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The Gambler

2026-05-10T16:58:55Z

Chris McFeely: /* Foreign localization */

{{episode
|image=Lordgyconireclines.jpg
|caption=You may have been a good smuggler once, but now you're bantha fodder!
|series=G1toon
|ep=47
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=36
|prev2=The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)
|next2=The Girl Who Loved Powerglide
|title="The Gambler"
|season=2
|season ep=31
|written by=[[Michael Charles Hill]]
|production code=700-46
|airdate=[[November 11]], 1985
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTNQz3vJ9WY
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''On the return journey from Aron's world, the Autobots are captured by a gambling-addicted alien and traded away, leaving Smokescreen and the Autobot bounty hunter Devcon to rescue them.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Gamblerautosintubes.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin' is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep.]]
The Autobots are returning to earth after their adventure on [[Aron]]'s [[Brobdingnag|world]], when their "toy rocket" space ship suddenly comes to a halt. They are captured by an alien captain named [[Bosch]]. Bosch deactivates them and intends to sell the Autobots as slaves in exchange for energon. However, [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]'s tube malfunctions and he remains functional, though temporarily immobilized.

Smokescreen learns that Bosch is a gambler. After demonstrating his ability to manipulate a slot machine, he takes Bosch's proposition to go to [[Monacus]], a gambling asteroid, and win enough energon to repower Bosch's ship in exchange for the freedom of the rest of the Autobots.

Bosch and Smokescreen end up at the "Pit of Destruction" arena of [[Gyconi|Lord Gyconi]], a local swindler, where they use the Autobots as collateral for a very high-interest loan of energon chips. At a casino, Smokescreen builds up quite a stack of winnings and lets it all ride on one last bet, but one of the casino workers breaks his link with a slot machine and he loses everything. Unable to buy back his friends, Smokescreen vows that Gyconi hasn't seen the last of him.

[[File:Gamblersmokescreenbets.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.]]

Meanwhile, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] arrive on the planet in [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and head towards the city. They are followed by a mysterious blue Autobot.

In a local tavern, Smokescreen meets the mysterious Autobot, who introduces himself as [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]]; he's a bounty hunter searching for Decepticons.

[[File:Gamblerdevconslizardo.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|For a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice.]]

In Gyconi's lair, Ramjet and Dirge shake down the big green frogman for a share of his profits. He invites the two Decepticon planes to stay and watch the upcoming battle in his arena: the Autobots versus the Animaliens. Before the show, Gyconi fixes the fight by giving the Autobots unstable energon which will wear off and make them defenseless.

The fight begins as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], under Gyconi's control, takes on an ugly red lizard animalien. At first the Autobot leader holds his own, prompting a lot of patrons to bet on him, but then his power runs out and he's overcome. [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is forced into the arena for the next match, but before it starts, Smokescreen fills the place with smoke and forces everyone out. Ramjet and Dirge chase him down, but he's saved by Devcon.

[[File:Gambleranimalianfight.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|The best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.]]

Gyconi and the Decepticons load up Astrotrain with energon cubes in order to make a getaway, but Smokescreen, Devcon and Bosch confront them. During a fierce firefight, Smokescreen uses his smoke again to confuse the Decepticons. They take off aboard Astrotrain and Devcon chases after them, taking Slizardo with him as a partner.

The Autobots are returned to normal and Bosch offers to take them back to earth, but only after a quick stop at casino row.

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (1)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (4)
* [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (5)
* [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] (14)
|c2=
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (11)
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (12)
* [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (13)
|c4=
* [[Bosch]] (6)
* Monacan loan shark (7)
* [[Animalien]] (8)
* [[Slizardo]] (9)
* [[Gyconi]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Gambler Bosch.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Oh dear!" said the cat, "You did not like our game... oh dear, what a shame!
What a shame!"]]
"Arrrgh! I can't even beat my own machine anymore, and I had it fixed so I could cheat!"
:—'''Bosch''' has a stroke of bad luck.

"The name is Smokescreen, and I never walk when I can drive."
:—'''Smokescreen'''

'''Dirge:''' "We've been hearing ''stories'', Gyconi, ''stories'' that make Megatron very unhappy." 
'''Gyconi:''' "Stories?! What kind of... stories?" 
'''Ramjet:''' "That you have been skimming energon off the top." 
'''Gyconi:''' "LIES!" 
:—the Coneheads play enforcer on Lord Gyconi

"Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight for the first time anywhere in the galaxies, you will witness the pugilistic spectacle of the millennium!"
:—'''Lord Gyconi''' talks up his gladiator show.

"What ''were'' those things?" 
"Decepticons. They are enemies of the Autobots." 
"They shouldn't be allowed to run loose like that!"
:—'''Bosch''' and '''Smokescreen'''

"Now, prepare to meet my friend... [[Ionic displacer rifle|Mr. Ionic Displacer!]]"
:—'''Astrotrain'''

==Notes==
===Production information===
* First draft script submitted: 17th May 1985

===Continuity notes===
[[File:Gambler Slizardo.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Not my eye! Artoo, help!]]
* This episode follows the events of "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]".
* Back in the pilot, energon cubes were suggested to be a recent creation of the Decepticons on Earth, and have almost exclusively been used by them up to this point. This episode may be the first to suggest the substance is used by non-Cybertronians.
* This episode introduces the rather curious notion that Megatron is somehow involved in the galactic gambling trade, sending his thugs to make sure Gyconi isn't taking a cut for himself on the side. "[[Sea Change]]" will likewise show that Megatron's interests extend well beyond Earth and Cybertron; the exploratory trip at the beginning of "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]" also fits this pattern.
*Slizardo would eventually return in the season 3 episode "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]" alongside the [[Skuxxoid]].
*Devcon would later be featured in the [[Transformers: The Wreckers|''Wreckers'' comic]].
*Devcon swears by "Great Cybertron".
*Gyconi charges the Autobots with "unstable energon" that they quickly burn through.
*Ramjet is not familiar with Devcon, but Dirge is.
*Astrotrain refers to his ionic displacer rifle by that name.
* When Optimus gives the order to roll out, Perceptor transforms into giant microscope mode [[Child's Play (episode)|again]], though we don't actually see him rolling on-screen.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Smokescreen can deploy a cable from his wrist which lets him control machinery to some unknown extent - enough to make a slot machine come up as a winner, at least.

===Real-world references===
[[File:Monacus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|You will never find a more wretched hive of -- wait, this part's not a reference.]]
[[File:TheGambler alien audience.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|They're going to execute Optimus Prime, and if we're not careful, us too!]]
[[File:Smokescreen gambler 4.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Utinni!]]
*Inferno disparagingly refers to Perceptor as {{w|Don Herbert|Mr. Wizard}}.
*{{w|Sheol}}, the name of Lord Gyconi's part of town, is a Hebrew word that can be used as a synonym or euphemism for Hell.
*When an alien turns down Bosch's offer of the Autobots as collateral, saying he's "got robots up to [his] eyeballs", he advises Bosch to go see someone named Asimov in the Tet Quadrant. {{w|Isaac Asimov}} was a science-fiction writer known for his stories about robots (duh).
*Monacus is named for the real-world sovereign state of Monaco, famous for its casino.
* Bosch shares his name with a {{w|Robert Bosch GmbH|multinational corporation}} known for making, among other things, automotive components. They were one of the sponsors of Don Devendorf's Electramotive Racing 280ZX, which was the inspiration for Smokescreen's alt mode. Coincidence?
* Astrotrain's line about his gun is cribbed from Al Pacino's famous "Say hello to my little friend!" from the end of ''Scarface''.
* ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
** Clashing and sparking [[lightsaber]]s as the energy draining tubes rise up around the Autobots.
** Lightsaber-reflecting-Seeker-bolts as Bosch activates the tubes.
** ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as Dirge and Ramjet take off after Smokescreen.
*Speaking of, this episode's got a real ''Return of the Jedi'' thing going on:
** The Animalians are pretty flagrantly a ripoff of the [[wikia:starwars:Rancor|Rancor]].
** The lavender-colored aliens in Gyconi's audience are based on the alien [[wikia:starwars:Ree-Yees|Ree-Yees]].
** There's a [[wikia:starwars:Jawa|Jawa]] doppelganger at the casino, a hooded guy with glowing yellow eyes set in an otherwise totally obscured face.
** And of course there's a prominently featured [[wikia:starwars:Jabba Desilijic Tiure|slug-like overweight alien crime lord]] who likes throwing victims into his monster pit, with an [[wikia:starwars:Salacious B. Crumb|excitable, jabbering lizard-like creature who speaks in garbled nonsense]] at his side.

===Animation and technical errors===
* Coloring errors:
** When Perceptor stands up to address the rocket's issues, the dial on his lens cannon is red instead of white.
** In the first shot of the Autobots inside the tubes, Perceptor's chest is all red, with none of its white bits.
** When Smokescreen's tube breaks, his chest and legs are black where they should be red.
** "WE could clean up" - one of Smokescreen's eyes changes from blue to white as he delivers this line.
** Smokescreen's chest is all blue when they are next seen in Gyconi's office.
** When Smokescreen transforms after nearly running down Slizardo, his headcrest is white, the sides of his legs are gray instead of blue/red, and his leg-windows are red.
* As the Autobots step out of the rocket, the music noticeably jumps forward by half a second.
* As the Autobots walk into the lab, Prime's grill is missing its horizontal lines, Smokescreen's door and right arm are missing, and Perceptor's lens cannon is missing.
* An overhead shot shows the Autobots in a cluster. When they're inside the tubes (which rose up around them where they stood), they're side by side in a line.
* Smokescreen's waist is HUGE as he has his gun taken away while paralyzed. The same goofy proportions recur a few more times, such as when he leaves Gyconi's office the second time.
* "You Lose" is lit up in pink in the close-up shot, but in blue in the wider shot.
* As Smokescreen stands in front of the slot machine after playing it, his waist has a line on one side without a mirrored counterpart on the other side.
[[File:Smokescreen.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"See? All out of Kenny Rogers jokes."]]
* Smokescreen's wrist widget only appears when he's specifically showing it off; in all other shots of that wrist, it's missing.
*The animation of the tubes opening to release the brainwashed Autobots is just the shot of them closing played backwards — unfortunately this means that Smokescreen appears to be in one of the tubes when he shouldn't be.
* Smokescreen's forehead crest is blue instead of yellow as he exits Bosch's shuttle.
** And again as Bosch explains to Slizardo that they've come on business.
** And again as Smokescreen accepts Lord Gyconi's offer.
** And again as he reacts in anger to the 1-hour deadline.
** And again as he introduces himself to Devcon.
** And again after he and Bosch have left the arena fight.
** And (holy ''crap'') ''again'' as Bosch translates Slizardo's message about Astrotrain.
** And OMG AGAIN as Smokescreen and Devcon shelter behind a rock.
** AND AGAIN as Smokescreen stands up for Bosch. (same shot - Perceptor's cannon is black instead of red.)
* Smokescreen's door-wings are missing as he first walks into the arena stands.
*As the Autobots are returned to their original size, shouldn't the container they were in shatter? There's no breaking sound effect. Also, Inferno's head-guard thing, and Perceptor's cannon, are both black instead of red.
* "We have more energon chips than we'll ever need!" - said energon chips are not lit up to glow, appearing black instead.
** Several stray chips are likewise not lit up as Smokescreen bets it all.
** As the smoke fills the arena and patrons grab at a pile of energon chips, the bulk of the chips appear black.
** More black energon cubes as the Autobots start loading Astrotrain up. In the same shot, Astrotrain has a huge yellow panel that's not usually there.
* The lowering platform in Gyconi's room is left unanimated, making the Autobots appear to vanish directly into a paving stone.
* The bouncers roughing up Slizardo change in each shot they appear in. First they appear as white and red robots with ear antennas, then moments later they're purple robots with WWI German style helmets, then as they fall past Smokescreen, the animators split the difference, with one being the purple type and one being the white and red type.
* When Devcon tells Slizardo to get away from him, the latter then crawls away and he is seen crawling on the wall.
* Devcon's head-gun is missing as he turns in response to Smokescreen's call.
* Dirge's cockpit is drawn flat - flush with his chassis - as he picks up the tickets from Gyconi's desk.
* When patrons grab energon chips out of Slizardo's hands, a number of chips are simply left hanging in mid-air in front of him.
* As Gyconi pushes the Autobots into Astrotrain, they stop moving forward; however, Optimus is still bobbing back and forth like he's walking.
*When Bosch advances on Gyconi, he walks forward, in front of Slizardo; but Slizardo's animation cell is still layered in front of him, resulting in him appearing much smaller than Bosch.
* As the Autobots prepare to depart for Casino Row, as soon as Inferno completes transformation to vehicle mode, Perceptor instantly appears alongside him in microscope mode.

===Continuity errors===
*In terms of airdates, this episode is ''definitely'' played out of order, as we've seen several of the characters that are still trying to escape from Aron's planet in "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]" on Earth prior to this one.
* How did the Autobots manage to fill the toy rocket ship with giant computer consoles and such?
* At any point after the "temporary" paralyzing effects of Bosch's gun wears off, Smokescreen is given ample opportunities to simply force Bosch to free his friends. He is clearly more interested in this gambling trip than saving his friends... good thing for him that Prime was comatose when it all happened!
* Bosch says he's out of energon to run his ship, but he's still got enough power to shrink four Autobots, fly off to some asteroid, and unshrink the Autobots - seems like plenty of energy!
* Bosch is consistently shown to be about the same height as Smokescreen... yet somehow he rides inside Smokescreen's car mode.
* Both times Smokescreen shoots his smoke out, the Decepticons are shown coughing (even though, again, Transformers are robots and don't have real throats or lungs).
* In the closing scene, Bosch says he's restored his ship... but he's still on the asteroid, where he traveled by shuttle.

===Trivia===
[[File:Gambler Gyconi Ramjet and Dirge.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Ni Jabba no boddah!]]
* Michael Charles Hill originally wrote this story for ''[[gbwiki:Challenge of the GoBots (cartoon)|Challenge of the GoBots]]'', in what became the episode "[[gbwiki:Gameworld|Gameworld]]". But he disliked the interference and rewrites forced on him by story editors Jeff Segal and Kelly Ward and felt ''The Transformers'' was the perfect opportunity to get the story done right.<ref>http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/michael-charles-hill/michael-charles-hill-1.html</ref>
* This is one of the only two pre-movie episodes in which [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] does not appear, the other being "[[The God Gambit]]". Both have Astrotrain and two Seekers in them.
* Before the BotCon comic, the overwhelming majority of the fandom spelled Devcon's name Defcon, which is closer to the pronunciation given in the episode and has a real world meaning. Many in the fandom were up in arms about the spelling; however, the comic spelling is based on the original script and is now considered the "correct" spelling.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast and DVD release):'' "'''Les jeux du cirque'''" ("The Circus Games")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast):'' "'''Le joueur'''" ("The Gambler")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*All the logo transitions were cut. It is unknown if it was that way for the original broadcast or if the episode was chopped for the DVD release.
::*Inferno is dubbed by [[Francis Lax]] in his first scene and by [[Albert Augier]] in his second scene.
::*Strangely, Astrotrain is dubbed by Francis Lax while transforming ("Re-energizing... and..."), still in his Gyconi's voice. Then Albert Augier dubs the fully-transformed Astrotrain.
::*There is another excessive amount of lines that are absent from the dub:
:::*Bosch's line "Curse this antiquated conglomeration of junk!" is missing.
:::*The second part of Bosch's explanation "...not to mention these chambers which remove and restore the free will of your companions!" is missing.
:::*Bosch's line "I'll restore them to their normal heights... later." is missing.
:::*The dialog between Smokescreen and Bosch as they drive to Gyconi's is missing.
:::*Astrotrain never answers Dirge and Ramjet as they talk to him.
:::*Gyconi's lines are absent as he tampers with the Autobots' circuits.
:::*Devcon's line "I must leave the protection of Earth to you and your comrades, but i can help you rescue your friends here." is missing.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Il giocatore d'azzardo'''" ("The Gambler")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Energon is simply called ''energia'' ("energy").
::*Smokescreen's line: «Come on, Optimus!» is badly cut, so you can hear him saying: «Come on, Optim–».
::*Ramjet once misnames Gyconi as "Zygoni".
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''Il giocatore'''" ("The Player")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Gamble Wakusei Monacus'''" (ギャンブル惑星モナカス, "Monacus the Planet of Gambling")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 14]], [[1986]]
::While the English version has Devcon state that he is merely "searching for Decepticons who must be brought to justice," this version has him say that Ramjet, Dirge, and Astrotrain are escapees from a "space prison" who he is hunting down.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dǔgùn '''" (赌棍, "The Gambler")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Jogador'''" ("The Player")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

===Toys inspired by this episode===
:*''[[Devcon (G1)#Toys]]''

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 5 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 3: Series 2.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 11 ([[Déclic Images]]) — 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 Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 05: Stagione Due Parte Terza ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part Two (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]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 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'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vu7cMgfC7VVLzgrATL-joSoWpoEduPR4/view?usp=sharing Full episode script]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vVhTom6feew2ZMhf3Hw3-s_-vPDsw4Ar Episode dialogue script]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sMN5vHez34LsP0KHsgnwUMteuiWXS_ec/view?usp=drive_link Episode model sheets]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gambler}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

May 8

2026-05-08T13:35:46Z

Chris McFeely: "Shipped," not "on stands," and "Super-Size Coloring Activity Book" predates it by a month+.

<noinclude>{{cal-date|5|8}}</noinclude>

* '''[[1912]] —''' [[Paramount Pictures]], the company that co-produces and distributes the [[live-action film series]] with [[DreamWorks]] is founded.
* '''[[1930]] —''' [[Edgar Fruitier]] (Canadian French voice of [[Doctor Arkeville]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]) is born.
* '''[[1941]] —''' [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American Spanish voice of [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and so much more) is born.
* '''[[1967]] —''' Voice actor [[Jack Merluzzi]] is born.
* '''[[1972]] —''' [[Brian Tyler]] (composer of ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' and [[Transformers One (film)|Transformers One]]) is born
* '''[[1976]] —''' [[Robert Jarociński]] (Polish voice of [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]], [[Dropforge]], [[Razorpaw]], [[Unicron#Rise of the Beasts film|Unicron]] and [[Darkwing (One)|Darkwing]]) is born.
* '''1976 —''' [[Akari Higuchi]] (Japanese voice of [[Viviane Wembly]]) is born.
* '''[[1980]] —''' [[Takanori Hoshino]] (Japanese voice of [[Shockwave (One)|Shockwave]] in ''[[Transformers One (film)|Transformers One]]'') is born.
* '''[[1984]] —''' [[Marvel Comics]] ships ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' [[The Transformers (issue)|#1]] (with a cover date of September).
* '''[[1985]] —''' Writer [[Geneva Robertson-Dworet]] is born.
* '''[[1986]] —''' [[Abby Trott]] (voice of [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] in the ''[[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|Prime Wars Trilogy]]'') is born.
* '''[[1996]] —''' [[Lucas Wecker]] (German voice of [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] in ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', [[Doublecrosser (Cyberverse)|Doublecrosser]] and [[Sprinkleberry D'uhnut]]) is born.
* '''[[1999]] —''' [[Ed Gilbert]] (voice of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]) dies of lung cancer at age 67.
* '''[[2001]] —''' ''[[The Original Transformers]]'' — [[The Original Transformers#Heroes / Villains|Heroes: The Rebirth & Villains: The Ultimate Doom]] are released on VHS and DVD in the U.S. by [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]].
* '''[[2002]] —''' ''[[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Generation 1]]: [[Prime Directive]]'' [[Prime Directive issue 2|#2]] is released by [[Dreamwave Productions]]
* '''[[2006]] —''' The sixth show in the [[Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|''Kiss Players'' radio drama series]] airs in [[Japan]] on the "[[Lyrian]] Moe-tchao" program.
* '''[[2008]] —''' "[[Withered Hope]]" is released through the [[Fun Publications]] [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] members-only site.
* '''[[2010]] —''' The ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is|The Immortal Megatron]]" debuts in [[Japan]].
* '''[[2013]] —''' The ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' episode "[[You've Been Squilshed]]" premieres in [[Brazil]].
* '''2013 —''' ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: [[The Reluctant Specialist|Trailcutter]]'' (Dynamic Forces Exclusive Cover) is released by [[IDW Publishing]].
* '''[[2014]] —''' ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' — [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)/home video#Australia and New Zealand|Season 2 Volume 5: Advance on Cybertron]] is released to home media by [[Madman Entertainment]] in [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].
* '''[[2018]] —''' The ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]'' episode "[[Volcanicus (episode)|Volcanicus]]" premieres on [[go90]] and Tumblr.
* '''[[2021]] —''' The ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'' episodes "[[Dino-mite Duo]]" and "[[The Lonely Titan]]" premieres in the [[United States]].
* '''[[2023]] —''' Final day of the ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (franchise)|Rise of the Beasts]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] World Tour in [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]].
* '''[[2024]] —''' ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|#8]] and ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]] Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' TPB are released by [[Image Comics]] and [[Skybound Entertainment]].
* '''2024 —''' [[TakaraTomy]] officially reveals the [[Missing Link]] C-03 [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] & C-04 [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]] and [[T-SPARK]] AMT-01 Adamas Machina [[Hot_Rod_(G1)/toys|Rodimus]] & [[Predaking_(G1)|Predaking]].
* '''[[2025]] —''' [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] reveals their exclusive Transformers Crash & Combine Heroes [[Optimus Prime]] & [[Bumblebee]].
* '''2025 —''' [[Auldey]] reveals the Transformers Alpha Action Elite Wave 2 on their weibo account.

Galactic Man

2026-05-07T09:50:08Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */ We do know this one, he's "Flash Beam" in the script for MTMTE pt 1 too.

{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Galactic Man is an [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]] (via [[Auldey#Alpha Action Elite .28AAE.29 |AAE]]).''

[[File:AuldeyAAAGalacticMan.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.1]]

'''Galactic Man''' (银河人 ''Yínhé Rén''), aka '''TC-Shockwave''' is an interstellar drifting clone. He suffers from severe defects in his memory modules, causing them to reboot every four million years and adapt to a different name and identity each time. The only constant is his original designation code: '''4C-AM'''.

==Fiction==
===''AAE'' toy bios===
After going through multiple name changes, now calling himself "Galactic Man," he encounters a [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] who bears the exact same appearance as himself...

==Toys==
===''Generations Selects''===
[[File:Selects-WFC-Siege-Leader-Galactic-Man-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Galactic Man Shockwave''' (Leader Class, [[2019]])}}
:*''Series'': '''''War for Cybertron: Siege'''''
:*''ID number'': '''WFC-GS03'''
:*''Accessories:'' 2 "RS Duo-Pulse Radiographs," 2 "RS Gamma-Disruptor Launchers," backpack
{{toydesigner|[[AJ Piejko-Brown]] (packaging)}}
{{note|While produced before the independent character's creation, the literally labeled ''Generations Selects'' [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#GS03|Galactic Man Shockwave]] would be obtuse to exclude here.}}

:A ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' add-on to ''Siege'', "Galactic Man Shockwave" is a redeco of ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' Leader Class [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Shockwave]] homaging the colors of [[RadioShack]]'s [[:File:Galactic Man.png|"Galactic Man" toy]], down to the "Galactic Man" name across the upper chest. The accessories use black as opposed to the dark grey of the main figure. Unlike the ''Siege'' figure, Galactic Man Shockwave lacks battle-damage paint.

:It is ''incredibly'' likely that the "RS" in his weapons' names is a reference to RadioShack. Like, how could it not be?
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Auldey===
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''TC-Shockwave''' (Alpha Action Elite, 2026)}}</ul>
:*''Series:'' '''Calculus of Order'''
:*''ID Number'': '''AAE-0??'''
:*''Accessories:''
{{toydesigner|[[Lam Ahtek]]}}
{{toystub}}

==Notes==
[[File:Galactic Man.png|thumb|upright=1.66|]]
* This character was created by Auldey designer [[Lam Ahtek]]. He said the character was written around the [[RadioShack#Overview|history]] of the original Galactic Man toy. (He even actually almost called him "Shackwave" at first.) It was originally called "4 Changeable Astro Magnum," then "4-Changeable Spark Man," and later "Galactic Man." He felt that, historically, Galactic Man and Shockwave existed in parallel (in 1984, the same design originating from the [[pre-Transformers|pre-Transformer]] Four Changeable Magnum toy became both Shockwave and Galactic Man), so this name works better as this page title.
* Lam said that this character doesn’t necessarily have to be a Decepticon. Since each reboot gives him a new identity, he might end up as either a hero or a villain.
* "TC" stands for "[[ToyCo]]," while "4C-AM" means "4 Changable Astro Magnum."
* As it happens, long before Hasbro and Auldey revived the pre-''Transformers'' deco for ''Transformers''-branded items, the Astro Magnum/Galactic Man color scheme was at one point considered for use in the 1984 [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], as evidenced by a character model shown off by [[Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster]] at [[Unofficial conventions|TFcon Los Angeles]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Revealed at Jim Sorenson and @Bill_Forster's panel last weekend, Decepticons' Flash Beam finally makes theirself known to the fandom! This oddly colored proto-Shockwave animation model is a heck of a curiosity... to say the least! https://t.co/PzDV1MjSSA|link=https://twitter.com/JesseWittenrich/status/1107973728179290112|name=Jesse Wittenrich|site=Twitter|year=2019|month=03|day=19|(defunct=)}}</ref> At this very early point in the character's development, Shockwave went by the name "Flash Beam," also used in the script for the [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|first episode of the cartoon]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]

Ultra Magnus (RID)

2026-05-04T11:26:42Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */ Does he, though. Does he actually.

{{factions|autobot|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Ultra Magnus}}
:''Ultra Magnus is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Robots in Disguise continuity family]].''
[[File:Rid magnus.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|From angsty badass to angsty deus ex machina to angsty Super Mushroom.]]

Usually, Ultra Magnus is a [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|well-respected Autobot]] who is a great [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|friend]]/[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|mentor]] to [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]].

THIS '''Ultra Magnus''' (aka '''God Magnus'''), on the other hand, is not a happy camper.

Immensely powerful, he'd be one of the Autobots' greatest warriors, armed with multiple weapons which according to [[X-Brawn]] could take out an army. Except he's not especially keen on helping the Autobots out anymore. After all, they gave the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to his brother, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]], and not him. This really, ''really'' didn't sit well with Magnus, and he vanished for years... only to come back with a major chip on his shoulder and a need to wallop his brother to prove that ''he'' deserves the Matrix.

He apparently doesn't understand the real criteria for Matrix-getting.

Despite his hatred of Optimus, they combine into the colossal [[Omega Prime]], one of the most powerful Autobots in the Multiverse, with alarming frequency when things get hairy. This is either because Magnus can't deny his (somewhat buried and tarnished) noble Autobot nature, or because if Prime gets blown to tiny bits, the Matrix could get blown to tiny bits with him.

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Kim Strauss]] (English), [[Takashi Matsuyama]] (Japanese)|[[Alexandr Novikov]] (Russian, [[Ultra Magnus (episode)|Ultra Magnus]] only), [[Oleg Kutsenko]] (Russian), [[Yamil Atala]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Francesco Prando]] (Italian), [[Júlio Chaves]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Lee Yoon-sun]] (Korean)}}

[[File:Ultra Magnus eye.jpg|left||thumb|Do you see what I see?]]
Ultra Magnus was created by [[Alpha Trion]] and brought online at exactly the same moment as his brother, Optimus Prime. They both served with distinction during the [[Cybertronian Civil Wars]], presumably against the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]. Afterwards, when the time came for [[Vector Sigma]] (also referred to as the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]]) to choose a new Matrix Bearer and Autobot leader, Magnus was passed over in favor of Optimus. Magnus was infuriated by this, and left Cybertron immediately afterwards. He became increasingly embittered, both towards his brother and mainstream Autobots in general, causing him to come off as something of a jerk when dealing with them.

[[File:Ultra Magnus Magnusprime.jpg||thumb|"Do you forgive me for getting the Matrix, Ultra Magnus?" "Nope."]]
Some time later, he tracked down his brother to the planet he was currently charged with protecting, [[Earth]]. There, he first encountered the [[Decepticon]]s and single-handedly defeated them all, even when they combined into [[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]], becoming the first being to beat Ruination without any sort of help. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus (episode)|Ultra Magnus}} He then challenged Optimus Prime for possession of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] and command of the Autobots. Optimus refused to fight his brother, however, not that that stopped Ultra Magnus from blasting him with his powerful weapon, [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Blue Bolts]]. Optimus was only saved by the intervention of [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], and [[X-Brawn]], who rescued their commander and transported him to a remote island to recuperate. It was there that Optimus revealed to Side Burn his relationship to Ultra Magnus, much to the young Autobot's shock. Unfortunately, the Predacon [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] had used a hidden tracking device to locate Optimus Prime, and he, [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] and the Decepticons ganged up on the weakened Autobot leader. Ultra Magnus then showed up, having followed Sky-Byte, and forced Optimus Prime to merge with him, becoming [[Omega Prime]], with the intention of absorbing the Matrix's power. However, he was shocked to discover that Optimus Prime had just as much control over Omega Prime as he did, and they were forced to cooperate to use their combined form's firepower to drive off the Decepticons. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!}}

Although he remained a free agent, Ultra Magnus would come to the aid of the Autobots whenever he felt they required assistance, though he was always quick to deny that he actually cared for their safety. He also often combined with Optimus when the situation required it. These frequent combinations apparently had some unexpected side effects, as Ultra Magnus seemed to unconsciously channel the energies of the Matrix into the [[Autobot Brothers|Autobot brothers]], upgrading them to their new "supercharged" forms. {{storylink|The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus}} Although this was never explicitly explained in the show, afterwards, Optimus speculated that he and Magnus were now somehow "sharing" the Matrix. {{storylink|Power to Burn!}}

[[File:Two Faces Ultra Magnus vehicle.jpg|left||thumb|Oh for crying out loud.....PICK A LANE ALREADY!]]
Ultra Magnus once pretended to join the Decepticons in an attempt to infiltrate the group, however, this plan failed due to the interference of the Autobot brothers, who believed that Magnus had genuinely betrayed them. An all-out battle between Autobots and Predacons/Decepticons soon erupted, with Ultra Magnus proving that his true loyalties lay with the Autobots. {{storylink|The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus}} After having "gifted" the Autobot Brothers with the ability to assume their supercharged modes, Magnus now needed to contend with Prowl and Side Burn pestering him. He found Side Burn especially annoying. Despite Ultra Magnus already refusing once to join Megatron's forces, he was approached once more by Scourge, who made a similar proposition. Ultra Magnus remained steadfast in his allegiance to the Autobots, voicing his disappointment that Scourge actually believe his rivalry against his brother could be used to turn him towards evil. The rest of the Decepticons then came out of hiding to attack Magnus. Though Prowl and Side Burn came to Ultra Magnus's aid, Magnus took off, leaving the other two to deal with Scourge and the Commandos. He did feel guilty over deserting them though, and kept watch at a distance. When Optimus arrived on the scene and was unable to take care of his enemies on his own, Ultra Magnus rejoined the fray and combined with his brother to turn the tide. After a swift victory, Ultra Magnus took off once more, admitting that he suddenly had a lot to think about. {{storylink|Power to Burn!}}

{{charstubfiction|Needs expansion of those four episodes.}}
He would constantly appear ''out of nowhere'' whenever the Autobots were in trouble, using his strength, guns and combining power to help save the day. How he always managed this is unknown. When his power alone wasn't enough, he would also regularly combine with his brother, and mow down the Predacons and Decepticons as Omega Prime. After the job was done, Ultra Magnus would always take off on his own once more. {{storylink|Fortress Maximus (episode)|Fortress Maximus}} {{storylink|Koji Gets His Wish}} {{storylink|A Friendly Contest}} {{storylink|Peril from the Past}} This victory streak wouldn't last forever, as Ultra Magnus was outmaneuvered by Sky-Byte of all 'bots. Magnus and the Autobot Brothers lost [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]] to the Predacons, who planned to use the small robot to control Fortress Maximus. Thankfully, Ultra Magnus was back in form in a later battle, and helped fend off the newly reborn Galvatron and his troops while a conflicted Fortress Maximus ran berserk across Metro City. Unfortunately, despite combining into Omega Prime, Cerebros slipped from Optimus and Ultra Magnus's grasp once more. {{storylink|Maximus Emerges}} Later, Ultra Magnus just happened to be taking a nap in a desert where a battle between the Autobots and a Scourge-controlled Fortress Maximus too place. He was woken up by Side Burn's "whining" and flew in to help his brother, combining with Optimus to fight the gargantuan robot. Unfortunately, the two brothers' power was not enough to stop Fortress Maximus. Thankfully, Dr. Onishi hatched a plan to overpower Scourge's human bio-signature with a thousand Earth children. After the battle, Ultra Magnus took off once more. {{storylink|The Human Element}}

Ultra Magnus stopped Sky-Byte from kidnapping Koji and his friend [[Carl (RID)|Carl]]. {{storylink|Mistaken Identity}} He later took part in the Autobots final clash with the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] and [[Decepticon]]s but instantly combined with Optimus into Omega Prime to attack Megatron's [[Megastar|command center]]. Their attack failed. {{storylink|Surprise Attack!}}

When the Autobots retreated from battle because Megatron had the children of the world hostage with his [[Cyber-bat]]s, he stayed behind and attacked Galvatron head on. Again, he failed miserably. {{storylink|Galvatron's Revenge}}

As usual he popped out of nowhere to remove Optimus from battle and leave the other Autobots to be torched by Galvatron. Optimus asked Magnus to help him one last time. Magnus agreed, acting very surprised that Prime asked instead of ordering him. They merged into Omega Prime one last time to defeat Galvatron at the Earth's center, ending the conflict at last. Ultra Magnus then took custody of the prisoners aboard [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]] to return them to Cybertron. {{storylink|The Final Battle (RID)|The Final Battle}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
{{CRnote|Ultra Magnus|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Generation 1 Ultra Magnus]]|God Magnus}}
=====''Super Spychanger Lottery''=====
Due to God Magnus's absence on Earth in [[2003]], Fire Convoy and his Autobots had to give the [[Spychanger]]s [[Spark Engine]]s to combat a new threat. {{Storylink|The Secret of the Birth of the Super Spychangers}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
As a member of the [[Dimensional Patrol]], God Magnus traveled to the [[Legends World]] at the request of [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]]. They helped defend the inhabitants from the [[Zamojin (species)|Zamojin]] army and the rampaging [[Majin Zarak]]. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One}} With Devil Gigatron reformed and working with the Patrol, God Magnus and Fire Convoy eventually learned to merge with him as well, forming Devil God Fire Convoy. {{storylink|Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|Epiloge}}

=====''End of G1 Universe''=====
At some point, God Magnus granted [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] a new, humanoid body. {{storylink|Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|Age of Primes}}

====Dreamwave ''Robots in Disguise'' comic====
[[File:UltraMagnusToTheRescue Magnus kick.jpg|thumb|Falcon kick!]]
While <s>stalking</s> following Optimus in [[Wyoming]], Magnus overheard T-AI sending the Autobot leader to a Predacon/Decepticon attack in [[Arizona]], and resolved to take care of it himself. On arriving at the energy research facility, he swiftly took care of [[Armorhide (RID)|Armorhide]] and [[Rollbar (RID)|Rollbar]] before casually slamming [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] into the nearest building.

When Optimus expressed concern for the humans, Scourge took it as a cue to threaten the nearest fleshling to try to force the Autobots to surrender. On Optimus's urging, Magnus reluctantly agreed, however once Scourge was distracted, the pair took the opportunity to punch him in the face, and the Decepticons retreated. Before Optimus could thank his brother, Magnus was rolling off into the sunset. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus...to the Rescue?}}

=====Ask Vector Prime=====
In [[Viron 704.08 Gamma]], Ultra Magnus, as part of Omega Prime, defeated the tyrant [[Unicron]], who had merged his consciousness with [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] and tried to consume the universe. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/28}}

====3H and Fun Publications comics====
[[File:TFUjailbreak.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Here I am, kept in this tiny room, forced to be kept merged to this dude who I hate.]]
In [[Viron 903.0 Beta]], {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/13}} some time after the defeat of Galvatron, Optimus Prime formed the [[Dimensional Patrol]] from the ranks of the Autobots who had stayed behind on Earth, as well as additional experts in [[unspace|transwarp]] technology, to defend the planet from those who would do it harm via the "temporal and spatial nexus" in Earth's proximity. Unfortunately, Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, and several members of the Dimensional Patrol were abducted by [[Unicron]]. Here they were to battle each other in the [[Cauldron]], where their energy would feed and repair the shattered body of the Chaos Bringer. {{storylink|The Official Transformers Collectors' Club Magazine issue 1|Optimus Prime's profile in Club magazine #1}}

As Omega Prime, Prime and Magnus escaped this fate in a jailbreak set into motion by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]]. They left Unicron for their home universe via a portal created by [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Snarl (BM)|Snarl]], {{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}} but shortly thereafter they were once again called into service by [[Primus]] to join [[Child of Primus|an army]] in a [[Universe War|multiversal war]] against Unicron. {{storylink|Homecoming (Universe)|Homecoming}}

[[File:OptimusPrimeRIDprimuschamber.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Still had some anger issues.]]
The final battle of the war ended abruptly when Unicron's physical form was destroyed in another universe, resulting in the [[Unicron Singularity]], which threatened the very multiverse itself. Omega Prime escaped through a portal, expecting to end up on Optimus Primal's Cybertron, but their transit was diverted to the Cybertron of [[Aurex 405.0 Epsilon]] by [[Over-Run (Armada)|Over-Run]]. {{Storylink|Revelations Part 2}} There, they joined forces with the Autobots [[Sentinel Maximus]], [[Vector Prime]], and even that universe's version of their creator, Alpha Trion. When [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)|Nemesis Prime]] attempted to destroy [[Primus]] himself using the [[Dead Matrix]], they intervened as Omega Prime. Later, while his brother helped Primus recover, Ultra Magnus defeated Nemesis Prime in one-on-one combat. {{Storylink|Revelations Part 1}} As the group reconvened in the Chamber of Alpha Trion, Vector Prime's weakening temporal powers failed him, and he disappeared from the group. Overrun, a previously unseen ally now making his presence known to the others, assured them that the elder had simply resumed his proper place on Earth, and took on leadership of the group. Optimus and Magnus were tasked with securing the Dead Matrix in the [[Archives]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

Ultra Magnus later became involved in the [[Mini-Con Civil War]] that erupted on Cybertron's moons, {{Storylink|Revelations Part 4}} and even fought against the reincarnated Unicron himself as Omega Prime {{storylink|Revelations Part 5}} getting to see [[Primus]] himself show up, which prompted Unicron to flee. Some months after the conclusion of the black hole crisis, Ultra Magnus and his cohorts met with the local [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his crew. This Optimus thanked them for protecting the homeworld in their absence, and Ultra Magnus shook hands with them. In the aftermath, Magnus and his brother planned to pursue Unicron. {{storylink|Revelations Part 6}}

===Spychanger continuity===
[[File:Ultra Magnus-Universe-OTFCC 2004-unpublished.jpg|thumb|left|Magnus Minor.]]
====Ask Vector Prime====
When the [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] of [[Viron 1103.12 Gamma]] accidentally turned all of Earth's energon toxic, Optimus Prime and her troops had to downsize into new Spychanger forms to survive, much to the amusement of the Predacons... until the Autobots blew up the Predacons' pure energon and the bad guys ran out of energy. Optimus's nemesis [[Scourge (RID)#Spychanger continuity|Scourge]] was the only villain who made the shift to a Spychanger body, but outnumbered, she was defeated by Prime's forces. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/18}}

====''Universe'' comic====
Ultra Magnus and his cohorts, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], and [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]] were later plucked from their universe and stranded on a frozen planetoid, a side effect of [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]'s device that blocked [[Unicron]]'s attempt to kidnap Transformers from multiple dimensions. These stranded Autobots were targeted for 'recruitment' by [[Reptilion]] but rescued by the [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]].

While a group of old fogey Autobots that included [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sent back to their timeline, Optimus and her crew appeared to stick around for the [[Universe War]]. {{storylink|Voice Actor Drama}}

===''Cybertron'' toy bio===
Optimus Prime could use the [[Spark of Combination]] to merge with his brother. {{storylink|#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Ultra Magnus bio}}

===''TransTech''===
On a computer screen in [[Axiom Nexus]], [[Rhinox (TransTech)|Rhinox]] observed multiple [[Ultra Magnus (disambiguation)|Ultra Magnus]]es from across the multiverse, including one Viron iteration of Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Timeless}}

===Shell Game continuity===
In [[Viron 704.31 Epsilon]], Omega Prime, who presumably included Ultra Magnus, defeated Megatron. Later, Ultra Magnus merged with his dying mentor [[Alpha Trion]] and became [[Ultra Trion]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/30}}

===Air Attack Optimus Primal===
In [[Viron 102.0 Beta]], Ultra Magnus was a student of [[Scavenger (RID)|Scavenger]] at the [[Autobot Military Academy]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/22}}

==Toys==
===''Robots in Disguise'' (2001)===
[[File:RID Ultra Magnus Toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Everyone needs a ve-hicle mode, even the very tall.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''God Magnus''' (2000) / '''Ultra Magnus''' (Super Class, 2001)}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number:'' '''C-023'''
:*''Accessories'': [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Cannon]], 2 missiles
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (TakaraTomy), [[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

:''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' Magnus's [[alternate mode]] is a massive car-carrier vehicle (akin to his G1 counterpart). He is able to carry all three Autobot Brothers when in "carrier mode". In [[robot mode]], Magnus is a rather towering figure due to his oddly long legs (made up of the carrier component from his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]). His "Blue Bolts" weapon can be configured into three different modes and, when plugged into the proper connectors, generate different sound effects. A button on his back also allows for an additional shout from Magnus (in either Japanese or English, depending on the version of the toy). The Japanese release is slightly different in that it uses different missiles, lacks tampographed Autobot symbols on the sides, and features darker, metallic-flaked plastics, and, as expected, Japanese voice clips. Magnus can combine with the large ''Robots in Disguise'' Optimus Prime toy to create Omega Prime by splitting apart into segments that wrap around Optimus's limbs and torso. Unchanged from the Takara release the tires featured the name "GOD MAGNUS" instead of "ULTRA MAGNUS".

:Ultra Magnus is an example of a [[partformer]]; you are required to remove his trailer, transform it into his legs, and then reattach them at the thigh to complete his robot mode.

:While Ultra Magnus doesn't reach the glorified accessory levels of [[Godbomber#Toys|some]] other [[Wing Saber (Energon)#Energon|power-up]] toys, he rather evidently prioritized the Omega Prime mode over his stand-alone modes, with inexplicable red present behind his cab and on the sides of his chest that only make sense for the torso armor mode, wacky robot mode proportions, and a visibly hollow torso and lower legs.

: [[Sonokong]] also released ''God Magnus'' in [[South Korea|Korean]] markets, outwardly similar to the Takara release but using the Hasbro version's sound effects.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Autobot/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
::*''[https://hotaru007.tistory.com/entry/%ED%8A%B8%EB%9E%9C%EC%8A%A4%ED%8F%AC%EB%A8%B8-%EC%B9%B4%EB%A1%9C%EB%B4%87-%EC%9A%B8%ED%8A%B8%EB%9D%BC%EB%A7%A4%EA%B7%B8%EB%84%88%EC%8A%A4 Korean blog post detailing the Sonokong release]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BlackGod}}
[[File:TF-Car-Robots-Black-God-Magnus.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Black God Magnus''' (2000)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Cannon]], 2 missiles

:This [[black redeco]] of Ultra Magnus is ''hugely'' rare, to the extent that its very ''existence'' is occasionally questioned. Only ten units are known to exist, having been offered in a ''[[TV Magazine]]'' prize draw that seemed to slip under everyone's radar.

: The figure would later be included in a "Black God Fire Convoy" giftset with Black Super Fire Convoy (below).

::*''[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/1795/Car+Robots/Black+God+Magnus More information on Black God Magnus at Transformers at the Moon]''

{{anchor|BlackGodFire}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Black God Fire Convoy''' (Giftset, 2000)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Cannon]], 2 missiles

:This two-figure giftset includes the Black God Magnus figure, plus the black version of the Optimus figure (itself only available through contests and raffles, although in significantly larger numbers than Magnus had been), who together combine to form Black God Fire Convoy. It was just as limited in its availability as the original Black God Magnus figure, with the only ten units known to exist being offered as prizes in a scratch-card contest that TV Magazine run until early November 2000.

{{-}}{{anchor|GodFireClear}}
[[File:TF-Car-Robots-God-Fire-Convoy-Special-Clear-God-Magnus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''God Fire Convoy Special Clear Version''' (Giftset, 2000)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Cannon]], 2 missiles

:The God Fire Convoy Special Clear Version (ゴッドファイヤーコンボイスペシャルクリアバージョン) set includes a unique clear version of the Ultra Magnus figure not available anywhere else, paired with a clear Super Fire Convoy, who together combine to form Clear God Fire Convoy. The set also included the Super God Sword, which had previously been available only through various contests and raffles.

:The giftset was exclusive to Japanese [[Toys"R"Us]] stores. Released in November 2000, it was limited to 3000 pieces; reportedly, only 100 TRUs carried the set, and limited customers to one purchase on the day of release.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Cybertron/ClearGodMagnus/godmagnus.htm More information on Clear God Magnus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Basic}}
[[File:RID-toy UltraMagnus-SpyChanger.jpg||upright=1.66|thumb|Too small to deal with it.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Ultra Magnus''' (Basic Class, 2001)}}</ul>

: One of only four all-new molds in the Hasbro ''Robots in Disguise'' line, this is a smaller, simplified version of the large Ultra Magnus made for the Basic Class. He features through-axle construction for super-fast rolling on smooth surfaces. He has room for one Spychanger on the top of the carrier mode, but, of course, they are wildly out of scale with each other. Though the toy was designed in a similar fashion as the Spychanger toys, it retains a surprising amount of articulation, with joints for the head, shoulders and legs. He only has four moving wheels; the rest are molded in.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/UltraMagnusGobot/ultramagnus.htm More information on Ultra Magnus (Basic Class) at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Universe'' (2003)===
[[File:Universe 2003 Sams Club RID01 Ultra Magnus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|It ''was'' way cheaper, we swear.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Ultra Magnus''' (Super Class, 2003)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Cannon]], 2 missiles
: The ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Sam's Club-[[exclusive]] Ultra Magnus was more-or-less unchanged from its ''Robots in Disguise'' counterpart, with the only noticeable difference being that his dark blue parts had become a much darker blue and his gray parts became a slightly darker gray.

: Exciting. On the other hand, it was way cheaper than getting the original.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/TFUUltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on ''Universe'' Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|WMBasic}}
[[Image:TFU03-toy MagnusWMSpychanger.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Somehow more deco changes than big him.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Ultra Magnus & Ironhide''' (Basic Class, 2004)}}</ul>

: A [[redeco]] of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Basic Class version of Ultra Magnus, Magnus transforms into a tractor-trailer rig of probably-made-up model with a non-removable car carrier trailer. The carrier cannot store cars inside, only carry them on the top.

: He was only available in a [[Walmart]]-[[exclusive]] 2-pack with Spychanger [[Ironhide (RID)#Universe (2003)|Ironhide]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/TFUUltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Universe Basic Class Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Cybertron''===
[[File:Cybertrontoy ridprime magnus 2pack.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Ultra Magnus & Optimus Prime''' (Multi-pack, 2005)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Cannon]], 2 missiles

: ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Ultra Magnus is a repackaged version of the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' version of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] Ultra Magnus, and was sold in a Costco-[[exclusive]] multi-pack with a red redeco of the 2003 ''Universe'' [[Optimus Prime (RID)#Cybertron|Optimus Prime]].

:The ''Cybertron'' branding left it rather up in the air whether this Ultra Magnus constituted a new iteration of the character in the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|''Cybertron'' franchise's fiction]] or what until the Facebook edition of [[Ask Vector Prime]] settled the issue in [[2015]] by seizing on the resemblance to his original ''Robots in Disguise'' deco to [[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#September 26, 2015|rule it the appearance of the original guy]] in his various [[#3H and Fun Publications comics|convention comic adventures]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/CostCoUltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on ''Cybertron'' Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Encore''===
[[File:TF-Encore-God-Magnus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|They will serve you well in your quest to defeat the evils that jeopardize your world. You are truly a remarkable group of young people worthy of the Ninja Power.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''God Fire Convoy''' (Multi-pack, [[2018]])}}</ul>
:*''Release date'': [[March 23]], 2018
:*''Accessories'': [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Cannon]], 2 missiles

:In this ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' reissue giftset, Super Fire Convoy and God Magnus have slightly different plastic colors, and the chrome details have now been mostly replaced with show-accurate paint applications, except for Magnus's large chrome insignia on his front bumper. The insignia on his forehead is now colored in. The tip of the [[Matrix Blade#Encore|Super God Sword]] is now translucent.

:Most of the production run had the cannon's voice samples swapped, so that the line "Magna Laser" plays in "Magna Vulcan" mode and vice versa. This issue, along with a printing error on the box and widespread complaints of overall poor quality control, led to the set being recalled by [[TakaraTomy]].<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/encore-god-fire-convoy-lg64-seaspray-and-rione-lg65-targetmaster-twin-twist-lg66-targetmaster.1124163/page-60#post-15674212 TakaraTomy apology and recall notice]</ref>

::*''[https://ridforever.info/toys/other-toys/encore-toys/god-fire-convoy-2 More information on ''Encore'' God Magnus at RID Forever]''
{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:HasLab Magnus Render.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2.3|He finally got that Matrix- and all it took was twenty years, and half a car payment.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Omega Prime''' (2025)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise 2001]]'' / ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]''
:*''TakaraTomy name:'' '''God Fire Convoy''' (ゴッドファイヤーコンボイ)
:*''Accessories'': [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Legacy|Matrix of Leadership]], combinable [[Global Space Bridge#Legacy|Global Space Bridge]] display stands (Tier 2 Unlock)
{{toydesigner|[[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Hisashi Yuki]] (TakaraTomy)<ref>[[January 30]], [[2024]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sodl6lRkifQ Hasbro Pulse | Transformers: Legacy RID 2001 Omega Prime HasLab Fanstream | January 2024] on YouTube, with [[Ben MacCrae]] and [[Evan Brooks]].</ref>|[[Hiroyuki Taiga]] (concept artist & packaging artist, TakaraTomy release only)<ref>[https://youtu.be/PdsHMGVDZFg?si=7IIIhq2AU8jwMnSx Interview] with [[Hasbro]] designer [[Evan Brooks]] on the Triple Takeover podcast, from their YouTube channel</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=タカラトミー様からゴッドファイヤーコンボイ頂きました。国内版のパッケージイラストを描かせてもらい久しぶりにがっつり仕上げ込みで描けて楽しかったです。イラストの反応にドキドキでしたが好評なようでホッとしてます|link=https://twitter.com/hiroyuki_taiga/status/1928378004805202176|site=Twitter|name=Hiroyuki Taiga|year=2025|month=5|day=30}}</ref>, [[Studio DTW|Dave White]] (product photography), [[Nick (Hasbro)|Nick]] and [[Tony Colella]] (sculptors)<ref name = "Missile Stream">[[March 7]], 2024's [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pkz6oTI7W4 Hasbro Pulse | Transformers 40th Anniversary Fanstream | March 7, 2024] on YouTube, with [[Ben MacCrae]], [[Evan Brooks]] and [[Mark Maher]].</ref>, [[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)<ref>[[January 10]], [[2025]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDy2WuiQumE Transformers: Legacy Robots in Disguise 2001 Omega Prime HasLab - Official Unboxing!] with [[Emily Bader]] and [[Evan Brooks]].</ref>
}}

:''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' Ultra Magnus—"God Magnus" (ゴッドマグナス) in TakaraTomy markets—is bundled alongside [[Optimus Prime (RID)#Legacy|Optimus Prime]] and a newly-personed version of his [[Blue Bolts (RID)#Legacy|Blue Bolts]] blaster as the fourth HasLab crowdfunded figure for Transformers. The roughly [[Size class|Commander-class]] figure incorporates almost all the play patterns of the original, most notably he can still hold 3 Deluxe scale cars like the original toy (at the cost of [[Show-accuracy|cartoon scale]]). As is the norm with most modern figures, his articulation is increased, especially since he now has ankles.

:Of course, he can combine with Optimus to form [[Omega Prime#Legacy|Omega Prime]], though like fellow power-up shroom character [[Ginrai (robot)#Legacy|Victory Leo]], this robs him of his waist articulation. To achieve more screen-accurate abdomen and crotchplate proportions, Magnus's chestplate, pelvis, and hips do not form the relevant parts of Omega Prime in favor of two panels sculpted to resemble stylized hybridizations of the cartoon and toy abdomen and crotchplate. These hide under Magnus's cab/backpack in his other modes with the Omega Prime conversion being adjusted to hide Magnus's chestplate behind the new abdomen piece, and the pelvis splitting to hide along with the hips where the knees do in the leg armor. He has a [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metallized]] bumper and eyes, and the Autobot emblem on his vehicle mode bumper is hot stamped. The [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|Weaponizer]]-style format of Bluebolts allows Magnus to ameliorate the hollowness problems of his original toy by storing his weapon-slash-companion in his calves and chest. The set also includes a dedicated "Matrix of Leadership" for Magnus in reference to God Magnus's [[Energon Matrix]], previously only mentioned in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)#Original Japanese release|''Car Robots'' cartoon]].

:Omega Prime was revealed on [[January 30]], [[2024]], with the crowdfunding campaign beginning soon after. The project reached 50% funding in only 24 hours, beating all three previous ''Transformers'' HasLabs. It reached full funding on [[February 9]], [[2024]], in only ten days—three times quicker than the previous record holder, [[Deathsaurus (G1)#Legacy|Deathsaurus]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Exciting news! The #HasLab campaign for #Transformers: Legacy #RobotsInDisguise 2001 #OmegaPrime has achieved its goal with 10,000 backers! A massive thank you to all the incredible fans who made this possible – your support has truly brought Omega Prime to life!|link=https://twitter.com/HasbroPulse/status/1756013964993991002|site=Twitter|name=Hasbro Pulse|year=2024|month=2|day=9}}</ref>

:On [[March 7]], HasLab designer [[Evan Brooks]] revealed in a Hasbro Pulse livestream that due to widespread fan demand (and more importantly a patch of unused space he and [[Hisashi Yuki]] found in the set's white plastic [[sprue]]), the set would now include Magnus's traditional paired white missiles.<ref name = "Missile Stream"/> The non-firing missiles are essentially continuous lengths of [[5 mm post|5mm wide pipe]] with a 3 mm connection point for ''Generations'' standard-issue [[Fire Blast effect]]s on one end. Additional tabs along their width allow the missiles to stow on Bluebolts's back in robot mode.

:At the closing bell on [[March 14]], the set clocked in at 28,230 backers, beating the previous Transformers record by quite a fair margin (Deathsaurus, with 27,442) and coming in second only to ''Marvel Legends'' Galactus as the most successful project in HasLab history.<ref>[https://hasbropulse.com/collections/haslab/products/transformers-legacy-robots-in-disguise-2001-omega-prime The Omega Prime HasLab campaign] at [[Hasbro Pulse]]</ref>

:Omega Prime started shipping to backers, beginning with those living in New Zealand, in March 2025.

:Ultra Magnus requires partial assembly during unboxing, as his bumper and Omega Prime's head antennae are not attached to the figure during shipping. The bumper clips onto hooks on the back of the Autobot emblem, while the antennae use small round ports.

:Several copies of the figure were reported to suffer from [[Photodegradation|photodegradation]] on the unpaintable white plastic straight out of the packaging, most commonly-found on the forearms. Replacement figures were sent out to backers with affected copies in October 2025.

::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/C2vNqMmuIwP/ Designer commentary on ''Legacy'' Ultra Magnus from Evan Brooks on Instagram]''

==Notes==
*''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ultra Magnus]]'s vehicle mode was inspired by this Ultra Magnus.
*Ultra Magnus's torso in the cartoon is recolored to remove the red on the sides due to the relevant parts of the toy prioritizing their role as Omega Prime's shoulderpads and seeming out of place on Magnus's otherwise white and blue body when in his stand-alone modes. Amusingly, the combination [[Stock footage|stock footage]] shows these segments forming white shoulderpads (with the dot on the front strangely being blue despite not being a different color from the rest of the shoulder armor in its regular coloring) before Magnus's Omega Prime torso armor mode flies out of view so the shoulderpads can covertly turn red offscreen by the time Magnus's torso combines with Optimus.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''God Magnus''' (ゴッドマグナス ''Goddo Magunasu''), '''Ultra Magnus''' (ウルトラマグナス ''Urutora Magunasu'')
*''Korean:'' '''God Magnus''' (갓마그네스 ''Gat Mageuneseu'')

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Costco exclusives]]
[[Category:Cybertron Autobots]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Encore]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Legacy Autobots]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001) Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001) combiners]]
[[Category:Sam's Club exclusives]]
[[Category:Spychangers]]
[[Category:Super Spychanger Lottery Autobots]]
[[Category:Toys"R"Us Japan exclusives]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe combiners]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]

The Burden Hardest to Bear

2026-05-04T11:01:10Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=93
|series2=2010
|ep2=28
|prev2=The Face of the Nijika
|next2=Daniel's Adventure
|image=Matrix burden 2.jpg
|caption=You found me beautiful, once.
|title="The Burden Hardest to Bear"
|season=3
|season ep=28
|production code=700-114
|airdate=[[November 19]], 1986
|written by=[[Michael Charles Hill]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Trans Arts Co.]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN3QiWn-MOM
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Overwhelmed by the burdens of leadership, Rodimus Prime doesn't care too much when the Decepticons steal the Matrix of Leadership away from him.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:BurdenHardest Defensor Bruticus.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|So, uh... If what looks like is about to happen happens... does it count as an orgy?]]

At dawn, the people of [[Japan]] are awakening to do their daily tasks: [[fishing]], going to shrines, and sword practice. Then, the [[Decepticon]]s show up to cause random trouble.

[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] begin harassing a few fishermen, but are chased off by [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]. [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] tries to ram a train head on (real smart) only to have the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] drive him away. [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] fight it out, when [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] arrive, but are driven off by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. However, instead of thanking the [[Autobot]]s for saving many lives, the government of Japan is very upset, saying that the Autobots frightened people and ruined business (thankless bipeds). When [[Marissa Faireborn]] arrives and brings more problems to Rodimus, the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] loses patience, [[Transformation|transforms]], and drives off. Marissa is perplexed, and Kup says that Rodimus is struggling with his ''giri'', a Japanese word he translates as "the burden hardest to bear". He says that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] went through the same process after he first received the [[Matrix of Leadership]], eventually learning to live with and respect his ''giri''. Marissa decides to follow Rodimus, to let him have someone to talk to.

[[File:Matrix burden 1.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Galvatron takes the brown acid.]]

Meeting up on the highway, however, the two are attacked by [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], who knock Marissa's [[spinner]] into a lake and force Rodimus off a cliff. When they inspect Rodimus, they find the Matrix. Realizing that [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] will be ''really'' happy, they steal it and return to [[Chaar]]. In his throne room, Galvatron inserts the Matrix into his cannon, but instead of making it even more powerful like he had hoped, visions of the [[Ancient Autobots]] (including Optimus Prime himself) seep out of the barrel and demand that Galvatron return the Matrix. Galvatron orders [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] to destroy the Matrix, believing it better to be destroyed if the Decepticons can't have it. But instead, Scourge inserts the Matrix into himself, gaining immense power even as he mutates grotesquely.

[[File:BurdenHardest Hot Rod recover.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Augh... can't get the mental image of Bruticus/Defensor out!]]

Meanwhile, the Autobot leader wakes up, to learn that he's reverted to Hot Rod. [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] argue that they should go after the Decepticons, but Hot Rod feels that the Matrix isn't worth it, and jets off. Real smart idea, Roddy. On Chaar, Scourge challenges Galvatron, defeating him and Cyclonus easily, before leading the Decepticons off to Earth. Galvatron and Cyclonus still function, and set off in pursuit in the ''[[Revenge (G1)|Revenge]]''.

[[File:BurdenHardest Hot Rod retrieves matrix.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Yoink!]]

On Earth, Hot Rod, while watching a martial arts class, gets some perspective and some wisdom from the kendo instructor, and realizes that he needs to get the Matrix back. Meanwhile, Scourge arrives in Japan with his forces, tossing around the Autobots. Broadside tosses him to the ground and he frightens an elderly woman. Ozu, one of the kendo students, comes to her aid, attacking Scourge with a sword and he begins to chase the pair. He corners them in a blind alley, only for Hot Rod to arrive. Shocked at the changes the Matrix has wrought in Scourge, Hot Rod defeats the Decepticon and reclaims the Matrix, becoming Rodimus Prime once more. Galvatron and Cyclonus find a less powerful, and very frightened, Scourge. And they are none too happy with him...

As the Decepticons retreat, Rodimus realizes that he must deal with his missing part, as have those who came before him. Kup reminds him that no matter who carries the Matrix, he will retain that part forever.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (1)
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (8)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (9)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (10)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (11)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (12)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (13)
*[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (14)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (21)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime/Hot Rod]] (22)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (23)
*[[Ancient Autobots]] (35)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (36)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (37)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (38)

|c2=
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (2)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (3)
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (4)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (5)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (6)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (7)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (15)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (18)
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (19)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (20)
*[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (24)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (25)
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (26)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (27)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (28)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (31)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (32)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (33)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (34)
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (39)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (40)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (41)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (42)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (43)

|c3=
*[[Ozu's sensei]] (16)
*[[Ozu (G1)|Ozu]] (17)
*Disgruntled businessmen (29)
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] (30)
*[[Old Japanese lady]] (44)
}}

==Quotes==
"Eh, you've had worse times." 
"Yeah, when do they get better? That's what ''I'' wanna know."
:—'''Kup''' and '''Rodimus'''

"{{w|Second City Television|He done blowed up real good}}."
:—'''Wildrider''', master of grammar

"You dropped it, didn't you? You broke the Matrix, didn't you?!"
:—'''Galvatron'''

"Return the Matrix! Return the Matrix!"

:—'''Ancient Autobots'''

"Scourge, take this and destroy it!" 
"But mighty Galvatron, you agreed to return it." 
"I lied! If we can't have it, then no one shall!"
:—'''Galvatron''' ordering '''Scourge''' to destroy the Matrix.

"Aren't you getting a little carried away here? I'm still me, you're still you: Matrix, schmatrix."
:—'''Hot Rod''' is flippant after losing a hand-me-down.

"I...still....function...."

:—'''Cyclonus''' referencing a [[The Transformers: The Movie|callback]].

"We're too late, Galvatron! Scourge has already launched his assault!" 
"He doesn't know the meaning of the word assault, but he's going to learn!"
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Galvatron'''

"Oh no, we're trapped! We'll be killed!" 
"Remarkable. The woman is clairvoyant!" 
:—'''Scourge''' mocks [[Old Japanese lady|his intended victim]].

"The Matrix did this to you? Then I have to take it back. I see now it is my obligation. I belong to it... as much as it belongs to me!"
:—'''Hot Rod'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s realization at last.

"Well, son of a gun. Found that missing part, huh?" 
"Not just the Matrix, Kup, a missing part of... myself."
:—'''Kup''' and '''Rodimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Burdenhardest marissa finds rodimus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Spend $14.99 to get the same guy, just minus two lines on his face.]]
*Broadside appears in his more toy-based model, with a faceplate, smaller head and large separated optics. He's also shown to be ''huge'', in keeping with his aircraft carrier mode, something which other episodes often failed to convey.
*This episode is one of a handful that finds excuses to turn Rodimus back into Hot Rod, presumably since that toy needed to be plugged as well.
*The Matrix's adverse effects on Scourge could be explained as a result of him having been created by [[Unicron]].
*Gadgets and powers:
**Bruticus can somehow tilt his back cannons forward and fire them over his shoulders, something his ''Generations'' toys can do.
**It seems that ''someone'' remembered the Stunticons' "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1|automatic forcefields]]", as Wildrider survives a head-on collision with Rodimus without a scratch, while Rodimus goes down in flames.
*When Galvatron inserts the Matrix into his cannon, he says "Now, [['Til all are one|all shall become one]], under Galvatron's rule!"
*After he rams Scourge, Hot Rod transforms in a manner similar to one of his transformations from the movie.
*This episode marks the last appearance of Springer, Broadside, Astrotrain, Devastator and Marissa Faireborn in US continuity.
*Astrotrain actually travels on the railroad his locomotive mode was designed for in this episode.
*Besides Optimus Prime, four Ancient Autobot ghosts emerge from the Matrix to haunt Galvatron, but none of them match the leaders we saw back in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" (or will see in "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"). Three of them are based on "ancient robot" character models created for "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]," which will all go on to be used as [[generic]] present-day Autobots throughout [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|''The Headmasters'' cartoon]]:
**A [[Internuncio|pink-ish one]], the only one of three designs that actually made it to the screen in "Desertion," also previously seen in "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", and later used in ''The Headmasters'' for an [[intelligence officer]], among others.
**An orange-and-blue one, used in ''The Headmasters'' as [[Scout A]] and [[Scout B]].
**A yellow one, notably used for a whole base's worth of generics in ''The Headmasters'' episode "[[Ultra Magnus Dies!!]]"
**The fourth, a blue robot with a crest of three spikes on his helmet, did not appear in either "Desertion" or ''The Headmasters'', and is currently indentified, but we'll eat this hat if the model wasn't pulled from ''some'' other episode!
*While the episode order can vary, it's a little funny that the episode about Rodimus finally getting used to being leader of the Autobots was followed by the episode in which Optimus returns to replace him.

===Real-world references===
[[File:BurdenHardesttoBear MountFuji.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
[[File:BurdenHardestBear Sensei.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
[[File:BurdenHardestToBear Japanese PM.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|[[Netflix]] lied to us! This is nothing like ''Aggretsuko'' at all!]]
[[File:Burden-hardest-to-bear-imperial-palace.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Set in Japan (see also: "[[Kremzeek!]]"), the episode is replete with references to Japanese culture. We see a fishing boat (all wood, with hand-cast nets), a flock of sacred {{w|red-crowned crane}}s, a high speed bullet train passing by Mt. Fuji, a kendo dojo, a woman about to offer prayer at a Shinto shrine garden, and a surprisingly accurate rendition of the {{w|Tokyo Imperial Palace}} and its Seimon Ishibashi bridge, where Rodimus meets with the [[Prime Minister of Japan|Prime Minister]]. We also see Rodimus get chewed out by government guys who are stereotypically worked up about robot battles being "very bad for business." And of course there's that metaphorical rising sun in the opening shot.
*''{{w|Giri (Japanese)|Giri}}'' (義理) is a real Japanese word and concept with long roots, but the specific translation of "the burden hardest to bear" comes from ''{{w|The Yakuza}}'', an American crime film from the 1970s.<ref>[https://www.moviequotedb.com/movies/yakuza-the.html Quote from ''The Yakuza''] whence comes "the burden hardest to bear"</ref> Defining it this way is questionable, as ''giri'' more accurately refers to one's social responsibilities and duties, regardless of their difficulty. But in broad strokes, Rodimus's arc does echo the tension between ''giri'' and ''{{w|ninjō}}'' (or "human feeling") that has historically driven much of Japanese drama.
**In addition to ''{{w|The Yakuza}}'', Hill took inspiration from ''{{w|Hagakure}}'', an 18th century book on bushidō written by the samurai {{w|Yamamoto Tsunetomo}}.
*The train driver calls in the incident with Astrotrain to "JNR Central", referring to {{w|Japanese National Railways}} (which in the real world would be broken up and privatized only a year after this episode aired.) The specific line is called out as the {{w|Yamanote Line}}, which... is an urban transit line entirely within Tokyo, and certainly doesn't pass by Mt. Fuji, but hey, points for trying! The train itself appears to be very loosely based on the {{w|0 Series Shinkansen}} trainsets.
*The voice acting for several Japanese characters in this episode employs a very stereotypical Western view of Asian people and their pronunciation of English words.
*The naming of Marissa's vehicle as a "spinner" presumably comes from the hovercar vehicles of the same name in ''Blade Runner''.
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Scourge launches for Earth with the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst noise.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Coloring errors:
**Devastator is colored olive green rather than light green in the opening battle.
**Behind him, Predaking is colored entirely orange.
**The first time we see Cyclonus, his nose cone is purple. In the next shot, part of it is grey.
**Onslaught - visible for only a split second as Bruticus separates - remains in the light gray color of Bruticus's torso, even though he should be dark blue. Swindle's weapons are also colored the same yellow as Swindle himself, instead of dark gray.
**Rodimus' spoiler should be orange in the middle, but many shots have it colored completely in yellow.
**Magnus's missiles are white instead of red as he turns to receive Kup's report on the missing Hot Rod. In the same shot, Springer's cheekguards are abnormally huge.
**In one shot of Optimus Prime's "ghost", he is colored completely blue.
**The orange shapes on Cyclonus' chest are colored red in several shots.
**In the pan across the fallen Cyclonus, Hook (standing between Predaking and Drag Strip) is colored like Dead End.
*Devastator splits apart into the Constructicons off-screen, with no transformation sound and no indication of ''why'' he separated.
[[File:BurdenHardestBear Constructicons water.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Hook has two optics instead of a visor as the Constructicons retreat.
*A shot of Astrotrain from the human train's perspective shows no tracks on the ground.
[[File:BurdenHardest superion in flight.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Superion's mouthplate doesn't move as he speaks; his voice continues giving the command to separate after his components have separated.
*The Aerialbots' lasers simply come from unmarked points on their wingtips.
*Rodimus' crest is missing the horizontal line during most shots in this episode.
*When Rodimus is called to the palace, he's missing his Autobot logo.
*As he says, "When do they get better, that's what I want to know," Rodimus' face becomes all glitched up, with a partially miscolored helmet and a huge shadow line where his eyes should be.
*For some reason, the [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] [[insignia|logo]] on Marissa Faireborn's shoulder has been replaced with "AOC".
*When Rodimus drives away from Marissa, his smoke trail appears behind Kup instead of in front of him and his vehicle form is about half of Marissa's height. Also, Sky Lynx is missing in the shot.
*Improbable viewpoints:
**Rodimus' display shows a rear angle shot of Dead End and Wildrider, but he's in'' front'' of them.
[[File:BurdenHardesttoBear Stunticons Matrix.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*When Wildrider holds the matrix, it looks like a big yellow blob. The next shot shows it in the usual colors and configuration.
*After Wildrider and Dead End drive off with the Matrix, Rodimus reverts to robot mode; the animation of him settling into place is played twice.
*While Rodimus is reverted to Hot Rod, he's still occasionally drawn using Rodimus Prime's [[character model]].
[[File:BurdenHardest Chaar and moons.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"...A burnt-out hulk of a planet called Chaar, a world of... ash... and ruin? What?"]]
*Chaar is portrayed using Cybertron's post-Movie model, with two similarly designed moons.
*Attending Galvatron's throne room are several Decepticons of made-up design, colored as Constructicons (in the same olive-yellow seen previously.)
*Galvatron's throne changes color and design multiple times throughout one scene.
*The ghost image of Optimus has two fog lights instead of four.
*As Galvatron tosses the Matrix to Scourge:
**[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] have replaced the generic non-Constructicons that were there previously; they are also drawn as normal-scaled Decepticons.
**The Matrix is missing its handles.
*When Rodimus wakes and touches his forehead in the next scene, his face is partly purple.
*A few shots later (during the "Matrix, schmatrix..." lines), the depressions in Rodimus' shoulders are blue instead of white.
*Galvatron is missing the red squares on the tops of his shoulders in most shots.
*Wrong lasers:
**Cyclonus' gun fires a yellow laser. That's the Autobot color (it should be purple). It also uses a non-standard sound effect.
**Hot Rod carries a gray laser gun rather than the usual red rifle. It has a non-standard sound effect instead of Prime's rifle sound effect.
**In the battle scenes just before the Decepticons retreat, ''nobody'' has the standard Autobot or Decepticon laser sound effects.
[[File:Burden-hardest-to-bear-scourge-morphs.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2.2|It's an evolution revolution! or I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passin' by!]]
*After he dispatches Galvatron and Cyclonus, Scourge transforms with one of the most cheatsy sequences in the whole series - he simply melts or morphs into his vehicle form.
*When Cyclonus helps Galvatron up from the cliffside, he speaks in mutated Scourge's voice.
*The sensei continues making aggressive fighting noises long after his student opponent has lost his weapon and retreated.
*Galvatron's ship is gray instead of purple.
*The first shot of Galvatron aboard his ship has the whole bottom half of his face in dark gray instead of just his chin
*Two of the hovercraft-mode Sweeps accompanying Scourge are drawn with the heads-sticking-up model.
*Confusing animation and editing makes it very unclear what's happening at the start of Scourge's assault. We're supposed to see a large outdoor video screen showing a character firing a laser gun; then a transport passing by on the street gets blown up by Scourge, making it seem like the movie character blew up the transport - but it all happens so fast there's no time to figure it out.
*Scourge's energy blasts are very poorly animated, often lacking their glow effect and sometimes failing to connect with their targets at all.
*Kup's cry of pain comes ''before'' Scourge actually blasts him.
*When Galvatron opens the airlock door, one shot has "AIR LO'''O'''K" written on it. Also, it's not actually an {{w|airlock}} - it's just a door directly into space, with no airlock chamber and no apparent mechanism to adjust either pressure or air.
*The Matrix is in Scourge's chest, but later Hot Rod pulls it out of his stomach.
*When Hot Rod fires his first shots at Scourge, the background behind him has turned from a dark, grubby alleyway brick wall into a lit-up building - the same building he pulls up in front of as Rodimus Prime once the Decepticons pull out.
*As Hot Rod holds the Matrix, one shot has his arm pipes clipping through it.
*Hot Rod sticks the Matrix into his chest without opening a compartment for it.
*As Galvatron and Cyclonus fly Scourge away from the city, Galvatron is mouthing something, but there's no dialogue.
*In the last shot of the episode, Ultra Magnus is missing his shoulder missiles and Kup is missing the white part of his chest.
*The version of this episode on the [[Shout! Factory]] DVDs (as well as the Hasbro Pulse upload on YouTube) features a glitch with an unstable horizontal line appearing at the top of the picture throughout the episode. The error appears to be on the episode's master copy, as the version included on the [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]] DVDs has the picture slightly zoomed in order to avoid showing the offending line.

===Continuity errors===
*It's not clear what caused the Constructicons to separate and retreat; they seemed to be handling Broadside with ease up to that point.
*The humans who call out "Mayday! Mayday!" don't appear to have a radio on their ship.
*The wanton assault of the Aerialbots seems more likely to blow up the railroad tracks than actually blast Astrotrain off of them.
*Wildrider now has a very bad Southern accent, perhaps in response to his "dun blowed up real good" line.
*Galvatron says the Matrix eluded the Decepticons for year'''s''', but he had it for a while during the movie (which happened less than one year ago in the timeline).
*It's not really clear why Galvatron puts the Matrix in his cannon rather than his chest.
*Why didn't the ancient Autobots pop up when Galvatron had the Matrix during the movie? (one possible explanation: he never placed the Matrix inside himself in the movie, instead only wearing it on a chain.)
*Likewise, why does Scourge get all mutated when Galvatron didn't?
*We don't hear Optimus' voice during the "return the Matrix" chant.
*Galvatron comes to the rather odd conclusion that Dead End and Wildrider "dropped" and "broke" the galactically powerful, ancient-beyond-all-history, mystical Matrix, despite learning first-hand during the movie that he cannot use it, "not by a Decepticon." Of course, Galvatron isn't exactly renowned for his logical reasoning skills . . .
*After Galvatron tells Scourge to get rid of the Matrix, the [[scene transition]] has two Decepticon logos, but the next scene is of the Autobots.
*Just before he quits the Autobots, Hot Rod states that "this war has been going on now for a few dozen millennia". Back in "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", we learned that the Third Cybertronian War started nine million years ago, which is about ''750'' dozen millennia... assuming, of course, that we want to take Hot Rod's pointedly off-handed remark as being based on historical accuracy, which is kind of a stretch for a guy who's at the end of his rope and sarcastically railing about "the known universe and its outlying suburbs".
*The Decepticon army is inexplicably small in the second half of the episode, consisting of just Predaking, a couple of Sweeps, and some Constructicons who come and go.
*Ozu injures Scourge (a giant metal robot, juiced up on Matrix steroids) with his sword.
*Scourge is portrayed as ultra-powerful early on, but is defeated by a ramming and three shots from Hot Rod's gun at the episode's end. This downfall comes on the heels of him abandoning his "destroy everything!" mission in order to fixate on chasing an old lady around, making it a somewhat fitting defeat.

===Trivia===
[[File:Burden-hardest-to-bear-galvatron-cannon.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|" 'Front Toward Enemy'? What does that mean?! ARE YOU THREATENING ME?!"]]
*This is one of the most well-illustrated episodes of season 3, with lots of deep, detailed shading and well-proportioned characters. That said, there ''are'' some instances where the animation gets overly sketchy to the point of being indecipherable during Scourge's attack of Japan. And the general aesthetic looks a lot like the yet-to-be-released ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Headmasters]]'' series.
*The Japanese train drivers appear to be wearing... spacesuits?
*When Scourge starts mutating, at one point it looks like he's... [[Humanization|crying]]?
*Isn't it convenient that Scourge launches his attack on Earth in Japan, where the Autobots happen to be located?
*When Galvatron inserts the Matrix into his cannon and it fails to fire, he briefly looks directly ''into the barrel of his cannon'' before berating [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]].

*Those government spokesmen who complained about the fighting in the beginning must be ''pissed'' after all the destruction we see at the end!

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' ?
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast and European French DVD release):'' "'''Le fardeau d'être chef'''" ("The Burden of being a Leader")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*To date, and although there is probably one in existence, the European French dub of this episode is lost. The French DVD editions use the Canadian French dub instead.
::*In that same Canadian dub, Sky Lynx is still called by his English name instead of "Chaînon".

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Last der Verantwortung'''" ("The Burden of Responsibility")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 29]], [[1992]]
::*After Rodimus looses the Matrix, in the german dub he is still referred to as "Rodimus" instead of "Hot Rod".
::*This was the final episode in the 39-episode-run of the original cartoon on german Television. The Series would return in [[1995]] to german television, [[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|but not the way many Fans had hoped...]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (first dub):'' "'''Il fardello del comando'''" ("The Burden of Command")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*For the first time in the series, Bruticus is called by his Italian name, Mutiforce. In season 2 he kept his English name.
::*Like in ''[[Kremzeek!]]'', in this episode some Japanese people's accent sounds more Chinese than Japanese. Still, someone simply speaks in perfect Italian.
::*The name "Otoboto-san" oddly becomes "Autobotu-san". This makes even less sense if you consider that Autobots are known in Italy as "Autorobot".
::*At least once, Springer speaks in rhymes.
:*''Title (second dub):'' "'''Il peso più difficile da portare'''" ("The Hardest Weight to Carry On")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Omo Sugi ta Shimei'''" (重すぎた使命, "The Mission Too Heavy")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 11]], [[1987]]
::*When they recover the Matrix of Leadership, [[Issei Masamune|the Narrator]] misidentifies [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] as [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]]. Which is very strange because the [[Battlecharger]]s weren't sold at Japanese retail, but the Stunticons were.
::*A "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment unique to Japan was attached to this episode. It focuses on the many battles between [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. It replaces the original "Secret Files" segment which focused on the Decepticons.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jiān Fù Zhòngrèn'''" (肩负重任, "The Heavy Responsibility to shoulder")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Samaya tyajkaya nosha'''" (''Самая тяжкая ноша'', "The Heaviest Burden")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 11: The Decepticon Possession ([[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 22 ([[Déclic Images]]) — Canadian 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)

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=13b6eCCSpSPkAYm5DeADnJIsoGE72PrZ9 Episode dialogue script]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burden Hardest to Bear}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1

2026-05-04T10:33:10Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{Disambig3|Key to Vector Sigma}}

{{episode
|image=Stunticons.jpg
|caption=Megatron's latest addition to his troops. He's really going to regret this one...
|series=G1toon
|ep=56
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=42
|prev2=The Search for Alpha Trion
|next2=The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2
|title="The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1"
|season=2
|season ep=40
|written by=[[David Wise]]
|production code=700-55
|airdate=[[November 25]], 1985
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAn3Z1Q6lZY
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''After being beaten by the Autobots once again, Megatron hatches a plan to create a team of Decepticons that will give him supremacy over the roads.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:KeyVectorSigma1 Rumble carjack.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rumble makes an excellent carjacker. Why are we not surprised?]]

The [[Autobot]]s are escorting a convoy of tankers which carry a new [[superfuel]] which the government has given to the Autobots. Things have been quiet so far, but [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] is wary. [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] thinks that the [[Decepticon]]s are unaware of the superfuel, when they take that moment to attack. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] sends the [[Conehead]]s to attack, but they are unable to follow them into the tunnels and canyons on the road. Megatron himself decides to destroy the superfuel, but [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] manages to distract him, while Optimus and Prowl drive Megatron off.

Megatron is furious that the Autobots beat them, and decides to rectify the situation. [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] is sent to steal cars of various models, and [[Possum Brown]]'s truck, all of which Megatron alters with Decepticon technology, such as anti-gravity boosters and automatic [[force field]]s. Using a remote control, Megatron tests the cars' abilities. Rumble is amazed with their stunt driving, and Megatron decides that it's a good name. Bringing them about, he has them [[Transformation|transform]] into [[robot mode]], and dubs them the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]].

[[File:KeyVectorSigma1 Alpha wall.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"I'm not quite dead."]]

Learning that the Decepticons are making new soldiers, Prime realizes they'll need Cybernetic personalities to truly live, and there is only one way to do that. [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] takes a group of Autobots to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], where Megatron is informed by [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] that he has located [[Vector Sigma]], the megacomputer that gave the [[Transformer]]s life. But they will require the [[Key to Vector Sigma|circuit key]] to activate it. The Key is in the possession of [[Alpha Trion]], and the Decepticons head for [[Alpha Trion's base‎|his lab]]. After a brief struggle, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] locates the Key and gives it to Megatron.

Arriving on Cybertron, the Autobots hurry to Alpha Trion's lab, only to find a dying Alpha Trion. [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] are able to save his life, and he explains to Optimus what Megatron intends to do. The Autobots head into the tunnels for Vector Sigma.

[[File:Centurions.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|We came, we saw, we kicked some ass.]]

In the tunnels, the Decepticons encounter [[Centurion droid]]s, which Megatron discovers he can control with the Key, and instructs them to attack the Autobots. The Autobots encounter the drones and, unable to destroy their attackers, retreat to a derelict hangar. Heading to Vector Sigma, Megatron activates the super computer, which gives [[Spark|life]] to the Stunticons: [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]]. The Decepticons return to Earth, where the Stunticons are set loose on human roads.

[[File:KeyVectorSigma1 Wildrider fly.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|This isn't gonna end well.]]
In the hangar, Ratchet and Wheeljack set about repairing the damaged [[maintenance drone]]s which are scattered around, sending them out to fight the Centurions, with little success. Finally a column of maintenance drones marches off a cliff, and the Centurion drones blindly follow them. The Autobots reach Vector Sigma, learning that it already gave the Stunticons life. Optimus plans to use a series of ancient rockets and have them rebuilt as Earth style jets, planning to fight the Decepticons in the air.

At a human base, the Stunticons arrive attempting to make another attempt to steal the superfuel, and the soldiers believe they're being attacked by the Autobots.

[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2|To be continued...]]
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] (3)
*[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (4)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] (20)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] (22)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (23)
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (24)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (25)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] (26)
*[[Alpha Trion]] (27)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (5)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (6)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (7)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (8)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (9)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (10)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (12)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (13)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (15)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (18)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] (21)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (28)

|c3=
*Tanker drivers (2)
*Race commentator (11)
*Robbers (14)
*Truck driver (16)
*Soldiers (32)

|c4=
*[[Teletraan I]] (19)
*[[Centurion droid]]s (29)
*[[Vector Sigma]] (30)
*[[Maintenance drone]]s (31)
}}

==Quotes==
"So much for your security, Prowl."
:—'''Smokescreen''', as the Decepticons attack

"I knew I'd never make it."
:—'''Dirge''', accepting his lot in life.

"No, Megatron, you'll have to blow us all up, and frankly, I don't think you have the guts."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' goads Megatron to shoot at the super fuel.

"Annnnd Mueller takes it! ...What in the world?" 
"You mean ''Rumble'' takes it!"
:—'''Race track announcer''' and '''Rumble''', who proceeds quite literally to take it

"Incredible! Not even the Autobots can do that kind of stunt driving." 
"Stunt driving...yes! Behold—the ''Stunticons!''"
:—'''Rumble''' gives '''Megatron''' an inspiration.

"This can't be the way those Deceptigoons came." 
"On the contrary, it definitely is." 
"What makes you so sure?" 
"Because who else would have sent ''them'' to kill us?"
:—'''Ratchet''' and '''Alpha Trion''' as the Centurion droids approach

[[File:Vector sigma.jpg|right|thumb|The early concept of the disco mirror ball, which the humans stole, millions of years later.]]
"I am Vector Sigma. Before Cybertron was, I was! Who reactivates me?"
:—'''Vector Sigma'''

'''Megatron''': I am Megatron, your leader. Declare yourselves to me. 
'''Motormaster''': I am Motormaster. I swear loyalty to you! 
'''Dead End''': I am Dead End. I guess I'll have to do what you say. 
'''Breakdown''': I'm... I'm Breakdown. I'll obey too. 
'''Drag Strip''': I am Drag Strip. I ''live'' to obey! 
'''Wildrider''': I'm Wildrider! And I wanna bust something up!
:—The '''Stunticons''' speak [[Introdump|their first words]].

"Big ''and'' stupid."
:—'''Blaster''' on the Centurion droids who, in their zealousness, ran off a cliff to chase the maintenance robots.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:G1tf56-shuttleships.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67]]
*In the scene where the Autobots walk through a chamber with lots of destroyed Transformers in it, there are two [[generic]]s in the foreground, who are recycled character models from "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]." The [[Internuncio|one on the left]] was one of the "primitive ancestors of the Autobots" found in Cybertron's depths (its colours here changed from dark grey to a lighter blueish grey), while the green and yellow one on the right was seen in [[Early war history records Transformers|historical footage]]" segment, its colours unchanged. The first one will appear again in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]", again in different colors.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Soundwave actually uses that gun on his shoulder while fighting the Centurion drones.
**Soundwave extends a lock-picking electrical widget from his fingertip.
**The newly-built Stunticons show off their ridiculously fancy driving abilities - they smash through trees, buildings and solid rock, they launch themselves into the air, spinning and flipping while doing so, and they make hairpin 180-degree turns.
*Following his beatdown in [[Hoist Goes Hollywood|the previous episode]], Starscream is noticeably absent from this and the next '''''four''''' episodes. We don't see him again until "[[War Dawn]]." Just what did Megatron even ''do'' to him?!

===Real-world references===
*Vector Sigma's line "Before Cybertron was, I was" is a paraphrase of what Jesus says in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%208:58&version=KJV John 8:58].
*For robots that have never been exposed to human culture, the Centurion droids demonstrate surprising proficiency in pro-wrestling, performing moves such as the German Suplex, body slam, headlock and Irish Whip.
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**[[TIE Fighter]] roar as the coneheads dive to attack the superfuel convoy.
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine roar as the coneheads follow them into the canyon.
**Truncated [[lightsaber]]-vs-seeker-ball as Megatron inserts the key.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Coloring errors:
**As Prime notes how quiet it's been, his headlights and bumper are red instead of white and gray.
**The back of Megatron's leg is colored blue during his "Thrust, Dirge, Ramjet, after them!" line; apparently the colorists thought it was part of the sky.
**Ramjet's wings are white instead of maroon as he emerges from the canyon.
**When Thrust transforms to rescue Ramjet, it's actually Dirge's animation model with Thrust's deco.
**"If it weren't for those accursed Autobots..." - Megatron's left arm is colored white instead of gray, and his forehead is missing its detailing.[[File:KeytoVectorSigmaPt1 stealing DragStrip.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
**Rumble's visor flashes between white and red when he steals the F1 car which will become Drag Strip. Oddly enough, it's stable red when the Autobots review the same sequence on Teletraan I later on!
**Blue eject button on Soundwave as Megatron prepares to test his newly upgraded cars.
***And again after he exists the space bridge.
**Omega Supreme's head is red instead of gray as he transforms to rocket mode outside Autobot Headquarters.
**Omega's visor is gray instead of clear as he reverts to [[robot mode]] on Cybertron.
**"Let's roll!" - the inside of Prime's cheekguard changes from gray to blue.
**As he dives into the Vector Sigma tunnel, Blaster's forehead changes from red to its correct white.
**As he watches Vector Sigma rise, Soundwave's cheekguards are blue instead of gray.
**As Megatron welcomes the Stunticons to Earth, his waist is light gray instead of its usual dark gray.
*The coneheads don't have the standard Decepticon laser noise as they dive to attack.
*When Ramjet crashes, he reverts to robot mode without the transformation sound.
*As the Autobots open fire on Megatron, they get a weird mix of Prime's laser noise and the standard Decepticon laser noise.
*One of the bank robbers, the getaway driver and the lorry driver are all wearing [[hard hat]]s; have Spike and Sparkplug started a fashion trend?
*As Rumble steals the semi truck, two of his shots start with Megatron's fusion cannon sound effect and end with the usual Decepticon laser effect.
*The establishing shot of Cybertron is very different than the stock shot usually used on the show; it's a greatly simplied version of the planet, without all the giant holes and war damage (maybe it's just "the other side".) Still another version can be seen briefly as Omega Supreme flies toward the planet, much closer to the usual stock shot but still not the same model.
*The inside of the space bridge elevator continues glowing pink after the doors open.
*As the Autobots race towards Alpha Trion's lab, Omega Supreme actually clips through Blaster.
*"Good grief!" - the illumination of Wheeljack's "ears" doesn't quite line up with the ears themselves.
*In the first shot of their approach, the Centurion droids are walking in place rather than advancing.
*When the Centurion droids attack, Megatron's nose is colored dark gray.
*Soundwave's Decepticon insignia is missing as he avoids a Centurion's fist.
*After the Autobots leave the hanagar, Blaster's mouth is jumping up and down independently of his face.
*"Soon! Very soon." - Megatron's voice is missing its robotic processing.

===Continuity errors===
*The central premise of this episode—that bringing new Transformers to life requires the supercomputer Vector Sigma—is highly problematic in the context of.... well, every other episode before or since in which new Transformers are created:
**The [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were simply built on Earth.
**The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], in their first episode, are likewise described as having been built on Earth (though that's [[Constructicon (G1)#Origin inconsistency|a whole can of worms]] in itself.)
**Later episodes would likewise contradict it, showing [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] being brought to life without Vector Sigma.
**Megatron emphatically declares that Vector Sigma gave ''all'' his contemporaries life, and introduces himself to the computer as "one of your own creations". In "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]", Megatron is shown being built on a table by the evil Constructicons, with Vector Sigma nowhere in sight (the same Constructicons who would later be turned evil, and still later be built on Earth).
**"Five Faces of Darkness" also presents the Quintessons as the original creators of the Transformers. Vector Sigma was apparently involved, as Alpha Trion states that he was a first generation product of Vector Sigma, and he also led the Transformer rebellion against the Quintessons. It is possible that Vector Sigma was ''built'' by the Quintessons.
***Optimus ''sort of'' explains most of this by saying "There's no place on Earth to give them cybernetic personalities like we have", the "like we have" part perhaps insinuating that personalities from Earth would end up with low intelligence. For Trypticon and the Dinobots at least, this appears to be correct; the Technobots, meanwhile, were built by a temporarily super-intelligent Grimlock, using parts of Unicron, so... who knows.
*Why does Warpath drop out of the convoy? Why doesn't he return fire? Was he supposed to have been damaged by the first assault? If so, the animation doesn't show it.
[[File:Ktvs1 megs builds breakdown.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Megatron apparently builds the Stunticons by himself. Where are the Constructicons, who were useful in creating the robotic cars in "[[Make Tracks]]"?
*Rather than launching an assault to commandeer the [[space bridge]] as they've previously done in "[[Divide and Conquer]]" (and [[The Revenge of Bruticus|will do again]]) to instantly transport themselves back home, Optimus Prime calls for Omega Supreme to fly them to Cybertron the long way. Naturally, this facilitates the Omega Supreme subplot which will ultimately result in the Aerialbots dropping their bad attitude, but it's still an odd choice considering the urgency of the situation.
[[File:KeyVectorSigma1 Trion's base interior.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*In "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]", Alpha Trion was introduced as an enigmatic old Transformer hiding in an underground base. This episode ignores the brunt of that. For starters, [[Alpha Trion's base]] is no longer underground and doesn't appear to be secret anymore. Nor does Alpha Trion himself. For some reason, the Decepticons know that Alpha Trion still lives, that he has the Key to Vector Sigma and what the location of his laboratory is. Wheeljack makes the situation even more peculiar by remarking that Alpha Trion's base is messier than it's ever been, insinuating that he's been there before. On a sidenote, in "The Search for Alpha Trion", Alpha Trion's lab was neat and tidy.
*"It's a miracle we survived that blast" - see Trivia notes below for more on Prime's non sequitur line.
*Speaking of urgency - despite the repeated need for speed, the Autobots never use their [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s on Cybertron - not to hurry to Alpha Trion's lab, not to rush to the Vector Sigma tunnel, not to travel IN that tunnel, not to get away from the slow-moving Centurion droids...

===Trivia===
*According to episode writer [[David Wise]] at various conventions (such as [[BotCon 2009]]), he was instructed to include Vector Sigma when writing this episode as part of the [[Hasbro]] episode mandates. Not knowing what Vector Sigma was, he pressed story editor [[Bryce Malek]], who in turn had to go to Hasbro to learn that Vector Sigma was "the computer that gave all the Transformers personalities". This caused Malek to respond: "Well, it didn't do a very good job, did it!"
*At the script stage, this episode had the uninspired sub-title "Creation of the Stunticons".
*The shooting scripts for both installments of this two-parter contain several "deleted scenes" which expand greatly upon some of the more significant events in the story. In this episode:
**"That blast" mentioned by Prime in the finished episode actually happens.
**While the other Autobots are busy down in the tunnels, Omega Supreme battles Shockwave on the planet's surface throughout the second act of the episode. Shockwave refers to Omega as his "old enemy," and is on the losing end of the fight until he gets his hands on a "cyberbomb," which he uses to defeat Omega, leaving him very badly damaged. There is a vestigial reference to this battle in Part 2, and further scenes relating to its consequences are removed from that episode, altering the nature of its turning point quite a bit.
*The tank vehicles seen at the army base are the [[MOBAT]] and the Armadillo from the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' animated series.
*Rumble is shown capturing a Tyrrell P34 during a Formula 1 race, the year presumably being 1986. In actuality, the six-wheeler Tyrrell P34 was retired after the 1977 season, and did not appear again on any race circuit until 1999.
*When the Stunticons first veer into traffic, several Earthen cars swerve to avoid them - and they're all in the Stunticons' color schemes. The beige one even has a purple patch where Breakdown's Decepticon insignia is.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''La clé de Victor Segma'''" ("Vector Sigma's Key")
:*''Title (European French DVD release):'' "'''La clé du succès - Partie 1'''" ("The Key to Success - Part 1")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast):'' "'''La clé pour Vecteur Sigma, partie 1'''" ("The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*The annoying alien voice effect is still here, despite being less violent in this episode.
::*[[Albert Augier]] is back! But for some reason, [[Georges Atlas]] keeps Soundwave for this episode.
::*The race commentator saying "What in the world?" is translated differently in the original event ("That's unbelievable! What's happening?") and when Optimus Prime and Ratchet watch the video ("What's happening this time?") as if it was happening again.
::*Missing lines:
:::*Optimus Prime's lines "See what I mean? Let's move it! So much for your security Prowl!" are missing.
:::*The dialogue between Smokescreen and Optimus Prime driving is missing.
:::*Dirge's lines "I knew I'd never make it!" and "Gotta get him out of here for repairs." are missing, as well as many Coneheads lines in plane mode.
:::*Smokescreen's line "Eat my smoke!" is missing.
:::*Rumble's lines "You mean Rumble takes it!" and "I just need the car!" as he steals the vehicles are missing.
:::*Soundwave's lines as he's looking for the key are missing.
:::*Megatron's line "Welcome Stunticons!" as they admire the landscape is missing.
::*Name-dodging:
:::*As a the classic name-dodging situation, Megatron's line "Thrust! Dirge! Ramjet! After them!" is replaced by "Get that fuel! I need it!".
:::*Optimus Prime's line "Hoist! Ratchet! Can you repair him?" is replaced by simply saying "Do you think you can repair him if you both work on it?".
:::*Instead of saying their names, the Stunticons all make little speeches about pledging allegiance to Megatron.
::*Ratchet describing the Stunticons as "Megatron's new car group" is replaced by "Megatron's new mentally ill guys". Wow.
::*In order to write the "To be continued" in French, it was added at the end of the episode while the Stunticons are invading the base. The original one was removed, making the music cut abruptly.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Gli Stunticons'''" ("The Stunticons")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''La chiave di Vector Sigma - Prima parte'''" ("The Key of Vector Sigma - First Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Vector Sigma no Kagi PART I'''" (ベクターシグマの鍵 PART I, "The Key of Vector Sigma PART I")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[May 2]], [[1986]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mólì Shénqiú (Shàng)'''" (魔力神球(上), "The Magic Ball, Part I")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Chave Para Vector Sigma, Primeira Parte'''" ("The Key to Vector Sigma, First Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Klyuch ot Sigma Comp'yutera'''" (Ключ от Сигма Компьютера, "The Key to Sigma Computer")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1986 — ''The Transformers'' — The Key to Vector Sigma & War Dawn ([[Video Gems|A.M.T. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''The Transformers'' — The Key to Vector Sigma & War Dawn ([[Video Gems|V.I.P. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1991 — ''The Transformers'' — The Key to Vector Sigma ([[Video Gems|Little Gems Video Club]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 4: The Key to Vector Sigma ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 7 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 3: Series 2.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 13 ([[Déclic Images]]) — 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 France.png|20px|France]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — Le Journal des Quintessons ([[UFG Junior]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 06: Stagione Due Parte Quarta ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part Two (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]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 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'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20200217143800/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-2/synopses/700-55.html Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=19SAt1ANZYlItgpSj_ZXbblAZdMdQNfj7 Episode dialogue script with deleted lines]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLMrVzTr_92WQ8nHBXIkT9m2o9LYs1vd/view?usp=drive_link Episode model sheets]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2

2026-05-04T10:23:31Z

Chris McFeely: /* Trivia */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=38
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=29
|prev2=Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1
|next2=A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)
|series3=''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=40
|prev3=Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1
|next3=The Ultimate Doom, Part 1
|image=DesertionDinobots2 Shockwave humans.JPG
|caption=''Dessert of the Dinobots'', tonight on Food Network.
|title="Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2"
|season=2
|season ep=22
|production code=#700-37
|airdate=[[October 22]], 1985
|written by=[[Earl Kress]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic5hLhxDaZ8
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''With the Dinobots having deserted the dying Autobots, Spike and Carly must find them and save the Autobots.'''

==Synopsis==
The [[space bridge]] doors open, and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] find themselves facing the business end of [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s gun arm! He fires a ray that vaporizes Carly's car right out from under them. Fleeing through [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Cybertron)|Decepticon Headquarters]], the two humans manage to take refuge inside a small hole in a computer, a space where Shockwave won't fire after them for fear of damaging the equipment. Carly attempts to work the machine, but is hit by a surge of electricity and falls into a nearby pit, damaging the computer, but also twisting her ankle in the process. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] contacts Shockwave and orders him to send [[Cybertonium]] before the [[Decepticon]]s die, but Carly's tinkering has left the Space Bridge non-functional.

[[File:DesertionDinobots2 Swoop humans.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Humans collect Transformers. Me Swoop collects humans!]]

Using Wheeljack's thumb radio, Spike makes contact with [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]], who is pretty much the only person standing at Autobot Headquarters, as the Autobots are all shut down. Sparkplug uses [[Teletraan I]] to guide them out of the computer and toward [[Wheeljack's workshop|Wheeljack's old lab]]. Carly gets them through the door, but before they can start looking for Wheeljack's stash of Cybertonium, someone or something starts pounding on the roof. Spike finds a rifle and blasts the intruder, who is revealed to be... [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]!

The errant Dinobot explains that the Dinobots were captured by the Decepticons after a fight in Decepticon Headquarters, and taken to the [[Cybertonium Pit]]. The three are guided by Sparkplug to the [[Mass Transit System]]. Unfortunately, the tube carrying their car is damaged, and they can no longer communicate with Sparkplug. Deep underground, the three are nearly killed when they activate old defense systems. Swoop saves the day, but his wings are damaged.

Reaching the surface, they find an abandoned city, which has clearly seen better days. Carly discovers a records room, with a datatrack which explains the history of the [[Great War (G1)|terrible war between the Autobots and Decepticons]]. Swoop says that he never knew the war had gone on for so long, but they are soon captured by a [[Sentinel (G1)|Sentinel]].

[[File:DesertionDinobots2 Grimlock kill drones.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Taste like chicken.]]

Taken to the Cybertonium Pit, they discover that Shockwave altered the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]' [[memory circuit]]s, making them think they're loyal to the Decepticons. Carly is able to repair their memory circuits, and the Dinobots thank Carly and Spike for rescuing them (except [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], of course). Now that the Dinobots are themselves, Spike comes up with an escape plan. He and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] start arguing, so the Sentinel decides to remove the humans. When the force field surrounding them comes down, the Dinobots destroy the drones. The Dinobots take the kids to an access tube, and Grimlock carries them up.

[[File:DesertionDinobots2 Dinobots Cybertonium.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Me Grimlock always have room for Jell-o!"]]

Meanwhile, Sparkplug sends a message to Cybertron, saying that he has managed to direct the space bridge to land outside the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]]. Shockwave contacts Megatron, saying that he has sufficient Cybertonium, and the Space Bridge is repaired, but that he has lost control of the destination site. Having overheard this, the Dinobots overwhelm Shockwave, and although Shockwave is able to hit Swoop, the Dinobots and humans manage to escape back to Earth with a shipment of Cybertonium.

At the Autobot base, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] awards Spike and Carly with medals, making them "[[Honorary Autobot]]s". Grimlock decides to follow the Autobot leader's orders, and the Dinobots rejoin the [[Autobot]]s... until Grimlock no longer feels like following Prime's orders.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (6)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (7)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (8)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (9)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (10)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (13)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] (1)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (5)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (2)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (3)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (4)

|c4=
*[[Early war history records Transformers|History records Transformers]] (11)
*[[Sentinel (G1)|Sentinel robots]] (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"That was my car, not an Autobot. Decepticreep!" 
"I don't think he cares, Carly."
:—'''Carly''' and '''Spike''' after Shockwave destroys Carly's car

"The more I see of this planet, the more I like it." 
"The more I see of it, the more tired I get."
:—'''Carly''' as she marvels at Cybertron while '''Spike''' despairs over the huge stairs

[[File:DesertionDinobots2 Mass transit junction.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
'''Spike'''/'''Carly''': WHOA! 
'''Swoop''': Why you make ''that'' noise? 
'''Spike''': Because we just left our stomachs back up there. Hoh-oh! 
'''Swoop''': Me glad me not have stomach to leave. 
:—Spike and Carly get a tiny bit of motion sickness sympathy from Swoop.

"Metal of good old days not so good!"
:—'''Swoop''' doesn't think much of the traps in the tunnels. He's going to think even less of the [[Quintesson|guys who built them]].

"Almost forgot — me Swoop can transform!"
:—In standard Dinobot fashion, '''Swoop''' hits on a solution for getting around with a damaged ''Pterodactyl'' wing.

"Millions of years ago, Cybertron was a planet of peace...until the Decepticons, lusting for power, began a terrible war. Not designed for combat, the Autobots were overwhelmed and subjugated by their evil opponents. While many Autobots fled Cybertron, a few valiant survivors devised new tactics and launched a counter-offensive on their arch-foes. And thus began a terrible series of wars. Many times, both sides have claimed victory, but this has been short-lived, for the Autobots have overthrown Decepticon tyrants, and, likewise, Decepticon treachery has toppled many a peaceful Autobot ruler. And to this day, the war rages on."
:— A '''computer''' telling the history of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict

[[File:Grimlock01.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Me say you PREGNANT.]]
"No! Me hate you!" 
"Well, I'm not nuts about you, either!" 
"Me not do what you say!" 
"You lunky bag of bolts, you can't do anything!"
:—'''Grimlock''' and '''Spike''' fake a fight within the Cybertonium Pit.

'''Slag''': Even though Dinobots not like it... 
'''Snarl''': ...We take orders from you now... 
'''Grimlock''': ...Until ''next time'' me Grimlock no '''''feel''''' like it. 
:—A warm fuzzy moment, Dinobot style.

==Notes==
===Production information===
* First draft script: 4 March 1985
* Script revised by [[Ron Friedman]]: 7 March 1985

===Deleted scenes===
Changed scenes
* Originally, the history video told a very different story of the Transformers’ origins. It states that during the first millennium of Cybertron, the planet was invaded by evil machines from another world. Able to fly and transform, they decimated the inhabitants and nearly won the First Galactic Machine War. The survivors rebuilt their bodies, naming themselves “Autobots” and also gaining the ability to transform. The video ends on the ominous note “But we had not heard the last from the robots known as…the Decepticons!”

Deleted scenes
* Once the two humans reach Wheeljack’s workshop, they spot a stack of storage bins labelled “Cybertonium”. Standing atop Spike’s shoulders, Carly peers in to find the bins empty. Realising the Decepticons stole the contents, the two are thrown off-balance and sent tumbling to the floor by the pounding coming from the roof.
* As Spike attempts to dig his commandeered laser weapon out from the rubble, the shadowy figure (Swoop) begins widening the hole made in the roof with its own laser. Following Sparkplug’s instructions via the thumb radio, Carly attempts to access the control panel for the entrance doors and erect a forcefield. Before she can press the button, a shot from the shadowy figure’s weapon destroys the control panel. Spike then fires his weapon again and sends the attacker falling into the workshop.
* In a callback to Part 1, Swoop leans over while Ratchet and Wheeljack are repairing him, telling Mirage. “You forget Cybertron, Mirage. Cybertron not nice anymore!”

===Continuity notes===
*Shockwave curses Spike and Carly as "miserable glitches".
*When Swoop escapes the Decepticon guards, he is shown flying over [[Great Dome|Iacon]] as the Autobots left it in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".
*The Cybertonium pits are located at "3-5-4 Zeta-Alpha-Mark 7".
*Shockwave refers to Swoop as a "foreign robot".
*Gadgets and powers:
**As mentioned above, Shockwave can ''vaporize'' things with a ray from his gun arm. What things? Cars, robots, machinery, just about anything, it would seem. How have the Decepticons not won the war with this guy on their side??
**Swoop can launch a couple of stubby little missiles out of his upper chest.
**The Dinobots' memory circuits can be bypassed via something or other in their chests. It sounds bizarre, but Bumblebee apparently had memory chips in his chest in "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]", and [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] [[The Rebirth, Part 1|later]] declares that he and his compatriots all have "auxiliary memory circuits" in their chests.
*Swoop and the humans wander into what appears to be an abandoned underground city on Cybertron. The notion of Cybertron cities being built one atop the next would be revisited in the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon, many years later.
*This episode gives us a rare glimpse into Cybertron's past via a sort of mini-documentary:
**The footage features a ''ton'' of totally made-up robot and vehicle designs.
**The ships used by fleeing Autobots in the datatracks are the [[Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor|same type]] as the Ark.
**The documentary suggests that the Autobots created the art of transforming, something that "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" corroborates.
**This was the first episode where a Transformer that isn't a hologram or a clone is shown to be destroyed.
*For the most part, this is the last time the Dinobots would be shown as rebellious, intimidating warriors in the original animated continuity, as by their next appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' they are happy to work with other Autobots, and by [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Season 3]], are generally used as comedic foils.
*Since Cybertron clearly sucked up a bunch of Earth's atmosphere in "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1]]", we can forgive Carly and Spike's ability to breathe there. (Of course, Cybertron was human-inhabitable even before that incident, as demonstrated by Chip's visit in "[[Divide and Conquer]]".) Awful handy of it to have human-compatible gravity (which it would need anyway to actually hold on to that atmosphere.)

===Real-world references===
[[File:DisertionDinobots2 humans medals.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"I got shot through space, my car was disintegrated, I got lost and injured on an alien planet, captured by giant evil robots and made to act as slave mining labor, all to save your lives, and all I get is this lousy medal? That's it, I want a new car. And it better not be one of the Autobots acting like a car."]]

*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Spike's laser shot hits Swoop with the sound of [[Obi-Wan Kenobi|Ben Kenobi]] and [[Darth Vader]] cutting through some machinery on the [[Death Star]].
**The same sound is used as part of the heat-seeking missiles' engines.
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine rumble as Swoop starts his "fancy flying", then ''Falcon'' engine burst, then Death Star superlaser, then [[TIE Fighter]] engine as he finally crashes.

===Animation and technical errors===
*An establishing shot shows us a pile of nonfunctional Autobots. Among them is Jazz, now back in his complete robot mode after being stuck as a half-car, half-robot last episode.
*Coloring errors:
**In the pile-of-Autobots shot, Prowl's head crest is white instead of red, Jazz's tires are white, Bumblebee's groin is gray instead of yellow, and Brawn's gauntlets are yellow instead of gray.
**Would anybody recognize Slag if they colored his face ''right''?
***The front of Slag's checkguard is white instead of red as Carly fixes him.
***His whole face is white as the energy fence deactivates, and again as he returns to robot mode and escapes from the pit.
***The "side panels" of his head are white as Optimus Prime starts to address the Dinobots (his eyes are also colored red, and next to him, Sludge has empty white voids instead of eyes.)
***White cheekguard-fronts again as Slag speaks his final line. His chest plate is also gray instead of white.
**After their escape, the Dinobots stop to figure out which way to go; in this shot, Grimlock's head is light gray, and Slag's dino head is light gray instead of yellow.
**During the final scene, Swoop can be seen being repaired (presumably having his blown-up wing replaced, since he only has one), but his intact wing is the same color as the bed he's lying on, and his beak is red. And Ratchet, standing at the foot of the bed, is red and gray.
*One of Teletraan I's displays labels Spike and Carly's location as "DECEPTKON COMPUTER BRAIN".
*Where's Spike been carrying that rather largish [[photon light]] he pulls out? It's way too big to fit in a pocket.
*Carly's "oop!" happens before she actually stumbles. She's calmly saying "Let me lean on your shoulder" while nearly pitching face-first into the ground.
*Predictably, the entrance to Wheeljack's lab looks completely different than when we saw it in "Divide and Conquer". So does the access panel for the door. Neither of those looked like the entrance seen in "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3", but that seems to have been a back door.
*As is common in the cartoon universe, the metal ceiling of Wheeljack's lab cracks and crumbles like rock.
*As Swoop explains what happened to the Dinobots, he's speaking his narration IN the flashback. Not necessarily a mistake, but a very odd stylistic choice if not.
*Swoop's wing damage is missing in the very next shot of him after it happens ("Must've triggered switch!"). And then it's back when he tries to avoid some heat-seeking missiles. ("Wing won't work!").
*After he's shot by the Decepticon guard, Swoop falls over with a very organic-sounding thump.
*The Dinobots are all busily loading, loading, loading while they declare that they don't want to leave the Cybertonium pits. But when Carly decides to check Snarl's circuits, he's just standing there doing nothing.
*During the "history of Cybertron" segment, there is a [[Early war history records Transformers|pink and a grey generic]] who is among the Decepticons that round up a group of Autobots. It is seen again shortly afterwards... among a group of (if the narration is something to go by) ''Autobots'' who show off their newly acquired transformation abilities.
*When Shockwave appears on the guard's communication screen his gun hand has been replaced by a normal hand.

===Continuity errors===
*Victor Caroli's voiceover recap incorrectly describes the Autobots as "energy depleted"; in actuality, they're suffering mechanical breakdowns.
*At the end of Part 1, Shockwave fires (with two guns!) into the opening Space Bridge elevator door, triggering a huge explosion (which the "in our last episode" recap is kind enough to replay for us at the episode's start.) At the opening of this episode, however, he's just standing there when the elevator doors open, aiming his gun arm; his hand-held pistol is gone. After a second, he fires a ray that vaporizes Carly's car out from under its two human passengers, but doesn't cause any human-eviscerating explosions. It's not the first time that ''The Transformers'' has solved an unsolvable problem by just ignoring it, but it's one of the most flagrant.
:*An earlier draft of the scripts for the two episodes had the sequence make considerably more sense - the explosion isn't mentioned at all!<ref name="script">[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-700-transformers-part-1-1984-1985.html Scripts for the ''Transformers'' cartoon] at the Sunbow Marvel Archive.</ref>
*Incidentally, the ability to vaporize an entire automobile's worth of mass would seem to be a pretty useful power for an evil robot whose opponents frequently transform into automobiles, but it's never seen outside of this episode's opening sequence.
*Also incidentally, Shockwave sure does stand there for an awfully long time, letting the clearly-still-alive humans run off into his headquarters.
[[File:Dotdinos2 teletraan simulation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Improbable viewpoints:
**Most of the monitor imagery in this episode is simulated pictures constructed by Teletraan I to keep Sparkplug abreast of Spike and Carly's progress. All well and good, but it does seem to rule out any possibility that all those other unlikely camera views in all those other episodes were super-realistic computer simulations.
**Is Megatron collapsed against the video monitor console... or do the Decepticons have a camera on the floor?
*Spike and Carly happen upon a stack of energon cubes, and the script makes a point of having Spike wonder aloud where they came from, since Cybertron is supposed to be out of energy. Oddly, the episode does nothing to address this mystery—presumably they were sent up by the Decepticons Earth, though they haven't actually been shown to do that since "[[The Ultimate Doom]]", this two-parter being the first use of the space bridge since season one.
*Superhuman Spike and Carly:
**Spike and Carly manage to avoid all injury despite being in Carly's car when Shockwave disintegrated it.
**Spike manages to hold back an approximately 20+ foot tall metal door weighing several tons from crushing him and Carly.
**He also lifts a metal gun that's bigger than he is!
**Both he and Carly manage to hang on to Swoop's giant metal claws through a gut-wrenching series of aerial maneuvers. They're both fine when he drops them before crashing.
*When Carly and Spike reach Wheeljack's lab, Carly opens the door without ever knowing the pass code. It's not impossible that she got the code from [[Chip Chase]], who systematically guessed the code in "[[Divide and Conquer]]", but it does seem a bit on the unlikely side. Wheeljack also has a Decepticon symbol on his doorway, presumably put there by the Decepticons who sealed the entrance... but it wasn't there either of the last two times we saw the lab.
*Carly's ankle somehow repairs itself. Or was she faking just to get Spike to carry her everywhere? Maybe she found something in Wheeljack's lab that could heal her ankle or function as a brace.
*It's a cartoon convention that a missile can't harm you unless it physically hits you, no matter how close it gets, so we can cut ''The Transformers'' a little slack in this regard. However, the absurdity of it is a bit flagrant as Swoop dodges missiles in the extremely tight confines of a hallway, where the missiles have several chances to explode basically right next to him.
*The Decepticon drones don't keep watch over the pit as Carly reprograms the (stationary) Dinobots.
*Sparkplug says he's altered the space bridge destination by tapping into the Decepticons' computers. He never mentions how he managed to build an entire space bridge receiver ring right outside Autobot Headquarters. There has also been some previous indication that the space bridge appears at random, uncontrolled locations, although given that that stopped being mentioned early on in the series it's possible that the Decepticons solved the problem between episodes. Perhaps the receiver ring is part of the deal?

===Trivia===
*Three "ancient robot" character models were created for the scene in which Spike, Carly, and Swoop find the deactivated "primitive ancestors of the Autobots," though only one (the [[Internuncio|large grey robot]] Carly looks up at) actually wound up appearing on-screen. These three designs would subsequently be recycled as "ancient Autobots" featured in the season 3 episode, "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]," and as mass-produced modern-day generic Autobots throughout ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]].''
*Carly doesn't appear entirely thrilled with the whole "honorary Autobots" thing. Not surprising, considering everything that happened to her in this episode.
*"Photon Light" sounds redundant.
*This episode has a smaller number of Decepticons in it than any other in the Generation 1 series. Maybe Megatron wanted more screen time?
*This episode is the final onscreen appearance of the Dinobots until ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', which would establish Grimlock as a more regular character in the series starting with season 3. They would however be mentioned by Rumble in [[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood]], after he mistakes an animatronic dinosaur for one of them.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast and European French DVD release):'' "'''La désertion des Dinobots, partie 2'''" ("Desertion of the Dinobots, part 2")
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''Le Cybertronium'''" ("The Cybertronium")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Spike misnames Cybertron as "Cyclotron".
::*Shockwave laughs before telling Megatron that the humans managed to escape. It might be a misinterpretation of the sounds [[Corey Burton]] does to show the fear Shockwave feels before telling Megatron.
::*To avoid pronouncing Swoop's name, Spike says "It's '''YOU'''?". Later in the episode, Carly says "Oh no!" instead of the Dinobot name when he gets hit.
::*Another misinterpretation happens when Swoop says "No! Same missiles, heat-seeking missiles!". The dubbing team understood "No same missiles!", so Swoop (who talks like any other robot in the dub) says "No, careful! These are not the same missiles, these are heat-seeking missiles!".
::*[[Henry Djanik]] briefly takes the place of [[Georges Atlas]] as Shockwave, just for one phrase, and tells the sentinel robot to put the humans with the Dinobots with a very sudden and weird Russian accent. He also keeps this Russian accent while dubbing Snarl's few lines at the end of the episode. Maybe he just went back from a trip?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''I Dinorobots disertano - Parte 2'''" ("The Dinobots Desert - Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*While in the previous episode it looked like cybertronium is not the deteriorating element, but rather another element that should help changing un unnamed other element, in this episode is clear since the recap that cybertronium really is the deteriorating one.
::*When Swoop starts telling what happened to him and the other Dinobots, he calls them "my Dinobots"... weird! Later Swoop makes it look like some Dinobots died fighting since «Other Dinobots taken to cybertronium pit» was changed to «The few survivors were taken to the mines».
::*Swoop's line: «No! Same missiles, heat-seeking missiles!» was changed to: «No! They're heat-seeking missiles: they're not the same as before», saying pretty much the opposite of what he said in English. Possibly, "No, same missiles!" was misinterpreted as "No same missile!", meaning that they're not the same missiles.
::*In the history of Cybertron war, Decepticons are once called "invaders", which make it look like they're not from Cybertron, while [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#Early internet misconceptions|we all know this is not the case]].
::*While Grimlock is working in the mine, Spike once calls him by Swoop's name, and then Grimlock's next line is voiced by Swoop's actor.
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''La diserzione dei Dinobots - Seconda parte'''" ("The Desertion of the Dinobots - Second Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dinobot no Tōbō PART II'''" (ダイノボットの逃亡 PART II, "Desertion of the Dinobots PART II")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 31]], [[1986]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jīqì Kǒnglóng Kāi Xiǎochāi (Xià)'''" (机器恐龙开小差(下), "The Desertion of the Dinobots Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Deserção dos Dinobots, Segunda Parte'''" ("The Desertion of the Dinobots, Second Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1986 — ''The Transformers'' — Desertion of the Dinobots ([[Video Gems|A.M.T. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1986 — ''Transformers'' — Desertion of the Dinobots ([[Channel 5]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''The Transformers'' — Desertion of the Dinobots ([[Video Gems|V.I.P. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1990 — ''Transformers'' — Desertion of the Dinobots 3-D (Channel 5) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''The Transformers: Generation 2'' — Desertion of the Dinobots ([[Malofilm|Behaviour]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 4 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Les Dinobots ([[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 Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 04: Stagione Due Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (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'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[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]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Roar of the Dinobots (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1giyHvyk9rD7nitrwAn6wSXBmAYCsZ3zz/view?usp=sharing Full episode script]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BSQqNQveNKd3Ox1s5chAHnTDp0qAAFS2/view?usp=drive_link Model sheets and background layouts]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=18Aqw6KnKUIThk81l72hGnib_Givab9uT Episode dialogue script]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2

2026-05-04T10:23:19Z

Chris McFeely: /* Trivia */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=38
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=29
|prev2=Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1
|next2=A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)
|series3=''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=40
|prev3=Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1
|next3=The Ultimate Doom, Part 1
|image=DesertionDinobots2 Shockwave humans.JPG
|caption=''Dessert of the Dinobots'', tonight on Food Network.
|title="Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2"
|season=2
|season ep=22
|production code=#700-37
|airdate=[[October 22]], 1985
|written by=[[Earl Kress]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic5hLhxDaZ8
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''With the Dinobots having deserted the dying Autobots, Spike and Carly must find them and save the Autobots.'''

==Synopsis==
The [[space bridge]] doors open, and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] find themselves facing the business end of [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s gun arm! He fires a ray that vaporizes Carly's car right out from under them. Fleeing through [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Cybertron)|Decepticon Headquarters]], the two humans manage to take refuge inside a small hole in a computer, a space where Shockwave won't fire after them for fear of damaging the equipment. Carly attempts to work the machine, but is hit by a surge of electricity and falls into a nearby pit, damaging the computer, but also twisting her ankle in the process. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] contacts Shockwave and orders him to send [[Cybertonium]] before the [[Decepticon]]s die, but Carly's tinkering has left the Space Bridge non-functional.

[[File:DesertionDinobots2 Swoop humans.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Humans collect Transformers. Me Swoop collects humans!]]

Using Wheeljack's thumb radio, Spike makes contact with [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]], who is pretty much the only person standing at Autobot Headquarters, as the Autobots are all shut down. Sparkplug uses [[Teletraan I]] to guide them out of the computer and toward [[Wheeljack's workshop|Wheeljack's old lab]]. Carly gets them through the door, but before they can start looking for Wheeljack's stash of Cybertonium, someone or something starts pounding on the roof. Spike finds a rifle and blasts the intruder, who is revealed to be... [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]!

The errant Dinobot explains that the Dinobots were captured by the Decepticons after a fight in Decepticon Headquarters, and taken to the [[Cybertonium Pit]]. The three are guided by Sparkplug to the [[Mass Transit System]]. Unfortunately, the tube carrying their car is damaged, and they can no longer communicate with Sparkplug. Deep underground, the three are nearly killed when they activate old defense systems. Swoop saves the day, but his wings are damaged.

Reaching the surface, they find an abandoned city, which has clearly seen better days. Carly discovers a records room, with a datatrack which explains the history of the [[Great War (G1)|terrible war between the Autobots and Decepticons]]. Swoop says that he never knew the war had gone on for so long, but they are soon captured by a [[Sentinel (G1)|Sentinel]].

[[File:DesertionDinobots2 Grimlock kill drones.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Taste like chicken.]]

Taken to the Cybertonium Pit, they discover that Shockwave altered the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]' [[memory circuit]]s, making them think they're loyal to the Decepticons. Carly is able to repair their memory circuits, and the Dinobots thank Carly and Spike for rescuing them (except [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], of course). Now that the Dinobots are themselves, Spike comes up with an escape plan. He and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] start arguing, so the Sentinel decides to remove the humans. When the force field surrounding them comes down, the Dinobots destroy the drones. The Dinobots take the kids to an access tube, and Grimlock carries them up.

[[File:DesertionDinobots2 Dinobots Cybertonium.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Me Grimlock always have room for Jell-o!"]]

Meanwhile, Sparkplug sends a message to Cybertron, saying that he has managed to direct the space bridge to land outside the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]]. Shockwave contacts Megatron, saying that he has sufficient Cybertonium, and the Space Bridge is repaired, but that he has lost control of the destination site. Having overheard this, the Dinobots overwhelm Shockwave, and although Shockwave is able to hit Swoop, the Dinobots and humans manage to escape back to Earth with a shipment of Cybertonium.

At the Autobot base, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] awards Spike and Carly with medals, making them "[[Honorary Autobot]]s". Grimlock decides to follow the Autobot leader's orders, and the Dinobots rejoin the [[Autobot]]s... until Grimlock no longer feels like following Prime's orders.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (6)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (7)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (8)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (9)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (10)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (13)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] (1)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (5)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (2)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (3)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (4)

|c4=
*[[Early war history records Transformers|History records Transformers]] (11)
*[[Sentinel (G1)|Sentinel robots]] (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"That was my car, not an Autobot. Decepticreep!" 
"I don't think he cares, Carly."
:—'''Carly''' and '''Spike''' after Shockwave destroys Carly's car

"The more I see of this planet, the more I like it." 
"The more I see of it, the more tired I get."
:—'''Carly''' as she marvels at Cybertron while '''Spike''' despairs over the huge stairs

[[File:DesertionDinobots2 Mass transit junction.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
'''Spike'''/'''Carly''': WHOA! 
'''Swoop''': Why you make ''that'' noise? 
'''Spike''': Because we just left our stomachs back up there. Hoh-oh! 
'''Swoop''': Me glad me not have stomach to leave. 
:—Spike and Carly get a tiny bit of motion sickness sympathy from Swoop.

"Metal of good old days not so good!"
:—'''Swoop''' doesn't think much of the traps in the tunnels. He's going to think even less of the [[Quintesson|guys who built them]].

"Almost forgot — me Swoop can transform!"
:—In standard Dinobot fashion, '''Swoop''' hits on a solution for getting around with a damaged ''Pterodactyl'' wing.

"Millions of years ago, Cybertron was a planet of peace...until the Decepticons, lusting for power, began a terrible war. Not designed for combat, the Autobots were overwhelmed and subjugated by their evil opponents. While many Autobots fled Cybertron, a few valiant survivors devised new tactics and launched a counter-offensive on their arch-foes. And thus began a terrible series of wars. Many times, both sides have claimed victory, but this has been short-lived, for the Autobots have overthrown Decepticon tyrants, and, likewise, Decepticon treachery has toppled many a peaceful Autobot ruler. And to this day, the war rages on."
:— A '''computer''' telling the history of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict

[[File:Grimlock01.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Me say you PREGNANT.]]
"No! Me hate you!" 
"Well, I'm not nuts about you, either!" 
"Me not do what you say!" 
"You lunky bag of bolts, you can't do anything!"
:—'''Grimlock''' and '''Spike''' fake a fight within the Cybertonium Pit.

'''Slag''': Even though Dinobots not like it... 
'''Snarl''': ...We take orders from you now... 
'''Grimlock''': ...Until ''next time'' me Grimlock no '''''feel''''' like it. 
:—A warm fuzzy moment, Dinobot style.

==Notes==
===Production information===
* First draft script: 4 March 1985
* Script revised by [[Ron Friedman]]: 7 March 1985

===Deleted scenes===
Changed scenes
* Originally, the history video told a very different story of the Transformers’ origins. It states that during the first millennium of Cybertron, the planet was invaded by evil machines from another world. Able to fly and transform, they decimated the inhabitants and nearly won the First Galactic Machine War. The survivors rebuilt their bodies, naming themselves “Autobots” and also gaining the ability to transform. The video ends on the ominous note “But we had not heard the last from the robots known as…the Decepticons!”

Deleted scenes
* Once the two humans reach Wheeljack’s workshop, they spot a stack of storage bins labelled “Cybertonium”. Standing atop Spike’s shoulders, Carly peers in to find the bins empty. Realising the Decepticons stole the contents, the two are thrown off-balance and sent tumbling to the floor by the pounding coming from the roof.
* As Spike attempts to dig his commandeered laser weapon out from the rubble, the shadowy figure (Swoop) begins widening the hole made in the roof with its own laser. Following Sparkplug’s instructions via the thumb radio, Carly attempts to access the control panel for the entrance doors and erect a forcefield. Before she can press the button, a shot from the shadowy figure’s weapon destroys the control panel. Spike then fires his weapon again and sends the attacker falling into the workshop.
* In a callback to Part 1, Swoop leans over while Ratchet and Wheeljack are repairing him, telling Mirage. “You forget Cybertron, Mirage. Cybertron not nice anymore!”

===Continuity notes===
*Shockwave curses Spike and Carly as "miserable glitches".
*When Swoop escapes the Decepticon guards, he is shown flying over [[Great Dome|Iacon]] as the Autobots left it in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".
*The Cybertonium pits are located at "3-5-4 Zeta-Alpha-Mark 7".
*Shockwave refers to Swoop as a "foreign robot".
*Gadgets and powers:
**As mentioned above, Shockwave can ''vaporize'' things with a ray from his gun arm. What things? Cars, robots, machinery, just about anything, it would seem. How have the Decepticons not won the war with this guy on their side??
**Swoop can launch a couple of stubby little missiles out of his upper chest.
**The Dinobots' memory circuits can be bypassed via something or other in their chests. It sounds bizarre, but Bumblebee apparently had memory chips in his chest in "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]", and [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] [[The Rebirth, Part 1|later]] declares that he and his compatriots all have "auxiliary memory circuits" in their chests.
*Swoop and the humans wander into what appears to be an abandoned underground city on Cybertron. The notion of Cybertron cities being built one atop the next would be revisited in the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon, many years later.
*This episode gives us a rare glimpse into Cybertron's past via a sort of mini-documentary:
**The footage features a ''ton'' of totally made-up robot and vehicle designs.
**The ships used by fleeing Autobots in the datatracks are the [[Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor|same type]] as the Ark.
**The documentary suggests that the Autobots created the art of transforming, something that "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" corroborates.
**This was the first episode where a Transformer that isn't a hologram or a clone is shown to be destroyed.
*For the most part, this is the last time the Dinobots would be shown as rebellious, intimidating warriors in the original animated continuity, as by their next appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' they are happy to work with other Autobots, and by [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Season 3]], are generally used as comedic foils.
*Since Cybertron clearly sucked up a bunch of Earth's atmosphere in "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1]]", we can forgive Carly and Spike's ability to breathe there. (Of course, Cybertron was human-inhabitable even before that incident, as demonstrated by Chip's visit in "[[Divide and Conquer]]".) Awful handy of it to have human-compatible gravity (which it would need anyway to actually hold on to that atmosphere.)

===Real-world references===
[[File:DisertionDinobots2 humans medals.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"I got shot through space, my car was disintegrated, I got lost and injured on an alien planet, captured by giant evil robots and made to act as slave mining labor, all to save your lives, and all I get is this lousy medal? That's it, I want a new car. And it better not be one of the Autobots acting like a car."]]

*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Spike's laser shot hits Swoop with the sound of [[Obi-Wan Kenobi|Ben Kenobi]] and [[Darth Vader]] cutting through some machinery on the [[Death Star]].
**The same sound is used as part of the heat-seeking missiles' engines.
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine rumble as Swoop starts his "fancy flying", then ''Falcon'' engine burst, then Death Star superlaser, then [[TIE Fighter]] engine as he finally crashes.

===Animation and technical errors===
*An establishing shot shows us a pile of nonfunctional Autobots. Among them is Jazz, now back in his complete robot mode after being stuck as a half-car, half-robot last episode.
*Coloring errors:
**In the pile-of-Autobots shot, Prowl's head crest is white instead of red, Jazz's tires are white, Bumblebee's groin is gray instead of yellow, and Brawn's gauntlets are yellow instead of gray.
**Would anybody recognize Slag if they colored his face ''right''?
***The front of Slag's checkguard is white instead of red as Carly fixes him.
***His whole face is white as the energy fence deactivates, and again as he returns to robot mode and escapes from the pit.
***The "side panels" of his head are white as Optimus Prime starts to address the Dinobots (his eyes are also colored red, and next to him, Sludge has empty white voids instead of eyes.)
***White cheekguard-fronts again as Slag speaks his final line. His chest plate is also gray instead of white.
**After their escape, the Dinobots stop to figure out which way to go; in this shot, Grimlock's head is light gray, and Slag's dino head is light gray instead of yellow.
**During the final scene, Swoop can be seen being repaired (presumably having his blown-up wing replaced, since he only has one), but his intact wing is the same color as the bed he's lying on, and his beak is red. And Ratchet, standing at the foot of the bed, is red and gray.
*One of Teletraan I's displays labels Spike and Carly's location as "DECEPTKON COMPUTER BRAIN".
*Where's Spike been carrying that rather largish [[photon light]] he pulls out? It's way too big to fit in a pocket.
*Carly's "oop!" happens before she actually stumbles. She's calmly saying "Let me lean on your shoulder" while nearly pitching face-first into the ground.
*Predictably, the entrance to Wheeljack's lab looks completely different than when we saw it in "Divide and Conquer". So does the access panel for the door. Neither of those looked like the entrance seen in "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3", but that seems to have been a back door.
*As is common in the cartoon universe, the metal ceiling of Wheeljack's lab cracks and crumbles like rock.
*As Swoop explains what happened to the Dinobots, he's speaking his narration IN the flashback. Not necessarily a mistake, but a very odd stylistic choice if not.
*Swoop's wing damage is missing in the very next shot of him after it happens ("Must've triggered switch!"). And then it's back when he tries to avoid some heat-seeking missiles. ("Wing won't work!").
*After he's shot by the Decepticon guard, Swoop falls over with a very organic-sounding thump.
*The Dinobots are all busily loading, loading, loading while they declare that they don't want to leave the Cybertonium pits. But when Carly decides to check Snarl's circuits, he's just standing there doing nothing.
*During the "history of Cybertron" segment, there is a [[Early war history records Transformers|pink and a grey generic]] who is among the Decepticons that round up a group of Autobots. It is seen again shortly afterwards... among a group of (if the narration is something to go by) ''Autobots'' who show off their newly acquired transformation abilities.
*When Shockwave appears on the guard's communication screen his gun hand has been replaced by a normal hand.

===Continuity errors===
*Victor Caroli's voiceover recap incorrectly describes the Autobots as "energy depleted"; in actuality, they're suffering mechanical breakdowns.
*At the end of Part 1, Shockwave fires (with two guns!) into the opening Space Bridge elevator door, triggering a huge explosion (which the "in our last episode" recap is kind enough to replay for us at the episode's start.) At the opening of this episode, however, he's just standing there when the elevator doors open, aiming his gun arm; his hand-held pistol is gone. After a second, he fires a ray that vaporizes Carly's car out from under its two human passengers, but doesn't cause any human-eviscerating explosions. It's not the first time that ''The Transformers'' has solved an unsolvable problem by just ignoring it, but it's one of the most flagrant.
:*An earlier draft of the scripts for the two episodes had the sequence make considerably more sense - the explosion isn't mentioned at all!<ref name="script">[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-700-transformers-part-1-1984-1985.html Scripts for the ''Transformers'' cartoon] at the Sunbow Marvel Archive.</ref>
*Incidentally, the ability to vaporize an entire automobile's worth of mass would seem to be a pretty useful power for an evil robot whose opponents frequently transform into automobiles, but it's never seen outside of this episode's opening sequence.
*Also incidentally, Shockwave sure does stand there for an awfully long time, letting the clearly-still-alive humans run off into his headquarters.
[[File:Dotdinos2 teletraan simulation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Improbable viewpoints:
**Most of the monitor imagery in this episode is simulated pictures constructed by Teletraan I to keep Sparkplug abreast of Spike and Carly's progress. All well and good, but it does seem to rule out any possibility that all those other unlikely camera views in all those other episodes were super-realistic computer simulations.
**Is Megatron collapsed against the video monitor console... or do the Decepticons have a camera on the floor?
*Spike and Carly happen upon a stack of energon cubes, and the script makes a point of having Spike wonder aloud where they came from, since Cybertron is supposed to be out of energy. Oddly, the episode does nothing to address this mystery—presumably they were sent up by the Decepticons Earth, though they haven't actually been shown to do that since "[[The Ultimate Doom]]", this two-parter being the first use of the space bridge since season one.
*Superhuman Spike and Carly:
**Spike and Carly manage to avoid all injury despite being in Carly's car when Shockwave disintegrated it.
**Spike manages to hold back an approximately 20+ foot tall metal door weighing several tons from crushing him and Carly.
**He also lifts a metal gun that's bigger than he is!
**Both he and Carly manage to hang on to Swoop's giant metal claws through a gut-wrenching series of aerial maneuvers. They're both fine when he drops them before crashing.
*When Carly and Spike reach Wheeljack's lab, Carly opens the door without ever knowing the pass code. It's not impossible that she got the code from [[Chip Chase]], who systematically guessed the code in "[[Divide and Conquer]]", but it does seem a bit on the unlikely side. Wheeljack also has a Decepticon symbol on his doorway, presumably put there by the Decepticons who sealed the entrance... but it wasn't there either of the last two times we saw the lab.
*Carly's ankle somehow repairs itself. Or was she faking just to get Spike to carry her everywhere? Maybe she found something in Wheeljack's lab that could heal her ankle or function as a brace.
*It's a cartoon convention that a missile can't harm you unless it physically hits you, no matter how close it gets, so we can cut ''The Transformers'' a little slack in this regard. However, the absurdity of it is a bit flagrant as Swoop dodges missiles in the extremely tight confines of a hallway, where the missiles have several chances to explode basically right next to him.
*The Decepticon drones don't keep watch over the pit as Carly reprograms the (stationary) Dinobots.
*Sparkplug says he's altered the space bridge destination by tapping into the Decepticons' computers. He never mentions how he managed to build an entire space bridge receiver ring right outside Autobot Headquarters. There has also been some previous indication that the space bridge appears at random, uncontrolled locations, although given that that stopped being mentioned early on in the series it's possible that the Decepticons solved the problem between episodes. Perhaps the receiver ring is part of the deal?

===Trivia===
*Three "ancient robot" character models were created for the scene in which Spike, Carly, and Swoop find the deactivated "primitive ancestors of the Autobots," though only one (the [[Internuncio|large grey robot) Carly looks up at) actually wound up appearing on-screen. These three designs would subsequently be recycled as "ancient Autobots" featured in the season 3 episode, "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]," and as mass-produced modern-day generic Autobots throughout ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]].''
*Carly doesn't appear entirely thrilled with the whole "honorary Autobots" thing. Not surprising, considering everything that happened to her in this episode.
*"Photon Light" sounds redundant.
*This episode has a smaller number of Decepticons in it than any other in the Generation 1 series. Maybe Megatron wanted more screen time?
*This episode is the final onscreen appearance of the Dinobots until ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', which would establish Grimlock as a more regular character in the series starting with season 3. They would however be mentioned by Rumble in [[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood]], after he mistakes an animatronic dinosaur for one of them.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast and European French DVD release):'' "'''La désertion des Dinobots, partie 2'''" ("Desertion of the Dinobots, part 2")
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''Le Cybertronium'''" ("The Cybertronium")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Spike misnames Cybertron as "Cyclotron".
::*Shockwave laughs before telling Megatron that the humans managed to escape. It might be a misinterpretation of the sounds [[Corey Burton]] does to show the fear Shockwave feels before telling Megatron.
::*To avoid pronouncing Swoop's name, Spike says "It's '''YOU'''?". Later in the episode, Carly says "Oh no!" instead of the Dinobot name when he gets hit.
::*Another misinterpretation happens when Swoop says "No! Same missiles, heat-seeking missiles!". The dubbing team understood "No same missiles!", so Swoop (who talks like any other robot in the dub) says "No, careful! These are not the same missiles, these are heat-seeking missiles!".
::*[[Henry Djanik]] briefly takes the place of [[Georges Atlas]] as Shockwave, just for one phrase, and tells the sentinel robot to put the humans with the Dinobots with a very sudden and weird Russian accent. He also keeps this Russian accent while dubbing Snarl's few lines at the end of the episode. Maybe he just went back from a trip?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''I Dinorobots disertano - Parte 2'''" ("The Dinobots Desert - Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*While in the previous episode it looked like cybertronium is not the deteriorating element, but rather another element that should help changing un unnamed other element, in this episode is clear since the recap that cybertronium really is the deteriorating one.
::*When Swoop starts telling what happened to him and the other Dinobots, he calls them "my Dinobots"... weird! Later Swoop makes it look like some Dinobots died fighting since «Other Dinobots taken to cybertronium pit» was changed to «The few survivors were taken to the mines».
::*Swoop's line: «No! Same missiles, heat-seeking missiles!» was changed to: «No! They're heat-seeking missiles: they're not the same as before», saying pretty much the opposite of what he said in English. Possibly, "No, same missiles!" was misinterpreted as "No same missile!", meaning that they're not the same missiles.
::*In the history of Cybertron war, Decepticons are once called "invaders", which make it look like they're not from Cybertron, while [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#Early internet misconceptions|we all know this is not the case]].
::*While Grimlock is working in the mine, Spike once calls him by Swoop's name, and then Grimlock's next line is voiced by Swoop's actor.
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''La diserzione dei Dinobots - Seconda parte'''" ("The Desertion of the Dinobots - Second Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dinobot no Tōbō PART II'''" (ダイノボットの逃亡 PART II, "Desertion of the Dinobots PART II")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 31]], [[1986]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jīqì Kǒnglóng Kāi Xiǎochāi (Xià)'''" (机器恐龙开小差(下), "The Desertion of the Dinobots Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Deserção dos Dinobots, Segunda Parte'''" ("The Desertion of the Dinobots, Second Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1986 — ''The Transformers'' — Desertion of the Dinobots ([[Video Gems|A.M.T. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1986 — ''Transformers'' — Desertion of the Dinobots ([[Channel 5]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''The Transformers'' — Desertion of the Dinobots ([[Video Gems|V.I.P. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1990 — ''Transformers'' — Desertion of the Dinobots 3-D (Channel 5) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''The Transformers: Generation 2'' — Desertion of the Dinobots ([[Malofilm|Behaviour]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 4 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Les Dinobots ([[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 Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 04: Stagione Due Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (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'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[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]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Roar of the Dinobots (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1giyHvyk9rD7nitrwAn6wSXBmAYCsZ3zz/view?usp=sharing Full episode script]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BSQqNQveNKd3Ox1s5chAHnTDp0qAAFS2/view?usp=drive_link Model sheets and background layouts]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=18Aqw6KnKUIThk81l72hGnib_Givab9uT Episode dialogue script]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Apex Armor (Thirteen)

2026-05-02T23:48:17Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */

{{factions|{{factions/icons|custom=PotP-SolusPrime.png|cSize=25px|cLink=Solus Prime|cPretty=Solus Prime}}
|decepticon
|{{factions/icons|custom=PotP-MicronusPrime.png|cSize=30px|cLink=Micronus Prime}}}}
{{disambig2|the legendary armor of the [[Thirteen]]|the armor from Generation 1|Apex Armor (G1)}}
[[Image:Triangulation Starscream Apex armor.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Iron Man|Solus Prime was able to build this in a CAVE! With a box of SCRAPS!]]]]
The '''Apex Armor''' is one of the [[Artifacts of the Primes|relics]] of the [[Thirteen]] (or an armor of Decepticon design; it depends [[Alpha Trion|on who]] [[Starscream (WFC)|you ask]]). While normally compacted in a disk, when placed over a Transformer's chest it will expand into a huge set of armor impervious to any attack, as well as enhance the wearer's strength. Though built for Cybertronians, the artifact can also be used by humans, forming a proportionally smaller but no less invincible set of armor.

==Fiction==
===''Exiles''===
The Apex Armor was created by [[Solus Prime]]. Long after, while waiting for the [[Autobot]]s on Cybertron, [[Alpha Trion]] had a few daydreams about [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] returning with the relic, as well as the [[AllSpark]] and other lost and legendary treasures. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
The Apex Armor was stored in the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] [[Vaults]] until late in the war when [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s forces stormed Iacon. Along with the other relics, it was ejected into space and eventually found its way to [[Earth]], where it ended up in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]]. Its location was decrypted by the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' when it temporarily gained sentience. {{storylink|Flying Mind}} Megatron dispatched [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] to obtain it while Optimus went there personally. At the same time, a curious [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] also went to Antarctica to investigate the Decepticon activity. Upon reaching the relic's coordinates, it was discovered that a human research team had found it first and took it back to their base. Eventually, the three factions discovered the relic. While Optimus Prime and Dreadwing were fighting each other over it, Starscream decided to claim it for himself. He pulled it from the ice it was encased in and identified it as armor of Decepticon design. When he placed the roughly disc shaped object to his chest, it expanded over him into a full body armor suit that towered over both Optimus and Dreadwing. It proved to be a very powerful weapon, allowing him to survive any attack Optimus Prime and Dreadwing threw at him. It was impervious to Dreadwing's sword and energy blasts only served to stagger him. He had heightened strength, but the armor did not have any weapons, nor did it restore his ability to transform. When Optimus and Dreadwing used explosives to send Starscream through the icy ground into the sea below, the armor allowed Starscream to survive and walk along the ocean floor. {{storylink|Triangulation}} Megatron was displeased with Dreadwing's failure to obtain the armor. {{storylink|Triage (episode)|Triage}}

Starscream took the Apex Armor with him when he went to retrieve some [[Red Energon]]. During a showdown in a dock, it enabled him to throw Prime around and nearly upend a crane. Unfortunately then [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] showed up with a [[phase shifter]] and kicked Starscream right out of the armor. The Apex Armor was subsequently taken back to the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot Base]]. {{storylink|New Recruit}} Smokescreen offered it to Bulkhead who was still recovering from his injuries, but the Wrecker was offended by the very idea he'd need a crutch, and swatted the armor out of his hand. {{storylink|The Human Factor}}

[[File:ChainOfCommand Miko clobbering time.jpg|thumb|left|"Aw, slag. You never warned us they WORE ARMOR, STARSCREAM!"|upright=1.4]]
[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] used the armor when the Autobots returned to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to try to recapture the [[Omega Key]]s, and was able to knock the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] around with it. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}} After the Decepticons took the kids hostage, Arcee was forced to take off the Apex Armor and throw it to the ground. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}} [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and a team of Decepticons later found it intact in the devastated area around the [[Omega Lock]]. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}}

After his initial attempts to train [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] proved a hazard to continued existence, Starscream equipped the Apex Armor to shield himself from its outbursts. Unfortunately for him, the armor did nothing to stop Predaking from tossing him around like a chew toy. Starscream brought the armor along when he was ordered to use Predaking to retrieve a Predacon bone fragment. He took it off once he was certain Predaking was occupied, allowing [[Miko Nakadai]] to take possession of it when she tried to get past him into [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus']] ship. Predaking overpowered the Armor-clad Miko, but failed to do any actual damage to the armor itself. When Predaking was ordered away by Megatron, Miko swiftly put the armor to good use by pummeling Starscream and his attendant Vehicons. Unable to divest her of the armor and faced with incoming Autobot backup, Starscream was forced to leave it with the Autobots. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}}

Miko once again donned the armor to aid Jack in securing the bridge of the ''Nemesis''. She made short work of the Vehicon guards, then goaded Soundwave into using a GroundBridge so Raf could open a second one behind him, thus trapping him in the [[Shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]]. She stood guard while Jack figured out how to pilot the ship, then later decked Knock Out when he tried to switch sides. {{storylink|Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock}}

===''Prime'' toy bios===
Courtesy of the [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]]s, the Apex Hunter Armor was armed and upgraded with ancient weaponry. [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] was then given the opportunity to use the armor and wreak havoc on his enemies. {{storylink|#Cyberverse|Apex Hunter Armor with Breakdown}}

===''Unite Warriors''/''Legends''===
[[File:Epilogue-War-Breakdown-home.jpg|thumb|upright=1.85]]
After being reunited with his partner [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] in his native universe after adventures in the [[G1 World]], [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] was shown the schematics for the Apex Hunter Armor. {{Storylink|Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|Epiloge}}

===''Age of the Primes'' marketing material===
[[Micronus Prime]] tooled around on a teeny one-wheeled motorcycle that revealed itself as the vehicle mode of the Apex Armor in battle. {{storylink|Micronus Prime#Age of the Primes|''Age of the Primes'' Micronus Prime bio}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Prime''===
[[File:PrimeBHtoy-Cyberverse-ApexArmor.jpg|right|thumb|400px|After taking one too many insults about his stature, Breakdown decided to imitate [[Hulk|that comic book]] he was reading, and expose himself to gamma radiation, intent on becoming a powerful, hulking beast. It didn't work, so he stole a suit of armor instead.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Apex Hunter Armor with Breakdown''' (Cyberverse Vehicle, 2013)}}
:*''Series/Number'': '''3 / 002'''
:*''Accessories'': Large missile-firing blaster, four missiles, small blaster
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Kyde]] (Hasbro)}}

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Transformers:_Prime_(toyline)#Beast_Hunters_.282013.29|Beast Hunters]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)#Series 3|Series 3 Cyberverse]] Vehicle playsets, the "Apex Hunter Armor" is a [[redeco]] and extensive [[retool]] of the [[Bumblebee Battle Suit]], and is a large, vaguely humanoid combat suit with [[articulation]] at the hips, elbows, and shoulders (although the shoulders only rotate laterally, not forward and backward, making their use rather limited). The cockpit in the torso can hold a single Cyberverse figure, and the armor features "crusher claws" for hands. The claws are spring-loaded to remain open, and can snap shut when a protruding [[5 mm post|5 mm peg-hole]] on top of either forearm is pulled back.

:The armor has 5 mm peg-holes near the claw joints for holding the included main weapon, a massive four-barreled blaster that fires its four [[missile]]s in quick succession via pressure-launch. The armor is also festooned with numerous [[C joint]] bars, as well as both 3 mm and 5 mm holes, for mounting all sorts of additional weaponry.

:The Apex Hunter Armor transforms into a rolling battle station, not dissimilar to the one [[Optimus Maximus (Prime)|Optimus Maximus]] becomes (though the Apex Armor's transformation is more involved). In this mode, two additional (non-firing) cannon barrels rotate up and over the armor's shoulders, and a platform is flipped up from behind the armor to provide a place for two additional Cyberverse figures to stand and hold onto handlebars mounted on the armor's back. The transformation also allows the C joint clips and bars on the outer sides of the armor's split treads/legs to be used for connecting to other Cyberverse playsets, while revealing another 5 mm hole that was previously located inside the armor's cockpit; the missile-firing blaster can be mounted in this hole and "manned" by a Cyberverse figure holding the handlebars on the back of the gun.

:For this retool, the "[[Energon Booster]]", its wire, as well as all of its associated electronics, have been removed, and while the battery compartment at the back can still be opened, there are neither batteries, metal plates, nor springs present. Interestingly, the plastic ridges on the back of the armor, meant to provide a place to coil the now-nonexistent booster's wire, are still present, and the opaque-plastic back panel at the top of the armor is still compatible with the booster accessory, with the newly-molded panel even featuring a sculpted crosshair at the other end of its booster plug.

:In order for the armor to fit in its [[packaging]], it is minimally mis-transformed, with the front treads that make up part of its feet not being flipped out and tabbed into slots on the rear treads. Unusually, the front treads have even been sculpted with dents to accommodate the rear treads while in this mis-transformed position.

:Included with the Apex Hunter Armor is [[Breakdown (WFC)#CyberverseApexArmor|a redeco of the Legion Class Breakdown toy]], and a normal purple version of his blaster. The Breakdown mold was also redecoed into [[Cyberverse (toyline)#Series 2|Series 2 Cyberverse]] [[Fallback (Prime)|Fallback]] and ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]'' [[Berserker#MtCWalmart2Pack|Berserker]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/CybApexBreakdown/breakdown.htm More information on the Apex Hunter Armor (with Breakdown) at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Age of the Primes''===
[[File:AOTP-MicronusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|William, here is the technology. I've asked you to simply make it smaller.]]
<ul class = "iconlist">{{Bp-pr5|'''The Thirteen Micronus Prime''' (Deluxe Class, [[2025]])}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy ID number:'' '''AOTP-16'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date:'' [[December 27]], 2025
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Aaron Archer]] and [[Ken Christiansen]] (original concept)}}<ref>[[June 10]], [[2025]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEAkXHAU034 Transformers Fanstream | June 2025 | Hasbro Pulse] on YouTube, with [[Nate Purswell]] and [[Mark Maher]].</ref>

:Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes|Age of the Primes]]'' Deluxe Class figures, [[Micronus Prime#Age of the Primes|Micronus Prime]] includes a one-wheeled vehicle which transforms into an exo-suit based on the Apex Armor (with some additional [[Pretender]] influence),<ref name ="Markpost">[https://www.instagram.com/p/DKx9QkLsgVD/ Design notes] on ''Age of the Primes'' Micronus Prime from [[Hasbro]] designer [[Mark Maher]] on Instagram</ref> into which Micronus can fit in disc mode. Micronus's [[Chimera Stone#Age of the Primes|Chimera Stone]] accessory can also peg into the chest of the exo-suit accessory to reproduce the Apex Armor's characteristic circular core. The arms/exhausts can be bent down to use as kickstands in unicycle mode.

:The armor can additionally disassemble into component parts that can be wielded as weapons by larger figures, in the style of the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|Weaponizers]] and their various successor lines. The instructions show the arms being used as gun attachments, the legs/wheel as an enormously thick shield, and the remaining torso chunk as a propeller backpack.

::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/DKx9QkLsgVD/ Designer commentary on Micronus Prime from Mark Maher on Instagram]''
::*''[[Source:Transformers Age of the Primes bios#AOTP16|Machine translation of Micronus Prime's TakaraTomy bio]]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
*The origins of the Apex Armor are a bit iffy; when first introduced into the Aligned continuity, in the 2011 novel ''[[Transformers: Exiles]]'', it was stated to have been created by Solus Prime, but when it showed up in ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' the next year, Starscream identified it as being "of Decepticon origin." Then, in 2013, ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' told the story of how Solus Prime once created a collapsible suit of invincible armour at the request of [[Liege Maximo]]... but as much as this ''sounds'' like the Apex Armor, the book never calls it that, and never draws a connection between the two, leaving it unclear if they were intended to be the same thing.
**The Solus-created armor mentioned in the ''Covenant'' was originally intended to play a much larger role in the story of the Thirteen Primes. As detailed in the [[Binder of Revelation]], after Liege Maximo manipulated Megatronus into killing Solus, the guilt-wracked Megatronus took the armor (here named "the Sinisternal") for himself, and donned it with the intent of using it to take revenge on Maximo. But Megatronus was unaware that Solus had built a failsafe into the armour, to prevent it from being used without her consent; when he put the armor on, a contained explosion with the force of a miniature supernova detonated within it. Megatronus survived, barely, but the blast fused him and the armor together, condemning him to burn within it for all time, turning him into the flaming figure of "The Fallen." This whole idea was dropped from the official, canon version of the story featured in the ''Covenant'', but as noted above, it remains unclear if the concept of a Solus-created suit of armor (now robbed of narrative purpose thanks to this change in the story) was repurposed to become the Apex Armour mentioned in ''Exiles'' and seen in ''Prime''.
*Designer [[Mark Maher]] describes the ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes|Age of the Primes]]'' iteration of the Apex Armor as capable of intermingling with Micronus Prime's [[Chimera Stone]] artifact to operate independently, acting as a sort of distant ancestor to [[Pretender]] shell technology.<ref name = "Markpost"/>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Apex Armor''' (エイペックスアーマー ''Eipekkusu Āmā'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Armors]]
[[Category:Artifacts of the Primes]]
[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Iacon relics]]
[[Category:Legends technology]]
[[Category:Mechanical suits]]
[[Category:Prime technology]]

Apex Armor (Thirteen)

2026-05-02T09:42:06Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */ Here's some stuff I cut from the script of today's Basics!

{{factions|{{factions/icons|custom=PotP-SolusPrime.png|cSize=25px|cLink=Solus Prime|cPretty=Solus Prime}}
|decepticon
|{{factions/icons|custom=PotP-MicronusPrime.png|cSize=30px|cLink=Micronus Prime}}}}
{{disambig2|the legendary armor of the [[Thirteen]]|the armor from Generation 1|Apex Armor (G1)}}
[[Image:Triangulation Starscream Apex armor.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Iron Man|Solus Prime was able to build this in a CAVE! With a box of SCRAPS!]]]]
The '''Apex Armor''' is one of the [[Artifacts of the Primes|relics]] of the [[Thirteen]] (or an armor of Decepticon design; it depends [[Alpha Trion|on who]] [[Starscream (WFC)|you ask]]). While normally compacted in a disk, when placed over a Transformer's chest it will expand into a huge set of armor impervious to any attack, as well as enhance the wearer's strength. Though built for Cybertronians, the artifact can also be used by humans, forming a proportionally smaller but no less invincible set of armor.

==Fiction==
===''Exiles''===
The Apex Armor was created by [[Solus Prime]]. Long after, while waiting for the [[Autobot]]s on Cybertron, [[Alpha Trion]] had a few daydreams about [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] returning with the relic, as well as the [[AllSpark]] and other lost and legendary treasures. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
The Apex Armor was stored in the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] [[Vaults]] until late in the war when [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s forces stormed Iacon. Along with the other relics, it was ejected into space and eventually found its way to [[Earth]], where it ended up in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]]. Its location was decrypted by the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' when it temporarily gained sentience. {{storylink|Flying Mind}} Megatron dispatched [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] to obtain it while Optimus went there personally. At the same time, a curious [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] also went to Antarctica to investigate the Decepticon activity. Upon reaching the relic's coordinates, it was discovered that a human research team had found it first and took it back to their base. Eventually, the three factions discovered the relic. While Optimus Prime and Dreadwing were fighting each other over it, Starscream decided to claim it for himself. He pulled it from the ice it was encased in and identified it as armor of Decepticon design. When he placed the roughly disc shaped object to his chest, it expanded over him into a full body armor suit that towered over both Optimus and Dreadwing. It proved to be a very powerful weapon, allowing him to survive any attack Optimus Prime and Dreadwing threw at him. It was impervious to Dreadwing's sword and energy blasts only served to stagger him. He had heightened strength, but the armor did not have any weapons, nor did it restore his ability to transform. When Optimus and Dreadwing used explosives to send Starscream through the icy ground into the sea below, the armor allowed Starscream to survive and walk along the ocean floor. {{storylink|Triangulation}} Megatron was displeased with Dreadwing's failure to obtain the armor. {{storylink|Triage (episode)|Triage}}

Starscream took the Apex Armor with him when he went to retrieve some [[Red Energon]]. During a showdown in a dock, it enabled him to throw Prime around and nearly upend a crane. Unfortunately then [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] showed up with a [[phase shifter]] and kicked Starscream right out of the armor. The Apex Armor was subsequently taken back to the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot Base]]. {{storylink|New Recruit}} Smokescreen offered it to Bulkhead who was still recovering from his injuries, but the Wrecker was offended by the very idea he'd need a crutch, and swatted the armor out of his hand. {{storylink|The Human Factor}}

[[File:ChainOfCommand Miko clobbering time.jpg|thumb|left|"Aw, slag. You never warned us they WORE ARMOR, STARSCREAM!"|upright=1.4]]
[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] used the armor when the Autobots returned to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to try to recapture the [[Omega Key]]s, and was able to knock the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] around with it. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}} After the Decepticons took the kids hostage, Arcee was forced to take off the Apex Armor and throw it to the ground. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}} [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and a team of Decepticons later found it intact in the devastated area around the [[Omega Lock]]. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}}

After his initial attempts to train [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] proved a hazard to continued existence, Starscream equipped the Apex Armor to shield himself from its outbursts. Unfortunately for him, the armor did nothing to stop Predaking from tossing him around like a chew toy. Starscream brought the armor along when he was ordered to use Predaking to retrieve a Predacon bone fragment. He took it off once he was certain Predaking was occupied, allowing [[Miko Nakadai]] to take possession of it when she tried to get past him into [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus']] ship. Predaking overpowered the Armor-clad Miko, but failed to do any actual damage to the armor itself. When Predaking was ordered away by Megatron, Miko swiftly put the armor to good use by pummeling Starscream and his attendant Vehicons. Unable to divest her of the armor and faced with incoming Autobot backup, Starscream was forced to leave it with the Autobots. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}}

Miko once again donned the armor to aid Jack in securing the bridge of the ''Nemesis''. She made short work of the Vehicon guards, then goaded Soundwave into using a GroundBridge so Raf could open a second one behind him, thus trapping him in the [[Shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]]. She stood guard while Jack figured out how to pilot the ship, then later decked Knock Out when he tried to switch sides. {{storylink|Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock}}

===''Prime'' toy bios===
Courtesy of the [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]]s, the Apex Hunter Armor was armed and upgraded with ancient weaponry. [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] was then given the opportunity to use the armor and wreak havoc on his enemies. {{storylink|#Cyberverse|Apex Hunter Armor with Breakdown}}

===''Unite Warriors''/''Legends''===
[[File:Epilogue-War-Breakdown-home.jpg|thumb|upright=1.85]]
After being reunited with his partner [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] in his native universe after adventures in the [[G1 World]], [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] was shown the schematics for the Apex Hunter Armor. {{Storylink|Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|Epiloge}}

===''Age of the Primes'' marketing material===
[[Micronus Prime]] tooled around on a teeny one-wheeled motorcycle that revealed itself as the vehicle mode of the Apex Armor in battle. {{storylink|Micronus Prime#Age of the Primes|''Age of the Primes'' Micronus Prime bio}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Prime''===
[[File:PrimeBHtoy-Cyberverse-ApexArmor.jpg|right|thumb|400px|After taking one too many insults about his stature, Breakdown decided to imitate [[Hulk|that comic book]] he was reading, and expose himself to gamma radiation, intent on becoming a powerful, hulking beast. It didn't work, so he stole a suit of armor instead.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Apex Hunter Armor with Breakdown''' (Cyberverse Vehicle, 2013)}}
:*''Series/Number'': '''3 / 002'''
:*''Accessories'': Large missile-firing blaster, four missiles, small blaster
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Kyde]] (Hasbro)}}

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Transformers:_Prime_(toyline)#Beast_Hunters_.282013.29|Beast Hunters]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)#Series 3|Series 3 Cyberverse]] Vehicle playsets, the "Apex Hunter Armor" is a [[redeco]] and extensive [[retool]] of the [[Bumblebee Battle Suit]], and is a large, vaguely humanoid combat suit with [[articulation]] at the hips, elbows, and shoulders (although the shoulders only rotate laterally, not forward and backward, making their use rather limited). The cockpit in the torso can hold a single Cyberverse figure, and the armor features "crusher claws" for hands. The claws are spring-loaded to remain open, and can snap shut when a protruding [[5 mm post|5 mm peg-hole]] on top of either forearm is pulled back.

:The armor has 5 mm peg-holes near the claw joints for holding the included main weapon, a massive four-barreled blaster that fires its four [[missile]]s in quick succession via pressure-launch. The armor is also festooned with numerous [[C joint]] bars, as well as both 3 mm and 5 mm holes, for mounting all sorts of additional weaponry.

:The Apex Hunter Armor transforms into a rolling battle station, not dissimilar to the one [[Optimus Maximus (Prime)|Optimus Maximus]] becomes (though the Apex Armor's transformation is more involved). In this mode, two additional (non-firing) cannon barrels rotate up and over the armor's shoulders, and a platform is flipped up from behind the armor to provide a place for two additional Cyberverse figures to stand and hold onto handlebars mounted on the armor's back. The transformation also allows the C joint clips and bars on the outer sides of the armor's split treads/legs to be used for connecting to other Cyberverse playsets, while revealing another 5 mm hole that was previously located inside the armor's cockpit; the missile-firing blaster can be mounted in this hole and "manned" by a Cyberverse figure holding the handlebars on the back of the gun.

:For this retool, the "[[Energon Booster]]", its wire, as well as all of its associated electronics, have been removed, and while the battery compartment at the back can still be opened, there are neither batteries, metal plates, nor springs present. Interestingly, the plastic ridges on the back of the armor, meant to provide a place to coil the now-nonexistent booster's wire, are still present, and the opaque-plastic back panel at the top of the armor is still compatible with the booster accessory, with the newly-molded panel even featuring a sculpted crosshair at the other end of its booster plug.

:In order for the armor to fit in its [[packaging]], it is minimally mis-transformed, with the front treads that make up part of its feet not being flipped out and tabbed into slots on the rear treads. Unusually, the front treads have even been sculpted with dents to accommodate the rear treads while in this mis-transformed position.

:Included with the Apex Hunter Armor is [[Breakdown (WFC)#CyberverseApexArmor|a redeco of the Legion Class Breakdown toy]], and a normal purple version of his blaster. The Breakdown mold was also redecoed into [[Cyberverse (toyline)#Series 2|Series 2 Cyberverse]] [[Fallback (Prime)|Fallback]] and ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]'' [[Berserker#MtCWalmart2Pack|Berserker]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/CybApexBreakdown/breakdown.htm More information on the Apex Hunter Armor (with Breakdown) at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Age of the Primes''===
[[File:AOTP-MicronusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|William, here is the technology. I've asked you to simply make it smaller.]]
<ul class = "iconlist">{{Bp-pr5|'''The Thirteen Micronus Prime''' (Deluxe Class, [[2025]])}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy ID number:'' '''AOTP-16'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date:'' [[December 27]], 2025
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Aaron Archer]] and [[Ken Christiansen]] (original concept)}}<ref>[[June 10]], [[2025]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEAkXHAU034 Transformers Fanstream | June 2025 | Hasbro Pulse] on YouTube, with [[Nate Purswell]] and [[Mark Maher]].</ref>

:Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes|Age of the Primes]]'' Deluxe Class figures, [[Micronus Prime#Age of the Primes|Micronus Prime]] includes a one-wheeled vehicle which transforms into an exo-suit based on the Apex Armor (with some additional [[Pretender]] influence),<ref name ="Markpost">[https://www.instagram.com/p/DKx9QkLsgVD/ Design notes] on ''Age of the Primes'' Micronus Prime from [[Hasbro]] designer [[Mark Maher]] on Instagram</ref> into which Micronus can fit in disc mode. Micronus's [[Chimera Stone#Age of the Primes|Chimera Stone]] accessory can also peg into the chest of the exo-suit accessory to reproduce the Apex Armor's characteristic circular core. The arms/exhausts can be bent down to use as kickstands in unicycle mode.

:The armor can additionally disassemble into component parts that can be wielded as weapons by larger figures, in the style of the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|Weaponizers]] and their various successor lines. The instructions show the arms being used as gun attachments, the legs/wheel as an enormously thick shield, and the remaining torso chunk as a propeller backpack.

::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/DKx9QkLsgVD/ Designer commentary on Micronus Prime from Mark Maher on Instagram]''
::*''[[Source:Transformers Age of the Primes bios#AOTP16|Machine translation of Micronus Prime's TakaraTomy bio]]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
*The origins of the Apex Armor are a bit iffy; when first introduced into the Aligned continuity, in the 2011 novel ''[[Transformers: Exiles]]'', it was stated to have been created by Solus Prime, but when it showed up in ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' the next year, Starscream identified it as being "of Decepticon origin." Then, in 2013, ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' told the story of how Solus Prime once created a collapsible suit of invincible armour at the request of [[Liege Maximo]]... but as much as this ''sounds'' like the Apex Armor, the book never calls it that, and never draws a connection between the two, leaving it unclear if they were intended to be the same thing.
**The Solus-created armor mentioned in the ''Covenant'' was originally intended to play a much larger role in the story of the Thirteen Primes. As detailed in the [[Binder of Revelation]], after Liege Maximo manipulated Megatronus into killing Solus, the guilt-wracked Megatronus took the armor for himself, and donned it when the intent of using it to take revenge on Maximo. But Megatronus was unaware that Solus had built a failsafe into the armour, to prevent it from being used without her consent; when he put the armor on, a contained explosion with the force of a miniature supernova detonated within it. Megatron survived, barely, but the blast fused him and the armor together, condemning him to burn within it for all time, turning him into the flaming figure of "The Fallen." This whole idea was dropped from the official, canon version of the story featured in the ''Covenant'', but as noted above, it remains unclear if the concept of a Solus-created suit of armor (now robbed of narrative purpose thanks to this change in the story) was repurposed to become the Apex Armour mentioned in ''Exiles'' and seen in ''Prime''.
*Designer [[Mark Maher]] describes the ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes|Age of the Primes]]'' iteration of the Apex Armor as capable of intermingling with Micronus Prime's [[Chimera Stone]] artifact to operate independently, acting as a sort of distant ancestor to [[Pretender]] shell technology.<ref name = "Markpost"/>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Apex Armor''' (エイペックスアーマー ''Eipekkusu Āmā'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Armors]]
[[Category:Artifacts of the Primes]]
[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Iacon relics]]
[[Category:Legends technology]]
[[Category:Mechanical suits]]
[[Category:Prime technology]]

Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You

2026-05-01T16:33:57Z

Chris McFeely: /* Errors */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #23
|prev=Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners
|next=Wheeljack: Orbital Decay
|caption=
|image=TF2019 23 cvrA.jpg
|title="Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Decieved You"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 16]], 2020
|coverdate=September 2020
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Anna Malkova]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Sentinel Prime's controversial speech at the Senate gives Megatron the opening he needs... and Cybertron will never be the same again.'''

==Synopsis==
For the first time, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] intends to convene the [[Senate]] without [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] or the [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] party he represents, and his decision has only further strained tensions on a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] pushed to the breaking point. In the Senate, a grim-faced [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] briefs the [[Senate Guard]] on their posts; on the streets, overstretched members of [[Security Operations]] struggle to keep the peace as supporters, protesters, and demonstrators surround the building, while [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] cracks down on another interview between [[Andromeda (G1)|Andromeda]] and [[Voxpop]]. Just as Prowl warns a hesitant [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] to keep his head down and do his job, the crowd silently parts to reveal a far more ominous problem: Megatron, [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] have arrived.

[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] watches them approach, but advises caution: the three ''are'' still elected Senators, regardless of Sentinel's rhetoric. Megatron demands they let him in, and Orion makes one last attempt to get his former friend to stand down. Though Megatron protests that chaotic change is inevitable if measured change is impossible, Orion delivers his final warning: if he continues down this path, then his means and his message will become the same—one of violence and death. Megatron disregards Orion and stalks inside the Senate building to meet his destiny, snarling that Orion should've stayed a lowly archivist as he leaves. Orion apologizes to the head archivist [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]], but she has other concerns: no matter what happens, Megatron ''will'' inflame his supporters, who even now gather around the Senate building. Orion takes [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] with him into the Senate to keep an eye on Megatron; Ironhide protests that this move will weaken their final line of defense, but Orion doesn't care: Megatron ''is'' the greatest threat to Cybertron, and he might just be on the cusp of victory. Indeed, as the Senate convenes and Sentinel Prime begins his thunderous condemnation of the deceitful Ascenticons, Megatron arrives, demanding the right to address the Senate and refute these charges!

Elsewhere, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] pays a visit to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s cell. As Head of Cybertronian intelligence, Starscream has his fingers in many pies; one of his informants has tipped him off that today will mark the birth of a new Cybertron. Starscream's connections will let him ride out the storm in comfort—he ''knows'' what Bumblebee's been up to, and that's why he wants to propose an alliance. Caged and resentful, Bumblebee says nothing...

As Prowl does his best to keep the crowd outside the Senate at bay, he finds [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], who wants to ask [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] for information on [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. As Megatron's supporters take up a chant, Prowl tells Cyclonus to leave; Cyclonus does so, musing that ''this'' fight won't be his... but the ghosts in his mind feel otherwise.

Orion, Flareup, and Groove arrive in time to see Megatron take the pulpit and begin his speech, but this is no attempt to defend himself, or parley as equals. Megatron's fiery speech condemns the Autobots and everything they stand for: in response to widescale civil unrest and the loss of the [[Winged Moon]], the Autobots only tighten [[energon]] rations and impose curfews. Sentinel Prime may have denounced the Ascenticons as "[[Decepticon]]s", but Megatron smiles: it is an apt name, for they ''have'' deceived Cybertron. For too long, he and his followers had concealed their desire for change, convinced the Senate that they would work within the system to get what they wanted—but that lie ends today. Already, the Decepticons have done what the Autobots and the Senate could not: today marks the end of [[The Rise]], who have already surrendered to the Decepticons. If the bloated, complacent Senate could not achieve such a simple task, then what could they possibly do for the people of Cybertron? Today, he announces, marks the ''end'' of the Senate—and, right on cue, Megatron's concealed warriors begin their attack. Outside, [[Clench (G1)|Clench]], [[Apeface]], [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] overwhelm [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]] and bash right through a side door; on the roof, [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]], [[Ion Storm]], and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] take out [[Subsea]]. Chaos reigns in the Senate Hall as Strika pins Sentinel and senators rush the podium, while Orion shouts for Flareup to seal the doors... but doesn't get far before Acid Storm uses his powers to eat right through the Senate's roof, allowing Ion Storm to incapacitate the Senators with a devastating electromagnetic blast. Clench breaches the loading bay and disgorges a squadron of [[Mini-Cassette|Infiltration Troopers]], who overwhelm Roulette, Grotusque, and Flareup. As the dust settles, Megatron orders Strika to secure the building and tell all of Cybertron of their triumph. When Ironhide, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] breach the building, they don't get far before Strika, Apeface, and Clench bulldoze right over the three and blast them right back out the door with a single missile barrage.

Confident that they've taken the Senate, Strika and her compatriots activate the Senate's built-in projectors and pose triumphantly in front of the crowd. Backlit by their insignia, Strika announces the good news: the crisis is over, Megatron has triumphed, and the Decepticons are here to open the way!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in hallucinatory form. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] (22)
* [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] (24)

|c2=
* [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (19)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (20)
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (21)
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (32)
* [[Clench (G1)|Clench]] (33)
* [[Apeface]] (34)
* [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] (35)
* [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]] (36)
* [[Ion Storm]] (37)
* [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (38)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (39)
* [[Squawktalk (G1)|Squawktalk]] (40)
* [[Beastbox (G1)|Beastbox]] (41)
* [[Howlback (G1)|Howlback]] (42)
* [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (43)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (44)

|h4=Cybertronians|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (1)
* [[Grotusque]] (2)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (3)
* [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (4)
* [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] (5)
* [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] (6)
* [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (7)
* [[Subsea]] (8)
* [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] (9)
* [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]] (10)
* [[Andromeda (G1)|Andromeda]] (11)
* [[Voxpop]] (12)
* [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] (13)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Vibes]] (14)
* [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (15)
* [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] (16)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (17)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (18)
* [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] (23)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (25)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (26)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (27)
* ''[[Highfire]]'' (28)
* ''[[Gridlock]]'' (29)
* ''[[Grudge]]'' (30)
* ''[[Provoke]]'' (31)
{{!}}}
}}

==Quotes==
"I do not know what ends you are pursuing, but the means '''will''' consume the ends. '''How''' a thing is done becomes the thing itself. You will '''become''' the means you employ, Megatron." 
"We must become what the times '''require''' of us."
:—'''Orion Pax''' and '''Megatron'''

"We have concealed the true extent of our determination. We have '''concealed''' the '''extremity''' of our hunger for renewal. We have '''pretended''' to a patience, a tolerance for '''failure''' that we do not possess. We have allowed you to believe that we would wait '''forever''' for this Senate, for the Autobots to '''awaken'''. No more. While '''you''' have stagnated, we have worked. '''We''' have '''imagined'''."
:—'''Megatron'''

"Hey, aren't you '''Clench'''? I saw you and Apeface fight in the arena! Long time ago, but—" 
"Yeah. Long time ago. But if you're a fan, guess I should '''pretend''' to be sorry about—'''THIS'''!"
:—Never meet your heroes, with '''Pipes''' and '''Clench'''

"You have sat too long for any good you have been doing. So let us '''have done''' with you! I say you are no Senate '''worthy''' of the name! In the name of Primus, '''go!'''"
:—'''Megatron'''

"We have no need for your Senate Guard in here, Ironhide! We have no need for '''a Senate'''!"
:—'''Strika'''

"A new horizon opens, and '''Megatron''' and the '''Decepticons''' have come to show you the way! Cybertron! '''The crisis is over! Order and freedom are within reach!'''"
:—'''Strika'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* After first denouncing their deceptive ways in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Three|issue #15]], Sentinel coined the appellation "Decepticon" in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]]. He had previously threatened to outlaw the Ascenticons and convene the Senate without them in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|issue #21]].
* Ever the conspiracy theorist, [[Voxpop]] wonders if the alien [[Thraal]] were the ones responsible for destroying the [[Tether]]. We learned about the fraught political situation between the Thraal and the [[A'ovan]] in [[Nautica: Home|issue #12]]—and, to be fair, this ''does'' seem like the kind of terrorist attack that the Thraal hardliners [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] mentioned in that issue might plan.
* In a nice bit of artistic consistency, the steps to the Senate feature the same spherical statue that appeared in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four|issue #10]].
* [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] makes her visual debut in the comic, although [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] mentioned her in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Four|issue #16]], and [[Arcee/Greenlight: Run|issue #18]] featured an excerpt from [[How to be a Good Mentor|one of her books]].
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] learned about [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'s destruction of the [[Memorial Crater]] in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Five|issue #17]].
* Bumblebee was arrested [[Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|last issue]] after he killed [[Quake (G1)|Quake]].
* Starscream mentions an informant who's tipped him off about the impending attack on the Senate building, but advises Bumblebee not to "'''reflect''' for too long" on who this might be. It's a sure bet that Starscream's being coy about [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]], his mole in the [[Ascenticon Guard]], while also playing on how the character is traditionally named "Reflector."
* [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] recognizes gladiators [[Clench (G1)|Clench]] and [[Apeface]]; [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] owned an old poster of one of Apeface's bouts in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]]. Before that, we saw the tail end of Apeface's career in the ''[[Transformers Valentine's Day Special]]'' as he performed in front of a bored crowd alongside [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]]. That issue had Pipes walking on the street past Tap-Out soon afterward.
* Megatron recruited the trio of [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]], [[Ion Storm]], and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] directly from [[The Rise]] in [[Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|issue #19]]. In that same issue, Megatron sent [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to ready the "Infiltration Troopers" seen here—it wasn't clear what he was talking about at the time, but this issue reveals that Megatron was talking about the future members of the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]]s.

===Transformers references===
* [[Subsea]] debuted in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK]] story "[[Underworld!]]" as a hi-and-die generic; more recently, he showed up in [[Unstopped and Unstoppable|issue #22]] of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' as... uh, well, a hi-and-die generic. His cameo here suggests he's on a winning streak!
* Grotusque's complaints about Cybertronians prejudiced against individuals with [[beast mode]]s seems like a call-back to the [[2005 IDW continuity|first IDW continuity]]'s [[Functionism|functionist]] system, which discriminated against both Transformers who turned into beasts, and Cybertronians with animal-like robot modes. Of course, as Ironhide points out here, that kind of institutionalized prejudice doesn't seem to exist on this version of Cybertron, where newly forged Transformers can choose to become whatever they'd like. Future issues would show this Cybertron venerates the [[Age of the Firstforged]], with several tales of humanoid biped heroes like [[Halonix Maximus]] and [[Big Bang (G1)|Big Bang]] warring against bestial Cybertronians like [[Preditron]] or [[Gaidora (BWU)|Gaidora]] and the [[turbofox]]es. It's possible the prejudice Grotusque alludes to dates back to this era.
* The parting crowd on page three includes a pair of Cybertronians drawn to resemble [[Scrounge (Animated)|''Animated'' Scrounge]].
* Ion Storm incapacitates the Senate using a powerful electromagnetic pulse, but the effort involved makes him collapse from overexertion. Both of these traits have their origin in the 2015 [[Ask Vector Prime]] feature that originally named both him and [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]].
* The cassette team includes familiar mainstays [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], second-stringers [[Beastbox (G1)|Beastbox]] and [[Squawktalk (G1)|Squawktalk]], and left-field cameo [[Howlback (G1)|Howlback]]—a character who, up until now, has been limited to bit parts and namedrops. In an odd detail, Laserbeak is drawn to resemble his [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toy]] and sports that toy's streamlined, mono-optic head, but both Buzzsaw and Squawktalk possess their regular bird heads (But see "Errors", below...)

===Real-life references===
* Megatron's statement to the Senate, as quoted above, is a nigh-direct quotation of {{w|Oliver Cromwell}}'s statement to the {{w|Rump Parliament}} on the 20th April 1653. Megatron goes just a little further than Cromwell, who merely had the members dragged out.

===Errors===
* Colorist [[Joana Lafuente]] appears to have mistaken [[Beastbox (G1)|Beastbox]] for [[Apeface]], and has colored him as such. (Perhaps Beastbox is just a big fan?)
* On page seventeen, the panel of Laserbeak attacking Roulette has him sporting a two-eyed head.
* [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] is shown [[Aggressive depigmentation|turning grey]] after the cassettes attack her, suggesting that she's dead. That said, this universe is just a ''teensy'' bit inconsistent on whether or not characters turn grey when they die—[[Rubble]] did, as did Cyclonus's ghostly compatriots as well as a generic civilian in [[Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|issue #19]], but [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and Quake did not. [[War World: Prime|Issue #25]] will show that Flareup survived the attack, which retroactively makes this an error.
* In the cover gallery in the back of the issue, artist Aline Baumgartner's nickname "Herzspalter" is misspelled "Herzsplater."

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for June, this issue was pushed back to September as a result of IDW Publishing suspending operations. It was released digitally on September 16, and saw a print release on September 30.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Megatron in front of the Senate, by [[Joana Lafuente]]
* '''Cover B''': Megatron and his Infiltration Troopers, by [[Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Megatron, Brawn, Ironhide, Laserbeak, and Strika, by [[Corey Lewis]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 23 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 23 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 23 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]: Bad Guys''
* ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]] Adventures''
* ''Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 3: All Fall Down''''' ([[February 24]], [[2021]]) ISBN 1684057396 / ISBN 978-1684057399
** Collects ''Transformers'' (2019) issues #19–24 and ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' issues [[Gauging the Truth: Part One|#7]]–[[Storm Horizon Part 3|12]].
** Bonus material includes alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v3.jpg|'''''Volume 3: All Fall Down''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [http://majorspoilers.com/2020/09/15/preview-transformers-23/ Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

Aline Baumgartner

2026-05-01T16:32:19Z

Chris McFeely:

[[File:Herzspalter.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]

'''Aline Baumgartner''', also known by the screenname '''Herzspalter''', is a Swiss freelance artist. Accomplished in ''Transformers'' fanart, including [https://herzspalter.tumblr.com/G1-recap comedic recaps] of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]''-themed zines helmed by [[Cara Burns]], and the [[Unofficial conventions|TFNation 2019]] presentation of "[[Trial of Megatron, Part 3|Trial of Megatron]]", Herzspalter started drawing official covers for [[IDW Publishing]] in [[2020]].

==Official art==
===IDW Publishing===
====Covers====
*''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|#23]], [[Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One|#37]]
*''[[Transformers: Escape]]'' [[Escape Part Four|#4]]

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
Image:TF2019 23 cvrB.jpg
</gallery>

''[[:Category:Images by Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner|Extended Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner gallery]]''</center>

==Notes==
*That's German for "heart splitter."

==External links==
*[https://aline-illustration.com/ Official site]
*[https://twitter.com/Herzspalter Twitter account]
*[https://herzspalter.tumblr.com/ Tumblr account]
*[https://bsky.app/profile/herzspalter.bsky.social Bluesky account]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumgartner, Aline Herzspalter}}
[[Category:Cover artists]]

Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner

2026-05-01T16:29:13Z

Chris McFeely: Chris McFeely moved page Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner to Aline Baumgartner

#REDIRECT [[Aline Baumgartner]]

Aline Baumgartner

2026-05-01T16:29:13Z

Chris McFeely: Chris McFeely moved page Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner to Aline Baumgartner

[[File:Herzspalter.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]

'''Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner''', known mononymously as '''Herzspalter''', is a Swiss freelance artist. Accomplished in ''Transformers'' fanart, including [https://herzspalter.tumblr.com/G1-recap comedic recaps] of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]''-themed zines helmed by [[Cara Burns]], and the [[Unofficial conventions|TFNation 2019]] presentation of "[[Trial of Megatron, Part 3|Trial of Megatron]]", Herzspalter started drawing official covers for [[IDW Publishing]] in [[2020]].

==Official art==
===IDW Publishing===
====Covers====
*''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|#23]], [[Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One|#37]]
*''[[Transformers: Escape]]'' [[Escape Part Four|#4]]

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
Image:TF2019 23 cvrB.jpg
</gallery>

''[[:Category:Images by Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner|Extended Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner gallery]]''</center>

==External links==
*[https://aline-illustration.com/ Official site]
*[https://twitter.com/Herzspalter Twitter account]
*[https://herzspalter.tumblr.com/ Tumblr account]
*[https://bsky.app/profile/herzspalter.bsky.social Bluesky account]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumgartner, Aline Herzspalter}}
[[Category:Cover artists]]

Moonracer (G1)

2026-04-30T16:17:17Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */

{{featured}}
{{factions|autobot|quintesson|velocitron|{{factions/icons|custom=PotP-SolusPrime.png|cSize=25px|cLink=Solus Prime|cPretty=Solus Prime}}}}
{{disambig3|Moonracer}}
:''Moonracer is an [[Autobot]] or [[Velocitron]]ian from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Moonracer-paintmodelsheet.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Still waiting on that pizza...]]
Amongst her colleagues, '''Moonracer''' is the joy and the laughter. The bubbly little sister, Moonracer is full of naïve optimism and, to the dismay of her [[Female Autobots|partners-in-guerilla warfare]], pratfalls. She worries that others, either friends or enemies, don't take her seriously and dismiss her as simply being cute. But she'll show them. She'll show them she too can be ''hardcore''.

According to [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], Moonracer is the best sharpshooter in the galaxy.

According to herself, she's the best in the Universe.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Morgan Lofting]] (English), [[Run Sasaki]] (Japanese)|[[Gu Guoyi]] (Chinese), [[Guilene Conte]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Catherine Lafond]] (European French)}}
[[File:Moonracerg1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Look at those chubby-wubby cheeks!]]
[[File:Moonracer vehicle.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Drax?]]
Four million years ago, Moonracer tried to board the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], while it was being attacked, with the rest of [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]'s team. The plan failed, and she and the others appeared to be destroyed.

Moonracer participated in a raid on one of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s [[energon]] supply stores. She questioned Elita One's order to take only one stack and got herself stuck in a booby trap when she tried to steal more. As a result, the [[Female Autobots]]' continued existence was discovered by Shockwave, whom was tricked by [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] into freeing Moonracer. The two made their escape and joined up with [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]] on the way back to their hidden base. Near, Elita One informed her soldiers they were being followed. Moonracer quickly located and [[Female Autobot laser pistol|shot down]] the [[Sentinel (G1)|offender]].

[[File:Search4atmoonracer.jpg|thumb|right|200px|That... that is totally not the way it happened! Stupid wiki.]]
Trying to capture Elita One and with an idea of where the Female Autobots approximately hid, the Decepticons launched an attack. [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] caused the Female Autobots' underground base to collapse, with most of them in it. They survived, but were trapped inside. It was Moonracer's idea then to detonate the energon they stole in order to blast their way out. Following their escape, the team went in search of their leader and subsequently met up with a group of [[Earth]]-stationed Autobots who had come looking for [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|their commander]]. Moonracer teamed up with her old friend [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]]. Things went well until Shockwave decided he had enough and nearly caused Moonracer and several others to fall to their deaths. Fortunately, Optimus Prime and Elita One made a timely arrival and chased off the Decepticons.

With the Decepticons defeated and their underground headquarters destroyed, [[Alpha Trion]] relocated the Female Autobots to a new base of operations. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
{{--}}

====MC Axis comics====
[[File:Elita One MC Axis Comic Prease.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Moonracer, Firestar, and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] were strolling around on Cybertron after a battle, when they were attacked from behind by a Decepticon. Only Arcee was quick enough to respond in time, blasting the attacker before her friends came to harm. She then chided her teammates, noting that "War seems to be too tough particularly for females" {{sic}}. {{storylink|The Transformers (MC Axis manga)#Arcee|The Transformers: Arcee}}

Later, Moonracer, Firestar, Chromia, and Elita One celebrated their victory over an absolutely ''gargantuan'' Decepticon warrior. Well, Elita brooded, but the others celebrated. {{storylink|The Transformers (MC Axis manga)#Elita One|The Transformers: Elita One}}
{{--}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{wingsnote}}
[[File:ComingStorm2-RicochetAlphaTrionMoonracer.jpg|right|thumb|330px|Aha, [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], how the tables have turned!]]
Nine million years ago, Moonracer was one of the younger Autobots, mentally a teenager. She was locked in this mindset when Decepticons attacked the facility that was overseeing one of her upgrades, and the damage to the equipment resulted in stilted emotional growth. While she hadn't made her way to full functionality, she was still quite capable, if perhaps too impetuous for her own good. In the meantime, she functioned as an attaché to Alpha Trion. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 33|Moonracer's profile in Club magazine #33}}

Moonracer and [[Ricochet (Timelines)|Ricochet]] stood with [[Alpha Trion]] as he implored the [[Autobot High Council]] to put their support behind his new [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|"Prime"]] initiative. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 2}}

The pair, along with [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], were at the [[Elite Guard]] [[Auxiliary Weapons Locker]] when [[Magnum]] and the surviving members of the Elite Guard turned up to pick up guns. The trio joined the mission to locate [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]]'s base. {{Storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} The group soon ran into Deathsaurus's troops and engaged them in combat. Ricochet was shot out of the air by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], and Moonracer, Outback, and [[Flak (G1)|Flak]] were at his side as he died from his wounds. They had little time to mourn before they were attacked by an enraged [[Lyzack (G1)|Lyzack]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}} She watched as [[Big Bang (G1)|Big Bang]], [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], [[Rumbler (G1)|Rumbler]], and [[Sprocket (G1)|Sprocket]] arrived to join the battle. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 4}} A week after the battle, she was part of the Autobot forces at [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s city walls as the Decepticons broke through with [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} The battle was won, but several Autobots died in the process. To gather energy for the sapped Autobots, a crew was formed to pilot the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. Moonracer was to be part of the crew, but a Decepticon attack blocked her and others from reaching the ship before it departed. Soon after, as their current reserve of energies was dangerously low, Moonracer joined her comrades still on the planet in stasis hibernation as an energy-saving measure. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

====''Generations Selects Special Comic''====
In [[2050]], Moonracer and the Autobots were supporting the [[Selector]]s' revolution on Earth. They were assaulted with metal-eating gas, and combined into Orthia to increase their resistance. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 2}} The gas was followed by the attacking [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s. [[Blot (G1)|Blot]]'s [[slime gun]] forced the combiner to separate back into Moonracer and her teammates. {{storylink|Abominus comic 1}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
[[File:GenOne0 Firestar Moonracer.JPG|100px|thumb]]
Moonracer was a member of an elite squad of five warriors under the command of the [[Quintesson]]s. She and [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]] were on guard duty for their masters when they discussed the Transformer-related events of the past two Earth years. {{Storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}

{{Unreleased DW G1 comic}}
[[The Route of All Evil|Following a report]] from their Autobot sleeper agent, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], that the awaited situation to commence their mission had come, [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] used a [[space bridge]] to get to the [[Autobase]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Chromia and the others waited patiently for her to signal that they could follow. When it came, Moonracer went after her commander swiftly for further orders. With only Firestar still to get through the portal, the group was attacked by [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]]. Moonracer kicked him in the face towards Elita One, who punched him out. While [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] was sent back to [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]] with an unconscious [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], Moonracer joined the other two into the Autobot facility, where they found [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s badly damaged body in a repair chamber. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Issue 11|Generation 1 #11}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[All That Remains|''Windblade'' vol. 2 #3]]}}
[[File:Windblade4-moonracer.jpg|thumb|left|175px|No, I don't turn into a winged lion. Why does everyone ask me that?]]
Moonracer was a native of [[Velocitron]], born from the [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]] within the body of their [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Navitas]]. Moonracer made a name for herself by racing alongside the moving city [[Delta]] for an entire day, though some thought of her as crazy for venturing outside. {{storylink|Race Against the Light}} When battling [[combiner]]s from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] briefly touched upon the planet, [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] and Moonracer investigated the footprints left behind and went to report it to [[Override (BWU)|Override]]. {{storylink|All That Remains}} Thanks to her reputation she was subsequently selected ambassador to Cybertron alongside Knock Out once the two planets' [[space bridge]]s were linked up. While Knock Out was quick to decline [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]'s offer to join the [[Council of Worlds]], Moonracer was less fond of the path Velocitron's society was heading down and met with [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] behind the scenes, suggested the Cybertronians convince Override herself by participating in the [[Benefit 500]]. {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 4|Windblade vol. 2 #4}}

Upon Windblade and her party's arrival on Velocitron, Moonracer let them into Delta and brought their representative, [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], to the race, tasking her assistant [[Clocker (G1)|Clocker]] with showing Windblade the way to Navitas' [[brain module]]. She subsequently watched with smug satisfaction as Blurr won the race with Windblade's help, deflating Knock Out. {{storylink|Race Against the Light}} His victory convinced the people of Velocitron to join the Council of Worlds, and Moonracer and Knock Out returned to Cybertron and signed the treaty. {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 6|Windblade vol. 2 #6}}

[[File:TAAO1 CouncilOfWorlds.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Clowns to the left of me.]]
Approximately two weeks later, Moonracer was present for the ceremony inducting [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] of [[Vigilem|Carcer]] into the [[Council of Worlds]]. {{storylink|The Will of the Few}} When Starscream was upset over being left out of the [[Chosen One Day]] festivities, Moonracer and several others who were feeling the holiday spirit came to visit and at least ''pretend'' to like him for a while. {{storylink|Choose Me}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] announced his intent to annex [[Earth]] into the Council of Worlds, Moonracer attended the first council meeting discussing this sudden change of events. {{storylink|New Worlds Order}} The Council also investigated a series of [[Mnemosurgery|mnemosurgical]] attacks on Decepticons and the increasing suspicions of the [[Badgeless]], eventually appointing Ironhide to investigate the matter. {{storylink|07:00:00}} Following the death of [[Drunkatron|a Decepticon]], Iacon's population found itself on the verge of a riot; Moonracer attended another emergency meeting that saw Ironhide take command of the Badgeless. {{storylink|Applicable Skills}} She and Knock Out later attended a meeting where Ironhide reported on the progress of the new recruits. {{storylink|Things We Said We'd Never Do}} When [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] attacked Iacon, Moonracer and the other Council delegates were temporarily evacuated. {{storylink|The Line Between Us}}

The Council later met with Optimus to hear his side of the story. Although Prime insisted that his intentions were pure, its members unanimously voted against allowing Earth a seat on the council. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} Following the raising of a Titan on Earth, however, the members of the Council began reconsidering their verdict, much to Starscream's annoyance. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

[[File:DesperateTimes-moonracer.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'']]
When Cybertron came under threat from a fleet of undead Titans, Moonracer helped repel the wave of cityformers. {{storylink|Ping}} As the fight dragged on with no end in sight, she put her speed to good use, ferrying the wounded [[Vanquish]] and his brother [[Fireshot]] to safety. Back at the Council's spire, Windblade revealed her intention to put together a strike team and breach Carcer, as [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] had refused to let her Titan join the fight. Moonracer was one of the 'bots who joined Windblade's crew. {{storylink|Desperate Times}} With [[Tigatron (BW)|Tigatron]] and Fireshot, the group reached Carcer's brain module only for the path to be barred by [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]]. A perfect shot by Moonracer destroyed his left propeller before Fireshot ripped the other one off and the three held him down while Windblade merged with Carcer. To everyone's horror, the Titan was not Carcer but [[Vigilem]]! {{storylink|Desperate Measures (Till All Are One)|Desperate Measures}}

Nonetheless the three held down Obsidian despite his repeated warnings. When Moonracer expressed the belief that Vigilem taking full control would mean Windblade being unable to talk, Tigatron insisted that Windblade would stay plugged in until Cybertron was saved. As Windblade began to lose the mental duel, Elita One entered and emptied her weapon into Vigilem's brain module though too late to stop the Titan from freeing [[Liege Maximo]]. {{storylink|Rubicon}} Once the threat had passed, Moonracer was part of a smaller meeting to discuss why Elita had hid the existence of Liege Maximo and Vigilem. Moonracer found herself agreeing with Elita's logic that Cybertron had to be united to combat Maximo's inevitable return but believed that the people had a right to know the truth that the ancient Prime was free. Starscream ultimately had the deciding vote and opted to keep Maximo's freedom a secret. {{storylink|Heavy}}

The full Council later reconvened to meet with Optimus Prime as the Autobot leader discussed sharing Transformer technology with the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s, who had recently arrived on Earth. Starscream shot down the proposal; as Earth was not yet a member of the Council, it would be a violation of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back|Behind My Bleeding Back}}

[[File:StrangerEons-howdareyou.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Moonracer was present during Earth's induction into the Council of Worlds where she sat next to the [[Mistress of Flame]] before Starscream ordered [[M.A.S.K.]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] locked up. {{storylink|First Strike issue 4|First Strike #4}} After Windblade helped the G.I. Joe team escape, Moonracer was present again when the Mistress of Flame slapped Windblade and stripped her of her Camien citizenship. She also participated in the celebration after Windblade won the election for ruler of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Chosen One}} Moonracer was once again hanging out with the other members of the Council of Worlds, receiving a shipment of [[Ore-13]] from Earth, when [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] suddenly appeared atop the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]] with a captured [[Liege Maximo]] in tow. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|A Surfeit of Primes}} When the member of the [[Thirteen]] was granted an audience with the Council, an explosion ripped through the [[Spire]]. In the aftermath, Moonracer helped the [[Mistress of Flame]] get back up. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}} {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}}

When [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] waged its apocalyptic war on the Council of Worlds, Moonracer was present in the Council's war room when Starscream made his dramatic return to announce the existence of the [[Decepticon Vengeance Division]]. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}} When the Chaos Bringer attacked Cybertron directly, Moonracer was present in [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], being [[space bridge]]d to [[Victoria Falls]] on Earth. {{storylink|Road's End}}
{{-}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' marketing material===
[[File:PowerOfThePrimes-Moonracer-CardArt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Never skip leg day!]]
The joyful Autobot Moonracer could enhance her sharpshooting skills by linking with [[Prime Master]]s. {{storylink|#Generations|''Power of the Primes'' Moonracer packaging bio}}

*'''Prima'''—Grants enemies one shot at redemption before blasting them.
*'''Vector'''—Can aim her blaster down the time stream.
*'''Alpha Trion'''—Translates the [[Covenant of Primus]] for Cybertronian youth.
*'''Solus'''—Forges a blaster that shoots a near-infinite distance.
*'''Micronus'''—Power-links to grant bots a sharpshooter's aim.
*'''Alchemist'''—Becomes a mass of raw protons to travel between worlds.
*'''Nexus'''—Grants Combiner minds a sniper's concentration.
*'''Onyx'''—Gains the ability to see to the edge of the universe.
*'''Amalgamous'''—Forms booster jets and airfoils to enhance her speed.
*'''Quintus'''—Fills the metal of dead worlds with life-giving energon.
*'''Liege Maximo'''—Knows the truth behind every lie she hears.
*'''Megatronus'''—Obliterates the spark of any foe with a single shot.

{{note|For a full list of all powers manifested by the Prime Masters, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
Moonracer was among those destined few chosen by [[Solus Prime]] to combine into [[Orthia]]. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files#Who is Orthia?|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ellie Main]] (English), [[Serika Hiromatsu]] (Japanese)|[[Pauline de Meurville]] (French), [[Anke Hillenbrand]] (German), [[Jeane Marie]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Gabriela Guzmán]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}
[[File:Siege-Ep5-Moonracer-murmurs-in-panic.jpg|thumb|300px|"That arm's coming off. That beautiful, beautiful arm."]]
Optimus Prime recruited Moonracer as part of his team to search for the [[AllSpark|Allspark]] in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]]. Led by Jetfire, the group located a valley in the wasteland and descended to search. As they ventured deeper into the valley they were attacked by the [[Zombie|Sparkless]], who ripped Moonracer's arm off in their initial attack. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}} Though the Autobots fought valiantly, Moonracer's injury caused her to be quickly overwhelmed, the Sparkless tearing her to pieces. Optimus managed to extract her from the hostiles but her injuries proved too severe and she passed in Optimus's arms. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
Moonracer was considered to be brave and loyal by [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]], being counted among his potential recruits for the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Tread & Circuits Part 4}}

===Energon Universe===
Moonracer was among the damaged Autobots lying deactivated in a resistance base on Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 26|''Transformers'' # 26}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
Moonracer was dispatched by Elita One in response to Flamewar's squad's retaliatory attacks on a number of Autobot bases. {{storylink|Fatal Furies: Flamewar's Revenge}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
====As Moonracer====
[[File:Moonracer Bird.jpg|thumb|200px]]
*''Squad'': '''Wreckers'''
*''Mission Type'': '''Investigator'''
*''Unlock Type'': Challenge Event Prize
:On the [[AllSpark|Eggspark]]-altered [[Piggy Island]], [[Stella (AB)|Stella]] found herself fused with Moonracer, transforming into a Cybertronian hovercar. Her weapon launches force-bubbles in a strange arc that suddenly rocket towards their target with explosive force. These projectiles are equipped with an [[electromagnetic pulse|EMP effect]], temporarily stunning foes, or in the case of flying ones, sending them plummeting out of the sky. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:75%" align="center"
|-
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Accessory'''
! scope="col" width="10%" | '''Body Part'''
! scope="col" width="10%" | '''Rarity'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Cost'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Base Effect'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Notes'''
|-
|Baseball Cap
|Head
|Common
|5 Common Crystals + 2,500 Coins
| +10% Transform Rcharge
|
|-
|Headphones
|Head
|Uncommon
|5 Uncommon Crystals + 8,000 Coins
| +10% Damage
|
|-
|Sunglasses
|Face
|Common
|5 Common Crystals + 2,500 Coins
| +10% Transform Recharge
|
|-
|Pistol
|Back
|Legendary
|5 Legendary Crystals + 200,000 Coins
| +10% Explosive Force
|Actually mounted on her leg
|-
|}
</center>
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive''===
[[File:BBOMoonracer.jpg|thumb|left]]
Moonracer took part in a series of attacks against multiple Decepticon bases, destroying them and defeating all enemies in the proccess. 1300 Armor, 1300 Blaster Strength, Score x12, Coins x4, Blaster Speed: Slow {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Moonracer’s bubbly, naïve personality concealed the dead-eye reflexes of a crack shot—as one of Cybertron’s best sharpshooters, she was unafraid to brag about her skills. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook|Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}}

==Toys==
===''Timelines''===
[[File:TL-toy Chromia.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Don't you hate it when you show up at a party and your friend arrived in the same deco?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{bp-a1d1|'''Descent into Evil''' (Multi-pack, [[2005]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Launcher, missile, scope, 2 tailpipes, energon chip
{{note|''Timelines'' [[Chromia (G1)#Timelines|Chromia]] was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as the ''Wings Universe'' version of Moonracer by Fun Publications.}}

: ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' Chromia is a [[redeco]] and new-head [[retool]]ing of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Arcee (Energon)#Toys|Arcee]], transforming into a Cybertronic racing motorcycle. She has multiple clear-plastic "[[energon]]" parts that form side-thrusters in bike mode, and combine to form a massive compound bow with a spring-loaded missile. She also comes with an [[energon star]] that can fit on the [[spark crystal]] of any ''Energon''-series mold.

: The Chromia toy was originally intended to be Moonracer, but [[Hasbro]] could not secure the [[trademark]] on the name. [[Fun Publications]] changed the toy's character to [[Chromia (G1)#Timelines|Chromia]], the first name on their list of alternates that ''did'' clear, even though it was their "third or fourth choice".<ref name="lathempost"/><ref name="BWTF notes"/> As such, Chromia's toy is in Moonracer's teal and white colors and has a head that resembles Moonracer's. (The intent was for the head to be a compromise between the Moonracer and Firestar head designs.)<ref name="lathempost">[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/e39fbfb4b4bd2b3a alt.toys.transformers post] by [[Lanny Lathem]] explaining the Moonracer/Chromia SNAFU.</ref><ref name="BWTF notes">[http://www.bwtf.com/toyreviews/timelines/descent/chromia Chromia toy notes at BWTF.com]</ref>

: She was only available only as part of [[BotCon 2005]]'s "Descent into Evil" set, packed in with along with [[Buzzclaw (G1)#Toys|Buzzclaw]], [[Deathsaurus (G1)#Timelines|Deathsaurus]], [[Dirge (Timelines)#Toys|Dirge]], [[Outback (G1)#Timelines|Fallback]], [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Timelines|Ironhide]], and [[Ricochet (Timelines)#Toys|Ricochet]].

: Her base mold was also used to make [[Flamewar (G1)#Toys|Flamewar]] and the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action movieverse]] [[Arcee (Movie)#Toys|Arcee]] and [[Elita-One (Movie)#Toys|Elita-One]], while the Chromia-retooled version was used to make [[Flareup (G1)#Toys|Flareup]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCChromia/chromia.htm More information on Chromia at TFU.info.]''
{{EnergonArceeMold}}
{{-}}

===''Power of the Primes''===
[[File:POTP-toy Moonracer.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Onwards to DeviantArt!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{bp-a1|'''Autobot Moonracer''' (Deluxe Class, [[2018]])}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''PP-16'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[July 28]], 2018
:*''Accessories'': Rifle, Prime Armor/combiner hand, Prime Master gap filler/gun
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}

: Part of the second wave of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Moonracer transforms from a robot based on her appearance in "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]" to a Cybertronian car. She can also form a limb for any ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]''-style Combiner (or one of [[Godbomber#Legends|''Legends'' Godbomber]]'s legs). Like all other ''Power of the Primes'' Deluxe Class figures, she comes with Prime Armor (redecoed from that of [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Jazz]]) with a place for a [[Prime Master#Toys|Prime Master]], [[Enigma of Combination#Generations|Enigma]], or [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Power of the Primes|Matrix core]] that can transform into a hand for a Combiner. She also comes with a piece that can fill the gap in the chest armor or be held as a gun. Her instructions, [[TakaraTomy]] stock photos, and box art depict her as part of [[Elita-Infin1te#Toys|Elita-Infin1te]]. Later ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' material would also brand Moonracer as part of [[Orthia#Toys|Orthia]]. As an undocumented feature, her gun can combine with Novastar's gun to form a larger rifle that doesn't look too out of place in a combiner hand.

: Moonracer's kibble results in a ''very'' large backpack, due to the fact at least 75% of her car mode folds up into it despite not being a [[shellformer]]. Surprisingly, she is still fairly sturdy in robot mode as the backpack is mostly hollow.

: Moonracer's original sculpt was retooled into [[Firestar (G1)#Toys|Novastar]], ''Siege'' [[Greenlight#Toys|Greenlight]] and ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Lancer#Toys|Lancer]], and was thoroughly retooled into ''Generations Selects'' [[Tentakil (Masterforce)#Generations Selects|Tentakil]] and [[Scylla#Generations Selects|Scylla]]. ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' [[Chromia (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Chromia]], ''Generations Selects'' [[Nightbird (G1)#Generations Selects|Nightbird]] and ''Legacy Evolution'' [[Kaskade#Toys|Kaskade]] also reuse parts of Moonracer's mold; specifically the wheels, thighs and hip [[ball joint]] sockets.
{{POTPMoonracerMold}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Moonracer-TFCC.jpg|thumb|upright=.67|''Wings Universe'' profile art]]
* Of the female Autobots introduced and named in "The Search for Alpha Trion", Moonracer is the only one whose name doesn't thematically match with that of her beau Powerglide (compared to "[[Firestar (G1)|fire]]" and "[[Inferno (G1)|inferno]]," "[[Chromia (G1)|chrome]]" and "[[Ironhide (G1)|iron]]," and "[[Elita One (G1)|Best First]]" and "[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Best First]]"). However, her name ''does'' read suspiciously like a mirror of [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]. Also, the profile for Moonracer included with the script for "The Search for Alpha Trion" notes that she is "a bit of a show-off" who is very proud of her "sleek physique," very much like Sunstreaker. We don't have any confirmation, but... perhaps the original plan for episode was to pair Moonracer with Sunstreaker, but he was swapped out the similarly showoffish Powerglide—a newer toy—during development of the episode?
* Despite having a distinct mold in ''Power of the Primes'', the CG model of Moonracer used in the ''War for Cybertron'' animated series is a re-use of Chromia's model (based on the ''Siege'' Chromia toy), but in a new color-scheme.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Moonracer''' (ムーンレーサー ''Mūnrēsā'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Holdfutó''' ("Moonrunner")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Yuèliàng Chēshǒu''' (Taiwan, 月亮車手, "Moon Racer"), '''Yuè Jiāo''' (China, 月娇, "Moon Lovable")
*''Russian:'' '''Medeya''' (Медея)

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Council members]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Transformers]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Power of the Primes Autobots]]
[[Category:Repurposed toys]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Autobots]]
[[Category:Velocitron]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Eric Canete

2026-04-30T11:15:44Z

Chris McFeely:

'''Eric Canete''' is a comic book artist best known for ''The End League''. His most visible contribution to the ''Transformers'' franchise has been his work providing covers for [[Skybound Entertainment]]'s comics, but nearly two decades earlier, he also created a significant amount of conceptual artwork for ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'' during the early developmental process of that series. His other comics work has included ''Martian Manhunter'', ''Kid Lobotomy'', ''Skin Breaker'', ''Death or Glory'', ''Run Love Kill'', ''Fairy Quest'', ''Web of [[Spider-Man]]'' & ''Dead Run''.

==Credits==
*''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]''
*''[[Void Rivals]]''
*''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]''
*''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]''
*''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]''

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:Void Rivals 19 Cover D.jpg|
File:Destro 3 Cover E.jpg|
File:G.I. Joe 2024 15 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 2 7th Ptg Cover.jpg|
</gallery>
''[[:Category:Images by Eric Canete|Extended Eric Canete gallery]]''
</center>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canete, Eric}}
[[Category:Cover artists]]

Power Struggle

2026-04-25T16:10:10Z

Chris McFeely: /* UK printing */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'' #2
|prev=Blood on the Tracks
|next=Ashes, Ashes...
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #269–272
|prev2=Flashback!
|next2=Mystery!
|title="Power Struggle"
|image=JoeTF2.jpg
|caption=Why can't this happen to a Carnival Cruise?
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|shippingdate=[[October 14]], [[1986]]
|onsaledate=[[November 4]], 1986
|coverdate=February [[1987]]
|script=[[Michael Higgins]]
|pencils=[[Herb Trimpe]]
|inks=[[Vince Colletta]]
|lettering=[[Joe Rosen]]
|colors=[[Nelson Yomtov]]
|editors=[[Bob Harras]] & [[Don Daley]]
|continuity=
}}
'''The Decepticons' theft of Power Station Alpha is co-opted by Cobra, leading to an unstable alliance.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] accuses the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] team of killing [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] and demands what is theirs. This is more than enough for the Joes to react the way every other branch of the human military reacts when confronted with a giant robot. Superion is forced to return their fire, but just as things are escalating to the point where he may have to use lethal force, he receives a message that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] [[Afterdeath!|has been killed]] and all [[Autobot]]s are to return to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Abruptly, he abandons the battle.

At the [[Club Con|Decepticon base]], a disinterested [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] watches as the [[cerebro-shell]] planted by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] causes [[Power Station Alpha]] to take off on remote control (while [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] is busy canoodling with Senator [[Barbara Larkin]]). Noting his leader's lethargy, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] comes to the conclusion that he will have to take command of the Decepticons.

The theft of Station Alpha is also observed by [[Cobra]], and [[Doctor Mindbender]] uses an electronic helmet to take control of the cerebro-shell and redirect the station towards them. A group of Cobra aircraft is sent to escort it, but they come under attack from the Joes. The air battle is observed from a nearby pleasure cruiser by [[G.B. Blackrock]] and a group of anonymous, bikini-clad beauties. [[Serpentor]] notices the boat and tells the Joes that he will destroy it if they don't stand down. [[Barbara Larkin|Senator Larkin]] advises destroying Alpha, but [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] knows that this will cause a dangerous radioactive plutonium fallout and orders his men to stand down. Cobra then fire on the boat anyway, forcing the Joes to spend time evacuating its occupants. Blackrock overhears them discussing their recent encounter with "giant, shape-changing vehicles" and tells them he might be able to help them.

Meanwhile, [[Anthony Duranti]], the boy Bombshell used as a decoy, has been left in a catatonic state by the cerebro-shell. An x-ray shows it lodged in his brain, and the doctors elect to try and remove it by surgery.

Serpentor and Mindbender witness the arrival of Station Alpha, but it is closely followed by [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and Bombshell, who explain the Decepticons' interest in the station. Mindbender hastily suggests an alliance after planting a listening device on Dirge. Later, he overhears Shockwave informing the two Decepticons of his plan to convert Alpha into a device to tap into the Earth's natural energy...a plan Mindbender realises will destroy the planet.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (5)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (17)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (19)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] (20)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] (21)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (32)
*[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (33)
|h3=[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]|c3=
*[[Mutt (G.I. Joe)|Mutt]] (1)
*[[Scarlett]] (2)
*[[Junkyard (G.I. Joe)|Junkyard]] (3)
*[[Snake-Eyes]] (4)
*[[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] (6)
*[[Beachhead]] (7)
*[[Sgt. Slaughter]] (8)
*[[Lady Jaye]] (9)
*[[Dial-Tone]] (10)
*[[Ace (G.I. Joe)|Ace]] (11)
*[[Crankcase (G.I. Joe)|Crankcase]] (12)
*[[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] (14)
*[[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] (18)
*[[Wild Bill]] (26)
*[[Lift-Ticket (G.I. Joe)|Lift-Ticket]] (27)
*[[Slip-Stream]] (28)
|h4=[[Cobra]]|c4=
*[[Baroness]] (22)
*[[Serpentor]] (23)
*[[Destro]] (24)
*[[Doctor Mindbender]] (25)
|h5=[[Human]]s|c5=
*[[Barbara Larkin]] (13)
*Congressman (15)
*[[Garcia (G1)|Garcia]] (16)
*[[Anthony Duranti]] (29)
*[[Mrs. Duranti]] (20)
*[[G.B. Blackrock]] (31)
}}

==Quotes==

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Bumblebee Fictional Toy Power Struggle.jpg|upright=0.5|thumb|right|This makes little sense canonically…]]
*This issue takes place between [[Afterdeath!|issues #24]] and [[Gone but Not Forgotten!|#25]] of the regular monthly ''Transformers'' comic; Optimus Prime dies at the climax of issue #24, and as issue #25 begins, the Decepticons have already allied themselves with Cobra, following the end of this chapter of the crossover. However, as with last issue, the continuity is not perfect; issue #25 begins with the Decepticons having not yet moved to their new Florida Keys island base, while this issue shows them already installed there before ever joining foces with Cobra.
*Like Optimus Prime, [[Cobra Commander]] has also apparently died between issues. A footnote directs readers to ''G.I. Joe'' #55, published the previous month, between issues of this series, to get the full story; that issue reveals that he has actually only been buried alive, incorrectly believed dead by the other Cobras. However, the continuity between the crossover and ''G.I. Joe'' is even worse than with ''Transformers''; the Commander's burial actually takes place in ''G.I. Joe'' #53, meaning it and #54 would have to have occurred between issue #1 and #2 of this series, which really doesn't work for various reasons, plus that story also shows Destro being buried along with Cobra Commander, yet he erroneously appears with the other Cobras in this issue.
*Anthony has a [[toy]] Bumblebee. Maybe this story takes place in the same universe as the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Marvel UK letters page]]. Of course, either way this raises the question of why a toy company within a world where humans are largely unable to tell the difference between the good robots and the bad ones would even create a toy this accurate, and customers would actually buy said toy, and yet somehow G.I. Joe was completely oblivious to Bumblebee's role and ARRRRGHHH.

===Artwork and technical errors===
*Blaster is colored in red with a blue head, joints, and hands in his one-panel appearance.
*Dirge is colored mostly blue with an orange cockpit area and wings.
*Rattlers are colored green at times.
*The X-14 Skystriker is repeatedly colored green.
*In the panel where Lift-Ticket is shown downing a Rattler, he's gone from piloting a [[Tomahawk (G.I. Joe)|Tomahawk]] to piloting a generic green fighter plane.
*Anthony suddenly has black hair in this issue, whereas in Issues 1 and 4 he is blonde.

===Continuity errors===
*Although the existence of Transformers seems to be fairly common knowledge, the Joes act as though they have never heard of them.
*Ravage isn't supposed to be here; he was taken off the active roster of characters after falling down a mine shaft in [[Showdown!|issue #20]]. His appearance in the crossover is not reflected in the main ''Transformers'' title, and he will remain absent from its pages for years.
*This issue establishes that Shockwave had, in fact, lost his interest in leading the Decepticons and was perfectly fine with Megatron leading, and only decided to get rid of Megatron because of his mental state, in contrast to the Budiansky-written main series, which depicts Shockwave as a scheming, power-hungry, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]-like character.
*Last issue, Hawk was present when Superion arrived at Fort Lewis. In this issue, the rest of G.I. Joe has to contact him about Superion's arrival because he is hanging out with the congressmen elsewhere in the base.

===Real-life references===

===UK printing===
'''Issue #269'''
*'''Additional ''Transformers'' story:''' "[[Mystery!]]"
*'''Other strips:''' ''[[Action Force (comic)|G.I. Joe the Action Force]]'' - "Shuttle Complex" and ''[[Combat Colin]]''
*'''[[Transformers AtoZ|AtoZ]]:''' [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]]
*In the issue's ''[[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Dread Tidings]]'', it is reported that a sign outside a pub in Middlesex is advertising "[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], Live here on Monday", and [[Unicron]] writes in to ask [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] to say hello to his friends Johnny and Iain. Dreadwind also attempts to answer the age-old question of what [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron (G1)|Xaaron]] transforms into, saying that as he hasn't done it for millions of years the shock would probably kill him but it's probably something wimpy like a [[toaster]].

'''Issue #270'''
*'''Additional ''Transformers'' story:''' "[[The Bad Guy's Ball!]]"
*'''Other strips:''' ''G.I. Joe the Action Force'' - "The Tenth Letter" and ''Combat Colin''

'''Issue #271'''
*'''Additional ''Transformers'' story:''' "[[The Living Nightlights!]]"
*'''Other strips:''' ''G.I. Joe the Action Force'' - "The Tenth Letter" and ''Combat Colin''
*'''AtoZ:''' [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]

'''Issue #272'''
*'''Additional ''Transformers'' story:''' "[[Cry Wolf!]]"
*'''Other strips:''' ''G.I. Joe the Action Force'' - "The Tenth Letter" and ''Combat Colin''
*The footnote directing readers to ''G.I. Joe'' #55 to find out Cobra Commander's fate has been clumsily edited to point towards "''G.I. Joe'' #192," a comic that does not exist. Evidently it was meant to indicate issue #192 of ''Transformers UK'', in which a portion of ''Joe'' #55 was reprinted (but should probably have more correctly pointed to #191, in which the reprint of #55 began).

===Other trivia===

===Covers (5)===
<gallery>
File:JoeTF2.jpg|'''''G.I. Joe and the Transformers'' #2'''
File:MarvelUK-269.jpg|'''UK issue #269'''
File:MarvelUK-270.jpg|'''UK issue #270'''
File:MarvelUK-271.jpg|'''UK issue #271'''
File:MarvelUK-272.jpg|'''UK issue #272'''
</gallery>
*'''''G.I. Joe and the Transformers'' #2 cover:''' the Decepticons watch G.I. Joe fight Cobra, by [[Herb Trimpe]].
*'''Issue #269 cover:''' a worried-looking Skydive, by Pete Knifton and Pete Venters, taken from panel 3 of the first page of issue [[Mystery!|#269]].
*'''Issue #270 cover:''' Megatron and Shockwave clink glasses at the [[Enclave]], by [[Stephen Baskerville]].
*'''Issue #271 cover:''' [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] nods off as the [[Sleepfast]]s get up to mischief, by [[Staz]].
*'''Issue #272 cover:''' [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]], by [[Stephen Baskerville]].

===Advertisements===
====US====
*[[M&M's]] candies (Inside cover)
*Lazer Tag - between pages 4 & 5
*[[Spider-Man]] / Cap'N Crunch crossover sweepstakes ("The Amazing Spider-Man in the Free The Cap'N Mystery") - between pages 5 & 6
*East Coast Comics - between pages 7 & 8
*Mile High Comics and Sketchy ads - between pages 8 & 9
*Marvel Comics' "Enter The New Universe Supersleuth Sweepstakes!" quiz / entry form - between pages 16 & 17
*assortment of advertisements (Another World comic shop, D.C.; New England Comics, Boston; Micro Bugs; G. I. dog tags; R. Creetohl, comic vendor; Dave's Comics, Richmond; Script City movie scripts; The Coin Mart; Draw Supercharacters - E. Phelps Company; Howard M. Rogofsky, comic vendor; Grey Legion comics & periodicals, Ontario; Marvel Super Mart) - between pages 17 & 18
*"Comic Classics Offer" (classic novels redone as comics) - between pages 19 & 20
*Bullpen Bulletins and checklist - between pages 20 & 21
*Marvel comics subscriptions form
*Yamaha DX100 synthesizer / keytar (Inside rear cover)
*Brach*s / Gumby & Pokey fun kit special offer (Rear cover)

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

===Reprints===
Other than [[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)#Collections|reprints of the full series]]
* N/A

[[Category:G.I. Joe and the Transformers issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

Monstercon from Mars!

2026-04-25T16:04:57Z

Chris McFeely: /* UK printing */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #45
|prev=The Cosmic Carnival
|next=Ca$h and Car-nage!
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #190–191
|prev2=Dry Run!
|next2=Ca$h and Car-nage!
|title="Monstercon from Mars!"
|image=MarvelUS-45.jpg
|caption=Shouldn't this magazine be wrapped in brown paper, and be ''behind'' the cash register?
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|shippingdate=[[June 28]], [[1988]]
|onsaledate=[[July 19]], 1988
|coverdate=October 1988
|writer=[[Bob Budiansky]]
|breakdowns=[[José Delbo]]
|finished art=[[Dave Hunt]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Bill Oakley]]
|editor=[[Don Daley]]
|editorinchief=[[Tom DeFalco]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}
'''...and weirder!'''

==Synopsis==
On the set of a really, [[Creepozoids of the Crab Nebula|really bad alien-monster movie]], the FX monster suddenly shorts out and explodes. Director [[Rollie Friendly (G1)|Rollie Friendly]] isn't far behind, as this set-back will cost him weeks of filming. In a meeting with his PR expert [[Mitch Keno]] later that day, Rollie is looking for new ideas when Keno tunes him into a local broadcast by reporter [[Brad Emory]] relating to the [[Transformer]]s.

The [[Autobot]] [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] is finally returning to [[Earth]] with his passengers, the human children nicknamed the [[Spacehikers]]. After setting down at a pre-arranged landing site, Sky Lynx releases his friends to their waiting parents. At first, Sky Lynx is willing to stick around, answer a few questions and pose for pictures. But the anti-robot hysteria of some members in the crowd quickly turns it into a mob, and he is chased away into the sky.

Keno's public relations standpoint is that, even as the villain, robot monsters will not be good for business in movies anytime soon. Instead, he suggests that Rollie check out a mysterious [[Bigfoot]] sighting from ''[[The Inquisitor]]''. With nothing to do until his [[Creepozoid]] prop is fixed, Rollie enlists a camera crew and his two stars, [[Jake Colton (G1)|Jake Colton]] and [[Carissa Carr (G1)|Carissa Carr]], to go creature hunting. After grabbing a local guide in [[North Carolina]] and slipping past the [[National Guard]], Rollie and company run right into the giant [[Skullgrin]], inside his [[pretender|organic shell]].

After a brief "fight", Rollie gets to talking with Skullgrin and offers to pay him in exchange for a movie deal. Thinking back, Skullgrin remembers that he was sent to Earth alone by [[Scorponok (G1)|his commander]] to establish a secret fuel depot for his [[Decepticon]] comrades. With this in mind, he makes the arrangement with Rollie to be paid in fuel for his time. After squaring things over with the National Guard, Rollie and company bring Skullgrin back to [[Hollywood]] for [[Monster from Mars|his big break]].

[[File:MonsterconFromMars Skullgrinmania.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Bigger than Optimus!]]
Skullgrin mania sweeps the country, and as he adjusts to his new role, Skullgrin prepares for his first live press conference. Things go a little crazy when the fleshlings actually ask him questions, but Carissa manages to calm him down in a classic ''[[King Kong]]''/''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'' moment. After the show, Carissa happens across a wheelchair-bound woman who is depressed about not seeing more of Skullgrin, so Carissa lets her in on a little secret: they'll be traveling to the [[Grand Canyon]] for more filming.

As the shooting continues at the Grand Canyon, Rollie calls a break and Skullgrin goes off to talk with Carissa. Once she confesses the sheer horror of her real name, Ethel Stankiewicz, Skullgrin feels the need to confide in her as well, and removes his Pretender shell for the first time. Unfortunately, the "poor woman in the wheelchair" has followed them to the Grand Canyon, and reveals herself as the robot-hating [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]].

As Skullgrin and Circuit Breaker begin to spar with one another, Rollie catches sight of the battle and begins setting up cameras to catch it all on film. Skullgrin swipes his fleshling foe with his vibro saber, and prepares to shrapnel-blast her into oblivion until she manages to radio-override his shell and turn it against Skullgrin. The shell's strike knocks his cannons off-target, shattering the cliffside under Carissa's feet. While Rollie just continues to roll film, the poor actress is about to fall to her death. Skullgrin is willing to let her, as he feels betrayed by Carissa telling Circuit Breaker where to find him, but Josie does her good deed for the millennium and tells him Carissa never did anything to harm him.

As Skullgrin moves the actress to safety, Circuit Breaker overwhelms him with her electro-bolts and is ready to move in for the kill when Rollie yells that he'll pay her double bucks to kill Skullgrin on film for him. Momentarily more disgusted with her own race rather than the Transformers, Circuit Breaker fries Rollie's equipment and takes off, leaving Skullgrin alive but injured at the bottom of the canyon.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (6)
|c2=
*''[[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]'' (13)
*[[Skullgrin]] (14)
*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (17)
|c3=
{{collist|2|
*[[Carissa Carr (G1)|Carissa Carr]] (1)
*[[Jake Colton (G1)|Jake Colton]] (2)
*[[Rollie Friendly (G1)|Rollie Friendly]] (3)
*[[Mitch Keno]] (4)
*[[Brad Emory]] (5)
*[[Robin Lindley (G1)|Robin Lindley]] (8)
*[[Jed Lindley]] (9)
*[[Sammy Wainwright|Samuel Wainwright]] (10)
*[[Allan Silver]] (11)
*[[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] (12)
*[[Ralph (cameraman)|Ralph]] (15)
*[[Fred (cameraman)|Fred]] (16)
*[[Herb]] (18)
}}
|c4=
*[[Daisy]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"You can't even believe the '''page numbers''' in this rag, Mitch!"
:—'''Rollie Friendly''' doesn't have a high opinion of ''[[The Inquisitor]]''

==Notes==
===Artwork and technical errors===
*Skullgrin never once shuts his mouth.

===Continuity errors===
*Skullgrin travels from the [[Semper Tyrannis|Decepticons' ship]] to Earth by just sort of floating out the door in his pretender shell. This carries on the bizarre trend of Fortress Maximus and Scorponok's crews flying to and from planetary surfaces without shuttle craft.

===Continuity notes===
* Ridiculous as it sounds, it's entirely possible that Skullgrin mania swept the country without the Autobots knowing about it. As of US issue #44, all the Autobots of Earth were still trapped on the moon following the departure of ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' for [[Nebulos]].
* The Spacehikers joined the Transformers cast in "[[Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play]]" and began their return journey to earth in "[[The Cosmic Carnival]]".
* Placards brought to protest Sky Lynx's landing include, "Let 'em Rust", "DOWN with the ROBOT" and "DIE, Robots!" There was also the slightly more creative "Reck the Robots", with the r of 'Reck' also serving as the r for robots.
* In the previous issue, [[Berko]] was a passenger on Sky Lynx along with the Spacehikers, and he expressed some interest in returning to Earth. [[Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?|When we next encounter Berko]], he and Sky Lynx are working as partners, and Berko is contemptuous of humans. It's safe to assume he's on board Sky Lynx during this issue (and just chooses to stay there). One might speculate that the abuse Sky Lynx receives here convinces Berko not to stay on Earth, but this is not explicitly supported by the text.
* Sky Lynx leaving Earth was very fortunate for him, since it means he doesn't get offed during the imminent [[Underbase Saga]].
* This story is recalled in "[[King Con!]]" when [[Iguanus (G1)|Iguanus]] makes fun of Skullgrin for his time as a movie star and calls him a "fleshling-lover" over and over.
* Instead of a regular Transmissions letters page, this issue listed the names of a bunch of contestants from the [[Bot Roster]] and [[Shingo|Spot Shingo]] contests. The list started last issue and continued into the next issue.
* Circuit Breaker's flashback references events primarily from issues [[The Worse of Two Evils!|#6 ("The Worse of Two Evils!")]] and [[DIS-Integrated Circuits!|#9 ("DIS-Integrated Circuits!")]]; the art is copied from issues #6, #8, #9, and #22.
* For some reason, Circuit Breaker rolls around in her wheelchair without her "costume" on - meaning she can only move her head and (partially) one arm. Then when she dons the circuit-tape costume and bursts out of her trenchcoat... there's no other clothes there! Was she just running around in nothing but a trenchcoat like a quadriplegic flasher?
* Sky Lynx mentions [[scraplet]]s.
* Skullgrin is paid in [[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]] [[oil]].
* The story ends pretty abruptly, with no real resolution for Skullgrin's career or the human cast. Though since Skullgrin ends the story alive, pissed, and within firing range of Friendly, it probably didn't end well for that guy.

===Real-life references===
[[File:MonsterconFromMars-BigBroadcast.jpg|right|thumb|This must've been the comic book Wreck-Gar read before retelling it to the Quintessons.]]
*A soldier suggests that a farmer take his complaints to [[Frank Perdue]], a real-life CEO of a chicken business.
*Skullgrin is the cover star of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', ''[[Newsweek]]'', and ''[[People]]''.
*One of the reporters at Skullgrin's press conference is reading #43, "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]," the issue 2 months prior. The reporter may be [[Bob Budiansky]] himself.
*Sky Lynx returns the children at an unspecified location in [[California]]; the movie crew finds Skullgrin in the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina; the battle with Circuit Breaker occurs at the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
*The implication is that Ethel Stankiewicz, like a number of real-world actors (and Marvel comic creators), has changed her name because it was Jewish and you're not going to get ahead with a name like ''that''...
*Mr. Friendly hopes his movie will be bigger than something called "[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]".

===UK printing===
'''Issue #190'''
*'''Back-up strips:''' ''[[Visionaries]]'' - "Wings" and ''[[Combat Colin]]''
*'''[[Transformers AtoZ|AtoZ]]:''' [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]
*In ''[[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Dread Tidings]]'', [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] clears up confusion about who is named who in the Powermasters' ad in the UK comics, as well as answering the question of whether Transformers go to sleep.
*An editorial note was added to Circuit Breaker's flashback.
*Several lines of dialog in this issue were changed from the US version for the UK audience. "Nix the close-ups" became "FORGET close-ups" and references to Skullgrin being paid "points" was changed to "bonuses" for the UK version.

'''Issue #191'''
*'''Back-up strips:''' ''[[Action Force (comic)|Action Force]]'' - "Unmaskings" and ''Combat Colin''
*In ''Dread Tidings'', Dreadwind covered that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s lack of UK appearances had been rectified since the letter was written plus stated the citybot was mentioned in the 1987 annual story "[[Ark Duty]]" and continued to tease about the upcoming "[[Time Wars]]".
*This issue includes an ad for ''Death's Head'' #1 that includes a summary of [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]]'s career before he got his own solo series. The ad is worthy of note because it is one of the few times after his leaving its pages that direct reference is made to his adventures in Transformers.

===Courtesy of my...===
*Skullgrin's Pretender shell attacks Circuit Breaker with his [[vibro-sword]], then he moves in to finish her off with his [[Alternate mode|alt mode]]'s [[shrapnel blaster]]s.

===Other trivia===
* This story was originally solicited to run in issue #44, but was moved back to #45 when the fill-in story "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]" was printed in issue #43, bumped the story that was meant to run in ''that'' issue, "[[The Cosmic Carnival]]," into issue #44.

===Covers (3)===
*'''US issue #45 cover:''' Circuit Breaker vs Skullgrin, by [[Bob Budiansky]] and [[Dave Hunt]].
*'''UK issue #190 cover:''' Circuit Breaker and a Skullgrin poster, by [[Stephen Baskerville]].
*'''UK issue #191 cover:''' Skullgrin's shell fighting his inner robot, by [[Art Wetherell]] and Stephen Baskerville.
<gallery>
File:MarvelUS-45.jpg|'''US issue #45''' - If this was made in Japan, it could have gone horribly wrong...
File:MarvelUK-190.jpg|'''UK issue #190''' - The only thing worse than robots — B movies.
File:MarvelUK-191.jpg|'''UK issue #191''' - We always hurt the ones we are.
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
====US====
*Ultra Games - inside front cover
*Freedom Stick (wireless joystick)- between pages 4 & 5
*New England Comics- between pages 5 & 6
*Westfield Comics Subscription Service- between pages 7 & 8
*East Coast Comics- between pages 8 & 9
*Sketchy ads - between pages 16 & 17
*Olympic (sales catalog) - between pages 17 & 18
*Bullpen Bulletins and checklist - between pages 19 & 20
*Sketchy ads - between pages 20 & 21
*[[Letters page|Transmissions]]
*Marvel Comics Subscriptions
*''Forgotten Realms'' (''AD&D'' campaigns) - inside back cover
*Candilicious candy - back cover

===Reprints===
*'''''[[Transformers: Maximum Force]]'' TPB:''' [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] gun, the ''Steelhaven'' and half of [[Skullgrin]]'s head, by [[Andrew Wildman]].
*'''''Maximum Force'' HC:''' Skullgrin, by [[Peter Snejbjerg]].
*'''[[Classic Transformers Volume 3|''Classic Transformers'' Volume 3]]:''' Panels from this issue and US issues [[Child's Play (issue)|#35]] and [[Spacehikers!|#36]]. Art and pencils by José Delbo, pencils by [[Don Perlin]], finishes by Dave Hunt & Don Hudson, inks by [[Ian Akin]] & [[Brian Garvey]], colours by Nel Yomtov.
*'''[[The Transformers Classics, Vol. 4|''The Transformers Classics,'' Vol. 4]]:''' [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], by [[Guido Guidi]].
*'''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]] Volume 12: Cosmic Carnival:''''' [[Skullgrin]] and the [[Cosmic Carnival]] by [[Don Figueroa]], [[Frank Springer]] and [[Danny Bulanadi]]
<gallery>
File:Titan-MaximumForceSC.jpg|'''''Maximum Force'' TPB''' (Titan Books, 2004)
File:Titan-MaximumForceHC.jpg|'''''Maximum Force'' HC''' (Titan Books, 2004)
File:Classic Transformers Vol3.jpg|'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 3''' (IDW Publishing, 2009)
File:TFClassicsVol4.jpg|'''''The Transformers Classics,'' Vol. 4''' (IDW Publishing, 2012)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v12.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection Volume 12: Cosmic Carnival''''' (Hachette Partworks, 2018)
</gallery>

[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

New Avengers/Transformers

2026-04-23T10:03:04Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */

[[File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3| Most awesome image ever.]]
'''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' is a crossover miniseries between comic book companies [[IDW Publishing]] and [[Marvel Comics]].

{{chapters|title=''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues:|content=
* [[Man and Machine, Part One|#1]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Two|#2]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Three|#3]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Four|#4]]
}}

== Overview ==
[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] has recently come to [[Earth]] to put down insubordination of the infiltration team there led by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. After crippling Starscream and bringing the rest of the team in line, {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}} Megatron reestablishes [[infiltration protocol]] and initiates phase two. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} Phase two involves the destabilization of global politics with the goal of having national powers fight each other to reduce their ability to resist in later stages. Megatron's first course of action is to establish a base in the Eastern European country of [[Latveria]] and attack the neighboring country of [[Symkaria]], knowing the Symkarians would blame the Latverians and likely start a war over the matter. He also steals the [[Psycho-Prism]] from [[Doctor Doom]], which has the effect of increasing hostile tendencies of nearby humans, which would further escalate tensions.

Both the [[Avengers]] and [[Autobot]]s investigate the disturbance...

== Creative team ==
The title was written by [[Stuart Moore]] and illustrated by [[Tyler Kirkham]]. Moore would later write the [[Spotlight: Ramjet|''Spotlight'' issue for Ramjet]], who made his IDW debut in this series.

==Notes==
* The best place to locate this series in the [[2005 IDW continuity]] is during the latter part of [[Escalation issue 1|''Escalation'' #1]], after Megatron is last seen in his Cybertronian tank form (he is in gun form in this series). Megatron had gathered his troops together at that point to secure his leadership and oversee the reestablishment [[infiltration protocol]]. [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] were off driving [[Hunter O'Nion]], [[Verity Carlo]], and [[Jimmy Pink]] home at that part of the story which would account for their absence in this series. ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet]]'', which takes place after this series, begins during [[Escalation issue 2|''Escalation'' #2]].
* In terms of Marvel continuity, this story obviously doesn't take place within the mainstream Marvel Comics universe ("[[wikia:Marvel:Earth-616|Earth-616]]") due to the presence of the Transformers. Still, writer Stuart Moore wrote the series as if it occurred "between the first and second story arcs" of''New Avengers'' (mid-2005, two years before it's real-world publication date).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's pre-Civil War; the story is set, in Marvel continuity, between the first and second story arcs of NEW AVENGERS.|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043539/http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid=99&itemid=9440%7CStuart|name=Stuart Moore|site=comicnewsi.com|title=Stuart Moore Talks New Avengers/Transformers|year=2007|month=03|day=02}}</ref> However, it's not a perfect fit, as, at that point in time, [[Doctor Doom]] was supposed to be dead.

== Collections ==
* '''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' ([[January 16]], [[2008]]) ISBN 0785-12790-9 / ISBN 978-0785127901
** Collects ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4.
** Bonus material includes issue cover art (no text).
** Advertisements include ''New Avengers'' Volumes 1–6, and Marvel's heroic collections.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Three]]''''' ([[March 2]], [[2011]]) ISBN 978-1600108563
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: [[Spotlight: Galvatron|Galvatron]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Blaster]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Arcee|Arcee]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock|Grimlock]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie|Wheelie]]'', ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4, and ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' issues [[Devastation issue 1|#1]]–[[Devastation issue 6|6]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|'''''The New Avengers / Transformers''''' – cover art by [[Jim Cheung]], [[Mark Morales]] and [[Justin Ponsor]]
File:IDWCollection3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Three''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics]]
[[Category:New Avengers/Transformers issues]]

New Avengers/Transformers

2026-04-23T09:59:41Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */

[[File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3| Most awesome image ever.]]
'''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' is a crossover miniseries between comic book companies [[IDW Publishing]] and [[Marvel Comics]].

{{chapters|title=''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues:|content=
* [[Man and Machine, Part One|#1]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Two|#2]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Three|#3]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Four|#4]]
}}

== Overview ==
[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] has recently come to [[Earth]] to put down insubordination of the infiltration team there led by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. After crippling Starscream and bringing the rest of the team in line, {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}} Megatron reestablishes [[infiltration protocol]] and initiates phase two. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} Phase two involves the destabilization of global politics with the goal of having national powers fight each other to reduce their ability to resist in later stages. Megatron's first course of action is to establish a base in the Eastern European country of [[Latveria]] and attack the neighboring country of [[Symkaria]], knowing the Symkarians would blame the Latverians and likely start a war over the matter. He also steals the [[Psycho-Prism]] from [[Doctor Doom]], which has the effect of increasing hostile tendencies of nearby humans, which would further escalate tensions.

Both the [[Avengers]] and [[Autobot]]s investigate the disturbance...

== Creative team ==
The title was written by [[Stuart Moore]] and illustrated by [[Tyler Kirkham]]. Moore would later write the [[Spotlight: Ramjet|''Spotlight'' issue for Ramjet]], who made his IDW debut in this series.

==Notes==
* The best place to locate this series in the [[2005 IDW continuity]] is during the latter part of [[Escalation issue 1|''Escalation'' #1]], after Megatron is last seen in his Cybertronian tank form (he is in gun form in this series). Megatron had gathered his troops together at that point to secure his leadership and oversee the reestablishment [[infiltration protocol]]. [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] were off driving [[Hunter O'Nion]], [[Verity Carlo]], and [[Jimmy Pink]] home at that part of the story which would account for their absence in this series. ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet]]'', which takes place after this series, begins during [[Escalation issue 2|''Escalation'' #2]].
* In terms of Marvel continuity, this story obviously doesn't take place within the mainstream Marvel Comics universe ("[[wikia:Marvel:Earth-616|Earth-616]]") due to the presence of the Transformers. Still, writer Stuart Moore wrote the series as if it occurred "between the first and second story arcs" of''New Avengers'' (mid-2005, two years before it's real-world publication date).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's pre-Civil War; the story is set, in Marvel continuity, between the first and second story arcs of NEW AVENGERS.|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043539/http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid=99&itemid=9440%7CStuart|name=Stuart Moore|site=comicnewsi.com|title=Stuart Moore Talks New Avengers/Transformers|year=2007|month=03|day=02}}</ref> However, the story doesn't fit well; at that point in time, [[Doctor Doom]] was supposed to be dead, and [[Ms. Marvel|Carol Danvers]] was not on the New Avengers team.

== Collections ==
* '''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' ([[January 16]], [[2008]]) ISBN 0785-12790-9 / ISBN 978-0785127901
** Collects ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4.
** Bonus material includes issue cover art (no text).
** Advertisements include ''New Avengers'' Volumes 1–6, and Marvel's heroic collections.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Three]]''''' ([[March 2]], [[2011]]) ISBN 978-1600108563
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: [[Spotlight: Galvatron|Galvatron]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Blaster]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Arcee|Arcee]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock|Grimlock]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie|Wheelie]]'', ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4, and ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' issues [[Devastation issue 1|#1]]–[[Devastation issue 6|6]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|'''''The New Avengers / Transformers''''' – cover art by [[Jim Cheung]], [[Mark Morales]] and [[Justin Ponsor]]
File:IDWCollection3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Three''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics]]
[[Category:New Avengers/Transformers issues]]

New Avengers/Transformers

2026-04-23T09:59:06Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */

[[File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3| Most awesome image ever.]]
'''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' is a crossover miniseries between comic book companies [[IDW Publishing]] and [[Marvel Comics]].

{{chapters|title=''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues:|content=
* [[Man and Machine, Part One|#1]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Two|#2]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Three|#3]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Four|#4]]
}}

== Overview ==
[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] has recently come to [[Earth]] to put down insubordination of the infiltration team there led by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. After crippling Starscream and bringing the rest of the team in line, {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}} Megatron reestablishes [[infiltration protocol]] and initiates phase two. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} Phase two involves the destabilization of global politics with the goal of having national powers fight each other to reduce their ability to resist in later stages. Megatron's first course of action is to establish a base in the Eastern European country of [[Latveria]] and attack the neighboring country of [[Symkaria]], knowing the Symkarians would blame the Latverians and likely start a war over the matter. He also steals the [[Psycho-Prism]] from [[Doctor Doom]], which has the effect of increasing hostile tendencies of nearby humans, which would further escalate tensions.

Both the [[Avengers]] and [[Autobot]]s investigate the disturbance...

== Creative team ==
The title was written by [[Stuart Moore]] and illustrated by [[Tyler Kirkham]]. Moore would later write the [[Spotlight: Ramjet|''Spotlight'' issue for Ramjet]], who made his IDW debut in this series.

==Notes==
* The best place to locate this series in the [[2005 IDW continuity]] is during the latter part of [[Escalation issue 1|''Escalation'' #1]], after Megatron is last seen in his Cybertronian tank form (he is in gun form in this series). Megatron had gathered his troops together at that point to secure his leadership and oversee the reestablishment [[infiltration protocol]]. [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] were off driving [[Hunter O'Nion]], [[Verity Carlo]], and [[Jimmy Pink]] home at that part of the story which would account for their absence in this series. ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet]]'', which takes place after this series, begins during [[Escalation issue 2|''Escalation'' #2]].
* In terms of Marvel continuity, this story obvious doesn't take place within the mainstream Marvel Comics universe ("[[wikia:Marvel:Earth-616|Earth-616]]") due to the presence of the Transformers. Still, writer Stuart Moore wrote the series as if it occurred "between the first and second story arcs" of''New Avengers'' (mid-2005, two years before it's real-world publication date).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's pre-Civil War; the story is set, in Marvel continuity, between the first and second story arcs of NEW AVENGERS.|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043539/http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid=99&itemid=9440%7CStuart|name=Stuart Moore|site=comicnewsi.com|title=Stuart Moore Talks New Avengers/Transformers|year=2007|month=03|day=02}}</ref> However, the story doesn't fit well; at that point in time, [[Doctor Doom]] was supposed to be dead, and [[Ms. Marvel|Carol Danvers]] was not on the New Avengers team.

== Collections ==
* '''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' ([[January 16]], [[2008]]) ISBN 0785-12790-9 / ISBN 978-0785127901
** Collects ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4.
** Bonus material includes issue cover art (no text).
** Advertisements include ''New Avengers'' Volumes 1–6, and Marvel's heroic collections.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Three]]''''' ([[March 2]], [[2011]]) ISBN 978-1600108563
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: [[Spotlight: Galvatron|Galvatron]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Blaster]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Arcee|Arcee]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock|Grimlock]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie|Wheelie]]'', ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4, and ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' issues [[Devastation issue 1|#1]]–[[Devastation issue 6|6]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|'''''The New Avengers / Transformers''''' – cover art by [[Jim Cheung]], [[Mark Morales]] and [[Justin Ponsor]]
File:IDWCollection3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Three''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics]]
[[Category:New Avengers/Transformers issues]]

New Avengers/Transformers

2026-04-23T09:58:46Z

Chris McFeely: /* External links */

[[File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3| Most awesome image ever.]]
'''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' is a crossover miniseries between comic book companies [[IDW Publishing]] and [[Marvel Comics]].

{{chapters|title=''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues:|content=
* [[Man and Machine, Part One|#1]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Two|#2]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Three|#3]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Four|#4]]
}}

== Overview ==
[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] has recently come to [[Earth]] to put down insubordination of the infiltration team there led by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. After crippling Starscream and bringing the rest of the team in line, {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}} Megatron reestablishes [[infiltration protocol]] and initiates phase two. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} Phase two involves the destabilization of global politics with the goal of having national powers fight each other to reduce their ability to resist in later stages. Megatron's first course of action is to establish a base in the Eastern European country of [[Latveria]] and attack the neighboring country of [[Symkaria]], knowing the Symkarians would blame the Latverians and likely start a war over the matter. He also steals the [[Psycho-Prism]] from [[Doctor Doom]], which has the effect of increasing hostile tendencies of nearby humans, which would further escalate tensions.

Both the [[Avengers]] and [[Autobot]]s investigate the disturbance...

== Creative team ==
The title was written by [[Stuart Moore]] and illustrated by [[Tyler Kirkham]]. Moore would later write the [[Spotlight: Ramjet|''Spotlight'' issue for Ramjet]], who made his IDW debut in this series.

==Notes==
* The best place to locate this series in the [[2005 IDW continuity]] is during the latter part of [[Escalation issue 1|''Escalation'' #1]], after Megatron is last seen in his Cybertronian tank form (he is in gun form in this series). Megatron had gathered his troops together at that point to secure his leadership and oversee the reestablishment [[infiltration protocol]]. [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] were off driving [[Hunter O'Nion]], [[Verity Carlo]], and [[Jimmy Pink]] home at that part of the story which would account for their absence in this series. ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet]]'', which takes place after this series, begins during [[Escalation issue 2|''Escalation'' #2]].
* In terms of Marvel continuity, this story obvious doesn't take place within the mainstream Marvel Comics universe ("[[wikia:Marvel:Earth-616|Earth-616]]") due to the presence of the Transformers. Still, writer Stuart Moore wrote the series as if it occurred "between the first and second story arcs" of''New Avengers'' (mid-2005, two years before it's real-world publication date).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's pre-Civil War; the story is set, in Marvel continuity, between the first and second story arcs of NEW AVENGERS.|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043539/http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid=99&itemid=9440%7CStuart|name=Stuart Moore|site=comicnewsi.com|title=Stuart Moore Talks New Avengers/Transformers (Archived)|year=2007|month=03|day=02}}</ref> However, the story doesn't fit well; at that point in time, [[Doctor Doom]] was supposed to be dead, and [[Ms. Marvel|Carol Danvers]] was not on the New Avengers team.

== Collections ==
* '''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' ([[January 16]], [[2008]]) ISBN 0785-12790-9 / ISBN 978-0785127901
** Collects ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4.
** Bonus material includes issue cover art (no text).
** Advertisements include ''New Avengers'' Volumes 1–6, and Marvel's heroic collections.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Three]]''''' ([[March 2]], [[2011]]) ISBN 978-1600108563
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: [[Spotlight: Galvatron|Galvatron]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Blaster]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Arcee|Arcee]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock|Grimlock]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie|Wheelie]]'', ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4, and ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' issues [[Devastation issue 1|#1]]–[[Devastation issue 6|6]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|'''''The New Avengers / Transformers''''' – cover art by [[Jim Cheung]], [[Mark Morales]] and [[Justin Ponsor]]
File:IDWCollection3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Three''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics]]
[[Category:New Avengers/Transformers issues]]

New Avengers/Transformers

2026-04-23T09:58:25Z

Chris McFeely: /* Notes */

[[File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3| Most awesome image ever.]]
'''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' is a crossover miniseries between comic book companies [[IDW Publishing]] and [[Marvel Comics]].

{{chapters|title=''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues:|content=
* [[Man and Machine, Part One|#1]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Two|#2]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Three|#3]]
* [[Man and Machine, Part Four|#4]]
}}

== Overview ==
[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] has recently come to [[Earth]] to put down insubordination of the infiltration team there led by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. After crippling Starscream and bringing the rest of the team in line, {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}} Megatron reestablishes [[infiltration protocol]] and initiates phase two. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} Phase two involves the destabilization of global politics with the goal of having national powers fight each other to reduce their ability to resist in later stages. Megatron's first course of action is to establish a base in the Eastern European country of [[Latveria]] and attack the neighboring country of [[Symkaria]], knowing the Symkarians would blame the Latverians and likely start a war over the matter. He also steals the [[Psycho-Prism]] from [[Doctor Doom]], which has the effect of increasing hostile tendencies of nearby humans, which would further escalate tensions.

Both the [[Avengers]] and [[Autobot]]s investigate the disturbance...

== Creative team ==
The title was written by [[Stuart Moore]] and illustrated by [[Tyler Kirkham]]. Moore would later write the [[Spotlight: Ramjet|''Spotlight'' issue for Ramjet]], who made his IDW debut in this series.

==Notes==
* The best place to locate this series in the [[2005 IDW continuity]] is during the latter part of [[Escalation issue 1|''Escalation'' #1]], after Megatron is last seen in his Cybertronian tank form (he is in gun form in this series). Megatron had gathered his troops together at that point to secure his leadership and oversee the reestablishment [[infiltration protocol]]. [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] were off driving [[Hunter O'Nion]], [[Verity Carlo]], and [[Jimmy Pink]] home at that part of the story which would account for their absence in this series. ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet]]'', which takes place after this series, begins during [[Escalation issue 2|''Escalation'' #2]].
* In terms of Marvel continuity, this story obvious doesn't take place within the mainstream Marvel Comics universe ("[[wikia:Marvel:Earth-616|Earth-616]]") due to the presence of the Transformers. Still, writer Stuart Moore wrote the series as if it occurred "between the first and second story arcs" of''New Avengers'' (mid-2005, two years before it's real-world publication date).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's pre-Civil War; the story is set, in Marvel continuity, between the first and second story arcs of NEW AVENGERS.|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043539/http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid=99&itemid=9440%7CStuart|name=Stuart Moore|site=comicnewsi.com|title=Stuart Moore Talks New Avengers/Transformers (Archived)|year=2007|month=03|day=02}}</ref> However, the story doesn't fit well; at that point in time, [[Doctor Doom]] was supposed to be dead, and [[Ms. Marvel|Carol Danvers]] was not on the New Avengers team.

== Collections ==
* '''''The New Avengers/Transformers''''' ([[January 16]], [[2008]]) ISBN 0785-12790-9 / ISBN 978-0785127901
** Collects ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4.
** Bonus material includes issue cover art (no text).
** Advertisements include ''New Avengers'' Volumes 1–6, and Marvel's heroic collections.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Three]]''''' ([[March 2]], [[2011]]) ISBN 978-1600108563
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: [[Spotlight: Galvatron|Galvatron]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Blaster]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Arcee|Arcee]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock|Grimlock]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie|Wheelie]]'', ''The New Avengers/Transformers'' issues #1–4, and ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' issues [[Devastation issue 1|#1]]–[[Devastation issue 6|6]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:New Avengers Transformers tpb.jpg|'''''The New Avengers / Transformers''''' – cover art by [[Jim Cheung]], [[Mark Morales]] and [[Justin Ponsor]]
File:IDWCollection3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Three''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [http://comicnewsi.com/news.php?itemid=9440 Stuart Moore Talks ''New Avengers/Transformers'']

[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics]]
[[Category:New Avengers/Transformers issues]]

Tundra Prime

2026-04-21T12:22:53Z

Chris McFeely:

{{factions|autobot}}
:''Tundra Prime is an [[Autobot]] from the [[NFL]] (via [[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]).''
[[File:Tundra Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=2.33|[[Mystery Science Theater 3000|'''''PACKERS WIN THE SUPER BOWL!!! PACKERRRRRS!!!!!''''']]]]

'''Tundra Prime''' plays for the {{w|Green Bay Packers}}.

==Toys==
===''Collaborative''===
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Tundra Prime''' (2025)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' helmet, football, chinstrap, facemask

: ''[[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]'' Tundra Prime transforms from a Green Bay Packers football helmet to a Deluxe-sized robot. He features a removable football helmet for his robot mode, as well as a small football that the figure can hold via a [[Fire Blast effect]]-compatible 3 mm peg. The toy is a mild [[partformer]] in that the chinstrap and a portion of the facemask are formed by separate pieces that store on the back of the figure in robot mode. The football can be pegged on the chinstrap for storage in helmet mode. Undocumented in the instructions, the helmet accessory can be stored on a hexagonal peg inside the robot mode's chest.

:Tundra Prime was recolored into [[KC-59]], and retooled with alternate heads to make [[Starblitz]] and [[Steelsmash]].

==Notes==
*Tundra Prime's name is a reference to "The Frozen Tundra," the nickname of the Packers' home stadium, Lambeau Field.

[[Category:Athletes]]
[[Category:Collaborative Autobots]]
[[Category:NFL]]
[[Category:Primes]]

Starblitz

2026-04-21T12:21:00Z

Chris McFeely:

{{factions|autobot}}
:''Starblitz is an [[Autobot]] from the [[NFL]] (via [[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]).''
[[File:Starblitz.jpeg|thumb|upright=2.33|"What's your real dream? Your real dream!" "Someday, I'd like to own the Dallas Cowboys."]]

'''Starblitz''' plays for the {{w|Dallas Cowboys}}.

==Toys==
===''Collaborative''===
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Starblitz''' (2025)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' helmet, football, chinstrap, facemask

: ''[[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]'' Starblitz transforms from a Dallas Cowboys football helmet to a Deluxe-sized robot. He features a removable football helmet for his robot mode, as well as a small football that the figure can hold via a [[Fire Blast effect]]-compatible 3 mm peg. The toy is a mild [[partformer]] in that the chinstrap and a portion of the facemask are formed by separate pieces that store on the back of the figure in robot mode. The football can be pegged on the chinstrap for storage in helmet mode. Undocumented in the instructions, the helmet accessory can be stored on a hexagonal peg inside the robot mode's chest.

:Starblitz was recolored into [[Steelsmash]], and retooled with alternate heads to make [[KC-59]] and [[Tundra Prime]].

==Notes==
* Starblitz derives his name from the Dallas Cowboys' star logo, and "The Blitz: The Dallas Cowboys Report," the official online video series covering the team.
* In-hand [https://www.instagram.com/p/DIv-8lJze7v/?img_index=3 images] of the NFL ''Collaborative'' toys taken on set during a cross-promotion with sports podcast ''Games with Names'' show both Starblitz and Steelsmash with Decepticon symbols on their chests, indicating a trade to the Autobots at some point in their development.

[[Category:Athletes]]
[[Category:Collaborative Autobots]]
[[Category:NFL]]

Fire dimension

2026-04-17T11:33:50Z

Chris McFeely:

The '''fire dimension''' (also '''Megatron's dimension''') is a pocket dimension used as a base of operations by [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the [[Decepticon]]s during the search for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s. Quite literally a world of nothing but fire and rock, the Decepticons use it as a means of traversing space and time without having to rely on [[space bridge]]s, employing [[Warp gate|dimension gate]]s that cut through this fiery realm. These gates could be forced closed if the flames surrounding them were extinguished.<ref>"[[Critical]]"</ref>

==Fiction==
===''Galaxy Force''===
Megatron and Starscream were sealed within the fire dimension after a defeat at some point in the past. From within this fiery purgatory, Megatron tapped into the power of [[Unicron]], asborbing it into himself and becoming more powerful. {{storylink|Source: Galaxy Force DVD booklets#Booklet 10|''Galaxy Force'' DVD booklet 10}} When the ancient guardian of time and space, [[Vector Prime]], returned to Cybertron, his arrival inadvertently opened a rift into the fire dimension, enabling Megatron and Starscream to break free. {{storylink|Source: Galaxy Force DVD booklets#Booklet 01|''Galaxy Force'' DVD booklet 01}}

===''Cybertron'' cartoon===
[[File:Cybertron megatron barehands.jpg|thumb|]]
After Megatron acquired the [[Planet Map]], he and [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] brooded in the fire dimension. Though Starscream was eager to start hunting for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, Megatron insisted that they investigate the Autobots' activities on Earth. When [[Vector Prime]] managed to wound Megatron, the two Decepticon retreated back to the fire dimension. {{storylink|Haven}}

During the early stages of Megatron's campaign on [[Velocitron]], Starscream indulged in some combat training in the fire dimension. {{storylink|Speed}} Megatron later contacted Starscream in the fire dimension after witnessing the planet supposedly holding the third Key be consumed by the [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]]. {{storylink| Savage}}

After losing both the Keys of Velocitron and [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Jungle Planet]] to the Autobots, the Decepticons regrouped in the fire dimension where Starscream conveniently made the Planet Map show the location of the third Key, distracting the Decepticons while he made his power play. {{storylink|Trap}}

Following the [[Omega Lock]] and three of the Cyber Planet Keys being brought to Cybertron, [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] pursued Megatron into the fire dimension and fought him to a standstill. The clash of energies opened a warp gate back to Cybertron that Optimus passed through, before ordering Vector Prime to use his [[Rhisling|sword]] to create another warp gate atop it. Though the dimensional forces sealed off the fire dimension, Megatron used the full power of the [[Armor of Unicron]] to physically rip open reality and create a path back to Cybertron. Though [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] quickly fled through, Megatron was blasted by the power of the Omega Lock and Vector Prime's sword before he could, destroying him and sealing off the fire dimension. {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}}

When looking for a path to [[Gigantion]], the Decepticons were approached by [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], {{storylink|Titans}} who guided the Decepticons to the planet via the fire dimension. {{storylink|Warp}}

After being defeated on Gigantion, Starscream, [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] and Soundwave took refuge in the dimension, Starscream calling out to Galvatron through it. {{storylink|Unfinished}} [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] later found Starscream, and along with [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] and [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] headed to the fire dimension to confront him. {{storylink|Beginning}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Firespace''' (ファイヤースペース ''Faiyāsupēsu'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dimensions]]
[[Category:Cybertron locations]]
[[Category:Decepticon bases]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-17T11:18:54Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army|New Decepticon Trio]] attempt to use their [[Rocket Car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the three malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Patrol Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he crosses the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of the strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)

*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)

*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|h3=[[Stunticon (G1)|Stuncticons]] (Maximals-framed-Decepticons)|c3=
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Relay Transformer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*[[Pit Transformer]] (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*A running gag throughout this story is the idea of Breakdown repeatedly leaking [[oil]], played as [[Humanization#Urination|a Transformer equivalent of pissing himself]]. This seems to be a callback to/misinterpretation of a scene in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which Breakdown sprang a leak while fleeing from the Autobots. But in the cartoon, Breakdown wasn't meant to be leaking ''oil''; he was meant to be leaking ''gasoline'', the result of a leaky fuel pump that he suffers from, mentioned in his original [[Bob Budiansky]]-written [[profile]]. But it's easy to see why Sakamoto would misinterpret the scene, as the episode gives no context for why or what Breakdown is leaking.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying "[[Relay Transformer]]s" and a scanning [[Pit Transformer]] from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's oil slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*Though the ability was not mentioned again after its introduction, "The Key to Vector Sigma," Part 1, presented the Stunticons as being equipped with "anti-gravity generators" that allowed them to perform great leaps in vehicle mode. Wildrider's forestonite superpower is an enhanced version of this ability, allowing him to literally fly in vehicle mode. With this in mind, perhaps Dead End's new forestonite-endowed power to surroung himself with a flaming aura could be seen as an enhanced version of the Stunticons' ''other'' power introduced in that episode and never mentioned again: automatic force fields that make their hulls impenetrable.
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images on the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, Jetfire, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*Upon recognising Optimus, Motormaster vows to show his old rival that he's "king of the road," a turn of phrase lifted directly from Motormaster's original Budiansky profile, and used in "Masquerade."
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in "Masquerade," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Galaxy Force'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Galaxy Force'' is the one in which ''Legends of the Microns'' and ''Super Link'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Galaxy Force'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The original Japanese version of this episode didn't connect the fog to Unicron (a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split), but it would be mentioned in the booklet included with the tenth Japanese DVD of the series, and in the episode's English dub. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Legends of the Microns''/''Super Link'' universe and created the ''Galaxy Force'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*The first shot of the Stunticons on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' (page 2, panel 2) is an homage to a 1985 illustration of the original ''Nemesis'' crew by [[Asao Takahashi]], published in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Transformers Super Encyclopedia]]''. The captain's chair has notably been updated from the original design seen in Takahashi's drawing to properly match the chair seen in [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|the first episode of the cartoon]].
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Darkness (episode)

2026-04-17T11:17:43Z

Chris McFeely: /* Differences with Galaxy Force */

{{disambig2|the ''Cybertron'' episode|the mysterious energy from the [[2005 IDW continuity]]|Darkness (G1)}}

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=33
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=34
|title="Darkness"
|japanese=暗黒からの逆襲
|romaji=Ankoku kara no Gyakushū
|translation=Counterattack from the Darkness
|image=Cyb ep33 am i a ghost.jpg
|caption= Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Kazuhisa Sakaguchi]]
|director=[[Atsushi Nakayama]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]], Radix
|airdate=[[August 27]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 5]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron is back, and his mysterious dark powers give birth to two new threats!'''

==Synopsis==

[[File:Cyb ep33 dark crumplezone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|For once, Crumplezone actually manages to look menacing.]]

In the sky above [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the deceased [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] has reappeared as an ethereal image, his ghostly body enshrouded by an enigmatic black fog. Even Megatron himself is unaware of what has befallen him, but he impassively descends to the planet's surface as the [[Autobot]]s look on. [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and the [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Team]] follow the spectral Decepticon's descent, and watch as he approaches [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and the fatally wounded [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]]. As he glides towards his former followers, a lone [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] crests a nearby building and starts firing at him. The creature only succeeds in drawing Megatron's attention, as its shots disappear into the fog surrounding him. The Scrapmetal lunges at Megatron instead, only to wind up being dissolved and absorbed by the mysterious mist. Megatron returns his attention to the fallen Crumplezone, and immerses the wounded Decepticon in his fog, repairing and reformatting him into a powerful new form. While Crumplezone puts his new power to use attacking his old racing rivals Override and [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]], Megatron realizes that the black fog is a product of his [[Armor of Unicron]], which has preserved him after his death—and made him stronger than ever!

Simultaneously, [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] informs [[Vector Prime]] that he has lost contact with the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]], and the elderly Autobot returns to headquarters to investigate. Consulting the security recordings, he discovers that [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] has kidnapped the Mini-Cons, and that the kids leapt through his warp field in pursuit. He informs [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] of this development, but Prime is caught up battling [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] and can do nothing to help.

[[File:Cyb ep33 good kitty.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|And [[Ravage (disambiguation)|Ravage]]s across the [[Continuity|multiverse]] began hissing uncontrollably.]]

The other Autobots, meanwhile, are engaged in battles of their own. While [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] faces off against [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] and his latest (surprisingly effective) "super move", and Crumplezone continues to harass Override, the rest of the heroes are firing upon Megatron, to absolutely no effect. Seeing that the Decepticons have been galvanized by the return of their leader, [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] is determined to take Megatron down, and lunges at him in lion mode. He slashes at the black fog with his [[Cyber Key]]-powered claws, which causes a very unexpected reaction: the fog recedes, and Megatron stands triumphantly before the Autobots, reborn! At Megatron's command, the last remnants of the fog surround Leobreaker, and although the Autobot is able to leap clear, the fog has taken from him what it needs, and coalesces into a dark duplicate of Leobreaker himself! Megatron introduces the dark clone as "[[Nemesis Breaker]]", explaining that he has been created from Leobreaker's own dark side. The two lion 'bots engage in a brief battle, which Megatron then stops so that he can reveal Nemesis Breaker's ultimate power: the ability to combine with Megatron in Dark Claw Mode!

[[File:Cyb ep33 dark claw mode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Giving the phrase "strong-armed" a whole new meaning.]]

At Autobot headquarters, [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] and [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] have joined Vector Prime to try and help him track down the kids and Mini-Cons. Scattorshot complains about the fact that he gave [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] an Autobot communicator, and yet the boy is not using it. Little does Scattorshot realize, however, that using the communicator is paramount in Coby's mind—he's just having trouble getting his hands on it, as it and the kids are all floating around in zero gravity in [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s hideout!

Back on Cybertron, Optimus Prime breaks off his fight with Scourge and separates from [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] so that he and Leobreaker can merge into Savage Claw Mode to battle Megatron and Nemesis Breaker. After a brief comedy interlude in which Hot Shot finally takes out the reborn Crumplezone (who, as it turns out, really isn't any tougher than he was before), the two leaders get down to business, and their Cyber Key-powered attacks collide in an explosion so indescribably massive that it can be seen from space. When Optimus comes to afterwards, he discovers that Megatron and the Decepticons have disappeared. Wing Saber is quick to locate the villains from the air: they have used the cover of the explosion to make a break for the [[Omega Lock]]! The Autobots transform and immediately give chase, and the race is on!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Vector Prime]] (1)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (7)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (8)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (9)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (10)
*[[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (11)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (14)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (16)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (17)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (18)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (19)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (23)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (24)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (26)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (4)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (5)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (12)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (13)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (15)
*[[Nemesis Breaker]] (27)

|c3=
*[[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (20)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (21)
*[[Coby Hansen]] (22)

|c4=
*[[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] (14)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (25)
*[[Primus]] (29)

}}

==Quotes==

"Crumplezone! Hang in there, big guy! We haven't even learned how to play the violin! Waaaaaaah!"
:—'''Ransack''' on Crumplezone's death.

"Crumplezone! Oh, the horror! Oh, JEEZ! That's gotta hurt! Oh, man! WOW! Where did THOSE come from? The humanity of it all!"
:—'''Ransack''' on Crumplezone's rebirth.

"Hey Ransack! How's it going, little buddy?" 
"F-f-fine. How 'bout you?" 
"Are you kiddin'? I never felt ''better''."
:—The reborn '''Crumplezone''''s first words to '''Ransack'''

"THAT DECEPTI-CAT IS GONNA GET NEUTERED!"
:—'''Leobreaker''' on his doppelganger.

"Enough with the comic relief!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' on Ransack and Crumplezone!

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment summarizing the events of "[[Balance]]".
*Though several lines of dialogue are given over to characters wondering what it is, ''Galaxy Force'' doesn't explain the origin of the black fog that has saved Megatron from death. ''Cybertron'' identifies it as the "shadow spark" of Unicron, the planet-eater's power within the [[Armor of Unicron]] that Megatron wears; the booklet included with the tenth ''Galaxy Force'' DVD would also explain that Megatron's abilties were the result of power stolen from Unicron.
*As Leobreaker charges to attack the spectral visage of Megatron, Snarl, in ''Cybertron'', reminds Leobreaker to use his Cyber Key power-up first, whereas in ''Galaxy Force'' he takes a much less reckless approach and instead warns his fellow animal-bot that it is too dangerous to engage Megatron, since they have no idea what they're dealing with.
*In ''Galaxy Force'', Megatron notes that one of Leobreaker's dark thoughts from which Nemesis Breaker was created is his resentment of Optimus Prime for ignoring their combination and favoring Wing Saber instead. ''Cybertron'' omits this specific point.
*In ''Cybertron'', Vector Prime notes that Starscream's island base on Earth has been "cleared out". In ''Galaxy Force'', the island is said to have actually collapsed.

===Animation errors===
*As Megatron's "ghost" descends on Cybertron at the beginning of the episode, Override and Scattorshot transform and head towards him. However, in the next scene, Override is seen with Hot Shot and Red Alert instead.
*Implausible viewpoints: The "security footage" reviewed by Vector Prime is just the final moments of [[Balance|the previous episode]], which leads to some camera placement issues.
*A small animation cheat occurs as Ransack and the newly minted Dark Crumplezone attack Hot Shot and Override. When the partners in grime charge the Autobots, they're in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], but when Dark Crumplezone activates his "Dark Bazooka" attack, he's in [[robot mode]]! After the Autobots are blown into the distance, Ransack is also shown in robot mode, despite never being shown to transform. Not necessarily an error, but certainly a bit of laziness here.
*Speaking of bizarre animation, when Crumplezone sneers "What's the matter, Override?", a panel in his exhaust port clips in and out of the scene, making it seem like he's literally speaking through his rear!

===Transformers references===
*Wing Saber says that Megatron is making for the Omega Lock "like a 'bot outta [[Chaar]]"!
*[[Starscream (G1)|Another]] [[Rampage (BW)|indestructible]] spark?

===Real-world references===
*Of course, Wing Saber's above mentioned quote also paraphrases the common turn of phrase, "like a bat out of hell".
*When chasing Override and Hot Shot, Crumplezone's taunt, "Override, come out and play-ay!" is a clear reference to Luther's taunt, "Warriors, come out to play-ay!" from ''{{w|The Warriors (film)|The Warriors}}''.

===Trivia===
*This episode did not premiere until nearly five months after the previous one. By the time "Darkness" was finally aired, ''Cybertron'' had been relegated to the unenviable 6am "death slot" on [[Cartoon Network]], where new episodes would premiere every weekday morning for the remainder of the month, bringing the series to a conclusion nearly a year after its Japanese broadcast ended.
*This episode would later be combined with "[[United (episode)|United]]", "[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]" and "[[Balance]]" to create the TV "movie" special, "[[Primus Unleashed (TV special)|Primus Unleashed]]".
*After reformatting Crumplezone, Megatron notes that he has remade him in his own image. This may possibly be the source of his ultimate goal in "[[End]]".
*While he is introduced a bit late in the game, more than halfway through the series, Nemesis Breaker, or something like him, must have been planned from the beginning, as evidenced by the combination ports in Megatron's arms.
*Despite being a [[redeco]] of Leobreaker, Nemesis Breaker has all-new stock footage sequences for combining with Megatron and activating Dark Claw Mode's Cyber Key power.
*Keeping up the whole "dark mirror" angle with Nemesis Breaker, the evil lion's transformation into arm mode is the reverse of Leobreaker's, first folding up his legs, detaching his forearms one at a time, then folding up his upper body, retracting his robot head, and finally attaching the new fist to the folded-up legs (the only part of the transformation similar to Leobreaker, for obvious reasons). Nemesis Breaker also replaces Megatron's left arm, as opposed to Leobreaker replacing Optimus' right arm. The camera angles for the transformation sequence are even switched around.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 09 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-17T10:55:18Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army|New Decepticon Trio]] attempt to use their [[Rocket Car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the three malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Patrol Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he crosses the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of the strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)

*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)

*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|h3=[[Stunticon (G1)|Stuncticons]] (Maximals-framed-Decepticons)|c3=
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Relay Transformer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*[[Pit Transformer]] (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*A running gag throughout this story is the idea of Breakdown repeatedly leaking [[oil]], played as [[Humanization#Urination|a Transformer equivalent of pissing himself]]. This seems to be a callback to/misinterpretation of a scene in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which Breakdown sprang a leak while fleeing from the Autobots. But in the cartoon, Breakdown wasn't meant to be leaking ''oil''; he was meant to be leaking ''gasoline'', the result of a leaky fuel pump that he suffers from, mentioned in his original [[Bob Budiansky]]-written [[profile]]. But it's easy to see why Sakamoto would misinterpret the scene, as the episode gives no context for why or what Breakdown is leaking.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying "[[Relay Transformer]]s" and a scanning [[Pit Transformer]] from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's oil slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*Though the ability was not mentioned again after its introduction, "The Key to Vector Sigma," Part 1, presented the Stunticons as being equipped with "anti-gravity generators" that allowed them to perform great leaps in vehicle mode. Wildrider's forestonite superpower is an enhanced version of this ability, allowing him to literally fly in vehicle mode. With this in mind, perhaps Dead End's new forestonite-endowed power to surroung himself with a flaming aura could be seen as an enhanced version of the Stunticons' ''other'' power introduced in that episode and never mentioned again: automatic force fields that make their hulls impenetrable.
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images on the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, Jetfire, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*Upon recognising Optimus, Motormaster vows to show his old rival that he's "king of the road," a turn of phrase lifted directly from Motormaster's original Budiansky profile, and used in "Masquerade."
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in "Masquerade," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Galaxy Force'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Galaxy Force'' is the one in which ''Legends of the Microns'' and ''Super Link'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Galaxy Force'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The original Japanese version of this episode didn't connect the fog to Unicron (a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split), but it would be mentioned in the booklet included with its DVD release, and in the episode's English dub. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Legends of the Microns''/''Super Link'' universe and created the ''Galaxy Force'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*The first shot of the Stunticons on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' (page 2, panel 2) is an homage to a 1985 illustration of the original ''Nemesis'' crew by [[Asao Takahashi]], published in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Transformers Super Encyclopedia]]''. The captain's chair has notably been updated from the original design seen in Takahashi's drawing to properly match the chair seen in [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|the first episode of the cartoon]].
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Darkness (episode)

2026-04-17T10:43:21Z

Chris McFeely: /* Differences with Galaxy Force */

{{disambig2|the ''Cybertron'' episode|the mysterious energy from the [[2005 IDW continuity]]|Darkness (G1)}}

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=33
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=34
|title="Darkness"
|japanese=暗黒からの逆襲
|romaji=Ankoku kara no Gyakushū
|translation=Counterattack from the Darkness
|image=Cyb ep33 am i a ghost.jpg
|caption= Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Kazuhisa Sakaguchi]]
|director=[[Atsushi Nakayama]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]], Radix
|airdate=[[August 27]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 5]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron is back, and his mysterious dark powers give birth to two new threats!'''

==Synopsis==

[[File:Cyb ep33 dark crumplezone.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|For once, Crumplezone actually manages to look menacing.]]

In the sky above [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the deceased [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] has reappeared as an ethereal image, his ghostly body enshrouded by an enigmatic black fog. Even Megatron himself is unaware of what has befallen him, but he impassively descends to the planet's surface as the [[Autobot]]s look on. [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and the [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Team]] follow the spectral Decepticon's descent, and watch as he approaches [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and the fatally wounded [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]]. As he glides towards his former followers, a lone [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] crests a nearby building and starts firing at him. The creature only succeeds in drawing Megatron's attention, as its shots disappear into the fog surrounding him. The Scrapmetal lunges at Megatron instead, only to wind up being dissolved and absorbed by the mysterious mist. Megatron returns his attention to the fallen Crumplezone, and immerses the wounded Decepticon in his fog, repairing and reformatting him into a powerful new form. While Crumplezone puts his new power to use attacking his old racing rivals Override and [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]], Megatron realizes that the black fog is a product of his [[Armor of Unicron]], which has preserved him after his death—and made him stronger than ever!

Simultaneously, [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] informs [[Vector Prime]] that he has lost contact with the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]], and the elderly Autobot returns to headquarters to investigate. Consulting the security recordings, he discovers that [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] has kidnapped the Mini-Cons, and that the kids leapt through his warp field in pursuit. He informs [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] of this development, but Prime is caught up battling [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] and can do nothing to help.

[[File:Cyb ep33 good kitty.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|And [[Ravage (disambiguation)|Ravage]]s across the [[Continuity|multiverse]] began hissing uncontrollably.]]

The other Autobots, meanwhile, are engaged in battles of their own. While [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] faces off against [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] and his latest (surprisingly effective) "super move", and Crumplezone continues to harass Override, the rest of the heroes are firing upon Megatron, to absolutely no effect. Seeing that the Decepticons have been galvanized by the return of their leader, [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] is determined to take Megatron down, and lunges at him in lion mode. He slashes at the black fog with his [[Cyber Key]]-powered claws, which causes a very unexpected reaction: the fog recedes, and Megatron stands triumphantly before the Autobots, reborn! At Megatron's command, the last remnants of the fog surround Leobreaker, and although the Autobot is able to leap clear, the fog has taken from him what it needs, and coalesces into a dark duplicate of Leobreaker himself! Megatron introduces the dark clone as "[[Nemesis Breaker]]", explaining that he has been created from Leobreaker's own dark side. The two lion 'bots engage in a brief battle, which Megatron then stops so that he can reveal Nemesis Breaker's ultimate power: the ability to combine with Megatron in Dark Claw Mode!

[[File:Cyb ep33 dark claw mode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Giving the phrase "strong-armed" a whole new meaning.]]

At Autobot headquarters, [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] and [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] have joined Vector Prime to try and help him track down the kids and Mini-Cons. Scattorshot complains about the fact that he gave [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] an Autobot communicator, and yet the boy is not using it. Little does Scattorshot realize, however, that using the communicator is paramount in Coby's mind—he's just having trouble getting his hands on it, as it and the kids are all floating around in zero gravity in [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s hideout!

Back on Cybertron, Optimus Prime breaks off his fight with Scourge and separates from [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] so that he and Leobreaker can merge into Savage Claw Mode to battle Megatron and Nemesis Breaker. After a brief comedy interlude in which Hot Shot finally takes out the reborn Crumplezone (who, as it turns out, really isn't any tougher than he was before), the two leaders get down to business, and their Cyber Key-powered attacks collide in an explosion so indescribably massive that it can be seen from space. When Optimus comes to afterwards, he discovers that Megatron and the Decepticons have disappeared. Wing Saber is quick to locate the villains from the air: they have used the cover of the explosion to make a break for the [[Omega Lock]]! The Autobots transform and immediately give chase, and the race is on!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Vector Prime]] (1)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (7)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (8)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (9)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (10)
*[[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (11)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (14)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (16)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (17)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (18)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (19)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (23)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (24)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (26)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (4)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (5)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (12)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (13)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (15)
*[[Nemesis Breaker]] (27)

|c3=
*[[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (20)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (21)
*[[Coby Hansen]] (22)

|c4=
*[[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] (14)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (25)
*[[Primus]] (29)

}}

==Quotes==

"Crumplezone! Hang in there, big guy! We haven't even learned how to play the violin! Waaaaaaah!"
:—'''Ransack''' on Crumplezone's death.

"Crumplezone! Oh, the horror! Oh, JEEZ! That's gotta hurt! Oh, man! WOW! Where did THOSE come from? The humanity of it all!"
:—'''Ransack''' on Crumplezone's rebirth.

"Hey Ransack! How's it going, little buddy?" 
"F-f-fine. How 'bout you?" 
"Are you kiddin'? I never felt ''better''."
:—The reborn '''Crumplezone''''s first words to '''Ransack'''

"THAT DECEPTI-CAT IS GONNA GET NEUTERED!"
:—'''Leobreaker''' on his doppelganger.

"Enough with the comic relief!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' on Ransack and Crumplezone!

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment summarizing the events of "[[Balance]]".
*Though several lines of dialogue are given over to characters wondering what it is, ''Galaxy Force'' doesn't explain the origin of the black fog that has saved Megatron from death. ''Cybertron'' identifies it as the "shadow spark" of Unicron, the planet-eater's power within the [[Armor of Unicron]] that Megatron wears; the booklet included with the Japanese DVD release of this episode would also explain that it was power Megatron had stolen from Unicron.
*As Leobreaker charges to attack the spectral visage of Megatron, Snarl, in ''Cybertron'', reminds Leobreaker to use his Cyber Key power-up first, whereas in ''Galaxy Force'' he takes a much less reckless approach and instead warns his fellow animal-bot that it is too dangerous to engage Megatron, since they have no idea what they're dealing with.
*In ''Galaxy Force'', Megatron notes that one of Leobreaker's dark thoughts from which Nemesis Breaker was created is his resentment of Optimus Prime for ignoring their combination and favoring Wing Saber instead. ''Cybertron'' omits this specific point.
*In ''Cybertron'', Vector Prime notes that Starscream's island base on Earth has been "cleared out". In ''Galaxy Force'', the island is said to have actually collapsed.

===Animation errors===
*As Megatron's "ghost" descends on Cybertron at the beginning of the episode, Override and Scattorshot transform and head towards him. However, in the next scene, Override is seen with Hot Shot and Red Alert instead.
*Implausible viewpoints: The "security footage" reviewed by Vector Prime is just the final moments of [[Balance|the previous episode]], which leads to some camera placement issues.
*A small animation cheat occurs as Ransack and the newly minted Dark Crumplezone attack Hot Shot and Override. When the partners in grime charge the Autobots, they're in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], but when Dark Crumplezone activates his "Dark Bazooka" attack, he's in [[robot mode]]! After the Autobots are blown into the distance, Ransack is also shown in robot mode, despite never being shown to transform. Not necessarily an error, but certainly a bit of laziness here.
*Speaking of bizarre animation, when Crumplezone sneers "What's the matter, Override?", a panel in his exhaust port clips in and out of the scene, making it seem like he's literally speaking through his rear!

===Transformers references===
*Wing Saber says that Megatron is making for the Omega Lock "like a 'bot outta [[Chaar]]"!
*[[Starscream (G1)|Another]] [[Rampage (BW)|indestructible]] spark?

===Real-world references===
*Of course, Wing Saber's above mentioned quote also paraphrases the common turn of phrase, "like a bat out of hell".
*When chasing Override and Hot Shot, Crumplezone's taunt, "Override, come out and play-ay!" is a clear reference to Luther's taunt, "Warriors, come out to play-ay!" from ''{{w|The Warriors (film)|The Warriors}}''.

===Trivia===
*This episode did not premiere until nearly five months after the previous one. By the time "Darkness" was finally aired, ''Cybertron'' had been relegated to the unenviable 6am "death slot" on [[Cartoon Network]], where new episodes would premiere every weekday morning for the remainder of the month, bringing the series to a conclusion nearly a year after its Japanese broadcast ended.
*This episode would later be combined with "[[United (episode)|United]]", "[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]" and "[[Balance]]" to create the TV "movie" special, "[[Primus Unleashed (TV special)|Primus Unleashed]]".
*After reformatting Crumplezone, Megatron notes that he has remade him in his own image. This may possibly be the source of his ultimate goal in "[[End]]".
*While he is introduced a bit late in the game, more than halfway through the series, Nemesis Breaker, or something like him, must have been planned from the beginning, as evidenced by the combination ports in Megatron's arms.
*Despite being a [[redeco]] of Leobreaker, Nemesis Breaker has all-new stock footage sequences for combining with Megatron and activating Dark Claw Mode's Cyber Key power.
*Keeping up the whole "dark mirror" angle with Nemesis Breaker, the evil lion's transformation into arm mode is the reverse of Leobreaker's, first folding up his legs, detaching his forearms one at a time, then folding up his upper body, retracting his robot head, and finally attaching the new fist to the folded-up legs (the only part of the transformation similar to Leobreaker, for obvious reasons). Nemesis Breaker also replaces Megatron's left arm, as opposed to Leobreaker replacing Optimus' right arm. The camera angles for the transformation sequence are even switched around.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 09 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Balance

2026-04-17T10:41:31Z

Chris McFeely: /* Differences with Galaxy Force */

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=32
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=33
|title="Balance"
|japanese=よみがえった巨大神
|romaji=Yomigaetta Kyodaishin
|translation=The Revived Giant God
|image=Cyb_ep32_balance.jpg
|caption=You must watch Book 4 of ''The Legend of Korra''.
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Hiro Masaki]]
|director=[[Mitsuru Kawasaki]], [[Kenji Setō]] (asst. dir.)
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[August 20]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[April 15]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''Primus speaks, and ancient history is revealed, as is the location of the fourth and final Cyber Planet Key.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Jolt-avatar.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Surprisingly enough, there was never a Takara-made Lucky Draw toy of this.]]

[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has transformed into the body of [[Primus]], the [[Autobot]]s have returned to its (his?) surface to try and communicate with their creator directly. While [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], [[Coby Hansen|Coby]], [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] and [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] survey from above, the other Autobots set up the necessary machinery, hooking up [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] to the system on the basis that he was the one who channelled Primus in the past. The equipment is turned on, and as [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus]] invokes Primus, Jolt glows golden and begins to float, and Primus begins to speak through him. Primus explains the history of the [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] to his children, detailing how good and evil must always be in balance. The destruction of the ultimate evil, [[Unicron]], has disrupted that balance, distorting space and time and creating the black hole. [[Bud Hansen|Bud]] has trouble grasping the concept of balancing forces, so [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] illustrates it to him with a coin.

[[File:Cyb ep32 sideways n screamer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]

Primus goes on to explain that only he can close the black hole, but that his [[spark]] must be fully restored first by placing all four [[Cyber Planet Key]]s and putting them in the Omega Lock. Alas, the Autobots only have three Keys so far, and as [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] points out, even the Decepticons have not been able to locate the fourth, and ''they'' have the [[Planet Map]]. Primus answers their request for information indirectly, by first telling them of the [[space bridge]] project carried out by the [[ancient]]s. [[Ogygia (Cybertron)|Four]] [[Hyperborea (Cybertron)|great]] [[Lemuria (Cybertron)|starships]], including the ''[[Atlantis]]'', were sent out in to the universe, each carrying a Cyber Planet Key, but the entire planetary system that the fourth colony ship departed for was caught in a wormhole and transported to another universe, which is why no-one has yet been able to locate the fourth Key. Primus's energy levels begin dropping (a consequence of Starscream's earlier absorption of much of his power), and before the god drifts back into slumber, he names the fourth planet: [[Gigantion]], home world of [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] and the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]]!

Unbeknownst to any of the Autobots, this divine wisdom has all been eavesdropped on by [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]]. He warps away, departing Cybertron and rematerializing in a shadowy, unknown location, where lies the body of [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who Sideways spirited away after his defeat at the hands of Optimus Prime. Starscream awakens, and is greeted by Sideways, who assures him that things have just gotten very interesting indeed.

[[File:Decepticpile-Balance.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Thunderblast likes to watch.]]

Back on Cybertron, the Autobots ask Jolt for the location of Gigantion, but the Mini-Con is, alas, unable to answer their question. He and Vector Prime explain that the Mini-Cons were accidentally launched into space aboard a shuttle when they were playing hide-and-seek in it, and were found and saved by Vector Prime. Red Alert thinks he can dig data on Gigantion's location out of Jolt's memory banks, though Jolt is not thrilled about the prospect of having his brain looked into.

In the field of debris surrounding Cybertron, [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] looks at the transformed body of Primus, and offers up a brief eulogy for Megatron before turning to the other [[Decepticon]]s and announcing that he is their leader now. Naturally, everyone starts fighting over who should take leadership, save for [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], who ducks behind an asteroid. As the one-sided battle rages, with Scourge thoroughly stomping the other Decepticons, Starscream and Sideways fly by overhead, and Thunderblast looks up at them, musing that maybe leaving Starscream was a mistake...

[[File:Primus-Starscream-GUNS.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|RAAAAAAIIIID?!]]

Back on Cybertron, Red Alert is scanning Jolt, and makes the surprising discovery that his brain is more like that of a [[human]] than a [[Transformer]] (that explains why Jolt and other Mini-Cons communicates with children that easily), which means it will take longer to analyze. The scan is halted by the sound of an alarm, alerting our heroes to the approach of Starscream and Sideways, who land on the planet with the intention of taking the Omega Lock. The Autobots mobilize quickly, and Optimus and Wing Saber combine into Sonic Wing Mode, and the other Decepticons soon arrive to join the fight. Using the Decepticons' arrival as a distraction, Starscream jets away with the deluded intention of finishing off Primus, and fires his cannons right at the deity's face. Much to the shock of the assembled combatants, Primus's hand moves, blocking the shots, then swatting Starscream away. Starscream keeps trying to attack Primus, causing everyone observing the fight to doubt his sanity, while Scourge avails of everyone's preoccupation to attack Optimus and begin another round of fighting. This is, again, short-lived, as everyone stops fighting to marvel as Primus unsheathes a pair of colossal cannons to knock Starscream well and truly out of the fight. Hit dead-on by the cannon blast, Starscream is hurled away, and drops the Planet Map straight into the hands of the waiting Vector Prime.

[[File:Cyb ep32 ghost of megs.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2]]

Elsewhere on the surface, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] are sneaking around, trying to get a good position to shoot somebody in the back. Just then, a cluster of [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] suddenly attack, and Crumplezone is swarmed by the insect-bots. Much to Ransack and [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'s horror, Crumplezone is buried beneath the Scrapmetal and destroyed when they cause his body to explode. The odds against them, the other Decepticons start beating a retreat, but are stopped cold when, floating in the sky above them, the ghostly shadow-image of the deceased Megatron appears!

And in the Autobot base, the kids react to Megatron's reappearance, with Coby responding very badly to Bud's suggestion that Megatron is a ghost. Then, they realize that the Mini-Cons are missing...because Sideways has warped into the building, and has nabbed them! The enigmatic 'bot warps away, but the kids leap into his warp-field before it dissipates, and reappear, floating in zero-gravity, in an unknown location...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (1)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (3)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (4)
*[[Vector Prime]] (6)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (7)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (12)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (13)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (14)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (15)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (16)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (17)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (18)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (19)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (20)
*[[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (23)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (24)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (25)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (26)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (27)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (28)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (30)

|c3=
*[[Coby Hansen]] (2)
*[[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (10)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (11)

|c4=
*[[Primus]] (5)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (22)
*[[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] (29)
}}

==Quotes==
"He's the ''creator''! We're ''standing'' on him with our dirty feet!" 
"I sure hope we don't get smited for this!"
:—'''Leobreaker''' and '''Landmine'''

"Optimus Prime, you and the Autobots defeated the evil Unicron." 
"We kicked his planet-eatin' ''butt'' is what we did!"
:—'''Primus''' and '''Leobreaker'''

"Now hold steady. You may feel a ''slight'' sting but don't worry." 
"Gu-huh?" 
"I'm ''fairly'' certain I can put you back together again..." 
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
:—'''Red Alert''' and '''Jolt'''

''[after being knocked away by Primus's hand]'' 
"That wasn't...so...bad...''*recovers and transforms*'' Ha! Very interesting. This might actually be half a challenge! And I HATE a challenge!"
:—'''Starscream''' is disturbingly confident in attacking ''the creator of Transformerkind''.

"Hey! Put the Mini-Cons down!" 
"Ooh, I'm so scared of you I think I'll run away! See ya!"
:—'''Coby''' fails to intimidate the Mini-Con-swiping '''Sideways'''

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*As originally conceived, the storyline of this series was always supposed to involve the black hole forming as a result of Unicron's destruction at the end of ''Transformers: Energon.'' But when the Japanese production of the cartoon wound up splitting ''Galaxy Force'' off into its own universe, unconnected to ''Energon'', Unicron's hand in its events was downplayed to the point of almost total excision. This episode is the closest ''Galaxy Force'' comes to mentioning him, when it explains that the black hole's formation is the result of an unnamed "evil god" (邪神 ''jashin'') haing been sealed away by a previous bearer of the Matrix. As part of its efforts to retcon the series back into continuity with ''Energon'', ''Cybertron'' explicitly identifies Unicron by name. Notably, the booklet included with the Japanese DVD release of this episode also explained that the "evil god" was Unicron, and provided a detailed recounting of the legend of his and Primus's long war.
*''Galaxy Force'' sees Sideways offer up a more thorough explanation for Megatron's demise in the previous episode. See, he was hit with a blast from the Cyber Planet Keys, which are designed to bring life to planets, which is to say, to create something from nothing, so, like, that means they can... also... make nothing... from... something... and... that's why Megatron's dead? Yeeeah, ''Cybertron'' sticks to its guns of him just being blown up because he got blasted.

===Animation or technical errors===
*At Autobase, Wing Saber asks the Mini-Cons about their being adrift in space with Evac's voice.
*As Scourge decides to "throw" the other Decepticons into action, he speaks in his [[robot mode]] voice, despite being in dragon mode.
*Conversely, when Thundercracker calls Scourge to tell him they should run away (having witnessed Crumplezone's death at the claws of a Scrapmetal swarm), Scourge replies using his deeper [[beast mode|dragon mode]] voice, even though he's in robot mode.
*When Thunderblast starts running, though Evac is in the scene, he seems to be talking with Wing Saber's voice, a reversal from before. Of course, we don't see his face, so maybe Wing Saber's off-camera.

===Continuity or plotting errors===
*Sideways has ''never'' left a visible residual warp field behind him when he has teleported before, only doing so now because the plot demands it.
*Primus references the Autobots' defeat of Unicron. "We kicked his evil butt is what we did!" says Leobreaker... despite not actually being there when it happened.

===Continuity notes===
*Jolt previously acted as a conduit for Primus in "[[Trap]]".
*Jolt casually mentioned that he and the Mini-Cons weren't originally from Cybertron in "[[Revelation (episode)|Revelation]]".
*As Starscream and Sideways approach Primus, the latter quips that someone seems to have stolen much of the god's spark already. Starscream himself is behind this, having absorbed a portion of Primus's power [[Revelation (episode)|during]] [[Critical|his]] [[Assault|time]] [[Starscream (episode)|on Earth]]. He'll steal even more in [[Titans|a later episode]].
*Megatron was destroyed in [[Cybertron (episode)|the previous episode]].
*Coby's fear of ghosts and other creepy things was established back in "[[Speed]]".
*The Autobots and kids retreat under a protective dome forcefield, first seen in the previous episode, probably to protect the kids from Cybertron's foreign atmosphere, although this hasn't been explicitly stated.
*As seen in the previous episode, the Omega Lock, now blown up to gargantuan proportions and apparently fused to Primus's back, is still missing the three Cyber Planet Keys that had previously been found and installed.

===Transformers references===
[[File:Cyb-WiseElders.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Splunge for me, sir!]]
*In glowing gold and floating as he acts as a conduit for Primus, Jolt recalls [[Xaaron (G1)|Emirate Xaaron]] doing the same thing from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel Comics series]].
*So the red force represents good, and the purple force represents evil, hm? A nod to the colors of the Autobot and Decepticon faction sigils, perhaps? ''Naaaaaaaaaaaah'', coincidence, surely.
*The "wise elders" shown use the animation models of [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]'s [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (although Jazz would appear to have shoulder-doors, which he didn't in the original 'toon. His original toy, however, does have them).
*[[Starscream's Brigade|Starscream never knows when to quit]].
{{-}}

===Trivia===
[[File:Gigantion-Ancient.jpg|thumb|"Normaltion" doesn't have that same "oomph".]]
*Gigantion, as it appears in this flashback, is ''way'' smaller than in later "present day" episodes. This would indicate (though it's never stated explicitly) that Gigantion's super-sizing occurred after it was pulled into the alternate universe.
*The "Mini-Con brains are more like humans" bit — intentionally or not — recalls the ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' cartoon, where humans and Mini-Cons are linked together, which is elaborated on a bit more in the [[Linkage (comic)|"Linkage" mini-comics]]. In the ''Armada'' cartoon, Mini-Cons acquired souls and free wills thanks to an encounter with three time-displaced human children. The reason for the Mini-Con's human-like brains in ''Cybertron'' will be expanded on (very vaguely) in later episodes.
*This episode was the last to premiere on [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Toonami]] block, and the last episode broadcast for several months. When the series returned after a five-month hiatus, it was relegated to the 6am slot on the channel, where it would premiere new episodes daily until the series ended.
*This episode would later be combined with "[[United (episode)|United]]", "[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]", and "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]" to create the TV "movie" special, "[[Primus Unleashed (TV special)|Primus Unleashed]]".
*While many animated series avoided the third rail of writing religion into the fabric of their backstory, both ''Galaxy Force'' and, more amazingly, ''Cybertron'' retained this aspect, each with characters referring to Primus as "Creator" and worrying about receiving divine retribution for disturbing him.
*Crumplezone has been blasted, pounded, beaten senseless, run over, and flattened like a pancake. Twice. To have him give up the ghost after a few seconds of being swarmed by Scrapmetals is remarkable to say the least.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 09 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-15T17:32:40Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */ Oh, wait.

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army|New Decepticon Trio]] attempt to use their [[Rocket Car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the three malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Patrol Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Velocitronian race announcer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*A running gag throughout this story is the idea of Breakdown repeatedly leaking [[oil]], played as [[Humanization#Urination|a Transformer equivalent of pissing himself]]. This seems to be a callback to/misinterpretation of a scene in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which Breakdown sprang a leak while fleeing from the Autobots. But in the cartoon, Breakdown wasn't meant to be leaking ''oil''; he was meant to be leaking ''gasoline'', the result of a leaky fuel pump that he suffers from, mentioned in his original [[Bob Budiansky]]-written [[profile]]. But it's easy to see why Sakamoto would misinterpret the scene, as the episode gives no context for why or what Breakdown is leaking.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's oil slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*Though the ability was not mentioned again after its introduction, "The Key to Vector Sigma," Part 1, presented the Stunticons as being equipped with "anti-gravity generators" that allowed them to perform great leaps in vehicle mode. Wildrider's forestonite superpower is an enhanced version of this ability, allowing him to literally fly in vehicle mode. With this in mind, perhaps Dead End's new forestonite-endowed power to surroung himself with a flaming aura could be seen as an enhanced version of the Stunticons' ''other'' power introduced in that episode and never mentioned again: automatic force fields that make their hulls impenetrable.
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images on the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, Jetfire, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*Upon recognising Optimus, Motormaster vows to show his old rival that he's "king of the road," a turn of phrase lifted directly from Motormaster's original Budiansky profile, and used in "Masquerade."
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in "Masquerade," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada''/''Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*The first shot of the Stunticons on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' (page 2, panel 2) is an homage to a 1985 illustration of the original ''Nemesis'' crew by [[Asao Takahashi]], published in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Transformers Super Encyclopedia]]''. The captain's chair has notably been updated from the original design seen in Takahashi's drawing to properly match the chair seen in [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|the first episode of the cartoon]].
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-15T17:21:31Z

Chris McFeely:

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army|New Decepticon Trio]] attempt to use their [[Rocket Car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the three malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Patrol Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Velocitronian race announcer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*A running gag throughout this story is the idea of Breakdown repeatedly leaking [[oil]], played as [[Humanization#Urination|a Transformer equivalent of pissing himself]]. This seems to be a callback to the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which Breakdown sprang an oil leak while fleeing from the Autobots. It was a bit of a non-sequiter in context; no reason for why the leak happened was given by the episode, suggesting that something was cut from the script during production, and it certainly didn't play it as a piss gag!
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's oil slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*Though the ability was not mentioned again after its introduction, "The Key to Vector Sigma," Part 1, presented the Stunticons as being equipped with "anti-gravity generators" that allowed them to perform great leaps in vehicle mode. Wildrider's forestonite superpower is an enhanced version of this ability, allowing him to literally fly in vehicle mode. With this in mind, perhaps Dead End's new forestonite-endowed power to surroung himself with a flaming aura could be seen as an enhanced version of the Stunticons' ''other'' power introduced in that episode and never mentioned again: automatic force fields that make their hulls impenetrable.
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images on the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, Jetfire, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*Upon recognising Optimus, Motormaster vows to show his old rival that he's "king of the road," a turn of phrase lifted directly from Motormaster's original [[Bob Budiansky]] [[profile]], and used in "Masquerade."
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in "Masquerade," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada''/''Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*The first shot of the Stunticons on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' (page 2, panel 2) is an homage to a 1985 illustration of the original ''Nemesis'' crew by [[Asao Takahashi]], published in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Transformers Super Encyclopedia]]''. The captain's chair has notably been updated from the original design seen in Takahashi's drawing to properly match the chair seen in [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|the first episode of the cartoon]].
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Armor of Unicron

2026-04-15T14:54:58Z

Chris McFeely:

[[File:Time megatron warpgate.jpg|300px|thumb|I AM THE KARATE MASTER!]]
[[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] has always sought power at every turn, and this is one of the most striking examples of success. After escaping from the collapsing [[Energon]] [[Sun]] created to contain [[Unicron]]'s [[spark]], he had stolen most of what remained of the Chaos-Bringer's power, and his body had been rebuilt with salvaged pieces of the destroyer's armor.<ref>[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Megatron bio]]</ref>

==Fiction==

===''Cybertron'' cartoon===
[[File:Fallen megatron robotmode.jpg|thumb|left|Now ''I'' am the master!]]
The armor provided Megatron with a significant power boost. {{storylink|Deep}} It could also heal him much faster than typical self-repair systems, after a protracted battle with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] the armor was able to fully regenerate Megatron given only a few seconds of downtime.

[[File:Cyb ep40 meet galvatron.jpg|thumb|Now with 100% more G1.]]When [[Vector Prime]] collapsed Megatron's fiery pocket dimension in on itself, Megatron used the full power of the Armor of Unicron to ''rip open the fabric of reality'' in a bid to escape. Using the armor in this way left it unable to defend its wearer from a blast from the Omega Lock, and it was seemingly destroyed with Megatron when the dimension collapsed on him. {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}}

Soon after, however, it was revealed that the residual power of Unicron within the armor allowed Megatron to endure, sustaining his spark and form as a noncorporeal "[[ghost]]" that appeared on Cybertron in the midst of a battle. {{storylink|Balance}} In this state, it enabled him to absorb the energy of attacks-and of Transformers themselves-to regenerate his body, as well as upgrade [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|others]] into stronger forms. After his full revival, Megatron used the remnants of his "ghost" to create [[Nemesis Breaker|an entirely new being]], from nothing but the dark thoughts of [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]. {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}}
{{--}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
After a mighty battle that pitted the [[Autobot]]s against the [[Decepticon]]s and [[Unicron]], [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] sought more power and searched for the remnants of the disembodied Unicron's [[spark]]. From this "lost spark", Megatron forged new armor, being reborn in a new body. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime 12/21/2005}}

==Notes==
[[File:Cybertrontoy megatron.jpg|thumb|The intent is there.]]
*Megatron's new ''Cybertron'' design features obvious design cues from ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Unicron]], which makes it quite clear it was always the intent for Megatron to have acquired this form after absorbing Unicron's power following the dark god's destruction at the end of ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Transformers: Energon]]''. However, due to the Japanese production of the ''Cybertron'' cartoon altering the story to make it separate from ''Armada'' and ''Energon'', Unicron was never mentioned in the Japanese version of the series, and the origin of Megatron's powers was not remarked on. References to the Armor of Unicron were inserted into the English dub of the cartoon to re-align it with [[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)#Galaxy Force|Hasbro and Takara's original intent]] for the series, and its origins were covered in both Megatron's English [[bio|toy bio]], and Hasbro's online [[Ask Vector Prime]] feature.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Gaia Armor]]

[[Category:Armors]]
[[Category:Components of Unicron]]
[[Category:Cybertron franchise]]

Forestonite

2026-04-15T12:21:10Z

Chris McFeely:

[[File:End of G1 Universe Forestonite.jpg|thumb|Not to be confused with [[solitarium]], [[Schaeffer Energy]], [[Nucleon (substance)|nucleon]]...]]
'''Forestonite''' (フォレストナイト ''foresutonaito'') is a super energy source found on [[Earth]]. Its nature remains largely mysterious, though it ''can'' be measured in kilograms. In a large enough dose, Forestonite can be dangerous to mechanical life.

==Fiction==
===''G-2 Comic BomBom'' manga===
In August of the year 199X, the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s detected the presence of forestonite on the planet Earth. Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and his [[Cyberjet]] warriors [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]], [[Skyjack (G2)|Skyjack]], and [[Space Case (G2)|Space Case]] attacked [[Japan]] in search of it, but were repulsed by the Autobots [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Electro]]. With the Decepticons defeated, Optimus Prime swore to defend the Earth and its forestonite with the aid of the young boy [[Junpei]]. {{storylink|The New Battle!!}}

===''TransTech''===
The [[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]] CEO of [[C-Kar Technologies]], [[Ego (TransTech)|Ego]], had sixteen kilos of forestonite in his personal collection. This was supremely impressive, even to his corporate rival [[Bulletbike (TransTech)|Bulletbike]], who, despite his vast resources, had to substitute [[solitarium]] for the element in some of his corporation's experiments. Learning that Ego not only had a sizable amount of forestonite, but also had the gall to put it on display, enraged Bulletbike to no end. {{storylink|I, Lowtech}}

===''Wings Universe''===
The [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] general [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] discovered a way to refine forestonite for sinister purposes! Normally just a sub-par fuel source, the true potential of forestonite can be unleashed by bombarding it with high-energy particles. Thus charged, forestonite can be used to give Transformers assorted powers that others would consider to be supernatural, although this comes at the cost of an [[Neon|impossibly garish color scheme.]] {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

Sky-Byte presented large amounts of forestonite to [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 2}} Jhiaxus utilized the forestonite, blueprints stolen from [[Quantum Laboratories]] on Earth, [[personality component]]s procured by the [[Battlecharger]]s from Cybertron, and the forced help of [[Nebulan]] scientist [[Hi-Q]] to create a "second generation" of Cybertronians. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 3}} Jhiaxus also studied the forestonite provided by Sky-Byte to create an energy that could suppress forestonite-based abilities. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 4}}

Mutinying against [[Cannonball (G1)|Captain Cannonball]] in order to seize control of the [[Star Seeker]]s for her Decepticon cause, [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] hurled a vial of forestonite into Cannonball's chest so that her new ally, the infamous Decepticon [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], could take over Cannonball's body. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur, 2014/11/12}} Later, [[Ferak]] utilized forestonite on the ''[[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]]'' in order to enable the Star Seeker warship to escape orbit of Starscream's [[Shut-Up-Tornado-I'm-Trying-To-Think|prison]], a planetoid almost completely surrounded by black holes. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur, 2014/12/04}}

===''Animated'' cartoon continuity===
[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] has been known to carry a small reserve of this substance to give her super-speed in short bursts. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

At some point, [[Team Stunticon]] '''[REDACTED BY THE OFFICE OF [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|SENTINEL MAGNUS]]]''' forestonite, leaving them with garish color schemes. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The Complete AllSpark Almanac|The Complete AllSpark Almanac}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Primax 092.0 Beta]], [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] leader [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]] obtained forestonite and tried to destroy the Sol System before being stopped by Autobot leader [[Hyperdrive (Turbomaster)|Hyperdrive]] and [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Faceboook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/16}}

The [[Thundercracker (G1)#Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|Thundercracker]] of [[Iocus 1012.30 Gamma]] was enhanced by forestonite. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/29}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''Masterpiece'' toy bios====
Thanks to the effects of power chips boosted by Forestonite, [[Riggorus]] gained dramatically improved repair abilities such as mass displacement and matter transportation. {{storylink|Riggorus#Masterpiece|''Masterpiece'' Riggorus profile}}

====''End of G1 Universe''====
{{stub}}

==Notes==
*The ''G-2'' manga special that introduced forestonite says basically says ''nothing'' specific about it, not even whether it's a solid, liquid or gas—just that it's on Earth and the Decepticons want it. Its unique qualities weren't introduced until [[BotCon 2010]]'s "Generation 2: Redux" storyline, which established forestonite to be responsible for the [[spontaneous recoloration|new colour schemes]] sported by the ''Generation 2'' characters, as well as granting them new superpowers. These ideas would then be adapted back over into Japanese media.

[[Category:Animated substances]]
[[Category:Generation 2]]
[[Category:MacGuffins]]
[[Category:Power sources]]
[[Category:Substances]]
[[Category:TransTech substances]]
[[Category:Wings Universe]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-15T10:40:30Z

Chris McFeely: /* Transformers references */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Velocitronian race announcer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's [[oil]] slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images on the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, Jetfire, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]", in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada''/''Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*The first shot of the Stunticons on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' (page 2, panel 2) is an homage to a 1985 illustration of the original ''Nemesis'' crew by [[Asao Takahashi]], published in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Transformers Super Encyclopedia]]''. The captain's chair has notably been updated from the original design seen in Takahashi's drawing to properly match the chair seen in [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|the first episode of the cartoon]].
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-15T10:39:14Z

Chris McFeely: /* Transformers references */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Velocitronian race announcer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's [[oil]] slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images on the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, Jetfire, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]", in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada''/''Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*The first shot of the Stunticons on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' (page 2, panel 2) is an homage to a 1985 illustration of the original ''Nemesis'' crew created by [[Asao Takahashi]], published in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Transformers Super Encyclopedia]]''. Motormaster's captain's chair has notably been updated from the original design seen in Takahashi's drawing to an animation-accurate throne.
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-15T10:33:48Z

Chris McFeely: /* Transformers references */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Velocitronian race announcer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's [[oil]] slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images on the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, Jetfire, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]", in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada''/''Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*The first shot of the Stunticons on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' (page 2, panel 2) is an homage to a 1985 illustration of the original ''Nemesis'' crew created by [[Asao Takahashi]], published in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Transformers Super Encyclopedia]]''.
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-15T10:08:46Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Velocitronian race announcer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's [[oil]] slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images on the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, Jetfire, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]", in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada''/''Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-15T10:08:14Z

Chris McFeely: /* Transformers references */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Velocitronian race announcer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's [[oil]] slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images of the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]", in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada''/''Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]]. The wrist-mounted "welder" accessory that came with the ''Legacy'' toy, based on a tool used by Blurr in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', is repurposed here as a drink-dispensing nozzle.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (based on his 2013 [[Soundwave (SG)#SGSoundwave|''Shattered Glass'' "VSE" toy]]) confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)#MPG|''MPG'' Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-15T09:58:40Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]] cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Dragstrip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Project|Multiverse Space Bridge Project]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Dragstrip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Dragstrip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Dragstrip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Project|New Space Bridge Project]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Project]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Dragstrip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Dragstrip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Dragstrip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Dragstrip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Dragstrip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Dragstrip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Dragstrip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*"[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]]" (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*"[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gasket Patrol Type]]" officers (30)
*[[Velocitronian race announcer]]s (31)
*"[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia White Version]]" medic (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are Lio Convoy's "Legendary Green Lion" transformation, originally acheived by uniting the power of his [[Energon Matrix]] with another in the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoons, but later acheived by using Angolmois Energy in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]]; the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s Energon Matrix, as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!|Activate! Double Matrix]]"; and the various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are here attributed to the power of [[forestonite]]. Though created for Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese stories; that idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]". Dragstrip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road. This dynamic would also be seen in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Dragstrip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]", bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a getaway car beglonging to a pair of bank robbers. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Dragstrip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Dragstrip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. (Sakamoto previously did a similar thing for [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the [[Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|''Legends'' epilogue]].) [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] vehicular self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*Following his death in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] episode "[[Armada (episode)|Crossfire]]", [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]] was resurrected by [[Unicron]] and reunited with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] during the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' storyline. The pair are depicted as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*When Breakdown's [[oil]] slick sends Knock Out skidding off the road, he bemoans being "defeated like this again," referring to a similar experience he had in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning". The images of the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Balance]]" are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]", in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade".
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three installments of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' by Hasbro and Takara toy designers to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced by its TV staff as a new storyline, unconnected to the other two. English expanded universe media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]", in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone". The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]", when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be being lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] at the end of the story. (Shockblast was crushed to death by Unicron in the ''Energon'' episode "[[The Power of Unicron]]".) He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]", the final episode of ''Energon'', and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada''/''Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusively released at [[Toys"R"Us]] Japan.
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used by Fun Publications for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to document the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth. In the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comic continuity]], Blurr was shown taking over the bar in [[A Better Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #5]].
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]].
*Dragstrip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime (not called "Black Convoy") is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===
*Not an error per se, but in "The Killing Jar", [[Marissa Faireborn]] also had her colors inverted by the negative universe.
*''Cyberverse'' Shadow Striker has a verbal tic where she says "Shado" (シャド) while speaking, but this quirk does not appear to be present in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]''.

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-14T20:50:09Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and Micron Trilogy cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Drag Strip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|Multiverse Space Bridge Initiative]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Drag Strip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Drag Strip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Drag strip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|New Space Bridge Initiative]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Initiative]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Drag Strip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Drag Strip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Drag Strip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Drag Strip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Drag Strip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Drag Strip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Drag Strip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]] (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gaskets Patrol Type]] (30)
*Velocitronian race announcers (31)
*[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]] (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s [[Energon Matrix]] (as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn!]]") and various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are explained to be the result of [[forestonite]]. Though a creation of Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese media; the idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade]]." Drag Strip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road.
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]," bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a pair of bank robbers' getaway car. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Drag Strip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Drag Strip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|the ''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] are shown as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]]. Knock Out bemoans being foiled by [[oil]] again, referring to a similar experience in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning." The images of the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' cartoon are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade."
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three components of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced as a new series, unconnected to the other two. English media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]," in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone." The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]," when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be been lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] at the end of the story. He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]," the final episode of ''Energon,'' and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada/Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]].
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to put the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*"[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to [[Blurr (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]].
*Drag Strip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-14T20:48:43Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and Micron Trilogy cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Drag Strip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|Multiverse Space Bridge Initiative]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Drag Strip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Drag Strip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Drag strip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|New Space Bridge Initiative]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Initiative]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Drag Strip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Drag Strip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Drag Strip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Drag Strip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Drag Strip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Drag Strip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Drag Strip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]] (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gaskets Patrol Type]] (30)
*Velocitronian race announcers (31)
*[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]] (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the [[spontaneous recoloration|recurring phenomenon]] in ''Transformers'' stories that sees robots spontaneously change colour when they undergo a power-up. Examples Bluebolt gives are the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s [[Energon Matrix]] (as seen in the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' episode "[[Power to Burn]]") and various recolours that Transformers underwent during ''Generation 2'', which are explained to be the result of [[forestonite]]. Though a creation of Japanese media—specifically the one-shot ''Generation 2'' manga "[[The New Battle!!]]—forestonite was never linked to recolouration or special powers in Japanese media; the idea was a creation of the [[BotCon]] story "[[Generation 2: Redux]]."
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the same one featured in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "[[The Killing Jar]]." In that episode, the characters who travelled inside the black hole gained inverted colour schemes, which was indicated to be because the interior of the hole was a "negative universe," but here, it's explained that the effect was scaused by forestonite particles saturating the negaverse. Motormaster notes that the Transformers in "The Killing Jar" initially thought they were simply experiencing a malfunction in their "colour perceptors," directly referecing a line of dialogue from [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in the episode.
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as seen in the episode "[[Starscream's Brigade (episode)|Starscream's Brigade]]." Drag Strip notes he doesn't take part in races like that; "Starscream's Brigade" did indeed show him not joining his team-mates in the carnage, staying in robot mode and handling communications with the other Decepticons while his buddies tore up the road.
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] runs down the origins of the vehicles from which the Stunticons were built, as seen in the "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]," bragging about how he was the car driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]], and how Dead End was a pair of bank robbers' getaway car. The episode did not show where the cars that became Wildrider or Breakdown came from; it is here revealed for the first time that Wildrider belonged to a gang of dangerous-driving delinquents, and that Breakdown was a "leaky jalopy that only looked good on the outside."
*Drag Strip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Drag Strip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] featured in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]], in which it linked the regular universe to [[Alpha Q's universe|Alpha Q's pocket universe]], introduced in "[[Ripped Up Space]]."
*The Stunticons emerge from the rift in the universe of [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|the ''Transformers: Cybertron'' cartoon]], on the planet [[Velocitron]], in an era some time after the end of the that series. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is now the planet's leader, after winning the [[Speedia 500]] in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics, which are indicated to be set after the events of this story.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] are shown as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]]. Knock Out bemoans being foiled by [[oil]] again, referring to a similar experience in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning." The images of the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' cartoon are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade."
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three components of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced as a new series, unconnected to the other two. English media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous universe was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]," in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone." The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]," when Megatron was recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be been lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] at the end of the story. He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]," the final episode of ''Energon,'' and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada/Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*A white "virtual redeco" of [[Runamuck (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Runamuck]] is shown, completing the pair of [[Battlecharger]] homages.
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]].
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to put the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*"[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to [[Blurr (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]].
*Drag Strip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-14T20:06:31Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and Micron Trilogy cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Drag Strip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|Multiverse Space Bridge Initiative]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Drag Strip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Drag Strip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Drag strip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|New Space Bridge Initiative]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Initiative]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Drag Strip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Drag Strip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Drag Strip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Drag Strip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Drag Strip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Drag Strip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Drag Strip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]] (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gaskets Patrol Type]] (30)
*Velocitronian race announcers (31)
*[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]] (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the various kinds of [[color changing]], noting it as the result of a variety of power ups, including the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s [[Energon Matrix]] and the G2 era recolors explained as a result of [[forestonite]] (the Transformers' coloration in the [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]] in "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]" is linked by this story indicating that it contained forestonite).
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the one that serves as the setting of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "The Killing Jar".
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as was shown in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] brags about being driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]]; he was indeed the driver of the F-1 formula car that became Drag Strip, as shown in "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]".
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] that served as a plot point for part of [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]].
*Drag Strip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Drag Strip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*[[Velocitron]] was the setting of a good portion of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]]. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is noted as the planet's leader, which indeed happened in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] are shown as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]]. Knock Out bemoans being foiled by [[oil]] again, referring to a similar experience in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning." The images of the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' cartoon are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade."
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three components of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced as a new series, unconnected to the other two. English media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous unvierse was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]," in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone." The Japanese version of the episode did not link this fog to Unicron, as a result of the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' being greatly minimized as part of the continuity split; the connection between the two was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]," when recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be been lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] at the end of the story. He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]," the final episode of ''Energon,'' and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada/Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]].
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to put the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*"[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to [[Blurr (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]].
*Drag Strip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-14T20:05:14Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and Micron Trilogy cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Drag Strip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|Multiverse Space Bridge Initiative]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Drag Strip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Drag Strip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Drag strip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|New Space Bridge Initiative]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Initiative]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Drag Strip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Drag Strip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Drag Strip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Drag Strip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Drag Strip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Drag Strip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Drag Strip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]] (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gaskets Patrol Type]] (30)
*Velocitronian race announcers (31)
*[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]] (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the various kinds of [[color changing]], noting it as the result of a variety of power ups, including the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s [[Energon Matrix]] and the G2 era recolors explained as a result of [[forestonite]] (the Transformers' coloration in the [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]] in "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]" is linked by this story indicating that it contained forestonite).
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the one that serves as the setting of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "The Killing Jar".
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as was shown in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] brags about being driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]]; he was indeed the driver of the F-1 formula car that became Drag Strip, as shown in "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]".
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] that served as a plot point for part of [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]].
*Drag Strip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Drag Strip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*[[Velocitron]] was the setting of a good portion of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]]. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is noted as the planet's leader, which indeed happened in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] are shown as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]]. Knock Out bemoans being foiled by [[oil]] again, referring to a similar experience in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning." The images of the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' cartoon are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade."
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three components of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced as a new series, unconnected to the other two. English media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous unvierse was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]," in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone." The Japanese version of the episode did not directly link this fog to Unicron, as the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' was greatly minimized for the Japanese version as part of the continuity split; the link was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (Cybertron)|Fury]]," when recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be been lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] at the end of the story. He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]," the final episode of ''Energon,'' and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada/Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]].
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to put the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*"[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to [[Blurr (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]].
*Drag Strip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-14T20:03:52Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and Micron Trilogy cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Drag Strip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|Multiverse Space Bridge Initiative]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Drag Strip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Drag Strip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Drag strip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|New Space Bridge Initiative]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Initiative]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Drag Strip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Drag Strip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Drag Strip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Drag Strip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Drag Strip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Drag Strip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Drag Strip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]] (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gaskets Patrol Type]] (30)
*Velocitronian race announcers (31)
*[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]] (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the various kinds of [[color changing]], noting it as the result of a variety of power ups, including the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s [[Energon Matrix]] and the G2 era recolors explained as a result of [[forestonite]] (the Transformers' coloration in the [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]] in "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]" is linked by this story indicating that it contained forestonite).
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the one that serves as the setting of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "The Killing Jar".
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as was shown in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] brags about being driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]]; he was indeed the driver of the F-1 formula car that became Drag Strip, as shown in "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]".
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] that served as a plot point for part of [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]].
*Drag Strip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Drag Strip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*[[Velocitron]] was the setting of a good portion of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]]. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is noted as the planet's leader, which indeed happened in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] are shown as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]]. Knock Out bemoans being foiled by [[oil]] again, referring to a similar experience in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning." The images of the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' cartoon are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade."
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three components of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced as a new series, unconnected to the other two. English media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous unvierse was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]," in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone." The Japanese version of the episode did not directly link this fog to Unicron, as the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' was greatly minimized for the Japanese version as part of the continuity split; the link was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (episode)|Fury]]," when recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be been lumped in with it here.
*That's probably a ''Cybertron''-universe incarnation of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] at the end of the story. He notes that soon, "a giant Energon Star will reset this universe," which seems to call back to the formation of the [[Energon Sun]] in "[[The Sun]]," the final episode of ''Energon,'' and suggests it may have been involved in the events that ended the ''Armada/Energon'' universe and created the ''Cybertron'' universe. The sun was also key to the approach English-language media took to its handling of the continuity discrepancies of the trilogy; there, stories from the [[Transformers Collectors Club]] established that the sun collapsed into a black hole that warped reality itself, creating the disparities between series.

===Transformers references===
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]].
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to put the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*"[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to [[Blurr (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]].
*Drag Strip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-14T19:55:49Z

Chris McFeely:

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers New Legends]]''
|prev=Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)
|next=
|seriesissue2= ''[[The Transformers: End of G1 Universe|The Transformers: End of G1 Universe]]'' Chapter Three
|prev2=
|next2=
|image=End of G1 Universe 03.jpg
|caption=
|title="Mystery of Speedia 500"
|japanese=スピーディア500の謎
|romaji=Speedia 500 no Nazo
|publisher=[[TakaraTomy]]
|story by=
|art by=
|packaged with=
|date=[[2026]] [[April 14]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] and Micron Trilogy cartoon continuity
|manga=[[Hayato Sakamoto]]
|color=[[Tai Koshii]] (1, 2, 3, 8, 18p), [[Gufu Kandagawa]] (4, 5, 6p), [[Tasuku Tajima]] (7p), [[Lebanon Sugi]] (9, 10, 21p), [[Usakomu]] (11, 12, 13p), [[Rakurai Tsunetaka]] (1, 14, 15, 16, 23p) [[Ricken]] (17, 18p), [[Yuki Ohshima]] (19, 20p), [[DAI-XT]] (24p)
|editor=[[Kouji Nimura]]
|chronology=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline#100,000+ years from now|The End]]
}}

'''Seeking a power source to save their universe, the Stunticons end up in a multiversal race.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard [[Untite]]'s [[Orcanoch|ship]], [[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] explains to [[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] that [[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]]'s green color and his dark amber color is the result of exposure to righteous [[Angolmois Energy]] and malevolent Angolmois Energy, respectively, examples of the [[color changing]] phenomenon. Such color changes can come from all sorts of power ups, including those induced by [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and [[forestonite]] during the G2 era. Forestonite has the same power as Energon Matrices, and this is why the veteran [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] have embarked on a journey to find more forestonite.

In the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Stunticons find a [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], intending to go through to the other side. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], ever pessimistic, doesn't mind the risk, what with the universe ending and all, while [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] relishes the thrill. [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], on the other end, is terrified and not very good at hiding it. [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], on the other hand, is frustrated because this kind of space exploration isn't for him. He was built to be number one in racing, and none of this stuff interests him. After he crosses the line in insulting the other Stunticons, [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] shuts down the whining, pointing out that they got this important job thanks to their record as a former scout squad, but get violent when the dismissive F-1 racer brings up his leader's rivalry with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Crossing into the black hole, the Stunticons and the ship are affected by the dimension's forestonite particles, inducing a G2-style color change in their bodies. In [[2010]], [[The Killing Jar|four Transformers had went into a black hole and experienced similar changes]], but did not investigate why then. Now it is realized that it was the result of the presence of forestonite. The Stunticons spot a rift that's pulling them in, and they willingly decide to enter.

On the other side, they find the planet [[Velocitron]] during one of its many races. In the race, the [[New Decepticon Army]] attempts to use their [[rocket car]] to interfere with the racing [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], but he manages to escape their clutches with [[Cyber Key]] power, and the trio of malicious doofuses end up crashing and arrested by [[Gasket Police Type|police]]. The scenario speaks to Drag Strip's inner soul as a racer. The Stunticons are brought before [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]], who explains that Velocitron is now a destination of [[multiverse|multiversal]] travel since the denizens of this universe began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|Multiverse Space Bridge Initiative]]. Looking up their origin, Flatline determines the Stunticons to be from the [[G1 World]] during the G2 era and, despite Motormaster's protestations, impresses them into racers to help generate energy for the planet and marks them with the G2 Decepticon insginia. The doctor also gives them new livery to reflect their forestonite-granted abilities. When they're let go, Motormaster ignores the entire racing thing, wanting to get back to their actual goal, which upsets Drag Strip, who swears off the other Stunticons to race to his heart's content. Motormaster doesn't appreciate the insubordination and walks off on his own to complete their mission to save their universe. Drag Strip runs into Hot Shot, and the two gas each other up for the next race.

In the next [[Speedia 500]] race, many Transformers from different universes participate: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Wasp]] from the [[Animated World]]; [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] from the [[Prime World]]; [[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] from the [[Cyberverse World]]; champion and leader of Velocitron, Hot Shot; and Drag strip from the G1 World. The other three Stunticons survey the race's spectators, figuring that they're all from worlds in their post-war era and decide to join the race. Elsewhere, Motormaster, figuring he should learn about this universe's history, runs into the [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], who offers to serve as Motormaster's guide.

The race begins and Breakdown manages to take out both Knock Out and the other Breakdown with his oil-leaking. Wildrider's swerving causes Wasp to peter out, and Prowl jumps on the reckless Stunticon, forcing both off the racetrack—Wildrider activates his anti-grav gear and the two career off into the sky. Dead End uses his fireball charge to rush through the Cyberverse racers, and Shadow Striker is forced to take care of a disassembled Lockdown.

In the "Shrine of Speedia", Jolt explains to Motormaster about his universe: after stopping the [[Unicron Singularity|Grand Black Hole]] that threatened their world, they began the [[Space Bridge Initiative|New Space Bridge Initiative]] to connect the scattered Transformer colonies. Motormaster, realizing that if this universe's denizens could save their world from destruction, the same could happen for the G1 World, is elated with hope. Jolt continues that the Space Bridge project developed into multiversal travel so that they could connect and collaborate with other universes. Motormaster speculates that his world could perhaps evacuate its population to those other worlds if needed. Spotting a display of the [[Ancient]]s who began the original [[Space Bridge Initiative]], Motormaster recognizes one of them as his rival on the road, [[Autobot]] [[Supreme Commander]] Optimus Prime!

In the race, Dead End continues careening out of control as a fireball. He muses that perhaps it's finally his time to go and thinks back to his good times with the other Stunticons before he's rescued by Breakdown. Their tearful conversation elicits applause from the crowd, and the two sit out the rest of the race. It's down to the final two racers—Hot Shot and Drag Strip—as they enter a tunnel. Hot Shot uses his Cyber Key power to speed ahead, but Drag Strip has a trick up his sleeve; using his G2 power of Shadowstrip of moving instantaneously in darkness, the Stunticon slips ahead of his opponent and wins the race. But just before he cross the finish line, Wildrider and Prowl crash into Drag Strip from the sky. Hot Shot rushes to help the hurt racer. Drag Strip doesn't appreciate the Autobot stopping the race just to help a fallen opponent, but Hot Shot points out that he did cross the goal already, even if his run ended in an accident. Hot Shot explains to Drag Strip that he had previously spurred help to win races, but that he was able to gain his first win with the help of his friends, just as Drag Strip had with his Stunticon comrades taking out the other racers (even if it's against the rules...).

Celebrations are interrupted when the ''Nemesis'' goes out of control and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] is called in to handle the wayward ship. To defend their ride, Motormaster transforms into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] by himself prompting Drag Strip to declare that it's their duty to help their leader. The four Stunticons combine, finishing up G2 Menasor and allowing him access to all of their superpowers. With a ruby as lens, Menasor fells Metroplex with the Container Laser Cannon. Before the battle can continue, Jolt rushes to stop the commotion, explaining to the giant Autobot the Stunticons' purpose in this universe. He has talked with their [[Primus]], who has explained that such color changes have occurred both in the unvierse that existed "before this one was created," and also in the past of this universe, where they were brought on a dark fog generated by the power of [[Unicron#Unicron Trilogy|Unicron]], the dark god who was destroyed in the previous universe. The Stunticons recognize this Unicron as different from [[Unicron/Generation 1|the one they know]] and suppose that the dark fog must be a form of [[Angolmois Energy]]. The ''Nemesis'', revealing its erratic behavior as the result of strange fog, crashes and a figure emerges from the spaceship. It reveals itself as Nemesis Prime! Looking from afar, [[Shockblast|a cycloptic figure]] is satisfied with this turn of events, noting that a giant [[energon star]] will reset this universe...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Lio Convoy (BW)|Lio Convoy]] (1)
*[[Dark Amber Leo Prime]] (2)
*[[Blue Bolts (RID)|Bluebolt]] (3)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'' (4)
*''[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'' (5)
*''[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]]'' (6)
*''[[X-Brawn]]'' (7)
*''[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'' (9)
*''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (10)
*''[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]'' (18)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (19)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (21)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (23)
*[[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (35)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (36)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (37)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (39)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (44)
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (45)
*[[Blurr (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] (48)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (50)
*[[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] (51)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (52)
*''[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]'' (53)
*''[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'' (54)
*''[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]]'' (55)
*''[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'' (56)
*''[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]]'' (57)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'' (59)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (60)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (61)
*''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (64)
*''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]'' (65)
*''[[Ancient]]s'' (66-69)
*[[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (70)
*[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (71)
*[[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] (73)
}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
{{collist|2|
*''[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'' (8)
*[[Untite]] (11)
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis/Nemesis Prime]] (12)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (14)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (15)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (16)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (17)
*''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (20)
*[[Runamuck (Cybertron)|Runamuck]] (22)
*[[Runabout (Cybertron)|Runabout]] (24)
*[[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] (26)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] (28)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (29)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (33)
*[[Wasp]] (38)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (41)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (42)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (43)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (46)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (47)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (49)
*''[[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]'' (58)
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (62)
*''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (62)
*''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (63)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (72)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (74)
*[[Shockblast]]? (75)}}

|c4=
*[[Gasket Patrol Type|Gaskets Patrol Type]] (30)
*Velocitronian race announcers (31)
*[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]] (32)
*Scanning computer (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story makes extensive reference to the various kinds of [[color changing]], noting it as the result of a variety of power ups, including the [[Autobot Brothers|Car Robo Brothers]] acquiring their super modes from [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|God Magnus]]'s [[Energon Matrix]] and the G2 era recolors explained as a result of [[forestonite]] (the Transformers' coloration in the [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]] in "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]" is linked by this story indicating that it contained forestonite).
*The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were shown to start their journey to find new energy sources in [[Age of Primes (End of G1 Universe)|the previous chapter]]. That story also features the mentioned unification of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] population under the "Maximal" banner and the abolishment of the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy]] system.
*The black hole encountered by the Stunticons is either based on, or is the one that serves as the setting of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episode "The Killing Jar".
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] mentions the Stunticons participating in demolition derbies, as was shown in the ''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' [[Today Is Us Stunticons' Annual Holiday Demolition Race!|chapter for Menasor]].
*Wildrider and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] are portrayed as friends, in reference to their appearance together in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]". The narration added to the Japanese dub of that episode erroneously claimed the two characters featured in the scene were the [[Battlecharger]]s, a mistake that is here, pretty bizarrely, patched over by having Wildrider state that he and Dead End once "switched bodies" with the Battlechargers.
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] brags about being driven by the racer known as [[Mueller]]; he was indeed the driver of the F-1 formula car that became Drag Strip, as shown in "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]".
*The rift the Stunticons encounter in the black hole is based on the [[rift]] that served as a plot point for part of [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|the ''Energon'' cartoon]].
*Drag Strip notes that he's changed his name; his original [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] name was "Drag Stripe" (ドラッグストライプ). It's been changed to "Drag Strip" (ドラッグストリップ) to align with Hasbro nomenclature and the name the [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' toy]] is sold under in Japan. Menasor's name also changes in spelling (メナゾール to メナソー), but this goes unmentioned.
*[[Velocitron]] was the setting of a good portion of the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]]. [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] is noted as the planet's leader, which indeed happened in "[[Beginning]]", the final episode of the series. Also present are the planet's flying race announcers and a scanning computer from "[[Race]]".
*The [[New Decepticon Army]] makes a reappearance, sans [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], whose heart was never in the new group.
*Hot Shot uses his [[Cyber Key]], a power-up gimmick established in the ''Cybertron'' franchise.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] states that the new Space Bridge project set up in "Beginning" developed into a multiversal effort connecting different worlds, explaining the crossover of various characters in the previous "[[Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1|Velocitron Speedia 500]]" comics.
*[[Prowl (Animated)|''Animated'' Prowl]] is shown with an [[AllSpark]] fragment in his chest, explaining why he's alive when he died in in [[Endgame, Part II|the finale]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. [[Wasp]] is shown reverted to his original non-[[technorganic]] self and noted to be found innocent of his presumed crime, having been framed by [[Shockwave (Animated)|''Animated'' Shockwave]] in "[[Autoboot Camp]]". Wasp still has hard feelings towards [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for believing the ruse.
*''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] are shown as a couple, a common take on their relationship in the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]]. Knock Out bemoans being foiled by [[oil]] again, referring to a similar experience in "[[Speed Metal]]".
*The presentation that [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] shows Motormaster is the documentary he and Bud were shown recording in "Beginning." The images of the screens are direct recreations of "talking head" interview segments seen in the episode, and show Override, Scourge, Leobreaker, and Thundercracker (hefting a girder, with a lopsided Autobot symbol pasted onto his chest). Jolt mentions that Bud is now "famous"; the closing credits of "Beginning" established that he'd grow up to be an award-winning director.
*The [[Ancient|originators of the first Space Bridge project]] from the ''Cybertron'' cartoon are shown; they were visually based on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] assumes that the "Optimus Prime" he sees is the same as the one he knows, but whether he's right is left unconfirmed.
*The ruby that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] pulls out is the same one (or one very like the one) that Motormaster stole in the Generation 1 episode "[[Masquerade]]," in which was a key component needed for that episode's new Decepticon superweapon. Menasor specifically notes he's combining it with the "lens" in his cannon; an experimental laser lens was also a component of the weapon in "Masquerade."
*Jolt mentions talking to "Lord [[Primus]]", who was a centerpiece character of ''Cybertron'' and possessed Jolt himself in that cartoon to serve some exposition.
*The information Jolt has acquired from Primus regards the continuity issues of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] universe. Put briefly, the three components of the trilogy, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'',''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' were ''meant'' to all be set in one connected universe, but in Japan, ''Cybertron'' wound up being produced as a new series, unconnected to the other two. English media would try to retcon it back into continuity as best it could; Japanese sources have dithered on the matter. In this story, it is strongly intimated that the "universe that existed before" the world of ''Cybertron'' is the one in which ''Armada'' and ''Energon'' took place, and that that world "ended" or was "reset" somehow, creating the ''Cybertron'' universe.
*To wit: the "power that could change one's colour" in the previous unvierse was displayed various times, such as when the [[Mini-Con]]s powered-up several Transformers into their "Powerlinx" forms in the ''Armada'' episode "[[Puppet]]"; when the energy of Primus recoloured several Autobots in the ''Energon'' episode "[[Optimus Supreme]]"; or when [[Super Energon]] achieved the same effect on [[Megatron (Energon)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] in "[[Wishes]]."
*The "dark fog" incident took place in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]," in which a mysterious black fog saved Megatron from death, and was used to achieve various effects, including recolouring and powering-up Crumplezone into "Dark Crumplezone." The Japanese version of the episode did not directly link this fog to Unicron, as the dark god's importance to the story of ''Cybertron'' was greatly minimized for the Japanese version as part of the continuity split; the link was established by the English version. A similar black foggy effect was also seen in the later episode "[[Fury (episode)|Fury]]," when recolour-power-upped into Galvatron; that wasn't explicitly a Unicron thing in either version, but it might be been lumped in with it here.

===Transformers references===
*Velocitron's police force is made up of [[Gasket Patrol Type|officers]] based on Ransack's "[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Patrol Type]]" toy exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]].
*Flatline's nurse assistant is based on Thunderblast's "[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Minerva|Chromia White Version]]" toy exclusive to the first printing of the ninth volume of [[Victor Entertainment]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' DVDs. Her status as a nurse is due to the fact that the deco was based on ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' medic [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]]. This deco was previously used for the new "[[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]]" character and so we've elected to put the nurse on that page for simplicity.
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] compliments the [[Legends World]]'s system of labeling universes as simple and understandable by kids, a soft rib against the complex [[universal stream]] terminology established by [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]'' stories (and later utilized in ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'').
*"[[Blurr (G1)|Comic Universe Blurr]]" is shown serving [[energon]] to [[Blurr (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Blurr]] from a [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] booth.
*The displays in Velocitron's shrine include views into other universes represented by then-recent toys: an [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW-esque]] universe, in which [[Tarn (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy'' Tarn]] faces off against [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Adamas Machina|''Adamas Machina'' Rodimus]], with a [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|spark flower]] visible between them; a ''[[Hearts of Steel]]''-style universe, where the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Timelines|Timelines]]'' toys based on that comic fight; and a ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' universe where [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] confronts [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]].
*Drag Strip's forestonite-granted power is called "[[Shadowstrip]]", the name given to Hasbro's 2022 ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' toy based on his ''Generation 2'' colouration.
*''[[Missing Link]]'' "Nemesis Prime" emerges from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Indeed, that toy's bio mentions that Nemesis Prime is an incarnation of the ship's AI.

===Real-world references===
*The group of [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] behave according to the trope established by the villainous Marjo's Gang trio in ''{{w|Time Bokan}}'', which went on to inspire many similar trios in later Japanese media.

===Other notes===

==References==
*[https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf_nl/nl-02-web-comic "Mystery of Speedia 500" at the TakaraTomy ''New Legends'' website]

[[Category:End of G1 Universe issues]]
[[Category:New Legends issues]]

Mystery of the Speedia 500

2026-04-14T19:26:36Z

Chris McFeely: u

The Test (issue)

2026-04-13T10:47:17Z

Chris McFeely:

{{disambig2|the Blackthorne comic issue|the ''Robots in Disguise'' episode|The Test (episode)}}
{{comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers in 3-D|The Transformers 3-D]]'' #1
|next=Transformers in 3-D issue 2
|image=TF3D-1.jpg
|caption=These poses were good enough for the toys. They're good enough for the comic.
|title="The Test"
|publisher=[[Blackthorne Publishing]]
|coverdate=Fall 1987
|script=[[Tim Tobolski]]
|art=[[Tim Tobolski]] and [[Bob Versandi]]
}}
'''The Transformers investigate a potential source of energon. But who's studying who?'''

==Synopsis==
[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] leaves [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] in charge on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and goes to check out an [[energon]]-rich asteroid in [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Meanwhile, the [[Decepticon]]s are closing in on the same asteroid from the opposite direction in [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], while [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] grumbles about how [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] seems to have become [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s favored pet. [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] and Cyclonus leave their respective bases in search of the energon traces they've detected, and find [[little informant|small organic creatures]].

Galvatron is infuriated and abuses Cyclonus until he leaves to conduct experiments on the hapless creature he found. Ultra Magnus is happy to let Lightspeed test the creature brought back to Fortress Maximus. In the meanwhile, Magnus checks in with Hot Rod, who reports they're making progress on [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster technology]]. Over in Scorponok, Galvatron contacts [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], who's preparing to make things exciting for Hot Rod.

Cyclonus and Lightspeed, working independently, both discover that the creatures have digestive systems which process raw matter into energon. The Autobots send [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] out to see if they can find any more of the creatures, and he stumbles on Scorponok. At the same time, Galvatron sends Ratbat out, and the diminutive Decepticon happens on Fortress Maximus. The Autobots quickly detect him and give chase. Searchlight trips one of Scorponok's alarms, so the Decepticons begin pursuing him.

Both parties run into each other at the middle point between the two bases, and before long, Maximus and Scorponok have joined the battle. The two aliens observe from behind a rock, noting the Transformer predilection for violence, and wondering why their masters wanted the contents of the Autobot and Decepticon data banks. Shortly thereafter, they teleport away to turn the data over to a [[Quintesson]]...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (2)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (3)
*[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] (4)
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (5)
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (6)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (15)
|c2=*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (7)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (8)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (9)
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (10)
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (11)
*[[Fasttrack (G1)|Fasttrack]] (14)
*[[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (16)
*[[Pounce]] or [[Wingspan]] (17)
*[[Pounce]] or [[Wingspan]] (18)
*[[Flywheels]] (19)
|h3=Others
|c3=
*[[little informant|Decepticon informant]] (12)
*Autobot informant (13)
*[[Quintesson]] (20)}}

==Quotes==
"Cy-Cyclonus to base. Come in, Mighty Galvatron." 
"CYCLONUS, YOU COLOSSAL IDIOT!!"
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Galvatron'''

"Ah, Scourge, did you ever get the feeling you've reached the epitome of evil?"
:—'''Galvatron'''

"Autobots! Head for cover! I'll watch your behinds!" 
"Every Decepticon for himself!"
:—'''Lightspeed''' and '''Cyclonus''' demonstrate the subtle differences between Autobot and Decepticon.

==Notes==
*This issue does not include any information on the creative team, but they are credited in adverts for the series published in other Blackthorne comics.
*Galvatron seems amazed that they've discovered "a source of true energon just inside our [[galaxy]]!" Wow! Who knew energon was so scarce you had to go to other ''galaxies'' to find it?
*"Cybertonian" is consistently used instead of the usual "Cybertronian".
*''Everyone'' has a lab. Cyclonus goes to his lab, Hot Rod works in his lab, Fortress Maximus has a lab...
*The interior notes state that this issue is "''Blackthorne 3-D Series'' #25".
*Although Fortress Maximus and Scorponok are featured, [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] (as such) appear not to have been created yet. Hot Rod makes a reference to "making some progress" on the technology, having found a planet (apparently [[Nebulos]]) "with the proper capability about 7 parsecs away."
*Hot Rod also makes a strange comment that "Rodimus" would show up if there's trouble...like Clark Kent knowing [[Superman]]'s nearby...[[Punch (G1)|real nearby]].

===Advertisements===
*''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] Magazine'' (inside front cover)
*''The Flintsones'', ''Gumby'', ''Bozo'' 3-D fun (remaining ads after story)
*''The Official How to Draw Robotech'' book #5
*''The Flintstones'' 3-D #2
*Blackthorne Publishing
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' 3-D (inside back cover)
*''BraveStarr in 3D'' (back cover)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Test (issue)}}
[[Category:Blackthorne issues]]

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)

2026-04-13T10:08:38Z

Chris McFeely: /* Continuity notes */

{{nav-rotb}} 
{{movie|
|seriess=[[Live-action film series]]
|prev=Bumblebee (film)
|next=
|title=''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''
|image=Transformers Rise of the Beasts Theatrical Poster.jpeg
|caption=So for now, let the battle be here, on this strange, primitive world. And let it be called... Beast Wars!
|production companies=[[Skydance Media]] [[Entertainment One]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]] [[New Republic Pictures]] [[Michael Bay|Bay Films]]
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]] [[Brian Goldner]] [[Brian Oliver]] [[Bradley J. Fischer]] [[Valerii An]] [[David Ellison]] [[Dana Goldberg]] [[Don Granger]]
|producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Michael Bay]] [[Mark Vahradian]] [[Duncan Henderson]]
|story by=[[Joby Harold]]
|screenplay by=[[Joby Harold]] [[Darnell Metayer]] [[Josh Peters]] [[Erich Hoeber]] [[Jon Hoeber]]
|directed by=[[Steven Caple Jr.]]
|cinematography by=[[Enrique Chediak]]
|edited by=[[Stuart Levy]] [[Brett M. Reed]]
|music by=[[Jongnic Bontemps]]
|release date=[[June 9]], [[2023]]
|continuity=[[Live-action film series]]
|runtime=127 minutes <ref>https://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/C0D78E2B005A16FE</ref>
|budget=$200 million
|box office=$438.9 million<ref>https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt5090568/</ref>
}}

'''''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''''' is the seventh film in the [[live-action film series]], serving both as a sequel to ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' and a tribute to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''. The film is directed by [[Steven Caple Jr.]] and written by [[Joby Harold]], [[Darnell Metayer]], [[Josh Peters]], [[Erich Hoeber]], and [[Jon Hoeber]]. Originally expected to be released on [[June 28]], [[2019]],<ref name="toyfairreveal">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/02/12/transformers-5-transformers-6-bumblebee-spin-off-movie-revealed-309503 Transformers 5, Transformers 6 And Bumblebee Spin-Off Movie Revealed] ToyFair news at TFW2005</ref> the film was delayed multiple times until finally being released on [[June 9]], [[2023]].<ref name="2023release"/>

When [[Noah Díaz]], a struggling young man trying to provide for his family, is roped into a conflict between the marooned [[Autobot]]s and the recently arrived [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]], he must learn to work with weary Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] so they, with the help of the wise [[Maximal]]s and the unadventurous researcher [[Elena Wallace]], can stop the arrival of the planet-eater [[Unicron]].

{{bigquote|Maximals...!}}
{{bigquote|Autobots...!}}
{{bigquote|Roll out!|[[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:ROTBcap-Unicronringedplanet.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|This is one unusual planet... whatever it is.]]

Somewhere in time and space, the dark god [[Unicron]] and his minions invade a [[Jungle Planet (colony)|jungle world]] populated by [[Maximal]]s. Unicron, seeking a way to cross galaxies, sends his [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] herald [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] to retrieve the [[Transwarp Key]], an advanced device that can open portals in space-time. Although the Maximals attempt to fight back, their leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]] entrusts [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] with the Transwarp Key and orders him to keep the artifact from Unicron. As Primal and his followers—including [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]], [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]], and [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]]—use the key to escape their doomed planet and flee to prehistoric [[Earth]], Scourge kills Apelinq after a brief fight and takes his [[insignia]] as a trophy.

Thousands of years later, in June [[1994]], ex-military electronics expert [[Noah Díaz]] attempts to find a job to support his sick brother [[Kris Díaz|Kris]]. However, after another failed interview, his friend [[Reek]] convinces him to steal an expensive car from a nearby hotel. However, the "car" turns out to be the Autobot [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] in disguise, who takes the terrified Noah on a joyride through the streets of [[New York City]]. At the same time, a museum on Ellis Island comes into possession of an unusual stone falcon with a Maximal insignia. After closing hours, museum intern [[Elena Wallace]] investigates the statue and accidentally breaks it open to reveal half of the Transwarp Key. The artifact releases an energy pulse that attracts the attention of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and the other Autobots, who have been stranded on Earth since their evacuation of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] [[Bumblebee (film)|seven years prior]]. Prime summons the nearest Autobots—[[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], and Mirage, who arrives at the meeting spot with Noah in tow. Although Optimus distrusts humans, he believes that they can use the Transwarp Key to return home and liberate their homeworld; eventually, Mirage hatches a scheme to sneak into the museum and have Noah steal the key for them.

[[File:Scourge about to blast bee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|A treacherous, underhanded sneak attack! I like you, pussycat, yes.]]

Unbeknownst to the Autobots, the accidental activation of the Transwarp Key summons the Terrorcons to Earth. Noah meets Elena inside the museum, but cannot convince her to turn over the relic before the Terrorcons attack; despite Prime's best efforts, Scourge successfully overpowers the Autobot leader, steals the Transwarp Key, and mortally injures Bumblebee before Airazor arrives to help drive the villains away. Airazor explains that the Maximals have been on Earth for millennia, and deliberately split the Transwarp Key in half to prevent Unicron or his followers from using it; she is the only survivor of the group watching over one half. The loss of Bumblebee only further galvanizes Optimus's resolve that they must reassemble the key and return home; Noah, fearful of Unicron's arrival, tells Elena that they must destroy the key to protect their own homeworld.

[[File:ROTB-Maximalstandoff.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Moderate your conflict circuits, Maximals.]]

Elena deduces that the other half of the key is located in a hidden temple in [[Peru]], and Prime recruits the airborne Autobot [[Stratosphere]] to take them there. Near the city of [[Cusco]], the Autobot [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] guides them to the temple, located beneath a [[Convent of Santo Domingo|local monastery]]. A festival prevents the Autobots from moving through the city inconspicuously; as a result, Noah and Elena must make the journey on foot. The pair discover a hidden mechanism that leads to a hidden temple with a stone sarcophogus but find that the other half of the key is no longer inside it. The Terrorcons attack again, and although the Autobots are able to evade the villains, the conflict ends with Scourge infecting Airazor with a portion of Unicron's dark energy. On the other side of the temple, Noah and Elena encounter Optimus Primal, Cheetor, and Rhinox, who, after a brief standoff that is defused by Airazor, agree to join forces with the Autobots. Optimus Primal explains that they entrusted their half of the Transwarp Key to a tribe of humans who live near the [[energon]]-rich valley that Primal and his followers inhabit—while Optimus Prime distrusts humanity, Primal has lived among them for millennia, and has come to view them as friends and even allies.

The next morning, however, Scourge's corruption finally overtakes Airazor; in the ensuing battle, Primal is forced to crush her spark to save Elena, while Noah makes an attempt to destroy their half of the Transwarp Key until Optimus convinces him to stand down. However, Scourge and the Terrorcons take advantage of the chaos to steal the other half of the key and relocate to a nearby volcano, which they reshape into a massive portal that will summon Unicron to Earth.

[[File:RotB-Optimusvsscourge.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|Across the galaxy, it has come to this, Optimus Primal. Face to face, tooth to claw, yes... have you anything to say?]]

Having found some common ground between their two races, Optimus Prime and Noah agree to work together; while the Autobot-Maximal alliance battle Unicron's minions, Noah and Elena attempt to sneak into the Terrorcon base and deactivate the [[Unspace|transwarp]] device with a manual shutdown code based on Elena's studies of the Maximal language. Mirage attempts to distract Scourge so that the humans can complete their mission, but the Terrorcon leader gravely injures him; with the last of his strength, Mirage reshapes his body into an [[exosuit]] for Noah. As Unicron begins pushing his way through the portal to Earth and sending down reinforcements in the form of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]s, the energy pulses released by the key ignite the nearby energon deposits and restore Bumblebee to life. As Bumblebee joins the fight, Optimus Prime gains the upper hand and finally kills Scourge, but not before the Terrorcon damages the console and leaves the heroes unable to close the portal. With no other options, Prime destroys the key and triggers a devastating implosion, but Noah and Primal successfully rescue the Autobot leader from falling into the collapsing vortex.

In the aftermath, the surviving Maximals remain in Peru, while the Autobots return to America. Elena is recognized for her archeological discovery, while Noah applies for another security job—but discovers that the job opportunity is actually a front for a clandestine government organization codenamed "[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]," who promise to cover his brother's treatment going forward.

Some time later, Noah has used spare Porsche parts to cobble together a new body for Mirage, and reveals his existence to a bewildered Reek.

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s / [[Maximal]]s|c1=
;Autobots
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] ([[Pete Davidson]])
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
* [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] ([[Liza Koshy]])
* [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] ([[Cristo Fernández]])
* [[Stratosphere]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

;Maximals
* [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] ([[Ron Perlman]])
* [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]] ([[Michelle Yeoh]])
* [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]] ([[Tongayi Chirisa]])
* [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]] ([[David Sobolov]])
* [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]] (David Sobolov)

|h2=[[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s / [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s|c2=
;Terrorcons
* [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] ([[Peter Dinklage]])
* [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] ([[Michaela Jaé Rodriguez]])
* [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] (David Sobolov)
* [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweep]]s
** [[Freezer]]
** [[Novakane]]

;Predacons
* [[Double Punch (ROTB)#Studio Series|Double Punch]]es
* [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]s

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
* [[Noah Díaz]] ([[Anthony Ramos]])
* [[Elena Wallace]] ([[Dominique Fishback]])
* [[Breanna Díaz]] ([[Luna Lauren Velez]])
* [[Kris Díaz]] ([[Dean Scott Vasquez]])
* [[Reek]] ([[Tobe Nwigwe]])
* [[Jillian Robinson]] ([[Sarah Stiles]])
* [[Bishop (ROTB)|Bishop]] ([[Aidan Devine]])
* [[D. Greene]] ([[Leni Parker]])
* [[Amaru]] ([[Lucas Huarancca]])
;[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]
* [[Agent Burke]] ([[Michael Kelly (actor)|Michael Kelly]])

|h4=Others|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[Colman Domingo]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

==Quotes==
"There’s a legend that precedes the dawn of our civilization: a vile god so large, so powerful, that it consumed entire planets as fuel. Few believed such a thing could be true, until the day we saw Unicron with our own eyes…"
:—'''Optimus Primal's''' opening narration.

"I'll hold him off, buy you some time." 
"Then I'm staying with you." 
"This is my fight. Listen, if Unicron were to get the key, he could open a portal through [[Transwarp Drive|time and space]], with no end to the worlds he could destroy. It is now your time to lead the [[Maximal]]s... Optimus Primal."
:—'''Apelinq''' passing the torch to '''Optimus Primal'''.

"So you're this planet's... ''great'' warrior. You have such a beautiful world, filled with an abundance of life. Savory."
:—'''Scourge''' waxes poetic to Apelinq.

"Okay, what are the rules?" 
"Bros before hoes." 
''[Noah glares at Kris]'' 
''(sigh)'' "Don't be a problem. Don't go looking for a problem—" 
"Or else we're gonna have a problem."
:—'''Noah''' and '''Kris''' clarify the rules.

"I ain't breaking into a museum for some space robots." 
"But what about for friendship?" 
''[Noah stares at Mirage incredulously]'' 
"Uh, uh—or or ''or'', what about for cash?"
:—'''Noah''' wants out. '''Mirage''' wants him in.

''"You can't handle the truth!"'' 
"I do not want you going to that drive-in theater anymore."
:— '''Bumblebee's''' references grate on '''Optimus Prime'''.

"Stop following me!" 
"I'm not following you, I'm just escaping in the same direction!"
:—'''Elena''' and '''Noah''' run from the pursuing Sweeps.

"And you call yourself a Prime...Primus would be ''ashamed.''"
:—'''Scourge''' isn't too impressed with Optimus Prime.

"I'm going to take back Scourge's key, and then...''take off his head.''"
:—The origins of '''Optimus Prime's''' "GIVE ME YOUR FACE" phase.

"I love your fire, Prime, but you're going to die on this speck of dust." 
"I can think of no better place to bury you!"
:—'''Scourge''' has gotten on '''Optimus Prime's''' last nerve

"He is not ''the'' Optimus Prime I imagined." 
"Well, he has lost so much." 
"Many more will perish if the key falls into the wrong hands." 
"If you had another chance to save our home, would you act any differently?"
:—'''Optimus Primal''' and '''Airazor'''

"I am sorry, Noah." 
"You were looking out for your own. I can't even be angry at you for that." 
"On my homeworld, we believe that the battle with darkness will continue [['Til all are one|'til all are one]]. I lost sight of that. You fought for yours as I fought for mine, when we should've been fighting the darkness together." 
"Well, I ain't done fighting yet."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Noah''' have a moment as Unicron approaches.

"''I have come here to kick ass!''"
:—'''Bumblebee''' announces his return with a clear message.

"Time to show you the real power of a Prime!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' lays the smackdown on Scourge. An ass kicker cometh.

"Don't, Prime. I can give you everything you want." 
"Then DIE!"
:—'''Unicron's''' temptation falls flat in '''Optimus Prime's''' face.

"I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. We have lost the Transwarp Key, and with it, our ability to go home. But we have gained an ally in our battle against the forces of evil. Forces too powerful for any of us to defeat on our own, but together, we might just have a chance."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration. We missed them.

"I am Noah Díaz. What is there to know about me? I was raised out in Brooklyn. I got a little bro who calls me Sonic, and if I gotta help save the universe in order to help save the people I love, well then that's what I'm gonna do."
:—'''Noah''' does his own closing narration.

==Continuity notes==
''Rise of the Beasts'' is a direct sequel to 2018's ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' film, taking place seven years after its events, in 1994. The plot of the film has little impact on this one, beyond it being established that the Autobots have been stranded on Earth since arriving at its end. While waiting for Noah to infiltrate the museum, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee have a conversation that alludes to Bee's time with [[Charlie Watson]].

More notably, ''Rise of the Beasts'' serves to continue the heated debate among fans over whether or not the ''Transformers'' live-action film series has been rebooted, after reshoots to ''Bumblebee'' that served to distance it from the earlier films directed by [[Michael Bay]] introduced some significant discontinuities with Bay's films (2017's ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' in particular). Though fans were quick to jump on the idea that this meant the film was a total, hard reboot of the movie universe, Paramount has not committed to that idea; ''Rise of the Beasts'' was not promoted as a reboot any more than ''Bumblebee'' was, and many reviews of and articles about the film have casually referred to it as a prequel. Some web outlets would even run articles commenting on Paramount's hazy stance on the movie's (and ''Bumblebee''{{'}}s) place in continuity.<ref>[https://www.cbr.com/transformers-7-bumblebee-reboot-mistake "Rise of the Beasts Is Repeating Bumblebee's Worst Mistake" on CBR.com]</ref><ref>[https://movieweb.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-is-a-reboot/ "Why Does Paramount Keep Pretending Rise of the Beasts Is Not a Reboot?" on MovieWeb.com]</ref>

In-keeping with this, in the run-up to the film's release, like [[Travis Knight]] before him, director Steven Caple Jr. was reluctant to declare the film a full and total continuity reboot; notably, in one particular interview, he called the film "a reboot for sure," only to walk the statement back ten seconds later, instead saying that one "could call it a reboot" in terms of starting point, reframing it instead as a "refresher" and a "new direction," that nonetheless preserved many elements of the earlier films.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's a reboot for sure. The Bayverse... you can still watch the Bayverse and be on your own verse, so to speak. With us, we're definitely like, we want this to work, you know? We want people to... it's a refresher, so we can call reboot in terms of like, where we were starting. But yeah so definitely a new direction for sure. There's some things you could probably connect to it, clearly Bee is like a huge connection to all the movies, you know what I mean? In terms of his car, his design, a Camaro, and things like that, but... it's a very small one, in terms of the big ideas that we have. And so you guys will see definitely where we're going at the end of this film, which is crazy.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfMFxvT_-Q&t=2452s|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=The Alfonso Nation|title="BAYVERSE vs REBOOT" & Wheeljacks Design | ROTB DIRECTOR STEVEN CAPLE JR Interview!|year=2023|month=05|day=27}}</ref> Longtime producer [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] has taken a more explicit stance, repeatedly denying that the film is a reboot and stating that it is a prequel that shows how Optimus Prime grows to become the character seen in the Bay films.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Hey you know if you look at it from a timeline point of view, it follows ''Bumblebee''... but it is a prequel, in that it's before all the previous movies. So it sort of exists in its own way. What I don't think it is, is a reboot, because it's still our characters. One of the things that Steven brought to the table right from the beginning, which was so great, was the idea that when we meet Optimus Prime, he's different than what we think of him, and we're watching him grow up—if you would—as a leader. And for me that was one of the most exciting parts of the movie, and what was interesting was watching it with audiences, and at first they were uncomfortable a little bit, like, "wait, that's not exactly the Optimus... he should like humans!" You know? So I think it gives the movie a really interesting point of view, and that therefore it stands alone in that way.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11sKGYcq9k&t=871s|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=a panel at the premiere of ''Rise of the Beasts''|year=2023|month=05|day=26}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=But what's interesting is, and you will appreciate this as a fan, at the end of ''Bumblebee'', Optimus comes to Earth. What he's experienced is failure, probably for the first time in his life, right? He's had to retreat, he's leaving the planet Cybertron. What's happened to him from that experience? When we meet him in 2007, he's a particular person, if you would. In 1994, he's not the same person. He still has growth to do between ‘94 and 2007. So the character arc for Optimus in this, and the fun for the audience is, when you first meet Optimus – and we've had this experience because we've watched it with audiences and we've heard them talk about it – they're like, “It's definitely Optimus, but there's something a little different…” At first, they're like, “Wait, what, who… what Optimus is this?” And by the end of the movie, Optimus has become the guy that you've recognized from the Bay movies. Emotional.|link=https://collider.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-michael-bay-movies-producer-comments/|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=Collider|title='Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Producer on How It Differs From Michael Bay's Movies|year=2023|month=05|day=24}}</ref> But the same time, di Bonaventura has also conceded that they were "kicking the can down the road" when it came to continuity concerns, preferring to worry about it in the future, and that the films "maybe have" contradicted Bay's movies despite efforts not to.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Well, We are kicking the can down [the road] to worry about it in a little bit. But, the truth of the matter is, we really don’t want to contradict [Bay’s films]. We’re doing our best not to contradict, and maybe we have somewhere, but in general, we’re trying to pay very close attention to what we have done.|link=https://www.fandom.com/articles/transformers-rise-beast-wars-optimus-prime|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=Fandom.com|title=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Shows a Different Side of Optimus Prime|year=2023|month=06|day=07}}</ref> These particular claims line up with statements made by Caple after the film's release, in which he stated he is "not worried" about continuity, and is just focused on making the best choices for each individual movie's story. He cites 2007's ''Transformers'' and ''Dark of the Moon'' as "his classics," and says he would "love to stay within that line," but does not feel compelled to adhere much to ''Age of Extinction'' and ''The Last Knight,'' since he views their stories as the result of creators "freestyling," and doubts that "anyone knew exactly where they were going with [them]."<ref>{{citesocial|quote=For me, I’m not like fully worried about it. There are things I would love to stay within that line, but at a certain point, we all know it, Bay has admitted it, I had certain conversations with him like, in terms of tracking the storyline by movie 3, 4 and 5 (5 specifically, I would say), now it’s kinda like (...) they were freestyling. (...) So like, for me, I’m not worried about it, it’s about what’s best for the movie. For me, I have my classics. We got movie 1 with Sam Witwicky, it’s a classic. Then we got 3, some of the best action I’ve seen in any movie, best Transformers battles, like it was really good. Those are the movies, they’re like stand-alones. For us, we just make sure about our story and if it tracks through each one [we make]. If we try to hold ourselves to what another storyline/ timeline was, we’d definitely be in trouble. Cause at a certain point, I don’t think anyone knew exactly where they were going with 4 and 5.|link=https://www.seibertron.com/transmissions/rise-of-the-beasts-director-confirms-that-continuity-is-not-a-concern-within-the-transformers-film-franchise/47813/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Seibertron.com|title=Rise of the Beasts Director Confirms that Continuity is not a Concern within the Transformers Film Franchise|year=2023|month=07|day=15}}</ref> And that's... probably about as good an answer as we're going to get right now.

Whichever approach you subscribe to, it's pretty clear the decision to set the film in 1994 was one primarily made to avoid having to directly deal with the timeframe of the Bay movies in any capacity, and tell a new story free of their immediate baggage — the "can-kicking" Lorenzo spoke of. For what it's worth, the film takes some steps to preserve the broad continuity of at least the first Bay film; the Transwarp Key's energy is explicitly stated to operate on a frequency that humans cannot perceive, meaning that they literally cannot ''see'' the huge sky-beam, while massive storm clouds appear to hide the appearance of Unicron from public view. As such, the film ends with the general population of Earth (beyond secret forces within the US government) still entirely unaware of the Transformers' existence, as was the case when the 2007 film began. As the time-gap between these "prequels" and the first movie narrows, though, it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine them fitting together without a lot of hand-waving away of specific details, unless future movies actually start making active attempts to address this.

In terms of active contradictions to established continuity, ''Rise of the Beasts'' appears to take the same approach as ''Bumblebee'' and ignores the events of ''The Last Knight'' by depicting Unicron as a separate planet, rather than the Earth itself, as he appeared in that film. However, it's probably important to note that the film lightly implies that the Maximals are time-travellers from the future (see "Transformers references" for more details), which would mean that the Unicron who appears in this film is also from the future. Thus it ''could'' be argued that his appearance here doesn't technically contradict ''The Last Knight''—but of course, that would mean he was trying to eat his own past self.

==Transformers references==
* The Maximals are broadly depicted the same as they were in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon: as a "highly-advanced race" of beast-mode Transformers who use transwarp technology to travel to other planets and interact with their native species, whose travels bring them to ancient Earth. Steven Caple Jr. has noted that earlier drafts of the screenplay explicitly depicted the Maximals as time-travellers from the future, as they were in the cartoon, and while the concept is so toned down for the finished movie that it probably won't even occur to general audiences, several references to the idea are still made on-screen. Transwarp technology is stated to open portals in time as well as space; Airazor states that the Maximals are "from both [the Autobots'] past and future"; and Optimus Primal says that he is named after the "legendary" Optimus Prime, which all combine to suggest that the Maximals originate from the future.
* The idea of the Maximals hailing from a [[Jungle Planet (colony)|jungle planet]] originates in [[IDW Publishing]]'s comic books, which depicted many ''Beast Wars'' characters as the residents of the planet Eukaris. The planet is implied to be one of many colonised by Transformers in ages past using space bridges generated by the Transwarp Key, before the planets became separated and the key "lost." This concept of a great era of Cybertronian expansion that led to the foundation of lost colonies on other planets where Cybertronian life evolved in new and different directions dates back to 2005's [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]], and became a recurring element in ''Transformers'' series in the 2010s and beyond after it was incorporated into the lore of the [[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]].
* Unicron's armies being named the "Terrorcons" hearkens back to both 2004's ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' and 2010's ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'', which both featured the power of Unicron being used to create armies of warriors known as Terrorcons. In particular, the corrupted Airazor's rusted appearance resembles the ''Prime'' Terrorcons, which were also rusted, dilapidated, shambling bots controlled by the will of another.
* Though not identified by name onscreen, Unicron's army includes multiple duplicates of a robotic scorpion identified by the movie's toyline as "Predacon Scorponok." The idea of "Scorponok" being a mass-produced "species" of robots has recently been seen in the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|''War for Cybertron'' cartoon]], where both [[Scorponok (G1)|Generation 1 Scorponok]] ''and'' [[Scorponok (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Scorponok]] were treated this way.
* The Maximals vow to keep the Transwarp Key hidden and safeguard life "no matter the cost," evoking Optimus Prime's iconic line from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost."
* Optimus Prime's design features alterations from his earlier ''Bumblebee'' appearance that are influenced by his appearance in the first three Bay films; he has silver hands, feet, sun visors, angled chest windows, retractable orange [[Dual Energon Swords|Energon swords]], a handheld orange [[Energon-axe]] (which transforms out of his arm, coincidentally similar to the [[Optimus Prime (ES)|''Earthspark'' version]]), and a mask-less face sporting similar details.
* Arcee transforms into a {{w|Ducati}} motorcycle, like her ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' incarnation, and the design of her arms and deployable cannons seem to be directly inspired by her [[Arcee (WFC)|''Prime'' counterpart]].
* Scourge combines aspects of his [[Scourge (G1)|Generation 1]], [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'']] and [[Scourge (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'']] namesakes; he's a herald of Unicron and has an army of [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] like G1 Scourge, transforms into a black Optimus Prime-like truck like ''RID'' Scourge and hails from a colony world like ''Cybertron'' Scourge. The various insignias he wears as trophies include the symbols of the [[Decepticon]]s, [[Autobot]]s, [[Maximal]]s, [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s, [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]] and [[Wreckers]]. His designer Eddie Del Rio also admitted on his Instagram to pulling inspiration from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] for his robot mode (and stealing insignias like trophies is well in character for the old bounty hunter as well).
* More obscure characters appear such as Apelinq, who originates from a [[Apelinq (BM)#Beast Machines|BotCon 2000 toy]] and tie-in [[3H Productions]] comics, and Stratosphere, returning from the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toyline and last seen in the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (franchise)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|console video game]], albeit with a new, original design and characterization.
* When [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] lands at the Museum following the carnage, she makes some [[Starscream (Movie)|very familiar warbling noises]] when she moves.
* The two music tracks used in Unicron's scenes feature segments taken from [[Vince DiCola]]'s "Unicron's Theme" in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Scourge stands and talks to Unicron's face from inside his body, similar to a scene with their characters from the Generation 1 episode, "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]".
* The symbols Elena studies are Maximal [[Cybertronix]], from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon. The access code Elena assembles doesn't translate to anything, and simply reads "XQB," but the text on the side of the Transwarp Key (written in a combination of mirrored and upside-down symbols) reads: "He Who Opens The Door."
* The authors of the paper Elena reads about Peru's unexplained glyphs are Asahi Takara and Daniel H. Tomy, a reference to [[TakaraTomy]], Hasbro's longtime business partner in Transformers toys.
* After meeting Optimus Prime for the first time, Noah incorrectly calls him "Optimal". "Optimal Optimus" is the name of the original [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Optimus Primal's Transmetal 2 body]].
* When proposing different alternate modes to Noah, Mirage briefly turns into a F1 car, a reference to [[Mirage (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]]'s alternate mode. He also turns into a Lamborghini Countach, which wasn't just a really cool car, but also famous in ''Transformers'' lore for being the alternate mode of [[Sideswipe (G1)|Generation 1 Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], as well as [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], in the same colors no less. He then turns into a Ferrari off-screen, the alternate mode of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Dino]], whose name in media outside of that movie was "Mirage". Doing so off-screen could be a poke at the difficulty Ferrari caused in getting their car on screen for ''Dark Of The Moon''.
* Mirage is incredulous over the news that musician [[Mark Wahlberg]] is leaving his band, the Funky Bunch, and going into acting—a good-natured jab at the actor's [[Cade Yeager|leading role]] in the earlier ''Transformers'' movies, ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' and ''The Last Knight''.
* Scourge name-drops [[Primus]] as he taunts Optimus Prime, the first reference to the Transformers' creator god in any of the live-action movies.
* Scourge injures Prime's left flank in the museum battle, which mirrors the injuries [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] gave to the original [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie.'' Prime even grasps the wound in the same way his predecessor did.
* Airazor explains that Unicron imbues his heralds with a "dark energy," which increases their power, but also has a corrupting effect—almost certainly a reference to [[Dark Energon]], the life-energy of Unicron introduced in the Aligned continuity. This was confirmed on the special features for the blu-ray of the movie.
* Unicron psychically tortures Scourge from afar in the same way he did [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* When Optimus Primal talks to Optimus Prime about how the Maximals trust the humans, he says there's "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)|more to them than meets the eye]]".
* Optimus states the Cybertronian belief that "the battle with darkness" will continue: "[['Til all are one]]." This phrase, and the idea of a day prophesied in Cybertron legend when it will come to pass, originates with ''The Transformers: The Movie,'' and is here used to thematically connect with the shared struggle of the Autobots, Maximals, and humans.
* When the heroes are lining up for the final battle, brown fins briefly pop out of the sides of Wheeljack's head, evoking his [[Wheeljack (G1)|Generation 1 design]].
* As the heroes charge towards the Terrorcon army, Optimus Primal commands Rhinox and Cheetor to "Maximize!", which was the Maximal [[activation code]] from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.
* Optimus Primal briefly fights with his double bladed scimitar from his [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|original toy]].
* In the final battle, when Unicron sends an army of Sweeps to reinforce his minions on Earth, they make their descent in the form of yellow-and-black orbs, which appears to be a nod to Unicron's [[Mini-Con]] from ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the yellow-and-black sphere, [[Dead End (Armada)|Dead End]].
* The armored suit Mirage forms over Noah is conceptually an homage to the Generation 1 [[exosuit]]s, while its overall design hews closer to [[Kicker Jones]]' battlesuit from ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''.
* In a glorious homage to [[Transformers (film)|the 2007 movie]], the musical highlight of [[Steve Jablonsky]]'s "Arrival to Earth" plays as Optimus, Noah, and Primal escape the collapsing transwarp portal's suction.
* Optimus Prime's final speech is set to a remixed version of the track "No Sacrifice, No Victory" from the 2007 movie's score, which was also reprised for the endings of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]''.
* [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and Transformers have frequently crossed over in comics and the occasional toyline over the years, though this marks the first time the two have co-existed in a feature film. Notably, the G.I. Joe insignia on Burke's business card is the version introduced in the film ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra''.

==Real-life references==
* When Noah is getting a cable box working, he tunes in to the 1992 film ''{{w|Juice (1992 film)|Juice}}''.
* A TV screen briefly shows news coverage of the {{w|Murder trial of O. J. Simpson#Bronco chase|O. J. Simpson white Ford Bronco car chase}}, which places the events of the film near [[June 17]], 1994.
* Throughout the film, Noah and Kris use the codenames "[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic]]" and "[[Tails]]" (and in one instance, Mirage is referred to as "{{w|Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles}}"), a nod to the characters from the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' videogame series.
* Kris wears a shirt of the ''[[Power Rangers (franchise)|Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers]]'', another property owned by Hasbro. A poster of said series also appears on his wall.
* Kris is heard playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on his [[Game Boy]]. However, see "Anachronisms".
* Noah gives their address as 974 Wilson Avenue in Brooklyn. While the avenue in question exists in reality, the street numbers only reach the 600s.
* Kris attempts to comfort Noah after his unsuccessful interview by relating his struggle to [[Superman]]'s difficulty finding a job before being hired by the {{w|Daily Planet}}.
* When Mirage compliments Noah after the car chase, he quotes the line "I like it a lot" from ''Dumb and Dumber''. However, see "Anachronisms".
* Also in the aftermath of the chase, he refers to the 1988 movie ''{{w|Big (film)|Big}}'' during his impression of Optimus Prime.
* Noah calls Mirage {{w|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.}} for obvious reasons. He also makes a reference to [[Indiana Jones]] when discovering the hidden temple in Peru.
* Bumblebee drops various voice lines from famous real-life films throughout the whole movie, including ''{{w|Die Hard}}'', ''[[Spaceballs]]'', ''{{w|Dead Poets Society}}'',''{{w|They Live}}'', ''{{w|A Few Good Men}}'' and ''{{w|Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface}}.''
* While fleeing in the museum, Elena sings Zhané's song "{{w|Groove Thang}}" to try to calm herself down.
* As they rendezvous with the other Autobots for the trip to Peru, Mirage announces that "[[Wu-Tang Clan|Wu-Tang]] is in the building."
* Elena sings the TLC song "{{w|Waterfalls (TLC song)|Waterfalls}}" to herself during the flight to Peru. However, see "Anachronisms".
* The {{w|Inti Raymi}} festival taking place when the Autobots arrive in Peru is a real festival that takes place on [[June 24]], further tying the film's events to that month.
* During the mountain road car chase at Peru, the shot of Scourge's insignia-covered grille reflected in Prime's rearview mirror homages a famous shot from [[Steven Spielberg]]'s 1971 film ''{{w|Duel (1971 film)|Duel}}.''
* When meeting Primal, Elena brings up the {{w|Nazca Lines}} and the archeological site at {{w|Tikal}}, asking if the Maximals were responsible for creating them. [[Order of the Witwiccans|In this case]], however, Primal takes no credit for human ingenuity.
* Mirage calls Optimus Primal "{{w|Donkey Kong (character)|Donkey Kong}}".
* At the end of the film, Elena appears on the [[CBS]] news program ''[[60 Minutes]]''; host [[Lesley Stahl]] makes a cameo appearance as herself during the segment.
* The award on the wall that serves as the hidden switch to access the G.I. Joe base reads "Real Hero Award" with the image of an American flag, referencing the subtitle of the 1980s ''G.I. Joe'' franchise: "A Real American Hero".

==Errors==
===Filming, animation, and technical errors===
* When Scourge kills Apelinq, he welds his Maximal insignia to his right shoulder, but throughout the rest of the film, Apelinq's insignia is gone. In the same scene, Scourge says "They never learn...", but his mouth is not moving.
* A recurring error sees the CGI models for Freezer and Novakane, which were supposed to have unique head injuries for each character, being switched around at random at various points in the movie. A very noticeable example of this happens when Scourge deploys a single Sweep in Peru whose model has an intact head with just a pair of scars on its forehead, but is moments later replaced by the model with a much bigger wound and a missing left antenna. Several other Sweeps of varying sizes also reuse these models during the final battle, completely taking away the intended uniqueness of each head design.
* When Reek yells down the street as Noah and Kris depart, his dialogue does not match his lips.
*There are quite a few distance shenanigans in the fight at the museum:
** When Optimus Prime is about to throw his axe at Scourge, there is some distance between the two. However, in the next shot they are within just meters of each other.
** As Bumblebee powers down, Battletrap goes from standing on Optimus to right behind Scourge.
** Despite being close enough to drop Bumblebee's body in front of Optimus, when the shot cuts back to him Scourge is far back enough to take 4 steps closer to Optimus, and there is still enough space between him and Optimus for Airazor to safely separate the two with a wall of fire.
** When Airazor interrupts the fight, Battletrap and Nightbird are even further behind Scourge in the aerial shot, then are back to being right behind him when the shot changes.
* When Scourge says "Now, to add a Prime to my collection", his claw is both folded in on his arm and deployed at the same time.
* When Mirage attempts to eavesdrop on Noah's and Kris's conversation, he is barely tall enough peer into the balcony while standing on a car. However, a minute later when Kris promises him to keep Noah safe he is somehow tall enough to comfortably look into the balcony without anything to stand on.
* The doors that go onto Wheeljack's back are unmarked brown in the scene of him transforming from van mode, but feature text on them in the very next cut where he is in robot mode.
* When Wheeljack audibly gasps at Noah assuming he can speak Spanish, his mouth is not moving.
* When Mirage and Optimus Prime turn into a street in Cusco, there is another Optimus Prime truck in the background. This can only be seen if you pause at the right moment.
* As Optimus decks Scourge during the Peru chase, Scourge seems to suffer a wardrobe malfunction as a wheel, meant to be inside his torso, springs out of his right armpit.
* Additionally, there are times when vehicles just disappear during the Switchback chase;
** Scourge's truck conveniently takes a lot of time to round a corner Optimus has just turned, despite being only feet behind him
** Mirage is no longer visible next to Nightbird when Battletrap pulls his 180 turn stunt.
* When Wheeljack is recovering from being attacked by Rhinox, his mouth is not moving as he says "Ay-ay-ay."
* As the heroes are walking through the jungle, the scene cuts to Elena while she is saying "So, what are you?", which does not match her lips.
* When Cheetor transforms, his spear tip floats for a few frames before reconnecting to the shaft.
* As Nightbird fights Bumblebee in the third act, she draws her sword with her right hand. Moments later she draws her sword again, and in an animation error immediately draws the same sword for a third time.
* During the final battle, the line where Primal declares "We'll clear the way!" accidentally uses the scratch track recorded by David Sobolov rather than Ron Perlman's final VO. This led to some confusion among fans, who thought the line might have been spoken by Rhinox (who, despite Sobolov being credited for the role, is silent in the finished film), but Sobolov himself clarified the mix-up at a later convention panel.
* As Optimus Prime looks up at Unicron arriving at the mouth of the portal, Arcee can be seen scuttling about blasting Sweeps; except her blasters produce no laser effects.
* From the time Bumblebee acquires his offroad Camaro, his wheels are inconsistent between his robot and vehicle modes, with some shots showing his normal Camaro's wheels instead of the offroad ones. It is most visible for the wheels on his shoulders.
* Scourge's mouth is not moving as he proclaims "Unicron will prevail!" before shooting the transwarp control panel.
* Elena audibly whimpering in Bumblebee as he drives through hoards of Sweeps does not match her lips.

===Continuity errors===
* When Scourge slams Optimus against a nearby obelisk, the impact (followed by Scourge punching Prime in the face) somehow doesn't damage the structure, at least until Scourge breaks it with his hands. It also disappears in the next shot of Optimus.
* After Scourge incapacitates Bumblebee, he plucks his Autobot badge off with a normal left hand. In the following shot, however, his left hand is transformed into his giant claw and he is no longer holding the badge.
* During the chase out of Cusco, when Optimus Prime reaches the bend, the Terrorcons are very close behind him. However, when he transforms into robot mode, they are suddenly much further back.
* Nightbird and Battletrap, who were behind Scourge, are suddenly right behind Mirage after Optimus and Scourge begin fighting.
* When Stratosphere transforms in Peru, it starts with him facing away from Optimus Prime. However, in the next shot he's now facing towards him.
* When Scourge walks away with the second half of the key, his left arm switches from the claw to the cannon between shots.

===Geographic discontinuities===
* There ''is'' a museum on Ellis Island... however, it's a [https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/national-immigration-museum/ museum that documents the turn-of-the-century immigrant experience], and not the generalized natural history museum shown in the film. Notably, the actual museum is composited out of the movie's establishing shots so that the made-up museum setpiece can replace it.
* Elena states that she has never left New York. Ellis Island, her place of work, is almost completely owned by the state of New Jersey, discounting a small portion that was the island's original size that is still a part of New York. Even discounting that, the waters surrounding the island are wholly owned by the Garden State.
* When the Autobots arrive at Cusco, they land at the citadel of [[Sacsayhuamán]], an Inca fortress on the northern outskirts of the city, and the site is deserted. Even on a normal day, it should be crawling with tourists, but the Autobots are specifically said to arrive during the [[Inti Raymi]] festival... whose central activity is a recreation of an Inca ceremony ''at'' Sacsayhuamán.
* The fight with the corrupted Airazor takes place at Machu Picchu, which nobody is witness to, as again it is completely deserted. It should be crawling with tourists, the staff that works at the site, the guests and staff of the lodge located right next to the complex, or the population of the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountain.

===Anachronisms===
* Though the "you died!" music and mention of Bowser imply Kris is playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on his Game Boy, that game wouldn't see a release on the system until 1999's ''[https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Mario_Bros._Deluxe Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]'' on the Game Boy Color (which was incompatible with the original monochrome model anyway). The only ''Mario'' platformers released for Game Boy by 1994 were the ''Super Mario Land'' games, which featured different antagonists and music.
* The F1 car which Mirage briefly turns into is based on a design chassis that would be introduced at the very end of the 90s (at least [[1998]]/[[1999]]).
* Elena sings "Waterfalls" by TLC to calm herself down. Assuming the film takes place in June, it would still be a few months until the November 1994 release of the album ''CrazySexyCool'', which the song first appeared on.
* Similarly, Mirage quotes a line from ''Dumb and Dumber'', a film that would not release until December 1994.
* [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] transforms into a Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33), a vehicle that wouldn't be introduced until January 1995. However, it could be possible she scanned a modified R33 coupe, given non GT-R models had already been released at this point.
* A green car that was smashed and thrown in the Museum scene was a B5.5 Volkswagen Passat which would not be released until 2001.
* The promo for ''60 Minutes'' uses the program's contemporary imaging, including the use of the current CBS News logotype above that of the show.

==Music==
During the runup to the movie's theatrical release, star [[Tobe Nwigwe]], who portrays [[Reek]] in the film, collaborated with hip-hop mainstay Nas and Nigerian R&B artist Jacob Banks on the single "[[On My Soul]]", and released on [[May 19]], 2023. A remix of the song is featured during the climactic battle, though this particular mix has (sadly) not been released officially. Paramount also released a [[Transformers Rise of the Beats|Spotify-exclusive playlist]] featuring most of the 90s rap needle drops, including [[Wu-Tang Clan]], [[The Notorious B.I.G.]], and once again Nas, to name a few.

A score album, ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Music from the Motion Picture)]]'', was released to music streaming services on June 9, the same day as the film. An expanded vinyl edition of the score was later released on [[December 15]], featuring five bonus cues. Then, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of ''Rise of the Beasts'', a collection of pre-production music suites was compiled onto an album entitled ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Music That Inspired the Score)]]'', which was released on June 9th, [[2024]].

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)/home video}}
Just a month after its theatrical release, Paramount released ''Rise of the Beasts'' to digital storefronts on [[July 11]], with the DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray releases following a few months later on [[October 10]]. Bonus features include cast and crew featurettes and deleted/extended scenes.

==Reception==
{{quote|Thanks to some genuine human drama between the set pieces and palpable affection for the title characters, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is one of the franchise's more enjoyable outings.|Critics Consensus|[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_rise_of_the_beasts Rotten Tomatoes]}}

Coming off the back of the generally well-received ''Bumblebee'', ''Rise of the Beasts'' received mixed reviews. While critics largely praised the old-school adventure film sequences and the performances of the human leads, most criticism was directed at the film's protracted final battle scene and its overuse of computer-generated imagery—in particular, some critics juxtaposed the film's tamer action scenes against the madcap, sometimes over-the-top practical effect-based destruction employed by [[Michael Bay]] during his time in the director's chair. As of writing, the film holds a 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although the audience score sits at a much higher 91%.

In the US and Canada, ''Rise of the Beasts'' opened to a strong $60.5 million start—higher than both ''The Last Knight'' and ''Bumblebee'' <ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/06/box-office-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-spider-man-spiderverse-1235412771/ "'Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts' Conquers 'Spider-Verse' With $60M+ Opening, But Animated Pic's Second Weekend Hold Strong -- Box Office"]</ref>—but suffered a brutal 66.1 percent drop in its second weekend, where it lost out to other June releases; ''{{w|The Flash (film)|The Flash}}'', ''{{w|Elemental (2023 film)|Elemental}}'', and ''{{w|Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse|Across the Spider-Verse}}''.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/news/the-flash-box-office-disappoint-pixar-elemental-flop-1235647927/ "'The Flash' Disappoints With $55 Million Debut, Pixar's 'Elemental' Flops With $29.5 Million in Battle of Box Office Lightweights"]</ref><ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2023W24/?ref_=bo_we_nav Domestic 2023 Weekend 24]</ref> A week later, the film took in a comparatively dismal $11 million.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/06/box-office-the-flash-no-hard-feelings-jennifer-lawrence-1235422274/ 'Spider-Verse' Swinging Ahead Of 'Elemental' After Game Of Chicken; 'Flash' Edging Out 'No Hard Feelings' -- Saturday PM Box Office]</ref> The film's domestic theatrical run came to a close in August 2023 with approximately a $439 million worldwide gross, marking the lowest-grossing instalment in the franchise.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-franchise-box-office-low/ Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Breaks Unfortunate Franchise Record - ComicBook]</ref>

Despite the lower-than-expected box office performance, Hasbro seems to regard the film as an overall success and noted it as one of the top box office performers of the year in a subsequent investor presentation.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/08/03/tfw2005-coverage-of-hasbro-2023-q2-earnings-conference-call-492111 TFW2005 Coverage Of Hasbro 2023 Q2 Earnings Conference Call]</ref> This optimism might come down to the fact that the summer 2023 movie slate was ''particularly'' packed; this, combined with a post-COVID shift in media demographics, means that pretty much every summer movie that wasn't ''{{w|Barbie (film)|Barbie}}'' or ''{{w|Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer}}'' underperformed to some degree. Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins described the film's performance as "not great, but good" and blamed its financial woes on an increasingly fractured global box office less receptive to American movies—especially in China, the franchise's biggest overseas market, where ''Rise of the Beasts''' gross of $90 million was only half of what Paramount had projected it to earn.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/features/brian-robbins-paramount-pictures-tmnt-mutant-mayhem-tom-cruise-1235679142/ After a Decade in Limbo, Brian Robbins Is Giving Paramount a Makeover With ‘Ninja Turtles,’ Tom Cruise and ‘Gladiator 2’]</ref> It should be noted that ''Rise of the Beasts'' was a huge hit in [[Peru]], where the film's third act is set; it surpassed ''{{w|Avengers: Endgame}}'' as the highest-grossing movie ever in the country,<ref>[https://larepublica.pe/cine-series/2023/08/02/transformers-el-despertar-de-las-bestias-es-la-pelicula-mas-taquillera-de-la-historia-en-peru-transformers-7-machu-picchu-103204 'Transformers: el despertar de las bestias' es la película más taquillera de la historia en Perú]</ref> and Peru ranks as the fourth highest-grossing territory for the film, behind only the United States, China and Mexico.<ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr2443334149/ Rise of the Beasts International Numbers]</ref>

In 2024, ''Rise of the Beasts'' received no nominations for a {{w|Golden Raspberry Awards|Golden Raspberry Award}}. None whatsoever, including a {{w|Razzie Redeemer Award}}.<ref>[https://variety.com/2024/film/news/razzie-nominations-2024-chris-evans-jennifer-lopez-1235879949/ Razzie Noms 2024: Chris Evans and Jennifer Lopez Up for Worst Actors; ‘Shazam 2’ and ‘Ant-Man 3’ Tie With 4 Nods - Variety]</ref> Although {{w|Jimmy Kimmel}} wasn't too fond of the movie as he even poked fun at its questionable state during the opening monologue at the {{w|96th Academy Awards}}.<ref>[https://lamag.com/awards-watch/jimmy-kimmel-oscars-monologue-best-and-worst-jokes Viewers Pan Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscars Monologue: Best and Worst Jokes - LA Magazine]</ref>

==Development details==

[[File:TRANSFORMERS-2022.jpg|thumb|250px|This guy's got bearings of chrome steel.]]

* March 27, 2015 — [[Paramount Pictures]] negotiates with [[Akiva Goldsman]], hiring him to create a "writer's room" with the intention of building a cinematic universe.<ref name="goldsman">[http://deadline.com/2015/03/transformers-akiva-goldsman-paramount-sequels-spinoffs-1201400027/ Paramount Enlisting Akiva Goldsman To Ramp Up 'Transformers' Output] on deadline.com</ref> Goldsman goes on to hire a number of writers over the next few months: [[Steven DeKnight]] (''Daredevil''),<ref>[http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-cinematic-universe/35696/transformers-cinematic-details-more-writers-over-10-films Transformers cinematic details]</ref> [[Robert Kirkman]] (''The Walking Dead''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom">[http://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-writers-robert-kirkman-zak-penn-art-marcum-matt-holloway-jeff-pinkner-1201430601/ 'Transformers' Spinoff & Sequel Scribes Set] on Deadline.com</ref> [[Art Marcum]] and [[Matt Holloway]] (''Iron Man''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Christina Hodson]] (''Shut In'', ''The Fugitive''),<ref name="hodsonbeer">[http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/446175-christina-hodson-and-lindsey-beer-join-transformers-writing-team Christina Hodson and Lindsey Beer Join the Transformers Writing Team]</ref> [[Lindsey Beer]] (''Dig''),<ref name="hodsonbeer" /> [[Zak Penn]] (''Pacific Rim 2''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Jeff Pinkner]] (''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'', ''Lost''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]] (''Ant-Man''),<ref name="barrerferrari">[http://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-ant-man-andrew-barrer-gabriel-ferrari-cybertron-1201433402/ 'Ant-Man' Scribes Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari Join 'Transformers' Writers Room] on Deadline</ref> [[Ken Nolan]] (''Black Hawk Down''), and [[Geneva Robertson-Dworet]].<ref name="nolandworet">[http://www.slashfilm.com/transformers-writers-room/ Akiva Goldsman Teases 'Transformers' Franchise Plans]</ref> Involved in the pitching process are [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Michael Bay]], [[Brian Goldner]], [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]], [[Mark Vahradian]], and [[Don Murphy]].<ref name="deadlinereveal">[http://deadline.com/2015/09/transformers-writers-room-akiva-goldsman-transformers-5-1201531918/ 'Transformers' Writers Room Wraps] on Deadline</ref>
* October 3, 2015 — During his keynote speech at the MIP Junior Conference, [[Allspark (company)|Allspark]]'s [[Stephen J. Davis]] notes that the writing team has come up with film concepts for Transformers 5, 6, 7, and 8.<ref name="stephendaviskeynote">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_P2fw_DlS4&t=812 Stephen Davis's keynote speech] at MIPJunior.</ref>
* February 12, 2016 — At [[Toy Fair 2016]], Hasbro reveals the projected release date of Transformers 7, along with the dates for the two preceding films.<ref name="toyfairreveal" />
* September 23, 2017 — At Licensing Europe 2017, Hasbro announces Transformers 7 will have an "entirely new, exciting storyline".<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/09/23/2019-transformers-movie-feature-entirely-new-storyline-349463 2019 Transformers Movie To Feature An Entirely New Storyline] on TFW2005</ref>
* February 16, 2018 — Hasbro clarifies at [[Toy Fair 2018]] that the film will be a reset of the franchise and has been delayed indefinitely until a new creative team is in place.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/02/16/transformers-cinematic-universe-current-movie-series-rebooted-358641 Transformers Cinematic Universe Is Over: Current Movie Series To Be Rebooted] on TFW2005</ref>
* May 24, 2018 — Paramount drops the film from their release schedule.<ref>[http://collider.com/transformers-7-cancelled/amp/ Paramount Officially Pulls the Next 'Transformers' Sequel from Their Release Date Schedule] on Collider</ref>
* March 15, 2019 — di Bonaventura states a sequel to ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' is in development.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/two-sequels-in-transformers-live-action-franchise-confirmed-in-development/43083/ Two Sequels in Transformers Live Action Franchise Confirmed in Development] on Seibertron</ref>
* March 18, 2019 — di Bonaventura claims that the next main ''Transformers'' film will be a reboot closely tied to the ''Bumblebee'' sequel, rather than a direct sequel to ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]''. Either way, Paramount will pick the best script for ''Transformers 7'' and release that first.<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bumblebee-producer-says-next-transformers-movie-wi/1100-6465652/ Bumblebee Producer Says Next Transformers Movie Will Be A Reboot] on GameSpot</ref>
[[File:Stevencaplejr autobot cast.jpg|thumb|250px|Hey, you think ''that's'' speed? You ain't seen the Golden Rocket.]]
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|thumb|250px|Then we will create ''alternate forms'', based on the most powerful local creatures!]]
* January 27, 2020 — Variety reports two ''Transformers'' films are being penned, to be produced simultaneously: one written by [[James Vanderbilt]], another to be written by [[Joby Harold]].<ref>[https://variety.com/2020/film/news/transformers-franchise-revamp-bumblebee-james-vanderbilt-joby-harold-1203482496/ 'Transformers' Franchise Gets a Revamp With Two Separate Films in the Works] on Variety</ref> Deadline reports that Vanderbilt's script is for a spin-off film based on ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', while Harold's script continues the story from the ''Bumblebee'' film.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/01/transformers-movies-paramount-1202843234/ Dual 'Transformers' Movies In The Works At Paramount] on Deadline</ref>
* May 2, 2020 — [[Hasbro]] CEO [[Brian Goldner]] confirms that a new Transformers live-action movie is slated for release on [[June 24]], 2022. However, only one between Harold's ''Bumblebee'' sequel and Vanderbilt's ''Beast Wars'' film will make it to production first.
* August 21, 2020 — New Republic Pictures is announced as a new co-financier for Paramount in a ten-picture deal in the wake of the success of 2019's ''Rocketman''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/08/paramount-pictures-new-republic-pictures-10-picture-cofinancing-deal-top-gun-maverick-1203018250/ New Republic Pictures Signs 10-Pic Co-Fi Deal With Paramount Pictures; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Among Films] on Deadline</ref>
* November 16, 2020 — [[Steven Caple Jr.]] is announced as the director.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/11/transformers-director-steven-caple-jr-1234613830/ Transformers’: ‘Creed 2’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Tapped To Direct Next Installment In Paramount And Hasbro Franchise] on Deadline</ref>
* April 1, 2021 — [[Anthony Ramos]] is in talks for a starring role.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-7-cast-anthony-ramos/ Exclusive: Anthony Ramos in Talks to Star in New 'Transformers' Movie] at Collider</ref>
* April 29, 2021 — [[Dominique Fishback]] is in final negotiations to star in the film.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/04/transformers-dominique-fishback-anthony-ramos-paramount-eone-and-hasbro-franchise-1234746855/ 'Transformers': Dominique Fishback Lands Lead Role Opposite Anthony Ramos In Next Installment For The Paramount Franchise] on Deadline</ref>
* June 13, 2021 — A casting call sheet for filming in Montreal reveals that the film is set in [[1992]].<ref>[https://www.transformersfr.com/t5190p250-parlons-des-films-transformers-a-venir#190206 Rumeur ― le "7ème Film Transformers en prise de vue réelle" se déroulerait en 1992] on transformersfr.com</ref>
* June 22, 2021 — A Paramount virtual event is held in which the movie's title, premise, and few of the characters and cast are unveiled (revealing it to be both the ''Bumblebee'' and ''Beast Wars'' films in one).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Currently attending a Paramount virtual event about the next #Transformers film. Report to follow!|link=https://twitter.com/search?q=(from%3ABWTF_Ben)%20until%3A2021-06-23%20since%3A2021-06-22|name=Ben Yee|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|link=https://bwtf.com/news/rise-of-the-beasts-character-descriptions|name=Ben Yee|site=BWTF|title=Movie News: "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" Character Descriptions|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref> The film's logo and official premise are also unveiled on official Transformers social media accounts.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The battle on Earth is no longer just between Autobots and Decepticons… Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons join Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, in theatres June 24, 2022.|link=https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1407422768602181632|name=@transformers|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref>
* June 28, 2021 — [[Ron Perlman]] is announced to be reprising his role as Optimus Primal from ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]''. [[Darnell Metayer]] and [[Josh Peters]] are confirmed as writers, inspired by Joby Harold's earlier draft.<ref>{{citesocial|quote='''Ron Perlman''' has been tapped to voice Optimus Primal in '''''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''''', Collider has exclusively learned. [...] ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be led by rising stars '''Anthony Ramos''' (''In the Heights'') and '''Dominique Fishback''' (''Judas and the Black Messiah''), and '''Steven Caple Jr.''' (''Creed II'') is directing from a script by '''Darnell Metayer''' and '''Josh Peters''', who worked off an earlier draft by '''Joby Harold'''.|link=https://collider.com/ron-perlman-optimus-primal-voice-transformers-7-rise-of-the-beasts/|name=Jeff Sneider|site=Collider|title=Exclusive: 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Adds Ron Perlman as Voice of Optimus Primal|year=2021|month=06|day=28}}</ref>
* July 11, 2021 — Rapper [[Tobe Nwigwe]] announces on Instagram that he's been cast in the movie.<ref>[https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/music/houston-s-tobe-nwigwe-earns-emmy-nom-16317174 Houston’s Tobe Nwigwe earns Emmy nom, 'Transformers' role] from the Houston Chronicle</ref>
* October 6, 2021 — Caple Jr. reveals the vehicle modes for the Autobot and Terrorcon cast through his Instagram account.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The squad is out…|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsm_wyLory/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2021|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* October 20, 2021 — Filming is completed.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=That’s a wrap 🎬|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOw5z2r9TP/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2021|month=10|day=20}}</ref>
* October 21, 2021 — Cuscopolita reports on the vehicles with the film's Peru crew, confirming the unidentified vehicles as [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] and [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]].<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.facebook.com/cuscopolitamagazine/videos/1941112319403899|name=Cuscopolita|site=Facebook|title=Exclusiva con los Transformers|year=2021|month=10|day=20}}</ref>
* October 22, 2021 — Ramos makes a guest appearance on [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2021]], confirming Cheetor, his favorite ''Beast Wars'' character, will be in the film.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I am a ''Transformers'' fan, ''Beast Wars'' fan, Cheetor is my #1 favorite of all time, so it's dope to have Cheetor, to be in this movie with Cheetor, it's gonna be crazy.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjtxJqrv-bI&t=6051s|name=Anthony Ramos|site=YouTube|title=Hasbro PulseCon 2021 - DAY ONE|year=2021|month=10|day=22}}</ref>
* November 10, 2021 — Paramount announces the film has been delayed to [[June 9]], [[2023]].<ref name="2023release">{{citesocial|quote=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has moved back a year and will now bow June 9, 2023. It previously was slated for June 24, 2022.|link=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-trek-transformers-movie-release-date-1235045937/|name=Aaron Couch|site=The Hollywood Reporter|title=‘Star Trek,’ ‘Transformers' Movies Pushed Back at Paramount|year=2021|month=11|day=10}}</ref>
* February 15, 2022 — Paramount confirms that ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be the first entry in a trilogy of films.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be released theatrically in 2023 and is the first of three new installments. A new animated series from @Nickelodeon arrives this fall. And in 2024, the franchise expands further with a CG animated Transformers theatrical film. #ParamountPlus|link=https://twitter.com/paramountplus/status/1493706271207292928|name=Paramount+|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=02|day=15}}</ref>
* October 11, 2022 — Caple Jr. reveals through Instagram that [[Pete Davidson]] is the voice of Mirage, and [[Michelle Yeoh]] is the voice of Airazor.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sneak peek of Pete voicing Mirage & @michelleyeoh_official blessing us as the voice of Air Razor|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjlx3PPPC_J/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=10|day=11}}</ref>
* October 21, 2022 — [[Tobe Nwigwe]] states on an Instagram post that they are doing some re-shoots for ''Rise of the Beasts'', including featuring his character in additional scenes.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The head people from ''Transformers'' said I did so good in my part they wanna add me to some more scenes. So I gotta go shoot some more stuff for ''Transformers''.|link=https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cj9PnevsVb1/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY|name=Tobe Nwigwe|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=10|day=21}}</ref>
[[File:ROTBTeaserPoster.jpg|thumb|250px|right|I'd say that's PRIME! Let's do it!]]
* December 1, 2022 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWWDskI46Js official teaser trailer] is released by Paramount Pictures in conjunction with São Paulo's CCXP convention, giving audiences a first glimpse of the film and its various characters, including Mirage, Arcee, Scourge and the Maximals. Multiple voice cast members are also announced.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2022/12/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-peter-dinklage-liza-koshy-john-dimaggio-cast-1235186104/]</ref>
* December 2, 2022 — [[Jongnic Bontemps]] is announced as the film's score composer.<ref>[http://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/12/02/jongnic-bontemps-to-compose-music-for-steven-caple-jr-s-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts/]</ref>
* December 16, 2022 — Caple Jr. shares a clip of Peter Cullen performing on his Instagram account.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=🐐|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CmPM80yPcsP/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=12|day=16}}</ref>
* December 26, 2022 — Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal make a "guest" appearance on the 2022 [[Nickelodeon]] Nickmas NFL game, showcasing both modes and their transformations.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5X0F_AvY8Q YouTube upload] of a recording for Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal on the 2022 Nickmas NFL game</ref>
* January 31, 2023 — [[Sam Smith]] reveals toy concept art for a new character from the film, [[Freezer]].<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFlXXNOly1/</ref>
* February 12, 2023 — Paramount airs a 30-second TV spot detailing Mirage's Porsche 911 vehicle mode for Super Bowl LVII in collaboration with Porsche.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/02/2023-super-bowl-movie-trailers-the-flash-fast-x-transformers-ant-man-expected-1235247160/ Super Bowl Movie Trailer Spots Will Include ‘The Flash’, ‘Fast X’, ‘Transformers’ & ‘Ant-Man’ — Deadline]</ref>
* April 2, 2023 — During the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Final Four on CBS, Paramount aired a first-of-its-kind mixed reality TV spot that showed off Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal appearing on a 90s basketball court that transformed from the court the actual basketball match was being played on. A few brief clips from the first trailer were also shown.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeeIfpbUAHg]</ref>
* April 6, 2023 — Actor [[Tongayi Chirisa]] announces on Instagram that he is the voice of Cheetor.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So there is a story to this!!! Per the usual standard .. I had to sign an NDA, so I had NO IDEA what I was reading for.. it was only when I was in the booth to do my voice over that it dawned on me that I was reading for TRANSFORMERS Like what!!!🤯🤯🤯🤯 I totally geeked out in the moment.. Man, to say this is mad exciting is an understatement... So thankful. So honored, so blessed!!!! Massive shout out and THANK YOU to @stevencaplejr for putting your boi on! Appreciate you, fam!!! @transformersmovie..🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!!! Welcome, y'all. I am your transformer #CHEETOR!!!! Let's goooo!!!!!! #NdezvaMwari #Yeshua #smallbeginnings #ontherise|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqs_PQ1J_s6/|name=Tongayi Chirisa|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=04|day=06}}</ref>
* April 14, 2023 — To promote the film, Optimus Prime introduces Tobe Nwigwe's performance of "[[On My Soul]]" at {{w|Coachella}}.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Calling all Autobots. @TobeNwigwe and #OptimusPrime have rolled out to #Coachella. #Transformers #RiseOfTheBeasts|link=https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1647069845731803136|name=Transformers|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* April 27, 2023 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itnqEauWQZM official trailer] is released by Paramount Pictures, revealing more of the movie and Unicron's role in the plot, as well as delivering a first, brief look at the Predacons.
* May 6, 2023 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxore0Gxwpc first clip] is showcased at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, showing the Autobots' first interaction with the Maximals.
* May 12, 2023 — The website Puliwood reveals the film's Hungarian dub cast...including the voice of [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], a character that had not yet been announced to be appearing in the film.<ref>[https://www.puliwood.hu/ismertetok/exkluziv-ilyen-szinkronhangokkal-jon-a-transformers-a-fenevadak-kora-325900.html EXKLUZÍV: ilyen szinkronhangokkal jön a Transformers: A fenevadak kora]</ref>
* May 27, 2023 — The film's world premiere is held at Marina Bay Sands in [[Singapore]].
* June 5, 2023 — David Sobolov confirms on Instagram that he is also voicing Apelinq in the film.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CtIhCcwu4Ld/|quote=#transformers #riseofthebeasts fans… I just saw our epic premiere in Brooklyn! Tonight, I’m excited to reveal that I am the voice… of Apelinq!|name=David Sobolov|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=06|day=05}}</ref>
{{--}}

===Changes before, during, and after production===
[[File:ROTB-concept-Rampage.jpg|thumb|250px|I prefer to beat my enemies the old-fashioned way: brutally!]]
* An early cut of the film opened with a different prologue, in which a Decepticon named [[Transit (ROTB)|Transit]], dispatched from a Decepticon-controlled Cybertron to hunt down Optimus Prime, battles and is killed by Optimus, who dumps his body in the Hudson River alongside numerous other Decepticons who have tried to do the same in the past few years. The scene was dropped due to test audiences finding it too dark, but [[John DiMaggio]] remains credited as the voice of Transit even in the finished film. Most of the visual effects for the scene were completed, and it was included (sans the river-dumping part) as a bonus feature with the movie's home media release.
** The scene was replaced for the finished film with Unicron's attack on the Maximal homeworld, which in the earlier cut was recounted by Airazor with hologram visual-aids during the scene when she meets the Autobots mid-movie.
* A scene was filmed of (in their truck modes) Optimus intercepting and ramming Scourge through a wall in Cuzco.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2021/10/15/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-action-scene-between-autobots-terrocons-in-cuzco-explosions-443003 "Transformers Rise Of The Beasts – Action Scene Between Autobots & Terrocons In Cuzco & Explosions!"—TFW2005]</ref> No such sequence appeared in the final film, though a similar visual was used in one of [https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/05/08/even-more-new-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-character-posters-482376 Optimus Prime's character posters], set on the mountain road instead.
* Cheetor and Rhinox were initially intended to be introduced slightly earlier, encountering Elena and Noah in the underground cavern. In scenes interspersed with the Autobots' and Terrorcons' running battle on the hilltop road, Cheetor was to be the one who took down Freezer as he menaced the two humans, after which Noah's gauntlet would accidentally fire a shot at the Maximal, causing him and Rhinox to chase them through the cave. Cut in favor of making the Autobot/Terrorcon battle one unbroken scene, the alternate version was included as a bonus on the home media release.
*According to concept artists [[Eddie Del Rio]] and [[Shane Baxley]] more [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] other than Scorponok were considered to have a role in the movie; known characters include: [[Waspinator (ROTB)|Waspinator]], [[:File:ROTBRamhorn.jpg|Ram]][[:File:15-Rise-Of-The-Beasts-Ramhorn-Concept-Art.jpg|horn]], [[:File:Snapper.jpg|Snapper]], [[:File:Retrax2.jpg|Retrax]], [[:File:Rise-Of-The-Beasts-Blackaracnia-Concept-Art.jpg|Blackarachnia]], [[:File:ROTB Tarantulas concept.jpg|Tarantulas]], [[:File:ROTBSpittor.jpg|Spit]][[:File:14-Rise-Of-The-Beasts-Spittor-Concept-Art.jpg|tor]] and [[:File:Rampage-face.jpg|Rampage]].
** Development on most of these characters got as far as rough sketches, with one notable exception: Rampage. It appears in fact this character went pretty far into production before being scrapped, to the point where he was originally supposed to appear as [[:File:ROTB-Rampage-concept.jpg|a deceased corpse]] during the underground cavern sequence of the movie and [https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu44E6aoECC/ a full 360° CGI model] was even animated for the character.
* Multiple changes were made to the film's ending, which originally had a much darker tone like the scrapped opening. Originally, Mirage wasn't planned to survive the final battle, and Optimus would have been sucked into the portal after destroying the Transwarp Key and wind up floating in space before Unicron in the post-credits scene. Reactions by the audience in test screenings convinced Caple to change the ending to something a bit more hopeful, wanting to let the good guys get a solid win.<ref name=AltEnding>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-ending-1235512382/ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Talks That Ending, Hailee Steinfeld and Test Screening Changes — The Hollywood Reporter]</ref> The scene of Prime and Unicron was included as an extra with the home media release.
* Two versions of the final scene were filmed: one in which Agent Burke's business card reveals him to be part of [[Sector Seven]], and the version used in the film, in which he's part of G.I. Joe. According to Caple, the Sector Seven version was filmed only as misdirection, and the G.I. Joe version was always the one he intended to use.<ref name=Joe/>
* Other deleted/extended scenes included on the home media release include: Elena's moment of panicked disbelief (prominently showcased in the movie's trailer) shortly after the museum battle; Noah speaking with his mother when he returns home after the museum battle; a wholesomely cute moment between Elena and Airazor before Mirage and Noah join the group to depart for Peru, in which Airazor explains the Maximal insignia; and a short scene of Optimus Primal about to hand the Transwarp Key over to Optimus Prime, before they are interrupted by Airazor's rampage.
* Additional cuts not represented in the extras from throughout the film included: a scene of Bumblebee showing a polaroid of himself and [[Charlie Watson]] to Optimus Prime as they wait outside the museum, to emphasise that some humans are trustworthy; innuendos between Arcee and Wheeljack that hint at a romantic attraction between the two; some dialogue from Scourge emphasising that (not unlike Galvatron in the original animated movie) he is an unwilling servant of Unicron; a scene of Wheeljack lending his glasses to Optimus Prime to use like a telescope; and an alternate plan to destroy the Transwarp Key in the final act that involves using the deceased Airazor's spark as a bomb, only for the bomb to be lost, leaving Elena to figure out the codes.
* During production, the Scorponok drones initially had a troll-like robot mode, and dozens of them would have merged into a massive Scorponok [[combiner]] that towered over the Autobots and Maximals in the final battle. Although their [https://www.eddiedelrio.com 3D models] were made, they were ultimately cut out.
* Concept art was created for a fourth Terrorcon who ultimately never made it to the final film. This character was referred to with the working name “[[:File:Bloodhound.jpeg|'''Bloodhound''']]” <ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuheJkfxGeW/|quote=Early ideas for #bloodhound. He was my first task so I mostly carried over the process used on #bumblebee back in 2017. Swipe and you can see the rough sculpts I did in VR to capture attitude/proportion/etc. Then I would paint in details with photoshop. By the end of the show I was blocking in VR then jumped straight to zbrush/maya as it took roughly the same amount of time to sculpt everything.|name=Shane Baxley|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=07|day=10}}</ref> and would have transformed into a demonic-looking Oldsmobile 442. <ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuPeUkzROiu/|quote=BLOODHOUND! This was the first #terracon Haworth had me do using an #oldsmobile442 which I think @stevencaplejr has in his garage? Unfortunately the scenes with this guy got cut - but he still got #imdb credit 🤣🤙🏻 #transformers #riseofthebeasts|name=Shane Baxley|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=07|day=03}}</ref>
{{--}}

==Notes==
* In a first for the franchise, the lead human actors, multiple writers, the composer, and the director are all people of color.
* This is the first movie in the series not to be worked on by [[Industrial Light & Magic]]; this time around the CG effects were done by [[Moving Picture Company]] and [[WetaFX]].
* Steven Caple Jr. was initially sceptical of working on a ''Transformers'' movie, which at that point in development was being called ''Bumblebee 2'', because he was uncertain about jumping right into another sequel after directing ''{{w|Creed II}}''—however, the incorporation of elements inspired by ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', which Caple Jr. had been a fan of, helped sway him. Upon joining the project, he pitched several revisions, drawing from his enthusiasm for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' by adding [[Unicron]] (and the [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s) and Noah's exosuit, along with a prologue on the [[Maximal]]s' homeworld and a new arc for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] centred around his initial misanthropy.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The first time that- I did ''Creed 2'', and the first time the studio ever knocked on my door, it was for ''Bumblebee 2''. And I was like, "I don't want to do- I just came out from ''Creed 2'', I don't want to do a sequel..." you know? And so a year had gone by—or maybe two, right before COVID—and they said, "we found out the story we want to tackle: we want to bring in ''Beast Wars''." I was like, "I know all about ''Beast Wars'', I'm down for ''Beast Wars''." And so they developed a script on their own, they passed it to me—2020, October 5th, I remember the date—and I jumped right in and I kind of did my own version of the pitch, I said: "I love where you guys are going, you guys want to do New York, you guys want to do the 90s, you want to do Peru, but here's what I'll do, with the characters..." So I changed up Optimus Prime, I gave him a whole pitch on how I would start him with like, not loving humans at first, and not besiding Noah right off the rip, they're gonna have friction between the two... Gave 'em a pitch for Optimus Primal, where they start off in the top of the movie, and I gave them a new Unicron- I mean a new villain, which was Unicron and the Terrorcon squad. I just felt like, as a fan, we've been tiptoeing around Unicron, and all the other films kind of like hinted towards him towards the end, and I just really want to expand the universe and I felt like he was that perfect source to do so, because he tells us there's another world out there, there's more Transformers out there, it's not just Autobots and Decepticons. And then of course the [[exosuit]], that was my idea, it was homage to the 80s cartoon, so... It was a bit of that, pitched it to 'em and they loved the heart, they love where I was going with the direction of the characters, and yeah, they kind of gave me the key to play!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxUukVwKLCc|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Collider|title=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Interview: Director Reveals Big Change to Film|year=2023|month=06|day=06}}</ref>
* [[Tobe Nwigwe]]'s character of [[Reek]] was based Steven Caple Jr.'s friend Tarik Jackson, who passed away before shooting began in 2021.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The way I got the ''Transformers'' role was insane. [...] One of [Steven Caple Jr.'s] best friends was a fan of the music, and his best friend, right, like, as they was getting ready to start shooting the movie... passed. Passed, yeah. And he had Paramount Studios reach out to me to try to play a specific- the best friend role in ''Transformers''. They kind of emulated who his best friend was in real life. He told Paramount [...] "reach out to Tobe and if he send anything back that's even ''halfway'' decent... I want to use him." But because I had never done no acting ever in my life, I just had this script right here, and just read it like I was acting, and just recorded myself on the iPhone and I was like, "yo there's no way in hell..." [...] I did that, sent that in, and they liked it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfAoWTKh3R8&t=2638s|name=Tobe Nwigwe|site=Sway's Universe|year=2023|month=01|day=23}}</ref>
* The fourth-wall-breaking [[Mark Wahlberg]] namedrop was ad-libbed by [[Pete Davidson]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We wanted to break the fourth wall. In all fairness, Pete Davidson made that up in the booth, and we laughed so hard, we're like in tears, and we're like there's no way we could not use this. We had ad-libbed a whole bunch of stuff. One was on, "Beanie Babies was weird", and he was like, what about Marky Mark leaving the Funky Bunch? And we were just in tears. And then we showed the studio and everybody loved it and was like, "let's just break the fourth wall. Do it."|link=https://gizmodo.com/breaking-the-fourth-wall-in-transformers-rise-of-the-b-1850514340|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=io9|title=Breaking the Fourth Wall in ''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref>
* During the production of the film, Ramos had to acquire a driver's license at Caple Jr.'s behest.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DDi5f1SL4oESslcZLjhhG|name=Anthony Ramos|site=the Spout Podcast|year=2021}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=I had a two-week window to get an appointment at the DMV, and the DMV was initially uncooperative. Finally, after much haggling, I was able to secure an appointment. I took the test in my mother's car after a few months of practice with an instructor. Fortunately, I was able to pass.|link=https://theplaylist.net/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-anthony-ramos-talks-representation-in-franchises-getting-his-drivers-license-for-the-film-interview-20230607/|name=Anthony Ramos|site=The Playlist|title='Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts': Anthony Ramos Talks Representation In Franchises & Getting His Driver's License For The Film [Interview]|year=2023|month=06|day=07}}</ref>
* During an interview with a fan, voice actor David Sobolov revealed that Caple Jr. would create storyboards using Transformers toys. Awesome!<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdsfclO5etE&t=1106 "ROTB UNICRON IS THRILLING!" | Interview with DAVID SOBOLOV (Rhinox + Battletrap)! - YouTube]</ref>
* According to Caple Jr., Optimus's unmasked face was modeled after Peter Cullen's.
* As a result of Transit's removal, this is the first live-action film to not feature the Decepticons in any capacity.
* To keep the secret of the ''G.I. Joe'' tease at the end of the movie, most copies of the script and the version of the scene shot for test screenings all used [[Sector Seven]] instead. Michael Kelly also didn't know the big twist with his character until he arrived on set. Caple Jr. even had only a single ''G.I. Joe'' business card printed, on the day of filming, and took it from the set himself afterwards for safekeeping!<ref name=Joe>{{citesocial|quote=There was one version of the script that mentioned the G.I. Joe reveal. All other copies, including the one in the studio's possession, described the military organization as Sector 7. "That way no one could leak the script," Caple notes. [...] Caple says they shot two versions of Kelly's scene, one where Burke's business card reads Sector 7 and one where the card reads G.I. Joe, so audiences in test screenings wouldn't know the true reveal. There was only one copy of the G.I. Joe business card, and Caple took that himself from set for safe keeping. "I was like, 'I'm taking this. I don't want this to be found on the floor,'" he says. "I actually didn't have them printed out until that day [on set]. We were very cautious of it, man. We were really trying to be as secretive as possible."|link=https://ew.com/movies/transformers-g-i-joe-crossover-plans/|name=Nick Romano|site=Entertainment Weekly|title=Inside the top-secret plans for Transformers and G.I. Joe|year=2023|month=06|day=12}}</ref>
* This is the first live-action Transformers movie where the Japanese dub wasn't sound directed by [[Keiichirō Miyoshi]]. Instead it is directed by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]], who had been responsible for the dub of the original ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.

===Foreign names===
* ''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/Beast Kakusei''''' (トランスフォーマー/ビースト覚醒 ''Toransufōmā Bīsuto Kakusei'', "Transformers: Beast Awakening")
* ''Cantonese:'' '''''Bin3jing4 Gam1gong1: Kwong4sau3 Gwat6hei2''''' (變形金剛：狂獸崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts")
* ''French:'' '''''Transformers : Le Réveil des Bêtes''''' (Canada, "Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''German:'' '''''Transformers: Aufstieg der Bestien''''' ("Transformers: Rise of the Beasts")
* ''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers: A fenevadak kora''''' ("Transformers: The Age of the Beasts")
* ''Italian: '' '''''Transformers: Il Risveglio''''' ("Transformers: The Awakening")
* ''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Wàn Shòu Juéqǐ''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛：萬獸崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Chāonéng Yǒngshì Juéqǐ''''' (China, 变形金刚：超能勇士崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beast Wars")
* ''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Despertar das Feras''''' (Brazil, "Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: El Despertar de las Bestias''''' ("Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Voskhozhdeniye Zverobotov''''' (Трансформеры: Восхождение Звероботов, "Transformers: Rise of the Beastbots")
* ''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Chas Zvirobotiv''''' (Трансформери: Час Звіроботів, "Transformers: Time of the Beastbots")
* ''Polish:'' '''''Transformers. Przebudzenie bestii''''' ("Transformers Beasts Awakening")
* ''Czech:'' '''''Transformers: Probuzení monster''''' ("Transformers: Awakening the Monsters")
* ''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers: A fenevadak kora''''' ("Transformers: Age of Beasts")
* ''Slovak:'' '''''Transformers: Monštrá sa prebúdzajú''''' ("Transformers: The Monsters are Awakening")
* ''Turkish:'' '''''Transformers: Canavarların Yükselişi''''' ("Transformers: Rise of the Monsters")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 9]], 2023

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Real world films]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts| ]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts media]]