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Generation 1 continuity family

2023-01-13T04:49:44Z

Avidjeeper: /* Beast Era */

[[File:TheTransformers Logo.jpg|center|450px]]

[[File:1984 Promotional poster.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

The '''Generation 1 continuity family''' is the biggest, oldest, and longest-running [[continuity family]] in the ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' [[canon]]. Its core is all of the fiction published under the [[The Transformers (franchise)|original ''The Transformers'' franchise]], which got off to a bifurcated start in [[1984]] with the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] and [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]], two distinct universes starring the same cast of characters. Along with those two main continuities came many smaller continuities, mostly in the form of [[List of Generation 1 books|books]].

For the next decade and a half, basically every subsequent franchise—most notably ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''—used bits and pieces of cartoon and comic lore as they saw fit, joining them together and extending the continuity into the distant future. It would take until [[2001]] for the first true "reboot" to break cleanly away from that which had gone before—and even [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|that cartoon]] would eventually get subsumed back into the extremely complicated [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] as part of a series of complicated retcons.

In more recent years, the Generation 1 continuity family has remained a perennial favourite with modern comic publishers seeking nostalgic audiences. Companies like [[Dreamwave Productions]] and [[IDW Publishing]] have published a steady stream of ''The Transformers''-branded comics since 2003; although the majority of these stories generally take more inspiration from the more famous [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] than the Marvel Comics continuity, both have received their fair share of sequels, spinoffs, and homages.

Within the fictional ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]], the [[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]] classify every Generation 1 continuity as a part of the "[[Primax]]" [[universal stream|universal cluster]].

==Blurring the lines==
[[File:DesperateTimes-CarcerTeam.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A ''Prime'' villain, two ''Beast Wars'' protagonists, a fan-created Autobot, and an ''Animated'' crowdfiller walk into a bar...]]

Most continuity families—the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]''—are synonymous with individual franchises; they arrive, bringing with them a slew of toys, television shows and ancillary media before eventually petering out several years later. Of the various continuity families, it is Generation 1 alone who has managed to buck that trend—initially through the efforts of ancillary comic publishing houses like [[Dreamwave Productions]] and [[IDW Publishing]], whose teen-to-adult-focused ''Transformers'' media, marketed to nostalgic fans of the original cartoons and comics, focused on new versions of the Generation 1 cast and stories at a time when Hasbro itself was promoting franchises like ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]''. In this way, the Generation 1 continuity kept itself alive, albeit in a reduced state, as other franchises like the Unicron Trilogy, ''Animated'', and ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' came and went.

Some time around 2013, following the rise and fall of G1 revival toylines like ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'', Hasbro twigged on to the increasing popularity of "neo-G1" among the fandom; in particular, IDW's ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' ongoing garnered mainstream attention and became a gateway for many new fans. As a result, the "Thrilling 30" subline of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline would contain number of IDW-original characters and designs, a transition between the old and what was to come.

As IDW's [[2005 IDW continuity|ongoing comic universe]] chugged along, it began incorporating characters from many other ''Transformers'' universes: "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" characters like [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], new versions of [[Megatron (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Megatron]] and [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]], and many, many ''Beast Wars'' characters. While this kind of "bleed" between continuity families is not a new phenomenon within the franchise itself—the ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|Allspark Almanac]]'' duology is a good example of this phenomenon in action—the rate and speed at which this phenomenon occured was unprecedented, and soon spread to other IDW comics: ''Prime'' Airachnid randomly appeared in the pages of 2018's ''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]'' crossover, and the [[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|second ''My Little Pony'']] miniseries contained a veritable bonanza of characters, ranging from [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Slipstream]] to [[Sureshock (Armada)|''Armada'' Sureshock]] to [[Wildwheel (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Wildwheel]] to IDW's original character [[Killmaster]].

[[File:LastBotStanding2-Steeljawmeetsrodimus.jpg|thumb|left|350px|"Damn continuity-transplanting punks, get out of my universe!"]]

It is a well-established fact that Hasbro doesn't really care about the idea of separate continuities: to them, Airachnid is Airachnid is Airachnid, regardless of the universe or which set of characters she's interacting with. With the rise of ''Generations'' as Hasbro's primary "adult" brand, so too was Generation 1 as a concept pushed increasingly to the forefront: the producers of the "[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]" cartoon spoke of their show as a "prequel to G1", although this statement is more metaphorical than literally true. IDW's [[2019 IDW continuity|second ''Transformers'' universe]] pushed the concept even farther; as a result, the "bleed" between different iterations of the brand has grown increasingly murkier. Megatron's past as a downtrodden miner-turned-gladiator, for instance, began with 2007's ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' comic, wound its way into the "Aligned" universe via ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'' and the ''Prime'' cartoon, and has subsequently become the basic "origin story" for basically every new version of Megatron: ranging from IDW's rebooted Generation 1 universe, to ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'', and even 2021's ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (IDW)|Shattered Glass]]'' miniseries.

All of this has led to a considerable amount of debate among the fandom and users on this very wiki regarding the prevalence of G1 ideas, characters, and concepts in different stories. Should, for instance, the [[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|''Cyberverse'' cartoon]] be considered a subfamily of G1? The answers to these questions are unclear, and as a result the Generation 1 continuity family as a whole has become a bit of a {{w|wastebasket taxon}} that incorporates all of those stories that don't really clearly fit anywhere else.

==Major continuities==
The sheer number of Generation 1 media makes a complete list of every possible continuity a near-impossible task. As of {{CURRENTYEAR}}, we identify eight major continuities, many of which possess a number of notable sub-branches and [[micro-continuity|micro-continuities]]. The lists below are not meant to be complete guides to every work in that continuity, but provide a quick overview of that continuity's most notable media.

===Marvel Comics===
{{main|Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel Comics timeline}}

{{collist|2|
* [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] (1984-1991)
* [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] (1984-1991)
* ''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'' (1986)
* ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' (1987)
* [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' (Marvel)]] (1993-1994)
* [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Fleetway)|''Generation 2'' (Fleetway)]] (1994-1995)
* ''[[Transformers: Classics#Fiction|Classics]]'' (2007-2012)
* ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'' (2012-2014)
* ''[[Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies|Transformers '84]]'' (2019-2020)}}

[[File:MarvelUS-01.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

The first-ever ''Transformers'' continuity—beating the cartoon to markets by four months—tells the story of the Autobots and Decepticons, two feuding factions of alien robots from the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] who brought their ancient conflict to modern [[Earth]]; their struggle for energy and new fuel sources initially brings them into contact with a cast of eccentric human characters, including a [[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|crossover]] with the cast of Marvel's contemporary ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' comic. A considerably more serialized affair than the contemporary ''Transformers'' cartoon with an ever-rotating cast of new toys to sell, the book eventually branched out from its Earthbound setting to tell stories set on Cybertron, the Moon, and various alien worlds. Following a dramatic battle against the dark god [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], the comic concludes with a final showdown on the planet [[Klo]] that sees the Decepticons defeated.

At the same time, Marvel's UK division produced its own ''Transformers'' comic; in between reprints of the American stories, the UK magazine published a number of new ''Transformers'' tales, intended to slot in between these American reprints. Some discrepancies inevitably arose; the UK universe, for instance, did not count the US's ''G.I. Joe'' crossover as canon. The UK continuity was a considerably more tangled affair than its American parent, and featured several history-altering time travel stories and glimpses into alternate futures; perhaps, then, it should come as no surprise that an increasing number of storytelling discrepancies eventually led to future UK stories like "[[Earthforce]]" taking place in their own self-contained timelines separate from the ongoing events over in the US comic. UK writer [[Simon Furman]] eventually jumped across the pond to become the chief writer on both ''Transformers'' books.

From this point, there are three notable sequel series that all spin off from the conclusion of [[End of the Road! (US)|Marvel US #80]], all of which mostly ignore the UK continuity. After [[G.I. Joe (comic)|another crossover]] with ''G.I. Joe'', Simon Furman returned only two years later to write the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' comic, a direct sequel to the original comic that pitted both the Autobots and Decepticons against the malevolent [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]]. The comic would be cancelled after only twelve issues, but Furman's unofficial novella "[[Alignment]]" provided a semi-definitive ending.

Some years later, [[Fun Publications]] established the ''[[Transformers: Classics#Fiction|Classics]]'' timeline, a separate reality that followed several minor characters as they struggled to pick up the pieces from the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. In 2012, "[[Invasion (issue)|Invasion]]" brought this universe to an unceremonious end when evil Autobots from the ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe destroyed it. However, many "Classicsverse" characters survived by evacuating into this parallel universe of evil Autobots and heroic Decepticons, where they continued to have adventures for some years afterwards. 2012 also saw the debut of ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]''; again helmed by Furman, this comic adapted several characters and plot points from both ''Generation 2'' and the UK comics, but was otherwise its own universe. Set twenty-one years after Marvel US #80, ''Regeneration One'' tied up various loose ends from the original comic before throwing the cast into a final battle against Jhiaxus and the [[Dark Matrix]]. Finally, in 2019, Furman penned ''[[Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies|Transformers '84]]'', a "lost history" miniseries that acts as a prequel to the US Marvel series.

===English cartoons===
{{main|Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1 cartoon timeline}}

[[File:FHE-MTMTE.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] (1984-1987)
* ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (1986)
* [[The Transformers (Madman)|''The Transformers'' (Madman comic)]] (2007)
* "[[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus]]" (2011)
* ''[[Mars Attacks: The Transformers]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' (2009-2015)
* ''[[Transformers: Deviations|Deviations]]'' (2016)

Over the course of its three-year run, the original ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' captured the imagination of millions of children, and it is arguably one of the best-remembered and most iconic components of the entire ''Transformers'' franchise. In 1986, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and its cavalier approach to merchandise-based storytelling likely traumatised those same children—the film featured the abrupt, violent deaths of many cast members to pave the way for that year's new toyline, and the most infamous casualty would be [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] himself. Though [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] became Autobot leader for a time, the third season of the cartoon would ultimately undo this controversial decision by restoring Optimus to life in "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]".

Though most, if not all, subsequent ''Transformers'' works draw at least ''some'' inspiration from either the cartoon or the animated film, very few works of American fiction have directly revisited the universe. [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''[[The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers]]'' comic touched on the twenty-year timeskip between the cartoon's second season, and [[IDW Publishing]]'s "[[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus]]" comic took place during the movie, while the very silly ''[[Mars Attacks: The Transformers]]'' crossover one-shot satirized many of the tropes and writing conventions endemic to the cartoon.

In 2009, [[Fun Publications]] launched the "[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]". Though it initially focused on the adventures of a young [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and the other members of Cybertron's [[Elite Guard]] during the early days of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict, it eventually jumped forward to a point set after the events of "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]" taking place in the futuristic year of [[2010]] and featuring a cast of next-generation Autobots and Decepticons. As per official sources, however, the ''Wings Universe'' stories are ''not'' set in the original cartoon universe: they are set in a closely connected timeline that is almost identical to the original animated, but with enough leniency to accommodate for storytelling differences. In [[2016]], IDW took a sideways look at the universe with ''[[Transformers: Deviations|Deviations]]'', a "what-if" tale about what might have happened had Optimus Prime survived ''The Movie''.

===Japanese cartoons===
{{main|Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)}}

{{collist|3|* [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'']] (1985-1986)
* "[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]" (1986)
* [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010|''2010'']] (1986-1987)
* ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' (1987-1988)
* ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' (1988-1989)
* ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' (1989-1990)
* ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Zone]]'' (1990)
* [[Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|''Return of Convoy''/''The Battlestars'']] (1991-1992)
* ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (franchise)|Operation Combination]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)#Transformers: G-2|G-2]]'' (1995-1996)
* ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Beast Wars: Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Beast Wars]]'' (1997-1998)
* ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' (1998-1999)
* ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals|Beast Wars Metals]]'' (1999-2000)
* ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' (2000)
* ''[[The Transformers: Micromaster|Micromaster]]'' (2002-2003)
* ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate|The Battle of the Star Gate]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Story of Binaltech|Binaltech]]'' (2003-2008)
* ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' (2004-2005)
* ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)#Japanese release|Beast Wars Returns]]'' (2004-2005)
* ''[[Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!|Teletraan 15 Go! Go!]]'' (2005-2007)
* ''[[Asterisk Story|Binaltech Asterisk]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'' (2006-2007)
* [[E-HOBBY#e-HOBBY exclusive fiction|e-HOBBY comics]] (2007-2017)
* ''[[Transformers United EX|United EX]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' (2014-2019)
* ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' (2015-2016)
* ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic|Generations Selects]]'' (2019-2021)
* ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|End of G1 Universe]]'' (2022)}}

[[File:ZonePoster1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

The sprawling labyrinth that is the Japanese Generation 1 continuity has its origins in the original ''The Transformers'' cartoon. When the American cartoon and movie were exported to Japan, only the first three seasons were broadcast—although declining sales and viewership in the US meant that the cartoon's truncated fourth season wrapped up the show, the franchise was still going strong in Japan, and so [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] created ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' to carry on the story. ''The Headmasters'' spun off from the events of season three while ignoring the events of "The Rebirth" entirely, creating an entirely new origin for the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s by introducing them as tiny Transformers from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]; eventually, the show rotated out most of the movie's cast in favour of new toys. 1988's ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' introduced the [[Headmaster Junior]]s and [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]]s, humans who could become Transformers and vice versa.

''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory]]'' turned command of the Autobots over to [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and his [[Brainmaster]]s as they fought [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]]. By this point, however, the Japanese line was on the wane, and ''[[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]]'' only got a single OVA in which [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] battled [[Violengiguar]]. After several more short-lived manga adaptations and toylines, the line went dormant for a time.

In 2004, the resurgence of the ''Transformers'' brand prompted Takara to produce numerous new series starring the Generation 1 cast, setting them in-between installments in the cartoon universe—these included stories like ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Alternators#Binaltech|Binaltech]]'', which took place between the second season of ''The Transformers'' and ''The Movie'', while ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'' took place between the end of the movie and the beginning of season three. Then, two years later, a ''Kiss Players'' paperback collection produced a new timeline that chronicled the ''entire'' universe up to that point, a complex, labyrinthine affair that integrated stories that had never been directly connected to the Generation 1 cartoon universe, such as the ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate|Battle of the Star Gate]]'' or even television shows like 2001's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Car Robots]]'' cartoon. This timeline also incorporates ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', and their two Japanese-exclusive cartoon sequels. In the years since, official Takara publications have continued revisiting this complicated universe through mediums like ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' and ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic|Generations Selects]]'', marking it as one of, if not ''the'', largest, longest-running continuities in the ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]].
{{--}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{main|Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave timeline}}

[[File:G1 Vol.3 Issue1 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Generation 1]]'' (2002-2004)
* ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' (2002-2003)
* ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Transformers: Micromasters|Micromasters]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|War Within: The Age of Wrath]]'' (2004)
* ''[[The Transformers Trilogy]]'' (2003-2004)

In 2002, [[Dreamwave Productions]] acquired the license to publish ''Transformers'' comics; in addition to the contemporary ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'' comic, it capitalised on the then-current eighties nostalgia boom by publishing a series of Generation 1-themed comics. This new universe begins on Earth some time after the Autobots and Decepticons mysteriously disappear, and the [[Prime Directive|first arc]] of the comic deals with the return of the Transformers as they clash with each other and the sinister [[Lazarus]]. The second arc sees [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] take center stage as he travels to Earth to force an end to the war on the planet, while ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Micromasters|Micromasters]]'' detail the early days of the conflict on Cybertron and the events leading up to the [[Great Shutdown]].

This continuity also encompasses a trilogy of novels—''[[Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired]]'', ''[[Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Fusion|Fusion]]'', in which Autobots and Decepticons contend with a malevolent faction of alien [[Keeper (species)|Keeper]]s—and the ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' guidebooks, which provided profiles for basically every Autobot and Decepticon who had appeared up until that point.

Ultimately, however, a combination of poor management, numerous financial troubles, and some ''extremely'' dubious business practices resulted in the company declaring bankruptcy in early 2005, though Hasbro had already decided to not renew their partnership with Dreamwave the year before.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14839 Lying in the Gutters reporting that Hasbro had revoked Dreamwave's ''Transformers'' license]</ref> As a result, several miniseries abruptly ended partway through their scheduled runs; although several scripts have since come to light, the abrupt, messy dissolution of Dreamwave left many dangling plot threads and unanswered questions in this particular continuity.

{{--}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{main|2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW timeline}}

{{collist|2|* ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'' (2005-2006)
* ''[[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]]'' (2006-2007)
* ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' (2007-2008)
* ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]'' (2006-2013)
* ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' (2008-9)
* [[The Transformers (IDW)|''The Transformers'' vol. 1]] (2009-2011)
* ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' (2010)
* [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''Robots in Disguise''/''The Transformers'' vol. 2]] (2012-2016)
* ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' (2012-2016)
* ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'' (2016-2017)
* ''[[Revolution]]'' (2016)
* ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' (2016-2018)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' (2016-2018)
* ''[[Transformers: Unicron|Unicron]]'' (2018)}}

[[File:Infiltration 0a.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

In 2005, [[IDW Publishing]] inherited the license to publish ''Transformers'' comics, and wasted no time establishing a brand-new continuity of their own. [[Simon Furman]] began the universe with ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'', which followed a group of humans embroiled in a cloak-and-dagger war between the Autobots and Decepticons over a miraculous fuel source known as [[Ore-13]], until a devastating cosmic "[[Expansion]]" interrupts their battle. Pulling evenly from just about every ''Transformers'' story that had gone before, and unafraid to dramatically reimagine characters and events to fit the needs of its story, the 2005 IDW continuity is notable for changing hands multiple times over. 2008's ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' saw the Decepticon conqueror vanquish the Autobots and shift the tone into an action-oriented romp in line with the concurrent [[Transformers (film)|live-action film]]; the 2009 [[The Transformers (IDW)|''The Transformers'']] ongoing continued this theme as the Autobots form an uneasy alliance with the humans of [[Skywatch]] to mop up any remaining Decepticons until a betrayal in their ranks and a crisis on Cybertron prompts both sides to abandon Earth.

In [[2012]], the IDW universe did the unthinkable: the fourteen-part "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" storyline sees the effective end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the Autobots and the Decepticons when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] returns [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to life. This did not mark the end of the universe, however: ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' followed [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] as he attempted to rebuild Cybertronian society, while the critically-acclaimed ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' saw [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] and a group of misfit Autobots leave Cybertron to search the galaxy for the mythical [[Knights of Cybertron]]. The two comics crossed over in the 2013 "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]" event, which notably saw this reality's [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] defect to the Autobots, and 2014's ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' laid the foundation for a number of future stories involving Cybertron's lost [[Cybertronian colonies|colony worlds]], including ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'', and ''[[Titans Return (comic)|Titans Return]]''.

In 2016, IDW announced the formation of the [[Hasbro Universe]], which amalgamated a number of forgotten Hasbro franchises—including IDW's current ''Transformers'' output—into a single comic universe. The various characters teamed up in that year's "[[Revolution]]"; the ethos of the Hasbro Universe carried on into the ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' comic, which ran alongside ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' to continue the two primary ongoing plot threads in the universe. Eventually, declining sales prompted IDW to wrap up the universe in 2018 with ''[[Transformers: Unicron|Unicron]]'', a colossal crisis crossover that pitted the Cybertronian race against [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] himself.

Running for over thirteen years and spanning dozens of ongoings, miniseries, and one-shots, this continuity is one of the largest, longest-running universes in the ''Transformers'' multiverse, with far too many books, alternate universes, and future timelines to cover in this abridged writeup. For more information, see our full article on the [[2005 IDW continuity]].

{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{main|2019 IDW continuity}}

[[File:TF2019 04 cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' (2019-2022)
* ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' (2019-2020)
* ''[[Transformers: Escape|Escape]]'' (2020-2021)
* ''[[Transformers: Wreckers—Tread & Circuits|Wreckers—Tread & Circuits]]'' (2021-2022)
* ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]'' (2022)

One month after ''Unicron'', IDW Publishing announced that they would reboot their ''Transformers'' license, a fresh start entirely unconnected to any prior IDW fiction. Compared to the sprawling, decade-plus epic that was IDW's previous ''Transformers'' continuity, this new universe would be a modest, tightly-focussed affair that focussed on a single ongoing comic supported by one miniseries at a time. This primary comic, simply titled ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'', charts a once-utopic Cybertron's slow descent into war as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] spearheads a populist uprising against the reigning [[Autobot]] party.

Several side stories and miniseries take place in and around the primary focus of the comic: ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' comic tells stories in outer space far from Cybertron, ''[[Transformers: Escape|Escape]]'' follows a crew of scientists and engineers as they work to rescue Cybertron's [[alien]] immigrants from the Decepticons, and ''[[Transformers: Wreckers—Tread & Circuits|Tread & Circuits]]'' introduces a new version of the fan-favourite [[Wreckers]] to the universe. In 2022, with IDW's time on the ''Transformers'' brand winding down, the universe wrapped up with ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]''.

{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
[[File:Netflix-WFC-Siege-season-poster.jpg|thumb|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' (2020-2021)

The ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' debuted on [[Netflix]] in [[2020]] to support the concurrent ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]'' toyline. Although it shares several story beats with the original ''The Transformers'' cartoon, it is a darker, grittier take that is otherwise irreconcilable with its predecessors. The trilogy is split into three separate "chapters": ''Siege'' focuses on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] leading the [[Autobot]]s to escape from a post-apocalyptic Cybertron aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', ''Earthrise'' splits time between the Autobots and Decepticons as they travel through outer space while [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] leads an underground rebellion on Cybertron, and ''Kingdom'' completes the trilogy by having both sides encounter time-travelling [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s from the future while stranded on prehistoric Earth.

Various supplementary material provided via the ''Transformers'' website or the "Galactic Odyssey" short stories more or less fit in with the story presented in the Netflix cartoon.

IDW's [[2019 IDW continuity|2019 comic book reboot]] makes extensive use of various ''Siege'' designs for many of its characters where applicable, but the two stories are not set in the same continuity.
{{--}}

==Minor continuities==
Continuities that comprise multiple books, issues, or installments, and so are not [[Micro-continuity|micro-continuities]], but are still far less significant.

===Toy bios===
[[File:G1 1984 backofboxbattle.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

In the early years of the ''Transformers'' brand, each ''Transformers'' toy came with a short [[bio]] based on the profiles [[Bob Budiansky]] had written. Usually, these bios were more or less faithful to the cartoons and comics—after all, the staffs of those shows were working from production bibles based on Budiansky's. As the original ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|The Transformers]]'' franchise went into a decline, however, less and less media came out to introduce new product, and many Transformers came out without any media backup at all beyond the information on their bio card—and as time passed, even those were crowded out by product descriptions hyping [[gimmick]]s like [[Pretender]]s and [[Micromaster]]s.

In more recent years, this trend has occasionally resurfaced—the ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' toyline was notable for featuring a number of intricate bios that took heavy inspiration from the [[2005 IDW continuity]], but had no bearing on the later [[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|''Combiner Wars'' cartoon]] that would follow. A similar phenomenon occurred with the ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' toyline, in which the [[Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters|promotional comic book]] made to advertise the toyline presented a backstory and lore that had almost nothing to do with the ''[[Transformers: Titans Return (cartoon)|Titans Return]]'' cartoon. This phenomenon is not exclusive to the Generation 1 continuity family.

{{--}}

===Commercials===
[[File:Sprocketoverruncommercial.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

This phenomenon also arises with the various [[commercial]]s that advertised the brand, particularly in the later years—the commercial that advertises the [[Action Master]]s, for instance, features multiple Autobots volunteering to undergo the change, while the concurrent [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel US]] series presented the transformation into an Action Master as an unexpected side-effect from processing [[nucleon (substance)|nucleon]]. A similar phenomenon arises with the [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s; while both American and Japanese media depicted them as ordinary Transformers, their commercials introduced the three as laboratory experiments gone wrong.

{{--}}

===Marvel coloring books===
[[File:SearchTreasureSea-cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Marvel Books}}

{{collist|2|* [[Super-Size Coloring Activity Book]] (1984)
* [[Search for Treasure Under the Sea]](1984)
* [[Bumblebee to the Rescue!]] (1984)
* [[Decepticon Patrol]] (1984)
* [[The Deadly Fuel Shortage]] (1984)
* [[Summertime Coloring Book]] (1985)
* [[A Message From Outer Space]] (1985)
* [[Forest Rescue Mission]] (1985)
* [[Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission]] (1985)
* [[The Autobot Smasher!]] (1985)
* [[The Big Book of Coloring Fun]] (1985)
* [[The Autobot Spy in the Sky]] (1985)
* [[Battle at Oil Valley]] (1986)
* [[The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp]] (1986)
* [[The Lost Treasure of Cybertron]] (1986)
* [[Hot Rod's Escape]] (1986)}}

To support the launch of the ''Transformers'' franchise in [[1984]], [[Marvel Books]] published a number of tie-ins, including a series of coloring books. As one might expect, this continuity incorporated several episodic stories which saw the Autobots courageously foil various nonsensical Decepticon schemes.

In 1986, the setting updated itself to align with the characters and settings introduced in ''The Movie'' and switched Optimus Prime and Megatron for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]; however, subsequent books continued to feature characters who had famously perished in the film like [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]].

{{--}}

===Sticker Adventures===
[[File:Revengeofthedecepticons-cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
{{main|Sticker Adventures}}

*"[[Revenge of the Decepticons]]" (1984)
*"[[Return to Cybertron]]" (1984)
*"[[Battle on the Junk Planet]]" (1986)
*"[[Galvatron Attacks]]" (1986)

Similar to the various ''Transformers'' coloring books, Marvel Books' [[Sticker Adventures]] featured a number of self-contained tales. In 1986, the series moved forward to the setting of ''The Transformers: The Movie''.

{{--}}

===Big Looker Story Books===
[[File:Battle For Cybertron cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Big Looker Storybook}}
* "[[Battle for Cybertron]]" (1984)
* "[[The Great Car Rally]]" (1984)
* "[[Decepticon Hijack]]" (1985)
* "[[Insecticon Attack!]]" (1985)
* "[[Car Show Blow Up]]" (1986)
* "[[The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson]]" (1986)

The [[Big Looker Storybook]]s are notable for their lavish illustrations and sometimes fanciful depictions of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict. Like many other ongoing Generation 1 titles released during the early years of the franchise, they shifted to a version of ''The Movie''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 2005 setting in 1986 and featured [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] as the leaders of their respective factions.

{{--}}

===S.T.A.R.S. continuity===
{{main|S.T.A.R.S. continuity}}
[[File:PackIn HaveTheDecepticons Front.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
* [[Reinforcements from Cybertron!]] (1984)
* [[The battle is far from over!]] (1985)
* [[Tech-Spec Manual]] (1985)
* [[Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!]] (1985)
* [[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?]] (1985)
* [[Can one boy, alone, hold back the evil Decepticons?]] (1986)
* [[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]] (1986)
* [[You Have Been Chosen.]] (1986)
* [[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]] (1987)
* [[Transformers Combat Data]] (1987)
* [[The Autobots Are Under Attack!]] (1988)

The [[S.T.A.R.S. continuity]], supported through a series of [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-order flyer]]s, is notable for blurring the lines between fiction and reality by presenting itself as a series of "real" missives documenting the Autobot-Decepticon conflict on Earth and recruiting [[human]] agents to become members of the "[[S.T.A.R.S.|Secret Transformer Autobot Rescue Squad]]".

{{--}}

===Marvel Storybooks===
[[File:The Autobots Secret Weapon cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Marvel Books}}

* "[[Battle for Earth]]" (1985)
* "[[The Autobots' Secret Weapon]]" (1985)

A pair of storybooks set in a continuity where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s and [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s are among the Cybertronians reactivated by the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''.

{{--}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
[[File:Satelliteofdoom-cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Kid Stuff}}

* "[[Satellite of Doom]]" (1985)
* "[[When Continents Collide]]" (1985)
* "[[Storms of Destruction]]" (1985)
* "[[Jaws of Terror]]" (1986)
* "[[Slaves of the Insecticons]]" (1986)
* "[[Attack of the Decepticons]]" (1986)

[[Kid Stuff]] published a number of ''Transformers'' titles. There were two sets of books; one consisted of adapted [[Big Looker Storybook|Big Looker]] stories previously published by [[Marvel Books]], while the other group contained original stories. The original stories in this continuity are notable for their bizarre focus on [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] using various drilling machines and the graphic acts of geological violence they commit while searching for [[oil]].

{{--}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:Autobotslightningstrike.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
{{main|Ladybird Books}}
*"[[Autobots' Lightning Strike]]" (1985)
*"[[Megatron's Fight for Power]]" (1985)
*"[[Autobots Fight Back]]" (1985)
*"[[Laserbeak's Fury]]" (1985)
*"[[Galvatron's Air Attack]]" (1986)
*"[[Decepticon Hideout]]" (1986)
*"[[Decepticons at the Pole]]" (1987)
*"[[Autobots Strike Oil]]" (1987)
*"[[Autobot Hostage]]" (1988)
*"[[Decepticons Underground]]" (1988)

The [[Ladybird Books]] continuity draws a number of concepts directly from the original "[[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|More than Meets the Eye]]" miniseries but soon spins off into its own universe. Though it initially hews close to the Sunbow television series—with the caveat that the Cybertronians are unknown to most humans save [[Spike Witwicky|Spike]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and must remain a secret—1986 featured a movie-based shakeup, with the blurb incorporating a version of the popular "[[Target: 2006]]" storyline from Marvel UK into this small continuity to explain how [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] travelled back in time and took over the Decepticons. 1987 and 1988 moved the action to the planet [[Nebulos]], with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] taking command of the Autobots and Decepticons respectively.

Ladybird Books also published a [[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|book adaptation]] of ''The Movie'', but it does not fit in their larger continuity.

{{--}}

===The Battle for Planet Earth===
[[File:Tf battleforplanetearth.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|The Battle for Planet Earth}}
*[[Terror of Mount Sheelah]] (1985)
*[[Bumblebee to the Rescue (G1)|Bumblebee to the Rescue]] (1985)
*[[Menace at the Dam]] (1985)
*[[Espionage!!!!!]] (1985)

This continuity constitutes a set of four audio-only adventures that document a series of battles fought between Autobots and Decepticons over the course of a few weeks; unlike many other early Generation 1 continuities, the Cybertronians are unknown to most humans and must maintain their secrecy. Instead of the more famous [[Witwicky (surname)|Witwicky]] family, the Autobots in this reality appear to have befriended a pair of humans named [[John Gordon|John]] and [[Tim Gordon]].

In [[2015]], "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" revealed that the Cybertronians in this universe had multiple dimension-hopping encounters with the heroic [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]]s and evil [[Renegade]]s of ''[[GoBots]]'' fame.

{{--}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{main|Find Your Fate Junior}}

[[File:Battle drive fyf.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[Dinobots Strike Back]] (1985)
* [[Battle Drive]] (1985)
* [[Attack of the Insecticons]] (1985)
* [[Earthquake (book)|Earthquake]] (1986)
* [[Desert Flight]] (1986)
* [[Decepticon Poison]] (1986)
* [[Autobot Alert!]] (1986)
* [[Project Brain Drain]] (1986)
* [[The Invisibility Factor]] (1986)

One of the weirder continuities in this article, [[Ballantine Books]] published a series of multipath "choose your own adventure" ''Transformers'' novels under the title "[[Find Your Fate Junior]]." As a result, each book features multiple endings, and, in true choose-your-own-adventure tradition, many of them involve either [[you]] or the Autobots dying horribly. As a result of these fractured narratives, there is no real carryover from one book to the next, and on this wiki we lump them together as a single "continuity" mostly for organization's sake.

{{--}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[File:TF3D-1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[Transformers in 3-D]] (1987-1988)

Another oddball, the three-issue ''[[Transformers in 3-D]]'' comic series features a jumbled story set at some point in an unspecified future timeline. For unknown reasons, the series ended on part one of a three-part story that would've seen the Autobots and Decepticons fighting side by side against the evil [[Destructons]], leaving their ultimate fate unclear.

{{--}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:GI Joe vs Transformers 4a.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity}}

* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers]]'' (2003)
* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]]'' (2004)
* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War]]'' (2006)
* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon]]'' (2007)

[[Devil's Due Press]]'s ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers]]'' debuted at around the same time as the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity]], but was unconnected to the events of that universe and indeed outlasted it by several years. In this continuity, the [[human]] terrorist organization [[Cobra]] finds the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons within into mindless weapons of war—their first attack upon the [[United States of America]] prompts the United States government to create [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] to fight back. The 2004 [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II|sequel series]] sees [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] step up as the new Decepticon leader after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s destruction and use the [[Teletran 3]] supercomputer to invade Earth until a freak accident strands a group of Cybertronians in different Earth time periods, forcing the Joes and Cobras to search the timestream before their presence eradicates all life on Earth.

[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War|The third installment]] pits the Autobots and Joes against [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], a powerful synthetic lifeform created using pilfered Cybertronian technology, and who threatens to unite the scattered Decepticon remnants into a new army before G.I. Joe operative [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] kills the rogue leader using the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon|Black Horizon]]'', the fourth and final chapter, draws heavily upon the cosmic mythologies introduced in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and the {{w|G.I. Joe: The Movie|animated ''G.I. Joe'' film}} by introducing [[Unicron]] and the hidden nation of [[Cobra-La]] as antagonists.

{{--}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[File:DW GIJoe Issue1 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe]]'' (2003-2004)
* ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front]]'' (2004)

Around the same time as the first ''G.I. Joe'' crossover, [[Dreamwave Productions]] launched their own take on the concept with ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe]]''. This continuity, however, changed things up by setting the story in 1939, on the eve of [[World War II]]. This reality saw [[Cobra]] stumble across the dormant Decepticons on the remote [[Fera Islands]] and form an alliance with the aliens to conquer [[Europe]], and it falls to the men and women of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] to stop them with the assistance of th Autobots.

Notable for its usage of period-appropriate [[alternate mode]]s for every Cybertronian character involved in the story, ''Transformers/G.I.Joe'' received a sequel series set fifty years later, but Dreamwave's bankruptcy meant that only one issue of ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front|Divided Front]]'' saw release.

{{--}}

===''The Beast Within''===
[[File:The Beast Within 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* "[[The Beast Within]]" (2004)
* "[[The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences]]" (2004)

A continuity in which the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s possess the power to [[combiner|combine]] into a monster called "[[Beast (G1)|the Beast]]".

{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel-TPBCover.jpeg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Infestation 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers]]'' (2011)
* ''[[The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers]]'' (2014)

After receiving the ''Transformers'' license, [[IDW Publishing]] planned a line of ''{{w|Elseworlds}}''-style comics under the title ''[[The Transformers: Evolutions|Evolutions]]''. For a variety of reasons, the line didn't pan out, and only one story ever saw release. In ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'', the Autobots come to Earth in the [[Ice Age]]; when human activity reawakens them in the late 1800s, both sides adopt turn-of-the-century vehicle forms like trains, steamboats, and zeppelins to form alliances with humans before a final showdown sees [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s splinter faction routed with the help of [[John Henry]] and [[Mark Twain]].

Five years later, IDW returned to the universe during its ''[[Infestation 2]]'' crossover, in which the Autobots reactivate the still-dormant [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to battle a Cthulhu-type [[Elder God]] and his infested Decepticon minions. Another three years later, the ''[[The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers|X-File Conspiracy]]'' crossover brought the universe into the modern day by having the Autobots team up with a [[human]] group known as the [[Lone Gunmen]] to rescue [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] from [[Skylogic Systems|a sinister secret organization]].

Then, in [[2017]], ''[[Revolutionaries]]'' revealed that a version of ''Hearts of Steel'' and ''Infestation''—but not ''Conspiracy''—had also taken place within IDW's [[2005 IDW continuity|primary ongoing continuity]], a series of events masterminded by [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], who had deliberately shot down and brainwashed a group of [[Maximal]] explorers into believing that they were the real Autobots and Decepticons. This was not a strict retcon, however, and the original story plus ''Conspiracy'' still occupies its own fictional universe.

{{--}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers''===
[[File:Henkei chpt 01 title.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (pack-in manga)|''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers'' pack-in manga]] (2008-2009)
* ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (Comic Bun Bun)|''Henkei! Henkei! Comic Bun Bun'' manga]]'' (2008-9)
* ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-]]'' (2008-9)

Unusually for a Japanese manga, ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (franchise)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' did not position itself somewhere within the sprawling [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], instead opting for a kid-friendly, back-to-basics tale to help advertise the concurrent [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|toyline]]. Artist [[Naoto Tsushima]] drew three separate stories under this banner, which share some story beats but are all otherwise mutually incompatible with one another—the [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (pack-in manga)|pack-in manga]] and [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-|''Visualize'' prose stories]] advertised the concurrent toyline, while the [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (Comic Bun Bun)|''Comic Bun Bun'' manga]] has the Autobots befriend hyperactive schoolkid [[Wataru Hoshinoumi]] while searching for the [[Energon Cube#Henkei! Henkei! Comic Bun Bun pack-in manga|Energon Cube]].

{{--}}

===''Alternity''===
{{main|Transformers: Alternity}}

[[File:Alternity convoy boxart.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* "[[From Here to Alternity]]" (2009)
* "[[To Mega Therion]]" (2009)
* "[[Arch-Nemesis!]]" (2009)
* "[[To Die Game!]]" (2009)
* "[[The World Is Flat!]]" (2009)
* "[[Ace of Swords]]" (2009)
* "[[Foreshadows]]" (2010)
* "[[Hunt for the Planicrons]]" (2010)
* "[[Nissan GT-R / Ultra Magnus (Brilliant Pearl White)]]" (2010)
* "[[Alternation]]" (2010)

''[[Transformers: Alternity]]'' is complicated.

From a toyline perspective, the line was simply a successor to ''Binaltech'' and its usage of licensed 1:24 vehicle modes but the fiction these toys received is something else entirely. In a nutshell, the characters who constitute the Alternity are not from any single dimension in the ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]]: the 'bots who constitute the "Alternity" are higher-dimensional creatures, amalgamated beings who encompass many alternate-dimensional counterparts. The stories feature their adventures across multiple pre-existing dimensions and timelines, encountering [[Planicron|two-dimensional invader]]s and battling the reality-devouring beast known as the [[Hytherion]]; in 2015 the Facebook "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" feature established them as powerful guardians of the infinite multiverse on-par with the advanced [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s and the inhabitants of [[Cloud World]]. Owing to these multidimensional shenanigans, which include frequent crossovers with the long-running [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], ''Alternity'' is not a strictly self-contained universe; however, we recognize it as a continuity and organize it as such on this wiki whenever possible for sanity's sake.

{{--}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
[[File:AllSparkTradeCover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: All Spark|All Spark]]'' (2012-2013)

Similar to ''Henkei! Henkei!'', ''[[Transformers: All Spark]]'' is a vague retelling of the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] based loosely on the "[[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|More than Meets the Eye]]" miniseries, but features a number of details and bodies lifted from the [[Aligned continuity family]] as part of its mandate to advertise the then-current Japanese ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline,

{{--}}

===''Transformers GT''===
[[File:GT manga title.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
{{main|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)}}
* "[[Test Run Battle! –Prelude–]]" (2013)
* "[[First Fast Attack! –Whoever Strikes First Wins–]]" (2013)
* "[[One Shot and One Kill!! –Finishing Blow–]]" (2013)
* "[[A Biggest Sword! –The Last Resort–]]" (2013)
* ''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (comic)|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R]]'' (2013)
* [[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)|''Transformers GT'' story pages]] (2013)

A continuity set in a universe where the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] has evolved into the [[Transformers GT (race)|Transformers GT]], a series of friendly races held between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s.

{{--}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:TFvsJoe0.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' (2014-2016)
* ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: The Movie Adaptation]]'' (2017)

''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' opens on a dystopian [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has vanished and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] reigns supreme. When Cybertron enters our [[Solar System]], the task of making first contact with the metal invaders falls to the heroes of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]—but when the Decepticons refuse to bargain and enter into an unholy alliance with the home-grown villains of [[Cobra]], the Joes go on the offensive by launching their own invasion of Cybertron. As they explore this alien world, they learn some strange truths about Earth, Cybertron, and the cosmic connection that binds them together.

Written and illustrated by [[Tom Scioli]], ''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe'' is a retro-styled comic that emulates the trippy Silver Age sagas of {{w|Jack Kirby}}, featuring radical reinterpretations of classic characters and plenty of intricate callbacks to ''Transformers'' and ''Joe'' lore. In 2017, the series received a mind-screwing [[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: The Movie Adaptation|one-shot "movie adaptation"]] that presented itself as an adaptation of an equally fictitious movie based on what the original comic might look like had it received the screen treatment.

{{--}}

===''Devastation''===
[[File:Transformers Devastation cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' (2015)

The ''[[Transformers: Devastation]]'' continuity incorporates story beats from both the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and the [[2005 IDW continuity]], which features the Autobots battling an [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] swarm attempting to [[cyberforming|cyberform]] Earth.

{{--}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:ToxicTransformer.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
* ''[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]'' (2016)
* "[[The Truth We Make]]" (2016)
* "[[Life Finds a Way]]" (2016)
* "[[The Toxic Transformer]]" (2016)
* "[[Foundation and Wreckage Part 1: Deadly Aim|Deadly Aim]]" (2016)
* "[[Lively Pursuit]]" (2016)

In this universe, the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] came to an unceremonious end when the awesomely powerful Decepticon [[combiner]] [[Thunder Mayhem]] turned against his creators and razed [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] entirely, scattering a handful of survivors to the stars.

{{--}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy''===
[[File:POTP-Cartoon-FinalPoster.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
{{main|Prime Wars Trilogy}}
* ''[[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|Combiner Wars]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Transformers: Titans Return (cartoon)|Titans Return]]'' (2017-2018)
* ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]'' (2018)

The ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' is set in a universe that takes heavy inspiration from the concurrent IDW comics, featuring a post-war [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] jointly ruled by a post-factional alliance of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]], and the [[Mistress of Flame]]. When the looming [[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner Wars]] threaten to dash this fragile peace, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] return from their self-imposed exiles to battle villains old and new—a treacherous Starscream, [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], [[The Fallen|Megatronus]], and the brainwashed [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Cron]].

{{--}}

===''Bumblebee'' graphic novels===
[[File:WinIfYouDare cvr.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee - Win If You Dare|Bumblebee - Win If You Dare]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold|Bumblebee - Go For the Gold]]'' (2018)

A cartoon-inspired continuity where the Autobots and Decepticons are active in the mid-to-late 1990s. Unlike the cartoon, however, the Cybertronians are not common knowledge except to select members of the [[United States military]].

{{--}}

===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
[[File:STvsTF4-cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]'' (2018-2019)

A continuity in which the Autobots and Decepticons leave Earth to escape [[World War III]] and later encounter [[Starfleet]] and the [[Klingon Empire]] in the twenty-third century.

{{--}}

===''Mazinger Z versus Transformers''===
[[File:MZvTF Cover 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Mazinger Z versus Transformers]]'' (2019)

This Japanese-exclusive manga sees the Autobots and Decepticons from a very cartoon-like universe teleported to the world of the long-running Japanese mecha franchise ''{{w|Mazinger Z}}''. It cannot, however, fit into the [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], as the story ends with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] dying a fairly unambiguous death.

{{--}}

===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===
[[File:TFGB01-cvrB.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers/Ghostbusters]]'' (2019)

A continuity in which the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] ended a thousand years ago, with the Autobots fleeing [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] before the extradimensional deity [[Gozer]] destroyed their homeworld. The present day sees Autobot nerd [[Ectotron|Ectronymous Diamatron]] join up with the [[Ghostbusters]] to investigate paranormal Cybertronian activity on [[Earth]].

While ''Transformers/Ghostbusters'' is, from "our" perspective, just one of many possible universes within the ''Transformers'' multiverse, the series is written in mind to fit into IDW Publishing's own long-running ''Ghostbusters'' continuity and features a number of call-backs and references to prior events.

{{--}}

===''Transformers vs. The Terminator''===
[[File:TFTerminator 1 cvrRIB.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers vs. The Terminator]]'' (2020)

The [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] of this continuity kills a still-deactivated [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in [[1984]], ensuring a complete Decepticon victory and the extinction of mankind by the year [[2029]]. To win the war, the human-built artificial intelligence [[Skynet]] sends a [[T-800]] unit back in time to kill all Cybertronians and change history—but its interference leads to some unexpected consequences.

{{--}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:MLPTF 1 cvr RI B.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|Friendship in Disguise!]]'' (2020)
* ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|The Magic of Cybertron]]'' (2021)

The ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|My Little Pony/Transformers]]'' continuity begins with a freak [[space bridge|spacebridge]] accident that transports the Autobots and Decepticons to the magical land of [[Equestria]], where they team up with the native ponies to take down [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the evil [[Queen Chrysalis]]. The [[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|sequel miniseries]] reverses the premise, with [[Twilight Sparkle]] and her friends travelling to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to battle [[King Sombra]].

Both comics use a number of characters and concepts that originated or were adapted into in the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005]] and [[2019 IDW continuity|2019]] IDW continuities, but it is set in its own independent continuity that amalgamates concepts from several different universes.

{{--}}

===''Transformers/Back to the Future''===
[[File:BTTF TF 1 cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers/Back to the Future]]'' (2020-2021)

A continuity in which the Decepticons abuse [[Doc Brown]]'s [[DeLorean time machine]] to change history and win the war.

{{--}}

===''Transformers: King Grimlock''===
[[File:KingGrimlock 1 cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: King Grimlock|King Grimlock]]'' (2021)

A gritty, pulp-fantasy tale inspired by the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Madman's Paradise]]".

{{--}}

===''Transformers: Last Bot Standing''===
[[File:LastBotStanding 1 cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'' (2022)

A post-apocalyptic tale intended to act as a hypothetical "final ''Transformers'' story" in the vein of ''{{w|Old Man Logan}}''.

{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Continuity families]]
[[Category:Generation 1| ]]

Generation 1 continuity family

2023-01-13T04:46:49Z

Avidjeeper: /* Beast Era */

[[File:TheTransformers Logo.jpg|center|450px]]

[[File:1984 Promotional poster.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

The '''Generation 1 continuity family''' is the biggest, oldest, and longest-running [[continuity family]] in the ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' [[canon]]. Its core is all of the fiction published under the [[The Transformers (franchise)|original ''The Transformers'' franchise]], which got off to a bifurcated start in [[1984]] with the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] and [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]], two distinct universes starring the same cast of characters. Along with those two main continuities came many smaller continuities, mostly in the form of [[List of Generation 1 books|books]].

For the next decade and a half, basically every subsequent franchise—most notably ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''—used bits and pieces of cartoon and comic lore as they saw fit, joining them together and extending the continuity into the distant future. It would take until [[2001]] for the first true "reboot" to break cleanly away from that which had gone before—and even [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|that cartoon]] would eventually get subsumed back into the extremely complicated [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] as part of a series of complicated retcons.

In more recent years, the Generation 1 continuity family has remained a perennial favourite with modern comic publishers seeking nostalgic audiences. Companies like [[Dreamwave Productions]] and [[IDW Publishing]] have published a steady stream of ''The Transformers''-branded comics since 2003; although the majority of these stories generally take more inspiration from the more famous [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] than the Marvel Comics continuity, both have received their fair share of sequels, spinoffs, and homages.

Within the fictional ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]], the [[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]] classify every Generation 1 continuity as a part of the "[[Primax]]" [[universal stream|universal cluster]].

==Blurring the lines==
[[File:DesperateTimes-CarcerTeam.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A ''Prime'' villain, two ''Beast Wars'' protagonists, a fan-created Autobot, and an ''Animated'' crowdfiller walk into a bar...]]

Most continuity families—the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]''—are synonymous with individual franchises; they arrive, bringing with them a slew of toys, television shows and ancillary media before eventually petering out several years later. Of the various continuity families, it is Generation 1 alone who has managed to buck that trend—initially through the efforts of ancillary comic publishing houses like [[Dreamwave Productions]] and [[IDW Publishing]], whose teen-to-adult-focused ''Transformers'' media, marketed to nostalgic fans of the original cartoons and comics, focused on new versions of the Generation 1 cast and stories at a time when Hasbro itself was promoting franchises like ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]''. In this way, the Generation 1 continuity kept itself alive, albeit in a reduced state, as other franchises like the Unicron Trilogy, ''Animated'', and ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' came and went.

Some time around 2013, following the rise and fall of G1 revival toylines like ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'', Hasbro twigged on to the increasing popularity of "neo-G1" among the fandom; in particular, IDW's ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' ongoing garnered mainstream attention and became a gateway for many new fans. As a result, the "Thrilling 30" subline of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline would contain number of IDW-original characters and designs, a transition between the old and what was to come.

As IDW's [[2005 IDW continuity|ongoing comic universe]] chugged along, it began incorporating characters from many other ''Transformers'' universes: "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" characters like [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], new versions of [[Megatron (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Megatron]] and [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]], and many, many ''Beast Wars'' characters. While this kind of "bleed" between continuity families is not a new phenomenon within the franchise itself—the ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|Allspark Almanac]]'' duology is a good example of this phenomenon in action—the rate and speed at which this phenomenon occured was unprecedented, and soon spread to other IDW comics: ''Prime'' Airachnid randomly appeared in the pages of 2018's ''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]'' crossover, and the [[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|second ''My Little Pony'']] miniseries contained a veritable bonanza of characters, ranging from [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Slipstream]] to [[Sureshock (Armada)|''Armada'' Sureshock]] to [[Wildwheel (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Wildwheel]] to IDW's original character [[Killmaster]].

[[File:LastBotStanding2-Steeljawmeetsrodimus.jpg|thumb|left|350px|"Damn continuity-transplanting punks, get out of my universe!"]]

It is a well-established fact that Hasbro doesn't really care about the idea of separate continuities: to them, Airachnid is Airachnid is Airachnid, regardless of the universe or which set of characters she's interacting with. With the rise of ''Generations'' as Hasbro's primary "adult" brand, so too was Generation 1 as a concept pushed increasingly to the forefront: the producers of the "[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]" cartoon spoke of their show as a "prequel to G1", although this statement is more metaphorical than literally true. IDW's [[2019 IDW continuity|second ''Transformers'' universe]] pushed the concept even farther; as a result, the "bleed" between different iterations of the brand has grown increasingly murkier. Megatron's past as a downtrodden miner-turned-gladiator, for instance, began with 2007's ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' comic, wound its way into the "Aligned" universe via ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'' and the ''Prime'' cartoon, and has subsequently become the basic "origin story" for basically every new version of Megatron: ranging from IDW's rebooted Generation 1 universe, to ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'', and even 2021's ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (IDW)|Shattered Glass]]'' miniseries.

All of this has led to a considerable amount of debate among the fandom and users on this very wiki regarding the prevalence of G1 ideas, characters, and concepts in different stories. Should, for instance, the [[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|''Cyberverse'' cartoon]] be considered a subfamily of G1? The answers to these questions are unclear, and as a result the Generation 1 continuity family as a whole has become a bit of a {{w|wastebasket taxon}} that incorporates all of those stories that don't really clearly fit anywhere else.

==Major continuities==
The sheer number of Generation 1 media makes a complete list of every possible continuity a near-impossible task. As of {{CURRENTYEAR}}, we identify eight major continuities, many of which possess a number of notable sub-branches and [[micro-continuity|micro-continuities]]. The lists below are not meant to be complete guides to every work in that continuity, but provide a quick overview of that continuity's most notable media.

===Marvel Comics===
{{main|Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel Comics timeline}}

{{collist|2|
* [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] (1984-1991)
* [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] (1984-1991)
* ''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'' (1986)
* ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' (1987)
* [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' (Marvel)]] (1993-1994)
* [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Fleetway)|''Generation 2'' (Fleetway)]] (1994-1995)
* ''[[Transformers: Classics#Fiction|Classics]]'' (2007-2012)
* ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'' (2012-2014)
* ''[[Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies|Transformers '84]]'' (2019-2020)}}

[[File:MarvelUS-01.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

The first-ever ''Transformers'' continuity—beating the cartoon to markets by four months—tells the story of the Autobots and Decepticons, two feuding factions of alien robots from the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] who brought their ancient conflict to modern [[Earth]]; their struggle for energy and new fuel sources initially brings them into contact with a cast of eccentric human characters, including a [[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|crossover]] with the cast of Marvel's contemporary ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' comic. A considerably more serialized affair than the contemporary ''Transformers'' cartoon with an ever-rotating cast of new toys to sell, the book eventually branched out from its Earthbound setting to tell stories set on Cybertron, the Moon, and various alien worlds. Following a dramatic battle against the dark god [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], the comic concludes with a final showdown on the planet [[Klo]] that sees the Decepticons defeated.

At the same time, Marvel's UK division produced its own ''Transformers'' comic; in between reprints of the American stories, the UK magazine published a number of new ''Transformers'' tales, intended to slot in between these American reprints. Some discrepancies inevitably arose; the UK universe, for instance, did not count the US's ''G.I. Joe'' crossover as canon. The UK continuity was a considerably more tangled affair than its American parent, and featured several history-altering time travel stories and glimpses into alternate futures; perhaps, then, it should come as no surprise that an increasing number of storytelling discrepancies eventually led to future UK stories like "[[Earthforce]]" taking place in their own self-contained timelines separate from the ongoing events over in the US comic. UK writer [[Simon Furman]] eventually jumped across the pond to become the chief writer on both ''Transformers'' books.

From this point, there are three notable sequel series that all spin off from the conclusion of [[End of the Road! (US)|Marvel US #80]], all of which mostly ignore the UK continuity. After [[G.I. Joe (comic)|another crossover]] with ''G.I. Joe'', Simon Furman returned only two years later to write the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' comic, a direct sequel to the original comic that pitted both the Autobots and Decepticons against the malevolent [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]]. The comic would be cancelled after only twelve issues, but Furman's unofficial novella "[[Alignment]]" provided a semi-definitive ending.

Some years later, [[Fun Publications]] established the ''[[Transformers: Classics#Fiction|Classics]]'' timeline, a separate reality that followed several minor characters as they struggled to pick up the pieces from the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. In 2012, "[[Invasion (issue)|Invasion]]" brought this universe to an unceremonious end when evil Autobots from the ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe destroyed it. However, many "Classicsverse" characters survived by evacuating into this parallel universe of evil Autobots and heroic Decepticons, where they continued to have adventures for some years afterwards. 2012 also saw the debut of ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]''; again helmed by Furman, this comic adapted several characters and plot points from both ''Generation 2'' and the UK comics, but was otherwise its own universe. Set twenty-one years after Marvel US #80, ''Regeneration One'' tied up various loose ends from the original comic before throwing the cast into a final battle against Jhiaxus and the [[Dark Matrix]]. Finally, in 2019, Furman penned ''[[Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies|Transformers '84]]'', a "lost history" miniseries that acts as a prequel to the US Marvel series.

===English cartoons===
{{main|Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1 cartoon timeline}}

[[File:FHE-MTMTE.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] (1984-1987)
* ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (1986)
* [[The Transformers (Madman)|''The Transformers'' (Madman comic)]] (2007)
* "[[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus]]" (2011)
* ''[[Mars Attacks: The Transformers]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' (2009-2015)
* ''[[Transformers: Deviations|Deviations]]'' (2016)

Over the course of its three-year run, the original ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' captured the imagination of millions of children, and it is arguably one of the best-remembered and most iconic components of the entire ''Transformers'' franchise. In 1986, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and its cavalier approach to merchandise-based storytelling likely traumatised those same children—the film featured the abrupt, violent deaths of many cast members to pave the way for that year's new toyline, and the most infamous casualty would be [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] himself. Though [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] became Autobot leader for a time, the third season of the cartoon would ultimately undo this controversial decision by restoring Optimus to life in "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]".

Though most, if not all, subsequent ''Transformers'' works draw at least ''some'' inspiration from either the cartoon or the animated film, very few works of American fiction have directly revisited the universe. [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''[[The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers]]'' comic touched on the twenty-year timeskip between the cartoon's second season, and [[IDW Publishing]]'s "[[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus]]" comic took place during the movie, while the very silly ''[[Mars Attacks: The Transformers]]'' crossover one-shot satirized many of the tropes and writing conventions endemic to the cartoon.

In 2009, [[Fun Publications]] launched the "[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]". Though it initially focused on the adventures of a young [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and the other members of Cybertron's [[Elite Guard]] during the early days of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict, it eventually jumped forward to a point set after the events of "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]" taking place in the futuristic year of [[2010]] and featuring a cast of next-generation Autobots and Decepticons. As per official sources, however, the ''Wings Universe'' stories are ''not'' set in the original cartoon universe: they are set in a closely connected timeline that is almost identical to the original animated, but with enough leniency to accommodate for storytelling differences. In [[2016]], IDW took a sideways look at the universe with ''[[Transformers: Deviations|Deviations]]'', a "what-if" tale about what might have happened had Optimus Prime survived ''The Movie''.

===Japanese cartoons===
{{main|Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)}}

{{collist|3|* [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'']] (1985-1986)
* "[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]" (1986)
* [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010|''2010'']] (1986-1987)
* ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' (1987-1988)
* ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' (1988-1989)
* ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' (1989-1990)
* ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Zone]]'' (1990)
* [[Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|''Return of Convoy''/''The Battlestars'']] (1991-1992)
* ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (franchise)|Operation Combination]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)#Transformers: G-2|G-2]]'' (1995-1996)
* ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Beast Wars: Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Beast Wars]]'' (1997-1998)
* ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' (1998-1999)
* ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals|Beast Wars Metals]]'' (1999-2000)
* ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' (2000)
* ''[[The Transformers: Micromaster|Micromaster]]'' (2002-2003)
* ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate|The Battle of the Star Gate]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Story of Binaltech|Binaltech]]'' (2003-2008)
* ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' (2004-2005)
* ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)#Japanese release|Beast Wars Returns]]'' (2004-2005)
* ''[[Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!|Teletraan 15 Go! Go!]]'' (2005-2007)
* ''[[Asterisk Story|Binaltech Asterisk]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'' (2006-2007)
* [[E-HOBBY#e-HOBBY exclusive fiction|e-HOBBY comics]] (2007-2017)
* ''[[Transformers United EX|United EX]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' (2014-2019)
* ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' (2015-2016)
* ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic|Generations Selects]]'' (2019-2021)
* ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|End of G1 Universe]]'' (2022)}}

[[File:ZonePoster1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

The sprawling labyrinth that is the Japanese Generation 1 continuity has its origins in the original ''The Transformers'' cartoon. When the American cartoon and movie were exported to Japan, only the first three seasons were broadcast—although declining sales and viewership in the US meant that the cartoon's truncated fourth season wrapped up the show, the franchise was still going strong in Japan, and so [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] created ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' to carry on the story. ''The Headmasters'' spun off from the events of season three while ignoring the events of "The Rebirth" entirely, creating an entirely new origin for the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s by introducing them as tiny Transformers from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]; eventually, the show rotated out most of the movie's cast in favour of new toys. 1988's ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' introduced the [[Headmaster Junior]]s and [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]]s, humans who could become Transformers and vice versa.

''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory]]'' turned command of the Autobots over to [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and his [[Brainmaster]]s as they fought [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]]. By this point, however, the Japanese line was on the wane, and ''[[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]]'' only got a single OVA in which [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] battled [[Violengiguar]]. After several more short-lived manga adaptations and toylines, the line went dormant for a time.

In 2004, the resurgence of the ''Transformers'' brand prompted Takara to produce numerous new series starring the Generation 1 cast, setting them in-between installments in the cartoon universe—these included stories like ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Alternators#Binaltech|Binaltech]]'', which took place between the second season of ''The Transformers'' and ''The Movie'', while ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'' took place between the end of the movie and the beginning of season three. Then, two years later, a ''Kiss Players'' paperback collection produced a new timeline that chronicled the ''entire'' universe up to that point, a complex, labyrinthine affair that integrated stories that had never been directly connected to the Generation 1 cartoon universe, such as the ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate|Battle of the Star Gate]]'' or even television shows like 2001's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Car Robots]]'' cartoon. This timeline also incorporates ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', and their two Japanese-exclusive cartoon sequels. In the years since, official Takara publications have continued revisiting this complicated universe through mediums like ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' and ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic|Generations Selects]]'', marking it as one of, if not ''the'', largest, longest-running continuities in the ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]].
{{--}}

===Beast Era===

N/A

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{main|Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave timeline}}

[[File:G1 Vol.3 Issue1 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Generation 1]]'' (2002-2004)
* ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' (2002-2003)
* ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Transformers: Micromasters|Micromasters]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|War Within: The Age of Wrath]]'' (2004)
* ''[[The Transformers Trilogy]]'' (2003-2004)

In 2002, [[Dreamwave Productions]] acquired the license to publish ''Transformers'' comics; in addition to the contemporary ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'' comic, it capitalised on the then-current eighties nostalgia boom by publishing a series of Generation 1-themed comics. This new universe begins on Earth some time after the Autobots and Decepticons mysteriously disappear, and the [[Prime Directive|first arc]] of the comic deals with the return of the Transformers as they clash with each other and the sinister [[Lazarus]]. The second arc sees [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] take center stage as he travels to Earth to force an end to the war on the planet, while ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Micromasters|Micromasters]]'' detail the early days of the conflict on Cybertron and the events leading up to the [[Great Shutdown]].

This continuity also encompasses a trilogy of novels—''[[Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired]]'', ''[[Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Fusion|Fusion]]'', in which Autobots and Decepticons contend with a malevolent faction of alien [[Keeper (species)|Keeper]]s—and the ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' guidebooks, which provided profiles for basically every Autobot and Decepticon who had appeared up until that point.

Ultimately, however, a combination of poor management, numerous financial troubles, and some ''extremely'' dubious business practices resulted in the company declaring bankruptcy in early 2005, though Hasbro had already decided to not renew their partnership with Dreamwave the year before.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14839 Lying in the Gutters reporting that Hasbro had revoked Dreamwave's ''Transformers'' license]</ref> As a result, several miniseries abruptly ended partway through their scheduled runs; although several scripts have since come to light, the abrupt, messy dissolution of Dreamwave left many dangling plot threads and unanswered questions in this particular continuity.

{{--}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{main|2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW timeline}}

{{collist|2|* ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'' (2005-2006)
* ''[[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]]'' (2006-2007)
* ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' (2007-2008)
* ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]'' (2006-2013)
* ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' (2008-9)
* [[The Transformers (IDW)|''The Transformers'' vol. 1]] (2009-2011)
* ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' (2010)
* [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''Robots in Disguise''/''The Transformers'' vol. 2]] (2012-2016)
* ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' (2012-2016)
* ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'' (2016-2017)
* ''[[Revolution]]'' (2016)
* ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' (2016-2018)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' (2016-2018)
* ''[[Transformers: Unicron|Unicron]]'' (2018)}}

[[File:Infiltration 0a.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

In 2005, [[IDW Publishing]] inherited the license to publish ''Transformers'' comics, and wasted no time establishing a brand-new continuity of their own. [[Simon Furman]] began the universe with ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'', which followed a group of humans embroiled in a cloak-and-dagger war between the Autobots and Decepticons over a miraculous fuel source known as [[Ore-13]], until a devastating cosmic "[[Expansion]]" interrupts their battle. Pulling evenly from just about every ''Transformers'' story that had gone before, and unafraid to dramatically reimagine characters and events to fit the needs of its story, the 2005 IDW continuity is notable for changing hands multiple times over. 2008's ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' saw the Decepticon conqueror vanquish the Autobots and shift the tone into an action-oriented romp in line with the concurrent [[Transformers (film)|live-action film]]; the 2009 [[The Transformers (IDW)|''The Transformers'']] ongoing continued this theme as the Autobots form an uneasy alliance with the humans of [[Skywatch]] to mop up any remaining Decepticons until a betrayal in their ranks and a crisis on Cybertron prompts both sides to abandon Earth.

In [[2012]], the IDW universe did the unthinkable: the fourteen-part "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" storyline sees the effective end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the Autobots and the Decepticons when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] returns [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to life. This did not mark the end of the universe, however: ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' followed [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] as he attempted to rebuild Cybertronian society, while the critically-acclaimed ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' saw [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] and a group of misfit Autobots leave Cybertron to search the galaxy for the mythical [[Knights of Cybertron]]. The two comics crossed over in the 2013 "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]" event, which notably saw this reality's [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] defect to the Autobots, and 2014's ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' laid the foundation for a number of future stories involving Cybertron's lost [[Cybertronian colonies|colony worlds]], including ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'', and ''[[Titans Return (comic)|Titans Return]]''.

In 2016, IDW announced the formation of the [[Hasbro Universe]], which amalgamated a number of forgotten Hasbro franchises—including IDW's current ''Transformers'' output—into a single comic universe. The various characters teamed up in that year's "[[Revolution]]"; the ethos of the Hasbro Universe carried on into the ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' comic, which ran alongside ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' to continue the two primary ongoing plot threads in the universe. Eventually, declining sales prompted IDW to wrap up the universe in 2018 with ''[[Transformers: Unicron|Unicron]]'', a colossal crisis crossover that pitted the Cybertronian race against [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] himself.

Running for over thirteen years and spanning dozens of ongoings, miniseries, and one-shots, this continuity is one of the largest, longest-running universes in the ''Transformers'' multiverse, with far too many books, alternate universes, and future timelines to cover in this abridged writeup. For more information, see our full article on the [[2005 IDW continuity]].

{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{main|2019 IDW continuity}}

[[File:TF2019 04 cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' (2019-2022)
* ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' (2019-2020)
* ''[[Transformers: Escape|Escape]]'' (2020-2021)
* ''[[Transformers: Wreckers—Tread & Circuits|Wreckers—Tread & Circuits]]'' (2021-2022)
* ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]'' (2022)

One month after ''Unicron'', IDW Publishing announced that they would reboot their ''Transformers'' license, a fresh start entirely unconnected to any prior IDW fiction. Compared to the sprawling, decade-plus epic that was IDW's previous ''Transformers'' continuity, this new universe would be a modest, tightly-focussed affair that focussed on a single ongoing comic supported by one miniseries at a time. This primary comic, simply titled ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'', charts a once-utopic Cybertron's slow descent into war as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] spearheads a populist uprising against the reigning [[Autobot]] party.

Several side stories and miniseries take place in and around the primary focus of the comic: ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' comic tells stories in outer space far from Cybertron, ''[[Transformers: Escape|Escape]]'' follows a crew of scientists and engineers as they work to rescue Cybertron's [[alien]] immigrants from the Decepticons, and ''[[Transformers: Wreckers—Tread & Circuits|Tread & Circuits]]'' introduces a new version of the fan-favourite [[Wreckers]] to the universe. In 2022, with IDW's time on the ''Transformers'' brand winding down, the universe wrapped up with ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]''.

{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
[[File:Netflix-WFC-Siege-season-poster.jpg|thumb|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' (2020-2021)

The ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' debuted on [[Netflix]] in [[2020]] to support the concurrent ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]'' toyline. Although it shares several story beats with the original ''The Transformers'' cartoon, it is a darker, grittier take that is otherwise irreconcilable with its predecessors. The trilogy is split into three separate "chapters": ''Siege'' focuses on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] leading the [[Autobot]]s to escape from a post-apocalyptic Cybertron aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', ''Earthrise'' splits time between the Autobots and Decepticons as they travel through outer space while [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] leads an underground rebellion on Cybertron, and ''Kingdom'' completes the trilogy by having both sides encounter time-travelling [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s from the future while stranded on prehistoric Earth.

Various supplementary material provided via the ''Transformers'' website or the "Galactic Odyssey" short stories more or less fit in with the story presented in the Netflix cartoon.

IDW's [[2019 IDW continuity|2019 comic book reboot]] makes extensive use of various ''Siege'' designs for many of its characters where applicable, but the two stories are not set in the same continuity.
{{--}}

==Minor continuities==
Continuities that comprise multiple books, issues, or installments, and so are not [[Micro-continuity|micro-continuities]], but are still far less significant.

===Toy bios===
[[File:G1 1984 backofboxbattle.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

In the early years of the ''Transformers'' brand, each ''Transformers'' toy came with a short [[bio]] based on the profiles [[Bob Budiansky]] had written. Usually, these bios were more or less faithful to the cartoons and comics—after all, the staffs of those shows were working from production bibles based on Budiansky's. As the original ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|The Transformers]]'' franchise went into a decline, however, less and less media came out to introduce new product, and many Transformers came out without any media backup at all beyond the information on their bio card—and as time passed, even those were crowded out by product descriptions hyping [[gimmick]]s like [[Pretender]]s and [[Micromaster]]s.

In more recent years, this trend has occasionally resurfaced—the ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' toyline was notable for featuring a number of intricate bios that took heavy inspiration from the [[2005 IDW continuity]], but had no bearing on the later [[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|''Combiner Wars'' cartoon]] that would follow. A similar phenomenon occurred with the ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' toyline, in which the [[Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters|promotional comic book]] made to advertise the toyline presented a backstory and lore that had almost nothing to do with the ''[[Transformers: Titans Return (cartoon)|Titans Return]]'' cartoon. This phenomenon is not exclusive to the Generation 1 continuity family.

{{--}}

===Commercials===
[[File:Sprocketoverruncommercial.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

This phenomenon also arises with the various [[commercial]]s that advertised the brand, particularly in the later years—the commercial that advertises the [[Action Master]]s, for instance, features multiple Autobots volunteering to undergo the change, while the concurrent [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel US]] series presented the transformation into an Action Master as an unexpected side-effect from processing [[nucleon (substance)|nucleon]]. A similar phenomenon arises with the [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s; while both American and Japanese media depicted them as ordinary Transformers, their commercials introduced the three as laboratory experiments gone wrong.

{{--}}

===Marvel coloring books===
[[File:SearchTreasureSea-cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Marvel Books}}

{{collist|2|* [[Super-Size Coloring Activity Book]] (1984)
* [[Search for Treasure Under the Sea]](1984)
* [[Bumblebee to the Rescue!]] (1984)
* [[Decepticon Patrol]] (1984)
* [[The Deadly Fuel Shortage]] (1984)
* [[Summertime Coloring Book]] (1985)
* [[A Message From Outer Space]] (1985)
* [[Forest Rescue Mission]] (1985)
* [[Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission]] (1985)
* [[The Autobot Smasher!]] (1985)
* [[The Big Book of Coloring Fun]] (1985)
* [[The Autobot Spy in the Sky]] (1985)
* [[Battle at Oil Valley]] (1986)
* [[The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp]] (1986)
* [[The Lost Treasure of Cybertron]] (1986)
* [[Hot Rod's Escape]] (1986)}}

To support the launch of the ''Transformers'' franchise in [[1984]], [[Marvel Books]] published a number of tie-ins, including a series of coloring books. As one might expect, this continuity incorporated several episodic stories which saw the Autobots courageously foil various nonsensical Decepticon schemes.

In 1986, the setting updated itself to align with the characters and settings introduced in ''The Movie'' and switched Optimus Prime and Megatron for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]; however, subsequent books continued to feature characters who had famously perished in the film like [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]].

{{--}}

===Sticker Adventures===
[[File:Revengeofthedecepticons-cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
{{main|Sticker Adventures}}

*"[[Revenge of the Decepticons]]" (1984)
*"[[Return to Cybertron]]" (1984)
*"[[Battle on the Junk Planet]]" (1986)
*"[[Galvatron Attacks]]" (1986)

Similar to the various ''Transformers'' coloring books, Marvel Books' [[Sticker Adventures]] featured a number of self-contained tales. In 1986, the series moved forward to the setting of ''The Transformers: The Movie''.

{{--}}

===Big Looker Story Books===
[[File:Battle For Cybertron cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Big Looker Storybook}}
* "[[Battle for Cybertron]]" (1984)
* "[[The Great Car Rally]]" (1984)
* "[[Decepticon Hijack]]" (1985)
* "[[Insecticon Attack!]]" (1985)
* "[[Car Show Blow Up]]" (1986)
* "[[The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson]]" (1986)

The [[Big Looker Storybook]]s are notable for their lavish illustrations and sometimes fanciful depictions of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict. Like many other ongoing Generation 1 titles released during the early years of the franchise, they shifted to a version of ''The Movie''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 2005 setting in 1986 and featured [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] as the leaders of their respective factions.

{{--}}

===S.T.A.R.S. continuity===
{{main|S.T.A.R.S. continuity}}
[[File:PackIn HaveTheDecepticons Front.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
* [[Reinforcements from Cybertron!]] (1984)
* [[The battle is far from over!]] (1985)
* [[Tech-Spec Manual]] (1985)
* [[Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!]] (1985)
* [[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?]] (1985)
* [[Can one boy, alone, hold back the evil Decepticons?]] (1986)
* [[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]] (1986)
* [[You Have Been Chosen.]] (1986)
* [[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]] (1987)
* [[Transformers Combat Data]] (1987)
* [[The Autobots Are Under Attack!]] (1988)

The [[S.T.A.R.S. continuity]], supported through a series of [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-order flyer]]s, is notable for blurring the lines between fiction and reality by presenting itself as a series of "real" missives documenting the Autobot-Decepticon conflict on Earth and recruiting [[human]] agents to become members of the "[[S.T.A.R.S.|Secret Transformer Autobot Rescue Squad]]".

{{--}}

===Marvel Storybooks===
[[File:The Autobots Secret Weapon cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Marvel Books}}

* "[[Battle for Earth]]" (1985)
* "[[The Autobots' Secret Weapon]]" (1985)

A pair of storybooks set in a continuity where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s and [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s are among the Cybertronians reactivated by the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''.

{{--}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
[[File:Satelliteofdoom-cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Kid Stuff}}

* "[[Satellite of Doom]]" (1985)
* "[[When Continents Collide]]" (1985)
* "[[Storms of Destruction]]" (1985)
* "[[Jaws of Terror]]" (1986)
* "[[Slaves of the Insecticons]]" (1986)
* "[[Attack of the Decepticons]]" (1986)

[[Kid Stuff]] published a number of ''Transformers'' titles. There were two sets of books; one consisted of adapted [[Big Looker Storybook|Big Looker]] stories previously published by [[Marvel Books]], while the other group contained original stories. The original stories in this continuity are notable for their bizarre focus on [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] using various drilling machines and the graphic acts of geological violence they commit while searching for [[oil]].

{{--}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:Autobotslightningstrike.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
{{main|Ladybird Books}}
*"[[Autobots' Lightning Strike]]" (1985)
*"[[Megatron's Fight for Power]]" (1985)
*"[[Autobots Fight Back]]" (1985)
*"[[Laserbeak's Fury]]" (1985)
*"[[Galvatron's Air Attack]]" (1986)
*"[[Decepticon Hideout]]" (1986)
*"[[Decepticons at the Pole]]" (1987)
*"[[Autobots Strike Oil]]" (1987)
*"[[Autobot Hostage]]" (1988)
*"[[Decepticons Underground]]" (1988)

The [[Ladybird Books]] continuity draws a number of concepts directly from the original "[[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|More than Meets the Eye]]" miniseries but soon spins off into its own universe. Though it initially hews close to the Sunbow television series—with the caveat that the Cybertronians are unknown to most humans save [[Spike Witwicky|Spike]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and must remain a secret—1986 featured a movie-based shakeup, with the blurb incorporating a version of the popular "[[Target: 2006]]" storyline from Marvel UK into this small continuity to explain how [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] travelled back in time and took over the Decepticons. 1987 and 1988 moved the action to the planet [[Nebulos]], with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] taking command of the Autobots and Decepticons respectively.

Ladybird Books also published a [[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|book adaptation]] of ''The Movie'', but it does not fit in their larger continuity.

{{--}}

===The Battle for Planet Earth===
[[File:Tf battleforplanetearth.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|The Battle for Planet Earth}}
*[[Terror of Mount Sheelah]] (1985)
*[[Bumblebee to the Rescue (G1)|Bumblebee to the Rescue]] (1985)
*[[Menace at the Dam]] (1985)
*[[Espionage!!!!!]] (1985)

This continuity constitutes a set of four audio-only adventures that document a series of battles fought between Autobots and Decepticons over the course of a few weeks; unlike many other early Generation 1 continuities, the Cybertronians are unknown to most humans and must maintain their secrecy. Instead of the more famous [[Witwicky (surname)|Witwicky]] family, the Autobots in this reality appear to have befriended a pair of humans named [[John Gordon|John]] and [[Tim Gordon]].

In [[2015]], "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" revealed that the Cybertronians in this universe had multiple dimension-hopping encounters with the heroic [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]]s and evil [[Renegade]]s of ''[[GoBots]]'' fame.

{{--}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{main|Find Your Fate Junior}}

[[File:Battle drive fyf.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[Dinobots Strike Back]] (1985)
* [[Battle Drive]] (1985)
* [[Attack of the Insecticons]] (1985)
* [[Earthquake (book)|Earthquake]] (1986)
* [[Desert Flight]] (1986)
* [[Decepticon Poison]] (1986)
* [[Autobot Alert!]] (1986)
* [[Project Brain Drain]] (1986)
* [[The Invisibility Factor]] (1986)

One of the weirder continuities in this article, [[Ballantine Books]] published a series of multipath "choose your own adventure" ''Transformers'' novels under the title "[[Find Your Fate Junior]]." As a result, each book features multiple endings, and, in true choose-your-own-adventure tradition, many of them involve either [[you]] or the Autobots dying horribly. As a result of these fractured narratives, there is no real carryover from one book to the next, and on this wiki we lump them together as a single "continuity" mostly for organization's sake.

{{--}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[File:TF3D-1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[Transformers in 3-D]] (1987-1988)

Another oddball, the three-issue ''[[Transformers in 3-D]]'' comic series features a jumbled story set at some point in an unspecified future timeline. For unknown reasons, the series ended on part one of a three-part story that would've seen the Autobots and Decepticons fighting side by side against the evil [[Destructons]], leaving their ultimate fate unclear.

{{--}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:GI Joe vs Transformers 4a.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity}}

* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers]]'' (2003)
* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]]'' (2004)
* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War]]'' (2006)
* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon]]'' (2007)

[[Devil's Due Press]]'s ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers]]'' debuted at around the same time as the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity]], but was unconnected to the events of that universe and indeed outlasted it by several years. In this continuity, the [[human]] terrorist organization [[Cobra]] finds the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons within into mindless weapons of war—their first attack upon the [[United States of America]] prompts the United States government to create [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] to fight back. The 2004 [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II|sequel series]] sees [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] step up as the new Decepticon leader after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s destruction and use the [[Teletran 3]] supercomputer to invade Earth until a freak accident strands a group of Cybertronians in different Earth time periods, forcing the Joes and Cobras to search the timestream before their presence eradicates all life on Earth.

[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War|The third installment]] pits the Autobots and Joes against [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], a powerful synthetic lifeform created using pilfered Cybertronian technology, and who threatens to unite the scattered Decepticon remnants into a new army before G.I. Joe operative [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] kills the rogue leader using the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon|Black Horizon]]'', the fourth and final chapter, draws heavily upon the cosmic mythologies introduced in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and the {{w|G.I. Joe: The Movie|animated ''G.I. Joe'' film}} by introducing [[Unicron]] and the hidden nation of [[Cobra-La]] as antagonists.

{{--}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[File:DW GIJoe Issue1 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe]]'' (2003-2004)
* ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front]]'' (2004)

Around the same time as the first ''G.I. Joe'' crossover, [[Dreamwave Productions]] launched their own take on the concept with ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe]]''. This continuity, however, changed things up by setting the story in 1939, on the eve of [[World War II]]. This reality saw [[Cobra]] stumble across the dormant Decepticons on the remote [[Fera Islands]] and form an alliance with the aliens to conquer [[Europe]], and it falls to the men and women of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] to stop them with the assistance of th Autobots.

Notable for its usage of period-appropriate [[alternate mode]]s for every Cybertronian character involved in the story, ''Transformers/G.I.Joe'' received a sequel series set fifty years later, but Dreamwave's bankruptcy meant that only one issue of ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front|Divided Front]]'' saw release.

{{--}}

===''The Beast Within''===
[[File:The Beast Within 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* "[[The Beast Within]]" (2004)
* "[[The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences]]" (2004)

A continuity in which the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s possess the power to [[combiner|combine]] into a monster called "[[Beast (G1)|the Beast]]".

{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel-TPBCover.jpeg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Infestation 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers]]'' (2011)
* ''[[The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers]]'' (2014)

After receiving the ''Transformers'' license, [[IDW Publishing]] planned a line of ''{{w|Elseworlds}}''-style comics under the title ''[[The Transformers: Evolutions|Evolutions]]''. For a variety of reasons, the line didn't pan out, and only one story ever saw release. In ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'', the Autobots come to Earth in the [[Ice Age]]; when human activity reawakens them in the late 1800s, both sides adopt turn-of-the-century vehicle forms like trains, steamboats, and zeppelins to form alliances with humans before a final showdown sees [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s splinter faction routed with the help of [[John Henry]] and [[Mark Twain]].

Five years later, IDW returned to the universe during its ''[[Infestation 2]]'' crossover, in which the Autobots reactivate the still-dormant [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to battle a Cthulhu-type [[Elder God]] and his infested Decepticon minions. Another three years later, the ''[[The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers|X-File Conspiracy]]'' crossover brought the universe into the modern day by having the Autobots team up with a [[human]] group known as the [[Lone Gunmen]] to rescue [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] from [[Skylogic Systems|a sinister secret organization]].

Then, in [[2017]], ''[[Revolutionaries]]'' revealed that a version of ''Hearts of Steel'' and ''Infestation''—but not ''Conspiracy''—had also taken place within IDW's [[2005 IDW continuity|primary ongoing continuity]], a series of events masterminded by [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], who had deliberately shot down and brainwashed a group of [[Maximal]] explorers into believing that they were the real Autobots and Decepticons. This was not a strict retcon, however, and the original story plus ''Conspiracy'' still occupies its own fictional universe.

{{--}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers''===
[[File:Henkei chpt 01 title.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (pack-in manga)|''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers'' pack-in manga]] (2008-2009)
* ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (Comic Bun Bun)|''Henkei! Henkei! Comic Bun Bun'' manga]]'' (2008-9)
* ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-]]'' (2008-9)

Unusually for a Japanese manga, ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (franchise)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' did not position itself somewhere within the sprawling [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], instead opting for a kid-friendly, back-to-basics tale to help advertise the concurrent [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|toyline]]. Artist [[Naoto Tsushima]] drew three separate stories under this banner, which share some story beats but are all otherwise mutually incompatible with one another—the [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (pack-in manga)|pack-in manga]] and [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-|''Visualize'' prose stories]] advertised the concurrent toyline, while the [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (Comic Bun Bun)|''Comic Bun Bun'' manga]] has the Autobots befriend hyperactive schoolkid [[Wataru Hoshinoumi]] while searching for the [[Energon Cube#Henkei! Henkei! Comic Bun Bun pack-in manga|Energon Cube]].

{{--}}

===''Alternity''===
{{main|Transformers: Alternity}}

[[File:Alternity convoy boxart.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* "[[From Here to Alternity]]" (2009)
* "[[To Mega Therion]]" (2009)
* "[[Arch-Nemesis!]]" (2009)
* "[[To Die Game!]]" (2009)
* "[[The World Is Flat!]]" (2009)
* "[[Ace of Swords]]" (2009)
* "[[Foreshadows]]" (2010)
* "[[Hunt for the Planicrons]]" (2010)
* "[[Nissan GT-R / Ultra Magnus (Brilliant Pearl White)]]" (2010)
* "[[Alternation]]" (2010)

''[[Transformers: Alternity]]'' is complicated.

From a toyline perspective, the line was simply a successor to ''Binaltech'' and its usage of licensed 1:24 vehicle modes but the fiction these toys received is something else entirely. In a nutshell, the characters who constitute the Alternity are not from any single dimension in the ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]]: the 'bots who constitute the "Alternity" are higher-dimensional creatures, amalgamated beings who encompass many alternate-dimensional counterparts. The stories feature their adventures across multiple pre-existing dimensions and timelines, encountering [[Planicron|two-dimensional invader]]s and battling the reality-devouring beast known as the [[Hytherion]]; in 2015 the Facebook "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" feature established them as powerful guardians of the infinite multiverse on-par with the advanced [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s and the inhabitants of [[Cloud World]]. Owing to these multidimensional shenanigans, which include frequent crossovers with the long-running [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], ''Alternity'' is not a strictly self-contained universe; however, we recognize it as a continuity and organize it as such on this wiki whenever possible for sanity's sake.

{{--}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
[[File:AllSparkTradeCover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: All Spark|All Spark]]'' (2012-2013)

Similar to ''Henkei! Henkei!'', ''[[Transformers: All Spark]]'' is a vague retelling of the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] based loosely on the "[[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|More than Meets the Eye]]" miniseries, but features a number of details and bodies lifted from the [[Aligned continuity family]] as part of its mandate to advertise the then-current Japanese ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline,

{{--}}

===''Transformers GT''===
[[File:GT manga title.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
{{main|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)}}
* "[[Test Run Battle! –Prelude–]]" (2013)
* "[[First Fast Attack! –Whoever Strikes First Wins–]]" (2013)
* "[[One Shot and One Kill!! –Finishing Blow–]]" (2013)
* "[[A Biggest Sword! –The Last Resort–]]" (2013)
* ''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (comic)|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R]]'' (2013)
* [[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)|''Transformers GT'' story pages]] (2013)

A continuity set in a universe where the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] has evolved into the [[Transformers GT (race)|Transformers GT]], a series of friendly races held between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s.

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===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:TFvsJoe0.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' (2014-2016)
* ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: The Movie Adaptation]]'' (2017)

''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' opens on a dystopian [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has vanished and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] reigns supreme. When Cybertron enters our [[Solar System]], the task of making first contact with the metal invaders falls to the heroes of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]—but when the Decepticons refuse to bargain and enter into an unholy alliance with the home-grown villains of [[Cobra]], the Joes go on the offensive by launching their own invasion of Cybertron. As they explore this alien world, they learn some strange truths about Earth, Cybertron, and the cosmic connection that binds them together.

Written and illustrated by [[Tom Scioli]], ''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe'' is a retro-styled comic that emulates the trippy Silver Age sagas of {{w|Jack Kirby}}, featuring radical reinterpretations of classic characters and plenty of intricate callbacks to ''Transformers'' and ''Joe'' lore. In 2017, the series received a mind-screwing [[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: The Movie Adaptation|one-shot "movie adaptation"]] that presented itself as an adaptation of an equally fictitious movie based on what the original comic might look like had it received the screen treatment.

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===''Devastation''===
[[File:Transformers Devastation cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' (2015)

The ''[[Transformers: Devastation]]'' continuity incorporates story beats from both the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and the [[2005 IDW continuity]], which features the Autobots battling an [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] swarm attempting to [[cyberforming|cyberform]] Earth.

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===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:ToxicTransformer.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
* ''[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]'' (2016)
* "[[The Truth We Make]]" (2016)
* "[[Life Finds a Way]]" (2016)
* "[[The Toxic Transformer]]" (2016)
* "[[Foundation and Wreckage Part 1: Deadly Aim|Deadly Aim]]" (2016)
* "[[Lively Pursuit]]" (2016)

In this universe, the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] came to an unceremonious end when the awesomely powerful Decepticon [[combiner]] [[Thunder Mayhem]] turned against his creators and razed [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] entirely, scattering a handful of survivors to the stars.

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===''Prime Wars Trilogy''===
[[File:POTP-Cartoon-FinalPoster.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
{{main|Prime Wars Trilogy}}
* ''[[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|Combiner Wars]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Transformers: Titans Return (cartoon)|Titans Return]]'' (2017-2018)
* ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]'' (2018)

The ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' is set in a universe that takes heavy inspiration from the concurrent IDW comics, featuring a post-war [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] jointly ruled by a post-factional alliance of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]], and the [[Mistress of Flame]]. When the looming [[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner Wars]] threaten to dash this fragile peace, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] return from their self-imposed exiles to battle villains old and new—a treacherous Starscream, [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], [[The Fallen|Megatronus]], and the brainwashed [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Cron]].

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===''Bumblebee'' graphic novels===
[[File:WinIfYouDare cvr.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee - Win If You Dare|Bumblebee - Win If You Dare]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold|Bumblebee - Go For the Gold]]'' (2018)

A cartoon-inspired continuity where the Autobots and Decepticons are active in the mid-to-late 1990s. Unlike the cartoon, however, the Cybertronians are not common knowledge except to select members of the [[United States military]].

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===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
[[File:STvsTF4-cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]'' (2018-2019)

A continuity in which the Autobots and Decepticons leave Earth to escape [[World War III]] and later encounter [[Starfleet]] and the [[Klingon Empire]] in the twenty-third century.

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===''Mazinger Z versus Transformers''===
[[File:MZvTF Cover 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Mazinger Z versus Transformers]]'' (2019)

This Japanese-exclusive manga sees the Autobots and Decepticons from a very cartoon-like universe teleported to the world of the long-running Japanese mecha franchise ''{{w|Mazinger Z}}''. It cannot, however, fit into the [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]], as the story ends with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] dying a fairly unambiguous death.

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===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===
[[File:TFGB01-cvrB.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers/Ghostbusters]]'' (2019)

A continuity in which the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] ended a thousand years ago, with the Autobots fleeing [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] before the extradimensional deity [[Gozer]] destroyed their homeworld. The present day sees Autobot nerd [[Ectotron|Ectronymous Diamatron]] join up with the [[Ghostbusters]] to investigate paranormal Cybertronian activity on [[Earth]].

While ''Transformers/Ghostbusters'' is, from "our" perspective, just one of many possible universes within the ''Transformers'' multiverse, the series is written in mind to fit into IDW Publishing's own long-running ''Ghostbusters'' continuity and features a number of call-backs and references to prior events.

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===''Transformers vs. The Terminator''===
[[File:TFTerminator 1 cvrRIB.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers vs. The Terminator]]'' (2020)

The [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] of this continuity kills a still-deactivated [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in [[1984]], ensuring a complete Decepticon victory and the extinction of mankind by the year [[2029]]. To win the war, the human-built artificial intelligence [[Skynet]] sends a [[T-800]] unit back in time to kill all Cybertronians and change history—but its interference leads to some unexpected consequences.

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===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:MLPTF 1 cvr RI B.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|Friendship in Disguise!]]'' (2020)
* ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|The Magic of Cybertron]]'' (2021)

The ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|My Little Pony/Transformers]]'' continuity begins with a freak [[space bridge|spacebridge]] accident that transports the Autobots and Decepticons to the magical land of [[Equestria]], where they team up with the native ponies to take down [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the evil [[Queen Chrysalis]]. The [[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|sequel miniseries]] reverses the premise, with [[Twilight Sparkle]] and her friends travelling to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to battle [[King Sombra]].

Both comics use a number of characters and concepts that originated or were adapted into in the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005]] and [[2019 IDW continuity|2019]] IDW continuities, but it is set in its own independent continuity that amalgamates concepts from several different universes.

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===''Transformers/Back to the Future''===
[[File:BTTF TF 1 cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers/Back to the Future]]'' (2020-2021)

A continuity in which the Decepticons abuse [[Doc Brown]]'s [[DeLorean time machine]] to change history and win the war.

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===''Transformers: King Grimlock''===
[[File:KingGrimlock 1 cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: King Grimlock|King Grimlock]]'' (2021)

A gritty, pulp-fantasy tale inspired by the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Madman's Paradise]]".

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===''Transformers: Last Bot Standing''===
[[File:LastBotStanding 1 cvrA.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'' (2022)

A post-apocalyptic tale intended to act as a hypothetical "final ''Transformers'' story" in the vein of ''{{w|Old Man Logan}}''.

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==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Continuity families]]
[[Category:Generation 1| ]]