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Sweep (G1)

2024-11-09T16:31:59Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
{{disambig3|Sweep}}

:''Sweeps are [[Decepticon]]s from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TVM0287Sweeps.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Noticeably not involved in a heart-warming musical number with Dick van Dyke and Julie Andrews.]]
'''Sweeps''' are the minions of [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] created by [[Unicron]]. Sweeps are visually indistinguishable from Scourge himself, although Sweeps do not necessarily have identical voices. While only a few are seen initially during Unicron's threat, there appears to be an inexhaustible supply of them later on. That's actually a good thing, as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] tends to shoot them.

Like, all the time.

Sweeps with known defined personalities and identifiers are:
*[[Sweep Two]]
*[[Sweep No. 3|Sweep Three]]
*[[Sweep No. 4|Sweep Four]]
*[[Sweep No. 5|Sweep Five]]
*[[Sweep Six]]
*[[Sweep Seven]].

{{quote|Dumb Sweep.|[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] calling the kettle black|"[[Webworld]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Neil Ross]] ("[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]" and "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]"), [[John Moschitta]], [[Frank Welker]], [[Charlie Adler]], [[Ed Gilbert]] ("[[Five Faces of Darkness]]") [[Jerry Houser]], [[Beau Weaver]], [[Paul Eiding]] ("[[Starscream's Ghost]]"), [[Chris Latta]] ("[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]"), [[Aron Kincaid]] ("[[Webworld]]"), [[Jack Angel]] ("[[Webworld]]", "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]" and "[[Call of the Primitives]]") and multiple others, see Notes (English), [[Yoku Shioya]] (Japanese)|[[Holger Schwiers]], [[Reinhard Brock]], [[Imo Heite]], [[Hans-Rainer Müller]], [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]], [[Gerhard Acktun]], [[Bernd Simon]], [[Gernot Duda]], [[Thomas Rau]], [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German), [[Albert Augier]], [[François Leccia]], [[Henry Djanik]], [[Francis Lax]], [[Serge Lhorca]], [[Jean Claudio]], [[Bruno Magne]], [[Frédéric Cerdal]], (European French), [[João Francisco Turelli]] (Portuguese, "The Movie" VHS dub), [[Older Cazarré]] (Portuguese, most of season 3), [[André Belizar]] (Portuguese, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2"), [[Nilton Valério]] (Portuguese, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3"), [[Paulo Flores]] (Portuguese, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 - 5"), [[Isaac Schneider]] (Portuguese, "Ghost in the Machine")}}

[[File:TFTM-Scourgeformed.jpg|upright=1.55|thumb|At least we know which one's Scourge.]]
Two Sweeps were created by Unicron from the fallen Decepticons [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], though seconds later there were suddenly more of them. They soon followed [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], where one Sweep was destroyed by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]' [[fire-breath]]. The [[Autobot]]s fled the city, but Galvatron's troops followed suit, and the Sweeps killed [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] on the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{note|The Sweeps' involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, was also chronicled in the comic mini-series ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' and the Special Edition The Transformers: The Movie extra page of "[[Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe]]".}}

[[File:FFOD3 Sweeps.JPG|upright=1.55|thumb|left|A rare moment of not being shot by Galvatron.]]
After Galvatron's defeat at the hands of [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], the Sweeps followed Scourge and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] in their search for him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} They eventually discovered him on the planet of [[Thrull]], only to be attacked by their crazed leader. Galvatron sent every single Sweep crashing into the planet's plasma pits, and the only one that fought back did no damage whatsoever to his leader. They all survived, though, and followed Galvatron's commands after he regained his senses (kind of). {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}

One of them got shot in the face by [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], and promptly crashed into a storm on the surface of [[Jupiter]], screaming all the way down. As this Sweep died an agonizing death, the last thing he likely heard was his own commander calling him a big baby. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Next, Galvatron led the Sweeps to the planet [[Goo Number 8739-B|Goo]] and ordered them to fire on all Decepticons who were following the [[Quintesson]]s instead of him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} After Galvatron joined forces with the Quintessons, the Sweeps participated in an all-out attack on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] sent one of them spinning out of control, causing a bunch of them to crash into each other (and Cyclonus). {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:StarscreamsGhost Sweeps.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"They're mongrels. No spots! No spots at all!"]]
Some Sweeps were part of the Decepticon armada that pursued an Autobot ship. They pursued the ship to an [[Autobot Mausoleum]], where they were fought off by the resurrected [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}} Much later, three Sweeps hunted the Decepticon exile [[Octane]] alongside Scourge and Cyclonus, and cornered him in a [[Decepticon Crypt|crypt]] on Cybertron. When Scourge ordered the Sweeps to enter the crypt, all three cowards refused to be the first one in, until Cyclonus got fed up with it and offered to fight whoever was the last one in. The Sweeps were suddenly very quick on their feet after that. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Cyclonus and Scourge were accompanied by some Sweeps when they followed [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] to a [[Lost Cybertronian Storage Asteroid|storage asteroid]]. Ultra Magnus turned up to rescue Daniel, and made short work of the Sweeps. {{storylink|Surprise Party}} Scourge was later possessed by the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], and the Sweeps briefly fell under the command of Cyclonus. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:Webworld Sweeps.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Don't be fooled by the dynamic camera shot, they get beaten up shortly.]]
More Sweeps were unfortunately enough to be with Galvatron during a battle over [[isidrite]], and were bashed around by their leader nearly as much as by the Autobots. {{storylink|Webworld}} Cyclonus was accompanied by a number of Sweeps as he investigated strange activity on Junk. Once the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s had been fried from the influence of the Quintessons, they sent Cyclonus and his men packing. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} They later helped Galvatron temporarily take possession of a [[Quintesson Journal]], at least until the Quintessons themselves arrived and took it back. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:Dweller-in-the-depths-sweep-lastmanstanding.jpg|thumb|A Sweep in its default state: cowering in fear of Galvatron.]]
A number of Sweeps followed Galvatron when he was tricked by the [[Quintesson]]s into releasing the dangerous [[Trans-Organic]]s sealed beneath Cybertron's surface. They didn't fare too well against the monsters, and even worse against the one known as the "[[Dweller (G1)|Dweller]]". As Galvatron fled from the beast, he threw the remaining Sweeps at its horde of [[energy vampire]]s in order to slow them down. The Sweeps all became energy vampires themselves, but were later cured by a massive power surge. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

During a battle with the Autobots on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], Sweeps [[Sweep Six|Six]] and [[Sweep Seven|Seven]] made an attack run on the enemy position. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}} The Sweeps took part in a couple of attacks on [[Japan]], but were beaten back by the Autobots both times. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}} When the madness-inducing [[Hate Plague]] spread throughout the universe, the Sweeps were among its numerous victims. At least one of them was shot down by Galvatron as they chased him across [[Chaar]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Thief in the Night}} {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}} {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:HM6 Galvatron, Scourge and Sweeps.jpg|thumb|left|The one on the right is actually Scourge.]]
Peeking their heads out to see if Galvatron was still kill-crazy, two Sweeps joined Scourge in sabotaging Autobot rescue operations after [[Metamorphose]] twisted the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s into a mess. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Several Sweeps were also seen on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] during [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s grand declaration of leadership. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
[[File:Legends vol 39.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25]]
The Sweeps were caught up in [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s black hole explosion that caused their bodies to shrink, forcing them to become [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. The affected Decepticons travelled to the [[Legends World]], where they teamed up with [[Tera-Kura Co.]] {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} The Sweeps became part of the company's official hierarchy, working under Scourge, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 22|Bonus Edition Vol. 22}} where Scourge with Sweep Nos. [[Sweep Two|2]], [[Sweep No. 3|3]], [[Sweep No. 5|5]], [[Sweep Six|6]], and [[Sweep Seven|7]] participated in an introductory lineup for [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], prompting the leader to ask about the whereabouts of [[Sweep No. 4|No. 4]], which he would get [[Ghost|an answer]] moments later. {{Storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}}

Relegated to janitors, the annoyed Sweeps struck a deal with [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] to receive [[transtector]] bodies in exchange for kidnapping [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]. When Scourge powered himself up using Alpha Trion, the Sweeps grew jealous and swarmed his transtector in an attempt to get a piece of the cake. Their takeover backfired when the transtector overloaded and exploded, and they returned to being janitors, now supervised by a freed Alpha Trion. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 26|Bonus Edition Vol. 26}} The Sweeps were later hypnotized by [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] into overthrowing Megatron. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 34|Bonus Edition Vol. 34}} As part of Weirdwolf's cadre of Scorponok loyalists, they rebelled against Tera-Kura Co. and helped build [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. During their attack on [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] for his [[transformation cog]], the Sweeps tried to attack using their numbers but got tied up by [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird Shadows]]. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}}

While searching for a [[Zodiac]] on Scourge's orders, the Sweeps uncovered the Targetmaster [[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]]. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} They used him to clone [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] as part of a world domination scheme, but were stopped by Hot Rod, [[Shaoshao Li]], and a [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]-controlled Trypticon. While Scourge escaped, the defeated Sweeps were turned over to the police. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 44|Bonus Edition Vol. 44}} Scourge and the Sweeps later stole Blowpipe back and used him to clone Sweep No. 7, creating an army they used to scour the city for [[White Lune]]. They eventually cornered her only to be defeated by Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr and their Targetmaster partners, after which they were punished by having to dress up as [[Santa Claus]] and hand out presents. {{storylink|TF Legends Late Xmas Present Chapter|Late Xmas Present Chapter}}

====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''====
Scourge and his Sweeps were part of the Decepticon forces that attempted to steal away the [[Prime Energy Tower]] on [[Feminia]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
The Sweeps possessed a limited form of the Insecticon cloning ability, thus accounting for the seemingly limitless number observed. {{storylink|The Transformers Menagerie issue 3|Menagerie #3}}

Cyclonus, Scourge, and his Sweeps surrounded an [[Autobot shuttle]] during a surprise attack. They temporarily lost track of the shuttle when it disappeared into a nebula, but eventually found it again and blasted their way into it. Unfortunately, what they found inside was five ''very'' angry [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], who promptly tore the Sweeps apart. {{storylink|Wings of Honor}}

[[Serpentor]] was created from the discarded body of a Sweep. {{storylink|A Common Foe|Serpent O.R.'s ''Wings Universe'' profile}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In an unstable [[Iocus]] reality engineered by the machinations of [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]] and [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] wherein the [[Unicron War]] played out with [[GoBot]]s involved, the Sweeps were built off of [[Deadlift]]'s template instead, transforming into [[Dirt Boss (ROTF)|green forklift]]s. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

===Marvel coloring books===
{{groupstub|{{storylink|Hot Rod's Escape}}}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
Following the Decepticons' unsuccessful attempt at invading [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in the year [[2005]], several Decepticon troopers were discarded and left adrift in space. The Sweeps were created by Unicron from these Decepticons' bodes to be a pack of hunters for the sole purpose of hunting Autobots and their human allies. Their leader was Scourge. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Scourge's ''Universe'' profile}} {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}} On their first mission, the Sweeps followed [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] to Cybertron, and watched on as their leader killed [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}} The Sweeps next joined Galvatron when he attacked the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]] to snatch away the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Four of their members ensnared Ultra Magnus in some energy lassos and drew the Autobot leader to quarters before taking off. {{storylink|The Final Battle!}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Dreamwave sweeps.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Izzy wizzy, let's get busy!]]
Created by Unicron before he entered a period of hibernation and released into space to seek out information, the "first wave" split up and headed in different directions to cover as much of the galaxy as possible. The "alpha drone" (a.k.a. Scourge, or the "first herald") discovered Cybertron in the middle of the [[Great Shutdown]] and awoke [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] for study, only for this act to lead to his own capture. Later, Unicron began work on a second, improved wave of drones, this time [[Cyclonus's Armada|resembling]] (and presumably including) [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:GIJoeVsTFII3 Sweeps.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
In a dystopian future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, Sweeps patrolled the ruins of [[New York City]]. They discovered a group of time-displaced [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] and [[Cobra]] members, but were taken out by the [[Dreadnok]]s. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}} Some time after that timeline was averted via [[time travel]], the Sweeps were seen among [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces on Cybertron, fighting back against a combined Autobot/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] strike force. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:Sweeps created Rebirth.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|right|Step in time.]]
On [[Gorlam Prime]], [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] tossed the dying [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] into a [[solar pool]] and using the power of the [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]], brought him back to full strength. The pool, which also contained the remains of denizens from the [[Dead Universe]], reformatted the bodies into clones of Scourge, who would be their master. Galvatron was incensed that the Sweeps were not created in ''his'' image. Scourge, his Sweeps, and [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] then began to aid Galvatron on his new quest. {{storylink|Rebirth}} Their first mission was to scour Gorlam Prime for its inhabitants, who had disappeared without a trace. While Galvatron, Scourge, and Cyclonus went underground and found [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], the Sweeps were apparently all busy searching other parts of the planet. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 1|Heart of Darkness #1}}

The Sweeps accompanied Galvatron as he traveled the galaxy raising the dead to form an army with which to oppose [[D-Void]]. Among the many planets they visited was [[Spindrift]]. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 3|Heart of Darkness #3}} They were present when Galvatron fought [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] on the planet [[Dykayra]], and several of them were killed when Scourge ordered them to attack D-Void-powered menace. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}} Over time, members of Galvatron's undead army were gradually turned into additional Sweeps until the army consisted of nothing but identical soldiers, a change likely brought about by the Heart of Darkness. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

[[File:Sweeps vehicle modes Out of the Silent Planet.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Ah scrap, it's Sweeps Week again.]]
In a universe where a [[zombie]] virus collectively called [[Undermind]] was attempting to spread to other universes, four portals opened that depicted scenes from four separate universes. In one of these portals, an infected Sweep or two was seen amongst zombified robots and humans. {{storylink|Infestation issue 1|Infestation #1}} The infection had occurred when Galvatron's ship encountered a space-time anomaly on its way to [[Earth]]. He ordered three Sweeps to retrieve a frozen chunk of wreckage that had been flung from the anomaly, but when it was brought on board, zombie humans and robots erupted from it, infecting the three Sweeps. Eventually, the ship crash-landed on Earth, where the infected Sweeps scattered through [[Las Vegas]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}}

After the zombie threat had been dealt with, Galvatron took his army with him to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], their first line of defense against D-Void. As the Sweeps were sent out to scout the planet, one of them discovered [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Noting that they were [[Slingshot (weapon)|armed]], he broke Galvatron's orders by engaging the Autobots, and was subsequently shot down by Wheelie. Galvatron used the Darkness to heal the Sweep's injuries and scolded him, telling him that all Transformers needed to work together. The other Sweeps then tried and failed to stop Rodimus's starship from leaving Cybertron. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}} {{storylink|Space Opera Act 2: Out of the Silent Planet|Out of the Silent Planet}}

[[File:Voracious Sweeps Lamentations.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Maybe they really used to be Insecticons.]]
Under the command of Cyclonus, a large number of Sweeps invaded [[Kimia Facility]] in order to take control of it for Galvatron's use. Their numbers easily overwhelmed the Autobot defenders, and some of them were even seen ''eating'' their enemies. Meanwhile, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] arrived on Cybertron but refused to join Galvatron's army, and several Sweeps were sent to destroy him and his landing party. They were all killed, and [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] used one of the corpses to clobber Galvatron. {{storylink|Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}} While a number of Sweeps defended Kimia from aerial Autobot forces, most stayed behind with Galvatron until Wheelie tried to snipe him only to kill a Sweep instead. An enraged Galvatron sent his entire Sweep army at him and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], who in turn called for reinforcements, leading to a large-scale battle between the Sweeps and Optimus Prime's troops. Wheelie and Cliffjumper were almost overrun, but were suddenly saved by [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}}

[[File:Dead Sweeps the Death of Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|left|Just sweep them under the rug.]]
Megatron, heavily upgraded and very unhappy, took on hundreds and hundreds of Sweeps on his own with little trouble. Together with Megatron's Decepticon forces, the entire Sweep army then came under the influence of D-Void, causing them to combine into an enormous monster. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} Megatron challenged this "[[Deceptigod]]", blowing huge chunks of Sweeps off its body with his blasts and ultimately defeating it. When Galvatron gave up the Heart of Darkness and D-Void began to enter the universe, the Sweeps began disintegrating and returned to being dead. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

After Galvatron was defeated and Cybertron was "reset" into a primordial state, Sweep corpses could be found littering the planet. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} The less-than-balanced [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] used some of them as stress relief, mutilating the dead bodies and stringing them up on walls. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Later, [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] found some of them and was reminded of someone he once knew. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} Megatron was carrying several Sweep heads when he reemerged months after his battle with them. {{storylink|City on Fire}}

A number of Sweeps survived the destruction of the Heart of Darkness by being sent to the Dead Universe alongside the defeated Galvatron. Falling under the command of Galvatron's superior, [[Nova Prime]], they acted as guards for his citadel. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}} Orion Pax, [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]], Cyclonus, and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] fought their way through them in their bid to rescue [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] from Nova's clutches. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} The others held the Sweeps at bay while Orion dueled and ultimately killed the Prime. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

A number of the deceased Sweeps on Cybertron were reanimated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] using a combination of newborn [[spark]]s and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s corrupted energon. Bludgeon had them attack [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]]'s delivery of [[Caminus (planet)|Camien]] sparks to [[Alyon]], but they were fought off and destroyed by the escorting [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Redemption|Redemption}} Bludgeon continued to reanimate Sweeps, mutating their sparks until they could be used to activate Trypticon's [[brain module]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
During the time of the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders]], they commonly used Sweeps as transports. One discarded Sweep was found in a boneyard by the [[Ex-Bot (BWU)|Ex-Bots]], and when its mind turned out to be impossible to recover, they lobotomized it and remodeled it into the [[Ex-Jet]]. {{storylink|Derailment}}

==Commercial appearances==
A Sweep could be seen battling the Autobots alongside [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] while Transformers of both factions left Cybertron to expand their war to the planet [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Legends''===
The Sweeps were loyal troops under [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. After their leader's demise, they opposed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s bid to grab leadership. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}}

One of the Sweeps (or possibly Scourge himself) fell victim to a bear-like Trans-Organic when Galvatron was tricked into attacking the resting grounds of the Dweller. {{storylink|Dweller in the Depths (Legends)|Dweller in the Depths}}

==Toys==
{{note|While pretty much any Scourge toy can be used as a Sweep if you like, this section will only list toys that are explicitly sold as Sweeps.}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:Timelinestoy-SweepsWoH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Why are all the armybuilding versions of this mold rare exclusives?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Sweeps''' (Multi-pack, [[2009]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Left & right wing/blades, yellow [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]]-style [[Cyber Key]]
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Moore]] (concept artist)}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=For the Sweeps, we wanted to adjust the color a bit, to separate them from Scourge, and to make good troop builders. Again, the final Sweeps set was surprisingly close to the concept mock up.|link=https://twitter.com/Joe_Toyark/status/1370397401085792260|site=Twitter|name=Joe Moore|year=2021|month=03|day=12}}</ref>

: Sweeps [[Sweep Two#Toys|Two]], [[Sweep Six#Toys|Six]] and [[Sweep Seven#Toys|Seven]] came in an [[exclusive]] three-pack at [[BotCon 2009]], all three being identical [[redeco]]s of the ''Timelines'' [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Timelines|Scourge]] toy available at the same convention. The mold is a [[retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Sideways (Armada)#Cybertron|Sideways]] with a new head, transforming into a teal and white alien spacefighter with yellow detailing. The Sweeps are armed with "battle shields" with Cyber Key-activated pop-out blades. Their wings can also detach from their ankles and also be used as blades, with both [[5 mm post|pegging]] into their hands, either with one blade in each hand, or with both blades pegging into the top and bottom of a single hand, forming a double-bladed weapon. They come with three yellow Planet X-style Cyber Keys with teal deco.

: The Sweeps were later repurposed as ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (toyline)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Scourge (SG)|Scourge]]. The original version of this mold was also used for the Japanese DVD-exclusive [[Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version#Galaxy Force|Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version]] and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Ratbat (G1)#Universe (2008)|Ratbat]].

::*''[https://twitter.com/Joe_Toyark/status/1370397401085792260 Designer commentary on the ''Timelines'' Sweeps from Joe Moore on Twitter]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/BCSweeps/sweeps.htm More information on Sweeps at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Sweep.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Mustache not included.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Armada of Cyclonus''' (Multi-pack, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Rifle

: Part of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' offerings for 2016 intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', "Decepticon Sweep" is a retool of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Generations|Scourge]] (a redeco of whom is also included in the set) with a pre-tooled alternate head based on [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]]. This tooling only replaces the front half of Scourge's head, while the rest remains unchanged. [[Fun Publications]] was unaware of and did not have access to this head when making the [[BotCon 2014]] [[Devcon (G1)#Timelines|Devcon]] figure. The figure also features transparent plastic on several parts to evoke his reformation in the movie.

: Sweep was released as part of 3-pack with [[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#ArmadaOfCyclonus|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Scourge]], named "Armada of Cyclonus". Despite officially being touted as "available online" by Hasbro at [[BotCon 2016]], thereby implying a "shared exclusive" between multiple online retailers for the United States market (which would usually include the likes of [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]], [[BigBadToyStore]], Entertainment Earth, and [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]), it was ultimately only ever listed and stocked by two US-based online stores, namely TFSource and Scramble Core, both of whom obtain their stock through Asian vendors. The set ''did'' see a somewhat more widespread release in Hasbro's Asian markets (most notably Singapore) and, more surprisingly, was even officially released in Canada (where it was sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores and also made available via [[Walmart]]'s Canadian website, though never sold in stores) and the United Kingdom (where it was available via the UK [[Toys"R"Us]] website). It was also listed very early on by Amazon's Spanish subsidiary, but was ultimately never stocked by them.

: For unknown reasons, the mold was retooled to remove the head's ability to raise and lower, with the old internal mechanism replaced with solid blocks that keep it fixed at robot mode height. Furthermore, the included instructions picture [[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Generations|''Generations'' Ratbat]] rather than either Scourge or the Sweep.
{{GenerationsScourgeMold}}
{{--}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:Legends-toy Sweeps.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Me body's at the cleaners!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Sharktron & Sweeps (Sharkticon)'''<ref>The packaging says "シャークトロン&スウィープス" (Sharktron & Sweeps) in Japanese, but the accompanying English subtitle is just "Sharkticon".</ref> (Basic set, [[2017]])}}</ul>
:*''ID Number'': '''LG44'''
:*''Release date'': [[September 30]] 2017

: ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' "Sweeps" is a redeco/retool of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Titan Master [[Fracas#Generations|Fracas]], with a new up-swept mustache face. As a Headmaster, the Sweep can transform into a head compatible with Scourge or any other Deluxe-or-larger ''Titans Return''-style figure, though it is intended for use with [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Legends|LG26 Scourge]]'s transtector, to which it is ''almost'' color-matched, though the white plastic isn't ''exactly'' the same tone. The head-mounted blaster thingy is designed to pop up for head mode, and retract into a marginally less embarrassing position for robot mode.

: The Sweep was bundled with [[Sharkticon (species)#Legends|Sharktron]], a redeco of ''Titans Return'' [[Gnaw (G1)#Generations|Gnaw]].
{{TRFracasMold}}
{{--}}

===''Studio Series''===
[[File:TF-Studio-Series-86-10-Voyager-Sweep.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Placing him near Galvatron may get him blown off your shelf.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Decepticon Sweep''' (Voyager Class, [[2021]])}}</ul>
:*''Movie'': '''''The Transformers: The Movie'''''
:*''Hasbro ID number'': '''86-10'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-82'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[June 25]], [[2022]]
:*''Accessories'': [[Fire Blast effect]], blaster, "Heralds of Unicron" backdrop
{{toydesigner|[[Mario Carreiro]], [[Christina Murphy]] and [[Amy Bence]] (packaging),<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/live/52ddGYMyvpE?si=7l7OP6YeEB9W82xR&t=9841 Transformers Panel] at [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2024]] with [[Ben MacCrae]], [[Evan Brooks]], [[Mark Maher]], [[Marcelo Matere]], and [[Nate Purswell]].</ref> [[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Released to commemorate the 35th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', ''[[Studio Series]]'' "Decepticon Sweep" is a redeco and minor retool of [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Scourge]]. The Sweep has multiple [[5 mm post|5 mm ports]] on his body and 3 mm posts on the gun barrel to facilitate the [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]]. His helmet in robot mode also has a 3 mm post on the front. It goes without saying that this release is ideal for [[army-building]] legions of Sweeps for Scourge to command.

: The Sweep's main molding difference from Scourge is that the open left hand sculpted on Scourge is switched to Sweep's right hand, showing off gaudy pink fingernails. However, it comes with the same blaster and fire blast effect accessories as ''Studio Series'' Scourge. The range of movement in the Sweep's hips is limited by the sculpting of the sides of the pelvis, which can also scrape the paint that completely coats the thighs if not handled carefully.

: The Sweep also features a second vehicle mode configuration in his instructions to replicate the [[:File:TVM0287Sweeps.jpg|occasional moments]] in animation and artwork where the Sweeps' heads would be visible in vehicle mode. To achieve this, the whole vehicle mode shell needs to be opened; the armature that the head assembly is on needs to be extended up, and as you bring the shell halves back together, the back panel attached to the head assembly tabs into both "engines." Also in this mode, the jet segment on the back of the head can be folded down to allow for neck articulation.

: The vehicle mode stock photo is confusingly misassembled: the robot head is missing and there is an empty cavity where it should go.

: According to [[August 13]], [[2021]]<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Hasbro Pulse#Fan First Friday|Fan First Friday]], the Sweep's color scheme is closer to Scourge's original toy deco, while the ''Studio Series'' Scourge figure has a more cartoon accurate deco.

: Like the other ''Studio Series'' toys, the interior of the package forms a display backdrop, depicting [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] and [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]'s reformatting via [[Unicron]] in the Sweep's case.

: The original version of the mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]] A Hero Is Born'' [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Legacy|Alpha Trion]].

==Notes==
*So what the heck kind of name is "the Sweeps," anyway? Well, the term dates back to writer [[Ron Friedman]]'s [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|original draft]] of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers: The Movie]]''. This early version of the film featured a prototypical version of the group: a hunting party of generic Decepticon troopers, who had been upgraded by Unicron, searching for Autobots hiding on Earth. Referred to in script notations as a Decepticon "Gestapo," they were described as "grim killers," identical, black-armoured 'bots with droning, heavily-mechanical voices. These "Gestapo Men" were collectively called a "Sweep Party"—that is to say, "a party responsible for conducting sweeps of an area."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qiESvs6xDIfpNh3zVegyt7HuCIJLKqOD Original movie draft (PDF)] from [https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html the Sunbow Marvel Archive]</ref> But it seems like [[Flint Dille]] and [[Jay Bacal]] thought it meant "a party of robots ''called'' Sweeps," because when they redeveloped Friedman's draft into a new outline that would serve as the basis for future rewrites, they referred to the robots as "the Sweeps"... and it's stuck ever since! <ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tAWJAGC3nzxwaICQUUQsvLzLr97McwxJ/view Dille and Bacal's 1985 outline (PDF)] from [https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html the Sunbow Marvel Archive]</ref>
*One of the great continuity problems within the original cartoon concerns the minions of Unicron. Namely, Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Sweeps. The issue stems from the original script never specifying which Decepticons were thrown off Astrotrain and remade into Galvatron's followers, essentially rendering them [[generic]]s. As the third-season episodes were most likely made using the script and not the as-yet-unfinished film, the Insecticons regularly reappeared in later episodes as well as later on in the movie itself. Much scuttlebutt has been made about who has been turned into whom, but ultimately, it falls on the viewer to decide who were the genuine article and who were Decepticons that simply looked like these characters.
*As generic characters, the Sweeps had no regular actors in the Generation 1 cartoon, and were voiced by whatever actors happened to already be performing set roles in any given episode. Those listed above are the ones that get clearly identifiable speaking lines; other times, the Sweeps' lines were delivered by actors speaking as a group or as {{w|walla}}, some only choked out one or two words, and some just screamed. By and large, most Sweep performances tended towards a rasping, whispery voice.
*Due to incorrect translation, some of the Sweeps were given their own names in the Chinese dub: ''Huábǎn'' (滑板, "Skateboard") in "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]", ''Sǎoléiqì'' (扫雷器, "Minesweeper") in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]", and ''Suìké'' (碎壳, "Broken Shell") in "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]".

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sweeps''' (スウィープス ''Suwīpusu''), '''Sweep''' (スウィープ ''Suwīpu'')
*''Italian:'' '''Incrociatori'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Sǎodàng Duì''' (China, 扫荡队, "Sweep Team")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising subgroups]]
[[Category:Decepticon subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Legends subgroups]]
[[Category:Mass-produced Transformers]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Studio Series Decepticons]]
[[Category:Sweeps| ]]
[[Category:Unicron]]
[[Category:Wings Universe subgroups]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Breakdown (WFC)

2024-10-29T12:52:49Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{faction|decepticon|unicron|primestunticon|primusvanguard|{{factions/icons|custom=MayhemAttackSquaed-Insignia-LegacyToyline.png|cLink=Mayhem Attack Squad}}}}
{{disambig3|Breakdown}}
:''Breakdown is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''

[[File:PrimeBreakdown-HowToDraw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|He ain't nobody's leg any more.]]

Despite a level of skill to match any Decepticon warrior's, '''Breakdown''' is almost crippled by a persistent paranoia, especially when he is in crowds. He is much happier working alone, away from the eyes he is sure are watching him at every moment. That said, he is quick to come at [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s call, as his fear of his powerful leader may be the only thing outreaching his agoraphobic tendencies.<ref>[[How to Draw Transformers Prime]] Breakdown bio</ref>

After spending most of his time on Cybertron in a smaller form, the scout later upgraded to a bulkier, more threatening body following a clash with [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], a clash which initiated a heated rivalry between the two.<ref>[[Arms Micron]] War Breakdown's tech spec bio</ref> Breakdown has brought that rivalry to present-day Earth, where he assists [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] in his various misdeeds. The two have become good friends in their long partnership, and seem to value each other as much as any pair of friends could.

Since joining the war on Earth, Breakdown has proven to have some quite intriguing depths to his character, besides his deep friendship with Knock Out. He doesn't treat the cannon fodder [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] as such, and even chats to them about romance and is sure to thank them for their hard work. He also has a healthy dose of respect for his foes, as well as gratitude. However, these noble traits are tempered by his boisterous temper; always eager to join a fight or pound some dents into someone, even on his best days.

{{bigquote| Never run when you can fight.|Breakdown|"[[Operation: Breakdown]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====IDW ''Prime'' comic====
[[File:BreakdownPrime.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|His self-esteem ruined by his small size, Breakdown resorted to steroid use.]]
Breakdown was on [[Earth]] when he received [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]'s signal. He found the air commander buried under rubble by [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|a little Autobot]], whom he promptly pummeled. [[Arcee (WFC)|An even smaller, blue Autobot]] shot at Breakdown, which pleased him, because it meant he was going to kill two Autobots today. At Starscream's insistence, Breakdown got him out of the rubble, and they began chasing and shooting at the Autobots. Breakdown finally cornered them and overwhelmed them with his missile launcher. As they lay dying and Starscream was about to finish them, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] got the jump on him and shot Breakdown into the face of a mountainside, causing him to flee to fight another day. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)|Transformers: Prime}}

====''Prime'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Adam Baldwin]] (English), [[Atsushi Imaruoka]] (Japanese)|[[Alexander Kovriznyh]] (Russian; season 1), [[Sang-hyeon Eom]] (Korean), [[Fábio de Castro]] (Portuguese), [[Christoph Banken]] (German), [[Walter Rivetti]] (Italian), [[Arturo Cataño]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Jaime Roca]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Juhani Rajalin]] (Finnish), [[Adam Krylik]] (Polish, "[[Operation: Breakdown]]" and "[[Metal Attraction]]"), [[Bruno Bulté]] (French)}}

[[File:DeusExMachina-Breakdowntruck.jpg|thumb|upright=1|"Shiny. Let's be bad guys."]]
Breakdown had a long history with the Autobot known as [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}} to the point one would call them "archenemies". During their rivalry, Breakdown caused Bulkhead great pains. {{Storylink|Operation: Breakdown}}

When Starscream requested that [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and Breakdown come to the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'', Breakdown was much too busy trying to track down an [[energon]] trace. He reached an excavation site in [[Greece]], where he encountered an old friend—Bulkhead—and spotted a depiction of an [[Energon Harvester]] on an ancient fresco. After breaking the fresco with Bulkhead's head, Breakdown proceeded to the ''Nemesis'', where [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] located the device in a museum. As the Autobots had surrounded said museum, Knock Out and Breakdown drew them around to the front for a fight, where Breakdown caused [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and Arcee to collide with each other and sent Bulkhead flying into Knock Out. This distraction allowed Soundwave to sneak in the back and steal the Harvester. The Harvester was successfully obtained, and Breakdown and Knock Out accompanied Starscream to the energy vein in Greece to test it out. When Bulkhead turned up there to stop them, the two Decepticons attacked him but came off decidedly second-best, as Bulkhead managed to make Breakdown hit Knock Out by accident which allowed Bulkhead to steal Knock Out's [[Energon prod]] and use it to shock Breakdown into submission. They fled once the Harvester was destroyed and the other Autobots turned up. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}}

[[File:SpeedMetal-BBvsBreakdown.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1]]

Breakdown was buffing Megatron's <s>corpse</s> body when Starscream asked him where Knock Out was. Knock Out, it turned out, had been street racing with the humans again. Some time later, Knock Out radio'd Breakdown to let him know there was another street race on. Much later still, Knock Out contacted him with the news that Bumblebee's human friend had been captured. Breakdown joined the other 'Con in setting a trap for the Autobots in a storage facility. Once Bumblebee and Bulkhead turned up, Breakdown ambushed them. He was able to hold his own against the two Autobots until Knock Out announced he was bugging out, and the distraction resulted in Breakdown being knocked into a wall by Bulkhead. Returning to the ''Nemesis'', Breakdown bore silent witness to Starscream's "cosmetic punishment" of Knock Out. {{storylink|Speed Metal}}

[[File:OutHead-BulkheadBreakdown.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Foefist!]]
During a Decepticon plan to melt a glacier to find some energon, Breakdown was hanging around on the hull of the ship when Bulkhead and Arcee appeared nearby. On Knock Out's order, he jumped from the ship and started fighting the two Autobots, unaware that it was a diversion while Optimus Prime scaled a nearby cliff face. He was still fighting them when Optimus caused the heat ray atop the ship to explode and was sent flying by the blast wave. {{storylink|Out of His Head}}

While out scouting an energon source, Breakdown took the opportunity to ambush Bulkhead. Though the Autobot fought back vigorously, Breakdown overcame him and was about to deliver the killing blow when he was zapped by an energy beam from a nearby helicopter. He came around to find himself a captive of the [[human]] organization [[MECH]], the leader of which, [[Silas]], informed him that they wanted to take him apart for his technology. Breakdown was defiant, but the MECH technicians disabled his pain receptors and began dismantling him, including removing his right eye. He was stunned when he was rescued not by the Decepticons, but by Bulkhead. The pair emerged from the rail tunnel to face the main MECH force, and when Silas's helicopter again fired its energy weapon, the 'Con knocked Bulkhead out of the way. After Starscream arrived and chased MECH off, he demanded Breakdown destroy Bulkhead. Breakdown was initially reluctant, but Starscream talked him into it. Though Bulkhead bested Breakdown and used his body to bash the Vehicons, Breakdown was still able to retreat, and Starscream later told him to remember the rescue when the time came to choose between Megatron's leadership and Starscream's. {{Storylink|Operation: Breakdown}}

[[File:TFP ep18 BD optic patch.jpg‎|thumb|left|upright=1.4|[[Major Bludd]] knows how you feel, Breakdown.]]
Breakdown took to wearing an eye-patch as a reminder of his failure. When Soundwave detected a magnetic signature, Breakdown saw the chance to redeem himself and insisted on being the one to retrieve the [[polarity gauntlet]]. Once there, however, he found himself under attack by [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], who also coveted the device and made a failed attempt to trap him underground. The two fought over it until Arcee and Bulkhead arrived and joined in the party. Breakdown was able to use the gauntlet to magnetically stick the two Autobots together, but while he was on his way back to the ''Nemesis'', Airachnid ambushed him and webbed him to a derelict gas station. He was freed when the Autobots turned up and the gauntlet was triggered, yanking him off the wall. At one point during the following battle, he got hold of the weapon and used it to hit Bulkhead with an oil derrick. After some more fighting, Airachnid tried to make a getaway with the gauntlet and Bulkhead threw her at Breakdown. Breakdown was forced to return to the ship without the gauntlet, but made up for it by presenting Megatron with Airachnid, who had become stuck to his back. {{storylink|Metal Attraction}}

Knock Out and Breakdown were sent with some Vehicons to secure a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]], which the Autobots were also after. Breakdown not only got to fight, but got to be on the winning side for a change. Unfortunately when they got back to the ''Nemesis'', they discovered that the cylinder's contents had already been discharged. After Megatron went to try and find Bulkhead, whose noggin held the data, Knock Out detected where Bulkhead was hiding out, and thus he and Breakdown went to the monster truck track. Bulkhead went and hid in the car park, so the two Decepticons started searching in their own ways—in Breakdown's case, smashing random vehicles. They eventually found Bulkhead, but the cylinder data was lost in the process. The pair were ready to take out some revenge until the arrival of more Autobots forced them to retreat. {{storylink|T.M.I.}}

The pair teamed up again to transport energon around. Though Breakdown was keen to GroundBridge out of there when the Autobots turned up, Knock Out reminded him that they were under orders to lead the Autobots on a chase so the foe would deplete their energon reserves. When Ratchet turned up and bashed their Vehicon escort around, Breakdown was ready to take on the newcomer, but he and Knock Out had to leave after the other Autobots attacked them. Some time later, Breakdown was chatting to a [[Decepticon Miner|miner]] when Ratchet entered the cavern. The rematch was short lived as Ratchet overpowered Breakdown. {{storylink|Stronger, Faster}}

Breakdown and Knock Out watched Soundwave and Airachnid dispute over whether Megatron would return from a visit with [[Unicron]]. When Megatron came back to the ship, Breakdown was on the bridge to greet him, though the others had to restrain him when he saw that Megatron was being accompanied by Optimus Prime whom Megatron addressed as "Orion Pax". {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

The Decepticons, including Breakdown and Knock Out, hit a military base and managed to get away with the energy source they needed for their new [[space bridge]], though they did accidentally let Arcee get on board the ship. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} Breakdown attempted to contact the Vehicons at the space bridge and, though he had trouble getting through at first, was told [[William Fowler|everything was fine]]. When asked how ''he'' was doing, Breakdown replied with surprising kindness and sincerity, responding that he was fine, acknowledging the Vehicons' thankless job and encouraging them to keep up the good work. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}}

[[File:OperationBumblebee2 Breakdown Knockout find Forge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|STOP! Pick up the Hammer Time!]]
Sent with Knock Out to retrieve a hidden Cybertronian treasure, Breakdown was no doubt pleased to run into Bulkhead again. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} After their previous success, Breakdown and Knock Out went to secure the [[Forge of Solus Prime]]. Breakdown again found himself fighting Bulkhead, but during a moments distraction, Bulkhead hit him with the Forge. After Megatron secured the Forge, Breakdown retreated through the GroundBridge. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}

[[File:Crossfire MECH finds Breakdown.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"We have a crime scene here."]]
Breakdown was assigned to accompany [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] and Airachnid on a mission, the purpose of which was to get rid of Airachnid. Breakdown's quick temper proved their undoing, as Airachnid goaded him into attacking her. After spending a short amount of time trying to unstick the webbing from his face, Breakdown pursued her, leaving Dreadwing webbed to a tree. Though he caught up with Airachnid, it proved to be a trap, and she swiftly dismantled him. A short time later, a MECH team discovered him in pieces. They elected to bring the remains back to base. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}

After [[Silas]] was badly crushed, the [[MECH Surgeon]] intended to use Breakdown's body to revive him. {{storylink|Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime}}

Knock Out would continue to hunt Iacon relics in Breakdown's memory, {{storylink|Tunnel Vision}} though he missed Breakdown's buffing. {{storylink|Hurt}}

While Breakdown was offline, MECH worked to rebuild and partially repair his body. Eventually, his body was reactivated and integrated with the remains of their leader, producing what Silas declared a "Cybernetic Life Augmented by Symbiosis", or "Cylas". This had the side-effect of bringing Breakdown's life signals back online, though they appeared corrupted to the Decepticon sensors. Cylas made good use of Breakdown's body, at least until he failed Megatron and was consigned to Knock Out's dissection table. {{storylink|The Human Factor}}

[[File:Thirst-restinpeace.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He's dead?! He's supposed to be a llama!!]]

Cylas had become Knock Out's guinea pig for virtually any test he could think of. Knock Out had no qualm about experimenting even further on Breakdown's corpse, believing that his deceased partner would approve of the situation's irony. Cylas became a new form of [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcon]] who fed on a host's Energon, and the ensuing plague ravaged the Decepticons' ranks and numbers. Cylas was finally killed when he freed Airachnid, who left Breakdown's inactive body a lifeless and, ahem, empty husk once more. {{storylink|Thirst}}

====Titan ''Prime'' comic====
Breakdown and [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] took over a TV studio which was filming ''[[Down and Out]]'', and modified the course into a death trap which they then invited [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] to take part in. To ensure they complied, they put the show's crew and audience into a box suspended over a pit of spikes, and Breakdown held on to [[Chuck Chuckles]]'s unconscious form as extra insurance. Unfortunately for the pair, the death trap was less than deadly, and the two Autobots had brought [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]], who shot the floor out from under the two Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.14|It's a Knock-Out}}

====Eaglemoss ''Prime'' comic====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|King of the Road}}}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|Japanese continuity does not include the final season of ''Prime''.}}

=====Japanese ''Prime'' bios=====
Breakdown was a member of the [[Stunticon (Prime)|Stunticons]] alongside [[Wildrider (Prime)|Wildrider]]. {{storylink|Wildrider (Prime)#Prime|Stunt Wildrider}} After a confrontation with [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], the comparatively smaller Breakdown took on a larger frame to match, with accompanying combat skills to boot. His hammer weapon was in actuality the [[Arms Micron]], [[Zamu]], unbeknownst to him. {{Storylink|#Prime|War Breakdown}}

=====''Unite Warriors''/''Legends''=====
[[File:BreakdownNewBody-GrandGalvatronChapter.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.7|...wait, never mind.]]
Breakdown managed to survive his repeated deaths and wandered Earth as a malicious zombie. The undead Decepticon's sheer malice attracted the attention of [[Unicron]], {{storylink|#Unite Warriors 2|''Unite Warriors'' bio}} who would summon Breakdown, among others, to his universe to convince [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] to combine with them in lieu of using Unicron for his new "[[Grand Galvatron]]" body. Breakdown was resurrected in a new combiner body as "Zombie War Breakdown", and he could serve as a limb to Grand Galvatron. The assembled combiner team was ordered by Unicron to conquer [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] so that the planet would become Unicron's new body. Galvatron, not much for obeying anybody, ignored the order and set out to conquer in his own name as Grand Galvatron. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}} While Breakdown was loyal to his new master, he sought to return to his universe and reunite with his partner. {{storylink|#Unite Warriors 2|''Unite Warriors'' bio}}

[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], the main component of Grand Galvatron, had the group undergo training by exposing them to the lava pools of [[Thrull]], which Breakdown actually found enjoyable. {{storylink|Special Training in the Lava Baths of Planet Thrull!}}

[[File:Epilogue-War-Breakdown-home.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
Grand Galvatron attacked Cybertron only to be separated into his components by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. As the team continued the battle on foot, Breakdown was shocked to run into Knock Out on the battlefield and tearfully embraced him, unaware that his partner was merely a hologram projected by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] as a distraction. After realizing his mistake, he rejoined the others and combined back into Grand Galvatron to fight [[Sky Reign]]. {{storylink|Sky Reign Chapter}} When the battle was interrupted by [[Megaempress]], Grand Galvatron's limbs detached and fled out of fear, but Breakdown and Roller were cornered by [[Flowspade]] and forced to transform into giant fist weapons for her to wield. {{storylink|Megatronia Chapter}} Then Unicron showed up to conquer Cybertron himself, prompting the team to reform Grand Galvatron and participate in the battle with the Chaos-Bringer. After the battle was won, Breakdown was able to return to his home universe through a dimensional rift and was happily reunited with Knock Out. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part Two}}

Knock Out later showed Breakdown the schematics to the [[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Hunter Armor]]. {{Storylink|Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|Epiloge}}

===Toy bios===
Breakdown wore the powerful [[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Hunter Armor]], which was armed and upgraded with ancient weaponry given by the [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]]s. {{storylink|Apex Armor (Prime)#Cyberverse|Apex Hunter Armor with Breakdown}}
{{-}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-4-Breakdown.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6]]

Breakdown witnessed [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]]'s little temper-tantrum over getting pummeled by a newly powered-up [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]]. He also witnessed Megatron pummeling Knock Out after the latter's attempt to power-up Megatron went humiliatingly wrong. {{Storylink|Wheeljack's Bizarre Invention! Optimus Power Up!?}} Following the embarrassing defeat of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Breakdown was one of those in charge of the Constructicons' tickle training. {{storylink|A New Menace! The Giant Soldier Devastator Appears!}} He was present during Megatron's (brief) takeover of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], now wearing an eyepatch. {{storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}} Breakdown, again with two optics, was present during Megatron's [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]-helmet-induced rampage, and after it ended, he was horrified to see that Knock Out had learned nothing from the experience and was developing more new helmets for Megatron. {{Storylink|Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!}} He tried to warn [[Starscream (Kre-O)|Starscream]] about [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]]'s manipulative ways, to no avail. {{storylink|The Beautiful Flower Has Thorns? Temptation of the Female Soldier, Airachnid!}}

===Precursor World===
A [[Primus Vanguard|Warrior of the Seven Lights]] resembling Breakdown was a member of the [[Blue Order]] of the [[Primus Vanguard]]. When the traitorous [[Straxus (G1)#Precursor World|Straxus twins]] unleashed a rage virus to destroy the corps from within, he was slain in the ensuing brawl. Vanguard supreme leader [[Primus#The old universe|Primus]] later loaded the Warrior's lingering [[spark]] into his [[Golden Noah]] in an attempt to ferry his soul to the [[G1 World|next world]]. {{storylink|God Neptune comic 1}} Unfortunately, this did not work. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
{{voiceactor|[[Crispin Freeman]] (English)|[[Thierry Mercier]] (French), [[Antonio Abenójar]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Grzegorz Mikołajczyk]] (Polish)}}

{{bigquote| I'm the fastest thing on 4 wheels.|Breakdown in his vehicle mode}}

[[File:Breakdown-WfC.jpg|thumb|"I always feel like somebody's watching meeeeee!"]]
Breakdown joined [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] in the invasion of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], attacking the [[Stellar Galleries]] behind the [[Autobot]]'s front lines in order to acquire the [[Omega Key]]. When it turned out [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Zeta Prime]] had moved it, Megatron lead them on a run-and-gun mission through the city to the [[Vaults]] itself. Breakdown seemed most comfortable during their time in the train tunnels, even challenging Soundwave to a race. However, when Megatron told him in a paternalistic voice to "try not to get crushed by the trains", Breakdown was confused, wondering aloud if his leader had made a joke. After utilizing [[Dark Energon]] bombers to blast their way into the Vaults, the squad came up against Zeta Prime himself. He was utilizing a vast machine that rendered him unassailable, allowed him to control portions of the ceiling so they dropped to crush anyone in the room, and generated an arbitrary number of energon clones bearing his likeness that battled savagely in melee combat. Soundwave's interest in the clones caused Breakdown to deride him as a total nerdlinger, but he didn't have any words of mockery when Soundwave discerned the machine's weakness: a core that rapidly overheated and so had to open up to cool off. Even in defeat, however, Zeta Prime had put one over on the Decepticons, as they took from him not the Omega Key, but the device that activated it. And the Key was cranky about being woken up from its nap.

Though he had shot another soldier for daring to contradict him verbally, Megatron probably realized Breakdown's last-ditch maneuver to avoid crashing into [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]] against Megatron's orders had saved all their lives, and so did not summarily execute him. Nor was Breakdown shot for his constant whining during the team's cat-and-mouse chase with Omega Supreme through the upper spires of Iacon towards a platform studded with some anti-air guns, which would hopefully give them a chance to fight back against the robot of unusual size. They managed to crack open Omega's armor with the emplacements, causing him to crash, but the behemoth remained on his feet—literally, as he transformed to robot mode to continue the fight. Breakdown continually expressed amazement and frustration at the seeming unstoppability of Omega Supreme, but Megatron's confidence was proven justified, as they sabotaged the means by which the giant had been repairing himself, apparently bringing him down. Seemingly unable to believe it despite having participated in the fight, Breakdown could only note, "Uh... all hail Megatron!" Yet even then, Omega Supreme was not defeated, badly damaged though he was. At that point, however, he was unable to continue repairing himself and his armor was badly damaged, allowing concentrated fire to finally overwhelm him.

Breakdown remained at Megatron's side as he tamed Omega Supreme, gaining access to Cybertron's core and infecting it with Dark Energon. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' - Decepticons (DS)===
{{voiceactor|[[Steve Blum]] (English)}}
{{Note|Breakdown is an unlockable character for the Nintendo DS version of ''War for Cybertron''. He can be unlocked by beating Dam 6 in Arena Mode.}}

When Megatron and his Decepticons destroyed a dam they had been using, Breakdown confronted them. Breakdown declared if Megatron could prove to be tougher than he was, then he'd join the Decepticons. Breakdown was eventually defeated, and, true to his word, he joined the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|War for Cybertron - Autobots/Decepticons}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
{{Note|Breakdown does not appear in the campaign of ''Fall of Cybertron'', however he is available in multiplayer.}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark'' (console)===
{{Note|Breakdown appears as an Escalation only character. His default ability is the Hover Slam, and the Scatter Blaster as his default weapon.}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Rise of the Dark Spark (console)}}

===''Transformers Online''===
Breakdown found [[War Rotor]] to be creepy. {{storylink|Transformers Online (2012 video game)|Transformers Online}}

===''Transformers Prime: Pulsar Defense''===
Breakdown and the other Decepticons attempted to prevent the Autobots from constructing a [[Pulsar Dish]], which would destroy the [[Energon Drain]] that the Decepticons had built in an asteroid field. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Pulsar Defense}}
{{-}}
===''Transformers Prime: Decepticon Strike''===
Enraged that Optimus Prime had defeated Knock Out in combat, Breakdown faced off against the Autobot leader resolved to destroy him. He alternatively shot laser blasts, unleashed energy waves and charged Optimus Prime throughout their battle. He was defeated however, and sent running off. He later returned when Megatron did battle against Optimus, and aided his leader throughout combat. The Decepticons were defeated once more, and ran off again. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Decepticon Strike|Decepticon Strike}}

==Toys==
===''Prime''===
{{anchor|Voyager}}
[[File:Primetoy-WarBreakdown.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|At least when you drop a buttload of cash to import it, you get a good toy.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''War Breakdown''' (Voyager, [[2012]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''AM-12'''
:*''Release date'': [[June 30]], 2012
:*''Accessories'': "[[Zamu#Toys|Zamu]]" Arms Micron

: For unknown reasons, Hasbro chose not to develop a full-size toy of Breakdown for the ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' toyline. Instead, it fell to [[TakaraTomy]] to produce their own. Released in the fourth wave of TakaraTomy's version of the ''Prime'' line, "War Breakdown" transforms into a massive armored truck of made-up model. He features a single [[C joint]] bar at the rear of the truck. As part of the line-wide [[Arms Micron]] [[gimmick]], Breakdown has an ''incredible'' number of [[5 mm post]]-holes to attach Arms Microns (or other accessories) to. He comes with his packed-in partner [[Zamu#Prime|Zamu]], who transforms into Breakdown's wrist-mounted hammer (though it actually attaches to the truck mode roof bit which flips up over his wrist, but it's a close enough approximation).

: "War Breakdown" was notionally available for [[Hasbro]] to release in their line, but its production cost reportedly fell into a "no man's land",<ref>http://tformers.com/transformers-sdcc-2012-hasbro-has-no/17901/news.html</ref> stymieing Hasbro's ability to release it at one of their normal price points. The mold would eventually be released by Hasbro in 2020 as a Hasbro Pulse-exlcusive item for the U.S. and Canada ([[#10 Year Anniversary|see below]]).

: This mold was differently [[redeco]]ed/[[retool]]ed each time into [[Swerve (Prime)#Toys|Swerve]] and [[Silas#SilasBreakdown|Silas Breakdown]], the latter of which was retooled further into the [[BotCon 2015]] [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Timelines|Megatron]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/AMWarBreakdown/breakdown.htm More information on War Breakdown at TFU.info]''

::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-1588.html War Breakdown at Alfes's blog]''
{{--}}

====''Cyberverse''====
[[File:Prime-toy BreakdownCyberverse.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|IT'S... hammer time?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Breakdown''' (Cyberverse Legion, 2012)}}</ul>
:*''Series/Number'': '''2 / 006'''
:*''TakaraTomy name'': '''War Breakdown'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''EZ-14'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[June 30]], 2012
:*''Accessories'': Blaster
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Kyde]] (Hasbro)}}

: Part of the second wave of Series-2 Legion-class ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' toys, Breakdown is a tiny, simple toy that turns into an armored car as per usual. He comes with a large triangular-barreled cannon based on his roof-mounted vehicle mode cannon, which has multiple 3mm posts and holes so it can be combined with other weapons and vehicles.

: As he is a Legion class toy of a bulky, broad-shouldered character, he is really, really, really short even compared to other Legions, let alone his rival [[Bulkhead (Prime)#Cyberverse|Commander-class Bulkhead]].

: This toy was released in Japan, without notable changes, in the fourth wave of ''Prime: [[EZ Collection]]'' toys (the same days as his larger toy above, in the fourth wave of that product line).

: This sculpt was also [[redeco]]ed into [[Fallback (Prime)|Fallback]], who features a recolor of the same weapon, and [[Berserker#MtCWalmart2Pack|''The Last Knight'' Berserker]], who has no weapon at all.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/LegBreakdown/breakdown.htm More information on Cyberverse Legion Breakdown at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|EZ6pack}}
[[File:TF-Prime-EZ-Collection-Deception-Set-Breakdown.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Decepticon Set''' (EZ Collection 6-pack, [[November 24]], 2012)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''EZ-SP2'''
:*''Release date'': [[November 24]], 2012
:*''Accessories'': Blaster

: This version of "War Breakdown") is cast in an ever-so-slightly darker shade of plastic than his Hasbro counterpart. The silver [[paint operation]]s are also a tad darker, the [[tampograph]]ed Decepticon [[insignia]] on his chest is significantly darker, his spare wheel is painted in glossy rather than flat black, and his regular wheels and upper legs are cast in dark gray rather than black plastic.

: He was only available in a TakaraTomy ''[[EZ Collection]]'' six-pack with the [[Vehicon (Prime)#EZ6pack|Vehicon]], [[Knock Out (Prime)#EZ6pack|Knock Out]], [[Starscream (WFC)#EZ6pack|Starscream]], [[Megatron (WFC)/toys#EZ6pack|Megatron]], and [[Cliffjumper (WFC)#EZ6pack|Terrorcon Cliffjumper]].

{{-}}{{anchor|CyberverseApexArmor}}
[[File:PrimeBHtoy-Cyberverse-ApexArmor-Breakdown.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|I'm still alive?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Apex Hunter Armor with Breakdown''' (Cyberverse Vehicle, 2013)}}</ul>
:*''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)#BH|Beast Hunters]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)#Series 3|Series 3 Cyberverse]] Vehicle playsets, the "[[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Hunter Armor]]" comes with a green redeco of Legion Class Breakdown. He retains the purple blaster accessory.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/CybApexBreakdown/breakdown.htm More information on ''Beast Hunters'' Breakdown at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

====''10 Year Anniversary''====
[[File:TFP-10th-Anniversary-War-Breakdown.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Scalpers receive double the Breakdowns!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''War Breakdown and Vehicon 2-Pack''' (Multi-pack, 2020)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Zamu" Arms Micron

: Released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of ''Prime'', this Breakdown is a re-release of the TakaraTomy ''Prime'' figure, sticker sheet and all. He also includes [[Zamu#10 Year Anniversary|Zamu]], his Arms Micron, who still comes as parts on a model kit sprue. There are a number of small differences between the two releases, the most noticeable being the addition of a production number stamp on his right heel, and his sticker sheet uses plastic-matching dark blue rather than dark purple. Other small differences include a lighter shade of dark gray plastic, and a more orange-tinted shade of red paint used for his face.

: War Breakdown is packed with the similarly-previously-TakaraTomy-line-only [[Vehicon (Prime)#10 Year Anniversary|Jet Vehicon]] (oddly just called "Vehicon" despite Breakdown carrying the "War" prefix from the Takara release). This set was exclusive to [[Hasbro Pulse]] in the U.S. and Canada, made available for preorder concurrently with [[Hasbro PulseCon 2020]] on [[September 26]], [[2020]]. This set was also available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets such as Hong Kong.

: Amusingly, despite being a Voyager-equivalent figure, War Breakdown was designated as part of the Deluxe Class for this release, and the set was priced accordingly. What a bargain!
{{--}}

===''Construct-Bots''===
[[File:Breakdown Construct-Bots.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Do you wish for Heavy to KILL YOU!? WISH GRANTED!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Breakdown''' (Scout, 2013)}}</ul>
:*''Pieces'': 45
:*''Accessories'': Axe
{{toydesigner|[[Andrew Scribner]] (deco artist)}}

: Released in the third wave of ''[[Construct-Bots]]'' Scout-class kits, Breakdown comes as a pack of disassembled parts. He is then assembled into a skeleton of sorts, then once his armor is applied, he can transform into a truck and back without disassembly. His various parts are covered in 3mm bars and 5 mm post-holes to attach weapons to. As all of the first-year ''Construct-Bots'' joints are universal, you can swap parts and combine him with other kits to make some ''interesting'' combinations.

: Breakdown is made up almost entirely of recycled parts from other figures. His vehicle hood, chest armor, and leg armor are all from [[Hound (G1)/toys#Construct-Bots|Hound]]. His shoulder armor is [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Construct-Bots|Ironhide's]] thigh armor, and his feet, thigh armor, forearm armor, and axe are from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Construct-Bots|Optimus Prime]]. His head is the only unique part of the toy, and it's just a retooling of Hound's with a snarling face being the only change.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/CBBreakdown/breakdown.htm More information on ''Construct-Bots'' Breakdown at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
{{anchor|UniteWarriors}}
[[File:UW-toy BreakdownZombieWar.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Breakdown (G1)|Aaand we're back where we started.]]]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Grand Galvatron''' (Multi-pack, [[2016]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''UW-06'''
:*''Release date'': [[April 30]], 2016
:*''Accessories'': Axe, hand/foot/gun

: ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' "Zombie War Breakdown" is a [[redeco]] of ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Deluxe Class [[Offroad (CW)#Toys|Decepticon Offroad]], transforming into a 4x4 double-cab pickup truck. He includes a [[5 mm post|5 mm handle]] axe weapon (which can form a side-mounted exhaust pipe for truck mode), and a larger accessory that can form a hand or foot for his limb modes or a gun for robot mode, and can also be mounted on a tab in the vehicle mode's truck bed to form a giant engine block.

: As a Deluxe-sized ''Unite Warriors'' figure, Breakdown can form a limb for any ''Combiner Wars''-style Combiner, or become one of [[Godbomber#Legends|''Legends'' Godbomber]]'s legs, although he is nominally part of [[Grand Galvatron#Toys|Grand Galvatron]]. While the front hood/windshields are needed to be folded as kneecaps for his leg mode, the piece also has a tendency to dislodge if he collides with Optimus Prime/Motormaster's and Hot Spot's protruding foot while the legs are being swiveled in his standing position, unless the leg joints are bent down to lessen the problem. Thankfully, he does not have this problem with his normal Combiner team.

: War Breakdown was sold in a [[TakaraTomy Mall]]-[[exclusive]] giftset of Grand Galvatron, along with [[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Unite Warriors|Tactician Cyclonus]], [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Unite Warriors|Ghost Starscream]], [[Thrust (Armada)#Unite Warriors|Curse Armada Thrust]], and [[Roller (G1)#UW06|Wandering Roller]].
{{CWOffroadMold}}
{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:Legacy-United-Breakdown.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I even have space in my chest for Silas!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Prime Universe Breakdown''' / '''Windsweeper''' (Multi-pack, [[2024]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Tarp cover/shield, hammer, blaster, mace
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Yūya Ōnishi]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[[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>

: ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' "Prime Universe Breakdown" is a new-head [[retool]]ing of his rival, ''Legacy'' [[Bulkhead (Prime)#Legacy|Prime Universe Bulkhead]], transforming into a squished version of a Rába H18 military truck. His vehicle mode has a tarp covering his back bed, which unfolds into a riot shield for robot mode. The tarp does not need to be removed for transformation, but doing so provides additional clearance.

: He comes with the full complement of weapons from the [[Bulkhead (Prime)#WreckNRule|Wreck N' Rule Collection Bulkhead]], with the most Breakdown-appropriate being the hammer that was new to that version of the toy. His mace accessory opens up to wrap around his fist, and his (non-rotating) gatling gun can be mounted on either shoulder via 3mm peg, making this the first Breakdown toy to meaningfully include his shoulder cannon. Most of these weapons can stow under the tarp in vehicle mode; the hammer and gatling gun can be stored together, or the mace and gatling gun, but not all three. The mold is loaded with [[5 mm post]]-holes so whatever isn't stored can go elsewhere.

: He was only available in a multi-pack with [[Windsweeper#Legacy|Windsweeper]], [[Cleansweep]] and [[Ozone]], as part of the Mayhem Attack Squad-themed "Doom 'n Destruction Collection". These sets were an [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] exclusive in the US, with a small number sold through [[Hasbro Pulse]]. This set was revealed and set up for preorder on [[February 29]], [[2024]].

::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/C44EUIZOHWP/ Designer commentary on the Doom 'n Destruction Collection from Mark Maher on Instagram]''

==Merchandise==
===McDonald's===
[[File:TransformersPrime Breakdown happymeal toy.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Breakdown''' (Happy Meal, 2012)
**''McNumber'': '''6'''
:Happy Meal Breakdown is a non-transforming SUV. Rotating the rear-mounted spare tire rotates the roof to reveal a cannon resembling the one he possessed on the show.

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds2}}
[[File:Breakdown_Prime_McD_Toy.jpg|thumb|Breakdown is now an unofficial SPEEN enthusiast!]]
*'''Breakdown''' (Happy Meal, 2013)
**''McNumber'': '''6'''
:This Happy Meal Breakdown is a non-transforming robot. Equipped with a hammer for each hand, squeezing his legs will cause the upper torso and arms to spin.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:VectorSigmaBotBuilderBreakdown.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Hammer this [[Superman]]!]]
*He seems to have been initially planned as a [[Barricade (WFC)|Barricade]] redeco in the ''War for Cybertron'' game, as seen in one concept art <ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2010/05/05/war-for-cybertron-tfw2005-visits-high-moon-studios-gameplay-impressions-169615 TFW2005 visits High Moon Studios]</ref>, ultimately he got to have his own distinct model (although his transformation animation echoes that of Barricade with his feet as the front of the car, thrusters on his back).
*Breakdown's model is usable in ''War for Cybertron'' multiplayer as the Racer-type chassis for [[Scout (WFC)|Scout]]-class characters. His parts are also available in ''Fall of Cybertron'', now classified as Saboteur-type components for the [[Infiltrator (FOC)|Infiltrator]] class (although his wheels can also be used by [[Destroyer (FOC)|Destroyers]]).
*While Breakdown's bulky design is largely dissimilar from [[Breakdown (G1)|his G1 counterpart]], his red face and yellow eyes are directly lifted from his G1 toy, which had similarly colored features.
*Promotional blurbs for the episode "[[Deus ex Machina]]" mentioned that [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] would be in the episode. Given that Breakdown acts as a rival for Bulkhead in the finished episode—which [[Lugnut (Animated)|''Animated'' Lugnut]] was played up as for [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in the original ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Cartoon Network]] promotional material—the fandom concluded that Breakdown was meant to be Lugnut at some point in the episode's production. The Hub's [[Mike Vogel]] challenged this notion at [[BotCon 2011]], claiming that Lugnut had been Knock Out's original name, which had been changed because "Lugnut" wasn't "sexy" enough for the character. The ''Prime'' Season 1 Blu-ray commentary, however, corroborated the original theory: Breakdown's place in the show was originally intended to belong to Lugnut, since a loyal Decepticon bruiser was desired, but the show creators wanted a land-based Decepticon instead.
*Breakdown's [[license plate]] in "[[Deus ex Machina]]" is DGOT 441.
*Breakdown's body parts were available to use in the Hub website's [[Vector Sigma Bot Builder]] online game. Normally, you cannot configure a generic 'bot using all Breakdown parts, but you can see what one would look like at right through the magic of Photoshop. While all the characters in the game are hue-shifted from their normal coloration, Breakdown ended up noticeably less-different than his peers, essentially just having a different face color.
*The bio for the Japanese "War Breakdown" release explicitly ties together his ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War For Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' appearances, explaining that he had his physical form upgraded in order to better face Bulkhead.
* Breakdown's appearance in the Kre-O online manga is, like most non-toy robot Kreons, made from preexisting Kre-O parts. He uses Megatron's helmet, the generic wheels on his legs, clip-on smokestacks on his arms, and some sort of apparatus to bulk up his torso.
*According to Adam Baldwin, Breakdown was killed off in ''Transformers: Prime'' due to "budget cuts".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjXXDDpvN6k]</ref>

===Arms Up Modes===
In the Japanese ''Prime'' toyline, Breakdown has named powered-up modes when given various [[Arms Micron]]s in certain configurations:

*'''War Mode''' (ウォーモード ''Wō Mōdo'')
**''Arms Microns'': Jida, Noji, Zamu
: Breakdown's box-back Arms Up mode is just him using the [[Big Scissor]] weapon. Yep! Despite all his other link-points, it's just him using a hand-held weapon. ''Imaginative''.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''War Breakdown''' (ウォーブレイクダウン ''Wō Bureikudaun'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Dǎjī''' (China, 打击, "Strike")

==See also==
{{OtherVersions
|charname=Breakdown
|disambig=Breakdown (disambiguation)
|body=
*[[Breakdown (IDW)|Breakdown]], the bulky [[Velocitron]]ian and [[Conjunx Endura]] to [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Blue Order]]
[[Category:Construct-Bots Decepticons]]
[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 combiners]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legacy Decepticons]]
[[Category:McDonald's exclusives]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Stunticons]]
[[Category:TakaraTomy Mall exclusives]]
[[Category:Transformers Online Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transformers Universe game Decepticons]]

User:GuiRitter

2024-10-26T12:33:27Z

GuiRitter: added update about Brawl

I'm only a Transformers fan as much as I'm a fan of so many other works of sci-fi and fantasy, which is not a lot. However, I became a fan of the image captions in this wiki and I'm archive binging it solely because of that.

Of course, as a consequence, I'm learning more about Transformers and becoming just a little bit more of a fan.

What I'm a big fan of is correctness so I'm correcting things as I find them. Of course, there's always the chance that I'm wrong. In this case, please forgive me and educate me on what I got wrong. I'm always willing to improve.

https://github.com/GuiRitter

2024-10-20: reading all of this made me feeling a little like owning a TF toy. Having said that, I got curious about what an IDW Metalhawk toy would look like.

2024-10-25: oddly enough, Animated Red Alert and Brawl (I love tracks) as well.

User:GuiRitter

2024-10-26T12:28:57Z

GuiRitter: added update about Red Alert

File:Rising-storm-03-jolt.jpg

2024-10-23T00:35:11Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

{{IDWliveactionfilminterior
|description=[[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]] prepares to take on [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]], while an imprisoned, amused [[Fearswoop (ROTF)|Fearswoop]] looks on.
{{art|lineart=[[Carlos Magno]]|colors=[[Jesus Aburtov]] and [[Graphikslava]]|letters=[[Shawn Lee]]|script=[[John Barber]]}}
|series=rs
|issueno=3}}
[[Category: Images by Carlos Magno]]
[[Category: Images by Jesus Aburtov]]
[[Category: Images by Graphikslava]]
[[Category: Images by Shawn Lee]]

User:GuiRitter

2024-10-20T13:24:04Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

User:GuiRitter

2024-10-20T13:23:38Z

GuiRitter: added update about Metalhawk

Easter egg

2024-09-28T13:02:07Z

GuiRitter: fixed link

[[Image:Devcon empty.jpg|thumb|"Don't look at me, I'm irrelevant!"]]An '''Easter egg''' is a special treat hidden in something, (a comic book, a web site, a DVD) as a reward for the person who finds it. Since an Easter egg presumably requires extra effort to find or recognize, it represents a reward for the more 'hardcore' fan. The term has been in use for decades, while the practice of hiding information in artwork goes back millennia.

Naturally, Transformers fiction, and the occasional toy, is replete with them. The very earliest egg is a mention of "that big green, fire-snortin' lizard" in [[Prisoner of War!|Marvel's third issue]], a jokey reference to [[Godzilla]], {{w|Godzilla, King of the Monsters (comic book)|an earlier licensed title}}. The cartoon, meanwhile, merrily sneaked in connections to the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' cartoon.

Easter eggs are especially present in stories drawn or written by fans turned pro, or where key creators have reached out to fandom. [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] was particularly fond of including Easter eggs in their comics. Both ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' and [[Fun Publications]]' [[Axiom Nexus]] stories uses them to fill out the crowd scenes. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Animated'' would both throw in little eggs in their dialogue, with the former making references to then-prominent online fans and websites, and the latter making little nods to other continuities (and sometimes other Hasbro properties).

Sometimes [[Hasbro]] itself gets in on the act, making slight nods to past fiction ([[Sky Shadow (Cybertron)|''Beast Wars'' nods]] in ''Cybertron'' toy bios) or specific fandom memes ([[JaAm|Hot Shot's pro-jaAAAaaam! vanity plate]]).

Sometimes these led to quite a bit of confusion as to whether such inclusions should be taken literally or not; for example, is that ''really'' [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] the bounty hunter, hanging out in the slums of Cybertron, or is it just a little winking extra for fans of the Generation 1 cartoon? Did [[Starscream (Movie)|movie Starscream]] ''really'' have an F-15 form at some point like he says? ''Are'' the [[Visionaries]] in the same continuity as ''Animated''?

[[Image:HydraMartyCancer.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Look at the smug face. He just ''knows'' one of us is going to break down and make a page about him.]]

A notable example of this confusion was in [[Skyfire (issue)|Dreamwave's G1 ongoing #3]], where several Japanese and ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' Transformers are used as crowdfiller. Most of the Transformers in attendance can be assumed to "be" themselves — but there is a problem with one of the ''Generation 2'' [[Cyberjet]]s. Specifically, the character this toy represents ([[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]]) is both on [[Earth]] and ''[[Death|dead]]'' at this point in the ongoing story. You either have to assume this (and perhaps the other characters) aren't meant to ''really'' be these characters, the artist is just throwing in the likeness of obscure characters to thrill readers; that in this continuity, G2 Air Raid is a different character from G1 Air Raid; or that this is [[Aero Raid]], an obscure Japanese character that shares the same toy.

The latter option is very geeky indeed, and is naturally the path that this wiki takes. Easter eggs are treated at face value unless it makes no sense to do so.

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==Sample Easter eggs==

*The [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] often included humorous messages in [[Cybertronix]] writing, and [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)#Transformers references|other gags]] hidden in the background.
*''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' features a large number of Easter eggs.
*[[Starscream (Movie)#Star Screams|The ''Star Screams'' letters page]] would routinely drop in little eggs for the older fans, mainly G1 references.
*The ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' ultra-class toy of [[Onslaught (G1)/toys#Uni08Ultra|Onslaught]] features a nod to uber-fan [[User:Monzo|Monzo]].
*All stories set in [[Axiom Nexus]] are ''awash'' with easter eggs.
*''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|The AllSpark Almanac]]'', ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|II]]'', and ''[[The AllSpark Almanac Addendum|Addendum]]'' are the undisputed kings of the Easter egg.[http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/digipedia/annotated_almanac.html]

* Cars that look like [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] appear in [[Transformers (2023 comic)]].

==Layers of eggs==

While large numbers of ''Transformers'' creators and designers have snuck in eggs, some have made it a hallmark:

* [[Derrick J. Wyatt]]
* [[Adam Patyk]] and [[James McDonough]]
* [[Jim Sorenson]]
* [[Hayato Sakamoto]]
* [[Daniel Warren Johnson]].

==External links==
*{{w|Easter egg (media)|Easter egg at Wikipedia}}

[[Category: Fandom]]

Battlecruiser

2024-09-11T12:45:37Z

GuiRitter: fixed typos

[[File:LaserBeast Dinogator.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|''Cruisin' USAAAAAAIIIIEEE]]

The product of modern [[Laser Beast]] super-science, the '''Battlecruisers''' are a set of one-beast mini-chariots that utilize gravity manipulators for insanely fast flight and powerful attacks. They were specifically designed as "Hunter Killers", a counter to the [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformer]]s' powerful [[Head Hunter]] vehicles; their incredible speed and maneuverability are used to evade the Hunters' powerful forward-facing armaments and strike from behind, above, or even below.

Each one is optimized for a different form of terrain, and under the command of an elite, high-ranking Laser Beast:

: The aerial [[Battle Eagle]], operated by [[Skybat]]
: The aquatic [[Battle Buzzsaw]], operated by [[Dinogator]]
: The overland [[Battle Savanna]], operated by [[Slag King]]
: The underground [[Battle Drill]], nominally operated by [[Skullgrotes]], but often used by Emperor [[Tigerburn]]

{{TOC}}

==Fiction==
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==Toys==
Released in the "Laser Beasts" portion of the post-''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]''-branded ''[[Beastformers (franchise)|Beastformers]]'' toyline, each Battlecruiser is a small mechanical animal-chariot with a pull-back motor, allowing them to rocket forward on smooth surfaces. The "handlebars" actually act as a securing clip around the waists of Beastformer and Laser Beast figures, though many figures end up kind of dangling there, feet off the platform.

===Beastformers===
[[File:BF-toy BattleSavanna.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|The Battle Savanna]]
*'''Battle Buzzsaw''' (Battlecruiser, 1988)
**''Pilot'': Dinogator
*'''Battle Eagle''' (Battlecruiser, 1988)
**''Pilot'': Skybat
*'''Battle Savanna''' (Battlecruiser, 1988)
**''Pilot'': Slag King

: Three of the Battlecruisers were sold in individual boxes, like their rival [[Head Hunter#Toys|Head Hunters]]. Each one came with an exclusive pilot figure with bio card, but the vehicle itself had no bio card.

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[[File:BF-toy GreatestConfrontation box.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|]]
*'''Beast Planet's Greatest Confrontation Set''' (Box set, 1988)
**''Pilot'': Skullgrotes

: A gold-chrome version of the Battle Drill was packed in the "Beast Planet's Greatest Confrontation Set" (ビースト星最大の対決セット ''Bīsuto-sei Saidai no Taiketsu Setto''), a sizable box set that also included its pilot [[Skullgrotes]], Laser Beasts [[Kingbuster]] and [[Salmomancer]], Beastformers [[Platinum Tiger]], [[Yellow Giraffe]] and [[Golder]], and the [[Tiger Hunter]] vehicle.

: While the Beastformer-side items in this box were all re-releases of toys previously available individually (although Golder and Giraffe only in the previous ''Transformers''-branded part of the line), the Laser-Beast-side toys were ''mostly'' exclusive to this set (see below). And with it being such a late release in a flagging toyline, it is easily one of the most (if not ''the'' most) expensive ''Beastformers'' items to obtain on the secondary market.

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*'''Battle Drill''' (Battlecruiser, 1988)
**''Pilot'': Kingbuster

: Three different color variants of the Battle Drill were available only as prizes in various ''Beastformers'' contests. The first, in yellow with a red drill, was part of the standard pack-in mail-in lottery advertised on a slip that came with every single-packed Laser Beast. The tiny illustration indicates it was meant to come with Skullgrotes, but this has not been confirmed.

: Two others were the top prizes in a pair of ''Beastformers'' "punch-box" giveaways in various stores. Basically, kids would punch through a paper front on a multi-compartment box, each containing a random ''Beastformers'' toy prize.

:* The first promo had 24 spaces, with a grand-prize exclusive-colors red Battle Drill with Kingbuster in one of them, two spaces with the normal colorless-clear [[Crystal Killer Fish#Toys|Crystal Killer Fish]] figure, and then 21 random standard ''Beastformers'' boxed toys, with a small baggie of assorted Beastformers weapons taped to the top of their boxes.
:* The second punch-box promo had a blue Battle Drill and Kingbuster as the grand prize, two exclusive Crystal Killer Fish with mottled-brownish stripes, and 21 baggies of random Beastformers weapons, kind of a downgrade from the first one's normal prizes.

: Naturally, these Drill variants don't come cheap.

==Notes==
* The Battlecruisers' gravity-based powers are detailed only in the ''[[Hero Special 12: Laser Beasts]]'' mook. However, the Battlecruiser page has a persistent error where only about half the bullet points on the technical diagrams have lines leading to the specific parts of the vehicles.
* These toys were planned to be part of the [[Hasbro]] ''Battle Beasts'' "Shadow Warriors" line, but it is currently unknown what they were going to be called in this release, having never made it to even limited release or packaging sample stage. According to the 1988 Pre-Toy Fair Catalog (released in 1987), they were going to be released as an assortment of twelve, each with a unique Beast (released in ''Beastformers'' as the back half of the second Laser Beast assortment and the Battlecruiser/Greatest Confrontation Set pack-ins), and each of the four molds coming in three color schemes: red with yellow, yellow with red, and blue and light-blue.
** Yes, those are the three color schemes that the Battle Drill was in for its three different prize releases. The Battle Buzzsaw and Eagle also got their main decos from this assortment (with slight changes to the accent colors), leaving the Savanna and normal-retail Drill as new decos made for ''Beastformers''.
** Sadly the only image we have of this, the name of the assortment is blurry and curved into the center crease of the book. Sorry.

[[Category:Beastformers vehicles]]
[[Category:Legends technology]]

Transformers: Alternators

2024-08-25T03:29:57Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo (assuming it's not kibble slang due to lack of occurrences; if it is, please write somewhere about it so it shows on searches)

{{disambig2|the ''Binaltech'' franchise|the technology in ''Binaltech''|Binaltech (technology)}}
[[File:AlternatorsLogo.jpg|center]]
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'''''Transformers: Alternators''''', known as '''''The Transformers: Binaltech''''' (トランスフォーマーバイナルテック ''Toransufōmā Bainarutekku'') in [[Japan]], is a line of ''Transformers'' toys that started in late [[2003]]. The toys in this series transform into [[Licensed vehicle alternate modes|licensed]], 1:24-[[scale]] accurate representations of real cars from automobile manufacturers around the globe, complete with opening doors, hoods, trunks, either connected front wheel "steering" or individual wheel suspension, plus "realistic" detailed driver/passenger compartments. Essentially, ''Transformers'' toys that turn into model cars.

Over the course of its run, it turned from a neat well-received idea to a pure production nightmare for both American and Japanese versions.

==Overview==
===Pre-release development===
[[File:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|You'll never ever find us in stores.]]
An interview with Takara's development team<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/fandom/interviews/alternators_binaltech/takara_binaltech_interview_translation.php Interview with Takara's Binaltech development team, English translation at TF Archive]</ref> confirmed that both companies initially had different ideas (for example, a different intended scale for the toys) that ultimately resulted in a compromise. Hasbro's motivation stemmed from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' franchise]] line—where they were required to alter [[X-Brawn]]'s headlights in order to avoid legal trouble with [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]], and had to acquire a license from Dodge for all iterations of the [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] mold beginning with the "Super Side Burn" redeco—and the ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' line of reissues. Fan feedback to the wholly-invented vehicle forms of ''Armada'' was also an influence.<ref>"I believe it started to be—for Hasbro, it started to come up in the ''RID'' era, right? So like I said, the Viper, and the Benz. [...] So we had to, y'know, deal with that, at the same time we were doing the G1 reissues, and I believe we were about to re-release Tracks, and it came up with Corvette at that same time, where they're like, "y'know, you've been making this Corvette for a long time and not paying anybody... why don't we come to some arrangement?" [...] So we started to have conversations with these companies, we did come to an arrangement with Corvette to reissue the G1 car. That, and the Viper deal—long-range—created the relationship that would end up in ''Alternators'', and why the Viper was one of the first cars we did. [...] But really what it was, was a lot of... I'll just say ''complaints'' from the people that were buying ''Armada'', and even some of the ''RID'' stuff at the end that was made up. [...] And when I say complaints, it's more like: "if we had my preference, I'd prefer it be a licensed car." And that's not an odd attitude by any stretch!"—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54sqYe2cPE&t=329 Aaron Archer on ''The Toy Armada'', 2022/08/22]</ref> The genesis of the line came with a conversation between [[Aaron Archer]], [[Brian Chapman]], and [[Andrew Frankel]], from which the working name '''''Real Cars''''' originated.<ref>"There was a day in my office with my boss at the time, Brian Chapman, and a marketer, Andrew Frankel. [...] And we were all in my office one day, and we were lamenting the realistic cars, and lamenting kinda how people don't understand, we can't just do licensed cars in the featured cartoon line, and everything, and we just kinda said, "Well y'know what, why don't we try it? How can we do it? Let's do this, something like—real cars! We should do something and call it ''Real Cars''." And for a long time, internally, the working name of this segment was ''Real Cars''. And I kid you not—I'm not sure—we probably searched it, we probably thought we were pretty keen there.—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54sqYe2cPE&t=773 Aaron Archer on ''The Toy Armada'', 2022/08/22]</ref> Archer cobbled together a sketch model from a ''Robots in Disguise'' toy and a die-cast model Corvette, to pitch the idea to executives.<ref>"I went out and bought a... I wanna say a [1:24]-scale die-cast Corvette in burgundy, metallic burgundy, so a little bit bigger toy than Hasbro made at the time. [...] And I went and bought the same Corvette model and cobbled it up onto a ''RID'' [...] Ultra Magnus. Anyway, spray-painted the body black, put a different head on it, put the Corvette parts kind of arranged them like a G1 transformer's parts would've been arranged. It was not the world's best model. [...] But having the robot there at that scale—which was a big scale at that time, I mean, we'd done the 20th anniversary Optimus internally maybe at that time, so people had an idea of a bigger Transformer, but this was like what the little brother of that would've been—and having the vehicle and the big robot there together, it was really impressive."—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54sqYe2cPE&t=883 Aaron Archer on ''The Toy Armada'', 2022/08/22]</ref> Takara worked on their own sketch models based on an existing partnership with Subaru.<ref>"I think [Takara] cobbled up their version of a model real fast after they saw mine—or I think we were co-talking [...] before I even pitched it. [...] And they already had a partnership with Subaru, and that race team. They had a partnership with them related to something else, and that's how they started on the Subaru, kind of earlier than other things."—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54sqYe2cPE&t=1097 Aaron Archer on ''The Toy Armada'', 2022/08/22]</ref>

The earliest known concepts for the line reflect the initial idea, which was to give each character a direct update of his respective Generation 1 [[alternate mode]], i.e. keeping the car manufacturer consistent and simply using the then-recent successor model. With many a car manufacturer being hesitant or even outright refusing to cooperate, however, these plans were ultimately put aside, allowing for more creative options.<ref>"Our plan was like, let's recapture the G1 cast and just—basically update them, that was the easiest approach. But that became complicated quicker when different car companies had different time cycles, different levels of interest, different goals as to what cars they would prefer be used, versus what we thought would be cool. So all those kind of factors made us realise kind of quick that we weren't gonna be able to do the G1 cast accurately like you laid out there."—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54sqYe2cPE&t=1285 Aaron Archer on ''The Toy Armada'', 2022/08/22]</ref> According to Takara designer [[Hironori Kobayashi]], most companies expressed concerns that "having these car panels that separate apart conveys an image of being broken".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170803110658/http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?3,97799,97800 interview with Binaltech designer Hironori Kobayashi, English translation at the Toybox DX forums]</ref>

*One of the first toys planned for the line was [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Notes|Jazz]] (probably to be named "Autobot Jazz" for [[trademark]] reasons) as a Porsche 986. A prototype was made, but Porsche refused to grant Hasbro and Takara the license, stating that "Transformers are not worthy [of] carrying the Porsche trademark. They are war machines and the toyline in no way represents the lifestyle and ideas which Porsche represents."<ref>[http://www.tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24622 Former Porsche employee Addl recounting an informal inquiry with Porsche's licensing department at TF Archive]</ref> As a consequence, the toy ultimately never went into production. Photos of the prototype were first depicted in the Japanese book ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]''. Hasbro later displayed the prototype during the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour; TakaraTomy subsequently displayed it as part of Transformers Expo in 2014.

[[File:AlternatorsBumblebeeDesign.jpg|thumb|Too good to be true.]]

*At the same time as the Porsche, a design was drawn up for [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Bumblebee]] as a [[Volkswagen]] {{w|Volkswagen New Beetle|New Beetle}}, with [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Cliffjumper]] as the redeco. Unfortunately, VW had similar concerns as Porsche, what with not wanting to be associated with "war toys" (though they would back-pedal [[2018|years]] [[Bumblebee (film)|later]]), therefore the design never even made it to the prototype stage.<ref>"We had a guy that spoke German, and we definitely had a Bumblebee. So we had the Porsche model made, and then we had Bumblebee drawings done. Those were both done at the same time, I can't tell you which is the chicken or the egg. I don't believe the Bumblebee model got built. But we had the guy who was from Germany, spoke German, call, and famously both Volkswagen and Porsche were like, don't call us back, we don't have any interest in your toys, your ''warring robot toys'' or something. It was ''very'' blunt, it was German blunt, it was like—"Do not call us back, we have no interest in your crap, you've already taken advantage of us for years." Y'know, whatever the German for "screw off" is. And that was that! Right after that call, we were like, "Okay, we are ''never'' doing a Porsche, we are ''never'' doing a Volkswagen." We'll see if any of the other companies maybe have interest, but we just didn't even look after that for a long time."—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54sqYe2cPE&t=1404 Aaron Archer on ''The Toy Armada'', 2022/08/22]</ref> [[Control drawing]]s for both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper have been published in the aforementioned Japanese BT guide book.

*The second prototype produced was [[Tracks (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Tracks]] as a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Although the toy eventually came out, there was a delay over the licensing deal while Hasbro finalised talks over the ''Commemorative Series'' reissue of the original Tracks toy.<ref>"The hesitation was we had to settle the older G1 stuff first. So that was probably that Tracks reissue."—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54sqYe2cPE&t=1404 Aaron Archer on ''The Toy Armada'', 2022/08/22]</ref> This led Hasbro and Takara to conceive an alternate concept for Tracks as a Dodge Viper. Ultimately, though, the original idea was approved, which allowed Hasbro and Takara to start production on Corvette-Tracks after all, using the headsculpt developed for the Viper, which meanwhile ended up as [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Side Swipe]] instead.

*Ultimately, the only character aside from Tracks to follow the original "direct upgrades" approach would be [[Hound (G1)#Notes|Hound]], whose ''Alternators'' version became a Jeep Wrangler, although he was originally intended as a Rubicon with a slightly different transformation that would have reduced the "backpack" kibble.

By the time Hasbro and Takara entered negotiations with Fuji Heavy Industries/Subaru, they had most likely abandoned the "direct upgrades" idea. The 1:24 scale Subaru Impreza mold was apparently also the first design that went without any major difficulty at any stage in its production process. [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Silverstreak]] (the WRX street model) was originally designed first, with [[Smokescreen (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Smokescreen]] (the WRC rally model) being intended as the redeco, but Takara's marketing department decided to reverse the release order of the two versions, thinking that the rally model would have "more visual impact" as the first release of the line.

A prototype for a smaller, likely 1:48 scale version of the Subaru [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] was displayed by Hasbro as part of the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour,<ref>[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/convention-photographs/238/convention-photographs/BotCon+2007+Hasbro+Tour.html Photos from the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour at Transformers @ The Moon]</ref> created as an exploration for how the licenses could be used for a cheaper price-point once secured. Ultimately, it was decided the toys wouldn't compare well against the ''Energon'' product on sale concurrently.<ref>"I think that one was [1:48]-scale. [...] So yeah, we made that as a test, to see if there could be price-point changes or opportunities, knowing that at $24 [...] there's opportunity to go, "Okay, maybe $25 can't be an everyday purchase, but if we could figure out to do a $10 ''Alternator'' at a smaller scale, but leverage the license we already have now, and just kind of do a smaller scale..." But in the end the economics and ''play'' of it just didn't work out. You didn't need a complex-license lower-end item. [...] You would've looked at an ''Energon'' toy at the time, and then this mini-''Alternators'' thing, and they wouldn't have matched very well on-shelf for their price value. And it doesn't shoot anything, it doesn't come with a comic book... "It's a Subaru!" Well, I will contend, more days than not, a car license isn't a primary driver for a kid. You'd have to really leverage the fans going, "Oh, I remember that character, this character, and now he's a Subaru, cool." I don't know, that became a stretch, so."—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54sqYe2cPE&t=1582 Aaron Archer on ''The Toy Armada'', 2022/08/22]</ref> This prototype was a different scale than the one Takara claimed having initially pursued in their interview in the ''Binaltech'' guide book. Furthermore, the small Subaru prototype was stated to be the second prototype after the Porsche version of Jazz (which was displayed next to him), which also appears to contradict the Takara interview. The Subaru prototype mixes a Smokescreen head sculpt and a WRC (Smokescreen) front bumper with a WRX (Silverstreak) rear spoiler.

Beyond that, many other toys later down the line also went through various changes prior to being released. More details can be found on the individual pages for [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Binaltech Asterisk|Sunstreaker]], [[Dead End (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Dead End]], [[Camshaft (G1)#Alternators|Camshaft]], [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Notes|Bluestreak]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Other attempts|Trailbreaker]], [[Swindle (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Swindle]], [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Notes|Grimlock]], [[Freeway (G1)#Notes|Freeway]], [[Windcharger (G1)#Notes|Windcharger]], [[Overdrive#Binaltech|Overdrive]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Notes|Wheeljack]], [[Decepticharge#Notes|Decepticharge]], [[Wildrider (G1)#Notes|Wildrider]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Binaltech|Blackarachnia]], [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Prowl]], [[Red Alert (G1)#Notes|Red Alert]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Optimus Prime]], [[Ginrai (human)#Notes|Ginrai]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Kiss Players|Hot Rod]] and [[Mirage (G1)#Binaltech|Mirage]].

===Car licenses and character selection===
[[File:BTSmokescreenRakuten.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|This photo resulted in collective drooling.]]
At one point in 2003, [[Hasbro]] stated that the ''Alternators'' line would consist of "six 'hot' contemporary cars".<ref>[http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/3305.html Report about Hasbro's statements regarding the Alternators line from Wizard World Chicago 2003, at Internal Correspondence version 2]</ref> The first six models were based on a {{w|Subaru Impreza}}, a {{w|Dodge Viper|Dodge Viper}}, a {{w|Jeep Wrangler}}, a {{w|Chevrolet Corvette|C5 Chevrolet Corvette}}, a {{w|Mazda RX-8}}, and a {{w|Ford Mustang}}. Even before the line was launched, though, new licenses were already pursued by Hasbro and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], with the first new sculpt that was not part of the "original six" anymore being based on a {{w|Honda S2000}}. More and more models and manufacturers joined the line over its run. Nearly all of these models are from either American or Japanese manufacturers, with the only exception being the {{w|Jaguar XK}}, which is originally a European car.

Character-wise, Hasbro and Takara initially started out with better-known [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] characters from the 1984-85 era that had originally transformed into cars. [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] started the line, with his extensive [[paint operation]]s and [[tampograph]]ed sponsor logos meant to show the level of detail put into the line. For budget reasons, Hasbro and Takara decided very early on that [[redeco]]s/[[retool]]s were necessary even more than they were in other lines, thus retools of the first three sculpts were already available by the time the last of the "original six" sculpts came out. Initially, Hasbro and Takara intended to keep the retools rooted in Generation 1 whenever possible, thus the retool of Smokescreen became [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]] (renamed into "Silverstreak" for [[trademark]] reasons). Though the line was originally meant to be just [[Autobot]]s, it was later decided to release [[Decepticon]]s as part of the line, which took the form of retools of existing Autobot toys, hence the [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys|Side Swipe]] retool ended up as [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] rather than [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]], and the intended [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] retool of [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] ultimately became [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] instead.

Over the time, the selection was expanded to include characters which had not originally transformed into vehicles (such as [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]], [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Shockwave]] aka "Shockblast", or [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]] aka "Battle Ravage"). The first [[character]] difference between the ''Alternators'' and ''Binaltech'' versions of the line occurred when Hasbro named a toy that was designed to resemble the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]] [[Overdrive]] (who the toy was released as in Japan) after the [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] instead, presumably due to trademark reasons (a constant thorn in the side). As the two lines progressed, they diverged more, both in terms of different decos and the addition of third-stringer characters (mostly on Hasbro's end). Even characters that had no root in Generation 1 at all would eventually be added, namely [[Decepticharge]] and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]. Interestingly, the first sculpts to ''start out'' as Decepticons rather than Autobots, [[Rumble (G1)/toys#Alternators|Rumble]] and a second [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]] toy, would ultimately also be the last new sculpts of the line released by Hasbro.
{{-}}

===Legacy===
*''Alternators'' was the first line to consist primarily of newly designed toys clearly intended as new versions of classic [[character]]s from the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original series]], rather than mere design homages or new sculpts directly based on the designs of the original toys and/or the [[character model|animation models]] from the original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] with modern technology. It also pioneered pre-planned [[redeco]]s and [[retool]]s with new head sculpts ("pretools"), which was later adopted by ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' ([[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys|Sideswipe]]) and, to a larger degree, the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'' toy line's]] ''[[Hunt for the Decepticons]]'' and ''[[Reveal the Shield]]'' sub-sets, ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' and many other subsequent lines.

==''Alternators''==
[[File:WindchargerOverdrive.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|Windcharger feels incomplete.]]
In the US, the ''Alternators'' line was launched in December 2003, with the toys being made entirely out of plastic (with the exception of the rubber tires). The first [[wave]] consisted ''only'' of Smokescreen, who shipped in a case all by himself. The second wave mixed Smokescreen and Side Swipe in a 50:50 ratio, with new toys being introduced in the following waves (but Smokescreen choked shelves like crazy). Over the time of its original run, the ''Alternators'' line was particularly notorious for including toys that were extremely hard to find due to only shipping in one or two waves (Meister, Tracks, Decepticharge, Swerve), whereas others shipped for multiple waves, despite having already been [[shelfwarmer]]s (Swindle, in particular).

In 2005, [[Walmart]] decided to drop the ''Alternators'' assortment due to poor sales. As a result, Hasbro relaunched the line with a new assortment in late 2005, featuring completely new packaging, a mix of new sculpts, redecos of older toys and re-releases of highly sought-after rarities such as Tracks or Meister, prompting Walmart to pick the line up again. In an ironic twist of fate, those once "rare" toys re-released ended up as shelfwarmers this time around.

As sales for the second assortment were not particularly stellar either, Hasbro eventually decided to drop the ''Alternators'' as a mass retail line altogether. A [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Alternators|Nemesis Prime]] redeco of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Optimus Prime]] sculpt was released as a [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] [[exclusive]] that was originally offered at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2006, with poor handling and limited availability resulting in a lot of frustrated fans. Meanwhile, the toy was warming shelves in Asia, where it had been released at general retail. Following Nemesis Prime, the last two new sculpts that had been far into development at the time it was decided to discontinue the line, [[Rumble (G1)/toys#Alternators|Rumble]] and [[Ravage (G1)/toys#AltJaguar|Ravage]], were released as Walmart exclusives in Spring 2007. The last new release after that was [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Alternators|Rodimus]], a retool of [[Mirage (G1)#Alternators|Mirage]], again available as a Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Con exclusive.

[[File:Alt Decepticharge toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|And you are...?]]Distribution in other countries was oftentimes even worse: Canadian stores already dropped the line after the first four or five waves and didn't really pick it up again until the launch of the second assortment; in New Zealand, Meister shipped in a solid case assortment (similar to Smokescreen before him), thereby almost killing the line there; Australian stores dropped the line during its second year, making it effectively an online retailer exclusive for the most part there from that point on (on the upside, Australia also got Nemesis Prime and Rodimus, albeit only as store-initiated imports); and Europe got a borderline random selection of toys, with different toys being available in different countries (and some toys not being released ''anywhere'' in Europe): For example, [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Meister]] was ''only'' available in Italy, whereas [[Swindle (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Swindle]] was available in various markets, but ''not'' in Italy. However, as if Jaguar-Ravage wasn't already exceptional enough, the toy was also available in various European countries several months ''before'' he came out in the USA.

At [[BotCon 2007]], Hasbro staffers (notably [[Greg Lombardo]]) said that many of the licenses they had acquired to make ''Alternators'' had expired. They said further that they were hoping to make a few more exclusive redecoes using the remaining licenses (like Rodimus) before those expired in 2008, but were unsure of the available venues, noting that future retail releases—even as exclusives—were unlikely even back then.

With the [[live-action film series]] toy lines, the 2008-onwards ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, ''[[Reveal the Shield]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' filling the gap for "realistic vehicles" at a smaller [[scale]] and a more budget-friendly price point, mostly featuring unlicensed approximations of vehicles (with some of the movies' main characters having [[licensed vehicle alternate modes]]), the ''Alternators'' line has long since lost its novelty, and became a footnote in the brand's history (although it still has a cult following among several [[Fandom|Transformers fans]]).

The [[Human Alliance]] assortment, launched with the 2009 [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' toy line]] and continued through [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|''Transformers'' (2010)]] and expanded with ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'', can be considered as a spiritual successor of the ''Alternators'' line: Licensed [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s roughly at a 1:24 scale (but taking more liberties compared to the ''Alternators'' toys) with interiors that can even hold (included) figures of human characters.
{{-}}

===Fiction===
[[File:ZoomZoom MazdaRX-8.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Who is the Mazda RX-8 Transformer? Who? WHO?]]
Unlike ''Binaltech'', there was never any fully-fledged actual fiction for the ''Alternators'' line. According to [[Hasbro]] representatives, they never pursued the licensing rights for "2D" representations of the car models. Though the reasons were never stated, it is not hard to extrapolate numerous reasons not to; additional costs for securing rights for an indefinite period, debatable ability to utilize those rights in a timely manner, plus clearing whatever fictional portrayal is made with every car company involved (see [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]]'s page for more on ''that''), which would have massively bogged down any publication.

However, a few chunks of Takara's ''Binaltech'' story have made it to the Western market nonetheless: A promotional website set up by Mazda's USA branch in early 2004, offering the first hint at what would ultimately end up as the Alternators Meister toy, featured a brief summary of the original setting for the Binaltech story, including mention of the Cosmic Rust. More than two years later, a bio for the Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Nemesis Prime toy, written by [[Forest Lee]], directly referred to the Binaltech story, including the names of Doctor Arkeville and his employer, the "[[Concurrence]]". For reasons unknown, though, the story was never officially released, and only found its way to the public through websites with access to Hasbro's official library for promotional material intended for retailers, later also to be featured by [[Ben Yee]] in his review for the toy. Interestingly enough, the story for Takara's Black Convoy version of Nemesis Prime, as well as a related revelation from the subsequent chapter that came with the e-Hobby exclusive Rijie toy, appear to be based around the bio for the Alternators toy.
{{-}}

===Toys===
<big>'''Retail releases (North America, Australia and Asia)'''</big>
;Assortment 1 (2003-2005)
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' (blue boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|1 [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Subaru Impreza WRC—Smokescreen]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' (blue boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|2 [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Dodge Viper—Side Swipe]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' (blue boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|4 [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Subaru Impreza WRX—Silverstreak]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' (blue boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|3 [[Hound (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Jeep Wrangler—Autobot Hound]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' (blue boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|6 [[Dead End (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Dodge Viper—Dead End]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|5 [[Tracks (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Chevrolet Corvette Z06—Autobot Tracks]]}}
{{Bp-a1|7 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Mazda RX-8—Meister]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|8 [[Swindle (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Jeep Wrangler—Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|9 [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Ford Mustang GT—Grimlock]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|10 [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Honda S2000—Windcharger]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|11 [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Chevrolet Corvette—Battle Ravage]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|12 [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Mazda RX-8—Shockblast]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 11''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|13 [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Ford Mustang GT—Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 12''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|14 [[Decepticharge#Toys|Honda S2000—Decepticharge]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 13''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|15 [[Swerve (G1)#Alternators|Chevrolet Corvette Z06—Swerve]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 14''' (red boxes)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|16 [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Acura RSX—Prowl]]}}
|}

{{-}}
;Assortment 2 (2005-2006, white "bubble" boxes)
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|5 [[Tracks (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Chevrolet Corvette Z06—Autobot Tracks]] (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|16 [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Acura RSX—Prowl]] (re-release)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|17 [[Skids (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Scion xB—Autobot Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|18 [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Alternators|Dodge Viper—Sunstreaker]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|19 [[Rollbar (G1)#Alternators|Jeep Wrangler—Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|20 [[Ricochet (Headmasters)#Alternators|Subaru Impreza WRX—Ricochet]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|21 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Dodge Ram SRT-10—Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Alt-toy Ricochet.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Ricochet]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|7 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Mazda RX-8—Meister]] (re-release)}}
{{Bp-a1|22 [[Mirage (G1)/toys#Alternators|Ford GT—Mirage]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|23 [[Camshaft (G1)#Alternators|Acura RSX—Autobot Camshaft]]}}
|}

{{-}}
<big>'''Exclusives'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[San Diego Comic-Con]] / [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|24 [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Alternators|Dodge Ram SRT-10—Nemesis Prime]] (2006)<ref group="A" name="rumblenemesis">Both the San Diego Comic-Con / Hasbro Toy Shop exclusive Nemesis Prime figure and the Walmart exclusive Decepticon Rumble figure sport the number 24, whereas no figure sports the number 25.</ref>}}
{{Bp-a1|27 [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Alternators|Ford GT—Rodimus]] (2007)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Walmart]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|24 [[Rumble (G1)/toys#Alternators|Honda Civic Si—Decepticon Rumble]]<ref group="A" name="rumblenemesis"/>}}
{{Bp-d1|26 [[Ravage (G1)/toys#AltJaguar|Jaguar XK—Ravage]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Alt-toy Rumble.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Walmart-exclusive Rumble]]
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="A" />

<big>'''European releases'''</big>

European ''Alternators'' releases, meanwhile, were a lot more complicated, if not to say outright confusing. Since many of them were released one at a time, not all of them in all markets, and some appeared together in some markets but only by themselves in others, we won't bother arbitrarily placing them in non-existing "waves".
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Blue boxes (2003-2004)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|1 [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Subaru Impreza WRC—Smokescreen]]<ref group="B" name="eurosmokescreen">Smokescreen was the only figure that featured a number on its European packaging.</ref>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Jeep Wrangler—Autobot Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Subaru Impreza WRX—Silverstreak]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Red boxes (2004-2005)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Mazda RX-8—Meister]]<ref group="B" name="euromeisterbr">Meister and Battle Ravage saw very limited distribution in Europe. Meister is only confirmed to have been released in Italy, whereas Battle Ravage was only released in Italy and Belgium.</ref>}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Jeep Wrangler—Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Honda S2000—Windcharger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ravage (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Chevrolet Corvette—Battle Ravage]]<ref group="B" name="euromeisterbr"/>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Ford Mustang GT—Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''White "bubble" boxes (2005-2006)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Subaru Impreza WRX—Silverstreak]] (re-release)<ref group="B" name="eurobubble">Unlike in the United States and Canada, where the re-releases of Prowl, Autobot Tracks and Meister in the new "bubble" style packaging under the new assortment featured different Hasbro product code numbers than their initial releases under the new assortment, the European re-releases of Silverstreak and Swindle retained the intial versions' product code numbers. Likewise, the European "bubble" packaging releases of Dead End, Shockblast and Decepticharge—who had never been available in European packaging before—also kept the same product code numbers as their US counterparts from the original assortment.</ref>}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Dodge Viper—Dead End]]<ref group="B" name="eurobubble"/>}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Jeep Wrangler—Swindle]] (re-release)<ref group="B" name="eurobubble"/>}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Mazda RX-8—Shockblast]]<ref group="B" name="eurobubble"/>}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|[[Decepticharge#Toys|Honda S2000—Decepticharge]]<ref group="B" name="eurobubble"/>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Dodge Ram SRT-10—Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Alternators|Ford GT—Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ravage (G1)/toys#AltJaguar|Jaguar XK—Ravage]]<ref group="B" name="euroravage">In Europe, Ravage (Jaguar XK) was available at general retail rather than as a store exclusive. He also featured a different Hasbro product code number than his United States counterpart.</ref>}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|}
{{Note|Additionally, ''imports'' of figures in United States packaging were ''also'' available in some European markets: Shockblast (red box) was available at Argos stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland, while Autobot Hound (blue box), Dead End (blue box) and Grimlock (red box) were available at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores in Denmark and Sweden.}}

<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="B" />

==''Binaltech''==
{{Nav-Binaltech}}

[[File:Binaltech Smokescreen Toy.jpg|left|thumb|[[Completist]]s had a love–hate relationship with this line.]]
In Japan, the line started three months earlier than its Hasbro counterpart and was known as ''Binaltech'', with the primary difference being that ''Binaltech'' figures are more "collector"-oriented, featuring fully-painted car bodies and [[die-cast]] metal parts, in comparison to ''Alternators''' color-molded plastic construction. Additionally, various ''Binaltech'' figures have same-[[character]] [[variant]]s, usually released concurrently with the "regular" version in a 50:50 ratio per [[case]] (as Japanese toys usually ship in solid cases), that Hasbro did not release (though there are numerous redecos and retools in ''Alternators'' that never saw release in ''Binaltech'').

The mass retail ''Binaltech'' line was officially canceled (or, to put it politely, put on "indefinite hiatus") in early 2006 after the release of [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], apparently due to slow sales. Reportedly two more releases were cancelled: "[[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Binaltech|Blackwidow]]" (a silver and purple redeco of [[Decepticharge]] as the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' femme fatale, better known as Blackarachnia outside Japan) and [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]] ([[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' look-alike) had been solicited, but only the first was shown in any capacity. The latter would ultimately end up as the first release of Takara's short-lived replacement for the ''Binaltech'' line, ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]], whereas the Blackarachnia concept eventually evolved into ''Binaltech'' [[Arcee (G1)/toys#Binaltech|Arcee]] much, much later (see below).

In 2007, the ''Binaltech'' line got resurrected in a way similar to the state Hasbro's version was in at that point. The two new sculpts that had previously been intended to be released prior to the cancellation of the mass retail line were now released as redecos of the ''Kiss Players'' toys, with [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Black Convoy]] ([[exclusive]]ly available at the Wonder Festival 2007 Winter convention, and later at [[e-HOBBY]]) being Takara's counterpart of the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]/San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Nemesis Prime redeco of Optimus Prime/Convoy, whereas "[[Mirage (G1)|Rijie]]" (Mirage), a redeco of the Ford GT sculpt which Takara had previously released as ''Kiss Players'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Hot Rodimus]], was only released as a clear e-Hobby exclusive version, using the same head sculpt as Hasbro's Alternators Mirage version. Therefore, Rijie was the only ''Binaltech'' toy that didn't contain any die-cast parts. Takara never released the new [[Rumble (G1)/toys#Alternators|Rumble]] or [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Alternators.2FBinaltech|Ravage]] sculpts; however, four new [[redeco]]es of older toys were released in 2008, all of them once again available at mass retail. Convoy was released as the latest addition to this resurrected ''Binaltech'' line, featuring slightly different coloring from its previous Kiss Player Convoy counterpart.

Following this, Takara replaced ''Binaltech'' with a new toy line following a similar overall concept (licensed [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], diecast parts) at a smaller scale (1/32), under the new name ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]''. Four sculpts were released, all of them based on Japanese car models, each of them in multiple color variants, some even as different characters.

===Fiction===
[[File:Binaltech shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|right|Things eventually get ''really'' complicated.]]{{main|Story of Binaltech}}
''Binaltech'' has its own storyline written by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] called simply '''''[[Story of Binaltech]]''''', though it is only told in small text chunks within each toy's instruction booklet (during the original run of the series) or on the toys' packaging itself (for the toys released in 2007 and 2008). Supplemental information was also included in the characters' [[bio]]s and [[Tech Spec]]s by [[Fumihiko Akiyama]], published alongside the story chapters in the books and on the packaging.

The content of this pack-in fiction began simply enough, giving a fairly down to earth accounting of the comings and goings of the Autobots and Decepticons in the gap between the second and third seasons of the Generation 1 cartoon. This all changed when the Autobots unearthed the spark of ''Beast Wars'' [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], having survived his apparent death in the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] and taken the long way home. "Battle Ravage" took immediate and dramatic action to spare the Decepticons from the events of ''Transformers the Movie'' with his second chance, and this change created a branched timeline and a new universe referred to as the "[[BT World]]." The citizens of the BT World eventually discovered how to travel freely between their dimension and the main cartoon timeline, providing an elaborate in-universe explanation for the reappearances of various characters in Japan's extra cartoon seasons after their deaths in the film.

The plotline of ''Binaltech'' continued with the pack-in fiction of its sequel series ''[[Transformers: Alternity#Fiction|Alternity]]'' where the high concept multiverse stuff ''really'' went wild. See its own article for further information.
{{-}}

===Toys===
''Binaltech'' toys usually shipped in solid cases all by themselves. Toys with official [[variant]]s typically shipped in mixed cases in equal numbers, containing three of each.

<big>'''Retail releases'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[September 25|9-25]]-[[2003]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-01 [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Smokescreen]] ("#7" version)}}
{{Bp-a1|BT-01 Smokescreen ("#8" version)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[December 11|12-11]]-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-02 [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Lambor]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' ([[March 25|3-25]]-[[2004]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-04 [[Hound (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|BT-03 [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Streak]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' ([[July 16|7-16]]-2004)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|BT-05 [[Dead End (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Dead End]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' ([[August 5|8-5]]-2004)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-06 [[Tracks (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Tracks]] (yellow)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' ([[August 26|8-26]]-2004)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-07 [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#GT|Smokescreen GT]] ("#1" version)}}
{{Bp-a1|BT-07 Smokescreen GT ("#2" version)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' ([[September 30|9-30]]-2004)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-08 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Meister]] (white)}}
{{Bp-a1|BT-08 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#ZoomZoom|Meister "Velocity Red Mica Edition"]] (aka [[Zoom-Zoom#Toys|Zoom-Zoom]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' ([[November 11|11-11]]-2004)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-06 [[Tracks (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Tracks]] (blue)}}
{{Bp-d1|BT-09 [[Swindle (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Swindle]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' ([[December 9|12-9]]-2004)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-10 [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Grimlock]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10''' ([[February 24|2-24]]-[[2005]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|BT-11 [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Ravage]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 11''' ([[March 31|3-31]]-2005)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-12 [[Overdrive#Binaltech|Overdrive]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 12''' ([[April 21|4-21]]-2005)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|BT-13 [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Laserwave]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 13''' ([[May 26|5-26]]-2005)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-14 [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 14''' ([[July 28|7-26]]-2005)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-15 [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Prowl]] "Patrol Type"}}
{{Bp-a1|BT-15 [[Prowl (G1)/toys#BinaltechBlue|Prowl "Vivid Blue Pearl Edition"]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 15''' ([[November 17|11-17]]-2005)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-16 [[Skids (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Skids]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 16''' ([[June 26|6-26]]-[[2008]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-19 [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#BinaltechBlue|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|BT-20 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Argent|Argent Meister]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 17''' ([[July 17|7-17]]-2008)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-21 [[Arcee (G1)/toys#Binaltech|Arcee]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 18''' ([[October 2|10-2]]-2008)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-22 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Convoy]]}}
|}

{{-}}
<big>'''Exclusives'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wonder Festival 2007'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|BT-17 [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Binaltech|Black Convoy]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[e-HOBBY]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|BT-18 [[Mirage (G1)/toys#Binaltech|Rijie]] "Electro Disrupter Mode"}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}

===''Binaltech Asterisk''===
{{main|The Transformers: Binaltech Asterisk}}
{{Nav-Asterisk}}

In late 2005 (not too long before it went on "indefinite hiatus"), ''Binaltech'' gained a sub-series called '''''[[The Transformers: Binaltech Asterisk|Binaltech Asterisk]]''''', using old sculpts in new decos as previously unreleased Autobots, but also including small PVC figurines of human girls, each one based on a female human character from a previous ''Transformers'' series. The line's fiction painted a series of fairly isolated pastoral vignettes as each duo participated in a diplomatic initiative known as the [[Interplanetary Personnel Exchange Program]], though later fiction would establish ''Asterisk'' as a side story in the same time and place as ''Binaltech<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' primary fiction.

This series only had three releases before it was canceled and replaced the next year by ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]'', which used a similar concept in much poorer taste (to a [[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)#Controversy|very poor fan reception]]). That infamous series managed ''four'' retail releases before it too was canceled, replaced by the triumphant return of ''Binaltech'' proper in 2007.
====Toys====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
<ul class="iconlist">
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[September 29]], [[2005]])
{{Bp-a1|BTA01. [[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Binaltech Asterisk|Alert]] meets [[Ai Kuruma#Toys|Ai]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)}}
{{Bp-a1|BTA02. [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Binaltech Asterisk|Sunstreaker]] meets [[Kelly (RID)#Toys|Junko]] (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[November 18]], 2005)
{{Bp-a1|BTA03. [[Blaster (G1)/toys#Binaltech Asterisk|Broadblast]] meets [[Lumina Hoshi#Toys|Lumina]] (Toyota bB)}}
|
|[[File:Btasunstreaker toy.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
|}
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Cybertronian radial.jpg|thumb|right|Hasbro should consider branching out.]]
* Hasbro originally intended to use real branded tires such as Bridgestone, Michelin, or Goodyear (evidence can be found on early, "leaked" [[Prototype|test shots]] for Smokescreen, Side Swipe and Meister, and in the Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' book). However, all the final ''Alternators'' and ''Binaltech'' toys either use the fictitious brand [[Cybertronian Radial]] for their tires, or sport no brand markings on their tires at all.
* In early 2004, a trade publication named ''Brandweek'' reported that Hasbro was negotiating with Dodge about the licenses for a Dodge Ram pickup truck and a Dodge Neon. While the former ultimately ended up as Optimus Prime much, ''much'' later, the latter vehicle was never actually turned into an Alternator.
* In mid-2004, several online stores solicited an upcoming ''Binaltech'' toy based on a MINI Cooper alongside the newly confirmed Swindle and Grimlock. The preorders were later canceled, which, coupled with conflicting statements from Hasbro and MINI prior to that, resulted in quite a lot of confusion among fans. To this day it's not certain whether the preorders were premature and solely based on an advertising campaign MINI had been running during that time, or whether such a ''Binaltech''/''Alternators'' toy was actually in the works. Rumors of an existing prototype could never be verified.
* In late 2004, store listings revealed an entry for an upcoming Alternators toy based on an unspecified Mitsubishi vehicle, listed alongside an Acura which would later turn out to be Prowl. Ultimately, the Mitsubishi would never materialize, and the only other concrete piece of information was a rumor that ''predated'' the store listing, suggesting that an Alternators toy based on a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was in the pipeline.
* Another new sculpt, a Cadillac XLR convertible, was also planned. According to Hasbro at [[BotCon 2006]], the toy would have been [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]], but when it was decided to put the Alternators line on an indefinite hiatus, the Cadillac Megatron plans never went beyond the early planning stages. It would have sported an [[Oregon]] [[license plate]].
* In early 2006, Walmart store and website listings included another release of the Scion and Mustang sculpts, in addition to mass retail releases of Rumble, Jaguar Ravage, and the aforementioned Cadillac Megatron. The Mustang and Scion never got far enough along in development to be assigned characters.
* [[Aaron Archer]] saw the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|20th anniversary Optimus Prime]] figure (more commonly known as MP-1) as "belonging with" the ''Alternators'' line.<ref>[http://www.camphortree.net/tf/tidbits/otfcc2004.txt|Steve-o's OTFCC 2004 notes]</ref> For its "Perfect Edition" re-release, Takara gave it a brand new trailer designed to accommodate a single ''Alternators'' figure in vehicle mode - which is funny, considering Archer had said "The trailer, to me, is a bit of... a box."

==References==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20051218063453/http://www.takaratoys.co.jp:80/TF/cm/bt.html ''Binaltech'' homepage] at TakaraTomy's website (archived)
*[[:Category:Binaltech sources|Complete archive of ''Binaltech'' media]]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20071112203528/http://www.bwtf.com/binaltech/ Hub for semi-official ''Binaltech'' translations] by [[Doug Dlin]] with author input at BWTF.com (archived)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alternators}}
[[Category:Alternators| ]]
[[Category:Franchises]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toylines]]

Comics

2024-08-18T15:54:51Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

[[File:MarvelUS-01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|'''''The Transformers''''' #1. Interestingly ''not'' the most replicated & referenced cover ever.]]

As a multi-decade multinational multimedia franchise, ''Transformers'' has naturally had a huge '''comics''' presence over its lifetime. And since it's not a property owned by a comic company, the comic rights have bounced across multiple publishers over the years.

==A Brief History of Major ''Transformers'' Comics==
In the beginning, [[Marvel Comics]] held the rights to ''Transformers'' comics in the US and UK, owing to their hand in developing the characters and story for [[Hasbro]]. The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original ''The Transformers'' comic]] ultimately ran monthly from 1984 to 1991, spanning 80 issues with multiple extra mini-series in the US. The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|UK ''The Transformers'' comic]] was ''weekly'', and added a ton of extra stories woven into and around the reprinted US stories but it too ended not long after the US series did.

In Japan, the rights to ''Transformers'' comics were granted to [[Kodansha]], who would split content among several publications, but the serialized ''manga'' stayed with ''[[TV Magazine]]'', first telling side-stories woven around the accompanying cartoons, then telling completely new-timeline tales for later lines. However, by the late 80s, the comics were reduced to one-shots, then bare-bones "[[story page]]s", with the final genuine ''manga'' chapter releasing in 1991.

When Hasbro attempted to revive ''Transformers'' with ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'', Marvel once again produced the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|accompanying comic]] in the US, though the story actually ''started'' in the pages of the still running [[G.I. Joe (comic)|''G.I. Joe'' comics]]. But a combination of low faith from Marvel and poor sales ended the book after twelve issues, but with enough forewarning for the story to properly end. The UK got a modified version of Marvel ''Generation 2'' through [[Fleetway]] (replacing any bits involving G.I. Joe with original content) that similarly fizzled out. Japan would skip "major" comic outlets, with [[Transformers: G-2 (pack-in manga)|its "''G-2''" story]] told through [[pack-in material|mini-comics packed in with the toys]]. Which also didn't last long.

Mass-market ''Transformers'' comics more or less took a hiatus in English-language markets until after the turn of the century, but Japan would see a brief resurgence in the late 90s. Following the success of their imported version of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', Kodansha published serialized manga in their ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'' monthly anthology book for the Japanese sequel series ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (manga)|Beast Wars Neo]]'', and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Beast Wars Metals]]'' (Takara's version of the latter half of Hasbro's ''Beast Wars'' franchise). But sales of all three series were low and getting lower all the time, and Takara took another break from mainstream ''Transformers'' comics for a few years.

In 2002, the comics got a ''major'' rebirth when Hasbro granted comic rights to [[Dreamwave Productions]], who capitalized heavily on the current "nostalgia boom" that saw renewed (and short-lived) interest in many 80's toy-based properties. Dreamwave made ongoing ''[[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Generation 1]]'' comics in a more "adult" tone, as well as ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Energon]]'' books for the then-running kids' series. Though they were a huge success, the Dreamwave era was very short, as the company imploded in 2004 owing a lot of people a lot of money.

But ''Transformers'' comics rebounded quickly as Hasbro granted the rights to [[IDW Publishing]], who took the property in a new direction, with a [[2005 IDW continuity|"hard" reboot]]. Told at first through a series of connected mini-series and eventually moving to multiple ongoing titles (supplemented by even ''more'' mini-series and one-shots), IDW would go on to produce the single longest continuous run of ''Transformers'' comics in the brand's history, with their original storyline ultimately spanning ''thirteen years'' and hundreds of books, crossing over with multiple other Hasbro properties as a "shared universe", before being brought to a voluntary close in late 2018. Throughout that run, IDW also put out mini-series based on other then-current ''Transformers'' media, including the [[live-action film series|live-action movies]], ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'', ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' and the 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]''. And on top of ''that'', numerous out-of-continuity mini-series crossovers with non-Hasbro properties. [[2019 IDW continuity|A new, rebooted ongoing continuity]] subsequently began with the publication of [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|a new ''Transformers'' #1]] in March 2019, starting shortly before the beginning of the war, which eventually concluded in 2022 due to the expiration of IDW's ''Transformers'' license.

In 2023, ''Transformers'' comics came back in a big way with the announcement that not only had [[Skybound Entertainment]] picked up the license, but they would be launching the "[[Energon Universe]]", a new shared comic universe that combined ''Transformers'' with ''G.I. Joe'' and an original property, ''[[Void Rivals]]''.

In the UK, [[Titan Magazines]] put out a [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|''Transformers'' comic magazine]] to coincide with the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]]. This book would run for seven years, containing new stories set not only in the live-action film continuity (all the way up to ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (franchise)|Age of Extinction]]''), but for ''[[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Transformers Animated]]'' and ''Transformers: Prime'' as well.

Japan's "mainstream" comic output through this period, and to this day, remains scattershot. The majority of Japanese ''Transformers'' comics would come in the form of [[pack-in material|comics packed in with toys]], short comic stories included in larger books, and a ''lot'' of online exclusive comics. There have been a few serialized comics over the years in several "mainstream" publications from different publishers, each usually ending after a year or so.

{{-}}

==A More Involved History of ''Transformers'' Comics==
===US-market ''Transformers'' comics===
====Marvel Comics (1984–1994)====
[[File:MarvelUS-05.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''The Transformers''''' #5. ''This'' is the most replicated & referenced cover ever.]]
{{Main|Marvel Comics}}

Duplicating the successful formula of having [[Marvel Comics]] develop the story and characters for ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', as well as producing a comic book and having a major hand in other tie-in media, [[Hasbro]] had them do the same for their new ''Transformers'' line. What was originally planned to be a four-part mini-series quickly ballooned into an 80-issue monthly ongoing series, and that's ''not'' counting several in-continuity mini-series, including a [[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|crossover with ''G.I. Joe'']] (which would happen a ''lot'' over the years).

After a couple years' hiatus with the end of the original series, Marvel was once again tapped to produce the comic tie-in for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Transformers: Generation 2]]'' in the US, which actually started with a five-issue setup crossover in the still-ongoing [[G.I. Joe (comic)|''G.I. Joe'' comics]]. But limping sales (and not much faith from Marvel's higher-ups out of the gate) meant the series only lasted a year before cancellation. And that was the end of Marvel's run of ''Transformers''... except for a weird ''[[Avengers]]'' crossover miniseries co-produced with [[IDW Publishing]] over a decade later.

:'''Major titles'''
:* [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]]
:* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|The Transformers: Generation 2]]''
:* ''[[New Avengers/Transformers]]''

Much of Marvel's ''Transformers'' output has been collected into volumes by [[Titan Books]] and IDW, which is a fair bit easier than tracking down all those individual issues.

{{-}}

====Blackthorne Publishing (1987)====
[[File:TF3D-1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Transformers in 3-D''''' #1. Feel the excitement.]]
{{Main|Blackthorne Publishing}}

In a very sneaky move, [[Blackthorne Publishing]] finagled the rights to make ''Transformers'' comics in the US and UK at the same time as Marvel, as Blackthorne's books were gimmicky 3-D comics and therefore different enough from Marvel's output in Hasbro's (and various lawyers') view for both to exist. However, the series was ''incredibly'' short-lived, lasting all of three issues. Marvel didn't have a lot to worry about there.

Story-wise, these seem to take place in some variant of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon's]] continuity, though inter-issue continuity itself is... shaky at best. Oh, it also ended on a major cliffhanger. *''thumbs up''*

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Transformers in 3-D]]''

{{-}}

====3H Productions (1997–2004)====
[[File:Beastwarscriticalmass.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Ground Zero'''''. The first ''Transformers'' comic in years, and boy, were folks happy about that.]]
{{Main|3H Productions}}

Following the end of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' and the emergence of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', no major (or minor) comics publisher had the rights to make ''Transformers'' comics. [[3H Productions]], the original producers of the [[BotCon]] conventions, negotiated a limited license to make convention-exclusive comics centered on their exclusive toys and stories. Taking place mostly in the same continuity as the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' cartoons, the series spun its own side-stories, even continuing the timeline following the end of ''Beast Machines'' and tying into the [[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|''Universe'' toyline]].

This series can be a bit confusing to follow, as much of the early story was continued/supplemented with text stories both online and printed in convention booklets, web pages, and more, and usually on a slow, slow drip-feed. On top of that, the removal of the convention license in 2004 left multiple stories in cliffhanger limbo. Several years later, convention-license-recipient [[Fun Publications]] would "finish" most of these unresolved plotlines in one form or another.

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Ground Zero]]'' (aka ''Critical Mass'')
:* ''[[Reaching the Omega Point]]'' (multi-part multi-media story)
:* ''[[Transformers: The Wreckers|The Wreckers / Primeval Dawn]]''
:* ''[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]''

{{-}}

====Dreamwave Productions (2002–2004)====
[[File:G1 Vol.1 Issue1 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Prime Directive''''' #1. Don't stare directly at it.]]
{{Main|Dreamwave Productions}}

Following a renewed interest in the brand, coinciding with the big "nostalgia boom" of the early-Oughts, Hasbro granted the rights to produce ''Transformers'' comics to up-and-coming Canadian comics house [[Dreamwave Productions]], a decision based heavily on a piece of "concept art" by [[Pat Lee]] (well, theoretically by him, at least. He was given credit for it. But... well....)

Dreamwave first produced a six-issue mini-series based on the "Generation 1" franchise that sold amazingly, then another, then made that storyline an ongoing title, supplemented by extra mini-series. They also produced ongoing tie-in comics for Hasbro's then-current iteration of ''Transformers'' for kids, ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]].'' On top of that, both series got extensive multi-issue [[profile]] books, which gave personalities to many toys that had gone character-less for over a decade.

That all came to a crashing end in late 2004 as the company basically imploded, with creators going unpaid, numerous license-granters going unpaid (not just Hasbro!), and Dreamwave head honchos going somewhere far away with wads of cash to try and pull it off again. This left multiple storylines in cliffhanger limbo, but unlike with 3H's stories, nobody bothered to cap them off later (well, with one [[Revelations Part 2#Continuity notes|minor exception]]), though some scripts for unproduced issues have since surfaced.

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Prime Directive]] / [[War and Peace]]''
:* ''[[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Transformers: Generation 1]]''
:* ''[[Transformers: The War Within]]''
:* ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' (profile series)
:* ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Transformers: Armada]]''
:* ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Transformers: Energon]]''
:* ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe]]''

{{-}}

====Devil's Due Press (2003–2007)====
[[File:GI Joe vs Transformers 1a.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''''' #1. The contents are ''way'' more interesting than the cover, thankfully.]]
{{Main|Devil's Due Press}}

While Dreamwave held the ''Transformers'' comic rights in 2003, the rights to ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' were held by [[Devil's Due Press]] (later moved to [[IDW Publishing]], see below). As part of a cooperative project with Dreamwave, both companies made their own Transformers / G.I.Joe crossover miniseries in 2003. Devil's Due would go on to make three more of these minis well after Dreamwave's demise, all in a single continuity that got crazier and crazier the longer it went.

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers]]''
:* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]]''
:* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War]]''
:* ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon]]''

{{-}}

====IDW Publishing (2005–2022)====
[[File:Infiltration 0a.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Infiltration''''' #0. The beginning of an era.]]
{{Main|IDW Publishing}}

Following Dreamwave's ignoble end, Hasbro gave the US/Canada comics license to [[IDW Publishing]]. Though they briefly (very briefly) flirted with the idea of continuing Dreamwave's story, they instead decided upon a ground-up restart, focused on the "Generation 1" cast, different in tone, different in look. It started with a series of six-issue mini-series following one after the other (although not always in chronological order), and would eventually balloon into multiple ongoing titles, soft reboots, side-story mini-series, one-shots, a ''major'' multi-brand crossover... all in all, IDW would produce the longest continuous run of ''Transformers'' comics in the brand's history, the largest number of issues published, and longest ongoing single storyline.

The initial ''thirteen-year'' "[[2005 IDW continuity|Generation 1" continuity]] ended in late 2018, with [[2019 IDW continuity|a new continuity reboot]] (one based on the franchise's concurrent heavily-"Generation 1" styling) running from 2019 to 2022.

In addition to its main "Generation 1" based series, IDW put out mini-series based on other then-current ''Transformers'' media, including the [[live-action film series]], ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'', the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity]] (primarily ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'')... and even a "sequel" series to the original Marvel comics continuity, separate from ''Generation 2'' because... reasons. And on top of ''that'', numerous out-of-continuity mini-series crossovers with non-Hasbro properties.

Due to the ''heavy'' reliance on the miniseries format for vast swathes of story, as well as the books hopping around their respective timelines rather willy-nilly, it is highly recommended to look at the [[IDW Publishing|main "IDW Publishing" page]] for a complete list of their books, as well as the "[[2005 IDW continuity]]" page for assistance in detangling ''that'' whole deal.

{{-}}
{| style="margin-left:3em;" width="90%"
|width="30%" valign="top"|'''Major "Generation 1" (2005–2018) titles'''
* ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]] / [[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]] / [[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]] / [[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''
* ''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]] / The Transformers vol. 2 / [[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]] / [[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]] / [[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]''
* ''[[Revolution]] / [[First Strike]] / [[Transformers: Unicron|Unicron]]''
|
|width="30%" valign="top"|'''Major live-action film titles'''
* ''[[Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel]]''
* ''[[Transformers: The Reign of Starscream|The Reign of Starscream]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Destiny|Destiny]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Tales of the Fallen|Tales of the Fallen]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Rising Storm|Rising Storm]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel|Bumblebee Movie Prequel]]''
|
|width="30%" valign="top"|'''Other major titles'''
* ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|Beast Wars: The Gathering]] / [[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]]''
* ''[[Transformers Animated: The Arrival]]''
* ''[[Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters (comic)|Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)|Robots in Disguise]]'' (2015)
* ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]''
* ''[[Transformers '84 issue 0|Transformers '84 #0]] / ''[[Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies|Secrets & Lies]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars]]''
|
|width="10%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="30%" valign="top"|'''Major non-main crossover titles'''
* ''[[New Avengers/Transformers]]''
* ''[[Angry Birds Transformers (comic)|Angry Birds Transformers]]''
* ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]''
* ''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]''
* ''[[Transformers/Ghostbusters]]''
|
|width="30%" valign="top"| 
* ''[[Transformers vs. The Terminator]]''
* ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!]]''
* ''[[Transformers/Back to the Future]]''
* ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron]]''
|
|width="30%" valign="top"|'''2019 ongoing titles'''
* ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Escape]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Wreckers—Tread & Circuits]]''
* ''[[Transformers: War's End]]''
|}

IDW also produced ''tons'' of trade paperbacks of both their own comics, and reprints of the Marvel comics from both the US and UK runs, as well as a fair amount of Dreamwave material... though that company's stories were interspersed among "theme" books along with Marvel and IDW tales, rather than given their own separate collections.

{{-}}

====Fun Publications (2005–2016)====
[[File:Descentintoevil-cover.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|'''''Timelines''''' #1. The first Collector's Club issue predates this, but that's [[:File:Htcc-1.jpg|not as interesting visually]].]]
{{Main|Fun Publications}}

After the convention and "fan club" rights were taken from 3H, they were transferred to [[Fun Publications]], the company that had been producing the official ''G.I. Joe'' convention and newsletter for many years prior. Like with 3H, the focus of Fun Publications' comics (and other media) was primarily to promote their current selection of convention- and club-[[exclusive]] toys. As they were not beholden to any single franchise or continuity (basically anything but the [[live-action film series]] was fair game, fictionally), Fun Publications had perhaps the broadest range of story settings of any "comics" publisher. Virtually all of their media was put under the umbrella name ''Timelines''.

Their comic output started with the bi-monthly ''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' magazine, which featured a multi-page ongoing comic story at the back end of each issue. These stories were serialized and could span several years. These issues would also sometimes feature comic strips and single-page comic "previews" of prose stories to be published online later. Some comic previews were posted exclusively online rather than within the magazine's pages.

Each year's [[BotCon]] box set of toys also included a full comic issue, telling a story featuring that year's crop of toy exclusives. Many were "jumping off" points for later prose stories or magazine comics, and even included all-new continuities, most notably the "Shattered Glass" "mirror universe" series. Most years, these comics were reprinted with extra ancillary material and sold in comic shops later in the year.

''Timelines'' ended in 2016 when Hasbro dissolved its ''Transformers'' relationship with Fun Publications. The rights to the ''G.I. Joe'' convention and club continued with Fun Publications another two years, but that too came to an end.

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club]]''
:* ''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]''
:* ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]''

{{--}}

====Skybound Entertainment (2023–current)====
{{Main|Skybound Entertainment}}

[[File:Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.85|'''''Transformers''''' #1. Nothing says "new universe" like a Sunbow design!]]

Several months after IDW formally relinquished the ''Transformers'' license, [[Skybound Entertainment]] announced the launch of a new science fiction comic, ''Void Rivals'', which followed a pair of shipwrecked aliens stranded on a barren planet. Partway into the story, the pair discover a derelict spacecraft—only to discover that this is really the Cybertronian [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] in disguise. Off the back of this surprise reveal came the announcement that Skybound had acquired the ''Transformers'' and ''G.I. Joe'' licenses, and used them to springboard the "[[Energon Universe]]", a new shared universe setting that would encompass ''Void Rivals'', ''Transformers'', and several ''G.I. Joe'' miniseries.

:'''Major titles'''
* ''[[Void Rivals]]''
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]''
* ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]''
* ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]''
* ''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]''
* ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]''
* ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]''
{{-}}

===European-market ''Transformers'' comics===
====Marvel Comics (1984–1991)====
[[File:MarvelUK-001.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Transformers''''' #1. UK-tastic!]]
{{Main|Marvel Comics}}

Marvel also held the rights to publish ''Transformers'' in the UK from the start, but that market's books were... a bit different. Most importantly, the book was ''weekly'', and had a shorter pagecount to boot. This meant that the reprinted and recolored US stories needed to be chopped in half, and more stories needed to be created to fill out the other weeks each month. Thus, the UK got twice the content, with wholly unique stories interwoven into the continuity of the US series (not always gracefully, and occasionally a royal continuity headache), omitting the ''G.I. Joe'' bits as needed. On top of this were several "Annuals" and text stories full of original content.

:'''Major titles'''
:* [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]]

Much of the UK ''Transformers'' output has been collected into volumes by [[Titan Books]] and IDW, which is a fair bit easier than tracking down all those individual issues, ''especially'' for US fans.

{{-}}

====Fleetway (1994)====
[[File:FleetwayUKG2-01.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Generation 2''''' #1. Yikes.]]
{{Main|Fleetway}}

While Marvel produced the ''Generation 2'' tie-in comic in the US, for the UK the rights ended up with [[Fleetway]], mainly because Marvel UK was dying/dead at the time. It started with its own similar-but-different take on the US comic's story, featuring some of the toys that had only been released in European markets, and in the process excising G.I. Joe's involvement from the series. But soon it would move on to reprinting the US comics, with extra character [[bio]]s and other ancillary material.

But this series was even ''more'' short-lived than the US comic, only releasing a whopping ''five'' issues, ending mid-story.

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Fleetway)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''

{{-}}

====Panini (2003)====
[[File:Panini01.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Armada''''' #1. Get used to the look of this cover, you'll see it again soon.]]
{{Main|Panini}}

Italian comic publisher [[Panini]], mainly known for their [[The Transformers Sticker Book (1986)|sticker books]] in many countries, acquired the rights to produce comics based on ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' in the UK. This book would take the form of a "comics magazine"; mainly a magazine with two comic stories inside and multiple other features, plus a small pack-in gift in every issue. Poor sales led to its cancellation after nine issues.

The series was in its own continuity separate from Dreamwave's concurrently running ''Armada'' comic, even though it was written by the [[Simon Furman|same author]] (and shared a few story beats here and there).

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Transformers: Armada (Panini)|Transformers: Armada]]''

{{-}}

====Titan Magazines (2007–2014)====
[[File:Tf mag 01 2007.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Transformers''''' #1. Told you you'd be seeing that style of cover again.]]
{{Main|Titan Magazines}}

After obtaining the rights to produce ''Transformers'' comics in the UK, [[Titan Magazines]] (part of the same company as Marvel comics reprinter [[Titan Books]]) went nuts producing its own stories based on numerous then-current franchises, but all under the singular ''Transformers'' title (with one super-short-lived exception). Like Panini's book (see above), Titan's ''Transformers'' was more of a magazine-with-comics-in-it than a proper comic book, but again, it's a ''lot'' of original comic content. It bounced heavily from franchise to franchise, changed prices, pagecount and physical size seemingly at random, "relaunched" numerous times... it was a real mess, but it did last an admirable seven years!

:'''''[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Transformers]]'' comics'''
:* ''Transformers'' (2007 movie)
:* ''[[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Transformers Animated]]''
:* ''Revenge of the Fallen''
:* ''Dark of the Moon''
:* ''Transformers: Prime''
:* ''Age of Extinction''

{{-}}

====Eaglemoss (2012–2013)====
[[File:TFPrimeRU issue 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Transformers: Prime''''' #1. And again! But Russian!]]
{{Main|Eaglemoss}}

Did you know that there was a ''Prime'' comic in Russia? Yeah, we were shocked too. As with Panini and Titan, [[Eaglemoss]]'s ''Transformers: Prime'' is a magazine full of features that also includes original comics. Though the book only lasted a year, it published weekly for the overwhelming majority of its run, totaling 65 issues by the end.

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Transformers: Prime (Eaglemoss)|Transformers: Prime]]''

{{-}}

====Ades Media (2018–present)====
[[File:Target2006 SWECover.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''I siktet: 2006'''''.]]

Starting in 2018, Swedish publisher [[Ades Media]] began publishing ''Transformers'' books in Swedish for the first time since the early 2000s. This came about due to an increased interest in the franchise within the Nordic region in recent years. Sweden in particular has had a relatively big appreciation for the Transformers franchise and has seen publication of material from both the Marvel US and UK comics in the 1980s and '90s, as well as some of the Dreamwave books during the 2000s. These books were initially done in more-or-less connection with the [[unofficial conventions|unofficial convention]] [https://retcon.se/retcon/ RetCon: The Nordic Transformers Convention], that launched in 2017. Beginning with ''I siktet: 2006'', their Transformers books would be published through imprint Retrobokklubben. On [[March 2]] [[2024]], they announced on [https://www.facebook.com/svenskaretrobokklubben/posts/pfbid0YBTtpYCfSBRXWY1FmkEYj8ivXbmdnuFZy4FSsW1vpqAKPKmRB7n4roNzmFy38ZYBl Facebook] that they had worked out a deal with Skybound and will continue publishing Transformers titles after their time with IDW had ended the previous year.

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''Wreckers sista strid'' - collection of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', "[[Bullets]]", ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]'', and "[[All Hail Megatron issue 15|Everything in Its Right Place]]", along with all the bonus material originally featured in each publication's original TPB releases, as well as "[[Wreckers: Sweclassified]]" - a short article written by translator [[Johan Boström]].
:* ''Mer än ögat kan se'' - a collection of the first eight issues of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'', along with "[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations]]", "[[The Reluctant Specialist]]", and "[[The Waiting Game]]" - as well as the bonus material and cover gallery from each of those publications, an interview with author [[James Roberts]], and a reprint of "[[Bullets]]," correcting spelling-errors and mistakes present in ''Wreckers sista strid'', featuring new and exclusive illustrations to go along with the story by famed ''Transformers'' artists [[Nick Roche]], [[Jeff Anderson]], and [[Stephen Baskerville]], and non-pros [[Winston Chan]] and [[Thomas Sjöström]].
:* ''Jakten på Matrixen'' - a translation of the "[[Matrix Quest]]" storyline from the Marvel comics run, based on the IDW reprints found in ''[[The Transformers Classics]]'', and about 100 pages of supplementary material taken from the Marvel UK comics, as well as an assortment of translated [[The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|The Transformers Universe]] profiles.
:* ''Kaos och Skuggor'' - a collection of issues #22, #23, #24, #26, #28 and #30 of ''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'', "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]" and issues #9-#13 of ''More than Meets the Eye'' including "[[Signal to Noise]]". Bonus material includes original pages, a cover gallery and an afterword from James Roberts.
:* ''Krig och hågkomst'' - a translation of #14-#22 of ''More Than Meets the Eye'' as well as [[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]] and a special illustrated version of [[The Sound of Breaking Glass]], in the same vein as "Bullets". Bonus material is once again original pages, cover gallery and an afterword from James Roberts as well as some sketches from [[Alex Milne]].
:* ''I siktet: 2006'' - a translation of various Marvel UK materials, mainly [[Target: 2006]] and other related storylines. Bonus material includes more translated Transformers: Universe profiles, four articles from James Roberts, all translated from the pages of [[The Transformers Classics UK]], an article on Atlantic's original Swedish reprints of the Marvel comic from the 1980s and various emphemera.
:* ''Transformers & Action Force: Vedergällning'' - Mainly the very first collection of Marvel UK's original weekly [[Action Force (comic)|Action Force]] strips, this hardcover also includes the [[Ancient Relics!|Ancient Relics]] crossover, as well as [[Ladies' Night (issue)|Ladies' Night]], [[What's in a Name?|What's in a Name]] and [[Grudge Match!|Grudge Match]].
:* ''Du sköna nya värld'' - a translation of issues #28-38 and #40 of ''More Than Meets the Eye''. Bonus material this time consists of a preliminary sketches and finished pencils from [[Atilio Rojo]] with commentary by Roberts.
:* ''Optimus Prime - Tillbaka till jorden'' - a translation of issues #28-32 and #34-38 of [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise]] and the [[The Transformers: Punishment|Punishment]] mini-series. Bonus material consists of an afterword by [[Andrew Griffith]].

{{-}}

===Japanese-market ''Transformers'' comics===
{{note|For an exhaustive list of published Japanese Transformers comics, see [[Manga]].}}
====Kodansha (1985–2005)====
[[File:TVMag-May1985cover.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''TV Magazine''''' May 1985. The first issue with ''Transformers'' content. Crowded!]]
{{Main|Kodansha}}

In Japan, the rights to produce comic material for this new ''Transformers'' line went to [[Kodansha]], the publisher of several different monthly comic compilations and magazines for kids.

The bulk of the ongoing, serialized fiction in the original series was in the pages of ''[[TV Magazine]]'', a mix of multi-page advertising spreads for the newest, flashiest kids' TV shows and associated merchandise (well, those that paid for space in the magazine) as well as exclusive black-and-white ''manga'' (comics). The ''Transformers'' manga started as side-stories to the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|imported cartoon series]] and the Japan-exclusive [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|''The Headmasters'' cartoon]], but later series would tell their own stories separate from the cartoons. By the late 80s, ''TV Magazine''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ''Transformers'' content was heavily reduced; without any new cartoons to shill for, only a few one-shot manga were produced, and the last years of Japan's "Generation 1" story were represented only in super-truncated "[[story page]]" form. Over a decade later, ''TV Magazine'' would feature an ongoing ''Transformers'' comic again... in the form of a "toy photos" comic for the short ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' series.

Kodansha's other big publication, ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'', was primarily made up of comics both original and based on popular kids' licences from multiple companies. While it featured ''Transformers'' content right from the beginning, it was mainly a series of one-shots, with very little after the first couple years of the franchise. ''Comic Bom Bom'' would not get a regular serialized ''Transformers'' comic until the late Nineties, with the Japan-original ''Beast Wars II'' manga, and the following series. These stories were, like the later ''TV Magazine'' comics, unique stories in a separate-but-sometimes-similar continuity from their cartoon counterparts. But as the Beast series did not end well for [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], there was another long gap in ''Transformers'' manga until a brief resurgence with ''Galaxy Force'', the Japanese version of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''... but that too did not last. And neither did ''Comic Bom Bom'' itself, as the book was ended in 2007 after poor sales.

{| style="margin-left:3em;" width="90%"
|width="33%" valign="top"|'''Major ''TV Magazine'' titles'''
* ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]''
* ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (manga)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|Transformers: Super-God Masterforce]]''
* ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory]]''
* ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone]]''
* ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars]]''
* ''[[Robotmasters (3D diorama comic)|Robotmasters]]''
* ''[[Transformers Go! Go!]]''
|
|width="33%" valign="top"|'''Major ''Comic Bom Bom'' titles'''
* ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers]]''
* ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (manga)|Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo]]''
* ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Galaxy Force (manga)|Transformers: Galaxy Force]]''
|
|width="34%" valign="top"|
|}
Following the end of Takara's relationship with Kodansha, Japanese ''Transformers'' comics tended to be ''very'' scattered, focusing mostly on [[pack-in material|comics packed in with toys]], and mini-comics in larger books or published online. But some serialized content did pop up here and there.

{{-}}

====Media Works (2005–2007)====
[[File:Teletraan15-jul.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.85|No, we're not giving you the full singular page of '''''Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!''''' #1.]]
{{Main|Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!}}

To advertise Takara's ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' series of "Generation 1" [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]], an ongoing single-page manga was produced for ''[[Dengeki Hobby Magazine|Dengeki Hobby]]'' magazine, a light humor series where the humanoid computer [[Teletraan 15]] would journey through space and time to gather data on various Cybertronians. However, as the reissue line could go months without a new release, filler had to be created, so some "missions" spanned several issues. Towards the end of its run, with the ''Collection'' line effectively dead, the story began highlighting new ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]'' toys instead, and eventually entire installments were given over to hypercondensed "pre-caps" of the [[Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|weekly ''Kiss Players'' radio shows]] rather than 15's adventures. (As in, they recapped the events of the radio plays, ''before'' the plays actually aired. Oops!) But 15's story was brought back to conclude in the final few months.

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!]]''

The entire run of ''Go! Go!'' was collected together in the ''[[Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!]]'' compilation book.

{{-}}

====Poplar (2008–2009)====
[[File:Henkei chpt 01 title.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers''''' #1's "splash page". We don't have a pic of the book it came in, sorry.]]
{{Main|Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (Comic Bun Bun)}}



:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (Comic Bun Bun)|Henkei! Henkei! Transformers]]''
{{comicstub}}

{{-}}

====Kadokawa Shoten Publishing (2010–2013)====
[[File:Kerokero ace cover.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.85|'''''Kerokero Ace''''' #1... which came out 3 years prior to it getting ''Transformers'' comics. Um. We're working on that.]]
{{Main|Kerokero Ace}}

''Transformers'' eventually settled down at ''[[Kerokero Ace]]'', a boys' magazine that actually dedicated a ''lot'' of its pagecount to Takara's rival toy company [[Bandai]], particularly their ''Gundam'' toys. But ''Kerokero'' ran two serialized year-long ''Transformers'' comics, as well as some one-shot stories (including a [[Keroro Gunsō × Transformers|crossover]] with the magazine's other major focus, the ''[[Keroro|Sgt. Frog]]'' manga/anime). However, ''Kerokero'' closed down in 2013, the final issue also containing the final episode of its second serialized ''Transformers'' manga.

Every ''Transformers'' comic to appear in ''Kerokero'' was done by the [[Naoto Tsushima|same author/artist]], who also did plenty of ''Gundam'' art for the magazine. Busy man!

From this point on, TakaraTomy would pretty much stick to "in house" manga with pack-in and web-based comics (see below).

:'''Major titles'''
:* ''[[Transformers Animated: The Cool]]''
:* ''[[Transformers: All Spark]]''
{{-}}

==Pack-in comics==
{{Main|Pack-in material}}

As noted above, a lot of original comic material has been produced to be packed in with toys Hasbro/TakaraTomy are selling. Takara has historically used this outlet more frequently than Hasbro.

Hasbro's most active time of ''original'' pack-in comics was during ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'', adding small booklets in with every Deluxe-and-above-size toy. These booklets were half comic (usually created by [[Dreamwave Productions]]), half catalog for other toys in the line. The practice slipped out of favor quickly after the collapse-and-plundering of Dreamwave, and not helped by rising production costs.

In 2013, Hasbro and [[IDW Publishing]] worked together to add reprints of IDW's currently-running series in with the deluxe-level ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Transformers: Generations]]'' and ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' toys. These comics were ''usually'' coordinated to feature the relevant toy character... but sometimes the toy would merely be a cameo, and sometimes ''not even in the issue at all''. These reprints also had various edits for content, emphasizing the use of [[trademark]]ed names and replacing "harsher" words like "kill" with "destroy". But by ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' this too would end.

{{comicstub}}

==See also==
* [[List of Generation 1 comics]]
* [[Manga]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Lists]]
[[Category:Comics| ]]

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

2024-08-02T00:40:49Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

The '''Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant''' was the site of a nuclear accident in the [[Soviet Union]] in [[1986]].

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
Protests against [[Power Station Alpha]] included a sign admonishing the maintainers for not learning a lesson from Chernobyl. {{Storylink|Blood on the Tracks}}

===''Dark of the Moon'' film===
In 1986, Soviet scientists attempted to harness the power of a fuel cell retrieved from the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]''. The attempt failed, ending in a disaster that irradiated the surrounding countryside, forced the evacuation of [[Pripyat]] and rendered the area uninhabitable for tens of thousands of years.

As the long clean up continued several decades later, workers found something alien. [[Alexi Voskhod]] brought in a [[NEST]] team including [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and [[William Lennox|Colonel William Lennox]] to investigate the discovery. Lennox's team ventured into the reactors and found the fuel cell, but as they were retrieving it, they were attacked by the [[Driller]]. They followed the creature outside where Optimus joined in fighting both it and [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] off, retrieving the fuel cell in the process. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)''===
[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] ordered [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] to go to Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to retrieve one of the Space bridge [[pillar]]s. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)}}

==Notes==
*In the ''real world'', the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is situated on the outskirts of the now abandoned city of {{w|Pripyat}}. In ''Dark of the Moon'', the power plant is located ''inside'' the city... and to make matters even more bizarre, [[Alexi Voskhod]] ''explicitly'' says that the entrance leads through a ''school''. Who builds a ''school'' attached to a ''nuclear power plant''? Interestingly enough, the film novelization reveals that Voskhod's two children died in the accident; perhaps they were students there? In the ''real world'', the official list of fatalities from this disaster to this very day only lists 31 victims, none of whom were children; though viewers of the 2019 HBO miniseries ''[[W:Chernobyl (miniseries)|Chernobyl]]'' would recognize that this list only acknowledges the immediate casualties of the accident itself.
*Additionally, the inside of the power plant doesn't look even ''remotely'' like the inside of the real Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which has been visited and documented by multiple people in great detail, including detailed footage of what the undamaged reactors look like. Instead of a reactor cover with lots of square caps, some of them in various colors, arranged flat on the floor in a circle, there's instead a long, multiple stories-high vertical steel contraption that vaguely resembles a blast furnace (or maybe a warp core like in ''[[Star Trek]]''?), and the piece of Cybertronian technology is hooked up to a weird claw-like contraption.

==External links==
*{{w|Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant}} at Wikipedia
*{{w|Chernobyl disaster}} at Wikipedia

[[Category:Dark of the Moon locations]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Power plants]]
[[Category:Real-world buildings]]

USA Edition

2024-07-31T00:46:39Z

GuiRitter: fixed what appears to be a typo (searched everywhere)

[[File:USA Edition logo.png|center]]
'''USA Edition''' (USAエディション) is a label under which American Transformers toys are released in Japan, usually (but not always) as [[exclusive]]s through special outlets.

These toys are usually identical to their [[Hasbro]] counterparts down to the packaging (other than additional stickers on the packaging identifying them as "USA Edition" and providing legal information in Japanese), but there are a few examples where the "USA Edition" releases feature notable differences from their Hasbro counterparts.

There is no clear rule as to what constitutes a "USA Edition" other than the word of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], and as some cases from more recent years have shown, "USA Edition" is essentially an all-encompassing term that translates as "We feel like doing whatever we want with these toys as long as we don't have to create our own packaging" (although ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Superlink]]'' [[Unicron]], officially recognized as a "USA Edition" by Takara, even broke the "Hasbro packaging" rule). And of course, now that the two companies are putting out nigh-identical product in the main toylines down the the same packaging design (a practice starting during the [[Prime Wars Trilogy]]), the "USA Edition" label has basically faded away.

==Characteristics of USA Edition toys==
[[File:PL Red Thrust toy.jpg|thumb|upright=2|Not released in the USA.]]
"USA Edition" toys are typically released in American Hasbro packaging with a sticker containing Japanese legal information, possibly with the figure's name (which might be different from the Hasbro one). Sometimes there are minor variations between the USA Edition and the United States release, such as slightly different paint or plastic color, but this is rare. The most notable exceptions were ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' Powerlinx [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]], which was sold in modified packaging in a color scheme that never received an American release (but did come out in Europe), and the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' versions of [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], which sport different colors and decos from their Hasbro counterparts (most notably Powerglide). The (possibly never released) "USA Edition" version of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators/Binaltech]]'' Prowl was also supposed to sport "Satellite Patrol" markings on his doors instead of the Hasbro version's "Highway Patrol" markings. Furthermore, the "USA Edition" version of ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]] featured a new "spark pilot" figure inside the cockpit that was omitted from the Hasbro release.

The Japanese mass retail release of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Unicron]], which was the Hasbro version in the original ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Legends of the Microns]]'' Unicron's packaging, is also officially recognized as a "USA Edition" by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]].

Many USA Edition toys are [[redeco]]s that were released in the United States, but not in the main Japanese line, such as [[Powerlinx]] [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]], Powerlinx [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]], and the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' redecos. Some are also intended as American-exclusive sculpts, like ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Sharkticon (Energon)|Sharkticon]] and [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]], while others, such as ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]] and [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|Quickmix]], were initially planned for a regular Takara release but ultimately only saw limited release as USA Edition toys.

Other USA Edition releases are toys that had previously been released in Japan, but the Hasbro version sported notable differences, and the USA Edition release reflected those changes (but wasn't always entirely identical to the Hasbro version either). This applies to ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|Convoy/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime]], Masterpiece [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Classics|Starscream]] and ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Prowl]].

Most USA Edition toys were available either at [[e-HOBBY]] or the Japanese branch of [[Toys"R"Us]]. Other stores carrying USA Edition toys in the past were [[AEON|JUSCO]], Laox, [[Toy's Dream Project|Toy's Dream Project/Toycard]] and selected stores participating in the "TF Station" program. In some instances, "USA Edition" releases aren't even [[exclusive]] at all, but available at general retail.

==What's NOT a USA Edition==
Other toys have been released in Japan in a similar fashion (i.e. in mostly unchanged Hasbro-derived packaging, and often with little to no difference from the Hasbro releases) over the first few decades of the franchise, but ''not'' branded "USA Edition". In the first few years of the line, Takara offered multiple toys as mail-away items, including Hasbro-exclusive decos, which were even marked on the mail-away pamphlets as "American" toys. [[Gnaw (G1)#Toys|Gnaw]] was notably available only as part of a lottery in the ''[[Beastformers (franchise)|Beastformers]]'' sub-line, coming in Hasbro packaging with a special gold sicker attached. At normal retail, many toys were also released in bestickered Hasbro packaging, including the European [[Motorvator#Toys|Motorvators]], [[Thunder Clash#Toys|Thunder Clash]], [[Skyquake (G1)#Toys|Skyquake]], the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]], Takara's "EZ Collection" versions of the [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends of Cybertron]] toys of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (Armada)/toys|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] (which came on Hasbro cardbacks, but with new, Japanese-language blister bubble inserts) or the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 live-action movie]] and ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' main line toys. However, only toys officially declared as "USA Edition" by Takara are actually considered as such by fans.

USA Edition toys should also not be confused with imports of Hasbro toys released in Japan through [[TakaraTomy#Tomy Direct|Tomy Direct]], an outlet that already existed prior to the Takara/Tomy merger and is now handled by the former Tomy part of the company. Unlike USA Edition figures, which often sport minor (sometimes even major) differences from their Hasbro counterparts, Tomy Direct releases are direct, unchanged imports. Transformers-related toys released through Tomy Direct are presumably limited to toys that have been designed by Hasbro without Takara's involvement, which includes the ''[[Star Wars Transformers]]'' (since the line was handled by the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' team at Hasbro, and Tomy was releasing ''Star Wars'' toys in Japan prior to the Takara/Tomy merger), its successor, ''[[Transformers: Crossovers]]'', ''[[Titanium Series]]'' figures and some toys from the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 live-action movie]] and ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toy lines, such as [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Ultimate Bumblebee]], various role-play accessories, the [[Robot Replicas]], the [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] figures, the [[Cyber Stompin' Robots]], the [[Power Bots]] and the [[Robot Powered Machines|RPM]] vehicles.

==List of USA Edition toys==
===''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]''===
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Primal Prime#Toys|Primal Prime]]
|??
|[[Toys"R"Us]]
|Mass retail
|}

===[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Robots in Disguise'' (2001)]]===
[[File:Cryotekridtoy.jpg|thumb|[[Cryotek (RID)#Toys|Cryotek]]]][[File:RID-toy XBrawn-SpyChanger.jpg|thumb|[[X-Brawn#Spychanger|SpyChanger X-Brawn]]]][[File:RID01-toy Bludgeon.jpg|thumb|[[Bludgeon (RID 2001)|Destructicon Bludgeon]]]]
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Cryotek (RID)#Toys|Cryotek]]
|???
|Mass retail
|[[Target]]
|-
|[[Sideways (RID)#Toys|Sideways]] vs. [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise|Axer]]
|[[May 30]], 2002
|[[Toys"R"Us]]
|[[Walmart]]
|-
|[[Storm Jet (RID)|Storm Jet]]
|[[July 5]], 2002
|Toys"R"Us
|Mass retail
|-
|Cybertron 3-Piece Set: [[Nightcruz (RID)|Nightcruz]], [[Mirage (RID)|Mirage GT]] & [[Scavenger (RID)|Scavenger]]
|[[July 31]], 2002
|Toys"R"Us
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise|Air Attack Optimus Primal]]
|[[August 8]], 2002
|Toys"R"Us
|Toys"R"Us
|-
|[[Megatron (RID)#Megabolt|Megatron Megabolt]]
|August 8, 2002
|Toys"R"Us
|[[KB Toys]]
|-
|Basic class [[Optimus Prime (RID)#Basic|Optimus Prime]]
|[[November 28]], 2002
|Mass retail
|Mass retail
|-
|Basic class [[Ultra Magnus (RID)#Basic|Ultra Magnus]]
|November 28, 2002
|Mass retail
|Mass retail
|-
|Basic class [[X-Brawn#Spychanger|X-Brawn]] & [[Scourge (RID)#Spychanger|Scourge]]
|November 28, 2002
|Mass retail
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Dreadwind (RID)#Toys|Dreadwind]] & [[Smokejumper#Toys|Smokejumper]]
|[[January 1]], 2003
|Toys"R"Us
|Target
|-
|[[Destructicon (RID)|Destructicon]] [[Scourge (RID)#Destructicon|Scourge]]
|[[February 20]], 2003
|Toys"R"Us
|KB Toys
|-
|[[Bludgeon (RID 2001)|Destructicon Bludgeon]]
|[[February 20]], 2003
|Toys"R"Us
|KB Toys
|-
|[[Ruination (RID)#UrbanCamo|Ruination ("Urban camo" set)]]
|[[September 26]], 2003
|Affiliates with [[Toy's Dream Project]]'s "Toycard" program
|[[Walmart]]
|}{{-}}

===''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada / Legends of the Microns]]''===
[[File:Arm-toy Cheetor.jpg|thumb|[[Cheetor (Armada)#Toys|Cheetor]]]][[File:Powerlinx Cyclonus toy.jpg|thumb|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Cyclonus]]]]
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Rhinox (Armada)#Toys|Rhinox]]
|June ??, 2003
|[[AEON|JUSCO]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Terrorsaur (Armada)#Toys|Terrorsaur]]
|June ??, 2003
|JUSCO
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Airazor (Armada)#Toys|Airazor]]
|[[July 5]], 2003
|[[Toys"R"Us]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Skywarp (Armada)#Toys|Skywarp]]
|[[August 7]], 2003
|Toys"R"Us
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Cheetor (Armada)#Toys|Cheetor]]
|[[September 9]], 2003
|Toys"R"Us (website only)
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Predacon (Armada)#Toys|Predacon]]
|September 9, 2003
|Toys"R"Us (website only)
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Cyclonus]]
|[[September 27]], 2003
|[[LaOX]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Thrust (Armada)#PowerlinxBrown|Powerlinx Thrust (brown)]]
|September 27, 2003
|LaOX
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Jetfire (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Jetfire]]
|[[October 9]], 2003
|Toys"R"Us
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Thrust (Armada)#PowerlinxRed|Powerlinx Thrust (red)]]
|December ??, 2003
|[[Toy's Dream Project]] (members' store Toycard)
|N/A [mass retail release in other Hasbro markets]
|}{{-}}

===[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|''Universe'' (2003)]]===
[[File:Universe2003toy-Primal.jpg|thumb|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Universe (2003)|Optimus Primal]]]][[File:TFU03-toy Ratchet.jpg|thumb|[[Ratchet (Universe)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]]]][[File:TFU03-toy NemesisStrika.jpg|thumb|[[Strika (BM)#Universe (2003)|Nemesis Strika]]]][[File:Universe2003toy-NemesisPrime.jpg|thumb|]]
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Universe (2003)|Optimus Primal]]
|August ??, 2003
|[[e-HOBBY]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Razorclaw (Universe)#Toys|Razorclaw]]
|August ??, 2003
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Silverbolt (Fuzor)#Universe (2003)|Silverbolt]]
|August ??, 2003
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Snarl (BM)#Universe (2003)|Snarl]]
|August ??, 2003
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Reptilion#Toys|Reptilion]]
|August ??, 2003
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Tankor (BM)#Universe (2003)|Tankor]] & [[Obsidian (BM)#Universe (2003)|Obsidian]]
|September ??, 2003
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Blackarachnia (BW)#Universe (2003)|Blackarachnia]]
|September ??, 2003
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Striker#Universe (2003)|Dinobot Striker]]
|September ??, 2003
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Depth Charge (BW)#Universe (2003)|Depthcharge]]
|January ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Ratchet (Universe)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]]
|January ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Inferno (BW)#Universe (2003)|Inferno]]
|January ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Universe (2003)|Skywarp]]
|April ??, 2004
|"[[TF Station]]" affiliate stores
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Triceradon (BM)#Universe (2003)|Dinobot Triceradon]]
|April ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[King Atlas#Toys|King Atlas]]
|May ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Skydive (BM)#Universe (2003)|Skydive]]
|June ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Stockade (Universe 2003)#Toys|Stockade]] & [[Magna Stampede#Toys|Magna Stampede]]
|July ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Fireflight (Universe Deluxe)|Fireflight]]
|July ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Whirl (Universe)#Toys|Autobot Whirl]]
|July ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Strika (BM)#Universe (2003)|Nemesis Strika]]
|July ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Nemesis Prime (Universe)#Toys|Nemesis Prime]]
|[[August 5]], 2004
|[[AEON|JUSCO]]
|[[Target]]
|-
|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Universe (2003)|Soundwave]] & [[Space Case (G2)#Universe (2003)|Space Case]]
|September ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Air Raid (G1)#Universe (2003)|Air Raid]] & [[Wind Sheer (Universe)|Wind Sheer]]
|September ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Swerve (Universe)|Swerve]]
|September ??, 2004
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|}{{-}}

===''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon / Super Link]]''===
[[File:En-toy Offshoot.jpg|thumb|[[Offshoot (Energon)#Toys|"Signal Flare USA Edition"]]]]
[[File:Energon Slugslinger toy.jpg|thumb|[[Slugslinger (Energon)#Toys|Slugslinger ("Storm Jet")]]]]
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Unicron/toys#Energon|Unicron (black)]]
|???
|Mass retail
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Ultra Magnus (Energon)#Toys|Ultra Magnus]]
|March ??, 2004
|[[Toy's Dream Project]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#SuperGalvatron|Galvatron]]
|[[April 28]], 2004
|[[Toys"R"Us]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Strongarm (Energon)#EnergonEnergon|Energon Strongarm ("Strongarm USA Edition")]]
|July ??, 2004
|"[[TF Station]]" affiliate stores
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Sharkticon (Energon)#Toys|Sharkticon]]
|[[July 30]], 2004
|Toy's Dream Project
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Offshoot (Energon)#Toys|Offshoot ("Signal Flare USA Edition")]]
|[[August 8]], 2004
|Gamers, Tokyo Character Show 2004
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Tow-Line (Energon)#Toys|Tow-Line]]
|[[August 10]], 2004
|Toys"R"Us
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Slugslinger (Energon)#Toys|Slugslinger ("Storm Jet")]]
|[[October 28]], 2004
|Toys"R"Us
|Mass retail
|}{{-}}

===''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]] / 20th Anniversary''===
[[File:Hasbro Masterpiece Starscream toy.jpg|thumb|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#MasterpieceUS|Starscream]]]]
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]]
|April ??, 2004
|[[e-HOBBY]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#MasterpieceUS|Starscream]]
|February ??, 2008
|Mass retail
|[[Walmart]]
|}{{-}}

===''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators / Binaltech]]''===
[[File:AlternatorsProwl.jpg|thumb|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Prowl]]]]
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Prowl]]
|Unreleased?
|(Takarand, giveaway for subscribers)
|Mass retail
|}
{{note|Information about this toy is hard to come by. It was once advertised on Takarand's website, to be offered as a giveaway for new subscribers for their broadcast service; limited to 60 pieces. However, Takarand later changed owners, and since no photos of the final toy ever surfaced, it's quite likely that it was actually never released.}}{{-}}

===''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron / Galaxy Force]]''===
[[File:CYB hardtop withalt.jpg|thumb|[[Hardtop (Cybertron)#Toys|Hardtop]]]]
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Starscream (Armada)#Supreme|Super Starscream]]
|[[August 11]], 2005
|[[Toys"R"Us]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Hardtop (Cybertron)#Toys|Hardtop]]
|August ??, 2005
|[[e-HOBBY]]
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#CybDx|Deluxe Optimus Prime ("Armada Convoy")]]
|October ??, 2006
|[[Toy's Dream Project]] (members store Toycard)
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Primus#Cybertron|Primus]] with [[Unicron/toys#Cybertron|Unicron head]]
|October ??, 2006
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Quickmix (Cybertron)#Toys|Quickmix ("Blendar")]]
|October ??, 2006
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Menasor (Cybertron)#Toys|Menasor ("Moledive")]]
|October ??, 2006
|e-HOBBY
|Mass retail
|}{{-}}

===[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|''Universe'' (2008)]] / ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]''===
[[File:Transformers-universe-usa-edition-powerglide.jpg|thumb|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Powerglide]]]]
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Powerglide (G1)#Universe (2008)|Powerglide]]
|October ??, 2008
|Mass retail
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Onslaught (G1)/toys#Uni08Ultra|Onslaught]]
|October ??, 2008
|Mass retail
|Mass retail
|-
|[[Silverbolt (G1)#Universe (2008)|Silverbolt]]
|October ??, 2008
|Mass retail
|Mass retail
|}{{-}}

===''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]''===
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:80%"
|-
! scope="col" width="35%" | '''Item'''
! scope="col" width="15%" | '''Japanese release date'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Japanese venue'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''US venue'''
|-
|[[Trypticon (G1)#Platinum Edition|Dinosaurer]]
|December ??, 2015
|TakaraTomy Mall, giveaway for 300 lucky contestants
|[[Amazon (website)|Amazon]]
|}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Usa Edition}}
[[Category:Exclusive toylines]]

Food court

2024-07-06T02:07:12Z

GuiRitter: removed duplicate and fixed grammar

{{factions|greasergang}}
[[File:BotBots commercial - food court.jpg|upright=2.5|thumb]]
Hungry after a long day of shopping at the [[Mall (BotBots)|mall]]? Grab a bite at the '''food court'''! Whether it's a [[Hawt Diggity|hot dog]], [[Brotato|fries]], a [[Twerple Burple|cold drink]], or a slice of [[Duderoni|pizza]], they have whatever you might want to sate your hunger.

After a late night [[energon]] [[energon radiation|surge]] filled the mall, the [[Greaser Gang]] called the food court home.

==Fiction==
===''BotBots Official Sticker Book''===
The Greaser Gang are said to be the kings and queens of the food court. [[Nacho Problem]] liked to try tanning under the heat lamps. {{storylink|Transformers BotBots Official Sticker Book|BotBots Official Sticker Book}}

===Musical Mall Madness===
{{note|This stop motion singalong was a remake of the "[[#Official Digital Commercial|Official Digital Commercial]]" below.}}
{{storylink|Transformers: BotBots (franchise)|Musical Mall Madness}}

===''BotBots Mad Libs''===
When [[Angry Cheese]] declared herself queen of the food court, S'up Dawg and [[Hawt Diggity]] made fun of her. Losing her temper, she started a food fight that involved all the [[Greaser Gang|Hunger Hubs]], only ending when [[Twerple Burple]] got everyone to chill out. {{storylink|Fast Food Fight}}

===''BotBots'' cartoon===
{{stub}}
{{storylink|Mall Than Meets the Eye}} {{storylink|Escape from Snackatraz}} {{storylink|I, Cheeseburger (episode)}} {{storylink|Live and Let LARP}} {{storylink|Lone Bot and Carb}} {{storylink|Dimlit in Love}} {{storylink|On the Bot Prom Dance Floor}} {{storylink|The Ruckus Rally (episode)}} {{storylink|Crime and Bun-ishment}} {{storylink|Spirit of Halloween}} {{storylink|Rage Against the Karaoke Machine}} {{storylink|Scanned Out}} {{storylink|The Science Alliance}} {{storylink|Agent Smartlit (episode)}} {{storylink|Shopping Brawl}} {{storylink|The Goldrush Games - Part the First}}{{storylink|The Goldrush Games - Part the Second}}

==Commercial appearances==
===Official Digital Commercial===
In the dining area, [[S'up Dawg]] and Shredder Jack competed in condiment diving contest, ready to jump off a planter. With [[Fottle Barts]] watching, S'up Dawg jumped and [[transformation|transformed]] while Shredder Jack slips and fell. S'up Dawg makes a perfect mustered cup landing, while Shredder Jack does a bellyflop, destroying the ketchup cup he landed in. Foddle Barts gives both dives a 10.

At the counter area, Duderoni chugs down soda from the soda dispenser tap. Twerple Burple has hooked her straw to the soda dispenser, spraying it out into [[Angry Cheese]]'s mouth. Angry Cheese drinks away, bloating so full that soda squirts out of her eyes and head, as Duderoni gives a massive belch. {{storylink|Commercial#Official Digital Commercial|Official Digital Commercial}}

==Notes==
[[File:BotBots mall directory - food court.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
* According to the mall directory, the food court is located on the "chin" of the [[Autobot]] [[insignia]].
* While two Greaser Gang members appear in ''[[Lost Bots! (book)|Lost Bots!]]'', the [[Lost Bots]] squad never visits the food court.
* Since the [[Hibotchi Heats]] and [[Los Deliciosos]] are separate squads than the Greaser Gang, it appears the [[Asian restaurant|Asian]] and [[Mexican restaurant|Mexican]] restaurants are not part of the food court.
* In the "Official Digital Commercial", multiple Greaser Gang [[Insignia]]s can be seen in the background as lighted signs over the counter. They also appear on the soda dispenser machine. Since the [[Jock Squad]] and [[Toilet Troop]]'s insignias can be seen on the walls in the [[sports store]] and [[bathroom]], it seem like the tribal insignias may have been actual store logos that the various squads adopted.

[[Category:Businesses]]
[[Category:BotBots locations]]

Army-building

2024-06-22T15:44:16Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

{{cleanup|July 2021|Inconsistent structure. Should be ''either'' toy-centric ''or'' fiction-centric. Right now, it's both, with little rhyme or reason.}}
[[File:Armies of Terrorcons Seacons Sparkdashers Guardminders Autoroopers Guardians Overcharges.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|You don't wanna know how much this costs.]]
'''Army-building''' (also '''troop-building''') is a nickname for a toy-collecting habit that involves buying multiple identical toys which represent generic or mass-produced characters (for example, [[Cobra]] soldiers or ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' [[stormtrooper (SW)|stormtroopers]]), with the intent of displaying them as an imposingly large cohesive unit. Some army-builders have hundreds of figures, arranged in elaborate dioramas or military-style formations.

The practice is somewhat less-common in ''Transformers'' fandom than in other fandoms, primarily due to the relative lack of mass-produced, identical, "generic" units, but there are notable exceptions. Perhaps due to the relative dearth of toys representing multiple generic characters, some fans amass armies of non-generic characters (like the [[Jumpstarter]]s).

==Generation 1==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
Generation 1 offers many possibilities for army building, usually by using multiple figures of named characters to represent an army of similarly designed drones.

[[File:Scourge and Sweeps.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|A typical example of the victim of [[Hasbro|somebody's]] [[To sell toys|evil plan]].]]
*The [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|pilot mini-series]] featured a fleet of nameless [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] colored differently from [[Starscream (G1)|the]] [[Thundercracker (G1)|primary]] [[Skywarp (G1)|three]]. Two decades later, [[Air Warrior|toys of these "Air Warriors"]] were finally made in the form of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' [[Plastic|PVC]] figures. They were sold in multi-packs featuring three identical Air Warriors alongside the aforementioned three named Seekers.
**Additionally, generics with identical colors to the original three would sometimes appear within the SAME SCENE as the original three, technically making Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker army builders as well.
**[[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] and [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]] are also a good match for plenty of Air Warriors, though that would be somewhat pricey.
*The [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] can be represented by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]. This is probably the cheaper option than using multiples of the ''actual'' drone-unit Insecticon toys [[Salvo (G1)|Salvo]], [[Zaptrap]], and [[Shothole]], and more [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] to boot.
*Multiple [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] toys can represent the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. Similarly, multiple [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] toys can represent [[Cyclonus's Armada|his armada]]. In both cases, the main character and his nameless henchmen may be represented by different releases.
*Multiples of [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]] can be used to represent the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]. This works particularly well with this figure, as Gnaw received very little characterization in most official fiction.
[[File:RTS-WreckGar-RidingHimself.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
*The [[Guardian robot]]s/[[Dark Guardian]]s are potential army builders, though as an [[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]] they would be costly ones.
*[[Kremzeek]] could be considered an army builder, albeit a costly one, as he has only been released as a pack-in with the large [[Autorooper]], the [[Reflector (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Reflector]] three-pack, and ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] toys.
*Though there are multiple [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], each one has a different [[character model]], and thus using multiple [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] figures to represent them is not common. While Wreck-Gar's original toy can't really ride himself well, his [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Transformers .282010.29|Reveal the Shield toy]] can and is designed for it, as are its retools [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] and [[Junkyard (G1)|Junkheap]].

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
In ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'', [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] demonstrated the ability to create temporary duplicates of himself.

===''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon===
''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' was good to army builders, as it provided several good opportunities.

*The [[Seacon (Masterforce)|Seacons]] had multiples of all the limb-units; [[Turtler]] was the only non-cloned individual of the group. Thankfully, the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] versions of the original toys are identical to the [[Hasbro]] versions, reducing the need for costly importing.
*The [[Sparkdash]] [[Javil]], [[Guzzle (Masterforce)|Guzzle]], and [[Sizzle (Masterforce)|Sizzle]] are all drones with multiple copies. Though Javil and Guzzle's toys are colored differently from their [[Firecon]] doppelgangers, the ''Masterforce'' cartoon gave all three Sparkdash the Hasbro colors, making for cheap army-building for those who'd rather be [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] with their hordes.
*Legions of black [[Guardminder]] drones appeared, led by a single golden one. The black drones can be represented by [[Fasttrack (G1)|Fasttrack]], while the leader can be his redeco [[Black Roritchi]]. However, while collecting a single Black Roritchi wouldn't be too hard, as he comes with BlackZarak ([[Gold Plastic Syndrome|just be careful, okay?]]), collecting an army of Fasttrack toys, which were only sold packaged with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], would be expensive. Fortunately, the ''Earthrise'' toyline would release Fasttrack as an individual deluxe class figure, with a subsequent gold repaint in the ''Generations Selects'' line as head honcho Black Roritchi.

===2005 IDW continuity===
*The [[Centurion droids]] are a fairly classic army-builder, though, as usual, an expensive one that comes with a lot of accessories you don't really want multiples of.
*During [[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]], the [[Machination]] sent multiple [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] clones after [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]]. However, there is no toy of Sunstreaker in that particular form, let alone as a [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]], requiring a substitution. There are also multiple Sunstreaker bodies in black, white and red; though there are no ''Transformers'' toys of these, if one were so inclined they could track down the ''[[Diaclone]]'' red and white <s>Sunstreakers</s> Countach LP500S. Alternatively, the [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]] [[retool|version]] of Sunstreaker's ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' toy ''has'' been produced in [[Sideswipe (G1)#Universe (2008)|those]] [[Red Alert (G1)#Generations|three]] [[Sideswipe (G1)#Timelines|colors]], although the prospect of an army of [[BotCon 2010]] Sideswipes takes this page to an entirely new level of prohibitively expensive. The ''Masterpiece'' version of Sunstreaker has made this a little easier, between himself, [[Cordon]], [[Spin-Out (G1)|Spin-Out]] and the G2 version of Sideswipe—if you don't mind the latter staying in vehicle mode all the time. Also, the [[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|''Earthrise'']] version of Sunstreaker was redecoed as Cordon and Spin-Out in the [[Generations Selects (toyline)|''Selects'']] toyline.
*[[:File:MTMTE24 cvrA.jpg|Cover A]] of ''[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4]]'', as well as various other panels, draw the [[Ammonite]]s as using the designs of the [[Mini-Con Assault Team]], making the team an army-builder.
*''[[Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires]]'' features [[Seeker clone|an army of clones]] of [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust.]]

[[File:Army of Ravage clones.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb]]

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]]'' [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|#3]] features a pack of [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] units.

===''Timelines''===
{{Note|''Timelines'' toys are all [[BotCon|convention]] or [[Transformers Collectors' Club|collectors' club]] exclusives, which can give attempts to army build with them a rather prohibitive pricetag.}}
[[File:Timelinestoy-BC2010Sharkticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
*The [[Virulent Clone]] [[exclusive]]s of [[BotCon 2005]] were army builders, and in fact were only sold in pairs.
*[[BotCon 2009]] featured an [[Sweep (G1)#Timelines|exclusive three-pack]] of Sweeps.
*Similarly, [[BotCon 2010]] featured an [[Sharkticon (species)#Timelines|exclusive three-pack]] of Sharkticons.
*[[BotCon 2013]]'s comic showed [[Starscream (MW)|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (MW)|Thundercracker]], [[Skywarp (MW)|Skywarp]], [[Prowl (MW)|Prowl]], and [[Sandstorm (MW)|Sandstorm]] leading hordes of drones based on their Generation 1 counterparts' ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' toys.
*As a shared bodytype, [[BotCon 2014]]'s 2-pack of [[Pounce#Timelines|Pounce-type]] and [[Wingspan#Timelines|Wingspan-type]] clones can be army built as the named and unnamed [[Dread Pirate Crew]] from [[Cannonball (G1)|Cannonball's]] ''[[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]]''. Or indeed unnamed cannon-fodder resulting from the blueprints being sold on the black market.
*The [[BotCon 2015]] comic showed hordes of [[Waruder]] mechs: [[Parasite]]s, [[Mudfighter]]s, [[Storm Rider]]s, and [[Paralyzer]]s.

===''Kiss Players''===
The [[Earth Defense Command]]'s [[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]] had 48 of the human-created [[Autorooper]] models in service. In what can only be a move designed to encourage army-building, the large Autorooper toy came with a decal sheet with specialized markings for ''all 48 units'', not simply the ones given to pack-in pilot character [[Atari Hitotonari|Atari]]'s Autorooper.

===''Alternators''/''Binaltech''===
With the introduction of the [[Genetronic Translink System|GT System]] in that series' fiction, [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] can inhabit four bodies in unison, so some collectors might take to buying all four Smokescreen [[variant]]s (or, more precisely, both Smokescreen variants and both Smokescreen GT variants) to represent him in his four bodies at once.

===e-HOBBY toy bios===
*E-HOBBY exclusive [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]] is a [[Quintesson]] military product with multiple units available. This back story, along with the multiple different faction [[insignia]]s he is packaged with, encourages army building, though like the Guardian Robots he would be costly to collect.
*[[Megaplex]]'s Collector's Edition bio describes him as "one of a series" of Megatron clones, making him a possible army-builder. Naturally, though, the e-HOBBY Megaplex toy, similar to Overcharge, would not be easy to army-build. On the other hand, it's pretty dang similar to G1 Megatron, meaning one could use him, and the original ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Megaplex shouldn't be too hard to find.

===''Legends Spin-Off''===
*''[[Transformers United|United EX]]'' [[Straxus (G1)#United EX|Rollermaster]] was used to represent the entire [[Rollermaster Corps]], a legion of spare bodies and slaves and for the twin Straxuses to use for their own evil deeds.

===''Golden Lagoon''===
*''Golden Lagoon'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Golden Lagoon|Starscream]]'s lack of any Starscream-specific features makes the figure suitable - but expensive - for army-building ''Golden Lagoon'' Skywarp and Thundercracker.

===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' manga===
*You can build up the [[Megatron Corps]] by purchasing six of any version of Megatron.

===''Generations Selects'' comic===
*Some of the [[Battle Masters]] such as [[Soundbarrier]], [[Smashdown]], [[Ironworks (facility)|Ironworks]], and [[Doublecrosser (Earthrise)|Doublecrosser]] can be purchased in bulk to represent the [[Selector]]s in the comic.
**The [[Pteraxadon]] Battle Masters can be similarly bought in bulk as well, to represent the pack seen in [[Abominus comic 1]].

==Beast Era==
===''Beast Wars Metals'' manga===
The [[Scorpion Corps]] could be built with numerous [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] toys, if one considers the minor differences between the two characters to be simply due to an artistic interpretation of the character model. Considering how other characters have been... stylized in these mangas, it might not be much of a stretch.

===''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon===
Multiple ships in the Cybertron fleet share a design with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], which would undoubtedly make him the most expensive army builder of them all.

===''Beast Wars Neo'' manga===
The [[Blentron]]s [[Elphaorpha]], [[Drancron]], and [[Latolata]] have many duplicates.

===''Beast Machines''===
[[File:BM-toy TankDrone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
The [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] of ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' are undoubtedly the most popular army builders from the Beast Era, possibly from all of Transformers, with virtually every Vehicon representing thousands of identical drones. ([[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was the main exception.)

The [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Machines'' cartoon]] featured legions of [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]], [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]], [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] drones, each commanded by a general. Note that the [[character model]] for Tankor was much closer to the [[Tank Drone]] toy.

''The Wreckers'' comic "[[Departure]]" further featured drones of [[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]], [[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]], [[Spy Streak]], and [[Mirage (BM)|Mirage]]. Additionally, an on-model depiction of the original toy for Tankor was [[Repurposing|repurposed]] to represent [[Quake's drones|drones]] for [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] (who had the same bodyform, but in different colors).
{{-}}

==''Universe''==
The 2003 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' comic "[[Homecoming (Universe)|Homecoming]]" featured multiple [[Piranacon (Universe)|Piranacons]], toys which would be eventually released by [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] as new decos of the original [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]].

==Unicron Trilogy==
The Unicron Trilogy offers multiple possibilities for army building.

===''Armada''===
[[File:Deadend Drone General Armada Toys.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Corner pocket.]]
In ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', [[Unicron]]'s interior is patrolled by swarms of [[Dead End Drone]]s, commanded by [[Dead End General]] units. This was originally an expensive toy to army-build, being a pack-in with the [[Unicron|$50 Unicron toy]] (though eventually some Target stores clearanced them for as little as $13). In the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Galaxy Force]]'' toy line though, the fourth [[Micron Booster]] assortment featured "Bug Drones" at a mere 300 yen a pop (very roughly $3). Unfortunately, the [[Blindpacking|blindpacked]] boxes meant you either had to buy opened samples, or an entire case of twelve toys to ensure getting a single Dead End Drone... and the General came only one per every ''two'' cases.

===''Energon''===
''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' offers the largest number of potential army builders of the Unicron Trilogy.

*In both the ''Energon'' [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|cartoon]] and [[Transformers: Energon (comic)|comic]] continuities, the Decepticons send thousands of [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] drones to combat the Autobots and steal raw energon ore. In the comic continuity, these drones were based on four living, fully-sparked Decepticons: [[Battle Ravage]], [[Cruellock]], [[Divebomb (Energon)|Divebomb]], and [[Insecticon (Energon)|Insecticon]]. In the cartoon continuity, the four drone-types also had color-changed variants sold as limited-retail toys. Hasbro would introduce another small Terrorcon to the mix: [[Doom-Lock (Energon)|Doom-Lock]], who was later established as a mass-produced drone via [[Ask Vector Prime#Swindle's Spiel|Swindle's Spiel]].
*In the cartoon, there were also countless identical [[Omnicon]]s split among the three body types; [[Strongarm (Energon)|Strongarm]], [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] and [[Signal Flare (Energon)|Signal Flare]]. The fourth Omnicon type from the cartoon, [[Arcee (Energon)|Arcee]], however, was a unique being, serving as the Omnicons' "queen bee". In the comic series, the Omnicons never became mass-produced Transformers.
*The [[bio]] for [[Omega Sentinel (Energon)|Omega Sentinel]] says he is the commander of the "[[Guardians of Cybertron]]", though nothing has ever come forward to indicate just what that group is made up of. Hasbro representatives at [[OTFCC 2004]] indicated that they had intended for groups of Omega Sentinels to appear in the cartoon, but ultimately not even ''one'' did, just the original iteration of the mold, [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]]. No canon has specifically made the Omega Sentinel toy, a clear [[homage]] to the [[Guardian robot|Guardian Robots]] of Generation 1, an army-builder. However, Hasbro's original intent and the Generation 1 allusion has led some fans to collect several of him.

===''Cybertron''===
''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' offers a few good army building opportunities.

[[File:Scrapmetal Cybertron Toys.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Joe's Apartment 2099]]
*Technically a Terrorcon, [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] is an excellent army builder from the ''Cybertron'' franchise. In the Takara line, it was available in three different colorations; red, yellow, and blue. Hasbro would later release both the red and yellow versions in their own line, but blue remained exclusive to the ''Galaxy Force'' toyline, ramping up his secondary market value outside of Japan.
*The inhabitants of [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] are represented by hundreds of [[Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version|gray clones of Sideways]] and [[Laserbeak drone (Cybertron)|attack bird-bots]]. Both are cost-prohibitive army-builders, as the "Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version" was a DVD pack-in exclusive in Japan (and DVDs are not cheap there even without limited-edition toys packed in), and the only way to collect a horde of Laserbeak drones was by buying multiples of the Voyager-class [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]] toy (which is still less expensive than the Noisemazes).
*Throughout the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|cartoon series]], "clones" of the [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]] toy are seen both as part of the civilian Autobot ranks hiding on [[Earth]] and inhabiting [[Velocitron]]. These were never seen in robot mode, and sometimes came in red and yellow varieties as well as the toy's blue (no red or yellow versions of the toy exist, though the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Swerve (Universe)|Swerve]] toy ''is'' a red-colored pre-''Cybertron''-[[retool]] version of the mold). This doesn't exactly inspire too many to army-build him, but the canon is there to support it.

{{-}}
==Live-action film series==
[[File:Movie-Payload-Toy.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb]]
The video games and subsequent comics for the [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie universe]] feature numerous models of [[Drone|mass-produced robots]] for both the Decepticons and Autobots. Though there are several toys based on these models (designed primarily for the version of the game for the [[PlayStation]] 2 and 3, [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii]], and PC), the accuracy of the toys' coloration and head design ''to'' the game models varies, but most are geared towards being the Decepticon drones. Interestingly enough, the toys that got [[redeco]]ed were given original decos, not opposite-side game-decos.

*[[Swindle (Movie)|Swindle]]'s toy is nearly-accurate to the console game's Decepticon Swindle drones.
*[[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]]'s toy has the Decepticon drones' deco, but the face is only somewhat like the Autobot face, leaning towards a more unique design.
*[[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]]'s toy is only barely accurate to the drone design, owing to timing issues. In the game, both Autobot and Decepticon versions are primarily white. The non-lenshead makes it a little more Autobotty, though.
*[[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] is fairly accurate to the [[Class Alpha drone unit|Decepticon version]] of the drone.
*Both versions of [[Payload (Movie)|Payload]] are similarly very close to the Decepticon [[Class Beta drone unit|Class Beta]] and [[Constructicon Warrior]] drones' designs.
*In the movie comics, [[Landmine (Movie)|Landmine]] lent his form to a series of L.M.-1 drones.

{{note|[[Dirt Boss (ROTF)|Dirt Boss]] and [[Deadlift]] have identical bodytypes to the [[Scrapper (Movie)|Scrapper]] drones. However, since they have different names and bios, they don’t technically count as [[canon]]ical army-building candidates. But if you want to build armies of Dirt Bosses and Deadlifts or unofficially repurpose them as Scrappers, go ahead. We're not stopping you.}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen''===
Potentially, every [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]] from the movie is an army builder, because multiple characters with the same body model are either destroyed, merged into Devastator, or are fighting the army at the same time.

===''Dark of the Moon''===
*Multiple Autobots of [[Roller (DOTM)|Roller]]'s design are seen aboard the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]''. Like many of the potential army builders on this page, having to actually army-build Roller is an expensive proposition since Roller was only sold as a pack-in with the ''Ark'' playset.
*The tiny [[Lensmeter Decepticon]]s seen attending to [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] in the movie share their design with [[Scalpel (ROTF)|Scalpel]].
*The [[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]] can be portrayed by multiple [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]]s with the metal hair in different positions. They're later joined by ''The Last Knight'' [[Berserker]], and ''[[Studio Series]]'' [[Crowbar]] and Crankcase.
*A fleet of [[Orbital Assault Carrier]]s is shown invading [[Chicago]].

===''Age of Extinction''===
[[File:Studio-Series-MV4-Deluxe-Shadow-Raider.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|"You're going to pull my head off and give it to Lockdown, aren't you?"]]
*The [[Knight Ship]] is guarded by a pack of [[Steeljaw (AOE)|Steeljaws]]. ''[[Studio Series]]'' would later give us the [[Shadow Raider]]s, despite them being redecos of their boss [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]].
*An army of [[Vehicon (AOE)|Vehicon]] toys can be used to represent many of the vehicles used by [[Cemetery Wind]]. However, that would be rather difficult, seeing as the only toys are either part of a rather expensive [[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]] multi-pack or a hard to find [[tail-ender]].
*Multiple [[Insecticon (Movie)|Insecticons]] were seen in the KSI headquarters.
*Multiple [[Stinger (AOE)|Stingers]] can be used to represent the mass-produced units seen in the [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (mobile game)|Mobile Game]].
*The Vehicons can also bolster [[Megatron (Movie)|Galvatron]]'s ranks, but we have already mentioned that would be difficult. Fortunately, ''Studio Series'' would give us [[KSI Boss]]es redecoed from [[Nitro Zeus]]. And while their toys do not necessarily match their on-screen portrayals due to being redecoed from Stinger, the [[KSI Sentry|KSI Sentries]] can make useful army-builders nonetheless.

===''Bumblebee''===
*''Studio Series'' [[Thrust (Movie)#Generations|Thrust]] can be used to represent any of [[generic]] Seekers in addition to the official character.

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
*''Studio Series'' [[Freezer#Studio_Series|Freezer]] and [[Novakane#Studio Series|Novakane]] can be bought in bulk to stand in for the many [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweeps]] that appear as part of [[Unicron]]'s army.
*Multiple [[Scorponok_(ROTB)|Scorponok]] can be seen scurrying around in the film's introduction and final battle.

==''Animated''==
[[File:Timelinesautotrooperdeluxe.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
*''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] had multiple [[Starscream clone (Animated)|clones]] of varying colors. In "[[Transformers Comic issue 17#Dino-MIGHT!|Dino-MIGHT!]]", they were all colored like him, making him an army builder. There were also sparkless, inanimate clone bodies colored like him in "[[A Fistful of Energon]]".
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]]'s multiple VR clones from "[[Human Error, Part II]]" make Electrostatic Soundwave an army builder.
*[[Autotrooper (Animated)|Autotrooper]]s are an all-identical Autobot police force. Figures were made available at [[BotCon 2011]], featured in an exclusive three-pack.
{{-}}

==Aligned continuity family==
===''Prime''===
[[File:PrimeVehiconToys.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The Steve Convention]]
*The toyline based on the computer generated television show has [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] toys, based on the generic Decepticon model in the cartoon.
*The [[MECH Commando|MECH Trooper]] that came with the Bumblebee vs. Starscream Entertainment Pack is technically an army builder, since you see multiples in the show, but you'd have to buy multiple Bumblebees and Starscreams to get more than one of them.
*Any of [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]'s ''Prime'' figures can be used to represent the [[Starscream clone (Prime)|Starscream clone]]s from the show.
*The [[Arms Micron]] [[Unicron/toys#Prime|Gaia Unicron]] is an army-builder, because Unicron had the ability to multiply himself in the show.
*[[Cyberverse (toyline)#Commander Class 2|Cyberverse Commander]] [[Hardshell#Prime|Hardshell]] can be used to build an [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]] army.

===''Rescue Bots''===
[[File:Morbot rescan rb2016.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|The only Con in the village.]]
*[[Doctor Morocco]] produced multiple [[MorBot]]s in ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', making any of the resulting MorBot figures potential army-builders. However, the transforming Rescan figure is the most viable, being the only one not packed as part of a set. (''Nobody'' needs to army-build Bumblebee or Graham Burns...)

===''Robots in Disguise'' (2015)===
*Many [[Caretaker Mini-Con]]s sharing [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]]'s design were shown aboard ships, particularly in the episodes "[[Deep Trouble (RID)|Deep Trouble]]", "[[Portals]]", "[[Decepticon Island (Part 1)]]" and "[[Decepticon Island (Part 2)]]". This makes any version of Fixit an army-builder.
*Multiple [[Major Mayhem]]s were shown under the command of [[Stockade (RID)|Stockade]], essentially making him an army-builder. There's also a command unit who bears a slight resemblance to [[Volcano (RID)|Volcano]]...who is an Autobot. However, Major Mayhem is in a two-pack with [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], and may be expensive because you have to buy multiple Bumblebees to get multiple Major Mayhems.

==''Generations''==
===''Combiner Wars''===
*At [[Toy Fair 2015]], a member of the ''Transformers'' design team commented that [[Viper#Toys|Viper]] was designed to be a generic-style Transformer like the [[Omnicon]]s with the intent that fans army-build him. Whilst he has no fiction of his own, this army-building reputation comes from the fact that he is based upon both the [[Cobra Viper]] troopers and the Cobra Rattlers that they often pilot from ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''. However, Viper ended up being the [[shortpacking|shortpacked]] figure in his [[wave]] (two of him per case compared to three [[Groove (G1)#Generations|Grooves]] and three [[Warpath (G1) #Combiner Wars|Warpaths]]), and was ''also'' omitted from the subsequent wave (unlike his two wave-mates), which made finding him rather difficult to begin with, let alone collecting multiple specimens. On top of that, several international markets (such as Australia and the United Kingdom) skipped the only wave he shipped in entirely.

===''Titans Return''===
[[File:Legends-toy Sharktron.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb]]
*''Titans Return'' Legends Class [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]] and ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' [[Sharkticon (species)#Legends|Sharktron]] can be army-built into hordes of [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s.
*In the spirit of army-building, the aforementioned ''Legends'' Sharktron also includes a [[Sweep (G1)#Legends|Sweep Titan Master/Headmaster]] that differs from that of [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Legends|Scourge]]/[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Fracas]], intended as a replacement to help differentiate your "real" Scourge from his minions.

===''War for Cybertron: Siege''===
*Multiple ''War for Cybertron: Siege'' [[Reflector (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Refraktors]] can be used to fill out an army, since their model was used for this purpose in the cartoon. Hasbro even encourages it, by allowing three copies of the figure to combine into their camera mode.

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
[[File:TF-WFC-Trilogy-Centurion-Drone.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb]]
*The ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' [[Centurion droid#Generations|Centurion Drone]] can be reasonably army-built. However, doing so comes with a downside: while multiple pistols and energon cubes—and even backpacks usable with [[Tigertrack#Generations|Tigertrack]] and [[Red Alert (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Red Alert]]—would certainly be useful, most of the remaining accessories in the included Weaponizer Pack are character-specific. Soon to flood [[eBay]].
*The ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' [[Deseeus Army Drone]]s can be bought in bulk to display alongside [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s and [[Allicon]]s, although their exclusivity to [[Walmart]] means they aren't as widely available for purchase.

===''War for Cybertron: Earthrise''===
* Like Gnaw, above, the Deluxe Class ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' "[[Allicon#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Quintesson Allicon]]" army-builds nicely, being sold singly at regular retail in the U.S. The Quintesson Judge is also an army builder.
{{-}}

===''War for Cybertron: Kingdom''===
* The Predacon ship has an army of generics based on Scorponok, so the Deluxe Class ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' "[[Scorponok (BW)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Scorponok]]" works as an army builder.

===''Studio Series''===
* ''[[Studio Series]]'' [[Gnaw (G1)#Studio Series|Gnaw]] is perfect for building [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] armies, though at the Deluxe Class scale it is slightly more costly than the ''Titans Return'' version.
* ''Studio Series'' [[Sweep (G1)#Studio Series|Sweep]] is another ideal army-builder. The Voyager Class Sweeps have a more saturated color scheme than ''Studio Series'' [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Scourge]], making it easier to distinguish the troops from their master in this case.
{{-}}

===''Legacy''===
* ''[[Legacy]]'' (specifically its [[subline imprint]] ''Evolution'') features a cross-continuity multipack that consists of four trooper characters. Exclusive to Target's ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' subline, this set is notable for being purchased with the explicit purpose of army-building, with three of the four figures including alternate heads meant to be swapped out at the owner's wish. The set features:
**[[Autotrooper (Animated)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Animated Universe Autotrooper]]
**[[Air Warrior#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Decepticon Seeker]]
**[[Cybertronian (faction)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper]]
**[[Quintesson Bailiff#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Quintesson Trooper]]
{{-}}

==''Cyberverse''==
[[File:Cyberverse-Scout-Scraplet.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb]]
*In the second season of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'', [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] used [[Vector Sigma]] to reprogram the [[AllSpark]], creating an army of his "children," the [[Scraplet]]s. The ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Scout Class [[Scraplet#Cyberverse|Scraplet]] toy, while far larger than the on-screen Scraplets, is practically made for army-building.
*Warrior Class [[Gnaw (Cyberverse)#Toys|Gnaw]], while looking nothing like his statue in the show, has an alternate mode that ''somewhat'' looks like the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]], without all the tribal markings, of course. Smaller tribal marked versions were released in the Sharkticons attack pack.
*[[Tarn (Cyberverse)|Tarn]] led an army of identical super-soldiers. Though Tarn never received a Cyberverse toy, one could theoretically use his ''[[Legacy]]'' toy instead.

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Hunt for the Decepticons

2024-06-22T01:17:43Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{disambig2|web fiction for the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'' toyline]] |subline of the same name|Transformers (2010 toyline)#HFTD}}

[[File:HFTD logo.jpg|right|300px]]

'''Hunt for the Decepticons''' is a promotion associated with the 2010 ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' toyline.

==Fiction==
[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/games|Optimus Prime]] needs [[you]] and [[Bumblebee (Movie)/games|Bumblebee]] to locate and battle Decepticons that are hidden on [[Earth]] in the Hunt for the Decepticons campaign. If you prove qualified by accomplishing three missions, you will be invited to train at a secret Autobot facility.
{{note|You could unlock new missions by entering [[Coordinate Code]]s found on specially marked [[Transformers brand|Transformers]] products in the 2010 [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|''Transformers'' toyline]].}}

===Mission 1===
[[Axor]] is speeding in a tunnel next to a river in downtown [[Shanghai]]. [[Bumblebee (Movie)/games|Bumblebee]] goes to stop him before he destroys the tunnel and floods the city. Bumblebee repeatedly crashes into the Decepticon until he rolls over and stops. If Bumblebee is defeated, you are told that Axor is tough, and to take up pursuit once more.

===Mission 2===
[[Terradive (TF 2010)|Terradive]] is flying over the skies of [[Paris]], waiting to attack the city's landmarks. You take an Autobot fighter jet to stop him. Though before you face off against Terradive, you must contend with three Jet drones. Though Terradive is quite agile and often evades your sights while firing missiles back at you, you manage to shoot him down and drive him off before running out of fuel.

===Mission 3===
[[Starscream (Movie)/games|Starscream]] is attacking a mine in [[South America]] in a bid to gather unbeatable amounts of energy. Bumblebee sends you in to fight him. A fierce battle ensues, as Starscream is much more powerful, but fighting cautiously brings you victory. With this mission's completion, you gain Optimus Prime's trust and are allowed to join the ranks of the [[Autobot]]s.

===Training===
Before human allies are permitted to join in the hunt for Decepticon leader [[Megatron (Movie)/games|Megatron]], they must train in four abilities (speed, strength, skill and fireblast) to prove their readiness. Additional training in each of these areas (unlocked through the use of still more Coordinate Codes) qualifies the trainee as a member of the [[Elite Guard]].

From the training hub, not only can prospective Autobot allies take part in these training exercises, they can also print out an identification card and progress report, or read information about [[Hunt for the Decepticons#The Most Wanted Decepticons|The Most Wanted Decepticons]].

===Mission 4===
The final mission requires the defeat of Megatron. The Decepticon leader plans to attack New York City in retaliation for his troops being defeated by you and the Autobots. You must battle him within the city, using your blaster and your shield to defend yourself against the Decepticon leader. His defeat and subsequent retreat concludes the battle - for now. You are then recalled to the training facility so that your warrior friends can thank you for your efforts. Interested trainees may continue their training at the secret facility.

==Gameplay==
The first mission is a top-down view style driving game. You must use the arrow keys to steer Bumblebee through the streets of Shanghai, avoiding obstacles, while timing your turns to smash into Axor before he smashes into you. If you manage to flip over Axor, he is defeated and your first mission is complete.

The second mission is a first-person shooter style game. Your view is from within the cockpit of your "Autobot training facility issued fighter." You use your mouse to steer your jet up and down and from side to side. The cursor appears as cross-hairs on your screen, and is also used to target and fire on the drones that attack you, and ultimately Terradive when he appears. Pressing the "space" bar activates "Hyper Target Mode," which slows down the action and allows you to target multiple objects before things return to normal speed. Bringing Terradive's health bar down to zero completes the mission.

The third mission is another first-person shooter style game. Starscream leaps into view on different plateaus in view. The difficulty in hitting him with your blaster, aimed and fired using your mouse, varies as he moves closer or farther away, becoming a smaller or larger target. Starscream fights back as well, and in order to deflect his plasma bursts, you must press the "space" bar to activate your shield. Firing on objects near Starscream can also cause him to take damage. Once his life bar is emptied, Starscream is defeated and flees, completing the mission.

There are four different kinds of training sessions you need to complete in order to access the final mission; "speed," "fireblast," "strength," and "skill."

For [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]]'s "speed" training, you must use your arrow keys to navigate an Autobot shield across a grid, making it cover a Decepticon shield on another section of the grid as quickly as possible. This must be done on multiple grids, which grow in size and complexity with each completed level. In the later levels, the Decepticon shield also changes spots on the grid, forcing the player to backtrack if they are not fast enough, and get to the shield's new location. Later still, the grid changes as the player navigates it, adding yet another level of difficulty. Making the Autobot shield go "off" the grid causes it to re-spawn at its point of origin.

For Bumblebee's "fireblast" training, you must use your mouse to keep you blaster aimed at a moving target. The longer your cross-hairs hover over the target, the more your power meter fills up, but this also causes the cross-hairs to shrink over time. You are only supposed to fire at the target when the color of its light and the color of your cross-hairs match. If you click to fire your blaster when the colors do not match, the blast does nothing. The training ends once you've destroyed enough targets.

For [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]'s "strength" training, you must throw heavy spheres to break the barriers before you. You must avoid hitting Decepticon blocks, Autobot blocks give you double force on impact, purple magnetic blocks connect the surrounding blocks, green block are immovable and yellow blocks repel the sphere. Your mouse is used to "pick up" and "throw" the sphere by clicking and dragging it across the screen. In later levels, the blocks travel down the screen, making it more difficult to hit the correct blocks. The training ends once enough barriers have been brought down.

For [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]'s "skill" training, you must move your mouse quickly to click on Decepticon shields as they appear across a grid. Moving too slowly means that the Decepticon shields might disappear before you get a chance to click them, but moving too quickly might yield screw-ups, by clicking on Autobot shields by accident. The grid increases as more levels are cleared. This training is also timed, with a certain number of Decepticon shields needing to be clicked on before the timer runs out, in order for the level to be cleared.

The final mission is identical in gameplay to the third mission against Starscream. Once more, your opponent hops about, and you must both blast him, while avoiding being blasted yourself by using your shield. Lowering Megatron's health bar to zero completes the mission.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/games|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/games|Bumblebee]]
*[[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]]
*[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]
|c2=
*[[Axor]]
*Jet drones
*[[Terradive (TF 2010)|Terradive]]
*[[Starscream (Movie)/games|Starscream]]
*[[Megatron (Movie)/games|Megatron]]
|c3=
*[[You]]
|nonumbering=true}}

{{anchor|The Most Wanted Decepticons}}
==The Most Wanted Decepticons==
Available through the training facility are profiles and wallpapers of the Autobots' primary targets in the Hunt for the Decepticons. The intel passwords required to access this information can be found in several "Hunt for the Decepticons"-branded [[exclusive]]s.

These Decepticons include:
*[[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] - bonecrusher29 (''The Fury of Bonecrusher'')
*[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] - devastator95 (''[[Toys"R"Us]] Constructicon Devastator'')
*[[The Fallen]] - thefallen24 (''The Victory of the Fallen'')
*[[Megatron (Movie)/games|Megatron]] - megatron09 (''Megatron Rising, unreleased'')
*[[Rampage (ROTF)|Rampage]] - rampage05 (''Rampage Among the Ruins'')
*[[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] - ravage15 (''The Ravage Infiltration'')
*[[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] - sideways20 (''Sideways Sneak Attack, unreleased'')
*[[Starscream (Movie)/games|Starscream]] - starscream73 (''Starscream's Assault'')

==Notes==
* Before you enter the secret Autobot training facility, you are able to view footage of the Transformers' war on Cybertron. This footage is taken from the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]] video game.
==External links==
*[http://transformers.promotions.com/transformershunt Hunt for the Decepticons] (offline)

[[Category:Live-action film series]]
[[Category:Online games]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010)]]

Transformer

2024-06-13T00:13:55Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

{{disambig3.5|the living alien robots|the brand in which they appear and are sold as toys|Transformers brand|Transformers}}
[[File:Bumblebeeg1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], a Transformer, transforming. Savvy?]]
The '''Transformers''' (''Cybertronus cybertronii'')<ref>"[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]"</ref> are a species of {{w|Sentience|sentient}}, living robotic beings (mostly) originating from the distant machine world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The stories of their lives, their histories, and most especially their wars have been chronicled across many different [[Continuity|continuities]] in the vast [[multiverse]].

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

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

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

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

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

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

===The Quintessons===
[[File:Ffod4 production line.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|1984 cartoon]] established that the Autobots and Decepticons began as two different product lines of robotic slaves, only developing civilization after overthrowing their cruel [[Quintesson]] creators.]]

: ''See also: [[Quintesson]]''
{{quote|What the Quintessons failed to grasp was that their robots had developed emotions. That we knew and felt the difference between freedom and slavery. And that oversight sealed their fate.|[[Prime Nova]]|"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"}}

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

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

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

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

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

: ''See also: [[Primus]], [[Unicron]], [[Thirteen]], [[Well of All Sparks]]''

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

Independent of the cartoon's Quintesson origin, writer [[Simon Furman]] came up with his own origin for the Transformers. As first detailed in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK]] comic, the Cybertronians of that universe had been created by their god, the benevolent [[Primus]], as proxies to carry on the battle with his villainous opposite: the dreaded chaos-bringer known as [[Unicron]]. This origin story was eventually folded into the American books when Furman took over from US author [[Bob Budiansky]], overwriting the earlier "[[atechnogenesis]]" theory. From there, the tale would undergo various permutations in various pieces of ancillary media before settling on a widely accepted version of events, establishing that Primus himself, like Unicron, could transform from a robot into a planet; unlike Unicron, however, Primus transformed into [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself. The first Transformer that Primus created was dubbed [[Prima]], bearer of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], and later stories set in other universes would take this concept and run with it. Future works would establish that the very first group of Transformers to be created, of which Prima was traditionally a part, would become known as the "[[Thirteen]]," demigod-like figures of enormous power, and who themselves would go on to play a major role in the overarching ''Transformers'' mythos in their own right.

The Primus origin story has gradually evolved to effectively become the "definitive" Transformer origin story. In the early 2000s, the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] was the first cartoon to incorporate the Primus and Unicron origin into its storyline, with accompanying stories from [[Fun Publications]] further fleshing out the saga. Subsequently, at the start of the 2010s, the Primus origin was used as the basis of the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity family]], which formed a unified modern vision for the ''Transformers'' universe and its lore that virtually every series released since has adhered to.

There are occasional deviations, though; most notably, the [[2005 IDW continuity]] would establish a [[Rung (G1)|very different interpretation of Primus]], who that continuity's version of [[Unicron/Generation 1#2005 IDW continuity|Unicron]] was entirely unconnected to.
{{--}}

===The AllSpark===
[[File:Defiance4 allspark creates primes.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[AllSpark]], a mysterious relic capable of granting life to the Transformer race, has featured prominently in most ''Transformers'' stories released since the late 2000s.]]

:''See also: [[AllSpark]], [[Energon mutation]], [[Energon radiation]]
{{quote|Before time began, there was the Cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life. That is how our race was born.|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]|''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]''}}

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

The first ''Transformers'' movie depicted the AllSpark as the sole creator of the Transformers; a powerful, semi-sentient object of unknown manufacture, this artifact was responsible of energizing the [[living metal]] of Cybertron with [[Spark]]s and creating the first generation of Transformers. When loosed on Earth, AllSpark energy was capable of spontaneously imbuing [[human]] machinery with Transformer life, creating "[[Energon mutation|AllSpark Mutations]]" from mundane vehicles or appliances. As part of Hasbro's attempts at brand synergy, the AllSpark would also feature in that year's ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' cartoon, with more-or-less the same backstory, treating the mysterious object as the creator of the Cybertronian species, with individual fragments of the AllSpark displaying the power to bring new Transformers online from whatever inanimate objects happened to be in the vicinity.

The concept of the AllSpark was combined with the "Primus" origin story (above) as part of the unified lore created for the "Aligned" continuity family, establishing that it was the divine mechanism by which Primus created new sparks. This interpretation of the AllSpark as the tool through which Primus acts has persisted across most subsequent media.
{{--}}

===Other origins===
====Atechnogenesis====
[[File:Pulleys.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The theory of atechnogenesis proposes the Transformer race evolved naturally, rather than being created by an external force.]]

The very first origin ever put forth for the Transformers established that the Transformers had evolved through [[atechnogenesis]], a mechanical parallel to {{w|abiogenesis}} that gave rise to life on Earth, with cybernetic life arising from the interaction between "naturally occurring gears, levers and pulleys" on the surface of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. This questionable theory was given in the [[The Transformers (issue)|very first ''Transformers'' comic ever produced]] and was quickly forgotten, though the concept occasionally crops up as an in-universe "atheist" viewpoint to contrast against more spiritual perspectives. A more serious take on the concept was published in a [[A Birth of Planet Saybertron|Japanese-exclusive story]].
{{--}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[[File:G1Misfire boxart.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Most Transformers are essentially humanoid...]]

All Transformers possess at a "[[robot mode]]" that allows them to move independently, manipulate objects, and otherwise interact with the world around them. Most robot-mode Cybertronians resemble humans—they possess a bilaterally symmetric body with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head. However, these are guidelines rather than hard rules; Transformers may replace their hands (or even whole arms) with tools, claws, weapons, or a clamp-like manipulator formed from a [[beast mode]] head. Some Transformers roll on wheels or caterpillar treads while in their robot modes; others float using jets or propellers. Transformers like [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] or [[Octus (G1)|Octus]] may even sport extra arms while in robot mode.

A Transformer's head contains a number of sophisticated [[sensor]]s and computers that allow a Transformer to gather and process information about their environment. These include optical sensors, olfactory sensors, audio sensors, and a [[brain module]], the seat of their physical consciousness. Although some Transformers possess humanoid faces, many Cybertronians sport a single, wrap-around visor instead of two independent eyes. Others possess [[mouthplate]]s, either over or sometimes in place of a mouth. Some characters like [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] lack humanoid faces entirely, their heads little more than a single inset eye in a helmet.

[[File:ROTF Wheelbot concept art.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|...but many are not.]]

While humanoid forms are the norm, they are certainly not the ''rule'', and it is not at all uncommon for a Transformer to possess a primary mode based on an animal or vehicle. Many [[Mini-Cassette]]s—most famously [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]—transform from cassette tapes into animals. For characters like [[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] and [[Raindance]], their ambulatory vehicle modes are generally considered to be their "robot forms", which are at least capable of independent movement. Still other Transformers blur the lines—characters like ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]] transforms from a vehicle into an anthropomorphic wolf-man. Some Transformers possess completely inhuman forms, that are not immediately recognizable as anything terrestrial.

Various ''Transformers'' continuities have recognized the existence of specific variations on baseline Transformer physiology, often with unique abilities that separate them from the rest of their kind. Some—such as the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s, [[Pretender]]s, or [[Action Master]]s—are the product of deliberate body augmentation, and it is possible for any Cybertronian to join their ranks through an upgrade or a drastic full-body rebuild. Other Cybertronian subgroups, such as the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s, [[Shifter]]s, [[Mini-Con]]s, or [[Terran]]s, are closer to distinct subspecies, with their own unique physical adaptations and biological traits that distinguish them from the Cybertronian baseline.

Transformers are generally large in comparison to Earth lifeforms. The "average" Transformer ranges from about 15 to 40 feet in height, or somewhere around four times the height of an average man. However, Cybertronians exist in all shapes and sizes; many Cybertronians, including the [[Mini-Con]]s, [[Micromaster]]s, [[Maximal]]s, and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, are approximately human-sized. Still others, such as the [[Real Gear Robot]]s or the [[Transformers: BotBots (franchise)|BotBots]], are small enough to fit in a human's palm. On the other end of the scale, some Transformers dwarf their average-sized brethren: these include the towering inhabitants of [[Gigantion]], the city-sized Titans, and planet-sized Transformers like [[Unicron]], [[Primus]], and [[Gaia]].

{{--}}

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

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

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

Transformers possess mechanical bodies made of gears, wires, cogs, and screws, but in many ways their inner workings more closely resemble that of a biological organism's. The earliest ''Transformers'' stories established that Transformers could feel pleasurable and painful sensations; their bodies were physically "alive". The [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|''Victory'' cartoon]] explained that the "[[living metal]]" of Cybertronians possessed a cellular structure. Most Cybertronian bodies are composed of this "technomatter", itself a unique alloy that incorporates [[Rarified Energon]]. <ref>"[[Crossing Over: Part 6]]"</ref> Most Cybertronians possess nanomachine-based self-repair systems that allow them to slowly heal minor damage over time, <ref>"[[Insight]]"</ref> and an "immune system" that defends their inner workings from pathogens. <ref>[[World of the Transformers]]</ref> For more serious injuries, Transformers can be repaired using mundane materials; over time, their systems slowly break down these replacement parts, incorporate them into their systems, and rebuild them into living metal. <ref>"[[Eye in the Sky]]"</ref> Seriously damaged Transformers may enter "[[stasis lock]]", a protective low-power state that redirects all available power into maintaining a Transformer's most critical functions.

In addition to independently reiterating the idea that Transformers possess cells, The Marvel [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comic books]] revealed that Transformers possessed [[CNA|genetic material]], copied from progenitors to offspring during ancient reproduction rituals. <ref>"[[The Power and the Glory]]"</ref> Subsequent stories, including ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', have established that this "genome"—sometimes referred to as "[[CNA]]", "source code", or "hard-coded design schematics"—dictates a Cybertronian's physical appearance and [[alternate mode]]; <ref> "[[Silent Light]]" </ref> like biological organisms, Transformers can be genetically modified or [[Cloning|cloned]] using samples of [[living metal]].

[[File:WOTTF-HotRodAnatomy.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

As robotic lifeforms, Transformers possess a number of interlinked, autonomous systems that handle various bodily functions. Some components—including [[fuel pump]]s, fuel lines, [[Circuit (circuit)|circuit]]s, [[sensor]]s, and [[processor]]s, are more-or-less analogous to human technology and can be easily repaired or replaced with basic parts. Other key components, such as the [[transformation cog]], the [[spark]] chamber, or the [[brain module]], are entirely alien "biomechanisms" with no direct Earthly analogue; <ref> Operation Bumblebee, Part 1</ref> these parts are difficult to replace, and any operation usually requires the services of a trained surgeon with access to Cybertronian technology.

Cybertronians with the ability to transform usually wind up with parts of their alternate mode prominently visible while in robot form, sometimes known as a "secondary anatomy". <ref> "[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss]]" </ref> While in robot mode, Transformers can often access parts of their alternate mode functionality—for instance, a Cybertronian who turns into a tank may still be able to fire shells in their robot mode.

As living creatures, Cybertronians are susceptible to exotic diseases and alien parasites, including [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], [[Red Rust]], and [[scraplet]]s. Transformers also share vulnerabilities with ordinary computers: with the right equipment, malicious actors can hack their minds and take control of their bodily functions, and their processors can be corrupted by [[shell program]]s or scrambled by [[electromagnetic pulse|electromagnetic radiation]].

Transformers maintain an internal body temperature of 42 degrees Celsius.<ref>[[Source:Soundwaves#Issue 71|Soundwaves, issue 71]]</ref>

{{--}}

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

{{quote|You are a Transformer. Another mode is your birthright. [...] Alt-forms aren't meant to complete you, as though you have a missing part. They further express who you already are."|[[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]]|"[[Missed Connection]]"}}

[[File:GoGo28-transform.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Most Transformers can change between two or more different forms at will.]]

Most—but not all—Transformers possess the ability to assume a secondary shape of some kind, usually referred to as an "[[alternate mode]]" or "alt-mode": this may be a vehicle of some kind, an animal-based "[[beast mode]]", or some kind of inconspicuous inanimate object. However, Cybertronians are nothing if not adaptable; across the multiverse, Cybertronians have become weapons, household appliances, plants, musical instruments, and even food. Some Transformers possess unusual forms of transformation: they may be able to transform many times faster than their compatriots, or possess additional [[Size changing|size changing]] powers that let them shrink into a much smaller altmode. Some rare Transformers, such as the [[Triple Changer]]s and [[Six Changer]]s, can assume multiple alternate modes; with ten distinct alternate modes, [[Megatron (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Galvatron]] holds the record for the largest number of distinct alternate modes exhibited by any single individual. In other corners of the multiverse, rare subgroups such as the [[Shifter]]s and [[Infinite]]s have displayed the ability to transform into almost anything.

Some early stories, including the original ''The Transformers'' cartoon and many early storybooks, presented the ability to transform as a wartime innovation, or else an unforeseen consequence of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' rebuilding its damaged occupants. In time, however, the fiction came to regard transformation as something innate to the species; all modern ''Transformers'' stories have established that Transformers either come into the world with a predetermined alternate mode or the capability to assume a secondary shape. A Transformer's first alternate mode may be an alien vehicle adapted for life on Cybertron, sometimes known as a "Cybertronian alternate mode". Transformers looking to blend in on planets like Earth will often adopt a less conspicuous shape based on the local machinery. Some Transformers struggle with a unique disorder known as "[[mode attachment]]", and refuse to ever change the details of their alternate mode. <ref>''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' #8</ref>

Perhaps unsurprisingly, transformation plays a key role in Cybertronian society. A vehicle form allows a Transformer to travel long distances and haul heavy loads; on primitive planets like [[Earth]], Autobots and Decepticons can hide in plain sight from their enemies and move through populated areas without attracting attention. In certain combat situations, military alternate modes like jets or tanks can act as stable weapons platforms when the need arises. An alternate mode may also be protective in nature: in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' television show, the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s used organic [[beast mode]]s to shield their robotic components from harmful [[energon radiation]]. <ref>"[[Beast Wars, Part 1]]"</ref> It is important to note that Transformers merely ''mimic'' whatever it is they transform into, and do not take on all of its capabilities. Transformers who transform into cars and trucks still require [[energon]] instead of gasoline, while Cybertronians who turn into organic beasts possess robotic components underneath a layer of artificial flesh. As such, it is possible to find a Transformer in disguise by tracking its unique [[energy signature]], although some advanced Cybertronians have taken steps to baffle, shield, or otherwise mask these traces. Some Cybertronians enhance their disguises with [[holomatter]] technology, creating hologram drivers to further blend in with their surroundings.

[[File:FieldGuideActionAdventure-Altmodes.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Transformers may disguise themselves as Earth vehicles, or transform into alien machines better suited for life on Cybertron.]]

Early "Generation 1" stories suggested that the process of taking on a new alternate form required outside intervention—either a piece of sophisticated hardware like [[Teletraan I]]'s repair beams, a full manual rebuild carried out by an accomplished engineer, or a supernatural plot device such as [[Unicron]]. In time, this concept was phased out. Beginning with the ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' anime, subsequent works of ''Transformers'' fiction established that Transformers possessed all the necessary hardware to reconfigure their bodies on the fly. By "[[scanning]]" a vehicle, animal, or object, a Transformer's onboard systems can immediately reconfigure their bodies so that they can transform into a copy of that specific shape, overwriting whatever form they previously possessed. Scanning an alternate mode can be a rite of passage: for many Cybertronian societies, taking on a first alternate mode is regarded as an important part of the maturation process. <ref>"[[Hashtag: Oops]]" </ref> Sometimes, a Transformer must learn to transform on their own, often unlocking this power through mindfulness and meditation; in other realities, an [[onboard computer]] coordinates the process, sometimes triggered by a spoken [[activation code]].

Modern ''Transformers'' fiction has uniformly tied the power to transform to the [[transformation cog]] (sometimes "T-cog"), an advanced mechanical "organ" which controls the speed, direction, and overall momentum of a Cybertronian's transformation, <ref>"[[Omega's Conundrum]]"</ref> in addition to controlling ancillary functions, including built-in weapons and the ability to scan new alternate modes. <ref>"[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]"</ref> While the concept originated in the original ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' cartoon, the notion wouldn't be properly resurrected until the mid-2010s, as part of the "[[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity]]. [[2013]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' tied the transformation cog to [[Amalgamous Prime]], a member of the [[Thirteen]] credited with introducing transformation itself to the Cybertronian race, but this explanation didn't really catch on; subsequent ''Transformers'' tales have treated the T-cog as a mundane (albeit highly sophisticated) device.

Conversely, Transformers can lose the ability to transform. Devices such as the [[Transfixatron]] and the [[Transformation Lock Lens]] can temporarily trap Transformers in one mode, and underfuelled Transformers may struggle to transform. Other works of fiction have linked a permanent loss of transformation to [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]], a mutagenic superfuel which changes Cybertronians into non-transforming [[Action Master]]s. Some Transformers, such as the members of the [[Militant Monoform Movement]], may choose to voluntarily remove their transformation cog for one reason or another, and may even have their alternate mode parts surgically removed. <ref>"[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots]]"</ref> Other stories have linked a loss of transformation to environmental factors, including age <ref>"[[Meltdown!]]" </ref> and fuel availability. As transformation uses a significant amount of energy, Transformers who are low on fuel may choose to remain in one form over the other. <ref>"[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]"</ref>

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

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

[[File:The Spark Rhinox spark.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|The presence of an animating spark is what separates most Transformers from simple robots.]]

All Transformers possess a [[spark]], a uniquely charged mass of {{w|positron}}s <ref> "[[Spark of Darkness]]" </ref> formed from [[Rarified Energon]]. <ref>"[[Crossing Over: Part 6]]"</ref> Part soul, part heart, the spark is a tangible, animating "life force" that sets Transformers apart from ordinary machines. Sparks were introduced in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon episode "[[The Spark]]", which firmly established that ''all'' Transformers, past and present, possessed sparks; accordingly, this notion has gone on to inform every incarnation of the Transformers franchise, and has even been retroactively applied to the Transformers who appeared in the earliest Generation 1 continuities.

[[File:Amica Endura ceremony.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|A Cybertronian's spark chamber can be opened or closed at will.]]

A Cybertronian's life begins with the ignition of a new spark, which is usually implanted into a suitable body some time after their creation. While animating a Transformer, the spark resides in a specially shaped "spark chamber", which is usually located somewhere within the torso. When a body can no longer safely support a spark, the spark is "extinguished" and the Transformer in question dies. As the nexus of the Transformer life cycle, the spark plays a major role in their culture and religion. Many ''Transformers'' stories have connected sparks to [[Primus]], benevolent creator-god of the Transformers, with the idea that that each Spark contains an infinitesimally small fragment of his divine essence. ''Beast Wars'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' established that Transformer sparks are born from the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]], a combination pre-life and afterlife from which all Sparks are born from and ultimately return to. <ref>"[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future|Seeds of the Future]]"</ref> Specific Transformers may possess Sparks with unusual powers or abilities, which may physically manifest as aberrant superpowers.

The spark's relationship to the rest of the Transformer is somewhat nebulous, and varies across continuities. In some stories, a spark ''is'' the sum totality of a Transformer; it can be [[Spark extractor|extracted]] from the body of one Cybertronian and implanted into the frame of another, effectively "uploading" the memories and personality encoded in that Spark into a new body. In other continuities, the spark's presence in the body is harder to define; in these continuities, it coexists with other components crucial to Transformer life, such as the [[brain module]], which makes it harder to define where certain aspects of Transformer life begin or end.

Some Cybertronians are created ''without'' sparks, and these Transformers are generally referred to as "[[drone]]s". Some drones are little more than mindless robots without any capacity for speech, emotion or creative thinking; others are more sophisticated, and may possess an advanced artificial intelligence that allows them to think, speak, and emote. However, the lines of sapience are blurry, and many Cybertronians do not consider these Transformers to be truly "alive".

{{--}}

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

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

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

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

While humans require regular infusions of air, water, and food to maintain their biological processes, Transformers simply require regular access to a power source to stay alive. However, the Transformers are an ever-expanding race. The search for new energy sources has led to many conflicts between different Transformer factions and the frequent depletion of Cybertron's own natural resources. The specific mechanisms of the Transformer metabolism are not well-understood, but many stories show Transformers orally ingesting fuel sources--sometimes energon, sometimes human fossil fuels like oil or gasoline--the way humans would drink a beverage, sometimes in a recreational setting like a bar or tavern. Indeed, Transformers who overdose on particularly potent fuel sources may display symptoms consistent to human intoxication: these include a loss of balance, slurred speech, and impaired decision-making skills.<ref>"[[Microbots]]"</ref> <ref>"[[Cybertronian Homesick Blues]]"</ref>

Early stories like the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] suggested that Cybertronians ran on a nebulously defined "[[Transformer fuel]]", which could be created from human energy sources like oil and gasoline. [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]] introduced [[energon cube]]s as a Decepticon fuel storage medium; eventually, the show began using the term "energon" to refer to the glowing liquid within the cube itself. <ref>"[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"</ref>

All ''Transformers'' stories published after the end of the Marvel comic have established that Transformers subsist upon energon, which has been consistently established as a naturally-occurring element that occurs throughout the universe. ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' established the existence of dangerous, unrefined [[energon crystal]]s, which can be refined into energon cubes; in many realities, this "stable energon" can be refined further to create weapons, armor, or even [[Energon Matrix|a Matrix]]. Subsequent stories have established the existence of countless energon variants with their own unique powers--these include [[Red Energon]], [[Dark Energon]], [[Tox-En]], [[Chronogon]], and [[Ore-13]]. While Transformers can metabolize some of these fuels into usable energy, others are considered dangerous.

Transformers may be forced to survive in environments where refined energon is not readily available. In some stories, Transformers can synthesize a usable fuel substitute from local energy sources, but these derivative fuels are generally poor substitutes for the genuine article. <ref>[[Infiltration issue 6|''Infiltration'' #6]]</ref> Cybertronians can metabolize exotic substances like [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]], although these substances come with their own unpredictable side effects. In other stories, Transformers have displayed the ability to live off of human energy sources like fossil fuels. <ref>"[[Constructicons Rising]]"</ref>
Some Cybertronians have developed methods of turning organic material into a usable energy source. In its simplest and least efficient form, this process simply involves grinding organic beings into a crude energon derivative, sometimes known as "[[biofuel]]" <ref>[[Last Bot Standing issue 2|''Last Bot Standing'' #2]] </ref> or "[[pink alchemy]]". <ref>"[[Before & After]]"</ref> Some Transformers who adopt organic [[beast mode]]s possess an onboard [[biomass processor]], which fuels their robotic superstructures and nourishes their organic components. <ref>"[[Shattered Balance]]"</ref>

Rather than change their diet, many Cybertronians have turned to technology to help manage their fuel efficiency. Transformers who undergo the [[Powermaster]] process, for instance, are [[Binary bonding|binary bonded]] to an organic being, a "living battery" capable of converting organic calories into energy. The [[Micromaster]]s deliberately adopted smaller, more fuel-efficient bodies capable of functioning on a fraction of the energy required to power the Transformers they derogatorily refer to as "[[Macromaster|guzzlers]]". The [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s of [[Beast Era]] Cybertron would follow in these footsteps; by their time, three hundred years after the end of the Great War, the entire Transformer race had downsized to the point where they were only slightly taller than an average [[human]].

{{--}}

===Combination===
[[File:G1Defensor-VisualWorks.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] is the combined form of the five [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], but possesses his own independent consciousness and personality.]]

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

{{quote|Wow, how come we can't do that?}}
{{quote|I don't know, I think they're double-jointed.|[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] and [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] on [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]]|"[[Bullet Train to the Rescue]]"}}

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

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

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

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

: ''See also: [[Weapon]], [[ability]]''

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===Gender===
[[File:Revolution5-Windbladeprofile.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Changing attitudes in the ''Transformers'' brand led to the creation of [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] as a new "headline" female character.]]

''See also: [[Female Transformer]], [[:Category:Gender expansive characters|gender expansive characters]]''

{{quote|Female Autobots?! I thought they were extinct!|[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]|"[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]" (1985)}}
{{quote|'Non-binary'? [...] I always knew my pronouns felt right, but...what a wonderful word for a wonderful experience.|[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]]|"[[Home, Part 1]]" (2023)}}

[[File:Nightshade-earthspark-stock.jpg|left|upright=0.9|thumb|[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] is the first major example of a non-binary Transformer.]]

As ''Transformers'' is generally a kid-friendly franchise, most continuities have established that Cybertronians employ decidedly asexual methods of [[reproduction]]. This quirk of their reproductive biology originally, at least in part, stemmed from Hasbro, who initially didn't want any girl robots appearing in their boys toyline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Well, I remember bringing up that question early on with Hasbro, 'are any of these female?' And then I think Hasbro's attitude was, 'this is a boy toy. We don't wanna have, you know, girl robots.' So, I said, 'OK, just want to clarify that.'|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728050516/http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954|name=Bob Budiansky|site=Rusting Carcass|year=2009|month=07|day=25}}</ref> Faced with this restriction, [[Bob Budiansky]] invented the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to explain how the Transformers reproduced.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=My original intention was really to just...in looking at the Transformers, they were all male, and I think there was a female character in the movie. Obviously they didn't reproduce as organic creatures might, yet new Transformers had to be created somehow and I guess somewhere along the line I thought it'd be cool that Optimus Prime was not just the leader of the Autobots, but I believe I made him the possessor of the Creation Matrix. He had this gift of creating new Transformers life. I never called him "God" or anything, but I guess I put Transformers on a different level than living creatures on our world. You could build a living Transformer and program it to believe.|link=http://www.bwtf.com/interviews/bb204/|name=Bob Budiansky|site=Ben's World of Transformers|year=2022|month=02|day=11}}</ref> This edict didn't last long, however: early into its development, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' introduced the extremely female [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] as a member of the film's cast, and this change took place early enough in development that [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]] was able to introduce a whole squad of "[[Female Autobots]]" in the second-season episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]". Although great strides have been made in terms of representation, the male-to-female ratio across the franchise remains skewed ''greatly'' in favor of the former.

Historically, most ''Transformers'' stories have not touched on what gender really ''means'' in a civilization of alien robots. Some stories presented them as an aberration "outside" the Cybertronian norm, their femininity the result of alien interference or malevolent genetic experimentation. ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' tied them to the mythical [[Solus Prime]] by explaining that their use of feminine pronouns denoted "key feature differences" related to information processing they'd inherited from their spiritual progenitor,<ref>''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]''</ref> but this bit of world-building never really caught on. More recent changes in the real-world pop culture landscape, combined with an increased number of female creatives in the ''Transformers'' franchise, have led to a more inclusive approach that simply depicts female Cybertronians and their gender presentation as a natural aspect of their species that doesn't require any kind of convoluted explanation.

In the 2010s, older-skewing media like [[Ask Vector Prime]] and [[IDW Publishing]]'s [[2005 IDW continuity|ongoing ''Transformers'' universe]] began tackling deeper issues relating to gender and gender identity by introducing a number of transgender characters such as [[Anode]], [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]], and [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]]. A brief mention in other media led to the thus far only transmasculine Transformer, one version of [[Archadis]]. A handful of non-binary characters were introduced in the late 2010s through [[Tigerhawk#Toys|retroactively]]-[[Overlord (G1)#Toys|added]] [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|explanations]]; the first Transformer written intentionally as non-binary, [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]], was introduced in ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'' in 2022.

While the first crop of female Transformers characters generally resembled human women in armor, with only the faintest of nods towards any kind of workable transformation scheme, later characters introduced to the ''Transformers'' mythos have diversified in both appearance and personality. Some later female Transformers like [[Glyph (Universe)|Glyph]] and [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]] even share body-types with male characters like [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]].
{{--}}

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

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

{{quote|The sparks give rise to '''sentience'''. The metal gains '''form'''... and the '''protoforms''' emerge. A '''generation new'''.|[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]|''[[The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation]]''}}

[[File:Protoforms2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Many continuities feature [[protoform]]s as the earliest stage of a Transformer life.]]

As a kid's franchise, most ''Transformers'' continuities have firmly established that Transformers reproduce asexually, although the specific mechanisms of how a new Transformer comes into existence can vary wildly, sometimes even within the same universe. In some older ''Transformers'' stories--specifically those early "Generation 1" stories from before the ''Beast Wars'' television show--it was possible for Cybertronians to simply build new Transformers from ordinary materials, as was the case with the cartoon's incarnation of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, but this idea has generally fallen off with time. Because Transformers usually do not possess the capability to create new sparks by themselves, they must instead rely on a supernatural artifact to do it for them. Different ''Transformers'' tales have credited the generation of new sparks to various supernatural artifacts--these include the life-giving [[AllSpark]], the [[Vector Sigma]] supercomputer, the [[Primal Program]] embedded within the [[Matrix of Leadership]], or the [[Emberstone]] of [[Quintus Prime]].

In some cases, the creation of a new spark leads to the spontaneous generation of a new body for them to inhabit. In others, the life-giving energy of the [[AllSpark]] or sufficient quantities of [[energon radiation]] can spontaneously bring an ordinary Earth object to life as an "[[energon mutation]]", instantly reconfiguring its physical form into a sentient (but not always ''sapient'') Cybertronian. Alternately, a spark may simply be implanted into a pre-built chassis; after this infusion, a new Cybertronian simply springs to life. Still other continuities have established that Transformers are capable of "[[Reproduction#budding|budding]]", a {{w|mitosis}}-like process in which a Transformer surrenders excess [[living metal]] to create a second Transformer. With the right technology and access to a Transformer's genetic data, it's even possible to [[Cloning|clone]] them. <ref name="MTMTE8"/>

[[File:YourFirstMistake-ColdConstruction.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Other Transformers are manually assembled, like conventional machines, and subsequently given life through the infusion of a spark.]]

Many continuities have established that new Transformers begin as a humanoid mass of ultra-dense liquid metal known as a "[[protoform]]". Depending on the universe, a protoform may be a sentient being capable of speech, thought, and independent movement, a developing lifeform more akin to a human embryo, or something in-between. A protoform is generally understood to have matured into a full-grown Transformer when it adopts an alternate form--either through [[scanning]] a suitable shape or following the genetic instructions hard-coded within its spark. This process is ''generally'' understood to be very fast, occurring in a matter of days, hours, or even minutes, depending on the continuity. In some universes, Transformers can voluntarily revert themselves ''back'' into a protoform state for a variety of reasons.

Transformers may be born alone or in a group, sometimes referred to as a "batch". <ref>[[Infiltration issue 3|''Infiltration'' #3]]</ref> A small number of Transformers possess siblings; in most cases, these siblings are specifically noted to be [[twin]]s. Attempts to explain this phenomenon have tied it back to the mechanics of the [[spark]] or the [[protoform]], with the idea that a developing Transformer can divide like a human zygote. <ref name="MTMTE8"/> A few other stories have suggested that all Transformers who roll off the same "assembly line" might share similar components and appearances. <ref> [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 39]] </ref> Future Transformers, such as the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, often speak of their "ancestors", although these genealogical references may be allegorical in nature. Transformers responsible for creating other Transformers, as was the case with [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s, are often seen as quasi-parents to their creations. A few continuities, most prominently the [[Movie continuity family|the live-action Bay films]] and a number of Japanese-exclusive comics, have extended this notion to the idea that the Transformers of these universes possess mothers, fathers, and cousins... although how exactly this arrangement ''works'' is left as an exercise to the viewer.

===Early life===
[[File:Shining armor 1 baby stardrive.jpg|thumb|right|200px|At five days old, [[Stardrive]] has already developed her "adult" appearance.]]

:''See also: [[:Category:Transformer education|Transformer education]]''

{{quote|But back then, I was just a '''kid'''. I had to learn to talk, and interact with people. By my '''fifth solar cycle''', I was... '''considerably bigger''' than [[Elonian|my classmates]].|[[Stardrive]]|[[Shining Armor issue 1|''Shining Armor'' #1]]}}

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

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

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

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

The [[2019 IDW continuity]], which was initially set in a pre-war Cybertron society, introduced the idea of newly-forged Transformers being assigned a [[mentor]] at birth. This mentor would foster the newborn through learning all aspects of Cybertronian life, including choosing an [[alternate mode]] and their eventual vocation. The newborn is fostered until they felt secure enough to function in society on their own, but maintained a familial link with their mentor, essentially mirroring the relationship of parent and child.
{{--}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===Art===
[[File:Caged bulkhead.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Some Cybertronians have been known to study the artistic legacies of other species... though the results can be questionable.]]

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

{{quote|Destruction is the highest form of art.|[[Slog (G1)|Slog]]'s motto|[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' profile}}
The Transformers have been shown to have a very active [[Transformer music|musical tradition]]. The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] itself has an archive of 11 million traditional Cybertronian songs. Many Transformers such as [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] have shown great interest in music, and [[Squawkbox]] is one prominent example of a Cybertronian musician.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===Medicine===
[[File:TheBecoming-MegatronAndRatchet.jpg|thumb|right|275px|While Cybertronian medical procedures superficially resemble human ones, the techniques involved are more similar to vehicle maintenance.]]

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

{{quote|Miko, a T-cog is a ''biomechanism'', not a scrapyard find. If it were that easy, don't you think I would have replaced Bumblebee's voice box by now?|[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]]|"[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]"}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==Related species==
[[File:TFTM-WreckGarsits.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Junkions had the ability to transform into motorcycle forms, which others of their species could ride. In some continuities, they are alien creatures, while in others they are the descendents of stranded Cybertronian colonists.]]

:''See also: [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]], [[Lithone (species)|Lithone]], [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]], [[Gorlamite]], [[Stentarian]], [[Go-Bot (species)|Go-Bot]], [[Terran]]

What is a Transformer? Going over the criteria that we have laid out here, the question seems a simple one at first blush: an alien robot who can transform from one form to another. The truth behind the answer isn't quite as easy to define, however; the ''Transformers'' franchise has populated its fictional universe with a variety of other [[alien]] species who superficially resemble Transformers, most notably the eccentric [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] and the ravenous [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s. In some instances, one could assume that these creatures are the process of a sort of {{w|convergent evolution}}, sharing a similar bodyplan despite originating on planets far from Cybertron.

Some — but not all — recent continuities, most notably the [[Aligned continuity family]], have established—apparently to preserve the "uniqueness" of the Cybertronian race—that these groups are actually the ''descendants'' of ancestral Cybertronians, who adapted both physically and culturally to survive on different worlds. The [[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|''EarthSpark'' cartoon]] splits the difference with its introduction of the [[Terran]]s, a new race of Transformers created on Earth thanks to a [[Emberstone|Cybertronian artifact]], who are nonetheless a distinct species (''Cybertronus terran'' rather than ''Cybertronus cybertronii'') with [[Water|unique physical needs]].
{{--}}

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

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

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

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Scanning

2024-06-12T18:33:48Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

[[File:TFA Lugnut scanning.JPG|upright=1.95|thumb|Sure, the new packaging looks great, but the number of twisty-ties they use to hold it in that position is insane.]]
'''Scanning''', or '''trans-scanning''' when it's a biological process, is how [[Transformer]]s change their [[alternate mode]]s into things native to other planets such as vehicles or animals on [[Earth]].

Although the "original" or "Cybertronian" altmodes of the characters prior to scanning and reformatting are not always shown, they generally tend to be something roughly similar in size, form and function to their new mode (i.e. flyers tend to become planes, Cybertronian tanks become Earth tanks and small fast-moving land vehicles become sports cars or [[Cheetor (BW)|cheetahs]]), etc. This suggests that in most continuities the scanning process involves attempting to find the most similar compatible altmode available. Whether this makes the following reconstruction process easier or is merely a concession to the individual Cybertronian's personal preference is unknown.

They also have a funny tendency to be the same colors each time...<ref>''Animated'' is one of the first continuities to show multiple cases of characters scanning Earth altmodes with explicitly different (i.e. more "realistic") coloration or paintwork and yet having their reformatted bodies stick with their original deco schemes instead of conforming to the scanned example. Lugnut, Blitzwing, Starscream and Bulkhead all do this which is particularly odd in the last case since the [[Mudflap (slang)|mudflap]] rather seems to be using [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s deco which is based on a vintage U.S. Army Jeep. Mind you, the idea goes all the way back to "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" in which an orange tractor trailer was scanned for [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and yet he retained his red and blue coloration.</ref>

{{bigquote|A Transformer can turn into anything they can scan just by copying the object's data into their format files. Every time a Transformer rescans, they change form, and sometimes I have trouble recognizing even my own men!|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle]]"}}

==Conceptual history==
[[Image:TFMprequel4pg03.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Starscream's body converts itself to Earth mode... or something?]]
Scanning, like many elements in the ''Transformers'' brand, has evolved over the decades. In particular, scanning has developed alongside the portrayal of [[transformation]], going from a wartime invention to a natural aspect of Cybertronian biology.

The original ''Transformers'' [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] and [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)]] showed scanning only briefly, performed by the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark's]]'' [[Sky Spy]], while the ''Ark'' itself performed manual reconstruction to provide the Autobots and Decepticons new Earth alternate modes. After the initial awakening on [[Earth]], Transformers were either built with their alternate modes, or were reconfigured in an off-screen process.

''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' would mainly follow in the steps of ''Generation 1'', depicting the Maximals and Predacons requiring their ship's [[DNA scanner]] to provide them with [[beast mode]]s, the Maximals entering the [[CR chamber]] to be reconfigured. The series also depicted [[stasis pod]]s as having scanners, allowing individuals to gain new beast modes and identities.

While a British [[:File:Cheetor-beastmodescan.jpg|advertisement]] would depict [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] scanning a cheetah using beams from his eyes, the first ''major'' appearance of scanners built into a Cybertronian would be in 1998's ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]''. In contrast to the ship scanners of the original ''Beast Wars'', Maximals are seen scanning their alternate mode themselves, while the Predacons use an [[Mother Computer|alien computer]] to provide the schematics, the strain of scanning rendering [[Galvatron (BW)|one Predacon]] briefly unconscious. In what was likely coincidence, 1999's ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' would explain that a [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]] that occurred while the ''Beast Wars'' characters were on prehistoric Earth provided every Cybertronian a built-in scanner.
Following this, built-in scanners quickly became the standard method of Transformers acquiring new alternate modes.

During the first half of the 2000s, media such as the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] would consistently depict characters scanning new alternate modes using without any additional equipment, even capable of storing multiple vehicle schematics to share with other bots. Beams from the eyes in particular would continue to appear and become the primary visual cue for the process.

This would continue into the [[live-action film series]], which dubbed the process '''trans-scanning''', and described it as a core aspect of Cybertronian biology, a natural and seamless process that they instinctively performed after arriving on new planets in their [[transition form]]. The process would take only a few seconds, the Cybertronian's body generating the new exostructure immediately after scanning.<ref name="TFGuide">''[[Transformers: The Movie Guide]]'', by [[Simon Furman]]</ref> Unlike in previous series, it was depicted as a far more organic process, with behind the scenes information by [[Industrial Light & Magic|ILM]] elaborating that no character transforms the same way twice. [[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Tie-in media]] would give Cybertronians the ability to assume impromptu alternate modes ''without'' scanning based on their memories, and [[Frenzy (Movie)|some]] characters were described as having "hyper-reactive scanners" that allowed them to assume new alternate modes even faster than average Transformers. Almost every film in the series would depict a scanning sequence ([[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus]] has two across four films), making it a memorable and consistent part of the film's portrayal of Cybertronians.

One outlier during this time was ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which would split the difference in depictions by showing the Autobots using their [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|ship]] and its scanner à la the ''G1'' cartoon and ''Beast Wars'', while the Decepticons used the built-in scanners that had become more commonplace in fiction.

The [[Aligned continuity family]] would follow with built-in scanners, continuing to treat it as a natural part of Cybertronian biology and something any bot could do at any time. With the general effort behind the Aligned continuity being to standardize ''Transformers'' lore, this depiction would be solidified as ''the'' method for scanning in all ''Transformers'' media since. The depiction of scanning as a natural aspect of Cybertronian biology has bled back into ''Generation 1'' media, such as the [[2005 IDW continuity|first IDW series]], and tie-ins with other properties.

Originally just a minor aspect of the Transformers arrival on Earth, scanning has evolved into an iconic core aspect of the ''Transformers'' mythos.

==Fiction==
===''Generation One''===
''None of the various 1980s versions of the ''Generation One'' continuity show the original G1-era Cybertronians as capable of either scanning for new altmodes or reformatting themselves without the use of external technology and a drawn-out nuts n' bolts process of physical reconstruction. This technology appears to be standard-issue in ships and various facilities.''
====Marvel Comics continuity====
[[File:Toaster ark.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Built to Rule!]]
Four million years ago shortly after the crash of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', the Ark's computer detected [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] landing on the planet in [[Savage Land|the Antarctic land-out-of-time]]. The Ark used the last of its capabilities to revive [[Dinobot (G1)|five warriors]] and rebuild them to transform into the Savage Land's dominant lifeforms: [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]]. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

Subsequently, in 1984 the eruption of the volcano reboots the Ark which sends a [[drone]] to scan the area for local life forms which it takes to be terrestrial vehicles. Damaged, the Ark does not distinguish between factions and repairs and rebuilds both [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s alike with new altmodes. The 'Cons leave soon after. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

Later stories would refer to new arrivals to Earth having to take on new "Terran" altmodes, but the process was generally glossed over.

====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:MTMtE Part1 Prime repair.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Wake up, Prime! Don't make me use this to wake you up."]]
The Transformers aboard the ''Ark'' were damaged and went into [[stasis lock]] after the Ark crashed into [[Mount St. Hilary]]. Four million years passed, and then in 1984, volcanic activity stirred the half-buried Ark, awakening [[Teletraan I]], the computer system aboard. Teletraan I sent out a [[Sky Spy]] satellite to reconnoiter the new world and scanned terrestrial machinery in order to repair the Transformers and reformat them into new altmodes. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

====Dreamwave G1 continuity====
Being set quite some time after the initial awakening of the Transformers on modern-day Earth, the scanning and rebuilding process was never really detailed in this continuity, but can be assumed to have been along the lines of the fairly similar classic cartoon and Marvel comic scenarios.

Subsequent arrivals under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s banner of a unified [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] have been reformatted into Earth modes prior to their arrival to the planet. Again, the process is not shown. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
Much like the Dreamwave counterpart, the IDWverse shows the Autobots and Decepticons already on Earth albeit with higher emphases on disguise. The process of reformatting is not shown. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}}

[[File:TimeWillRust JazzArrivesOnEarth.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|left|]]
Again, subsequent arrivals to Earth such as Optimus Prime, Megatron and Hot Rod make mention of having been modified to have new Earth-based altmodes but the process is similarly not depicted directly. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}} [[Skar (IDW)|Skar]] is said to be a pioneer of the "dynamic alt-mode adaptation" theory, which allowed him to scan the [[cyber-morphic predator]]s that dwelt in caves beneath Cybertron and reformat his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobot]] comrades into new forms based on these creatures in the field. Again, however, the actual process was not depicted on-panel. {{storylink|Underworld (IDW)|Underworld}}

The first on-panel scanning was for the Dynobots and required the use of a CR chamber. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}} When [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] first arrived on Earth however, he scanned a nearby Porsche by projecting a beam from his optics. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}}

In the jump-forward storyline ''All Hail Megatron'', many of the Autobots and Decepticons have inexplicably been reformatted again, but merely into similar-but-different Earth altmodes. It is no surprise that in all cases these resemble their most recent real-world toy releases, particularly under the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' line]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron}} Following the rebirth of Cybertron and the end of the war, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] worked to reformat their respective comrades into new Cybertronian vehicle modes. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

====''Hearts of Steel''====
It's not fully clear how exactly Cybertronians scan their alternate modes. Bumblebee can, for instance, instantly reformat from his prehistoric [[beast mode]] into a nonexistent steamhammer locomotive. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} On the other hand, Starscream and the other Decepticons need plans drawn up by [[Tobias Muldoon]] to reformat into flying alternate modes. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}}

Whether or not [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] is a living Transformer raises even more questions; he's one of several Decepticons to be made or refitted to function as a train. Some Decepticons are also manually refitted to make rail cars for Astrotrain. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}

====''Universe'' (2008) promotional video====
Optimus Prime emits the scanning beam from his [[Sensor#Optical sensors|optic]] sensor to scan a truck. {{storylink|Action Blast 1|Action Blast 1 Part 1}}

====''Transformers vs. The Terminator''====
When the ''Ark'' rebooted, a [[Sky Spy]] probe scanned a commandeered truck that happened to be nearby before the [[T-800]] shot it down, {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part One}} later justifying this act to [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] as the probe having also scanned him. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Three}}

====''Transformers/Back to the Future''====
After finding himself unable to tolerate Megatron's brutality any longer, Gigawatt trans-scanned the impounded [[DeLorean time machine]], hoping to use its replicated power to alter history and undo his master's reign of terror. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 2|Transformers/Back to the Future #2}}

===Beast Era===
[[Protoform]] Transformers are able to get new alternate modes by using the [[DNA]] scanned from the lifeforms of the nearby environments.
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
When in operation, the "scan beam" emitted from the [[DNA scanner]]s built into Cybertronian ships can analyze DNA data scanned from lifeforms immediately. If the device scans a corpse or fossil, it is able to reconstruct the lifeform's appearance during its lifetime. Examples of this include the alternate modes of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]], and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]].

Once the scanned DNA data is retrieved, it is sent to CR chambers or CR tanks. The Transformers have to enter the CR chambers or tanks to get their new altmode.

There is also a DNA scanner mounted on each [[stasis pod]] in order to get the DNA data from the lifeforms of the planet on which the stasis pod lands. The stasis pod itself then reformats the occupant—or perhaps just "formats", since protoforms are generally considered to be newborns.

====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' featured the first instance of built-in DNA scanners and self-reformatting technology allowing the Transformers to adopt alternate modes on the spot without the need for external machinery. Only [[Tasmania Kid]] is seen using it, {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!}} while the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] obtained vehicle modes by accessing an ancient computer and scanning the recorded data within it. {{storylink|White Lion, Run!}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
After falling into a hole, Nightscream became unconscious. During that time, a DNA scanner inside his body was activated and scanned the fossils of a big bat once native to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], giving him a bat alternate mode. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} He explains to [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] that all Cybertronians now have built-in scanners by this slightly later point in history, having been equipped with them in the planet-wide [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]] that evidently occurred after the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' and ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]'' crews departed Cybertron for the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}

According to [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], she and her crew scanned the DNA from the plant on the planet on which she landed. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
[[Skid-Z (RID)|Skid-Z]] was able to scan [[Auggie Cahnay (RID)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s racing car and reformat after arriving on Earth using a built-in scanner. The scan also seemed to pick up parts of Auggie Cahnay's personality causing him to experience the urge to enter races. {{storylink|Skid Z's Choice}} Stasis pods with in-built scanners also appeared in the series enabling the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] to select alternate modes which the contained protoforms would take. In the case of [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] the scan beam took in a fuel tanker, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] causing Scourge's [[robot mode]] to bear a resemblance to Optimus and adding a human tinge to his bio-signature. {{storylink|The Decepticons}}
===Unicron Trilogy===
Upon arriving on Earth, both Autobots and Decepticons display the ability to scan and [[Reformatting|reformat]] for new alt modes without requiring the aid of any external reconfiguration technology. {{storylink|Metamorphosis (Armada)|Metamorphosis}} When the [[Unicron Singularity]] was threatening the universe, Transformers even displayed the ability to scan multiple alternate modes in addition to the one they chose for themselves, storing the data on other vehicles and passing it on to other Transformers to scan. Scanning didn't even require the presence of the actual vehicle—a mere photograph or illustration of the vehicle would do. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}
===Live-action film series===
====2007 ''Transformers'' film====
[[Image:DOTMGarbageLonghaul.jpg|right|350px|thumb|I'd better find something to wear, pronto!]]
Autobots and Decepticons from the live-action films have the most fluid abilities to date regarding scanning and reformatting their bodies at will without any apparent need for external assistance whatsoever. Although there is some ambiguity, it even appears that the transformational abilities of Movie Cybertronians are so fluid that they can re-scan and reformat as often as they wish and not even use the same "[[Transformation|transformation scheme]]" twice, possibly suggesting that they can generate new parts such as additional weapons at will independent of a full reformatting cycle.
How permanent a trans-scanned alternate form becomes, as well as how easily a Transformer can scan and adopt a new one, are somewhat open to debate. There is much evidence to suggest they are quickly able to adopt new forms at will. Certainly [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] was able to alter the features of his Camaro mode from an older to newer model with ease, but this is not the same as taking an entirely new form
According to one source, any Transformer can trans-scan a new, appropriately massed alternate form at will, and their inner [[protoform]] core will generate a new exostructure or alter an existing one to that new appearance almost instantaneously.<ref name="TFGuide" />
However, other sources seem to disagree. The main evidence against this ease in switching forms being universal is the fact that it is treated as a "special power" for several Transformers. The [[Create-A-Bot (Autobot)|Autobot]] and [[Create-A-Bot (Decepticon)|Decepticon]] Create-A-Bots, for instance, were able to switch between alt modes as diverse as trucks and helicopters on the fly, but this was apparently the result of some form of enhancement (installed by [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]], in the case of the Autobot), though this seemed more like being able to remember multiple alt-modes ''at once'', rather than the usual one. Moreover, the Decepticon spy [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] possesses a similar ability, being equipped with a special "hyper-reactive" trans-scanning and reformatting processor, which allows him to scan and transform into anything at any given moment. [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] possess a similar aptitude for changing disguises, though whether this is the result of some upgrade or just part of their hyperactive personality is debatable.

[[Image:Movie Trans-Scan.JPG|left|250px|thumb|We build excitement! Pontiac!]]

The fact that these few are singled out as having the ability to re-trans-scan at will would seem to suggest that once your average Transformer has selected an alternate mode, they can't take on an ''entirely'' new one under their own power. However, this is again contradicted in the prequel novel, ''Ghosts of Yesterday'': Bumblebee transforms to a previously scanned mode on an empty alien world to escape an attack by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], and he does so "hastily", indicating that his change from protoform was extremely swift. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Prime]] himself transforms to cometary form on board the transport ship before launching down to aid his subordinate; again, this is indicated to be swift and not requiring a lot effort. Neither of these Transformers are noted with the above-named "special ability". Also, [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] is shown taking several different altmodes, from a computer to a photocopier machine to a pink, door-kibble-less human-sized Bumblebee to a plasma television set (but never the vehicle his toy turns into), but since he is a case of reengineered Cybertronian wildlife rather than a true Transformer, it isn't clear if this applies to all Transformers.

It gets contradicted ''again'' in [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Transformers title]] ([[Transformers Comic issue 11|#11]] and [[Transformers Comic issue 12|#12]]). In one instance, [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] trans-scan ''[[Payload (Movie)|Payload]]'', using his alternate mode as a disguise. Here, however, they sacrifice their weaponry in the process and have to absorb nearby iron ore to rebuild them.

To further muddy the matter, ''Age of Extinction'' demonstrates that Cybertronians can at least partially control the nature of a scanned altmode; Optimus Prime scans a white truck but alters his corresponding paint scheme so that his new truck shape possesses the blue-and-red flames of his previous forms.

Ultimately, no precise conclusions can be made, but traditionally, the Transformers mythos has long been peppered with such contradictions as this.

Movieverse scanning can even replicate the appearance of rust and scratched and faded custom paintwork when imitating [[Bumblebee (Movie)|an]] [[Megatron (Movie)|old]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|beater]], apparently.

====''Bumblebee'' film====
Upon arriving on Earth, Autobot scout B-127 scanned an army jeep to escape the United States Armed Forces before a battle with [[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] left him damaged and he scanned a Volkswagen Beetle as he fell into [[stasis lock]]. After defeating [[Shatter]] and [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]], he scanned a Camaro. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}

===''Animated''===
In the ''Animated'' universe, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and his crew use a Sky Spy-type probe from their ship to scan new alt modes for them. They are then very quickly reformatted into their new forms by taking turns stepping inside a device similar to a CR chamber.

However, upon arriving on Earth, the Decepticons [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]], and, memorably, [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], are capable of scanning new altmodes directly from their own bodies and immediately reformatting themselves without any such chamber, although the actual reformatting is not shown onscreen. This may suggest that while ''Animated'' Decepticons appear to have the ability to scan and reformat themselves unaided, ''Animated'' Autobots apparently do not. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

When [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] rebuilds himself with the assistance of [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]]'s [[AllSpark]]-[[AllSpark Key|powered key]], he is reconstituted with a newly reformatted helicopter-altmode body straight away rather than in his original body which had a Cybertronian jet-altmode. He had presumably scanned the design while his disembodied head still had access to [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Issac Sumdac]]'s computers.

In a similar vein, mere moments after upgrading himself, [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] was capable of transforming into a brand-new vehicle mode without any scanning whatsoever. [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] could also transform into a vehicle mode without having done a single scan beforehand.

===''Shattered Glass''===
[[File:Desert Heat Scanning.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Hey, this isn't a light cycle!]]

After arriving Earth and finding [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] in [[stasis lock]], [[Heatwave (Timelines)|Heatwave]] reactivated the systems and the on-board scanner of Soundwave's stasis pod. It scanned a [[:File:Universe 2008 Ironhide Toy.jpg|familiar vehicle]] nearby for Soundwave and reactivated him. {{storylink|The Desert Heat!}}

===Aligned continuity family===
====Aligned novels====
Scanning new vehicle modes based on the current locale is not something that every Cybertronian enjoys; some pride themselves on retaining the same vehicle form that they have had since learning to assume it. During his stay on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] [[Prowl (WFC)|Prowl]] briefly contemplated scanning a new vehicle mode to better suit the treacherous terrain of the junk planet but ultimately decided against it. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}
===''Prime'' cartoon===
[[File:ProjectPredacon Optimus Prime scans truck.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67|Perfect! No one will ever suspect such a big spiky truck of actually being an alien robot in disguise!]]
For some reason that has yet to be explained, many Cybertronians seem to lose the ability to assume a vehicle form after arriving on Earth. While they are perfectly functional in robot mode their inability to transform into an alternate mode puts them at a disadvantage regarding mobility, [[Megatron (WFC)|though there]] [[Airachnid (Prime)|are some]] [[Shockwave (WFC)|exceptions]]. However, Cybertronians are readily capable of scanning local vehicles for alternate modes. This appears as the Cybertronian in question shooting what appears to be green [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|or blue]] beams from their eyes. The beams scan the vehicle which even appears to cause some electrical interference as well providing the Cybertronian with a complete schematic of their chosen vehicle after which they can immediately transform into said vehicle.

Curiously, Cybertronians here seem to display kibble that hints to an Earth-based vehicle mode before they actually scan one.

[[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] has inadvertently provided [[Skyquake (Prime)|some]] [[Airachnid (Prime)|Decepticons]] [[Dreadwing (Prime)|their]] new vehicle modes with the vehicle he's currently riding in much to his irritation. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} {{storylink|Crisscross (episode)|Crisscross}} {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}

A Transformer's scanning ability is enabled by their [[transformation cog]] component. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] scanned a new alternate mode that would better integrate his new [[Jet pack|jetpack]]. The vehicle chosen by [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] was an experimental [[M.A.S.K.]]-division vehicle. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}
====''Rescue Bots'' cartoon====
[[File:Changes Heatwave meditates.jpg|thumb|right|"Om mani padme hum."]]
Upon arriving on Earth, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] provided the members of [[Rescue Force Sigma-17]] with a choice of vehicle modes based on the native machinery. After choosing their new alternate modes, the members of the force immediately assumed alternate form and began to integrate into human society. {{storylink|Family of Heroes}} After some time on Earth, Optimus Prime instructed [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] on how to gain [[Triple Changer|a third form]] which involved intense concentration and focusing a lot of energy, a process Optimus described as “an ordeal” in which few succeeded on their first try. It involved a form of prone meditation so deep that Heatwave was apparently unable to hear [[Kade Burns|an embarrassing conversation]] going on right next to him. When his energy focusing was complete his Rescue Bot insignia glowed blue similar to when using energize tools and he himself glowed briefly. It glowed blue again when he scanned a fireboat and he told [[Blades (RB)|Blades]] that he was still exhausted later that day or a day or two later. He also told him that Blades would not be allowed to attempt to scan a third form, since Heatwave did it only with Optimus' permission and help. {{storylink|Changes}} In accordance with [[tvtropes:Main/UniquenessDecay|uniqueness decay]] however, Optimus later scanned [[Trex]] to gain a Dinobot form without the same fanfare being given to the difficulty of scanning a third form, {{storylink|Land Before Prime (episode)|Land Before Prime}} and in order to test a cure for Optimus' rampaging dino mode on himself [[Boulder (RB)|Boulder]] scanned a third form with only a few moments of focusing and no apparent fatigue. {{storylink|Big Game}} When [[Quint Quarry]] demanded more dinobots in addition to Boulder and Optimus, Heatwave gained a ''fourth'' form and [[Chase (RB)|Chase]] and Blades scanned third modes all with no apparent preparation or fatigue. The process did strain Blades' [[Transformation cog|T-cog]] to the point that it was several hours before he could use it again, though this strain was attributed partially to the bio-organic nature of the new forms they'd scanned. {{storylink|Quarry's Quarry}}
====2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon====
After arriving on Earth, [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] and [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]] scanned new vehicle modes at [[Denny Clay]]'s [[Vintage Salvage Depot for the Discriminating Nostalgist|scrapyard]]. Noticeably, [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]] and [[Grimlock (RID 2015)|Grimlock]] did not adopt compatible Earth forms possibly due to personal preferences or physical limitations. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 2)}}

Most, [[Underbite|but not all of]] the Decepticon fugitives aboard the ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' also chose to scan new alternate modes while hiding out on Earth.

[[File:OverloadedPart2-optimusscanning.jpg|thumb|right|350px|The Decepticons really knew that they were in trouble after Optimus learned how to Warp Digivolve.]]
While training in the [[Realm of the Primes]] Optimus Prime learned how to control and fine-tune the scanning process so that he could merely adopt one characteristic of an appropriate vehicle. While searching for [[Polarclaw|a Decepticon]] in the [[Arctic]] members of the [[Bee Team (RID)|Bee Team]] scanned suitable camouflage from a nearby truck {{storylink|Overloaded, Part 2}} and during the trip south they adopted desert camouflage by scanning an offroad jeep. {{storylink|Cover Me}}

The Bee Team repeated this when visiting the ruins of [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]], {{storylink|History Lessons}} while [[Steeljaw's Pack]] used the trick to pass off as hazardous waste disposal vehicles. {{storylink|Prisoner Principles}}

===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
The [[Terran]]s created by the [[Emberstone]] lacked alternate modes, and each [[protoform]] must choose an alt-mode to scan. {{storylink|Secret Legacy, Part 2}} Choosing their alternate modes became an important rite of passage among the group, with both [[Twitch]] and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] attaching a lot of personal significance to their choices, with Twitch considering the [[Wheeljack (ES)|creator]] of her drone mode to be a second father. {{storylink|Traditions}} {{storylink|Missed Connection}} [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] in particular pushed back against pressure from [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] to choose an alternate mode until he found one that truly suited him, instead of scanning a random vehicle. {{storylink|Outtakes}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Transformers'' (2007)===
[[Image:TransScanningOptimusPrime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The Optimus Prime of your nightmares.]]
*'''''Trans-Scanning''''' ([[2008]])
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Trans-Scanning|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Trans-Scanning|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>

Japanese-only releases, these figures are spindly skeletons referred to as "[[Core body|core bodies]]". To these skeletons, two sets of armor pieces can be attached to create one of two forms for either character: their [[protoform]] mode or their Earth mode.
{{-}}

===''Dark of the Moon''===
[[Image:DOTM_Deluxe_Scan_Ironhide_toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Toys"R"Us exclusive Scan Series Ironhide]]
*'''''The Scan Series''''' ([[2011]])
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys|Ironhide]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Sideswipe]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Autobot Ratchet]]}}
</ul>

[[Exclusive]] to [[Toys"R"Us]]' Mission Earth, these [[redeco]]es represent each character trans-scanning their vehicle mode. As such, nearly all of their vehicle mode parts (and thus, most of their robot modes) are cast in translucent clear plastic, with the rear of their vehicle modes being left unpainted, their middle portions having painted scan lines, and their fronts having a heavy amount of [[paint operation]]s in order to cover the clear plastic.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Cheetor-beastmodescan.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The {{w|People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals|PETA}} gonna SUE!!]]
*In an advertisement of PSX version of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|Beast Wars: Transformers]]'' in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] grabs and scans a cheetah by the scan beam emitted from his optics.

===Behind the scenes===
One piece of metatextual evidence which could be argued to support the fluidity argument indirectly is the fact that in the actual film, no two transformations by the same character were ever remotely identical. Although the vehicle and robot mode models were obviously always consistent, ILM animators have admitted that the actual transformations from mode A to B (and vice-versa) were unique every time they were performed, with the thousands of transforming parts moving around in significantly different orders and via different internal and external routes around the body each time a transformation took place. This was largely due to the fact that the transformations were not automated, but had to be "manually" animated each time, with the main focus being what part of the Transformer in question was facing the virtual camera and what would look interesting and "believable", rather than maintaining the consistency of any transformation method.

Thus, unlike most past depictions of Transformers (or, for that matter, all Transformers toys) individual Movieverse Transformers actually have ''no'' fixed "[[transformation]] scheme". This could be argued to support the suggestion that Cybertronians from the Movieverse have such fluid transformational abilities that they do not require set patterns or methods by which to change form, but rather move their parts around in an almost instinctive manner, possibly as determined by factors such as their current speed, terrain, or intent of action at the moment of transformation. The ultimate extension of this logic is that some of their additional transformational abilities (such as Bumblebee's previously unseen shoulder-mounted missile launchers used against [[Brawl (Movie)|Devastator]]) may not even be "designed in" when they trans-scan and reformat, but might even be spontaneously generated as needed.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scan''' (スキャン ''skyan'')

==See also==
*'''[[Electronic paint job]]'''
*'''[[Camouflage paint]]'''

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Scanning

2024-06-12T18:32:07Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

[[File:TFA Lugnut scanning.JPG|upright=1.95|thumb|Sure, the new packaging looks great, but the number of twisty-ties they use to hold it in that position is insane.]]
'''Scanning''', or '''trans-scanning''' when it's a biological process, is how [[Transformer]]s change their [[alternate mode]]s into things native to other planets such as vehicles or animals on [[Earth]].

Although the "original" or "Cybertronian" altmodes of the characters prior to scanning and reformatting are not always shown, they generally tend to be something roughly similar in size, form and function to their new mode (i.e. flyers tend to become planes, Cybertronian tanks become Earth tanks and small fast-moving land vehicles become sports cars or [[Cheetor (BW)|cheetahs]]), etc. This suggests that in most continuities the scanning process involves attempting to find the most similar compatible altmode available. Whether this makes the following reconstruction process easier or is merely a concession to the individual Cybertronian's personal preference is unknown.

They also have a funny tendency to be the same colors each time...<ref>''Animated'' is one of the first continuities to show multiple cases of characters scanning Earth altmodes with explicitly different (i.e. more "realistic") coloration or paintwork and yet having their reformatted bodies stick with their original deco schemes instead of conforming to the scanned example. Lugnut, Blitzwing, Starscream and Bulkhead all do this which is particularly odd in the last case since the [[Mudflap (slang)|mudflap]] rather seems to be using [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s deco which is based on a vintage U.S. Army Jeep. Mind you, the idea goes all the way back to "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" in which an orange tractor trailer was scanned for [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and yet he retained his red and blue coloration.</ref>

{{bigquote|A Transformer can turn into anything they can scan just by copying the object's data into their format files. Every time a Transformer rescans, they change form, and sometimes I have trouble recognizing even my own men!|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle]]"}}

==Conceptual history==
[[Image:TFMprequel4pg03.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Starscream's body converts itself to Earth mode... or something?]]
Scanning, like many elements in the ''Transformers'' brand, has evolved over the decades. In particular, scanning has developed alongside the portrayal of [[transformation]], going from a wartime invention to a natural aspect of Cybertronian biology.

The original ''Transformers'' [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] and [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)]] showed scanning only briefly, performed by the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark's]]'' [[Sky Spy]], while the ''Ark'' itself performed manual reconstruction to provide the Autobots and Decepticons new Earth alternate modes. After the initial awakening on [[Earth]], Transformers were either built with their alternate modes, or were reconfigured in an off-screen process.

''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' would mainly follow in the steps of ''Generation 1'', depicting the Maximals and Predacons requiring their ship's [[DNA scanner]] to provide them with [[beast mode]]s, the Maximals entering the [[CR chamber]] to be reconfigured. The series also depicted [[stasis pod]]s as having scanners, allowing individuals to gain new beast modes and identities.

While a British [[:File:Cheetor-beastmodescan.jpg|advertisement]] would depict [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] scanning a cheetah using beams from his eyes, the first ''major'' appearance of scanners built into a Cybertronian would be in 1998's ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]''. In contrast to the ship scanners of the original ''Beast Wars'', Maximals are seen scanning their alternate mode themselves, while the Predacons use an [[Mother Computer|alien computer]] to provide the schematics, the strain of scanning rendering [[Galvatron (BW)|one Predacon]] briefly unconscious. In what was likely coincidence, 1999's ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' would explain that a [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]] that occurred while the ''Beast Wars'' characters were on prehistoric Earth provided every Cybertronian a built-in scanner.
Following this, built-in scanners quickly became the standard method of Transformers acquiring new alternate modes.

During the first half of the 2000s, media such as the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] would consistently depict characters scanning new alternate modes using without any additional equipment, even capable of storing multiple vehicle schematics to share with other bots. Beams from the eyes in particular would continue to appear and become the primary visual cue for the process.

This would continue into the [[live-action film series]], which dubbed the process '''trans-scanning''', and described it as a core aspect of Cybertronian biology, a natural and seamless process that they instinctively performed after arriving on new planets in their [[transition form]]. The process would take only a few seconds, the Cybertronian's body generating the new exostructure immediately after scanning.<ref name="TFGuide">''[[Transformers: The Movie Guide]]'', by [[Simon Furman]]</ref> Unlike in previous series, it was depicted as a far more organic process, with behind the scenes information by [[Industrial Light & Magic|ILM]] elaborating that no character transforms the same way twice. [[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|tie-in media]] would give Cybertronians the ability to assume impromptu alternate modes ''without'' scanning based on their memories, and [[Frenzy (Movie)|some]] characters were described as having "hyper-reactive scanners" that allowed them to assume new alternate modes even faster than average Transformers. Almost every film in the series would depict a scanning sequence ([[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus]] has two across four films), making it a memorable and consistent part of the film's portrayal of Cybertronians.

One outlier during this time was ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which would split the difference in depictions by showing the Autobots using their [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|ship]] and its scanner à la the ''G1'' cartoon and ''Beast Wars'', while the Decepticons used the built-in scanners that had become more commonplace in fiction.

The [[Aligned continuity family]] would follow with built-in scanners, continuing to treat it as a natural part of Cybertronian biology and something any bot could do at any time. With the general effort behind the Aligned continuity being to standardize ''Transformers'' lore, this depiction would be solidified as ''the'' method for scanning in all ''Transformers'' media since. The depiction of scanning as a natural aspect of Cybertronian biology has bled back into ''Generation 1'' media, such as the [[2005 IDW continuity|first IDW series]], and tie-ins with other properties.

Originally just a minor aspect of the Transformers arrival on Earth, scanning has evolved into an iconic core aspect of the ''Transformers'' mythos.

==Fiction==
===''Generation One''===
''None of the various 1980s versions of the ''Generation One'' continuity show the original G1-era Cybertronians as capable of either scanning for new altmodes or reformatting themselves without the use of external technology and a drawn-out nuts n' bolts process of physical reconstruction. This technology appears to be standard-issue in ships and various facilities.''
====Marvel Comics continuity====
[[File:Toaster ark.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Built to Rule!]]
Four million years ago shortly after the crash of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', the Ark's computer detected [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] landing on the planet in [[Savage Land|the Antarctic land-out-of-time]]. The Ark used the last of its capabilities to revive [[Dinobot (G1)|five warriors]] and rebuild them to transform into the Savage Land's dominant lifeforms: [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]]. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

Subsequently, in 1984 the eruption of the volcano reboots the Ark which sends a [[drone]] to scan the area for local life forms which it takes to be terrestrial vehicles. Damaged, the Ark does not distinguish between factions and repairs and rebuilds both [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s alike with new altmodes. The 'Cons leave soon after. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

Later stories would refer to new arrivals to Earth having to take on new "Terran" altmodes, but the process was generally glossed over.

====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:MTMtE Part1 Prime repair.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Wake up, Prime! Don't make me use this to wake you up."]]
The Transformers aboard the ''Ark'' were damaged and went into [[stasis lock]] after the Ark crashed into [[Mount St. Hilary]]. Four million years passed, and then in 1984, volcanic activity stirred the half-buried Ark, awakening [[Teletraan I]], the computer system aboard. Teletraan I sent out a [[Sky Spy]] satellite to reconnoiter the new world and scanned terrestrial machinery in order to repair the Transformers and reformat them into new altmodes. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

====Dreamwave G1 continuity====
Being set quite some time after the initial awakening of the Transformers on modern-day Earth, the scanning and rebuilding process was never really detailed in this continuity, but can be assumed to have been along the lines of the fairly similar classic cartoon and Marvel comic scenarios.

Subsequent arrivals under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s banner of a unified [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] have been reformatted into Earth modes prior to their arrival to the planet. Again, the process is not shown. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
Much like the Dreamwave counterpart, the IDWverse shows the Autobots and Decepticons already on Earth albeit with higher emphases on disguise. The process of reformatting is not shown. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration}}

[[File:TimeWillRust JazzArrivesOnEarth.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|left|]]
Again, subsequent arrivals to Earth such as Optimus Prime, Megatron and Hot Rod make mention of having been modified to have new Earth-based altmodes but the process is similarly not depicted directly. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}} [[Skar (IDW)|Skar]] is said to be a pioneer of the "dynamic alt-mode adaptation" theory, which allowed him to scan the [[cyber-morphic predator]]s that dwelt in caves beneath Cybertron and reformat his [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobot]] comrades into new forms based on these creatures in the field. Again, however, the actual process was not depicted on-panel. {{storylink|Underworld (IDW)|Underworld}}

The first on-panel scanning was for the Dynobots and required the use of a CR chamber. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}} When [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] first arrived on Earth however, he scanned a nearby Porsche by projecting a beam from his optics. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}}

In the jump-forward storyline ''All Hail Megatron'', many of the Autobots and Decepticons have inexplicably been reformatted again, but merely into similar-but-different Earth altmodes. It is no surprise that in all cases these resemble their most recent real-world toy releases, particularly under the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' line]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron}} Following the rebirth of Cybertron and the end of the war, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] worked to reformat their respective comrades into new Cybertronian vehicle modes. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

====''Hearts of Steel''====
It's not fully clear how exactly Cybertronians scan their alternate modes. Bumblebee can, for instance, instantly reformat from his prehistoric [[beast mode]] into a nonexistent steamhammer locomotive. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} On the other hand, Starscream and the other Decepticons need plans drawn up by [[Tobias Muldoon]] to reformat into flying alternate modes. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}}

Whether or not [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] is a living Transformer raises even more questions; he's one of several Decepticons to be made or refitted to function as a train. Some Decepticons are also manually refitted to make rail cars for Astrotrain. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}

====''Universe'' (2008) promotional video====
Optimus Prime emits the scanning beam from his [[Sensor#Optical sensors|optic]] sensor to scan a truck. {{storylink|Action Blast 1|Action Blast 1 Part 1}}

====''Transformers vs. The Terminator''====
When the ''Ark'' rebooted, a [[Sky Spy]] probe scanned a commandeered truck that happened to be nearby before the [[T-800]] shot it down, {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part One}} later justifying this act to [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] as the probe having also scanned him. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Three}}

====''Transformers/Back to the Future''====
After finding himself unable to tolerate Megatron's brutality any longer, Gigawatt trans-scanned the impounded [[DeLorean time machine]], hoping to use its replicated power to alter history and undo his master's reign of terror. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 2|Transformers/Back to the Future #2}}

===Beast Era===
[[Protoform]] Transformers are able to get new alternate modes by using the [[DNA]] scanned from the lifeforms of the nearby environments.
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
When in operation, the "scan beam" emitted from the [[DNA scanner]]s built into Cybertronian ships can analyze DNA data scanned from lifeforms immediately. If the device scans a corpse or fossil, it is able to reconstruct the lifeform's appearance during its lifetime. Examples of this include the alternate modes of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]], and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]].

Once the scanned DNA data is retrieved, it is sent to CR chambers or CR tanks. The Transformers have to enter the CR chambers or tanks to get their new altmode.

There is also a DNA scanner mounted on each [[stasis pod]] in order to get the DNA data from the lifeforms of the planet on which the stasis pod lands. The stasis pod itself then reformats the occupant—or perhaps just "formats", since protoforms are generally considered to be newborns.

====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' featured the first instance of built-in DNA scanners and self-reformatting technology allowing the Transformers to adopt alternate modes on the spot without the need for external machinery. Only [[Tasmania Kid]] is seen using it, {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!}} while the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] obtained vehicle modes by accessing an ancient computer and scanning the recorded data within it. {{storylink|White Lion, Run!}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
After falling into a hole, Nightscream became unconscious. During that time, a DNA scanner inside his body was activated and scanned the fossils of a big bat once native to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], giving him a bat alternate mode. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} He explains to [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] that all Cybertronians now have built-in scanners by this slightly later point in history, having been equipped with them in the planet-wide [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]] that evidently occurred after the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' and ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]'' crews departed Cybertron for the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}

According to [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], she and her crew scanned the DNA from the plant on the planet on which she landed. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
[[Skid-Z (RID)|Skid-Z]] was able to scan [[Auggie Cahnay (RID)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s racing car and reformat after arriving on Earth using a built-in scanner. The scan also seemed to pick up parts of Auggie Cahnay's personality causing him to experience the urge to enter races. {{storylink|Skid Z's Choice}} Stasis pods with in-built scanners also appeared in the series enabling the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] to select alternate modes which the contained protoforms would take. In the case of [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] the scan beam took in a fuel tanker, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] causing Scourge's [[robot mode]] to bear a resemblance to Optimus and adding a human tinge to his bio-signature. {{storylink|The Decepticons}}
===Unicron Trilogy===
Upon arriving on Earth, both Autobots and Decepticons display the ability to scan and [[Reformatting|reformat]] for new alt modes without requiring the aid of any external reconfiguration technology. {{storylink|Metamorphosis (Armada)|Metamorphosis}} When the [[Unicron Singularity]] was threatening the universe, Transformers even displayed the ability to scan multiple alternate modes in addition to the one they chose for themselves, storing the data on other vehicles and passing it on to other Transformers to scan. Scanning didn't even require the presence of the actual vehicle—a mere photograph or illustration of the vehicle would do. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}
===Live-action film series===
====2007 ''Transformers'' film====
[[Image:DOTMGarbageLonghaul.jpg|right|350px|thumb|I'd better find something to wear, pronto!]]
Autobots and Decepticons from the live-action films have the most fluid abilities to date regarding scanning and reformatting their bodies at will without any apparent need for external assistance whatsoever. Although there is some ambiguity, it even appears that the transformational abilities of Movie Cybertronians are so fluid that they can re-scan and reformat as often as they wish and not even use the same "[[Transformation|transformation scheme]]" twice, possibly suggesting that they can generate new parts such as additional weapons at will independent of a full reformatting cycle.
How permanent a trans-scanned alternate form becomes, as well as how easily a Transformer can scan and adopt a new one, are somewhat open to debate. There is much evidence to suggest they are quickly able to adopt new forms at will. Certainly [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] was able to alter the features of his Camaro mode from an older to newer model with ease, but this is not the same as taking an entirely new form
According to one source, any Transformer can trans-scan a new, appropriately massed alternate form at will, and their inner [[protoform]] core will generate a new exostructure or alter an existing one to that new appearance almost instantaneously.<ref name="TFGuide" />
However, other sources seem to disagree. The main evidence against this ease in switching forms being universal is the fact that it is treated as a "special power" for several Transformers. The [[Create-A-Bot (Autobot)|Autobot]] and [[Create-A-Bot (Decepticon)|Decepticon]] Create-A-Bots, for instance, were able to switch between alt modes as diverse as trucks and helicopters on the fly, but this was apparently the result of some form of enhancement (installed by [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]], in the case of the Autobot), though this seemed more like being able to remember multiple alt-modes ''at once'', rather than the usual one. Moreover, the Decepticon spy [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] possesses a similar ability, being equipped with a special "hyper-reactive" trans-scanning and reformatting processor, which allows him to scan and transform into anything at any given moment. [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] possess a similar aptitude for changing disguises, though whether this is the result of some upgrade or just part of their hyperactive personality is debatable.

[[Image:Movie Trans-Scan.JPG|left|250px|thumb|We build excitement! Pontiac!]]

The fact that these few are singled out as having the ability to re-trans-scan at will would seem to suggest that once your average Transformer has selected an alternate mode, they can't take on an ''entirely'' new one under their own power. However, this is again contradicted in the prequel novel, ''Ghosts of Yesterday'': Bumblebee transforms to a previously scanned mode on an empty alien world to escape an attack by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], and he does so "hastily", indicating that his change from protoform was extremely swift. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Prime]] himself transforms to cometary form on board the transport ship before launching down to aid his subordinate; again, this is indicated to be swift and not requiring a lot effort. Neither of these Transformers are noted with the above-named "special ability". Also, [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] is shown taking several different altmodes, from a computer to a photocopier machine to a pink, door-kibble-less human-sized Bumblebee to a plasma television set (but never the vehicle his toy turns into), but since he is a case of reengineered Cybertronian wildlife rather than a true Transformer, it isn't clear if this applies to all Transformers.

It gets contradicted ''again'' in [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Transformers title]] ([[Transformers Comic issue 11|#11]] and [[Transformers Comic issue 12|#12]]). In one instance, [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] trans-scan ''[[Payload (Movie)|Payload]]'', using his alternate mode as a disguise. Here, however, they sacrifice their weaponry in the process and have to absorb nearby iron ore to rebuild them.

To further muddy the matter, ''Age of Extinction'' demonstrates that Cybertronians can at least partially control the nature of a scanned altmode; Optimus Prime scans a white truck but alters his corresponding paint scheme so that his new truck shape possesses the blue-and-red flames of his previous forms.

Ultimately, no precise conclusions can be made, but traditionally, the Transformers mythos has long been peppered with such contradictions as this.

Movieverse scanning can even replicate the appearance of rust and scratched and faded custom paintwork when imitating [[Bumblebee (Movie)|an]] [[Megatron (Movie)|old]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|beater]], apparently.

====''Bumblebee'' film====
Upon arriving on Earth, Autobot scout B-127 scanned an army jeep to escape the United States Armed Forces before a battle with [[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] left him damaged and he scanned a Volkswagen Beetle as he fell into [[stasis lock]]. After defeating [[Shatter]] and [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]], he scanned a Camaro. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}

===''Animated''===
In the ''Animated'' universe, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and his crew use a Sky Spy-type probe from their ship to scan new alt modes for them. They are then very quickly reformatted into their new forms by taking turns stepping inside a device similar to a CR chamber.

However, upon arriving on Earth, the Decepticons [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]], and, memorably, [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], are capable of scanning new altmodes directly from their own bodies and immediately reformatting themselves without any such chamber, although the actual reformatting is not shown onscreen. This may suggest that while ''Animated'' Decepticons appear to have the ability to scan and reformat themselves unaided, ''Animated'' Autobots apparently do not. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

When [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] rebuilds himself with the assistance of [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]]'s [[AllSpark]]-[[AllSpark Key|powered key]], he is reconstituted with a newly reformatted helicopter-altmode body straight away rather than in his original body which had a Cybertronian jet-altmode. He had presumably scanned the design while his disembodied head still had access to [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Issac Sumdac]]'s computers.

In a similar vein, mere moments after upgrading himself, [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] was capable of transforming into a brand-new vehicle mode without any scanning whatsoever. [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] could also transform into a vehicle mode without having done a single scan beforehand.

===''Shattered Glass''===
[[File:Desert Heat Scanning.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Hey, this isn't a light cycle!]]

After arriving Earth and finding [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] in [[stasis lock]], [[Heatwave (Timelines)|Heatwave]] reactivated the systems and the on-board scanner of Soundwave's stasis pod. It scanned a [[:File:Universe 2008 Ironhide Toy.jpg|familiar vehicle]] nearby for Soundwave and reactivated him. {{storylink|The Desert Heat!}}

===Aligned continuity family===
====Aligned novels====
Scanning new vehicle modes based on the current locale is not something that every Cybertronian enjoys; some pride themselves on retaining the same vehicle form that they have had since learning to assume it. During his stay on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] [[Prowl (WFC)|Prowl]] briefly contemplated scanning a new vehicle mode to better suit the treacherous terrain of the junk planet but ultimately decided against it. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}
===''Prime'' cartoon===
[[File:ProjectPredacon Optimus Prime scans truck.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67|Perfect! No one will ever suspect such a big spiky truck of actually being an alien robot in disguise!]]
For some reason that has yet to be explained, many Cybertronians seem to lose the ability to assume a vehicle form after arriving on Earth. While they are perfectly functional in robot mode their inability to transform into an alternate mode puts them at a disadvantage regarding mobility, [[Megatron (WFC)|though there]] [[Airachnid (Prime)|are some]] [[Shockwave (WFC)|exceptions]]. However, Cybertronians are readily capable of scanning local vehicles for alternate modes. This appears as the Cybertronian in question shooting what appears to be green [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|or blue]] beams from their eyes. The beams scan the vehicle which even appears to cause some electrical interference as well providing the Cybertronian with a complete schematic of their chosen vehicle after which they can immediately transform into said vehicle.

Curiously, Cybertronians here seem to display kibble that hints to an Earth-based vehicle mode before they actually scan one.

[[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] has inadvertently provided [[Skyquake (Prime)|some]] [[Airachnid (Prime)|Decepticons]] [[Dreadwing (Prime)|their]] new vehicle modes with the vehicle he's currently riding in much to his irritation. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} {{storylink|Crisscross (episode)|Crisscross}} {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}

A Transformer's scanning ability is enabled by their [[transformation cog]] component. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] scanned a new alternate mode that would better integrate his new [[Jet pack|jetpack]]. The vehicle chosen by [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] was an experimental [[M.A.S.K.]]-division vehicle. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}
====''Rescue Bots'' cartoon====
[[File:Changes Heatwave meditates.jpg|thumb|right|"Om mani padme hum."]]
Upon arriving on Earth, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] provided the members of [[Rescue Force Sigma-17]] with a choice of vehicle modes based on the native machinery. After choosing their new alternate modes, the members of the force immediately assumed alternate form and began to integrate into human society. {{storylink|Family of Heroes}} After some time on Earth, Optimus Prime instructed [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] on how to gain [[Triple Changer|a third form]] which involved intense concentration and focusing a lot of energy, a process Optimus described as “an ordeal” in which few succeeded on their first try. It involved a form of prone meditation so deep that Heatwave was apparently unable to hear [[Kade Burns|an embarrassing conversation]] going on right next to him. When his energy focusing was complete his Rescue Bot insignia glowed blue similar to when using energize tools and he himself glowed briefly. It glowed blue again when he scanned a fireboat and he told [[Blades (RB)|Blades]] that he was still exhausted later that day or a day or two later. He also told him that Blades would not be allowed to attempt to scan a third form, since Heatwave did it only with Optimus' permission and help. {{storylink|Changes}} In accordance with [[tvtropes:Main/UniquenessDecay|uniqueness decay]] however, Optimus later scanned [[Trex]] to gain a Dinobot form without the same fanfare being given to the difficulty of scanning a third form, {{storylink|Land Before Prime (episode)|Land Before Prime}} and in order to test a cure for Optimus' rampaging dino mode on himself [[Boulder (RB)|Boulder]] scanned a third form with only a few moments of focusing and no apparent fatigue. {{storylink|Big Game}} When [[Quint Quarry]] demanded more dinobots in addition to Boulder and Optimus, Heatwave gained a ''fourth'' form and [[Chase (RB)|Chase]] and Blades scanned third modes all with no apparent preparation or fatigue. The process did strain Blades' [[Transformation cog|T-cog]] to the point that it was several hours before he could use it again, though this strain was attributed partially to the bio-organic nature of the new forms they'd scanned. {{storylink|Quarry's Quarry}}
====2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon====
After arriving on Earth, [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] and [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]] scanned new vehicle modes at [[Denny Clay]]'s [[Vintage Salvage Depot for the Discriminating Nostalgist|scrapyard]]. Noticeably, [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]] and [[Grimlock (RID 2015)|Grimlock]] did not adopt compatible Earth forms possibly due to personal preferences or physical limitations. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 2)}}

Most, [[Underbite|but not all of]] the Decepticon fugitives aboard the ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' also chose to scan new alternate modes while hiding out on Earth.

[[File:OverloadedPart2-optimusscanning.jpg|thumb|right|350px|The Decepticons really knew that they were in trouble after Optimus learned how to Warp Digivolve.]]
While training in the [[Realm of the Primes]] Optimus Prime learned how to control and fine-tune the scanning process so that he could merely adopt one characteristic of an appropriate vehicle. While searching for [[Polarclaw|a Decepticon]] in the [[Arctic]] members of the [[Bee Team (RID)|Bee Team]] scanned suitable camouflage from a nearby truck {{storylink|Overloaded, Part 2}} and during the trip south they adopted desert camouflage by scanning an offroad jeep. {{storylink|Cover Me}}

The Bee Team repeated this when visiting the ruins of [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]], {{storylink|History Lessons}} while [[Steeljaw's Pack]] used the trick to pass off as hazardous waste disposal vehicles. {{storylink|Prisoner Principles}}

===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
The [[Terran]]s created by the [[Emberstone]] lacked alternate modes, and each [[protoform]] must choose an alt-mode to scan. {{storylink|Secret Legacy, Part 2}} Choosing their alternate modes became an important rite of passage among the group, with both [[Twitch]] and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] attaching a lot of personal significance to their choices, with Twitch considering the [[Wheeljack (ES)|creator]] of her drone mode to be a second father. {{storylink|Traditions}} {{storylink|Missed Connection}} [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] in particular pushed back against pressure from [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] to choose an alternate mode until he found one that truly suited him, instead of scanning a random vehicle. {{storylink|Outtakes}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Transformers'' (2007)===
[[Image:TransScanningOptimusPrime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The Optimus Prime of your nightmares.]]
*'''''Trans-Scanning''''' ([[2008]])
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Trans-Scanning|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Trans-Scanning|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>

Japanese-only releases, these figures are spindly skeletons referred to as "[[Core body|core bodies]]". To these skeletons, two sets of armor pieces can be attached to create one of two forms for either character: their [[protoform]] mode or their Earth mode.
{{-}}

===''Dark of the Moon''===
[[Image:DOTM_Deluxe_Scan_Ironhide_toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Toys"R"Us exclusive Scan Series Ironhide]]
*'''''The Scan Series''''' ([[2011]])
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys|Ironhide]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Sideswipe]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Autobot Ratchet]]}}
</ul>

[[Exclusive]] to [[Toys"R"Us]]' Mission Earth, these [[redeco]]es represent each character trans-scanning their vehicle mode. As such, nearly all of their vehicle mode parts (and thus, most of their robot modes) are cast in translucent clear plastic, with the rear of their vehicle modes being left unpainted, their middle portions having painted scan lines, and their fronts having a heavy amount of [[paint operation]]s in order to cover the clear plastic.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Cheetor-beastmodescan.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The {{w|People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals|PETA}} gonna SUE!!]]
*In an advertisement of PSX version of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|Beast Wars: Transformers]]'' in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] grabs and scans a cheetah by the scan beam emitted from his optics.

===Behind the scenes===
One piece of metatextual evidence which could be argued to support the fluidity argument indirectly is the fact that in the actual film, no two transformations by the same character were ever remotely identical. Although the vehicle and robot mode models were obviously always consistent, ILM animators have admitted that the actual transformations from mode A to B (and vice-versa) were unique every time they were performed, with the thousands of transforming parts moving around in significantly different orders and via different internal and external routes around the body each time a transformation took place. This was largely due to the fact that the transformations were not automated, but had to be "manually" animated each time, with the main focus being what part of the Transformer in question was facing the virtual camera and what would look interesting and "believable", rather than maintaining the consistency of any transformation method.

Thus, unlike most past depictions of Transformers (or, for that matter, all Transformers toys) individual Movieverse Transformers actually have ''no'' fixed "[[transformation]] scheme". This could be argued to support the suggestion that Cybertronians from the Movieverse have such fluid transformational abilities that they do not require set patterns or methods by which to change form, but rather move their parts around in an almost instinctive manner, possibly as determined by factors such as their current speed, terrain, or intent of action at the moment of transformation. The ultimate extension of this logic is that some of their additional transformational abilities (such as Bumblebee's previously unseen shoulder-mounted missile launchers used against [[Brawl (Movie)|Devastator]]) may not even be "designed in" when they trans-scan and reformat, but might even be spontaneously generated as needed.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scan''' (スキャン ''skyan'')

==See also==
*'''[[Electronic paint job]]'''
*'''[[Camouflage paint]]'''

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Battle of Autobot City

2024-06-03T14:01:55Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{disambig2|the in-universe battle|the eponymous mobile game event|The Battle for Autobot City}}
{{noname-nickname}}
[[File:BattleAutobotCity2.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|In ur base, killin ur doods.]]
The '''Battle of Autobot City''' refers to the protracted battle between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], the base of the Autobots on [[Earth]], taking place in the year [[2005]] in one reality. By its end, the leaders of both the Autobot and Decepticon forces were suffering fatal injuries, numerous combatants on both sides had been killed, and events were set in motion that would lead to the creation of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] and, eventually, the passing of the [[Matrix of Leadership]].

{{bigquote|Let the slaughter begin!|[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

==Prelude==
[[File:Autobot shuttle parked.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]
The Decepticons had succeeded in driving the Autobot army off [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Autobots retained staging grounds on Cybertron's two moons and were in the final phase of preparations for their counterassault. All that remained was the transport of a final shipment of [[Energon cube]]s from Autobot City's production facilities. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] dispatched a shuttle to Earth for this purpose, interestingly crewed by most of his command staff.

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The future of pratfall technology: the Exploding Banana Peel.]]
Unfortunately for the Autobots, the Decepticon spy [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] got wind of the Autobots' plans and warned [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], ruler of the Decepticons. In a move reminiscent of the Decepticons' boarding of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on their initial arrival on Earth, Megatron led a sizeable contingent of Decepticons against the small Autobot crew on the shuttle. Heavily outnumbered and outmatched, the Autobots were overwhelmed.

[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] was the first to fall, killed by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] using Megatron's gun mode. [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] was next to die after being shot by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]] [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] then fell to Starscream's marksmanship, though Ironhide clung onto life just long enough to be executed by Megatron's [[fusion cannon]].

Having taken control of the shuttle, Megatron's plan became clear: the shuttle was to be used as a "Trojan Horse", conveying the Decepticons for a surprise attack on Autobot City itself, which Megatron seemed to think would vanquish the Autobots forever. On the other hand, Megatron was never really known for his tactical genius. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{note|There ''is'' a reason Megatron thought this—the original script makes it clear that Autobot City is, in fact, a massive energy-gathering facility, equipped with energy gathering devices such as hydroelectric dams, wind turbines, and solar panels. Thus, if the Decepticons destroy the city, the Autobots will be without an energy supply, pretty much crippling their war effort.}}
{{--}}

==The Battle==
{{note|Events that take place exclusively in other retellings of the battle are in italics.}}

===First Phase===
[[File:TFTM-AutobotCityUndamaged.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|This is before everything went to hell.]]
Megatron had calculated correctly in that the Autobot shuttle would not set off Autobot City's automated defences even if carrying a Decepticon crew. It was sheer chance that the young human [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] noted there was a hole in the shuttle and alerted the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]], who investigated further and quickly learned the truth of the situation. Hot Rod opened fire on the shuttle, damaging it to the point that it exploded and went into an uncontrolled crash. His actions also allowed other nearby Autobots, including [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], to realize something was wrong.

With the shuttle's destruction imminent and the Decepticons' cover blown, Megatron ordered his troops to debark and attack immediately. A number of Decepticons transformed to [[alternate mode]], commenced attacks on Autobot City and attempted to pick off those Autobots caught outside.

[[File:AutobotCitytransforms.jpg|thumb|Launch Black Tiger squadron, and prepare the Wave Motion Gun for firing...oh, sorry, wrong anime.]]
The Autobots, though surprised and outnumbered, quickly rallied to the defense. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], commanding the City, ordered [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] to contact Optimus Prime on [[Moonbase One]] to obtain reinforcements, [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] to [[Transformation|transform]] Autobot City into its battle mode, and [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] to assist in alerting Autobots to the attack.

Springer and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] delayed transforming the city for as long as possible to try and allow Hot Rod and Kup to get back inside. Eventually running out of time, they began the transformation, offering the city (and its Autobot defenders) greater defensive capability to meet the Decepticon assault. It also had the added bonus of maiming Starscream's right foot.

Kup and Hot Rod, speeding toward the city, saw that the two [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] were eating through one of the doors, but Kickback was taken across a chasm by the retracting bridge. Using the Insecticon as a springboard, Hot Rod and Kup were able to clear the gap and enter the city (crushing Kickback's head and ramming Shrapnel out of the way in the process) moments before the armored doors closed.

[[File:TAM TPB Gestalt Fight.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
Meanwhile, Blaster did manage to make brief contact with the Cybertronian Autobots, but the signal was cut off by the intervention of [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and the four henchmen he had with him: [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. However, Blaster evened the odds by putting his own quartet of counterparts into the fight: [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]], [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], and [[Eject (G1)|Eject]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

''Elsewhere, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] made their attack on the Ark, as a means of a distraction to prevent [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] from aiding the Autobot forces at Autobot City.'' {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

Though unable to penetrate Autobot City's defenses by conventional means, the Decepticons succeeded in mowing down the Autobot soldiers, such as [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] ''and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]''. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}} Realizing that a frontal assault was futile, Megatron ordered the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s to merge into the [[Combiner|gestalt]] [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. The giant robot quickly made his presence felt, penetrating the first line of defenses by literally tearing them open, and shattering one attempt by Springer, Kup, Hot Rod and Arcee to put him out of action. But even so, the two sides were so evenly matched that the battle continued over the course of the remainder of that day and throughout the night. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{--}}

===Second Phase===
[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|thumb|"Will you stop being such a baby about this? Just hold on a second. I can see the splinter. It's right ... there ..."]]
{{quote|One shall stand, one shall fall.|Optimus Prime on seeing Megatron|[[The Transformers: The Movie|TFTM]]}}

[[File:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|thumb|left|"Megatron is responsible for [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Prime's]] [[death]], not [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|me]]!"]]
However, the city could not hold out forever; by the next morning Autobot defenses had been broken by relentless Decepticon assaults, and the likelihood of a mass slaughter was high. It was at this crucial point that Autobot reinforcements commanded by Optimus Prime arrived. The [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s were deployed to attack Devastator—with some success—but could not halt the Decepticons' advance into Autobot City.

''Upon entering the city, Devastator clawed his way through the rubble, only to be confronted by Ultra Magnus, [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sideswipe]]; who brought the gestalt down, separating him into his individual components. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Autobot squad instantly pulled back, while the Constructicons gave chase. Whilst retreating, Red Alert was gunned down by the Constructicon pursuers, as Megatron watched on in triumph.'' {{storylink|A Flash Forward}}

In an attempt to prevent anymore casualties, Optimus Prime made a heroic frontal assault against the elite members of the Decepticon army still positioned outside. In tractor-trailer mode, he mowed down Thrust and Shrapnel, while narrowly missing Blitzwing before transforming to [[robot mode]] and using his [[ion blaster]] to singlehandedly blast the Decepticons Ramjet, Thundercracker, Soundwave, Kickback, and Dirge, fighting his way to engage Megatron in what he assured the Decepticon would be their final battle.

The battle between the two leaders was brief and intense, but resulted in a seeming-victory for Prime. But Megatron had spotted a gun a matter of yards away from him. Stalling for time with false pleas for mercy, Megatron crawled towards the gun while Optimus pointed out the irony of Megatron, who was "without mercy," now pleading for it. Before Optimus could take his shot, Hot Rod intervened as Megatron grabbed the gun, trying to overpower the Decepticon leader. But his efforts backfired, as Megatron overpowered the young Autobot, used him as a shield and shot Optimus repeatedly. Tossing aside Hot Rod, Megatron prepared to finish off his longtime nemesis. Prime, however, managed to gather his remaining strength to deal a {{w|Punch (combat)|haymaker}} powerful enough to knock Megatron off a ledge and into a fall that would prove almost-lethal.

Seeing their leader conclusively defeated in this way broke the Decepticons spirit. Starscream, taking interim command, ordered [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] to transform and ferry the Decepticons away in a general retreat. Unsurprisingly, Starscream appeared ready to leave Megatron to die, but Soundwave carried him to Astrotrain. Gathering up their wounded, the Decepticons fled, leaving the Autobots to similarly gather up their own casualties. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{--}}

==Aftermath==
[[File:Optimusg1passingthematrix.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|"One of you must take the Matrix." "Not it!" "I wasn't talking to you, Blurr."]]
[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Galvatron, or just plain old TRON?]]

Large numbers of Autobots and Decepticons had either been terminated or wounded as a result of the battle. Windcharger, Wheeljack, and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were among the casualties, and even the mighty Optimus Prime soon succumbed to his wounds and expired, but not before passing the Matrix of Leadership to Ultra Magnus as his successor, unaware that the Matrix had chosen Hot Rod to become the new [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]].

The wounded Decepticons—including Megatron, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and the Insecticons—were thrown out of Astrotrain to lighten the load, where they would later be found by the Chaos-Bringer [[Unicron]] and reshaped into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Cyclonus's Armada|his armada]], as well as [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]].

The [[Unicron War]] would be the next major Transformer battle, its events spinning directly out of the Battle of Autobot City. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} By [[2006]], Autobot City had been fully repaired and had more personnel stationed there. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness}}
{{--}}

==Known participants==
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]]
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]]
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]
**[[Eject (G1)|Eject]]
**[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]
**[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]
**[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]]
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]]
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]<ref name="death">Denotes those killed in battle, and from battle wounds.</ref>
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]]<ref name="retcon">Denotes those who were [[Retcon|retroactively]] included in the battle in [[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus|other]] [[The Gathering Storm|forms of]] [[A Flash Forward|media]].</ref>
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]<ref name="retcon"/>
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]<ref>Both a retroactive inclusion and a casualty.</ref>
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]<ref name="retcon"/>
*[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]<ref>Both a retroactive inclusion and a casualty. While Beachcomber's dead body is shown in [[The Gathering Storm|the IDW adaptation of the movie]], he is alive and well in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]", making this somewhat of an odd retrocative inclusion.</ref>
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]<ref name="retcon"/>
*[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]<ref name="retcon"/>
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]<ref name="retcon"/>
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]<ref name="death"/>
{{!}}}
|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]]
**[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]
**[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]
**[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]
**[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
**[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]<ref>Shockwave only appeared in one shot, which may have been an [[animation error]].</ref>
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]<ref name="death"/>
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
*[[Lugnut (TF 2010)|Lugnut]]<ref name="retcon"/>
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]
**[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]
**[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]
**[[Hook (G1)|Hook]]
**[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]
**[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]
**[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]<ref name="retcon"/>
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]<ref name="retcon"/>
{{!}}}
|nonumbering=true
}}

{{Reflist}}

==Notes==
[[File:TFTM-SideswipeRedAlertTracks.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
[[File:ShockwaveBattleAutobotcity.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Logic dictates that I put in a token appearance.]]

* The battle is "act 1" of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]].''
* It's unclear how Megatron managed to beat the Autobot shuttle to Earth's [[Star system|solar system]].
* Storyboards that have found their way to the public over the years show additional scenes that were scripted and planned, but (in all probability) never animated:
**At the beginning of the shuttle segment, the Autobot shuttle would have been shown dodging through an asteroid storm, thus explaining why they didn't at least detect the approaching Decepticons. Some of this concept made it into the Marvel Comics [[The Planet-Eater!|adaptation of the movie]].
**Hot Rod's adventures outside the city would have been a bit longer and more dramatic. A short scene would also show him getting reprimanded by Ultra Magnus inside the city itself.
**[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] would have stealthily blasted [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] before getting shot at by Megatron (given the emphasis on body-count, and the fact that Mirage never appears after the movie, it's likely this would have killed him).
**[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], and Ultra Magnus would have finally brought down Devastator with a missile barrage. The Constructicons would subsequently [[:File:TFTM-RedAlertDown.jpg|kill Red Alert]] as the Autobots retreated.
***In 2012, the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] comic "[[A Flash Forward]]" directly adapted this scene into the ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'', a continuity nearly identical to the Generation 1 cartoon.
**Several Decepticons would have dogpiled Optimus Prime at the start of his confrontation with Megatron, only for him to trounce them all soundly.
***Just before this, Blitzwing would have knocked Optimus Prime's gun out of his hands. In the final version of the movie, Optimus's gun just seems to have disappeared for no reason when he finally finds Megatron.
**[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker's]] lifeless body would have been seen as the Decepticons retreated.
* Alternate footage of the opening stage of the battle was part of a [[The Transformers: The Movie promo|promotional trailer]] assembled early in the movie's production.
* Counting characters who were meant to be there, were seen outside, or were killed, the Autobots had Ultra Magnus, Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Springer, Arcee, Blaster, Perceptor, Grapple, Huffer, Trailbreaker, Bluestreak, Windcharger, Wheeljack, Smokescreen, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Mirage and 4 cassettes, totaling 22 - the Decepticons, meanwhile, had Megatron, six Seekers, three Insecticons, six Constructicons, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Soundwave and 4 cassettes, totaling 23. In the grand scheme of things, that’s pretty evened up, making Perceptor’s assertion that the Autobots suffered a “distinct tactical deficiency” somewhat exaggerated, especially considering their fortifications. That is, of course, assuming the ‘Cons didn’t bring a ton of generics or Insecticon clones with them; even if they didn't, the presence of a [[combiner]] on the Decepticon side is more than enough to tip the odds against the Autobots.
* The events of "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" imply that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] was present at the battle, but unable to transform to [[robot mode]] because his [[transformation cog]] was damaged. Some fiction suggests that Metroplex is part of (or the same thing as) Autobot City. (All sorts of [[fanon]] ensues from placing these two facts in close proximity. Use caution.)
* The fight between Optimus Prime and Megatron was remade into the commercial of [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 Universe]] toyline, with [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] models based on their ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toys.
* The "[[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus]]" comic book [[retcon]]s [[Lugnut (TF 2010)|Lugnut]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] into the battle, as well as canonically confirming Tracks as a participant in the battle.
* Okay, we're going to be honest here. The whole point of this battle is [[To sell toys|to off your favorite characters in violent ways, then replace them with newbies who we've never seen before]].

[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:Generation 1 history]]

Bomb (AB)

2024-05-31T00:33:11Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

{{factions|autobird|wreckers|deceptihog}}
{{disambig3|Bomb}}
:''Bomb is an [[Autobird]] from the [[Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Drift-Bird-Event.jpg|thumb|I am a Samurai, but also "whk-whek-whek-whk-whkk" a bomb!]]
'''Bomb''' is a bomb. And a bird. A bomb bird. Despite his explosive properties, Bomb gets along well with the other members of the [[Flock]], and frequently shows concern for their well-being. After being upgraded into '''[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] Bird''' by the EggSpark, he displays a single-minded obsession with "honor" and becomes more even-tempered. He nonetheless acts as a fierce warrior when he finds himself immersed in battle. In his new form, he also displays a preference towards using his newly-acquired sword, though his upgrade has not robbed him of his explosive capabilities.

Taking on the guise of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] allows Bomb to combine his explosive tendencies with Wheeljack's inventions.

==Fiction==
===''Angry Birds'' comic===
[[File:ABTF1 Birdsareok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left]]
After the [[Bad Piggies]] had stolen a batch of the Flock's eggs, Bomb accompanied his fellow birds on a raid to retrieve them. [[Chuck (AB)|Chuck]] managed to foul up [[Red (AB)|Red's]] attack plan, causing the Bad Piggies' building to collapse on top of the Flock while [[King Pig]] and his minions escaped. Using his explosive abilities, Bomb managed to disinter himself, [[Terence (AB)|Terence]], [[Bubbles]], and Chuck from the rubble. The [[Blues]] then flew off, intent on securing the eggs on their own. Upon noting their absence, the rest of the Flock began searching for them, only for the Blues to return and babble about an "[[AllSpark#Angry Birds Transformers continuity family|EggSpark]]" transforming the Bad Piggies into "[[Deceptihog]]s." {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}}

[[File:ABTF2 DriftBirdintro.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"I have shamed myself. I must commit Sudoku."]]
By the time Bomb came upon the EggSpark, it had already transformed fellow birds Chuck and [[Hal]] into "Bumblebee Bird" and "Grimlock Bird" respectively. The group puzzled over their friends' new forms, with Bomb helping Terence point out that their strange new appendages were called "arms and legs." Though taken aback at first, Bomb and the rest of the Flock eventually agreed to also touch the EggSpark and upgrade themselves into "[[Autobird]]s." Upon becoming Drift Bird, Bomb was overtaken by the sudden urge to [[introdump|exposit about his new form and persona]]. He explained that he was now ruled by honor and clarity of purpose. He could still blow up though. Upon Optimus Prime Bird's command, Bomb and the rest of the group transformed and rolled out into action. They eventually caught up to the Deceptihogs, and steeled themselves for a confrontation. Drift Bird found himself reminding the others that there was no need to recklessly rush into combat. As the inevitable battle became underway, Drift Bird cheered on Heatwave Bird as the latter battle [[Corporal Pig|Galvatron Pig]]. The scuffle came to an abrupt end when the Flocks' eggs, having been previously exposed to the EggSpark, sprouted mechanical limbs, multiplied, and proved themselves to be excessively hostile. {{storylink|Age of Eggstinction!}}

[[File:Angry Birds Transformers Issue 2 Drift Vehicle Mode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left]]
The two factions joined forces to combat the newly arisen threat of the [[Eggbot (AB)|Eggbots]], and Drift Bird once more entered the fray. The battle did not go well, forcing the 'bots to change tactics. Drift Bird was assigned to a team whose mission was to rescue [[Minion Pig|Starscream Pig]], previously captured by the Eggbots. His fellow teammate, [[Blues|Bluestreak Bird]] got himself captured in turn, prompting Drift Bird to exclaim that honor demanded they save <s>him</s> them. The rescue operation had to be put off as Drift Bird and the remaining members of his team found themselves surrounded by gargantuan Eggbots. During the battle, Drift Bot heard clanging coming from within the structure in which Bluestreak Bird and Starscream Pig were being held captive. Using one of his swords, he cut open an exit for them, sending both Bluestreak Bird and a battalion of Eggbots pouring out of the hole. The Eggbots from within met with the Eggbots from outside, and frightened one another into fleeing. Having rescued their friend, the group reconvened with the rest of their teammates to further plan out their battle tactics. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fowlin'!}}

[[File:ABTF3 DriftBirdfightseggs.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
Due to the EggSpark's ongoing influence, [[Piggy Island]] became increasingly dangerous and unstable. Realizing that they needed to separate the artifact from the land to end the madness, the Autobirds and Deceptihogs headed in its direction. When they found their path obstructed by a colossal wall, Drift Bird activated his explosive abilities to breach it. Though he was successful in clearing a path to the EggSpark, his display of power had left Drift Bomb disoriented and unable to help further. The EggSpark was nonetheless launched off-planet, returning Piggy Island and its inhabitants to their natural state. As the restored Flock discussed the day's events, Bomb pointed out that they all had been acting out of character upon receiving their robot bodies. He then joined Terence and Bubbles in listening to Hal play some tunes on his banjo. {{storylink|Hard Boiled}}

==Commercial appearances==
Bomb and the Flock faced off against the Bad Piggies before the power of the EggSpark turned both groups into Autobirds and Deceptihogs. {{storylink|Commercial#Angry Birds Transformers|Angry Birds Transformers: Cinematic Trailer}}

==Games==
===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{voiceactor|[[Pasi Ruohonen]] (Finnish)}}
====As Drift====
[[File:ABTF-screen Bomb Drift.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|]]
*''Squad'': '''The Hotrods'''
*''Mission Type'': '''Firepower'''
*''Unlock Type'': Challenge Event, in-game purchase

One of the slower sports-car bots, Drift requires patience and careful aim. He hurls slow-moving electrified shurikens that don't do immediate damage, but explode a half-second after impact, destroying entire structures. Hit the right block in a tower and the effect can be devastating. Its effect on flying foes ''is'' immediate, however, as the charged projectiles act like an [[electromagnetic pulse]], dropping flying Pigs out of the air and stopping [[Walking Mortar Tower]]s and Monoliths in their tracks, . Even better, the EMP effect has a blast radius that can take out multiple flying Pigs with a single shot.

He was first unlockable in the "2-Year Celebration!" [[Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)/Challenge Events|Challenge Event]], which ran from [[October 5]] through [[October 14]] 2016. He cost a whopping ''7500'' Tokens to unlock (the highest cost for a character at the time), which were earned through daily challenges in special stages. However, he could also be bought and unlocked instantly as part of the "Drift Bundle" in the first two days and the last two days of the Event, which included Drift, his Great Sword Accessory, and 1000 Gems, all for a mere $29.99 in real actual money. No, we're not kidding. {{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'''
|-
|Headphones
|Head
|Uncommon
|5 Uncommon Crystals + 8,000 Coins
| +10% Damage
|
|-
|Baseball Cap
|Head
|Common
|5 Common Crystals + 2,500 Coins
| +10% Transform Recharge
|
|-
|Hook
|Arms
|Uncommon
|5 Uncommon Crystals + 8,000 Coins
| +10% Fire Rate
|
|-
|[[Great Sword]]
|Back
|Legendary
|5 Legendary Crystals + 200,000 Coins
| +20% Explosive Force
|Based on his sword from Age of Extinction
|-
|}
</center>
{{-}}

====As Wheeljack====
[[File:ABTF-screen Bomb Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Optimus! I built a machine that builds giant slingshots!]]
*''Squad'': '''The Wreckers'''
*''Mission Type'': '''Intelligence'''
*''Unlock Type'': Challenge Event

Combining Bomb's explosive nature with Wheeljack's explosive inventions can't be good for his productivity in his workshop. Ever so often he does successfully create new (and expensive) gadgets like the miniature [[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]], But it probably makes [[Terence (AB)|Ratchet]] all the more grumpy when he has to put him and his workshop back together.

His newest weapon/gadget is a salvo rocket launcher that fires a cluster of lobbed explosive missiles! Much more powerful and effective than those of that yellow Sunstorm Pig.

Wheeljack was newly introduced in December 2016, and was available for 7500 tokens in the game's Christmas event. Surprisingly, there was no real-money character bundle with Wheeljack for sale, but there was one in the next event that focused on getting just one accessory for him.

<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'''
|-
|Grenade
|Chest
|Rare
|5 Rare Crystals + 20,000 Coins
| +20% Explosive Force
|
|-
|[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]]
|Arms
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +20% Defense
|Small replica of the one he built originally
|-
|Rocket Launcher
|Back
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +20% Explosive Force
|
|-
|Panels
|Back
|Legendary
|5 Legendary Crystals + 200,000 Coins
| +40% Faster Reload
|
|}
</center>
{{-}}

====As Grapple====
[[File:ABTF-screen Bomb Grapple.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Oh yeah, he’s a big boy now]]
*''Squad'': '''Support'''
*''Mission Type'': '''Intelligence'''
*''Unlock Type'': Challenge Event

Grapple is normally an architect/artist, but in this game, he works with the other Autobirds and Deceptihogs to demolish towers.

In battle, Grapple is rather unusual. His weapon is a lightning beam attack, but in terms of attack power, it’s extremely weak, even at level 15, de-cyberforming scenery slower than [[Red (AB)#As Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]. Combined with his somewhat weak health makes him seem rather useless. However, if there is a close enough block or grounded pig to where the weapon starts firing, the nearest block or grounded pig will be teleported to that location. It can then be dragged around, and if the weapon stops in some way that involves becoming a different form, (vehicle, washing machine, scrambled body) it will be immobilized in place until he returns to humanoid form.

There are many ways to use this weapon to your advantage, like using the objects as wrecking balls, or using them as cover from enemy attacks. The best way to put Grapple to your advantage is to be creative. Although you can use other Transformers better.

Grapple follows the trend of event availability, being obtainable in the event of the same name for 10000 tokens.
<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'''
|-
|[[Eject (AB)|Eject]]
|Chest
|Rare
|5 Rare Crystals + 20,000 Coins
| +20% Damage
|
|-
|Drill
|Arms
|Legendary
|5 Legendary Crystals + 200,000 Coins
| +20% Weapon Cooldown
|Attaches to his lower arms and uses it in G1
|-
|[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]]
|Back
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +20% Defense
|
|-
|}
</center>
{{-}}

====As Warpath====
[[File:ABTF-screen Bomb Warpath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Bam! Pow! I have IED! Ka-BLAAAM!]]
*''Squad'': '''Support'''
*''Mission Type'': '''Firepower'''
*''Unlock Type'': Challenge Event

Who would have thought that crazy Bomb would go with crazy Warpath? His weapon is a piercing instant-hit laser something like the various [[Corporal Pig#Games|Galvatrons]], which obliterates most anything it hits as well as leaving a (weak) vortex in its wake. But the real power comes once he's leveled up a bit, which adds a hefty splash-damage explosion on contact with a target. Warpath can vaporize whole block towers with a single shot, and never needs to reload to boot! See, destructive.

But he does have one ''huge'' weakness: overheating. Too much rapid tap-blasting will make his gun overheat, and when targeting things that take more than one direct hit to destroy, such as [[Walking Mortar Tower]]s, his weapon fires ''extremely'' rapidly and will overheat ''extremely'' quickly. The cooldown from an overheat takes several seconds, leaving him vulnerable, so tap responsibly, learn to ''un''-target Mortar Towers quickly after one or two hits... and try to get some of his cooldown-improving accessories quickly!
<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%" | '''Gem Cost'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Base Effect'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Notes'''
|-
|Landlord Cap
|Head
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +16% Defense
|Chinese New Year exclusive
|-
|Hard Hat
|Head
|Common
|5 Common Crystals + 2,500 Coins
| +10% Defense
|
|-
|Sunglasses
|Face
|Common
|5 Common Crystals + 2,500 Coins
| +10% Transform Recharge
|
|-
|Cannon
|Chest
|Legendary
|5 Legendary Crystals + 200,000 Coins
| +20% Weapon Cooldown
|Inspired by Warpath’s G1 chest-cannon
|-
|Rocket Launcher
|Arms
|Rare
|5 Rare Crystals + 20,000 Coins
| +20% Damage
|Similar to Brawls but Red
|-
|Treads
|Back
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +10% Weapon Cooldown
|Attaches to his lower arms
|-
|}
</center>

====As Omega Supreme====
[[File:BombSupreme.jpeg|thumb|250px|“So how do you feel about being mistaken for a combiner?” “Feelings: mixed.”]]
*''Squad'': '''Gestalt'''
*''Mission Type'': '''???'''
*''Unlock Type'': Gem Purchase
The fact that [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] is the biggest Autobot around clearly confused the game developers: they put him in the Gestalt squad, together with Combiner [[Hal#As Volcanicus|Volcanicus]]. On top of that, one of Omega’s accessories is an [[Enigma of Combination]]. Ah well. It’s still a strong character with a pretty cool model... Right?

Omega wields three different weapons in this game: the first is a gold colored instant-hit beam that holds blocks in the air to be dragged around by the player. This beam never overheats. The secondary weapon is a red colored instant-hit beam that has a life of its own, targeting random blocks and/or pigs and quickly destroying them. This beam does overheat but does not really take long to recharge. And last but not least there is the special ability that replaces the vehicle mode for this giant Autobird: upon activation, Omega will make the Fist-Slam move, that big characters do when there’s stuff in their path, and all ice, wood and stone blocks on the screen will simply cease to exist, leaving piggies that were previously positioned on towers no choice but to plummet to their deaths.

<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'''
|-
|[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]
|Head
|Legendary
|5 Legendary Crystals + 200,000 Coins
| +40% Damage
|
|-
|Sunglasses
|Face
|Common
|5 Common Crystals + 2,500 Coins
| +10% Fire Rate
|
|-
|Autobirds
|Chest
|Uncommon
|5 Uncommon Crystals + 8,000 Coins
| +20% Move Speed
|Autobirds symbol. Basically a medallion. Why didn't they just call it that?
|-
|[[Eject (G1)|Eject]]
|Arms
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| EMP Rounds
|Actually sits on Omega's foot
|-
|[[Enigma of Combination]]
|Back
|Epic
|5 Epic Crystals + 60,000 Coins
| +40% Defense
|Huh???
|-
|}
</center>

{{-}}

====As Private Deadlock====
[[File:ABprivatedeadlock.jpeg|thumb|150px|Inside you there are two wolves]]
*''Squad'': '''Ground Force'''
*''Mission Type'': '''Firepower'''
*''Unlock Type'': Prime Pass reward (level 10)
The Autobirds need to keep winning and now even Private Mirage is joining the war. But danger lurks in the shadows as Drift has turned to the dark side and is now known as Private Deadlock. This evil shell of an Autobird soldier will surely let the Deceptihogs take the island...

Private Deadlock's weapon is very similar to the original Drift's weapon.

<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'''
|-
|Headphones
|Head
|Uncommon
|5 Uncommon Crystals + 8,000 Coins
| +10% Damage
|
|-
|Baseball Cap
|Head
|Common
|5 Common Crystals + 2,500 Coins
| +10% Transform Recharge
|
|-
|Hook
|Arms
|Uncommon
|5 Uncommon Crystals + 8,000 Coins
| +10% Fire Rate
|
|-
|[[Great Sword]]
|Back
|Legendary
|5 Legendary Crystals + 200,000 Coins
| +20% Explosive Force
|Does Deadlock really deserve it?
|-
|}
</center>

{{-}}

====As Sergeant Omega Supreme====
[[File:ABsergeantomegasupreme.jpeg|thumb|150px|Raddest Titan on the block]]
*''Squad'': '''Specialist Raiders'''
*''Mission Type'': '''???'''
*''Unlock Type'': Prime Pass reward (level 10)
Both sides of the war are bringing out the big guns now. It's a true Clash of Titans as Sergeant Omega Supreme goes head to head with [[Minion Pig#As Sergeant Devastator|Sergeant Devastator]]. Which behemoth shall fall?

Sergeant Omega Supreme's weapon acts just like his original. Wow.
{{-}}

====As Engineer Wheeljack====
[[File:ABengineerwheeljack.jpeg|thumb|150px]]
*''Squad'': '''Raging Squad'''
*''Mission Type'': '''???'''
*''Unlock Type'': Prime Pass reward (level 40)
With still not an end to this war in sight, both sides recruit their last warriors. The Autobirds employ Engineer Wheeljack in hopes that his ingenuity will bring the hammer down, but given that he is up against the mighty [[Minion Pig#As Seeker Ramjet|Seeker Ramjet]], this victory might not come that easy...

And well...who would have guessed that his weapon is just the same as his original? Definitely not the players who keep buying the passes, right?
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Though Bomb/Drift appeared in the early, made-before-the-games-were-done fiction, he did not appear in the game for ''two years''. Yowza.
*Like other early-plans-but-late-addition characters, his in-game appearance is significantly different from the original concept. Though he keeps the helmet design inspired by ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Drift (AOE)|Drift]], his coloration is based on [[Drift (G1)|Generation 1 Drift]], and his body is an altered [[Bubbles|Bubbles/Jazz]] model. He even shares some of Jazz's dancing animations.
*Upgrading Drift used to require the use of [[Deceptihog]] Materials, a reference to how the various Drifts began their lives as Decepticons. Strangely, so does Wheeljack.
*[[Ty Olsson]] voiced Bomb in the ''Summer Madness'' animated series, while [[Kenji Nomura]] voiced him in the Japanese release of ''The Angry Birds Movie'' and its sequel.

[[Category:Autobirds]]
[[Category:Bombs| ]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Antigrav

2024-05-27T00:08:41Z

GuiRitter: I found no other reference to this word, must be a typo

{{faction|autobird|deceptihog}}
:''Antigrav is an [[Energonicon]] from the [[Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers]] series.''
[[File:ABTF-screen Energonicon-Antigrav.jpg|right|thumb|280px|Say hello to Mister Angry Eyebrows!]]

'''Antigrav''' might be slightly misnamed. But when it can hit you upside the melon with a miniature [[black hole]], who's gonna argue with it?

Also it's a lifeless drone so arguing with it would be silly anyway.

==Games==
===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
*''Rarity'': **
*''Recipe 1'': 1 [[Pig Iron]] + 2 [[Badness Processor]]s
*''Recipe 2'': 1 [[Deceptigear]] + 2 [[Super Rareium]]

Antigrav can be created at the Pig Lab in [[Piggy Island|Hogs Head Mountain]] with Materials, though it's a bit of a roulette spin to actually ''earn'' it. You may get Coins, Materials, or [[Gem]]s instead.

When activated, Antigrav mimics the weapons of the [[King Pig|Megatrons]], launching blasts that become miniature black holes on contact with their target. Anything within the (meager) gravity well is flung around and possibly crushed together. The more [[energon cube]]s it has stored up, the longer it keeps firing. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

[[Category: Energonicons]]

Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)

2024-05-25T23:56:36Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

{{Nav-ABTF}}
{{videogame
|title=''Angry Birds Transformers''
|image=Angry birds transformers.jpg
|caption=It's happening.
|developer=[[Rovio]] & [[Exient]]
|publisher=Rovio Entertainment
|date=[[October 15]], 2014 (iOS) [[October 30]], 2014 (Android)
|platforms=Apple iOS 10+ (iPad, iPhone) Android
|ratings=
}}
'''''Angry Birds Transformers''''' is a mobile app for both iPhone and Android platforms developed by Exient and published by [[Rovio]] in 2014. It is a themed version of the publisher's mega-popular mobile game ''{{w|Angry Birds}}''.

As of RIGHT NOW, no really, '''RIGHT NOW''', it is still live and still updating with new competitions and characters. Wow.

{{note|This game has changed its rules many times for various sub-games and systems over the course of its run. In March 2020, the game underwent a fairly substantial update that changed a '''lot''' of these systems; we're currently working on a fairly extensive overhaul to both account for these expansive changes and still accurately show how the game ran for over seven years. '''EDITORIAL NOTE''': the changes are centered on player progression and grinding that to a complete tortured crawl.}}

==Synopsis==
The "[[AllSpark#Angry Birds Transformers comic|EggSpark]]" has landed on [[Piggy Island]], transforming its dueling inhabitants and giving them bodies and powers based on the Transformers: the birds of the [[Flock]] become [[Autobird]]s and the [[Bad Piggies]] the [[Deceptihog]]s. The two sides briefly continue their struggle with these new powers until they are both threatened by another transformed group, the [[Eggbot (AB)|Eggbot]]s, who seek to transform all of Piggy Island into metal, backed by countless robotized [[Minion Pig]]s.

Most of the Autobirds and all of the Deceptihogs are captured leaving only [[Red (AB)|Red]] (who has the powers of [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]]) free. The leader of the Flock (you know him well) heads out to free the Autobirds ''and'' Deceptihogs, for only by joining forces can they restore Piggy Island to normal!

==Gameplay==
The game is a bit of a deviation from the normal ''Angry Birds'' formula, but the core goal remains the same: toppling block towers to pop the Bad Piggies on them. And, this being a "freemium" game, there's lots and lots of other things to do and sub-systems to keep you busy.

===Basic gameplay===
Once you select an available stage from the map of Piggie Island, your character runs along the foreground at a set speed, as block towers scroll by in the background. By tapping the screen, your character takes aim and fires their weapon. You can also hold-and-drag to fire in a spread (if the character's weapon isn't a single-shot blast), or press the "Auto" button to let the computer do the targeting for you (though it isn't very efficient). Each character has a different weapon which determines how you tackle a level; some must take out key blocks to cause a domino effect, some are better at hitting enemies directly, and some are just obliteration machines taking out anything even ''near'' the target.

Common block types include:
:*'''Ice Blocks''': Very weak, easily shattered (1 Coin)
:*'''Wood Blocks''': Fairly sturdy but not hard to break (2 Coins)
:*'''Stone Blocks''': Very durable, better for pushing than breaking (3 Coins)
:*'''TNT Blocks''': Easily-broken crates that explode with a considerable radius, sending blocks flying. In Challenge Events (see below) these can have other side effects.
:*'''Coin Blocks''': Golden blocks that spit out Coins with every hit. Pretty dang sturdy and come in different sizes but if you destroy them, you earn a lot of Coins (50~250 Coins).

Each stage is also littered with cyberformed scenery with blinky lights; blasting these releases an [[Energon cube]]. If the character is accompanied by an [[Energonicon]], the cube is used to fuel its special power, activated by tapping the icon. A fully upgraded Energonicon cannot make use of more than three cubes, so timely tapping to spend the energy before obtaining more is key. Energonicons can be upgraded to hold up to three cubes; these are all spent at once, but more cubes generally means the Energonicon's effects/attacks remain active longer.

The goal is to make it to the end of the stage, weathering or avoiding attacks from armed Piggies and other enemies and obstacles. You can transform to vehicle mode to avoid falling [[Monolith]]s or evade enemy fire, but bear in mind the longer you stay in vehicle mode, the more likely enemies will adjust their fire to hit you. (Thankfully Monoliths will always miss.) The more destruction you cause on the way, the more Coins you get to buy upgrades and explore new areas, and the more Pigs you pop, the more Pig points you earn to shorten Mission times (see below).

If you lose all your life in a level, the character is picked up by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. You can then spend some [[Gem]]s to immediately put them back into the fight (rarely worth it), or let the timer run out and quit the level. If you quit, you will not earn Piggie points for the level, but you do keep some of the Coins you collected. Health does not restore between levels normally, so if a character is low you must take action to repair them. You can spend Coins to do so, but this takes them out of the game for a while in real-time, even when the game is off. You can repair a bot instantly by spending Gems (also rarely worth it), or you can skip all that and immediately restore them to full health by watching an ad (up to 30 seconds long) or scanning their transformable figure (if they have one) with a [[Telepod]]. There are a few other methods of healing, but most of the time you're going to want to go with an ad watch.

New stages and map areas are opened up by unlocking and leveling up characters, your Rank being the sum total of all your available characters' levels. Every 5 or 10 Rank settings lets you clear the clouds away from a new area of Piggy Island, with a new bot to unlock to boot. After a point new areas need to be unlocked by special means: the Caves can only be unlocked by using 10000 Plasma earned in Challenge Events, Daily Quests, Daily Rewards, and Crates. The Jungle (which contains the "Challenge Run" competition) needs a certain number of Gems to unlock; there's a "just the Jungle" package and a "Jungle + Challenge Run + Devastator" bundles as well.

Cleared stages will slowly accumulate Coins over real-time, maxing out after about four hours, with the maximum amount increasing with every character Squad you complete (again, see below). Tapping on the Coins on the map adds them to your bank. However, roaming Eggbots will re-cyberform cleared stages, which removes their Coin bonuses. You can see which stages they are working on, how long the cyberforming process will take, and even interrupt their work (at the cost of Gems), giving you the chance to pelt an Eggbot in-level for extra Coins. Cyberforming too goes on in real-time. Once a stage is re-cyberformed, it can be played again. There are also randomly spawning treasure chests on the map; tap them to earn various amounts of Gems, aka "premium currency", with the highest amount being at least 12. But most of the time the amount lies between 1 and 5, because yeah; “premium currency.”

In a "2.0" update in March 2020, stages would now last for a limited time (the game says the timer is 24 hours, but stages have shown timers way before 24 hours), setting an hour timer to complete the stage before automatically clearing it.

===Character Choices===
Every stage has a pre-set character you control, based on who you've rescued so far. Every character has a different style of attack, movement speed, and armor rating. Working out the strengths and weaknesses of each character is key to high scores, and in some cases simple survival.

New characters can be added to your roster in a few different ways. In-game, a set of "starter" characters are held captive in ice blocks on the map, one per area, and you must "spend" a specific number of popped Piggies to break them out. You then have to play a short level with that character, and if they make it to the end, they're yours to keep. If not, they are re-frozen, but thankfully you can try again without having to spend all those hard-earned Piggy points again. There are also many, ''many'' other characters who can be unlocked via Space Bridge Missions (see below) or Challenge Events (also see below).

Out-of-game, this is where you can spend actual-factual money, on the [[Angry Birds Transformers (toyline)|tie-in toys]]. By placing one of the figures on a [[Telepod]] and placing ''that'' on your device's camera lens, the game reads the code on the figure and inserts it into the game for a limited amount of time (currently 24 hours). While the characters unlocked this way are only available temporarily until unlocked via Piggie points, there is no limit on how often you can scan the figure, plus any upgrade progress is saved. You can also use this method to power-up already-unlocked characters (once every 24 hours) or instantly repair them (no limits on how many times you can do this).

;Improving characters
Every character can be upgraded multiple times (nominal maximum level for characters is 15, but they can be upgraded further than that in select Challenge Events) by spending Coins and Materials, which (of course) takes them out of play for a while. Each upgrade is pre-set, increasing attack strength, armor strength, or vehicle mode duration. At certain levels, their Energon capacity is increased, and these levels vary from character to character. You can spend much-rarer Gems to make the upgrade happen instantly; the closer the upgrades are to complete, the fewer Gems you need to spend. Upgrading characters is ''vital'' as the levels get harder and harder, not to mention in the phone version you can only unlock new areas with an overall player level, which is raised by upgrading your characters. This isn't the case in the tablet version where you can spend Gold Coins to unlock new areas. You can only have one character undergoing an upgrade at a time.

Characters can also be upgraded inside Astrotrain by customizing them with Accessories. These extra items cost Gems (at least here, there are many other places to unlock Accessories) and not only alter the characters' appearance, but boost stats, or imbue special abilities to weapons. One Accessory can be placed on a character's head, face, chest, arms and back each. Some Challenge Events have special exclusive Accessories you can't buy with Gems! Accessories can also be leveled up by re-winning them in various other game mode, improving their buffs or even adding a secondary stat buff! With luck and time you can turn a simple +5% Defense item into a +50% or higher buff! As most Accessories are character-specific, see each character's page for more detailed information.

;Call-in Buddies
[[File:Angry-Birds-Transformers-Call-in-buddy-Energon-Bumblebee-Chuck.jpg|thumb|New characters are frequently "previewed" as call-in buddies before they're properly available.]]
Soon you get the option to have a second character on standby, who you can call in and have the computer control for a brief period. They enter the stage in slow motion with a massive shockwave that does damage to most everything within the blast radius, obliterating Ice Blocks but only damaging tougher targets. These characters will warp out after a few seconds, then you must wait for their meter to re-charge before calling them back in. However, there's a limit to when you are able to call in a partner; once you see [[Astrotrain (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Astrotrain]] fly overhead, your partner's no longer available. On the other hand, the stage is close to over! But if your partner is ''already'' out when you hit that checkpoint, then they will stay active until the very end of the level, nice for really piling on the destruction.

You get to chose one of two partners (or three if you have a Facebook friend) before you start the stage, and if you don't like those character choices, you can change them by spending some Coins. Partners are either randomly generated (which can let you see characters you haven't unlocked yet), or pulled from the character rosters of your friends if you've connected to the game via Facebook or Google+ or iTunes or whatever the social network stuff the kids are into these days is, with a timer of 5–15 seconds based on the transformer's level. You can also watch an ''ad'' to lock the times to 15 seconds. If you called on them in the level, you can "thank" them afterward. Doing so gives the other player a nominal reward (either a Gem or 25 Coins), while not thanking them simply tells the other player that while you're grateful for the firepower assist, you don't think they deserve any actual compensation. You jerk. However this seems to be only for your friends if you use the social network support. When you don't have friends or don't believe in social media, you get random users to help, and if people use your characters and you're not friends with them via social network you don't get any rewards if they thank you.
{{-}}

====Featured characters====
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobird]]s
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Red (AB)|Red]] as:
**[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]
**Energon Optimus Prime
**Ultimate Optimus Prime
**[[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]
**Epic Optimus
**[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]
**General Optimus Prime
**[[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]
**Major Ultra Magnus
**Captain Nemesis Prime
**General Optimus Prime Neon
**Neon Ultra Magnus

*[[Chuck (AB)|Chuck]] as:
**[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
**High-Octane Bumblebee
**[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]
**Energon Bumblebee
**[[Rodimus Unicronus|Nemesis Hot Rod]]
**[[Bumblebee (G1)|Classic Bumblebee]]
**[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]
**[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]
**Private Cliffjumper

*[[Terence (AB)|Terence]] as:
**[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]]
**[[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]]
**[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]
**[[Hound (G1)|Hound]]
**[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]
**Specialist Ratchet
**Special Officer Hound
**Security Officer Ironhide
**Neon Ratchet
**Neon Hound
*[[Bubbles]] as:
**[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]
**[[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]]
**[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]
**[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]
**[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]
**[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
**[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]
**Private Sideswipe
**Private Mirage
**Private Red Alert
**Neon Sideswipe

{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}

*[[Hal]] as:
**[[Grimlock (AOE)|Grey Slam Grimlock]]
**Energon Grimlock
**[[Grimlock (G1)|Goldbite Grimlock]]
**[[Volcanicus (POTP)|Volcanicus]]

*[[Stella (AB)|Stella]] as:
**[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]
**[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]]
**[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]
**[[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]]
**[[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]]
**[[Greenlight]]
**Sergeant Chromia
**Sergeant Greenlight
**Scout Arcee
**Sharpshooter Moonracer
**Neon Chromia

*The [[Blues]] as:
**[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]
**[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]
**[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]
**[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]
**Major Prowl
**Neon Prowl

*[[Silver (AB)|Silver]] as:
**[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]
**Energon Windblade
**[[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]

*[[Bomb (AB)|Bomb]] as:
**[[Drift (G1)|Drift]]
**[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]
**[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
**[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]]
**[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]
**Sergeant Omega Supreme
**Engineer Wheeljack

*[[Matilda]] as:
**[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]
**Energon Nautica
**[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]]

*[[Mighty Eagle]] as:
**[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]
**[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]
**[[Kup (G1)|Kup]]
**Captain Alpha Trion

*[[Zeta (AB)|Zeta]] as:
**[[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]

{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
;Accessories
*[[Blaster (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Blaster]]
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Daniel (AB)|Daniel]]
*[[Dazzlestrike]]
*[[Dion (AB)|Dion]]
*[[Eject (AB)|Eject]]
*[[Guardian (AB)|Guardian]]
*[[Hi-Q#Angry Birds Transformers|HiQ]]{{sic}}
*[[Huffer (AB)|Huffer]]
*[[Metroplex (AB)|Metroplex]]
*[[Pipes (AB)|Pipes]]
*[[Ramhorn (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Ramhorn]]
*[[Rewind (AB)|Rewind]]
*[[Rosanna (AB)|Rosanna]]
*[[Steeljaw (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Steeljaw]]
*[[Stranglehold#Angry Birds Transformers|Stranglehold]]
*[[Stripes#Angry Birds Transformers|Stripes]]
*[[Sundor#Angry Birds Transformers|Sundor]]
*[[Wheelie (AB)|Wheelie]]

{{!}}}
|h2=[[Deceptihog]]s
|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[King Pig]] as:
**[[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon]]
**[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Ultimate Megatron]]
**[[Megatron (G1)|Dark Megatron]]
**[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]
**Energon Shockwave
**Energon Megatron
**Lord Megatron
**Major Shockwave
**Scout Brawl
**Lord Megatron Neon
**Neon Shockwave
**Neon Bludgeon

*[[Chef Pig]] as:
**[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]
**Energon Soundwave
**[[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]]
**[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]
**Major Soundwave
**Neon Soundwave

*[[Moustache Pig]] as:
**[[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]
**Energon Lockdown
**[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]]
**[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]]
**Sergeant Barricade
**Neon Barricade

*[[Corporal Pig]] as:
**[[Megatron (Movie)#Age of Extinction film|Galvatron]]
**Energon Galvatron
**[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]
**[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]
**[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]]
**[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]
**General Scorponok

{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}

*[[Minion Pig]] as:
**[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]
**Energon Starscream
**[[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]]
**[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]
**[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
**[[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]
**[[Strikebot|Strikebot bomber]]
**[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]
**[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]
**[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]
**[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
**[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
**Captain Starscream
**[[Ion Storm]]
**Sergeant Thundercracker
**[[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]]
**Sergeant Devastator
**Special Officer Skywarp
**Seeker Acid Storm
**Seeker Novastorm
**Seeker Ramjet
**Neon Starscream
**Neon Thundercracker

*[[Hal]] as:
**[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]

*[[Zeta (AB)|Zeta]] as:
**[[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]]
**Sergeant Nightbird

*[[Red (AB)|Red]] as:
**Captain Nemesis Prime

*[[Stella (AB)|Stella]] as:
**[[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]]
**Sergeant Flamewar

*[[Bomb (AB)|Bomb]] as:
**[[Drift (G1)|Private Deadlock]]

*[[Astrotrain (AB)|Astrotrain]]
*[[Professor Pig]]

{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}

;Accessories
*[[Baro#Angry Birds Transformers|Baro]]
*[[Beastbox (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Beastbox]]
*[[Brunt (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Brunt]]
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Frenzy (AB)|Frenzy]]
*[[Full-Tilt (AB)|Full-Tilt]]
*[[Kremzeek]]
*[[Laserbeak (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Laserbeak]]
*[[Megatron (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Megatron]]
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]
*[[Nightstick (G1)|Nightstick]]
*[[Ratbat (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Ratbat]]
*[[Ravage (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Ravage]]
*[[Reflector (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Reflector]]
*[[Rumble (AB)|Rumble]]
*[[Sentinel (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Sentinel]]
*[[Shrapnel (AB)|Shrapnel]]
*[[Squawktalk (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Squawktalk]]
*[[Wingthing (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Wingthing]]

{{!}}}
|h3=Eggbot Army
|c3=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
*[[Eggbot (AB)|Eggbots]]
*[[Minion Pig#As the Eggbot Army|Minion Pigs]]
*[[Walking Mortar Tower]]s
*[[Missile silo]]s
*[[Boss Pig]]
*[[Unicron Pig]]
*[[Boss Pig#Boss Bat Pig|Boss Bat Pig]]
*[[Monolith]]
{{!}}}
|nonumbering=true
}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>=Upcoming character.
:
{{anchor|Squads}}
;Squads
Completing character Squads is the key to bigger earnings, in many different ways. The more Squads you have filled out, the higher the max number of Coins unoccupied map spaces can accrue. Also, any character from a completed Squad earns a 50% Coins bonus once they finish a level. Luckily, any Squads you complete will ''stay'' checked as complete even if new characters are later added to them, so you don't have to worry about losing bonuses with game updates.

During many Challenge Events (see below), you can earn bonuses to your Event scores by using a character from the suggested Squad. For a while the chosen Squad changed every four hours with (mostly) randomized percentages, but currently stays set at a single squad for the duration of the Event, with a x4 score multiplier ''if'' the character has been "Promoted". (If this sounds like it's kind of complicated, well, it ''is'' kind of complicated.) Also note that not all squads are complete with 4 characters but will hopefully be filled out by more ones coming soon!

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Rescue Bots
*Optimus Prime
*Bumblebee
*Heatwave
*Ratchet
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Instruments of Destruction
*Soundwave
*Soundblaster
*Blaster
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Target<nowiki>:</nowiki> 2006
*Ultra Magnus
*Galvatron
*Jazz
*Hound
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Pure Warriors
*Lockdown
*Energon Lockdown
*Brawl
*Ironhide
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Seekers
*Energon Starscream
*Thundercracker
*Skywarp
*Starscream
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Energon Fueled
*Energon Grimlock
*Energon Soundwave
*Energon Galvatron
*Energon Optimus Prime
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Variant Versions
*Ultimate Megatron
*Ultimate Optimus Prime
*Goldbite Grimlock
*High Octane Bumblebee
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Leaders
*Bludgeon
*Sentinel Prime
*Grey Slam Grimlock
*Dark Megatron
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Valkyries
*Arcee
*Airachnid
*Windblade
*Chromia
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Brothers in Armor
*Prowl
*Bluestreak
*Smokescreen
*Beachcomber
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Iconic Transformers
*Epic Optimus Prime
*Nemesis Prime
*Energon Bumblebee
*Classic Bumblebee
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Hotrods
*Rodimus
*Dead End
*Ricochet
*Drift
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Cybertronians
*Shockwave
*Acid Storm
*Sunstorm
*Trypticon
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Wreckers
*Wheeljack
*Ultra Magnus
*Rodimus
*Moonracer
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Enslavers
*Scorponok
*Barricade
*Motormaster
*Nemesis Hot Rod
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Speedsters
*Sideswipe
*Red Alert
*Sunstreaker
*Mirage
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Energized
*Energon Windblade
*Energon Shockwave
*Energon Nautica
*Energon Megatron
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Femme Fatale
*Nautica
*Elita One
*Strongarm
*Novastar
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;VIP
*Alpha Trion
*Kup
*Cyclonus
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Specialists
*Breakdown
*Blurr
*Cliffjumper
*Nightbird
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Support
*Grapple
*Drag Strip
*Greenlight
*Warpath
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Combiners
*Devastator
*Superion
*Menasor
*Optimus Maximus
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Noughties
*Slipstream
*Flamewar
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Command
*General Optimus Prime
*Lord Megatron
*Major Ultra Magnus
*Major Shockwave
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Reinforcements
*Cosmos
*Ion Storm
*Nova Storm
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Coneheads
*Dirge
*Ramjet
*Thrust
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Gestalt
*Volcanicus
*Omega Supreme
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Officers
*Specialist Ratchet
*Captain Starscream
*Officer Prowl
*Officer Soundwave
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Operations
*Sergeant Chromia
*Sergeant Thundercracker
*Private Sideswipe
*Sergeant Barricade
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Ground Force
*Sergeant Greenlight
*Sergeant Flamewar
*Private Deadlock
*Private Mirage
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Sawbones Squad
*Private Red Alert
*Special Officer Hound
*Special Officer Skywarp
*Seeker Acid Storm
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Specialist Raiders
*Captain Nemesis Prime
*Sergeant Omega Supreme
*Sergeant Devastator
*Scout Arcee
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Hardboiled Warriors
*Sharpshooter Moonracer
*General Scorponok
*Private Cliffjumper
*Scout Brawl
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Misfits Squad
*Captain Alpha Trion
*Seeker Novastorm
*Security Officer Ironhide
*Sergeant Nightbird
|}

===Crystals===
Crystals are items used to to upgrade your characters, create [[Energonicon]]s, and buy and upgrade Accessories. Crystals are earned by completing map stages, won from Missions, rewarded from Daily Quests, or found in Crates. The amount of Crystals you can store is dictated by the level of the Silo; the Silo can be upgraded using Coins and Crystals, which not only lets you store larger numbers and higher levels of Crystals, but increases the number and rarity of Crystals rewarded upon stage completion. Any Crystals won that exceed the Silo's capacity are converted to Coins.

Crystals come in five grades, and the quality of Crystal dictates what it can be used for: Accessories must be bought/upgraded with Crystals matching their color code, for example.
<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="4" style="width:65%" align="center"
|-
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Crystal Grade'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Color'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Silo Maximum Capacity'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Coin Value'''
|-
|Common
|White
|100
|200
|-
|Uncommon
|Blue
|80
|600
|-
|Rare
|Green
|60
|1,800
|-
|Epic
|Purple
|40
|4,800
|-
|Legendary
|Gold
|20
|15,000
|-
|}
</center>

Crystals can also be made in Professor Pig's lab by combining three lower-grade Crystals and a sum of Coins to make one higher-grade Crystal, with the Coin cost increasing dramatically for higher grades. As this game pours on the Common Crystals and is super-stingy with Epics and Legendaries, you are likely going to have to do this to advance past a certain point at anything faster than a snail's pace. Also you cannot craft with legendary crystals as of now, hopefully soon at least.

;Materials
[[File:ABTF-screen MaterialSilo.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Prior to the March/April 2020 mega-update (aka the first five-plus years of the game's life), upgrades were handled with "Materials". The general principle is the same as Crystals, only these were ''only'' for upgrading characters and the Silo. Also, Materials could not be reliably merged to make higher-grade ones; you could toss them into Professor Pig's machine for a ''chance'' to get higher-grade Materials, but it was a roulette spin that could result in Coins or Gems as well, depending on the Materials dumped in.
<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:65%" align="center"
|-
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Material Level'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Autobird Material'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Deceptihog Material'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Silo Maximum Capacity'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Coin Value'''
|-
|Level 1
|[[Birdium]]
|[[Pig Iron]]
|<s>15</s> 35
|60
|-
|Level 2
|[[Autocog]]
|[[Deceptigear]]
|<s>15</s> 35
| 60
|-
|Level 3
|[[Anger Chip]]
|[[Badness Processor]]
|<s>12</s> 22
| 150
|-
|Level 4
|[[Super Rareium]]
|Super Rareium
|<s>5</s> 15
| 600
|-
|}
</center>

{{-}}

===Space Bridge Missions===
In addition to the stages, there are [[space bridge|Space Bridge]] Missions that your characters can complete in order to earn Crystals, Gems, or even new characters (Arcee, Airachnid, Prowl, and Bluestreak), disincluding the hard missions (yeah don’t know about that one.) There are three Space Bridges difficulties —Easy, Medium, and Hard— progressively unlocked by clearing more of the map of clouds. Each Space Bridge also has three Missions to choose from when open, with three different time requirements: the longer the Mission (up to 48 hours!), the better the potential prizes.

Missions are played by selecting characters from your available roster: they are then unable to be played in most other modes until the Mission timer runs out. (For some reason, this does not apply to Jenga.) You can cut the Mission short by spending Gems, but this is rarely ever worth it given the payout potential. The Easy Bridge lets you send two characters at first, and the other two only one character each, but you can permanently unlock more slots in each one through Gem spending for a maximum of three characters at each level. Whether or not this is worth it hinges heavily on how long you plan to play the game; unlocking slots is a bit expensive, but can pay off in the long run.

Every Mission has a "type" icon: a light bulb (intelligence), a magnifying glass (investigation), or a missile (firepower), which helps the player determine which character would be most suited for completing it. The higher the level your character is at, the higher they'll score in the Mission. Once you have your character(s) selected, you are able to use popped Pigs as "reinforcements" to reduce the Mission timer up to half its original runtime (which can easily cost a couple thousand Pig points, but those are really easy to amass).

When the Mission is completed, the result screen bar fills up, earning you a key for every "level", up to five total (you always automatically get one key regardless of performance). You also get the option to watch an ad to earn one additional key. These keys are used to unlock the five prize boxes presented to you. Pick blindly and pray! If you don't have enough keys to unlock all five prizes, you can spend Gems (because of course you can) to collect the remaining presents (10 each for Easy, 20 for Medium, and 30 for Hard), but this is really ''only'' worth it for unlocking new characters. Even 10 Gems for a handful of common Crystals is a joke. Two level-15 characters can win all five Easy prizes most of the time without an ad watch, and two 15s can usually get five Mediums with an ad. Two 15s at Hard can usually get four with an ad watch.

Given how many characters you can amass, this is a pretty simple way to gather Crystals (and Coins if your Silo is full) and Gems (though this prize is a lot less common than before the 2020 Crystal-based update) over time with minimal effort. It's a good idea to max-level some of the "lesser" characters who aren't so great at mass destruction and dedicate them to Space Bridge Missions.

{{-}}

===Challenge Events===
[[File:ABTF-screen ChallengeEvent.jpg|left|300px|thumb]]
Starting in late 2015, the game introduced Challenge Events, five-to-ten-day-long themed events with the lure of prizes including unique unlockable characters and Accessories. While sparse at first, by mid-2016 events were popping up ''really'' frequently. Now, Challenge Events run six days every week, starting Friday and ending Wednesday at 00:00 UTC, with Thursday a respite and token-spending time.

Each day of an Event, the player is pit against 19 randomly-selected others at the same level (across the whole player base!) in a race to tally the most points within 24 hours by destroying as much stuff as possible in separate event stages, with key targets being worth more points than normal; most items only cough up 1 point when destroyed, but daily targets can be worth 5 points (common blocks) 15 points (enemies, special objects) or 75 points (Walking Mortar Towers). Entering a Challenge stage takes one "battery" of energy from the Challenge selection; the player starts with four, and spent batteries will recharge after an hour, one at a time. ''Of course'' you can spend Gems to speed up the process and instantly go back to four full batteries, but that cost increases every time: the first recharge costs 10 Gems, the next 20, then 40, 60, 80, then up to 100 for each recharge. Thankfully, that charge resets to the lowest amount each new day of the event.

In the earliest events, players could only take a single already-unlocked character and an [[Energonicon]] into the event with them. Eventually this changed, and depending on the event, you might be able to choose from your entire roster of unlocked characters, only certain members you've unlocked that match the event theme, or even "trial" characters you don't have yet who you can permanently unlock for the first time through the event you're playing there and now. Sometimes you can choose two characters and swap back and forth between the two (with a delay in recall time, of course). In all events, choosing characters from specific Teams will add a multiplier bonus to your final score (currently x4), though given the potential dangers, one must take care to decide if the bonus is worth it if the bonus-giving characters aren't well-suited to taking out the target of choice for the day. You can further boost your score by "promoting" characters, giving them an extra 5% bonus to your score per "rank" at the end of a run. To do this, you must spend "Sparks" which are earned and won in a variety of ways. Naturally, the higher the rank, the more Sparks you need.

Challenges are rewarded with Tokens, earned by reaching certain accumulated score milestones (milestones and prize amounts now vary from day to day), and according to your rank at the end of the 24-hour period (from 100 to 1000). These Tokens carry over from prior days' challenges up until the end of the event, and are spent on prizes including new characters, instant level-ups and Accessories for select characters, Sparks, and Coins. Accessories are often less costly to obtain in Challenges than via normal Gem purchase. There is a 1-day token exchange period after each event ends, so some can spend the tokens they may have won from the final day's competition... and any ''new'' Tokens awarded through other means during the exchange period. If there's something you want that you're shy of Token-wise, you can make up the cost with Gems, at a conversion rate of 2 Tokens per Gem.

Tokens cannot be carried over between different Challenge Events, and will be lost if not spent. Representatives from [[Rovio]]/[[Exient]] once raised the possibility of doing so, but that was years ago and nothing's come of it so pfffffft.

:''For a rundown of the history of Challenge Events, see [[Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)/Challenge Events]].''
{{-}}

===Achievements===
Of course this game has Achievements. Why wouldn't it? These one-time milestones reward you with Gems for the various tasks presented. Many of these Achievements have different levels indicated by stars, meaning multiple prizes can be earned with increasing amounts of doing the thing. Over the course of normal play you should hit most of them without really trying, like traveling so much distance or doing X amount of damage. But some require extra effort... and a few so much effort that it's questionable if it's even worth trying.
{{-}}

===Daily Quests===
[[File:ABTF-screen DailyQuest.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Starting in September 2016, the game added Daily Quests, which are like the normal Achievements, but on a much smaller scale. Every 24 hours (starting at midnight via the clock on the player's device), eleven Quests are opened up (up from eight originally, more were added to account for some things the player may not have unlocked yet), each earning a prize for completion.

Quests can range from simple stuff like destroying enough of a certain type of block or popping enough Pigs, creating items at the Lab, doing other daily tasks, and etc, to more difficult feats like pulling off slow-mo [[Monolith]] dodges or blocking Missiles, and even esoteric stuff like thanking enough buddies after normal levels (or not thanking them at all!). The prizes can be Pig points, Coins, Gems, Crystals, and even Tokens. The eleventh Quest, always at the top of the board, with a four-part prize, is earned only by completing eight other Quests within the 24 hours.

Over the course of the game, many quests were dropped completely, and others made to appear less frequently. Currently, these Daily Quests are always in the mix:

* Complete 8 other quests
* Visit the Piglab and craft something
* Open 5 Crates
* Start a Spark Run
* Start a Challenge Run
* Play Jenga

{{-}}

===Daily Reward===
[[File:Angry-Birds-Daily-Reward-Cave-Locked.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Angry-Birds-Daily-Reward-After-Cave-Unlocked.jpg|thumb]]
Every 24 hours, you can collect a Daily Prize. All you do is click on it when the screen pops up automatically. However, in order to get the larger prizes, you need to log into the game every day: missing days will reset the weekly timer back to the first day. Yeah.

You have the option to watch an ad to double your Daily Prize, but this is good only once a week. Best to save it for the seventh-day prize of 10 Gems, turning it into 20.
{{-}}

===Jenga stage===
Down at the beach, there's the Jenga stage, shaped like the large [[Hal|Grimlock Bird]] Jenga toy that you could buy in stores. This mini-game remains locked until you use an unlocking code found in any of the ''Angry Birds Transformers Jenga'' toys which was removed in an update. Or just pay $15 instead.

Once open, this stage is a fair bit different. First you pick a Driver and a Gunner from a fixed set of characters (unaffected by who you have unlocked or away on Missions or upgrading). The Driver then travels along a path, gathering free-floating Coins and smashing through block towers. There are holes in the path, so sometimes you need to hit the turbo button for a burst of speed to carry you over. The turbo boost will drain quickly, so overuse can leave you dry when the big jump comes up. The goal is to gather as many coins and clear out as many blocks as possible and make it to the end for a higher score. Falling into a pit doesn't end the level, it just ends the Driver's turn and makes the Gunner's turn that little bit more difficult. (This part of the game earns you no points, by the way.)

The Gunner then runs through a different path further out, and their job is to clear out as many blocks from inside the giant Grimlock Bird frame with their firepower. Naturally, this is easier if the Driver has cleared out the block towers that stood between the Gunner path and the frame. The more blocks that are destroyed or at least knocked completely out of the frame, the higher your score.

So why do this? Your Jenga scores accumulate over the course of 24 hours, and reaching 300 points nets you a prize. Often this is just a sum of Coins, no big whoop and not really worth it. But it's worth checking back every day, because the prize changes every 24 hours, and sometimes it's a cache of 10 Gems. Spending five minutes to get 10 Gems isn't bad, given how stingy the game can be with giving away the premium currency. Also, what happens in Jenga mode counts towards your Daily Quests: every block you smash or Pig you pop, and every time you finish the "event" counts. It can be a very quick way to knock out a couple of Quests at no cost other than a few minutes' time.

{{note|Bumblebee seems to be the best choice for the Driver, while Bludgeon works best as the Gunner thanks to his wide multi-shot cannon.. at first. Energon Starscream or Lockdown with explosive rounds can ''really'' clean up. The available characters in Jenga mode have changed over the course of the game, eliminating certain characters whose weapons are designed for easy mass block destruction without augmentation.}}
{{-}}

===Spark Run===
[[File:ABTFScreen-Sparkrun.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Introduced March 2017, the Spark Run lets you earn Sparks (''only'' Sparks; you don't earn any Pigs or Coins in this mode) by destroying everything you can in a special extra-long stage that goes through five random areas, with transitions through caves. You select three characters, and should your first 'bot go down, the next one you selected takes his place. You can also use a random character specially power-boosted for the Spark Run... but you're better off prioritizing your promoted characters. Promoted characters can be used to increase the final score, which you'll need as eventually there's simply not enough stuff to destroy in a run to achieve the scores needed for a full reward. Earn enough spark and the next difficulty level will be unlocked, each level adding 10 additional Sparks to the initial prize of 100, increasing your score goals, and increasing the offensive power of enemies. The Spark Run can be played once a day, but can be reactivated for 100 Gems (regardless of how little time is left until the normal reset). If all of your bots go down, well, don't worry. You get to keep all the Spark you earned on the run. However the run ends, you can watch an add to earn an extra 10% of your Spark rewards.

Gold blocks give the most amount of spark points, so be sure to destroy all of them!

Watch out for Pigs with special buffs: some deal painfully more damage, others regenerate health, some are shielded and immune to un-augmented small arms fire, some are lightning-fast, and some have massively buffed health!

There have been a number of improvements to the Spark Run over multiple updates, including raising difficulty level caps, and adding two permanently-unlockable character slots, at 1000 and 2500 Gems each (the usefulness of these unlocks is... ''questionable'' if you're not spending real money on Gems, as gathering 1000 can take some time even with dedicated daily play).

In a June 2020 update, Spark Run was given a drastic change. This update caused a downgrade of only one free character slot instead of three, and Coins or Pigs now have to be paid in order to start Spark Runs. Usually one week it’s pigs, the next it’s coins, and the amount increases with higher difficulties. Instead of five score goals with equal amounts of Sparks, you now have one score goal, and failure to reach this goal would result in no Sparks being awarded. Spark Runs are now either shorter or longer than previous, with higher difficulties awarding more Sparks, and level one offering 10 Sparks. The option to reactivate was no longer available, instead showing a locked symbol for some reason, and a Challenge Event's bonus squad would also have a 4x multiplier.

{{-}}

===Crates===
In a September 2017 update, Crates were introduced which give various prizes, which fall under five rarities. Steel Crates give common, uncommon, or rare prizes that can be purchased for 15000 coins each; ''finally'' something to spend the coins you've stockpiled in the millions on. Opening ten at a time for 150,000 Coins gives a guaranteed Rare prize. Gold Crates can give rare, epic, or legendary prizes, as well as special seasonal accessories, and can be purchased for 200 Gems each. Yeah, a bit of a grind. Opening ten at a time costs a whopping 1800 Gems (-10%) off and gives a guaranteed epic prize. And a really rare chance of a new character. You also get 10 gold crates for free when starting a new save and the chance of a really rare character. Yowza.

Crates can also be purchased in Challenge Events for Tokens, and follow the same rules there.

Crates are also rewards in the War Pass and Prime Pass, with Steel Crates being additional rewards for going past level 50.

You used to be able to get one free Steel Crate every day with the possibility of unlocking a few Steel and/or Gold Crates, but a March 2020 update erased that and replaced it for random ads to get one for free after going off the tab. Usually 2 times a day.

{{-}}

===Shockwave's Spire===
This feature introduced in December 2017 was quite a gamble! Shockwave's Spire was essentially the same as ''Angry Birds 2''{{'}}s Tower of Fortune. There were several floors that each have four cards from which you pick one and get various prizes: most floors have sums of Coins, Gems, Sparks and Tokens behind each card. Every five floors, the prizes were all Accessories. The higher you went, the larger the sums, the better the prizes and higher the rarity, all the way to Legendary-class prizes at floor 90.

The gamble came from the ever-present one-in-four chance of getting a Pig card (except on Accessory floors, those are all safe), which stops you cold and takes all your accumulated prizes. You can reverse this and keep going with two options: watching an ad, or paying some Gems. The Gem cost would naturally increase significantly each time you made a gambling blunder, starting with 10 and basically doubling every time. You can only watch an ad once however. It was always a good idea to play up until the first Pig card, watch the ad, pick a different card from the same floor, then stop for the day. It was a good way to ''really'' level up some of the lower-tier accessories, especially ones that boost defense.

Once you exited, Shockwave's Spire wouldn't be available to play again (not even Gem skips!) until the next day. Visiting the Spire was always one of the Daily Quests, rewarding you with a mere 2 Gems, but it was an easy one to tick off to finish the "Complete 8 other Quests" Quest.

In the big "2.0" update, Shockwave's Spire could be visited for one last time on March 26 before having a timer that ran until April 1, 2020 at 00:00 UTC. Once that timer ran out, you could seemingly visit the Spire again, only for the head to blow off of the tower, the rubble now holding the place for the War Pass.
{{-}}

===Challenge Run===
Introduced in August 2019, Challenge Run is a week-long competition running Monday to Sunday, requiring at least one member of the "Combiners" or “Gestalt” team to participate. It is unlocked alongside the jungle area which costs a whopping 2500 gems for the jungle and challenge run (or just jungle if you don’t have a combiner) or 3500 gems for jungle, challenge run and Devastator if you don’t have him. Each day, you pick one of your Combiners to send on an infinite chain of levels, with the goal of destroying as much stuff as possible before your health is worn down by the ever-increasingly-deadly enemies, trying for the biggest score you can get, with said score being multiplied by the character's Rank just as in competitions and Spark Runs. Points are awarded for both destruction caused and distance covered. "Safe Zones" between each level give you the chance to regain some lost life. However, the difficulty level spikes ''hard'' after the first level, with quick-aiming,
hard-hitting enemies being liberally sprinkled on the ground as you go, and even a Level 15 bot will be hard pressed to clear even three areas. You get three "batteries" per day (similar to the weekly competitions), and can recharge them for Gems: 10 for the first recharge, and double the sum every subsequent one.

At the end of the first six days, the top 10 players in your block of 20 are advanced to the next League: there are seven leagues in all. Your actual placement in the first six days doesn't really matter outside of being in that top 50%, though the closer you are to 10th place, the more likely you are to get bumped towards the end of the day. On Sunday, your placement within the League dictates the quality of prizes you win. Every player is granted ten random prizes at the end of Sunday's run, and the higher your ranking, the better the prize quality.

The Challenge Run is also one of the Daily Quests after unlocked.
{{-}}

===War Pass===
Introduced in April 2020, the War Pass and Prime Pass were the game's way of having seasons (like any other free game on the market these days), having players choose to ally themselves with either the Autobirds or Deceptihogs at the beginning of the season with Autobirds giving %10 Attack and Deceptihogs giving %10 Defence. The War Pass is free, and offers various rewards, including Coins, Pigs, Gems, Spark, Crates, Crystals and Tokens. The Prime Pass is a whopping $19.99 per season (ha ha no), offers more of the aforementioned rewards, ''AND'' exclusive Characters and Accessories. In order to progress with either pass, you need to pop lots of Pigs, and you unfortunately cannot contribute your already popped Pigs to the pass. Both Passes have 50 tiers, Prime Pass (obviously) offering more rewards than the War Pass. To view your progress on the season, you can either visit the rubble of Shockwave's Spire or look at your level badge, where a smaller number under your level tells you what tier you have.

==Ads and upsells==
[[File:ABTF-screen BuyGems.jpg|thumb|300px|Keep in mind the average, decent Accessory costs are roughly 400 Gems. Better ones 800~1000 or so.]]
It's a free game, so how does Rovio make its money? By copious amounts of ads (largely for other games) and by enticing you to spend real currency on in-game currency.

The ads can actually have a gameplay effect, in a disturbingly clever move. After completing any stage, you are given the option to watch a short video ad; doing so doubles your end-of-stage Pig & Coin rewards. Similarly, when opening a Daily Reward, you can watch an ad to double the reward. Like we already said, upon completeing a Space Bridge Mission, you can watch an ad to obtain an extra key. When choosing a partner for a stage, you will also get a prompt to watch an ad; doing so gives your partner a one-stage stat boost and ups the amount of time they can stay in-play. However, you can only watch so many ads within a set amount of time, so choose which bonuses you go for wisely. You can also watch an ad to repair a character instantly; there does not appear to be any limit to this.

Spending real monies allows you to buy large numbers of Gems, which are used to buy Accessories, speed up character upgrades and repairs, interrupt the Eggbot terraforming to make a stage playable sooner, and about a billion other small things all over the game. Gem packages range from 150 for $4.49 US to 5200 for '''''$99.99''''' which what the hell who even spends that much money on these things?! And considering that mere ''accessories'', can run up to 1000 Gems, with most of the "buddy character" ones in the 850 range? Yeesh. From time to time there will be "sales" which either cut the prices down a bit or give you more Gems in each package, but come on. You can also use real money to buy characters you've not unlocked yet, but man is it so not worth it.

Depending on who you ask, according to many reviewers, if you had to do a wipe or ever lose your files for some reason, you can lose all your progress. People have gotten their characters leveled up to the max, which costs hundreds of thousands of gold coins or thousands of gems (read: lots and lots of grinding or real monies) only for it to be all for naught. But now that's not much of a problem since you can cloud save your progress with the Game Center on IOS or a Facebook account on Android.
{{-}}

==Notes==
* [[FIRRIB|Frenzy is red, Rumble is blue.]]
* This is the third ''Angry Birds'' crossover game, the first being with the ''{{w|Rio (2011 film)|Rio}}'' films and the second being with the undisputed king of cross-promotion, ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]''.
* This is also the second 3D ''Angry Birds'' title, with prior games using 2D graphics save the racing game ''Angry Birds Go!'' (also developed by Exient, which also got a [[Hasbro]] toyline).
* You can alter a device's time to make the upgrades, Missions and other timed aspects go faster, although if you go too far or revert to current time, you'll get an error message about "Time travel detected! Your characters have suffered" and you'll be slapped on the wrist by getting them downgraded in relation to how far away from real time you were. So maybe don't do that.

===References===
This game is loaded with tiny jokes and references to Transformers lore.

* The character designs pull from a broad mix of generations. While (obviously) [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] gets the most representation, there are also elements from the [[Live-action film series|live-action movies]], ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (franchise)|Rescue Bots]]'' and ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]''. Each character also has a number of wearable accessories, many of which are based on wider ''Transformers'' lore. (See individual character pages for the rundown on each.)
*The initial loading screen has numerous nods to more specific (and occasionally obscure) bits of Transformers lore:
{{collist|3|
:*"[[Mechanical Difficulties!|Crowning Grimlock]]"
:*"Rhyming with [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]"
:*"[[Target: 2006|Targeting 2006]]"
:*"Seeing if we've got [[The Touch]]"
:*"[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2|Dueling on dams]]"
:*"Rebuilding [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]"
:*"[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|Hailing Megatron]]"
:*"Pouring water on [[scraplet]]s"
:*"Practicing [[Metallikato]]"
:*"Crashing the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]"
:*"Rebooting [[Teletraan (disambiguation)|Teletraan 1]]"
:*"Spying on [[Soundwave (disambiguation)|Soundwave]]"
:*"Unlocking Lockdown"
:*"Having a taste of our own electro-medicine"
:*"[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1|Satisfying logic circuits]]"
:*"[[Atlantis, Arise!|Enjoying hospitality]] of [[Sub-Atlantica]]"
:*"[[Day of the Machines|Detecting a rat named Megatron]]"
:*"[[Return of the Dino Bot|Thanking the Eggspark for hot, brown water]]"
:*"Trying out [[Jet judo|Jet Judo]]"
:*"De-stinging the Stinger"
:*"Transforming Jazz. Fiddly!"
}}
* The music for the game was composed by [[Vince DiCola]] (with [[Kenny Meriedeth]]), who did the score for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Pig City events have [[:File:AB Soundwave Lambpost.jpg|familiar-looking lampposts]] and purple Cybertronian shuttles strewn all over the level that can be easily destroyed.
* The (removed) building for friend activity resembles [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s city mode. But it returned in a different location as the new Sparkrun mode.
* Most of the accesories to the characters are based on different characters, items, and tools from different continuties.

== External links ==
* [http://www.cnet.com/news/angry-birds-transformers-takes-wing-as-new-app-and-toys/ Angry Birds Transformers takes wing as new app and toys]
* [http://transformers.angrybirds.com/ Official Website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Angry Birds}}
[[Category:Generation 1 video games]]
[[Category:Mobile games]]

Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)

2024-05-25T23:51:29Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

{{Nav-ABTF}}
{{videogame
|title=''Angry Birds Transformers''
|image=Angry birds transformers.jpg
|caption=It's happening.
|developer=[[Rovio]] & [[Exient]]
|publisher=Rovio Entertainment
|date=[[October 15]], 2014 (iOS) [[October 30]], 2014 (Android)
|platforms=Apple iOS 10+ (iPad, iPhone) Android
|ratings=
}}
'''''Angry Birds Transformers''''' is a mobile app for both iPhone and Android platforms developed by Exient and published by [[Rovio]] in 2014. It is a themed version of the publisher's mega-popular mobile game ''{{w|Angry Birds}}''.

As of RIGHT NOW, no really, '''RIGHT NOW''', it is still live and still updating with new competitions and characters. Wow.

{{note|This game has changed its rules many times for various sub-games and systems over the course of its run. In March 2020, the game underwent a fairly substantial update that changed a '''lot''' of these systems; we're currently working on a fairly extensive overhaul to both account for these expansive changes and still accurately show how the game ran for over seven years. '''EDITORIAL NOTE''': the changes are centered on player progression and grinding that to a complete tortured crawl.}}

==Synopsis==
The "[[AllSpark#Angry Birds Transformers comic|EggSpark]]" has landed on [[Piggy Island]], transforming its dueling inhabitants and giving them bodies and powers based on the Transformers: the birds of the [[Flock]] become [[Autobird]]s and the [[Bad Piggies]] the [[Deceptihog]]s. The two sides briefly continue their struggle with these new powers until they are both threatened by another transformed group, the [[Eggbot (AB)|Eggbot]]s, who seek to transform all of Piggy Island into metal, backed by countless robotized [[Minion Pig]]s.

Most of the Autobirds and all of the Deceptihogs are captured leaving only [[Red (AB)|Red]] (who has the powers of [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]]) free. The leader of the Flock (you know him well) heads out to free the Autobirds ''and'' Deceptihogs, for only by joining forces can they restore Piggy Island to normal!

==Gameplay==
The game is a bit of a deviation from the normal ''Angry Birds'' formula, but the core goal remains the same: toppling block towers to pop the Bad Piggies on them. And, this being a "freemium" game, there's lots and lots of other things to do and sub-systems to keep you busy.

===Basic gameplay===
Once you select an available stage from the map of Piggie Island, your character runs along the foreground at a set speed, as block towers scroll by in the background. By tapping the screen, your character takes aim and fires their weapon. You can also hold-and-drag to fire in a spread (if the character's weapon isn't a single-shot blast), or press the "Auto" button to let the computer do the targeting for you (though it isn't very efficient). Each character has a different weapon which determines how you tackle a level; some must take out key blocks to cause a domino effect, some are better at hitting enemies directly, and some are just obliteration machines taking out anything even ''near'' the target.

Common block types include:
:*'''Ice Blocks''': Very weak, easily shattered (1 Coin)
:*'''Wood Blocks''': Fairly sturdy but not hard to break (2 Coins)
:*'''Stone Blocks''': Very durable, better for pushing than breaking (3 Coins)
:*'''TNT Blocks''': Easily-broken crates that explode with a considerable radius, sending blocks flying. In Challenge Events (see below) these can have other side effects.
:*'''Coin Blocks''': Golden blocks that spit out Coins with every hit. Pretty dang sturdy and come in different sizes but if you destroy them, you earn a lot of Coins (50~250 Coins).

Each stage is also littered with cyberformed scenery with blinky lights; blasting these releases an [[Energon cube]]. If the character is accompanied by an [[Energonicon]], the cube is used to fuel its special power, activated by tapping the icon. A fully upgraded Energonicon cannot make use of more than three cubes, so timely tapping to spend the energy before obtaining more is key. Energonicons can be upgraded to hold up to three cubes; these are all spent at once, but more cubes generally means the Energonicon's effects/attacks remain active longer.

The goal is to make it to the end of the stage, weathering or avoiding attacks from armed Piggies and other enemies and obstacles. You can transform to vehicle mode to avoid falling [[Monolith]]s or evade enemy fire, but bear in mind the longer you stay in vehicle mode, the more likely enemies will adjust their fire to hit you. (Thankfully Monoliths will always miss.) The more destruction you cause on the way, the more Coins you get to buy upgrades and explore new areas, and the more Pigs you pop, the more Pig points you earn to shorten Mission times (see below).

If you lose all your life in a level, the character is picked up by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. You can then spend some [[Gem]]s to immediately put them back into the fight (rarely worth it), or let the timer run out and quit the level. If you quit, you will not earn Piggie points for the level, but you do keep some of the Coins you collected. Health does not restore between levels normally, so if a character is low you must take action to repair them. You can spend Coins to do so, but this takes them out of the game for a while in real-time, even when the game is off. You can repair a bot instantly by spending Gems (also rarely worth it), or you can skip all that and immediately restore them to full health by watching an ad (up to 30 seconds long) or scanning their transformable figure (if they have one) with a [[Telepod]]. There are a few other methods of healing, but most of the time you're going to want to go with an ad watch.

New stages and map areas are opened up by unlocking and leveling up characters, your Rank being the sum total of all your available characters' levels. Every 5 or 10 Rank settings lets you clear the clouds away from a new area of Piggy Island, with a new bot to unlock to boot. After a point new areas need to be unlocked by special means: the Caves can only be unlocked by using 10000 Plasma earned in Challenge Events, Daily Quests, Daily Rewards, and Crates. The Jungle (which contains the "Challenge Run" competition) needs a certain number of Gems to unlock; there's a "just the Jungle" package and a "Jungle + Challenge Run + Devastator" bundles as well.

Cleared stages will slowly accumulate Coins over real-time, maxing out after about four hours, with the maximum amount increasing with every character Squad you complete (again, see below). Tapping on the Coins on the map adds them to your bank. However, roaming Eggbots will re-cyberform cleared stages, which removes their Coin bonuses. You can see which stages they are working on, how long the cyberforming process will take, and even interrupt their work (at the cost of Gems), giving you the chance to pelt an Eggbot in-level for extra Coins. Cyberforming too goes on in real-time. Once a stage is re-cyberformed, it can be played again. There are also randomly spawning treasure chests on the map; tap them to earn various amounts of Gems, aka "premium currency", with the highest amount being at least 12. But most of the time the amount lies between 1 and 5, because yeah; “premium currency.”

In a "2.0" update in March 2020, stages would now last for a limited time (the game says the timer is 24 hours, but stages have shown timers way before 24 hours), setting an hour timer to complete the stage before automatically clearing it.

===Character Choices===
Every stage has a pre-set character you control, based on who you've rescued so far. Every character has a different style of attack, movement speed, and armor rating. Working out the strengths and weaknesses of each character is key to high scores, and in some cases simple survival.

New characters can be added to your roster in a few different ways. In-game, a set of "starter" characters are held captive in ice blocks on the map, one per area, and you must "spend" a specific number of popped Piggies to break them out. You then have to play a short level with that character, and if they make it to the end, they're yours to keep. If not, they are re-frozen, but thankfully you can try again without having to spend all those hard-earned Piggy points again. There are also many, ''many'' other characters who can be unlocked via Space Bridge Missions (see below) or Challenge Events (also see below).

Out-of-game, this is where you can spend actual-factual money, on the [[Angry Birds Transformers (toyline)|tie-in toys]]. By placing one of the figures on a [[Telepod]] and placing ''that'' on your device's camera lens, the game reads the code on the figure and inserts it into the game for a limited amount of time (currently 24 hours). While the characters unlocked this way are only available temporarily until unlocked via Piggie points, there is no limit on how often you can scan the figure, plus any upgrade progress is saved. You can also use this method to power-up already-unlocked characters (once every 24 hours) or instantly repair them (no limits on how many times you can do this).

;Improving characters
Every character can be upgraded multiple times (nominal maximum level for characters is 15, but they can be upgraded further than that in select Challenge Events) by spending Coins and Materials, which (of course) takes them out of play for a while. Each upgrade is pre-set, increasing attack strength, armor strength, or vehicle mode duration. At certain levels, their Energon capacity is increased, and these levels vary from character to character. You can spend much-rarer Gems to make the upgrade happen instantly; the closer the upgrades are to complete, the fewer Gems you need to spend. Upgrading characters is ''vital'' as the levels get harder and harder, not to mention in the phone version you can only unlock new areas with an overall player level, which is raised by upgrading your characters. This isn't the case in the tablet version where you can spend Gold Coins to unlock new areas. You can only have one character undergoing an upgrade at a time.

Characters can also be upgraded inside Astrotrain by customizing them with Accessories. These extra items cost Gems (at least here, there are many other places to unlock Accessories) and not only alter the characters' appearance, but boost stats, or imbue special abilities to weapons. One Accessory can be placed on a character's head, face, chest, arms and back each. Some Challenge Events have special exclusive Accessories you can't buy with Gems! Accessories can also be leveled up by re-winning them in various other game mode, improving their buffs or even adding a secondary stat buff! With luck and time you can turn a simple +5% Defense item into a +50% or higher buff! As most Accessories are character-specific, see each character's page for more detailed information.

;Call-in Buddies
[[File:Angry-Birds-Transformers-Call-in-buddy-Energon-Bumblebee-Chuck.jpg|thumb|New characters are frequently "previewed" as call-in buddies before they're properly available.]]
Soon you get the option to have a second character on standby, who you can call in and have the computer control for a brief period. They enter the stage in slow motion with a massive shockwave that does damage to most everything within the blast radius, obliterating Ice Blocks but only damaging tougher targets. These characters will warp out after a few seconds, then you must wait for their meter to re-charge before calling them back in. However, there's a limit to when you are able to call in a partner; once you see [[Astrotrain (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Astrotrain]] fly overhead, your partner's no longer available. On the other hand, the stage is close to over! But if your partner is ''already'' out when you hit that checkpoint, then they will stay active until the very end of the level, nice for really piling on the destruction.

You get to chose one of two partners (or three if you have a Facebook friend) before you start the stage, and if you don't like those character choices, you can change them by spending some Coins. Partners are either randomly generated (which can let you see characters you haven't unlocked yet), or pulled from the character rosters of your friends if you've connected to the game via Facebook or Google+ or iTunes or whatever the social network stuff the kids are into these days is, with a timer of 5–15 seconds based on the transformer's level. You can also watch an ''ad'' to lock the times to 15 seconds. If you called on them in the level, you can "thank" them afterward. Doing so gives the other player a nominal reward (either a Gem or 25 Coins), while not thanking them simply tells the other player that while you're grateful for the firepower assist, you don't think they deserve any actual compensation. You jerk. However this seems to be only for your friends if you use the social network support. When you don't have friends or don't believe in social media, you get random users to help, and if people use your characters and you're not friends with them via social network you don't get any rewards if they thank you.
{{-}}

====Featured characters====
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobird]]s
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Red (AB)|Red]] as:
**[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]
**Energon Optimus Prime
**Ultimate Optimus Prime
**[[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]
**Epic Optimus
**[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]
**General Optimus Prime
**[[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]
**Major Ultra Magnus
**Captain Nemesis Prime
**General Optimus Prime Neon
**Neon Ultra Magnus

*[[Chuck (AB)|Chuck]] as:
**[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
**High-Octane Bumblebee
**[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]
**Energon Bumblebee
**[[Rodimus Unicronus|Nemesis Hot Rod]]
**[[Bumblebee (G1)|Classic Bumblebee]]
**[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]
**[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]
**Private Cliffjumper

*[[Terence (AB)|Terence]] as:
**[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]]
**[[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]]
**[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]
**[[Hound (G1)|Hound]]
**[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]
**Specialist Ratchet
**Special Officer Hound
**Security Officer Ironhide
**Neon Ratchet
**Neon Hound
*[[Bubbles]] as:
**[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]
**[[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]]
**[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]
**[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]
**[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]
**[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
**[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]
**Private Sideswipe
**Private Mirage
**Private Red Alert
**Neon Sideswipe

{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}

*[[Hal]] as:
**[[Grimlock (AOE)|Grey Slam Grimlock]]
**Energon Grimlock
**[[Grimlock (G1)|Goldbite Grimlock]]
**[[Volcanicus (POTP)|Volcanicus]]

*[[Stella (AB)|Stella]] as:
**[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]
**[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]]
**[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]
**[[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]]
**[[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]]
**[[Greenlight]]
**Sergeant Chromia
**Sergeant Greenlight
**Scout Arcee
**Sharpshooter Moonracer
**Neon Chromia

*The [[Blues]] as:
**[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]
**[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]
**[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]
**[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]
**Major Prowl
**Neon Prowl

*[[Silver (AB)|Silver]] as:
**[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]
**Energon Windblade
**[[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]

*[[Bomb (AB)|Bomb]] as:
**[[Drift (G1)|Drift]]
**[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]
**[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
**[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]]
**[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]
**Sergeant Omega Supreme
**Engineer Wheeljack

*[[Matilda]] as:
**[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]
**Energon Nautica
**[[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]]

*[[Mighty Eagle]] as:
**[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]
**[[Superion (G1)|Superion]]
**[[Kup (G1)|Kup]]
**Captain Alpha Trion

*[[Zeta (AB)|Zeta]] as:
**[[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]

{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
;Accessories
*[[Blaster (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Blaster]]
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Daniel (AB)|Daniel]]
*[[Dazzlestrike]]
*[[Dion (AB)|Dion]]
*[[Eject (AB)|Eject]]
*[[Guardian (AB)|Guardian]]
*[[Hi-Q#Angry Birds Transformers|HiQ]]{{sic}}
*[[Huffer (AB)|Huffer]]
*[[Metroplex (AB)|Metroplex]]
*[[Pipes (AB)|Pipes]]
*[[Ramhorn (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Ramhorn]]
*[[Rewind (AB)|Rewind]]
*[[Rosanna (AB)|Rosanna]]
*[[Steeljaw (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Steeljaw]]
*[[Stranglehold#Angry Birds Transformers|Stranglehold]]
*[[Stripes#Angry Birds Transformers|Stripes]]
*[[Sundor#Angry Birds Transformers|Sundor]]
*[[Wheelie (AB)|Wheelie]]

{{!}}}
|h2=[[Deceptihog]]s
|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[King Pig]] as:
**[[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon]]
**[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Ultimate Megatron]]
**[[Megatron (G1)|Dark Megatron]]
**[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]
**Energon Shockwave
**Energon Megatron
**Lord Megatron
**Major Shockwave
**Scout Brawl
**Lord Megatron Neon
**Neon Shockwave
**Neon Bludgeon

*[[Chef Pig]] as:
**[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]
**Energon Soundwave
**[[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]]
**[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]
**Major Soundwave
**Neon Soundwave

*[[Moustache Pig]] as:
**[[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]
**Energon Lockdown
**[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]]
**[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]]
**Sergeant Barricade
**Neon Barricade

*[[Corporal Pig]] as:
**[[Megatron (Movie)#Age of Extinction film|Galvatron]]
**Energon Galvatron
**[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]
**[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]
**[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]]
**[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]
**General Scorponok

{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}

*[[Minion Pig]] as:
**[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]
**Energon Starscream
**[[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]]
**[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]
**[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
**[[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]
**[[Strikebot|Strikebot bomber]]
**[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]
**[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]
**[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]
**[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
**[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
**Captain Starscream
**[[Ion Storm]]
**Sergeant Thundercracker
**[[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]]
**Sergeant Devastator
**Special Officer Skywarp
**Seeker Acid Storm
**Seeker Novastorm
**Seeker Ramjet
**Neon Starscream
**Neon Thundercracker

*[[Hal]] as:
**[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]

*[[Zeta (AB)|Zeta]] as:
**[[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]]
**Sergeant Nightbird

*[[Red (AB)|Red]] as:
**Captain Nemesis Prime

*[[Stella (AB)|Stella]] as:
**[[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]]
**Sergeant Flamewar

*[[Bomb (AB)|Bomb]] as:
**[[Drift (G1)|Private Deadlock]]

*[[Astrotrain (AB)|Astrotrain]]
*[[Professor Pig]]

{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}

;Accessories
*[[Baro#Angry Birds Transformers|Baro]]
*[[Beastbox (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Beastbox]]
*[[Brunt (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Brunt]]
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Frenzy (AB)|Frenzy]]
*[[Full-Tilt (AB)|Full-Tilt]]
*[[Kremzeek]]
*[[Laserbeak (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Laserbeak]]
*[[Megatron (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Megatron]]
*[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]
*[[Nightstick (G1)|Nightstick]]
*[[Ratbat (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Ratbat]]
*[[Ravage (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Ravage]]
*[[Reflector (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Reflector]]
*[[Rumble (AB)|Rumble]]
*[[Sentinel (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Sentinel]]
*[[Shrapnel (AB)|Shrapnel]]
*[[Squawktalk (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Squawktalk]]
*[[Wingthing (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Wingthing]]

{{!}}}
|h3=Eggbot Army
|c3=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
*[[Eggbot (AB)|Eggbots]]
*[[Minion Pig#As the Eggbot Army|Minion Pigs]]
*[[Walking Mortar Tower]]s
*[[Missile silo]]s
*[[Boss Pig]]
*[[Unicron Pig]]
*[[Boss Pig#Boss Bat Pig|Boss Bat Pig]]
*[[Monolith]]
{{!}}}
|nonumbering=true
}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>=Upcoming character.
:
{{anchor|Squads}}
;Squads
Completing character Squads is the key to bigger earnings, in many different ways. The more Squads you have filled out, the higher the max number of Coins unoccupied map spaces can accrue. Also, any character from a completed Squad earns a 50% Coins bonus once they finish a level. Luckily, any Squads you complete will ''stay'' checked as complete even if new characters are later added to them, so you don't have to worry about losing bonuses with game updates.

During many Challenge Events (see below), you can earn bonuses to your Event scores by using a character from the suggested Squad. For a while the chosen Squad changed every four hours with (mostly) randomized percentages, but currently stays set at a single squad for the duration of the Event, with a x4 score multiplier ''if'' the character has been "Promoted". (If this sounds like it's kind of complicated, well, it ''is'' kind of complicated.) Also note that not all squads are complete with 4 characters but will hopefully be filled out by more ones coming soon!

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Rescue Bots
*Optimus Prime
*Bumblebee
*Heatwave
*Ratchet
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Instruments of Destruction
*Soundwave
*Soundblaster
*Blaster
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Target<nowiki>:</nowiki> 2006
*Ultra Magnus
*Galvatron
*Jazz
*Hound
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Pure Warriors
*Lockdown
*Energon Lockdown
*Brawl
*Ironhide
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Seekers
*Energon Starscream
*Thundercracker
*Skywarp
*Starscream
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Energon Fueled
*Energon Grimlock
*Energon Soundwave
*Energon Galvatron
*Energon Optimus Prime
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Variant Versions
*Ultimate Megatron
*Ultimate Optimus Prime
*Goldbite Grimlock
*High Octane Bumblebee
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Leaders
*Bludgeon
*Sentinel Prime
*Grey Slam Grimlock
*Dark Megatron
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Valkyries
*Arcee
*Airachnid
*Windblade
*Chromia
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Brothers in Armor
*Prowl
*Bluestreak
*Smokescreen
*Beachcomber
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Iconic Transformers
*Epic Optimus Prime
*Nemesis Prime
*Energon Bumblebee
*Classic Bumblebee
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Hotrods
*Rodimus
*Dead End
*Ricochet
*Drift
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Cybertronians
*Shockwave
*Acid Storm
*Sunstorm
*Trypticon
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;The Wreckers
*Wheeljack
*Ultra Magnus
*Rodimus
*Moonracer
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Enslavers
*Scorponok
*Barricade
*Motormaster
*Nemesis Hot Rod
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Speedsters
*Sideswipe
*Red Alert
*Sunstreaker
*Mirage
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Energized
*Energon Windblade
*Energon Shockwave
*Energon Nautica
*Energon Megatron
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Femme Fatale
*Nautica
*Elita One
*Strongarm
*Novastar
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;VIP
*Alpha Trion
*Kup
*Cyclonus
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Specialists
*Breakdown
*Blurr
*Cliffjumper
*Nightbird
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Support
*Grapple
*Drag Strip
*Greenlight
*Warpath
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Combiners
*Devastator
*Superion
*Menasor
*Optimus Maximus
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Noughties
*Slipstream
*Flamewar
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Command
*General Optimus Prime
*Lord Megatron
*Major Ultra Magnus
*Major Shockwave
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Reinforcements
*Cosmos
*Ion Storm
*Nova Storm
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Coneheads
*Dirge
*Ramjet
*Thrust
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Gestalt
*Volcanicus
*Omega Supreme
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Officers
*Specialist Ratchet
*Captain Starscream
*Officer Prowl
*Officer Soundwave
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Operations
*Sergeant Chromia
*Sergeant Thundercracker
*Private Sideswipe
*Sergeant Barricade
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Ground Force
*Sergeant Greenlight
*Sergeant Flamewar
*Private Deadlock
*Private Mirage
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Sawbones Squad
*Private Red Alert
*Special Officer Hound
*Special Officer Skywarp
*Seeker Acid Storm
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Specialist Raiders
*Captain Nemesis Prime
*Sergeant Omega Supreme
*Sergeant Devastator
*Scout Arcee
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Hardboiled Warriors
*Sharpshooter Moonracer
*General Scorponok
*Private Cliffjumper
*Scout Brawl
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
;Misfits Squad
*Captain Alpha Trion
*Seeker Novastorm
*Security Officer Ironhide
*Sergeant Nightbird
|}

===Crystals===
Crystals are items used to to upgrade your characters, create [[Energonicon]]s, and buy and upgrade Accessories. Crystals are earned by completing map stages, won from Missions, rewarded from Daily Quests, or found in Crates. The amount of Crystals you can store is dictated by the level of the Silo; the Silo can be upgraded using Coins and Crystals, which not only lets you store larger numbers and higher levels of Crystals, but increases the number and rarity of Crystals rewarded upon stage completion. Any Crystals won that exceed the Silo's capacity are converted to Coins.

Crystals come in five grades, and the quality of Crystal dictates what it can be used for: Accessories must be bought/upgraded with Crystals matching their color code, for example.
<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="4" style="width:65%" align="center"
|-
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Crystal Grade'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Color'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Silo Maximum Capacity'''
! scope="col" width="25%" | '''Coin Value'''
|-
|Common
|White
|100
|200
|-
|Uncommon
|Blue
|80
|600
|-
|Rare
|Green
|60
|1,800
|-
|Epic
|Purple
|40
|4,800
|-
|Legendary
|Gold
|20
|15,000
|-
|}
</center>

Crystals can also be made in Professor Pig's lab by combining three lower-grade Crystals and a sum of Coins to make one higher-grade Crystal, with the Coin cost increasing dramatically for higher grades. As this game pours on the Common Crystals and is super-stingy with Epics and Legendaries, you are likely going to have to do this to advance past a certain point at anything faster than a snail's pace. Also you cannot craft with legendary crystals as of now, hopefully soon at least.

;Materials
[[File:ABTF-screen MaterialSilo.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Prior to the March/April 2020 mega-update (aka the first five-plus years of the game's life), upgrades were handled with "Materials". The general principle is the same as Crystals, only these were ''only'' for upgrading characters and the Silo. Also, Materials could not be reliably merged to make higher-grade ones; you could toss them into Professor Pig's machine for a ''chance'' to get higher-grade Materials, but it was a roulette spin that could result in Coins or Gems as well, depending on the Materials dumped in.
<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:65%" align="center"
|-
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Material Level'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Autobird Material'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Deceptihog Material'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Silo Maximum Capacity'''
! scope="col" width="20%" | '''Coin Value'''
|-
|Level 1
|[[Birdium]]
|[[Pig Iron]]
|<s>15</s> 35
|60
|-
|Level 2
|[[Autocog]]
|[[Deceptigear]]
|<s>15</s> 35
| 60
|-
|Level 3
|[[Anger Chip]]
|[[Badness Processor]]
|<s>12</s> 22
| 150
|-
|Level 4
|[[Super Rareium]]
|Super Rareium
|<s>5</s> 15
| 600
|-
|}
</center>

{{-}}

===Space Bridge Missions===
In addition to the stages, there are [[space bridge|Space Bridge]] Missions that your characters can complete in order to earn Crystals, Gems, or even new characters (Arcee, Airachnid, Prowl, and Bluestreak), disincluding the hard missions (yeah don’t know about that one.) There are three Space Bridges difficulties —Easy, Medium, and Hard— progressively unlocked by clearing more of the map of clouds. Each Space Bridge also has three Missions to choose from when open, with three different time requirements: the longer the Mission (up to 48 hours!), the better the potential prizes.

Missions are played by selecting characters from your available roster: they are then unable to be played in most other modes until the Mission timer runs out. (For some reason, this does not apply to Jenga.) You can cut the Mission short by spending Gems, but this is rarely ever worth it given the payout potential. The Easy Bridge lets you send two characters at first, and the other two only one character each, but you can permanently unlock more slots in each one through Gem spending for a maximum of three characters at each level. Whether or not this is worth it hinges heavily on how long you plan to play the game; unlocking slots is a bit expensive, but can pay off in the long run.

Every Mission has a "type" icon: a light bulb (intelligence), a magnifying glass (investigation), or a missile (firepower), which helps the player determine which character would be most suited for completing it. The higher the level your character is at, the higher they'll score in the Mission. Once you have your character(s) selected, you are able to use popped Pigs as "reinforcements" to reduce the Mission timer up to half its original runtime (which can easily cost a couple thousand Pig points, but those are really easy to amass).

When the Mission is completed, the result screen bar fills up, earning you a key for every "level", up to five total (you always automatically get one key regardless of performance). You also get the option to watch an ad to earn one additional key. These keys are used to unlock the five prize boxes presented to you. Pick blindly and pray! If you don't have enough keys to unlock all five prizes, you can spend Gems (because of course you can) to collect the remaining presents (10 each for Easy, 20 for Medium, and 30 for Hard), but this is really ''only'' worth it for unlocking new characters. Even 10 Gems for a handful of common Crystals is a joke. Two level-15 characters can win all five Easy prizes most of the time without an ad watch, and two 15s can usually get five Mediums with an ad. Two 15s at Hard can usually get four with an ad watch.

Given how many characters you can amass, this is a pretty simple way to gather Crystals (and Coins if your Silo is full) and Gems (though this prize is a lot less common than before the 2020 Crystal-based update) over time with minimal effort. It's a good idea to max-level some of the "lesser" characters who aren't so great at mass destruction and dedicate them to Space Bridge Missions.

{{-}}

===Challenge Events===
[[File:ABTF-screen ChallengeEvent.jpg|left|300px|thumb]]
Starting in late 2015, the game introduced Challenge Events, five-to-ten-day-long themed events with the lure of prizes including unique unlockable characters and Accessories. While sparse at first, by mid-2016 events were popping up ''really'' frequently. Now, Challenge Events run six days every week, starting Friday and ending Wednesday at 00:00 UTC, with Thursday a respite and token-spending time.

Each day of an Event, the player is pit against 19 randomly-selected others at the same level (across the whole player base!) in a race to tally the most points within 24 hours by destroying as much stuff as possible in separate event stages, with key targets being worth more points than normal; most items only cough up 1 point when destroyed, but daily targets can be worth 5 points (common blocks) 15 points (enemies, special objects) or 75 points (Walking Mortar Towers). Entering a Challenge stage takes one "battery" of energy from the Challenge selection; the player starts with four, and spent batteries will recharge after an hour, one at a time. ''Of course'' you can spend Gems to speed up the process and instantly go back to four full batteries, but that cost increases every time: the first recharge costs 10 Gems, the next 20, then 40, 60, 80, then up to 100 for each recharge. Thankfully, that charge resets to the lowest amount each new day of the event.

In the earliest events, players could only take a single already-unlocked character and an [[Energonicon]] into the event with them. Eventually this changed, and depending on the event, you might be able to choose from your entire roster of unlocked characters, only certain members you've unlocked that match the event theme, or even "trial" characters you don't have yet who you can permanently unlock for the first time through the event you're playing there and now. Sometimes you can choose two characters and swap back and forth between the two (with a delay in recall time, of course). In all events, choosing characters from specific Teams will add a multiplier bonus to your final score (currently x4), though given the potential dangers, one must take care to decide if the bonus is worth it if the bonus-giving characters aren't well-suited to taking out the target of choice for the day. You can further boost your score by "promoting" characters, giving them an extra 5% bonus to your score per "rank" at the end of a run. To do this, you must spend "Sparks" which are earned and won in a variety of ways. Naturally, the higher the rank, the more Sparks you need.

Challenges are rewarded with Tokens, earned by reaching certain accumulated score milestones (milestones and prize amounts now vary from day to day), and according to your rank at the end of the 24-hour period (from 100 to 1000). These Tokens carry over from prior days' challenges up until the end of the event, and are spent on prizes including new characters, instant level-ups and Accessories for select characters, Sparks, and Coins. Accessories are often less costly to obtain in Challenges than via normal Gem purchase. There is a 1-day token exchange period after each event ends, so some can spend the tokens they may have won from the final day's competition... and any ''new'' Tokens awarded through other means during the exchange period. If there's something you want that you're shy of Token-wise, you can make up the cost with Gems, at a conversion rate of 2 Tokens per Gem.

Tokens cannot be carried over between different Challenge Events, and will be lost if not spent. Representatives from [[Rovio]]/[[Exient]] once raised the possibility of doing so, but that was years ago and nothing's come of it so pfffffft.

:''For a rundown of the history of Challenge Events, see [[Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)/Challenge Events]].''
{{-}}

===Achievements===
Of course this game has Achievements. Why wouldn't it? These one-time milestones reward you with Gems for the various tasks presented. Many of these Achievements have different levels indicated by stars, meaning multiple prizes can be earned with increasing amounts of doing the thing. Over the course of normal play you should hit most of them without really trying, like traveling so much distance or doing X amount of damage. But some require extra effort... and a few so much effort that it's questionable if it's even worth trying.
{{-}}

===Daily Quests===
[[File:ABTF-screen DailyQuest.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Starting in September 2016, the game added Daily Quests, which are like the normal Achievements, but on a much smaller scale. Every 24 hours (starting at midnight via the clock on the player's device), eleven Quests are opened up (up from eight originally, more were added to account for some things the player may not have unlocked yet), each earning a prize for completion.

Quests can range from simple stuff like destroying enough of a certain type of block or popping enough Pigs, creating items at the Lab, doing other daily tasks, and etc, to more difficult feats like pulling off slow-mo [[Monolith]] dodges or blocking Missiles, and even esoteric stuff like thanking enough buddies after normal levels (or not thanking them at all!). The prizes can be Pig points, Coins, Gems, Crystals, and even Tokens. The eleventh Quest, always at the top of the board, with a four-part prize, is earned only by completing eight other Quests within the 24 hours.

Over the course of the game, many quests were dropped completely, and others made to appear less frequently. Currently, these Daily Quests are always in the mix:

* Complete 8 other quests
* Visit the Piglab and craft something
* Open 5 Crates
* Start a Spark Run
* Start a Challenge Run
* Play Jenga

{{-}}

===Daily Reward===
[[File:Angry-Birds-Daily-Reward-Cave-Locked.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Angry-Birds-Daily-Reward-After-Cave-Unlocked.jpg|thumb]]
Every 24 hours, you can collect a Daily Prize. All you do is click on it when the screen pops up automatically. However, in order to get the larger prizes, you need to log into the game every day: missing days will reset the weekly timer back to the first day. Yeah.

You have the option to watch an ad to double your Daily Prize, but this is good only once a week. Best to save it for the seventh-day prize of 10 Gems, turning it into 20.
{{-}}

===Jenga stage===
Down at the beach, there's the Jenga stage, shaped like the large [[Hal|Grimlock Bird]] Jenga toy that you could buy in stores. This mini-game remains locked until you use an unlocking code found in any of the ''Angry Birds Transformers Jenga'' toys which was removed in an update. Or just pay $15 instead.

Once open, this stage is a fair bit different. First you pick a Driver and a Gunner from a fixed set of characters (unaffected by who you have unlocked or away on Missions or upgrading). The Driver then travels along a path, gathering free-floating Coins and smashing through block towers. There are holes in the path, so sometimes you need to hit the turbo button for a burst of speed to carry you over. The turbo boost will drain quickly, so overuse can leave you dry when the big jump comes up. The goal is to gather as many coins and clear out as many blocks as possible and make it to the end for a higher score. Falling into a pit doesn't end the level, it just ends the Driver's turn and makes the Gunner's turn that little bit more difficult. (This part of the game earns you no points, by the way.)

The Gunner then runs through a different path further out, and their job is to clear out as many blocks from inside the giant Grimlock Bird frame with their firepower. Naturally, this is easier if the Driver has cleared out the block towers that stood between the Gunner path and the frame. The more blocks that are destroyed or at least knocked completely out of the frame, the higher your score.

So why do this? Your Jenga scores accumulate over the course of 24 hours, and reaching 300 points nets you a prize. Often this is just a sum of Coins, no big whoop and not really worth it. But it's worth checking back every day, because the prize changes every 24 hours, and sometimes it's a cache of 10 Gems. Spending five minutes to get 10 Gems isn't bad, given how stingy the game can be with giving away the premium currency. Also, what happens in Jenga mode counts towards your Daily Quests: every block you smash or Pig you pop, and every time you finish the "event" counts. It can be a very quick way to knock out a couple of Quests at no cost other than a few minutes' time.

{{note|Bumblebee seems to be the best choice for the Driver, while Bludgeon works best as the Gunner thanks to his wide multi-shot cannon.. at first. Energon Starscream or Lockdown with explosive rounds can ''really'' clean up. The available characters in Jenga mode have changed over the course of the game, eliminating certain characters whose weapons are designed for easy mass block destruction without augmentation.}}
{{-}}

===Spark Run===
[[File:ABTFScreen-Sparkrun.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Introduced March 2017, the Spark Run lets you earn Sparks (''only'' Sparks; you don't earn any Pigs or Coins in this mode) by destroying everything you can in a special extra-long stage that goes through five random areas, with transitions through caves. You select three characters, and should your first 'bot go down, the next one you selected takes his place. You can also use a random character specially power-boosted for the Spark Run... but you're better off prioritizing your promoted characters. Promoted characters can be used to increase the final score, which you'll need as eventually there's simply not enough stuff to destroy in a run to achieve the scores needed for a full reward. Earn enough spark and the next difficulty level will be unlocked, each level adding 10 additional Sparks to the initial prize of 100, increasing your score goals, and increasing the offensive power of enemies. The Spark Run can be played once a day, but can be reactivated for 100 Gems (regardless of how little time is left until the normal reset). If all of your bots go down, well, don't worry. You get to keep all the Spark you earned on the run. However the run ends, you can watch an add to earn an extra 10% of your Spark rewards.

Gold blocks give the most amount of spark points, so be sure to destroy all of them!

Watch out for Pigs with special buffs: some deal painfully more damage, others regenerate health, some are shielded and immune to un-augmented small arms fire, some are lightning-fast, and some have massively buffed health!

There have been a number of improvements to the Spark Run over multiple updates, including raising difficulty level caps, and adding two permanently-unlockable character slots, at 1000 and 2500 Gems each (the usefulness of these unlocks is... ''questionable'' if you're not spending real money on Gems, as gathering 1000 can take some time even with dedicated daily play).

In a June 2020 update, Spark Run was given a drastic change. This update caused a downgrade of only one free character slot instead of three, and Coins or Pigs now have to be paid in order to start Spark Runs. Usually one week it’s pigs, the next it’s coins, and the amount increases with higher difficulties. Instead of five score goals with equal amounts of Sparks, you now have one score goal, and failure to reach this goal would result in no Sparks being awarded. Spark Runs are now either shorter or longer than previous, with higher difficulties awarding more Sparks, and level one offering 10 Sparks. The option to reactivate was no longer available, instead showing a locked symbol for some reason, and a Challenge Event's bonus squad would also have a 4x multiplier.

{{-}}

===Crates===
In a September 2017 update, Crates were introduced which give various prizes, which fall under five rarities. Steel Crates give common, uncommon, or rare prizes that can be purchased for 15000 coins each; ''finally'' something to spend the coins you've stockpiled in the millions on. Opening ten at a time for 150,000 Coins gives a guaranteed Rare prize. Gold Crates can give rare, epic, or legendary prizes, as well as special seasonal accessories, and can be purchased for 200 Gems each. Yeah, a bit of a grind. Opening ten at a time costs a whopping 1800 Gems (-10%) off and gives a guaranteed epic prize. And a really rare chance of a new character. You also get 10 gold crates for free when starting a new save and the chance of a really rare character. Yowza.

Crates can also be purchased in Challenge Events for Tokens, and follow the same rules there.

Crates are also rewards in the War Pass and Prime Pass, with Steel Crates being additional rewards for going past level 50.

You used to be able to get one free Steel Crate every day with the possibility of unlocking a few Steel and/or Gold Crates, but a March 2020 update erased that and replaced it for random ads to get one for free after going off the tab. Usually 2 times a day.

{{-}}

===Shockwave's Spire===
This feature introduced in December 2017 was quite a gamble! Shockwave's Spire was essentially the same as ''Angry Birds 2''{{'}}s Tower of Fortune. There were several floors that each have four cards from which you pick one and get various prizes: most floors have sums of Coins, Gems, Sparks and Tokens behind each card. Every five floors, the prizes were all Accessories. The higher you went, the larger the sums, the better the prizes and higher the rarity, all the way to Legendary-class prizes at floor 90.

The gamble came from the ever-present one-in-four chance of getting a Pig card (except on Accessory floors, those are all safe), which stops you cold and takes all your accumulated prizes. You can reverse this and keep going with two options: watching an ad, or paying some Gems. The Gem cost would naturally increase significantly each time you made a gambling blunder, starting with 10 and basically doubling every time. You can only watch an ad once however. It was always a good idea to play up until the first Pig card, watch the ad, pick a different card from the same floor, then stop for the day. It was a good way to ''really'' level up some of the lower-tier accessories, especially ones that boost defense.

Once you exited, Shockwave's Spire wouldn't be available to play again (not even Gem skips!) until the next day. Visiting the Spire was always one the Daily Quests, rewarding you with a mere 2 Gems, but it was an easy one to tick off to finish the "Complete 8 other Quests" Quest.

In the big "2.0" update, Shockwave's Spire could be visited for one last time on March 26 before having a timer that ran until April 1, 2020 at 00:00 UTC. Once that timer ran out, you could seemingly visit the Spire again, only for the head to blow off of the tower, the rubble now holding the place for the War Pass.
{{-}}

===Challenge Run===
Introduced in August 2019, Challenge Run is a week-long competition running Monday to Sunday, requiring at least one member of the "Combiners" or “Gestalt” team to participate. It is unlocked alongside the jungle area which costs a whopping 2500 gems for the jungle and challenge run (or just jungle if you don’t have a combiner) or 3500 gems for jungle, challenge run and Devastator if you don’t have him. Each day, you pick one of your Combiners to send on an infinite chain of levels, with the goal of destroying as much stuff as possible before your health is worn down by the ever-increasingly-deadly enemies, trying for the biggest score you can get, with said score being multiplied by the character's Rank just as in competitions and Spark Runs. Points are awarded for both destruction caused and distance covered. "Safe Zones" between each level give you the chance to regain some lost life. However, the difficulty level spikes ''hard'' after the first level, with quick-aiming,
hard-hitting enemies being liberally sprinkled on the ground as you go, and even a Level 15 bot will be hard pressed to clear even three areas. You get three "batteries" per day (similar to the weekly competitions), and can recharge them for Gems: 10 for the first recharge, and double the sum every subsequent one.

At the end of the first six days, the top 10 players in your block of 20 are advanced to the next League: there are seven leagues in all. Your actual placement in the first six days doesn't really matter outside of being in that top 50%, though the closer you are to 10th place, the more likely you are to get bumped towards the end of the day. On Sunday, your placement within the League dictates the quality of prizes you win. Every player is granted ten random prizes at the end of Sunday's run, and the higher your ranking, the better the prize quality.

The Challenge Run is also one of the Daily Quests after unlocked.
{{-}}

===War Pass===
Introduced in April 2020, the War Pass and Prime Pass were the game's way of having seasons (like any other free game on the market these days), having players choose to ally themselves with either the Autobirds or Deceptihogs at the beginning of the season with Autobirds giving %10 Attack and Deceptihogs giving %10 Defence. The War Pass is free, and offers various rewards, including Coins, Pigs, Gems, Spark, Crates, Crystals and Tokens. The Prime Pass is a whopping $19.99 per season (ha ha no), offers more of the aforementioned rewards, ''AND'' exclusive Characters and Accessories. In order to progress with either pass, you need to pop lots of Pigs, and you unfortunately cannot contribute your already popped Pigs to the pass. Both Passes have 50 tiers, Prime Pass (obviously) offering more rewards than the War Pass. To view your progress on the season, you can either visit the rubble of Shockwave's Spire or look at your level badge, where a smaller number under your level tells you what tier you have.

==Ads and upsells==
[[File:ABTF-screen BuyGems.jpg|thumb|300px|Keep in mind the average, decent Accessory costs are roughly 400 Gems. Better ones 800~1000 or so.]]
It's a free game, so how does Rovio make its money? By copious amounts of ads (largely for other games) and by enticing you to spend real currency on in-game currency.

The ads can actually have a gameplay effect, in a disturbingly clever move. After completing any stage, you are given the option to watch a short video ad; doing so doubles your end-of-stage Pig & Coin rewards. Similarly, when opening a Daily Reward, you can watch an ad to double the reward. Like we already said, upon completeing a Space Bridge Mission, you can watch an ad to obtain an extra key. When choosing a partner for a stage, you will also get a prompt to watch an ad; doing so gives your partner a one-stage stat boost and ups the amount of time they can stay in-play. However, you can only watch so many ads within a set amount of time, so choose which bonuses you go for wisely. You can also watch an ad to repair a character instantly; there does not appear to be any limit to this.

Spending real monies allows you to buy large numbers of Gems, which are used to buy Accessories, speed up character upgrades and repairs, interrupt the Eggbot terraforming to make a stage playable sooner, and about a billion other small things all over the game. Gem packages range from 150 for $4.49 US to 5200 for '''''$99.99''''' which what the hell who even spends that much money on these things?! And considering that mere ''accessories'', can run up to 1000 Gems, with most of the "buddy character" ones in the 850 range? Yeesh. From time to time there will be "sales" which either cut the prices down a bit or give you more Gems in each package, but come on. You can also use real money to buy characters you've not unlocked yet, but man is it so not worth it.

Depending on who you ask, according to many reviewers, if you had to do a wipe or ever lose your files for some reason, you can lose all your progress. People have gotten their characters leveled up to the max, which costs hundreds of thousands of gold coins or thousands of gems (read: lots and lots of grinding or real monies) only for it to be all for naught. But now that's not much of a problem since you can cloud save your progress with the Game Center on IOS or a Facebook account on Android.
{{-}}

==Notes==
* [[FIRRIB|Frenzy is red, Rumble is blue.]]
* This is the third ''Angry Birds'' crossover game, the first being with the ''{{w|Rio (2011 film)|Rio}}'' films and the second being with the undisputed king of cross-promotion, ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]''.
* This is also the second 3D ''Angry Birds'' title, with prior games using 2D graphics save the racing game ''Angry Birds Go!'' (also developed by Exient, which also got a [[Hasbro]] toyline).
* You can alter a device's time to make the upgrades, Missions and other timed aspects go faster, although if you go too far or revert to current time, you'll get an error message about "Time travel detected! Your characters have suffered" and you'll be slapped on the wrist by getting them downgraded in relation to how far away from real time you were. So maybe don't do that.

===References===
This game is loaded with tiny jokes and references to Transformers lore.

* The character designs pull from a broad mix of generations. While (obviously) [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] gets the most representation, there are also elements from the [[Live-action film series|live-action movies]], ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (franchise)|Rescue Bots]]'' and ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]''. Each character also has a number of wearable accessories, many of which are based on wider ''Transformers'' lore. (See individual character pages for the rundown on each.)
*The initial loading screen has numerous nods to more specific (and occasionally obscure) bits of Transformers lore:
{{collist|3|
:*"[[Mechanical Difficulties!|Crowning Grimlock]]"
:*"Rhyming with [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]"
:*"[[Target: 2006|Targeting 2006]]"
:*"Seeing if we've got [[The Touch]]"
:*"[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2|Dueling on dams]]"
:*"Rebuilding [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]"
:*"[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|Hailing Megatron]]"
:*"Pouring water on [[scraplet]]s"
:*"Practicing [[Metallikato]]"
:*"Crashing the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]"
:*"Rebooting [[Teletraan (disambiguation)|Teletraan 1]]"
:*"Spying on [[Soundwave (disambiguation)|Soundwave]]"
:*"Unlocking Lockdown"
:*"Having a taste of our own electro-medicine"
:*"[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1|Satisfying logic circuits]]"
:*"[[Atlantis, Arise!|Enjoying hospitality]] of [[Sub-Atlantica]]"
:*"[[Day of the Machines|Detecting a rat named Megatron]]"
:*"[[Return of the Dino Bot|Thanking the Eggspark for hot, brown water]]"
:*"Trying out [[Jet judo|Jet Judo]]"
:*"De-stinging the Stinger"
:*"Transforming Jazz. Fiddly!"
}}
* The music for the game was composed by [[Vince DiCola]] (with [[Kenny Meriedeth]]), who did the score for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Pig City events have [[:File:AB Soundwave Lambpost.jpg|familiar-looking lampposts]] and purple Cybertronian shuttles strewn all over the level that can be easily destroyed.
* The (removed) building for friend activity resembles [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s city mode. But it returned in a different location as the new Sparkrun mode.
* Most of the accesories to the characters are based on different characters, items, and tools from different continuties.

== External links ==
* [http://www.cnet.com/news/angry-birds-transformers-takes-wing-as-new-app-and-toys/ Angry Birds Transformers takes wing as new app and toys]
* [http://transformers.angrybirds.com/ Official Website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Angry Birds}}
[[Category:Generation 1 video games]]
[[Category:Mobile games]]

Missile silo

2024-05-25T16:05:39Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

{{noname-designation}}
{{picsneeded|In-level image of a missile silo.}}
:''Missile silos are a weapon from the [[Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers]] series.''

As if dealing with hordes of laser-blasting idiot [[Minion Pig]]s wasn't enough, the cyberformed [[Piggy Island]] is also littered with '''missile silos''', which relentlessly unload [[Autobird]]/[[Deceptihog]]-seeking missiles into the air.

==Games==
===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
Missile silos can be found in every area of Piggy Island, but will not ''always'' show up in a level. The silos themselves are completely indestructible and unstoppable, but thankfully their payloads are not. The number of missiles fired in succession depends on the difficulty of the area. Every missile unerringly homes in on the player via a wide and sometimes corkscrewing flight path, and ''will not miss'', forcing the player to either shoot them down, or hope something gets in the way. Sometimes they even like to go off screen and home in on you right there so you're left totally vulnerable because your character can’t shoot off screen.

Naturally, some characters are much better at that first part than others. Instant-hit weapons of course can knock any missile out of the air with ease at any range. Others need to rely on letting the missile get close in order for the weapon to properly track, and for some characters with big pauses between shots, ''really'' good timing.

The silos can unload a variety of missile types, all worth 30 Coins apiece with the exception of the gold missiles, which are worth 300 Coins:

[[File:ABTF-screen Missiles.jpg|right|thumb|]]
*'''Black missiles''' do a minimal bit of damage, but explode into a mess of black ink, obscuring your vision for some brief seconds. This does not actually affect your ability to aim and fire, just what you can ''see''. As the ink fades quickly, this is really only a problem when there's already a ton of stuff flying in your direction, which might make you miss a more dangerous projectile, like...
*'''Gold missiles and red-warhead missiles''' are types of "scrambler" missiles that, upon contact with an Autobird or Deceptihog, force them to transform into... ''a washing machine!'' While the effect only lasts a few seconds, in this mode the force-'formed character can't do anything but bounce forward at a slightly-slower rate of speed. This is of course really bad for you if there's some wobbly [[Monolith]]s just ahead. Thankfully, any [[Energonicon]]s or called-in partners active when the missile hits remain active during the washingmachinification. The only difference between these two types of missiles is that shooting down a gold missiles yields 300 Coins instead of 30, making gold missiles profitable targets.
*'''Rainbow missiles''' are a different type of scrambler, which forces the robot parts of the target to contort themselves into some very uncomfortable and awkward and ridiculous configurations. Like with the other scramblers, the poor target is unable to do anything until the effect wears off. (Energonicons and partners are, as before, unaffected.) However, these have an upside: shooting them out of the air causes an [[electromagnetic pulse]] of the sort caused by [[Electroblast]], causing all other missiles and flying pigs on-screen to fall out of the sky, and grounded Minions and [[Walking Mortar Tower]]s to temporarily shut down. ''Only'' shooting the missile down will produce the EMP; the missile slamming into scenery or blocks just destroys it. Another slight upside is that...players hit by these missiles will recover faster than they do after being hit by the washing machine specialist missiles.
*'''Giant missiles''' are only found in [[Piggy Island#Games|Pig City]], and are the only kind of missiles launched there but are also [[Boss Pig]]'s primary weapon, albeit weaker. Unlike all the other previous missiles which follow a particular spiraling fashion before slamming into the player, these missiles follow their own path and always launch just at the close moments of their silos going offscreen. These massive missiles move much slower than the others with trails of black smoke, and are often obscured by the towers and buildings between them and their target. Much tougher than ordinary missiles, they can take more than one blast to destroy (depending on the character), and do a quite a bit more damage if they connect. Luckily, only one missile launches per silo, and they don't have any other effect on the character.

[[File:ABTF-screen_InkCover.jpg|left|Splat!|thumb]]
[[File:ABTF-screen_WashingMachine.jpg|center|thumb]]
[[File:ABTF-screen_Scrambled.jpg|right|Now you see why there are no helicopter characters in [[Angry Birds Transformers|this game]]|thumb]]

==Notes==
*When the player is scrambled by a missile, any other missiles in-flight will change course and fly away into the sky... if they're far enough away. Close enough though, and they'll stay on course, slamming into you and keeping you locked into a ridiculous form just a little longer.
*While missiles cannot be dodged, they ''can'' be outrun, but only by the fastest characters in vehicle mode. The missiles actually have a limit to their range, and if they exceed it, they will simply vanish. Of course, you won't be toppling towers that whole time and likely be taking damage from the Piggies atop them.
*Entering [[Astrotrain (G1)#Angry Birds Transformers|Astrotrain]] while scrambled a certain number of times is one of the game's many Achievements. It was a possible Daily Quest for a time, but has seemingly been removed because let’s admit it, who would want to do that.
*Missiles are considered enemies, and will count 1 point towards Challenge Event scores, even if they are destroyed by slamming into you or a rock or anything else... unless they're the main target for that day, in which case the point value goes up considerably. However, you don't get the coins you'd get for shooting the missile down.
*When missiles were first introduced into the game, the silos only launched red-warhead types- seemingly providing headaches for many players alike. Not long though before updates arrived and so did other missile types.
*Rainbow missiles aren't the only way that a Transformer can be body-scrambled; if they rapidly transform back and forth, the character will get scrambled. (When they are hit by a Rainbow Missile they have electricity coming out though). The only time you'll really want to this is to complete a Game Center of Google Play Quest that occasionally pops up.

[[Category:Angry Birds Transformers]]
[[Category:Launchers]]

Piggy Island

2024-05-25T15:51:35Z

GuiRitter: removed duplicate "time" (if it's supposed to be duplicate, please mention in the discussions)

[[File:RBiD-PiggyIsland.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]

In the middle of an ocean lies '''Piggy Island''', a land of constant battle. Largely overrun by the gluttonous, kinda-dumb [[Bad Piggies]], their shoddy constructions litter the island... as do the ''ruins'' of Piggie structures, as they're demolished by the Pigs' nemeses: the very angry birds who make up the [[Flock]]. The battle over the apparently-tasty eggs protected by the Flock rages on day after day.

Dominated by the huge dome-shaped Hog Head Mountain, the island sports a nature-defying variety of environments... environments that got weirder once the "[[AllSpark#Angry Birds Transformers continuity family|EggSpark]]" landed. The alien device caused large parts of the island to turn to metal, as well as turning the contested eggs into the [[Eggbot (AB)|Eggbots]], who worked hard to spread the reformatting further, aided by the (easily) brainwashed hordes of armored-up Piggies. The island is also now covered in dangerous terrors like [[Monolith]]s, [[Walking Mortar Tower]]s and [[missile silo]]s.

Now the similarly-roboticized members of the Flock and those few left loyal to [[King Pig]] work to reverse the process and return their home to normal... or as close to "normal" as it passes for in the first place.

==Fiction==
===''Angry Birds Transformers'' comic===
Piggy Island became notably more dangerous when the EggSpark caused it to mutate into a metallic madhouse! Though the changes were slow at first, {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|''Angry Birds Transformers'' #1}} its transformation eventually spiraled out of control! [[Terror Tower]]s sprouted from the ground one by one, followed by all sorts of strange structures. {{storylink|Age of Eggstinction!}} The island seemed to even gain a will of its own, attacking both [[Autobird]]s and [[Deceptihog]]s as they fought back against the numerous [[Eggbot (AB)|Eggbot]]s that sprung up to fight them. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fowlin'!}} Piggy Island reverted back to normal once the EggSpark was separated from the land, and launched back into outer-space. {{storylink|Hard Boiled}}

==Games==
===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
Piggie Island is made up of several different regions, uncovered bit by bit as more Autobirds and Deceptihogs are freed:

*'''The Beach''': The first area hit by [[Red (AB)|Optimus Prime Bird]] in his quest to free the island from the Eggbots, and the Flock's normal stomping grounds. This sandy beach completely surrounds the Limestone Lagoon that takes up a large chunk of the island's lower front. Piggie towers, inflatables, and surfboards litter the shallow waters. One path on the western side of the beach up against the Cobalt Plateaus (see below) leads into a secluded grotto, full of Piggy buildings and cyberformed trees before returning to the sandy shores.

*'''Desert Island''': Smack dab in the middle of the Limestone Lagoon, the Desert Island is a barren region full of cracks and mini-canyons, making it very perilous for any Piggie perched on a particularly precarious pile of platforms. The dried bones of strange beasts litter the ground, but make great target practice. Most of the structures here are made of wood, which can be very profitable in the right Challenge Event.

*'''Slingshot Forest''': Littered with conifers, the Slingshot Forest (also called the '''Meadow''') is ''also'' littered with missile silos, perhaps more than any other area on the island. Huge farmhouses can block your shots, while stacks of hay bales make tempting targets and quick sources of cash.

*'''Cobalt Plateaus''': An area of multi-level cliffs, leading to some hard-to-aim-at structures in the distance. The river flowing through the area is also a place on the island where one encounters the aquatic [[Minion Pig#As the Eggbot army|Sharktihogs]]. The path is littered with small gates, that will either slow time (when blue) or speed it up (when red), leading to some interesting fights. There are also numerous [[Standing Stones|huge indestructible stone blocks arranged on top of each other in ringlike configurations]], but surely ''that'' can't mean anything important... right?

*'''Pig City''': The region hit the hardest by the EggSpark's reformatting, though some might argue the changes are an ''improvement''. The ramshackle buildings of [[King Pig]]'s seat of power have been turned to metal, making the haphazard constructions sturdier, if not any less nonsensically-placed. The roadways are littered with deep pits, the only passage being light-bridges activated by blasting flashing-red control towers along the way. Most of the remaining non-metal structures are made up of sturdy stone, tough obstacles to crack. Luckily for the Autobirds and Deceptihogs, a lot of buildings are still pretty freshly-reformatted, which means plenty of Energon Cubes to be gained by blasting the silver structures, meaning plenty of Energonicon firepower. There are also purple shuttles and some familiar [[:File:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|lamposts]] strewn about.

*'''Hog Head Mountain''': Metalicized by the EggSpark, this gigantic dome has been turned into [[Professor Pig]]'s workshop. The contraption he's constructed inside the cave turns materials gathered by the Autobirds and Deceptihogs into useful [[Energonicon]]s, valuable [[Gem]]s, or other materials... but not ''reliably''.

*'''Caves''': Initially only passed through in Sparkruns, these huge underground caverns were just recently discovered. To access them, 10000 units of Plasma needs to be collected to open the gate to the island. Inside, the level layouts are... ''unusual''. Block towers can be partially obstructed by stalagmites, ''very'' far in the distance, unevenly perched on solid cave columns, or even right in the player's direct path! Energon is sparse in the form of cyberformed stalagmites. The only new, unique element to this region are the Batpigs; tougher than the average Flying Pig, but at least they don't have any projectile attacks.

*'''The Jungle''': An area of the left of the three mountains of piggy island, getting here requires the use of gems. A lot of gems, 2500 to be exact. The jungle is a massive area filled with trees and vines and even treehouses? It is very similar to the one in some beach levels where the character should go through a jungle filled tunnel but this time it’s just a jungle. It also houses Challenge run, a place where combiners are used in tournaments similar to challenge events.

While the Autobirds and Deceptihogs clear out each region of cyberforming infection, the Eggbots rush around to ''re''-cyberform cleared areas. What a grind! {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

==Notes==
* Giant slingshots seem to be naturally-occurring landmarks on Piggy Island (though not actually featured in the game).
* The back (northern?) half of the island is still covered in fog on the game map, indicating possible future expansion. In other ''Angry Birds'' games, this covered area includes regions like the Great Cliffs, Winter Wonderland/Snowy Peak, and the Bamboo Forest. Rovio shows this by adding the caves and jungle area in future updates.

==External links==
*[[wikia:angrybirds:Piggy Island|Piggy Island at the ''Angry Birds'' wiki]]

[[Category:Angry Birds Transformers]]
[[Category:Islands]]

Talk:Teletraan I

2024-05-23T16:02:07Z

GuiRitter: /* Joke or typo? */ new section

Does Auggie Canay? Sherman Dam?

G1 might not consider RiD its future, but RiD sure considered G1 its past. Can we point the the g1 articles for this kind of thing? Does documenting these thigns in the g1 articles require a special disclaimer or clarification? Will it be standardized enough to require a template like <nowiki>{{RiDG1}}</nowiki>? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 05:55, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

RID considered G1 its past? I couldn't possibly disagree more. The history of Transformer-human contact is obviously completely different between the two shows, and there is no possible way to reconcile them without completely making stuff up like, "well, it's thousands of years later and humanity has almost died out and come back, but nobody remembers the old civilization", and even that wouldn't explain Sherman Dam and Auggie Canay. It's far worse than the Armada-Energon vs Cybertron difficulties. The strongest statement one could possibly make is that RID and G1 are divergent timelines which split off from each other at least four million years ago, leaving Earth to develop as it did in the G1 timeline, but Cybertron totally different.

To kind of answer your question: this article can easily be a "multiversal" Teletraan I article. It doesn't have to be exclusively about the G1 Teletraan I. I've added a line to the intro, and think the article is fine as-is. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 07:53, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

==Split==
If we're going to make a separate article for [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Animated Teletraan I]], should we split the G1 Teletraan I and the RID Teletraan I apart? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 02:20, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

:ewait 6 issues and see how differentiated it gets. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 02:24, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

::The Animated version's article should be at "Teletran 1" (which is currently a redirect), as per the end credits. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 04:21, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

==BE Voice==
Is it just me, or (after thinking about it) does Teletraan I sound sort of like Depth Charge? (low, monotone voice)[[User:209.247.23.41|209.247.23.41]] 18:48, 11 January 2008 (UTC)
:It's just you. :) If you're talking the G1 Teletraan, those are two different voice actors. --[[User:Suzyprime|Suzyprime]] 19:12, 11 January 2008 (UTC)
:But if he's talking BW Teletraan, then yes - both it and Depth Charge are voiced by David Sobolov. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 19:46, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

==Moved discussion from "Talk: Teletraan I (RID)"==
I think this page should be deleted since the Almanac said that T-AI is the daughter of a Primax computer. --[[User:AnimatedForever|AnimatedForever]] 01:17, 16 July 2010 (EDT)
:I disagree, and suggest adding a note to the effect that the Almanac suggests this Teletraan and the G1 Teletraan are one and the same instead. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 01:36, 16 July 2010 (EDT)
::I support abates' suggestion. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 01:40, 16 July 2010 (EDT)
:::Seconded. Ani4's suggestion is 'correct,' but likely to lead to confusion of the 'did they get the link wrong...?' sort. Turning this into a sort of 'repointer' page seems appropriate here. -[[Special:Contributions/207.224.74.26|207.224.74.26]] 01:51, 16 July 2010 (EDT)
::::I don't quite understand but ok, I'm sure you guys know the system a lot better than me. --[[User:AnimatedForever|AnimatedForever]] 01:55, 16 July 2010 (EDT)
:::::No, this isn't the system-- your suggestion is 'the system,' we're suggesying an atypical approach to reduce confusion in a fairly unique situation. -[[Special:Contributions/207.224.74.26|207.224.74.26]] 02:36, 16 July 2010 (EDT)

== Joke or typo? ==

There's an image caption that reads "Do you have any idea idea how long I was working on that essay when you decided to freeze!" Is the duplicate "idea" supposed to be part of the joke?

[[User:GuiRitter|GuiRitter]] ([[User talk:GuiRitter|talk]]) 12:02, 23 May 2024 (EDT)

Toys"R"Us

2024-05-19T00:15:41Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{faction|TRU}}
[[File:OnlyAtToysRUsLogo.jpg|right|upright=2|thumb|Toys weЯe Us.]]
[[File:TFAdv-toy GeoffreyPrime.jpg|upright=2|thumb|Geoffrey Prime, too precious for this world.]]

From bikes to trains to video games, '''Toys"R"Us''' (stylistically '''ToysЯUs''' in the logo) was one of the world's biggest toy retailer chains, based in the [[United States of America|United States]] but with branches in many other countries. According to various sources, it accounted for anywhere from 15 to 20% of major toymakers' sales.

Those days are pretty much over.

Over the years, they carried many [[exclusive]] ''Transformers'' [[toy]]s, in addition to regular mass retail releases. Many of those exclusives have been carried not only by US retailers, but also by international Toys"R"Us branches.

[[Japan]] also has its own branch of Toys"R"Us (トイザらス ''Toizarasu''), which has its own exclusive toys from [[TakaraTomy]], independent of the toys [[Hasbro]] provided Western Toys"R"Us stores with (well... ''mostly''. We'll explain when we get there).

{{TOC|limit=3}}

==History==
Originally founded by Charles P. Lazarus as Children's Supermart in 1948, the store later changed its focus entirely to toys. By 1957, Lazarus came up with the tagline "Toys"R"Us", eventually operating several additional stores under the Children's Supermart brand. Nine years later, the company was acquired by Interstate Department Stores, Inc., who already owned the toy store chain Children's Bargain Town USA, which featured the original version of Geoffrey the Giraffe as its mascot. Following the bankruptcy of Interstate Department Stores in 1974, Lazarus himself took control of the bankrupt corporation and rebranded the merged Children's Bargain Town USA/Children's Supermart company into "Toys"R"Us", which subsequently grew into the biggest toy store chain in the United States, eventually expanding into other markets around the globe to the point where the company was considered a prime example of a "category killer".<ref name="abandoned">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNSPl4YsQQ8 "Abandoned - Toys R Us"] by Youtube channel Bright Sun Films.</ref>

After many decades of success, Toys"R"Us failed to realize the growing importance of the internet during the 1990s, and as a result added its own online store very late in the game. Following a disastrous 1999 holiday shopping season, during which the company fell behind on shipping online customer orders, it struck a ten-year deal with [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]], who would subsequently act as Toys"R"Us's online presence. Following a brief period of financial success that exceeded Amazon's expectations, the partnership was prematurely ended by Toys"R"Us after Amazon had allowed competing merchants to begin selling toys through the website, and following a lawsuit, Amazon paid Toys"R"Us $51 million in settlements. In 2006, Toys"R"Us reopened an independent website, but by that time, the damage had already been done.<ref name="amazon">Alison Griswold: [https://qz.com/1080389/a-dot-com-era-deal-with-amazon-marked-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-toys-r-us/ "A dot-com era deal with Amazon marked the beginning of the end for Toys R Us"], Quartz, published September 2017.</ref>

In 2005, Toys"R"Us was bought out by venture capitalist firms including Bain Capital, and as a result, the chain was saddled with a ''massive'' debt when the cost of paying back the loan used to buy the chain was then dumped onto it, with interest. Despite rebounding sales-wise and making a profit above its nominal operating expenses, the sheer size of the debt was too much, and Toys"R"Us eventually declared bankruptcy on [[September 18]], [[2017]], leading to their planned liquidation, resulting in all stores in the United States to be closed by [[June 29]], [[2018]].

Operations in other markets were also affected, though not all cases ended in all-out job losses: The United Kingdom division entered administration in February 2018, with the last remaining stores being closed on [[April 24]] of the same year; the Australian division entered administration in May 2018, with the last remaining stores expected to close in July; and in Portugal and Spain, Toys"R"Us declared bankruptcy in March 2018, with the final fate of those divisions still uncertain. The Canadian division, which was still profitable by that point, was bought out by Fairfax Financial Holdings in April 2018 (with the takeover completed in May), who are continuing operations under the original branding. The divisions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which were also still profitable, were taken over by Irish family-owned toy giant Smyths in April 2018, who rebranded all stores in those three countries into "Smyths" in 2019. Operations in Asia continue as usual for the time being.

And in the middle of all these tumultuous times, the original Toys"R"Us founder Charles Lazarus, who had parted ways with the company in 1994, died on March 24, 2018, at age 94.

The Toys"R"Us brand is now owned by Tru Kids.

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:AHM1 NYCToyCompanies1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
A Toys"R"Us store was in [[Times Square]]. {{Storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}}

===Commercial appearances===
At a Toys"R"Us store in a [[Quadwal]] stream where toys are sentient, Snackin' Sara the {{w|Baby Alive}} toy informed an [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Robots in Disguise|unboxed Optimus Prime toy]] about the store's Price Match guarantee, wherein if Optimus was found at a lower price at another retailer, Toys"R"Us would match their prices. The Optimus toy was confused as to the existence of another one of himself and was advised by Sara to look to his left. When he did so, both he and his doppelganger were distraught at their existence, a panic which soon spread to his entire shelf, fully populated by Optimi. {{storylink|Commercial#2015_2|Toys"R"Us Commercial}}

==Hasbro market Toys"R"Us exclusives==
===Robots in Disguise (2001)===
[[File:RID-toy Scourge Ultra.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Scourge, major baddie and major pain to obtain in the US.]]
Toys"R"Us's first exclusives were for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline]], and they snagged a pair of absolute doozies: a major villain character from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], and a huge toy that had been canceled the year prior that fans thought would never see the light of day.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Super Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (RID)#Toys|Scourge]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Supreme Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Air Attack Optimus Primal]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Ultra Class''' (UK only)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (RID)#Toys|Dreadwind]] & [[Smokejumper#Toys|Smokejumper]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}

{{-}}
===Commemorative Series===
[[File:G1-toy SkywarpCommSeries.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Skywarp, with "safe" firing missiles.]]
[[File:G1-toy RicochetCommSeries.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Ricochet, former holy grail]]
"Enhanced" re-releases of classic [[The Transformers (toyline)|"Generation 1"]] toys, the entire ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' toyline was originally intended to be exclusively available from Toys"R"Us stores. However, two toys from the later series were ultimately made available through other venues, at least for the United States market, particularly "closeout" chains, sold at a massive discount.

The "Commemorative Series" branding would pop up again in later lines; we're listing those items both here and under their respective lines so you don't have to go searching for them.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series I'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Rodimus Major]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series II'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#ApexArmorPrime|Powermaster Optimus Prime]] with [[Apex Bomber#Toys|Apex Armor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series III'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Autobot Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Silverstreak]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series IV'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Red Alert]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series V'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hoist (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Hoist]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Autobot Tracks]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series VI'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grapple (G1)#Commemorative Series|Autobot Grapple]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Smokescreen]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series VII'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirge (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Rodimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series VIII'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skids (G1)#Commemorative Series|Autobot Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Side Swipe]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series IX'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ricochet (Headmasters)#Commemorative Series|Ricochet]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Classics'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Classics|Soundwave]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Universe (2008)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Insecticon (G1)#Universe (2008)|Insecticons]] ([[Bombshell (G1)#Universe (2008)|Hardshell]], [[Kickback (G1)#Universe (2008)|Kickback]], [[Shrapnel (G1)#Universe (2008)|Sharpshot]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Perceptor]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Unicron Trilogy (Armada / Energon / Cybertron)===
====Armada====
[[File:Arm-toy CyclonusPX TRUBonus.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Powerlix Cyclonus with bonus Iceberg]]
The chain's ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' offerings were not particularly special, but they ''were'' a great bargain: standard-issue "Super-Con" toys with a bonus pack-in [[Mini-Con]] from one of the normal retail three-packs, but sold at a cost ''below'' a Super-Con on its own!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Bonus Packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (Armada)#Toys|Blurr]] with [[Incinerator (Armada)#Toys|Incinerator]] (plus either [[Buzzsaw (Armada)#Toys|Buzzsaw]], [[Drill Bit (Armada)#Toys|Drill Bit]], or [[Dualor (Armada)#Toys|Dualor]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Cyclonus]] with [[Crumplezone (Armada)#Powerlinx|Crumplezone]] (plus either [[Dune Runner (Armada)#Toys|Dune Runner]], [[Iceberg#Toys|Iceberg]], or [[Ransack (Armada)#Toys|Ransack]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#ArDxPx|Powerlinx Hot Shot]] with [[Jolt (Armada)#Powerlinx|Jolt]] (plus either Dune Runner, Iceberg, or Ransack)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Sideways (Armada)#Toys|Sideways]] with [[Crosswise (Armada)#Toys|Crosswise]] and [[Rook (Armada)#Toys|Rook]] (plus either Buzzsaw, Drill Bit, or Dualor)}}
|}

{{-}}
====Energon====
[[File:Energontoy prime vs megatron.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Optimus Prime / Megatron]]
For ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'', once again the bulk of their exclusives were just repackaged ''Armada'' toys, and even then, two of them, the Road Wrecker/Night Attack Team and Race/Space Team packs, were also available at [[Walmart]] stores. However, there was the big draw of an Optimus Prime & Megatron two-pack using molds that had previously been exclusive to the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Super Link'' version of the line!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Mini-Con Team 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Adventure Mini-Con Team]] & [[Sea Mini-Con Team]]
*[[Dune Runner (Armada)#Toys|Dune Runner]]
*[[Iceberg#Toys|Iceberg]]
*[[Ransack (Armada)#Toys|Ransack]]
*[[Oceanglide#Toys|Oceanglide]]
*[[Stormcloud (Armada)#Toys|Stormcloud]]
*[[Waterlog (Armada)#Toys|Waterlog]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Race Mini-Con Team]] & [[Space Mini-Con Team]]
*[[Dirt Boss (Armada)#Toys|Dirt Boss]]
*[[Downshift (Armada)#Toys|Downshift]]
*[[Mirage (Armada)#Toys|Mirage]]
*[[Astroscope#Toys|Astroscope]]
*[[Payload (Armada)#Toys|Payload]]
*[[Sky Blast (Armada)#Toys|Sky Blast]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Road Wrecker Mini-Con Team]] & [[Night Attack Mini-Con Team]]
*[[Buzzsaw (Armada)#Toys|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Drill Bit (Armada)#Toys|Drill Bit]]
*[[Dualor (Armada)#Toys|Dualor]]
*[[Broadside (Armada)#Toys|Broadside]]
*[[Fetch#Toys|Fetch]]
*[[Scattor (Armada)#Toys|Scattor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader 2-pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#OprimusMegsTRU|Powerlinx Optimus Prime]] / [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#TRUvsOptimus|Megatron]]}}
|}
{{Note|Despite the names on the packaging, the "Race Team" are in their "Road Wrecker Team" colors, and the "Road Wrecker Team" are in their original "Destruction Team" colors.}}

{{-}}

====Cybertron====
[[File:Cybertrontoy vprime vs sscream.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Starscream vs. Vector Prime]]
''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' content was light, being mostly "Value Packs" which were just fully-packaged normal Deluxes sold at less than the total cost of the toys bought individually. And the two-pack versions of that were another "exclusive" shared with [[Walmart]]. However, there was one truly exclusive multi-pack that provided Western fans with access to a mold previously available only by importing it from Japan, and in unique colors to boot.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Value Packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
(Could contain any two of the following toys)
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)#Toys|Dirt Boss]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|Hot Shot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Override (Cybertron)#Toys|Override]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (Armada)#Cybertron|Red Alert]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sideways (Armada)#Cybertron|Sideways]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (Cybertron)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''"Super Value!" Deluxe 3-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Landmine (Energon)#multipack|Landmine]] / [[Snarl (Cybertron)#Cybertron|Snarl]] / [[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)#multipack|Dirt Boss]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sideways (Armada)#Cybertron|Sideways]] / [[Brimstone (Cybertron)#Multipack|Brimstone]] / [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Multipack|Thunderblast]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#VsVector|Starscream]] vs. [[Vector Prime#Cybertron|Vector Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Go-Bots===
Yes, Toys"R"Us even got some exclusives for the [[Playskool]] ''[[Transformers: Go-Bots (toyline)|Go-Bots]]'' line, done up in shiny chrome. Delightful!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Basics'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-rhgb|[[Aero-Bot#TRU|Aero-Bot]]}}
{{Bp-rhgb|[[Speed-Bot#TRU|Speed-Bot]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
The ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' offerings were limited to a single multi-pack, but it was a sizable one!

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-d1|[[Ramjet (Universe)#Toys|Ramjet]] with [[Thunderclash (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Thunderclash]], [[Gunbarrel (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Gunbarrel]], [[Terradive (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Terradive]], and [[Thunderwing (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Thunderwing]]}}
</ul>

{{-}}

===Alternators===
The chain had an "exclusive" ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' "Mega Alternators" assortment... which ultimately turned out to be merely shrinkwrapped combos of regular-retail single ''Alternators'' releases. The most common combinations were [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Smokescreen]]/[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Alternators|Side Swipe]] and Smokescreen/[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators|Silverstreak]], but Smokescreen/[[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]], Smokescreen/[[Hound (G1)/toys#Alternators|Autobot Hound]], and even Smokescreen/Smokescreen(!) combos have been found as well.

{{-}}
===Titanium Series===
[[File:TitaniumWarWithin Grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Grimlock, ''War Within'' style]]
''[[Titanium Series]]'' was Hasbro's short-lived line of mostly-[[die-cast]]-metal toys for various brands, with small "Robot Masters" mini figurines and 6-inch "Cybertron Heroes" fully-transformable toys. Most of the Toys"R"Us exclusives fall under the ''[[War Within (franchise)|War Within]]'' comic styling... despite that series having ended (prematurely) years prior. And the comic license having changed hands since then to boot.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Robot Master 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#tit2pack|Optimus Prime]] & [[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#Ti2pack|Bumblebee]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Prowl]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron Heroes 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#WarWithin2pack|War Within Optimus Prime]] / [[Megatron (G1)/toys#WarWithin2pack|War Within Megatron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}

{{-}}
===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
For the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' line, Toys"R"Us got a repackaging of the Japanese "[[Beast Wars Reborn]]" set, featuring extensively-redecoed re-releases of the Ultra-class Optimus Primal and Megatron molds.

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-m1p1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#BWXVSMegatron|Optimus Primal]] vs [[Megatron (BW)/toys#BWXVSPrimal|Megatron]]}}
</ul>

{{-}}
===Classics===
While the focal point of ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' was modern-mold reinventions of classic characters, there were a few exceptions. ''Classics'' Soundwave was a reissue of the original toy, originally slated for the ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' line (above).

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Classics|Soundwave]]}}
</ul>

{{-}}
===Masterpiece===
[[File:TRU Masterpiece Acid Storm.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Acid Storm]]
The big, expensive, complex ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toys were an instant hit with collectors, and of course Toys"R"Us got in several exclusives. However, in many non-US Hasbro markets, ''all'' of the Hasbro-release ''Masterpiece'' toys were Toys"R"Us exclusives, so we won't be listing ''all'' of those here.

As some of these were sold as part of the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'' toyline]], we'll list them in those lines' sections as well. It just kinda makes sense to have them all gathered up here too.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Transformers (2010)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#MPHasbro|Masterpiece Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#HasbroMasterpiece|Masterpiece Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Masterpiece Thundercracker]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Platinum Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Platinum Edition|Year of the Horse Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Soundwave Year Of The Goat Edition]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Masterpiece'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Acid Storm (G1)#Masterpiece|Acid Storm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#2014MP|Masterpiece Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10hasbro|Masterpiece Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Prowl]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#HasbroMasterpiece|Soundwave]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#HasbroMP|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#MP3G|Starscream Ghost Version]] (Australia only)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sunstorm (G1)#HasbroMP|Sunstorm]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Masterpiece Movie Series'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#MasterpieceMPM3|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Masterpiece Movie Series|Optimus Prime]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Live-action movie toylines===
With the absolute explosion of ''Transformers'' popularity due to the [[live-action film series]], naturally a vast number of exclusives for said series were made, with Toys"R"Us getting quite a lot.

====Transformers (2007)====
[[Image:Movie Inferno toy.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Inferno w/ Longarm]]
For the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 ''Transformers'' toyline]], most of the exclusives were redecoed "[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]" molds used to quickly boost the amount of "new" product in the wake of the first film's staggering success, as well as a pair of multi-packs of normal-retail-release toys.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (Movie)#Toys|Inferno]] (w/ [[Longarm (Movie Mini-Con)|Longarm]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mudflap (Movie)#Toys|Mudflap]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Ultra Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Jetstorm (Movie)#Toys|Jetstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wingblade#Toys|Wingblade]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|Decepticon Desert Attack (Voyager [[Blackout (Movie)#Voyager Class toys|Blackout]] & Deluxe [[Scorponok (Movie)#Deluxe Class toys|Scorponok]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1d1|Battle for the Allspark (Legends-class [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Barricade]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (Movie)#Legends Class toys|Autobot Jazz]], [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Megatron]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Optimus Prime]], [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Starscream]])}}
|}
{{-}}
====Revenge of the Fallen====
[[File:ROTF-toy GreenMixmaster.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|"Back Road Brawl" Mixmaster]]
''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> exclusives were entirely focused on multipacks, with a fair amount of new decoes and characters.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Titanium Series'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Cliffjumper (Movie)#Titanium Series|Cliffjumper]] / [[Dead End (ROTF)#Titanium Series|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Titanium Series 2|Offroad Ironhide]] / [[Brawl (Movie)#ROTFTitanium|Deep Desert Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#ROTFTitanium|Rescue Ratchet]] / [[Blackout (Movie)#Titanium Series 2|Blackout]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Back Road Brawl ([[Hoist (Movie)#Toys|Hoist]] & [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#BackRoadBrawl|Mixmaster]])}}
{{Bp-d1|Gathering at the Nemesis ([[The Fallen/toys#GatheringNemesis|The Fallen]], [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#GatheringNemesis|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (ROTF)#GatheringNemesis|Soundwave]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Master of [[Metallikato]] ([[Whirl (ROTF)#Toys|Autobot Whirl]] & [[Bludgeon (ROTF)#Toys|Decepticon Bludgeon]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|Shanghai Showdown [[Demolishor (ROTF)#TRUset|Demolishor]], [[Skids (ROTF)#ShanghaiShowdown|Skids]] & [[Mudflap (ROTF)#ShanghaiShowdown|Mudflap]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Wheelie (ROTF)#Deluxe2Pack|Autobot Wheelie]] / [[Sideways (ROTF)#Deluxe2Pack|Decepticon Sideways]] (UK & Germany only)}}
|}
{{-}}
====Transformers (2010)====
[[File:TF2010toy-RampageAmongtheRuinsStock.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Rampage Among the Ruins]]
The [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'' toyline]] was ''largely'' an extension of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' product, but some "Generation 1"-based stuff made its way into the line towards the back end. In the case of Toys"R"Us exclusives, this was in the form of a trio of ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toys.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multipacks'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Constructicon Devastator]] ([[Hightower (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Hightower]], [[Long Haul (ROTF)#TRUDevastatorGreen|Long Haul]], [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Mixmaster]], [[Rampage (ROTF)#LegendsDevGreen|Rampage]], [[Scavenger (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Scavenger]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Scrapper]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Rampage Among The Ruins ([[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#RampageAmongTheRuins|Bumblebee]], [[Rampage (ROTF)#RampageAmongTheRuins|Rampage]], [[Ravage (ROTF)#RampageAmongTheRuins|Ravage]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Masterpiece'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#MPHasbro|Masterpiece Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#HasbroMasterpiece|Masterpiece Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Masterpiece Thundercracker]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}
====Dark of the Moon====
[[File:DOTM Deluxe Scan Ironhide toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Scan Series Ironhide]]
The exclusives for ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' were given the branding "'''Mission Earth'''". Many of the toys also had "Scan Series" decos, where the toys were cast in clear plastics then extensively painted, but only on the ''front halves'' of their vehicle modes, making them look like they're in mid-[[reformatting]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Scan Series Deluxes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Autobot Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Sideswipe]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Generations|Ironhide]] (Canada only)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Movie)/toys#Generations|Starscream]] (Canada only)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Bumblebee / Starscream ([[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Cybertronian Bumblebee]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Bumblebee]], [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Starscream]], [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Cybertronian Starscream]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|Cybertronian Warriors Pack ([[Barricade (Movie)/toys#CybertronianWarriors|Barricade]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#CybertronianWarriors|Bumblebee]], [[Crankcase (DOTM)#CybertronianWarriors|Crankcase]], [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#CybertronianWarriors|Ironhide]], [[Mobile Battle Bunker#CybertronianWarriors|Mobile Battle Bunker]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Streetside Bot Brawl ([[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#StreetsideBotBrawl|Bumblebee]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#StreetsideBotBrawl|Optimus Prime]], [[Shockwave (Movie)#StreetsideBotBrawl|Shockwave]])}}
|}
{{-}}
====Age of Extinction====
[[File:Evolution2PackAOEOptimus.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|"Evolution" Optimus Prime]]
For ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'', the exclusives were all part of the "Evolution" theme, packing a toy of the movie character with a toy of their "G1" inspiration... in theory. There's a bit of jank going on with a couple of them.

Also at this point, the ''[[Kre-O]]'' line had ''functionally'', if not ''officially'', become a Toys"R"Us exclusive in the US, with the nigh-entirety of the 2014 lineup taken up by ''Age of Extinction''-themed sets, plus an explicitly-TRU-only DVD/[[Kreon]] combo pack.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Evolution 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Bumblebee ([[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#TRUEvolution|''AOE'' Bumblebee]] & [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|G1 Bumblebee]])}}
{{Bp-a1|Dinobot Slug ([[Slug (AOE)#TRUEvolution|''AOE'' Slug]] & [[Slag (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|G1 Slug]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|Strafe ([[Strafe (AOE)#TRUEvolution|''AOE'' Strafe]] & [[Swoop (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|G1 "Strafe"]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Evolution 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Grimlock ([[Grimlock (AOE)#TRUEvolution|''AOE'' Grimlock]] & [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|G1 Grimlock]])}}
{{bp-a1|Optimus Prime ([[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#AOEEvolution|''AOE'' Optimus Prime]] & [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Age of Extinction|G1 Optimus Prime]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''DVD / Blu-Ray'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Transformers Kre-O + Movie Gift Set (w/ [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#MovieGiftSet|Optimus Prime]] & [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#MovieGiftSet|Galvatron]] Kreons)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====The Last Knight====
[[File:Deluxe-Skullitron.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Skullitron]]
Exclusives for ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]'' were given the "'''Mission to Cybertron'''" branding, plus a few had the added "Premiere Edition" marking to denote more elaborate paint jobs.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Legion 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#MtCTRU2pack|Bumblebee]] & [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#MtCTRU2Pack|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#MtCTRU2pack|Optimus Prime]] & [[Grimlock (AOE)#MtCTRU2pack|Grimlock]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Premier Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Premier Edition|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#TLKRevealTheShieldVoyager|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skullitron#Toys|Skullitron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Infernocus#Toys|Infernocus]] ([[Glug]], [[Gorge]], [[Rupture]], [[Skulk]], [[Thrash (TLK)|Thrash]], plus [[Quintessa (TLK)#Toys|Quintessa]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Premier Edition|Optimus Prime]] / [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Premier Edition|Cybertron Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Cybertron (planet)#The Last Knight|Cybertron]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Studio Series====
[[File:StudioSeries-09-Voyager-Thundercracker.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Good luck.]]
The very last Toys"R"Us exclusive (in the US at least), this figure in the then-new ''[[Studio Series]]'' was the first "off-screen" figure in the line, and was kind of hard to find in the US thanks to the chain being liquidated right about the time the toy was released.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (Movie)#Studio Series|Thundercracker]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Animated===
[[File:Animated Rodimus Minor toy.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Rodimus Minor]]
For ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Transformers Animated]]'', Toys"R"Us scored several toys that had been slated for regular retail release, but budgets kept them out of the main line. Considering ''who'' some of these characters were, this led to something of a rush to grab them.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxes wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Arcee (Animated)#Toys|Arcee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (Animated)#Cybertron|Cybertron Mode Ratchet]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxes wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (Animated)#Toys|Cybertron Mode Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rodimus Prime (Animated)#Toys|Rodimus Minor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe 2-packs'''
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (Animated)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]] & [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Deluxe Class|Bumblebee]] (UK & Germany only)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader "Super Value" packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bulkhead (Animated)#Leader|Bulkhead]] (with [[Activators]] [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Activators|Bumblebee]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Animated)#Leader Class|Megatron]] (with Activators [[Starscream (Animated)#Activators|Starscream]])}}
|}
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:UniverseDarkwindToy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Darkwind]]
The [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] offerings were mainly some pretty big-ticket items, with a few more vintage toy molds thrown in the mix.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Ultra Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Countdown (G1)#Universe (2008)|Autobot Countdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Universe (2008)|Darkwind]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Supreme Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Unicron/toys#Universe (2008)|Unicron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Commemorative Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Insecticon (G1)#Universe (2008)|Insecticons]] ([[Bombshell (G1)#Universe (2008)|Hardshell]], [[Kickback (G1)#Universe (2008)|Kickback]], [[Shrapnel (G1)#Universe (2008)|Sharpshot]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Perceptor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Deluxe Comic 2-packs''' (Australia only)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Autobot Ambush ([[Dirge (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Dirge]], [[Roadbuster (G1)#Universe (2008)|Autobot Roadbuster]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|Standoff Beneath the Streets ([[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Ratbat]], [[Springer (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Springer]])}}
|}
{{-}}
===Kre-O===
[[File:Kre-O Autobot Assault Devastator set.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Autobot Assault Devastator set: the buildable Ironhide, Gunner and yellow Devastator Kreons are exclusive to the Toys"R"Us version of the set.]]
Hasbro's second attempt at a [[LEGO]]-like building-brick-based toyline, there are only a couple of explicitly Toys"R"Us-exclusive ''[[Kre-O]]'' items in the line. However, by 2014, by the time the ''Transformers'' part of the line pivoted entirely to ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (franchise)|Age of Extinction]]'' (and the reveal of the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' sets), the entire ''Kre-O'' line became ''functionally'' a TRU exclusive in the US, as most other retailers had dropped it.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''"Autobot Assault Devastator"''' set
<ul class="iconlist">
Buildable figures:
{{Bp-d1|[[Drill Bit (Kre-O)|Drill Bit]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hightower (ROTF)#Kre-O|Hightower]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#TRUDevastator|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Scrapper]]}}
(The four Decepticons can be rebuilt into [[Devastator (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Devastator]])
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
Kreons:
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#YellowDevastator|Devastator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Ironhide]]}}
* [[Foreman]]
* three [[Construction Worker]]s
* [[Gunner]]
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional polybag kits'''
{{Bp-a1|Dinobot Ride ([[Grimlock (AOE)#DinobotRide|Grimlock]] w/ [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#DinobotRide|Optimus Prime]] mini-Kreon)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Elite|Elite Optimus Prime]] (''Canadian TRUs only'')}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Kreons'''
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#OrangeDevastator|Constructicon Devastator]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''DVD / Blu-Ray'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Transformers Kre-O + Movie Gift Set (w/ exclusive [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#MovieGiftSet|Optimus Prime]] & [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#MovieGiftSet|Galvatron]] Kreons)}}
|}
{{-}}

==="Aligned" toylines (Prime / Robots in Disguise)===
====Prime: Beast Hunters====
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1p2|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Predaking|Optimus Prime]] vs [[Predaking (Prime)#Optimus|Predaking]]}}
</ul>
{{Note|Thus far, this two-pack has been found at Toys"R"Us stores in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Germany and France; in Germany, it was explicitly advertised as a Toys"R"Us exclusive. Since the only known official [[stock photography|stock photos]] have shown this two-pack in [[multilingual packaging|multilingual]] European packaging, it's very likely that this has always been intended as a European market exclusive; however, it has also been found at general retail in Brazil.}}

{{-}}
====Robots in Disguise (2015)====
[[File:RID2015-Warrior-Class-Megatronus-CotT.jpg|250px|thumb|Warrior Megatronus]]
For 2015's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'', Toys"R"Us was the home of the "'''Clash of the Transformers'''" series, a pretty sizable [[subline imprint]] of exclusives; a mix of [[redeco]]s, [[retool]]s and even some wholly-new molds. The line-up was released in Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, though Warrior Class Megatronus was only released in the US, and the "Decepticon Island Showdown" set was not released in Europe at all.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Legion 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#LegionClash|Bumblebee]] vs [[Underbite#LegionClash|Underbite]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#LegionClash|Optimus Prime]] vs [[The Fallen/toys#LegionClash|Megatronus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Warrior Class Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#ClashWarrior|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#ClashWarrior|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (RID)#ClashWarrior|Sideswipe]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Warrior Class Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[The Fallen/toys#WarriorClash|Megatronus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Warrior Class Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#ClashPowerSurge|Power Surge Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (WFC)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2015)|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Paralon (RID)#Toys|Paralon]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Three-Step Changers'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#3StepClash|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#3StepClash|Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Mega Five-Step'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[The Fallen/toys#5step|Megatronus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Power Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (WFC)/toys#PowerHeroes|Power Surge Starscream]] & Mini-Con [[Lancelon#PowerHeroes|Lancelon]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|"Decepticon Island Showdown" ([[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#DecepticonIslandShowdown|Bumblebee]], [[Steeljaw (RID)#DecepticonIslandShowdown|Steeljaw]], [[Stasis pod#Robots in Disguise (2015)|stasis pod]] accessory)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Titans Return===
[[File:TitansReturntoy-Nautica.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Parsec & Nautica, the only Nautica toy so far. Good luck!]]
With the emphasis on [[Titan Master]]s (aka [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s) in ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'', naturally these sets are loaded to the gills with tiny head-bots. Of particular note is the Arcee set, which was originally a [[HasCon 2017]] exclusive.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Chaos on Velocitron ([[Fastlane#Generations|Fastclash]], [[Parsec]] & [[Nautica (G1)#Toys|Autobot Nautica]], [[Refractor]] & [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#ChaosOnVelocitron|Laser Prime]], [[Dynamus]] & [[Quickswitch#Generations|Quickswitch]], Titan Master [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Rodimus Prime]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Online orders'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)#HasCon|Leinad]] & [[Arcee (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Arcee]] / [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#HasCon|Ultra Magnus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}
===Buzzworthy Bumblebee (Canada)===
While the ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' line is exclusive to ''[[Target]]'' stores in the US, Canada does not have Targets, so all of those toys go to Toys"R"Us... and seemingly at quite a markup. We're honestly not about to list the entire line here, sorry.

{{-}}

==Takara market Toys"R"Us exclusives==
As its own entity, Toys"R"Us Japan had its own considerably different run of exclusives. Of particular note are the "[[USA Edition]]s" (unchanged [[Hasbro]]-market product in nigh-unchanged Hasbro retail packaging), and the many, many, ''many'' "[[campaign item]]" promotional giveaways, typically [[Mini-Con]]s and comparably-sized toys, given as freebies with a qualifying purchase on certain dates (be it a specific toy, or just a certain yen-value of toys total)

===Beast Wars series===
====Beast Wars====
[[File:Beast Wars-Black Lio Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Black Lio Convoy]]
Takara's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' product was very light on the exclusives. In fact, most of them are actually straight-up imports of Hasbro-packaged [[Transmetal 2]] toys released during the ''Beast Wars Metals'' portion of the line.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Beast Wars'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Clear|Special Convoy Skeleton Type]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Beast Wars II'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Black Lio Convoy#Toys|Black Lio Convoy]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Beast Wars Metals''' (Hasbro imports)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Iguanus (BW)#TM2|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Jawbreaker (BW)#Toys|Jawbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Minor#Toys|Optimus Minor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Prowl (TM2)#Toys|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Scourge (BW)#Toys|Scourge]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Beast Wars Returns====
[[File:BM-toy ThrustBWR.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Vehicon Thrust]]
Released many years after the "Beast" series had run its course in Japan, 2004's ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)#Takara Beast Wars Returns toyline|Beast Wars Returns]]'' was an entirely Toys"R"Us exclusive line, featuring ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' molds extensively redecoed into (usually) much more show-accurate appearances. It also included a single "[[USA Edition]]" import, a practice that had seen a lot of use in the prior few years.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m2|BR-01 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Returns|Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-02 [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Beast Machines|Cheetus]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-03 [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Returns|Rattle]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-04 [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Returns|Blackwidow]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-05 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Returns|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-vh|BR-06 [[Tankor (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Tankor]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-07 [[Jetstorm (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Jetstorm]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-08 [[Thrust (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Thrust]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-09 [[Nightscream (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Nightscream]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-10 [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)#Beast Wars Returns|Silverbolt]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m2|BR-11 [[Noble (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Noble Savage]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-12 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-13 [[Strika (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Strika]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-14 [[Obsidian (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Obsidian]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Primal Prime#Toys|Primal Prime]]}}
|}
{{-}}
===Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers===
As Takara took its first steps into reissuing old ''Transformers'' molds in the early 2000s, Toys"R"Us got one of the first exclusive redecoes of said reissues.

:{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#NucleonQuest|Nucleon Quest Super Convoy]]}}

{{-}}
===Car Robots (Robots in Disguise)===
The overwhelming bulk of exclusives for 2000's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'' was actually released ''after'' the line had properly ended, with a glut of USA Edition toys from Hasbro's 2001 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)#Hasbro Robots in Disguise toyline|Robots in Disguise]]'' version of the line.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Omega Prime#SpecialClear|God Fire Convoy Special Clear Version]] ([[Optimus Prime (RID)#GodFireClear|Fire Convoy]], [[Ultra Magnus (RID)#GodFireClear|God Magnus]], [[Matrix Blade|Super God Sword]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Cybertron 3-Piece Set ([[Mirage (RID)#MirageGT|Mirage GT]], [[Nightcruz (RID)#Toys|Nightcruz]], [[Scavenger (RID)#Toys|Scavenger]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (RID 2001)#Toys|Destructicon Bludgeon]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (RID)#Toys|Dreadwind]] & [[Smokejumper#Toys|Smokejumper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (RID)#Megabolt|Megatron Megabolt]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Air Attack Optimus Primal]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (RID)#Destructicon|Destructicon Scourge]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Sideways (RID)#Toys|Sideways]] vs. [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Storm Jet (RID)#Toys|Storm Jet]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}
===Unicron Trilogy toylines===
All right, ''here'' we go. The number of exclusives takes a big jump here.

====Legends of the Microns (Armada)====
[[File:Arm-toy WreckageUltimate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Shot Ultimate Edition]]
With the arrival of the tiny [[Mini-Con]] toys in 2003's ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)#Takara Legends of the Microns toyline|Legends of the Microns]]'', Takara launched into a ''ton'' of store promotional giveaways across multiple chains, and the era of large numbers of unique exclusives began (plus even more USA Editions).

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Bonecrusher (Armada)#NightAttack|Bomb Night Attack Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Bonecrusher (Armada)#Ultimate|Bomb Ultimate Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Knock Out (Armada)#NightAttack|Crack Night Attack Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Knock Out (Armada)#Ultimate|Crack Ultimate Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Wreckage (Armada)#NightAttack|Shot Night Attack Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Wreckage (Armada)#Ultimate|Shot Ultimate Edition]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Magna Convoy DX Set ([[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#MagnaConvoyDX|Final Battle Convoy Super Mode]], [[Sparkplug (Armada)#MagnaConvoyDX|Corona Prime]], [[Overload (Armada)#MagnaConvoy|Ultra Magnus Special Clear Version]], [[Rollout (Armada)#MagnaDX|Magnus]], [[Sureshock (Armada)#Exdimensions|Arcee]], [[Grindor (Armada)#Exdimensions|Bank]], [[High Wire (Armada)#Exdimensions|Wheelie]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Airazor (Armada)#Toys|Airazor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (Armada)#Toys|Skywarp]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions''' (online only)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Cheetor (Armada)#Toys|Cheetor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Predacon (Armada)#Toys|Predacon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Jetfire]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Superlink (Energon)====
[[File:En-toy Throttle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Throttle]]
With Mini-Cons taking a bit of a back seat in ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Superlink]]'', Takara added exclusive [[Energon weapon]]s promotional campaigns, on top of the usual multi-packs and USA Editions.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Energon weapons'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Energon weapon#Gallery|Energy Axe Aquamarine Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Energon weapon#Gallery|Energy Spear Lightning Yellow Edition]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Accel]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Throttle (Energon)|Throttle]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Screw (Energon)|Screw]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|EX-01 [[Constructicon Maximus#Toys|Buildron]] ([[Bonecrusher (Energon)#Toys|Bonecrusher]], [[Wideload (Energon)#Toys|Glen]], [[Duststorm (Energon)#Toys|Long Haul]], [[Steamhammer (Energon)#Toys|Scavenger]], [[Sledge (Energon)#Toys|Scrapper]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Energon|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugslinger (Energon)#Toys|Stormjet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tow-Line (Energon)#Toys|Tow-Line]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Galaxy Force (Cybertron)====
[[File:Cyb-toy Cobybot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Coby's Exclusive Rumble (aka "Cobybot")]]
The ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)#Takara Galaxy Force toyline|Galaxy Force]]'' exclusives pretty much followed the usual pattern. But boy, that big box set is ''pretty''.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Items'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Police Type]]}}
{{Bp-mc|Mystery [[Cyber Key|Force Chip]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Hydroplane#Toys|Platinum Element]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Solar Flare#Toys|Platinum Factor]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Rockslide#Toys|Platinum Material]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|EX-01 [[Nemesis Breaker#Toys|Dark Ligerjack]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|EX-02 Sonic Convoy ([[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#SonicConvoy|Galaxy Convoy Clear Version]], [[Wing Saber (Energon)#SonicConvoySet|Sonic Bomber Fire Version]], [[Cobybot#Toys|Coby's Exclusive Rumble]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Supreme|Starscream]]}}
|}
{{-}}
===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[File:Wstf hot rod.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Hot Rodimus, TRU packaging version]]
Exactly what they say on the box, ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' are/were the smallest ''Transformers'' toys to actually transform. Both of these were promotional items given away with the purchase of other toys.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Hybrid Style promotion'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Hot Rodimus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Transformers (2007) promotion'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Bumble]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Live-action movie toylines===
While the [[live-action film series]] resulted in a massive boom of exclusives in Hasbro markets, Takara's exclusive output was ''quite'' a bit smaller in scope.

====Transformers (2007)====
The only Toys"R"Us exclusive for the first movie wasn't even terribly "exclusive", as it was just a repackaging of the Hasbro Leader-Class Brawl, and an unchanged re-issuing of a previous regular-retail item.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (Movie)#Leader Class toys|Electronic Brawl]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Bumblebee]] (Ikebukuro store only)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional item'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Bumble]] (''Smallest Transforming Transformers'')}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====Revenge (Revenge of the Fallen)====
[[File:G1-toy MightyDozer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Mighty Dozer]]
''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge]]'' exclusive product was positively restrained compared to the Hasbro output, with the big items being toys released at normal retail in Hasbro markets (and one a notorious [[shelfwarmer]] at that).

It is important to note that the two promotional Microns come with instructions that are simply labeled as generic "''Transformers''" product. But they were only given away with the purchase of ''Revenge'' product, so we're listing them here. This will be a bit of a theme going forward with many promotional Microns over the next few years, across multiple lines.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys 2|Interrogator Barricade]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scorponok (Movie)#Stalker|Stalk Scorponok]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Demolishor (ROTF)#Legends Class|Demolishor Shanghai Attack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rampage (ROTF)#DesertAttackJTRU|Decepticon Rampage Desert Combat]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Guardian Sky]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Mighty Dozer]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====Darkside Moon (Dark of the Moon)====
[[File:EZCollectionDarksideOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Darkside Optimus Prime]]
Again, ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)#Darkside Moon (TakaraTomy)|Darkside Moon]]'' product was light, with the big draw actually being a model kit with an extra piece. Whee!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkside Optimus Prime (DOTM)#Toys|Darkside Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional items'''
<ul class="iconlist">
* [[Tritanium]] Heat Blade Claw (Gold Crankcase [[MechTech]] weapon)
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Dual Model Kit'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#Dual Model Kit|Optimus Prime]] (w/ "Battle Hook" exclusive to TRU orders)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}
====Lost Age (Age of Extinction)====
[[File:Lost Age TRU JP rusty Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Rusty Ver. Optimus Prime]]
''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)#TakaraTomy toylines|Lost Age]]'' toys was heavy on the promotional Microns, though again they were not directly branded as such.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollbar (AOE)#TakTom|Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#MovieAdvancedEX|Sideswipe]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#RustyEvasion|Rusty Ver. Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#BlackKnightLeader|Black Knight Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Astrotrain (DOTM)#Toys|Astrotrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Carnivac (AOE)|Carnivac]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ivan]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Roller (G1)#Transformers (2014)|Silver Roller]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional items'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Prime Axe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sword of Judgment#Lost Age Series|Temenos Sword]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====The Last Knight====
[[File:Movie-The-Best-MB-EX-Arm-Cannon-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Arm Gun Bumblebee]]
The exclusives line-up for Takara's ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)#TakaraTomy toylines|The Last Knight]]'' was more or less the same as in the Hasbro markets, as the two companies were in the process of a "brand unification" that would see the two release much the same product in both markets.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|MB-EX [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ArmGunBB|Arm Gun Bumblebee]] (''[[Transformers Movie The Best|Movie The Best]]'' series)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Movie)/toys#TLKDeluxe|Stealth Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skullitron#Toys|Skullitron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#TLK-Voyager|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Movie)/toys#TLKVoyager|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Infernocus#Toys|Infernocus]] ([[Glug]], [[Gorge]], [[Rupture]], [[Skulk]], [[Thrash (TLK)|Thrash]], plus [[Quintessa (TLK)#Toys|Quintessa]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Cybertron (planet)#TLK-Cybertron|Cybertron]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Studio Series====
As with the Hasbro line, ''[[Studio Series]]'' marked the end of Takara's run of Toys"R"Us exclusives, even though the chain still operates to this day in Japan.

:{{Bp-a1|Autobot Drift with [[Mini Dinobot#Generations|Baby Dinobots]] ([[Drift (AOE)#Studio Series|Autobot Drift]], [[Sharp-T#Toys|Dinobot Sharp-T]], [[Pterry#Toys|Dinobot Pterry]], [['Tops#Toys|Dinobot 'Tops]])}}

{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[File:Henkei-toy Skyglide.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Skyglide]]
Takara's take on the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' toyline, ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' only resulted in a single promotional [[Mini-Con|Micron]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyglide]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Animated===
[[File:AnimatedLegendsSkywarpClearPurple.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Skywarp Clear Purple Ver.]]
{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#LegendsClearRed|Optimus Prime Clear Red Ver.]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (Animated)#ClearEZCollection|Skywarp Clear Purple Ver.]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===United===
[[File:United-toy Caliburst.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Caliburst]]
The spiritual follow-up to ''Henkei!'', ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' went with new versions of old characters... on molds pretty wildly not meant for those characters in the case of these two Microns.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Caliburst (G1)#United|Caliburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Recoil (G1)#United 2|Recoil]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Aligned series (Prime / Adventure)===
====Prime====
[[File:Prime-toy B2PureEnergon.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Pure Energon B.B.]]
Takara went absolutely ''nuts'' with the promotional [[Arms Micron]]s during ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Takara Prime toyline|Prime]]''. The initial batches were fully-assembled and painted redecoes of past weapon-bots, but as the line kicked into gear, they shifted to the unassembled, on-sprue "model kit" style Microns that came with Takara's ''Prime'' toys. Speaking of, their big in-store exclusive even came with three extra exclusive Arms Micron kits!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager + Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#BattleShield|Battle Shield Optimus]] (w/ [[O.P.#Gray|O.P. A]], [[Jaze#Toys|Jaze G]], [[Pral#Toys|Pral G]], [[Sise#Toys|Sise G]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Arms Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Firebolt (G1)#Preorder|Autobot Firebolt]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Peacemaker|Autobot Peaceman]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pinpointer (G1)|Autobot Pinpointer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vector Oracle]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Arms Micron kits'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[B.B. (Prime)#PureEnergon|Pure Energon B.B.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[C.L.#Shadow|Shadow C.L.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[O.P.#PureEnergon|Pure Energon O.P.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[R.A.#ShiningR|Shining R.A. R]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Zamu#Hellflame|Hellflame Zamu]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Contest prizes'''
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#DarkGuard|Dark Guard Optimus Prime]]}}
|}
{{-}}

====Go!====
[[File:Go-toy Ex.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.33|Ex, the one Arms Micron available ''only'' at TRU.]]
For the Takara-only ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Transformers Go!]]'' series, Toys"R"Us got an exclusive redeco of the main new Autobot of the series, as well as a promotional Arms Micron meant to go with ''Go!''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> new version of Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Exprime|Optimus Exprime]], plus a few promo Microns shared with a whole bunch of other stores.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"

|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Swordbots'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Kenzan#Kuromusha|Kenzan Kuromusha ver.]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ex]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gan]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|[[Jin (Go!)|Jin]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Zan]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
|}
{{-}}

====Adventure (Robots in Disguise 2015)====
[[File:RID15-toy ToysRUsPrime.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Toys"R"Us Prime]]
Exclusives for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#TakaraTomy Adventure toyline|Adventure]]'' ran the gamut of small molds. Some were originally Arms Micron kits, but this time came already-assembled.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Battle Pack Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Toys"R"Us Prime#Toys|Geoffrey Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#ClearLegion|Bumblebee Clear Ver.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#RIDClear|Optimus Prime Clear Ver.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Toys"R"Us Prime#Toys|Toys"R"Us Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Burn]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Divebomb (RID)#Toys|Divebomb]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ink]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Velocirazor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Q-Transformers===
[[File:QTransformers Clear Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Clear Bumblebee]]

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Q-Transformers'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#QTclear|Clear Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#QTClear|Clear Starscream]]}}
|}

==Notes==
*Toys"R"Us was also supposed to carry a [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] done up as a ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] homage that would have been released as a ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' toy named [[Astrotrain (Cybertron)|Spacewarp]], together with redecos of the ''Armada'' [[Space Mini-Con Team]]. Ultimately, however, Toys"R"Us backed out of the deal, and Spacewarp was never released. While the Space Team redecos remain unreleased to this very day ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]] claims that the [[mold]]s have become unusable), the planned Spacewarp deco was later used as the basis for the [[Transformers Collectors' Club|Collectors' Club]] exclusive [[Astrotrain (Cybertron)|Astrotrain]] redeco of ''Armada'' Jetfire, with a new head sculpt.
*As of 2019, the Canadian Toys"R"Us branch has picked up the rights to the US [[Target]] exclusives, beginning with the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' toyline.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.toysrus.com/ Official Toys"R"Us USA website]
*[http://www.toysrus.co.jp/ Official Toys"R"Us Japan website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toys R Us}}
[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) businesses]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) locations]]
[[Category:Retailers]]

Toys"R"Us

2024-05-19T00:08:59Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{faction|TRU}}
[[File:OnlyAtToysRUsLogo.jpg|right|upright=2|thumb|Toys weЯe Us.]]
[[File:TFAdv-toy GeoffreyPrime.jpg|upright=2|thumb|Geoffrey Prime, too precious for this world.]]

From bikes to trains to video games, '''Toys"R"Us''' (stylistically '''ToysЯUs''' in the logo) was one of the world's biggest toy retailer chains, based in the [[United States of America|United States]] but with branches in many other countries. According to various sources, it accounted for anywhere from 15 to 20% of major toymakers' sales.

Those days are pretty much over.

Over the years, they carried many [[exclusive]] ''Transformers'' [[toy]]s, in addition to regular mass retail releases. Many of those exclusives have been carried not only by US retailers, but also by international Toys"R"Us branches.

[[Japan]] also has its own branch of Toys"R"Us (トイザらス ''Toizarasu''), which has its own exclusive toys from [[TakaraTomy]], independent of the toys [[Hasbro]] provided Western Toys"R"Us stores with (well... ''mostly''. We'll explain when we get there).

{{TOC|limit=3}}

==History==
Originally founded by Charles P. Lazarus as Children's Supermart in 1948, the store later changed its focus entirely to toys. By 1957, Lazarus came up with the tagline "Toys"R"Us", eventually operating several additional stores under the Children's Supermart brand. Nine years later, the company was acquired by Interstate Department Stores, Inc., who already owned the toy store chain Children's Bargain Town USA, which featured the original version of Geoffrey the Giraffe as its mascot. Following the bankruptcy of Interstate Department Stores in 1974, Lazarus himself took control of the bankrupt corporation and rebranded the merged Children's Bargain Town USA/Children's Supermart company into "Toys"R"Us", which subsequently grew into the biggest toy store chain in the United States, eventually expanding into other markets around the globe to the point where the company was considered a prime example of a "category killer".<ref name="abandoned">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNSPl4YsQQ8 "Abandoned - Toys R Us"] by Youtube channel Bright Sun Films.</ref>

After many decades of success, Toys"R"Us failed to realize the growing importance of the internet during the 1990s, and as a result added its own online store very late in the game. Following a disastrous 1999 holiday shopping season, during which the company fell behind on shipping online customer orders, it struck a ten-year deal with [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]], who would subsequently act as Toys"R"Us's online presence. Following a brief period of financial success that exceeded Amazon's expectations, the partnership was prematurely ended by Toys"R"Us after Amazon had allowed competing merchants to begin selling toys through the website, and following a lawsuit, Amazon paid Toys"R"Us $51 million in settlements. In 2006, Toys"R"Us reopened an independent website, but by that time, the damage had already been done.<ref name="amazon">Alison Griswold: [https://qz.com/1080389/a-dot-com-era-deal-with-amazon-marked-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-toys-r-us/ "A dot-com era deal with Amazon marked the beginning of the end for Toys R Us"], Quartz, published September 2017.</ref>

In 2005, Toys"R"Us was bought out by venture capitalist firms including Bain Capital, and as a result, the chain was saddled with a ''massive'' debt when the cost of paying back the loan used to buy the chain was then dumped onto it, with interest. Despite rebounding sales-wise and making a profit above its nominal operating expenses, the sheer size of the debt was too much, and Toys"R"Us eventually declared bankruptcy on [[September 18]], [[2017]], leading to their planned liquidation, resulting in all stores in the United States to be closed by [[June 29]], [[2018]].

Operations in other markets were also affected, though not all cases ended in all-out job losses: The United Kingdom division entered administration in February 2018, with the last remaining stores being closed on [[April 24]] of the same year; the Australian division entered administration in May 2018, with the last remaining stores expected to close in July; and in Portugal and Spain, Toys"R"Us declared bankruptcy in March 2018, with the final fate of those divisions still uncertain. The Canadian division, which was still profitable by that point, was bought out by Fairfax Financial Holdings in April 2018 (with the takeover completed in May), who are continuing operations under the original branding. The divisions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which were also still profitable, were taken over by Irish family-owned toy giant Smyths in April 2018, who rebranded all stores in those three countries into "Smyths" in 2019. Operations in Asia continue as usual for the time being.

And in the middle of all these tumultuous times, the original Toys"R"Us founder Charles Lazarus, who had parted ways with the company in 1994, died on March 24, 2018, at age 94.

The Toys"R"Us brand is now owned by Tru Kids.

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:AHM1 NYCToyCompanies1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
A Toys"R"Us store was in [[Times Square]]. {{Storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}}

===Commercial appearances===
At a Toys"R"Us store in a [[Quadwal]] stream where toys are sentient, Snackin' Sara the {{w|Baby Alive}} toy informed an [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Robots in Disguise|unboxed Optimus Prime toy]] about the store's Price Match guarantee, wherein if Optimus was found at a lower price at another retailer, Toys"R"Us would match their prices. The Optimus toy was confused as to the existence of another one of himself and was advised by Sara to look to his left. When he did so, both he and his doppelganger were distraught at their existence, a panic which soon spread to his entire shelf, fully populated by Optimi. {{storylink|Commercial#2015_2|Toys"R"Us Commercial}}

==Hasbro market Toys"R"Us exclusives==
===Robots in Disguise (2001)===
[[File:RID-toy Scourge Ultra.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Scourge, major baddie and major pain to obtain in the US.]]
Toys"R"Us's first exclusives were for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline]], and they snagged a pair of absolute doozies: a major villain character from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], and a huge toy that had been canceled the year prior that fans thought would never see the light of day.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Super Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (RID)#Toys|Scourge]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Supreme Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Air Attack Optimus Primal]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Ultra Class''' (UK only)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (RID)#Toys|Dreadwind]] & [[Smokejumper#Toys|Smokejumper]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}

{{-}}
===Commemorative Series===
[[File:G1-toy SkywarpCommSeries.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Skywarp, with "safe" firing missiles.]]
[[File:G1-toy RicochetCommSeries.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Ricochet, former holy grail]]
"Enhanced" re-releases of classic [[The Transformers (toyline)|"Generation 1"]] toys, the entire ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' toyline was originally intended to be exclusively available from Toys"R"Us stores. However, two toys from the later series were ultimately made available through other venues, at least for the United States market, particularly "closeout" chains, sold at a massive discount.

The "Commemorative Series" branding would pop up again in later lines; we're listing those items both here and under their respective lines so you don't have to go searching for them.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series I'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Rodimus Major]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series II'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#ApexArmorPrime|Powermaster Optimus Prime]] with [[Apex Bomber#Toys|Apex Armor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series III'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Autobot Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Silverstreak]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series IV'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Red Alert]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series V'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hoist (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Hoist]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Autobot Tracks]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series VI'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grapple (G1)#Commemorative Series|Autobot Grapple]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Smokescreen]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series VII'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirge (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Rodimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series VIII'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skids (G1)#Commemorative Series|Autobot Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Side Swipe]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Series IX'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ricochet (Headmasters)#Commemorative Series|Ricochet]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Classics'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Classics|Soundwave]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Universe (2008)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Insecticon (G1)#Universe (2008)|Insecticons]] ([[Bombshell (G1)#Universe (2008)|Hardshell]], [[Kickback (G1)#Universe (2008)|Kickback]], [[Shrapnel (G1)#Universe (2008)|Sharpshot]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Perceptor]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Unicron Trilogy (Armada / Energon / Cybertron)===
====Armada====
[[File:Arm-toy CyclonusPX TRUBonus.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Powerlix Cyclonus with bonus Iceberg]]
The chain's ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' offerings were not particularly special, but they ''were'' a great bargain: standard-issue "Super-Con" toys with a bonus pack-in [[Mini-Con]] from one of the normal retail three-packs, but sold at a cost ''below'' a Super-Con on its own!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Bonus Packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (Armada)#Toys|Blurr]] with [[Incinerator (Armada)#Toys|Incinerator]] (plus either [[Buzzsaw (Armada)#Toys|Buzzsaw]], [[Drill Bit (Armada)#Toys|Drill Bit]], or [[Dualor (Armada)#Toys|Dualor]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Cyclonus]] with [[Crumplezone (Armada)#Powerlinx|Crumplezone]] (plus either [[Dune Runner (Armada)#Toys|Dune Runner]], [[Iceberg#Toys|Iceberg]], or [[Ransack (Armada)#Toys|Ransack]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#ArDxPx|Powerlinx Hot Shot]] with [[Jolt (Armada)#Powerlinx|Jolt]] (plus either Dune Runner, Iceberg, or Ransack)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Sideways (Armada)#Toys|Sideways]] with [[Crosswise (Armada)#Toys|Crosswise]] and [[Rook (Armada)#Toys|Rook]] (plus either Buzzsaw, Drill Bit, or Dualor)}}
|}

{{-}}
====Energon====
[[File:Energontoy prime vs megatron.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Optimus Prime / Megatron]]
For ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'', once again the bulk of their exclusives were just repackaged ''Armada'' toys, and even then, two of them, the Road Wrecker/Night Attack Team and Race/Space Team packs, were also available at [[Walmart]] stores. However, there was the big draw of an Optimus Prime & Megatron two-pack using molds that had previously been exclusive to the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Super Link'' version of the line!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Mini-Con Team 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Adventure Mini-Con Team]] & [[Sea Mini-Con Team]]
*[[Dune Runner (Armada)#Toys|Dune Runner]]
*[[Iceberg#Toys|Iceberg]]
*[[Ransack (Armada)#Toys|Ransack]]
*[[Oceanglide#Toys|Oceanglide]]
*[[Stormcloud (Armada)#Toys|Stormcloud]]
*[[Waterlog (Armada)#Toys|Waterlog]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Race Mini-Con Team]] & [[Space Mini-Con Team]]
*[[Dirt Boss (Armada)#Toys|Dirt Boss]]
*[[Downshift (Armada)#Toys|Downshift]]
*[[Mirage (Armada)#Toys|Mirage]]
*[[Astroscope#Toys|Astroscope]]
*[[Payload (Armada)#Toys|Payload]]
*[[Sky Blast (Armada)#Toys|Sky Blast]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Road Wrecker Mini-Con Team]] & [[Night Attack Mini-Con Team]]
*[[Buzzsaw (Armada)#Toys|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Drill Bit (Armada)#Toys|Drill Bit]]
*[[Dualor (Armada)#Toys|Dualor]]
*[[Broadside (Armada)#Toys|Broadside]]
*[[Fetch#Toys|Fetch]]
*[[Scattor (Armada)#Toys|Scattor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader 2-pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#OprimusMegsTRU|Powerlinx Optimus Prime]] / [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#TRUvsOptimus|Megatron]]}}
|}
{{Note|Despite the names on the packaging, the "Race Team" are in their "Road Wrecker Team" colors, and the "Road Wrecker Team" are in their original "Destruction Team" colors.}}

{{-}}

====Cybertron====
[[File:Cybertrontoy vprime vs sscream.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Starscream vs. Vector Prime]]
''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' content was light, being mostly "Value Packs" which were just fully-packaged normal Deluxes sold at less than the total cost of the toys bought individually. And the two-pack versions of that were another "exclusive" shared with [[Walmart]]. However, there was one truly exclusive multi-pack that provided Western fans with access to a mold previously available only by importing it from Japan, and in unique colors to boot.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Value Packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
(Could contain any two of the following toys)
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)#Toys|Dirt Boss]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|Hot Shot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Override (Cybertron)#Toys|Override]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (Armada)#Cybertron|Red Alert]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sideways (Armada)#Cybertron|Sideways]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (Cybertron)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''"Super Value!" Deluxe 3-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Landmine (Energon)#multipack|Landmine]] / [[Snarl (Cybertron)#Cybertron|Snarl]] / [[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)#multipack|Dirt Boss]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sideways (Armada)#Cybertron|Sideways]] / [[Brimstone (Cybertron)#Multipack|Brimstone]] / [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)#Multipack|Thunderblast]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#VsVector|Starscream]] vs. [[Vector Prime#Cybertron|Vector Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Go-Bots===
Yes, Toys"R"Us even got some exclusives for the [[Playskool]] ''[[Transformers: Go-Bots (toyline)|Go-Bots]]'' line, done up in shiny chrome. Delightful!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Basics'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-rhgb|[[Aero-Bot#TRU|Aero-Bot]]}}
{{Bp-rhgb|[[Speed-Bot#TRU|Speed-Bot]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
The ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' offerings were limited to a single multi-pack, but it was a sizable one!

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-d1|[[Ramjet (Universe)#Toys|Ramjet]] with [[Thunderclash (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Thunderclash]], [[Gunbarrel (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Gunbarrel]], [[Terradive (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Terradive]], and [[Thunderwing (Armada)#Universe (2003)|Thunderwing]]}}
</ul>

{{-}}

===Alternators===
The chain had an "exclusive" ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' "Mega Alternators" assortment... which ultimately turned out to be merely shrinkwrapped combos of regular-retail single ''Alternators'' releases. The most common combinations were [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Smokescreen]]/[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Alternators|Side Swipe]] and Smokescreen/[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators|Silverstreak]], but Smokescreen/[[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]], Smokescreen/[[Hound (G1)/toys#Alternators|Autobot Hound]], and even Smokescreen/Smokescreen(!) combos have been found as well.

{{-}}
===Titanium Series===
[[File:TitaniumWarWithin Grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Grimlock, ''War Within'' style]]
''[[Titanium Series]]'' was Hasbro's short-lived line of mostly-[[die-cast]]-metal toys for various brands, with small "Robot Masters" mini figurines and 6-inch "Cybertron Heroes" fully-transformable toys. Most of the Toys"R"Us exclusives fall under the ''[[War Within (franchise)|War Within]]'' comic styling... despite that series having ended (prematurely) years prior. And the comic license having changed hands since then to boot.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Robot Master 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#tit2pack|Optimus Prime]] & [[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#Ti2pack|Bumblebee]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Prowl]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron Heroes 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#WarWithin2pack|War Within Optimus Prime]] / [[Megatron (G1)/toys#WarWithin2pack|War Within Megatron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}

{{-}}
===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
For the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' line, Toys"R"Us got a repackaging of the Japanese "[[Beast Wars Reborn]]" set, featuring extensively-redecoed re-releases of the Ultra-class Optimus Primal and Megatron molds.

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-m1p1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#BWXVSMegatron|Optimus Primal]] vs [[Megatron (BW)/toys#BWXVSPrimal|Megatron]]}}
</ul>

{{-}}
===Classics===
While the focal point of ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' was modern-mold reinventions of classic characters, there were a few exceptions. ''Classics'' Soundwave was a reissue of the original toy, originally slated for the ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' line (above).

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Classics|Soundwave]]}}
</ul>

{{-}}
===Masterpiece===
[[File:TRU Masterpiece Acid Storm.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Acid Storm]]
The big, expensive, complex ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toys were an instant hit with collectors, and of course Toys"R"Us got in several exclusives. However, in many non-US Hasbro markets, ''all'' of the Hasbro-release ''Masterpiece'' toys were Toys"R"Us exclusives, so we won't be listing ''all'' of those here.

As some of these were sold as part of the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'' toyline]], we'll list them in those lines' sections as well. It just kinda makes sense to have them all gathered up here too.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Transformers (2010)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#MPHasbro|Masterpiece Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#HasbroMasterpiece|Masterpiece Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Masterpiece Thundercracker]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Platinum Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Platinum Edition|Year of the Horse Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Soundwave Year Of The Goat Edition]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Masterpiece'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Acid Storm (G1)#Masterpiece|Acid Storm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#2014MP|Masterpiece Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10hasbro|Masterpiece Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Prowl]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#HasbroMasterpiece|Soundwave]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#HasbroMP|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#MP3G|Starscream Ghost Version]] (Australia only)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sunstorm (G1)#HasbroMP|Sunstorm]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Masterpiece Movie Series'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#MasterpieceMPM3|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Masterpiece Movie Series|Optimus Prime]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Live-action movie toylines===
With the absolute explosion of ''Transformers'' popularity due to the [[live-action film series]], naturally a vast number of exclusives for said series were made, with Toys"R"Us getting quite a lot.

====Transformers (2007)====
[[Image:Movie Inferno toy.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Inferno w/ Longarm]]
For the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 ''Transformers'' toyline]], most of the exclusives were redecoed "[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]" molds used to quickly boost the amount of "new" product in the wake of the first film's staggering success, as well as a pair of multi-packs of normal-retail-release toys.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (Movie)#Toys|Inferno]] (w/ [[Longarm (Movie Mini-Con)|Longarm]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mudflap (Movie)#Toys|Mudflap]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Ultra Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Jetstorm (Movie)#Toys|Jetstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wingblade#Toys|Wingblade]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|Decepticon Desert Attack (Voyager [[Blackout (Movie)#Voyager Class toys|Blackout]] & Deluxe [[Scorponok (Movie)#Deluxe Class toys|Scorponok]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1d1|Battle for the Allspark (Legends-class [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Barricade]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (Movie)#Legends Class toys|Autobot Jazz]], [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Megatron]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Optimus Prime]], [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Starscream]])}}
|}
{{-}}
====Revenge of the Fallen====
[[File:ROTF-toy GreenMixmaster.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|"Back Road Brawl" Mixmaster]]
''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> exclusives were entirely focused on multipacks, with a fair amount of new decoes and characters.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Titanium Series'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Cliffjumper (Movie)#Titanium Series|Cliffjumper]] / [[Dead End (ROTF)#Titanium Series|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Titanium Series 2|Offroad Ironhide]] / [[Brawl (Movie)#ROTFTitanium|Deep Desert Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#ROTFTitanium|Rescue Ratchet]] / [[Blackout (Movie)#Titanium Series 2|Blackout]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Back Road Brawl ([[Hoist (Movie)#Toys|Hoist]] & [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#BackRoadBrawl|Mixmaster]])}}
{{Bp-d1|Gathering at the Nemesis ([[The Fallen/toys#GatheringNemesis|The Fallen]], [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#GatheringNemesis|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (ROTF)#GatheringNemesis|Soundwave]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Master of [[Metallikato]] ([[Whirl (ROTF)#Toys|Autobot Whirl]] & [[Bludgeon (ROTF)#Toys|Decepticon Bludgeon]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|Shanghai Showdown [[Demolishor (ROTF)#TRUset|Demolishor]], [[Skids (ROTF)#ShanghaiShowdown|Skids]] & [[Mudflap (ROTF)#ShanghaiShowdown|Mudflap]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Wheelie (ROTF)#Deluxe2Pack|Autobot Wheelie]] / [[Sideways (ROTF)#Deluxe2Pack|Decepticon Sideways]] (UK & Germany only)}}
|}
{{-}}
====Transformers (2010)====
[[File:TF2010toy-RampageAmongtheRuinsStock.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Ramapage Among the Ruins]]
The [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'' toyline]] was ''largely'' an extension of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' product, but some "Generation 1"-based stuff made its way into the line towards the back end. In the case of Toys"R"Us exclusives, this was in the form of a trio of ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toys.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multipacks'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Constructicon Devastator]] ([[Hightower (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Hightower]], [[Long Haul (ROTF)#TRUDevastatorGreen|Long Haul]], [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Mixmaster]], [[Rampage (ROTF)#LegendsDevGreen|Rampage]], [[Scavenger (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Scavenger]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)#Transformers (2010)|Scrapper]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Rampage Among The Ruins ([[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#RampageAmongTheRuins|Bumblebee]], [[Rampage (ROTF)#RampageAmongTheRuins|Rampage]], [[Ravage (ROTF)#RampageAmongTheRuins|Ravage]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Masterpiece'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#MPHasbro|Masterpiece Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#HasbroMasterpiece|Masterpiece Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Masterpiece Thundercracker]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}
====Dark of the Moon====
[[File:DOTM Deluxe Scan Ironhide toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Scan Series Ironhide]]
The exclusives for ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' were given the branding "'''Mission Earth'''". Many of the toys also had "Scan Series" decos, where the toys were cast in clear plastics then extensively painted, but only on the ''front halves'' of their vehicle modes, making them look like they're in mid-[[reformatting]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Scan Series Deluxes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Autobot Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#ScanSeries|Sideswipe]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Generations|Ironhide]] (Canada only)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Movie)/toys#Generations|Starscream]] (Canada only)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Bumblebee / Starscream ([[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Cybertronian Bumblebee]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Bumblebee]], [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Starscream]], [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Cybertronian Starscream]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|Cybertronian Warriors Pack ([[Barricade (Movie)/toys#CybertronianWarriors|Barricade]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#CybertronianWarriors|Bumblebee]], [[Crankcase (DOTM)#CybertronianWarriors|Crankcase]], [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#CybertronianWarriors|Ironhide]], [[Mobile Battle Bunker#CybertronianWarriors|Mobile Battle Bunker]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Streetside Bot Brawl ([[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#StreetsideBotBrawl|Bumblebee]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#StreetsideBotBrawl|Optimus Prime]], [[Shockwave (Movie)#StreetsideBotBrawl|Shockwave]])}}
|}
{{-}}
====Age of Extinction====
[[File:Evolution2PackAOEOptimus.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|"Evolution" Optimus Prime]]
For ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'', the exclusives were all part of the "Evolution" theme, packing a toy of the movie character with a toy of their "G1" inspiration... in theory. There's a bit of jank going on with a couple of them.

Also at this point, the ''[[Kre-O]]'' line had ''functionally'', if not ''officially'', become a Toys"R"Us exclusive in the US, with the nigh-entirety of the 2014 lineup taken up by ''Age of Extinction''-themed sets, plus an explicitly-TRU-only DVD/[[Kreon]] combo pack.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Evolution 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Bumblebee ([[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#TRUEvolution|''AOE'' Bumblebee]] & [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|G1 Bumblebee]])}}
{{Bp-a1|Dinobot Slug ([[Slug (AOE)#TRUEvolution|''AOE'' Slug]] & [[Slag (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|G1 Slug]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|Strafe ([[Strafe (AOE)#TRUEvolution|''AOE'' Strafe]] & [[Swoop (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|G1 "Strafe"]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Evolution 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Grimlock ([[Grimlock (AOE)#TRUEvolution|''AOE'' Grimlock]] & [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|G1 Grimlock]])}}
{{bp-a1|Optimus Prime ([[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#AOEEvolution|''AOE'' Optimus Prime]] & [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Age of Extinction|G1 Optimus Prime]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''DVD / Blu-Ray'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Transformers Kre-O + Movie Gift Set (w/ [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#MovieGiftSet|Optimus Prime]] & [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#MovieGiftSet|Galvatron]] Kreons)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====The Last Knight====
[[File:Deluxe-Skullitron.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Skullitron]]
Exclusives for ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]'' were given the "'''Mission to Cybertron'''" branding, plus a few had the added "Premiere Edition" marking to denote more elaborate paint jobs.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Legion 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#MtCTRU2pack|Bumblebee]] & [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#MtCTRU2Pack|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#MtCTRU2pack|Optimus Prime]] & [[Grimlock (AOE)#MtCTRU2pack|Grimlock]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Premier Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Premier Edition|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#TLKRevealTheShieldVoyager|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skullitron#Toys|Skullitron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Infernocus#Toys|Infernocus]] ([[Glug]], [[Gorge]], [[Rupture]], [[Skulk]], [[Thrash (TLK)|Thrash]], plus [[Quintessa (TLK)#Toys|Quintessa]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Premier Edition|Optimus Prime]] / [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Premier Edition|Cybertron Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Cybertron (planet)#The Last Knight|Cybertron]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Studio Series====
[[File:StudioSeries-09-Voyager-Thundercracker.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Good luck.]]
The very last Toys"R"Us exclusive (in the US at least), this figure in the then-new ''[[Studio Series]]'' was the first "off-screen" figure in the line, and was kind of hard to find in the US thanks to the chain being liquidated right about the time the toy was released.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (Movie)#Studio Series|Thundercracker]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Animated===
[[File:Animated Rodimus Minor toy.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Rodimus Minor]]
For ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Transformers Animated]]'', Toys"R"Us scored several toys that had been slated for regular retail release, but budgets kept them out of the main line. Considering ''who'' some of these characters were, this led to something of a rush to grab them.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxes wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Arcee (Animated)#Toys|Arcee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (Animated)#Cybertron|Cybertron Mode Ratchet]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxes wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (Animated)#Toys|Cybertron Mode Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rodimus Prime (Animated)#Toys|Rodimus Minor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe 2-packs'''
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (Animated)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]] & [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Deluxe Class|Bumblebee]] (UK & Germany only)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader "Super Value" packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bulkhead (Animated)#Leader|Bulkhead]] (with [[Activators]] [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Activators|Bumblebee]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Animated)#Leader Class|Megatron]] (with Activators [[Starscream (Animated)#Activators|Starscream]])}}
|}
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:UniverseDarkwindToy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Darkwind]]
The [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] offerings were mainly some pretty big-ticket items, with a few more vintage toy molds thrown in the mix.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Ultra Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Countdown (G1)#Universe (2008)|Autobot Countdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Universe (2008)|Darkwind]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Supreme Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Unicron/toys#Universe (2008)|Unicron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Commemorative Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Insecticon (G1)#Universe (2008)|Insecticons]] ([[Bombshell (G1)#Universe (2008)|Hardshell]], [[Kickback (G1)#Universe (2008)|Kickback]], [[Shrapnel (G1)#Universe (2008)|Sharpshot]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Perceptor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Deluxe Comic 2-packs''' (Australia only)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Autobot Ambush ([[Dirge (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Dirge]], [[Roadbuster (G1)#Universe (2008)|Autobot Roadbuster]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|Standoff Beneath the Streets ([[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Ratbat]], [[Springer (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Springer]])}}
|}
{{-}}
===Kre-O===
[[File:Kre-O Autobot Assault Devastator set.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Autobot Assault Devastator set: the buildable Ironhide, Gunner and yellow Devastator Kreons are exclusive to the Toys"R"Us version of the set.]]
Hasbro's second attempt at a [[LEGO]]-like building-brick-based toyline, there are only a couple of explicitly Toys"R"Us-exclusive ''[[Kre-O]]'' items in the line. However, by 2014, by the time the ''Transformers'' part of the line pivoted entirely to ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (franchise)|Age of Extinction]]'' (and the reveal of the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' sets), the entire ''Kre-O'' line became ''functionally'' a TRU exclusive in the US, as most other retailers had dropped it.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''"Autobot Assault Devastator"''' set
<ul class="iconlist">
Buildable figures:
{{Bp-d1|[[Drill Bit (Kre-O)|Drill Bit]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hightower (ROTF)#Kre-O|Hightower]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#TRUDevastator|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Scrapper]]}}
(The four Decepticons can be rebuilt into [[Devastator (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Devastator]])
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
Kreons:
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#YellowDevastator|Devastator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Ironhide]]}}
* [[Foreman]]
* three [[Construction Worker]]s
* [[Gunner]]
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional polybag kits'''
{{Bp-a1|Dinobot Ride ([[Grimlock (AOE)#DinobotRide|Grimlock]] w/ [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#DinobotRide|Optimus Prime]] mini-Kreon)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Elite|Elite Optimus Prime]] (''Canadian TRUs only'')}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Kreons'''
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#OrangeDevastator|Constructicon Devastator]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''DVD / Blu-Ray'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Transformers Kre-O + Movie Gift Set (w/ exclusive [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#MovieGiftSet|Optimus Prime]] & [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#MovieGiftSet|Galvatron]] Kreons)}}
|}
{{-}}

==="Aligned" toylines (Prime / Robots in Disguise)===
====Prime: Beast Hunters====
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1p2|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Predaking|Optimus Prime]] vs [[Predaking (Prime)#Optimus|Predaking]]}}
</ul>
{{Note|Thus far, this two-pack has been found at Toys"R"Us stores in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Germany and France; in Germany, it was explicitly advertised as a Toys"R"Us exclusive. Since the only known official [[stock photography|stock photos]] have shown this two-pack in [[multilingual packaging|multilingual]] European packaging, it's very likely that this has always been intended as a European market exclusive; however, it has also been found at general retail in Brazil.}}

{{-}}
====Robots in Disguise (2015)====
[[File:RID2015-Warrior-Class-Megatronus-CotT.jpg|250px|thumb|Warrior Megatronus]]
For 2015's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'', Toys"R"Us was the home of the "'''Clash of the Transformers'''" series, a pretty sizable [[subline imprint]] of exclusives; a mix of [[redeco]]s, [[retool]]s and even some wholly-new molds. The line-up was released in Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, though Warrior Class Megatronus was only released in the US, and the "Decepticon Island Showdown" set was not released in Europe at all.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Legion 2-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#LegionClash|Bumblebee]] vs [[Underbite#LegionClash|Underbite]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#LegionClash|Optimus Prime]] vs [[The Fallen/toys#LegionClash|Megatronus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Warrior Class Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#ClashWarrior|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#ClashWarrior|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (RID)#ClashWarrior|Sideswipe]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Warrior Class Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[The Fallen/toys#WarriorClash|Megatronus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Warrior Class Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#ClashPowerSurge|Power Surge Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (WFC)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2015)|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Paralon (RID)#Toys|Paralon]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Three-Step Changers'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#3StepClash|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#3StepClash|Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Mega Five-Step'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[The Fallen/toys#5step|Megatronus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Power Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (WFC)/toys#PowerHeroes|Power Surge Starscream]] & Mini-Con [[Lancelon#PowerHeroes|Lancelon]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|"Decepticon Island Showdown" ([[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#DecepticonIslandShowdown|Bumblebee]], [[Steeljaw (RID)#DecepticonIslandShowdown|Steeljaw]], [[Stasis pod#Robots in Disguise (2015)|stasis pod]] accessory)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Titans Return===
[[File:TitansReturntoy-Nautica.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Parsec & Nautica, the only Nautica toy so far. Good luck!]]
With the emphasis on [[Titan Master]]s (aka [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s) in ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'', naturally these sets are loaded to the gills with tiny head-bots. Of particular note is the Arcee set, which was originally a [[HasCon 2017]] exclusive.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Chaos on Velocitron ([[Fastlane#Generations|Fastclash]], [[Parsec]] & [[Nautica (G1)#Toys|Autobot Nautica]], [[Refractor]] & [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#ChaosOnVelocitron|Laser Prime]], [[Dynamus]] & [[Quickswitch#Generations|Quickswitch]], Titan Master [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Rodimus Prime]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Online orders'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)#HasCon|Leinad]] & [[Arcee (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Arcee]] / [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#HasCon|Ultra Magnus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}
===Buzzworthy Bumblebee (Canada)===
While the ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' line is exclusive to ''[[Target]]'' stores in the US, Canada does not have Targets, so all of those toys go to Toys"R"Us... and seemingly at quite a markup. We're honestly not about to list the entire line here, sorry.

{{-}}

==Takara market Toys"R"Us exclusives==
As its own entity, Toys"R"Us Japan had its own considerably different run of exclusives. Of particular note are the "[[USA Edition]]s" (unchanged [[Hasbro]]-market product in nigh-unchanged Hasbro retail packaging), and the many, many, ''many'' "[[campaign item]]" promotional giveaways, typically [[Mini-Con]]s and comparably-sized toys, given as freebies with a qualifying purchase on certain dates (be it a specific toy, or just a certain yen-value of toys total)

===Beast Wars series===
====Beast Wars====
[[File:Beast Wars-Black Lio Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Black Lio Convoy]]
Takara's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' product was very light on the exclusives. In fact, most of them are actually straight-up imports of Hasbro-packaged [[Transmetal 2]] toys released during the ''Beast Wars Metals'' portion of the line.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Beast Wars'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Clear|Special Convoy Skeleton Type]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Beast Wars II'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Black Lio Convoy#Toys|Black Lio Convoy]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Beast Wars Metals''' (Hasbro imports)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Iguanus (BW)#TM2|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Jawbreaker (BW)#Toys|Jawbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Minor#Toys|Optimus Minor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Prowl (TM2)#Toys|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Scourge (BW)#Toys|Scourge]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Beast Wars Returns====
[[File:BM-toy ThrustBWR.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Vehicon Thrust]]
Released many years after the "Beast" series had run its course in Japan, 2004's ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)#Takara Beast Wars Returns toyline|Beast Wars Returns]]'' was an entirely Toys"R"Us exclusive line, featuring ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' molds extensively redecoed into (usually) much more show-accurate appearances. It also included a single "[[USA Edition]]" import, a practice that had seen a lot of use in the prior few years.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m2|BR-01 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Returns|Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-02 [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Beast Machines|Cheetus]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-03 [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Returns|Rattle]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-04 [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Returns|Blackwidow]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-05 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Returns|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-vh|BR-06 [[Tankor (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Tankor]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-07 [[Jetstorm (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Jetstorm]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-08 [[Thrust (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Thrust]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-09 [[Nightscream (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Nightscream]]}}
{{Bp-m2|BR-10 [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)#Beast Wars Returns|Silverbolt]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m2|BR-11 [[Noble (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Noble Savage]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-12 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-13 [[Strika (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Strika]]}}
{{Bp-vh|BR-14 [[Obsidian (BM)#Beast Wars Returns|Vehicon Obsidian]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Primal Prime#Toys|Primal Prime]]}}
|}
{{-}}
===Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers===
As Takara took its first steps into reissuing old ''Transformers'' molds in the early 2000s, Toys"R"Us got one of the first exclusive redecoes of said reissues.

:{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#NucleonQuest|Nucleon Quest Super Convoy]]}}

{{-}}
===Car Robots (Robots in Disguise)===
The overwhelming bulk of exclusives for 2000's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'' was actually released ''after'' the line had properly ended, with a glut of USA Edition toys from Hasbro's 2001 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)#Hasbro Robots in Disguise toyline|Robots in Disguise]]'' version of the line.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Omega Prime#SpecialClear|God Fire Convoy Special Clear Version]] ([[Optimus Prime (RID)#GodFireClear|Fire Convoy]], [[Ultra Magnus (RID)#GodFireClear|God Magnus]], [[Matrix Blade|Super God Sword]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Cybertron 3-Piece Set ([[Mirage (RID)#MirageGT|Mirage GT]], [[Nightcruz (RID)#Toys|Nightcruz]], [[Scavenger (RID)#Toys|Scavenger]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (RID 2001)#Toys|Destructicon Bludgeon]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (RID)#Toys|Dreadwind]] & [[Smokejumper#Toys|Smokejumper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (RID)#Megabolt|Megatron Megabolt]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Air Attack Optimus Primal]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (RID)#Destructicon|Destructicon Scourge]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Sideways (RID)#Toys|Sideways]] vs. [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Storm Jet (RID)#Toys|Storm Jet]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}
===Unicron Trilogy toylines===
All right, ''here'' we go. The number of exclusives takes a big jump here.

====Legends of the Microns (Armada)====
[[File:Arm-toy WreckageUltimate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Shot Ultimate Edition]]
With the arrival of the tiny [[Mini-Con]] toys in 2003's ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)#Takara Legends of the Microns toyline|Legends of the Microns]]'', Takara launched into a ''ton'' of store promotional giveaways across multiple chains, and the era of large numbers of unique exclusives began (plus even more USA Editions).

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Bonecrusher (Armada)#NightAttack|Bomb Night Attack Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Bonecrusher (Armada)#Ultimate|Bomb Ultimate Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Knock Out (Armada)#NightAttack|Crack Night Attack Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Knock Out (Armada)#Ultimate|Crack Ultimate Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Wreckage (Armada)#NightAttack|Shot Night Attack Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Wreckage (Armada)#Ultimate|Shot Ultimate Edition]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Magna Convoy DX Set ([[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#MagnaConvoyDX|Final Battle Convoy Super Mode]], [[Sparkplug (Armada)#MagnaConvoyDX|Corona Prime]], [[Overload (Armada)#MagnaConvoy|Ultra Magnus Special Clear Version]], [[Rollout (Armada)#MagnaDX|Magnus]], [[Sureshock (Armada)#Exdimensions|Arcee]], [[Grindor (Armada)#Exdimensions|Bank]], [[High Wire (Armada)#Exdimensions|Wheelie]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Airazor (Armada)#Toys|Airazor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (Armada)#Toys|Skywarp]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions''' (online only)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Cheetor (Armada)#Toys|Cheetor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Predacon (Armada)#Toys|Predacon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Jetfire]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Superlink (Energon)====
[[File:En-toy Throttle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Throttle]]
With Mini-Cons taking a bit of a back seat in ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Superlink]]'', Takara added exclusive [[Energon weapon]]s promotional campaigns, on top of the usual multi-packs and USA Editions.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Energon weapons'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Energon weapon#Gallery|Energy Axe Aquamarine Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Energon weapon#Gallery|Energy Spear Lightning Yellow Edition]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Accel]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Throttle (Energon)|Throttle]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Screw (Energon)|Screw]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|EX-01 [[Constructicon Maximus#Toys|Buildron]] ([[Bonecrusher (Energon)#Toys|Bonecrusher]], [[Wideload (Energon)#Toys|Glen]], [[Duststorm (Energon)#Toys|Long Haul]], [[Steamhammer (Energon)#Toys|Scavenger]], [[Sledge (Energon)#Toys|Scrapper]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Energon|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugslinger (Energon)#Toys|Stormjet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tow-Line (Energon)#Toys|Tow-Line]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Galaxy Force (Cybertron)====
[[File:Cyb-toy Cobybot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Coby's Exclusive Rumble (aka "Cobybot")]]
The ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)#Takara Galaxy Force toyline|Galaxy Force]]'' exclusives pretty much followed the usual pattern. But boy, that big box set is ''pretty''.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Items'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Ransack (Cybertron)#Police|Gasket Police Type]]}}
{{Bp-mc|Mystery [[Cyber Key|Force Chip]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Hydroplane#Toys|Platinum Element]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Solar Flare#Toys|Platinum Factor]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Rockslide#Toys|Platinum Material]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|EX-01 [[Nemesis Breaker#Toys|Dark Ligerjack]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|EX-02 Sonic Convoy ([[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#SonicConvoy|Galaxy Convoy Clear Version]], [[Wing Saber (Energon)#SonicConvoySet|Sonic Bomber Fire Version]], [[Cobybot#Toys|Coby's Exclusive Rumble]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''USA Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Supreme|Starscream]]}}
|}
{{-}}
===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[File:Wstf hot rod.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Hot Rodimus, TRU packaging version]]
Exactly what they say on the box, ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' are/were the smallest ''Transformers'' toys to actually transform. Both of these were promotional items given away with the purchase of other toys.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Hybrid Style promotion'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Hot Rodimus]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Transformers (2007) promotion'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Bumble]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Live-action movie toylines===
While the [[live-action film series]] resulted in a massive boom of exclusives in Hasbro markets, Takara's exclusive output was ''quite'' a bit smaller in scope.

====Transformers (2007)====
The only Toys"R"Us exclusive for the first movie wasn't even terribly "exclusive", as it was just a repackaging of the Hasbro Leader-Class Brawl, and an unchanged re-issuing of a previous regular-retail item.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (Movie)#Leader Class toys|Electronic Brawl]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Bumblebee]] (Ikebukuro store only)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional item'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Bumble]] (''Smallest Transforming Transformers'')}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====Revenge (Revenge of the Fallen)====
[[File:G1-toy MightyDozer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Mighty Dozer]]
''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge]]'' exclusive product was positively restrained compared to the Hasbro output, with the big items being toys released at normal retail in Hasbro markets (and one a notorious [[shelfwarmer]] at that).

It is important to note that the two promotional Microns come with instructions that are simply labeled as generic "''Transformers''" product. But they were only given away with the purchase of ''Revenge'' product, so we're listing them here. This will be a bit of a theme going forward with many promotional Microns over the next few years, across multiple lines.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys 2|Interrogator Barricade]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scorponok (Movie)#Stalker|Stalk Scorponok]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Demolishor (ROTF)#Legends Class|Demolishor Shanghai Attack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rampage (ROTF)#DesertAttackJTRU|Decepticon Rampage Desert Combat]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Guardian Sky]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Mighty Dozer]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====Darkside Moon (Dark of the Moon)====
[[File:EZCollectionDarksideOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Darkside Optimus Prime]]
Again, ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)#Darkside Moon (TakaraTomy)|Darkside Moon]]'' product was light, with the big draw actually being a model kit with an extra piece. Whee!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkside Optimus Prime (DOTM)#Toys|Darkside Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional items'''
<ul class="iconlist">
* [[Tritanium]] Heat Blade Claw (Gold Crankcase [[MechTech]] weapon)
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Dual Model Kit'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#Dual Model Kit|Optimus Prime]] (w/ "Battle Hook" exclusive to TRU orders)}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}
====Lost Age (Age of Extinction)====
[[File:Lost Age TRU JP rusty Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Rusty Ver. Optimus Prime]]
''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)#TakaraTomy toylines|Lost Age]]'' toys was heavy on the promotional Microns, though again they were not directly branded as such.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollbar (AOE)#TakTom|Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#MovieAdvancedEX|Sideswipe]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#RustyEvasion|Rusty Ver. Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#BlackKnightLeader|Black Knight Optimus Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Astrotrain (DOTM)#Toys|Astrotrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Carnivac (AOE)|Carnivac]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ivan]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Roller (G1)#Transformers (2014)|Silver Roller]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional items'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Prime Axe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sword of Judgment#Lost Age Series|Temenos Sword]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====The Last Knight====
[[File:Movie-The-Best-MB-EX-Arm-Cannon-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|Arm Gun Bumblebee]]
The exclusives line-up for Takara's ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)#TakaraTomy toylines|The Last Knight]]'' was more or less the same as in the Hasbro markets, as the two companies were in the process of a "brand unification" that would see the two release much the same product in both markets.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|MB-EX [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ArmGunBB|Arm Gun Bumblebee]] (''[[Transformers Movie The Best|Movie The Best]]'' series)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Movie)/toys#TLKDeluxe|Stealth Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skullitron#Toys|Skullitron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#TLK-Voyager|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Movie)/toys#TLKVoyager|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Infernocus#Toys|Infernocus]] ([[Glug]], [[Gorge]], [[Rupture]], [[Skulk]], [[Thrash (TLK)|Thrash]], plus [[Quintessa (TLK)#Toys|Quintessa]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Cybertron (planet)#TLK-Cybertron|Cybertron]]}}
|}
{{-}}
====Studio Series====
As with the Hasbro line, ''[[Studio Series]]'' marked the end of Takara's run of Toys"R"Us exclusives, even though the chain still operates to this day in Japan.

:{{Bp-a1|Autobot Drift with [[Mini Dinobot#Generations|Baby Dinobots]] ([[Drift (AOE)#Studio Series|Autobot Drift]], [[Sharp-T#Toys|Dinobot Sharp-T]], [[Pterry#Toys|Dinobot Pterry]], [['Tops#Toys|Dinobot 'Tops]])}}

{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[File:Henkei-toy Skyglide.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Skyglide]]
Takara's take on the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' toyline, ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' only resulted in a single promotional [[Mini-Con|Micron]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyglide]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Animated===
[[File:AnimatedLegendsSkywarpClearPurple.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Skywarp Clear Purple Ver.]]
{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#LegendsClearRed|Optimus Prime Clear Red Ver.]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (Animated)#ClearEZCollection|Skywarp Clear Purple Ver.]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===United===
[[File:United-toy Caliburst.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Caliburst]]
The spiritual follow-up to ''Henkei!'', ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' went with new versions of old characters... on molds pretty wildly not meant for those characters in the case of these two Microns.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Caliburst (G1)#United|Caliburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Recoil (G1)#United 2|Recoil]]}}
|}
{{-}}

===Aligned series (Prime / Adventure)===
====Prime====
[[File:Prime-toy B2PureEnergon.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Pure Energon B.B.]]
Takara went absolutely ''nuts'' with the promotional [[Arms Micron]]s during ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Takara Prime toyline|Prime]]''. The initial batches were fully-assembled and painted redecoes of past weapon-bots, but as the line kicked into gear, they shifted to the unassembled, on-sprue "model kit" style Microns that came with Takara's ''Prime'' toys. Speaking of, their big in-store exclusive even came with three extra exclusive Arms Micron kits!

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Voyager + Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#BattleShield|Battle Shield Optimus]] (w/ [[O.P.#Gray|O.P. A]], [[Jaze#Toys|Jaze G]], [[Pral#Toys|Pral G]], [[Sise#Toys|Sise G]])}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Arms Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Firebolt (G1)#Preorder|Autobot Firebolt]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Peacemaker|Autobot Peaceman]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pinpointer (G1)|Autobot Pinpointer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vector Oracle]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Arms Micron kits'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[B.B. (Prime)#PureEnergon|Pure Energon B.B.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[C.L.#Shadow|Shadow C.L.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[O.P.#PureEnergon|Pure Energon O.P.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[R.A.#ShiningR|Shining R.A. R]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Zamu#Hellflame|Hellflame Zamu]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Contest prizes'''
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#DarkGuard|Dark Guard Optimus Prime]]}}
|}
{{-}}

====Go!====
[[File:Go-toy Ex.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.33|Ex, the one Arms Micron available ''only'' at TRU.]]
For the Takara-only ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Transformers Go!]]'' series, Toys"R"Us got an exclusive redeco of the main new Autobot of the series, as well as a promotional Arms Micron meant to go with ''Go!''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> new version of Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Exprime|Optimus Exprime]], plus a few promo Microns shared with a whole bunch of other stores.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"

|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Swordbots'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Kenzan#Kuromusha|Kenzan Kuromusha ver.]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ex]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gan]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|[[Jin (Go!)|Jin]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Zan]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
|}
{{-}}

====Adventure (Robots in Disguise 2015)====
[[File:RID15-toy ToysRUsPrime.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Toys"R"Us Prime]]
Exclusives for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#TakaraTomy Adventure toyline|Adventure]]'' ran the gamut of small molds. Some were originally Arms Micron kits, but this time came already-assembled.

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Battle Pack Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Toys"R"Us Prime#Toys|Geoffrey Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional EZ Collection'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#ClearLegion|Bumblebee Clear Ver.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#RIDClear|Optimus Prime Clear Ver.]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Toys"R"Us Prime#Toys|Toys"R"Us Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Microns'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Burn]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Divebomb (RID)#Toys|Divebomb]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ink]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Velocirazor]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Q-Transformers===
[[File:QTransformers Clear Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Clear Bumblebee]]

{| style="margin-left:1em;"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''Promotional Q-Transformers'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#QTclear|Clear Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#QTClear|Clear Starscream]]}}
|}

==Notes==
*Toys"R"Us was also supposed to carry a [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] done up as a ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] homage that would have been released as a ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' toy named [[Astrotrain (Cybertron)|Spacewarp]], together with redecos of the ''Armada'' [[Space Mini-Con Team]]. Ultimately, however, Toys"R"Us backed out of the deal, and Spacewarp was never released. While the Space Team redecos remain unreleased to this very day ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]] claims that the [[mold]]s have become unusable), the planned Spacewarp deco was later used as the basis for the [[Transformers Collectors' Club|Collectors' Club]] exclusive [[Astrotrain (Cybertron)|Astrotrain]] redeco of ''Armada'' Jetfire, with a new head sculpt.
*As of 2019, the Canadian Toys"R"Us branch has picked up the rights to the US [[Target]] exclusives, beginning with the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' toyline.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.toysrus.com/ Official Toys"R"Us USA website]
*[http://www.toysrus.co.jp/ Official Toys"R"Us Japan website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toys R Us}}
[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) businesses]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) locations]]
[[Category:Retailers]]

Nintendo 64

2024-05-19T00:03:56Z

GuiRitter: fixed duplicate to

[[File:Nintendo 64.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Get N or Get Out]]
The '''Nintendo 64''' is a video game console released in [[1996]] by [[Nintendo]], succeeding the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was Nintendo's first dedicated 3D console and pioneered the use of analog control and haptic technology in home console games, playing host to some of the most influential games of all time such as ''{{w|Super Mario 64}}'' and ''{{w|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}''. Notably, Nintendo made the decision to stick with cartridge-based games for the system, which had faster load times and were more durable and difficult to pirate than CD-ROMs, but were more costly to produce and had a significantly lower storage capacity. As a result, many third-party developers chose to reduce their output for the console or only develop for other systems that supported CDs, with only around 400 or so games released across all regions during the N64's life. This lack of third-party support ultimately caused it to drastically lag in sales behind its primary competition the [[PlayStation]].

The system was succeeded by the Nintendo GameCube in [[2001]].

==Games==
*''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals]]'' (1999)

==Notes==
*Several accessories were released for the Nintendo 64, including the {{w|Rumble Pak}}, a device which plugged into the controller and provided some of the first examples of force feedback in console games; and the {{w|Transfer Pak}}, a similar controller plug-in which allowed compatible games to connect to specific [[Game Boy]] titles and transfer data between the two. Like nearly every N64 game released from 1997 onward, ''Beast Wars Transmetals'' included Rumble Pak support, but its Japanese release was one of only around 20 games to support the Transfer Pak, allowing players to connect to any Game Boy game to get a slight powerup. Connecting the game ''[[Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle]]'' in particular will provide a much greater powerup and unlock access to playable [[Megatron X (BW)|Megatron X]].
*The planet [[Nintenduu LXIV]] was named for the Nintendo 64.

==External links==
*{{w|Nintendo 64}} at Wikipedia

[[Category:Video game consoles]]

Under Fire!

2024-05-15T15:30:48Z

GuiRitter: fixed duplicate

{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #99
|prev=...The Harder They Die!
|next=Distant Thunder!
|title="Under Fire!"
|image=MarvelUK-099.jpg
|caption=Were you one of the unfortunate few [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|NOT]] to get a sword with Ultra Magnus?
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=[[January 31|31st January]] [[1987]]
|coverdate=[[February 7|7th February]] 1987
|script=[[Simon Furman]]
|art=[[Jeff Anderson]]
|colour=[[Steve White]]
|letters=[[Annie Halfacree]]
|editor=[[Ian Rimmer]]
|chronology=[[Marvel Comics timeline|1986]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]] ([[Primax 984.20 Gamma|Marvel UK]])
}}
'''Outback rescues Optimus Prime from the Wreckers, and the pair go on the run.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:UnderFire take aim.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.25]]
[[File:UnderFire outbacks gonna die.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.25]]
Feeling a kinship with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] due to the number of times they have both cheated death, [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] intervenes just as [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wreckers]] are about to execute the [[Autobot]] leader, under the mistaken belief that he is a disguised [[Decepticon]] agent. Though certain the stunt is going to cost him his life, Outback argues that the Wreckers are acting in haste based on disinformation, and accuses Ultra Magnus of doing so due to guilt over the death of [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], which occurred because Magnus was not there to help him. Riled by the comment, Magnus threatens to execute Outback as well, so Outback relents and moves to depart. As he goes, he gives Optimus Prime what appears to be a consolatory pat on the chest... but which, in actuality, allows him to plant a scrambler on Prime that disables the [[energy restraints]] holding him. Free, Prime is able to duck as Outback tosses a [[gas particle bomb]] that blinds the Wreckers and provides cover for him and Optimus to transform and escape. Prime is reluctant to flee, believing that doing so will only incriminate him, but as Outback points out, at least this way, he'll live to have another chance at convincing the Wreckers of the truth. Angry that his error of judgement has once again led to failure, Ultra Magnus demands three [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]] units and twenty [[Units of time|breems]] to bring the two escapees back... dead or alive!

Prime and Outback's escape is observed by the Decepticon [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who brings the news back to [[Polyhex]]. A furious [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] orders that Decepticon search parties be dispatched to kill Prime, with disinformation leaked to the Autobots that this is only to punish their agent for his failure. Neither Ratbat nor [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] are impressed with Megatron's anger and instability; Ratbat wishes to see him gone, but Straxus advocates for patience. He is having some special equipment assembled that will allow him to strike at Megatron... equipment through which he will "truly live again!"

Ultra Magnus's search for Prime and Outback gives his temper the opportunity to cool down, and he begins to wonder if Outback could be right, and that he really is using this opportunity to soothe his guilty conscience. His attention is suddenly caught by an explosion on the horizon, as two of the Guardian units catch up with their quarry and a fight begins! Optimus urges Outback to leave him and escape, but Outback refuses; he guns down one of the Guardians, while the distracted Prime is seized from behind by the other and caught in a crushing grip. Outback trains his gun on the Guardian holding Prime, but before he can fire, it turns out the unit he shot is not as disabled as it first appeared; righting itself, it unsheathes a set of claws and gouges a deep wound in Outback's side. Galvanized by Outback's plight, Optimus tears the head off the Guardian unit holding him, and rushes to Outback's aid. Ultra Magnus arrives and lurks in the shadow long enough to hear Prime vow that he will do everything he can to save Outback's life. Outback hasn't the strength to reply, but in his thoughts, he wishes he could tell Prime this is a waste of time. Just like he figured when he decided to involve himself in Prime's plight... this time, he's done for!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Outback (G1)|Outback]] (1)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (2)
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Twin Twist]] (5)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (6)
*[[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian units]] (11-13)
|c2=
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (7)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (8)
*[[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] (9)
*[[Octane]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:UnderFire two edged blade.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.15]]
"That's me alright. '''Outback'''—the only Autobot born to be a casualty!"
:—'''Outback''' is a pessimist.

"I don't get it, Magnus! It's not like you to be so reckless. What are you trying to prove? Is it '''guilt?''' Do you still blame yourself for not getting back from Earth in time to save '''Impactor?''' Is '''that''' it? There's a thin line between atonement and revenge, you know. And revenge, as they say, is a two edged--blade? '''Urrk!'''" 
"'''Enough!''' One more word and I'll have you executed alongside him! Do you understand?!"
:—'''Outback''' tries to reason with '''Ultra Magnus''' and almost gets a faceplate of sword for his trouble.

"But it's not the end is it? It's '''never''' the end. It just goes on and on - one battle blurring into the next. Are we no better than those two mindless creatures we have just committed to the scrap heap? They fought without question, without mercy. Where is the difference between them and us?"
:—'''Optimus Prime'''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Outback guardian under fire.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.15]]
[[File:UnderFire skrak.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.15]]
===Continuity notes===
*Impactor's death occurred in [[Target: 2006|issue #88]].
*Ratbat makes his debut in this story, well in advance of his [[King of the Hill!|first appearance]] in the US series, which will not be reprinted in the UK series for another three months.
*When Optimus Prime transforms, he does not have his trailer with him; this is because, as flashbacks showed last issue, he left it on Earth.
*Footnotes again remind us that Straxus's body was destroyed by [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] in [[The Bridge to Nowhere!|US issue #18]] (UK issue #69).

===Continuity and plotting errors===
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and [[Rack'n'Ruin (G1)|Rack'n'Ruin]] were among the Wreckers when they appeared at the end of last issue, but they've disappeared from the group in this issue.
*Ultra Magnus has a red [[sword]] that he's never had before, and he'll never have again. It serves no in-story purpose, save for the fact he seems to be about to lower it as a way of giving the order to execute Prime; it appears it's only part of the story to fit with Outback's "double-edge blade" line, quoted above.
*The story jumps from Prime decapitating his opponent to cradling the falling Outback, with no fate shown for the second Guardian who gave Outback his injuries. Prime notes in dialogue that both Guardians have been "committed to the scrap heap," but the second is never shown being defeated.

===Artwork and technical errors===
*Lee Sullivan draws some very nice toy-accurate guns for the Wreckers firing squad seen on the cover of this issue; from left to right, they belong to Twin Twist, Sandstorm, Roadbuster, Broadside, Springer and Topspin. However, within the issue itself, only Twin Twist, Roadbuster, and Springer appear.
*Ultra Magnus's missile launchers periodically disappear and reappear throughout the issue. They're missing on page 2; they reappear halfway through page 3; the left launcher disappears on page 4; then both launchers are present for the rest of the story.
*When Outback transforms at the end of page 2, artist Jeff Anderson copies his [[character model]] directly, including the gun in his hand. This gun immediately disappears on the next page, only reappearing later in the story when Outback needs to fire it.

===Courtesy of my...===
*Outback uses some kind of scrambler to deactivate Prime's [[energy restraints]] and deploys a [[gas particle bomb]] to cover their escape.

===Back-up material===
*'''Back-up strips:''' ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|Action Force]]'' ("Improvisation on a Theme," Part 1) and ''[[Robo-Capers]]''; ''Action Force'' debuts this issue for a limited run, intended to promote the launch of the new ''Action Force'' comic series in March.
*'''Free Gift:''' Ultra Magnus sticker badge, featuring art by Geoff Senior; [[Robo-Capers issue 99|this issue's ''Robo-Capers'']] tells the story of a robot used by the Marvel offices to apply the badges to each issue, and the sticky situation it gets into! This unnamed "old robot off the scrapheap" was a cameo by (and very possibly the last appearance of) [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/c/cyril.htm CYRIL], the Editor Droid from the then-defunct Marvel UK ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Return of the Jedi]]'' comics, as confirmed by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] in response to Vanessa Cook's question in [[Gone but Not Forgotten!|issue #108]]'s ''[[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Grim Grams]]''.

===Foreign Localization===
*'''Swedish'''
:* ''Title (1989):'' "'''Anklagad'''" ("Accused")
:* ''Title (2021):'' "'''I skottlinjen'''" ("In the Line of Fire")

===Covers===
*'''Issue #99:''' Optimus Prime trapped by the Wreckers, by [[Lee Sullivan]].
<gallery>
File:MarvelUK-099.jpg|'''Issue #99'''
</gallery>

===Reprints===
<gallery>
File:Tfcolcom13.jpg|'''''[[Transformers Collected Comics#13 – Holiday Special 1989|Collected Comics]]'' #13''' (Marvel Comics, 1989)
File:Tf commag 08.JPG|'''[[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 8|''Transformers Comic-Magazin'' #8]]''' (Condor Verlag, 1990)
File:TitanPrey.jpg|'''''[[Transformers: Prey]]'' TPB''' (Titan Books, 2004)
File:BoUK Prey 2reg.jpg|'''''[[The Transformers: Best of UK: Prey#Issue #2|Best of UK: Prey #2]]'' regular cover''' (IDW Publishing, 2009)
</gallery>
<gallery>
File:BoUK Prey 2RI.jpg|'''''[[The Transformers: Best of UK: Prey#Issue #2|Best of UK: Prey #2]]'' RI cover''' (IDW Publishing, 2009)
File:BoUK Prey TPB.jpg|'''''[[The Transformers: Best of UK: Prey#Collections|Best of UK: Prey]]'' TPB''' (IDW Publishing, 2010)
File:Classicuk3.jpg|'''[[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 3|''The Transformers Classics UK'' Volume 3]]''' (IDW Publishing, 2012)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v7.jpg|'''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection|The Definitive G1 Collection, Vol. 7: The Harder They Die]]''''' (Hachette Partworks, Ltd. 2017)
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Action Force'' #1 (comes with #2 free!)
*"The Incredible New Teams"—[[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], and [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] toys

[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

Aquaspeeder

2024-05-12T13:48:53Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{faction|autobotg2}}
:''The Aquaspeeders are an [[Autobot]] [[subgroup]] from the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

The '''Aquaspeeders''' are a group of four Autobots armed with weapons that fire high-pressure liquids. They consist of:

*[[Speedstream]], the fearless leader
*[[Aquafend]], the deep-cover spy
*[[Deluge (G1)|Deluge]], the "tough bot"
*[[Jetstorm (G1)|Jetstorm]], the hot-shot defensive expert

The team's evil [[Decepticon]] counterparts are the [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtroopers]].

==Toys==
[[File:G2-toy Speedstream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Speedstream]]
===''The Transformers'' & ''Generation 2''===
*'''Aquaspeeders''' (1993/1994)
**[[Aquafend]]
**[[Deluge (G1)|Deluge]]
**[[Jetstorm (G1)|Jetstorm]]
**[[Speedstream]]
{{toydesigner|[[Andy Couzens]] (Hasbro), [[Takio Ejima]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Sold individually, the Aquaspeeders are a squad of racing vehicles, each with a [[Water-squirting gimmick|bellows-fed water squirting "cannon"]]. Each robot's hood/chest is covered in [[color changing]] paint, turning pale when hit with warm water (or being left out in the sun).

: They were only available in various European markets and Australia during the two-year "transitional" period marking the changeover from [[The Transformers (toyline)|the original toyline]] to ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''; in the original line's final year (1993), the toys were given redesigned Autobot and Decepticon symbols, but it wasn't until 1994 that "Generation 2" appeared on the packaging.

: The Aquaspeeders were [[redeco]]ed into the ''Generation 2'' [[Color Changer]]s for American markets, but given a particularly mind-bogglingly insane treatment in doing so: Two of them were given the names of two of the Aquaspeeders (but not the ones they were redecoed from), the third one was given the name of one of the [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtrooper]]s (which were never released in the United States), and the fourth one was given the name "[[Gobots]]" in order to secure the trademark for the [[GoBots|toy franchise of the same name]] Hasbro had acquired just two years prior after buying out former rival [[Tonka]]... and then the two that were ''not'' given the names of Aquaspeeders were given those same toys' bios, while the two that ''were'' given the names of the two Aquaspeeders were instead given the bios of two of the Stormtroopers. Confused yet?

[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 2 subgroups]]

User:GuiRitter

2024-05-10T14:18:47Z

GuiRitter: added contact

User:GuiRitter

2024-05-10T12:58:55Z

GuiRitter: created my page

Roleplay toy

2024-05-10T02:18:05Z

GuiRitter: unless "roll" is a thing in the context of TF, AFAIK doctor, astronaut and superhero are "roles", not "rolls"; correct me if I'm wrong

[[File:Bumblebee_RolePlay_Commercial.jpg|thumb|upright=2|Pew, pew, pew! I'm Bumblebee!]]

Ever want to pretend to be an actual Transformer? '''Roleplay toys''' are for you! Grab a [[sword]] or blaster, put on a voice-changing helmet, and your ready to roll as your favorite [[Autobot]] or [[Decepticon]]!

{{TOCclear}}

=What are roleplay toys?=
Roleplay toys are all about allowing kids (or adults) to use their imagination as part of play. Unlike action figure [[play pattern|play patterns]], which allows you to imagine scenarios as you play with the figures, roleplay toys allow them to pretend to be a specific role, such as a doctor, astronaut, or superhero. With Transformer, this includes pretending to be characters such as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] or [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] by using dress up items and toy weapons. Another aspect of the Transformers brand is some figure releases have [[alternate mode|alt modes]] that replicate realistic items, such as [[Soundwave (G1)|music devices]], [[Reflector (G1)|cameras]], or even [[Megatron (G1)|guns]]. This allows the child to play pretend with the item, using it as an adult would with a real version it. Finally there are figures that have fantastical alt modes such as [[Shockwave (G1)|laser guns]] that straddle the line between these two, allowing a child to use the item as though it were real while playing pretend with their role with using it.

=Roleplay Toy Releases=

{{note|Due to the large volume of roleplay toys that have been made, the following list is of unique first-use items only. Additionally, while Halloween costumes do potentially fall under roleplay, these are covered in [[Halloween#Merchandise|Halloween]] instead.}}

==Dress-up==
Given most Transformers don't wear [[Transformer clothing|clothing]], most Transformers dress up items tend to be full body costumes, helmets and masks instead. These allow the wearer to disguise themselves as their favorite robot.

===Dress-up costumes and accessories===
[[File:TF2010 OptimusPrime costume.jpg|thumb|upright=.75|Optimus Prime Complete Child's Costume]]
Unlike [[Halloween]] costumes, dress up items are intended to be used year round. Some can also use supplemental items for enhancing dress up, such as voice changers, or other accessories.

{{collist|2|
*[[Autobot Dress-Up Set]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#AirHedz|Bumblebee]] (AirHedz)
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#Robo_Power|Bumblebee Robo Power Costume]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#RolePlayDeluxe|Bumblebee Role Play Deluxe Set]]
*[[Decepto-Pack]]
*[[Enemy (G1)#ElectronicVoiceChanger|Electronic Voice Changer]]
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/merchandise#ElectronicVoiceSynthesize|Electronic Voice Synthesizer]]
*[[Master-Brace#Toys|Master-Brace]]
*[[Megatron (Movie)/merchandise#AirHedz|Megatron]] (AirHedz)
*[[NEST#Canteen|NEST Canteen]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(Movie)/merchandise#AirHedz|Optimus Prime]] (AirHedz)
*[[Optimus_Prime_(Movie)/merchandise#2010 Costume|Optimus Prime Complete Child's Costume]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(Movie)/merchandise#RolePlayDeluxe|Optimus Prime Role Play Deluxe Set]]
*[[Sector Seven#VestandID|Sector Seven Vest & ID]]
*[[S.T.A.R.S. membership card]]
*[[Tech Specometer Eleven]]
*[[Undercover Carabiner Set]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(Movie)/merchandise#UniversalVoice|Voice Changer]]
}}
{{-}}

===Helmets===
[[File:Modern Icons Optimus Prime helmet.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Optimus Prime Modern Icons Replica Helmet]]
Full head covering helmets tend to skew as higher end collectibles. Many contain electronic lights and voice-changing abilities on top of usually looking pretty cool.

{{collist|2|
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#KillerbodyHelmet|Bumblebee]] (''Bumblebee'')
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#SSHelmet|Bumblebee]] (Studio Series)
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#BeastHunterMask|Bumblebee Battle Mask]] (''Beast Hunters'')
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)/merchandise#BattleMask|Bumblebee Battle Mask]] (''Prime'')
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#ROTFVoicechanger|Bumblebee Voice Changer]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#TLKVoiceChanger|Bumblebee Voice Changer Helmet]] (''The Last Knight'')
*[[Electronic Helmet]]
*[[Megatron (Movie)/merchandise#KillerbodyHelmet|Megatron]] (''Dark of the Moon'')
*[[Megatron_(G1)/merchandise#Modern_Icons|Megatron Modern Icons Replica Helmet]]
*[[Mirage_(Movie)#KBGOxKillerbody|Mirage Wearable Helmet Collectible Voice Changer]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#KillerbodyHelmet|Optimus Prime]] (''Bumblebee'')
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#BattleMask|Optimus Prime Battle Mask]] (''Prime'')
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#BeastHunterMask|Optimus Prime Battle Mask]] (''Beast Hunters'')
*[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/merchandise#Modern_Icons|Optimus Prime Modern Icons Replica Helmet]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#2007VoiceChanger|Optimus Prime Voice Changer]] (''Transformers'')
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#TLKVoiceChangerHelmet|Optimus Prime Voice Changing Helmet]] (''The Last Knight'')
*[[Optimus_Primal_(ROTB)#Killerbody|Optimus Primal Wearable Helmet Collectible Voice Changer]]
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/merchandise#Modern_Icons|Soundwave Helmet Replica]]
}}
{{-}}
===Masks===
[[File:RID15-merch StrongarmMcDMask.jpg|thumb|upright=1|''Robots in Disguise'' Strongarm Vision Mask]]
Masks are the less head covering cousins of helmets. While some can contain electronics and sound effects, most tend to be lack these, simply acting as full or half face covering.

{{collist|3|
*[[Sqweeks#TLK Mask|Autobot Sqweeks Voice Changer Mask]] (''The Last Knight'')
*[[Sqweeks#Bumblebee Mask|Autobot Sqweeks Voice Changer Mask]] (''Bumblebee'')
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#BeeVisionMask|Bee Vision Bumblebee AR Mask]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#Transformers_.282010.29|Bumblebee]] (2010)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#22Mask|Bumblebee]] (''Authentics'')
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#CineMask|Bumblebee]] (Cine-Mask)
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#TDVDMask|Bumblebee]] (DVD)
*[[Bumblebee_(WFC)/merchandise#Top_Cau|Bumblebee]] (''Prime'' Easter egg)
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#RotBMask|Bumblebee]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Mask|Bumblebee]] (''Rise of the Beasts'' 2-in-1)
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#AoEMask|Bumblebee Battle Mask]] (''Age of Extinction'')
*[[Bumblebee_(WFC)/merchandise#BeastHunterMask|Bumblebee Battle Mask]] (''Beast Hunters'')
*[[Bumblebee_(WFC)/merchandise#BattleMask|Bumblebee Battle Mask]] (''Prime'')
*[[Bumblebee_(WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonaldsMask|Bumblebee Glow-in-the-Dark Mask]]
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#24Mask|Bumblebee Mask]] (''Authentics'')
*[[Bumblebee_(WFC)/merchandise#RID2015Mask|Bumblebee Mask]] (''Robots in Disguise'' 2015)
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#UniversalVoice|Bumblebee Mask]] (Universal Studios)
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#RemoteMask|Remote Control Bumblebee Car with Mask]]
*[[Grimlock_(RID_2015)#McDonaldsMask|Grimlock Transforming Mask]]
*[[Optimus Primal (ROTB)#Mask|Optimus Primal]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#22Mask|Optimus Prime]] (''Authentics'')
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#CineMask|Optimus Prime]] (''Cine-Mask'')
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#DVDMask|Optimus Prime]] (DVD)
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)/merchandise#RIDMcDonaldsMask|Optimus Prime]] (McDonalds)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#Pop! Masks|Optimus Prime]] (''Pop!'' Masks)
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#RotBMask|Optimus Prime]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')
*[[Optimus_Prime_(WFC)/merchandise#Robots_in_Disguise_.282015.29|Optimus Prime]] (''Robots in Disguise'' 2015)
*[[Optimus_Prime_(WFC)/merchandise#Beast_Hunters|Optimus Prime Battle Mask]] (''Beast Hunters'')
*[[Optimus_Prime_(WFC)/merchandise#BattleMask|Optimus Prime Battle Mask]] (''Prime'')
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#AoELightSoundMask|Optimus Prime Light & Sounds Battle Mask]]
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#24Mask|Optimus Prime Mask]] (''Authentics'')
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#RemoteMask|Remote Control Optimus Prime Truck with Mask]]
*[[Megatron (Movie)/merchandise#TLKmask|Megatron Voice Changer Mask]]
*[[Strongarm_(RID)#McDonald.27s|Strongarm Vision Mask]]
}}
{{-}}

==Electronics items==
One of the largest category of roleplay toy are electronic related. Funny enough, many electronic items don't actually contain electronic components.

===Cameras===
[[File:TF-Canon-Transformers-Optimus-Prime-R5.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Canon/Transformers'' Optimus Prime R5]]
Say cheese! Though less common with modern releases due to cell phones effectively replacing them for the casual consumer, there still are a fair number of film, digital, and video camera roleplay items.

{{collist|2|
*[[Reflector_(G1)#Canon.2FTransformers_2|Decepticon Refraktor R5]]
*[[Nemesis Prime R5]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#Canon.2FTransformers|Optimus Prime R5]]
*[[Reflector (G1)#Generation 1|Reflector]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Reflector_(G1)#War_for_Cybertron:_Siege|Refraktor]] (''War for Cybertron: Siege'')
*[[Spy Shot 6]]
*[[Star_Saber_(G1)#Transform_Jr|Star Saber Pellet Camera]]
*[[Zoom Out 25X]]
}}
{{-}}

===Cell phones and tablets===
[[File:Xiaomi soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Xiaomi / Transformers Soundwave]]
Given the widespread usage of cellphones and tablets, it's not surprising that roleplay items using them have started to become common.

{{collist|2|
*[[Bumblebee_(G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Bumblebee]]
*[[Megatron_(G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Megatron]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Optimus Prime]]
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#Xiaomi_.2F_Transformers|Soundwave]] (tablet)
*[[Speed Dial 800]]
*[[Stripes#Titans_Return|Stripes]] (''Titans Return'')
}}
{{-}}
===Music devices===
[[File:BoosterX10stock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Real Gear Robots Booster X10]]
As with cameras, music devices aren't as commonly seen in modern releases. However thanks to certain [[Soundwave (G1)|iconic]] [[Blaster (G1)|characters]], they do still pop up occasionally to this day.

{{collist|2|
*[[Blaster_(G1)/toys#Titans_Return|Blaster]] (Titans Return)
*[[Booster X10]]
*[[Frenzy_(G1)/toys#Music_Label|Frenzy]] & [[Rumble_(G1)/toys#Music_Label|Rumble]] Playing Earphones
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Soundwave]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#Music_Label|Soundwave]] (''Music Label'')
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Soundwave]] (''Masterpiece'')
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#Titans_Return|Soundwave]] (''Titans Return'')
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#2020Netflix|Soundwave]] (''War for Cybertron Trilogy'')
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#SoundblasterG1|Soundblaster]]
}}
{{-}}

====Mini-cassettes====
[[File:G1toy ravage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''The Transformers'' Ravage]]
Thanks to their prevalence in G1, the micro-cassettes are fairly commonly revisited.

{{collist|3|
*[[Buzzsaw_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Buzzsaw]] and [[Laserbeak_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Laserbeak]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Buzzsaw_(G1)/toys#Combiner_Wars|Buzzsaw]] (''Combinder Wars'')
*[[Dile#Fight.21_Super_Robot_Lifeform_Transformers|Dile]]
*[[Eject_(G1)#The_Transformers|Eject]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Eject_(G1)#War_for_Cybertron:_Kingdom|Eject]] (''War for Cybertron: Kingdom'')
*[[Frenzy_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Rumble]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Grand_Slam_(G1)#The_Transformers|Grand Slam]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Graphy#Fight.21_Super_Robot_Lifeform_Transformers|Graphy]]
*[[Laserbeak_(G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Laserbeak]] (''Masterpiece'')
*[[Nightstalker_(G1)#Masterpiece|Nightstalker]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Noise#Fight.21_Super_Robot_Lifeform_Transformers|Noise]]
*[[Overkill_(G1)#The_Transformers|Overkill]]
*[[Raindance#The_Transformers|Raindance]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Ramhorn_(G1)#The_Transformers|Ramhorn]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Ratbat_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Ratbat]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Ratbat_(G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Ratbat]] (Masterpiece)
*[[Ravage_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Ravage]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Ravage_(G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Ravage]] (''Masterpiece'')
*[[Ravage_(G1)/toys#War_for_Cybertron_Trilogy|Ravage]] (War for Cybertron Trilogy'')
*[[Rewind_(G1)#Titans_Return|Rewind]] (''Titans Return'')
*[[Rumble_(G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rumble]] (''Masterpiece'')
*[[Rumble_(G1)/toys#Studio_Series|Rumble]] (''Studio Series'')
*[[Slugfest_(G1)#The_Transformers|Slugfest]]
*[[Squawktalk_(G1)#The_Transformers|Squawktalk]]
*[[Steeljaw_(G1)#The_Transformers|Steeljaw]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Zaur_(G1)#Fight.21_Super_Robot_Lifeform_Transformers|Zaur]]
}}
{{-}}

===Video game and computer accessories===

[[File:Power-Up-VT6-stock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Real Gear Robots Power Up VT6]]
More of a modern roleplay style of item, these cover controllers and other computer devices. It's worth noting that those released in the [[Transformers Device Label|"Transformers Device Label"]] line are actual working computer accessories.

{{collist|2|
*[[Ravage_(G1)/toys#Device_Label|Device Jaguar]] and [[Tigatron#Device_Label|Tigatron]] (thumbdrive)
*[[Trypticon_(G1)#Device_Label|Dinosaurer]] and [[Grimlock_(G1)/toys#Device_Label|Device Grimlock]] (computer mouse)
*[[High Score 100]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#Xiaomi_.2F_Transformers|Optimus Prime Power Bank]]
*[[Outta_Controller#BotBots|Outta Controller]]
*[[Power Up VT6]]
}}
{{-}}

===Watches===

[[File:G1-toy Autoceptor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''The Transformers'' Autoceptor]]
Watches are another rolepley type less commonly seen as modern releases. As a bonus, almost all watch releases actually function in telling time.

{{collist|2|
*[[Autobot_(G2)#Generation_2|Autobot]]
*[[Autoceptor#The_Transformers|Autoceptor]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#ROTFWatch|Bumblebee Digital Watch]]
*[[Deceptor#The_Transformers|Deceptor]]
*[[Kaltor#The_Transformers|Kaltor]]
*[[Meantime_(Movie)|Meantime]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#ROTFWatch|Optimus Prime Digital Watch]]
*[[Scorpia_(G2)#Generation_2|Scorpia]]
}}
{{-}}

==Food==

[[File:BotBots-toy BreakerOfFortunes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''BotBots'' The Breaker of Fortunes]]
Food items are particularly rare, with all known examples coming from the [[Transformers: BotBots (toyline)|BotBots toyline]].
{{collist|2|
*[[The Breaker of Fortunes]]
*[[Grandma Crinkles]]
*[[Racer-Roni#Toys|Racer-Roni]]
}}
{{-}}

==Optical items==

[[File:Generations-Selects-Deluxe-Class-Magnificus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Generations Selects'' Magnificus]]
The bulk of optical related roleplay alt modes are thanks to [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]. While all of them do contain transparent viewers to look through, most don't actually work to magnify what's seen very well.

{{collist|2|
*[[Longview_(Movie)#Transformers_.282007.29|Longview]]
*[[Magnificus (G1)#Generations_Selects|Magnificus]] (''Generations Selects'')
*[[Perceptor_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Perceptor]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Perceptor_(G1)/toys#Titans_Return|Perceptor]] (''Titans Return'')
*[[Perceptor_(G1)/toys#Studio_Series|Perceptor]] (''Studio Series'')
}}
{{-}}

==Weapons==
With the war between the Autobots and Decepticons being so ingrained into the Transformers brand, it's makes sense that many roleplay toys are weapons.

===Guns and blasters===
One of the most common type of roleplay toys are guns. While some early earlier releases may have replicated more realistic gun appearances and shapes, due to [[For_safety_reasons#Firearm_replicas|modern safety standards]], most now are clearly designed to appear as toys. Additionally modern releases tend to be called blasters instead to further separate them from real world firearms.

====Electronic====
[[File:BWII-Cybertron-Buster-BeastGen.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Beast Wars II'' Cybertron Buster]]
Electronic guns and blasters are intended to make noises or light up when their trigger is pulled. Basically they're the ideal toy to give to the kids of a parents you really want to drive crazy.

{{collist|2|
*[[NEST#Bazooka|Bazooka]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#AllSparkBlaster|Bumblebee AllSpark Blaster]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#Plasmacannon|Bumblebee Plasma Cannon]]
*[[Maximal_Buster#Beast_Wars|Cybertron Buster]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#GalacticWeapon|Galactic Weapon Set]] (Universal Studios)
*[[Matrix Cannon (BW)|Matrix Cannon]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#QuantumEnforcer|Quantum Enforcer]] (Universal Studios)
*[[Ratchet_(Movie)/toys#Transformers_.282007.29_2|Ratchet AllSpark Blaster]]
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#ShadowPulse|Shadow Pulse Blaster]] (Universal Studios)
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#Vanquish|Vanquish]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#WristBlaster|"Wrist Blaster"]]
}}
{{-}}

====Projectile firing====
[[File:DOTM CyberBlaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Dark of the Moon'' Optimus Prime Cyber Blaster]]
Some guns and blasters fire darts, pellets or other projectile. Many of these are co-branded with [[Nerf]], as it's a [[Hasbro]] brand, and include darts that are compatible with Nerf blasters. Some may also include electronic lights and sounds to enhance the firing effects.

{{collist|2|
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#AirCannon|Air Cannon]]
*[[Bumblebee_(WFC)/merchandise#Robots_in_Disguise_.282015.29|Bumblebee 2-in-1 Blaster]]
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#StingerBlaster|Bumblebee Stinger Blaster]]
*[[Energon_Blaster#Energon|Energon Blaster]]
*[[Megatron (G1)/merchandise#Daiki_Kougyou|Megatron Water Gun]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#OptimusPrimeBlaster|Optimus Prime Blaster]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#Roleplay|Optimus Prime Cyber Blaster]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/merchandise#Vinyl_figurine|Scramble Gun]]
*[[Spy Shot & Claw Gun]]
*[[Star_Saber_(G1)#Transform_Jr_Roleplay_Toys|Star Saber Enban Pistol]]
}}
{{-}}

====Gun alt modes====
[[File:Megatronclassicstoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|''Classics'' Megatron]]
Due to modern safety standards, it's less common to see newer figures with gun alt modes. This includes both realistic ones as well as Cybertronian ones. Typically these characters will have their alt mode changed, such as with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] commonly being a tank with modern releases. Others are...creatively reinterpreted, such as Titans Return Sixshot's gun mode being flipped upside down and being called a submarine. Some of these do also overlap with electronics or projectile firing capabilities.

{{collist|2|
*[[Browning#Fight.21 Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Browning]]
*[[Galvatron_(G1)/toys#The Transformers|Galvatron]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Greatshot#Fight.21 Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Greatshot]]
*[[Heatwave (RB)#Hook&Ladder|Hook & Ladder Heatwave]]
*[[Megatron (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Megatron]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Megatron (G1)/toys#MasterpieceMegs|Megatron MP-5]] (''Masterpiece'')
*[[Megatron (G1)/toys#MP36|Megatron MP-36]] (''Masterpiece'')
*[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Classics (2006)|Megatron]] (''Classics'')
*[[Optimus_Prime_(Animated)/toys#Merchandise|Optimus Prime Battle Blaster]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#BattleRigBlaster|Optimus Prime Battle Rig Blaster]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Blaster|Optimus Prime Blaster]]
*[[Quickswitch#The Transformers|Quickswitch]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Shockwave]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Shockwave_(G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Shockwave]] (''Masterpiece'')
*[[Sixknight#Fight.21 Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Sixknight]]
*[[Sixshot (G1)#The Transformers|Sixshot]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Starscream_(Movie)/toys#Transformers_.282007.29_2|Starscream Barrel Roll Blaster]]
}}
{{-}}

===Swords and melee weapons===
[[File:TF2010 roleplay OpCyberSword.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Cyber Sword]]
While there are less melee weapon roleplay toy releases compared guns, these do still pop up semi-regularly. Most tend to feature sound effects such as clanging noises or other effects.

{{collist|2|
*[[Drift_(AOE)#Age_of_Extinction_2|Autobot Functional Weapon Drift Sword]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(Movie)/merchandise#Age_of_Extinction|Autobot Functional Weapon Optimus Prime Sword]]
*[[Drift (AOE)#Plush sword|Battle Blades Drift Katana Plush Sword]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(Movie)/merchandise#Plush sword|Battle Blades Optimus Prime Plush Sword]]
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#Sword and shield|Bumblebee Sword & Shield Battle Pack]]
*[[Chase (RB)#Rescue Rigs|Capture Claw Chase]]
*[[Cyber Sword]]
*[[Star_Saber_(Armada)#Armada_2|Dark Saber and Star Saber]]
*[[Energon-axe#Authentics|Energon Axe]]
*[[Energon Shock Sword]]
*[[Sword_of_Judgment#Authentics|Energon Sword]]
*[[Insignia#FoamShield|Foam Autobot Shield]]
*[[Energon_Sword#Energon|Megatron Energon Sword]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#Sword and shield|Optimus Prime Sword & Shield Battle Pack]]
}}
{{-}}

==Multiple types==
[[File:Arm-toy Laserbeak.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Armada'' Laserbeak]]

A few roleplay toys don't neatly fall into one of the above category. These typically have a melee and gun weapon modes or a mundane item and weapon modes.

{{collist|2|
*[[Autofire]] (Controller & blaster)
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#StingerBlaster|Bumblebee Stinger Blaster]] (Blaster & melee weapon)
*[[Decepticon_Hunter#Merchandise|Decepticon Hunter]] (Gun & sword)
*[[Digital Dagger]] (Cell phone & melee weapon)
*[[Cyber-sleeve#EarthSpark_2|Earthspark Cyber-Sleeve Battle Blaster]] (Blaster & melee weapon)
*[[Flash Bang (weapon)|Flashbang]] (Flashlight & gun)
*[[Laserbeak (Armada)#Armada|Laserbeak]] (Armada, Bird, gun & camcorder)
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/merchandise#Battle Blaster Sword|Optimus Prime Battle Blaster Sword]] (Gun & sword)
*[[Quick Bow]] (PDA and crossbow)
*[[Tight Shot]] (Camcorder & gun)
*[[Bumblebee_(Movie)/merchandise#TransformingSword|"Transforming Sword"]] (Sword & gun)
}}
{{-}}

==Miniature or oversized roleplay toys==
[[File:OptimusPrimeOriginalPlaystation.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Optimus Prime featuring Original PlayStation]]
A number of Transformers toys have everyday object alt modes that are smaller or larger than the object they represent. As such it's a bit harder to use them as roleplay items as they do stick out somewhat. Of note almost every [[Transformers: BotBots (toyline)|BotBots]] figure falls into this category. Due to the large volume of BotBots, we're not going to list them all below.

{{collist|2|
*[[Megatron_(G1)/toys#Mega_Drive_Megatron|16-Bit Mega Drive Megatron]]
*[[Blaster_(G1)/toys#Device_Label|Blaster]] (''Device Label'')
*[[Blaster_(G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Blaster]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Blaster_(G1)/toys#War_for_Cybertron:_Kingdom|Blaster]] (''War for Cybertron: Kingdom'')
*[[Capticon]]
*[[Captimus Prime]]
*[[Frenzy_(Movie)#Fast_Action_Battlers|Disc Blast Decepticon Frenzy]]
*[[Ejector#Toys|Ejector]]
*[[Megatron (G1)/toys#2010Legend|Megatron]] (2010)
*[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#Sports_Label|Convoy featuring Nike Free 7.0]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#Optimus_Prime_featuring_Original_PlayStation|Optimus Prime featuring Original PlayStation]]
*[[Ravage_(G1)/toys#Smallest_Transforming_Transformers|Ravage]] (''Smallest Transforming Transformer'')
*[[Scalpel_(ROTF)#Toys|Scalpel]]
*[[Shockwave_(G1)/toys#Combiner_Wars|Shockwave]] (''Combiner Wars'')
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#Smallest_Transforming_Transformers|Soundwave]] (''Smallest Transforming Transformer'')
*[[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#TiCR|Soundwave]] (''Titanium'')
*[[Blaster_(G1)/toys#TwincastG1|Twincast]] (''The Transformers'')
*[[Blaster_(G1)/toys#TLegacyTwincast|Twincast]] (''War for Cybertron: Kingdom'')
}}
{{-}}

==Miscellaneous==
[[File:OptimusPrimePen.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Optimus Prime Pen]]
Some roleplay items don't fit into any of the above categories. These typically are unique, one-off item releases.

{{collist|2|
*[[Crickets...#Toys|Crickets...]]
*[[Ms._Take#BotBots|Ms. Take]]
*[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#Optimus_Prime_Pen|Transformers Optimus Prime Pen]]
*[[Power Cycle]]
*[[Wah-Waaah the Clown#Toys|Wah-Waaah the Clown]]
}}
{{-}}

==Unreleased roleplay items==
[[File:TFA Battle Blaster Megatron .jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Animated'' Megatron Battle Blaster]]
A few roleplay items sadly never saw release. At least we can roleplay what it'd be like if they actually were.

{{collist|2|
*[[Gil the Sea Monster]]
*[[Megatron_(Animated)#Merchandise|Megatron Battle Blaster]]
}}
{{-}}

[[Category:Toys]]

Republic Attack Cruiser

2024-05-06T13:58:44Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo according to Wookiepedia

{{factions|galacticrepublic}}
[[File:SWTF Anakin RACMode.jpg|thumb|right|300px|]]

'''Republic Attack Cruisers''' or '''Jedi Cruisers''' are vast starships used by the [[Galactic Republic]] and their [[Jedi|allies]] to command and deploy their [[Clone trooper]] army in their war against the droid forces of the [[Confederacy]]. [[Lieutenant Thire]] and [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]] both possess modified versions of these colossal ships that can change into towering battle robots.

==Fiction==
===''Transformers Crossovers''===
Lieutenant Thire commanded a modified Republic Attack Cruiser. When [[Coruscant]] was besieged by Confederacy droid aircraft, Thire gave the order to change the Attack Cruiser into a mastodonic attack robot that could easily drive back the swarming droids.<ref>''Transformers Crossovers'' Lieutenant Thire packaging bio</ref>

===''Star Wars Transformers''===
[[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]] possessed a large mech which could transform into an enormous [[Republic Attack Cruiser|Jedi Cruiser]]. When Anakin was seduced by the Dark Side and converted into a [[Sith|Sith Lord]], his mech's alternate mode was reconfigured into a Star Destroyer.<ref>''Transformers Crossovers'' Anakin/Vader Class III figure packaging bio</ref>

==Toys==
===''Crossovers''===
[[File:Crossovers-toy ThireAttackCruiser.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Lieutenant Thire to Republic Attack Cruiser''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Bridge/gun, missile

:Part of the 13th wave of Star Wars Transformers Crossovers toys, Lieutenant Thire changes from a robot based on your typical clone trooper into a "Republic Attack Cruiser" starship (more specifically known as a ''Venator''-class Star Destroyer]]). The ship has a large firing missile poking out of its bridge section, which detaches to form a handheld gun in robot mode. Only his left hand can hold the gun as his right hand is sculpted in an open position.

:Keeping [[canon]]ical ''Star Wars'' [[scale]] in mind, it's a really freaking huge robot.

: During the period between 26 December 2010 and 31 January 2011, Hasbro ran their "Supercharge Your Holidays" promotion: for every $20 spent on Hasbro-branded product, customers could receive a free, random product from a list provided by Hasbro. Among the items on the list was "Star Wars Transformers Crossovers". According to [https://web.archive.org/web/20120404105254/http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=75487 this discussion thread on Allspark.com], Lieutenant Thire to Republic Attack Cruiser was one of the figures distributed.

:Most if not all instances of the figure are missassembled, with the ship's engines glued upside down and on the wrong sides. This has no effect on transformation and is largely unnoticeable to those without what could probably be considered nerd-level knowledge of the Republic Attack Cruiser design.
{{--}}

===''Star Wars Transformers''===
[[File:Crossovers-toy_AnakinVader.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Darth Vader to Star Destroyer''' (2011)
**''Accessories:'' 2 blue lightsabers, red lightsaber, 2 missiles, 2 hull halves

:The sole 'Class III' toy released in the 2011 revival of ''Star Wars Transformers'', The figure can change between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader personas via a rotating assembly in his abdomen. The ship can transform into both a Star Destroyer or a Republic Attack Cruiser (called a Jedi Cruiser on the box), however the toy is both a heavy [[shellformer]] AND a [[partformer]] as large chunks of one ship's shell need to be detached and reattached elsewhere to form the other.

:In Republic Cruiser mode, the ship's bridge can fire two projectiles from its front. These missiles can still be accessed in Star Destroyer mode, but they don't really make sense.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* Within the ''Star Wars'' universe, a "Republic Attack Cruiser" is also a type of [[Star Destroyer]]—specifically a ''Venator''-class Star Destroyer—and a predecessor to the type listed in the aforementioned article, which is an ''Imperial''-class Star Destroyer.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wookiee|Venator-class Star Destroyer|the Republic Attack Cruiser}}

[[Category:Star Wars starships]]

Star Destroyer

2024-05-06T13:57:57Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo according to Wookiepedia

{{factions|empire}}
:''Star Destroyers are starships used by the [[Empire]] in [[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]].''
[[File:SWTF Vader StarDestroyerMode.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"The ship is too big. If I walk, the movie will be over!"]]

'''Star Destroyers''' are monstrously imposing warships used by the Empire. These vessels possess a fearsome array of weaponry, hangars chock full of [[TIE Fighter|TIE Fighters]], and entire legions of [[Stormtrooper (SW)|Stormtroopers]] all ready to enact the will of the Empire. If these ships were not powerful enough, one such Star Destroyer can be transformed into a titanic [[Darth Vader]] robot via the power of the dark side of the force.

== Fiction ==
===''Star Wars Transformers''===
Shortly after making their famed completion of the [[Kessel Run]] in just under twelve [[Units of time|parsecs]], Han Solo and his co-pilot [[Chewbacca]] are discovered by an Imperial Star Destroyer which immediately began pursuing them. Determined not to be captured so easily, Han and Chewie use one of the more recent modifications to the Falcon. Now able to split into not one, but ''two'' heavily armed attack robots, They released a barrage of missiles upon the Star Destroyer, likely destroying or crippling it.<ref>''Star Wars Transformers'' Millennium Falcon packaging bio</ref>

[[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]] possessed a large mech which could transform into an enormous [[Republic Attack Cruiser|Jedi Cruiser]]. When Anakin was seduced by the Dark Side and converted into a [[Sith|Sith Lord]], his mech's alternate mode was reconfigured into a Star Destroyer.<ref>''Transformers Crossovers'' Anakin/Vader Class III figure packaging bio</ref>

==Toys==
===''Star Wars Transformers''===
[[File:Crossovers-toy_AnakinVader.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Darth Vader to Star Destroyer''' (2011)
**''Accessories:'' 2 blue lightsabers, red lightsaber, 2 missiles, 2 hull halves

:The sole 'Class III' toy released in the 2011 revival of ''Star Wars Transformers'', The figure can change between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader personas via a rotating assembly in his abdomen. The ship can transform into both a Star Destroyer or a Republic Attack Cruiser (called a Jedi Cruiser on the box), however the toy is both a heavy [[Shellformer|shellformer]] AND a [[Partformer|partformer]] as large chunks of one ship's shell need to be detached and reattached elsewhere to form the other.

:The Star Destroyer mode features buttons on top that activate lights and various sound effects. The Star Destroyer mode is supported by a structure that is the bridge of the Republic Attack Cruiser mode and therefore can launch projectiles from the very bottom of its base.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* Within the ''Star Wars'' universe, this Star Destroyer model is known as an ''Imperial''-class Star Destroyer. The "[[Republic Attack Cruiser]]" is also a type of Star Destroyer called a ''Venator''-class Star Destroyer, and serves as a predecessor to the ''Imperial''-class Star Destroyer.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wookiee|Imperial-class Star Destroyer|the Star Destroyer}}

[[Category: Star Wars starships]]

Saesee Tiin

2024-05-06T13:52:12Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

{{factions|galacticrepublic}}
: ''Saesee Tiin is an alien from [[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]].''

{{mainpic}}

'''Saesee Tiin''' is a [[Jedi]] Master. He flies his customized [[Jedi Starfighter|starfighter]] to his homeworld as the planet is besieged by [[General Grievous]]'s [[Confederacy|Separatist]] forces. Tiin soon blasts the enemy vessels in orbit into retreat. Landing on the planet, he converts his fighter into a robotic Jedi warrior, in hopes of striking down the army of [[battle droid]]s that have landed on his homeworld's surface.<ref>Star Wars Transformer Saesee Tiin Episode 2 Starfighter package</ref>
{{TOCclear}}

==Toys==
===''Star Wars Transformers''===
[[Image:SWTF-toy SaeseeTiin.JPG|300px|thumb|I'm taking this ring to the fires of Mount Doom.]]

*'''Saesee Tiin / Jedi Starfighter''' ([[2007]])
**''Accessories:'' 2 hyperdrive ring parts, 2 hyperdrive engines/missile launchers, engine/ship mount, 2 lightsabers/missiles, Saesee Tiin mini-figure

:Released in the fifth wave of ''Star Wars Transformers'', Saesee Tiin transforms into a [[wikia:starwars:Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor|Delta-7 "Jedi Starfighter"]] complete with a [[wikia:starwars:Syluire-31 hyperspace docking ring|hyperspace ring]] with lightsaber missile launchers. His head has a battle helmet that flips over his face. The fighter comes with an unnamed non-removable astromech droid.

:This mold was also retooled to make [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]], [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]], [[Plo Koon]], [[Ahsoka Tano]], and [[Kit Fisto]]'s Delta-7 Jedi Starfighters.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/SWTF/SaeseeTiin/saeseetiin.htm More information on ''Star Wars Transformers'' Saesee Tiin at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|saeseetiin2011}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy SaeseeTiin.jpg|300px|thumb|More like Saesee ''Tiiny'', amirite? Anyone??]]
*'''Saesee Tiin to Jedi Starfighter''' ([[2011]])
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers

:A retool of the ''Crossovers ''[[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] with a new Iktotchi head, the second Saesee Tiin figure, which again transforms into a Delta-7B Jedi Starfighter though is in a smaller size class (similar to the Cyberverse Commander Class). He has two lightsabers that store under his ship modes "wing" bits which resemble laser fire. His alternate mode is now colored to match Tiin's starfighter as it appears in 2008's ''The Clone Wars'' cartoon show. This version comes with the non-removable astromech droid [[R3-D5]].

:He has a panel on his chest (one that is similar to the ones found on class III Darth Vader/Anakin's turbine cannons) which flips up to act as a handle for the sole Class III figure to hold him in ship mode as a weapon (though it ends up just looking like he's just holding a starfighter).

:This mold was also retooled into [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]].
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wookiee}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tiin, Saesee}}
[[Category:Crossovers characters]]
[[Category:Galactic Republic]]
[[Category:Jedi]]
[[Category:Pilots]]

Jedi Starfighter

2024-05-06T11:10:23Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

'''Jedi Starfighters''' are one-man fighter craft used by members of the [[Jedi]]. Thanks to their pilots' use of the [[Force]], they can transform into powerful [[Mech|battle mechs]].

Several variations of the Jedi Starfighter exist:

*A sleek, triangular vessel that can be outfitted with an optional ring with additional engines and weaponry. Used by [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] and [[Saesee Tiin]].
*A variation of the first, with the dome-shaped assistant robot placed in the center of the craft rather than on the left. Used by Obi-Wan Kenobi, [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]], [[Plo Koon]], [[Kit Fisto]], and [[Ahsoka Tano]].
*An entirely different ship which is basically a bubble-like cockpit with wings. Used by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and [[Mace Windu]], and later modified by an evil Skywalker into a "[[Sith Starfighter]]".

==Toys==
===''Star Wars Transformers''===
[[Image:SWTF-toy ObiwanFighter.JPG|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi / Jedi Starfighter''' (2006)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles, Obi-Wan figure
{{toydesigner|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

:The first Jedi Starfighter mold is the type seen in ''Revenge of the Sith'', what is known in ''Star Wars'' fiction as a [[wikia:starwars:Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor|Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor]] (specifically [[wikia:starwars:Obi-Wan Kenobi's Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor|Obi-Wan's one]], naturally). In vehicle mode it features flip-up [[wikia:starwars:S-foils|S-foils]] and two firing missiles that become [[lightsaber]]s in robot mode. Like all ''Star Wars Transformers'' toys, it comes with a tiny figure of its pilot that can sit in the cockpit. It also features a non-removable detail of the astromech droid [[R4-P17]].

:This mold was [[retool]]ed with new heads to make Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighters along with Darth Vader's Sith Starfighter.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/SWTF/Obi-WanKenobi/obi-wankenobi.htm More information on Obi-Wan Kenobi at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|anakinskywalker}}
[[Image:SWTFtoy-AnakinSkywalker.JPG|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Anakin Skywalker / Jedi Starfighter''' (2006)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles, Anakin Skywalker figure
{{toydesigner|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

:A retool of the Eta-2 mold with a new head. This toy specifically represents [[wikia:starwars:Anakin Skywalker's Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor|Anakin Skywalker's personal ship]]. The in-built astromech is [[R2-D2]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/SWTF/AnakinSkywalker/anakinskywalker.htm More information on Anakin Skywalker at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|macewindu}}
[[Image:SWTF-toy MaceWindu.JPG|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Mace Windu / Jedi Starfighter''' (2006)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles, Mace Windu figure

:A retool of the Eta-2 mold with a new head. This toy specifically represents Mace Windu's personal ship, including the astromech droid [[R4-M6]].

{{-}}{{anchor|galacticshowdown}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy ObiwanFighter1.JPG|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Galactic Showdown''' (2-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles, Obi-Wan figure

:A [[redeco]] of the Obi-Wan toy with blue highlights rather than magenta. It was available [[exclusive]]ly at [[Walmart]] stores in a two-pack with Darth Vader. The astromech is [[R4-P17]] again.

{{-}}{{anchor|saeseetiin}}
[[Image:SWTF-toy SaeseeTiin.JPG|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Saesee Tiin / Jedi Starfighter''' (2007)
**''Accessories:'' 2 hyperdrive ring parts, 2 hyperdrive engines/missile launchers, 2 lightsabers/missiles, Saesee Tiin figure

:The second Jedi Starfighter mold is the [[wikia:starwars:Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor|Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor]] type, featured prominently in ''Attack of the Clones''. Like the Eta-2 mold, the toy is armed with two lightsaber missiles, this time fired from the engines on the optional [[wikia:starwars:Hyperdrive docking ring|hyperdrive ring]] accessory. Exclusive to the Saesee Tiin version of the mold is a battle mask that flips over the mech's face. This toy includes an unnamed non-removable astromech droid.

:This mold was retooled repeatedly, first in the ''Star Wars Transformers'' line with a new head into Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was then retooled further for the ''[[Transformers: Crossovers|Crossovers]]'' line into a slightly different craft for Anakin Skywalker, Plo Koon, Ahsoka Tano, Kit Fisto, and Obi-Wan again.

{{-}}{{anchor|obiwan2008}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy ObiwanFighter2.JPG|right|300px|thumb|At last, the circle is now complete.]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi / Jedi Starfighter''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' 2 hyperdrive ring parts, 2 hyperdrive engines/missile launchers, 2 lightsabers/missiles, Obi-Wan figure

:A retool of the Delta-7 mold with a new head. This toy specifically represents [[wikia:starwars:Obi-Wan Kenobi's Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor|Obi-Wan Kenobi's personal ship]], including the astromech droid [[R4-P17]].
{{--}}

===''Crossovers''===
[[Image:Crossovers-toy AnakinSkywalker.JPG|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Jedi Starfighter to Anakin Skywalker''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' 2 hyperdrive ring parts, 2 hyperdrive engines/missile launchers, 2 lightsabers/missiles

:The first Jedi Starfighter toy released after ''[[Transformers: Crossovers|Crossovers]]'' replaced ''Star Wars Transformers'' is a retool of the Delta-7 mold into the [[wikia:starwars:Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor|Delta-7B]] used in the ''Clone Wars'' series. The difference between the two is merely that the astromech droid, [[R2-D2]] in this case, is centered instead of on the left dorsal side. As ''Crossovers'' did away with the minifigures, Anakin and all subsequent Jedi Starfighter toys do not have pilots.

{{-}}{{anchor|crossoversobiwan}}
*'''Jedi Starfighter to Obi-Wan Kenobi''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles

:This Jedi Starfighter is a single-packed version of the "Galactic Showdown" Eta-2 toy. Other than the lack of a pilot, it is identical to its previous release.

{{-}}{{anchor|obiwan2009}}
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles

:Obi-Wan's second ''Crossovers'' release is a repackaged version of the very first Jedi Starfighter toy with the magenta highlights, again missing the minifigure.

{{-}}{{anchor|ahsokatano}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy AhsokaTano.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Ahsoka Tano to Jedi Starfighter''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' 2 hyperdrive ring parts, 2 hyperdrive engines/missile launchers, 2 lightsabers/missiles

:A retool of the Delta-7B mold with a new head. This toy specifically represents [[wikia:starwars:Ahsoka Tano's Delta-7B Aethersprite-class light interceptor|Ahsoka Tano's personal ship]], including the astromech droid [[R7-A7]].

{{-}}{{anchor|plokoon}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy PloKoon.JPG|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Plo Koon to Jedi Starfighter''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' 2 hyperdrive ring parts, 2 hyperdrive engines/missile launchers, 2 lightsabers/missiles

:A retool of the Delta-7B mold with a new head. This toy specifically represents Plo Koon's personal ship, the ''[[wikia:starwars:Blade of Dorin|Blade of Dorin]]'', including the astromech [[R7-D4]].

{{-}}{{anchor|kitfisto}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy KitFisto.JPG|thumb|right|300px|]]
*'''Kit Fisto to Jedi Starfighter''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' 2 hyperdrive ring parts, 2 hyperdrive engines/missile launchers, 2 lightsabers/missiles

:A retool of the Delta-7B mold with a new head. This toy specifically represents [[wikia:starwars:Kit Fisto's Delta-7B Aethersprite-class light interceptor|Kit Fisto's personal ship]], including the astromech [[R6-H5]].

{{-}}{{anchor|obiwan2010}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy ObiwanFighter3.jpg|thumb|right|300px|]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Lightsaber

:A retool of the Delta-7B mold with a new head and new hands (all previous uses of the mold featured the left hand as a closed fist and the right in a "Force pose"). The toy does not come with a hyperdrive ring, as such cannot fire its only lightsaber nor store it in vehicle mode. This toy specifically represents [[wikia:starwars:Obi-Wan Kenobi's Delta-7B Aethersprite-class light interceptor|Obi-Wan Kenobi's personal ship]], once again including [[R4-P17]].

{{-}}{{anchor|anakin2010}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy_AnakinStarfighter2010.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"A remold with fewer accessories? I see through the lies of [[Hasbro| the Jedi]]!"]]
*'''Anakin Skywalker to Jedi Starfighter''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Lightsaber

:This Anakin toy is the same as his 2008 Jedi Starfighter toy, except it has fewer accessories. Like the 2010 Obi-Wan Kenobi toy, Anakin doesn't come with his hyperdrive ring and has only one lightsaber. ''Un''like Obi-Wan, he retains the same head mold, hand molds and paint layout as the original toy.

{{-}}{{anchor|anakinstarfighter2011}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy_Class1_AnakinStarfighter.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"You're shorter than I expected."]]
*'''Anakin Skywalker to Jedi Starfighter''' (2011)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers

:Part of the first wave of a smaller, simpler class (similar to the [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] Commander class) of ''Crossovers'' toys, this new Anakin mold again transforms into an Eta-2 Actis interceptor. Interestingly, the instructions neglect to mention that the figure has storage for its lightsabers. The sabers can clip on within 2 clips underneath the legs, which form the front sections of the ship. He features a panel on his chest (one that is similar to the ones found on class III Darth Vader/Anakin's turbine cannons) which flips up to act as a handle for class III figures to hold him in ship mode as a weapon (though it ends up just looking like he's just holding a starfighter).

{{-}}{{anchor|obiwan2011}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy Class1 ObiWan1.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[General Grievous|Hello There!]]]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter''' (2011)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers

:Part of the first wave of a smaller, simpler [[size class]] (Similar to the Cyberverse Commander class) of ''Crossovers'' toys, this Obi-Wan is a new mold which, like the 2010 version, transforms into a modified Delta-7 Jedi Starfighter. He features a simplified transformation and two blue lightsabers. The two lightsabers can be stored in small brackets within the rear flaps of his vehicle mode, however the blades of the sabers stick out straight forward to look like laser fire. He features a panel on his chest (one that is similar to the ones found on class III Darth Vader/Anakin's turbine cannons) which flips up to act as a handle for class III figures to hold him in ship mode as a weapon (though it ends up just looking like he's just holding a starfighter).

{{-}}{{anchor|saeseetiin2011}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy SaeseeTiin.jpg|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Saesee Tiin to Jedi Starfighter''' (2011)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers

:A retool of the ''Crossovers ''[[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] with a new Iktotchi head replacing the Human one, the second Saesee Tiin figure, which transforms into a 'Jedi Starfighter' Delta-7B Aethersprite-class Light Interceptor (with an untruncated [[R3-D5]] astromech droid in the center), is in a smaller size class (similar to the Cyberverse Commander Class). He has two lightsabers that store under his ship mode's "wing" bits which resemble laser fire. His alternate mode is now colored to match Tiin's starfighter as it appears in 2008's CGI ''The Clone Wars'' cartoon show.

{{-}}{{anchor|anakinstarfighter2012}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy_Class1_AnakinStarfighter2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"From my point of view, the retools are evil!"]]
*'''Anakin Skywalker to Jedi Starfighter''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers

:A retool of the smaller size class Obi-Wan Kenobi toy, Anakin transforms into a Delta-7B again. He features a simplified transformation and two blue lightsabers. The two lightsabers can be stored in small brackets within the rear flaps of his vehicle mode, however the blades of the sabers stick out straight forward to look like laser fire. He still retains the handle in his chest, just like the previous versions of the mold. The robot head is the same sculpt as the smaller Eta class Anakin toy.

{{-}}{{anchor|obiwan2012}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy Class1 ObiWan2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Oh no, I'm not brave enough for politics]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers

:A retool of the first smaller class Anakin Skywalker toy, this new Obi-Wan again transforms into an Eta-2 Actis interceptor. He comes with two lightsabers. He still features the weapon handle in his chest. The head sculpt is the same as the one used on the smaller Delta-7 Obi-Wan figure.
{{--}}

==External links==
{{wookiee|Jedi starfighter|the Jedi Starfighter}}

[[Category:Star Wars starships]]

Obi-Wan Kenobi

2024-05-06T03:42:42Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

{{factions|galacticrepublic}}
:''Obi-Wan Kenobi is a [[human]] from [[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]].''

[[Image:Obi-WanKenobiart.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]

'''Obi-Wan Kenobi''' is a fearless [[Jedi|Jedi Master]], fighting on the side of the [[Galactic Republic]] to defeat the evil [[Confederacy|Separatists]]! He is known to use the [[Force]] to transform his various [[Jedi Starfighter]]s into large robots. He is a bitter rival of both [[General Grievous]] of the Separatists and [[Darth Vader]] of the [[Empire]], the latter of whom he was once the "master" of.

==Fiction==
===''Star Wars Transformers''===
Obi-Wan participated in the battle of [[Geonosis]], using his transforming Jedi Starfighter to aid the Republic's Jedi Knights and [[clone trooper]]s against the Separatist [[battle droid]]s.<ref>''Crossovers'' Obi-Wan Kenobi / Jedi Starfighter package</ref>

Some time later, Obi-Wan was on a mission to find and kill [[General Grievous]], leader of the Separatist droids. He was said to have a bad feeling about this<ref>Star Wars Transformers Obi-Wan Kenobi / Jedi Starfighter package</ref>, even though he had duelled Grievous several times in the past and defeated him on every occasion.<ref>''Crossovers'' General Grievous Starfighter package</ref> Kenobi was also on the hunt for [[Count Dooku]], who had his own droid army for the Jedi to play with.<ref>''Crossovers'' Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter package (2010 mold)</ref>

Even later, Obi-Wan clashed with his former underling, the [[Sith]] warrior [[Darth Vader]].<ref>''Star Wars Transformers'' Galactic Showdown package</ref>

==Toys==
===''Star Wars Transformers''===
[[Image:SWTF-toy ObiwanFighter.JPG|right|300px|thumb|"I'm not the droid you're looking for."]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi / Jedi Starfighter''' (2006)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles, Obi-Wan figure
{{toydesigner|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

:Obi-Wan's mech transforms into a gray [[wikia:starwars:Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor|Eta-2 "Jedi Starfighter"]] with magenta highlights. It features flip-up [[wikia:starwars:S-foils|S-foils]] and is armed with two blue lightsabers which become spring-loaded [[Missile|missiles]] in vehicle mode. The craft comes with a tiny Obi-Wan figure to pilot it. The dorsal left side also has a non-removable astromech droid [[R4-P17]].

:This mold was [[Retool|retooled]] with new heads to make [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]] and [[Mace Windu]]'s Jedi Starfighters along with [[Darth Vader]]'s Sith Starfighter.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/SWTF/Obi-WanKenobi/obi-wankenobi.htm More information on Obi-Wan Kenobi at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|galacticshowdown}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy ObiwanFighter1.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Well if droids could think, there'd be none of us here, would there? ...Wait.]]
*'''Galactic Showdown''' (2-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles, Obi-Wan figure

:Packaged with [[Darth Vader|Darth Vader TIE Advanced Fighter]], this [[Walmart]] [[exclusive]] Obi-Wan is a [[redeco]] of the original toy with blue highlights rather than the original magenta.

{{-}}{{anchor|delta7}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy ObiwanFighter2.JPG|right|300px|thumb|At last, the circle is now complete.]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi / Jedi Starfighter''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' 2 hyperdrive ring parts, 2 hyperdrive engines/missile launchers, 2 lightsabers/missiles, Obi-Wan figure

:A remolded redeco of [[Saesee Tiin]], this Obi-Wan transforms into a [[wikia:starwars:Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor|Delta-7 "Jedi Starfighter"]] complete with a [[wikia:starwars:Syluire-31 hyperspace docking ring|hyperspace ring]] with lightsaber missile launchers. It features a new head, though the lightsabers are simply repainted from Saesee and the mini pilot is repackaged from the first Obi-Wan Transformer. The figure does not feature the nifty flip-down battle-mask that Saesee had.

:This mold was also retooled to make [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]], [[Plo Koon]], [[Ahsoka Tano]] and [[Kit Fisto]]'s Jedi Starfighters.
{{--}}

===''Crossovers''===
*'''Jedi Starfighter to Obi-Wan Kenobi''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles

:This release of Obi-Wan is a single-packed version of the blue "Galactic Showdown" toy. It does not come with an Obi-Wan minifigure, but is otherwise identical to the two-pack version.

{{-}}{{anchor|crossoverseta2}}
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers/missiles

:Obi-Wan's second ''[[Transformers: Crossovers| Crossovers]]'' release is a redecoed version of the very first Obi-Wan toy with the magenta highlights, new molds for his head and hands, and again missing the minifigure.

{{-}}{{anchor|crossoversdelta7}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy ObiwanFighter3.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Oh, I don't think so]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Lightsaber

:This Obi-Wan toy is a based on the Anakin Skywalker version of the Delta-7 Jedi Starfighter mold, which had it [[retool]]ed to place the astromech droid in the middle of the craft. His paint layout is similar, but different to that of his original Delta-7 version, and he has a new headsculpt based on Obi-Wan's appearance in the ''Clone Wars'' series. His hands are also newly molded to both be open (previous uses of the mold featured the left hand as a closed fist and the right in a "Force pose"). In addition, Obi-Wan does not come with the hyperspace ring included with all other uses of the mold, and thus his one lightsaber cannot be stored in vehicle mode. Unlike the other toys, it does not come with an Obi Wan figure.

{{-}}{{anchor|delta72011}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy Class1 ObiWan1.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[General Grievous#starfighter2011|Hello There!]]]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter''' (2011)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers

:Part of the first wave of a smaller, simpler [[size class]] (Similar to the Cyberverse Commander class) of ''Crossovers'' toys, this Obi-Wan is a new mold which, like the 2010 version, transforms into a modified Delta-7 Jedi Starfighter. He features a simplified transformation and two blue lightsabers. The two lightsabers can be stored in small brackets within the rear flaps of his vehicle mode, however the blades of the sabers stick out straight forward to look like laser fire. He features a panel on his chest (one that is similar to the ones found on class III Darth Vader/Anakin's turbine cannons) which flips up to act as a handle for class III figures to hold him in ship mode as a weapon (though it ends up just looking like he's just holding a starfighter).

:This mold was retooled into [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]] and [[Saesee Tiin]].

{{-}}{{anchor|eta22012}}
[[Image:Crossovers-toy Class1 ObiWan2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Oh no, I'm not brave enough for politics]]
*'''Obi-Wan Kenobi to Jedi Starfighter''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' 2 lightsabers

:A retool of the first smaller class Anakin Skywalker toy, this new Obi-Wan again transforms into an Eta-2 Actis interceptor. He comes with two lightsabers. He still features the weapon handle in his chest. The head sculpt is the same as the one used on the smaller Delta-7 Obi-Wan figure.

:This mold was also retooled into [[Darth Vader]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Obi-Wan has been voiced by ''Transformers'' alumni [[Sam Vincent]] in the ''Lego Star Wars'' cartoons and [[James Arnold Taylor]] in nearly every other appearance since 2003.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{wookiee}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenobi, Obi-Wan}}
[[Category:Alien humans]]
[[Category:Crossovers characters]]
[[Category:Galactic Republic]]
[[Category:Jedi]]

Gasoline Base

2024-04-22T13:10:14Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{factions|autobot}}
:''The Gasoline Base is an [[Autobot]] installation from the [[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Greasepit_boxart.jpg|right|thumb|250px|I'll teach you not to drive off without paying!]]

Manned by [[Glasspit]], the '''Gasoline Base''' (ガソリンベース ''Gasorin Bēsu'') is the "mess hall" of the [[Zone Base]], supplying energy to the [[Micromaster]] warriors stationed on planet [[Micro|Zone]]. Additionally, as the energy center of the Zone Base, it is the station in which the powerful [[Energon Z]] is stored. Like all the components of the Zone Base, the Gasoline Base can transform into a defensive battle station, and is armed with the tremendously powerful "Energy Missile Z" to repel attacks.

==Fiction==
===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''Zone'' cartoon, comic, and story pages====
Upon the creation of the [[Zone Base]], [[Glasspit]] was put in charge of the Gasoline Base. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 4}}

When the [[Nine Great Demon Generals|Decepticon Generals]] invaded [[Micro|Zone]], the Gasoline Base attempted to fend the villains off. It transformed from its innocuous gas station form into a massive artillery platform and let the Decepticons have it with volley after volley of completely and utterly pointless firepower. Undamaged even by this ungodly amount of ammo, [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] cleaved the tower off the Gasoline Base with his staff and tore out the Energon Z within it. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

====''Generations Selects Special Comic''====
In the year [[2050]], a new and improved Gasoline Base could be spotted amongst the mighty works of the second [[Cybertron Alliance]]. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}}

===''Wings Universe''===
By the year [[2984]], the Gasoline Base was in operation on [[Moon Base Four|Cyberion]]. {{storylink|Hoist the Flag}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''===
{{anchor|Zone}}
[[Image:G1-Zone-toy GasStation.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And special THANK to EAT.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Gasoline Base''' (Micro Transformer Station, [[1990]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''C-341'''
:*''Accessories'': "Energy Missile Z", sign, ramp

: Released in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1990 (Zone)|Zone]]'' portion of Takara's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' toyline, the Gasoline Base is identical to the Hasbro-release Decepticon [[Greasepit (facility)#Toys|gas station]], transforming from a blue and yellow gas station into an assault tower featuring flip-out searchlights and lasers.

: The universally-sized ramp packaged with the station allows it to link up to every other Micromaster Station and [[Micromaster Transport]], but is only useful in gas station mode.

: The set comes with the Micro Transformer [[Glasspit#Toys|Glasspit]], similarly identical to the Hasbro Decepticon Micromaster [[Greasepit (Micromaster)#Toys|Greasepit]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Decepticon/Greasepit/greasepit.htm More information on the Gasoline Base/gas station, with Glasspit/Greasepit at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Generations Selects''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Selects-Greasepit.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Greasepit''' (Deluxe Class, [[2020]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''WFC-GS12'''
:*''Accessories'': Blaster, Gas pumps, sign

{{note|[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]] Decepticon [[Greasepit (facility)#Generations Selects|Greasepit]] was repurposed as the Autobot Gasoline Base. No word on whether the robot is named after Glasspit.}}
: Rebranded with the name of the Gas Station's operator, ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' Greasepit is a redeco of ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' [[Ironworks (facility)#Generations|Ironworks]] with a couple of new accessories. As a [[A.I.R. Lock System|Modulator]] redeco, Greasepit can assume many different building configurations and connect to other ''Earthrise'' bases, while their parts can also be used as weapons or armor. Instead of the crane hook that Ironworks came with, Greasepit has a new fuel pump and gas station sign parts that can both connect via a 5 mm post. What used to be a crane arm is now used to mount the sign for gas station mode. Unlike most ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toys, stickers are used on the toy, specifically for the gas station windows and the sign's contents.

:Unlike Ironworks and the previous toyline's [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|Weaponizer]]s, Greasepit's instructions do not specify a method to use their components to augment other toys, instead showing two additional base modes that weren't in Ironworks' instructions (but were in Ironworks' stock images). Both toys can also assume modes from the other's instructions, due to being redecos of each other. Greasepit can also form a gun emplacement mode seen in the instructions of the ''Earthrise'' [[Botropolis]] Rescue Mission set, which contains a [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]-decoed [[Ironworks (facility)#Botropolis|Ironworks]].

:This figure (and [[Exhaust#Generations|Exhaust]]) appeared on [[eBay]] in late June of 2020, and was also immediately offered with an instant "in stock" purchase option by several online retailers (mostly based out of Europe) despite not being officially acknowledged by Hasbro until the following month.
{{-}}

==Notes==
*This and the other three Micromaster Stations were later re-used in [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave Police J-Decker]]'' toyline, omitting the Micromasters and adding a pair of non-transforming PVC mini-figures from the series.

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations Selects locations]]
[[Category:Repurposed toys]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Wings Universe locations]]
[[Category:Zone locations]]

File:RoboCapersIssue63.jpg

2024-02-29T16:49:15Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{MarvelUKinterior
|description=[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] changes while you're looking. Scan provided by Stuart Webb of [https://thesolarpool.weebly.com/ The Solar Pool.]
|issueno=63
|storytitle=Robo-Capers by Lew Stringer
|storylink=Robo-Capers issue 63
|year=86
|script=Lew Stringer
|art=Lew Stringer
|letters=Lew Stringer
}}

Back-up strips

2024-02-29T15:57:28Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

''You'' are the editor of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel UK's]] brand new ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Transformers]]'' comic. You need to run the U.S. issues in smaller chunks, in order to keep a fortnightly (later weekly) frequency without running out of stuff. But... what are you going to run in the rest of the comic? Features alone won't grab the kiddies! You need more strip! You need...

'''Back-up strips!'''

==Marvel UK back-up strips==
A great way of padding out the comic while not taking the mick, back-up strips ran throughout the entire Marvel UK run. These would almost always be reprints of other Marvel titles.

{{bigquote|...anything, in truth, that featured a robot or someone in an iron suit|Editorial in [[Titan Books]] "[[Transformers: Legacy of Unicron|The Legacy of Unicron]]" trade}}

===In-house strips===
====''The Chromobots''====
A light-hearted action strip by ''Matt and the Cat''{{'}}s Mychailo "Mike" Kazybrid, ''The Chromobots'' ran from [[Man of Iron (issue)|issue 12]] to [[Warrior School!|issue 26]]. It told the story of Dudley, a young comic book reader ''just like [[you]]'' whose dreams of adventuring like his heroes came unexpectedly true when he fell in with a trio of alien Chromobots who were pursuing a criminal that had escaped from their homeworld.
:*''[https://tfuk.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Chromobots More information on ''The Chromobots'' at The Transformers UK Appendix]''

====''Combat Colin''====
{{main|Combat Colin}}
Ran from issue [[Enemy Action!|153]] all the way through to issue [[End of the Road! (US)|332]]

A humor strip by [[Lew Stringer]]; for more information, see the [[Combat Colin]] article.

====''Matt and the Cat''====
Ran from issue [[Prisoner of War!|5]] to issue [[Showdown!|73]]

An in-house humor topic created by Mychailo "Mike" Kazybrid, featuring a man named Matt and a cat. Based on Kazybrid's characters in newspaper strips for the ''Bradford Telegraph & Argus'' and ''The Manchester Evening News.''

====''Spider-Man''====
Bitten by a radioactive spider, geeky high school student Peter Parker acquires the proportionate strength and agility of a spider, becoming The Amazing [[Spider-Man]]

Appeared as a four page insert on "stranger danger" in issue [[Kup's Story!|132]].

====''Robo-Capers''====
{{main|Robo-Capers}}
Ran from issue [[The Enemy Within!|15]] to issue [[Enemy Action!|152]]

A humor strip by [[Lew Stringer]]; for more information, see the [[Robo-Capers]] article.

===Reprints===
====''Action Force''====
{{main|Action Force (team)}}
Action Force was the European equivalent of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. Initially, there was a separate [[Action Force (comic)|''Action Force'' comic]] but it was cancelled after fifty issues. As was standard in UK comics, it was merged with the more successful ''Transformers'' and the title was changed to ''Transformers and Action Force'' when Action Force strips were run. From [[Skin Deep|249]] it was rebranded as ''G.I. Joe - The Action Force'' and the comic was rebranded as ''Transformers and G.I. Joe - The Action Force''.

Treated as main stories (no backup strips), the [[Ancient Relics!]] UK cross over story ran in #125 continuing in Action Force #24–27 and the U.S. cross over series ''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'' ran in issues [[Blood on the Tracks|#265]] to [[...All Fall Down!|#281]]

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''G.I. Joe at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[Under Fire!|#99]] - [[Fallen Angel|#102]] || "Improvisation on a Theme" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 44|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 44]]
|-
|[[Mechanical Difficulties!|#122]] || "Dummy Run!" || ''Action Force #18''
|-
|[[Enemy Action!|#153]] - [[Trial by Fire!|#156]] || "Slaughter" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 48|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 48]]
|-
|#157 - [[Salvage!|#160]] || "Serpentor" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 49|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 49]]
|-
|#161 || "Road Safety - From the Air!" || ''in-house story''
|-
|#161 || "Battle Island!" || ''in-house story''
|-
|[[Pretender to the Throne!|#162]] - [[City of Fear!|#165]] || "The Battle of Springfield" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 50|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 50]]
|-
|[[Legion of the Lost!|#166]] - [[Meltdown!|#169]] || "Thunder Machine" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 51|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 51]]
|-
|[[Deadly Games!|#170]] - [[Wrecking Havoc|#173]] || "Snap Decisions" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 52|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 52]]
|-
|[[Totaled!|#174]] - [[People Power!|#177]] || "Pit-Fall" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 53|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 53]]
|-
|[[The Cosmic Carnival|#178]] - [[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|#181]] || "Launch Base" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 54|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 54]]
|-
|[[Monstercon from Mars!|#191]] -[[Club Con!|#194]]|| "Unmaskings" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 55|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 55]]
|-
|#195 - [[Cold Comfort and Joy!|#198]] || "Jungle Moves" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 56|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 56]]
|-
|#199 & 201-203 || "Hush Job" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: Yearbook Vol 1 3|G.I. Joe: Yearbook Vol 1 3]]
|-
|[[Time Wars|#204]] - [[Cold War!|#207]] || "Strange Bedfellows" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 57|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 57]]
|-
|[[Dark Star|#208]] - [[The Man in the Machine!|#212]] || "Desperate Moves" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 58|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 58]]
|-
|[[Recipe for Disaster!|#220]]-224 || "Divergent Paths" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 59|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 59]]
|-
|[[Aspects of Evil!|#225]] - [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)|#229]] || "Cross Purposes" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 60|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 60]]
|-
|#230-231 & 233-235 || "Airshow" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 12|G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 12]]
|-
|[[The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!|#236]] - [[Back from the Dead|#240]] || "Beginnings and Endings" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 61|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 61]]
|-
|#241 - [[The Resurrection Gambit!|#245]] || "Evasion" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 6|G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 6]]
|-
|[[All the Familiar Faces!|#246]] - #247 || "Law of the Jungle" || ''Action Force #40 - #41''
|-
|#248 - [[Skin Deep|#249]] & #251 - [[Yesterday's Heroes!|#253]] || "The Lower Depths" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 21|G.I. Joe Special Missions Vol 1 21]]
|-
|#254 - [[...Perchance to Dream|#257]] || "Transit" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 62|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 62]]
|-
|#258 - [[The Primal Scream|#261]] || "Going Under" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 63|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 63]]
|-
|[[Bird of Prey!|#262]] - [[Once upon a Time...|#265]] || "Maneuvering for Position" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 64|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 64]]
|-
|[[Life in the Slow Lane|#266]] - [[Mystery!|#269]] || "Shuttle Complex" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 65|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 65]]
|-
|[[The Bad Guy's Ball!|#270]] - [[Wolf in the Fold!|#273]] || "The Tenth Letter" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 66|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 66]]
|-
|[[Where Wolf?|#274]] - [[Internal Affairs!|#277]] || "Cold Snap" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 67|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 #67]]
|-
|[[The House that Wheeljack Built!|#278]] - [[Makin' Tracks!|#281]] || "Cut and Freeze Dried" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 68|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 68]]
|-
|[[Kings of the Wild Frontier.|#282]] - #285 || "Into the Breach" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 69|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 69]]
|-
|[[Deadly Obsession|#286]] - #289 || "Fair Trade" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 70|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 70]]
|-
|[[Dark Creation|#290]] - #293 || "Bailout" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 71|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 71]]
|-
|[[All Fall Down|#294]] - #297 || "Stiletto" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 72|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 72]]
|-
|[[Rhythms of Darkness!|#298]] - #301 || "Divided We Fall" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 73|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 73]]
|-
|[[The Human Factor!|#302]] - [[Eye of the Storm|#305]] || "Alliance of Convenience" || [[wikia:Marvel:G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 74|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vol 1 74]]
|-
|}

====''Hercules''====
Hercules is a Demi-God. He is the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, and eventually a member of the pantheon of Olympus.

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Hercules at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[Command Performances!|#70]] - [[Showdown!|#73]] || "What Fools These Immortals Be!"|| [[wikia:Marvel:Hercules Vol 1 1|Hercules Vol 1 1]]
|-
|[[In the National Interest|#74]] - #77 || "For the Love of Gods" || [[wikia:Marvel:Hercules Vol 1 2|Hercules Vol 1 2]]
|-
|[[Target: 2006|#78]] - #81 || "Whom the God Would Destroy!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Hercules Vol 1 3|Hercules Vol 1 3]]
|-
|#82 - #85 || "...Not Just Another Galactus Story!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Hercules Vol 1 4|Hercules Vol 1 4]]
|}

====''Inhumanoids''====
{{main|Inhumanoids}}
Another [[Hasbro]] property with an obligatory [[Marvel Comics]] series, in this case just four issues reprinted in chunks in the UK. The Inhumanoids were a group of subterranean monsters who were sealed beneath the Earth until accidentally released by humans, and were opposed by the [[Earth Corps]] and a race of good mutants known as the Mutores. The series was cancelled after only four issues, ending on a cliffhanger.

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Inhumanoids at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[Resurrection!|#103]] - [[Afterdeath!|#106]] || "The Coming of the Inhumanoids, Part 1"|| [[wikia:Marvel:Inhumanoids Vol 1 1|Inhumanoids Vol 1 1]]
|-
|[[Gone but Not Forgotten!|#107]] - [[Funeral for a Friend!|#110]] || "I Left My Monsters in San Francisco"|| [[wikia:Marvel:Inhumanoids Vol 1 2|Inhumanoids Vol 1 2]]
|-
|[[King of the Hill!|#111]] - [[Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!|#114]] || "The Battle Down Below!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Inhumanoids Vol 1 3|Inhumanoids Vol 1 3]]
|-
|[[Burning Sky!|#115]] - [[Hunters|#118]] || "Metlar Unleashed!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Inhumanoids Vol 1 4|Inhumanoids Vol 1 4]]
|}

====''Iron Man''====
Tony Stark is an industrialist playboy who fights crime in a powered suit as [[Iron Man]].

''"Man of the Year"'' was a [[Spider-Man]] story set in 2020; however it was rebranded as ''The Iron Man of 2020'' after the more prominent guest star.

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Iron Man at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[Crisis of Command!|#43]] - [[The Icarus Theory|#46]] || "Night of the Octopus" || [[wikia:Marvel:Marvel Fanfare Vol 1 22|Marvel Fanfare Vol 1 22]]
|-
|[[Dinobot Hunt!|#47]] - [[Dinobot Hunt!|#50]] || "From the Ashes"|| [[wikia:Marvel:Marvel Fanfare Vol 1 23|Marvel Fanfare Vol 1 23]]
|-
|[[Fire on High!|#119]] - [[Ancient Relics!|#125]] || "Man of the Year"|| [[wikia:Marvel:Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 20|Amazing Spider-Man Annual Vol 1 20]]
|-
|[[The Cure!|#126]] - [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|#129]] || "Deep Trouble!"|| [[wikia:Marvel:Iron Man Vol 1 218|Iron Man Vol 1 218]]
|-
|[[The Legacy of Unicron!|#146]] - [[Enemy Action!|#152]] || "Stratosfire"|| [[wikia:Marvel:Iron Man Annual Vol 1 9|Iron Man Annual Vol 1 9]]
|}

====''Machine Man''====
X-51 was born on an assembly line but raised like a son as an experiment by Dr Abel Stack. Forced to leave his father's care early, Aaron Stack now seeks to live among Johnny Average while contending with anti-robot persecution as his superhero alter ego, Machine Man.

The reprints from Machine Man vol 2 are set in the year 2020 and also featured Iron Man of 2020. The impact of this seemingly innocent reprint was ''huge'' for Marvel UK: first seeing the ''Spider-Man'' appearance of Iron Man 2020 put in, then getting [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] moved to 2020 in his solo strip for a third Iron Man appearance, which led to the '90s Marvel UK using the 2020 storyline as a recurring setting for comic after comic!

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Machine Man at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[The Transformers (issue)|#1]] || "Introducing Machine Man" || 3 select pages from [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 10|Machine Man Vol 1 10]], recounting the character's origin and powers to introduce him to readers.
|-
|[[The Transformers (issue)|#1]] - [[Power Play!|#3]] || "Byte of the Binary Bug" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 11|Machine Man Vol 1 11]]
|-
|#4 - [[Prisoner of War!|#5]] || "Where Walks the Gods" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 12|Machine Man Vol 1 12]]
|-
|#6 - [[The Last Stand|#7]] || "Xanadu" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 13|Machine Man Vol 1 13]]
|-
|#8 - [[Man of Iron (issue)|#9]] || "The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 14|Machine Man Vol 1 14]]
|-
|#10 - [[The Enemy Within!|#11]] || "Kill Me or Cure Me"" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 15|Machine Man Vol 1 15]]
|-
|#12 - [[The Enemy Within!|#14]] || "Baron Brimstone and His Sinister Satan Squad"" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 16|Machine Man Vol 1 16]]
|-
|#15 - #17 || "Arms and the Robot" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 17|Machine Man Vol 1 17]]
|-
|[[Raiders of the Last Ark|#18]] - #21 || "Alone Against Alpha Flight" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 18|Machine Man Vol 1 18]]
|-
|[[The New Order|#22]] - [[The Worse of Two Evils!|#25]] || "Jolted By Jack O'Lantern!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 1 19|Machine Man Vol 1 19]]
|-
| [[Repeat Performance!|#27]] - [[Decepticon Dam-Busters!|#29]] and [[The Pri¢e of Life!|#309]] - [[Surrender!|#312]] || "He Lives Again!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 2 1|Machine Man Vol 2 1]]
|-
| [[The Wrath of Guardian!|#31]] - [[DIS-Integrated Circuits!|#34]] and [[The Void! (US)|#318]] - [[On the Edge of Extinction!|#321]] || "If This Be Sanctuary?!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 2 2 |Machine Man Vol 2 2]]
|-
| [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|#35]] - [[Brainstorm!|#38]] and #322 - [[Exodus!|#325]] || "Rime of the Ancient Wrecker!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 2 3|Machine Man Vol 2 3]]
|-
| [[Prime Time!|#39]] - [[Crisis of Command!|#42]] and #326 - [[The Last Autobot?|#329]] || "Victory" || [[wikia:Marvel:Machine Man Vol 2 4|Machine Man Vol 2 4]]
|-
|}

====''Planet Terry''====
Often regarded as the worst of the UK back-up strips, ''Planet Terry'' was pitched at younger readers and starred the eponymous Terry, who is searching for his parents after being accidentally jettisoned off their ship.

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Planet Terry at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[The Enemy Within!|#16]] - [[Raiders of the Last Ark|#19]] || "The Search" || [[wikia:Marvel:Planet Terry Vol 1 1|Planet Terry Vol 1 1]]
|-
|#20 - [[The Worse of Two Evils!|#25]] || "The Saga of Princess Ugly" || [[wikia:Marvel:Planet Terry Vol 1 2|Planet Terry Vol 1 2]] and [[wikia:Marvel:Planet Terry Vol 1 3|3]]
|}

====''Robotix''====
{{main|Robotix}}
Robotix was a [[Hasbro]] toyline about two warring robotic races which had a tie in cartoon by [[Sunbow Productions]] and a single comic issue by [[Marvel Comics]]. As this is a completely ludicrous idea that could never catch on, it was short-lived.

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Robotix at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[Shooting Star!|#51]] - [[Rock and Roll-Out!|#54]] || "A World In Chaos" || [[wikia:Marvel:Robotix Vol 1 1|Robotix Vol 1 1]]
|}

====''Rocket Raccoon''====
Ranger Rocket Raccoon is a genetically-engineered raccoon who is a law enforcement officer on Halfworld.

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Rocket Raccoon at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[I, Robot-Master!|#55]] - [[Plight of the Bumblebee!|#57]] || "Animal Crackers" || [[wikia:Marvel:Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 1|Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 1]]
|-
|#58 - [[Devastation Derby!|#61]] || "The Masque of the Red Breath" || [[wikia:Marvel:Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 2|Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 2]]
|-
|#62 - [[Second Generation!|#65]] || "The Book of Revelations!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 3|Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 3]]
|-
|[[The Smelting Pool!|#66]] - [[The Bridge to Nowhere!|#69]] || "The Age of Enlightenment" || [[wikia:Marvel:Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 4|Rocket Raccoon Vol 1 4]]
|}

====''Spitfire and the Troubleshooters!''====
One of [[Marvel Comics]]' [[wikia:Marvel:Earth-148611|New Universe]] titles. Professor Jenny Swenson dons the Man-Assisted eXperimental armor, she takes the codename Spitfire and a group of her college students did the same, becoming The Troubleshooters. They fought crime.

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Spitfire and the Troubleshooters at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[Target: 2006|#86]] - [[Aerialbots over America!|#90]] || "Beginnings" || [[wikia:Marvel:Spitfire and the Troubleshooters Vol 1 1|Spitfire and the Troubleshooters Vol 1 1]]
|-
|[[Heavy Traffic!|#91]] - [[Decepticon Graffiti!|#94]] || "Behemoth" || [[wikia:Marvel:Spitfire and the Troubleshooters Vol 1 2|Spitfire and the Troubleshooters Vol 1 2]]
|-
|#95 - [[...The Harder They Die!|#98]] || "Counterattack" || [[wikia:Marvel:Spitfire and the Troubleshooters Vol 1 3|Spitfire and the Troubleshooters Vol 1 3]]
|}

====''Visionaries''====
{{main|Visionaries}}
Set on the planet [[Prysmos]], ''[[Visionaries]]'' depicted the struggle between the heroic Spectral Knights and the villainous [[Darkling Lord]]s at the dawn of a quasi-feudal age of magic.

Visionaries was another [[Hasbro]] property, with a colorful hologram [[gimmick]] used on the figures chests and weaponry. A preview copy in [[The Desert Island of Space!|#158]] printed the first two and a half pages of the first story. When the comic was cancelled it merged into ''Transformers'' (changing the name to ''Transformers and Visionaries'') and printed the remainder of the stories. Later Transformers reprinted the first issue in full.

{|
|''Issues''|| ''Story'' || ''Visionaries at Marvel Database''
|-
|[[Space Pirates!|#183]] - #186 || "Quest of the Four Talismans Part 1" || [[wikia:Marvel:Visionaries Vol 1 5|Visionaries Vol 1 5]]
|-
|#187 - [[Monstercon from Mars!|#190]] || "Wings: Quest of the Four Talismans Part 2" || [[wikia:Marvel:Visionaries Vol 1 6|Visionaries Vol 1 6]]
|-
|[[Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?|#213]] - #219 || "The End -- -- The Beginning!" || [[wikia:Marvel:Visionaries Vol 1 1|Visionaries Vol 1 1]]
|}

==Other Series==
[[Transformers: Armada (Panini)|Panini's Armada]] and [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's movie series comic]] have both used the same tactic, Panini with original Transformer strips, and Titan with IDW reprints and unused ''[[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Transformers Animated]]'' strips ([[Transformers Comic issue 17#Dino-MIGHT|and one new one]]).

[[Category:Back-up strips| ]]
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:Lists]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics]]
[[Category:Marvel properties]]

Protecton

2024-02-29T12:47:35Z

GuiRitter: fixed grammar

{{faction|protecton}}
{{disambig2|the ''Robotix'' faction|the ''Animated'' faction|Protectobot (Animated)}}

[[File:Protectonsymbol.png|thumb|right|250px|Wins award for '''Most Generic Faction Symbol'''.]]

The '''Protectons''' are one of two races that live on [[Skalorr]] in [[Xobitor]] [[universal stream]]s. They are at war with the other race, the [[Terrakor]]s.

Formerly a race of industrious, insular organics, the Protectons were forced into underground hibernation, along with the Terrakors, after their sun went nova. When a radiation leak damaged their original bodies beyond repair, the [[Compu-Core]] transferred some of their essences into a quintet of robotic bodies, granting them [[spark]]-analogues.

With the Terrakors threatening to take their violent war off-world, the Protectons have realized that they must take up arms once more, to protect the freedom of all sentient beings. The arrival of [[human]]s from a [[Earth|far-away world]] allowed them to realize they had the power to "interface": with a human in their cockpit, the Protectons can shapeshift at will, sprouting various appendages and tools as necessary.

The Protectons include:

* Do-gooder '''[[Argus]]''': partnered with [[Exeter Galaxon]]
* The compassionate '''[[Nara]]''': partnered with [[Steth Allo]]
* The patient '''[[Boltar]]''': partnered with [[Flexor Tul]]
* The nervous '''[[Jerrok]]''': partnered with [[Sphero Sol]]
* The bulky '''[[Bront]]''': partnered with [[Tauron Oxon]]

==Fiction==
===''The AllSpark Almanac''===
The [[Xobitor 1085.06 Alpha]] universe and its inhabitants were observed by the [[Voltronic Multiverser]]. {{Storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

===Spacewarp's Log===
[[File:ProtectonsSL.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Coming soon to a garage sale near you.]]
Centuries ago on the planet [[Skalorr]], the mammalian Protectons co-evolved with their hostile reptilian neighbors the [[Terrakor]]. After years of war between the two species, the conflict was abruptly halted by the revelation that their sun was on the verge of going nova! The two sides then worked together to build an underground chamber to save them all, where they would enter hibernation until the planet was safe. Also built were large Robotix to repair their world after the destruction. While in their underground chambers however, a radiation leak damaged them all beyond repair, causing [[Compu-Core]] to transfer some of their essences into the Robotix bodies. The war then ensued on Skallor’s ruined surface, where both sides teamed up with the stranded crew of [[Daniel Boone (ship)|a human ship]]. Eventually, [[Spacewarp]] and her companion [[Foldspace]] entered the fold, being quickly captured by the deceptive Terrakors. After some convincing from Foldspace, the Protectons saved Spacewarp from being dissected by the evil Terrakors. Spacewarp, Foldspace, and the Protectons retreated back to the ruined city of Zanadon. Once again, Spacewarp tried to leave—but this time, Compu-Core had malfunctioned. Unable to live with the guilt of letting two sentient races die on her watch, Spacewarp pledged to help repair the Compu-Core with parts from a nearby computer lab. Spacewarp and Bront guarded the lab while Nara and the humans investigated. They discovered, however, that the Terrakors had reached the lab first, and had turned its machinery against the Protectons! {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2016/01/23}}

[[File:SkalorrSpacewarp'sLog.jpg|left|thumb|]]
Spacewarp helped repulse the Terrakors from the lab, but damaged her engines in the process. And without the right tools to replace the circuit sphere, the Protectons would need to search elsewhere. The team set up camp for the night, only to be attacked by over a dozen ape-like mutants, who took Sphero and Bront hostage. Spacewarp and Tauron managed to sneak in and spring the duo from the clutches of the monsters. On returning to Zanador, the group discovered that Argus—leader of the Protectons—and the skeleton crew they'd left behind had been ambushed by the full force of the Terrakors. Luckily, Spacewarp's engines had repaired themselves overnight, and her airborne alternate mode helped turn the tide. After the Compu-Core was repaired, Spacewarp finally managed to leave Skalorr behind, but not without wishing Argus and his forces well in their continuing battles against the Terrakors. {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2016/01/24}}

[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Robotix]]

Mold

2024-02-27T00:26:39Z

GuiRitter: fixed duplicate "the"

[[File:Haslab Star Saber tooling.jpg|thumb|upright=2.1|Heavy Metal.]]

A '''mold''' is a pre-cut metal shape into which plastic (or, sometimes, [[die-cast|die-cast metal]]) is injected to manufacture the parts for a given [[toy|''Transformers'' toy]]. Although ''Transformers'' toys are usually created from several molds for the various parts of their body (which is the reason why their parts are cast in more than one single plastic color), many fans also commonly use the term "mold" to refer to a toy's ''sculpt'', i.e. the entire body shape which can be [[redeco]]ed or [[retool]]ed into a new toy that is still based on the same mold. Fans also commonly refer to retools as "remolds".

==Types of molds==
{{toystub|updates to bring the info given in line with modern toy design, ie CAD Modeling etc}}

===Plastic injection molds===
[[File:Cyb Prime Mold Plans.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
As part of the creation process of a new ''Transformers'' toy, [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] create one or more hand-sculpted hardcopy [[prototype]]s (also referred to as "gray models"). Once these prototypes have served their purpose (i.e. proving that the transformation works as intended, all the individual parts have the necessary clearance and the sculpt looks visually as intended in both modes), the hardcopy (or, if there are multiples, at least one of them) will be disassembled. From all the individual parts, Hasbro and Takara will then cast plastic injection molds made out of steel, basically a "negative" counterpart to the toy parts. This mold consists of two or more parts, so it can be opened and the cast plastic parts removed.

[[File:G2GoBots-gangmolding.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
To minimize development costs (the steel molds are reported to be by far the most expensive part of the development process of a new toy), Hasbro and Takara will try to include as many of the toy's parts in the same mold as possible. This, however, means that all the parts in one mold will end up in the same plastic color, which puts limits on the toy's plastic color layout. In other words, if a toy's hands, feet and head are cast from the same mold, the toy can't have black hands, blue feet and a red head—unless they are painted over, that is. This is particularly important to consider in the case of [[redeco]]s, since Hasbro has a maximum number of allowed [[paint operation]]s per [[size class]] to stay on budget. The larger a toy, the more plastic injection molds are used to create all the parts needed for assembling the toy. If the toy in question is very small, Hasbro and Takara will occasionally create parts of several simultaneously released toys (such as [[Micromaster]]s, [[Spychanger]]s or [[Mini-Con]]s) from the same mold, which is referred to as [[gang-molding]]. This means, however, that creating parts of one toy will automatically also create the corresponding parts for the other toy(s), unless they are gated off.

The liquid plastic enters the mold through a large [[sprue]], is distributed to the mold cavities through smaller runners, and enters individual cavities through gates. Once the plastic has cooled down, the mold halves will be opened and the plastic parts removed. At this point, the parts are still connected by the plastic residue in the sprues, runners and gates, and have to be trimmed off. If you see excess plastic on a part of Transformers toy that looks like it was connected to something at one point, this is the explanation. The excess plastic will then be recycled. The entire connected system of the toy parts, sprues, runners and gates is referred to as a "tree" (or, alternatively, as a "sprue" as well).

Initially, Hasbro and Takara will create [[prototype|test shots]] from the molds to test the toolings, spot and fix flaws, see if the toys cast from the molds still look and work like they are supposed to as compared to the hardcopies and perform [[for safety reasons|safety testing]]. Once the molds have been given clearance, mass production can begin.

===Die-cast metal molds===

Die cast metal molds are created similarly to plastic molds, but usually with much sturdier materials to handle the extreme heat of molten metal. Additionally, such molds have to be lubricated, often with water-based emulsions, to prevent the product from bonding to the mold. The type of material the parts are being cast in also determines how long the mold will last. While Zinc has a relatively low melting point of 419 °C (787 °F), Aluminum has a much higher melting point of 660 °C (1,221 °F). Due to this, ten times more parts can be cast in Zinc than can be cast in Aluminum. Stronger molds can last longer, but are typically much more expensive.

An advantage to die-cast molds is that they can also be used to cast plastic, both extending the life of the mold and reducing the cost of materials. Several G1 toys that were originally made with die cast parts were later given rereleases or running changes that used plastic instead.

==Multiple uses of a mold==
[[File:Bruticus redecos.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Since the creation of molds is the most expensive part of the development process of a toy, Hasbro and Takara will try to use an already-created mold as many times as possible to recoup the development costs. In other words, the same molds already used for a toy will be used again to create another toy that is then released under a different name (or at least a "variant" name). There are several possible ways to have the "new" toy differ from the original toy.

===Redecos===
{{main|Redeco}}
[[File:United toy-Frenzy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1]]
The easiest way to get a "new" toy out of an existing molding is to [[redeco]] it. There are several methods that may be used for this, with some toys using more than one of these strategies.

*The plastic colors for the individual mold trees are changed, thus giving the new toy a different overall plastic color layout

*The "new" toy is given different [[paint operation]]s than the original version. As noted above, however, a maximum number of allowed paint operations required to stay on budget puts a limit on the extent of possible changes to the toy through paint operations. Therefore, the plastic color layout is usually carefully chosen so the number of paint operations can stay as low as possible.

*The toy is given a different set of stickers. This is extremely rare in modern toys with the advent of [[tampograph]]s.
{{--}}

===Retools===
{{main|Retool}}
[[File:TCCSS2-Rewind.jpg|thumb|upright=1]]
In addition to redecos (which are merely a cosmetic change), a toy can also be physically altered in order to visually differentiate it further from the original release. Such alterations are collectively referred to as [[retool]]s, but can actually be achieved in three different ways:

*The actual tooling is permanently altered, thus making the "new" toy out of the existing molds, but with changes to them. Since those modifications to the molds are hard to undo, this method is usually limited to changes that objectively improve the toy.
*One or more new molds can be cast for the altered parts of the new toy, retaining the basic shape of those parts but with physical changes to the details. This is achieved more or less in the same way as the original molds were created, and the new molds are then used instead of the existing molds for the parts that are replaced on the new toy. In extreme but rare cases, the new toolings will be so thorough as to change the toy's transformation mechanics, as happened with [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]].
*A "retool" might be planned in advance, and thus the "new" parts and the parts they will eventually replace are cast from the same mold, thereby ending up on the same "tree" (also known as a "pretool"). The unused parts are then discarded or recycled. Therefore, this method is usually limited to cases where only a small number of parts are replaced, such as different head sculpts.

==Issues with Reissues==
Toy molds are mysterious things. As mentioned above, the larger a toy is, the more molds are required to create all the numerous parts required to assemble the complete toy. Even a ''Scout Class'' (formerly "Basic") ''Transformers'' figure requires at least two or three separate molds, one for each plastic color. If some ill fate should befall one or all of those molds, the toy may be lost forever. The older a mold is, the more likely this is to happen at some point.

===Lost molds===
[[File:G1Mirage toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1]]
Molds can be lost when [[Hasbro]] or [[TakaraTomy]] (or any other toy company) sells, closes down, or otherwise abandons a plant or factory. The molds may be sold as excess inventory as part of a warehouse deal. Sometimes, they simply get misplaced in the supply chain between factory and warehouse. Occasionally, molds are outright destroyed in order to prevent piracy, or even get stolen by burglars for their internal components. Whatever cruel fate befalls a set of molds, once they're gone, they're gone for good.

In some cases, Hasbro/TakaraTomy may actually still ''have'' a mold, which may or may not still be in a usable condition, but due to the sheer ''number'' of molds created over the years, in addition to the number of different factories and warehouses employed by the two companies over the years, they may be misplaced somewhere deep inside a warehouse. And since the molds are not necessarily marked with bright labels that say "TRANSFORMERS GENERATION 1 1989 PRETENDER BUMBLEBEE INNER ROBOT TORSO AND FEET" in large letters, they're hard to track down once they have vanished off the radar.

Known lost/stolen molds are:
*[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]]
*Generation 1 [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
*Generation 1 [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
*Generation 1 [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*Generation 1 [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]
*Generation 1 [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]
*''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)#Unreleased|Go-Bot]] [[Hound (G1)/toys#G2Gobot|Hound]] (unreleased)
*''Generation 2'' Go-Bot [[Purple Mercedes Go-Bot|Mercedes-Benz SL500]]" (name unknown, unreleased)
*''Beast Wars'' Basic Class [[Insecticon (BW)|Insecticon]]
*''Beast Wars'' Basic Class [[Armordillo]]
*''Beast Wars'' Ultra-sized [[Lio Convoy#Toys|Lio Convoy]]

Molds rumored to be lost:
*Generation 1 [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]]
*Generation 1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Toys|Optimus Prime]]'s [[Combat Deck (G1)#Toys|trailer]]

Molds initially thought to have been lost, but later turned out not to have been:
*''Beast Wars'' Basic Class [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]

Molds not owned by Hasbro or TakaraTomy that are confirmed to have been lost:
*Generation 1 [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Shockwave]] (original [[ToyCo]]-produced metal mold lost—current copyright owner likely made a new one after acquiring the rights, though this is unconfirmed)

===Broken molds===
[[File:G1Wheeljack toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1]]
Despite their impressive size and heft, molds can break and thereby be rendered useless.
Known broken molds are:
*Generation 1 [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys|Wheeljack]]

As an aside, [[Fun Publications]] faced some consternation from ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' fans after they were unable to deliver on a promised convention-exclusive version of the [[Mauler]] tank. [http://www.yojoe.com/archive/unproduced/maulermbtx.shtml As they later explained in an e-mail,] they simply did not have enough money in the budget to repair all of the molds which broke during production.

===Deterioration===
[[File:G1toy tfc jazz.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
Molds can only be used so much before they begin to wear down and deteriorate. The mold is then unable to supply products of the same quality of the original release. This may result in toys where parts no longer fit together properly, joints are overly tight or overly loose, and sculpted detail appears "washed-out." Just compare the face of an original 1984 ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]] or [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] with a 2000-onwards reissue.<ref name="hound">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/g1-1984/hound/1670/2/77/ Direct comparison] of a Vintage G1 Hound with the ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' reissue at Seibertron.com.</ref>

Molds specifically said to be worn out beyond a condition where further use is still viable include:
*Essentially all of the mass-released ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]] teams
*The [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Autobot Brothers]]: [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], and [[X-Brawn]]

[[File:Piranacontimelinestoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1]]
Molds that seem to be on their way out include:
*The ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' Subaru Impreza mold in its various incarnations started to show major signs of deterioration with ''[[Transformers: Alternators#Binaltech Asterisk|Binaltech Asterisk]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Binaltech Asterisk|Alert]]
*The Generation 1 [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]
*The Generation 1 [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]] are considered by many to have been ''beyond'' this point already when the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] released the ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' versions
*The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Cyberjet]]s
*''Cybertron'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends]] of [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]] [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]]
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Voyager [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Classics|Optimus Prime]]
*''Classics'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]
*''Masterpiece'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#MP11|Starscream]]
*''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Transformers]]'' (2007) Deluxe Class Concept Camaro [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]]
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]]
*''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Beast Hunters]]'' ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Legion Class [[Rippersnapper (Prime)#Cyberverse|Rippersnapper]]
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Legion Class|Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]'' (2015) Legion Class [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Legion Class|Optimus Prime]]
*''Armada'' [[Unicron/toys#Armada|Unicron]]

It is unclear exactly how many uses a mold can take; some of the various Mini-Con teams were released over a half-dozen different times in the space of four years. Time is also a factor in this process; big blocks of steel are sturdy, but they don't last forever in storage.

===Replaced molds===
Sometimes Hasbro/TakaraTomy invest funding into repairing the aforementioned damage to reasonably approximate the original tooling. Alternatively, if the mold is lost entirely, then they may resort to surviving design sketches or samples of the toys themselves to manufacture a replacement mold. The newly produced toys will have small differences compared to the originals, but it works!

Known molds which were repaired or replaced are:
*Generation 1 [[Dile#Toys|Dile]]
*Generation 1 [[Zaur (G1)#toys|Zaur]]
*''Beast Wars'' Basic Class [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Toys|Rattrap]]

===Legal issues===
[[File:Jetfireg1toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1]]
Several [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] ''Transformers'' toys were produced under license from companies other than [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], including [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Shockwave]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], the [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s and [[Insecticon (G1)|Deluxe Insecticons]]. While Hasbro still owns the ''characters'' represented by those toys, the rights to these molds eventually reverted to their original owners, some of whom have since gone bankrupt or been absorbed into other companies. In the case of Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx, the molds actually ended up in the possession of Tomy, which ultimately allowed the merged company TakaraTomy to release them as "reissues" in Japan.

Similarly, while Hasbro owns the intellectual property pursuant to [[GoBots|Tonka's ''GoBots'' line]], the actual toy molds themselves still belong to [[Bandai]], making any sort of reissue series extremely unlikely.

In Generation 1 Shockwave's case, the original mold owner and designer, [[ToyCo]], who had been incredibly generous over the years licensing out the mold to anyone who would pay them money for it, eventually sold the mold on to another company ''presumably'' in China (given the fact that this was the last location ToyCo had it manufactured), meaning the chances of a Hasbro/TakaraTomy sanctioned Shockwave reissue are ''very'' slim (''[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1 toy history|see Shockwave's toy article Notes section for more on this]]'').

===Resurrection===
[[File:G1 Stepper reissue.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
Sometimes, molds can be recut and repaired. One of the most famous examples is ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Jazz]], whose face started out with a normal mouth in 1984, acquired a slightly deteriorated grin with the 1993 ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' release of the toy, and had degraded into an ugly grin with Takara's 2002 ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' and Hasbro's 2003 ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]'' reissues. Takara then fixed the face for the 2004 [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Stepper/Ricochet]] reissue. The fixed head was subsequently also used for the 2007 ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' reissue. Note, however, that in this case an entirely new head sculpt was apparently cast based on the original one, rather than restoring the existing mold, judging from several minor differences between the "fixed" head and the original one (such as differently-shaped ending points for the horns and not perfectly parallel vertical lines for the vents in the cheek guards).

In 2021, when ''Beast Wars'' [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Basic Class Rattrap]] was revealed to be getting a [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Vintage Beast Wars|reissue]] in the [[Vintage#Vintage Beast Wars|''Vintage Beast Wars'']] line fans assumed that Hasbro had rediscovered the long-thought lost mold. However, it was found that this "reissue" was an entirely new mold set once fans started to get their hands on the figure.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Original Rattrap (L) vs Walmart reissue Rattrap (R). Aside from the color differences, Walmart appears to be a mostly new, if not entirely new set of molds. The lines are sharper and tiny details are ever so slightly different. https://t.co/Duuz44Rcx3|link=https://twitter.com/MSipher/status/1488112888812244993|name=Greg Sepelak|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=01|day=31|(defunct=)}}</ref> Hasbro remaking the mold has been speculated to be the reason the reissue was priced as a Deluxe and not a Basic, due to the extreme costs that come with tooling a new mold.

Generation 1 [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] is also rumored to have been "fixed" by Takara prior to the 2003 ''Transformers Collection'' reissue. However, the reissue is simply based on a [[retool]]ed running change [[variant]] of Takara's 1985 release of Soundwave. Whether the initial toolings used for the Hasbro and early Takara versions are genuinely "lost" or "damaged", or have been directly modified to make the variant back in 1985, is unclear.

It is also speculated that the original Generation 1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] mold is long gone, as reissues share the toolings of the ''Generation 2'' mold. In general, the process of restoring a mold is presumably very expensive, and as such seems uncommon. Considering the iconic nature of the character, however, it seems likely that Hasbro and Takara are willing to invest a lot of money into restoring and/or recasting the mold(s) whenever necessary. In fact, it's speculated that multiple molds existed for the toy as early as the 1980s.

Do not, however, confuse the recent trend towards high-quality [[Knockoff|bootlegs]] with reissues. Many of the current bootlegs of Generation 1 toys are reverse-engineered from existing toys; instead of stealing or copying the original toy's mold, the bootleggers cut new molds based on the toys themselves—creating a copy of a copy. The same practice also holds true for the... less faithful bootlegs and knockoffs out there, generally speaking.

==See also==
*[[Gang-molding]]
*[[Sprue]]

{{toystub}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Toys]]

Talk:Obtenteum

2024-02-22T00:43:08Z

GuiRitter: added possible reference

Could the name have been inspired by [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Unobtainium unobtainium]?

[[User:GuiRitter|GuiRitter]] ([[User talk:GuiRitter|talk]]) 19:43, 21 February 2024 (EST)

Size changing

2024-02-22T00:35:21Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

[[File:Soundwave shrinks.gif|thumb|upright=1.4|A little known fact, but {{w|Wasp (character)|Wasp}} is Soundwave's cousin.]]

Although [[scale]] has never exactly been a deep concern when it comes to ''Transformers'', given that the series has featured F-15 jets not much larger than sports cars, it is not uncommon for certain Transformers to clearly and deliberately '''change size''' when transforming from one mode to the next. The methods employed for this startling alteration in physicality have differed from timeline to timeline, and have long been a heavily debated aspect of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] technology.

{{quote|Decepticons Skywarp and Thundercracker transform and land. A tape player, three cassette tapes and a Walther P-38 fly forth from the towering twin titans. And astonishingly they enlarge hundreds of times over and change into Soundwave, Megatron, Frenzy, and Ravage!|[[Narrator]]|[[Prisoner of War!]]}}

==Examples==
Note that many of the Transformers named here have also transformed at certain times ''without'' shrinking or enlarging, retaining an [[alternate mode]] to scale with their [[robot mode]]. It doesn't help mass-shifting logic though. If anything it only results in ''more'' questions.

===Shrinking===
[[File:DarknessRising3-Arceesizechange.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Where does she ''keep'' it all?]]
The most famous examples of size-changing Transformers are [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who becomes a pistol, and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], who both become stereo cassette players. These Transformers visibly shrink as they transform, assuming one of two sizes—one that allows another Transformer to wield or operate them, and another, even smaller size scaled to humans.

Other shrinking Transformers include [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], the [[Mini-Cassette]]s, the three bots who make up [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], and in some continuities, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s. Reflector could be considered one of the worst, since that's ''three'' Transformers slightly over human-size combining into ''one'' form that's small enough for other robots - or humans - to take photographs with.

[[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]'s ''[[The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|Transformers Universe]]'' bio notes that he has a defect in his transformation circuitry, which often results in him not being able to complete his transformation by not growing back to his robot mode's full size.

One of [[Deep Cover]]'s [[ability|abilities]] is being able to shrink to 1/40th his size for brief periods of time.

Shrinking into altmode is a property also shared by [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'']] [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'']] [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]]. They both transform from motorcycles, which are about the size of a human, into full-sized Autobot warriors. In Prowl's case, he grows to be taller than [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who's a car, although he is much slimmer. ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' [[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] is another fine example, since Signal Lancer transforms from a normal-size traffic light into a robot big enough to wield the light-pole as a [[lance]].

''Animated'' [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] was deployed undercover within [[Autobot boot camp|the Autobot ranks]] by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] specifically due to his stated size-changing abilities, allowing him to adopt a smaller Autobot-sized form in the guise of Longarm.<ref>[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac]]</ref>

The ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' video game and its [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|sequel]] mostly avoided this with most of the cast using animation models that stayed the same size. One exception occurred in the original game, a very blatant one, with [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]]. While his robot mode is undeniably huge, his alt mode, an orbital space station converted into a gun, was big enough to have an entire level set in it. Another case occurred in the sequel's multiplayer with a [[Titan (FOC)|Titan]] using the Beast body type, where going into the character's alt mode has them shrinking down while transforming so by the end they're still the same size as in robot mode. This was an obvious choice made for balancing, since doubling in size like [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] does in the campaign mode would make the Titan too big a target.

While the majority of characters in ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|BotBots]]'' remain consistent between modes, a few with thinner altmodes shrink a bit to accommodate. Examples include [[Lady Macaron]], [[Playgor Cardquest]], and [[Vomit Comet]].

===Enlarging===
Conversely, Transformers have been known to grow in size when assuming their alternate modes—the most prominent example is surely [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], whose space shuttle mode could become large enough to convey a whole contingent of Decepticon warriors, and even allow [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to form inside him without even bumping his head. Similarly, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] transforms from a robot of roughly average size (occasionally depicted as somewhat tall, but never ''huge'') into a jet and then into an entire aircraft carrier, of the type used to transport '''dozens''' of jets. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] is another good example, who has been able to transport whole Autobots in the back of his ambulance form during the cartoon, even [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], who turns into a jet. Other Transformers that enlarge in such a manner also generally do so for the purposes of transporting others; they include [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], and [[Grand Maximus]].

[[Combiner]]s are often larger in their combined form than their robot modes would otherwise indicate—in fact, in the episode "[[Chaos (episode)|Chaos]]," [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] is explicitly shown to enlarge after his combination is complete. In the IDW continuity, the Constructicons (and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]) are explicitly shown to change size whenever they form Devastator. [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] mentions that not even Prowl's brain can grow large enough to fully accommodate Devastator's [[w:Brain-to-body mass ratio|brain-to-body-mass ratio]].

In the original animated series many of the Transformers arguably enlarged or shrank in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] to a lesser extent, this is most notable among groups such as the [[Seeker (body-type)|Decepticon]] [[Conehead|jets]] and [[Mini Vehicle|minibots]], whose altmodes [[Scale|could not possibly turn into robots that are the size they are depicted otherwise]]. Whether this was truly intended to indicate actual size changes, was merely "lazy animation", or was simply a stylistic choice designed to emphasize the awesome stature of robot mode Cybertronians, is a matter of individual opinion.

While later continuities tried to tone this down, it was still present with instances like [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] seen above, and [[Slug (FOC)|Slug]], who goes from a [[Infiltrator (FOC)|Infiltrator]]-sized character to the size of an Insecticon bruiser, and is clearly seen growing bigger after he transforms. Particularly notable is the [[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]] incarnation of [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]], whose horns alone in dragon form are taller than most Transformers, but who "only" stands head-and-shoulders above [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] in robot mode.

[[Magnificus (G1)|Magnificus]] has a matter-enlarging scope, which he used to make [[Ga'mede]] fit in in the macroverse.

Another similar thing happened with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] when transforming from his Marmon 97 and back in the ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' film because it is needed to be tall enough due to transforming into a small truck.

[[Kikmee]] and [[Clogstopper]] from ''BotBots'' both enlarge slightly in their altmodes. Kikmee expands a bit to complete her ball mode while Clogstopper's handle extends in length.

===Implicit size changing===
[[File:MakeHoistHuffer.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Mass displacement my boron compressor.]]
Transformers that act as transport for other Transformers often implicitly change size to do so. However, size changing is rarely explicitly depicted in these cases. Instead, the following method is used: A character such as [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] transforms in-frame from robot to shuttle with no visible expansion of size relative to his surroundings. Cut. [[File:Loading_Ironhide.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|Vanception.]]In the following shot his fellow Decepticons are shown running into frame, suddenly relatively tiny in stature so that they can board the shuttle. Although Astrotrain has not been shown to actually grow, one has to infer that this is more likely than that all his confederates have individually shrunk.

The same change-in-scale-via-implicit-size-changing is used with [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and other characters used as transport. For example, in the episode "[[Make Tracks]]", [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], who is depicted as one of the larger Autobots in robot mode, is shown riding inside [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], a Minibot whose truck mode is usually depicted as being smaller than Optimus Prime's. So either Huffer is extremely large in that scene, or Hoist is suddenly the size of a human. Likewise, an injured [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] has been shown [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3|being loaded into]] [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet's]] rear medical bay, despite both having the ''exact same [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]''.

(The other explanation is that the animators simply hoped no one would notice the sudden change in scale. Since ''Transformers'' is usually targeted at kids, there's probably some truth to this.)

The ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' cartoon had two entirely different [[Scale charts#Cybertron cartoon|scale chart]]s made as a reference for the animators to work from; one for robot mode scale and the other for vehicle mode scale. While the robot mode scale was mostly based on the toys ([[Metroplex (Cybertron)|aside]] [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|from]] [[Menasor (Cybertron)|a few]] [[Primus|exceptions]]), the vehicle modes were based on a more realistic scale. This resulted in the [[Gigantion|Giant Planet]] [[Mini-Con]]s turning into larger vehicles that scaled with their fellow Autobots, unlike the Mini-Cons of ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' who remained miniscule in either mode. Smaller characters like [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]], who transformed into an armored missile truck, would often transform into vehicles larger than taller characters like [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]], who transformed into a car. Any character transforming into an aircraft (e.g. [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]) would grow to an enormous size in order to accurately scale with their fellow team members, who would ''usually'' be rescaled based on [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]—or the next largest character's vehicle mode; with everyone else nearby following the largest robot's robot mode scale. Unfortunately, the results of these two different scales would often lead to [[:File:Vector Prime-Landmine.jpg|over and undersized characters before and after transformation]].

Most Transformers in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon employ some visible mass-displacement when transforming into their alternate modes, compressing their robot-mode mass into their vehicle mode forms. This is most visible with [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]], whose vehicle mode is roughly half the size of her robot form, and [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]], who is noted to be liable to tear the Decepticon's ship apart in beast mode, but is small enough to easily roam the halls in robot mode.

===Pretenders===
Although the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original American cartoon]] was cancelled before the [[Pretender]]s were created, the Japanese-only continuity featured them in their series ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]''. Here the Pretenders did not have outer shells so much as ill-defined holistic transformations which explicitly involved size-changing, allowing the Autobots to convincingly pass themselves off as humans (standing at roughly 6 feet tall). Also, Autobot Pretenders' shells are able to perform size changing in the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' manga. The Decepticons in the cartoon would also shrink, though, rather than shrinking to the size of a human, their monstrous forms would stand at the height of 7 meters (to put that into perspective, their robot modes stand at 8 meters, so they drop one meter in height, rather than shrinking all the way down to human-height like the Autobots do).

Although never depicted in any of their actual fiction, [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' encyclopedia stated that Pretender shells use shrinking technology to achieve the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Masterforce]]''-like capacity to pass the wearer off as a real human (or other small lifeform of choice). (Intriguingly, the profile also obliquely implies that Pretender technology would later lead to the development of the faux-organic [[beast mode]]s of the [[Beast Era]].)

==Explanations==
Although size-changing has been evident in Transformers from the very beginning, the original animated series and comic books never address the topic, and it was regarded as simply being the way of things. Fandom debate on the topic has seemingly inspired later fiction to offer varying explanations on how it functions.

===''Beast Wars II'' cartoon===
Surprisingly, one of the first, if not the very first, attempts of providing an official explanation for an instance of size-changing occurred in the Japanese-original ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' cartoon.

Upon being upgraded from his smaller, average-sized "Megastorm" form, [[Megastorm|Gigastorm]] had become too large to enter the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s' ship, the ''[[Galvaburg II]]''. In order for him to fit, he would first have to be exposed to an '''[[Elemental Particle Control Beam]]''' that would shrink his body down to a more accommodating size every time he wished to enter the ship. He would then remain in his scaled-down size inside the ship for seemingly-indefinite periods of time, until returning to his original size whenever he'd be back outside of the ship.

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] offered two explanations for size-changing within its continuity.

The first, to explain enlarging, was '''parts compression'''—the notion that the Transformers in question, such as Astrotrain and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], had many dense layers of armor in robot mode, which then slid out, expanding to create a much larger, but less-strongly-armored vehicle mode. Fans have referred to this as the "origami Transformers" explanation, and it appeared in their ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' encyclopedia.

The second explanation, to justify shrinking, was '''mass conversion'''. This method put it that Transformers like Soundwave were genetically endowed with the ability to transform not simply their bodies, but their entire molecular structure. This ability, not under their conscious control, only activates when they transform, shifting their atoms according to a predetermined schematic.

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:Escalation3-Massdisplacement.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Shrinky-dink.]]
In the ''[[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]]'' miniseries sees [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] employ a '''mass-displacement sequence''', physically discarding a portion of his bodily mass to allow himself to shrink to a human-scaled pistol of appropriate weight and density. What with E equalling mc², the loss of this amount of mass (shunted to an undisclosed location in space and time) results in a volatile energy discharge, requiring bystanders to step away lest they be injured by the forces released—not that Megatron would care.

Due to the energy shortage (and seeming near-total depletion of Transformers' primary fuel source, [[Energon]]) caused by their war, mass displacement hasn't been commonplace for a very long time. Since it requires a huge amount of energy, the technology had practically vanished until the discovery of [[Ore-13]] on [[Earth#2005 IDW continuity|Earth]].

Mass displacement in [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] [[2005 IDW continuity|original comic book series]] went unmentioned for several years until ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' used it to explain why the [[Constructicon (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|Constructicons]] look much larger when they're forming [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' introduced the '''[[mass-displacement gun]]''', a weapon capable of shrinking ''other'' people, while Megatron would shrink in ''robot mode'' - explaining that the spark modifications to enable mass-displacement, once done, could not be undone - as part of saving the living version of the ''[[Lost Light]]''. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}.

The [[Chimeracon]]s, a faction of experimental warriors created by [[Tarantulas (BW)#2005 IDW continuity|Mesothulas]], used body-frames augmented with [[obtenteum]]. This super-fuel gave them the necessary energy required to regularly shift size when converting to and from their [[beast mode]]s. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3}}

In an attempt to destroy a [[Moonbase Two|Functionist-controlled moon]], [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] from an [[Functionist Universe|alternate universe]] was voluntarily mass displaced into the size of a moon, and was killed by this soon afterwards. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

===2007 ''Transformers'' film===
The creators of the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]] explicitly avoided including any Transformers who could change size, wishing to avoid the necessary suspension of disbelief. Therefore, any observed [[scale]] problems are genuine scale problems. (And there are a few, most notably human-sized [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]]'s head turning into a tiny cell phone. But then again, his head is basically made of shards with a ''lot'' of space in between.) That said, size-changing technology clearly exists in ''some'' form in the movie continuity, as [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] somehow shrinks the [[AllSpark]] down to a manageable size and mass. The [[Staff of Merlin]] has also been shown to be capable of changing size in ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'', capable of shrinking and growing to be held by both Cybertronians and humans.

===''Rescue Bots Academy'' cartoon===
When questioned how [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] was able to turn into a tiny cassette tape, [[Perceptor (Prime)|Perceptor]] explained certain Transformers could use a technique called '''molecular compression''', allowing them to achieve alternate modes much smaller than their robot mode would seemingly permit. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (RBA)|More Than Meets The Eye}}

===Fandom explanations===
[[File:No mass shifting here.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Just when you thought you had it all figured out...]]
The issue of shrinking and enlarging was, in the early days of the online ''Transformers'' fandom, a frequently debated subject. The Transformers were clearly displacing their mass, to allow their shrunken forms to be operable—so where was that mass going? The postulated answer to this question was the invention of "[[unspace|subspace]]", the void of extradimensional space between realities. Subspace proved a handy answer to various other questions as well—see the concept's own article for details. IDW's "mass displacement" rationale essentially ''is'' the subspace explanation, without actually using the term.

And hey, if any of that doesn't grab you, a [[Beorht|wizard]] did it.

==Note==
* When you see a character's size is [[:File:Tinybluestreak.jpg|smaller]] [[:File:Huge Ironhide and Small Ratchet.jpg|than]] [[:File:CarnageMiniBlaster.jpg|usual]], well, it's just [[Animation error|a technical issue]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Technology]]

Doros Motion

2024-02-18T20:18:46Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo (I'm mostly sure; please write something in the discussions if that name is legit)

[[Image:Cybernet Spacecube.JPG|right|300px|thumb|And now you know who to blame for this.]]
'''Doros Motion''' is an American animation studio based in New York, New York, founded in [[1982]] by [[Doros Evangelides]]. They specialize primarily in commercial animation and employ between 11 and 50 staff members at a time.

Doros Motion, specifically animators [[Carl Edwards]] and Evangelides, created the [[Cybernet Space Cube]] for the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]'' broadcasts.

==Notes==

*Although Doros Motion produced the CG animation for the Cybernet Space Cube, they did not animate the CG [[title sequence]] for ''Generation 2''. That animation was provided by [[Lamb & Company]].

==External link==
*[https://www.linkedin.com/company/doros-motion Doros Motion LinkedIn account]

[[category:Animation companies]]

Predacon (BW)

2024-02-17T15:22:30Z

GuiRitter: fixed formatting

{{factions|predacon|{{factions/icons|custom=Timelines_Predacon_Symbol.png|cSize=33px|cLink=Predacon (BW)|cPretty=Predacon}}{{factions/icons|custom=Kingdom_Predacon_insignia.png|cSize=33px|cLink=Predacon (BW)|cPretty=Predacon}}}}
{{disambig3|Predacon}}
[[File:Predacon symbol.png|thumb|You know they're evil because their icon could poke out an optic.]]

Combining brute strength and bestial cunning, the villainous '''Predacons''' seek power at any cost. Driven by resentment and hatred for their [[Maximal]] and [[Autobot]] foes, they aim to usurp their enemies and claim what they see as their rightful place in the universe. Though [[Dinobot (BW)|some of them]] hold to a [[The Predacon Manifesto|strange sense of honor]], [[Megatron (BW)|others]] have no qualms with lying and cheating to claw their way to the top.

While their origins vary across the [[multiverse]], the Predacons are often the descendants of the [[Decepticon]]s, sometimes taking their moniker from [[Predacon (G1)|a sub-group]] of that faction. As their name suggests, they often take on [[beast mode]]s in times of conflict, typically reptilian or arthropod in nature; this is not a strict rule, however, and they have taken forms ranging from [[Sky-Byte (RID)|sea creatures]] to [[Combatron (BW)|military vehicles]] to even [[Galvatron (BW)|mythical beasts]].

The adjective for "of or pertaining to the Predacons" is '''Predaconial''',<ref><tt>A [Maximal] strategic specialist, [[Stinkbomb]] is fascinated with the study of Predaconial psychology.</tt> — [http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Stinkbomb/stinkbomb.htm Stinkbomb's bio], 1999</ref> though it is extremely common to simply substitute 'Predacon'.

{{quote|You do not know the Predacons. We—they ''live'' for the glory of conquest.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] to [[Tigatron]]|"[[Law of the Jungle]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====''Beast Wars'' toy bios====
Active on [[Earth]] in the present day, {{storylink|Megatron (BW)/toys#BWultra|Ultra Class Megatron toy bio}}, the Predacons viewed "prosper or perish" as their way of life, and planned to drive the Maximals into extinction. {{storylink|Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Basic Class Megatron toy bio}} Using the DNA of [[Earth]]'s most vicious life forms, the Predacons took on [[beast mode]]s thanks to the technology housed within their genetics lab, the [[Fusion Building]]; however, when [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] and the Maximals found the lab and threatened to take the secrets found within, Megatron had the building blown up. {{storylink|Optimus Primal vs Megatron!}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity====
[[File:BW Predacons.jpg|upright=1.7|thumb]]
{{note|The ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' cartoons are part of multiple different [[continuity|continuities]] with multiple contradictory origins and events. For simplicity, the cartoons are here listed first, followed by the events of the various side continuities they are part of.}}
The Predacons were the descendants of the Decepticons, led by [[Tripredacus Council]] and represented in some sense by the [[Predacon Alliance]]. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} While the Maximals and Predacons held an uneasy peace, the Autobots' victory in the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] meant that Predacon leadership was subordinate to [[Maximal High Council|that of the Maximals]]; [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], in particular, saw the Maximals as ruling over the Predacons, treating them as "slaves". {{storylink|Code of Hero}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} ''Officially'', there was peace between the two factions and has been for three centuries, but a number of Predacons chafed under this status and wished to raise the banner again; the [[Tripredacus Council]] was seen as kowtowing too much to the Maximals. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} What most Predacons were unaware of is not just that the Tripredacus Council ''was'' preparing its own war plans, but that they were ''not'' Decepticon descendants in the same way as the average Predacon, instead having some mysterious different origin all of their own. {{storylink|Other Victories}}

Transformers could change their faction simply by changing their [[activation code]]s, {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}, but Maximals could also be reprogrammed into Predacons via [[shell program]]s. {{storylink|Dark Designs}} The effects of these varied; [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] became a highly aggressive schemer and sadist under the effects of Predacon programming, while Blackarachnia remained much the same after her shell program was removed. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}} (Meanwhile, [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] was just a nasty piece of work from the start, with no need for a shell program.) {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

=====''Beast Wars'' cartoon=====
{{groupstub}}

Megatron recruited a crew of Predacon criminals to steal the Golden Disk under cover that it led to energon deposits that would allow them to reignite the Great War. What he (and [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]) knew it contained was information on how to alter the timeline, to ensure the Great War never ended with Autobot victory. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} His theft pissed off the Council something fierce: it caused them severe diplomatic repercussions. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} They clearly intended to make use of the Disk's information themselves, however, as they had [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] snuck into his team and when the spider got the chance, he tried twice to destroy the [[Ark (G1)|ancient Ark]] and change time in the Council's favour. {{storylink|Master Blaster}} {{storylink|Other Victories}}

=====''Beast Machines'' cartoon=====
The Predacons,<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 6 November 1999]: "We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes *all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron *was* populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned."</ref> along with the rest of Cybertron's populace, fell victim to Megatron's [[transformation virus]], {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} enabling him to extract their sparks and store them. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege|The Siege}}

After discovering that [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] had been created from Rhinox's spark, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] sarcastically commented that it was fortunate that he hadn't been recycled from a Predacon. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse|Apocalypse}}

Following the defeat of Megatron, the captured sparks—presumably including those of the Predacons—were released to inhabit new [[technorganic]] bodies. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future|Seeds of the Future}}

=====3H comics=====
{{groupstub}}

=====''Timelines''=====
The Predacons were founded by [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]], leader of the [[Predacon (G1)|original Predacons]], following the defeat of the Decepticons at the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Third Cybertronian War]]. Razorclaw's [[Predacon Empire]] became the dominant opposition to the Autobots, and seemed to have a chance at achieving victory and conquest of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] until Razorclaw was seemingly assassinated by the future Tripredacus Council. {{storylink|Razorclaw (G1)#Timelines|''Timelines'' Razorclaw's bio card}}

{{groupstub}}

Following the [[Great Transformation]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s death, Razorclaw—aided by Divebomb and the other original Predacons<ref>Or their descendants, if you take [[authorial intent]] into account</ref>—returned in a technorganic body at the head of a new Predacon army. {{Storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

=====2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity=====
The Predacons originated as a subfaction of the Decepticons in the early 21st century; they replaced the Decepticons as one of the major Cybertronian factions following the final battle of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] in [[2035]], where the Tripredacus Council—combined into [[Predacus]]—killed [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], incapacitated the upstart [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], and surrendered to the Autobots and Maximals. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}} {{storylink|The Hot Rod}} The subsequent [[Great Upgrade]] saw the majority of Decepticons become Predacons. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

The [[Committee for State Affairs]] governing body was run by both Maximals and Predacons. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1}}

{{groupstub}}

=====Wings Universe=====
The Predacons were founded in the aftermath of the [[Pax Cybertronia#Wings Universe|Pax Cybertronia]], a peace agreement signed between the Autobots, Decepticons, and the cloned Cybertronians created by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]; the initial founders were the [[Predacon (G1)|original Predacons]] and the former [[Quintesson]] agent [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], who raided Jhiaxus's secondary laboratory for stasis pods containing clones with which they intended to create a new army. As they began to thaw out their new followers, [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] noted that [[Tripredacus Council|four of]] [[Tarantulas (BW)|the pods]] seemed to be different to the others, something that Sky-Byte was unable to explain. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

Hundreds of years later, the ''[[Rodimus Major]]'' fell into a spacial anomaly at the [[Dark Nebula]] while trying to investigate a Predacon colony. Some time after this, [[Tornado]]—a member of the time-traveling [[Star Seeker|crew]] of the ''[[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]]''—discovered this from one of [[Apelinq (BM)|Apelinq]]'s journals; he believed that, as the ''Tidal Wave'' was short on crew, its [[Flamewar (G1)|new captain]] would want to set out to the Predacon colony on a recruitment drive. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
{{anchor|Beast Wars II cartoon}} {{anchor|Beast Wars Neo cartoon}}
In [[2039]] on the [[Micro|Z Planet]], [[protoform]] capsules imbued with [[Beast Power]] opened to reveal a new kind of [[Transformer]] that possessed beast forms and could scan organic life. Believing this new race to be their descendants that they knew would [[Beast Wars (event)|travel to the past]] to preserve the future, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] marked them with the insignia that he knew of—the Predacon and [[Maximal]] insignia. As products of Autobot and Decepticon cooperation, Wheeljack saw the Predacons and Maximals as symbols of everlasting peace between the factions. {{Storylink|Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|Epiloge}}

The Predacons took after their Decepticon forebears, taking on cultural memory such as the destruction of the Decepticon colony [[Dinosaur (planet)|Dinosaur]] by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|Illusion? Lio Convoy}} Three hundred years after the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s and [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]'s crews would fulfill their fates by traveling back to prehistoric [[Earth]] and ignite the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. {{Storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)|Enter the Super Lifeform Transformers}} They would return, more or less, to their original time, where the Predacons were temporarily exterminated by Megatron's conquest of Cybertron with the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]. {{storylink|Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars Returns}}

After the birth of [[technorganic]] Cybertron, [[Primus|Vector Sigma]] created the [[Convoy (rank)|Convoy-type]] Maximals, who quickly occupied the upper echelon of Cybertron's society. However, the Predacons were not content with this state of affairs, a situation that maverick [[Blue Big Convoy]] feared. Peace between the two factions was the only way forward, he believed. {{Storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Blue Big Convoy)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} The two factions would find themselves in open conflict throughout space, tens of thousands of years after the Great War. {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!}}

The memory of Dinosaur's destruction still burning in their souls, the Predacons sought to gather [[Angolmois Energy]] so that they could defeat Unicron should he ever be revived. {{storylink|Illusion? Lio Convoy}} [[Emperor of Destruction]] [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]], having ambitions of his own, brought his unit of Predacons to [[Gaia]]—Earth in this time. He sought be able to use the planet's [[Angolmois Energy]] to conquer the universe and bring order through one singular will. He perished as [[Lio Convoy]] and his Maximals defeated him aboard [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]], and the collected Angolmois Energy was contained in capsules and released into space. {{storylink|Farewell! Lio Convoy}} [[Magmatron]] would succeed Galvatron as Emperor of Destruction and used his own unit of Predacons to gather Angolmois Capsules across space so that he could prevent Unicron's revival. {{storylink|Illusion? Lio Convoy}} Unicron was nevertheless revived, {{storylink|Unicron Revived!?}} but was ultimately defeated by cooperation between Magmatron and the Maximals. {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWN)|The Final Battle}} In the aftermath, both Maximal and Predacon factions joined to rebuild Cybertron. {{storylink|Graduation Ceremony!!}}

In an unknown time, the '''Destrongers''' (デストロンガー ''Desutorongā'') were an elite unit of the Predacons, made up of "Metal Beasts" led by [[Megatron (RID)|Gigatron]]. {{storylink|Megatron (RID)|Gigatron bio}} They travelled to [[Earth]] in [[2000]] through a dimensional fissure so that they could conquer both it and Cybertron. They were opposed by [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Fire Convoy]]'s [[Autobot]] [[Dimensional Patrol]] from the same era. {{storylink|Battle Protocol!|First Deployment! Fire Convoy}} To build up their forces, the Destrongers would take protoforms (time-displaced from several decades later into the future {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part One}}) and convert them into [[Commando (RID)|Combatrons]]. {{storylink|The Decepticons|Foe? Friend!? Black Convoy}} Ultimately, Gigatron's plans were foiled and the Destrongers taken into custody, with the exception of [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Gelshark]]. {{storylink|The Final Battle (RID)|Final Battle! Fire Convoy}} Gigatron and his Destrongers would eventually join up with the Dimensional Patrol, while the Combatrons still fought on behalf of evil. {{storylink|Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|Epiloge}}

====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
{{groupstub}}

====''Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe''====
Predacons existed alongside Autobots, Decepticons, and Maximals in the 21st century CE. In the aftermath of the Earth / Cybertronian war, they co-habitated the plains of [[Uranus]] with the Maximals. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

====''Of Masters and Mayhem''====
{{stub}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity====
=====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material=====
The Predacons traveled across time to find the [[AllSpark|Allspark]] and change the fate of Cybertron. While battling the [[Maximal]]s on pre-[[Ice Age]] [[Earth]], both sides were joined by the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, their epic battle changing their combined destinies forever. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/kingdom ''Kingdom'' webpage]</ref>

Multiple possible futures for the Predacons were recorded on the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|''Voyager'' Golden Disk]]. In one, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] led a cross-factional alliance, while in another, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] ascended to become the leader of the Predacons. In other futures, both Dinobot and Blackarachnia left the Predacons and became Maximals! {{storylink|Source:Golden Disk destinies|''Kingdom'' Golden Disk cards}}
{{--}}

=====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon=====
{{groupstub}}

====2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic====
Enough time had passed between the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and the present day that the original Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] had been almost forgotten by successive generations; {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 3}} the Predacons and their Maximal counterparts ostensibly cooperated under the terms of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], which mandated a certain level of intergovernmental cooperation between the [[Tripredacus Council]] and their Maximal opposites. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 4}} The Predacon [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] cheerfully admitted that the Predacons were a warrior race—temperamental, aggressive and confrontational. In times of peace, they would throw themselves into whatever conflicts they could find and readily tackle new challenges—these included science, athletics, law, and peacekeeping operations. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 5}}

Unbeknownst to the Maximals, the Tripredacus Council privately supported a number of armed dissidents, Predacon separatists who wished to form their own independent state. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 1}} One such agent, the ambitious [[Megatron (BW)|Galavar]], would go on to defy the Tripredacus Council and strike out on his own after stealing the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] from the Maximals. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 1}}
{{--}}

===2001 Robots in Disguise continuity family===
[[File:CRDestrongers,RiD01Predacons.jpg|upright=1.7|thumb]]
{{note|In the Japanese ''Car Robots'' cartoon, the villains were referred to as the "Destrongers" (rather than the "Destron" name that the previous Japanese "beast era" cartoons had used for the Predacons), though they still used the Predacon [[insignia]]. When the cartoon was dubbed as ''Robots in Disguise'', the faction used the Predacon name.}}

Uniquely, the Predacons of the [[Viron]] cluster universes are not an offshoot of the Decepticons, but are instead the default version of their faction, sworn enemies of the noble Autobots for thousands of years.<ref>[https://www.tfraw.com/2021/09/transformers-robots-in-disguise-series.html Robots in Disguise Series Bible, at TFRaw]</ref> Governed by the [[Predacon Council]], these Predacons are ruthless conquerors from Cybertron, with [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] having come to rule over many worlds in his service to the Council, ultimately aiming for universal domination.

The [[Decepticon#2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon|Decepticons]], meanwhile, exist as a subgroup of the Predacons, first created on Earth from six stolen Autobot protoforms. More have apparently turned up since, while in certain universes another Predacon subgroup called the [[Destructicon (RID)|Destructicon]]s share the Decepticon insignia.

====2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon====
[[File:Rid9.JPG|left|thumb|Say "Cheese." Grrr...]]
There was a civil war on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], presumably (though not stated) between the [[Autobot]]s and the Predacons. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus (episode)|Ultra Magnus}}

The Predacons spread throughout the galaxy under Megatron's command, ravaging planets for their energy; time and again, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime's]] forces clashed with them. {{storylink|Battle Protocol!}} The Predacon Council, however, became aware that the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]] was located on [[Earth]], and Megatron was ordered to take a strike team and seize control of the monolith. {{storylink|Surprise Attack!}} As a cover story, however, Megatron claimed to simply be after Earth's energy. {{storylink|Battle Protocol!}}

Unfortunately, the Predacons really ''did'' need energy and a combination of that, {{storylink|The Hunt for Black Pyramid}} superior Autobot numbers, {{storylink|Spychangers to the Rescue}} the inability to get information out of the captive [[Kenneth Onishi]], {{storylink|Secret Weapon: D-5}} and the sheer ''incompetence'' of Megatron's men {{storylink|An Explosive Situation}} {{storylink|Secret Weapon: D-5}} {{storylink|The Ultimate Robot Warrior}} saw them get stuck in a rut.

[[File:Preds in tears.jpg|thumb]]
Megatron's fortunes changed after he found and reprogrammed Autobot protoforms into the brand-new [[Decepticon]]s {{storylink|The Decepticons}}, which left his old Predacon forces as second-class villains in fear of losing their jobs. The two groups of henchmen would constantly clash, with the Predacons sometimes trying to undermine the Decepticons and usually being forced into the crap jobs. {{storylink|Commandos}} {{storylink|Volcano (episode)|Volcano}}

The discovery of Fortress Maximus {{storylink|Fortress Maximus (episode)|Fortress Maximus}} finally got the mission on track for the villains, and when the Decepticons tried to usurp Megatron and failed, the Preds were put back on time! {{storylink|Surprise Attack!}} Unfortunately, that was immediately followed by a big final battle where Galvatron (the upgraded form of Megatron) eventually ignored them and they ended up captive. Only Sky-Byte remained at large. {{storylink|The Final Battle (RID)}}

====Dreamwave ''Robots in Disguise'' comic====
[[File:UltraMagnustotheRescue DecepticonsPredacons.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
While Megatron himself set himself up as a distraction (attracting the attention of the [[Autobot Brothers]]), the Predacons participated in an Arizona raid on a human research plant, looking to steal an experimental nuclear generator. Unfortunately, the Decepticons were also part of the raid, and the bickering between Scourge and Sky-Byte put the two groups at odds with each other. When Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus arrived, a battle broke out, but Scourge forced a stalemate by threatening some innocent humans. The Predacons managed to stop him from hurting innocents, and successfully acquired the generator. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus...to the Rescue?}}
{{-}}

====Shell Game====
{{groupstub}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
{{groupstub}}

===''Animated'' continuity family===
[[File:PredaconBlackarachnia-CAA.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5]]
In the [[Malgus]] cluster universes, the Predacons are a group of [[technorganic]]s lead by [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]]. Back on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], she recruited [[Inferno (Animated)|Inferno]] and [[Antagony (Animated)|Antagony]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The Complete AllSpark Almanac|The Complete AllSpark Almanac}}

===''Cyberverse'' continuity family===
[[Blackarachnia (Cyberverse)|Blackarachnia]] is the only known member of the Predacons.

===Live-action film series===
[[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]], the fearsome leader of the [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]], had about nine Predacon symbols welded onto his body, likely from Predacons he previously killed. At one point, the faction's own leader [[Megatron (ROTB)|Megatron]] had disappeared quite sometime ago, with [[Waspinator (ROTB)|Waspinator]] taking his place during his absence.<ref>[https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1662142641251794953/video/1 Recording of Optimus Primal voice clip, via David Willis on Twitter]</ref> Otherwise, the Predacons are a group of differently-colored [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]s that serve [[Unicron]].

In search of the [[Transwarp Key]], Unicron sent his forces to besiege the [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Maximal homeworld]], including three Predacon Scorponoks. Two successfully subdued [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], the Maximal leader that carried the Transwarp Key, but they were quickly killed by the warriors [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]].

When the Transwarp Key was activated on Earth, Unicron sent an army of Predacon Scorponoks through the transwarp portal as reinforcements for the Terrorcons and [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweeps]]. The Autobots, Maximals, and [[Noah Díaz]] held their own against the Predacon and Terrorcon army until the Transwarp Key was destroyed by [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], and the enemy forces were sucked back into Unicron's galaxy. {{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}

==Games==

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
{{Charstubgames|{{Storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Across the first two seasons of the ''Beast Wars'' animated series, the Predacons as a people underwent some major development changes:
**In the series' [[production bible]], the Predacons were described as "a race of feral conquerors who believe they alone have the right to rule Cybertron (and any other planet they can train their lasers on)", with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] stated to be "the most feared leader of the Predacons."<ref>[https://www2.unicron.com/1996-transformers/media/4377-backstory.html ''Beast Wars'' Series Story Bible "Backstory" excerpt at Unicron.com]</ref> This was very much reflected in the cartoon's first season, with Megatron often waxing poetic about acquiring enough energon to conquer the galaxy, and with treacherous Predacons like [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] speaking of overthrowing Megatron as the means to rule the Predacons as a whole (as if Megatron was the leader of all Predacons instead of just the few stranded with him on prehistoric Earth).
**In the second season, however, new concepts like the [[Predacon Alliance]], the [[Tripredacus Council]], and the [[Pax Cybertronia]] were all introduced, and [[retcon|reimagined]] the Predacons as merely second-class citizens to the greater Maximal government during a centuries-old peacetime, with Megatron instead considered a rogue criminal even by his own people. This depiction is how the Predacons would be presented in most ''Beast Wars'' spinoff media produced in the West.
*Due to the pushed-back release of the second and third seasons of ''Beast Wars'' in Japan, the two Japanese-original spinoff series, ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'', evidently took inspiration from the first season's "galactic conquerors" depiction of Megatron and his crew:
**The Predacon leaders of both series—[[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] and [[Magmatron]], respectively—each sought to conquer the whole universe (and even had the resources to do so), both were well known by the general Maximal populace as an "[[Emperor of Destruction]]" who answered to no higher Predacon authority (which, initially, seemed to also be the case for Megatron in Season One of ''Beast Wars''), and each captained their own crews aboard powerful space vessels that roamed the cosmos in search of great energy sources (likely inspired by Megatron's own quest for energon in ''Beast Wars'' Season One).
**However, ''Beast Wars Neo'' also showed the whole Predacon faction to be fully and openly at war with the Maximals, in contrast to the Cold War-esque peacetime of the Pax Cybertronia. With the aforementioned changes made to Predacon society in Season 2 and 3 of the American cartoon, this depiction of the Predacons in the two Japanese series was suddenly at odds with their western depiction. So, to patch up this continuity issue (and a few others), the two Japanese series (and the Maximal-Predacon war depicted therin) were later repositioned to take place in the far distant future long after ''Beast Machines'' (and, consequently, long after the Pax Cybertronia).
*International [[multilingual packaging]] used different names for the Predacons. Depending on the market, those names either were or were not used consistently throughout the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' and 2001 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' toylines' runs. European packaging was comparably straightforward:
**The trilingual European ''Beast Wars'' packaging variant that featured texts in English, Spanish and Italian (easily identified by the double title "Beast Wars/Biocombat") consistently called the faction "Predacon", or "Predacons" for the plural form.
**Meanwhile, the trilingual European ''Beast Wars'' packaging variant that featured texts in French, Dutch and German (easily identified by the double title "Beast Wars/Ani Mutants") consistently called the faction "[[Predator (disambiguation)|Predator]]", or "Predators" for the plural form.
**European ''Robots in Disguise'' packaging, which existed in two multilingual packaging versions alternatively featuring texts in English, French, Dutch and German, or in French, Spanish, Italian and German, called the faction "Predacons" for the English, Spanish and Italian portions, and "Predators" for the French, Dutch and German portions.
:Canadian/Latin American packaging is where it gets ''really'' confusing:
:*For the 1996 and 1997 ''Beast Wars'' releases, the French Canadian name was consistently "Prédacon", or "Prédacons" for the plural form, with an accent above the "e". This name was still used for early 1998 releases such as the wave 1 Basic [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)#Toys|Quickstrike]], the wave 1 Deluxe Fuzor [[Sky Shadow (BW)#Toys|Sky Shadow]], the wave 1 Deluxe [[Transmetal]] [[Tarantulas (BW)/toys#TM1|Tarantulas]], and the wave 1 Mega Transmetal [[Megatron (BW)/toys#TM1|Megatron]].
:*But then, in mid-1998, Hasbro decided to apply the French European faction name to the Canadian figures as well, but again spelled it with an accent above the "e", "Prédator". This spelling was used for the wave 2 Basic Fuzor [[Terragator#Toys|Terragator]], the wave 2 Deluxe Fuzor [[Injector (BW)#Toys|Injector]], and the wave 2 Deluxe Transmetal [[Waspinator (BW)/toys#TM1|Waspinator]].
:*But ''then'', for the late 1998 releases, Hasbro suddenly decided to spell the French Canadian name "Prédatore", with an additional "e" at the end. This spelling was used for the wave 3 Basic Fuzor [[Buzzclaw (BW)#Toys|Buzzclaw]], the wave 3 Deluxe Transmetal [[Terrorsaur (BW)#TM1|Terrorsaur]], the wave 2 Mega Transmetal [[Scavenger (BW)#Toys|Scavenger]], and the wave 1 Ultra Transmetal [[Rampage (BW)#Toys|Rampage]].
:*By 1999, Hasbro had reversed that second decision, and all figures now consistently featured the spelling "Prédator", which was used for the remainder of the ''Beast Wars'' line, as well as the 2001 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line.
:The Spanish name for Latin America was similarly inconsistent:
:*''Beast Wars'' toy packaging consistently indentified the individual figures as "Predacón", with an accent above the "o".
:*However, the Spanish translation of the franchise summary on the back referred to them by the plural form "Predacons", ''without'' an accent, just like on the trilingual European packaging variant that featured Spanish as one of its languages, even though the French translation of the franchise summary featured on the very same packaging ''did'' make heavy use of accents, so it's not like there was a problem with that particular font used that couldn't display accents.
:*The Spanish translation of the franchise summary on 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' toy packaging, as well as Deluxe [[Bruticus (RID)#Toys|Bruticus]] and Ultra [[Megatron (RID)#Toys|Megatron]]'s [[bio]]s and Megatron's [[Tech Spec]] card, then referred to the faction by the plural form "Predacones", with an additional "e", and no accents… but then Bruticus's Tech Spec card referred to the singular form as "Preacón", ''with'' an accent and misspelled without a "d".

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Destron''' (デストロン ''Desutoron''), '''Destronger''' (デストロンガー ''Desutorongā'') (''Car Robots'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Predakon'''
*''Dutch:'' '''Predator''' (''Beast Wars'' and ''Robots in Disguise'' toy packaging)
*''French:'' '''Predator''' (cartoon dub, European ''Beast Wars'' and 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' toy packaging), '''Prédacon''' (Canadian 1996-1998 ''Beast Wars'' toy packaging), '''Prédator''' (Canadian 1998-onwards ''Beast Wars'' and 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' toy packaging), '''Prédatore''' (Canadian late 1998 ''Beast Wars'' toy packaging only)
*''German:'' '''Predator''' (''Beast Wars'' and 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' toy packaging)
*''Spanish:'' '''Predacón''' (America, ''Beast Wars'' toy packaging only)
*''Latvian:'' '''Predakoni'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Yuánshǐ Shòu''' (原始兽, "Primeval Beast")
*''Polish:'' '''Predatony'''
*''Russian:'' '''Khishcherony''' (Хищероны, "Predatorcons")

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Animated Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising factions]]
[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Predacons| Predacon (BW)]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001) Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Wings Universe]]

G.H.O.S.T.

2024-02-14T16:02:03Z

GuiRitter: fixed typo

{{factions|ghost}}
{{disambig2|the human-Autobot alliance|the supernatural entities|Ghost}}
[[File:GHOST-Headquarters-Classified.JPG|thumb|right|425px|The good guys!... Maybe.]]
'''G.H.O.S.T.''' ('''Global Hazard and Ordinance Strike Team''') is a government organization based in [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], [[Pennsylvania]]. They are focused on rebuilding human-[[Autobot]] relations, capturing rogue [[Decepticon]]s, and finding ways that [[Transformer|Cybertronians]] can help Earth's communities. While much of their operations are covert, they operate publicly, and represent the face of a post-[[Great War (ES)|war]] world.

Their relationship with the Autobots is...tense, to say the least. Their ethically dubious policy towards the Decepticons, including [[mode lock|restraints]] and long-term incarceration, combined with an eccentric and extreme staff, means that neither G.H.O.S.T. nor the Autobots fully trust each other. Even the bot who ''should'' be their greatest ally, [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], keeps more than [[Bumblebee (ES)|a few]] [[Terran|secrets]] from them.

One of their favorite pastimes seems to be cheesy slogans.

Significant human personnel include:
*Executive Agent [[Karen Croft]]
*Special Agent [[Jon Schloder]]
*Agent [[Dot Malto]]
*Agent [[Bala]]
*Agent [[Bagheri]]
*Cadet [[Kwan]]
*Cadet [[Conway]]
*Cadet [[Rosato]]
*[[Mandroid|Dr. Meridian]] (former)

==Fiction==
===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
G.H.O.S.T.'s origins are top-secret and shrouded in mystery—while its existence became public knowledge sometime during the [[Great War (ES)|Transformers war]], it seems that the organization may have been operating for quite some time beforehand, possibly even before the arrival of the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s in [[1984]]. {{storylink|Transformers EarthSpark The Official Guidebook|The Official Guidebook}} Their subterranean headquarters in [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] lay atop a much larger network of unmapped caverns that seemingly dated back to [[Quintus Prime]]'s time on Earth; in addition to a rogue [[Dweller (ES)|Dweller]], {{storylink|What Dwells Within}} they also contained advanced Cybertronian technology, abundant supplies of raw [[energon]], a damaged [[space bridge|spacebridge]], and an ancient superweapon capable of deactivating Transformers. {{storylink|The Last Hope, Part 1}}

Thirty years before the present day, [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] and the other Autobots ratified a formal alliance with G.H.O.S.T. in their war against the Decepticons. {{storylink|Age of Evolution, Part 1}} The first generation of G.H.O.S.T. troopers were comprised of military veterans from across the planet who'd survived Decepticon encounters; as the war expanded, however, G.H.O.S.T. began recruiting personnel directly from military academies, law enforcement organizations, and technical institutions. In addition to supporting the Autobots in frontline combat operations, G.H.O.S.T. maintained a network of research facilities across the country, including [[Philadelphia]] and [[San Francisco]]; here, a network of leading scientists worked on a variety of secret projects, which included reverse-engineering Cybertronian technology. {{storylink|Transformers EarthSpark The Official Guidebook|The Official Guidebook}} One such scientist, [[Mandroid|Doctor Meridian]], lost his arm when Autobot friendly fire struck his lab during the [[Battle of the Bay]]. {{storylink|Age of Evolution, Part 1}}

During the war, G.H.O.S.T. developed and deployed a number of weapons that incorporated hybridized Cybertronian technology, including [[energon scanner]]s that could detect disguised Decepticons and [[anti-energon field]]s capable of incapacitating them. An orbital satellite network allowed G.H.O.S.T troopers to track Cybertronians over long distances and calculate probable trajectories, allowing them to intercept their targets from afar. {{storylink|Transformers EarthSpark The Official Guidebook|The Official Guidebook}} G.H.O.S.T. maintained a large motor pool, including armored cars, surveillance vans, {{storylink|Secret Legacy, Part 1}} and trucks and rail vehicles used to transport energon, technology and captured Decepticons. {{storylink|Moo-ving In}}

Following the end of the conflict, G.H.O.S.T. announced that it would monitor all remaining Autobots and Decepticons as part of their post-war cleanup operations. {{storylink|Transformers EarthSpark The Official Guidebook|The Official Guidebook}} Optimus, a repentant [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]], and several other Autobots entered into a formal partnership with G.H.O.S.T.; in exchange for a secure, hidden headquarters, Optimus and his team spent the next fifteen years helping G.H.O.S.T. operatives round up any remaining Decepticons, {{storylink|Secret Legacy, Part 1}} and imprisoned them in a top-secret wing of their base. Optimus attempted to pivot the organization's focus to promoting peaceful interspecies relations, but Executive Leader [[Karen Croft]] didn't see eye-to-eye with the Cybertronians; {{storylink|Classified}} under her watch, G.H.O.S.T. maintained a number of off-the-books projects, including an effort to restore the spacebridge. {{storylink|Stowed Away, Stowaways}} Some Cybertronians suspected that the organization was more concerned with its own best interests, and some chose not to work with G.H.O.S.T.— when [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] went into hiding, some G.H.O.S.T. agents wondered if he'd somehow left the planet or defected to the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers EarthSpark The Official Guidebook|The Official Guidebook}}

In the present day, G.H.O.S.T. created [[Dot Malto]]'s job as a park ranger to move her closer to their headquarters in Witwicky. {{storylink|Secret Legacy, Part 1}} [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] and Optimus Prime lured [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] and [[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] into a trap with the anonymous tip of G.H.O.S.T. having an unguarded shipping container of energon, managing to apprehend Hardtop. A G.H.O.S.T. convoy transporting Hardtop was attacked by [[Arachnamech]]s, allowing Meridian to steal the prisoner Decepticon, and catching [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto]] in the crossfire. {{storylink|Secret Legacy, Part 1}} When Meridian kidnapped Twitch and Thrash under the guise of a G.H.O.S.T. transport vehicle, agents on the scene had no records of the truck or driver. {{storylink|Secret Legacy, Part 2}}

Swindle attacked a G.H.O.S.T. vehicle being driven by Agent [[Bala]], hoping to steal the [[energon scanner]] inside, but was stopped by the forcefields. Later, Dot was called to close down the area, putting out a fire started by Swindle to distract them. Swindle later tried and failed to get Mo and Thrash to steal the scanner from the G.H.O.S.T. truck. {{storylink|House Rules}}

When Robby and Twitch went out for a night walk, Agent [[Jon Schloder|Schloder]] and a group of G.H.O.S.T. cadets mistook Twitch for a child-stealing Decepticon.

An elevator down to G.H.O.S.T. headquarters was installed in Dot's park ranger office; Agent Schloder used it to enter the office and get Dot's help in tracking down the Decepticon. Later, Dot went through G.H.O.S.T. orientation led by Optimus Prime. After orientation, Dot and Optimus went to go get her kids and the two saved them from G.H.O.S.T. cadets that had cornered them into a training room. To prevent Schloder from finding them, Optimus decided to sneak the family out of a secret entrance, through a prison holding Decepticons. {{storylink|Classified}}

Following his capture, [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] was placed in G.H.O.S.T.'s holding facility, but he managed to release [[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] into the facility, observed by the also-imprisoned [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Decoy (episode)|Decoy}}

G.H.O.S.T. held a G.H.O.S.T.-Autobot Alliance ceremony that was promptly crashed by [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] and [[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]], attempting to steal Optimus Prime's left arm under orders from Meridian, now known as Mandroid. {{storylink|Age of Evolution, Part 1}}

{{groupstub|Episode 11 onward}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''G.H.O.S.T.''' (ゴースト ''Gōsuto'')
*''French:'' '''G.H.O.S.T.''' ('''Groupe des Hautes Œuvres de Sécurité Terrienne'''; "Group of the High Works of Earth Security")
*''Hungarian:'' '''SZE.LL.E.M.''' ('''Szervezet a Leglényegesebb Elhárító Manőverekért'''; "GHOST", "Organization for the Most Significant Defense Maneuvers")

==See also==
*[[NEST]], another backronym organization that works with Autobots

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghost}}
[[Category:EarthSpark subgroups]]
[[Category:G.H.O.S.T.| ]]
[[Category:Human organizations]]