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Head On!! Fortress Maximus

2026-02-28T07:09:35Z

BigRobot:

{{episode|
|series=Headmasters
|image=Headonfortmax.jpg
|caption=Apply directly to the forehead.
|ep=13
|title="Head On!! Fortress Maximus"
|japanese=ヘッドオン!! フォートレスマキシマス
|production code=
|production company=[[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|airdate=[[October 2]], [[1987]]
|writer=[[Yoshihisa Araki]]
|director=[[Katsutoshi Sasaki]]
|animation studio=Toei
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Fortress must reveal his ultimate transformation when the Decepticons attack San Francisco with a carnivorous plant.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Buridanka.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|"Bring Your Plant To Work" day goes tragically wrong.]]
The lack of recent Decepticon activity has [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] restless and eager to hunt the villains down. Fortress warns them to cool off, pointing out that there's no reason to go looking for trouble during such a rare moment of peace.

Such peace, of course, does not last long, as, down on [[Earth]], an office building in [[San Francisco]] is suddenly and violently overwhelmed by a rapidly-growing alien plant that bursts through the ground beneath it. Local authorities open fire on the plant as it attempts to devour the citizenry, and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] scrambles the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] and [[Trainbot]]s to help. An Autobot response has been anticipated by the authors of the event, however—[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] lie in wait and spring an attack on the teams as they arrive on the scene. As Ultra Magnus calls upon the Headmasters for aid, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] reports to [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] on [[Chaar]] that another of his plans to divert Autobot attention to Earth has succeeded. With Fortress having identified the plant as the [[buridanka]] species from the planet [[Darhos]], the Headmasters enter the fray on Earth. As they wrestle with the plant, and clash with the Decepticon Headmasters, the vicious vegetable uproots itself, becoming mobile!

[[File:HM13 Buridanka knocking.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"We're not home! Come back later!"]]
Meanwhile, on [[Athenia]], Daniel is in the botanical gardens, tending to the seeds of a plant he brought from Earth, which have not yet sprouted. He soon discovers, however, that the Decepticons have replaced his seeds with those of the carnivorous plant, as it blooms with terrifying speed and attacks him and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Daniel calls upon his father for help, and when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] sees the monstrous plant, he has [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] help him identify it via the base computers. Spike realises that the Decepticons have used Daniel to bring the plant to Athenia, just as it uproots itself and attacks the base.

[[File:HM13 Master weed whacker.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|"I'm just a mean green mot...OW!"]]
As the situation worsens back on Earth, Fortress receives the report from Athenia just as Battleship Maximus becomes entwined in the still-growing plant's tendrils. As Scorponok celebrates the success of his plan for vengeance over Fortress, Fortress realises that he has no options left—he must unleash the power of the [[Master Sword]]. Reaching beneath his control console, he seizes the hilt of the weapon, only to find that it will not unsheathe, until the cries of the helpless Headmasters below ring out and he successfully draws the blade. Its energies course through Battleship Maximus, blasting the plant free, but this is only a fraction of the sword's power—to the shock of all onlookers, even Scorponok, Battleship Maximus ascends into space, and reveals itself to be a colossal [[Transtector]] by transforming into [[robot mode]]. Assuming head mode, Fortress connects to Battleship Maximus, forming the colossal [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]! With a huge version of the Master Sword forming in his hand, Fortress Maximus makes salad out of the buridanka in seconds, causing a chain reaction that destroys the plant menacing Athenia. As the Headmasters marvel at their commander's surprising new transformation, Scorponok prepares to destroy him with his own secret weapon, and the Headmasters head back to Athenia.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (1)
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress/Fortress Maximus]] (2)
* [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] (3)
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (4)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (6)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (7)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (8)
* [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (9)
* [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (10)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (11)
* [[Getsuei]] (12)
* [[Shouki]] (13)
* [[Seizan]] (14)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Suiken]] (15)
* [[Kaen]] (16)
* [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] (17)
* [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] (18)
* [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] (19)
* [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] (20)
* [[Yukikaze (G1)|Yukikaze]] (21)
* [[Raiden]] (23)
* [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] (25)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (30)
* [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] (31)
* [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] (41)
* [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] (42)
{{!}}}
|c2=
* [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (22)
* [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (24)
* [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (26)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] (27)
* [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (32)
* [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (33)
* [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (34)
* [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (35)
* [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (36)
* [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (37)
* [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] (38)
* [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] (39)

|c3=
* [[San Francisco Police|Police]] (5)
* [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (28)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly Witwicky]] (29)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (40)
}}

==Quotes==
{{note|The following quotes are from the [[Omni Productions]] dub}}

"Now watch, a men-eating flower than can dance!"
:—'''Weirdwolf''' is weird.

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
*Fortress's "head mode" was previously seen in "[[Rebellion on Planet Beast]]" and "[[The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok]]". Its true purpose is revealed in this episode. Given the surprise expressed by the Autobot Headmasters, despite the fact they were aware of his big head [[alternate mode]], they apparently never stopped to ask their leader what was up with that.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Daniel is so excited by his plant sprouting that he completely disappears for a couple of frames.
*When Battleship Maximus is smashed to the ground by the plant, Fortress is shown falling over inside his ship, and his chest Autobot [[insignia]] is missing.
*The Autobot insignia on Fortress Maximus's chest is missing its "jaw" during his transformation sequence. As this becomes stock footage for future transformations, the error repeats throughout the series.

===Continuity errors===
*The Headmasters are cruising around space, bored and wanting something to do. Hey, why not go check out that [[Zarak (planet)|mysterious planet]] you saw the Decepticons guarding and sending energy to [[The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok|two episodes ago]] and haven't mentioned since?
*Despite the fact he's seen it brush off Wheelie with no trouble, Daniel decides to later attack the man-eating plant again, alone, with nothing more than a stick. There is a point at which characters become too stupid to live.
*The thought of using fire to neutralize the giant plant monster escaped many of the characters minds.

===Trivia===
*Why Fortress is unable to draw the Master Sword at first is not explained in this episode. The situation repeats itself in the [[Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger|next episode]], where the answer is given—to use the sword's power, his physical and mental energies must be in complete harmony. In the next episode, a cry for help from Chromedome is what galvanizes Fortress, synchronizing his energies — presumably, then, it is the calls for help from the Headmasters in this episode that allow him to draw the sword after his first failure.
*We're not told how exactly the Decepticons got the alien seeds into Daniel's packet. One can only assume some poor, early G1 third-stringer was forced to go undercover and run a flower shop on the off-chance Daniel stopped by.
*It sure looks like there was some actual human deaths among the helicopter and ground police.
*[[Raiden]] and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] pull blades of their own out of nowhere for an impromptu laser sword duel somewhere in the general mayhem. This would go on to inspire the "[[Light Sword]]" accessory included with Raiden's [[Raiden#MPG|''MPG'' toy]] some thirty years later.
*The human helicopters which attack the plant are of a design used extensively—in police and other decos—for the ''[[Inhumanoids]]'' cartoon [[1986|the previous year]].

===Foreign localization===
'''English'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fortress Maximus's Gigantic New Being!'''" ([[Omni Productions]] dub)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 11]], [[1992]]

:*''Title:'' "'''Head On! Fortress Maximus'''" ([[Shout! Factory]] sub)
::*Fortress ("Cerebros" in the subtitles) bizarrely asks "What's that?" when confronted with the Master Sword. A better translation would have been "That...?"
::*Likewise, Soundblaster is apparently surprised at the existence of the carnivorous plant after it explodes. The original dialogue actually has him express surprise that it is destroyed.
::*The plant's name, "buridanka", is completely omitted from the subtitles, with the vegetation only being referred to as "carnivorous plant".

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La potenza segreta di Fortress Maximus'''" ("Fortress Maximus's secret power")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sàkè Jùrén duì Jùwúbà Fútè '''" (萨克巨人对巨无霸福特, "Scorponok vs. Fortress Maximus")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Krepysh Maximus Obretayet Novouyu Silou'''" (Крепыш Максимус обретает новую силу, "Fortress Maximus Becomes More Strong")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 15]], [[1994]]

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote|omni}}
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1996 — ''Transformers: The Headmasters'' Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2002 — ''Transformers: The Headmasters'' — DVD Box ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2005 — The Takara Collection Vol 1 — ''Transformers: Headmasters'' ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers: Headmasters'' ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Transformers Japanese Collection: Headmasters'' ([[Shout! Factory]]) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers: The Japanese Collection'' (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.

[[Category:The Headmasters episodes]]

The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

2021-12-23T04:49:57Z

BigRobot:

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=95
|ep2=32
|prev2=The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1
|next2=Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
|image=ReturnOptimusPrime2 Matrix open.JPG
|caption=Hmm, this looks familiar...
|title="The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"
|production code=700-116
|airdate=[[February 25]], 1987
|teleplay by=[[Michael Charles Hill]]
|story by=[[Cherie Wilkerson]] and [[Marv Wolfman]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEr_OK8xD1c
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Optimus and a handful of Autobots make a desperate bid to recover the Matrix, in the hopes that a cure for the Hate Plague can be found.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Primeandjessicamorgan.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Chip Chase, is that you?]]
Within [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] has been fully restored to life by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and [[Klementia|a Quintesson survivor]] of the rampant [[Hate Plague]] that's infecting the universe. Prime demands to know what has happened during his time on the [[Transformer afterlife|other side]]. Sky Lynx recaps the events that had conspired to bring him back, including [[Jessica Morgan]]'s valiant play to save him from total destruction, the discovery of the Hate Plague spores, and the trap laid out by [[Mark Morgan|Jessica's father]] and her partner [[Gregory Swofford]] to infect the [[Autobot]]s with the spores in revenge, which ultimately spiraled out of control. It was thought by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus]], before his infection, that Prime would know what it would take to stop the plague. Prime asks who is available, and learns of the Autobots injured battling [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

The survivors are brought back to Autobot City, where the [[Quintesson]] manages to reactivate them, completely rebuilding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] into Goldbug. When Goldbug asks what the plan is, Prime admits that he doesn't have a plan. Without the accumulated wisdom within the [[Matrix of Leadership]] (which now resides in Rodimus), he doesn't have a clue as to where to start. That is, until Jessica comes forward with the experimental alloy that she, her father, and Gregory had worked on, which proved strong enough to block the spores. Theoretically, coating Optimus with this alloy would protect himself from the spores' infection and allow him to get close enough to Rodimus to extract the Matrix from him. However, all remaining alloy samples were stolen by the Decepticons. The Autobots decide to retrieve the metal.

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 crazycons.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Cyclonus and Scourge each spent 2,000 XP to create the Level 7 Flame Barrier spell. Unfortunately, Galvatron has Protection from Fire with Permanency effect.]]
Meanwhile, on [[Chaar]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] is pinned down by his own mutinously diseased soldiers, unable to fight back against their maddening ferocity... until Optimus and his team arrive to save the day, convincing Galvatron that it would be in his best interest to join in an alliance with them. As is his way, however, the Decepticon leader is suspicious of Optimus's motives, especially when he learns they need the alloy he stole, but cannot get a reason for it out of them. He agrees to join in and leads Optimus and his gang down a series of boobytrapped tunnels, their numbers dwindling from the tunnel's natural hazards and the infected Decepticon mob behind them, until only Optimus, Galvatron, Sky Lynx, and Jessica arrive at the alloy's hiding place. Unfortunately, Jessie accidentally lets slip their plan to coat Optimus with the metal after confirming there would be enough of it to do the job, prompting Galvatron to turn on Optimus in hopes of using the process on himself, but he is soon subdued by Sky Lynx. Under coercion, Galvatron loads the alloy onto Prime's trailer, but doesn't notice that an infected [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] has managed to sneak in, infecting Jessica in the process. Jessica, in turn, infects Galvatron, forcing Sky Lynx and Optimus to flee back to Earth.

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Primes duel.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|So I guess Rodimus is a bottom... to Ultra Magnus?]]
Once on Earth, Optimus is coated with the alloy, and sets out to find Rodimus. He finds him taking down infected Transformers with reckless glee, and attempts to reason with him, which fails. Unwilling to hurt his successor, Prime lures Rodimus to a nearby auto shop, attempting to peacefully subdue and talk Rodimus into helping him, but the Hate Plague is overriding any effort to do so, forcing Optimus to knock Rodimus out and take the Matrix back by force.

Back at Autobot City, Optimus dives into the Matrix to question the elders of the past in reverse chronological order (of their history) to try and find out any information on the spores. The spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] warns him that if he travels too far, he risks becoming lost within the Matrix itself. During Prime's journey, the Quintesson that revived him notices a troop of infected Transformers attempting to get in, and manages to temporarily shut them out, giving Optimus the time he needs to finally find his answer. He learns that, in a period of pre-Cybertronian history, the Plague ''has'' visited the planet before, but was contained and sealed inside the star Jessica and Gregory found it in using sheer wisdom, though even back then, no one had the wisdom to destroy the spores, and now that it has spread so much throughout the galaxy, it's doubtful that anyone has the wisdom to even contain them again. Optimus then realizes that a source of raw wisdom may be available to destroy the infection once and for all: the accumulated wisdom within the Matrix of Leadership.

The infected Transformers finally break into the base, and corner the Quintesson, who begs them to stop. Galvatron grabs a metal pole, intending to impale Prime. However, Prime's chest opens to reveal a glowing Matrix, surprising the Transformers. Asking it to "light our [[darkest hour]]", Optimus Prime releases the energy of the Matrix of Leadership, which spreads across the world and across the universe, and totally eradicates the Plague.

Some while later, in Autobot City, a remorseful Gregory and Jessica's father offer deep apologies to the Autobots, while Galvatron, in a rare moment of calm, shakes his old enemy's hand, proclaiming that Prime has earned his respect and that "there will be no war today." Rodimus (now once more Hot Rod, without the Matrix within him) notes that the Matrix is now empty, its wisdom supposedly lost in order to stop the plague. Optimus, however, disagrees; they have all become a little wiser, now, and although the Matrix is indeed empty of wisdom, it is up to them from then on to fill it again with their knowledge and experience. Optimus, once again the Autobot leader, orders his troops to "Transform and [[roll out]]".

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (2)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (6)
*[[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (7)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (8)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (10)
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] (11)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (12)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee/Goldbug]] (13)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (14)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (15)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime/Hot Rod]] (26)
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (27)
*[[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] (28)
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (29)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (31)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (32)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (33)
|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (16)
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (17)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (18)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (19)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (20)
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (21)
*[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (22)
*[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (23)
*[[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]] (24)
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] (25)
|c3=
*[[Jessica Morgan]] (4)
*[[Gregory Swofford]] (5)
*[[Mark Morgan]] (34)
|c4=
*[[Klementia|Quintesson judge]] (3)
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] (9)
*[[It]] (30)
}}

==Quotes==
"We need a plan! Okay, Optimus, what's the plan?" 
"I... have no plan."
:—'''Goldbug''' and '''Optimus Prime''', the latter of whom is not exactly inspiring confidence

"[[Roll out|Autobots, transform and roll out]]!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', getting back into the swing of things.

"Fools, I am your leader! ... It's no use. You're all crazed!"
:—'''Galvatron''' fighting his infected and insane troops. The irony fairy just had a coronary.

"Have I no friends left?!" 
"Well, well, what have we here?" 
"Looks like something the cat dragged in."
:—'''Galvatron''' is no longer so impressive to '''Cyclonus''' and '''Predaking'''

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|"Come on, Optimus, why can't we be friends?"
 "When we first met, you shot me and my girlfriend. You make a bad first impression."]]

[[File:Roop2 prime vs prime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"NO ONE is innocent!" ...especially not after this series of screencaps.]]

"Come on, Optimus, tell me! Why do you want this metal? How will it be used? Why is it so precious?" 
"I've explained it to you." 
"You told me it was important, but you didn't tell me why!" 
"That's because I know you too well, Galvatron."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' resuming their same old song and dance

"I don't need you anymore, Optimus. So much for your resurrection!"
:—'''Galvatron''', same song, different tune

"I don't want to hurt you, Rodimus!" 
"Don't worry, Optimus, you won't! HAHAHAHAH!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down.

"No more games, Rodimus! Innocent lives are at stake!" 
"''No one'' is innocent!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down some more... right before Optimus clocks him.

"Now, light our darkest hour!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', proving that destiny and Chosen Ones mean nothing when pitted against letters from angry kids and parents.

"There will be no war today, Optimus Prime. You have earned Galvatron's respect."
:—'''Galvatron''', totally sane for the first time since... ever

"The wisdom of the ages! It's lost!" 
"No, not lost. We're all a little wiser now." 
"But the Matrix is empty!" 
"It's up to all of us to fill it again—with the wisdom we accumulate from this moment on. Autobots, transform and roll out!"
:—'''Hot Rod''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==Season 5==
{{note|When this episode was rebroadcast in [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season]] of ''The Transformers'', it contained new bookending segments with original story material.}}
[[File:GetThatMicrophoneOuttaMyFace.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] meets with [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] ("The greatest fighter in the galaxy") in the barren wasteland to continue their interview for the [[Autobot City News]]. Optimus takes exception to being called a "fighter", as he doesn't agree that fighting is always the solution. In fact, in order to cure the galaxy of the [[Hate Plague]], he had to find a solution ''other'' than fighting...

With the tale concluded, Optimus asks Tommy if he'd like to help him refuel [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]]. Tommy is psyched to participate in such a "privilege" and signs off his report. He then clings to Prime's head as they blast off into space.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Production information===
* Final script: 24th November 1986

===Continuity notes===
[[File:It wireframe.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Excuse me sir! Do you have Prince Albert in a can? You do?? Well, you better let the poor guy out! WUHAH! WUHAH!
WUHAH!"]]
*Prime says of Galvatron: "That's because I know you too well..." As this is the first time Optimus has really met Galvatron (apart from a brief firefight while being a half-alive quasi-zombie in "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"), it seems that he's able to recognize his [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|old foe]], despite the change in name and appearance. Optimus likely learned of Galvatron's identity while Galvatron briefly possessed the Matrix in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]".
*Furthering the sense that the Throttlebots were thrown into this two-parter at the last minute, the only dialogue they receive comes in this episode: a collection of generic barely-on-screen shouts delivered by [[Frank Welker]] ("Smash Rodimus!") and [[Jack Angel]] ("After him!") that aren't attributed to any individual members of the group. Dedicated performers would later be cast to play the individual Throttlebots in "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]".
*Optimus's journey through the Matrix gives us a look at some of its early bearers. It almost goes without saying that these robots don't resemble any of the ones we saw back in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]". Moving backwards in time, they include:
**A broad-faced 'bot with prominent cheekguards
**A slimmer, decrepit-looking 'bot in similar colors.
**A heavily-bearded 'bot
**A wireframe-style entity referred to in the script as "[[It]]", bearing a strong resemblance to a Quintesson Judge's Death head. A version of this design appeared previously in Rodimus Prime's dream sequence in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]".
*Upon entering the Matrix of Leadership, the first Autobot that Optimus Prime encounters is Rodimus Prime; then he converses with Alpha Trion. The latter's appearance there is somewhat puzzling, as it was [[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2|previously established]] (and [[The Rebirth, Part 2|later reiterated]]) that he had merged with Vector Sigma. Alpha Trion's presence makes even ''less'' sense considering that it was clearly stated in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" that he had never taken the Matrix for himself, thus eliminating the possibility that a "backup copy" of himself had somehow been "uploaded" into it. A variety of later fiction would, indirectly, offer explanations centering around the connection between the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]], the Matrix, Vector Sigma and Primus. In Alpha Trion's case he's in the afterlife, which one can communicate with through both the Matrix and Vector Sigma. Rodimus's presence is more murky, but can be accounted for by the notion of the Matrix as a gateway to the Allspark.
*Optimus using the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague bears more than a passing resemblance to when Rodimus Prime used the Matrix to destroy [[Unicron]] in [[The Transformers: The Movie|''The Movie'']]. They've even got "[[The Touch]]" playing in the background.
*In Japanese continuity, the events of [[The Great Transformer War issue 3|issue 3]] of ''[[The Great Transformer War]]'' take place shortly after this episode, helping to bridge the gap between it and "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]", the first episode of ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''.

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**A mix of [[TIE Fighter]] and [[X-wing Fighter|X-Wing]] engines as Sky Lynx rescues the Quintesson during the recap.
**The sound of the darting Seeker ball can briefly be heard as Prime's chest pops open to unleash the Matrix's power.
===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:Goldbugtroop1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.85|Goldbug Prime.]]
*The chair Optimus was sitting on is missing at the beginning of the episode.
*Optimus's fog lights are entirely red, even at the bulbs, which should be yellow or white.
*The recap animation shows Prime's body being pulled out of his ship with several cables. While this idea makes perfect sense, no cables were used during the actual event last episode.
*As Sky Lynx recaps last episode's events, the animation shows the exploding detonator/asteroid/planet/whatever-else-the-script-has-retconned-it-into-being... while he describes the ''star'' going nova. Granted, it's repeating the same goof as the previous ep.
*When the small group of Autobots is restored, Steeljaw's paws are over the side of the table in one shot and beside him in the next shot.
*In his first full body shot, Goldbug's head is drawn off-model, with pointier horns, smaller eyes and a much simpler mouthplate that looks more like Optimus Prime's than Goldbug's zigzag-shaped plate.
*As he speaks with the group, the closeups of Optimus's face from the side have the panel on the left side of his head in gray instead of blue. The long shots don't show his mouth plate moving as he speaks.
*During Blurr's "let's go!" rambling, the Quintesson wobbles around a bit.
*After Kup suggests the Autobots steal the metal back, Steeljaw (who's very close to the camera) is Rampage colored like Steeljaw.
*When Optimus Prime kneels down to talk to Jessica Morgan, Goldbug's feet (in the background) are colored gray instead of gold, even though his shins are still gold.
[[File:Roop kup and prime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*When the small group of Autobots is restored, Optimus suddenly has his rifle back, though he wasn't holding it in the previous shots.
*As the group "rolls out," Kup is shown driving backwards (unless he turns around after the scene transition...).
*The red squares are missing from the tops of Galvatron's shoulders in several shots. His chin is gray in some and dark gray in others as well.
*The Autobots on Charr transform to robot mode with the decending-pitch transformation noise, rather than the ascending-pitch version that usually goes with car-to-robot transformations.
*Optimus's rifle has the basic Autobot gun sound effect rather than its usual sound effect.

*As Optimus drives through the cave, his trailer is missing its Autobot symbol.
*Just before he transforms in the cave, Optimus' bumper and grille are red instead of gray.

*In the distant shot of the Autobots, just before the spider approaches them, Blaster appears to have Blast Off's colors.
*Some shots show the crest on Optimus's helmet framed in gray, while others (such as during his "know you too well" line) have it framed in blue.
*A close-up of Jessica reacting to the spider's approach shows her without her exo-suit, which she is shown wearing immediately before and after.
*Blaster's forehead is red instead of white in the following shot.
*As the energy leeches drop on Optimus, his fog lights are long cylinders rather than short triangles.
*Just before getting infected, Blaster has no lines on his switch plate.
*"We have to get out of here!" - Optimus's faceplate is misaligned with his helmet.
*When Galvatron shoots the top of the cave the second time, some of the rocks stay in mid-air.
*When they enter the Decepticon lab, Galvatron is taller than Optimus. In most other shots, he's shorter than Optimus.
*As Jessica discovers the alloy in the lab, Optimus is missing the Autobot symbol on his shoulder.
*After she makes the discovery, a shot shows the sides of Optimus' midsection in white instead of red.
*When Galvatron is threatening Optimus after they find the heat-resistant metal, Galvatron's cannon has a trigger on it.
*When escaping after Galvatron is infected, Optimus and his cab are colored entirely white (as if already coated in the resistant metal!)
*Searchlight and Chase fire their first few laser shots at Rodimus without any sound effects. Their first shots are purple, but in the next shot they're firing orange lasers.
*During the subsequent fighting, nobody gets the right sound effect; the Throttlebots and Rodimus all use a non-standard laser sound.
*When he first meets Optimus, Rodimus is missing his Autobot symbol.
*The subsequent shots show Rodimus as semi-transparent.
*As Rodimus drives out of the junkyard a few moments later, he floats above the ground.
[[File:Hate Plague Rodimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|]]
*Rodimus's gun fires yellow shots at times and purple shots in others. And what happened to his rifle?
*As Optimus grapples with Rodimus, Rodimus's Autobot logo disappears in a few frames.
*The inside of Rodimus' mouth is gray as he delivers the "no one is innocent!" line.
[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Alpha Trion miscolored.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.4|Trust the Gorton's fisherbot!]]
*The close-up of Optimus aboard the newly-infected Sky Lynx shows a standard non-infected coloration behind him.
*The ceiling of the junkyard plant has beams framing the glass, yet the beams disappear when Sky Lynx crashes through them.
*Sky Lynx ''also'' disappears after crashing through the glass.
*As Optimus struggles with Rodimus the second time, Optimus's Autobot logo is framed in white in some shots, black in others.
*When Optimus takes the Matrix from Rodimus, the "glow" from the Matrix lags behind the Matrix itself when he raises it up. Rodimus's chest cavity is also a huge chasm, rather than the usual Matrix-sized compartment.
*In the next shot, Rodimus is laying there with his chest suddenly closed again.
*When Optimus is talking to Alpha Trion, Alpha Trion is miscolored. He's grey, slate blue and orange when shown from the front, and entirely orange when shown from the side. He should be grey, dark red and dark blue. It seems the colorists confused him with the Custodiobot from "[[Surprise Party]]".
*When Headstrong and Tantrum get smushed by the doors, they cry out in generic, distinctly non-Predacon voices.
*When Optimus activates the Matrix, its handles disappear. They're back again in the next shot.
*Jessica's facial appearance in this episode is different than it was in Part 1.
*"But the Matrix is empty!" - Hot Rod has the extra lines on his face that accompany his incarnation as Rodimus.
*As Optimus is explaining that the Matrix must be refilled with the future wisdom, he is colored as if he still has the heat resistant metal on him.
*In the same shot, Hot Rod looks bigger than Optimus even though he should be much smaller (especially now that he's not Rodimus anymore).
*In the last shot of the episode, Optimus is missing his smoke stacks, the front of his cab has the gray stripes but the sides do not, and his trailer is again missing its Autobot logo; meanwhile, Blurr clips into Kup and his front end disappears from the frame.

===Continuity errors===
*Optimus's last line in Part 1 was "This time, no force in the universe can stop me." His first line here is "''Now'', no force in the universe ''will'' stop me."
*Sky Lynx is in two parts at the beginning. He was the full walking bird at the end of the last episode.
*After Sky Lynx's recap, Optimus is seen getting up from a table and walking over to where he was a minute earlier. There was no table behind him in previous shots, and no reason for him to lay down for a moment.
*So....how ''exactly'' does Sky Lynx know every single detail of what happened in the previous episode? He wasn't even there when half of those recapped events took place!
*Given that the Autobots are in a rush to save the galaxy, why did the Quintessons take the time to retool Bumblebee into Goldbug?
*How did Kup know that Rodimus had been contaminated? He was deactivated by Superion before that happened, and wasn't around for Sky Lynx's recap.
* Wouldn’t the Autobots and Decepticons have to worry about Trypticon getting infected?
*The alloy is heat-resistant to the point of surviving a supernova in the [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|previous episode]]. Yet it now can be melted down to coat Optimus Prime with it.
*A machine is used to coat Optimus Prime with this superheated alloy. What was ''it'' made out of, and why wasn't that material used?
*And did anyone manage to explain how heat resistance works against spores? What exactly do the writers think {{w|spore}}s are?
*Appearing/disappearing Autobots:
**The Transformers wounded by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (and listed by Sky Lynx) included Steeljaw and Wheelie. At the Autobot lab, Wheelie is replaced by Blaster.
**Steeljaw is revived at the Autobot City lab, but not seen afterwards.
*Continuing the confusion started by the combiners last episode, the infected Decepticons work ''together'' to fight Galvatron and the others, instead of attacking each other.
*Worse, when outnumbered by the Autobots, Cyclonus orders the other Decepticons to retreat, and they follow his command.
*Sky Lynx doesn't help during the spider attack, even though he ''can'' fly.
*Where's the trailer go?
**Optimus is coated in the alloy in robot mode. How does his trailer get coated?
**For that matter, where's the trailer been hanging out for the past couple of years since Optimus died, and how did he get back together with it? It just kinda rolls in as usual when he first transforms.
*Goldbug, Kup and Blaster get infected without being touched; in fact they don't even try to avoid it. Sky Lynx was right next to them but doesn't get infected. Huh?
[[File:Rodimus Matrix Chamber FFOD DA TROOP.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|One toy, four variants.]]
*Sky Lynx suddenly grows a pair of hands to pick up Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] with. Even if they're supposed to be his bird mode legs (which they appear to be based on), what is he standing on?
*Shouldn't Jessica's full-body exo-suit protect her from direct contact and infection?
*After Jessica Morgan and Galvatron got infected, Optimus and Sky Lynx speed off. Jessica makes a jump for Sky Lynx and briefly clings onto his tail before losing her grip, yet Sky Lynx ''still'' doesn't get infected.
*How do the support beams in the junkyard plant hold Optimus and Rodimus' weight?
*Rodimus's Matrix chamber opens via a pair of rectangular swing-out doors much like Optimus' chamber. In "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4," the door opened in the middle of the flame on his chest. In "Dark Awakening", it hinged across the left side of the flame, and the whole design opened to reveal the chamber.
*When Optimus puts the Matrix into his chest, he puts it in ''lengthwise''. Surely his months of deactivation haven't made him forget how the thing sat in his chest for ''millions of years''?
*The infected transformers work ''together'' to find Optimus Prime, instead of attacking each other.
*"It" tells Prime that "a wise man was able to contain the spores, but...no one had the wisdom to [destroy them]." The implication seems to be that a smart dude figured out a way to control the spores. Yet Prime - and the plot - proceed to interpret this as meaning that "wisdom" is like some kind of laser beam spore-cleaning agent - just point it at the spores and pull the trigger!
*In the movie, the Matrix took up the top half of Optimus' chest compartment and was behind a flip-up panel. Here, it fills in the whole (now hollow) cavity with no panel or other electronics to be seen.
*How exactly did Jessica get off [[Chaar]]?
[[File:Swafford&morganG1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Take our hands! Please!" "Make it your faces and we'll talk."]]
*And what are she and Gregory Swofford doing in [[Moscow]] by the time they're cured of the Hate Plague? It's not just a case of an accidentally recycled background from the previous shot (which did depict actual Russians being cured of the Hate Plague)—even though both shots feature onion domes reminiscent of Saint Basil's Cathedral, they're definitely different background paintings. So... what gives?
*How did they get the alloy ''off'' Optimus Prime? And why would they want to, if it's so resilient? (Unless... they just painted over the alloy?)
*The timing of the last scene is odd. It's long enough after the cure is unleashed for Optimus to have the metal removed or painted over, and for Kup, Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus, and the three humans to arrive at Autobot City. Yet Galvatron is still hanging around, and both he and Hot Rod speak as though the previous scene's events just happened.
**Interestingly, Galvatron is consistently portrayed without his cannon in this scene.
*Does anyone else think that Dr. Swofford and Morgan get off waaaaay too easy at the end of the episode? They ''willingly'' unleash the hate plague that causes widespread devastation (and probably death) across not just the world but the entire galaxy, just to spite the Autobots, and they get off by just saying "sorry"? (Then again, we don't actually ''see'' Optimus shaking their hands. Burn!)

===Trivia===
[[File:DialogueScriptTROOPOrionPax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|So this is odd.]]
*Following the average-for-[[Toei Animation]] Part 1, this episode's artwork quality is among the series' best, with loads of detailed shading, the same pink-glowing-smoke-explosions seen in ''Transformers: The Movie'', and characters generally on-model and well-drawn.
*The portion of "The Touch" that plays includes the line about "Hell breaking loose," an unusually strong word for an American '80s TV cartoon. Guess the censors were looking elsewhere that day. (Amusing timing as a bamboozled Galvatron says "What is this?", seemingly in reaction to the song replacing the show's usual background music!)
*The [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for this episode lists Orion Pax as appearing. A flashback to Optimus Prime's early days that was removed for time constraints, you might think? No. According to the [[dialogue script]] for the episode, Orion Pax was originally going to be the one to ask Prime why he had returned to the Matrix! Presumably someone on staff caught the error early enough, as Pax's line in the final cut went to Alpha Trion. (The dialogue script also misspells "Trion" as "Tion", for that matter.)
*[[Jack Angel]] takes over as the voice for Cyclonus following the death of [[Roger C. Carmel]].
*This is the final episode of the original American G1 cartoon to be animated by Toei; the remaining episodes would be animated by [[AKOM]]. Toei would later return to animate all the Japanese-exclusive G1 sequel series.
*Prime's appearance in the alloy coat gives him a strong resemblance to Ultra Magnus's unused unarmored form.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast and DVD release):'' "'''Le retour d'Optimus Prime, partie 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast):'' "'''Le retour d'Optimus, partie 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' '''Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime, Teil 2''' ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il ritorno di Commander, Parte 2'''" (First dub, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"), "'''Il ritorno di Optimus Prime, Parte 2'''" (Second dub, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの復活パート2 (''Convoy no Fukkatsu Part 2'', "The Resurrection of Convoy Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 25]], [[1987]]
::*The Japanese version of this episode has an alternate ending. After Optimus Prime and the Autobots ride off into the sunset and "The Touch" ends, the music changes to "[[Transformer 2010|TRANSFORMER 2010]]" by [[Shō Hirose]] and the scene shifts to a montage of all the major characters from the series.
::*This montage replaces the "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment focusing on [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] used in the US broadcast. The Ultra Magnus "Secret Files" segment was never used in the Japanese broadcast of the series.
::*Following this episode, Japanese cartoon continuity diverges from the Western continuity. Rather than lead into "[[The Rebirth]]" three-parter, Japanese continuity instead continues in their domestically produced series, ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]''.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Qíngtiānzhù Fùhuó (Xià)'''" (擎天柱复活(下),"Optimus Prime Resurrects, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1987 — ''The Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime (Zweiter Teil) ([[Polyband]]) — German audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime: Optimus Prime the Ultimate Robot ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1991 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime / Cosmic Rust (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 7: The Return of Optimus Prime ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 23 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Le Retour d'Optimus Prime ([[UFG Junior]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-116.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gwsuGqt1c_-0NWqiEB4ufvzbVZHatnrK Episode script, finalised 24th November 1986, missing pages 12-18]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Epilogue Two

2021-12-23T03:31:54Z

BigRobot:

{{comicstory|seriesissue=''Transformers Collector's Club: The Official Magazine'' Comic Bonus
|prev=Epilogue
|next=
|seriesissue2=''[[Transformers: TransTech]]''
|title="Epilogue Two"
|publisher=[[Fun Publications]]
|published in= [https://www.toyarama.com/store/2016-diamond-gijoecon-edition-g-i-joe-vs-cobra-issue-9-project-downfall-1-pc-p1563.php ''G.I. Joe vs Cobra'' #9: “Project Downfall", Diamond edition]
|date=[[January 25]], [[2017]]
|writers=[[Jesse Wittenrich]] & [[Pete Sinclair]]
|pencils=[[Kotteri]]
|inks=[[Robby Musso]]
|colors=[[Josh Perez]]
|letters=Jesse Wittenrich
|managing editor=Pete Sinclair
|continuity=''TransTech''
|chronology=Present day
}}

'''As one door closes, another door opens.'''

==Synopsis==
''There is not one universe, but many, in a multiverse. Millions of universe orbiting around one another...and in the center on one [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is [[Axiom Nexus]], a city home to the super-advanced [[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]. They were once stewards of the multiverse...but they are no longer its protectors, with the [[Shroud]] cutting them off from the rest of the multiverse. But, with their door having been closed, another one now opens...''

[[Rhinox (TransTech)|Rhinox]] shuts down the last of the monitors observing the multiverse, sorrowfully noting that after millions of years, they're no longer able to show them much of anything. As [[Heinrad (TransTech)|Heinrad]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Thrustinator]] warp off to parts unknown, Rhinox presses one last button, and says goodbye...

...And on the flipside, in a negative-polarity universe with an Axiom Nexus of its own, [[Airazor (SG TransTech)|Airazor]] and [[Rhinox (SG TransTech)|Rhinox]] succeed in opening a window in the multiverse for the first time, proving their theories. Rhinox vows to observe this multiverse first hand, refusing to limit himself to simple monitor duty. The two are interrupted, however, when High Chancellor [[Megatron (SG TransTech)|Megatron]], wary of Rhinox's ambition, enters the room. Airazor explains to the High Chancellor how, before, they believe they were the only universe in existence, but now they have undeniable proof; some sort of veil has lifted them, showing them many worlds to...explore. Astonished by the multiverse's beauty, Megatron tells them to begin recording these universes...

...and in one of these, the heroic Decepticon [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] reports to his leader, [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], that [[Nightbird (SG)|Nightbird]] is no Autobot plaything, but a robot invented by [[Doctor Fujiyama the Infamous Scientist]] to steal the [[World Energy Chip]] the Decepticons were entrusted with. Megatron consults with [[Tomax Xamot|Mr. Xamot]], who assures Megatron that America's highly-trained, special mission force, [[Cobra]], will be there to help the Decepticon against the Autobots and anyone else who threatens Earth!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=Heroic [[Decepticon]]s
|c1=
* [[Megatron (SG TransTech)|Megatron]] (6)
* [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] (7)
* ''[[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]'' (11)
* [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (13)
* [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] (14)
* [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] (15)
* [[Bombshell (SG)|Bombshell]] (17)
* [[Thundercracker (SG)|Thundercracker]] (18)
* [[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]] (19)
|h2=Evil/"[[Shockwave (TransTech)|morally ambiguous]]" [[Autobot]]s
|c2=
* [[Airazor (SG TransTech)|Airazor]] (4)
*[[Rhinox (SG TransTech)|Rhinox]] (5)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (SG Cybertron)|Optimus Prime]]'' (8)
* ''[[Bumblebee (SG Animated)|Bumblebee]]'' (9)
* ''[[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]]'' (10)
* ''[[Tailgate (SG)|Tailgate]]'' (12)
|h3=Heroic Autobots
|c3=
* [[Rhinox (TransTech)|Rhinox]] (2)
* [[Heinrad (TransTech)|Heinrad]] (3)
|c4=
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Thrustinator]] (1)
* [[Nightbird (SG)|Nightbird]] (16)
* [[Tomax Xamot|Xamot]] (20)
}}

==Quotes==

==Notes==
* Characters mentioned include: [[Doctor Fujiyama the Infamous Scientist]], Lt. [[Cisarovna]], and General [[Kessler]].

===Continuity notes===
* The TransTech were cut off from the multiverse when [[Nexus Prime]] strengthened the multiversal walls with the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] and the [[Terminus Blade]] in "[[Out of the One, Many]]", resulting in the Shroud. The effects were seen in the various ''TransTech'' Facebook pages posted through the latter quarter of 2015 and the first half of 2016. Both ''[[Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist]]'' and ''[[Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter]]'' noted that ''TransTech'' [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]] did manage to open a hole back into the multiverse-but only powerful enough for limited observation, and as such, Rhinox shuts down the screens. This story happens concurrently with posts on the ''Rook'' and ''Andromeda'' pages on the last day of 2016, where a confused [[Waspinator (TransTech)|Waspinator]], believing that the monitors going black meant that the universe was being destroyed, reported it to the infonet, causing mass panic.
* Heinrad and Thrustinator are seen heading off; Thrustinator was mentioned as meeting with the [[Spy Changer]]s of [[Primax 085.0 Eta]] to inform them of their [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s alliance with [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]] and [[Magmar]], as seen in [[Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric]], presumably placing that after this story. Evidently, Thrustinator still has access to the multiverse.
* The existence of a "Shattered Multiverse" was hinted at in "[[Coalescence]]".

===Transformers references===
* The text box recounting the origins of the TransTech is done in homage to the text box published at the top of the first page of every issue of Marvel's ''The Transformers'' comic.
* ''Shattered Glass TransTech'' Airazor is based directly on [[:File:SG TransTech Airazor.jpg|unused 1996 concept art]] for an unknown character from an unknown line, uncovered by Fun Publications staff. ''Shattered Glass TransTech'' Rhinox shares his body with his positive-universe counterpart, but in the colors of ''Armada'' [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]]. Megatron, too, shares his positive-universe counterpart's body, but in the colors of an alternate red-and-white color scheme seen on the ''Transtech'' Megatron concept art, rather that the green and red color scheme that was chosen to be used for ''TransTech'' Megatron's appearances.
* ''Shattered Glass TransTech'' Megatron is the High Chancellor of Cybertron; in the positive ''TransTech'' universe, [[Optimus Prime (TransTech)|Optimus Prime]] is High Chancellor, with Megatron serving as High Commander.
* The worlds displayed in the holograms are all ''Shattered Glass'' versions of main continuities, alongside the original ''Shattered Glass'' universe. Accompanying them are identifiers that resemble truncated versions of the familiar [[universal stream]] designations. They're formatted as "Cybertron -[x]" with the first letter of the cluster name, the first letter of the universe type (described with a Greek letter), and the year component of the numerical part. These universes include:
** "Cybertron -MA07": the ''Shattered Glass Animated'' universe featuring ''Shattered Glass Animated'' Bumblebee, who was featured on a [[BotCon 2011]] lithograph with several other characters and appeared in various other pieces of ancillary media, based on concepts for ''Transformers Animated'' season 4. Notably, rather than using the numbers from the universal stream given to it previously—[[Malgus -411.27 Zeta]]—it's based on the positive universe's numerical designation, [[Malgus 1207.26 Alpha]].
** "Cybertron -AA02": a ''Shattered Glass'' version of the "Unicron Trilogy" cartoons: ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: Energon'', and ''Transformers: Cybertron''. An image of a ''Shattered Glass'' version of ''Cybertron'' Optimus Prime illustrates it, based on his positive universe [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|counterpart]] in the colors of the original ''Shattered Glass'' [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]].
** "Cybertron -PG05": a ''Shattered Glass'' version the 2005 IDW comics continuity. Illustrating the universe is a ''Shattered Glass'' version of IDW [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] in the original ''Shattered Glass'' [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] colors—though without a goatee.
** "Cybertron -PE08": the original ''Shattered Glass'' universe. Cyclonus and Tailgate illustrate the image, in homage to their positive-universe counterparts' relationship in the 2005 IDW comic continuity. Tailgate is depicted as being repurposed from the [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]] [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]] toy, as he was in "[[Coalescence]]".
** "Cybertron -PA84": a ''Shattered Glass'' version of the Sunbow ''The Transformers'' cartoon, which the TransTech choose to record.
* ''Shattered Glass TransTech'' Megatron lets out a "yes," much like ''Beast Wars'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]].
* The Starscream seen in Cybertron -PA84 is in his (then-unseen) Transformers Figure Subscription Service 5.0 body. Megatron is based on his positive-universe [[Megatron (G1)|counterpart's]] early character model design (used in the first two issues of the Marvel comic), with the colors of the original ''Shattered Glass'' Megatron. Soundwave is based on ''Combiner Wars'' [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], with the colors, shoulder cannon, and head of the original ''Shattered Glass'' Soundwave, the colors themselves taken from the ''Music Label'' [[Soundwave (G1)|Sonic White Soundwave]]. Thundercracker and Skywarp are both virtual redecoes of Starscream (who was redecoed from the ''Unite Warriors'' [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] toy), with Thundercracker in the [[Action Master]] colors of his positive-universe [[Thundercracker (G1)|counterpart]] (as was the original ''Shattered Glass'' Thundercracker), and Skywarp in the colors of the ''Cybertron'' [[Skywarp (Armada)|incarnation]] of the character. Bombshell is based on his positive-universe [[Bombshell (G1)|counterpart]]’s ''Combiner Wars'' toy in the colors of ''Collector's Edition'' [[Salvo (G1)|Salvo]] (who the orignial ''Shattered Glass'' Bombshell was repurposed from). Nightbird is based on her positive-universe [[Nightbird (G1)|counterpart]], with the colors of ''Combiner Wars'' Autobot [[Dust Up]], whose head is very similar to Nightbird's.
* The scene of the ''Shattered Glass'' "Sunbow" universe is a mirror of the original ''The Transformers'' cartoon episode, "[[Enter the Nightbird]]". Starscream notes that Doctor Fujiyama (who is specifically namedropped as Doctor Fujiyama the Infamous Scientist; the positive universe Fujiyama was referred to by [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] as [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]]) designed Nightbird to steal the World Energy Chip from the Decepticons. In "Enter the Nightbird", the Decepticons stole Nightbird from Fujiyama, and reprogrammed her to steal the World Energy Chip from the Autobots.

===G.I. Joe references===
* Xamot was previously in the "Adventure Team: Shattered Glass" storyline published in the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Magazine from chapters 37 to 50 of ''The Adventure Team Chronicles''. There, the ''Shattered Glass'' world was the result of a time travel accident, but this version of the character is one that more closely resembles the ''Transformers'' model of a mirror universe.
* The Sunbow cartoons for both ''The Transformers'' and ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' were indicated to take place in the same world by a variety of easter eggs, and the same holds true here.
* The original version of ''Shattered Glass'' Xamot, as seen in ''The Adventure Team Chronicles'', had dissociative identity disorder, with his alter being a "twin brother" named Tomax. Whether or not this holds true for this incarnation is unclear. The positive-universe [[Tomax and Xamot|Xamot]] had a scar on his right cheek, while this Xamot has one on his left.
*Xamot mentions talking to Lieutenant [[Cisarovna]], a mirror version of the [[Baroness]], and General [[Kessler]], who must be either a counterpart of [[Billy (G.I. Joe)|Billy Kessler]] or his father, [[Cobra Commander]]. If he is a mirror of Billy, his being a general could also be a homage to [http://www.yojoe.com/action/92/generalflagg.shtml General Flagg, Jr], son of the original [[General Flagg]].
*Cobra is "America's highly-trained special mission force", i.e. what [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] was according to the intro of the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' cartoon.

===Real-world references===
* The use of "Cybertron" in the universal stream designations calls to mind how, in both the DC and Marvel Comics multiversal system, each universe is designated as Earth [X].

===Errors===
* In the top text recounting the story of the TransTech, the second "the" in the sentence "this is the home of the TransTech" is misspelled as "he".

===Other trivia===
* This comic serves as an advertisement for the ''Shattered Glass'' Starscream toy from the Transformers Figure Subscription Service 5.0, and the ''Shattered Glass'' Xamot toy from the G.I. Joe Figure Subscription Service 5.0.
* This two-page minicomic was released as bonus content at the end of the Diamond edition of ''G.I. Joe vs. Cobra'' issue #9, "Project: Downfall", Fun Publications' GIJoeCon 2016 comic. Its odd name is a reference to the TransTech-focused epilogue to ''[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]'', the final comic arc to run in the ''[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club]]'' magazine.
* The image of Cybertron on ''Shattered Glass TransTech'' Rhinox's screen is taken from "[[Cybertron's Most Wanted]]", with lineart by [[Matt Frank]] and colors by [[Thomas Deer]] and [[Wade Alexander]].

===Covers===
*'''''G.I. Joe vs. Cobra'' issue #9 Diamond Edition cover''': [[Cobra Commander]] holding aloft the JoeCon 2016 toys by the parachutes they're attached to. Pencils and inks by [[Dan Khanna]], colors by [[Jesse Wittenrich]].
<gallery>
File:GIJoeVsCobra9DiamondEditioncvr.jpg
</gallery>

[[Category:Timelines issues]]
[[Category:TransTech issues]]

User talk:BigRobot

2021-10-02T13:38:19Z

BigRobot: Trying to move on.

User talk:Cyberlink420

2021-09-27T03:08:43Z

BigRobot: /* My mistake */

==Previous discussions==
Previous discussions from before I became an admin can be found at [[User talk:Cyberlink420/Archive1|Archive]]. However, please do not edit the Archive page.



== Ok, sorry ==
Can I re-upload it after it fits the standards of this wiki? --[[User:GobotsFanForever|GobotsFanForever]] ([[User talk:GobotsFanForever|talk]]) 20:08, 9 April 2021 (EDT)
:Sure, but you might be better off finding a different image of Whirl. In the one you uploaded, she's just sort of standing there, while all the other images are more dynamic and show her actually doing things. Try to find something more distinct that better conveys what the character is doing in the episode. -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 20:39, 9 April 2021 (EDT)

== Hoist Goes Hollywood ==

You reverted my edit saying it was "still a stretch." What I wrote was:

"The Autobot cast for this episode is particularly appropriate. Apart from Hoist, all the Autobots who crash the filming in search of stardom are notably vain attention-seekers. Though this trait is rarely played up with Warpath, his ego regarding his gun and shooting skills is mentioned in his bios, and he appropriately makes his entrance by displaying his sharpshooting skills."

My question is this: How the heck is that a stretch? It notes what was clearly the writer's intention in casting the episode and explains the choice of a character who would seemingly be the odd man out.

I don't do a lot of editing on here, and I genuinely try to do so only when I feel I'm adding something or improving something in accordance with the standards as I understand them, but I've had several edits reverted recently that I had put a good amount of thought into, and the justifications for those reversions have been uniformly unsatisfying and very poorly explained. {{unsigned|Tjfosko}}
:I genuinely don't think the writer put that much thought into it. And unless you have an interview with the writer saying as much, you can't say it was clearly their intention; it was more likely as simple as them being told "here's the toy(s) we want to promote this week, write a story about them". This just feels like adding a note for the sake of adding a note on an overly crowded page. (I personally think a lot of the existing notes don't serve to add much either, so it's not just a you thing.) And please remember to sign your talk page posts. -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 23:29, 15 May 2021 (EDT)

::So, you don't think the writer of the episode picked specifically four glory-hounds to crash a movie studio hoping for stardom, but that he instead got a note saying, "We want you to sell Hoist, Tracks, Sunstreaker, Powerglide, and Warpath this week"? Look at Earl Kress's episode credits. "The Immobilizer" is practically the only episode dealing with Ironhide's age (besides a few minor asides) and actually features a rare instance of Trailbreaker being a jokester. "B.O.T.," for all its flaws, plays up Swindle better than any other episode. "Desertion of the Dinobots" doesn't have the same degree of focus, but the episodes he wrote tend to be very strong in their depictions of characters. Even if your scenario of "promote these toys this week" is accurate (which I don't think it is, as the production materials that I've seen make it seem like Hasbro gave broad strokes with the exception of a few instances of "don't use this guy because we aren't releasing him" (Reflector) or "shove this in somewhere because it's a new toy" (Protectobots)), that only makes the cast more noteworthy, as it's an incredibly convenient accident. It seems way, way more likely that the writers, with the exception of the more mercenary jobs like "The Search for Vector Sigma," were given a box of toys and told, "these are your available characters, choose as you wish."

::As for the unsigned comment, my bad. Slipped my mind. Trying to keep up with that. [[User:Tjfosko|Tjfosko]] ([[User talk:Tjfosko|talk]]) 11:51, 17 May 2021 (EDT)

== Just a suggestion ==

Since G1 Optimus Prime and Megatron have an extremely long list of appearances and will likely have even more in the future, can I split their Game appearances into separate pages? --[[User:GobotsFanForever|GobotsFanForever]] ([[User talk:GobotsFanForever|talk]]) 13:36, 16 August 2021 (EDT)
:This has actually already been proposed over at [[Talk:Optimus Prime (G1)#Another split?]] -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 13:43, 16 August 2021 (EDT)

== Arcana ==

Hi. I just edited the Arcana page. However, I can't make the caption link to the page. The link and the caption are separate. Could you edit it so that the caption links to the page, please?
Cybertron1986 15:09, 15 September 2021 (EDT)

I suppose I should learn how to do it on practice pages. Thank you.
Cybertron1986 15:14, 15 September 2021 (EDT)

== My mistake ==

Wait really? Oh gosh, my extreme apologies then! I wasn't aware that was a UK English spelling! I saw both Installment and Instalment on the same page and thought it was an error. [[User:BigRobot|BigRobot]] ([[User talk:BigRobot|talk]]) 23:05, 26 September 2021 (EDT)BigRobot

User talk:Cyberlink420

2021-09-27T03:05:26Z

BigRobot: /* My mistake */ new section

==Previous discussions==
Previous discussions from before I became an admin can be found at [[User talk:Cyberlink420/Archive1|Archive]]. However, please do not edit the Archive page.



== Ok, sorry ==
Can I re-upload it after it fits the standards of this wiki? --[[User:GobotsFanForever|GobotsFanForever]] ([[User talk:GobotsFanForever|talk]]) 20:08, 9 April 2021 (EDT)
:Sure, but you might be better off finding a different image of Whirl. In the one you uploaded, she's just sort of standing there, while all the other images are more dynamic and show her actually doing things. Try to find something more distinct that better conveys what the character is doing in the episode. -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 20:39, 9 April 2021 (EDT)

== Hoist Goes Hollywood ==

You reverted my edit saying it was "still a stretch." What I wrote was:

"The Autobot cast for this episode is particularly appropriate. Apart from Hoist, all the Autobots who crash the filming in search of stardom are notably vain attention-seekers. Though this trait is rarely played up with Warpath, his ego regarding his gun and shooting skills is mentioned in his bios, and he appropriately makes his entrance by displaying his sharpshooting skills."

My question is this: How the heck is that a stretch? It notes what was clearly the writer's intention in casting the episode and explains the choice of a character who would seemingly be the odd man out.

I don't do a lot of editing on here, and I genuinely try to do so only when I feel I'm adding something or improving something in accordance with the standards as I understand them, but I've had several edits reverted recently that I had put a good amount of thought into, and the justifications for those reversions have been uniformly unsatisfying and very poorly explained. {{unsigned|Tjfosko}}
:I genuinely don't think the writer put that much thought into it. And unless you have an interview with the writer saying as much, you can't say it was clearly their intention; it was more likely as simple as them being told "here's the toy(s) we want to promote this week, write a story about them". This just feels like adding a note for the sake of adding a note on an overly crowded page. (I personally think a lot of the existing notes don't serve to add much either, so it's not just a you thing.) And please remember to sign your talk page posts. -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 23:29, 15 May 2021 (EDT)

::So, you don't think the writer of the episode picked specifically four glory-hounds to crash a movie studio hoping for stardom, but that he instead got a note saying, "We want you to sell Hoist, Tracks, Sunstreaker, Powerglide, and Warpath this week"? Look at Earl Kress's episode credits. "The Immobilizer" is practically the only episode dealing with Ironhide's age (besides a few minor asides) and actually features a rare instance of Trailbreaker being a jokester. "B.O.T.," for all its flaws, plays up Swindle better than any other episode. "Desertion of the Dinobots" doesn't have the same degree of focus, but the episodes he wrote tend to be very strong in their depictions of characters. Even if your scenario of "promote these toys this week" is accurate (which I don't think it is, as the production materials that I've seen make it seem like Hasbro gave broad strokes with the exception of a few instances of "don't use this guy because we aren't releasing him" (Reflector) or "shove this in somewhere because it's a new toy" (Protectobots)), that only makes the cast more noteworthy, as it's an incredibly convenient accident. It seems way, way more likely that the writers, with the exception of the more mercenary jobs like "The Search for Vector Sigma," were given a box of toys and told, "these are your available characters, choose as you wish."

::As for the unsigned comment, my bad. Slipped my mind. Trying to keep up with that. [[User:Tjfosko|Tjfosko]] ([[User talk:Tjfosko|talk]]) 11:51, 17 May 2021 (EDT)

== Just a suggestion ==

Since G1 Optimus Prime and Megatron have an extremely long list of appearances and will likely have even more in the future, can I split their Game appearances into separate pages? --[[User:GobotsFanForever|GobotsFanForever]] ([[User talk:GobotsFanForever|talk]]) 13:36, 16 August 2021 (EDT)
:This has actually already been proposed over at [[Talk:Optimus Prime (G1)#Another split?]] -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 13:43, 16 August 2021 (EDT)

== Arcana ==

Hi. I just edited the Arcana page. However, I can't make the caption link to the page. The link and the caption are separate. Could you edit it so that the caption links to the page, please?
Cybertron1986 15:09, 15 September 2021 (EDT)

I suppose I should learn how to do it on practice pages. Thank you.
Cybertron1986 15:14, 15 September 2021 (EDT)

== My mistake ==

Wait really? Oh gosh, my extreme apologies then! I wasn't aware that was a UK English spelling! [[User:BigRobot|BigRobot]] ([[User talk:BigRobot|talk]]) 23:05, 26 September 2021 (EDT)BigRobot

The Mighty Bolt

2021-09-27T02:19:40Z

BigRobot:

{{comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers United EX]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=In the Blazing Alps
|title="The Mighty Bolt"
|image=UnitedEX1 mighty bolt.jpg
|japanese=稲妻の強さで
|romaji=Inazuma no Tsuyoi de
|date=[[September 22]], 2012
|packaged with=[[Tread Bolt|Jetmaster Prime Mode]]
|written by=[[Andrew Hall]]
|art by=[[Hidetsugu Yoshioka]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Autobots and humankind unite once more to develop new ways to fight the Decepticons, and Power Core Combination is born!'''

==Synopsis==

In the 21st century, at a time when the [[Transformer]]s' never-ending war has again shifted away from [[Earth]] and back to outer space, [[human]]ity has chosen not to rest on its laurels, and has worked with the [[Autobot]]s to develop a new system known as [[Power Core Combination]] to protect their planet from a potential return of the [[Decepticon]]s. Powered by a new prototype energy source known as an [[Energon Matrix]], this new technology allows Autobots to combine with teams of four drones, creating extra-powerful "Prime Modes" for them. The first Autobot chosen to become part of this new "[[Master Class]]" sub-group is a stealth expert from planet [[Micro|Zone]], who is codenamed "[[Tread Bolt|Jetmaster]]" after successfully accomplishing the combination process. Experimenting with his new powers in a field test against some [[Novabot]]s, Jetmaster is amazed by his new strength, but masks it with cocky banter about how his power level is now akin to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s, and how he plans to take down all the Decepticons himself. Project head [[Chip Chase|Professor Chase]] is wary, however, fearing that the power of Power Core Combination is sure to draw the Decepticons' attention...

==Featured characters==

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Tread Bolt|Jetmaster]] (1)
|c3=
*[[Chip Chase|Professor Chase]] (3)
|c4=
*[[Novaroid|Novabot]]s (2)
}}

==Notes==

*While later chapters will make the ''United EX'' story's place in continuity explicit, this first installment contains enough clues to get us started. As planet Micro has already become planet Zone, it's obviously taking place after the ''[[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]]'' series. Further, as tentacled spheres with single optics, the Novabots that Jetmaster trains against are an obvious variation of [[Dark Nova]]'s [[Novaroid]]s, suggesting that ''[[Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy]]'' has also happened, and that humanity and the Autobots have reverse engineered their own fleet of drones from Dark Nova's technology.
*As with all Power Core Combiner characters, Jetmaster's original name is not revealed in the story, but it (along with his [[bio]]) contains enough hints for him to be fairly easily identified as [[Micromaster]] [[Air Patrol]] member [[Tread Bolt]].
*Professor Chase is, obviously enough, the Autobots' old ally [[Chip Chase]], who had a hand in their last few technological quantum leaps in Japanese cartoon continuity, like [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] and [[Story of Binaltech|Binaltech]]. Later chapters of the story will establish that these events are occurring around the year 2035, which would put Chip in his late 60s by this point; writer Andrew Hall credits the time Chip's body spent in stasis during the events of the ''Binaltech'' storyline with keeping him a bit spryer and more active than he might normally be at his age.
*[[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] are an element of Japanese continuity introduced during their version of the [[Beast Era]]. They have never had an explained origin until now!

==External links==
*[http://www.allspark.com/content/2014/10/united-ex-story-1-the-might-bolt-translation/ "The Mighty Bolt" in English at TFPulp on The AllSpark]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mighty Bolt}}
[[Category:United EX chapters]]

Infestation 2

2021-09-27T02:19:25Z

BigRobot:

{{disambig3|Infestation}}

[[File:Infestation 2 1A.jpg|thumb|250px|''Messenger of fear in sight Dark deception kills the light [[Fish people|Hybrid children]] watch the sea Pray for [[Elder Gods|Father]], roaming free'']]

'''''Infestation 2''''' is a [[2012]] multi-property crossover event that includes most of [[IDW Publishing]]'s licensed properties at time of publishing, except ''[[Doctor Who]]'' and ''[[Godzilla]]''. Seriously, guys, get on the ball!

The ''Transformers'' installment is set in the continuity of the [[2005]] steampunk ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'' miniseries.

{{chapters|title=''Infestation 2'' issues:|prev=Infestation (IDW)|content=
*[[Infestation 2 issue 1|#1]]
*[[Infestation 2 issue 2|#2]]
}}

{{chapters|title=''Infestation 2: The Transformers'' issues:|prev=Hearts of Steel|next=The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers|content=
*[[Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|#1]]
*[[Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|#2]]
}}

==Overview==
''Infestation 2'' is a sequel to the ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'' story instead of the original ''[[Infestation (IDW)|Infestation]]'' arc. The mini-series tells the story of how, due to a combination of magic and the influence of the works of [[H. P. Lovecraft]], the [[Elder God]]s rend themselves free of their prison outside of space-time, and wreak havoc across multiple universes. The Transformers portion of the event reunites [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] with his ally [[Tobias Muldoon]], and the Autobot team is joined by the inventor [[Nikola Tesla]]. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is brought into the story after being mostly absent from the original "Hearts of Steel" storyline; reviving the Autobot leader is a major plotpoint, as he is the only one capable of standing against the eldritch monstrosities that threaten humanity and Cybertronians alike. The series keeps the "steam-punk" aesthetic of the previous installment in this continuity, and culminates in a showdown between Optimus Prime and a horror of cyclopean proportions.

==Collections==
* '''''Infestation 2, Volume 1''''' ([[June 6]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772254 / ISBN 978-1613772256
:* Contains ''Infestation 2: Part 1'', ''Infestation 2: Team Up'', ''Infestation 2: 30 Days of Night'' and ''Infestation 2: Part 2''
:* Bonus material includes an art gallery.

* '''''Infestation 2, Volume 2''''' ([[July 4]], 2012) ISBN 1613772807 / ISBN 978-1613772805
:* Contains ''Infestation 2: Transformers'' and ''Infestation 2: G.I. Joe''
:* Bonus material includes an art gallery.

* '''''Infestation 2, Volume 3''''' No Transformers content

* '''''Infestation 2''''' (The Complete Series) ([[November 28]], 2012) ISBN 161377513X / ISBN 978-1613775134
:* Hardcover
:* Contains ''Infestation 2: Part 1'', ''Infestation 2: Transformers'', ''Infestation 2: Dungeons and Dragons'', ''Infestation 2: Team Up'', ''Infestation 2: TMNT'', ''Infestation 2: G.I. Joe'', ''Infestation 2: 30 Days of Night'' and ''Infestation 2: Part 2''
:* Bonus material includes an art gallery.

* '''''Infestation Omnibus''''' ([[July 30]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1631400142 / ISBN 978-1631400148
:* Contains ''Infestation: Part 1'', ''Infestation: Transformers'', ''Infestation: G.I. Joe'', ''Infestation: [[Star Trek]]'', ''Infestation: [[Ghostbusters]]'', ''Infestation: Part 2'', ''Infestation: Pocket God, Infestation 2: Part 1, Infestation 2: Transformers, Infestation 2: Dungeons & Dragons, Infestation 2: Team-Up, Infestation 2: TMNT, Infestation 2: G.I. Joe, Infestation 2: 30 Days of Night'' and ''Infestation 2: Part 2''.
:* Bonus material includes ???
<gallery>
File:Infestation2-Vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:Infestation2-Vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Livio Ramondelli
File:Infestation2-Complete.jpg|Complete Series cover by [[Alex Garner]]
File:Infestation-Omnibus.jpg|Omnibus cover by [[Gabriel Rodriguez]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/2046/ "The Infestation Spreads Again" press release @ idwpublishing.com]

[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:Infestation issues| Infestation 2]]

Transformers: Beginnings (Movie)

2021-09-27T02:19:14Z

BigRobot:

{{picsneeded|Screen captures}}
{{disambig3.5|the DVD "motion comic"|the Titan Books TPB of the earliest [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel US ''The Transformers'']] issues|Transformers: Beginnings (G1)|Beginnings}}
[[Image:Beginnings DVD.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Moving comic panels! Classic Grantray-Lawrence Marvel Super Heroes style!]]
'''''Transformers: Beginnings''''' is an animated (sort of) version of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Movie Prequel]]'' (aka ''Prime Directive'') mini-series. It was available on a [[Walmart]] [[exclusive]] bonus DVD with the [[Transformers (film)|2007 ''Transformers'' live action movie]] in October [[2007]] and features some of the (voice) actors from the 2007 movie, voice actors from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] who didn't make it into the movie, and substitute voice artists for the rest of the characters.

==Plot==
[[Image:Tfbeginnings-iamBB.jpg|thumb|left|250px|If you can read this, let me tell you I have no clue who I am transmitting this to.]][[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] sends a message of the highest urgency to all sentient beings in the universe, telling them the tale of the [[AllSpark]]. It had once helped the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] flourish under the rule of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Lord High Protector]] [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], but eventually [[The Fallen|something]] corrupted Megatron, and he attempted to use the AllSpark for his own twisted purposes. Bumblebee was one of the warriors loyal to Optimus Prime, so he tried to protect the AllSpark from Megatron. Eventually the Autobots launched the AllSpark into space.

After destroying Bumblebee's [[voice capacitator]], Megatron follows it and eventually tracks it down to prehistoric [[Earth]], where he ends up trapped in ice.

Four million years later, an expedition headed by Captain [[Archibald Witwicky]] discovers him, but after unearthing his discovery, he ends up in a mental institution. There, he is visited by two employees of [[Sector Seven]], who are interested in alien designs he drew on more than a hundred sheets of paper before going blind. Upon returning to their headquarters, they prepare for an expedition to the Arctic Circle. In [[1902]], they're preparing to excavate Megatron there, when other employees of Sector Seven discover the AllSpark in a lake in [[Colorado]].

[[Image:Tfbeginnings-flames.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Maybe I shouldn't have left the cardboard cut-outs in the fire.]][[1935|33 years later]], one of the Sector Seven agents that were present when Megatron was excavated oversees the construction of the Hoover Dam together with a younger agent, and predicts the arrival of more of the "Mega-Man's" kind.

In [[2003]], Bumblebee arrives on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], which is noticed by the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] and quickly catches the attention of Sector Seven. Two weeks later, he lands on Earth, but when Sector Seven investigate the site of his impact, he's gone, with the I-64 nearby. Satellite surveillance footage reveals that a yellow [[Chevrolet]] Camaro had suddenly entered the interstate only moments after an identical Camaro had passed the position, which causes Sector Seven to conclude that "N.B. E.-2" is a "mimic".

Around the same time, [[Sam Witwicky]] learns from his [[Ron Witwicky|father]] about the legacy of his great-great-grandfather. His ancestor's glasses don't particularly interest him, and upon learning that Archibald Witwicky had ended up in a mental hospital, he freaks out. Meanwhile, Bumblebee discovers information about Archibald Witwicky on the internet, while Sector Seven prepare a trap for him, headed by a specialist, [[Seymour Simmons|Agent Simmons]].

In the meantime, the Decepticons [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] and [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] set foot on Mars and destroy the [[Beagle 2 Rover|Beagle 2 Mars Rover]]. Soon afterwards, they arrive on Earth. Starscream destroys an F-22 Raptor fighter jet and adapts his body to transform into a replica of it. Blackout and Barricade also report having assumed local camouflage.

In a former [[Cold War (history)|Cold War]] bunker in [[New Mexico]], Sector Seven prepare their trap for Bumblebee, using an artificial isotope made to give off the same sort of energy signature as the AllSpark. Meanwhile, Bumblebee arrives at the mental asylum where Archibald Witwicky had spent the last years of his life, but finds it abandoned and in ruins.

Two days after Sector Seven set up their trap, Bumblebee is sighted in the area, with Barricade in pursuit. Just as Sector Seven realize that the "local law enforcement" is actually "N.B.E.-3", Blackout shows up and attacks the bunker, soon joined by Starscream. Blackout quickly discovers that the real AllSpark is not in the bunker, but also figures that the humans must know where the real AllSpark is if they were able to simulate his energy signature. As he tries to hack into Sector Seven's database, Simmons orders his people to cut the connection to the S7 mainframe.

Blackout, having been unable to dig up more than the name "Sector Seven", is about to consider it a dead end as Barricade reports having encountered Bumblebee. He suggests letting Bumblebee lead them to the AllSpark.

{{stub|which parts of the comics are used for the last installment?}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumbebee]] ([[Mark Ryan]])
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Inferno (Movie)|Inferno]] (flashback only)
*[[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] (flashback only)
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] (prophetic vision only)
*[[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] (prophetic vision only)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] ([[Patrick Hallahan]])
*[[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] ([[Brian Stepanek]])
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] (Unknown actor)
*[[Swindle (Movie)|Swindle]] (silhouette only)
*[[Payload (Movie)|Payload]] (silhouette only)
*[[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] (silhouette only)
*[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] (prophetic vision only)
|c3=
*[[Archibald Witwicky]] ([[Patrick Viall]])
*[[Seymour Simmons]] (Brian Stepanek)
*[[Bald Sector Seven agent]] ([[Harold Hayes, Jr.]])
*[[Ron Witwicky]] ([[Kevin Dunn]])
*[[Sam Witwicky]] (Unknown actor)
*[[Wiencke]] (Unknown actor)
*[[Reginald Danco]] (Unknown actor)
*[[Theodore Joseph Wells]] (Unknown actor)
*[[Walter Simmons]] (Unknown actor)
*[[Curtis|Dr. Curtis]] (flashback only)
*[[Judy Witwicky]]
*Young spiky-haired Sector Seven agent
*Young bespectacled Sector Seven agent
*Young black Sector Seven agent
}}

(Additional voices by [[Justin Foley]], [[Patrick Hallahan]], [[Kenny Luper]], [[Ryan Pfeiffer]] and [[Patrick Viall]])

==Notes==
===Differences with the comic version===
* ''Beginnings'' starts with a voiceover (initially also supported by the same text being displayed on the screen) by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]. The introduction is not featured in the [[Movie Prequel issue 1|comic version]], but the voiceover soon switches to directly reciting captions from the comic (but occasionally omits a few words and lines here and there).
* A large portion of the content of issue #1 of the comic version is skipped by ''Beginnings''. This includes all major appearances by [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], as well as most of Bumblebee's encounter with [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], dialogue among the Decepticons and major appearances by [[Swindle (Movie)|Swindle]], [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] and [[Payload (Movie)|Payload]]. Instead, the comic instantly skips from Bumblebee's introduction to the launch of the [[AllSpark]] into space and Megatron's mutilation of Bumblebee, with only a brief monologue by [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] (shown as a flashback in the comic version) in between. Another voiceover by Bumblebee that was also not featured in the comic version summarizes the events.
* Megatron's arrival on [[Earth]] is also shortened significantly as compared to [[Movie Prequel issue 2|issue #2]] of the comic version. In particular, his internal monologue is drastically trimmed.
* A caption identifying the planet as "prehistoric Earth" is added that was not seen in the comic version.
* The text "4 million years later" indicating the time passed since Megatron's arrival on Earth and his discovery by [[Archibald Witwicky]] was also not seen in the comic version.
* The caption "[[Boston Secure Hospital]], [[1898]]" for Sector Seven's visit to Archibald Witwicky was changed to "[[Boston]] - one year later" for ''Beginnings''.
* The scene where Archibald Witwicky foresees the battle in [[Mission City]], with [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]], [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]], [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] and [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] present in their [[alternate mode]]s and Megatron's silhouette looming in the background, was originally part of the opening scene of [[Movie Prequel issue 3|issue #3]] of the comic version. In ''Beginnings'', it gets taken out of its original context and edited into Sector Seven's visit to Witwicky that was originally featured in issue #2 of the comic version.
* A caption identifying "Sector Seven headquarters" as such is added that was not seen in the comic version.
* The scene depicting Sector Seven starting to excavate Megatron is identified by a caption as "Arctic Circle, 1902" instead of the comic version's [[1899]]. The following scene, where another Sector Seven employee discovers the AllSpark in Colorado, which ''is'' set in 1902 in the comic version, is therefore presented as happening either concurrently or shortly afterwards in ''Beginnings'', rather than three years later.
* Several scenes from issue #3 of the comic version are put in chronological order with the scenes from issue #2: Following the discovery of the AllSpark in 1902 (issue #2), ''Beginnings'' continues with the construction of the Hoover Dam in 1935 (issue #3; accompanied by text stating "33 years later" that was not seen in the comic for obvious reasons), then switches to the Hubble Space Telescope detecting Bumblebee's arrival on Mars in 2003 (issue #2), and then continues with Sector Seven examining the site of Bumblebee's arrival on Earth (issue #3). For the last scene, the introductory caption "Virginia, 2003" has been changed to "Virginia, 2 weeks later".
* Further voice overs by Bumblebee (accompanied by on-screen text) that announce his arrival in the [[Milky Way]] Galaxy (considering Optimus Prime's opening narration for the [[Transformers (film)|movie]], he might have actually been referring to the Earth's [[solar system]]), confirm that the AllSpark's energy signature is at its highest on Earth, and establish that he found "an alternative way to communicate" were also not featured in the comic (there's no internal monologue by Bumblebee after issue #1).
* The scenes featuring [[Seymour Simmons|Simmons]] joining the Sector Seven agents pursuing the Bumblebee case and Bumblebee accessing the internet from an internet café are reversed in order.
* Yet another newly added voice over (again accompanied by on-screen text) confirms that the Decepticons have arrived in the Earth's solar system.
* In the comic version, the Decepticons' destruction of the [[Beagle 2 Rover|Beagle 2 Mars Rover]] and Simmons explaining his plan to the other Sector Seven agents are set concurrently, switching back and forth between the two scenes. In ''Beginnings'', the two scenes are shown separately, in sequence.
* [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream's]] change from his Protoform body to his Earth form is lacking the transitional panel from the comic, making for a rather abrupt change.
* When Bumblebee arrives at the former mental hospital where Archibald Witwicky had spent the last years of his life, a caption identifies it as "St. Jude's Mental Asylum". In [[Movie Prequel issue 4|issue #4]] of the comic version, the same hospital was identified as "Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Psychopathic Institute for the Long-Term Insane".
* Another part of the opening scene of issue #3, Archibald Witwicky predicting the Transformers to arrive on Earth, is shown as a flashback when Bumblebee scans the hospital (taken from issue #4).
* A scene with Bumblebee stopping by a roadside in Colorado is missing, as is a scene between Sam and [[Miles Lancaster|Miles]] where Miles suggests Sam sell his great-great-grandfather's belongings in an [[EBay|online auction]]. The former scene appears to be a follow-up to an additional [[Interlude|prequel comic]] originally produced as part of a cooperation with Target. Since Bumblebee's seemingly damaged state is unexplained in the original comic version (the Target prequel comic is not referenced), the scene comes off as somewhat weird, which is why it might have been cut from ''Beginnings''.
* After Bumblebee managed to ditch Barricade who was pursuing him, he plays ''Tubthumping'' on his radio. In the comic version, he played the song in the aforementioned earlier scene that is missing from ''Beginnings''.
* At the very end, a city sign identifies Sam's home town as "Tranquility", but the name of the state ([[Nevada]]) listed below it in issue #4 of the comic version has been removed for ''Beginnings''.

===Trivia===
* [[Peter Cullen]], [[Mark Ryan]], and [[Kevin Dunn]] reprise their roles from the film.
* The footage for ''Beginnings'' consists entirely of panels from [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] [[Transformers: Movie Prequel|''Movie Prequel'' comic mini-series]] that are enhanced by various new coloring effects. "Animation" is limited to zooming and sliding the entire panel across the screen, and occasionally separating elements (such as characters) from the background and zooming or sliding them across the screen independently from the background.
* The background music featured in ''Beginnings'' is taken from [[Steve Jablonsky]]'s score for the 2007 movie, specifically the versions included on the ''[[Transformers: The Score]]'' album, most notably the piece ''Optimus'' (played during the ending credits) that was not used in the actual movie in this version.
* Faction sigils, occasionally flipping, accompanied by the classic transformation sound effect, serve as [[scene transition]]s at several points, similar to the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].
* As the lyrics of the songs played on Bumblebee's radio are based on, but not quite identical to those of existing songs in the comic version (possibly to avoid licensing issues), ''Beginnings'' features made-up songs using the ''exact'' lyrics from the comic version. The original songs are:
** ''I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'' by U2
** ''Ghost in this House'' by Shenandoah
** ''Tubthumping'' by Chumbawumba
** ''Everyday Is A Winding Road'' by Sheryl Crow
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee's]] voice over stating that he "arrived in the Milky Way Galaxy" (which is ''not'' taken from the comic version) would place [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] [[Star system#Those poor, confused writers|in another galaxy]].
* The scene depicting the destruction of the [[Beagle 2 Rover|Beagle 2 Mars Rover]] features sound effects from the original teaser trailer for the movie (which are also used when the scene is shown in the movie).
* The letters "GRAVESEN" shown on [[Seymour Simmons|Simmons']] computer while waiting for Bumblebee to show up, originally a password for the [[Sector Seven (game)|Sector Seven alternate reality game]], was ''not'' removed for ''Beginnings''.
* Colorist [[Josh Burcham]]'s name is misspelled as "Burchman" in the end credits.
* In a bit of blatant false advertising, the back cover of the DVD case claims that the story is narrated by Peter Cullen. Actually, Cullen has one paragraph—30 seconds—of dialog and that's it. The narration is performed by Mark Ryan.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beginnings}}
[[Category:Adaptations]]
[[Category:Movie media]]

Scene transition

2021-09-27T02:18:59Z

BigRobot:

[[Image:Sunbow wipe.gif|thumb|300px|DUN DA DUN DA NAAAAAAA!]]
A '''scene transition''' is a kind of televisual punctuation, used to mark a break in the action.

There are three main reasons for employing these transitions within a show:

*Shifting focus between the different Transformer factions.
*Jumping forward in time to what the same faction is doing later on.
*Marking a dramatic change of pace within a scene, e.g. the end of a battle.

==Generation 1==
The scene transitions in [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original Transformers series]] employed a "symbol flip" that was one of its iconic elements. The preceding scene would cut to the [[insignia]] of whichever [[:Category:Factions|faction]] was most prominent at the scene's end, which was large enough to fill the screen. The symbol then receded into a black background for a short distance and flipped around with a flare effect to reveal the symbol of the faction that would be prominent at the beginning of the next scene on its reverse-side. Finally, it moved back into the foreground until it was large enough to fill the screen again before cutting to the next scene. A distinctive [[Media:G1-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|musical sting]] accompanied this transition.

Since only the [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] symbols were used, transitions to or from scenes featuring characters technically belonging to neither faction applied a generic good-guy/bad-guy approach. For example, the [[Quintesson]]s were represented by the Decepticon symbol, while [[human]]s were typically represented by the Autobot symbol (even if the individuals in question were plotting against the Autobots during that scene).

===Takara===
The Japanese Generation 1 follow-up series used minor variations on the original symbol flip, with each series making its own changes to the movement and visual style of the symbol.

;''The Headmasters''
[[Image:HM symbol flip.jpg|thumb|175px|left|Flip me teenage babe.]]
''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' used redrawn versions of the symbols that were nearly identical to those in the American shows, albeit somewhat less detailed, and continued to use the original musical sting (the only piece of [[Johnny Douglas]] music used in the show).

;''Super-God Masterforce''
During the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' series, however, the iconic flipping symbols were nowhere to be found, with the series relying solely on basic editing techniques.

;''Victory''
[[Image:Victory symbol flip.jpg|thumb|175px]]
''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' saw the return of the flipping symbols, but decorated them with solid colours instead of the familiar gradients. These symbols also moved a lot faster and shrank further into the background than those in other series, accompanied by a new, [[Media:Victory-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|suitably frantic musical motiff]].
{{--}}

===''Devastation'' video game===
''[[Transformers: Devastation]]'' uses very infrequent scene transitions that imitate those of the original series, though instead using flat-color versions of the two faction symbols. The accompanying [[Media:Devastation-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|music sting]] takes its cues from "Face the Devastation", the game's end credits theme.

==''Generation 2''==
[[Image:G2 wipe.gif|thumb|150px|left|[[Computer-generated imagery|Computers can do that?!]]]]
[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|The early-90s repackaging of the original series]] used an altered form of the symbol flip that involved the [[Cybernet Space Cube]].

The sides of the cube would iris shut to "enclose" the scene, with the appropriate faction symbol in the middle of the cube face. The cube then rotated to show the opposite face which featured the appropriate new symbol, and opened up again to reveal the next scene already in progress. The original musical effect from Generation 1 was used.

In addition to the new transitions, various effects of "scene viewport panels" that shifted, flipped, and rotated on and around the inner walls of the cube were also used to accentuate regular cuts and edits that had received no special treatment when they aired as part of the original series.
{{--}}

==''Beast Wars''==
The original ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' series didn't feature any kind of transitions. The only exception is the episode "[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]]", in which the [[Maximal]] brand on [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s forehead detached and grew to fill the screen as the scene changed behind it, in an apparent homage to the G1 symbol flip.

===Takara===
[[Image:BWII wipe.jpg|thumb|175px]]
The Japanese ''Beast Wars'' sequel, ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'', brought with it a new transition style of its own. Rather than the flipping symbols seen in Generation 1, ''BWII'' used a customized expanding {{w|wipe (transition)|iris wipe}} effect shaped like either the Maximal or [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] insignia depending on the scene. These wipes were accompanied by [[Media:BWII-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|a short "whooshing" sound effect]].

The same style of transition continued to be used throughout the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' series, with the only difference being that the "whooshing" sound was replaced by [[Media:BWN-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|something a little more "sproingy"]].
{{--}}

==2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon==
Over a decade after the conclusion of Generation 1, the Japanese ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' series returned to using fully detailed G1-style faction symbols for its transitions, but opted not to flip them in the traditional manner.

Instead, depending on which faction dominated the following scene, the Autobot, Predacon or [[Insignia#Car Robots|Combatron symbol]] would quickly grow from a point in the centre of the screen until it completely filled the foreground as the scene changed behind it, before shrinking back again and disappearing in the same point from where it originated. This action was accompanied by a high-pitched "zipping" sound effect.

[[Image:RiD symbol flips.jpg|thumb|250px|left|[[Saban]]-imation!]]
The Americanised ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' series reintroduced the classic symbol flip on a black background, but used new, shiny chrome-like [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] symbols, upon which the traditional colour gradients appeared as a reflection. For some reason, the Decepticon symbol's eyes were lit-up whereas the others' weren't.

''Robots in Disguise'' also replaced the "zipping" sound effect with [[Media:RiD-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|a robotic voice saying "Transform"]].
{{--}}

==Unicron Trilogy==
;''Armada'' / ''Legends of the Microns''
[[Image:Armada symbol flip.jpg|thumb|200px|Bitch be trippin' balls.]]
The American ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' series featured symbol flips using Autobot and Decepticon insignias that were very similar in design to their original G1 counterparts, but overlaid them onto a trippy swirling green background instead of the traditional black void.

The flips were accompanied by one of [[Media:Armada-Scene-Transition-Effect-1.ogg|two different]] [[Media:Armada-Scene-Transition-Effect-2.ogg|musical stings]], which were both also used in slightly longer forms by ''Legends of the Microns'' for the series' [[commercial bumper#Armada|commercial bumpers]].

;''Energon'' / ''Super Link''
Similar to the Japanese G1 series, [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the middle installment of the trilogy]] does not feature any scene transitions.
{{-}}

;''Cybertron'' / ''Galaxy Force''
''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' featured a traditional flipping-symbol transition, depicting shiny metallic CG insignias, accompanied by [[Media:GF-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|a four-beat fanfare]].

[[Image:GF symbol flip.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Ba-dum-BA-DUM!]]
These transitions were also present in ''Galaxy Force''; in addition, ''Galaxy Force'' also employed modified versions of the symbol-flip as a transition between each episode's "cold open" and [[title sequence]] (having the Autobot symbol appear overlaid upon the actual footage of the cold open, rather than on a black background), and as a title card. For the title card, the symbol ''did'' appear on a black background, but flipped to reveal not another symbol, but the brushed-chrome reverse-side of the symbol itself. This silver surface zoomed in until it filled the screen, revealing the symbol of the [[Omega Lock]] stamped in the centre (previously too small to be seen). As this was happening, the episode's title would appear from behind the camera and move towards the background, meeting the reverse side of the insignia half-way with enough inertia to shake the screen.
{{--}}

==''Beginnings''==
[[Image:Beginnings symbol flip.jpg|thumb|175px]]
''[[Transformers: Beginnings (Movie)|Beginnings]]'', the animated comic book and prequel to 2007's [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]], was punctuated with its own version of the symbol flip.

It started with the preceding scene fading out as a tiny flash of light appears in the centre of the screen, from which the movie version of the Autobot insignia rushed towards the foreground to fill the majority of the screen. It then span 90° so that its right-hand edge faced the camera, before the Decepticon symbol rotated back the same way and shrank back into the far distance, disappearing with another small flash as the next scene faded in.

This was accompanied by the Generation 1 transformation sound effect.
{{--}}

==''Animated''==
For all the Generation 1 homages and references in ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', the iconic flipping symbols were notably lacking.

[[Image:Animated symbol flip.jpg|thumb|left|175px]]
When ''Animated'' was dubbed for release in Japan, however, the new production staff decided to add them. These new transitions feature bright brushed-chrome-like symbols, edged in either purple or red depending on the faction, that seem to hold the middle-ground between the ''Animated'' and live-action movie styles. The symbols flip in the traditional way, accompanied by [[Media:Animated-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|a beefed-up version of the G1 sting]].

The ''Animated'' transitions seem to be in short supply, as there was only one featured in [[Transform and Roll Out|the first three episodes]] combined. This is probably due to the fact that the Japanese staff already have to cut a lot of footage to make room for the longer [[title sequence]], end credits and [[Otoboto family]] segments, and can rarely spare the extra few seconds each symbol flip would require.
{{--}}

==Timelines==
[[Image:TFCC Symbol Flip.jpg|thumb|250px]]
The prose stories published by the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]—starting from "[[Gone Too Far]]" onwards—used static representations of the symbol flips as markers between scenes. The symbol for the previous scene was on the left, the symbol for the next scene on the right, and a static representation of a flip in the center.

Which faction symbols were used varies depending on the [[continuity]] of the story, including the [[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]] symbols being used in TransTech stories where appropriate, and the opposite-colored symbols being used in "[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (fiction)|Shattered Glass]]" stories.
{{--}}

==''Cyber Missions''==
[[Image:CM symbol flip.jpg|thumb|left|150px]]
The flipping symbols made a return in 2010 with the animated ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' spin-off series ''[[Transformers: Cyber Missions|Cyber Missions]]''.

This webtoon predictably used the insignias from the live-action [[movie continuity]], but added a bit of colour to their otherwise dull grey design by gilding their edges. These symbols performed the classic flipping motion in front of a black background, on top of which sat a nebulous red cloud that radiates light, highlighting the symbols with a fiery orange glow. As the transition went on, dozens of tiny [[Cyberglyphics|Cyberglyphs]] tumbled outward from the centre of the cloud towards the foreground and the edges of the screen.

This was all accompanied by an approximation of the G1 transformation sound effect.
{{--}}

==''Rescue Bots''==
[[File:RBSceneTransition.JPG|thumb|right|250px]]
Transitions on ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' basically involved the Rescue Bots' [[insignia]] moving across the screen in some manner. The insignia is occasionally modified to reflect events in the episode: for example, in the [[Ghost in the Machine (RB)|Halloween episode]], the insignia was shown as being carved into a pumpkin.

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wipe''' (ワイプ ''waipu'')

==See also==
*[[Commercial bumper]]

[[Category:Media]]

Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 24

2021-09-27T02:18:48Z

BigRobot:

{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club]] #24
|prev=Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 23
|next=Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25
|image=Htcc-24.jpg
|caption=''Animated'' [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], when? ''What do you mean, never?!''
|publisher=[[Fun Publications]]
|date=mid-December 2008
|coverdate=Dec08/Jan09
}}

'''A whole NEW season... a whole NEW set of adventures!'''

=Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue #24=
'''Editor-In-Chief:''' [[Brian Savage]] 
'''Editor:''' [[Pete Sinclair]] 
'''Associate Editor:''' [[Ben Yee|Benson Yee]] 
'''Research Editor:''' [[Karl Hartman]] 
'''Lead Writer:''' [[Rik Alvarez]] 
'''Creative Director/Layout:''' [[Lanny Lathem]] 
'''Columnist:''' [[Rob Meyer]] 
'''Columnist:''' [[Scott Marble]] 
'''Columnist:''' [[R.M. Eljay]] 
'''Head Proofreader:''' [[Heather Choplin]] 
'''Proofreader:''' [[Mark Baker-Wright]] 
'''Resident Cartoonist:''' [[Jesse Wittenrich]] 
'''Resident Colorist:''' [[Drew Eiden]] 
'''Resident Artist:''' [[Evan Gauntt]] 
'''Staff:''' [[Greg Sepelak]], [[Trent Troop]] 
'''Featured Artists:''' [[Alex Milne]], [[Josh Perez]]

==Contents==
* On the cover: ''[[Transformers Animated|Animated]]'' [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] and [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] in anticipation of Season 3 of the cartoon (p. 1)
* Inside cover: "Brian's Bytes and Bolts", "From the Editor's Desk" (p. 2)
* "''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'': Looking back... Looking Forward!," an interview by J. E. Alvarez with [[Eric Siebenaler]] and [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]], along with ''Animated'' character development sketches (pp. 3 & 6-7)
* ''Transformers Animated'' [[Tech Spec|Tech Specs]]:
** "The 'Bots" (p. 4)
*** [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]]
*** [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]]
*** [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]]
*** [[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]]
*** [[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]]
** "The 'Cons" (p. 5)
*** [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]
*** [[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]]
*** [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]]
*** [[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]
*** [[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]]
* "The world of... TRANSTECH" bios:
** ''[[Transtech]]'' [[Optimus Prime (TransTech)|Optimus Prime]] (p. 8)
** ''Transtech'' [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]] (p. 15)
* "[[Transcendent: Part 6]]" - comic story (pp. 9-14)
* "The Back Cover..." (p. 16)
** ''[[Around Cybertron]]''
** "Rob's Hot Pick! [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing Baby!]]"
** ''[[Mini Mayhem!]]''

==Notes==
* Twelve profiles in one issue! That's gotta be some kind of record, right?
* Characters mentioned in the Animated tech specs include: [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]], and the [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]].
** The Animated tech specs are all modeled on the original ''Transformers'' Tech Specs, complete with decoder-pattern, with some characters sharing their mottos and functions with their counterparts. Much of the information in them would be expanded upon in ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II]]'', including the idea that Lugnut is the consort of Strika; that Cyclonus appeared out of nowhere after the war; and that Blackout destoyed several Omega Sentinels in the war.
** Strika's functions is "General of Destruction," in reference to the Japanese title for the various Decepticon leader's, [[Emperor of Destruction]].
* Characters mentioned in Optimus Prime's bio include: Megatron, the [[Liege Maximo]], and [[Sentinel Prime (TransTech)|Sentinel Prime]].
**Optimus Prime's history is based on [[Barack Obama]]. His motto paraphrases Obama's keynote speech at 2004's Democratic National Convention.
**Like his Dreamwave ''Generation One'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|counterpart]], Prime used to be an archivist. He worked at [[Tyger Pax]], a city introduced in ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|The Age of Wrath]]''.
*Characters mentioned in Megatron's bio include: Optimus Prime, [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]], and the Liege Maximo.
*This installment of ''Around Cybertron'' ties into the prose story "[[I, Lowtech]]". Read that story to discover the diabolical significance of the [[Plush lizard|''plush lizard!'']]

[[Category:Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issues]]

The Transformers issue 50

2021-09-27T02:18:36Z

BigRobot:

{{disambig2|the 50th issue of IDW Publishing's [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'']] comic book|the 50th issue of the [[Marvel Comics]] series|Dark Star|"Dark Star"}}
{{Comicstory
|series=exrid|issueno=50
|prev=Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion
|next=All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth
|caption=
|image=TF50 cvrRE.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[February 24]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=February 2016
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''All Hail Optimus!'''

==Contents==
This double-length anniversary issue contains two stories:
*"[[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth]]", the main 30-page story
*"[[New Worlds Order]]", a 10-page back-up strip

See individual articles for details.

==Notes==
Originally, the #50s were going to be the end of IDW "Season 2's" but [[James Roberts]] buckled and asked if he could start a story there instead, to benefit from a #50 sales bump. Barber liked the idea of doing that! <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 2:00 to 3:00]</ref>

===Covers (6)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Optimus holds aloft the Autobot flag as his forces rally behind him, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Thomas Deer]]
*'''Subscription cover A:''' Optimus Prime by [[Jonathan Hickman]]
*'''Subscription cover B:''' Optimus stands on the body of the fallen Devastator, by [[Mike Choi]]
*'''Subscription cover C:''' Optimus has the whole world in his hands and he's not happy about it, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
*'''Retailer incentive "Countdown to 50" cover:''' Optimus, Windblade, Prowl, and Kup, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]; penultimate installment in a series of variant covers "counting down" to this month's release of the 50th issues of the ''The Transformers'' and ''More than Meets the Eye'', which combines with the other covers in the series to make a larger image.
*'''Comicave exclusive cover:''' Optimus wears Starscream's crown, studded with Earth and Cybertron as jewels, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]. Available exclusively from [http://comicavestudios.com/ Comicave Studios], limited to 500 pieces.
<gallery>
File:TF50 regcvr.jpg|HOO-RAH!
File:TF50 subcvrA.jpg|Arty Prime
File:TF50 subcvrB.jpg|All in a day's work if you're Prime.
File:TF50 subcvrC.jpg|He's got the whole wide world, in his hand.
File:TF50 cvrRI.jpg|Issue 50 - yipee!
File:TF50 cvrRE.jpg|Finally, a decent coronation!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''The Transformers'' #51
*IDW ''Transformers'' Reading Guide

===Reprints===
*'''''The Transformers Volume 10''''' ([[October 5]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631407481 / ISBN 978-1631407482
:*Contains issues #50 to #55.
:*Bonus material: cover gallery.

*'''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 71: All Hail Optimus''''' ([[March 10]], [[2018]])
:*Hardcover collection of ''The Transformers'' vol. 2 issues #50 to #55.
:*Bonus material includes background material on the [[Council of Worlds]].

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11]]''''' ([[June 17]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684056403 / ISBN 978-1684056408
:* Contains "[[Silent Light]]" from ''[[The Transformers Holiday Special]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Redemption]]'', ''The Transformers'' vol. 2 issues #46 to #50, and ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' issues [[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]] to [[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]].

<gallery>
File:RID vol10.jpg|'''''The Transformers Vol. 10'''''; cover art by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v71.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 71: All Hail Optimus'''''; cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Sky Lynx) and [[Livio Ramondelli]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V11.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection, Vol. 11''''' cover by [[Marcelo Matere]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/28049-optimus-prime-conquers-earth-in-transformers-50-preview.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers issue 50}}

Generation 1 continuity family

2021-09-27T02:18:06Z

BigRobot:

{{disambig2|the continuity family|the franchise that it contains which is often now called "Generation 1"|The Transformers (franchise)}}

[[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 those two main continuities came many smaller continuities in the form of [[List of Generation 1 books|books]], [[S.T.A.R.S. continuity|flyers]], and [[Transformers in 3-D|other comics]].

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]].

==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)]]'' (1984-1992)
* ''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'' (1986)
* ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters]]'' (1987)
* [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Transformers: Generation 2'' (Marvel)]] (1993-1994)
* [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Fleetway)|''Transformers: Generation 2'' (Fleetway)]] (1994-1995)
* ''[[Transformers: Classics#Fiction|Transformers: Classics]]'' (2007-2012)
* ''[[The Transformers: 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]]'' (2009-2015)
* ''[[Transformers: 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 many, 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 focussed 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]]'' (2003-2018)
* ''[[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)}}

[[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)|Transformers: 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)|Transformers: 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===
{{main|Beast Era|Beast Wars continuity}}

[[File:Gathering TPB.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

* ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars: Transformers]]'' (1996-1998)
* ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines: Transformers]]'' (1999-2000)

When the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|''Generation 2'']] franchise failed to reinvigorate ''Transformers'' as a successful intellectual property, [[Hasbro]] farmed out the ailing ''Transformers'' brand to its subsidiary [[Kenner]]. Kenner went back to the drawing board and introduced the world to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', which featured organic animals who changed into ''Terminator''-style cyborgs. The tie-in cartoon revealed that these [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s were the time-travelling descendants of the original Autobots and Decepticons, and the franchise proved popular enough to garner a sequel franchise—''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' returned the action to Cybertron and featured [[technorganic]] Maximals against evil [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s.

From the late 1990s until the early-mid 2000s, almost all contemporary ''Transformers'' fiction fell under the banner of the Beast Era, including 3H's ''[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]'' comic. Japan independently produced two more installments in the series, set many thousands of years after the events of the ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' cartoon. Although an enduring and popular addition to the ''Transformers'' mythos, the ''Beast Wars'' continuity has a complicated, many-tiered relationship to the rest of the Generation 1 continuity and even its own cartoon.

See the [[Beast Wars continuity]] page for more details.
{{--}}

===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 Earth, 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'' (IDW) 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'' (IDW) 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:Transformers Historia Cover.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

Following the end of Dreamwave Productions, [[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-)
* ''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' (2019-2020)
* ''[[Transformers: Escape]]'' (2020-2021)
* ''[[Wreckers: Tread & Circuits]]'' (2021-2022)

A month after ''Unicron'', IDW Publishing announced a full reboot of the ''Transformers'' universe under the pen of author [[Brian Ruckley]], a fresh take on the mythos completely unconnected to their prior universe. Debuting in March [[2019]], [[Transformers (2019 comic)|the primary ongoing comic]] is an epic political tragedy that charts Cybertron's descent into war as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] spearheads a populist uprising against the reigning [[Autobot]] party. Several side stories spin off out of events alluded to in this primary ongoing; the ''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' comic tells stories in outer space far from Cybertron and Earth, while ''[[Transformers: Escape]]'' follows a crew of scientists and engineers as they work to rescue Cybertron's [[alien]] immigrants from the Decepticons.

{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===

{{main|Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)}}

[[File:Netflix-WFC-Siege-season-poster.jpg|thumb|200px]]

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

{{main|Transformers in 3-D}}

* [[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]]
{{main|Transformers/G.I. Joe}}

* ''[[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]]

{{main|The Beast Within}}
* "[[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]]

{{main|Hearts of Steel}}

* ''[[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]]

{{main|Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (Comic Bun Bun)|Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (pack-in manga)}}

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

Unusually for a Japanese manga, ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (franchise)|Henkei! Henkei! Transformers]]'' 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]]

{{main|Transformers: All Spark}}

* ''[[Transformers: 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]], a series of friendly races held between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s.

{{--}}

===''Cloud''===
[[File:Transformers Cloud GOT ep 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

{{main|Transformers Cloud}}
* ''[[Transformers Cloud|Spacetime World: Guardians of Time]]'' (2013-2014)
* ''[[Transformers Cloud|Transformers Cloud: Spacetime World: Guardians of Time]]'' (2014-2015)

The [[Transformer]]s who inhabit the universe of ''[[Transformers Cloud]]'' do not hail from the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; they exist in the higher-dimensional "[[Cloud World]]", where the local [[Autobot]]s act as the guardians of space-time under the auspices of the advanced artificial intelligence [[SARA]].

{{--}}

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

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

* ''[[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]]
{{main|Transformers: Devastation}}

* ''[[Transformers: 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]]
{{Main|Of Masters and Mayhem}}
* [[Of Masters and Mayhem|''Of Masters and Mayhem'' (comic)]]" (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)|Transformers: Combiner Wars]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Transformers: Titans Return (cartoon)|Transformers: Titans Return]]'' (2017-2018)
* ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Transformers: 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]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Transformers: 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]]

{{main|Star Trek vs. Transformers}}

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

A continuity in which the Autobots and Decepticons leave Earth in [[2026]] 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]]

{{main|Mazinger Z versus Transformers}}

* ''[[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]]

{{main|Transformers/Ghostbusters}}

* ''[[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]]
{{main|Transformers vs. The Terminator}}

* ''[[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]]

{{main|My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron}}

* ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!]]'' (2020)
* ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: 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]]

{{main|Transformers/Back to the Future}}

* ''[[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]]

{{main|Transformers: King Grimlock}}

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

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

{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

More than Meets the Eye issue 50

2021-09-27T02:17:15Z

BigRobot: fixed a spelling error

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=50
|prev=Speak, Memory! (Part 2)
|next=The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight
|image=MTMTE50 cvrRE.jpg
|title=
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[February 24]], [[2016]] (digital, parts of Europe and Asia) [[March 9]], 2016 (print and digital, rest of world)
|coverdate=February 2016
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''A mutiny in the ranks spells doom for Megatron and his closest allies.'''

==Contents==

This double-length anniversary issue contains two stories:

*"[[The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds]]", the main 30-page story
*"[[No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases]]", a 10-page back-up strip

See individual articles for details.

==Notes==
*This issue was originally scheduled for release on February 24, but like the previous few, ran late due to "A chain of incredible (in both senses) bad luck and events outside IDW's control," to quote James Roberts. However, some regional versions of iTunes didn't get the message, and the comic was released digitally in some parts of Europe and Asia on the originally planned date, while it took until March 9 for both the print and digital versions to reach the rest of the world.
*James Roberts went into lengthy detail about the comic at [http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Comics.] Originally, the #50s were going to be the end of IDW "Season 2's" but James Roberts buckled and asked if he could start a story there instead, to benefit from a #50 sales bump (which he admits is "not the best jumping-on point").<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 2:00 to 3:00]</ref>

===Soundtrack===
For all of "The Dying of the Light":
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdBc5uByFQ Hurt]" by {{w|Johnny Cash}}

For this issue alone:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYT2yy2s24 Heroes]" by {{w|David Bowie}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlCPlnCIfo Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe]" by {{w|Okkervil River}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOuOR7TNKc Nonphenomenal Lineage]" by {{w|Grandaddy}}

===Covers (6)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Our heroes, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Subscription cover A:''' Megatron by [[James Biggie]]
*'''Subscription cover B:''' Megatron by [[Mike Choi]]
*'''Subscription cover C:''' Our heroes, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]. Hey! Who let [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] back in here?
*'''Retailer incentive "Countdown to 50" cover:''' Megatron, Rodimus, Chromedome, Nautica, and Rewind by Alex Milne and [[Josh Perez]]; the sixth and final installment in a series of variant covers "counting down" to the release of the 50th issues of the ''The Transformers'' and ''More than Meets the Eye'', which combines with the other covers in the series to make a larger image.
*'''Phase 6 exclusive cover:''' Megatron haunted by the spectre of his former self, as the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]'s flowers slip between his fingers and his [[fusion cannon]] burns with a pose reminiscent of his [[Media:TFU Megatron Marvel.jpg|G1 profile art]], by [[Hayato Sakamoto]], [[Casey Coller]], and [[Yamaishi]]. Exclusive to [[Andrew Hall]]'s [[Phase 6]], limited to 500 copies; available only through [http://www.orbitalcomics.com/ Orbital Comics] in London, England and [http://www.ekcomicsandgames.com/ Emerald Knights] in Burbank, California.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE50_regcvr.jpg|Hey who are those faces in the rocks?
File:MTMTE50_subcvrA.jpg|You've got red on you.
File:MTMTE50_subcvrB.jpg|Goal kick!
File:MTMTE50_subcvrC.jpg|The fun bunch.
File:MTMTE50_cvrRI.jpg|All smiles here!
File:MTMTE50_cvrRE.jpg|Megatron no more!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''More than Meets the Eye'' #51
*[[BotCon 2016]]
*IDW ''Transformers'' Reading Guide

===Reprints===
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' ([[October 5]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 72: The Dying of the Light''''' ([[January 24]], [[2018]])
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #50 to #55.
:* Bonus content includes the story "[[No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases]]" and essential background material on the DJD.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 11]]''''' ([[June 17]], 2020) ISBN 1684056403 / ISBN 978-1684056408
:* Contains "[[Silent Light]]" from ''[[The Transformers Holiday Special]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Redemption]]'', [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'' vol. 2]] issues [[Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|#46]] to [[The Transformers issue 50|#50]], and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #50 to #55.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol10.jpg|'''Volume 10'''; cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v72.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 72: The Dying of the Light'''''; cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Cyclonus) and [[Alex Milne]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V11.jpg|'''''IDW Collection Phase Two: Vol. 11''''' cover by [[Marcelo Matere]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/28256-megatron-seeks-redemption-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-50-preview.html Preview]

Blaster (G1)/toys

2021-09-27T02:16:49Z

BigRobot: fixed a spelling error

{{suite}}
{{picsneeded|Kre-O figure}}
[[File:G1 packagingart Blaster.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]

'''Blaster''' doesn't share as many toys with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] as you might think.

==Toys==
===The Transformers===
[[File:G1 Blaster toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Blaster''' (Autobot, 1985/1986/1990)
**''Takara ID number:'' '''38'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Electro-scrambler|Electro-scrambler gun]]

: Rather huge by the typical standards of Generation 1 Transformers, Blaster transforms into a miniature [[Non-vehicle non-beast alternate modes|"ghetto blaster" boombox]]. He features spring-loaded buttons: when pressed, his "start" button stays in the depressed position until his "stop" button is pressed, while pressing the "eject" button pops open his tape door, which can store a single [[Mini-Cassette]] Transformer. Due to what was presumably a common internal misassembly issue, many original Blasters had doors which would not open when the eject button is pressed, nor would the other buttons work. Blaster has rather limited useful articulation, located in his neck and shoulders.

: Early versions of Blaster have a back panel that can be removed (with great difficulty) to reveal an empty compartment that originally stored the tape on his Microman source, as the chest door contained the radio. Many reissues retain this while some have omitted it.

:Blaster was [[Classics (Europe)| also released in gold packaging, as part of the Classic line, in gold packaging in Australia]] in 1991. Other reissues with different packaging would follow, and are listed below.

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-communicators-blaster/420/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Blaster at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Blaster/blaster.htm More information on Blaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|TwincastG1}}
[[File:G1toy twincast.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Twincast''' (Autobot, 1987)
**''ID number:'' '''C-116'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], Electro-Scrambler Gun

:For this Japanese-exclusive release, Blaster was [[redeco]]ed into a new blue, yellow, and red color scheme vaguely remincient of the mold's original ''[[Microman]]'' release (see "Notes" below). Like his contemporary redeco [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#SoundblasterG1|Soundblaster]], his chest door was [[retool]]ed in order to accommodate two cassettes at once, and changed from colorless clear plastic to translucent red as part of a gimmick with his pack-in partner, Steeljaw. This version of Steeljaw sports a new decal depicting [[Scorponok (G1)/toys|Scorponok]], which reveals the Decepticon's weak spot when placed behind Twincast's red door, working in the same manner as a [[Tech Spec]]s decoder.

:Twincast was reissued as an [[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]] in 2006 (see below).
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Cybertron/Twincast/twincast.htm More information on Twincast at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[File:G1-toy Blaster AM.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Rocket-packing to the top of the charts!]]
*'''Blaster with Flight-Pack''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' "Flight-Pack" backpack, "tractor beam electron gun"

: Part of the second wave of individually-carded [[Action Master]]s, Action Master Blaster (not to be confused with the "Action Master Blasters" price-point) is a 3 3/4-inch non-transforming action figure compatible with any other Action Master vehicle or accessory. His design is based largely on his cartoon model, with elements from the toy added (most notably his eyeguard).

: He came with the "[[Flight Pack|Flight-Pack]]" accessory, which converts from a winged jetpack to a massive "electro-scrambler" cannon.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Blaster/blaster.htm More information on Action Master Blaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Binaltech Asterisk===
[[File:Bta broadblast.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|They see me rollin', they hatin'.]]
*'''Broadblast meets Lumina''' (Binaltech, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BTA03'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, Lumina Hoshi with stand, driving arms and driving legs

:A redeco of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Skids (G1)#Alternators|Skids]] (using his frequent redeco [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]]'s colors), Broadblast transforms into a 1:24 scale Toyota bB, aka the {{w|Scion xB}}. He has working doors, hood, and trunk, plus his engine becomes a non-firing weapon. He also comes with an extra decal sheet, which includes signs for "TBN" which ''possibly'' stands for "Transformers Broadcast Network" or some such; there is Japanese text on the labels as well, but it's really tiny and hard to make out.

:He came with a PVC-plastic figurine of the [[human]] newsgirl [[Lumina Hoshi]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/Broadblast/broadblast.htm More information on Binaltech Asterisk Blaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===The Transformers Collection===
[[File:G1toy TFC blaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Broadcast''' (reissue, 2006)
**''ID number:'' '''21'''
**''Accessories:'' Steeljaw, Electro-scrambler gun, cassette case

:Blaster's first reissue was the final installment in Takara's ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' line of re-released Generation 1 toys. He features no notable changes from his original release, save for the fact that he comes packaged with Steeljaw, where his original release had gone without any pack-in partners.
{{-}}

===Collector's Edition===
[[File:G1toy twincast reissue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Twincast''' (2006)
**''ID number:'' '''C-116'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]], Electro-scrambler gun, cassette case

:Twincast's first reissue was available as part of the [[Collector's Edition]] line exclusively through online retailer e-HOBBY, designed, as most e-HOBBY [[exclusive]]s were at the time, to accompany the mass-release of the standard reissue of the original Blaster. Though Twincast was unusual in that he was a pre-existing character, where the previous few years' worth of e-HOBBY exclusive redecos had been new characters, he did come packaged with a new partner: a redeco of the Eject/Rewind mold named [[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]]. The notable difference from the original Twincast was the absence of an Autobot sigil on his left upper arm. At the time, rather than feature unique packaging, all e-HOBBY exclusives came in a generic box in Autobot red or Decepticon purple; oddly, Twincast came in a Decepticon box, but since Flip Sides was characterized as a Decepticon sleeper agent, it just about made sense.
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Blasteruniversetoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Preparations for the military strike, dubbed Operation Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication Storm, are already underway.]]
*'''Autobot Blaster with Blockrock Mini-Con!''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Series:'' '''Classic Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Tri-barrel "particle feedback blaster"/bomb, double-barrel "harmonic wave cannon"/bomb, Cybertron Autobot Cyber Key

:Blaster is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Soundwave (Cybertron)#Toys|Soundwave]], transforming into a Cybertronic stealth bomber vaguely like an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-117A Nighthawk prototype]], the {{w|Have Blue}}. He comes with three hexagonal prism "bombs"; one converts into his partner [[Blockrock#Toys|Blockrock]], the other two unfold into non-firing blaster weapons. Any one of these "bombs" can be stored in his [[robot mode]] chest, which opens by plugging a [[Cyber Key]] into him; Blaster comes with a translucent black, gunmetal-bordered [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]-style Autobot key, in contrast to the [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] key that came with Soundwave. The other two bombs store in indents on the underside of his wings.

:His packaging art shows him with only half of his chest-door as clear-blue, emulating the original toy design's tape-window, but the final product (and stock photography) show the blue all the way across. However, his visor ''does'' have red paint to simulate the "goggle visor" look of the [[#Generation 1|original toy]] and Marvel comics model.

:This mold was also used to make ''Galaxy Force'' [[Logos Prime#Toys|Soundblaster]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUBlaster/blaster.htm More information on Classics Blaster at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Hasbroreissue}}
[[File:Universe2008 SDCC G1Blaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Autobot Blaster''' (2010)
**''Series:'' '''G1 Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Electro-Scrambler Gun
:This reissue of Blaster comes with [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]], and [[Eject (G1)|Eject]]. Released as part of the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'' toyline]], the packaging also has a special foil-detailed outer slip case. Blaster is technically a slight [[redeco]], having metal-flake beige legs instead of metallic-swirl silver.

:This set was officially a [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] [[exclusive]] and was, in typical tradition, first made available at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2010 and subsequently also sold via the Hasbro Toy Shop website. In addition, it was also made available at the Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong Fair 2010, and was later released at FanExpo Canada 2010.
{{-}}

===Device Label===
[[File:DL-toy BroadBlast.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Ten million stickers for the back of the monitor portion not included.]]
*'''Broad Blast''' ([[July 24|7/24]]/2010)
**''Accessories:'' USB cable

:''[[Transformers Device Label|Device Label]]'' "Broad Blast" (renamed for reasons unknown) transforms into a replica Toshiba Qosmio laptop computer, complete with flip-up screen. In both modes(!) he is a fully functional USB hub (USB 1.1-2.0 compatible), with four "Type A" ports, and a single "Mini A" port. He comes with an ''exceedingly'' short Mini-A-to-Type-A cable, which you're probably gonna want to replace if you're gonna use him with a desktop computer setup.

: In robot mode, his chest is designed to accommodate the original [[Mini-Cassette]] toys, though they cannot stay in there in laptop mode, due to Broad Blast's head being inside his chest in this form. He has [[5 mm post|5 mm fist holes]], which means he can use the original Blaster toy's rifle if you so wish.

: Early stock imagery [[:File:Device Label Broadcast.jpg|showed him with a Windows XP home screen]] on his monitor portion, but the final toy instead uses a red screen with the Autobot symbol.

:Originally scheduled for release in late [[2009]], Broad Blast was delayed until July 2010. According to a report from getnews.jp at the Tokyo Toy Show 2010, the delay was due to the discovery of a connection cut-off problem after the toy/USB hub is transformed into robot mode. TakaraTomy redesigned the entire lower body to fix this problem.<ref>[http://getnews.jp/archives/68064 Get News.jp report on Device Label Broadblast]</ref>

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2010/Cybertron/DLBroadBlast/broadblast.htm More information on ''Device Label'' Broad Blast at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
[[File:Encoretoy-Twincast.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Twincast''' (2012)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''22'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Nightstalker (G1)|Nightstalker]], [[Stripes]], [[electro-scrambler]], two mini-cassette cases

:Twincast was available again as part of TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' series of reissues. For this release of Twincast, the techno detailing of his door is smoothed over for cartoon accuracy. Also to add to cartoon accuracy, his face is colored in a metallic yellow with metallic light blue eyes instead of silver with gold eyes. All of the original Twincast's stickers have been replaced with tampographed detailing for this release, including a large Autobot symbol on his chest (where the techno detail was present on previous releases). Twincast also features a darker blue from the previous releases as well as a different shade of yellow for his tape deck door.

:Twincast came with Nightstalker and Stripes.

:This toy was redecoed into ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (toyline)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Blaster (SG)|Blaster]].{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-FOCBlaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6]]
*'''Autobot Blaster''' (Voyager Class, 2012)
**''Series / Number:'' '''1 / 004'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG17'''
**''Accessories:'' Steeljaw/data disc, rifle
{{note|Fall of Cybertron Blaster was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as ''[[Transformers Cloud|Cloud]]'' Blaster.}}

:Part of the second wave of [[2012]] Voyager Class ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]] [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' toys, "Autobot Blaster" is a [[redeco]] and [[retool]] of ''Fall of Cybertron'' [[Soundwave (WFC)#GenerationsVoyager|Soundwave]], with a new, grinning head, as well as a new chest, wheels, and weapon. He transforms into an SUV-style "communications truck", and comes with a rifle which is based on Generation 1 Blaster's [[electro-scrambler]]. The rifle can peg (via [[5 mm post]]) into his hands, right shoulder, and roof/back, and the rifle itself features a peg-hole on each side.

:He also comes with [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] [[Steeljaw (FOC)#Generations|Steeljaw]], who is a redeco/retool of [[Ravage (WFC)#Generations|Ravage]], and utilizes Blaster's main [[gimmick]], which is that he is capable of storing and launching Steeljaw and other "[[data disc]]" minions. When a button to the left of his head is pressed, his spring-loaded chest compartment is opened, allowing up to three data discs to be stored inside. When the disc/s is/are stored, his back panel/roof now acts as a plunger, and pushing/sliding on this plunger in either mode launches the disc/s out of his chest compartment, wherein they will land on and depress the buttons on their undersides, thus triggering their [[Flipchanger|spring-loaded transformation mechanisms]] and springing them into action! ...Hopefully.

:As an undocumented feature, the seat on his vehicle roof holds ''[[Diaclone]]'' drivers (and by virtue of similar sizes, ''[[Star Wars Transformers]]'' pilots). Additionally, Blaster's trigger finger is molded into his left hand, presumably so he can push his own eject button.

:His chest [[insignia]] is the [[live-action film series]] "angry eyes" Autobot symbol. Also, his [[stock photography]] depicts him with black antennae that are red on the final product, while his [[instructions]] reuse Soundwave's image for the "completed" robot mode.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/FOCBlaster/blaster.htm More information on Blaster at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===Masterpiece===
[[File:MP25-Raoul and Blaster accessories.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
* '''Tracks''' (2015)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-25'''

:''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Tracks (G1)#Masterpiece|Tracks]] comes with a non-transforming Blaster boombox accessory in homage to the two Autobots' team-up in "[[Auto-Bop]]".

:This mold was also used to make ''Masterpiece'' [[Loudpedal]]'s [[Sound Warrior]].

{{-}}{{anchor|MP26}}
[[File:MP26-Twincast and nose gun accessories.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
* '''Road Rage''' (2015)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-26'''

:''Masterpiece'' [[Road Rage (G1)#Masterpiece|Road Rage]], a retool of Tracks, comes with a blue Twincast redeco of the boombox accessory.
{{--}}

===Kre-O===
{{anchor|SDCC2015}}
*'''Kreon Class of '85''' (Kreon figure set, 2015)
**''Set number'': '''B5152'''
**''Voted'': Most Popular
**''Accessories'': Large rifle

: ''[[Kre-O]]'' Blaster is a small brick-built [[Kreon]] figure, using the 2015-style construction with raised hands and the sturdier "peg-in-peg" torso/waist connection. His body [[tampograph]]s are heavily toy-based, but he has a cartoon-based face design.

: He was only available as part of the [[San Diego Comic-Con]]-[[exclusive]] "[[Kreon Class of '85]]" 30-Kreon set. This set was also sold online through [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] after the show.
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:Generations-Platinum-Edition-Autobot-Intel-Ops-Blaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Autobot Intel Ops''' (2015)
**''Accessories'': Concussion rifle, missile launcher, 3 missiles, 6 slides, slide holder

:Hasbro again released Blaster in 2015 as part of the [[Transformers: Platinum Edition|''Platinum Edition'']] toyline. He was co-packed with [[Perceptor (G1)/toys#IntelOps|Perceptor]], [[Eject (G1)#Generations|Eject]], [[Ramhorn (G1)#Generations|Ramhorn]], and [[Steeljaw (G1)#Generations|Steeljaw]] in a box with an opening front cover. Like the [[#Hasbroreissue|''Universe'' reissue]], Blaster features metal-flake beige legs.

:In the United States, this set was officially a [[Target]] exclusive, though it was initially only ever found at a single Target store, otherwise only available via the company's website. It was later revealed that multiple Target stores had kept it in their stockroom and eventually put it out on instant clearance many months later. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers [[BigBadToyStore]] and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Australia, it was sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores.

:In the United Kingdom, it was both sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores and officially available via the UK division of [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]], making this the first official UK release of all the toys contained within! In Spain, it was officially available via the Spanish division of Amazon. In Germany, it was originally available via Bankroft, an online retailer that otherwise specializes in [[Nerf]] blasters and accessories, as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German [[fandom|fan]] sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to Actionfiguren24, a German online retailer that specializes in imported toys, who was able to lower its price for its existing stock of imported Autobot Intel Ops sets as a result.
{{--}}

===''Titans Return''===
[[File:Transformers-Generations-Titans-Return-Leader-Class-Blaster.jpg|upright=1.55|thumb|Transforms from innocent radio into Autobot communicator into concert stage and back!]]
*'''Twin Cast & Autobot Blaster''' (Leader Class, 2016)
**''Accessories:'' [[Twin Cast#Toys|Twin Cast]] Titan Master partner, rifle, "rocket-sled"/remote control

:Blaster is part of the first wave of Leader Class ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' figures, and comes with his [[Titan Master]] partner, [[Twin Cast]], who transforms into his head. In addition to his classic robot and boombox alternate modes, he can also transform into a base mode that can link up to the other base modes in the toyline, and features numerous 5 mm mounting points for weapons and Titan Master vehicles and turrets, as well as tiny pegs to accommodate many other Titan Master figures. He includes a "rocket-sled" that is stylized to look like a remote for when Blaster is in boombox mode; it comes with a seat for a Titan Master pilot which forms the topmost turret of his base mode. The sled stores inside Blaster's chest compartment in other modes; a notch is cut into its underside to store Twin Cast while Blaster is in boombox mode. Blaster's chest compartment is also capable of holding Legends Class 'spy-tablet' figures, although this negates the ability to store Twin Cast in Boombox mode. He has several (non-functional) ports molded into his back and legs capable of accommodating real-life USB cables, headphone jacks, and power cables.

:Blaster's helmet, modeled after the Marvel comics design, is made of translucent plastic, which is painted everywhere except the visor. Despite this, the visor's placement does not vertically align with Twin Cast's eyes in head mode, leaving his brow the only thing visible. This was apparently done to evoke the appearance of black "shades".

:[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Fortress Maximus]]'s box and instructions depict him as part of the [[Cybertron City (TR)|Cybertron City]] combination. Meanwhile, the "Siege on Cybertron" instructions name him as a part of the [[Nemesis Command]] combination, albeit shown using the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Titans Return|Powermaster Optimus Prime]] toy instead. Hilariously, one of the Chinese-English bilingual instructions showcasing Nemesis Command had Blaster's name written as "汽车人的枪“, which literally translates as "'''Autobot's Gun'''".

:He was later [[redeco]]ed and [[retool]]ed into ''Titans Return'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Soundwave]] and ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee (toyline)|Bumblebee]]'' [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#Bumblebee|Soundwave]]. He is mis-transformed in both his stock photography and in-package: his radio handle isn't collapsed down.
{{--}}

===Legends===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG27-Blaster.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Ladies & Gentlemen, I bring you: Billy the Broadcaster!]]
*'''Broadcast (Blaster)'''<ref>The packaging says "ブロードキャスト" (Broadcast) in Japanese, but the accompanying English subtitle is "Blaster".</ref> (2016-[[September 24|09-24]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG27'''
**''Accessories'': Headmaster, rifle, spotlight/rocket-sled

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Broadcast is a redeco of [[#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Leader Class Blaster]], and features a deco based on both his toy and cartoon appearances. Notably, his small Headmaster form's colors are based on Twincast, his rebuilt form, which results in a blue visor in robot mode.

::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2688.html Legends Broadcast at Alfes's Blog]''
{{--}}

===Vintage G1===
[[File:VintageG1-Blaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Blaster''' (October 2020)
**''Accessories'': Electro-Scrambler Gun #2

:''[[Vintage G1]]'' Blaster is a cassette-less reissue of the [[#The Transformers|Generation 1 toy]], packaged in a nostalgic Generation 1-styled box. Unique to this release, the box better reflects traditional ''Vintage G1'' boxes vs. more modern, thicker cardboard & features a plastic tray. This release appears to use bronze/beige coloring to the legs, as seen in the previous ''[[#Hasbroreissue|Universe (2008)]]'' and ''[[#Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' releases. Unlike [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Vintage G1|''Vintage G1'' Soundwave]], Blaster includes a [[rubsign]], which -as per usual with the line- has a mirror-like silver border and solid red symbol. This release also reflects production in Vietnam with a new mold reflecting this in addition to modern black ink markings. The included Electro-Scrambler Gun is a reuse of the #2 mold, and is difficult to tell apart from its vintage counterpart.

:Blaster prevailed over [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in a Hasbro poll to choose a second ''Vintage G1'' release to follow after [[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Vintage G1|Astrotrain]], winning with 56% of the vote.

:In the United States and Canada, this figure, like all ''Vintage G1'' releases, is exclusive to [[Walmart]].
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:TFgum blaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Broadcast''' (model kit, 1986)
**''Accessories:'' Electro-scrambler gun

:A snap-together model kit of Blaster was released by [[Kabaya]] as part of their ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of candy toys. Released in the third wave of the line and sculpted from red, grey and black plastic with a few stickers for detail, Blaster is broadly identical to his larger figure, right down to the moulded-in left-over details from his ''MicroChange'' release like his power switch and dials . There is one major difference: his chest does not open, so he can't store any of the tapes from Kabaya's smaller ''[[Transformers Choco]]'' line the way the ''Transformers Gum'' Soundwave can.

::*''[http://www.tfw2005.com/resources/g1-kabaya-cybertrons-441/broadcast-gum-3398/ More information on Transformers Gum Broadcast at TFW2005.com]''
{{-}}

===Decoy===
[[File:Decoy blaster.jpg|thumb]]{{anchor|TakaraDecoy}}
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (multi-pack, 1986)
:Blaster was among the many characters rendered by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] as part of their series of 1.5" ''keshigomu'' figurines. Like all the Autobots in the series, Blaster was molded in soft red rubber, and featured a number sculpted into his back that was the sum total of his [[Tech Spec]]s, for use in the various games that could be played with the figurines.
:Blaster was available as part of a 22-piece box set of Autobot figures, in a variety of colours through "gachapon" capsule machines, and later, in a peach coloration randomly packed as part of various other box sets distributed by [[Seven]].

{{anchor|HasbroDecoy}}
*'''Blaster''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''29'''
:The figurine was later brought over to [[Hasbro]] markets as part of the [[Decoy]] promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Blaster/blaster.htm More information on Decoy Blaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Attacktix===
[[File:Blaster-atx.jpg|thumb|Have some NON-EXISTENCE, courtesy of FLAGGING SALES!]]
*'''Blaster''' (Booster, <s>2007</s>)

:Blaster was likely to have been one of several ''Transformers [[Attacktix]]'' Booster pieces, using a powerful spring-loaded "blaster" missile launcher attack. Though displayed as part of the ''Attacktix'' display at the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' "Celebration IV" convention, he —and all the other pieces revealed at the show— were ultimately never released.

{{canceledattacktix}}
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[File:Robotheroesblasterthrust.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Waiting futilely for Robot Heroes Scrounge.]]
*'''Blaster and Thrust''' (2008)

:Part of the third wave of ''Universe'' ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'', "Generation 1 Series" Blaster comes packaged with [[Thrust (G1)/toys|Thrust]]. He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation. His headsculpt is more toy-based than cartoon-based, featuring his "goggles" (even though his eyes kind of pop out from them).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/RHBlaster/blaster.htm More information on Robot Heroes Blaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===G.I. Joe and the Transformers===
*'''''The Epic Conclusion!'' box set''' (2013)
:An [[exclusive]] release for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2013, this is a non-transforming Blaster boombox with cassette pieces representing [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]], and [[Eject (G1)|Eject]]. The set also comes with a retooled [[Skystriker (vehicle)|Skystriker]] representing [[Jetfire (G1)/toys|Jetfire]], a G.I. Joe [[VAMP]] redecoed into [[Hound (G1)/toys|Hound]], a new [[Snake-Eyes]] figure bearing an Autobot symbol, a [[Baroness]] figure with [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]] on a leash, and a "samurai robot warrior" based on [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]].

:The box set was announced via a ''USA Today'' [http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/life/2013/06/05/hasbro-2013-comic-con-exclusives/2392295/ article] on June 5, 2013, along with Hasbro's other Comic-Con exclusives.

{{-}}
===Tiny Titans===
[[File:TinyTitans Blaster.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Autobot Blaster''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)
**''Series'': '''5'''
**''Number'': '''2/12'''

: Part of the fifth assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'' [[blindpacking|blindpacks]], this version of Blaster is a very small, soft-plastic figure of him in robot mode.

: He includes a collectible card that renders him in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'']] styling. The card includes a scan-badge for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.

{{-}}

===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:Blaster35A.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Blaster, Communications''' (2019)
**'''Blaster vs. Soundwave: 35th Anniversary Edition'''
**''Rarity: '''''SRT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T01/T08'''
**''Stars: ''10

:Blaster, Communications was released in the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]] Blaster vs. Soundwave box set. The box also includes the character cards [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], Communications, [[Eject (G1)|Eject]], Electronic Surveillance, [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]], Warrior, [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], Tracker, [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], Spy, [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], Warrior, and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], Saboteur, along with two ready to play 40 card battle decks themed around both Blaster and Soundwave.

:The first release of this set was a 35th Anniversary Edition was initially released at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2019 alongside the TCG's [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]] Convention Pack, and later available online on [[Hasbro Pulse]]. The 35th Anniversary Edition features throwback artwork, with the original G1 Blaster packaging art on the Bot Mode side, and original artwork matching the G1 packaging art aesthetic for Alt Mode. This original Alt Mode artwork was drawn by [[Marcelo Matere]] and colored by [[Brian Valeza]].
{{-}}
[[File:BvSBlaster.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Blaster, Communications''' (2019)
**'''Blaster vs. Soundwave'''
**''Rarity: '''''SRT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T01/T08'''
**''Stars: ''10

:This version of Blaster, Communications was released as part of the general retail version of the Transformers Trading Card Game Blaster vs. Soundwave box set.

:Gameplay-wise the card is identical to the 35th Anniversary Edition of the set, and features different artwork reused from the [[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]] mobile game. The line-art for this version was drawn by [[Guido Guidi]].
{{-}}

===ULTIMATES!===
*'''Tracks''' (ULTIMATES!, 2021)
**''Accessories'': Regular head, [[Attack of the Alien Robots|Evil Alien Robot]] head, 6 interchangeable hands, small gun, large gun, Blaster boom box, [[Basher|"Tank"]]

: Boom-box mode Blaster was included as an accessory with ''[[Transformers ULTIMATES!]]'' [[Tracks (G1)/toys#ULTIMATES!|Tracks]].

: Preorders for Tracks (and the rest of Wave 2) opened on [[July 29]] 2021, and closed on [[August 27]], with the toys shipping in summer 2022.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:MicroChangeRadiCassRobo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*Blaster began life as the ''[[Micro Change]]'' "Radi-Casse Robo" ("radio-cassette", you see), which was actually a functional AM radio. Though this feature was gutted from Blaster when he was released as part of the ''Transformers'' toyline, the original toy's power switch (on his right leg), earphone jack (on the back of his left leg) and tuning dial (on his chest) still remain, now as moulded, non-moving details. Even the toy's electro-scrambler gun is designed to serve as storage for the mono earphone which came with the toy, with the plug inserting into the stock, the cord winding around it, and the earphone itself tucking into the hole in the gun's main body. It was not the toy itself which was the radio; rather, the radio was a small "micro-cassette" which plugged into the toy's internal wiring when inserted into its chest, allowing it to play through the speakers in its legs in either mode. As the electronic equipment in the chest meant that the figure could not hold normal ''Micro Change'' cassettes there, it featured a compartment on its back which could hold a single tape instead. This compartment could still be found on some early releases of Blaster, though it was often mistaken by fans as a vestigial battery compartment, which was actually originally located in the toy's right leg.
{{-}}

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Binaltech Asterisk characters]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Repurposed toys]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:SDCC exclusives]]
[[Category:Titans Return Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Ark (Cyberverse)

2021-09-27T02:16:27Z

BigRobot: fixed a spelling error

{{disambig3|Ark}}
:''The Ark is an [[Autobot]] [[starship]] from the [[Transformers: Cyberverse (franchise)|Cyberverse]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Cyberverse-s1e4-The-Journey-Ark-in-Bumblebee's-memory.jpg|thumb|300px|"See [[Mount St. Hilary|any mountains]] we can land in?"]]

The '''''Ark''''' is a massive [[Autobot]] starship built under [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]'s orders so that the Autobots could travel far from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and search for the lost [[AllSpark|Allspark]] before the [[Decepticon]]s got to it. It has several [[Autobot shuttle]]s that can be used to deploy small teams without landing the larger vessel.

Its crew includes:
{{collist|2|
*[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]
*[[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]]
*[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]]
*[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]]
*[[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]]
*[[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] (temporarily)
*[[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]]
*[[Rack'n'Ruin (Cyberverse)|Rack'n'Ruin]]
*[[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]]
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]]
*[[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|Cheetor]]
*[[Jetfire (Cyberverse)|Jetfire]]
*[[Wildwheel (Cyberverse)|Wildwheel]]
*[[Jazz (Cyberverse)|Jazz]]
*Multiple Autobot soldiers
}}

==Fiction==
===''Cyberverse'' cartoon===
When it was discovered that [[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] sought to use [[Vector Sigma]] to reprogram the [[AllSpark|Allspark]], {{storylink|Megatron Is My Hero}} the Autobots launched the sacred relic through a [[space bridge]] to parts unknown. {{storylink|Allspark (Cyberverse)|Allspark}}

However, with the Allspark gone, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s condition began to decline, prompting Optimus Prime to commission a [[Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor|''Vanguard''-class deep space interceptor]] to locate and retrieve the missing artifact. {{storylink|Matrix of Leadership (episode)|Matrix of Leadership}} The ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew included some of Optimus's most trusted comrades, such as [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] and [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]], {{storylink|Fractured}} the former exchanging a heartfelt goodbye with his friend [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] when the time for launch came. {{storylink|Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory}}

During its search, the ''Ark'' had several adventures, including running afoul of space pirates and taking a lava sailing trip on [[Hopak Nine]], being caught in the collapse of a crystal ice moon without any shields, and using a shuttle to jump start a helium mining rig. {{storylink|Perfect Storm}}

As the ''Ark'' sailed through space, its [[energon]] reserves ran increasingly low. Though the crew soon found ample energon on an icy moon, the moon turned out to be home to an [[Cave monster|insectoid race]] that had become dependent on the energon for life. Unwilling to endanger the future of an innocent race, Optimus ordered that the creatures be left alone and that, to save fuel, the ''Ark'' would be placed on auto-pilot while the crew went into [[stasis lock]]... a second before the ship's systems detected the Allspark and changed course. {{storylink|The Journey}}

When the ''Ark'' arrived over [[Earth]], during the reign of the [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]], it suffered a hull breach. [[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]] reactivated Grimlock to deal with the crisis only for the warrior to be blown out by the hull breach when he attempted to spare Bumblebee's stasis pod from such a fate. {{storylink|King of the Dinosaurs}} Wildwheel's pod was among those sucked out, burning up in the planet's atmosphere. {{storylink|Wild Wild Wheel}} To preserve the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s data and assist any of the crew who would survive the crash, Teletraan-1 ejected [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] from the ship before impact. {{storylink|King of the Dinosaurs}} Out of control, the ''Ark'' crashed in what would one day become [[Mount St. Hilary]]. {{storylink|Awaken Sleeping Giants}} The crash caused irreparable damage to Teletraan-1, the AI eventually collapsing over the eons. {{storylink|Eruption}}

Unable to find any of the crew, Teletraan-X instead began looking for the ship itself. {{storylink|Matrix of Leadership (episode)|Matrix of Leadership}} Grimlock also made attempts to find the ''Ark'', even recruiting the native dinosaurs to aid him, but was met with naught for his efforts before falling into stasis lock when the dinosaurs went extinct. {{storylink|King of the Dinosaurs}} {{storylink|Awaken Sleeping Giants}}

The Autobots remaining on Cybertron soon began to wonder what transpired of the lost ship. When the Decepticons theorized that the Allspark was on Earth, [[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]] repaired a space bridge enough to send Windblade to the organic planet so she could investigate. When the [[cityspeaker]] arrived, she found Bumblebee, now suffering from amnesia and thus unable to tell her what had happened to the ''Ark''. {{storylink|Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory}}

When the two friends realized that [[Maccadam]] had somehow been able to tell the future, they wondered whether his advice to find "the king of the dinosaurs" was a clue to the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s current whereabouts. {{storylink|Maccadam's}}

After [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]]'s leadership had proven ineffective, [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] remotely tied into the [[cortical psychic patch]] that the cityspeaker was using to untangle Bumblebee's memories and trapped in the scout in a fake memory that painted him and Optimus Prime as Decepticon spies who had sabotaged the ''Ark''. {{storylink|Sabotage}}

After reuniting with Grimlock, Bumblebee and Windblade learned what had happened to the ''Ark'' but remained ignorant of where it was now. {{storylink|King of the Dinosaurs}}

By combining his data with Grimlock's own search attempts, Teletraan-X was able to extrapolate the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s location. Despite facing off against Slipstream and Shockwave's forces once again, the Autobot quartet managed to find the lost ship buried in Mount St. Hilary. {{storylink|Awaken Sleeping Giants}}

In the following battle, Shockwave attempted to use a [[magnetic disruptor]] to trigger Mount St. Hilary's eruption and destroy the ''Ark''. Having downloaded himself into the ship's mainframe, Teletraan-X managed to raise the shields just in time while using the warship's arsenal to scare away the Decepticons. Almost immediately after the crew had been reactivated however, the [[Decepticon fleet]] arrived, with the ''Ark'' as their first target. {{storylink|Eruption}}

When the Cybertronians became known to the [[human]] race, [[TOP3Weekly]] captured footage of Bumblebee doing a little dance outside the ''Ark'', his performance earning him the number two spot on an installment of TOP3Weekly's "TOP ROBOT FAILS!!" {{storylink|Sea of Tranquility}}

After a battle on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]], Wheeljack created [[Hyper Fuel]] to try and restart the ''Ark'', only for Grimlock to consume his supply, sending the Dinobot on an over-energized rampage across the ship, only being stopped when Optimus sealed him within a [[force shield blaster]]. Concurrently, Bumblebee and Hot Rod attempted to track down [[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|a creature]] that the former had seen on the moon. When it was sighted outside the ''Ark'', the two chased after it, Hot Rod following it through a [[GroundBridge]]. {{storylink|The Visitor}} The GroundBridge led to the [[Nemesis (Cyberverse)|''Nemesis'']], resulting in Hot Rod's capture. Megatron soon hailed the ''Ark'' to bargain for Optimus only for Hot Rod to break free. {{storylink|Bring Me The Spark Of Optimus Prime}}

After the ''Ark'' crew used the GroundBridge map to locate the Allspark, Optimus went to retrieve it only to return empty-handed, though having gained Cheetor as an ally, explaining that [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] had stolen the artifact. {{storylink|Trials}} After Cheetor had been brought aboard and introduced to the crew, the Autobots launched an attack on the ''Nemesis'' only to learn that Starscream was now a rogue agent. {{storylink|Dark Birth}} Subsequently, the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki> resting point became the site of a diplomatic meeting between Optimus and Megatron but, thanks to [[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|Bludgeon]], no peace was brokered. {{storylink|Parley}} The Autobots then made attempts to search for the Allspark on their own to no success. As they regrouped on the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s bridge, Teletraan-X registered a distress call from the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Starscream's Children}}

As Cheetor had been the cause of the Seekers' defeat when they attacked the ''Nemesis'', Starscream sent them to attack the ''Ark'' so they could draw out the guardian, luring him away through the GroundBridge near the ''Ark''. {{storylink|Spotted}} Soon thereafter, the ''Ark'' was again attacked by [[Sky-Byte (Cyberverse)|Sky-Byte]] who demanded [[Jetfire (Cyberverse)|Jetfire]]. After he'd been sent away, Jetfire then showed up to recruit his friends' aid in tracking down Sky-Byte only to be refused in light of the Allspark. Sky-Byte then returned, now clad in [[spark armor]], and abducted Optimus to draw out Jetfire. When it was found that Jetfire was at the ''Nemesis'', having abducted Megatron to lure out Sky-Byte, Megatron suggested all four meet at a coliseum to settle things. Though Jetfire got the upper hand in the following duel, Optimus' injured state convinced him to forgo killing the shark and return his leader to the ''Ark'' for medical attention. {{storylink|Infinite Vendetta}}

When Optimus was healed, Jetfire led the Autobots to the Allspark's resting place, the group returning to the ship with both the artifact and the defeated Starscream. {{storylink|I Am The Allspark}} As defeating Starscream had left Optimus comatose, Hot Rod assumed command and instantly ordered the ''Ark'' back to Cybertron so that the Allspark could heal the planet. Using five remotely piloted [[Autobot shuttle]]s, the Autobots lured the ''Nemesis'' away from the [[space bridge]] as the ''Ark'' raced towards it. Unfortunately, Sky-Byte had seen through their ruse, allowing the ''Nemesis'' time to catch up. The larger craft nearly destroyed the ''Ark'' before Cheetor used the Allspark to repair the Autobot ship. Even with the power of the Allspark however, the ''Ark'' was not fast enough to make it to the space bridge before Shockwave destroyed it, forcing them to fly to Cybertron manually. {{storylink|Escape From Earth}}

The crew celebrated their victory by having a dance party only for Wheeljack's Allspark Energy Emitter Badges to malfunction, driving them all into a maddened rage until Optimus and Cheetor shut down the system. {{storylink|Party Down}} As it sailed through space, the ''Ark'' crew made first contact with the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]], using the Allspark to rebuild their [[Sharkticon homeworld|homeworld]]. {{storylink|Wiped Out}}

Soon afterwards, Windblade seized the Allspark and travelled down to [[Croaton's planet|a nearby red planet]] in a single-minded rage. When Optimus, Hot Rod, Bumblebee, and Cheetor followed, they found that she had been responding to the call of an ailing [[Titan (group)|Titan]], [[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]]. After the Allspark had been used to heal the giant, he departed to find his abducted crew. As he passed by the ''Ark'', he took on the escaped Starscream as a passenger. {{storylink|Ghost Town}}

After forty cycles of boredom, the ''Ark'' was struck by an electromagnetic storm, disabling all electrical functions and leaving it to drift. As Arcee and Grimlock scrambled to protect the ship from various space-based dangers, Teletraan-X, having been ejected when the wave struck the ship, puttered back inside and pressed a big red button to fix everything. {{storylink|Perfect Storm}}

After receiving a distress signal from Chromia, the ''Ark'' sought out a space bridge it could use to quickly return home. When one was found and repaired, the ''Ark'' found itself trapped in [[unspace]], the space between universes, along with nine alternate versions of itself. Acting as one, the ''Ark''s combined the power of the nine Allsparks to return to their universes. When the ''Ark'' emerged from Cybertron's space bridge, its arrival was picked up by Shockwave, who reported it to a gleeful Megatron. Unaware of the danger, the ''Ark'' crew patted themselves on the back. {{storylink|The Crossroads}}

As the ''Ark'' entered Cybertron's airspace, Optimus surmised the likelihood of a Decepticon ambush. Declaring that the ship had served its purpose and despite Hot Rod's objections, he ordered all hands to abandon the ship and Teletraan-X to pilot the empty ship before eventually ejecting himself. Once all that was done, the Decepticons fired a [[laser snare]] at the empty ship, which quickly crushed and destroyed it. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron I}} {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron II}}

==Toys==
===''Cyberverse''===
[[File:TF-Cyberverse-Ark-Power-Optimus-Prime-Ark.jpg|upright=2|What is this? A shuttle for ants!?|thumb]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2019)
**''Spark Armor'': "Ark Power"
:''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Ark Power [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)#Ark Power|Optimus Prime]] comes with a large accessory that is modeled after the ''Ark'', which also transforms into his battle armor with a molded blade for his left gauntlet.
{{-}}

==Notes==
*The ''Cyberverse'' version of the ''Ark'' visually hybridizes elements from [[Ark (G1)|the Generation 1 version]] and [[Ark (WFC)|the Aligned version]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Ark''' (アーク ''Āku'')
*''French:'' '''Arche''' ("Ark")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Arca''' ("Ark")
*''Spanish:'' '''Arca''' ("Ark")

[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:Cyberverse starships]]

A World and a Future

2021-09-27T02:15:40Z

BigRobot: fixed a spelling error

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Unicron]]'' #5
|prev=Road's End
|next=
|seriesissue2=backup story
|prev2=Transition
|next2=
|image=Unicron-5-Visioniaries-backup.jpg
|caption=
|title="A World and a Future"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]], [[Ted Adams]]
|published in=[[Assembly (Unicron)|''Transformers: Unicron'' #5]]
|date=October 10, [[2018]]
|coverdate=September 2018
|written by=[[Magdalene Visaggio]]
|art by=[[Fico Ossio]]
|colors by=[[David García Cruz]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long|Curtis Fandango]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]]
}}

'''The Visionaries start anew.'''

==Synopsis==
''When [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] attacked [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Leoric]] used the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]]'s magic to evacuate all of the planet's population to the refuge of [[Earth]]. But, as [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] noted, the [[Prysmosian]]s themselves didn't make the trip...''

In a grassy field, an unarmed [[Virulina]] stirs, struck dumb by the vegetation around her. Though initially believing herself to be on Earth, the flora is undeniably that of [[Prysmos]], an oddity confirmed by [[Mount Valarak]] looming above her. From out of the brush come [[Galadria]], [[Witterquick]], and [[Cindarr]] who have found the [[River Merkelia]] and are just as confused as the Darkling leader. Though Virulina is skeptical that they are on Prysmos, the ever rational Cindarr draws her attention to the sky where not one, not two, but ''three'' suns shine overhead, leaving no doubt as to which planet they're on.

Though Galadria believes that they died with Cybertron and have travelled to an unspoilt utopia, Cindarr doubts they're in heaven or hell. By examining the evidence before him, Cindarr has but one answer as to where they are. They are on Prysmos in the distant past, long before any life tamed the world.

With nothing else to do, the lines between [[Spectral Knight]]s and [[Darkling Lord]]s wash away as the [[Visionaries]] agree to work together and forge a new future for all their people.

Virulina wanted a planet for their people... and she got it.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Spectral Knight]]s|c1=
*[[Galadria]] (2)
*[[Witterquick]] (3)

|h2=[[Darkling Lord]]s|c2=
*[[Virulina]] (1)
*[[Cindarr]] (4)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story takes place right after the events of [[Road's End|''Unicron'' #4]], following Windblade noting that the Prysmosians did not appear in [[Africa]] with the rest of Cybertron's refugees.
*The Talisman's ability to send people through the space/time continuum was established in [[When Eagles Scream|''Revolutionaries'' #7]].
*Virulina's pose in the final panel mirrors Leoric's when he found [[New Prysmos]] had been raised to Cybertron's surface.

===''Visionaries'' references===
*Galadria namedrops [[New Valarak]], the capital city of the Spectral Knights.

===Real-world references===
*Galadria refers to their new environment as a "Sylvan Paradise", a term from ''{{w|Magic: The Gathering}}''.

===Trivia===
*As with "[[Reunion]]", [[Tom B. Long]] credits his letters to "Curtis Fandango", a fictitious placeholder name from [https://twitter.com/tombgrfx/status/1011726110839566337 an installment] of his semi-autobiographical ''Comic Book Nobody'' webcomic.

{{DEFAULTSORT:World and a Future}}
[[Category:Unicron issues]]

Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday

2021-09-27T02:14:37Z

BigRobot:

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Movie (books)|''Transformers'' book series]]
|prev=
|next=Transformers (novel)
|title=''Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday''
|image=TF2007_GhostsofYesterday.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[Del Rey Books]]
|date=[[March 28|March 28]], 2007
|writer=[[Alan Dean Foster]]
|story concept=[[David Cian]]
|continuity=[[Movie continuity]]
|ISBN=ISBN 0345497988 ISBN 9780345497987
|pagecount=286
}}

'''In 1969, shortly after the Apollo 11 moon landing, the clandestine organization known as Sector Seven tests their first Ice Man-derived spacecraft with disastrous consequences.'''

==Synopsis==
As the [[Apollo 11]] craft launches into space, all eyes are on it. Almost all eyes, anyway. In the [[Arctic|Arctic Circle]], [[Sector Seven]] is preparing to launch their own ship, the ''[[Ghost 1]]''. As the ''Ghost''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew launch into space, some Sector Seven workers—including [[Thomas Kinnear]]—are worried. The captain of ''Ghost 1'', [[Samuel Walker]], silently worries about the mission. He knows that he has to return to [[Earth]], but he's not sure that he'll make it. He gives his crew a speech, and they rocket towards the [[Sun]].

Down at the [[Sector Seven High Arctic Base]] they took off from, Kinnear has been ordered to move the [[Megatron (Movie)|Ice Man]] from the base to a [[Area 52 (Movie)|secret location]] close to the more recently discovered Cube, something he's not happy about. In space, ''Ghost 1'' reaches unpredicted speeds and is sucked into a wormhole, causing the crew to lose consciousness.

Meanwhile, the ''[[Nemesis (Movie)|Nemesis]]'' is continuing its search for [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] and the [[AllSpark]], when the [[Decepticon]]s receive indications of wormhole travel. Since [[Transformer|Cybertronians]] are the only ones who use wormhole travel, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] orders them to investigate. However, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Autobot]]s detect the same energy signature, and takes the ''[[Ark (Movie)|Ark]]'' to investigate. The ''Nemesis'' arrives first, and the Decepticons cannot believe what they are seeing. It appears to be a Cybertronian vessel of Decepticon design, but it's too crude to be one of theirs, along with the organic lifeforms inside. [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] believes they should destroy it, as anyone capable of wormhole travel is sufficiently advanced to be a threat. To regain the initiative, Starscream decides they will investigate. Before they can, [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] detects the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s reemergence from wormhole travel, and the ''Nemesis'' manages to hide behind the moon of the planet the vessel reached. As the Autobots arrive, [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] assumes the vessel is Decepticon, but further analysis shows that it can't be.

On board ''Ghost 1'', the crew regains consciousness, and upon seeing the ''Ark'', become concerned. They deploy the ship's weapons, but when the Autobots take no aggressive action, the humans decide to set down on a nearby planet. [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] follows them down, but no sooner has he left the ''Ark'', than the ''Nemesis'' shows itself. Starscream heads down for the planet as well, and in his absence, Blackout decides to lead the rest of the Decepticons in an assault on the ''Ark'', the only objector being Barricade. On the planet, Walker records a message to broadcast over the communications equipment on ''Ghost 1'', in the hope it'll reach Earth.

Back on Earth, Kinnear is aware ''Ghost 1'' is missing, however [[Walter Simmons]] orders him to accompany Ice Man on the trip to Nevada and leave [[Philip Nolan|Lieutenant Colonel Nolan]] in charge of the ''Ghost 1'' mission. There's the possibility that Soviet agents may have infiltrated the base, so Kinnear's supervision of the transport is essential. During preparations, they receive the recorded message from ''Ghost 1'', and establish the ship is somewhere well outside the solar system.

Bumblebee approaches ''Ghost 1'', but before he can make contact, Starscream attacks him and he's forced to flee. Starscream takes the opportunity to mislead the ''Ghost 1'' crew into believing that the Decepticons are peace loving and the Autobots the aggressors. He also learns that ''Ghost 1'' was reverse-engineered from what they call the Ice Man, which Starscream privately recognizes as Megatron. High above, Optimus, [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] face Blackout's forces, eventually repelling them back to the ''Nemesis''. Bumblebee finds some artificial-looking pillars, but doesn't have time to study them before the ground gives way and he lands up in an underground cave system. He's not alone.

Nolan meets with director of communications [[Christolph Smythe]] and they manage to make contact with ''Ghost 1'', and are shocked to find the ship has reached another star system. They're even more so when Walker reports "the Ice Man has a family". Nolan has no answers as far as what they should do next.

Starscream make some steps in his communications with the creatures. Learning of the Ice Man, he is amused that Megatron is now held prisoner by primitive organics. Having successfully convinced the crew that he's a friend, he makes a deal with them — if they'll help him destroy the ''Ark'', he'll do everything in his power to help them get home. The Autobots, meanwhile, have noticed Bumblebee's disappearance, and Optimus heads out to investigate. He locates Bumblebee and helps the smaller Autobot fight off the giant worm-like creatures that inhabit the planet. Starscream, noting Prime's mission, orders the ''Nemesis'' crew to attack the ''Ark''.

The Ice Man convoy crashes spectacularly in a remote snowy region of Canada. Kinnear's leg is badly broken. They set up camp, and locate the driver of the lead truck, who claims to be Peter Hodgson, but under interrogation admits to being [[KGB]] agent [[Sergei Tasarov]], and that he crashed his truck on purpose to give the Soviets the opportunity to try to snatch the Ice Man. Unfortunately, Tasarov's crash has done more than just derail the convey. The Ice Man's cooling system was damaged, and he'll thaw within a matter of hours. The spy secured, they work on some way to keep the Ice Man frosty.

Optimus and Bumblebee emerge from the ground, and are immediately fired on by Starscream and ''Ghost 1''. Suspicious that the Autobots didn't make any aggressive moves, the ''Ghost 1'' crew tell Starscream that their ship needs to recharge before the coming battle, and he leaves them to it. They attempt to take off, but the ship runs into trouble and crashes into one of the caverns. Starscream turns up briefly to gloat, however they're found a short time later by Optimus and Bumblebee, and the misunderstanding is cleared up. The humans reveal the fate of Megatron, and Optimus realizes that if the Decepticon leader were to re-emerge from stasis, he'd slaughter the entire planet. In space, the Autobots are succeeding in holding off the Decepticons, but Starscream's return forces them to retreat back to the ''Ark''.

Nolan learns of the convoy crash and, collecting [[Martin (Movie)|Staff Sergeant Martin]] and his men, heads out to help. The Russians find the convoy first and attack it.

Starscream refuses to answer the other Decepticons' questions regarding what he learned from the ''Ghost 1'', leading Blackout to issue a leadership challenge. Starscream deals with it. The ''Ghost 1'' crew have more contact with Earth—it's been realized that if they return to Earth now, they could well lead the Decepticons there. They therefore resolve to help the Autobots in any way they can.

Tasarov gets loose, and attacks Kinnear. Kinnear kills the Russian, but not before he himself is badly wounded. In another piece of bad news, the Russian attack has allowed the Ice Man to thaw, and he comes to life. Around the same time, Nolan's forces arrive to help fight off the Russians, and Nolan hits the Ice Man with a truck.

Optimus, Bumblebee and the ''Ghost 1'' join the battle between the ''Nemesis'' and ''Ark''. The humans are surprised to receive a message from Earth overriding the earlier command, and telling them to return to Earth. However, Walker makes the decision to stay and help the Autobots instead, much to the disappointment of the rest of the crew. As the battle rages on, Starscream, having learned that Megatron and the AllSpark are on Earth, frantically orders the Decepticons to destroy the humans before anyone else can learn of this.

Kinnear goads the Ice Man into picking him up, before detonating the backpack of explosives he is wearing. The blast stuns the Ice Man enough that Nolan is able to use liquid nitrogen to refreeze him, though Nolan expires of his own injuries a short time later. The remaining Sector Seven personnel prepare to complete the mission and take the Ice Man to Nevada.

In a distant solar system, Starscream prepares to terminate Optimus Prime. The ''Ghost 1'' crew maneuver their ship in while he's distracted and open fire on the Decepticon, causing a fair amount of damage. Starscream turns and obliterates the spacecraft, killing the entire crew, before ordering a retreat. Somberly, the Autobots return to their own ship and resume the search for the AllSpark, which they now believe might be somewhere on Earth.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] (12)
*[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] (13)
*[[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] (14)
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] (15)
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] (16)
|c2=
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] (9)
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] (10)
*[[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] (11)
*[[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] (17)
*[[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] (19)
*[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]] (20)
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] (24)
|c3=
*[[Neil Armstrong]] (1)
*[[Sergei Tasarov]] (23)
*[[Martin (Movie)|Martin]] (25)
|h4=[[Sector Seven]]|c4=
*[[Samuel Walker]] (2)
*[[Craig Clarkson]] (3)
*[[Jacob Thompson]] (4)
*[[Michael Avery (Movie)|Michael Avery]] (5)
*[[Maria Gonzalez]] (6)
*[[Thomas Kinnear]] (7)
*[[Jensen]] (8)
*[[Philip Nolan]] (18)
*[[Walter Simmons]] (21)
*[[Christolph Smythe]] (22)
*[[Brad Conncarry]] (26)
}}

== Quotes ==

"If Megatron has allied himself with these life-forms, you're going to get your Spark handed to you. Painfully."
:—'''Blackout''' reminds Starscream about how ruthless Megatron is.

"Starscream, I'm here for you." 
"Then come! I've maintained a special file that is devoted to nothing but anticipation for this!" 
"Your wait is over." 
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Starscream''' exchange taunts.

"Time to repeat a lesson you seem to have forgotten." ''[cuts Blackout's weapons systems off]'' "A short memory can be fatal. Here is lesson number two: Pain hurts." ''[fires into Blackout's chest, then punches him in the face]'' "Lesson number three: Pain continues to hurt even when you wish for it to stop." 
"Don't... You prevail. I concede utterly. You are the leader. I withdraw my challenge." 
"We are not quite done yet. Here is the last and most important lesson: Pain is an excellent teaching tool that should be practiced by all leaders and recognized by all smart-mouthed soldiers." ''[shoots Blackout again]''
:—'''Starscream''' teaches '''Blackout''' a few lessons. He was ''so'' abused as a kid.

==Notes==
*The novel was originally announced as being written by David Cian, but after turning in a (self-admittedly<ref>[http://www.donmurphy.net/board/showthread.php?t=17231 Brief Note about Ghosts of Yesterday]</ref> rushed) first draft, he was replaced by Alan Dean Foster, who then rewrote the novel to an unknown extent. Foster's is the lone name on the binding, while Cian receives a story credit inside.
*The book as published only marginally resembles Cian's description of the one he was writing and features a much more defined scope and focus.<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/people/interviews/view.php?interview_id=32 Talking Transformers Movie Novels with Alan Dean Foster]</ref>
*The term "[[protoform#Live-action films|protoform]]" is used in the same manner as "mode". For instance there is reference to Transformers having [[Transition form|cometary protoforms]] and Bumblebee is said to have a [[robot mode|bipedal protoform]].
*Autobots and Decepticons alike speak in a more stoical, "robotic" fashion than they do in the films, something Alan Dean Foster retains for the movie novelization and ''The Veiled Threat''.

===Continuity notes===
*[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (franchise)|Now]], of course, we know ''Apollo 11'' was ''also'' a Transformer-related government conspiracy that Walter Simmons was in on!
*The reason the Cube cannot be moved, of course, is because it has the dangerous possibility of animating all mechanical objects within its vicinity as detailed in the 2007 film.
*Bumblebee's throat injury at Megatron's hands at Tyger Pax is brought up, as shown in [[Movie Prequel issue 1]]. Unlike in the movie, he can talk to his fellow Autobots without using soundbytes.
*Autobots can turn into their cometary protoforms to land on planets, then reassume pre-selected terrestrial forms.
*Autobots can fly under gravity.
*Starscream learns that both Megatron and the Allspark are on Earth (but not the location of Earth) from the humans. He keeps that information to himself.

===Real life references===
*The ''Ghost 1'' crew refer to Maria Gonzalez as "[[Nyota Uhura|Uhura]]" of ''Star Trek'' fame, since they're both the only gals on their ships.
*Much of the plot takes place on a planet reminiscent of the setting of {{w|Dune (novel)|''Dune''}}—desert environment, pillars with glyphs carved into them, sandworms, etc.
*Christolph Smythe owns hardcover copies of the books ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and ''Through the Looking Glass''.

===Proto-typical weirdness===
*Understandably, being a prequel to the first installment of a film series, there are a few details in this story that don't jibe with later stories.
*Cybertronians get about via wormhole travel, instead of standard sci-fi lightspeed or Transformers' preferred transwarp.
*All of the Decepticons from the film are on the ''Nemesis''... except Brawl, who's a no-show.
*The Cybertronian war is said to have lasted "thousands" of years. While at the time this was a pretty reasonable assumption to make (and pretty conservative given most continuities have the war last ''millions'' of years before getting to Earth), later installments make this unlikely.
*Bumblebee has no idea what humans or Earth are, when ''The Last Knight'' had him be active on Earth during the 1940s.
*The ''Ark'' and ''Nemesis'' are hoping to track the Allspark via an energy pulse it occasionally gives off. It does so every few thousand years, which is why Sector Seven haven't learned this in all the time it's been sitting in their basement.

==International printings==
'''Japan'''
*ISBN 4150116229
*ISBN 978-4150116224
*'''Date published:''' [[July 15]], 2007
*'''Publisher:''' {{w|lang=ja|早川書房|Hayakawa Publishing Corp.}}
*'''Translator:''' [[Tsukasa Kaneko]]
*'''Pagecount:''' 431

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.randomhouse.com/book/54938/transformers-ghosts-of-yesterday-by-alan-dean-foster Product page at Del Rey Online]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghosts of Yesterday}}
[[Category:Movie books]]
[[Category:Novels]]

Primeval Dawn

2021-09-27T02:13:41Z

BigRobot:

'''''Primeval Dawn''''' is a comic-format story published by [[3H Productions]]. It is set on prehistoric Earth, shortly after the events of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]].

{{chapters|title=Primeval Dawn:
|content=*[[Primeval Dawn Part 1|Primeval Dawn]]
*[[Primeval Dawn II]]
*[[Primeval Dawn Part 2|Part 2]]
*[[Primeval Dawn Part 3|Part 3]]
}}

===Overview===
''Primeval Dawn'' debuted at [[BotCon 2001]] as a backup strip published in [[Departure|issue #1]] of [[Transformers: The Wreckers|''The Wreckers'']]. 3H intended to continue the story in motion comic format, beginning with ''[[Primeval Dawn II]]'', screened at several 2002 conventions, but this approach was ultimately abandoned in favor of further backup comic strips, of which two debuted at [[OTFCC 2004]]. The fourth installment was planned to conclude the story, linking back up to the start of the main ''Wreckers'' storyline, but 3H Productions lost the ''Transformers'' license before this ever happened.

The story is set in the aftermath of the Beast Wars on prehistoric Earth; [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] is still alive, having captured the power of the [[Vok]], and has built himself a small squadron of troops. The Vok themselves restore [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] to life, and create [[Primal Prime]] from various remnants of the Beast Wars. The two sides battle for control of the Matrix, which Tarantulas intends to present to his [[Unicron|dark master]].

Artist [[Dan Khanna]] posted a quick summary of the (largely unscripted) end to "Primeval Dawn" in the Allspark message board in 2007: unsurprisingly, Primal Prime would defeat Tarantulas and then take various characters (including [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]) to future Cybertron.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=40029&view=findpost&p=801367 Allspark forum post by Dan Khanna], December 3, 2007</ref> The only thing close to a wrapup in canon material was "[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]]" in ''[[Ask Vector Prime]]'' claiming that he drove off Ravage and combined a dying Tigatron and Airazor back into one entity so he could play "the long con" on Primal Prime. {{storylink|Source:Ask Vector Prime/Sideways#July 6, 2015|Ask Sideways, 2015/06/06}} Seriously, that's the best you'll get. "[[The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3|War Against the Destructons]]" would ''dream'' about getting an off-hand, unreliable mention on Facebook.

===Creative Team===
''Primeval Dawn''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s script was begun by [[Bob Forward]], and continued by [[Simon Furman]]; the story was illustrated by Dan Khanna and [[Makoto Ono]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars comics]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]

The Final Battle!

2021-09-27T02:13:01Z

BigRobot: fixed a spelling error (Why is this error for this specific word so common??)

{{disambig3|The Final Battle}}
{{comicstory|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|Transformers: The Movie]]'' #3
|prev=Judgment Day!
|title="The Final Battle!"
|image=TFTM3.jpg
|caption=This [[scale]] is actually correct. All other depictions are erroneous and should be ignored.
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=October [[1986]]
|coverdate=February [[1987]]
|adaptation=[[Ralph Macchio]]
|breakdowns=[[Don Perlin]]
|finishes=[[Ian Akin]] and [[Brian Garvey]]
|colors=[[Nelson Yomtov]]
|lettering=[[Janice Chiang]]
|editor=[[Bob Budiansky]]
}}
'''Unicron attacks Cybertron, but one Autobot is about to light their darkest hour.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TheFinalBattle universal greeting.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.25]]
Following their battle with the [[Decepticon]]s in space, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and his crew of [[Autobot]]s crash-land on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. To aid the Autobots in repairing their damaged shuttle, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] provides [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] with the robotic [[exosuit]] once worn by his father. But the Autobots' arrival on Junkion has not gone unnoticed: the planet's native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]—led by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]—do not take kindly to strangers messing around with their junk, and are preparing to attack with their [[Junk Gun]]. Before they can, however, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and the Decepticons arrive, having been informed by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] of the Autobots' survival after their last encounter. The Junkions hang back to watch as the Autobots and Decepticons clash—a battle that culminates in the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] drawing and quartering Ultra Magnus, allowing Galvatron to claim the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from his remains.

As the Decepticons depart, the Junkions emerge to attack the mourning Autobots, but are once again interrupted, this time by the arrival of [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] and the other missing Autobots aboard the ship they acquired while on the planet [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintesson]]. Through a combination of the "[[universal greeting]]" and some [[energon]], Hot Rod makes peace with Wreck-Gar, leading the Junkions to repair Ultra Magnus. Wreck-Gar agrees to help the Autobots in their battle against Unicron, and reveals that the Junkion planet is actually a giant spaceship, which joins the Quintesson cruiser in blasting off for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

[[File:TheFinalBattle unicron robotmode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.25]]

Returning to Unicron, Galvatron declares that he is unwilling to be the monster planet's slave any longer, and attempts to use the Matrix against his master, only to discover that he is unable to wield its power. Amused, Unicron reveals that he is not merely a metal planet by transforming into his titantic robot mode, and promptly eats Galvatron whole. Unicron proceeds to tear into Cybertron; the Decepticons on the planet attempt to fight back, to no avail.

[[File:RodimusTFMMarvel.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.25]]

The Autobots and Junkions arrive just as Unicron launches his attack, and open fire on him. Unicron retaliates, blasting the Quintesson ship with an eye-beam that cleaves it in two—but unfortunately for the planet-eater, the forward portion of the vessel is sent spiraling right into his own giant eye. The Autobots tumble out inside Unicron's body, but Hot Rod is separated from the others in the fall, and encounters the still-functional Galvatron. Galvatron suggests that he and Hot Rod join forces against Unicron, but Unicron swiftly tortures the Decepticon into submission once more, and forces him to attack Hot Rod. As the pair grapple, Hot Rod is able to seize the Matrix from around Galvatron's neck, and is transformed by its power into the new "Prime Autobot": Rodimus Prime! Rodimus easily overpowers Galvatron, hurling him through Unicron's metal hide, then opens the Matrix, releasing its energy to destroy Unicron from the inside out. With Unicron's body being torn apart all around him, Rodimus quickly tracks down the other Autobots and leads them in escaping out Unicron's other eye, just before the giant explodes, leaving only his severed head orbiting Cybertron. Rodimus Prime then leads the Autobots in routing the shattered forces of the Decepticons, allowing the Autobots to reclaim their homeworld and begin a new age of peace.

[['Til all are one]]!

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (2)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (3)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (4)
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (5)
*[[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] (15)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] (16)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (17)
*[[Sludge (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Sludge]] (18)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime]] (19)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] (23)
|c2=
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (10)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (11)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (12)
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (13)
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (14)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] (21)
|c3=
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (6)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (22)
|h4=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c4=
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (7)
*[[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] (8)
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] (9)
|h5=Others|c5=
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] (20)
}}

==Notes==
===Differences with the film===
[[File:FinalBattle-drawnandquartered.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|Gruesome!]]
[[File:Junk planet as space ship.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
[[File:Arcee daniel the final battle.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
The comic adaptation continues to be based on a slightly earlier version of the script than the finished film uses. Alternate scenes, details, and staging derived from the script include:
*Daniel describes the crash on Junkion as being "more fun than a rollercoaster." In the script, he specifically refers to a coaster at "Futureworld," but the comic refers only to "Funworld."
*There's another installment of the "Ultra Magnus doesn't understand Perceptor" running gag that didn't make it into the finished movie that sees Perceptor describe the makeup of Junkion as "a chaotic amalgam of discarded ferrous and non-ferrous articulations."
*Springer is the one to declare "Showtime's over, we've got work to do!" instead of Ultra Magnus, as in the finished film.
*Ultra Magnus is drawn and quartered by the Sweeps, rather than blown to pieces (right).
*Looking down at the Junkions as their ship descends, Kup reminisces about the [[Crocodillo]]s of [[Strontero]]m (but see "Errors," below).
*Though the dialogue has Hot Rod refer to them as the traditional cubes, the energon he offers the Junkions is in the form of a handful of long, thin sticks, per the script's call for "[[Energon Stick|energon sticks]]." In the finished film, he offers them one of the [[energon goodie|small wafers]] previously seen being given to the Allicons on Quintessa.
*Hot Rod also talks some TV to Wreck-Gar, adding "Void where prohibited" after Kup has said his line. In the script, though, this line was attributed to Kup too.
*Instead of simply providing the Autobots with a ship, as in the movie, Wreck-Gar turns the entire planet of Junk into a rocket ship (right). The finished film features a vestigial reference to this abandoned idea, when Wreck-Gar describes the planet as a "sleek sexy import with turbo handling."

Other changes made to the story, usually in the name of condensing and simplifying it, which are ''not'' derived from the script include:
*In the finished film, the Quintesson and Junkion stories run parallel, and the story cuts back and forth between the two narratives. Per the decision to consolidate all the Quintesson scenes into one unbroken story for issue #2, this issue relates the Junkion portion of the story as one similarly-unbroken adventure. The scene of Galvatron returning to Unicron and learning that Ultra Magnus still lives, however, is cut, with Galvatron simply describing for Magnus how Unicron told him this information.
*Writer Ralph Macchio's fondness for expository dialogue requires Wreck-Gar to speak several lines ''without'' "talking TV," which results in the Junkion leader doing "caveman-speak" like a cartoon Dinobot.
*The Autobots' fight with the Junkions is cut, with Hot Rod and Kup's group arriving just as the Junkions begin to approach the others after Magnus's destruction. With the introduction of the universal greeting having been cut from the previous issue, it's here presented as just something Hot Rod knows about, not something Kup had to teach him.
*Kup provides an explanation for how his group found Magnus's, noting that they tracked their ship's exhaust.
*After the Autobots crash through Unicron's eye, only Hot Rod's battle with Galvatron is shown; all other scenes of both the Autobots dealing with the dangers inside the planet-eater, and of the Dinobots and Junkions battling him outside, are cut. In particular, this means that Jazz, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, and Spike are never shown being rescued by Daniel—yet Bumblebee and Spike do appear among the Autobots when they reunite and escape Unicron's body in the final pages.
*Blurr is part of the Autobot group who travel inside Unicron.

Visual differences from the film, resulting from incomplete or outdated reference material include:
*Daniel's exo-suit is red and blue instead of white (right).
{{--}}

===Art and technical errors===
[[File:TheFinalBattle junkgun.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
[[File:TheFinalBattle hotrod vs galvatron.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
[[File:TheFinalBattle rodimusprime.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
[[File:TheFinalBattle light our darkest hour.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
*Just like the previous issue, this one is also simply called "Transformers: The Movie" on its cover, without a definite article, even though issue 1 was called "''The'' Transformers: The Movie". The indica for all three issues identify the series' title as "Transformers: The Movie Vol. 1".
*Basically everyone on the cover is off-color to some extent. Especially notable are Hot Rod's grey boots; accurate to the movie itself, but not to either his standard Marvel colors, or to the colors uses in this mini-series.
*Throughout this issue:
**Springer's "abs" are yellow instead of dark green; accurate to his animated appearance, but not to his finalized Marvel color scheme.
**Wreck-Gar sports an early color scheme that does not match his finalized Marvel colors. His abdomen, "belt" and hip-pouches appear in shades of orange rather than light blue, and his arms and legs are rendered only in two shades (orange and yellow-orange), where the final colors give him brown shins and red hands.
**Cylconus's wings and engines are grey instead of light-blue.
**That sticky-uppy thing on Galvatron's back is consistently colored light blue instead of purple. His belt is light-blue instead of red.
**The flames on Hot Rod's chest are orange instead of yellow, and he has orange highlights on his arms that shouldn't be there.
**Unicron's entire helmet and lower jaw/beard are colored purple; his finalized Marvel colours would make them white. His famous glowing red "abs" are coloured orange like the rest of his body.
**Rodimus Prime's feet are red instead of light blue/white. The "headlight"/"windscreen" detailing around his waist is light blue instead of yellow and orange.
*'''Page 2:'''
**'''Panel 2:''' A triangular panel on Ultra Magnus's torso is yellow instead of red.
**'''Panel 5:''' Arcee's thighs and right shin are purple instead of white. Purple is largely used to shade Arcee's white parts through this issue, but nobody else in the panel has any shading. The tip of Perceptor's cannon is white instead of blue/black.
*'''Page 3:'''
**Blue inks are printed noticeably off-center on this page.
**'''Panel 1:''' Perceptor's forearms, and the panel on his stomach, are colored light blue-white, instead of dark blue.
**'''Panel 3:''' Springer's torso is light green instead of dark green.
**'''Panel 4:''' Arcee's got some creepy tiny baby-arms. A big chunk of the exo-suit in her arms is miscolored pink, as if it were part of her torso.
**'''Panel 5:''' While Arcee's lower legs are shaded with purple, her upper legs are shaded with light blue.
*'''Page 4, panel 6:''' Springer's Autobot symbol is uncolored, left the same light green as his chest.
*'''Page 5, panel 3:''' Even allowing for his early colors, Wreck-Gar is miscolored in this panel; the center of his chest is red instead of light blue, and some printing errors cause yellow blobs to appear over the light-blue portion further down.
*'''Page 6, panel 5:''' Scavenger's head is solid blue-black, lacking any blue-white highlights for his eyes and mouth.
*'''Page 7:'''
**'''Panel 4:''' Galvatron's shoulder-pylons are purple instead of light blue blue, his face is the same purple instead of grey, and his hand is grey instead of light blue.
**'''Panel 5:''' Ultra Magnus's pelvis and lower left leg are coloured solid grey instead of blue and white.
**'''Panel 6:''' The tread on Galvatron's arm is purple instead of light-blue. His hand is still grey instead of light-blue, as is his left hip-guard.
*'''Page 8:'''
**'''Panel 4:''' Ultra Magnus's eyes are white like the rest of his face, instead of dark blue.
**'''Panel 7:''' Galvatron's hand's still grey. Instead of the featureless green rock it's otherwise depicted as, the Matrix is here rendered as a sort of rounded cuboid, with a circular opening.
*'''Page 9:'''
**'''Panel 1:''' Cyclonus still has grey wings and engines instead of light-blue.
**'''Panel 5:''' As noted above, Kup refers to the Crocodillos of Stronterom... but per the script for the film, the name of this planet should be spelled "Strontero," no "m" at the end. Grimlock's mouthplate is white instead of blue-black like the rest of his head. Sludge is coloured like Grimlock (despite standing right next to Grimlock), with a yellow chest and solid-blue black head. Wheelie is purple instead of orange.
*'''Page 11, panel 1:''' Wreck-Gar's headlamp is uncolored, left the same orange as the rest of his helmet.
*'''Page 12:'''
**'''Panel 1:''' Kup's speech bubble points to Arcee. A printing error has caused a white splotch to appear on Hot Rod's collar.
**'''Panel 2:''' Wreck-Gar's headlamp is green instead of purple.
**'''Panel 3:''' An overzealous attempt at mood lighting makes Hot Rod's face entirely dark blue.
*'''Page 13:'''
**'''Panel 3:''' Hot Rod's Autobot symbol is uncolored, left the same orange as his chest-flames.
**'''Panel 5:''' The Matrix is uncolored. The square in the center of Galvatron's belt buckle—but ''only'' this part of belt—is red, leading to...
**'''Panel 6:''' ...the only panel in the comic where Galvatron's belt is correctly colored red.
**'''Panel 7:''' Galvatron's left kneepad is light blue instead of grey, while his right thigh is grey instead of purple.
*'''Page 16, panel 2:''' Galvatron's right tread is purple instead of light blue.
*'''Page 18:''' The Junkion planet-spacecraft is drawn to be the same size as Kup and Hot Rod's Quintesson cruiser, when moments beforehand it was large enough for the Quintesson ship to land on.
*'''Page 19-20:''' Galvatron's eyes are blue instead of yellow.
*'''Page 19, panel 3:''' Hot Rod's Autobot symbol is uncolored, leaving a blank white patch on his chest.
*'''Page 21, panel 3-4:''' Rodimus Prime is missing his spoiler.
*'''Page 23, panel 4:''' Spike is wearing the exo-suit he has in the film, instead of the space suit he wore in the previous two issues. Bumblebee is colored like Grimlock; Kup is colored like Springer.
*'''Page 24, panel 4:''' Springer has grey thighs instead of green. Blurr's just kind of a solid-blue lump.

===Other trivia===
[[File:BlurrTFMMarvel3.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|He sells Micro Machines better than he sells the Autobot cause.]]
*Blurr gets his only line of dialogue in the entire comic adaptation this issue (right).
*According to a 2015 Facebook entry of [[Ask Vector Prime]], the Unicron depicted in this comic was in fact blasted out of this dimension by the Matrix and later became the [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] seen in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]]'' cartoon.

===Cover===
'''Issue #3:''' The Autobots attack robot-mode Unicron, presumably by [[Don Perlin]], [[Ian Akin]], and [[Brian Garvey]].
<gallery>
File:TFTM3.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
====US====
*Inside Front Cover: [[M&M's]]
*Between Page 4 & 5 : ''Lazer Tag'' game kit
*Between Page 5 & 6: The Amazing [[Spider-Man]] in the Free the Cap'n (Crunch) Mystery Promotion
*Between Page 7 & 8 : East Cost Comics
*Between Page 8 & 9 : Comic Dealers and Charles Atlas
*Between Page 18 & 19 : Random Sponsors / Marvel Super Mart
*Between Page 20 & 21: Classic Comics Subscription Offer
*Bullpen Bulletins - between pages 21 & 22
*Marvel Subscription Offer
*Inside Back Cover: YAMAHA Synthesizer
*Back Cover: Brach's Gum Dingers

====UK====
???

===Reprints===
<gallery>
File:Tftmadaptukspec.jpg|'''[[Transformers Collected Comics#Winter Special 1986|''The Transformers Winter Special'' 1986]]''' (Marvel UK, 1986)
File:Classic Transformers Vol6.jpg|'''[[Classic Transformers Volume 6|''Classic Transformers,'' Vol. 6]]''' (IDW Publishing, 2010)
File:TFClassicsVol7.jpg|'''[[The Transformers Classics, Vol. 7|''The Transformers Classics,'' Vol. 7]]''' (IDW Publishing, 2014)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v92.jpg|'''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 92: Transformers: The Movie''''' (Hachette Partworks, 2020)
</gallery>

====Reprint notes====
<big>'''Marvel UK'''</big>
*All three issues of the mini-series were collected into one special for release in the United Kingdom. This reprint edits the date from 2005 to 2006, to keep continuity with the regular weekly comic's recent story "[[Target: 2006]]," which—working from an even older draft of the film than the one on which this adaptation was based—placed the events of the movie in that year.

<big>'''IDW ''Transformers Classics'''''</big>

Like the regular monthly series, this mini-series also had its colors "remastered" for ''[[The Transformers Classics]]'' series of trade paperbacks, with varying degrees of success. The process was applied less thoroughly to these issues; notably, Hot Rod was ''not'' recolored into toy-accurate red-and-orange, unlike in previous volumes.
[[File:TheFinalBattle idw reprint.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
*'''Page 3, panel 1:''' Perceptor's forearms are corrected to dark blue. However, the light-blue shading on his face, the dial on his shoulder cannon, and his incorrectly-colored stomach panel has become much too dark.
*'''Page 6:'''
**'''Panel 4:''' Scavenger's head and gun have gone from their correct blue-black to incorrect purple.
**'''Panel 5:''' Most of the line-art detail on Scavenger's head has been erased.
*'''Page 7:'''
**'''Panel 4:''' Galvatron's hand has gone from incorrect grey to still-incorrect purple.
**'''Panel 5:''' Magnus's pelvis and leg are corrected.
**'''Panel 6:''' Galvatron's face has gone from the correct grey to incorrect purple, ''and'' his left cheek is now the same light-blue as his helmet. The grey of his hand, hip-guard, and kneepad has become much more purple-tingled.
*'''Page 9, panel 5:''' Wheelie and Sludge's colours are ''sort of'' corrected (see right); Wheelie a very greyish orange, while Sludge has become ''entirely'' red from the neck down, including his grey arms, and the grey box that should be in the center of his chest.
*'''Page 11:'''
**'''Panel 1:''' Wreck-Gar's headlamp is corrected.
**'''Panel 8:''' Magnus's eyes are changed from their correct dark blue to incorrect light blue/white.
*'''Page 12, panel 3:''' Hot Rod's over-dark face is lightened.
*'''Page 13, panel 3:''' In a wrongheaded attempt to correct the coloring error with Hot Rod's Autobot symbol, it's the ''orange flames'' that wind up being erased here, leaving an Autobot Autobot symbol behind.
*'''Page 16, panel 1:''' Galvatron's right kneepad goes from purple (it's normally grey, but the colors are simplified in this panel for his transformation) to incorrect light-blue.
*'''Page 19:'''
**'''Panel 3:''' Hot Rod's Autobot symbol is corrected.
**'''Panel 7:''' Galvatron's face is changed from the correct grey to dark purple. Grey used in the original version to represent the inner joints of Galvatron's elbows are changed to light blue, but with a slightly greener tinge than the ''rest'' of Galvatron's light blue.
*'''Page 20:'''
**'''Panel 1:''' Again, dark purple is used in place of grey on Galvatron's face and kneepads.
**'''Panel 2:''' A grey joint is again replaced with light blue.
**'''Panel 4:''' Galvatron's face remains grey, but his knees are changed to dark purple, and his elbow joint becomes purple.
**'''Page 23, panel 4:''' Bumblebee is recolored, but not to his correct colours; now, he's black and white, colored as if he were Jazz. Even ''that'' isn't right for Marvel Jazz, though, who should be ''blue'' and white.

==External Links==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=161Ed2NE-6Z0iYiDVBWSJveWSLmyExnY9 Sunbow revision script of the movie (The Final Battle! covers pages 92-131)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Final Battle!}}
[[Category:Transformers: The Movie issues]]

Reaching the Omega Point

2021-09-27T02:12:21Z

BigRobot: fixed a spelling error

[[File:Botcon2000-movieposter.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Featuring everyone pictured above... except [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]].]]
'''''Reaching the Omega Point''''' is a multi-year, [[convention]]-exclusive ''Transformers'' storyline that was released at [[BotCon]] and other related venues from [[1998]] to [[2000]]. Produced by [[3H Productions|3H Enterprises]], it is part of the 3H [[Beast Era]] continuity, which serves an extension of both the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' cartoons.

Created as part of [[1999]]'s celebration of the 15th anniversary of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]], ''Omega Point'' was notable for being the first really BIG ''Transformers'' event in several years to feature the return of the [[Dark God]] [[Unicron]], who had been absent from Western ''Transformers'' fiction (barring a few cameos) since his last major appearance in [[1990]]'s "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" from [[Marvel Comics]].

''Omega Point'' also laid the groundwork for much more convention-based ''Transformers'' fiction that would see release in years to come, spreading its content across multiple forms of media that would see further use at many future BotCons, including comic books, a satirical live script reading, lengthy prose stories, and online-based content.

It is alternately known as simply '''''The Omega Point'''''.

{{bigquote|On the eve of their greatest battle, warriors from a distant planet fight to save their past, present, and future.|''Reaching the Omega Point'' description|from [https://web.archive.org/web/19981206141916/http://www.botcon.com/1999/1999.html the original BotCon 1999 webpage]}}

{{chapters
|title=''Reaching the Omega Point''
|prev=Ground Zero
|next=Transformers: The Wreckers
|content=
<div class="list-header">[[BotCon 1998]] script reading</div>
*"[[Visitations]]"

 <div class="list-header">[[BotCon Europe 1999]] prose story</div>
*Prologue: "[[Herald]]"

 <div class="list-header">[[BotCon 1999]] prose stories </div>
*Chapter One: "[[Covenant (story)|Covenant]]"
*Chapter Two: "[[Schism (story)|Schism]]"
*Chapter Three: "[[Paradox]]"

 <div class="list-header">[[BotCon 2000]] comic</div>
*"[[Terminus (issue)|Terminus]]"

 <div class="list-header">[[Apelinq's War Journals]]</div>
*[[Apelinq's War Journals#Journal 15: Timewrecked|Journal 15]]
*[[Apelinq's War Journals#Journal 16: Re-visitations|Journal 16]]
*[[Apelinq's War Journals#Journal 17: The Frontiers of Our History|Journal 17]]
*[[Apelinq's War Journals#Journal 18: Point of No Return|Journal 18]]
*[[Apelinq's War Journals#Journal 19: Witness to the Covenant|Journal 19]]
*[[Apelinq's War Journals#Journal 20: Beyond Point Omega|Journal 20]]
}}

==Overview==
===Prelude===
[[File:VisitationsBattle.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2]]
The first seeds for the storyline were planted a light-hearted script reading presented at [[BotCon 1998]]. While the name ''Reaching the Omega Point'' did not exist at the time, the script reading was later grouped under that title by the BotCon Online website. Named "[[Visitations]]", the script reading told a rather tongue-in-cheek story about a small group of [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s fighting over a mysterious artifact that had crash-landed right in the middle of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], set during a time within the cartoon's second season. After the artifact was taken by an unknown shadowy figure, a new Predacon suddenly appears from a portal, demanding the artifact in question. The newcomer, [[Antagony (BW)|Antagony]], is directed into engaging first [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and then [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], before she is eventually defeated and ultimately captured by Megatron for interrogation.

===''Reaching the Omega Point''===
''Reaching the Omega Point'' began in earnest with four prose story chapters released throughout [[1999]]. Three main chapters were released in connection with [[BotCon 1999]] – the first two were included with material mailed to preregistrants ahead of the convention, and were then collected with the third chapter in the event's program guide. An extra installment was released via UK conventions, initially at [[unofficial conventions|unofficial convention]] Transforce 1999, around the same time that the second chapter was mailed to BotCon preregistrants. It would later receive an official release via [[BotCon Europe 1999]], a month after the US BotCon 1999. When archived on BotCon's websites, this story was variously labelled as both a prologue and a fourth chapter to the story, but was clearly written before the main three chapters.

[[File:Antagony megatron.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
Serving as a direct sequel to "Visitations", the UK chapter "[[Herald]]" follows shortly after the script reading's cliffhanger ending. Megatron holds Antagony prisoner and, having determined she has come from a future era far beyond his own, he attempts to pry any knowledge of that future from her by any means necessary. Antagony, however, puts up a firm resistance against all of Megatron's torture methods and flashes back to her own past, in which it is revealed that she is [[Herald of Shokaract|Herald]] to a Predacon tyrant named [[Shokaract]], who has conquered [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the far future. A rival of hers, [[Cataclysm (BW)|Cataclysm]], vies for her position, brewing a deep-seeded hatred for him within Antagony. Shokaract, meanwhile, had sensed that a threat to his own existence had turned up in the distant past, and sent Antagony back in time to right this temporal wrong. In the end, however, because Antagony had failed her mission, she realizes this failure will give Cataclysm a chance to surpass her. Despaired, she allows her mind to be wiped clean before Megatron can gain access to her memories.

[[File:Shokaract vision.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2]]
The first of the main chapters, titled "[[Covenant (story)|Covenant]]", introduced a then-new concept to the ''Transformers'' lore: A group of twelve special Transformers called the [[Covenant (group)|Covenant]], who were the first Transformers ever created by [[Primus]]. For eons, the Covenant had watched over Cybertron and the developmental growth of its people, in anticipation of a final battle called [[Point Omega]], or Shokaract, which would determine the fate of Primus's [[Grand Plan]]. By the time of the Maximal and Predacon rule of Cybertron, the Covenant receive a shocking visit by another new addition to the mythos, the [[Chronarchitect]], kin to Primus and Unicron. Upon his arrival, [[Leonicus]], leader of the Covenant, sees a dark vision of the future. The Chronarchitect warns the Covenant of a disruption to the timestream with the cryptic entreaty of "Return to the beginning...", which spurs the Covenant to begin analyzing all of history to locate this distressing temporal event.

[[File:Sandstormwindrazor.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
Chapter two, titled "[[Schism (story)|Schism]]" shifted the setting centuries later into the future time of Shokaract's empire. The story focused on the birth of the hybrid Maximal [[Windrazor (BW)|Windrazor]], who was created from the merged [[spark]]s of a dying [[Cub|Predacon cub]] and an aged [[Swoop (G1)|Maximal veteran]]. Upon his creation, he provides the united Maximal/Predacon rebels with information on Shokaract's plans (as Windrazor's Predacon half had been an up-and-coming Herald) and goes to defeat Shokaract's other Herald, Cataclysm, who was set to travel back in time to both continue Antagony's failed mission and locate something called the [[Dark Essence]]. Windrazor himself ends up flung to the past, arriving on Prehistoric [[Earth]] near to the end of the Beast Wars. Back in the future, the Predacon resistance leader [[Sandstorm (BW)|Sandstorm]] prepares to embark to a mysterious region of Cybertron known as [[J'nwan]] to seek help from the "Legends" who live there, while the Covenant continue to search through history for the temporal event, with one of their number now missing.

[[file:Unicrons dark essence.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]
Chapter three, "[[Paradox]]" continues the three plot threads of "Schism" and introduces a fourth: At a point following Megatron's takeover of Cybertron, a lone Predacon [[Shokaract|Hunter]] happens upon a cave in which he is drawn to a pit containing an evil presence that promises him great power. Back in the future, the Covenant determine Windrazor's time jump to the past to be the prelude of the event they seek, while Sandstorm's journey to J'nwan proves most rigorous as he struggles to overcome the treacherous, reality-warping nature of the area. After finally reaching J'nwan, his pleas for the Legends' help are unfortunately met with rejection. Back in the past, Windrazor searches for the Dark Essence in hopes that it may lead to a return to his home-time. Once he finds it, however, he is attacked by Megatron, who had detected Windrazor's arrival. Megatron sees the Dark Essence and correctly identifies it as the lifeforce of [[Unicron]], having been displaced from his [[The Transformers: The Movie|destruction]] in [[2005]] via a rift in space-time. The Dark Essence possesses Windrazor and attacks friend and foe alike, before Windrazor's two inner halves unite to expel Unicron from their shared body. But before Windrazor can answer any questions, a portal opens up and out steps Shokaract himself.

[[File:Beastwarsterminusa.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|Cover to "Terminus", the finale of ''Omega Point'']]
After the cliffhanger ending of the third chapter, the storyline was finally concluded a year later in a comic book released at [[BotCon 2000]], which also contained illustrated recaps of all the preceding stories and an illustrated reprint of "Herald". The conclusion, titled "[[Terminus (issue)|Terminus]]", wraps up nearly every major plot thread from before, culminating in a final showdown--Point Omega itself--with Shokaract and the united forces of Optimus Primal, Windrazor, the Covenant, Sandstorm (revealed to be the Covenant's missing member), and more. Among their number is also a mysterious newcomer named [[Apelinq (BM)|Apelinq]], a displaced Maximal who is revealed to have also been the shadowy figure who took the artifact back in "Visitations", and whose presence here also served as foreshadowing for the next big storyline to come after ''Omega Point''. In the end, after much sacrifice from many warriors, the Dark Essence is sent back into the timestream and Shokaract is destroyed.

===Supplementary material===
Outside of the primary media for the fiction, additional content for the storyline was produced both online and on the toys' packaging. The convention-[[exclusive]] toys all received [[bio]]s that tied each character directly into the events of ''Omega Point''. Several of them (plus Cataclysm) would later receive extended [[profile]]s that were originally posted on the (now defunct) BotCon: Beyond website, and which were later moved to BotCon Online. Chief among these were the bio and profile written for Shokaract, which revealed both himself and the Dark Essence, respectively, to have been the lone Hunter and the evil presence featured in the the opening scene of "Paradox". Moreover, after acquiring the Dark Essence, Shokaract fashioned a housing to contain its power in the form of the [[Matrix of Conquest]], which had first appeared in "Terminus".

Furthermore, both Antagony and Sandstorm featured exclusive prose material on their individual toys' packaging: Antagony's featured both a character roster and a brief, alternate summary of "Visitations". Sandstorm's packaging, meanwhile featured a Predacon war journal that revealed how he had first learned of J'nwan's existence from an informant who nearly got him caught by Shokaract's sentries. And finally, a second, shortened version of "Herald" was created and first released on BotCon: Beyond, containing updated information to better align with the later parts of the storyline (as the original version of "Herald" featured earlier ideas and concepts that would be dropped or altered in the story's later chapters) and was most likely written as a recap meant for inclusion in the BotCon 2000 comic book, but which instead featured the original full-length version.

==Addendum and aftermath==
[[File:Windrazorgrabbed.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7]]
In the months leading up to [[BotCon 2001]], an online series of short prose stories was released on BotCon: Beyond as part of a weekly buildup to that convention's [[Departure|new]] [[Primeval Dawn Part 1|stories]]. Titled "[[Apelinq's War Journals]]", this series explored Apelinq's personal history in a pre-''Beast Machines'' Cybertron setting. The final six of these War Journals, however, touched upon a few unresolved plot points from ''Omega Point'' by having Apelinq flung to the past in a transwarp accident, arriving on Earth right in the middle of the Beast Wars to witness events that led up to Point Omega. It was during this time that Apelinq snatched up the artifact from the events of "Visitations", with said artifact revealed here to actually have been one of Apelinq's personal belongings. Apelinq continued to observe the events of ''Beast Wars'' from afar, with his final three journal entries coming full circle with his previous appearance in "Terminus", landing him right in the middle of Point Omega.

Afterwards, the next BotCon storyline, ''[[Transformers: The Wreckers|The Wreckers]]'', wrapped up a few more loose ends left hanging from ''Omega Point''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s conclusion. The first chapter, "[[Departure]]", saw Apelinq back on Cybertron during the second season events of ''Beast Machines'', where he reveals to Optimus Primal (who had lost all memory of Point Omega) the outcomes of the battle: Shokaract was destroyed and his tainted future timeline had been erased from all time, with every time-displaced survivor of the battle (minus Primal himself, of course) having escaped back to their respective eras via transwarp portals. Primal, meanwhile, had been caught at the epicenter of the timequake and forgot all about these events, his amnesia providing an in-story explanation for why Point Omega was never mentioned in the cartoons (and which also jibes with the amnesia he received from Megatron's [[transformation virus|virus]] in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''). Windrazor, however, had seemingly disappeared at first, but his true fate would later be revealed in the [[2007]] prose story "[[Wreckers: Finale Part II]]", published by [[Fun Publications]]. Rather than having been erased along with his home time, his life was saved and preserved by [[Primus]] to let him serve as a spirit guide for those in need.

==Creative team==
[[File:Simon-Furman.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|[[Simon Furman]], author of the storyline's main chapters]]
"Visitations" was written by ''Beast Wars'' writer and editor [[Bob Forward]], with acting performances provided by [[Garry Chalk]], [[Scott McNeil]], [[Doug Parker]], [[Susan Blu]], and [[David Kaye]], with a cameo appearance by [[Ben Yee]].

"Herald" (both versions), "Covenant", "Schism", "Paradox", "Terminus", and all of the recaps in the BotCon 2000 comic were written by acclaimed ''Transformers'' comic scribe [[Simon Furman]], who had previously made his return to ''Transformers'' comics in his authoring the [[BotCon 1997]] comic "[[Ground Zero]]". [[Glen Hallit]] of 3H Enterprises oversaw Furman's scripting of the prose stories and co-wrote "Terminus" with him.

Several fan-favorite British artists from the [[Marvel Comics]] days also made their return to ''Transformers'' in illustrating the BotCon 2000 comic. The normal convention cover featured computer-generated art and effects by [[Andrew Wildman]] (who has also returned previously to illustrate "Ground Zero"), while a dinner variant cover was drawn by [[Geoff Senior]]. The illustrations included in the comic's four recaps and "Herald" reprint were done by [[Lee Sullivan]]. "Terminus" itself was penciled and inked by Senior, with lettering done by [[Richard Starkings]] and [[Comicraft]] (both having also previously lettered "Ground Zero").

"Apelinq's War Journals" was written for BotCon: Beyond by 3H member [[Rob Gerbracht]], who also provided additional text and editing for the BotCon 2001 "Departure" comic written by Glen Hallit. Then-newcomer artist [[Dan Khanna]] illustrated "Departure", including the two pages that revealed the aftermath of Point Omega. He and [[Jon Hartman]] were also editors for the comic alongside Gerbracht. The main cover art for "Departure" was produced by [[Mainframe Entertainment]], while a variant release included with that year's exclusive [[Tigatron]] toy featured different cover art by Khanna.

Artwork for the related toy bios and online profiles were provided by Andrew Wildman (Antagony, [[Vice Grip]]) and Mainframe Entertainment (Windrazor, Sandstorm, Shokaract, Apelinq).
{{-}}

==Continuity==
Though "Ground Zero" was the first story produced by 3H, it was ''Reaching this Omega Point'' that really attempted to built upon and flesh out the universe of the 3H Beast Era, creating its own lore and laying the groundwork for further storylines to come in both this and future BotCon-affiliated continuities.

While the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon had alluded to, in the form of myth and legend, a ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]''-based history that was a like a mixture of elements taken from both the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] and the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics]], it (and later ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'') tended to borrow more elements from the G1 cartoon than from the G1 comics. However, ''Omega Point'' instead chooses to lean towards a more comic-based history, alluding to elements and events that more overtly stemmed from the comics, as well as the events of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

Author Simon Furman once stated at [[BotCon Europe 1999]] that these stories were his first attempt to weave together the histories of the G1 comics and cartoon together into one timeline<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20020416063709/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/primus/interview.htm BotCon Europe '99 Simon Furman interview highlights] (archived): "The stories I've written for BotCon are the first time I've really tried to make it all fit together in one cohesive line."</ref> (a practice he would later attempt again in his writing for the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity]]), but would later state in a Transforce 2000 magazine interview that he, at the time, considered both the ''Omega Point'' storyline and the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon (but NOT the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon) to be specifically part of the comics universe, preferring to view ''Omega Point'' as his own post-''Beast Wars'' storyline while disregarding ''Beast Machines'' altogether.<ref>[https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.toys.transformers/mMaaTA90sUc/n-q9ZLE0XvEJ alt.toys.transformers post by Andrew Crane on 5/30/00]: "Simon Furman regards Beast Wars as taking place in his comic universe (according to an interview in the Transforce 2000 magazine, he ignores Beast Machines entirely). His own post-BW storyline is Reaching the Omega Point (the BotCon stories)."</ref>

[[File:Alignment online cover.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9]]
Additionally, at the time that Furman was writing ''Omega Point'' for BotCon, he also wrote two other stories for the unofficial Transforce conventions: 2000's "[[The Last Days of Optimus Prime]]" and 2001/2002's "[[Alignment]]". Both of these served as extensions of the [[Marvel Comics continuity]] in Furman's eyes--much like ''Omega Point''--and also contained certain elements that Furman tied in directly with ''Omega Point''. "Last Days" both confirmed the Veteran's identity as the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and revisited J'nwan as a quasi-afterlife residence for the ''Generation 1'' [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s. It also first declared the ''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime and Megatron to be residents of J'nwan's, three months before such would be reiterated by "Terminus". "Alignment", meanwhile, reintroduced the [[Liege Maximo]]--a massive plot point left dangling from the [[A Rage in Heaven!|final issue]] of the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Marvel ''Generation 2'' comics]]--whom both "Covenant" and "Schism" namedropped rather overtly, with "Schism" even stating the Veteran to have been familiar with the Liege Maximo; said familiarity was fully disclosed by the events of "Alignment".

However, while Furman definitely gave off the impression of building his own [[personal canon]] with all of these then-new stories he was writing at the time, his [[authorial intent]] would officially hold little weight in the end as far as 3H was concerned, with the very next BotCon storyline, ''The Wreckers'', leaning towards a more G1 ''cartoon''-based universe while simultaneously serving as a direct follow-up to the more Marvel comic-based ''Omega Point'' storyline. Thus, while ''Omega Point'', "Last Days", and "Alignment" could together be viewed as an extension of the comics universe on their own, the larger continuity of all the 3H fiction disregards that intent in favor of a more blended Beast Era universe that--much like the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon itself--borrowed more evenly from both the cartoon and the comics, favoring neither over the other. And as ''Omega Point'' was the only one of these three Furman-penned convention stories to be officially published under Hasbro's license, the other two fall into the realm of [[pseudocanon]] at best (see their respective pages for more on their relation to the [[canon]]).

Consequently, any potential continuity errors with the original Marvel G1 comics found in ''Omega Point'' (or any 3H fiction) would no longer necessarily ''be'' continuity errors due to the 3H Beast Era ultimately inhabiting its own unique continuity that only directly ties to the two Beast Era cartoons while merely ''in''directly tying to the G1 comics and cartoon.
{{-}}

==Analysis==
[[File:The Agenda Part III Timestorm.gif||upright=1.75|thumb|The [[timestorm]] created by Megatron was the crux of everything time-related that happened in this story.]]
{{bigquote|Ah, excellent! '''''The rift''''' -- Caused I suspect, when Unicron's essence was time-shunted from 2005 and exacerbated by my '''''own''''' temporal tamperings. It is at '''''optimal''''' criticality. Unless Shokaract acts forthwith, his future will be '''''lost''''' to him forever, pulled back into the timestream.|[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]|"[[Terminus (issue)|Terminus]]"}}

Because ''Reaching the Omega Point'' features a heavily dose of time travel, alternate timelines, and temporal shenanigans, it can be a rather confusing story at first glance.

While not explicit, the implication behind Shokaract's alternate future is that it exists in a timeline in which the [[timestorm]] that Megatron created in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" never happened. The damage done to the timestream by the storm is what threw history into chaos, spurred the Chronarchitect to warn Leonicus about it, and alerted Shokaract to the unraveling of his timeline. While the Maximals successfully repaired the damage to the timestream caused by the storm (as seen in "[[Optimal Situation]]"), this story reveals that they actually weren't thorough enough; a rift in the fabric of space-time torn open by the storm was left hanging above the Dark Essence on Prehistoric Earth and threatened to pull it back in the timestream, leaving the future in a paradoxical state of uncertainty.

This implies that the timestorm was never supposed to happen and that Megatron did indeed alter history to some extent. However, his actions appear to have had an unforeseen positive effect. Had he never created the timestorm, the Dark Essence would have been left fully undisturbed for the Hunter to find later on and become Shokaract in the future, allowing his empire to exist in the proper timeline. In other words, Megatron ''had'' to shoot [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in order for Shokaract's future to be erased, without either the Chronarchitect or the Covenant knowing of the beneficial outcomes that Megatron's temporal meddling would have upon the far future.

What's more, Shokaract's backstory as the Hunter actually contradicts the events of ''Beast Machines''. Prior to his finding the Dark Essence, he is described as a Predacon who lived an easy life hunting down and executing Maximals in the years since Megatron took over Cybertron, until complacency set in and the Maximals launched a more concerted opposition. This is in contrast to how, in ''Beast Machines'', Megatron conquered Cybertron not with Predacons but with Vehicons, and also stole the sparks of everyone on the planet, Maximal and Predacon alike. As such, it is unlikely that the Predacons received any benefits from Megatron's rule in ''Beast Machines'', much less hunted any remaining Maximals in the years to come, what with Megatron stealing the sparks of everyone on Cybertron.

In reality, these differences were most likely due to author Simon Furman having not been privy to the finer details of ''Beast Machines'' at the time of his writing this storyline, as the [[The Reformatting|first episode]] had only just received an early screening at BotCon 1999. It is very plausible that Furman based this backstory for the pre-Shokaract Hunter on an early description for the sequel series to ''Beast Wars'' (then named ''[[:File:Beasthunters.jpg|Beast '''Hunters''']]'') found in a Fall 1999 [[Fox Kids]] [[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)#Notes|press release]] first put out on [[February 9]] of that year, which referred to "the evil dragon Megatron and his hordes of Predacons". This is further supported in how Windrazor, who hails from Shokaract's future, recognized Megatron during the Beast Wars specifically by his dragon [[alternate mode]].

This would further mean that, while the timestorm somehow did not happen during the Beast Wars in Shokaract's timeline, the rest of the Beast Wars did play out more or less the same: Megatron still acquired his dragon mode and eventually made it back to Cybertron to conquer it afterward. But in this timeline, he ruled Cybertron for years and had Predacons hunting and executing Maximals instead of using Vehicons to steal the sparks of everyone on the planet. From an in-universe perspective, there is simply no explanation for how or why Megatron's tactics differed so much (as these differences were likely unintentional), but which can be further attributed to the changes to history caused by the timestorm. Regardless, this alternate timeline was ultimately erased anyway, with the proper events of ''Beast Machines'' occurring instead.

==Fan reception==
''Reaching the Omega Point'' has, to put it bluntly, received rather polarizing reception from readers since its original release.

As the [[fandom]] of the time was mostly starving for new comic material (since there hadn't been any new ''Transformers'' comics since the abrupt end of the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' comics in [[1994]]), and since the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon originally had a rather haphazard release schedule for its new episodes airing in syndicated television, the ''Omega Point'' storyline was initially received well and hailed as Simon Furman's grand return to form. Many fans took a liking to the backstory of the Covenant and what it added to the lore at the time. The ''{{w|The Terminator|Terminator}}''-esque future timeline also provided a new era to explore that fascinated many. And, of course, the surprise return of Unicron in a ''Beast Wars'' story was a move that pulled readers even further into the story, with many eager to read the BotCon 2000 conclusion following the 1999 prose chapters.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, ''Omega Point'' has also been the subject of much criticism. In addition to being confined to such a limited release venue that not every fan had access to (a critique that would become common to most BotCon and related fiction in years to come), one of the biggest issues that turned people off was the sheer complexity of the story, which made it very difficult for people to follow. "Schism" and "Paradox", for instance, constantly jump the story around from setting to setting, even scene per scene in the latter's case, and the erasure of Shokaract's timeline essentially undoes much of the storyline's events, creating an overall paradoxical nature that in turn left several readers finding the whole of ''Omega Point'' to be a highly convoluted and needlessly overcomplicated mess. What's more is how it evidently tried to recreate the scale and overall feel of the Marvel Comics "Unicron Saga" that ran from [[Yesterday's Heroes!|Issue #60]] to [[On the Edge of Extinction!|Issue #75]], but condensed down to just a small amount of prose stories and one comic, lacking the substance and breathing room of the sixteen issues that the original Marvel storyline had.

Unhelpful to these matters is how the storyline has (or rather hasn't) aged over time, with many fans looking back on it years later with far less reverence, instead recognizing it more clearly as the product of a time when ''Transformers'' fiction was much less bountiful and ubiquitous. The inclusion of Unicron is no longer looked on with awe and wonderment, but instead presents ''Omega Point'', in many fans' eyes, as "just another Unicron story", due to the ''enormous'' amount of exposure that the Chaos Bringer eventually received in the subsequent years of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] comics, the [[Fun Publications]] fiction, and much more.

In the end, like many other pieces of ''Transformers'' fiction, the saga of ''Reaching the Omega Point'' served its purpose at the time, but with the rapid growth and expansion of the ''Transformers'' brand that has come about in recent years, venturing it in wider reaches of mass media, the ''Omega Point'' storyline has since faded far into the backgrounds of obscurity, residing mostly in a state of indifference and neutral unawareness within the fandom.
{{-}}

==Legacy==
[[File:BW Covenant.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|The [[Covenant (group)|Covenant]] would pave the way for the conception of the [[Thirteen]].]]
Despite having been overtaken by more mainstream fiction, ''Reaching the Omega Point'' would go on to influence other works in the years to come. Most importantly, the concept of the Covenant as a special group of "original Transformers" created by Primus would be reinvented for the development of the [[Thirteen]], another creation of Simon Furman, in the early-to-mid 2000s.

Shokaract's role as a Predacon overlord empowered by Unicron's lifeforce would also resurface in [[2007]]-[[2008]], with Shokaract serving as the primary antagonist of Furman's ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]]'', albeit with the Dark Essence replaced by the similar substance of [[Angolmois Energy]] from the Japanese-original ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' series. Though, the [[Matrix of Conquest]] of this series was instead named the "Anti-Matrix" (or the "Matrix of Chaos", as noted by Shokaract's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' profile). Additionally, as another throwback to ''Omega Point'', among Shokaract's five Heralds in the mini-series was none other than Antagony.

By the time [[2014]] rolled around, that year marked the 20th anniversary of BotCon. To celebrate, [[BotCon 2014]] saw the release of a special new "Pirates vs. Knights" storyline that paid tribute to ''Reaching the Omega Point''. Set in the far future of the [[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]], on a post-''Beast Machines'' [[Technorganic]] Cybertron, the convention's "[[Hoist the Flag]]" comic story saw the rise of that universe's version of Shokaract (known originally as just "the Hunter"), with the comic's final pages depicting his acquisition of the Matrix of Conquest from Unicron.

Additional build-up material was also produced online ahead of the convention. A prose series titled "[[Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur]]" was released as the first of a new line of Facebook-based fiction produced for the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. In this series, the Decepticon-turned-pirate [[Tornado]] chronicled the adventures of the [[Star Seeker]] space pirates held before their arrival at the future era Cybertron of the 2014 convention comic. During these narratives, Tornado would compose personal journal logs in a vein similar to "Apelinq's War Journals", and to further the homage, there were seven points in Tornado's writings where he would happen upon journal entries written by the Wings Universe version of Apelinq himself, in which Apelinq described moments where he would have brief visions of the events of Point Omega, events that he otherwise did not remember but cryptically felt as though he had experienced them first hand in another time, in another life...

Finally, the last piece of fiction to be majorly influenced by ''Omega Point'' was the final installment for the "Pirates vs. Knights" storyline: A [[2015]] pack-in comic made for the "BotCon Legacy Collection". Simply titled "[[Legacy (issue)|Legacy]]", this one-page comic was told from the point of view from the newly-arisen Shokaract himself, who waxed poetic about his destiny to conquer Cybertron, at a point when the planet was completely unprepared for his coming.
{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.botconarchives.com/archive/story/index.html The complete ''Reaching the Omega Point'' storyline at the BotCon Online archives]

[[Category:3H media]]
[[Category:Beast Wars media]]
[[Category:Stories]]

Transformer

2021-09-27T02:12:01Z

BigRobot: fixed a spelling error

{{disambig3.5|the living alien robots|the brand in which they appear and are sold as toys|Transformers brand|Transformers}}
[[File:Bumblebeeg1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], a Transformer, transforming. Savvy?]]
The '''Transformers''' are a species of {{w|Sentience|sentient}}, living robotic beings (mostly) originating from the distant machine world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The stories of their lives, their histories, and most especially their wars have been chronicled across many different [[Continuity|continuities]] in the vast [[multiverse]].

The designation "Transformer" stems from the species' generally-shared ability to ''[[Transformation|transform]]'', to change their bodies at will, rearranging their component parts from a robotic primary mode (usually, but not always, humanoid) into an alternate form; generally vehicles, weapons, machinery, or animals. In some continuities this ability to transform is innate to all members of the species, in others it was a wartime innovation that was adopted by most, but not all, of the populace.

While this species is commonly known throughout the galaxy as "Transformers", the technical term for these beings is '''Cybertronians''', which they generally use to refer to themselves. Other, less-frequently used terms to refer to beings from Cybertron include '''Cybertronic''' or simply '''Cybertron'''.

{{bigquote|Many [[MYA|millions of years ago]], on the planet Cybertron, life existed. But not life as we know it today. Intelligent robots that could think and feel inhabited the cities.|[[Victor Caroli|A voice]] from beyond|"[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"}}

==Origins==
{{quote|Just how exactly did these towering marvels of technology become living, sentient beings with the ability to transform their appearance to adapt to their environment? Two words: WHO CARES?"|''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' story bible}}

The many origin stories of the Transformers—why and how these shapechanging robots became the way they are—has been explored across a wide variety of mediums. As is the case for just about every ''Transformers'' story, many of the details of these tales are mutually irreconcilable with one another.

The three most prominent origins for the Transformer race are as follows:

===The Quintessons===
: ''See also: [[Quintesson]]''
[[File:Ffod4 production line.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|1984 cartoon]] established that the Autobots and Decepticons began as two different product lines of robotic slaves, only developing civilization after overthrowing their cruel [[Quintesson]] creators.]]
{{quote|What the Quintessons failed to grasp was that their robots had developed emotions. That we knew and felt the difference between freedom and slavery. And that oversight sealed their fate.|[[Prime Nova]]|"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"}}

The malevolent aliens known as the [[Quintesson]]s first appeared in [[The Transformers: The Movie|the 1986 animated film]], but it would not be until the third season of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the 1984 ''Transformers'']] cartoon that would explain their role in the history of Cybertron. In "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]," [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] experienced a vision of the past and learned that Cybertron had once been a planet-sized factory overseen by the aliens: the ancestors of the [[Autobot]]s were designed as "consumer goods," and the [[Decepticon]]s began as "military hardware". In time, however, the Quintessons' robotic creations would gain sentience and overthrow their masters in a rebellion before driving them off-planet, later inventing [[transformation]] when those military robots went rogue and made war against their proto-Autobot brethren.

Although well-known because of the cartoon's prominence, it has been given relatively little attention in subsequent media; with the rise of the Primus origin story, subsequent works of fiction have largely reduced the Quintessons to merely ''interfering'' with the natural development of the Transformers, as seen in [[3H Productions|3H]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Wreckers|Wreckers]]'' comics and the [[Aligned continuity family]].

''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' would offer a variation on the Quintesson origin story, depicting the aliens as fifth-dimensional beings who had created the living planet known as "[[Daiakuron]]", which itself would go on to spawn [[Primus]] and the Transformer race.

More recently, the fourth installment of the [[live-action film series]], ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'', would reveal that the Transformers of ''that'' universe had also been created by some other alien race. It is, however, unclear if the mysterious, organic aliens known only as the "[[Creator (AOE)|Creator]]s" ''are'' this universe's version of the Quintessons, and what, if any, connection they possess to the equally enigmatic mechanoid who calls herself "[[Quintessa (TLK)|Quintessa]]".
{{--}}

===Primus===
: ''See also: [[Primus]], [[Unicron]], [[Thirteen]], [[Well of All Sparks]]''
[[File:Prima.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Prima]] was the first Transformer to be created by Primus, and would later be reimagined as the leader of the mighty group of Transformers known as the [[Thirteen]].]]

{{quote|They '''were''' the dream--mechanical beings able to transform their bodies into vehicles, machinery and weapons; a last line of defense against the chaos bringer, '''Unicron'''!|[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' comic]] introductory blurb}}

Independent of the cartoon's Quintesson origin, writer [[Simon Furman]] came up with his own origin for the Transformers. As first detailed in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK]] comic, the Cybertronians of that universe had been created by their god, the benevolent [[Primus]], as proxies to carry on the battle with his villainous opposite: the dreaded chaos-bringer known as [[Unicron]]. This origin story was eventually folded into the American books when Furman took over from US author [[Bob Budiansky]], overwriting the earlier "[[atechnogenesis]]" theory. From there, the tale would undergo various permutations in various pieces of ancillary media before settling on a widely-accepted version of events, establishing that Primus himself, like Unicron, could transform from a robot into a planet; unlike Unicron, however, Primus transformed into [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself.

The first Transformer that Primus created was dubbed [[Prima]], bearer of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], and later stories set in other universes would take this concept and run with it. Future works would establish that the very first group of Transformers to be created, of which Prima was traditionally a part, would become known as the "[[Thirteen]]," demigod-like figures of enormous power, and who themselves would go on to play a major role in the overarching ''Transformers'' mythos in their own right. The [[Unicron Trilogy]] was the first cartoon to incorporate the Primus and Unicron origin into its storyline, as would several [[Fun Publications]]-exclusive stories, and for many years this was widely accepted to be "the definitive" Transformer origin story.

Note, however, that not ''all'' modern continuities adhere to this strict interpretation of events; notably, the original [[2005 IDW continuity]] would establish a [[Rung (G1)|very different interpretation of Primus]], who that continuity's version of [[Unicron/Generation 1#2005 IDW continuity|Unicron]] was entirely unconnected to.
{{--}}

===The AllSpark===
:''See also: [[AllSpark]], [[AllSpark Mutation]], [[Energon radiation]]
[[File:Defiance4 allspark creates primes.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[AllSpark]], a mysterious relic capable of granting life to the Transformer race, has featured prominently in most ''Transformers'' stories released since the late 2000s.]]
{{quote|Before time began, there was the Cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life. That is how our race was born.|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]|''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]''}}

The very earliest drafts of the 2007 ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' movie originally had the Autobots and Decepticons come to [[Earth]] in search of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]; for one reason or another, this relic was later reworked into a new artifact, a life-giving cube that was first deemed "the Energon Cube," and then hastily redubbed into "The AllSpark," evidently co-opting the name from ''Beast Machines'' and its description of the [[Transformer afterlife]].

The first ''Transformers'' movie depicted the AllSpark as the sole creator of the Transformers; a powerful, semi-sentient object of unknown manufacture, this artifact was responsible of energizing the [[living metal]] of Cybertron with [[Spark]]s and creating the first generation of Transformers. When loosed on Earth, AllSpark energy was capable of spontaneously imbuing [[human]] machinery with Transformer life, creating "[[AllSpark Mutation]]s" from mundane vehicles or appliances. As part of Hasbro's attempts at brand synergy, the AllSpark would also feature in that year's ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' cartoon, with more-or-less the same backstory, treating the mysterious object as the creator of the Cybertronian species, with individual fragments of the AllSpark displaying the power to bring new Transformers online from whatever inanimate objects happened to be in the vicinity. The concept would be folded into the "Primus" origin in the "Aligned" continuity family, which established the Allspark as the divine mechanism Primus created to generate new sparks. Almost a decade later, 2018's ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' cartoon would once more establish the AllSpark as the mysterious, and seemingly sole, progenitor of Cybertronian life. The ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' cartoon would take a similar tack, claiming that Cybertron itself would be unable to survive without the AllSpark.

Recent developments in the live-action series continuity family—most notably the introduction of the enigmatic "[[Creator (AOE)|Creator]]s"—have offered a possible insight into the ''true'' origin of the live-action version of the AllSpark, but no concrete information has yet surfaced.
{{--}}

===Other origins===
[[File:Pulleys.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The theory of atechnogenesis proposes the Transformer race evolved naturally, rather than being created by an external force.]]
; Atechnogenesis
The very first origin ever put forth for the Transformers established that the Transformers had evolved through [[atechnogenesis]], a mechanical parallel to {{w|abiogenesis}} that gave rise to life on Earth, with cybernetic life arising from the interaction between "naturally occurring gears, levers and pulleys" on the surface of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. This questionable theory was given in the [[The Transformers (issue)|very first ''Transformers'' comic ever produced]] and was quickly forgotten, though the concept occasionally crops up as an in-universe "atheist" viewpoint to contrast against more spiritual perspectives. A more serious take on the concept was published in a [[A Birth of Planet Saybertron|Japanese-exclusive story]].
{{-}}

[[File:CybertronFossil.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' suggested that Cybertron was once home to organic creatures, long-since extinct.]]

; Migration
Several installments of the Generation 1 continuity — most notably ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', but also ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'' — revealed that, long ago, the metallic world of Cybertron was once a verdant, Earthlike planet. The first episode of ''Beast Machines'' had [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] muse that the first Transformers "came to Cybertron," and subsequently learned to transform—an event that evidently coincided with the extinction of Cybertron's natural biosphere. The [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Japanese continuity]] would reconcile the basics of this premise with the cartoon's Quintesson origin, but no American media has ever expounded on Primal's words or their significance.
{{-}}

[[File:SpotlightNightbeat GorlamPrimeUpgrading.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Gorlamite]]s were once organic beings that came to adopt robotic forms.]]

; Biomechanical evolution
{{quote|The origins of our '''own''' planet are lost in the distant mists of time. Perhaps, once upon a time... '''Cybertron''' was something like '''this'''.|[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]|[[Spotlight: Nightbeat]]}}
In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], the world of [[Gorlam Prime]] was a planet whose [[Gorlamite|humanoid inhabitants]] developed a culture of cybernetic implants, rapidly shedding their biological forms to become a Transformer-like race and eventually rebuilding their planet into a metallic world and rechristening it "Cybertron". On a visit to Gorlam Prime during the earliest stages of this evolution, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] idly wondered if Cybertron and its inhabitants had once passed through a similar phase. To date, no continuity has ever established this "biomechanical evolution" as a proven origin for the Transformer race, but a similar process is how the Transformers' sister race, the [[GoBot]]s of [[Gobotron]], came to be.
{{-}}

[[File:GoBots5-anheir.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The conclusion of Tom Scioli's ''Go-Bots'' series implied that the Cybertronian race was descended from a civilization of spacefaring Go-Bots.]]

; Go-Bots
{{quote|Go-Bots! Transform and roll out!|[[Road Ranger]]|[[Go-Bots issue 5|''Go-Bots'' #5]]}}
The long-dormant ''[[GoBots]]'' property, a one-time rival to the Transformers brand, was unexpectedly revived in late 2018 by writer and artist [[Tom Scioli]] for a [[Go-Bots (comic)|5-issue miniseries]]. Though the miniseries was, for the most part, an affectionate pastiche of various sci-fi concepts unrelated to the ''Transformers'' brand, and, indeed, most prior iterations of the Go-Bots—''{{w|Terminator (franchise)|Terminator}}'', ''{{w|Planet of the Apes}}'', and so on—the comic ended with a peaceful Gobotron sailing through space as Go-Bot leader [[Road Ranger]] announced his intention to seed the multiverse with a panoply of [[Cybertron (planet)|mechanical worlds]]. In the meantime, he worked to construct an "optimized" version of himself, a mechanical "heir" that, while not seen, is heavily implied to be [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]; [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]] considered building a similar [[Bumblebee (G1)|copy of himself]], and [[Cy-Kill (G1)|Cy-Kill]] and [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]]'s remains were amalgamated into a [[Starscream (G1)|new jet-bot]]. For a variety of reasons, it's very unlikely that any future ''Transformers'' story will touch upon this origin.
{{--}}

==Transformer biology==
===Physiology and variance in form===
: ''See also: [[Robot mode]], [[alternate mode]], [[scale]]''

[[File:G1Misfire boxart.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Most Transformers are essentially humanoid...]]

{{quote|I take great pleasure, and indeed pride, in noting how varied we are throughout the cosmos and beyond. [[Noble (BM)|Organic Cybertronians]], [[Micromaster Combiner|modular Cybertronians]], [[Titan Master|Cybertronians]] [[binary bonding|binary-bonded]] to [[Overload (Armada)|other Cybertronians]], [[Headmaster (technology)|Cybertronians binary-bonded to organic life]], [[Pretender|Cybertronians with organic shells]], [[Combiner|Cybertronians who combine their sparks with other Cybertronians]], [[Duocon|Cybertronians who can split their sparks in twain]], [[Titan (group)|Cybertronians who become cities]], or [[Insecticon (WFC)|insects]], or [[Cosmos (G1)|starships]], or even [[Primus|planets]]... it makes my spark pulse brighter.|[[Vector Prime]]|[[Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 5/26/2015]]}}

The vast majority of Transformers are built along a humanoid frame, generally referred to as their "[[robot mode]]:" two arms, two legs, a torso, and one head. This isn't to say that all Transformers are human''like'', however: some have unconventional limbs, their hands (or whole arm) replaced with tools, claws, weapons, or some other form of manipulator (like a [[beast mode]]'s head). Though most Transformers possess a pair of humanlike legs, some Transformers have opted for more exotic forms of locomotion; a Transformer might possess digitigrade legs, wheels or tractor treads instead of feet, or no discernible legs at all, floating on antigravity. Some Transformers have more or less than the normal number of limbs altogether, such as the six-armed [[Octus (G1)|Octus]]. Transformers' faces run the gamut of design, from looking like a metal human in a helmet, to characters like [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] or [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], whose faces consist of little more than a single glowing eye, or more animalistic designs such as [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]].

[[File:ROTF Wheelbot concept art.jpg|thumb|left|250px|...but many are not.]]

While humanoid forms are the norm, they are certainly not the ''rule'', and it is not at all uncommon for a Transformer to possess a primary mode based on an animal or vehicle—for instance, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], [[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] and [[Raindance]], who transform from cassette tapes into a panther, a tank, and a jet, respectively. We consider these to be their "robot modes;" while they are definitely inhuman, they are at least capable of independent movement.

Transformers are ''generally'' large in comparison to Earth lifeforms; the average Transformer stands roughly four times the height of a human, depending on its size and shape. However, great variances in form are common; some Transformers, like the [[Mini-Con]]s, [[Micromaster]]s, [[Maximal]]s, or [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, are approximately human sized. Still others, such as the [[Real Gear Robot]]s or the [[Transformers: BotBots|BotBots]], are small enough to fit in a human's palm.

On the other end of the scale, some Transformers are large enough to dwarf other Cybertronians. The colossal city-bots known as [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s are one such faction, transforming into entire cities for smaller Transformers to inhabit. Particularly large Transformers, like [[Unicron]] and [[Primus]], might transform into entire planets. In the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' series, the planet [[Gigantion]] is populated by both extremes: robots who tower over "normal"-sized Transformers, aided by their tiny Mini-Con partners. For the most part, however, the "average" Transformer ranges from about 15 to 40 feet in height.
{{-}}

===Physical construction===
:''See also: [[Living metal]], [[Transformation cog]], [[Brain module]], [[:Category:Transformer anatomy|Transformer anatomy]]''

[[File:BlitzwingDissectionDreamwave.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Transformer anatomy is made up of several different mechanical parts, each of which serves an important function.]]

{{quote|You're a motorcycle, Arcee. Shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine?}}
{{quote|You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?|[[Jack Darby]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]]|"[[Masters & Students]]"}}

Though their metal bodies were shown to be easily built by other Transformers from conventional materials, even the very earliest stories in the franchise showed that Transformers could feel pleasurable and painful sensations—physically "alive" in body, not just mind. This "[[living metal]]" was described as having a cellular structure in the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|''Victory'' cartoon]], a fact independently reiterated by the the Marvel [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comic books]], which also established that Transformers possessed "genetic material" (useful when [[Reproduction|"budding"]]). It was the Marvel comic which first introduced the idea that the Transformers originally emerged from the very fabric of the planet Cybertron itself, an idea that has become the dominant "origin" story for the species in modern media, and the means by which new Transfomers come into being even in the present day. Following its introduction in the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]], the first stage of Transformer life, prior to taking on an alternate mode, has come to usually be depicted as the raw, featureless "[[protoform]]". As living matter, Transformers' bodies are even capable of being ravaged by [[:Category:Diseases|disease]].

Being mechanical creatures, Transformers possess a number of distinct parts that make up their anatomy; some are largely analogous to human components, but many others serve exotic purposes: complex fuel reactors and ammunition storage are among them. Significant components include the the [[transformation cog]], which controls a Cybertronian's ability to change shape, and the [[brain module]] and/or [[personality component]], which houses a Transformer's mind and controls the functions of the body.

===Transformation===
:''See also: [[Transformation]], [[Transformation cog]], [[Scanning]], [[Action Master]], [[Monoformer]]

[[File:TarnAltMode.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Most Transformers are capable of changing between two or more different forms at will.]]

{{quote|Why do you transform into cars and things?}}
{{quote|Simple. Disguise! Besides, it sure beats walking.|[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]|"[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"}}

The eponymous, and most iconic, component of the ''Transformers'' franchise is, of course, their characteristic ability to [[transformation|transform]] from one shape to the other—in most cases, this involves changing from a humanoid [[robot mode]] into an [[alternate mode]]; this alternate mode is usually some kind of vehicle or creature, but Transformers across the multiverse have assumed unconventional forms: [[Metroplex (G1)|buildings]], [[Botanica (BM)|plants]], [[Ejector|household appliances]], or even [[Sprinkleberry D'uhnut|human food]].

Early stories depicted this ability as something that the Transformer race as a whole was not created with; it was either a wartime innovation designed to disguise themselves from their opponents, or an unexpected side effect as a result of their rebuilding at the hands of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on [[Earth]]. However, it would not take long for this ability to be cemented as a natural extension of Cybertronian biology; later stories would, for the most part, establish that Transformers are born with a functioning alternate mode, or at least the ability to assume one.

Modern ''Transformers'' fiction has established that the complex mechanical "organ" known as the [[transformation cog]], or T-cog, allows a Cybertronian to transform; most Transformers in contemporary fiction can change their alternate modes at will (e.g., changing their Cybertronian vehicle mode into a suitable Earth disguise) through a process known as [[scanning]]. Some Cybertronians possess unique forms of transformation: they may have the ability to [[Jumpstarter|transform much faster than "regular" Transformers]] or the ability to assume [[Triple Changer|multiple alternate modes]], for instance.

In rare instances, Transformers may ''lose'' the ability to transform over their lifetimes; the [[Marvel Comics continuity]] depicted this as a symptom of inducing mutagenic [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] as a fuel source, sacrificing transformation for enhanced durability and power, while in the [[2005 IDW continuity]] the decision to give up one's alternate mode was a religious choice which involved voluntarily removing the [[Transformation cog]].

===Sparks===
{{main|Spark}}

[[File:The Spark Rhinox spark.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The presence of an animating spark is what separates most Transformers from simple robots.]]

{{quote|We call it a 'Spark'. It contains our life force and our memories.}}
{{quote|Yeah, we call that a 'soul'.|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Cade Yeager]]|''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]''}}

Though their bodies and minds are robotic in nature, Transformers are not mere automatons: most Cybertronian lifeforms are living, sentient, emotional, and fully-intelligent beings. This animating, semi-mystical "life-force" that sets them apart from simple machines is traditionally referred to as the [[spark]], a specially charged mass of {{w|positron}}s that resides in, and energizes, their mechanical frames. Though the concept was first introduced in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' animated series, it has gone on to inform every incarnation of the Transformers franchise, and has even been retroactively applied to the earliest Generation 1 continuities. A spark can be thought of as the "soul" of the Transformer; a Cybertronian life effectively begins with the ignition of a new spark, and ends when that spark is extinguished.

The spark's relationship to the rest of the Transformer is somewhat nebulous and varies aross continuities. In some stories, a spark ''is'' the sum totality of a Transformer; it can be [[Spark extractor|extracted]] from the body of one Cybertronian and implanted into the frame of another, effectively "uploading" the memories and personality encoded in that Spark into a new body. In other continuities, the spark's presence in the body is harder to define; in these continuities, it coexists with other components crucial to Transformer life, such as the [[brain module]], making it harder to define where certain aspects of Transformer life begin or end. Some Cybertronians are created ''without'' sparks, and these Transformers are generally referred to as "[[drone]]s", deriving sentience from their programming. While their appearance and programming may allow them to adopt a convincing imitation of life and intelligence, most Cybertronians generally do not consider these Transformers to be truly "alive".
{{-}}

===Fuel===
: ''See also: [[Energon]], [[Dark Energon]], [[Synthetic Energon]], [[Transformer fuel]], [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]], [[:Category:Power sources|Power sources]]

[[File:EnergonCubesCartoon1.jpg|left|thumb|200px|In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|1984 cartoon]], Transformers can process different types of fuel into [[energon cube]]s, their primary energy source.]]

{{quote|No more artificial '''energon''' derivatives, no more scrabbling for micro-ergs of some foul local brew. This... is the '''real''' thing!|[[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]|[[Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6]]}}

Unlike humans, who require food, air, and water to survive, the only substance Cybertronians require to assure their continued functioning is a fuel source—though for a species as large and powerful as the Transformers, the average Cybertronian consumes a ''significant'' amount of fuel on a regular basis. This desire for energy has led to many wars, and the frequent depletion of their home planet's energy sources. Though early stories such as the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]], suggested that Cybertronians could directly convert human energy sources like oil and gasoline, into a nebulously-defined [[Transformer fuel]], it wasn't long before the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|1984 cartoon]] introduced the concept of "[[energon]]:" a Cybertronian fuel that could be created by processing other fuel sources into an [[energon cube]], which generally became the default form of Transformer fuel going forward.

[[File:Roadhandler cardart.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Micromaster]] upgrade allows Transformers to downsize into smaller, more fuel-efficient bodies.]]

To survive the constant fuel shortages, various Transformers across the multiverse have attempted to find means of either reducing or circumventing their reliance on energon. Alternate fuel sources, such as [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]], [[Angolmois Energy]], or even the dreaded [[Dark Energon]], can fulfill most of the energy needs of a Transformer, but may have unpredictable side effects. Some continuities have expanded on Marvel's idea, and asserted that while Transformers ''can'' synthesize a usable fuel substitute from local energy sources, this Energon derivative is largely inefficient and offers poor fuel efficiency, making it a poor substitute for the genuine article. In other instances, Transformers may upgrade themselves into more fuel-efficient bodies, capable of functioning on exponentially less energon than other Transformers. The most famous of these are the [[Micromaster]]s, who derogatorily refer to other Transformers as "[[Macromaster|guzzlers]]". The [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s of [[Beast Era]] Cybertron would follow in their footsteps; by their time, three hundred years after the end of the Great War, the entire Transformer race had downsized to the point where they were only slightly taller than an average [[human]].

Not ''all'' Transformers exclusively rely on energon, however, and some Transformers have developed various solutions to cheaply convert organic material into energy. The Generation 1 [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s were one such group, who could sustain themselves by eating both organic and inorganic matter. Transformers who upgraded themselves into [[Powermaster]]s, meanwhile, could [[binary bonding|binary-bond]] with a specially-augmented biological partner, using this smaller lifeform's metabolism as a battery to fuel their systems in the absence of energon. In some universes, such as ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'', the Maximals and Predacons have displayed the power to directly process food into energon by using their beast modes, though this is not a universally-established ability.

===Combination===
: ''See also: [[Combiner]], [[Micromaster Combiner]], [[Power Core Combiners]], [[Multiforce]], [[Mini-Con]]

[[File:G1Defensor-VisualWorks.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] is the combined form of the five [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], but possesses his own independent consciousness and personality.]]
{{quote|Wow, how come we can't do that?}}
{{quote|I don't know, I think they're double-jointed.|[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] and [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] on [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]]|"[[Bullet Train to the Rescue]]"}}

Some Transformers have displayed the ability to physically unite with one or more Cybertronians to assume a single, unified shape. These unusual Transformers are known as "[[combiner]]s". The exact nature of this combination depends on the individuals. Some Transformers, such as the [[Mini-Con]]s, are capable of undergoing a unique form of combination known as "[[powerlinx|powerlinking]]", where the smaller partner is able to imbue their "bulk" partner with extra powers, and, in some cases, new weaponry.

In rare cases, two Transformers may combine to form a single, shared vehicle mode, such as the [[Micromaster Combiner]]s. In other situations, teams of Transformers may unite to form weapons or tools, such as the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], the combined form of the [[Mini-Con]] [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Team]]. Generally, though, the most famous and memorable combiners are those Transformers who unite into a single "super robot", an exponentially larger and more powerful being than any of its components. This super robot, or "gestalt", may be made up of as few as two Transformers, or as many as six, but in most cases this combined form is, essentially, their own character, possessing a unique personality and consciousness that's more than just the sum total of their parts.

The origins of combination, when explored, are not particularly clear; the earliest fictions treated it as a unique trait that ''only'' these Transformers could possess through nebulous means, but as the ''Transformers'' franchise evolved other continuities would introduce various supernatural artifacts—such as the [[Spark of Combination]] or the [[Enigma of Combination]]—which could instantaneously change ''any'' group of Cybertronians into a functional combiner.
{{-}}

===Weapons and abilities===
: ''See also: [[Weapon]], [[ability]]''

[[File:Shermandam.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Some Transformers can project energy into a physical form, creating weapons like the [[energon-axe]] and [[energon mace]].]]

{{quote|Have a mechanical malfunction, courtesy of my concussion cannon!|[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]|"[[Heavy Traffic!]]"}}

Even the most peaceful Cybertronian is far from harmless; while the sheer bulk of their massive mechanical bodies poses an inadvertent threat to smaller life-forms, most, if not all, Transformers also have access to a devastating variety of weapons. The earliest ''Transformers'' stories faithfully depicted the various accessories packaged with indidividual toys as unique handheld weapons, with [[Bob Budiansky]] coming up with a wide variety of powers to set each gun apart from the next, such as [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]'s signature [[glass gas]]. Other weapons, such as [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s shoulder-mounted cannons, are directly incorporated into their physical form. Like humans, Transformers may display a proficiency with long-ranged artillery weapons, medium-ranged rifles and pistols, or melee weapons like axes and swords. Individual weapons display varying levels of sophistication: melee weapons may be made out of solid metal alloys or pure energy, while their guns may fire bullets, slugs, chemical compounds, or exotic laser bolts.

[[File:Prime optimusionblaster.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The [[ion blaster]] is a signature weapon for [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] in many ''Transformers'' stories.]]

Where exactly Transformers ''store'' these weapons when not wielding them was something of a mystery for many years; some obscure media would later declare that the majority of Transformers have access to a "[[subspace storage pocket]]:" a miniature dimension capable of storing matter, and the place where weapons and other accessories (eg.g. Optimus Prime's trailer) went when not in use. Later stories, most prominently the original 2007 film and its sequels, would drop this concept entirely. Rather, these stories depicted the various weapons of any given Transformer as "built-in" extensions of their natural bodies, depicting their weapons as physical transformations for their hand and forearm. This treatment carried over into the 2010 ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon, though it would be dropped once again for [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|its 2015 sequel]].

In other instances, Transformers may possess rare abilities that, while they may not have a directly offensive use, set the Transformer apart from their comrades. Depending on the universe, these may be the result of natural upgrades to their bodies, or a sort of "genetic mutation" that distinguishes them from other Transformers—see [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s ability to [[teleportation|teleport]] himself from place to place, or [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s power to generate magnetic fields.
{{-}}

===Organic components===
: ''See also: [[Binary bonding]], [[Pretender]], [[Technorganic]], [[Maximal]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]''

[[File:MTMTELandmine.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Pretender]] technology augments Cybertronians with quasi-organic outer "shells".]]
{{quote|So what are we? Robots, or animals?}}
{{quote|Both... and neither.|[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]|"[[Master of the House]]"}}

[[File:Cheetorbw.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Future generations of Cybertronians use [[DNA scanner]]s to adopt the forms of organic creatures]]

Cybertronians are a constantly-developing race, and after making contact with non-mechanical intelligences both Autobots and Decepticons have been known to harness the potential of organic life, as both weapons of war and to advance their own development as a species. Though these upgrades are powerful, and frequently coveted by other Cybertronians, not ''all'' Cybertronians are convinced of the soundness of this so-called "evolutionary leap;" some Transformers view the prospect of carbon-based life as repulsive, and these technologies as revolting or downright heretical.

The fusion between organic and mechanical takes many forms across the vast ''Transformers'' multiverse, running the gamut from simple [[binary bonding|binary-bonded]] partnerships—where a Transformer develops a symbiotic partnership with a smaller creature, to the point where they may telepathically merge into a single entity—to the advanced [[Pretender]] armor, concealing the mechanical shape of a Transformer beneath a specially-tailored "shell" that incorporates organic matter. These so-called "Pretenders" possess enhanced regenerative abilities, with their shells even allowing them to pass as non-robotic humanoids.

In those future universes where the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] gives way to the [[Beast Era]], the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s will go on to develop advanced [[DNA scanner]]s; thanks to advancements in both [[Micromaster]] and Pretender technology, these future Cybertronians are able to copy genetic material and directly integrate organic components into their structures, allowing them to disguise themselves as organic life without the need for an external Pretender shell. Even this arrangement can be enhanced: exposure to the energies of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] can unite both forms of life at the cellular level to create the first "[[technorganic]]" Transformers, a form of life said to be neither organic nor technological.
{{-}}

===Gender===
{{main|Female Transformer}}

[[File:Revolution5-Windbladeprofile.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Changing attitudes in the ''Transformers'' brand led to the creation of [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] as a new "headline" female character.]]
{{quote|Female Autobots?! I thought they were extinct!|[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]|"[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]"}}
As a kid-friendly franchise first and foremost, most continuities have established that Transformers reproduce through decidedly asexual means; despite this, however, the Cybertronian species is usually depicted with a degree of {{w|sexual dimorphism}}, with clearly "male" and "female" robots coexisting, both in fiction and on toy shelves—though the male-to-female ratio has been historically skewed greatly in favor of the former. In early ''Transformers'' installments (and even some later stories!), female Transformers were presented as an aberration of sorts, their femininity sometimes the result of alien interference or malevolent genetic experimentation, and treated as something "outside" the Cybertronian norm. Changes in the real-world pop culture landscape, and an increased number of female writers in the ''Transformers'' franchise, have led to more recent works taking steps to depict female Cybertronians and their gender presentation as nothing particularly different from their male counterparts: just a natural aspect of the Cybertronian species.

As a kid's franchise, the topic of what Transformer gender really ''means'' in a society of asexual robots hasn't really been explored in most continuities, though some works, most notably IDW's older-skewing comics, have used their settings to tackle some deeper issues relating to gender and gender identity in Transformer society and the real world.

The earliest female Transformers introduced to the mythos: [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]], [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and so on, were generally depicted as curvier than the boxy "male" Transformers, looking more like attractive human women in armor than anything else. Since then, however, female Transformers have been allowed to diversify in appearance and personality, giving us some less-stereotypical females like ''Beast Machines'' [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]], while new headline characters like [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] have increased representation of female characters as a whole in the franchise.
{{--}}

==Transformer life cycle==
The life cycle of the Transformer race differs greatly from those of organic species.

===Birth===
: ''See also: [[Reproduction]], [[Protoform]], [[hatchling]], [[M.T.O.|Made To Order Soldiers]]''

[[File:Protoforms2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Many continuities feature [[protoform]]s as the earliest stage of a Transformer life.]]
{{quote|The sparks give rise to '''sentience'''. The metal gains '''form'''... and the '''protoforms''' emerge. A '''generation new'''.|[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]|''[[The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation]]''}}

The vast majority of ''Transformers'' continuities have firmly established that the Transformers reproduce asexually, though the individual mechanisms of just ''how'' a new Transformer comes to life can vary even within the same fictional universe. The creation of a new Transformer generally begins with the ignition of a [[spark]]—whether this spark comes from the living computer [[Vector Sigma]], the [[AllSpark]] itself, or a [[sacred implement]] such as the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and its [[Primal Program]] depends on the story—and then infusing that spark into a suitable body. In some instances, such as those Transformers brought to life directly by the [[AllSpark]], this body can be a mundane Earth machine, its structure supernaturally altered to become the [[living metal]] that makes up all Transformers, but, for the most part, most continuities have established that new Transformers begin as a "[[protoform]]:" a humanoid mass of liquid metal that requires the infusion of a [[spark]] to become a full-fledged Transformer. A protoform quickly develops into a new Transformer after accepting a spark; though the specifics are rarely elaborated upon, this process is ''generally'' understood to be very fast, occurring in a matter of days, hours, or even minutes, depending on the continuity. In Transformer society at large, "protoform" is often used as a shorthand equivalency for childhood or infancy, and Transformers are frequently said to have been "forged" as a Cybertronian synonym for "born".

[[File:Your First Mistake - Army Building Seekers.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Other Transformers are manually assembled, like conventional machines, and subsequently given life through the infusion of a Spark.]]

In other circumstances, a Spark may bypass the protoform stage entirely, and is implanted into a pre-constructed Transformer body; after this infusion, the new Transformer simply springs to life. Still other continuities have established that Transformers are capable of "[[Reproduction#budding|budding]]", a {{w|mitosis}}-like process in which a Transformer sacrifices some of its own essence to create a new protoform.

The Transformers of the live-action movie series appear to be the exception to this rule; multiple Transformer characters have alluded to possessing fathers and mothers (the implications of these statements have never been explored), while in this continuity new Transformers begin as feral "[[hatchling]]s", who spend their early days nourishing themselves in egg sac-like "pods" of energon. Certainly this seems to point towards the Transformers having some kind of familial relationships, though how exactly these tie into that universe's overarching mythology of the AllSpark and the "[[Creator (AOE)|Creator]]s" is something of a mystery.
{{-}}

===Early life===
: ''See also:[[:Category:Transformer education|Transformer education]]''

[[File:Shining armor 1 baby stardrive.jpg|thumb|right|200px|At five days old, [[Stardrive]] has already developed her "adult" appearance.]]
{{quote|But back then, I was just a '''kid'''. I had to learn to talk, and interact with people. By my '''fifth solar cycle''', I was... '''considerably bigger''' than [[Elonian|my classmates]].|[[Stardrive]]|[[Shining Armor issue 1|''Shining Armor'' #1]]}}

While [[human]] children might take years to master the various skills required of them in later life, Transformers are brought online as more-or-less independent lifeforms, their personalities ranging anywhere from early adolescence to full maturity. These new Cybertronians are essentially adults, capable of making decisions and fending for themselves without any kind of parental guidance. It is for this reason that most Transformers do not possess, or even have any concept, of parental units or familial bonds. The sole exception to this rule are [[twin]]s; akin to the splitting of a human zygote, twins are generally depicted as the product of a "split spark", granting them a unique, quasi-telepathic "sibling bond", and occasionally manifesting the power to [[combiner|combine]] with one another. Many depictions of Transformer "childhood" tend towards the comedic and are thus of dubious veracity; for instance, [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] claimed that he had been a non-transforming tricycle in his youth.

[[File:Autobot Cadets.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Institutions like [[Autobot boot camp]] build teamwork and co-operative skills between young Autobots.]]

The personality and traits of a Transformer also seem to be established rather quickly after coming online; this can occasionally lead to strange situations, where the deep-voiced, chivalric hero [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] is in fact ''younger'' than the excitable, childlike [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]. Similar oddities occur across the franchise.

As a consequence of their unusual life cycle, most Transformers do not have much of a concept of "childhood" as humans know it, perhaps explaining why the Autobots are so prone to taking human children into harm's way. As a war story first and foremost, generally taking place long after the collapse of any functioning society, few continuities have explored how young Cybertronians are formally socialized and educated; indeed, most newborn Transformers are immediately thrust into the front lines to continue the war. Those scant references to early life ''do'' depict young Transformers learning life skills in a group setting, whether this is through ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron's]]'' [[primary programming]], or a more military-flavoured education such as ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Autobot boot camp]]. More specialized institutions, such as ''Animated''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Cyber-Ninja Dojo]], [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW]]'s [[Ultirex Technoversity]], or [[Aligned continuity family]]'s [[Rescue Bot Training Center]] suggest that some Transformers may choose to focus on specific academic or military fields as part of their vocational path.
{{-}}

===Lifespan===
: ''See also: [[:Category:Elderly Transformers|Elderly Transformers]]''

[[File:AniRatchetPromoModel.jpg|thumb|right|200px|At more than four million years old, the elderly Transformer [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is evidently in the later stages of his life.]]

{{quote|You can be glacially slow, because you live with an abundance of time. Yet you can be impetuous and careless, because error and consequence seem transitory. You expect to '''outlive''' them. When you imagine the far future, you imagine your individual selves in it. You '''know''' you will be there. And some of you think that gives you '''ownership''' over it.|[[Pra'tyne]]|"[[Escape Part One]]"}}

As mechanical beings, most Cybertronians are an incredibly long-lived, and even "young" Transformers may be older than any living thing on planet Earth. Though the specifics may vary, Transformers measure time in terms of millions of years and generally exist on a fundamentally different timescale than humanity—the precise age of Transformer civilization differs from one continuity to the next, from [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW]]'s twelve million years to ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s claim of "over ten ''billion'' years"—but across all of these continuities it's made clear that Cybertronians are not bound to the fleeting lifespans of short-lived organic beings; their histories, empires, and wars playing out over a period of geological epochs.

A conservative estimate would put the average Transformer lifespan at four to seven million years, though some universes, most recently 2018's ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' cartoon, has suggested that its cast of characters are more than 65 million years old, with the Autobots having landed on Earth during the end of the {{w|Late Cretaceous|Late Cretaceous}} era.

An individual Cybertronian might grow to a venerable age, outlasting entire civilizations in the process, but they are not truly immortal beings. Though one might assume that, as robotic lifeforms, a Cybertronian could simply replace worn-out parts indefinitely, it is clear that Cybertronians ''do'' age, many indeed become "elderly", (in some cases, this manifests as a variety of memory and mobility-related problems) and even die from age-related complications, such as [[cybercrosis]]. The precise nature of Transformer aging is not well-understood, though several continuities, such as the [[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]] or the live-action film series, have linked the process to a prolonged period of fuel depletion. These sorts of "natural" deaths are very rare in the franchise; as ''Transformers'' is a war story first and foremost, it is far more common to have Transformer lives simply cut short for one reason or another.
{{-}}

===Death and the afterlife===
:''See also: [[Death]], [[Transformer afterlife]], [[Transformer funerary practices]], [[Zombie]]

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A powerful enough explosion can fatally blow a Transformer apart.]]

{{quote|He lived a warrior... and died a hero. Let his spark join the Matrix, the greatest of Cybertron.|[[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] eulogizes [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]|"[[Code of Hero]]"}}

Though long-lived, powerful, and able to quickly recover from even grievous injuries, Cybertronians are not invincible, and can be killed like any other lifeform, as has been demonstrated again and again by their endless wars. Exactly what it ''takes'' to bring down a Transformer varies from one continuity to the next—and, more cynically, as the needs of the plot demand—but for the most part the death of a Transformer is accompanied by the extinguishment of its spark.

Transformers can be killed through ways that are analogous to human causes of death: they can be shot, stabbed, blown to bits, or otherwise damaged by weapons to the point where their body can no longer function, their heads and torsos can be mutilated beyond repair by [[decapitation]] or simple blunt impact trauma, or their physical structures can be broken down by toxic compounds designed to damage their [[living metal]]. A Transformer can be "poisoned", sometimes lethally so, by ingesting the wrong kind of fuel, or they can simply "starve" to death if they are unable to refuel for long enough. Transformers may also die from uniquely robotic causes; long-term exposure to exotic forms of radiation may short out their circuitry, while exotic diseases like [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] or [[Scraplet]]s can destroy their mechanical bodies from within. In those universes where science and sorcery coexist, Cybertronians have also displayed a glaring vulnerability to [[magic]]. As a story of war, all of these fates and worse have befallen various Transformers across the multiverse.

[[File:GhostsofCybertron1-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Starscream's mutated spark is somehow able to sustain his consciousness after death, surviving as an incorporeal [[ghost]].]]

Unlike humans, however, who may or may not profess a ''belief'' in an afterlife without any concrete evidence, the various [[Transformer afterlife|afterlives]] are generally regarded as real; when a Transformer's spark is extinguished, it merely returns to the metaphysical dimension alternately referred to as the "Allspark" or "Afterspark", supposedly connected to the entirety of the Transformer race across the multiverse, where it can commune with the other spirits of the departed.

Death does not necessarily mark the end for a Transformer, however. It is possible that a Transformer may return to life if the spark can be plucked from the afterlife and safely transferred into a new vessel. In other cases, the spark itself may choose to re-enter our physical world if the need is great and resume life as a mortal Transformer. A handful of Transformers, most infamously [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], have displayed the ability to survive the complete physical destruction of their body and continue existence as a spectral "[[ghost]]", displaying typically ghostly skills such as intangibility and the power to possess the bodies of other Transformers. Various sources have flagged this ability as a rare spark-based "mutation," and as such it is the exception, not the rule.

In still other instances, Transformers may be resurrected as [[zombie]]s; in most cases, these are dead Transformers whose physical shells have merely fallen under the control of another, and lack the sparks that characterize Cybertronians as truly "alive".
{{--}}

==Transformer culture==
[[File:WOTF Emotion.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Transformers can exhibit any number of personality types, including [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|loving]] [[Elita One (G1)|couples]], [[Beachcomber (G1)|peaceful creatures]], [[Hot Shot (Armada)|impetuous adolescents]] and [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|omnicidal maniacs]].]]

Regardless of continuity, the most distinctive facet of Cybertronian society has been its near-continuous state of [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|planetary Civil War]] between the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s. The conflict is mostly defined by what each faction believes is the "destiny" of the Transformers: the Autobots believe in a peaceful society where Cybertron is a place of culture and justice, while the Decepticons believe in a "might makes right" philosophy where Cybertron would be the center of a [[Decepticon Empire|mighty empire]]. The fact that the vast majority of what we know about Transformers has been shaped by this constant, corrosive warfare should not be overlooked.

===Society===
:''See also: [[Functionism]], [[Pax Cybertronia]], [[Cybertronian colonies]]

[[File:Bigredkhanna.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Cybertronian civilization bears many similarities to human societies on Earth.]]

{{quote|Everyone's Shape Serves A Purpose|A [[Functionism|Functionist]] slogan|"[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It]]", "[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc]]"}}

Individual depictions of life on both pre-war and post-war Cybertron have varied wildly from one continuity to the next, but most continuities have established that Transformers organized themselves into societies comparable to most modern human civilizations, with many of the same hallmarks: a written language, clear division of labour, an organized government, complex social hierarchies, and education systems designed to pass on knowledge and culture to newly-forged Transforemrs. Individual career paths on Cybertron are largely analogous to many human jobs: [[Stockade (RID)|soldiers]], [[Arcee (Animated)|teachers]], [[Constructicon (G1)|construction workers]], [[Terminus (G1)|miners]], [[Circuit (G1)|journalists]], [[Megatron (SG)|professors]], [[Perceptor (G1)|scientists]], [[Maccadam|bartenders]], and [[Windsweeper|sanitation engineers]], to name a few. Other facets of society are similarly Earth-like, with [[Needlenose (G1)|fads and fashions]], [[Overload (RID)|theater]], [[Rippersnapper (SG)|film]], [[Mirage (G1)|aristocracy]], [[Empty|poverty]], and so on. Millions of years old, life on Cybertron is very much guided by ancient traditions and millennia-old schools of thought, and many Transformers regard their forebears with great reverence and respect—even if a cursory analysis of the history books reveals that those "ancestors" were not particularly upstanding individuals themselves.

Unlike humans, however, Cybertronians place great importance on the value of their shapeshifting abilities and [[alternate mode]]s, and have been known to divide themselves into social groupings based on this premise. Depending on the universe, those Transformers who share a similar alternate mode or profession—for instance, all Transformers who become aircraft, or those who work in Cybertron's various scientific fields—may be lumped together under a single, inflexible social group or caste. The rigidity of this system varies by continuity, but some universes have taken this concept to the extreme, such as the [[Aligned continuity family]]'s depiction of its caste system or IDW's [[Functionism]] as the defining trait of pre-war Cybertron. In many continuities, pre-war Cybertron has been depicted as something of a dystopia; whether this is due to energy shortages, an oppressive government, and simple cultural stagnation, these stories portray the planet and its culture as crumbling, highly stratified between "haves" and "have-nots," and overseen by a bloated and corrupt government in the final years before the rise of the Decepticons. Not ''all'' modern ''Transformers'' fiction adheres to this rule, however, such as IDW's [[Transformers (2019 comic)|2019 comic reboot]] and its decision to reimagine the planet as an enlightened, largely egalitarian utopia.

[[File:Planetmicro landscape.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Cybertronians have been known to colonize distant worlds, such as the planet [[Micro]].]]

The Transformers are a naturally expansionistic race, and their development has been punctuated by the periodic [[Cybertronian colonies|colonization]] of other planets throughout the universe. What this colonization entails depends on the intentions of the Cybertronians; Cybertronians may change their worlds to fit their needs through [[cyberforming]], strip-mining and rebuilding the planet into a miniature copy of Cybertron, while in other cases Cybertronians may adapt by changing ''themselves'', leaving the planet in a more-or-less natural state. Many universes have established that this period of colonization and expansion occurred in the distant past, with the various colonies cut off from Cybertron in the present day; in the interim, these isolated Transformer outposts may develop over time to become entirely new kinds of Transformer, with their own unique societies.

[[File:TheAutonomyLesson-spaceport.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Post-war Cybertronian society is marked by periods of turmoil and reconstruction.]]

Wartime Cybertronian society is portrayed as heavily polarized between Autobot and Decepticon. Neutrality is rare, and when [[neutral]]s do exist, they generally fare poorly, becoming victims of Decepticon abuse and destruction or being otherwise forced to flee the planet. Those rare universes where the Great War is allowed to come to an end feature reconciliation and reconstruction efforts aimed at rebuilding a wounded planet and otherwise move on from a dark era of death and destruction. But some Transformers are incapable of letting go of their grudges; armed pockets of resistance may hold out for years on backwater planets, while more clever individuals may gather like-minded dissidents to plot revenge from the shadows. Years after the ratification of an official armistice, even the most open-minded of Transformers may still continue clinging to old allegiances, with post-war society developing along strict factionalist lines.

Some Transformers refer to the ideal outcome of Cybertronian civilization as the "[[Pax Cybertronia]]", ushering in a prosperous future for the galaxy by bringing lasting peace to the Transformer homeworld and beyond.
{{-}}

===War===
:''See also: [[Cybertronian Civil Wars]], [[:Category:Wars|Wars]]

[[File:BattleForCybertron.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Most ''Transformers'' stories are set during the "[[Great War (G1)|Great War]]" between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s.]]

{{quote|'''Unity''' would give way to '''discord'''... '''civil war''' begat a '''Golden Age''' which begat a '''new''' civil war. "'''Why'''" is the question. Why...is Cybertron locked in this '''cycle'''?|[[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]|"[[The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named]]"}}

The history of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is the history of a planet wracked by brutal civil wars, interspersed with comparatively brief "[[Golden Age]]s" of peace and prosperity. Not unlike [[human]]ity, the process of war and reconciliation tends to be depressingly cyclical: the outcome of one war leads to a disaffected group of individuals who inevitably spark the next great war. Though the most famous war in the ''Transformers'' multiverse tends to be the so-called "Great War," between the (generally) heroic [[Autobot]]s and the (usually) villainous [[Decepticon]]s, many other equally destructive conflicts can and have occurred: the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]], the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]], or the [[Grand Uprising]], have all pitted millions of Transformers against one another for control of Cybertron, and sometimes the entire galaxy.

The longevity and power of the Cybertronian race means that their wars tend to be brutal, drawn-out affairs, frequently lasting for millions of years and potentially stretching across dozens of planets—these may be [[Cybertronian colonies]], or "neutral" worlds populated by primitive organics. In many of these conflicts, Cybertron itself is rendered uninhabitable, forcing the war off-world. Cybertronians at war do not seem to follow any kind of rules of engagement analogous to humanity's {{w|Geneva Conventions}}; civilians, noncombatants, and wounded soldiers are considered to be viable targets, and the inhabitants of neutral planets may be exterminated, their homes [[cyberforming|cyberformed]], to expand the aegis of a potential [[Decepticon Empire]]. Wide-scale atrocities and ever-more elaborate weapons of war are common, and even many Autobot leaders across the multiverse have found themselves making morally questionable decisions in the name of victory.

The constant wars of the Cybertronian race have greatly stunted their potential development as a species; in [[Nexus 208.0 Epsilon|one of the few universes]] where Cybertron did ''not'' collapse into civil war, the Transformers of that universe gradually evolved into a [[Transcendent Technomorph|highly advanced breed of life]] and devised a system of cross-dimensional travel.
{{-}}

===Politics===
:''See also: [[Transformer government]], [[High Council (disambiguation)|High Council]], [[Prime (rank)]], [[Decepticon leader]]

[[File:Multiplicity Jetfire before High Council.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Many Transformer governments are oligarchic in nature, overseen by a "High Council" of appointed officials.]]

{{quote|Oh, ''great'' system, your "democracy"! No mechanism to break a tie!|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]|"[[Chain of Command (BW)|Chain of Command]]"}}

Most Transformer governments are non-democratic in nature, overseen by one or more particularly wise or experienced individuals. This government may be oligarchic in nature, such as the various "[[High Council (disambiguation)|High Council]]s" present throughout the multiverse, monarchic, such as the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlords]] of the [[Marvel Comics continuity]], or an outright dictatorship—benevolent or not. All of them seem to wield a great deal of power over both military and civilian institutions. During wartime situations, command over a faction generally falls to a single autocratic leader, occasionally known as the [[Supreme Commander]]. Though they may seek counsel and consent from their followers, ultimately wartime decisions are theirs and theirs alone to make. Very few continuities have ever depicted a free or open electoral process on pre-war Cybertron.

On the planetary level, Cybertron is generally organized into a series of autonomous [[Polities of Cybertron|city-state]]s with their own independent governments; some continuities have established that this present-day state of events is the result of the fracturing of larger empires during the earliest days of the Cybertronian race. Depending on the universe, these city-states may be represented by Senators, who meet to discuss international issues as part of the planetary governing body known as the [[Senate]].

Particularly noble or otherwise pious Transformers, such as the Autobots, may gravitate to leadership under a single powerful individual known as a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]], who serves as a head of state, spiritual leader, and commander-in-chief all in one. In most franchises, this Prime is leader of the Autobots, and their leadership is demonstrated by their ability to wield the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] which is generally passed from one successor to the next. Several continuities have demonstrated that Autobot leaders ''can'' be removed by the [[Crisis Act]]—essentially a vote of no confidence—but this law is not universal. In the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' continuity, the supreme commander of Autobot civilization is known as a [[Magnus (rank)|Magnus]], who answers to Cybertron's civilian and military guilds.

Those Transformers who rally under the flag of the Decepticons, however, bow only to the supremacy of the [[Decepticon leader|most powerful]] and normally have ''no'' mechanism for peaceful handover of power: power struggles within the faction have occasionally erupted in the form of a [[Decepticon Civil War]].

By the era of the Maximals and Predacons, the planet is dually ruled by both the [[Maximal Elder|Maximal Council of Elders]] and the [[Tripredacus Council]], each seeming to hold jurisdictions over their respective factions. Both appear to be composed of war veterans from the Great War, Autobot and Decepticon veterans who have retired from an active role in Cybertronian life in favour of guiding a new generation of Transformers. The episode "[[Chain of Command (BW)|Chain of Command]]" suggests that Maximal society is [[democracy|democratic]] in nature, though IDW's ''Beast Wars'' comic would namedrop the [[Maximal Imperium]] as the name of their government.

===Religion===
:''See also: [[Religion]], [[:Category:Gods|Gods]]''

[[File:TheSumAndItsParts-OptimusMatrix.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The devout inhabitants of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] worshipped [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] as a living god.]]

{{quote|You gotta wonder: if God made man in his image, who made ''him''?|[[Robert Epps]] on [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]|''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''}}

Across the multiverse, different ''Transformers'' stories have introduced a wide range of potential belief systems for the Cybertronian race—beliefs that have an alarming tendency of eventually being revealed as more-or-less true. Very rarely are Transformers or their society ''writ large'' depicted as atheistic; most Cybertronians seem to hold at least some religious beliefs, though the nature of thieir faiths are not always clearly outlined. Most Autobots (and even some Decepticons), for instance, view the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to be a divine artifact, a combination sacred talisman and symbol of office. Sacred texts such as the [[Covenant of Primus]] and various religious rituals are common enough to be considered largely unremarkable in Cybertronian society.

Just like humans, groups of Transformers may choose to worship various deities, or differing aspects of the same deity. In most series, worship of [[Primus]] is the most predominant of these faiths, though permutations of Primus-worship take many different shapes; the [[2005 IDW continuity]], for instance, conflated Primus with the benevolent pantheon of deities known as the [[Guiding Hand]]. In more recent continuities, Cybertronians have been known to worship the [[Thirteen]], treating them as infallible demigods, and some particularly pious individuals may choose to deify ''all'' those Transformers who hold the rank of [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] or carry the Matrix of Leadership.

[[File:WarWithin Escalation Bludgeons vision.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Some religious choices may have unintended consequences.]]

Other religions are more sinister in nature; ''particularly'' malevolent Cybertronians may choose to partake in illicit rites aimed at channeling arcane forces such as "[[dark science]]". Still others may choose to forsake Transformer society entirely by worshipping the dreaded [[Unicron]]. Among their number are the evil member of the Thirteen known as "[[The Fallen]]," and a number of different incarnations of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], both of whom have pledged to actively spread chaos and disharmony across the universe in service of their new master.

A handful of Transformers have displayed the ability to manifest paranormal powers outside the scope of natural Cybertronian science; they may have gained these powers as part of a dark pact with arcane forces, or they may be the result of studying mystical disciplines, like [[magic]]. These rare Transformers may be able to weave illusions, cast spells, fire bolts of mystical energy, commune with or resurrect deceased Transformers, or even divine the future.
{{-}}

===Sciences===
[[File:Spacebridge (Cyberverse - Fractured).jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Space bridge]]s allow Transformers to instantaneously warp from one location to another, regardless of distance.]]
{{quote|This ship is literally out of this world! Even the [[Fantastic Four]]'s brilliant leader, [[Mister Fantastic|Reed Richards]], would feel like a kid at his first science fair in here!|[[Spider-Man]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"}}

As robotic beings who predate the earliest humans by millions of years, it should come as no surprise that Cybertronian technology far outstrips the sum total of humanity's scientific development. Exotic technologies that defy our conventional understanding of physics are treated as commonplace; Cybertronian starships, and even those Transformers who ''become'' starships, for instance, are capable of {{w|faster-than-light}} travel and able to traverse vast distances in a short period of time. [[Space bridge]] technology goes even further than that, allowing travelers to instantaneously warp billions of lightyears, completely bypassing the need for an interstellar voyage. Artificial intelligences of varying levels of sophistication coexist alongside their sentient creators, and exotic chemical compounds are commonplace in both military and civilian uses.

When it is portrayed at all, academia on Cybertron is very much akin to its Earthen counterparts; Transformers may choose to specialize in one or more scientific disciplines—physics, engineering, and biology being the most common. Perhaps as a result of their biological immortality, scientific progress seems to occur far more slowly for Cybertronians than it does for humanity; outside of minor innovations and development of weapons, Cybertron has been known to have technology largely stagnate for millions of years, whether within or outside of wartime. Indeed, [[Vector Prime]] has [[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#CybertronianTech|noted]] that in [[The Transformers (cartoon)|certain universes]], technology developed more in the few decades following the Transformers' first contact with Earth than it did for millions of years beforehand, implying that humanity's [[Human Confederacy|own rapid development]] could act as a "catalyst" for the Transformers' advancements.

===Art===
: ''See also: [[Transformer music]], [[:Category:Artists|Artists]]''

[[File:Caged bulkhead.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Some Cybertronians have been known to study the artistic legacies of other species... though the results can be questionable.]]
{{quote|Destruction is the highest form of art.|[[Slog (G1)|Slog]]'s motto|[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' profile}}
The Transformers have been shown to have a very active [[Transformer music|musical tradition]]. The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] itself has an archive of 11 million traditional Cybertronian songs. Many Transformers such as [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] have shown great interest in music, and [[Squawkbox]] is one prominent example of a Cybertronian musician.

Furthermore, sculpture seems to be one of the primary art forms of Cybertron, with many Transformers dedicated to it. One notable (and gruesome) school of sculpture, practiced by a startling number of Transformers involves making art out of the bodies of other Transformers. The [[Slogism]] movement is a part of this school.

Filmmaking is also practiced on Cybertron, though most examples seen are either [[Proteus's Promise|documentaries]] or [[The Birth of Cybertron|straight-up propaganda]]. Attempts by Cybertronians have also been made to produce films more inspired by the human art of cinema, but the results [[Dark Invasion|tend to]] [[Starscream: The Movie (film)|be lacking]].
{{-}}

===Linguistics===
: ''See also: [[Cybertronian language]], [[Cybertronix]], [[Cybertronian Standard]], [[Cyberglyphics]], [[Ancient Cybertronian]]''

[[File:ToWalkAmongTheChosen-Spanish.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] displays the ability to fluently speak Spanish while deployed in [[Mexico City]].]]

{{quote|You must realize that our actual "names" are communicated in an alien language wholly orthogonal to the human experience, and we often translate not just words but concepts. Since these are sometimes culturally dependent, our algorithms use sophisticated "best-fit" methodologies to ensure that even if a translation is not literal, it is resonant.|[[Vector Prime]]|[[Ask Vector Prime]]}}

Nothing if not adaptable, Cybertronians can quickly adapt to life on a new planet by instantaneously learning the local languages, allowing them to fluently and easily communicate with native lifeforms. The process by which this is done so is not always so clear-cut; the [[Transformers (film)|2007 film]] credited this skill to the Autobots' ability to access the [[Internet]], while [[Recipe for Disaster!|an issue]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comic]] suggested that it was a natural ability, albeit one that that required time to unscramble and synthesize the language for Cybertronians. Various Transformers have referred to their names as "code-names," suggesting that their names as humans understand them are not their ''real'' names, but merely translated to get a similar ''idea'' of their true name across.

[[File:Other voices text.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' introduced separate languages for both Maximals and Predacons.]]

It can be safely assumed that stories set exclusively on Cybertron or setting otherwise devoid of humans have "translated" dialogue for the benefits of us, the viewer, though the ''implication'' is certainly that these Cybertronians are "really" speaking in their native tongue. What, exactly, spoken Cybertronian language sounds like is something of a mystery; the live-action film series, at least, have established that the native tongue of those Transformers is a collection of garbled electronic noises, its pitch and speed depending on the size of the 'bot in question. Transformers who are unable, or unwilling, to speak may use nonverbal languages, such as [[chirolinguistics]] or [[Cybertronian Sign Language]].

Our knowledge of written languages is more concrete; over the years, a variety of Cybertronian calligraphies have surfaced, depending on era and faction—[[Maximal]]s use a different language than [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, and both differ from the languages of [[Autobot]]s from [[Decepticon]]. Out of universe, these "written languages" tend to be rather simple 1-1 cyphers of the English alphabet, and as a result of this, many stories have taken the opportunity to sneak in various [[Easter egg]]s in the form of hidden messages, for the benefit of those ultra-geeky fans.
{{-}}

===Medicine===
{{See also|:Category:Medics|l1=Medics}}

[[File:TheBecoming-MegatronAndRatchet.jpg|thumb|right|275px|While Cybertronian medical procedures superficially resemble human ones, the techniques involved are more similar to vehicle maintenance.]]
{{quote|Miko, a T-Cog is a ''biomechanism'', not a scrapyard find. If it were that easy, don't you think I would have replaced Bumblebee's voice box by now?|[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]]|"[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]"}}

Cybertronians are an adaptable and robust race, able to survive even grevious injuries, but seriously injured or ailing Transformers may turn to members of Cybertron's medical community for assistance. The robotic nature of their bodies means that a Cybertronian "doctor" is a combination mechanic, roboticist, and physician, who must be able to accurately assess and repair damage to their patient's mechanical form. Individual specializations exist, such as "[[blacksmith]]s"—essentially, a Cybertronian obstetrician—but most in-fiction Transformer medicine comes in the form of on-the-ground battlefield repairs, designed to get wounded soldiers back on their feet and into the fight as quickly as possible.

Different educational institutions on Cybertron have been known to offer courses in medicine, and the realities of war mean that their services are in generally high demand. Some particularly deranged medics may fall in with the [[Decepticon]]s or other unsavory sorts, developing [[Ratchet (SG)|exotic and oftentimes gruesome "treatments"]] to perform on both both friends and foes, or concocting exotic new [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|disease-based bioweapons]] designed to wreak havoc on their enemies.

Generally, Cybertronian physicians choose to transform into ambulances and other "first responder" vehicles, and even those who don't often sport red-and-white color schemes.
{{-}}

===Romance===
: ''See also: [[Transformer romance]], [[Conjunx Endura]], [[Kiss]]

[[File:TheGloaming-iloveyou.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] would popularize the term "[[Conjunx Endura]]" as the official term for a romantic union between Transformers.]]

{{quote|Nudge nudge, wink, wink - know what I mean?|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]|"[[Fire on High!]]"}}

Although their means of propagation tend towards the asexual, the Transformer psyche is not dissimilar enough to a human's that they do not crave the same kinds of long-term social bonds that we do, and though the story of ''Transformers'' is primarily one of war, various continuities have established that Cybertronians are also capable of the same kind of romantic affection that humans regularly engage in. This behavior dates back to the earliest days of the franchise; though it was never ''explicitly'' spelled out, dialogue in [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the 1984 cartoon]] made it abundantly clear that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] held one another in high regard, with similar implications continuing through the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 animated film]] and its treatment of both the "swashbuckling hero" [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and the distinctly feminine [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]]. Some instances of romance are depicted as serious, while others are distinctly played for laughs, such as the Predacon [[Scylla]]'s emphatically one-sided crush on the Maximal [[Ikard]].

[[File:Pgalove.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Cybertronians may fall in love with [[human]]s or other organic lifeforms.]]

In rarer cases, Cybertronians may fall in love with [[human]]s or [[alien]]s (though their feelings may not always be reciprocated), while particularly clueless Cybertronians may develop an attraction to inanimate objects—see [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] and his inexplicable romantic attraction to red sports cars. Other Transformers may consider this behavior ''strange'', but there do not seem to be any explicit taboos against it either.

Though one would assume that—as basically sexless lifeforms—the average Transformer would not display any real kind of preference when it comes to the already vague concept of Transformer gender, most ''Transformers'' fiction has largely displayed Transformers in "straight" relationships, with "male" Cybertronians falling in love with "female" Cybertronians and vice versa. Only comparatively recently as this situation begun to change; in [[2012]], ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' made history by introducing [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] as the first definitively identified same-sex couple, with many more following in their footsteps. ''More than Meets the Eye'' would dub individuals in this kind of relationship as "[[Conjunx Endura]]e," the first official name for the concept and the term that would become the standard terminology to describe romantically intertwined Transformers of any gender.
{{--}}

==Related species==
:''See also: [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]], [[Lithone (species)|Lithone]], [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]], [[Gorlamite]], [[Stentarian]], [[Go-Bot (species)|Go-Bot]]
[[File:TFTM-WreckGarsits.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Junkions had the ability to transform into motorcycle forms, which others of their species could ride. In some continuities, they are alien creatures, while in others they are the descendents of stranded Cybertronian colonists.]]
What is a Transformer? Going over the criteria that we have laid out here, the question seems a simple one at first blush: an alien robot who can transform from one form to another. The truth behind the answer isn't quite as easy to define, however; the ''Transformers'' franchise has populated its fictional universe with a variety of other [[alien]] species who superficially resemble Transformers, most notably the eccentric [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] and the ravenous [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s. In some instances, one could assume that these creatures are the process of a sort of {{w|convergent evolution}}, sharing a similar bodyplan despite originating on planets far from Cybertron.

Some more recent continuities, most notably the [[Aligned continuity family]], have established—apparently to preserve the "uniqueness" of the Cybertronian race—that these groups are actually the ''descendants'' of ancestral Cybertronians, who adapted both physically and culturally to survive on different worlds. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, however, and many modern continuities, such as the [[2005 IDW continuity|original IDW continuity]], have continued to treat these groups as entirely unrelated alien species.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Transformer''' (トランスフォーマー ''Toransufōmā'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Biànxíng Jīngāng''' (变形金刚, "Transforming Vajra")

==External links==
*{{i|Transformer}} at the IDW Hasbro Wiki
*[[wikia:memory-beta:Cybertronian|Cybertronian]] at Memory Beta, the non-canon ''Star Trek'' wiki

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Animated species]]
[[Category:Armada]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars species]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising species]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Binaltech Asterisk]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Classics species]]
[[Category:Cybertron species]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon]]
[[Category:Energon franchise]]
[[Category:Generation 1 species]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon species]]
[[Category:Generation 2]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) species]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) species]]
[[Category:Kiss Players]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 species]]
[[Category:Micromaster]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:Operation Combination]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Rescue Bots species]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001)]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce]]
[[Category:The Headmasters]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]
[[Category:Transformers| ]]
[[Category:TransTech]]
[[Category:United]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]
[[Category:Victory]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron species]]
[[Category:Wings Universe species]]
[[Category:Zone]]

One-Trick Pony

2021-09-27T02:11:36Z

BigRobot: Fixed spelling error

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron]]'' #2
|prev=Stunt Flying
|next=Sick Beats
|image=MLPTFII 2 cvrB.jpg
|title="One-Trick Pony"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[The Magic of Cybertron issue 2|''The Magic of Cybertron'' #2]]
|date=[[May 26]], [[2021]]
|coverdate=May 2021
|written by=[[Sam Maggs]]
|art by=[[Trish Forstner]]
|colors by=[[Luis Antonio Delgado]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|editor=[[Megan Brown]] and [[David Mariotte]]
}}

'''It's an Old West showdown like no other when Applejack encounters a rogue Decepticon in the Cybertronian wilderness.'''

==Synopsis==
Somewhere in the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]ian wilderness, [[Applejack]] wanders the rust deserts in in search of a way home, but finds her way barred by the reclusive Decepticon [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]], self-appointed protector of the region. Applejack warns him that she's just passing through and wants no trouble... but as the tension mounts, the two wind up facing off in a classic cowboy duel that pits Applejack's lasso versus Wildwheel's laser whip.

As the pair face off, each waiting for the other to make the first move, a ''third'' voice suddenly breaks the tension to praise the glory of [[King Sombra]]... which prompts ''both'' combatants to attack the source of the noise and successfully bring down the mind-controlled [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. Applejack compliments Wildwheel on his roping skill, and the Decepticon returns the compliment... only to hurl the whip at her again! Applejack assumes the worst—but she's shocked to discover that the Decepticon was instead aiming at the brainwashed [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] sneaking up behind her. Applejack can't believe that Wildwheel would save her, but the Decepticon explains that these brainwashed Cybertronians are clearly more of a threat to Cybertron than any pony. Wildwheel suggests a team-up, and Applejack gladly accepts his offer.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (4)

|c2=
* [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] (2)
* [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (3)

|c4=
* [[Applejack]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"I'm wanderin' an uncharted territory. A cowpony blazing a trail home in an unforgiving land. But like Pinkie always says... follow the sun, trusty steed, and you'll be just fine. 'Course, I don't even know if this is the same sun as back home. Probably not, right? Hang on, how does space work? Aw, never mind."
:—'''Applejack''' loses her train of thought

"So, you're telling me it's a planet... of all magic?" 
"Oh, yeah. You're gonna love it. I have a friend who can make us matching hats!"
:—'''Wildwheel''' and '''Applejack'''

==Notes==
===Transformers references===
* Though the story does not directly state where this story is set, the red sandy landscape and Applejack's mention of "rust storms" suggest it's set in a version of the [[Rust Sea]] that's appeared several times in ''Transformers'' fiction—though sometimes it's a literal "sea" of rust particles, its depiction in the ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' video game and [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW's first ''Transformers'']] continuity depicted it as a desert wasteland traversable on foot (or hoof).
* Wildwheel is directly based on the [[Wildwheel (Cyberverse)|character of the same name]] from the ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' cartoon—his roll call blurb even incorporates a truncated version of his ''Cyberverse'' backstory by noting that he's an Autobot-turned-Decepticon. This version of the character wields a laser whip, however, instead of the ''Cyberverse'' character's revolvers.
* The two Sombra-controlled baddies in this issue were likely chosen for their connections to Wildwheel's cowboy motif; though you'll probably recall [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]'s Yosemite Sam-esque characterization in [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'']], you might ''not'' remember that [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] got into an Old West showdown with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in [[Showdown!|his spotlight Marvel issue]].

===Errors===
* This story seems to have been written without proper knowledge of [[The Magic of Cybertron|the first installment]] in [[The Magic of Cybertron issue 1|issue #1]]—Applejack's opening monologue has her mention that she doesn't know where she is or how she got here, when "The Magic of Cybertron" showed her voluntarily following [[Twilight Sparkle]] through the [[space bridge|spacebridge]] portal to Cybertron. Her desire to return home to [[Equestria]] is a bit odd, as three of her best friends are still under King Sombra's mind control and being used to conquer the planet.
* The final "To be continued" is again misspelt as "contunued".

[[Category:My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron issues]]

Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass

2021-09-27T01:59:38Z

BigRobot:

[[Image:Hayato_Prime_SG_concept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Microns for some, miniature American flags for others!]]
'''''Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass''''' (トランスフォーマープライムシャッタードグラス) was an unrealized proposal for an [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive toyline. Revealed by [[Hayato Sakamoto]] at [[BotCon 2015]] (alongside ''[[Transformers: Bravemasters|Bravemasters]]'' and ''[[Transformers Part One|Part One]]''), the line was ultimately passed over in the concept phase in favor of ''[[Transformers Cloud]]''.

Exactly what it says on the tin, ''Prime: Shattered Glass'' would see a merging of the ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' concepts, and would follow a conflict between the heroic Decepticons and evil Autobots on [[Earth]].<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/2015/06/best-of-botcon-the-japanese-perspective/ Best Of Botcon: The Japanese Perspective @ The Allspark]</ref>

==Toys==
Extrapolating from concept artwork, the ''Prime: Shattered Glass'' toyline may have included the following:
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="70%"
|width="33%" valign="top"|'''Heroic Decepticons'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-sd|[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] in [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] colours}}
{{Bp-sd|[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] in [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] colours}}
{{Bp-sd|[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] in [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] colours}}
{{Bp-sd|[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon(s)]] in [[Autotrooper (Animated)|Autotrooper]] colours}}
|
|width="33%" valign="top"|'''Evil Autobots'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-sa|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] in [[Optimus Prime (SG)|evil Optimus Prime]] colours}}
{{Bp-sa|[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] in [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] colours}}
{{Bp-sa|[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] in [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] colours}}
{{Bp-sa|[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] in [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] colours}}
|
|width="33%" valign="top"|'''[[Arms Micron]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
* A blue redeco of [[Gora]]
* A silver redeco of [[Guru]]
* A bronze redeco of [[Zori]]
|}

Exactly [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|which toys]] of the prolific ''Prime'' characters would have been used is unknown.

==Notes==
*It is entirely possible the three Microns would fill the inexperienced bystander roles held by [[Jack Darby|Jack]], [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]], and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] in the main ''Prime'' universe.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Shattered Glass]]
[[Category:Things that don't exist]]
[[Category:Toylines]]

Transformation Is Magic

2021-09-25T21:01:59Z

BigRobot: noticed Megatron's eyes. They are NEVER blue.

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=Shine Like a Diamond
|image=MLPTF 1 cvrA.jpg
|title="Transformation Is Magic"
|caption='''Twilight''': Wouldn’t it have been interesting if we crossed over with our [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|sister series]] that debuted alongside us instead of [[Evergreen|the same old]]- '''Hasbro''': Lalalalaala can’t hear you!
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[Friendship in Disguise! issue 1|''Friendship in Disguise!'' #1]]
|date=[[August 5]], [[2020]]
|coverdate=July 2020
|written by=[[James Asmus]]
|art by=[[Tony Fleecs]]
|colors by=[[Tony Fleecs]] and [[Lauren Perry]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[Megan Brown]], [[David Mariotte]], and [[Bobby Curnow]]
}}

'''The evil Queen Chrysalis summons changelings from another world to conquer Equestria, but doesn't get quite what she intended...'''

==Synopsis==
In the magical land of [[Equestria]], it's just an ordinary day for the citizens of [[Ponyville]] until the sky darkens and lightning crackles, heralding a ferocious storm! But this is no ''ordinary'' storm; the villainous [[Queen Chrysalis]] and her shapeshifting [[changeling]]s, having recently escaped their imprisonment, plan to conquer Equestria. The storm intensifies as the queen works her complex [[magic]], weaving a powerful spell that will summon "fellow changelings" from other worlds to Equestria, ready to aid her mission of complete destruction...

Many dimensions away, the [[Autobot]]s of the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] valiantly defend a [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] from [[Decepticon]] attack. But [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] reports to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] that this spacebridge is faulty—somehow, it's not just reaching out to other ''planets'', it's reaching out to other ''dimensions''! Megatron warns his subordinate not to activate it, but Shockwave doesn't even get to finish his sentence before the bridge mysteriously activates and spirits all of the assembled Cybertronians away... all of them, that is, except for a very confused [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who arrives on the scene too late.

As this magically-enhanced spacebridge pushes through dimensions and materializes in the sky over Equestria, Queen Chrysalis delights in her moment of triumph, even as Princess [[Twilight Sparkle]] and her royal guards arrive to stop the evil queen. But Twilight's arrived too late: as she watches in horror, beams of colored light—each a dimensionally-displaced Cybertronian—streak through the portal, shoot all across Equestria, and come to land where they may, including [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and Bumblebee, who materialize in the air above a nearby mountain range and plummet towards certain doom! Twilight immediately takes off to investigate, while Chrysalis turns her attention to Megatron, demanding to know what he is and how he can be of use—a question that bemuses the Decepticon conqueror.

Optimus Prime desperately tries to raise [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] for an aerial rescue, but the flying Autobot's too far away and has problems of her own, having encountered an incredulous [[Rainbow Dash]] and the [[Wonderbolt]]s above the clouds. Bumblebee's convinced that this is the end... but Prime valiantly prepares to sacrifice himself to save Bumblebee, intending to cushion Bumblebee's fall using his own body. That's ''not'' what Twilight expected to hear as she swoops in to save the pair; using her unicorn magic, she sets the two Autobots down on a nearby cliff and says as much. Optimus and Bumblebee introduce themselves and explain that they hail from the planet Cybertron, though Twilight informs them that their "shapeshifting magic" won't be of much use on a world like Equestria. The pony princess is just relieved that Chrysalis has accidentally foiled her own plan by summoning such friendly beings to Equestria, but Optimus sadly corrects her: not all Transformers are benevolent. ''Some'' Cybertronians seek only conflict and destruction, and their presence will only bring war to this peaceful world—Cybertronians like Megatron and the Decepticons, who roll out with their new allies in tow...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (10)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (11)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (12)
* [[Gauge]] (18)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (15)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (22)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (13)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (14)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (16)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (17)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (20)
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Skrapnel]] (21)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (28)

|c4=
* [[Golden Harvest]] (1)
* [[Cloud Kicker]] (2)
* [[Quibble Pants]] (3)
* News vendor (4)
* [[Minuette]] (5)
* [[Lyra Heartstrings]] (6)
* [[Daisy (MLP)|Daisy]] (7)
* [[Rose (MLP)|Rose]] (8)
* [[Queen Chrysalis]] (9)
* [[Twilight Sparkle]] (19)
* [[Spitfire (MLP)|Spitfire]] (23)
* [[Soarin]] (24)
* [[Rainbow Dash]] (25)
* [[Surprise]] (26)
* [[Fire Streak]] (27)

}}

==Quotes==
"'''See?''' This is why these '''nonsense crossover stories''' shouldn't even happen! What '''continuity''' is this even supposed to take '''place''' in? If Dr. Caballeron still has his castle, then this should be '''before''' Daring Do '''has''' the Sapphire Skull!" 
"I think it's just supposed to be '''fun.'''"
:—'''Quibble Pants''' ignores the '''news vendor''' and declares this to be the Worst! Crossover! Ever!

"Yeah! Me, Grimlock, ready to—aw... friends '''ditch''' Grimlock again?"
:—'''Grimlock'''

"Uh—'''Optimus?''' Are my '''optics''' busted... or are we '''plummeting''' to a surprisingly colorful '''doom'''?"
:—'''Bumblebee'''

"Well, we're from the planet '''Cybertron'''. But we're happy to '''blend''' in to avoid scaring anyone! Does '''this''' help?" 
"Wow!...um... not really? But almost everypony here wouldn't judge you for being different!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Twilight Sparkle''' get acquainted

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The conversation about [[continuity]] between an unnamed news vendor and the {{w|Comic Book Guy|Comic Book Guy}}-esque spoilsport [[Quibble Pants]] is definitely meant to tell fans of both franchises to relax, have fun, and not take this wacky story ''too'' seriously... but we couldn't call ourselves a wiki if we didn't at least ''try'' to point out some significant continuity beats!
* [[IDW Publishing]]'s ongoing ''My Little Pony'' continuity has always played pretty fast and loose with the cartoon's canon. Although everything we've seen in the comic and its [[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|later sequel]]—[[Twilight Sparkle]] as a princess; [[Rarity]] running [[Rarity for You|her boutique]]; [[Spike (MLP)|Spike]] with wings; [[King Sombra]]'s defeat by the Elements of Harmony—''could'' conceivably point to it taking place somewhere during the show's ninth season, the [[changeling]]s Chrysalis commands present a major sticking point: in the cartoon, they rejected Chrysalis and renounced their villainous ways in the [[wikia:MLP: To Where and Back Again - Part 2|season six finale]] (outside of a few rogues who didn't fully reform until [[wikia:MLP: To Change a Changeling|episode 17 of the following season]]). But, as the news vendor says...
* Chrysalis seeks revenge against the ponies for "imprisoning" her. This might be in reference to her imprisonment in stone in the cartoon's [[wikia:MLP:The Ending of the End - Part 2|penultimate episode]], but this would also mean the escape of fellow villains [[Tirac|Tirek]] and [[wikia:MLP:Cozy Glow|Cozy Glow]], which would make their omission rather strange as three major villains running loose should be a much bigger deal and—''*sigh*'' Right, right, "just supposed to be fun." Never mind.

===Transformers references===
* Like several other [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] stories IDW's published in recent years, the comic's Transformer cast features the traditional mainstays—[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], etc.—and modern headliner [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]. One 'bot you might ''not'' recognize at first glance is [[Gauge]], a young, mint-green Transformer who recently debuted over in [[2019 IDW continuity|IDW's current ''Transformers'' continuity]] as [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]'s mentee.
* The [[space bridge]] seen here, both the tower on Cybertron and the colorful ring that opens above Equestria, is drawn to resemble its original appearance from the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' cartoon, most prominently the episodes "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]" and "[[Roll for It]]". However, it's referred to here as one word, "spacebridge", as per the [[2005 IDW continuity]].
* Most of the classic Autobots and Decepticons are drawn to resemble their counterparts from the 1984 cartoon, minus [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who turns into a tank instead of a handgun, and Bumblebee, who transforms into an unusually toy-accurate hatchback based on his [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|2008 ''Universe'']] toy.

===My Little Pony references===
* Continuing the fourth-wall breaking silliness, Quibble Pants reads (and complains about) a crossover comic entitled ''"[[wikia:MLP:Daring Do|Daring Do]] and the [[wikia:MLP:Power Ponies (characters)|Power Ponies]]''", two fictional (as in, fictional in the ''My Little Pony'' universe) franchises that frequently appeared in the ''Friendship Is Magic'' cartoon. He namedrops [[wikia:MLP:Dr. Caballeron|Dr. Caballeron]], villain of the ''Daring Do'' novel series, who was later revealed to be a real individual, and...look, it's complicated, okay?
* A group of bunnies fleeing the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s on page seven are all drawn to resemble [[Fluttershy]]'s pet rabbit [[wikia:MLP:Angel|Angel]].

===Errors===
* On page four, Megatron's eyes are miscolored blue
* The teleportation scene on page four appears to feature ''two'' Bumblebees, one in the foreground next to Gauge, and another in the background next to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Now, it ''could'' be [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] or [[Glyph (Universe)|Glyph]] or someone, but...
* On page nine, the yellow patch on Fire Streak's flight suit is miscolored red.

===Other trivia===
* The comic's lettering helps paint the medium as these two wildly different worlds collide: while the Cybertronian speech bubbles use the traditional lettering style we're familiar with from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005]] and [[2019 IDW continuity|2019]] continuities, the ''My Little Pony'' characters use their own whimsical typeface from ''their'' comics. In contrast, the text announcing each location is actually rendered in the ''opposite'' franchise's font for a fun bit of mix-and-match.
* The news vendor bears a strong resemblance to the comic's artist, Tony Fleecs, and has previously appeared in other ''My Little Pony'' issues he's drawn. In an interview for the second volume of ''My Little Pony: Art is Magic'', Fleecs said if he had his own OC, he'd name it Cheeseburger.

[[Category:My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise! issues]]

A Real Mother

2021-09-21T06:15:41Z

BigRobot:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron]]'' #1
|prev=The Magic of Cybertron
|next=Stunt Flying
|image=MLPTFII 1 cvrB.jpg
|title="A Real Mother"
|caption="And if you look to your left, you'll see the spot where [[Rubble]] got killed!"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[The Magic of Cybertron issue 1|''The Magic of Cybertron'' #1]]
|date=[[April 28]], [[2021]]
|coverdate=April 2021
|written by=[[Sam Maggs]]
|art by=[[Casey Coller]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|editor=[[Megan Brown]] and [[David Mariotte]]
}}

'''Scootaloo's aunts travel to Cybertron in search of their missing niece, but find trouble when they tangle—in more ways than one—with a member of Sombra's Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Scootaloo]] has gone missing! To find her, her aunts [[Holiday]] and [[Lofty]] travel through a [[space bridge|spacebridge]] portal all the way to the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]... even though the planet's metallic vistas and futuristic cityscapes are a far cry from the green hills and blue skies of [[Equestria]]. After a quick stretch, the pair head out to explore; before long, they encounter [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and her partner [[Greenlight]]. Once they're acquainted, Lofty explains their predicament and Arcee agrees to help, but warns them that they'll have to move fast. Lofty's sure that she can keep up... but the ponies realize ''why'' they have to move fast when the enormous [[Decepticon]] [[Killmaster]] catches up with them, the latest victim of [[King Sombra]]'s mind-control spell!

Arcee and Greenlight promptly get in front of the ponies and open fire; using his magic wand, however, Killmaster simply deflect their shots right back at them and throws them off their feet. Fortunately, the ponies came prepared: using Holiday's knitting supplies, the two ponies get the drop on the hulking Decepticon and hogtie him with their yarn. This doesn't hold him down for very long, but it's just the distraction Arcee and Greenlight need to get their bearings and adopt a new strategy. Lofty tosses the ball of yarn to Greenlight, who ties one end to Arcee's [[alternate mode]] tailfin. Working together, ponies and Autobots manage to entangle Killmaster in yarn before Arcee revs hard into a donut—Holiday delivers the final blow by cutting the line with her scissors and sending Killmaster flying out of sight.

At that moment, the two ponies hear a familiar voice—Scootaloo! Not only is she unharmed, but their energetic niece has also befriended [[Gauge]] and a group of young Autobots. The quartet decide to relax, unwind, and take in the strange sight of the first ever pony/Cybertronian playdate, and Greenlight tells their new friends that they'll ponysit anytime!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Greenlight]] (3)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] (6)
* [[Gauge]] (7)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (8)
* [[Sureshock (G1)|Sureshock]] (10)
* [[Hot Shot (G1)|Hot Shot]] (11)
* [[Rubble]] (12)

|c2=
* [[Killmaster]] (5)

|c4=
* [[Holiday]] (1)
* [[Lofty]] (2)
* [[Scootaloo]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"I'm '''Arcee'''. And this is my 'gal', '''Greenlight'''." 
"Attempting to replicate their parlance in order to make them feel more comfortable. Wise move." 
"Yyyyes, exactly my plan."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Greenlight'''

"...That's one of those Sombra-controlled baddies." 
"His real name is 'Murderking'." 
"A little on-the-snout, but okay." 
"—'''Lofty''', '''Arcee''', and '''Holiday'''

"Leave our planet. This magic doesn't belong here!" 
"Sombra could rule '''every''' planet if he so chose! And he does choose! So there!"
:—'''Arcee''' versus '''Killmaster'''

"Weirdest playdate I've ever been on." 
"At least they're keeping themselves out of trouble." 
"More than I can say for us." 
:—'''Lofty''', '''Arcee''', and '''Holiday'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Scootaloo is a member of the self-styled "[[wikia:MLP:Cutie Mark Crusaders|Cutie Mark Crusaders]]" along with [[Sweetie Belle]] and [[Apple Bloom]]. While those two characters were introduced in season 1 as [[Rarity]] and [[Applejack]]'s younger sisters, the ''Friendship Is Magic'' show didn't go into detail about Scootaloo's living arrangements until 2017, when [[wikia:MLP:Ponyville Mysteries: Riddle of the Rusty Horseshoe|a tie-in chapter book]] revealed that her aunts took care of her while her birth parents were away. The pair made a cameo in one of IDW's ''My Little Pony'' spinoff books, but were redesigned when they finally put in an appearance in the season nine episode "[[wikia:MLP:The Last Crusade|The Last Crusade]]"—their appearance here uses these cartoon models, and references Lofty's penchant for sewing from that episode. Their status as the first explicit same-sex couple in the ''My Little Pony'' franchise is probably also why they're teaming up with Arcee and Greenlight (see below for more on that).
* Arcee, her romantic partner Greenlight, and their [[Mentor|mentee]] Gauge appeared together in IDW's ongoing ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' comic, and even got a [[Gauging the Truth: Part One|spotlight story]] together in 2020's ''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' spin-off comic. That same year, Arcee and Gauge also appeared in the [[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|first ''My Little Pony/Transformers'' crossover]], though they didn't appear together and the comic didn't establish any kind of relationship between them. However, given that [[Sam Maggs]] wrote both this story and their ''Galaxies'' arc—and considering how the story draws a parallel between the pony and Cybertronian couples—it ''seems'' likely that the Gauge of this universe is also Arcee's mentee, but the comic doesn't outright confirm or deny this interpretation.
* In the ''Friendship is Magic'' television show, Scootaloo was unable to fly, but could use her pegasus wings to power her scooter. This comic pairs her up with [[Sureshock (G1)|Sureshock]], who, naturally, transforms into a motor scooter.

===Transformers references===
* Killmaster originated in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' as a member of the dreaded [[Warriors Elite]], who wielded a bespoke "wand" that teleported victims into his personal "prison dimension". Arcee notes that his real name is "Murderking", a detail first revealed in ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' [[Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|issue #4]], but the comic reimagines his favorite weapon: it emanates the same neon-green aura [[King Sombra]] uses in his various evil spells, and the abnormal telekinetic powers Murderking manifests in this issue suggest that this version of the character might now (almost certainly because of Sombra's interference) wield an ''actual'' magic wand.
* Scootaloo's Cybertronian friends include a number of "young" Transformers from across the franchise. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] is probably the most recognizable of the bunch, but the group also includes a new incarnation of ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]], a jeep-mode [[Hot Shot (G1)|Hot Shot]] based on his recent ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' toy, and IDW-original characters Gauge and [[Rubble]]. Gauge's motorbike friend [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] is an unusual case—she's depicted with the [[alternate mode]] [[Anna Malkova]] designed for IDW's [[Transformers (2019 comic)|ongoing ''Transformers'']] comic, but that universe's Flareup wouldn't actually appear in her bike mode until [[War World: Titans|''Transformers'' #29]], released three weeks after this comic.
* Scootaloo sports a white jumpsuit based on the one [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] wore in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 animated film]] and the third season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the Generation 1 cartoon]]—although, of course, hers sports an embroidered "S" instead of a "D".

===Errors===
* On page 21, when Killmaster tries to break free from the yarn, his eyes are red instead of green to signify he's under mind control.
* The final "To be continued" is misspelt as "To be contunued".

===Other trivia===
* Lofty and Arcee have quite a bit in common: Both debuted in [[1986]] in their respective franchises' [[The Transformers: The Movie|theatrical]] {{w|My Little Pony: The Movie (1986 film)|films}}, where they were voiced by [[Susan Blu]]. It's perhaps all too fitting that they should team up some 35 years later.
* That's some exceptionally strong yarn!
* Upon seeing the children, even Arcee's Autobot insignia is shocked.

[[Category:My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron issues]]

A Real Mother

2021-09-21T06:14:56Z

BigRobot:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron]]'' #1
|prev=The Magic of Cybertron
|next=Stunt Flying
|image=MLPTFII 1 cvrB.jpg
|title="A Real Mother"
|caption="And if you look to your left, you'll see the spot where [[Rubble]] got killed!"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[The Magic of Cybertron issue 1|''The Magic of Cybertron'' #1]]
|date=[[April 28]], [[2021]]
|coverdate=April 2021
|written by=[[Sam Maggs]]
|art by=[[Casey Coller]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|editor=[[Megan Brown]] and [[David Mariotte]]
}}

'''Scootaloo's aunts travel to Cybertron in search of their missing niece, but find trouble when they tangle—in more ways than one—with a member of Sombra's Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Scootaloo]] has gone missing! To find her, her aunts [[Holiday]] and [[Lofty]] travel through a [[space bridge|spacebridge]] portal all the way to the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]... even though the planet's metallic vistas and futuristic cityscapes are a far cry from the green hills and blue skies of [[Equestria]]. After a quick stretch, the pair head out to explore; before long, they encounter [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and her partner [[Greenlight]]. Once they're acquainted, Lofty explains their predicament and Arcee agrees to help, but warns them that they'll have to move fast. Lofty's sure that she can keep up... but the ponies realise ''why'' they have to move fast when the enormous [[Decepticon]] [[Killmaster]] catches up with them, the latest victim of [[King Sombra]]'s mind-control spell!

Arcee and Greenlight promptly get in front of the ponies and open fire; using his magic wand, however, Killmaster simply deflect their shots right back at them and throws them off their feet. Fortunately, the ponies came prepared: using Holiday's knitting supplies, the two ponies get the drop on the hulking Decepticon and hogtie him with their yarn. This doesn't hold him down for very long, but it's just the distraction Arcee and Greenlight need to get their bearings and adopt a new strategy. Lofty tosses the ball of yarn to Greenlight, who ties one end to Arcee's [[alternate mode]] tailfin. Working together, ponies and Autobots manage to entangle Killmaster in yarn before Arcee revs hard into a donut—Holiday delivers the final blow by cutting the line with her scissors and sending Killmaster flying out of sight.

At that moment, the two ponies hear a familiar voice—Scootaloo! Not only is she unharmed, but their energetic niece has also befriended [[Gauge]] and a group of young Autobots. The quartet decide to relax, unwind, and take in the strange sight of the first ever pony/Cybertronian playdate, and Greenlight tells their new friends that they'll ponysit anytime!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Greenlight]] (3)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] (6)
* [[Gauge]] (7)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (8)
* [[Sureshock (G1)|Sureshock]] (10)
* [[Hot Shot (G1)|Hot Shot]] (11)
* [[Rubble]] (12)

|c2=
* [[Killmaster]] (5)

|c4=
* [[Holiday]] (1)
* [[Lofty]] (2)
* [[Scootaloo]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"I'm '''Arcee'''. And this is my 'gal', '''Greenlight'''." 
"Attempting to replicate their parlance in order to make them feel more comfortable. Wise move." 
"Yyyyes, exactly my plan."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Greenlight'''

"...That's one of those Sombra-controlled baddies." 
"His real name is 'Murderking'." 
"A little on-the-snout, but okay." 
"—'''Lofty''', '''Arcee''', and '''Holiday'''

"Leave our planet. This magic doesn't belong here!" 
"Sombra could rule '''every''' planet if he so chose! And he does choose! So there!"
:—'''Arcee''' versus '''Killmaster'''

"Weirdest playdate I've ever been on." 
"At least they're keeping themselves out of trouble." 
"More than I can say for us." 
:—'''Lofty''', '''Arcee''', and '''Holiday'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Scootaloo is a member of the self-styled "[[wikia:MLP:Cutie Mark Crusaders|Cutie Mark Crusaders]]" along with [[Sweetie Belle]] and [[Apple Bloom]]. While those two characters were introduced in season 1 as [[Rarity]] and [[Applejack]]'s younger sisters, the ''Friendship Is Magic'' show didn't go into detail about Scootaloo's living arrangements until 2017, when [[wikia:MLP:Ponyville Mysteries: Riddle of the Rusty Horseshoe|a tie-in chapter book]] revealed that her aunts took care of her while her birth parents were away. The pair made a cameo in one of IDW's ''My Little Pony'' spinoff books, but were redesigned when they finally put in an appearance in the season nine episode "[[wikia:MLP:The Last Crusade|The Last Crusade]]"—their appearance here uses these cartoon models, and references Lofty's penchant for sewing from that episode. Their status as the first explicit same-sex couple in the ''My Little Pony'' franchise is probably also why they're teaming up with Arcee and Greenlight (see below for more on that).
* Arcee, her romantic partner Greenlight, and their [[Mentor|mentee]] Gauge appeared together in IDW's ongoing ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' comic, and even got a [[Gauging the Truth: Part One|spotlight story]] together in 2020's ''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' spin-off comic. That same year, Arcee and Gauge also appeared in the [[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|first ''My Little Pony/Transformers'' crossover]], though they didn't appear together and the comic didn't establish any kind of relationship between them. However, given that [[Sam Maggs]] wrote both this story and their ''Galaxies'' arc—and considering how the story draws a parallel between the pony and Cybertronian couples—it ''seems'' likely that the Gauge of this universe is also Arcee's mentee, but the comic doesn't outright confirm or deny this interpretation.
* In the ''Friendship is Magic'' television show, Scootaloo was unable to fly, but could use her pegasus wings to power her scooter. This comic pairs her up with [[Sureshock (G1)|Sureshock]], who, naturally, transforms into a motor scooter.

===Transformers references===
* Killmaster originated in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' as a member of the dreaded [[Warriors Elite]], who wielded a bespoke "wand" that teleported victims into his personal "prison dimension". Arcee notes that his real name is "Murderking", a detail first revealed in ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' [[Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|issue #4]], but the comic reimagines his favorite weapon: it emanates the same neon-green aura [[King Sombra]] uses in his various evil spells, and the abnormal telekinetic powers Murderking manifests in this issue suggest that this version of the character might now (almost certainly because of Sombra's interference) wield an ''actual'' magic wand.
* Scootaloo's Cybertronian friends include a number of "young" Transformers from across the franchise. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] is probably the most recognizable of the bunch, but the group also includes a new incarnation of ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]], a jeep-mode [[Hot Shot (G1)|Hot Shot]] based on his recent ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' toy, and IDW-original characters Gauge and [[Rubble]]. Gauge's motorbike friend [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] is an unusual case—she's depicted with the [[alternate mode]] [[Anna Malkova]] designed for IDW's [[Transformers (2019 comic)|ongoing ''Transformers'']] comic, but that universe's Flareup wouldn't actually appear in her bike mode until [[War World: Titans|''Transformers'' #29]], released three weeks after this comic.
* Scootaloo sports a white jumpsuit based on the one [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] wore in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 animated film]] and the third season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the Generation 1 cartoon]]—although, of course, hers sports an embroidered "S" instead of a "D".

===Errors===
* On page 21, when Killmaster tries to break free from the yarn, his eyes are red instead of green to signify he's under mind control.
* The final "To be continued" is misspelt as "To be contunued".

===Other trivia===
* Lofty and Arcee have quite a bit in common: Both debuted in [[1986]] in their respective franchises' [[The Transformers: The Movie|theatrical]] {{w|My Little Pony: The Movie (1986 film)|films}}, where they were voiced by [[Susan Blu]]. It's perhaps all too fitting that they should team up some 35 years later.
* That's some exceptionally strong yarn!
* Upon seeing the children, even Arcee's Autobot insignia is shocked.

[[Category:My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron issues]]

A Real Mother

2021-09-20T04:48:23Z

BigRobot: Noticed an error.

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron]]'' #1
|prev=The Magic of Cybertron
|next=Stunt Flying
|image=MLPTFII 1 cvrB.jpg
|title="A Real Mother"
|caption="And if you look to your left, you'll see the spot where [[Rubble]] got killed!"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[The Magic of Cybertron issue 1|''The Magic of Cybertron'' #1]]
|date=[[April 28]], [[2021]]
|coverdate=April 2021
|written by=[[Sam Maggs]]
|art by=[[Casey Coller]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|editor=[[Megan Brown]] and [[David Mariotte]]
}}

'''Scootaloo's aunts travel to Cybertron in search of their missing niece, but find trouble when they tangle—in more ways than one—with a member of Sombra's Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Scootaloo]] has gone missing! To find her, her aunts [[Holiday]] and [[Lofty]] travel through a [[space bridge|spacebridge]] portal all the way to the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]... even though the planet's metallic vistas and futuristic cityscapes are a far cry from the green hills and blue skies of [[Equestria]]. After a quick stretch, the pair head out to explore; before long, they encounter [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and her partner [[Greenlight]]. Once they're acquainted, Lofty explains their predicament and Arcee agrees to help, but warns them that they'll have to move fast. Lofty's sure that she can keep up... but the ponies realise ''why'' they have to move fast when the enormous [[Decepticon]] [[Killmaster]] catches up with them, the latest victim of [[King Sombra]]'s mind-control spell!

Arcee and Greenlight promptly get in front of the ponies and open fire; using his magic wand, however, Killmaster simply deflect their shots right back at them and throws them off their feet. Fortunately, the ponies came prepared: using Holiday's knitting supplies, the two ponies get the drop on the hulking Decepticon and hogtie him with their yarn. This doesn't hold him down for very long, but it's just the distraction Arcee and Greenlight need to get their bearings and adopt a new strategy. Lofty tosses the ball of yarn to Greenlight, who ties one end to Arcee's [[alternate mode]] tailfin. Working together, ponies and Autobots manage to entangle Killmaster in yarn before Arcee revs hard into a donut—Holiday delivers the final blow by cutting the line with her scissors and sending Killmaster flying out of sight.

At that moment, the two ponies hear a familiar voice—Scootaloo! Not only is she unharmed, but their energetic niece has also befriended [[Gauge]] and a group of young Autobots. The quartet decide to relax, unwind, and take in the strange sight of the first ever pony/Cybertronian playdate, and Greenlight tells their new friends that they'll ponysit anytime!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Greenlight]] (3)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] (6)
* [[Gauge]] (7)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (8)
* [[Sureshock (G1)|Sureshock]] (10)
* [[Hot Shot (G1)|Hot Shot]] (11)
* [[Rubble]] (12)

|c2=
* [[Killmaster]] (5)

|c4=
* [[Holiday]] (1)
* [[Lofty]] (2)
* [[Scootaloo]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"I'm '''Arcee'''. And this is my 'gal', '''Greenlight'''." 
"Attempting to replicate their parlance in order to make them feel more comfortable. Wise move." 
"Yyyyes, exactly my plan."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Greenlight'''

"...That's one of those Sombra-controlled baddies." 
"His real name is 'Murderking'." 
"A little on-the-snout, but okay." 
"—'''Lofty''', '''Arcee''', and '''Holiday'''

"Leave our planet. This magic doesn't belong here!" 
"Sombra could rule '''every''' planet if he so chose! And he does choose! So there!"
:—'''Arcee''' versus '''Killmaster'''

"Weirdest playdate I've ever been on." 
"At least they're keeping themselves out of trouble." 
"More than I can say for us." 
:—'''Lofty''', '''Arcee''', and '''Holiday'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Scootaloo is a member of the self-styled "[[wikia:MLP:Cutie Mark Crusaders|Cutie Mark Crusaders]]" along with [[Sweetie Belle]] and [[Apple Bloom]]. While those two characters were introduced in season 1 as [[Rarity]] and [[Applejack]]'s younger sisters, the ''Friendship Is Magic'' show didn't go into detail about Scootaloo's living arrangements until 2017, when [[wikia:MLP:Ponyville Mysteries: Riddle of the Rusty Horseshoe|a tie-in chapter book]] revealed that her aunts took care of her while her birth parents were away. The pair made a cameo in one of IDW's ''My Little Pony'' spinoff books, but were redesigned when they finally put in an appearance in the season nine episode "[[wikia:MLP:The Last Crusade|The Last Crusade]]"—their appearance here uses these cartoon models, and references Lofty's penchant for sewing from that episode. Their status as the first explicit same-sex couple in the ''My Little Pony'' franchise is probably also why they're teaming up with Arcee and Greenlight (see below for more on that).
* Arcee, her romantic partner Greenlight, and their [[Mentor|mentee]] Gauge appeared together in IDW's ongoing ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' comic, and even got a [[Gauging the Truth: Part One|spotlight story]] together in 2020's ''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' spin-off comic. That same year, Arcee and Gauge also appeared in the [[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|first ''My Little Pony/Transformers'' crossover]], though they didn't appear together and the comic didn't establish any kind of relationship between them. However, given that [[Sam Maggs]] wrote both this story and their ''Galaxies'' arc—and considering how the story draws a parallel between the pony and Cybertronian couples—it ''seems'' likely that the Gauge of this universe is also Arcee's mentee, but the comic doesn't outright confirm or deny this interpretation.
* In the ''Friendship is Magic'' television show, Scootaloo was unable to fly, but could use her pegasus wings to power her scooter. This comic pairs her up with [[Sureshock (G1)|Sureshock]], who, naturally, transforms into a motor scooter.

===Transformers references===
* Killmaster originated in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' as a member of the dreaded [[Warriors Elite]], who wielded a bespoke "wand" that teleported victims into his personal "prison dimension". Arcee notes that his real name is "Murderking", a detail first revealed in ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' [[Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|issue #4]], but the comic reimagines his favorite weapon: it emanates the same neon-green aura [[King Sombra]] uses in his various evil spells, and the abnormal telekinetic powers Murderking manifests in this issue suggest that this version of the character might now (almost certainly because of Sombra's interference) wield an ''actual'' magic wand.
* Scootaloo's Cybertronian friends include a number of "young" Transformers from across the franchise. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] is probably the most recognizable of the bunch, but the group also includes a new incarnation of ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]], a jeep-mode [[Hot Shot (G1)|Hot Shot]] based on his recent ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' toy, and IDW-original characters Gauge and [[Rubble]]. Gauge's motorbike friend [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] is an unusual case—she's depicted with the [[alternate mode]] [[Anna Malkova]] designed for IDW's [[Transformers (2019 comic)|ongoing ''Transformers'']] comic, but that universe's Flareup wouldn't actually appear in her bike mode until [[War World: Titans|''Transformers'' #29]], released three weeks after this comic.
* Scootaloo sports a white jumpsuit based on the one [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] wore in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 animated film]] and the third season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the Generation 1 cartoon]]—although, of course, hers sports an embroidered "S" instead of a "D".

===Errors===
* On page 21, when KillMaster tries to break free from the yarn, his eyes are red instead of green to signify he's under mind control.
* The final "To be continued" is misspelt as "To be contunued".

===Other trivia===
* Lofty and Arcee have quite a bit in common: Both debuted in [[1986]] in their respective franchises' [[The Transformers: The Movie|theatrical]] {{w|My Little Pony: The Movie (1986 film)|films}}, where they were voiced by [[Susan Blu]]. It's perhaps all too fitting that they should team up some 35 years later.
* That's some exceptionally strong yarn!
* Upon seeing the children, even Arcee's Autobot insignia is shocked.

[[Category:My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron issues]]

Master Sword

2021-06-05T18:09:11Z

BigRobot: removed and replaced a low-quality joke that really doesn't make sense.

[[File:Mastersword.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|Unfortunately for Fortress Maximus, he does not have the McGuffins needed to wield the Master Sword.]]
The '''Master Sword''' (マスターソード ''Masutā Sōdo''), "blade of blades, wielded only by the righteous and just", is the single most powerful weapon created by the super-science of the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], and the ultimate weapon of Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]].

In addition to the massive blade, the term "Master Sword" also refers to the small dagger-like device housed in the control console of Battleship Maximus. When this is drawn from the console by Fortress, the battleship transforms to robot mode, to which Fortress connects in head mode, forming Fortress Maximus. To unsheath the sword, Fortress's physical and mental energies must be in perfect synchronization; the activation of the Master Sword and his transformation into Fortress Maximus drains them severely, requiring an extended period of recharging before it can be accomplished again, eating away at Fortress's life force every time he goes Maximus.

==Fiction==
===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
[[Image:Mastersword2.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Now take a nap for seven years.]]
Fortress first unsheathed the Master Sword when the [[Decepticon]]s unleashed a monstrous carnivorous plant on [[San Francisco]]. Unable to draw the sword at first, Fortress was galvanized by cries for help from his Headmaster troops, and became Fortress Maximus for the first time to whack the plant's weed with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} The Master Sword proceeded to be a weapon that turned the tide of many a battle, and ultimately forced the Decepticons from [[Earth]] when it perforated the weak spot of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

Seeking a way to counter the power of the Master Sword, Scorponok headed for planet Master. There, he attempted to learn the secrets and weaknesses of the Master Sword by having one of the scientists responsible for creating it, [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], captured and tortured. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} This approach failed, but while burrowing underground, he located the ore necessary to create the incredible durable [[G-Metal]], and proceeded to capture the Autobot [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], ransoming him for a disc containing all the data on the Master Sword. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} Combining these, he successfully created the [[Zarak Shield]], which proved able to deflect the Master Sword when they first clashed in battle. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

Returning to Earth, Scorponok initiated a plan to destroy the planet, culminating in a massive battle between the Autobot and Decepticon armies at the North Pole. Powered up by the combining energies of the Autobots, relayed to him through the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]], Fortress Maximus used the Master Sword to destroy the Zarak Shield, and Scorponok's Transtector, saving the planet. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{-}}

====''Legends'' comic====
The new Battleship Maximus built in the [[Legends World]] also came equipped with the small and large Master Swords. Taking over Fortress's transtector, [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] attempted to unsheath the sword and transform the base into "Weird Maximus", but failed to balance his physical and mental energies appropriately and was knocked out. After transforming into Fortress Maximus, Fortress used the larger Master Sword to pierce the device [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] was using to control [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 31|Bonus Edition Vol. 31}}

[[Grand Maximus]] got his own Master Sword to use with a new transtector that matched Fortress's in size. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Grand Maximus)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
The Master Sword was thus named because it contained the souls of the [[Blind Master]], [[Soft Master]], and [[Hard Master]]. Their pupil, [[Snake-Eyes]], acquired the sword and through it he bonded with Fortress Maximus and become the city-bot's new Headmaster partner. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
[[File:FortMaxPoster.jpg|thumb|DA-NA-NA-NAAAAA!]]
Fortress Maximus summoned the Master Sword and attempted to strike [[The Fallen|Megatronus]], but his fiery aura managed to repel the blade, causing it to dissipate and Maximus to be knocked back. {{storylink|All Things Must Pass}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===''The Headmasters''===
[[File:TF-G1-Fortress-Maximus-Master-Sword.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Japanese-only exclusive.]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, [[1987]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
:Available only with the Japanese release of the Fortress Maximus toy, both forms of the Master Sword are included—the small version, which can be wielded by Fortress, and the ''large'' version, which fits in the hand of Fortress Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

:The Master Sword was [[redeco]]ed to make the [[Master Blade (Masterforce)|Master Blade]] included with [[Grand Maximus#Super-God Masterforce|Grand Maximus]], and slightly [[retool]]ed to make the [[Matrix Blade]].

===''Encore''===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, [[2013]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories:'' Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword, Cerebros's sword.

:The ''Encore'' release of Fortress Maximus retains his Master Sword accessory.
{{-}}

===''Generations''===
[[File:Titans-Return-SDCC-Master-Sword.jpg|thumb|America-only exclusive.]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (San Diego Comic-Con exclusive, [[2016]])
**''Accessories'': Cerebros, Emissary, 2 leg guns, gun turret, Master Sword
:The [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2016 exclusive release of Fortress Maximus comes with a new Master Sword weapon decoed after its appearances in ''The Headmasters''. Like the original Generation 1 accessory, the sword can be separated into a small version of the blade for Cerebros to hold.

{{-}}{{anchor|TRUHKMasterSword}}
[[File:Generations-Fort-Max-master-sword.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Asia-only exclusive.]]
*'''Master Sword''' (Toys"R"Us online exclusive, 2016)
:A redeco of the Master Sword that features painted details to resemble the original G1 toy was available as part of a promotional campaign via several Asian branches of [[Toys"R"Us]].

:In Hong Kong, it was available for the first 100 customers to purchase Fortress Maximus via the Toys"R"Us website between June 26 and July 1. In Taiwan, the campaign was launched in July; and in Singapore, it ran from July 7 to August 31 and was limited to the top 20 spenders who purchased Fortress Maximus.
{{-}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:TF-Legends-Fortress-Maximus-Master-Sword.jpg|upright=0.5|thumb|Japanese exclusive (again), but not redecoed like the Asia one.]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2016-[[September 24|09-24]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG31'''
**''Accessories'': Headmaster unit, Fortress, 2 leg guns, gun turret, Master Sword
:''Legends'' Fortress Maximus also comes with his own Master Sword accessory, and the first one to be a regular release item compared to the releases above. Following the standard of the ''Legends'' subline, this Master Sword is decoed to match the weapon's appearances in ''The Headmasters'' cartoon; however, its paint applications are not the same as that of the sword from San Diego Comic-Con 2016 release, featuring slightly altered and added paint details.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Kabaya_DX_Fort_Max_Master_Sword.JPG|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Sky Base + Powerglide''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword
:Part of the first wave of the ''[[Transformers Gum#DX kits|Transformers Gum DX]]'' series, the [[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Merchandise|Sky Base]] is a snap-together model kit of a battle station with some kind of antenna formed by the Master Sword, for use by the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Gumbined|Fortress Maximus figure]] assembled by combining all three kits in the wave. The Master Sword is one piece of plastic removed from a red sprue, with molding and customer-applied stickers providing details. The sword’s handle is too small to be compatible with the [[5 mm post|5 mm weapon system]]. Boooo.
{{-}}
===Brave-Goukin===
*'''Excel Suit''' (<s>2014</s>)
[[File:CM's_Corporation_excelsuit_data_disk.jpg|200px|thumb|Oh cool, someone 3D printed the Save icon.]]
:This accessory of the Master Sword data disk from "[[The Master Sword Is in Danger!!]]" was to be included with [[CM's Corporation]]'s ''Brave-Goukin'' "[[Exosuit#Brave-Goukin|Excel Suit]]" toy. It would have included a metal chain and stand from which to hang it, but the whole set went unreleased following CM's Corporation's bankruptcy.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Atonement Autobase.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*In [[Atonement|issue #6]] of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|ongoing ''Generation One'' comic book]], [[Autobase]] is designed to look like an inverted Master Sword, with its hilt acting as a landing pad for aircraft.
*No, it's not ''that'' [http://www.zeldawiki.org/Master_Sword Master Sword]. Stop asking.

===Foreign names===
*''Italian:'' '''Master Sodo'''

[[Category:Legends franchise]]
[[Category:Swords]]
[[Category:The Headmasters]]
[[Category:Titans Return]]

Prime's Directive, Part One

2021-03-27T20:23:50Z

BigRobot: Added notes. Not sure why Reflector wasn't mentioned here.

{{disambig2|the IDW issue|the Dreamwave issue|Prime Directive issue 1}}

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=Prime's Directive, Part Two
|image=STvsTF1 cvrRIB.jpg
|title="Prime's Directive, Part One"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 26]], [[2018]]
|coverdate=September 2018
|written by=[[John Barber]] and [[Mike Johnson]]
|art by=[[Philip Murphy]]
|colors by=[[Priscilla Tramontano]]
|letters by=[[Christa Miesner]]
|editor=[[Chase Marotz]] and [[David Mariotte]]
|continuity=''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]''
}}

'''A distress call diverts the voyage of the ''Enterprise'' to a Federation colony under attack by 20th century Earth vehicles—but this threat is much more than meets the eye.'''

==Synopsis==
In the 23rd century, the starship ''[[USS Enterprise|Enterprise]]'' is called off-course from its five-year mission to investigate a distress signal emanating from the remote [[dilithium]]-mining colony of [[Cygnus Seven]], located on the fringes of [[Klingon]] space. As they arrive over the planet, Lieutenant [[Spock]] reports that the ship's sensors have been scrambled by an unknown foe, leaving the crew with no other alternative than beaming down to investigate. Captain [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]] assembles an away team to do just that, but when they beam down to Cygnus Seven, they discover that the peaceful [[Federation]] mining colony is under attack... and, stranger still, under attack from antique 20th-century jets and helicopters!

When [[Starscream (G1)|one of these jets]] doubles back to strafe Kirk's crew, Kirk catches a glimpse of its cockpit, and both he and Spock realize that something's not right: these supposedly outdated vehicles are somehow driving themselves. Another blast from the jet blows open a hole in a nearby mountain, and despite Lieutenant [[M'Ress]]'s assurances that they'll be able to use the passageway to rescue the trapped miners, things take an even stranger turn when a [[Optimus Prime (G1)|red-and-blue truck]] comes hurtling out of the mountain, using its trailer to shield the Federation officers from the next barrage. Kirk suspects a Klingon trick, however, and uses his [[Phaser (weapon)|phaser]] to blast his impromptu rescuer in the cab; in doing so, however, the truck ''screams'' in pain, and transforms into a gigantic robot! Revealed as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], he manages to convince the crew of the ''Enterprise'' of his good intentions before his injuries force him offline, begging the captain to protect the humans that he's inadvertently dragged into their war.

Kirk shouts for their attackers to identify themselves, and they oblige by transforming into [[Decepticon]]s! [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] orders [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] to take out the humans with a sonic blast, but doesn't realize that this same attack is able to dissipate the interference jamming the ''Enterprise's'' communications, giving Kirk the opening he needs to contact [[Arex (Star Trek)|Arex]] and order a [[photon torpedo]] strike on their location. The blast catches the Decepticons off-guard, wounding Soundwave, and a subsequent round of phaser fire convinces the Decepticons to retreat to a nearby moon, where Soundwave detects a Decepticon signal...

With the threat temporarily banished, Spock takes electrical readings to confirm that Optimus is still alive. Kirk contacts [[Scotty]] and [[Leonard McCoy|Doctor McCoy]] to see what can be done, and the pair join the rest of the crew to investigate the wounded robot up close; though Kirk is unable to explain to the skeptical doctor that their patient seemed to be ''more'' than just a simple automaton, the conversation is cut short when Spock detects more electrical signals deeper into the mine. Leaving the two specialists with their new patient, Kirk takes M'Ress and [[Hikaru Sulu|Sulu]] to investigate.

Having beaten their retreat, the Decepticons regroup on the moon, where they discover—much to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s surprise—[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] in his city mode, now occupied by a group of Klingons. Their leader, [[Kuri]], explains to Megatron that the humans had no right to be mining in this sector of space, but when Megatron mentions the ''Enterprise'', Kuri realizes he has a chance for revenge against his nemesis Kirk, and the two agree to join forces.

Back on Cygnus Seven, Scotty is impressed by Prime's incredibly advanced circuitry. His enthusiasm for the wounded alien wins over the crusty doctor, who points out that, despite his advanced technology, they still don't know how to wake him up. Kirk and his team, meanwhile, have continued to investigate the deepest reaches of the dilithium mine; led onward by Sulu's readings, the group stumble across a massive metal wall emblazoned with an [[Autobot|unknown insignia]]. Kirk formulates a plan to cut through the metal with their phasers... but before he can do so, the wall is blown apart by an explosion. The crew finds themselves face-to-face with more Autobots, and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] demands to know what they've done with Optimus Prime!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (15)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (23)
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (24)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (25)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (26)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (27)

|c2=
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (7)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (8)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (9)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (10)
*[[Airachnid (G1)|Airachnid]] (11)
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (12)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (13)
*[[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (14)
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (16)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (17)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (20)

|h3=[[Federation]]|c3=
*[[Nyota Uhura]] (1)
*[[James T. Kirk]] (2)
*[[Spock]] (3)
*[[Arex (Star Trek)|Arex]] (4)
*[[Hikaru Sulu]] (5)
*[[M'Ress]] (6)
*[[Scotty]] (18)
*[[Leonard McCoy]] (19)

|h4=[[Klingon]]s|c4=
*[[Kor]] (21)
*[[Kali]] (22)
*[[Kaz]] (23)
*[[Kuri]] (24)
}}

==Quotes==
"Spare this one. He's cute. I'll keep him as a '''pet'''." 
"Flattered, but you're not my type."
:— '''Airachnid''' and '''Kirk'''

"Retreat is undignified." 
"Really, Starscream? But you're so '''good''' at it!"
:— '''Starscream''' and '''Airachnid'''

"This isn't any simple machine, Bones. It '''spoke''' to me." 
"So what? Lots of computers talk. In fact, sometimes I wish they'd shut up."
:— '''Kirk''' and '''Dr. McCoy'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*''Star Trek vs. Transformers'' is set in the universe of ''Star Trek''; specifically, during the time period of ''{{w|Star Trek: The Animated Series}}'', from which it draws its cast and aesthetic. While it wouldn't be considered {{w|Star Trek canon|canon}}, the series doesn't conflict too much with ''Star Trek'' plot elements; that brand has never made much use of [[micro-continuity|micro-continuities]].
*The ''Transformers'' elements of the issue, meanwhile, draw the vast majority of their influence from [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]], though backstory elements established in later issues render it canonically incompatible with the cartoon itself.
*The captain's log at the start of the issue gives the {{w|stardate}} as 5892.7. Though stardates in the ''Star Trek'' universe are notoriously inconsistent both within and between individual series, this date is greater than most of those in season 1 of ''Star Trek: The Animated Series'' and lower than the majority of those in season 2; thus, assuming a ''general'' upwards progression, this would presumably place ''Star Trek vs. Transformers'' between the two seasons of the animated show.<ref>[http://startreklist.blogspot.com/2011/04/list-of-all-star-trek-episodes-sorted.html "List of all Star Trek episodes sorted by star date" at The Star Trek List]</ref>

===Transformers references===
[[File:STvT Airachnid.jpg|thumb|200px|A particularly harsh case of Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome.]]
*While the majority of the ''Transformers'' character designs are pulled straight from the original cartoon's character models, they are supplemented by retro versions of later characters [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and [[Airachnid (G1)|Airachnid]]. Both characters sport new and simplified designs in an effort to match the Sunbow aesthetic, but Airachnid gets a much more dramatic makeover, now sporting a V-shaped head crest with multiple extra eyes on it.
*Spock mentions that there may be "more to this situation than meets the eye," because, well, of course.
*[[Kremzeek]] appears on Starscream's heads-up display.

===Star Trek references===
*The name of the story is a reference to ''Star Trek''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s famous {{w|Prime Directive}}. (What, you thought it was ''only'' referring to Optimus Prime?)
*As mentioned, the art style and Star Trek elements here are adapted from ''Star Trek: The Animated Series''; the non-human ''Enterprise'' crew M'Ress and Arex originated in that series, and the comic even adapts some of the series' goofier visual quirks; page 5 has an awkwardly close-up shot of Spock's face, while page 11 features the crew doing the cartoon's overly stiff stock run animation!
* The comic begins with the ''Enterprise'' passing by a cratered green planet, akin to the planet that appeared in the title card of every ''Animated Series'' episode.
*On seeing the Decepticons, Sulu whispers "oh my"—a memetic catchphrase that Sulu's actor [[George Takei]] has adopted in recent years.
* An [[Andorian]] appears among the inhabitants of Cygnus Seven.
* Sulu namedrops the [[Eugenics Wars]] when discussing the age of the Transformers' alternate modes; this is a key event in ''Star Trek'' lore, usually established as having occurred during the 1990s.
* "I'm a doctor, not a mechanic," complains McCoy, dropping the character's most famous catchphrase.
* All of the Klingons in this issue are preexisting ''Star Trek'' characters who appeared in the ''Animated Series'' episode "[[memoryalpha:The Time Trap (episode)|The Time Trap]]". With the exception of Kor, none of them would go on to appear in any other ''Star Trek'' media until this issue.

===Errors===
* When Scotty says he's glad Kirk is still alive, Kirk responds with "That's makes two of us," with an extraneous apostrophe and s. This has been corrected in the trade paperback.
* Like all the other characters, Trypticon's city mode is based very precisely on his Generation 1 character model—except it's been mirror-flipped, so the unique tower and radar dish designs appear on the wrong sides.

===Other notes===
*A planet named Cygnus has appeared in both ''Star Trek'' and ''Transformers'' media (which might explain its role here as the main setting); on the ''Transformers'' side of things, [[Cygnus Seven]] appeared in the ''Transformers'' episode "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]", while numerous planets in the Cygnus system have cropped up over the years in both canon and non-canon ''Star Trek'' media.
*Backmatter for this issue includes a tribute to {{w|Harlan Ellison}} by IDW Publishing's Scott Tipton.
*Despite appearing on the cover, [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] doesn't actually appear in the Crossover.

===Covers (4)===
*'''Cover A:''' The Autobots and the ''Enterprise'' crew, by [[Philip Murphy]]; combines with cover B to make a larger image
*'''Cover B:''' The Decepticons and the Klingons, by Philip Murphy; combines with cover A to make a larger image
*'''Retailer incentive cover A:''' M'Ress vs [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], by [[Paulina Ganucheau]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover B:''' Our heroes doing an awkward and stiff stock run, by [[Derek Charm]]
<gallery>
File:STvsTF1 cvrA.jpg|Da Good Guyz
File:STvsTF1 cvrB.jpg|Da Bad Guyz
File:STvsTF1 cvrRIA.jpg|Da Kitty Kats
File:STvsTF1 cvrRIB.jpg|Race on the galaxy's smallest planet
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[Transformers: Bumblebee - Win If You Dare|Bumblebee: Win if you Dare]]'' graphic novel
*''[[Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel|Bumblebee Movie Prequel: From Cybertron with Love]]'' TPB
*''[[Transformers: Unicron]]'' [[Assembly (Unicron)|#5]]
*''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' [[Post|#25]]
*''[[The Transformers: Lost Light]]'' [[How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2|#25]]
*''Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through the Mirror'' TPB

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2018/09/preview-of-star-trek-vs-transformers-1/ Preview]
*[[memoryalpha:Star Trek vs. Transformers, Issue 1|Issue article]] at Memory Alpha
*[[wikia:memory-beta:Prime's Directive, Part One|Issue article]] at Memory Beta, the non-canon ''Star Trek'' wiki

[[Category:Star Trek vs. Transformers issues]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime's Directive, Part 1}}