) and more recently in the 2007 Transformers Movie. In some translations, like the second dub of the 1986 movie, ''The Ultimate Battle'' DVD special, or the Hungarian issues of the Transformers Titan Magazine (all of which are riddled with mistranslations), it is simply called Cybertron.</ref>
:''Hungarian name, first dub of the movie'': '''Kájbertron''' (pronounced like Cybertron, but with a 'K')
:''Hungarian ''Energon'' name'': '''Mesterséges bolygó''' ("Artificial planet")

==Generation 1 / Beast Era==
{{picsneeded}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===

[[Image: Marvel issue 1 Cybertron.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Just another Alpha Centauri sunrise.]]
Cybertron was the adopted form of the lord of the light gods [[Primus]], who trapped himself and [[Unicron]] in barren asteroids which they then shaped into their physical forms. While Unicron turned his prison into a transformable, humanoid body, Primus reformed himself into a vast Saturn-sized machine-world, home for a [[Transformer| robotic race]] he created to fight Unicron with similar [[Transformation| transformation]] abilities. {{storylink|Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream}}

{{note|A Saturn-sized metal world like Cybertron is an impossibility under our current understanding of the laws of physics. Then again it was created by and infused with the power of a “space god” so, well, if anyone’s gonna bend those laws…}}

It has been suggested that the [[Demon]]s in the darkness were the world’s original inhabitants, locked away beneath the world by Primus, though this remains unconfirmed.
Aside from the Transformers, the world seems to possess the mechanical equivalent of plant and animal life, though the exact nature and origin of this lower "life" has never been examined in detail. This version of Cybertron has rough hewn [[Manganese Mountains|mountain ranges]] and great [[Rust Sea|seas]]. (Though of note these seas are not made of water. Liquid water is so rare on Cybertron as to be thought a mythical substance.) The atmosphere and temperature on most of the surface is such that human life can survive unaided.

In its earliest recorded era Cybertron orbited [[wikipedia:Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri]], and the Transformers were at peace. But the avaricious [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] sought to rule the planet and turn it into a "cosmic [[wikipedia:Dreadnought|dreadnaught]]". This plan would find a kind of fruition, but not what Megatron intended: The cataclysmic forces of his [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|wars]] eventually sent the planet careening through deep space.

Its aimless journey brought it near [[Earth]] four million years ago. When our [[wikipedia:Asteroid belt|asteroid belt]] threatened it, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] led an expedition to clear the way. They were successful, but they were ambushed by [[Decepticons]] led by Megatron, and their battle ended with a crash-landing on Earth that left all the combatants deactivated. Their compatriots on Cybertron mourned their loss but continued the wars. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

{{stub}}

In the modern day, Prime and Megatron's troops were reactivated, and they eventually found their way back to Cybertron. The world had changed little in the intervening eons, but the return of the old legends helped bring about the fulfillment of the planet's destiny. Deep below the surface, a small group of the once-lost Autobots fought the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] in a chamber containing the giant head of Primus. A stray shot hit the god's face, and he awoke with a scream that alerted Unicron to his location. When the Chaos Bringer arrived, the Autobots and Decepticons united against him, but the battle still wreaked havoc on the planet. Unicron was defeated by the opening of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which destroyed both deities. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} In the aftermath, Cybertron suffered storms and earthquakes that many believed would tear the world apart. {{storylink|Exodus!}} The remaining Transformers evacuated, but Cybertron was ultimately saved by a [[Neo-Knights|band of humans]] who awakened the [[Last Autobot]]. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}} He was, it turned out, a safeguard put in place by Primus to guide the planet's reconstruction after the god's “death.” Cybertron was healed and for a time there was peace.

====Significant Locations====
*Cybertron has two moons. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

*Cybertron was historically organized into city-states, the largest and most important being [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]]. Others have included [[Kalis]], [[Tarn]], and [[Vos]]. Within the province of [[Polyhex]] was the Decepticon stronghold called [[Darkmount]].

*Beneath the [[Mutant (G1)|Mutant]] filled sewers, the [[Demon|Demons in the Darkness]] were locked away.

*At the center of this Cybertron there was a room with a huge head of Primus on the wall where he slept and was watched over by the [[Keeper (Transformer)|Keeper]]. Somewhere within the depths of Cybertron could also be found a chamber containing the [[Last Autobot]].

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[Image:Cybertron-mtmte-actioncards1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|And that, my friends, is when you say "Look out below!"]]
Cybertron appeared [[Scale|considerably smaller than the planet Earth]]. Entirely metallic on the surface, some of the [[Organic core| lowest levels]] of Cybertron consisted of rock and dirt, suggesting an organic beginning to the planet. Its gravity was light enough that [[Humans| humans]] were able to traverse the surface without any trouble, and it possessed a breathable atmosphere. [[Water]], or at least a substance resembling it, was in evidence on the planet—lakes and rivers have been shown to exist, albeit sparingly. Many levels below the surface was the energy-furnace, the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]], and at the heart of the planet was the spherical mega-computer, [[Vector Sigma]].

[[Image:G1 Cybertron's galaxy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|LOOK HOW LOUD I HAVE TO YELL!]]
Cybertron was orbited by at least three unnamed moons, but its own place in the cosmos appears unfixed—in [[1984]], it was clearly shown to exist outside of the [[Milky Way]]; on the cusp of an entirely different galaxy, in fact. Nine million years prior, however, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] had been able to fly from their home planet to Earth under their own power, suggesting that it may drift freely through space, and had been passing through the Sol System at that point, going on to drift out of the galaxy over the ensuing millennia.

If the assorted colourful exclamations made by numerous Transformers are anything to go by, Cybertron also played host to [[:Category:Cybertronic wildlife|a vast array of fauna]], including but not limited to: [[ant-droid]]s, [[bolt-bat]]s, [[cyber-duck]]s, [[dynametal duck]]s, electro-toads, [[Glitch mouse|glitch mice]], guineapigatrons, helio-hamsters, hydro-weasels, photovoltaic pussycats, [[retrorat]]s, robo-rats, sheepacrons, [[titanium moosebot]]s, [[turbofox]]es, zap-mice [[robotopossum]]s.

Twelve million years ago, the [[Quintessons]] used Cybertron as a factory to manufacture their robot creations. Notably, the origins of the planet are never explicitly stated—the Quintessons may have built it, terraformed an organic world, or colonized an existing metal planet. Whatever the case, after a million years, the Quintessons were forced to abandon Cybertron when their robots evolved true sentience and feelings, and knew they were being used as slaves, rebelling in the [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|First Cybertronian War]]. The second war was soon to come, however, when the robots splintered into two factions, the peace-loving [[Autobot]]s and the war-mongering [[Decepticons]]—and began fighting amongst themselves. With the Autobots' innovation of transformation, they were able to win—or at least stalemate—the war, and a period of peace descended on Cybertron, which shone with a healthy golden glow, distinguishing the period as the "[[Golden Age]]".

Eventually, however, Decepticons adopted transformation as well, along with robot-mode flight, and around nine million years ago, the creation of the Decepticon [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] re-ignited the war on Cybertron. Megatron rallied like-minded individuals to his cause, and brainwashed others into his service, quickly killing the current Autobot leader in a strike on one of [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]]'s outer cities. With this act kept out of the public knowledge, rumors circulated as Autobot machinesmith [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] worked diligently on a new process to reconstruct Autobots into battle-hardy configurations for the war he knew was coming. That war finally erupted in full when Megatron fatally injured a naive young dock worker, Orion Pax, and Alpha Trion made him the first subject of his new process, reconstructing him into [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], who would lead the Autobots in the [[Great War (G1)|Third Cybertronian War]].

[[Image:Cybertron-mtmte-actioncards2.jpg|right|180px|thumb|]]
After a further five million years of war, during which many Autobots fled the planet, the Decepticons had acquired a large hold on the planet, with the majority of it under their control. The main Autobot force continued to operate from the capital city-state of Iacon, but Cybertron's energy levels were depleted to a dangerous low, necessitating a space mission to locate a new planet with new sources of energy that the Transformers could harness. Optimus Prime led his best and brightest on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], but they were pursued by Megatron's elite troops, and all were stranded in stasis on Earth for four million years.

[[Image:Cybertron-mtmte-actioncards3.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The white zone is for blasting Autobots only.]]
In the ensuing four million years, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who Megatron had left in charge as guardian of the planet, maintained the Decepticon hold on the planet, though he was unaware of the continued guerrilla efforts of [[Elita One]]'s [[Female Autobots]] to undermine him as they raided his energy supplies. Eventually, Cybertron's energy level dipped so low as to put the planet in immediate, mortal danger. Reestablishing contact with Megatron, who had awoken with the other Transformers on Earth in the year 1984, Shockwave co-designed the [[Space Bridge]], an intergalactic transport system that could transport [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] Cubes from Earth to Cybertron, abating the planet's impending doom.

[[Image:UltimateDoom2 Cybertron Earth.JPG|right|180px|thumb|I see a Cybertron a-risin'. I see trouble on the way.]]
Cybertron's place in the universe was forcibly altered in 1984 when the Decepticons constructed a colossal Space Bridge that actually transported the entire planet into the [[Solar system|Sol system]], into Earth's orbit, where its gravity wreaked havoc with the planet's natural balance, unleashing an unending torrent of energy created by natural disasters. The energy acquired re-energized Cybertron enough to put it out of the danger zone, but the planet was soon knocked out of orbit by a massive Energon explosion, and set drifting off through the solar system. At this closer range, Cybertron remained easily accessed throughout 1985 at least, with the Autobots now able to reach it by conventional transportation ([[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]), rather than having to constantly hijack use of the spacebridge.

By the Earth year 2005, Cybertron had exited the Sol system, but, remaining within the Milky Way, was still relatively easily accessible by shuttlecraft from Earth. By this time, the Decepticon forces had succeeded in conquering the entire planet, forcing all the Autobots off it, leading them to relocate to [[Autobot City]] on Earth, and to two staging ground bases on two of [[Moonbase One|Cybertron]]'s [[Moonbase Two|moons]]. It was at this time that Cybertron came under attack from the world eater, [[Unicron]], who consumed the two moonbases and assaulted Cybertron itself, only to be destroyed by the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix of Leadership]]. His deactivated, decapitated head fell into orbit around Cybertron, a grisly new satellite to replace those he had destroyed. With the Decepticon forces in disarray after Unicron's attack, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and his troops succeeded in driving their foes off Cybertron, reclaiming the planet for the Autobots, and restoring and re-energizing much of the planet by 2006, when the world came under frequent attacks from the returning Quintessons, whose previously-secret history with the Transformers came to light.

In the year 2007, Cybertron was once again wrenched from its place in space when [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and the Decepticons invaded the planet and constructed a massive [[planetary engine]] that propelled Cybertron back into Earth orbit once more. Once there, Galvatron opened the Plasma Energy Chamber, intending for the energy release to drive the Sun supernova, consuming Earth, Cybertron and everything else in one final destructive blow. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and the Autobots' [[Nebulos|Nebulan]] allies were able to stop this plan by reversing the rocket engine, which drained off the excess solar energy and channeled it straight into Vector Sigma, which used it to fully re-energize Cybertron. Its rich golden hue restored, Cybertron entered a new Golden Age. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====

{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese cartoon continuity as detailed above, except that the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. Japanese continuity inserts several new stories into the timeline, including an extensive 2007 retcon that revealed the complicated origins of Cybertron in this contintuity.}}
=====''Kiss Players''=====

[[Image:OracleMatrix.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree."]]
12 billion years ago, the ancient genius [[Primacron]] and his assistant, the [[Oracle (G1)|Oracle]] were attacked by Primacron's renegade creation Unicron. The Oracle's body was destroyed, but his essence, encased within a protective shell, fled to a dead planet at the center of the universe, which he proceeded to transform into a verdant, living world.

In time, the Quintessons discovered the Oracle's world and invaded, taking control of the Oracle and his powers. The Oracle was transformed by the Quintessons into the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] and also obtained the shell that had held his essence, which went on to become the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Using the power of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], the Quintessons transformed the Oracle's green planet into the metallic Cybertron. {{storylink|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|2007 TakaraTomy Transformers timeline}}
{{-}}
=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====

In 2011, it was discovered that the release of the energy of the Matrix by Optimus Prime to cure the [[Hate Plague]] had much more far-reaching consequences that anyone suspected. With the Matrix's energy depleted, Vector Sigma's balance—permanently tilted in favor of the Autobots by the existence of the Matrix—was reset to neutrality, allowing the Decepticons, bolstered by their new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] troops, to freely invade Cybertron. Eventually, this forced Optimus Prime to sacrifice his life by merging with Vector Sigma in order to stabilize the computer before it destroyed Cybertron from within. {{Storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Not long thereafter, Vector Sigma developed a new metal alloy dubbed [[Cybertonuron]], which enticed Galvatron into another raid on the planet. However, the Decepticon Headmaster leader, [[Scorponok (G1)|Zarak]], feared the power that Galvatron would gain from the alloy, and so, to prevent either him or the Autobots from obtaining it, arranged for his Headmasters to plant bombs at the core of the planet, within Vector Sigma's chamber. The Autobots were unable to stop the countdown and the bombs detonated, tearing Cybertron apart and leaving it a charred uninhabitable ruin drifting in space. {{Storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

=====''G-2'' story pages=====
When the Autobots and Decepticons finally laid down their armed and forged the [[Cybertron Alliance]], they rebuilt and restored Cybertron, using the energy known as [[Nucleon]], which Optimus Prime recovered from the core of a [[black hole]].

=====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon=====
Tens of thousands of years into the future, in the era of the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], Cybertron was reigned over by Vector Sigma itself, who handed down orders through the ruling body known as the [[Convoy Council]]. {{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}} When Unicron attempted to engineer his rebirth following his destruction eons beforehand, his [[Angolmois|lifeforce]] possessed Vector Sigma and briefly transformed Cybertron into his new body before he was defeated by [[Big Convoy]].

{{stub}}

===Beast continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Image:CybertronBW Transwarp.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Sunny with an 80% chance of lens flares. If you're traveling, watch out for transwarp waves.]]
[[Image:CybertronBW SolarSystem.jpg|right|150px|thumb|At least it's finally trying to keep an orbit.]]
Three hundred years after the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the Autobots and Decepticons had faded into obscurity while their descendants, the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], dominated Cybertron. The planet had found a star to orbit (eccentrically, but still), which reflected the relative stability that had come upon Cybertronian culture at last. The Maximals, inheriting the [[Pax Cybertronia]], ruled over the Predacons in a time of uneasy truce. Peacetime diversions had sprung up, such as the [[Six Lasers Over Cybertron]] amusement park. Or for more "mature" amusement, one could find joints where the servers went around without their torso plates on.

{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
[[Image:CybertronBM Season1.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Amidst Megatron's spark collection, a little pocket of validation blossomed.]]
The tranquility of that age would come to a rapid end when [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] returned from the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] and set a [[Transformation virus|virus]] loose on the world that incapacitated the population and paved the way for [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] rule.

As [[Optimus Primal]] and his Maximals fought back, several facts about the planet became apparent. It had at least two moons, one with big gashes in its surface. The Maximal city of [[Cybertropolis]] had been built over the ruins of [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] and was home to billions of Transformers. And this was just the latest example of an eons-old trend of vertical expansion. In fleeing from the Vehicons, the Maximals found many layers of abandoned civilization, all the way down to the rocky crust of the world. There, fossils existed of bats, dinosaurs, and birds (which were well-preserved enough to harbor DNA). A few plants, such as trees and flowers, were seen growing underground or even occasionally breaking through to the surface. And stranger yet, drilling through the rock revealed the planet's green, oozing "organic core".

[[Image:CybertronBM Season2.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Times were so dark, the sun had a shadow.]]
Another previously-unseen feature of the planet—but one that went unremarked upon—was its heavy cloud cover. Across dimensions and timeframes, Cybertron has been conspicuously devoid of visible weather systems. But when the Maximals returned from the Beast Wars, their view from orbit showed extensive, unmistakable clouds (which were also seen from the ground). This wouldn't last forever, though: By the time [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] arrived, the clouds had vanished again. The only major planetary event in the meantime was the doomsday energy storm that occurred when Primal and Megatron pitted the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] against the [[Key to Vector Sigma]]. However, it is unclear whether this actually caused any meteorological effects.

Finding a chamber of fossils, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] drew the conclusion that Cybertron's animals had been driven extinct by colonizing robots, a theory mildly supported by Primal's conviction that a balance between organic and mechanical needed to be "restored" to the planet. In the end, Primal's dream became a reality when he applied his "[[reformatting]]" power to the organic core and converted the entire world to a [[technorganic]] state.

====3H comics continuity====
According to the [[Al-Badur]], the Quintessons had once served Unicron, and in so doing, they found the "dimensional landing" of Primus: Cybertron. Rather than alert their master, however, they decided to capitalize on their discovery for their own purposes. They attempted to subvert Primus's creations via the Plasma Energy Chamber, but the [[Trans-Organic|results]] were disastrous. Success came when they placed a shell program over [[Vector Sigma]] and channeled the divine power into creating a subservient race. That race would one day rebel and become the Transformers, but the Quintessons' influence remained in the form of the Vector Sigma shell program—otherwise known as the Oracle. Primus could nonetheless sometimes send messages from Vector Sigma through the Oracle, but it is difficult to tell the difference. {{storylink|Disclosure}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{stub}}

{{note|The only continuity in which Cybertron has been mapped to some extent. A map of one hemisphere of the planet appears in the DK Transformers Ultimate Guide.}}

===Devil's Due comics continuity===
There aren't many details revealed in regards to Cybertron's past, but it involved the [[Quintesson]]s creating both [[Trans-Organic|transorganics]] and the gladiator and slave races that would evolve into the Decepticons and Autobots. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1}}

Following Optimus Prime and Megatron's crash on Earth, Cybertron was conquered by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. The planet was also the location of [[Teletran 3]], which accidentally transported members of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and [[Cobra]] to the alien world. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1}}

Shockwave was eventually defeated and the Decepticons were driven back to the [[Gladiator Zone]], allowing Cybertron to be at peace for the first time in millennia. A [[warp gate]] was set up between Cybertron and [[Area 52 (G1)|Area 52]] on Earth. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1}} The peace was interrupted when [[Serpent O.R.]] warped to Cybertron and took control of the Decepticons, but he was eventually defeated. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5}} Notable locations on Cybertron included [[Capitol City]] and the large junkyards where the [[cannibalizer]]s would reside. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3}}

After the death of Serpent O.R., Cybertron was peaceful yet again, and seemingly stayed that way. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}}

===IDW comics continuity===
The Transformers' homeworld is located around [[wikipedia:Lambda_Scorpii|Shaula]] which can be seen from Earth as the second brightest object in the constellation [[wikipedia:Scorpius|Scorpius]] located in its tail. <ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=705 Simon Furman Q&A]</ref>

It is possible that Cybertron was originally an organic world with organic lifeforms, and that they deliberately made the evolutionary jump to cyborgs and, eventually, to fully mechanical lifeforms. {{storylink|Spotlight: Nightbeat}}

Cybertron is the only known world with naturally occurring [[Energon (fuel)|energon]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1}} This resource occurs deep beneath the surface and was initially mined by hand, before the mines became automated, and the labourers lost their livelihoods. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 1}}

Some time ago, the constant fighting and the stripping of Cybertron's natural resources by both Autobot and Decepticon to feed their age-long war led to a terrible [[Thunderwing (G1)|cataclysm]] that rendered Cybertron uninhabitable. As of the present day, it is a dead planet.

With no atmosphere, Cybertron's surface is unprotected from cosmic radiation and is wracked by plasma storms. Transformers must divert energy to their personal shielding in order to remain on the surface for short periods; the surface is presumably immediately lethal for humans. Gravity is also weaker than normal and Transformers now need [[magno-tread]]s to walk on the surface. The Transformer race has abandoned the planet (save for occasional scientific surveys from orbit) and is now conducting its conflict across the galaxy.

According to Autobot command directives, landing on Cybertron is forbidden. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}} However, with the resurrection (and subsequent defeat) of Thunderwing, this directive was lifted due to the unusual circumstances. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

The world of [[Gorlam Prime]], a massive experiment by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] in evolutionary science, gradually changed into a metal world full of transforming robots. The inhabitants forgot its old name and existence, and renamed it... Cybertron. This raises interesting questions about the planet's origin... {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

One year later, the Decepticons created the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] on Cybertron, which had the side effect of also creating thousands of mindless monsters dubbed the [[Insecticon swarm]]. After the Decepticons defeated the Autobots on Earth, they sent their battered enemies through a portal to Cybertron. Thankfully, the electromagnetic storms had just ''happened'' to have conveniently dissipated by then, so the Autobots only had to worry about being hunted down and killed by the swarm. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7}} Later, the Autobot starship ''[[Trion]]'' was shot down over Cybertron, and its crew joined the rest of the survivors on its surface. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}} They were eventually rescued by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10}}

A few years later, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] returned to Cybertron, with a plan to revive the planet. But before he could do so, he needed to get rid of the leftover members of the Insecticon swarm, and thus he revived [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] to take care of them. {{storylink|Ironing Out the Details}}

==Unicron Trilogy==
[[Primus]], a "unique digital entity", came to exist eons ago. To search for other life in the universe, it sent out the Transformers as explorers. One of the first places the Tansformers settled was on a planet that would eventually become known as Cybertron. {{storylink|First Encounter}}

[[Image:PlanetCybertron Armada.jpg|left|165px|thumb|Flaky crust.]]
Cybertron is the body of Primus. Much like the versions of Cybertron before it, it is a metallic planet that is damaged by conflict. Cybertron existed in an unnamed system until the ''Energon'' series, where it was pulled from orbit and pushed into another part of space (or universe) that [[Alpha Quintesson]] had created.

In ''Energon'', Cybertron was equipped with a system of [[Energon Tower (building)|Energon Towers]] that could surround the planet with a protective field, which has since been disabled due to Decepticon attack.

Cybertron had at least one known moon in the ''Armada'' series, but this moon turned out to be Unicron. It is unknown whether it was always Unicron's depowered body, or if the moon somehow became a new "host" body for him.

[[Image:PlanetCybertron Energon.jpg|right|165px|thumb|I can see my house from here!]]
Through the ages, Cybertron has had many repairs, causing new "layers" to be added to the surface of the planet. Deep within the core is a pool of [[Super Energon]] that was once guarded by the four ancient combiners, [[Constructicon Maximus]], and [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]], [[Superion Maximus]], and the latter's unnamed brother.

At the end of the ''Energon'' series, Cybertron was granted a new sun when Primus trapped Unicron's spark within a ball of Super Energon, igniting it. This sun would eventually collapse, becoming the [[Unicron Singularity]].

[[Image:PlanetCybertron GalaxyForce.jpg|left|165px|thumb|You DENTED it!]]
It is unknown how large Cybertron is in this continuity, but it is most likely [[Scale|the size of Earth or smaller]]. Cybertron has an atmosphere, but it was unbreathable by Earth life forms as when [[Rad White|Rad]], [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] and [[Alexis]] visited the planet in 2010, they required spacesuits to operate on the surface; by 2020, however, humans were capable of surviving without specialised suits, indicating that an oxygen/nitrogen-based atmosphere may have somehow been generated by the planet or created by Transformers or humans artificially.

In the ''Cybertron'' series, much of the planet had been repaired, including the construction of a "[[Sky Dome]]" headquarters where important meetings are held. This structure housed the artifacts that were used to mount the [[Omega Lock]], which unlocks the robot form of Cybertron.

{{-}}

==Live-action ''Transformers'' movie continuity==
[[Image:Movie Cybertron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cybertron as it didn't appear in the movie.]]
Cybertron was a world created by a device known as the [[AllSpark (Movie)|AllSpark]]. With its power, it created a race of dimensional travelers, the [[Thirteen original Transformers|Thirteen Primes]], and made Cybertron suitable for their habitation. The Primes soon discovered that while the All Spark's power was vast, it was also finite, needing to be recharged. The universe soon provided the answer, for a nearby star went nova, recharging the AllSpark. Though the Primes could travel dimensions, they needed help locating stars and harvesting their energy. The AllSpark responded by creating two things to help the Primes. The first gift was the second race of Cybertronians, the [[Transformer]]s, who could change their forms. The Thirteen Primes ruled over the Transformers with their descendants, forming the [[Dynasty of Primes]], to protect the All Spark and Cybertron, while seeking out stars to harvest. The Dynasty even shared their dimensional traveling abilities with the [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seeker]]s, those tasked with finding stars. Once they found a star, the Dynasty would follow with [[Constructicon (ROTF)|builders]] to forge a [[star harvester|harvester]] to drain a star of its energy and send it to the All Spark to form [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]]. The second gift the AllSpark gave the Dynasty was the [[Matrix of Leadership]], a key which contained the essence of the AllSpark and powered the harvesters. The Dynasty of Primes recognized the potential for destruction the harvesters presented, so they decreed that any star system whih supported life was to be spared.

One day, the Dynasty of Primes and their attendants came to [[Earth|a world]] to harvest its [[sun|star]]. Just as the harvester was completed, the Primes discovered [[human|primitive but sentient creatures]]. Twelve of the Primes upheld the sanctity of life, but the thirteenth despised the creatures as insects and sought to steal the All Spark's power for himself. What followed was the very first battle of Transformer against Transformer, as the rogue Prime and his loyalists waged war against the Dynasty of Primes and their loyalists. The rogue Prime murdered eleven of his brothers, but the twelfth stole the Matrix and hid it a [[Tomb of the Primes|tomb]] forged from the bodies of his brothers, sacrificing his own spark to seal the Tomb. The rogue Prime, now known as [[The Fallen]], dispatched the Seekers to find the Matrix. When he returned to Cybertron, he brought his war there as well, killing the rest of the Primes and destroying his brothers' [[Sarcophagus|sarcophagi]] to prevent them from returning. However, he expended much of his power in this process and withdrew to his own sarcophagus to heal. It was there that he learned that he'd made two mistakes: First, the spirits of his brothers were able to seal him in the sarcophagus, preventing him taking over Cybertron. Second, the warriors of the Dynasty had managed to save a single orphan, hiding him from the Fallen. The Dynasty of Primes passed into the realm of legend. {{storylink|Defiance issue 3}} {{storylink|Defiance issue 4}} {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen Movie Adaptation issue 3}}

Eventually, what little the Transformers knew of their origins would be lost to time. A new society arose, known as the [[Autobot]]s. The Autobots were a peaceful people, led by [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus]], head of the [[Science Division]], and [[Megatron (Movie)|Protector Megatron]], head of the [[Defense Force]]. The two leaders created a balance; Optimus was fair while Megatron was firm. {{storylink|Movie Prequel issue 1|Prime Directive (IDW) issue 1}} Their world's main cities included [[Tyger Pax]], [[Metrotitan (ROTF)|Metrotitan]], [[Simfur]], and the capital city of [[Trypticon (Movie)|Trypticon]]. In time, the Autobots began work on a dig near the Simfur temple, discovering the remains of the Twelve's sarcophagi and the intact sarcophagus of The Fallen. At the same time, unknown alien hostiles attacked Cybertron. Megatron had Optimus remove the intact artifact to his quarters to better protect it, allowing him to come under the influence of The Fallen. {{storylink|Defiance issue 1}} {{storylink|Defiance issue 2}}

[[Image:Movie Cybertron surfaceconcept.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Hell on Cybertron. Image taken from New York skyline.]]
As Megatron began to grow more aggressive, Optimus discovered that he was the orphaned Prime hidden away when the Dynasty fell. Megatron raised an army, the Decepticons, and sought to take the AllSpark to conquer the universe. However, most of the early Decepticon forces left on the [[Nemesis (ROTF)|''Nemesis'']] with The Fallen and [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] to seek out the harvester. With the number of Megatron's Decepticons now diminished, Optimus assumed his proper [[Prime (rank)|title]] and raised his own army of Autobots. In the war that followed, Cybertron was decimated. Prime eventually sent the AllSpark through a wormhole into deep space, and Megatron pursued it. Both were lost. Without the All Spark's power, Cybertron became a dead world. The Autobots and the Decepticons scattered across the galaxy, hoping either to create a new world or locate the AllSpark and restore Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)}} A number of Transformers remained, with the Decepticons centered in Trypticon (now a ''Decepticon'' capital), but this didn't last long. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream}}

Geography-wise, the surface of Cybertron is a mystery. Large rivers of molten liquid criss-cross the planet, though whether this is lava, molten metal, or possibly [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] is anyone's guess. In more urbanized areas, such as the city of [[Tyger Pax]], the stone and lava seem to be covered over with steel or other refined metal. However, these incidents took place during the war, so it may have been the result of the devastation Cybertron saw. This molten liquid is even on the tops of ''buildings''! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.1|Training Day}}

Internally, Cybertron has similar features to the inside of a ''Transformer'', including gyroscopic joints. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 20|Return to Cybertron, Part: 4}}

===Titan Magazines ''Transformers'' movie comics===
While everyone had abandoned Cybertron, the twin Autobot [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] hung out there for a while, and Starscream began organising [[Purple generic drones|an army]] there in secret. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.1|Training Day}}

{{notetitantlg}}
Cybertron's status was unknown, with everyone abandoning it as it began to die. However, [[Stockade (Movie)|Stockade]] and a group of Decepticons remained, staying alive by using [[Nucleon]]. Stockade believed they could renew Cybertron by summoning a new power source, one related to the AllSpark. They succeeded in summoning such an energy being, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 17|Return to Cybertron: Part 1}} which did enter Cybertron to renew it...

[[Image:Unicron Titan19.JPG|right|200px|thumb|The Beast Planet!]]
...and to everyone's horror, announced itself as [[Unicron|Unicron, the Anti-Life]]! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 18|Return to Cybertron: Part 2}}

The possessed Cybertron was swiftly altered into a scarier-looking form with a large mouth and grasping prongs, turned hostile to those on it, and warped to the Sol system. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 19|Return to Cybertron: Part 3}} The Autobots and Decepticons were able to destroy Unicron, but Cybertron was left in its transformed state and seemingly in the Sol system, as well as continuing to be dead and powerless. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 20|Return to Cybertron: Part 4}}

When the Autobots were ordered off American soil, they regrouped ''under'' Cybertron and began working on the teleportation engines that Unicron had left there when he transformed the planet. Using these, they were able to make a decisive strike by teleporting the entire Decepticon army to Cybertron, then teleporting ''Cybertron'' to the far reaches of space. With the engines now burnt out and no energy on the planet, the Decepticons were marooned there, at the cost of the Autobots never being able to go home. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 24|Revolution Part 2}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 25|Revolution Part 3}}
{{-}}

==Animated==
[[Image:Animated Cybertron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Pointier than most.]]
In an interesting turn of events, the Decepticons have been driven entirely from the planet. Autobot mastery of [[space bridge]] technology, and their strategic relocation of the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] led to ultimate victory, and a Cybertron where an entire generation has seen neither [[armor-plating]] nor transistor of a Decepticon.
{{-}}

{{stub}}
According to [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], it doesn't rain liquid on Cybertron. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

==Prime==
Cybertron is orbited by three "near-Cybertron" objects: Moon Bases One and Two and [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon Station]]. Further out, between the moons and a distant [[Trypticon Asteroid Belt]], floats the last of the great [[Space Bridge]]s, the long-abandoned interstellar transportation system that once connected Cybertron to its colonies elsewhere in the galaxy.

Following its corroption by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]'s [[Dark Energon]] the planetary core needed to shut down for long ages of regeneration, during which the planet would be largely uninhabitable.

==Significant locations==
Known '''cities''' (from various continuities) on Cybertron include:

*[[Ankmor]]
*[[Axiom Nexus]]
*[[Centurion (city)|Centurion]]
*[[Cyber City]]
*[[Cybertropolis]]
*[[Crystal City]]
*[[Gygax]]
*[[Helex]]
*[[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]]
*[[Kalis]]
*[[Kaon]]
*[[Little Iacon]]
*[[Mebion]]
*[[Nova Cronum]]
*[[Simfur]]
*[[Tarn]]
*[[Trypticon (Movie)|Trypticon]]
*[[Tyger Pax]]
*[[Uraya]]
*[[Vos]]
*[[Yuss]]

Known '''provinces''' include:

*[[Polyhex]]

Other locations include:

*The [[Well of All Sparks]]
*[[Vector Sigma Chamber]]
*[[Acid Wastes]]
*[[Autobase (G1)|Autobase]]
*[[Cybertonium Pit]]
*[[Darkmount]]
*[[Decepticon Detention Center]]
*[[Decepticon Crypt]]
*[[Decepticon stronghold]]
*The [[Forbidden Zone]]
*[[Hall of Heroes]]
*[[The Heap]]
*[[Hibernation Chamber]]
*[[J'nwan]]
*[[Ky-Alexia]]
*[[Mass Transit System]]
*[[Maze]]
*[[Matrix (facility)]]
*The [[Oracle Tank]]
*The [[Pit|Pit (facility)]]
*[[Plasma Energy Chamber]]
*[[Rust Sea]]
*[[Security Services Headquarters|Security Services HQ]]
*[[Six Lasers Over Cybertron]]
*[[Smelting pool]]
*[[Sonic Canyons]]
*[[Stanix]]
*The [[Underworld]]
*[[Valvolux]]

==Toys==
===Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers===
[[Image:Cybertron Primus toy.jpg|350px|thumb|]]
*'''Primus''' (Supreme, 2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-00'''
**''Accessories:'' Omega Lock, special silver Cybertron planet-type Cyber Planet Key

:[[Primus]] transforms into the planet Cybertron as seen in the [[Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon series]]. In planet mode, he is considerably more detailed than [[Unicron]] from the [[Armada (toyline)|''Armada'' line]], with visible cities, including [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]], based upon its appearance in the [[DK Publishing]] book, ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'', and [[Kaon]] as seen in ''[[The War Within]]''. On the "bottom" of the planet mode there are four hard rubber legs, molded to be shaped like towers, allowing Primus to be displayed in planet mode, yet not require a flat base as Unicron did.

:Primus's transformation is unusual, in many ways similar to a [[Powermaster]], in that he requires the owner to insert his accompanying [[Omega Lock]] accessory into several special ports around the planet, then manipulate it to unlock his parts and transform him. When the Omega Lock is inserted into his back and pushed, a transforming sound is heard. When it is inserted into his chest and pushed up to reveal his head, his eyes glow red and a laser-type sound effect is heard. The Lock itself lights up red when it is inserted into any of the ports.

:In robot mode, Primus resembles both the ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' Unicron prototype as well as [[Don Figueroa]]'s Primus concept, created for ''The War Within'' and used in ''The Ultimate Guide''. He is bristling with weaponry, including two shoulder-mounted cannons that can fire missiles, two forearm blasters that raise and extend when a Cyber Power Key is inserted, and several banks of Gatling guns, lasers and missile launchers in his shins and legs revealed by the Omega Lock.

:Primus also has what might charitably be called a third mode—an intergalactic world-ship, which is basically formed by transforming the figure halfway and leaving the head down and the legs backward. It features no dedicated parts or transformation steps, making it very obvious that it was created after the fact.

:Primus comes with two accessories, the aforementioned battery-operated Omega Lock that lights up red when inserted into any of the four Omega Lock ports, and a special silver Cybertron-Planet Cyber Power Key with the key code '''sp8u''' [[tampograph]]ed onto the back. Any four Cyber Planet Keys can be inserted into the four key slots at the base of the Omega Lock, though doing this does not activate any feature. There are also nine inactive [[Mini-Con]] [[powerlinx]] ports on the Primus figure, including two on the claws on his legs.

:Primus was developed by Hasbro and Takara as a toy for their joint ''Cybertron/Galaxy Force'' toylines, but was released in Japan in the ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' line a few months after ''Galaxy Force'' had ended its run. This release can be considered a pre-release of the ''Cybertron'' toy because it features Hasbro's [[Cyber Key Codes]] that the ''Galaxy Force'' line lacked.

===Cybertron===
*'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Omega Lock, special silver Cybertron planet-type Cyber Planet Key

:Cybertron Primus is the North American version of Primus, released a few months after the Japanese release. Both toys are identical.

:In North America, limited early-run versions of Cybertron Primus came packaged with a very creepy "battle damaged" [[Unicron]] head based upon the planet eater's ''Armada'' appearance.

:A later version, [[exclusive]] to [[Wal-Mart]] as a [[Black Friday (event)|Black Friday]] 2006 special, included four Mini-Cons; [[Strongarm (Cybertron)|Strongarm]], [[Knockdown (Cybertron)|Knockdown]], [[Nightscream (Cybertron)|Nightscream]], and [[Offshoot (Cybertron)|Offshoot]].

{{-}}

==Notes==
*The name "Cybertron" was used by Marvel Comics long before the Transformers series came about. In issue 48 of the original ''X-Men'' title (released in September 1968), a computer named Computo created a race of robots named the "Cybertrons".<ref>[http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/computoxm.htm Computo and the "Cybertrons" at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe]</ref>
*Cybertron's "gashed" moon, often glimpsed during the course of Beast Machines, is heavily based on one side of a modern sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro, "Sphere with Sphere" ("Sfera con Sfera"), that can be found in the Vatican City's Courtyard of the Pinecone.<ref>[http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/italy/rome/pomodoro/0003.jpg Photo of ''Sfera con Sfera'']</ref> See, kids? Transformers IS educational.
*The size of the Planet Cybertron varies between different continuities. In one, the diameter of the planet is around 6,300 km, while the Marvel comics describe it as "Saturn-sized," placing its diameter at around 120,000 km.<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/bible/wottf.html World of TRANSFORMERS]</ref> We can probably lay these at the feet of Primus, who is god after all, and can decide to be whatever size he wants.
*Towards the end of the original comic run, Blaster was asked in the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|UK Letters Page]] whether Cybertron would be turned into a Transformer. His response was "No. More likely it will turn into a rapidly expanding ball of component molecules, the way things are going at the moment". [[Primus|Oh, what fools time makes of us all]].<ref>[http://transfans.net/popup.php?id=2242 Letters page for Marvel UK Issue #323]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Animated planets]]
[[Category:Armada planets]]
[[Category:Beast Wars planets]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo planets]]
[[Category:Beast Machines locations]]
[[Category:Classics locations]]
[[Category:Cybertron planets]]
[[Category:Energon planets]]
[[Category:Generation 1 planets]]
[[Category:Generation 2 planets]]
[[Category:Headmasters franchise]]
[[Category:Movie planets]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Planet Cybertron| ]]
[[Category:Prime planets]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass locations]]
[[Category:Solar System]]
[[Category:Timelines]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]