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Magnificent Six

2025-08-06T18:53:40Z

Jackpot: /* Notes */ Reworked note. See Talk

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Autobot subgroup|the text story that introduced it|The Magnificent Six!}}
:''The Magnificent Six is a group of [[Autobot]]s from the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel UK portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Magnificent6_crop.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|One of these things is not like the others.]]
Early in [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[Great War (G1)|civil war]] before [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] rose to command, a group of Autobots were covertly sent deep into [[Stanix|Decepticon territory]] to create chaos and confusion among the enemy. Their actions led them to be dubbed the "'''Magnificent Six'''".

*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]
*[[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]]
*[[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]]
*[[Stampede]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]]

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukexclusive|The Magnificent Six}}
The lunatic [[Decepticon]] [[Megadeath (G1)|Megadeath]] captured and tortured the Six, eventually killing Stampede. The five survivors tried to forget the mission.

In [[1990]], the survivors plus [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] banded together at the site of their original failure. Prowl referred to them as the new Magnificent Six, but Jazz disagreed, saying they had learned since then "There's nothing magnificent about war". {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

==Notes==
*This team's eponymous story takes place in the [[Earthforce#Continuity|Earthforce continuity]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel_comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK comics]], which loosely followed the contemporary [[Classics (Europe)|European ''Classics'']] line of re-releases of early [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toys]]. So it's almost certainly [[To sell toys|no coincidence]] that all of the Magnificent Six members who had toys at all, including quasi-member Silverbolt, had just gotten re-releases in that line [[1990|the same year]] the story was published. Moreover, they're a 5-out-of-6 match for the full "Classic Heroes" sub-line in particular. Hey [[Simon Furman|Simon]], what did [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#90sClassic|Ironhide]] do?

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Magnificent Six''' (マグニフィセントシックス ''Magunifisent Shikkusu'')

[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 subgroups]]

Talk:Magnificent Six

2025-08-06T18:52:33Z

Jackpot: /* Contemporary toy tie-in */

==The Possible Combiner==

In regards to Saix's reversion of my edit, I'd like to make a counter argument.

Firstly, coincidence or not, it's something that I think is worth adding because it ''still happened''; and I'm certainly not the first person that has had this idea or even attempted to add it before, to whoever person's or whatever people's weird chagrin, and I will most likely not be the last. It's not like lack of official fiction has completely derailed attempts at documenting mere "coincidences", either.

Secondly, as for the "annoying links" comment, this can be "fixed" by having each individual member listed with a link to the relevant toy from their name.

Thirdly, if I ''really'' wanted to be a pedantic asshole about the whole ordeal (and I won't), I could go track down and bother people that worked on the toylines, get a definitive "yes" or "no" answer, and then cite the conversation as a direct source and firmly say either "This is a neat idea, but we weren't thinking of that at the time", or "Yes, we totally intended that and we just never bothered to tell anyone".

Also, ''there's no point in even having a notes section in the first place if you're never going to actually put anything in it'', just saying. [[User:Banannixx|Banannixx]] ([[User talk:Banannixx|talk]]) 02:26, 25 March 2024 (EDT)
:I'm with Saix. This note seems pretty unnecessary. Also, the Notes section does have something in it, that being the Foreign Names subsection; there's several other pages that do the same thing. -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 02:33, 25 March 2024 (EDT)
:: I also agree with the removal. I mean, it's not exactly ''unique'' or ''interesting'' that a bunch of Autobots from 1984/85 are all part of a singular design ethos. That's just what the franchise ''is'' now and has been for a (too-) long time now. There is exactly zero chance they had the Six in mind, given that two of the bots didn't come until nearly two years after the first three. They were just working through Obvious G1 Guys. Now, if there was a CW-compatible Stampede, well... but they didn't make one of those. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] ([[User talk:M Sipher|talk]]) 04:15, 25 March 2024 (EDT)

==Contemporary toy tie-in==

[[:user:Saix|Saix]], I've reinstated the note with changes. Per your deletion comment:

a) No, this couldn't just as easily have been an Action Masters promo, because Sunstreaker and Silverbolt weren't AMs.

b) It's not "speculative" that the Marvel UK stories at this time were connected to the European ''Classics'' line, unless the [[Earthforce#Continuity|Earthforce]] page is wrong. Even without that page backing the point up, it's a heck of a coincidence that out of all the characters Furman had at his disposal in 1990, he just so happened to only pick [[Classics (Europe)#Toyline|ones that were right then being re-released]] in the market he was writing for, down to the 5/6 "Classic Heroes" match. With a qualifier that that motivation isn't known with 100% certainty, this is valuable info about a very likely reason why this team is who it is, referencing facts I wouldn't expect many readers to have enough knowledge of to put together themselves. (Those facts being that Europe was getting rereleases in the early '90s at all, and that they corresponded so tightly with this team). I would otherwise expect the average reader to see this as just another random early-G1 conglomeration.

- [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] ([[User talk:Jackpot|talk]]) 14:52, 6 August 2025 (EDT)

Magnificent Six

2025-07-30T20:06:49Z

Jackpot: /* Notes */ Added note about contemporary toy releases

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Autobot subgroup|the text story that introduced it|The Magnificent Six!}}
:''The Magnificent Six is a group of [[Autobot]]s from the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel UK portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Magnificent6_crop.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|One of these things is not like the others.]]
Early in [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[Great War (G1)|civil war]] before [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] rose to command, a group of Autobots were covertly sent deep into [[Stanix|Decepticon territory]] to create chaos and confusion among the enemy. Their actions led them to be dubbed the "'''Magnificent Six'''".

*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]
*[[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]]
*[[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]]
*[[Stampede]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]]

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukexclusive|The Magnificent Six}}
The lunatic [[Decepticon]] [[Megadeath (G1)|Megadeath]] captured and tortured the Six, eventually killing Stampede. The five survivors tried to forget the mission.

In [[1990]], the survivors plus [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] banded together at the site of their original failure. Prowl referred to them as the new Magnificent Six, but Jazz disagreed, saying they had learned since then "There's nothing magnificent about war". {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

==Notes==
* In what is surely [[To sell toys|not a coincidence]], all of the Magnificent Sixers had their original toys [[Classics (Europe)#1990|re-released in the UK the year their eponymous story was published]] (except of course Stampede, who [[:Category:Prose-only_Transformers|never had one]] and only existed to die). If the story had made [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] Stampede's replacement instead of Silverbolt, then the modern-day version of the team would've been specifically the complete set of [[1990]] "Classic Heroes".

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Magnificent Six''' (マグニフィセントシックス ''Magunifisent Shikkusu'')

[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 subgroups]]

Madman's Paradise

2025-07-01T21:33:05Z

Jackpot: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=78
|ep2=12
|prev2=Chaos (episode)
|next2=Surprise Party
|image=G1 Menonia.JPG
|caption="A black, black castle on a black, black rock, in a black, black world…"
|title="Madman's Paradise"
|season=3
|season ep=13
|production code=700-98
|airdate=[[October 13]], 1986
|written by=[[Craig Rand]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Nakamura Production]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th21FtuiSZI
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''A quick stroll through Cybertron leads Daniel Witwicky and Grimlock to someplace different.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Madman Paradise Grimlock drinks.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|If guest not give good tip, me Grimlock eat them.]]

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Autobot]]s are hosting a diplomatic event for a number of species, with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] introducing the guests. One ambassador compliments Spike and Carly's "post-embryonic form", but [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] takes it the wrong way. Spike tells Daniel that he can go off and play, but to stay out of trouble (and keep the tuxedo clean and intact). Daniel thinks that there is nobody to play with and complains that there is nobody to get into trouble with anyway. [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], hearing that, decides to give some help on that matter and follows Daniel. (It sure beats serving drinks.)

However, Grimlock does not like the [[Planetary Corridor CB-311-B4|place]] where they are walking around. Daniel idly kicks a stray gear on the ground, and it hits a panel in the wall, revealing a secret passage in the floor. Grimlock leans forward to get a better view, but falls in, knocking Daniel in as well. Sliding down, Grimlock and Daniel are barely able to grab the ledge of a rail on the other side of a crevice. Jumping into the room, they find it covered in ancient symbols. Daniel notices a neat-looking monster, but Grimlock thinks that it's handsome, like him. However, his wagging tail hits the symbol, causing a red circle in the floor to glow, and he and Daniel sink through it. They soon find themselves somewhere other than Cybertron, and someone wearing a red cloak is aware of their arrival.

Back at the party, Carly is having trouble finding Daniel. She asks [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] or [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] if they have seen him, at which point the alien ambassador tells them she saw Daniel walking away with a [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]. The prospect of Grimlock and Daniel together and unsupervised naturally causes everyone to freak out, but Rodimus calls for calm. (The planet is still intact, after all.) The [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] sends Blaster and Ultra Magnus to search for them, with Carly tagging along.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Grimlock treecentaurs.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Even Grimlock gets cold feet now and then.]]

Elsewhere, Grimlock and Daniel come across some strange tree-centaurs. They demand to know whom the two fight for, and Grimlock says nobody. The tree-centaurs decide to attack. Bad idea, as Grimlock proceeds to toss them around. However, one tree-centaur causes Grimlock's leg to freeze, making him fall down. The tree-centaurs then begin tying Grimlock to the ground. (Think ''{{w|Gulliver's Travels}}'', but with robots.) The man in red is impressed with Grimlock's power and sends a bolt of energy to attack the tree-centaurs with a wave of his ''tentacle''. He heads out, changing his tentacle into a hand, and welcomes Daniel and Grimlock to [[Menonia]], the realm they have entered. He offers an invitation from the Red Wizard, who is clearly the old man himself. Taking them to the castle, the Red Wizard claims that the world was once ruled by the [[Golden One]], a powerful sorcerer-king, but that the Golden One disappeared and the Red Wizard took his place. However, evil rebels fought against the Red Wizard. He asks for Grimlock's help, while Daniel, who is asleep, is taken to somewhere more comfortable—the dungeon.

On Cybertron, [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] has tracked down Grimlock and Daniel's scent and discovered the room they were in. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] discovers that the writings on the wall are [[Quintesson]] inscriptions. The room was a banishment point for the Quintessons, where they would exile their own to various dimensions for various crimes. Rewind concludes that the wayward duo are in Menonia, where [[Mara-Al-Utha]] was banished for practicing sorcery. Perceptor activates the portal and stays behind to reopen it when they need help.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Daniel knife.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hand over the wallet, old man."]]
Meanwhile, Daniel wakes up and sees the old man chained to the dungeon wall. Using a handy-dandy <s>[[lightsaber]]</s> energy blade, Daniel frees the old man, who explains that the Red Wizard was the one who imprisoned the Golden One in a cave. The Golden One loyalists begin an attack on the castle, which frees the two. Grimlock, still duped, begins fighting off the invaders. Daniel and the old man head for the cave in which the Golden One was imprisoned, while the Autobots and Carly, having arrived in Menonia, head to assist Grimlock. However, a piece of Daniel's tuxedo gets cut off, which Carly finds, and Steeljaw sniffs him out. Reaching the young man, Daniel explains to Carly and the cassettes that the Red Wizard is evil, but the Golden One's loyalists are already in retreat. Since they cannot move the stone and free the Golden One, the old man despairs of all hope.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Golden One Blaster.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Blaster's attempts to establish a regular karaoke hour never caught on.]]
At this point, [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] charges the rock, causing it to shatter. The Golden One, exposed to sunlight, is free and reenergized. The old man explains the situation, and the Golden One attacks the Red Wizard's castle. The Golden One's arrival causes the Red Wizard to reveal his true form—as the Quintesson Mara-Al-Utha! The Red Wizard attacks, and the Golden One is too weak to defend. He knows of counter-spells that will stop Mara-Al-Utha, but he needs them to be heard. Blaster [[Transformation|transforms]] into cassette player mode and gives the Golden One a microphone. The Golden One speaks his counter-spells, and Mara-Al-Utha is banished somewhere else.

When the battle is over, the Golden One sends the Autobots and the humans back to Cybertron. However, when they get back, Spike wants to have a talk with Daniel. The boy insists it was an accident, and Grimlock backs him up, saying that Daniel didn't mean to ruin his tux. Everyone but Grimlock begins laughing.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (7)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (10)
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] (11)
*[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (14)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (5)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (6)

|c4=
*[[Ynara]] (2)
*[[Groyle]] (8)
*The Red Wizard ([[Mara-Al-Utha]]) (9)
*The [[Golden One's pupil]] (16)
*The [[Golden One]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ohhh, Grimlock ... what did you do now?" 
"Uh ... make mistake?"
:—When '''Grimlock''' accidentally starts sending the two of them to another dimension, after tapping a picture in admiration.

"Where are we?" 
"Not Cybertron. California maybe?"
:—'''Daniel''' and '''Grimlock''' trying to determine their whereabouts.

"Don't panic yet. Stay calm until we know what's going on. Then we'll panic."
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' on Daniel's and Grimlock's disappearance.

'''Red Wizard:''' "And who is your mighty friend?" 
'''Grimlock:''' "Mighty friend is me, Grimlock!" 
'''Daniel:''' "Don't overdo it, okay?"

"I dunno, my mom says never to go off with strangers." 
"Everybody here stranger! Us not go with stranger, us not go!"
:—'''Daniel''' is hesitant but quickly swayed by '''Grimlock''''s advanced use of logic.

"Me Grimlock mixed up. If wizard so strong, why he need me, Grimlock?" 
"Because!! His enemies are many! Like insects they swarm, and attack, and attack, and attack! With raw force -- primitive magic -- driven by hate, by envy! THEY WILL NOT STOP!!" 
"Me Grimlock just wanted to know..."
:—'''Grimlock''' and the '''Red Wizard'''

"The attack will begin when the golden sun is --" 
''[bzzzzap!!]'' 
"They starting early!"
:— the '''Red Wizard''' and '''Grimlock'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The establishing shot of Cybertron is recycled from ''The Transformers: The Movie''. In a season where Cybertron's appearance is different in almost every single episode, it's a rare note of consistency.
*Spike's last name gets mentioned, a relatively rarity for the cartoon.
*Spike is said to be Earth's ambassador to Cybertron.
*The dimensional teleportation chamber is located at "[[Planetary Corridor CB-311-B4]]".
*Daniel carries an energy blade around with him. Apparently, he had this on him for the whole episode, including the diplomatic meeting at the beginning! Spike really ''does'' need to have a talk with him.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Grimlock blows concentrated air from his dinosaur mouth like a leafblower.
**Grimlock actually uses a sword in this episode! It is ridiculously thin to the point of looking like a cocktail skewer, but he uses it to swat some of the boulders launched at him. Just as with Snarl's, the sword is silver like his package art.
*Like "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]" and "[[Only Human]]", this is one of the few episodes to not feature Decepticons.
*Grimlock's tray-carrying moments were the inspiration for ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]]'s posture and accessories. Apparently a key moment for him!
*[[Al-badur]], one of the Quintesson exiles mentioned, would be featured in [[3H Productions|3H]]'s [[Transformers: The Wreckers|''Wreckers'' comics]], where he was used to try to retcon the Quintesson creation story with the more popular [[Primus]] creation story — but then 3H lost the license before it was concluded. Bummer. Back to the fanwanking, people!
* In [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|a previous episode]], characters also were transported to a medieval environment with [[Beorht|magic]] and at least one dragon when a [[Transformer]] touched inscriptions in the wall of [[Dragon Mound|an underground chamber]]. But in that case, the narrative was clear that they had [[Time travel|traveled through time]] to [[543|sixth-century]] [[United Kingdom|England]]. That chamber was on [[Earth]], and the transportation effect was different, but otherwise the similarities are striking. Given the number of [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)#Real-world references|anachronisms]] and fantasy elements in that episode, as well as the fact that none of its events seemed to have any effect on the present day, one wonders in the light of this episode's Quintesson technology whether that could've been an interdimensional trip that the characters didn't recognize as such.

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Snowspeeder laser as a warrior fires a stray shot that hits the prison cell window.
**Sparking and clashing [[lightsaber]]s as a warrior generates a shield to protect himself from Magnus's missile.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Similar to the later aired "[[Webworld]]", there is a distinct lack of two-tone shading in this episode outside of a few shots. There is also a distinct anime influence in several shots, most notably Daniel’s giant sparkly eyes as he says, “We gotta get outta here!”
[[File:MadmansParadise Mara-Al-Utha red wizard form.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Coloring errors:
**After Daniel embarrasses the ambassador, the side of Rodimus' head is white, but two shots later, it's purple; his helmet is also two shades of red instead of one, an odd coloration he'll have for the rest of the episode.
**When Ynara blushes, her clothes, jewelery, hair and headpiece blush with her!
**Also, in the opening shots Rodimus' spoiler is all-yellow, but when we switch to the opposite angle, it's orange in the middle.
**When the tree-centaurs first question Grimlock, the back of his neck is grey instead of gold.
**The Red Wizard first comes up to Grimlock and Daniel as a brown-skinned guy, but when he removes his hood, he's in the guise of the Golden One's pupil and has a much lighter shade of skin.
**As Rewind gives details of the corridor, Blaster's forearms are white instead of black.
**As he listens to Magnus's orders, Perceptor's face is the same dark grey as his helmet instead of light grey (and his Autobot logo is framed in black instead of white).
**When Magnus' team enters the portal, Blaster's head is all-white.
**Daniel's energy blade changes colour from blue to red between shots.
**As the Autobots rush to check on the fallen Golden One, Blaster's chest is yellow with no details (or Autobot logo) on it.
**In the last shot of the episode, the back of Grimlock's neck is grey instead of gold.
*Daniel is supposed to be grabbing the edge of a ledge after he plummets into the secret tunnel, but he actually grabs several inches ''below'' the lip.
*Ventriloquist Dinobot:
**Grimlock's mouth isn't moving as he and Daniel fall into the portal and he asks, "Make Mistake?".
**And again as he comments on the "ugly bird".
**And again when the tree-centaurs ask who he and Daniel fight for and he asks "Who you?" It moves again during his next line.
**And again as he calls out for the Red Wizard during the attack.
**His faceplate doesn't move after he transforms and starts shooting during the battle
**Mara-Al-Utha's mouth doesn't move as he yells at the Golden One.
**"Help us to free you!" - the Pupil's mouth does not move.
*As Grimlock and Daniel watch the "ugly bird" fly off, Grimlock's back is missing all its colorful details. And again, his mouth doesn't move as he speaks.
*When Mara-Al-Utha uses a magic mirror to see Grimlock and Daniel have arrived, the mirror's frame disappears.
*As Daniel and Grimlock are walking before getting attacked by the tree-centaurs, Grimlock's walk cycle unnaturally jumps back to its first animation frame after each loop.
*When Ynara walks up to Carly and Magnus, she's only half Rodimus's height; previously they were the same height.
*One of the tree-centaurs disappears for a couple of frames during the fight with Grimlock.
*As Mara-Al-Utha (in his disguise as the Red Wizard's assistant) greets Daniel and Grimlock to Menonia, Grimlock's left leg is drawn too thick and his right leg vanishes completely. The error pops up again when the shot gets reused for Daniel's "Don't overdo it" line.
*When Grimlock offers up his services to aid in defending the castle, his logo lacks outlines.
*When Blaster ejects Rewind, there's no cavity behind his tape drawer.
*When the Red Wizard yells at Grimlock about the Golden One's armies and their ruthlessness, his neck disappears for a few seconds, exposing the background behind him.
*After the Red Wizard attacks the rebels, Grimlock transforms, but there are frames missing during the transition, so he sort of "pops" into [[robot mode]]. He also gets the wrong transformation sound; going beast-to-robot, he should get the ascending pitch version.
*As Grimlock swings his sword around, his chest is missing most of its detailing (and its Autobot logo, which reappears later when he notices the other Autobots).
*The Golden One is freed and stands in front of the cave opening, but when he flies up there are only trees behind him.
*The Golden One flies towards a perfectly still castle, but the next shot shows plumes of smoke rising up from it.
*Ultra Magnus' gun sounds like Prime's rifle.
*The plot calls for Mara-Al-Utha to surround the Golden One with smoke, cutting him off from the light, but the smoke as animated is almost completely transparent.
*When Magnus grabs the microphone from Blaster, Blaster has one long switch (instead of three smaller ones) on his front.
*Some clever sound effects guy inserted a comical little POP! sound as Blaster's head and hands emerge at the end of his transformation back to robot mode.

===Continuity errors===
*In "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]", Ramhorn spoke normally (aside from a bit of a stutter.) Here he just growls and roars. He won't speak in any of his future appearances, either.

===Trivia===
*According to the [[dialogue script]] of the episode, the Red Wizard's magic incantations are spelled "Albidion... mexilarum... strombi.. BAST!" and "Thromilius".
**The Golden One's spell, meanwhile, is transcribed as "Repidot. Respondot. Rezendot. Zanitar! Zanarre! Zavasar! ALLAK...ARRAK... ARRAM!"
*Although nothing is said or implied of this in the episode, one could infer that the Red Wizard's wooden robots are in fact, wooden counterparts of the early Transformers as built by the Quintessons, created by the red wizard to serve him much like the rest of the Quintessons.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''Le paradis des déments'''" ("Mad People's Paradise")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast and European French DVD release):'' "'''Le paradis des fous'''" ("Mad People's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Concerning the European French dub:
:::*Rodimus Prime introduces "Ynara, who comes straight from the planet ''Ynara''".
:::*Despite disguising his voice as a man to talk to Daniel, Mara-Al-Utha is dubbed by a woman.
:::*When Grimlock says "Me Grimlock feel surrounded!", the team took advantage of Daniel moving his mouth to add dialogue, so they both speak at the same time, Daniel saying "Do you have any idea who it could be?".
:::*Ynara says "Dinorobot", despite the dub of the series using "Dinobot". However, "Dinorobot" was used in ''The Movie''.
:::*When Carly and Ultra Magnus both say "Daniel?", only [[Francis Lax]] says it, despite not voicing either character.
:::*Name-dodging (and there's a lot in this one):
::::*Rodimus Prime's line "Ultra Magnus, take Blaster and the cassettes and find them!" is dubbed by "Ultra Magnus, take '''someone''' with you and find them!".
::::*Blaster's phrase "My man Steeljaw can sniff out any trail, if it's hot or if it's not!" is dubbed by "With my fine sleuths, no clue can escape us for long!".
::::*Blaster's line "Rewind, tell me what you got!" is dubbed by "What do we know about this passage?".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Call Perceptor, have him meet us below" is dubbed by "Tell '''the others''' that we're going to see what's going on down there".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Blaster, could Rewind decipher any of this ancient script?" and Blaster answer "He's on the case in his database!" are dubbed by "Is '''anyone''' able to understand this writing?" and Blaster answering "We need to call ''the specialist''!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Stay here, Perceptor" is dubbed by "'''You''', stay here".
::::*Daniel's line "Steeljaw! Boy am I glad to see you!" is dubbed by "Oh gosh I can't believe it, oh I'm so glad to see you!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "It's the Quintesson! The exile!" is dubbed by "It's one of the criminals sentenced to exile!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Blaster, amplification!" is dubbed by "Quick! '''You''' will amplify what he will say!".

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der rote Zauberer'''" ("The Red Magician")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*This was one of twelve episodes of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]].

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il mago rosso'''" ("The Red Wizard")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*When Grimlock says "mighty friend", "friend" is really oddly translated as "friend-amico" (with the English word "friend" followed by the Italian translation "amico").
::*Daniel's line: «Don't overdo it, okay?» is changed to: «Don't be offended, okay?» and so Grimlock's: «Me Grimlock not overdo» becomes: «Me Grimlock not offended, no, no». Still, Daniel's line makes no sense in the scene.
:*''Title:'' "'''Il paradiso del folle'''" ("The Madman's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' 不思議の国のダニエル (''Fushigi no Kuni no Daniel'', "Daniel of Wonderland")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 6]], [[1987]]
::*The title references ''[[w:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'', known in Japan as ''Fushigi no Kuni no Alice''.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jīn Dàwáng yǔ Hóngyī Fǎshī'''" (金大王与红衣法师, "The Golden King and The Red-Coat Magi")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Paraíso do Louco'''" ("Madman's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Due to a glitch in the only known surviving audio track of this dub, the only part of the title that is actually audible is "Louco", but it's a safe bet that the full title is a direct translation from the original English.

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rai dlya soomashedshegoh'''" (Рай для сумасшедшего, "The Paradise for the Madman")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — Super Video ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 9: Grimlock the Hero ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 3 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 20 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Xod9_YWWCXc_3F9-3XzsaII0yL99CLL4 Episode dialogue script]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Madman's Paradise

2025-07-01T21:32:03Z

Jackpot: /* Continuity notes */ Link change

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=78
|ep2=12
|prev2=Chaos (episode)
|next2=Surprise Party
|image=G1 Menonia.JPG
|caption="A black, black castle on a black, black rock, in a black, black world…"
|title="Madman's Paradise"
|season=3
|season ep=13
|production code=700-98
|airdate=[[October 13]], 1986
|written by=[[Craig Rand]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Nakamura Production]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th21FtuiSZI
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''A quick stroll through Cybertron leads Daniel Witwicky and Grimlock to someplace different.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Madman Paradise Grimlock drinks.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|If guest not give good tip, me Grimlock eat them.]]

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Autobot]]s are hosting a diplomatic event for a number of species, with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] introducing the guests. One ambassador compliments Spike and Carly's "post-embryonic form", but [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] takes it the wrong way. Spike tells Daniel that he can go off and play, but to stay out of trouble (and keep the tuxedo clean and intact). Daniel thinks that there is nobody to play with and complains that there is nobody to get into trouble with anyway. [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], hearing that, decides to give some help on that matter and follows Daniel. (It sure beats serving drinks.)

However, Grimlock does not like the [[Planetary Corridor CB-311-B4|place]] where they are walking around. Daniel idly kicks a stray gear on the ground, and it hits a panel in the wall, revealing a secret passage in the floor. Grimlock leans forward to get a better view, but falls in, knocking Daniel in as well. Sliding down, Grimlock and Daniel are barely able to grab the ledge of a rail on the other side of a crevice. Jumping into the room, they find it covered in ancient symbols. Daniel notices a neat-looking monster, but Grimlock thinks that it's handsome, like him. However, his wagging tail hits the symbol, causing a red circle in the floor to glow, and he and Daniel sink through it. They soon find themselves somewhere other than Cybertron, and someone wearing a red cloak is aware of their arrival.

Back at the party, Carly is having trouble finding Daniel. She asks [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] or [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] if they have seen him, at which point the alien ambassador tells them she saw Daniel walking away with a [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]. The prospect of Grimlock and Daniel together and unsupervised naturally causes everyone to freak out, but Rodimus calls for calm. (The planet is still intact, after all.) The [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] sends Blaster and Ultra Magnus to search for them, with Carly tagging along.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Grimlock treecentaurs.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Even Grimlock gets cold feet now and then.]]

Elsewhere, Grimlock and Daniel come across some strange tree-centaurs. They demand to know whom the two fight for, and Grimlock says nobody. The tree-centaurs decide to attack. Bad idea, as Grimlock proceeds to toss them around. However, one tree-centaur causes Grimlock's leg to freeze, making him fall down. The tree-centaurs then begin tying Grimlock to the ground. (Think ''{{w|Gulliver's Travels}}'', but with robots.) The man in red is impressed with Grimlock's power and sends a bolt of energy to attack the tree-centaurs with a wave of his ''tentacle''. He heads out, changing his tentacle into a hand, and welcomes Daniel and Grimlock to [[Menonia]], the realm they have entered. He offers an invitation from the Red Wizard, who is clearly the old man himself. Taking them to the castle, the Red Wizard claims that the world was once ruled by the [[Golden One]], a powerful sorcerer-king, but that the Golden One disappeared and the Red Wizard took his place. However, evil rebels fought against the Red Wizard. He asks for Grimlock's help, while Daniel, who is asleep, is taken to somewhere more comfortable—the dungeon.

On Cybertron, [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] has tracked down Grimlock and Daniel's scent and discovered the room they were in. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] discovers that the writings on the wall are [[Quintesson]] inscriptions. The room was a banishment point for the Quintessons, where they would exile their own to various dimensions for various crimes. Rewind concludes that the wayward duo are in Menonia, where [[Mara-Al-Utha]] was banished for practicing sorcery. Perceptor activates the portal and stays behind to reopen it when they need help.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Daniel knife.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hand over the wallet, old man."]]
Meanwhile, Daniel wakes up and sees the old man chained to the dungeon wall. Using a handy-dandy <s>[[lightsaber]]</s> energy blade, Daniel frees the old man, who explains that the Red Wizard was the one who imprisoned the Golden One in a cave. The Golden One loyalists begin an attack on the castle, which frees the two. Grimlock, still duped, begins fighting off the invaders. Daniel and the old man head for the cave in which the Golden One was imprisoned, while the Autobots and Carly, having arrived in Menonia, head to assist Grimlock. However, a piece of Daniel's tuxedo gets cut off, which Carly finds, and Steeljaw sniffs him out. Reaching the young man, Daniel explains to Carly and the cassettes that the Red Wizard is evil, but the Golden One's loyalists are already in retreat. Since they cannot move the stone and free the Golden One, the old man despairs of all hope.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Golden One Blaster.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Blaster's attempts to establish a regular karaoke hour never caught on.]]
At this point, [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] charges the rock, causing it to shatter. The Golden One, exposed to sunlight, is free and reenergized. The old man explains the situation, and the Golden One attacks the Red Wizard's castle. The Golden One's arrival causes the Red Wizard to reveal his true form—as the Quintesson Mara-Al-Utha! The Red Wizard attacks, and the Golden One is too weak to defend. He knows of counter-spells that will stop Mara-Al-Utha, but he needs them to be heard. Blaster [[Transformation|transforms]] into cassette player mode and gives the Golden One a microphone. The Golden One speaks his counter-spells, and Mara-Al-Utha is banished somewhere else.

When the battle is over, the Golden One sends the Autobots and the humans back to Cybertron. However, when they get back, Spike wants to have a talk with Daniel. The boy insists it was an accident, and Grimlock backs him up, saying that Daniel didn't mean to ruin his tux. Everyone but Grimlock begins laughing.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (7)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (10)
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] (11)
*[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (14)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (5)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (6)

|c4=
*[[Ynara]] (2)
*[[Groyle]] (8)
*The Red Wizard ([[Mara-Al-Utha]]) (9)
*The [[Golden One's pupil]] (16)
*The [[Golden One]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ohhh, Grimlock ... what did you do now?" 
"Uh ... make mistake?"
:—When '''Grimlock''' accidentally starts sending the two of them to another dimension, after tapping a picture in admiration.

"Where are we?" 
"Not Cybertron. California maybe?"
:—'''Daniel''' and '''Grimlock''' trying to determine their whereabouts.

"Don't panic yet. Stay calm until we know what's going on. Then we'll panic."
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' on Daniel's and Grimlock's disappearance.

'''Red Wizard:''' "And who is your mighty friend?" 
'''Grimlock:''' "Mighty friend is me, Grimlock!" 
'''Daniel:''' "Don't overdo it, okay?"

"I dunno, my mom says never to go off with strangers." 
"Everybody here stranger! Us not go with stranger, us not go!"
:—'''Daniel''' is hesitant but quickly swayed by '''Grimlock''''s advanced use of logic.

"Me Grimlock mixed up. If wizard so strong, why he need me, Grimlock?" 
"Because!! His enemies are many! Like insects they swarm, and attack, and attack, and attack! With raw force -- primitive magic -- driven by hate, by envy! THEY WILL NOT STOP!!" 
"Me Grimlock just wanted to know..."
:—'''Grimlock''' and the '''Red Wizard'''

"The attack will begin when the golden sun is --" 
''[bzzzzap!!]'' 
"They starting early!"
:— the '''Red Wizard''' and '''Grimlock'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The establishing shot of Cybertron is recycled from ''The Transformers: The Movie''. In a season where Cybertron's appearance is different in almost every single episode, it's a rare note of consistency.
*Spike's last name gets mentioned, a relatively rarity for the cartoon.
*Spike is said to be Earth's ambassador to Cybertron.
*The dimensional teleportation chamber is located at "[[Planetary Corridor CB-311-B4]]".
*Daniel carries an energy blade around with him. Apparently, he had this on him for the whole episode, including the diplomatic meeting at the beginning! Spike really ''does'' need to have a talk with him.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Grimlock blows concentrated air from his dinosaur mouth like a leafblower.
**Grimlock actually uses a sword in this episode! It is ridiculously thin to the point of looking like a cocktail skewer, but he uses it to swat some of the boulders launched at him. Just as with Snarl's, the sword is silver like his package art.
*Like "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]" and "[[Only Human]]", this is one of the few episodes to not feature Decepticons.
*Grimlock's tray-carrying moments were the inspiration for ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]]'s posture and accessories. Apparently a key moment for him!
*[[Al-badur]], one of the Quintesson exiles mentioned, would be featured in [[3H Productions|3H]]'s [[Transformers: The Wreckers|''Wreckers'' comics]], where he was used to try to retcon the Quintesson creation story with the more popular [[Primus]] creation story — but then 3H lost the license before it was concluded. Bummer. Back to the fanwanking, people!
* In [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|a previous episode]], characters also were transported to a medieval environment with [[Beorht|magic]] and at least one dragon when a [[Transformer]] touched inscriptions in the wall of [[Dragon Mound|an underground chamber]]. But in that case, the narrative was clear that they had [[Time travel|traveled through time]] to [[543|medieval]] [[United Kingdom|England]]. That chamber was on [[Earth]], and the transportation effect was different, but otherwise the similarities are striking. Given the number of [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)#Real-world references|anachronisms]] and fantasy elements in that episode, as well as the fact that none of its events seemed to have any effect on the present day, one wonders in the light of this episode's Quintesson technology whether that could've been an interdimensional trip that the characters didn't recognize as such.

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Snowspeeder laser as a warrior fires a stray shot that hits the prison cell window.
**Sparking and clashing [[lightsaber]]s as a warrior generates a shield to protect himself from Magnus's missile.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Similar to the later aired "[[Webworld]]", there is a distinct lack of two-tone shading in this episode outside of a few shots. There is also a distinct anime influence in several shots, most notably Daniel’s giant sparkly eyes as he says, “We gotta get outta here!”
[[File:MadmansParadise Mara-Al-Utha red wizard form.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Coloring errors:
**After Daniel embarrasses the ambassador, the side of Rodimus' head is white, but two shots later, it's purple; his helmet is also two shades of red instead of one, an odd coloration he'll have for the rest of the episode.
**When Ynara blushes, her clothes, jewelery, hair and headpiece blush with her!
**Also, in the opening shots Rodimus' spoiler is all-yellow, but when we switch to the opposite angle, it's orange in the middle.
**When the tree-centaurs first question Grimlock, the back of his neck is grey instead of gold.
**The Red Wizard first comes up to Grimlock and Daniel as a brown-skinned guy, but when he removes his hood, he's in the guise of the Golden One's pupil and has a much lighter shade of skin.
**As Rewind gives details of the corridor, Blaster's forearms are white instead of black.
**As he listens to Magnus's orders, Perceptor's face is the same dark grey as his helmet instead of light grey (and his Autobot logo is framed in black instead of white).
**When Magnus' team enters the portal, Blaster's head is all-white.
**Daniel's energy blade changes colour from blue to red between shots.
**As the Autobots rush to check on the fallen Golden One, Blaster's chest is yellow with no details (or Autobot logo) on it.
**In the last shot of the episode, the back of Grimlock's neck is grey instead of gold.
*Daniel is supposed to be grabbing the edge of a ledge after he plummets into the secret tunnel, but he actually grabs several inches ''below'' the lip.
*Ventriloquist Dinobot:
**Grimlock's mouth isn't moving as he and Daniel fall into the portal and he asks, "Make Mistake?".
**And again as he comments on the "ugly bird".
**And again when the tree-centaurs ask who he and Daniel fight for and he asks "Who you?" It moves again during his next line.
**And again as he calls out for the Red Wizard during the attack.
**His faceplate doesn't move after he transforms and starts shooting during the battle
**Mara-Al-Utha's mouth doesn't move as he yells at the Golden One.
**"Help us to free you!" - the Pupil's mouth does not move.
*As Grimlock and Daniel watch the "ugly bird" fly off, Grimlock's back is missing all its colorful details. And again, his mouth doesn't move as he speaks.
*When Mara-Al-Utha uses a magic mirror to see Grimlock and Daniel have arrived, the mirror's frame disappears.
*As Daniel and Grimlock are walking before getting attacked by the tree-centaurs, Grimlock's walk cycle unnaturally jumps back to its first animation frame after each loop.
*When Ynara walks up to Carly and Magnus, she's only half Rodimus's height; previously they were the same height.
*One of the tree-centaurs disappears for a couple of frames during the fight with Grimlock.
*As Mara-Al-Utha (in his disguise as the Red Wizard's assistant) greets Daniel and Grimlock to Menonia, Grimlock's left leg is drawn too thick and his right leg vanishes completely. The error pops up again when the shot gets reused for Daniel's "Don't overdo it" line.
*When Grimlock offers up his services to aid in defending the castle, his logo lacks outlines.
*When Blaster ejects Rewind, there's no cavity behind his tape drawer.
*When the Red Wizard yells at Grimlock about the Golden One's armies and their ruthlessness, his neck disappears for a few seconds, exposing the background behind him.
*After the Red Wizard attacks the rebels, Grimlock transforms, but there are frames missing during the transition, so he sort of "pops" into [[robot mode]]. He also gets the wrong transformation sound; going beast-to-robot, he should get the ascending pitch version.
*As Grimlock swings his sword around, his chest is missing most of its detailing (and its Autobot logo, which reappears later when he notices the other Autobots).
*The Golden One is freed and stands in front of the cave opening, but when he flies up there are only trees behind him.
*The Golden One flies towards a perfectly still castle, but the next shot shows plumes of smoke rising up from it.
*Ultra Magnus' gun sounds like Prime's rifle.
*The plot calls for Mara-Al-Utha to surround the Golden One with smoke, cutting him off from the light, but the smoke as animated is almost completely transparent.
*When Magnus grabs the microphone from Blaster, Blaster has one long switch (instead of three smaller ones) on his front.
*Some clever sound effects guy inserted a comical little POP! sound as Blaster's head and hands emerge at the end of his transformation back to robot mode.

===Continuity errors===
*In "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]", Ramhorn spoke normally (aside from a bit of a stutter.) Here he just growls and roars. He won't speak in any of his future appearances, either.

===Trivia===
*According to the [[dialogue script]] of the episode, the Red Wizard's magic incantations are spelled "Albidion... mexilarum... strombi.. BAST!" and "Thromilius".
**The Golden One's spell, meanwhile, is transcribed as "Repidot. Respondot. Rezendot. Zanitar! Zanarre! Zavasar! ALLAK...ARRAK... ARRAM!"
*Although nothing is said or implied of this in the episode, one could infer that the Red Wizard's wooden robots are in fact, wooden counterparts of the early Transformers as built by the Quintessons, created by the red wizard to serve him much like the rest of the Quintessons.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''Le paradis des déments'''" ("Mad People's Paradise")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast and European French DVD release):'' "'''Le paradis des fous'''" ("Mad People's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Concerning the European French dub:
:::*Rodimus Prime introduces "Ynara, who comes straight from the planet ''Ynara''".
:::*Despite disguising his voice as a man to talk to Daniel, Mara-Al-Utha is dubbed by a woman.
:::*When Grimlock says "Me Grimlock feel surrounded!", the team took advantage of Daniel moving his mouth to add dialogue, so they both speak at the same time, Daniel saying "Do you have any idea who it could be?".
:::*Ynara says "Dinorobot", despite the dub of the series using "Dinobot". However, "Dinorobot" was used in ''The Movie''.
:::*When Carly and Ultra Magnus both say "Daniel?", only [[Francis Lax]] says it, despite not voicing either character.
:::*Name-dodging (and there's a lot in this one):
::::*Rodimus Prime's line "Ultra Magnus, take Blaster and the cassettes and find them!" is dubbed by "Ultra Magnus, take '''someone''' with you and find them!".
::::*Blaster's phrase "My man Steeljaw can sniff out any trail, if it's hot or if it's not!" is dubbed by "With my fine sleuths, no clue can escape us for long!".
::::*Blaster's line "Rewind, tell me what you got!" is dubbed by "What do we know about this passage?".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Call Perceptor, have him meet us below" is dubbed by "Tell '''the others''' that we're going to see what's going on down there".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Blaster, could Rewind decipher any of this ancient script?" and Blaster answer "He's on the case in his database!" are dubbed by "Is '''anyone''' able to understand this writing?" and Blaster answering "We need to call ''the specialist''!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Stay here, Perceptor" is dubbed by "'''You''', stay here".
::::*Daniel's line "Steeljaw! Boy am I glad to see you!" is dubbed by "Oh gosh I can't believe it, oh I'm so glad to see you!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "It's the Quintesson! The exile!" is dubbed by "It's one of the criminals sentenced to exile!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Blaster, amplification!" is dubbed by "Quick! '''You''' will amplify what he will say!".

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der rote Zauberer'''" ("The Red Magician")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*This was one of twelve episodes of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]].

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il mago rosso'''" ("The Red Wizard")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*When Grimlock says "mighty friend", "friend" is really oddly translated as "friend-amico" (with the English word "friend" followed by the Italian translation "amico").
::*Daniel's line: «Don't overdo it, okay?» is changed to: «Don't be offended, okay?» and so Grimlock's: «Me Grimlock not overdo» becomes: «Me Grimlock not offended, no, no». Still, Daniel's line makes no sense in the scene.
:*''Title:'' "'''Il paradiso del folle'''" ("The Madman's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' 不思議の国のダニエル (''Fushigi no Kuni no Daniel'', "Daniel of Wonderland")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 6]], [[1987]]
::*The title references ''[[w:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'', known in Japan as ''Fushigi no Kuni no Alice''.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jīn Dàwáng yǔ Hóngyī Fǎshī'''" (金大王与红衣法师, "The Golden King and The Red-Coat Magi")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Paraíso do Louco'''" ("Madman's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Due to a glitch in the only known surviving audio track of this dub, the only part of the title that is actually audible is "Louco", but it's a safe bet that the full title is a direct translation from the original English.

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rai dlya soomashedshegoh'''" (Рай для сумасшедшего, "The Paradise for the Madman")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — Super Video ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 9: Grimlock the Hero ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 3 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 20 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Xod9_YWWCXc_3F9-3XzsaII0yL99CLL4 Episode dialogue script]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Madman's Paradise

2025-07-01T21:12:16Z

Jackpot: /* Continuity notes */ Added comparison to events in "A Decepticon Raider"

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=78
|ep2=12
|prev2=Chaos (episode)
|next2=Surprise Party
|image=G1 Menonia.JPG
|caption="A black, black castle on a black, black rock, in a black, black world…"
|title="Madman's Paradise"
|season=3
|season ep=13
|production code=700-98
|airdate=[[October 13]], 1986
|written by=[[Craig Rand]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Nakamura Production]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th21FtuiSZI
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''A quick stroll through Cybertron leads Daniel Witwicky and Grimlock to someplace different.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Madman Paradise Grimlock drinks.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|If guest not give good tip, me Grimlock eat them.]]

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Autobot]]s are hosting a diplomatic event for a number of species, with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] introducing the guests. One ambassador compliments Spike and Carly's "post-embryonic form", but [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] takes it the wrong way. Spike tells Daniel that he can go off and play, but to stay out of trouble (and keep the tuxedo clean and intact). Daniel thinks that there is nobody to play with and complains that there is nobody to get into trouble with anyway. [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], hearing that, decides to give some help on that matter and follows Daniel. (It sure beats serving drinks.)

However, Grimlock does not like the [[Planetary Corridor CB-311-B4|place]] where they are walking around. Daniel idly kicks a stray gear on the ground, and it hits a panel in the wall, revealing a secret passage in the floor. Grimlock leans forward to get a better view, but falls in, knocking Daniel in as well. Sliding down, Grimlock and Daniel are barely able to grab the ledge of a rail on the other side of a crevice. Jumping into the room, they find it covered in ancient symbols. Daniel notices a neat-looking monster, but Grimlock thinks that it's handsome, like him. However, his wagging tail hits the symbol, causing a red circle in the floor to glow, and he and Daniel sink through it. They soon find themselves somewhere other than Cybertron, and someone wearing a red cloak is aware of their arrival.

Back at the party, Carly is having trouble finding Daniel. She asks [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] or [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] if they have seen him, at which point the alien ambassador tells them she saw Daniel walking away with a [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]. The prospect of Grimlock and Daniel together and unsupervised naturally causes everyone to freak out, but Rodimus calls for calm. (The planet is still intact, after all.) The [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] sends Blaster and Ultra Magnus to search for them, with Carly tagging along.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Grimlock treecentaurs.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Even Grimlock gets cold feet now and then.]]

Elsewhere, Grimlock and Daniel come across some strange tree-centaurs. They demand to know whom the two fight for, and Grimlock says nobody. The tree-centaurs decide to attack. Bad idea, as Grimlock proceeds to toss them around. However, one tree-centaur causes Grimlock's leg to freeze, making him fall down. The tree-centaurs then begin tying Grimlock to the ground. (Think ''{{w|Gulliver's Travels}}'', but with robots.) The man in red is impressed with Grimlock's power and sends a bolt of energy to attack the tree-centaurs with a wave of his ''tentacle''. He heads out, changing his tentacle into a hand, and welcomes Daniel and Grimlock to [[Menonia]], the realm they have entered. He offers an invitation from the Red Wizard, who is clearly the old man himself. Taking them to the castle, the Red Wizard claims that the world was once ruled by the [[Golden One]], a powerful sorcerer-king, but that the Golden One disappeared and the Red Wizard took his place. However, evil rebels fought against the Red Wizard. He asks for Grimlock's help, while Daniel, who is asleep, is taken to somewhere more comfortable—the dungeon.

On Cybertron, [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] has tracked down Grimlock and Daniel's scent and discovered the room they were in. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] discovers that the writings on the wall are [[Quintesson]] inscriptions. The room was a banishment point for the Quintessons, where they would exile their own to various dimensions for various crimes. Rewind concludes that the wayward duo are in Menonia, where [[Mara-Al-Utha]] was banished for practicing sorcery. Perceptor activates the portal and stays behind to reopen it when they need help.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Daniel knife.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hand over the wallet, old man."]]
Meanwhile, Daniel wakes up and sees the old man chained to the dungeon wall. Using a handy-dandy <s>[[lightsaber]]</s> energy blade, Daniel frees the old man, who explains that the Red Wizard was the one who imprisoned the Golden One in a cave. The Golden One loyalists begin an attack on the castle, which frees the two. Grimlock, still duped, begins fighting off the invaders. Daniel and the old man head for the cave in which the Golden One was imprisoned, while the Autobots and Carly, having arrived in Menonia, head to assist Grimlock. However, a piece of Daniel's tuxedo gets cut off, which Carly finds, and Steeljaw sniffs him out. Reaching the young man, Daniel explains to Carly and the cassettes that the Red Wizard is evil, but the Golden One's loyalists are already in retreat. Since they cannot move the stone and free the Golden One, the old man despairs of all hope.

[[File:Madman's Paradise Golden One Blaster.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Blaster's attempts to establish a regular karaoke hour never caught on.]]
At this point, [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] charges the rock, causing it to shatter. The Golden One, exposed to sunlight, is free and reenergized. The old man explains the situation, and the Golden One attacks the Red Wizard's castle. The Golden One's arrival causes the Red Wizard to reveal his true form—as the Quintesson Mara-Al-Utha! The Red Wizard attacks, and the Golden One is too weak to defend. He knows of counter-spells that will stop Mara-Al-Utha, but he needs them to be heard. Blaster [[Transformation|transforms]] into cassette player mode and gives the Golden One a microphone. The Golden One speaks his counter-spells, and Mara-Al-Utha is banished somewhere else.

When the battle is over, the Golden One sends the Autobots and the humans back to Cybertron. However, when they get back, Spike wants to have a talk with Daniel. The boy insists it was an accident, and Grimlock backs him up, saying that Daniel didn't mean to ruin his tux. Everyone but Grimlock begins laughing.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (7)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (10)
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] (11)
*[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (14)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (5)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (6)

|c4=
*[[Ynara]] (2)
*[[Groyle]] (8)
*The Red Wizard ([[Mara-Al-Utha]]) (9)
*The [[Golden One's pupil]] (16)
*The [[Golden One]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ohhh, Grimlock ... what did you do now?" 
"Uh ... make mistake?"
:—When '''Grimlock''' accidentally starts sending the two of them to another dimension, after tapping a picture in admiration.

"Where are we?" 
"Not Cybertron. California maybe?"
:—'''Daniel''' and '''Grimlock''' trying to determine their whereabouts.

"Don't panic yet. Stay calm until we know what's going on. Then we'll panic."
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' on Daniel's and Grimlock's disappearance.

'''Red Wizard:''' "And who is your mighty friend?" 
'''Grimlock:''' "Mighty friend is me, Grimlock!" 
'''Daniel:''' "Don't overdo it, okay?"

"I dunno, my mom says never to go off with strangers." 
"Everybody here stranger! Us not go with stranger, us not go!"
:—'''Daniel''' is hesitant but quickly swayed by '''Grimlock''''s advanced use of logic.

"Me Grimlock mixed up. If wizard so strong, why he need me, Grimlock?" 
"Because!! His enemies are many! Like insects they swarm, and attack, and attack, and attack! With raw force -- primitive magic -- driven by hate, by envy! THEY WILL NOT STOP!!" 
"Me Grimlock just wanted to know..."
:—'''Grimlock''' and the '''Red Wizard'''

"The attack will begin when the golden sun is --" 
''[bzzzzap!!]'' 
"They starting early!"
:— the '''Red Wizard''' and '''Grimlock'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The establishing shot of Cybertron is recycled from ''The Transformers: The Movie''. In a season where Cybertron's appearance is different in almost every single episode, it's a rare note of consistency.
*Spike's last name gets mentioned, a relatively rarity for the cartoon.
*Spike is said to be Earth's ambassador to Cybertron.
*The dimensional teleportation chamber is located at "[[Planetary Corridor CB-311-B4]]".
*Daniel carries an energy blade around with him. Apparently, he had this on him for the whole episode, including the diplomatic meeting at the beginning! Spike really ''does'' need to have a talk with him.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Grimlock blows concentrated air from his dinosaur mouth like a leafblower.
**Grimlock actually uses a sword in this episode! It is ridiculously thin to the point of looking like a cocktail skewer, but he uses it to swat some of the boulders launched at him. Just as with Snarl's, the sword is silver like his package art.
*Like "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]" and "[[Only Human]]", this is one of the few episodes to not feature Decepticons.
*Grimlock's tray-carrying moments were the inspiration for ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]]'s posture and accessories. Apparently a key moment for him!
*[[Al-badur]], one of the Quintesson exiles mentioned, would be featured in [[3H Productions|3H]]'s [[Transformers: The Wreckers|''Wreckers'' comics]], where he was used to try to retcon the Quintesson creation story with the more popular [[Primus]] creation story — but then 3H lost the license before it was concluded. Bummer. Back to the fanwanking, people!
* In [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|a previous episode]], characters also were transported to a medieval environment with [[Beorht|magic]] and at least one dragon when a [[Transformer]] touched inscriptions in the wall of [[Dragon Mound|an underground chamber]]. But in that case, the narrative was clear that they had [[Time travel|traveled through time]] to [[543|medieval Earth]]. That chamber was on [[Earth]], and the transportation effect was different, but otherwise the similarities are striking. Given the number of [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)#Real-world references|anachronisms]] and fantasy elements in that episode, as well as the fact that none of its events seemed to have any effect on the present day, one wonders in the light of this episode's Quintesson technology whether that could've been an interdimensional trip that the characters didn't recognize as such.

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Snowspeeder laser as a warrior fires a stray shot that hits the prison cell window.
**Sparking and clashing [[lightsaber]]s as a warrior generates a shield to protect himself from Magnus's missile.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Similar to the later aired "[[Webworld]]", there is a distinct lack of two-tone shading in this episode outside of a few shots. There is also a distinct anime influence in several shots, most notably Daniel’s giant sparkly eyes as he says, “We gotta get outta here!”
[[File:MadmansParadise Mara-Al-Utha red wizard form.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Coloring errors:
**After Daniel embarrasses the ambassador, the side of Rodimus' head is white, but two shots later, it's purple; his helmet is also two shades of red instead of one, an odd coloration he'll have for the rest of the episode.
**When Ynara blushes, her clothes, jewelery, hair and headpiece blush with her!
**Also, in the opening shots Rodimus' spoiler is all-yellow, but when we switch to the opposite angle, it's orange in the middle.
**When the tree-centaurs first question Grimlock, the back of his neck is grey instead of gold.
**The Red Wizard first comes up to Grimlock and Daniel as a brown-skinned guy, but when he removes his hood, he's in the guise of the Golden One's pupil and has a much lighter shade of skin.
**As Rewind gives details of the corridor, Blaster's forearms are white instead of black.
**As he listens to Magnus's orders, Perceptor's face is the same dark grey as his helmet instead of light grey (and his Autobot logo is framed in black instead of white).
**When Magnus' team enters the portal, Blaster's head is all-white.
**Daniel's energy blade changes colour from blue to red between shots.
**As the Autobots rush to check on the fallen Golden One, Blaster's chest is yellow with no details (or Autobot logo) on it.
**In the last shot of the episode, the back of Grimlock's neck is grey instead of gold.
*Daniel is supposed to be grabbing the edge of a ledge after he plummets into the secret tunnel, but he actually grabs several inches ''below'' the lip.
*Ventriloquist Dinobot:
**Grimlock's mouth isn't moving as he and Daniel fall into the portal and he asks, "Make Mistake?".
**And again as he comments on the "ugly bird".
**And again when the tree-centaurs ask who he and Daniel fight for and he asks "Who you?" It moves again during his next line.
**And again as he calls out for the Red Wizard during the attack.
**His faceplate doesn't move after he transforms and starts shooting during the battle
**Mara-Al-Utha's mouth doesn't move as he yells at the Golden One.
**"Help us to free you!" - the Pupil's mouth does not move.
*As Grimlock and Daniel watch the "ugly bird" fly off, Grimlock's back is missing all its colorful details. And again, his mouth doesn't move as he speaks.
*When Mara-Al-Utha uses a magic mirror to see Grimlock and Daniel have arrived, the mirror's frame disappears.
*As Daniel and Grimlock are walking before getting attacked by the tree-centaurs, Grimlock's walk cycle unnaturally jumps back to its first animation frame after each loop.
*When Ynara walks up to Carly and Magnus, she's only half Rodimus's height; previously they were the same height.
*One of the tree-centaurs disappears for a couple of frames during the fight with Grimlock.
*As Mara-Al-Utha (in his disguise as the Red Wizard's assistant) greets Daniel and Grimlock to Menonia, Grimlock's left leg is drawn too thick and his right leg vanishes completely. The error pops up again when the shot gets reused for Daniel's "Don't overdo it" line.
*When Grimlock offers up his services to aid in defending the castle, his logo lacks outlines.
*When Blaster ejects Rewind, there's no cavity behind his tape drawer.
*When the Red Wizard yells at Grimlock about the Golden One's armies and their ruthlessness, his neck disappears for a few seconds, exposing the background behind him.
*After the Red Wizard attacks the rebels, Grimlock transforms, but there are frames missing during the transition, so he sort of "pops" into [[robot mode]]. He also gets the wrong transformation sound; going beast-to-robot, he should get the ascending pitch version.
*As Grimlock swings his sword around, his chest is missing most of its detailing (and its Autobot logo, which reappears later when he notices the other Autobots).
*The Golden One is freed and stands in front of the cave opening, but when he flies up there are only trees behind him.
*The Golden One flies towards a perfectly still castle, but the next shot shows plumes of smoke rising up from it.
*Ultra Magnus' gun sounds like Prime's rifle.
*The plot calls for Mara-Al-Utha to surround the Golden One with smoke, cutting him off from the light, but the smoke as animated is almost completely transparent.
*When Magnus grabs the microphone from Blaster, Blaster has one long switch (instead of three smaller ones) on his front.
*Some clever sound effects guy inserted a comical little POP! sound as Blaster's head and hands emerge at the end of his transformation back to robot mode.

===Continuity errors===
*In "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]", Ramhorn spoke normally (aside from a bit of a stutter.) Here he just growls and roars. He won't speak in any of his future appearances, either.

===Trivia===
*According to the [[dialogue script]] of the episode, the Red Wizard's magic incantations are spelled "Albidion... mexilarum... strombi.. BAST!" and "Thromilius".
**The Golden One's spell, meanwhile, is transcribed as "Repidot. Respondot. Rezendot. Zanitar! Zanarre! Zavasar! ALLAK...ARRAK... ARRAM!"
*Although nothing is said or implied of this in the episode, one could infer that the Red Wizard's wooden robots are in fact, wooden counterparts of the early Transformers as built by the Quintessons, created by the red wizard to serve him much like the rest of the Quintessons.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''Le paradis des déments'''" ("Mad People's Paradise")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast and European French DVD release):'' "'''Le paradis des fous'''" ("Mad People's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Concerning the European French dub:
:::*Rodimus Prime introduces "Ynara, who comes straight from the planet ''Ynara''".
:::*Despite disguising his voice as a man to talk to Daniel, Mara-Al-Utha is dubbed by a woman.
:::*When Grimlock says "Me Grimlock feel surrounded!", the team took advantage of Daniel moving his mouth to add dialogue, so they both speak at the same time, Daniel saying "Do you have any idea who it could be?".
:::*Ynara says "Dinorobot", despite the dub of the series using "Dinobot". However, "Dinorobot" was used in ''The Movie''.
:::*When Carly and Ultra Magnus both say "Daniel?", only [[Francis Lax]] says it, despite not voicing either character.
:::*Name-dodging (and there's a lot in this one):
::::*Rodimus Prime's line "Ultra Magnus, take Blaster and the cassettes and find them!" is dubbed by "Ultra Magnus, take '''someone''' with you and find them!".
::::*Blaster's phrase "My man Steeljaw can sniff out any trail, if it's hot or if it's not!" is dubbed by "With my fine sleuths, no clue can escape us for long!".
::::*Blaster's line "Rewind, tell me what you got!" is dubbed by "What do we know about this passage?".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Call Perceptor, have him meet us below" is dubbed by "Tell '''the others''' that we're going to see what's going on down there".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Blaster, could Rewind decipher any of this ancient script?" and Blaster answer "He's on the case in his database!" are dubbed by "Is '''anyone''' able to understand this writing?" and Blaster answering "We need to call ''the specialist''!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Stay here, Perceptor" is dubbed by "'''You''', stay here".
::::*Daniel's line "Steeljaw! Boy am I glad to see you!" is dubbed by "Oh gosh I can't believe it, oh I'm so glad to see you!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "It's the Quintesson! The exile!" is dubbed by "It's one of the criminals sentenced to exile!".
::::*Ultra Magnus' line "Blaster, amplification!" is dubbed by "Quick! '''You''' will amplify what he will say!".

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der rote Zauberer'''" ("The Red Magician")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*This was one of twelve episodes of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]].

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il mago rosso'''" ("The Red Wizard")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*When Grimlock says "mighty friend", "friend" is really oddly translated as "friend-amico" (with the English word "friend" followed by the Italian translation "amico").
::*Daniel's line: «Don't overdo it, okay?» is changed to: «Don't be offended, okay?» and so Grimlock's: «Me Grimlock not overdo» becomes: «Me Grimlock not offended, no, no». Still, Daniel's line makes no sense in the scene.
:*''Title:'' "'''Il paradiso del folle'''" ("The Madman's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' 不思議の国のダニエル (''Fushigi no Kuni no Daniel'', "Daniel of Wonderland")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 6]], [[1987]]
::*The title references ''[[w:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'', known in Japan as ''Fushigi no Kuni no Alice''.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jīn Dàwáng yǔ Hóngyī Fǎshī'''" (金大王与红衣法师, "The Golden King and The Red-Coat Magi")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Paraíso do Louco'''" ("Madman's Paradise")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Due to a glitch in the only known surviving audio track of this dub, the only part of the title that is actually audible is "Louco", but it's a safe bet that the full title is a direct translation from the original English.

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rai dlya soomashedshegoh'''" (Рай для сумасшедшего, "The Paradise for the Madman")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — Super Video ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 9: Grimlock the Hero ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 3 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 20 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Xod9_YWWCXc_3F9-3XzsaII0yL99CLL4 Episode dialogue script]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)

2025-07-01T19:53:40Z

Jackpot: /* Notes */ Expanded notes on medieval elements and anachronisms

{{disambig2|the cartoon episode|the mobile game event|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (Legends)}}
{{episode
|image=G1toon starscream king of the castle.jpg
|caption="It's only a model." "Shhh."
|series=G1toon
|ep=40
|prev2=Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
|next2=The Golden Lagoon (episode)
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=30
|series3=''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=11
|prev3=The Master Builders (episode)
|next3=The Golden Lagoon (episode)
|title="A Deceptacon Raider in King Arthur's Court" "A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court"
|season=2
|season ep=24
|airdate=[[October 24]], 1985
|written by=[[Douglas Booth]]
|production code=#700-39
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|Unknown]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci98CseGP-g
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''The Transformers go to the sixth century but avoid Camelot, as it is a silly place.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Ramjetinpast.gif|left|thumb|You yellow bastard! Come back here, and get what's coming to you! I'll bite yer legs off!]]

[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] are battling it out with [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]], and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. When the [[Decepticon]]s retreat out of exhaustion, Rumble detects energy in a nearby cave, only for the Decepticons to get caught in a cave-in when they enter to investigate. While searching for the energy source, they accidentally activate ancient runes that transport them to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in the year [[543]] A.D. There, they are greeted by Sir [[Wigend of Blackthorn]] and his knights, who believe the [[Transformer]]s are knights of an enemy realm.

[[File:Raiderrumblejoust.jpg|thumb|Listen... in order to maintain airspeed velocity, Ramjet needs to spin his turbines 43 times every second, right?]]

The Decepticons agree to help Wigend's knights win their conflict with rival Sir [[Aetheling the Red]], but Starscream obviously wants to rule and have a land of his own. Nearby, Aetheling's daughter [[Nimue]] is spying on their conversation and runs to warn her father, but is detected by Ravage and pursued until the newly arrived [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]], Warpath and Hoist rescue her.

Aetheling decides to organize a jousting tournament in hopes of settling his feud with Wigend peacefully. After Spike fails in the tournament, Wigend sends Ramjet and Rumble to compete on his behalf (Rumble riding Ramjet in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]), but they are defeated by Warpath and Sir Aetheling. An enraged Starscream is sick of chivalry, kidnaps Nimue and threatens her life unless Sir Aetheling agrees to give up his realm. The Autobots give chase but cannot keep up due to lack of energy and collapse out of exhaustion. The chase is also observed by an [[Solomon|owl]], who flies off to inform his master, the wizard [[Beorht]], of this new development.

[[File:Raiderstarscreamcooks.jpg|left|thumb|What manner of man are you, that can summon up fire without flint or tinder?]]

Starscream holds Nimue prisoner in Wigend's castle, which he has commandeered, and forces its residents to construct and power a primitive electrical generator to keep the Decepticons energized. Having gathered sulfur, charcoal and rock salt to make gunpowder, Starscream then sends Rumble to get the last ingredient...{{w|potassium nitrate}} from lots of bird droppings.

[[File:Raiderrollinthehay.jpg|thumb|Yes! Yes! You must give us ALL a good spanking!]]

Spike attempts to rescue Nimue from Wigend's keep, only to find Sir Wigend has switched sides and the two of them are now a happy couple. Despite feeling rejected, Spike still agrees to help fight the war against the Decepticons. Meanwhile, the Autobots and Sir Aetheling's knights charge towards the castle to battle it out with the Decepticons. The Autobots help the knights cross the moat and scale the walls, but they can't put up much of a fight due to their dangerously low energy levels. Starscream's gunpowder projectiles make short work of the invading forces.

[[File:Raiderdragonvsautobots.jpg|left|thumb|When suddenly... the ANIMATOR suffered a fatal heart attack! And the cartoon peril was no more.]]

Beorht the wizard appears and summons lightning that repowers Warpath and Hoist back up to fighting strength, though not enough to use their weapons. They take back the battle with Starscream and are victorious, destroying Starscream's power dynamo. Beorht concludes the robots are [[time travel]]ers and that the cave they arrived in was the [[Dragon Mound]], a time travel structure of his own design. He leads the Autobots and captive Decepticons back to the cave, only to find it guarded by the eponymous [[dragon]]. Starscream refuses to go any closer, but Beorht pulls out a pouch of "[[Dragon's Bane]]", his own name for gunpowder, noting that a little bit of it works every time. He throws the concoction at the dragon and it explodes, frightening away the beast.

Spike and the Transformers re-enter the Dragon Mound and return to the present. When they arrive back in their own time, they are greeted by multiple cannon blasts by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Starscream tackles his leader in a burst of enthusiasm at being back safely. Megatron, on the other hand, isn't nearly as happy to see Starscream, who has just ruined his shot...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (5)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (6)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (2)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (3)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (4)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (16)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] (17)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (18)
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (19)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Nimue]] (7)
*[[Wigend of Blackthorn]] (8)
*[[Wulf]] (9)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (11)
*[[Deore]] (12)
*[[Aetheling the Red]] (13)
*[[Beorht]] (14)

|c4=
*[[Solomon]] (10)
*A [[dragon]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Beorht01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Look! It's the old man from Scene 24!]]
[[File:Raiderrumblepoo.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"Who's that there?" "I dunno. Must be a king." "Why?"]]

"Oohh! I just changed heads last week!"
:—A ground-bound '''Ramjet''' learns that even a tough jet is no match for [[Warpath (G1)|a tank]].

"Out of the way, Rumble! It could be dangerous. As your leader, I must take the risk. Anyway, I'm lower on energy than you!"
:—'''Starscream''' acting true to form.

"Huh! Inferior construction, even for an Autobot. One good whack, it breaks right in two!"
:—'''Ramjet''' examining the "wreckage" of Sir Wulf and his horse.

"What's more important is that we have 1,451 years to go before we have to worry about the Autobots and that bungler Megatron!"
:—Even trapped in the past, '''Starscream''' looks on the bright side, unaware his math is failing.

"Whatcha waiting for, Red Knight? Don't you wanna rumble with Rumble?"
:—"Sir" '''Rumble''' prepares to joust.

"Make some idiot twenty feet tall, and he thinks he rules the Earth."
:— '''Beorht''' isn't too impressed by Starscream.

"Starscream! Lower the drawbridge! ''Ugh!'' I got your stupid potassium nitrate!"
:—'''Rumble''', carrying a pot of bird droppings while also covered in same.

"What's the matter? Aren't you glad to see us?" 
"RRRRAGGGH!!"
:—'''Starscream''' asks a rather loaded question of '''Megatron'''.

==Notes==
===Production information===
* First draft script: 8 March 1985
* Script revised by [[Ron Friedman]]: 13 March 1985

===Continuity notes===
[[File:G1 DecepRaiderinKingArthurs WarpathramsRamjet.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''In war we're tough and able Quite in-de-fa-ti-gable Although at times, we're given rhymes That are quite un-sing-able!'']]
* Gadgets and powers:
** Starscream can create electric wiring out of gold coins & other treasure, simply by crushing it in his fist
* Ramjet apparently changes his head on a regular basis. Hah!
* Fans have made much of the fact that Warpath defeats Ramjet in a collision, but really, Ramjet's specialty is hitting ''other planes''. Even a tough jet doesn't compare to a ''tank''. It's impressive he withstood one hit when you get down to it.
* Warpath makes a strange observation, noting that he's so low on energy that he "can't even stay transformed". Apparently, remaining in vehicle mode consumes energy.
* Warpath speaks with a moving mouthplate in this episode, rather than the cheek blinkers he sometimes has.
* Even if he can't fire lasers, Warpath can still fire shells (and does so, trying to hit Ramjet in the castle).
* Given it was established that Starscream was a scientist before the war, it makes sense he's the one who takes the lead in creating the electric generator and the gunpowder.
* The 6th-century humans are remarkably blasé about the "giant armored knights" who suddenly appeared. Compare this to the terrified, pious reactions medieval Britons have to the "[[Man of Iron (G1)|Man of Iron]]" in the [[Marvel Comics continuity]]. Then again, magic and dragons are apparently a normal part of life for them, so maybe they have a high tolerance for weirdness?
* This is one of several instances of [[Time travel#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|time travel in the cartoon series]]. The narrative is very straightforward about this, but in [[Madman's Paradise|a future episode]], characters will again be transported to [[Menonia|a medieval environment with magic and dragons]] when a [[Transformer]] touches inscriptions in the wall of [[Planetary Corridor CB-311-B4|an underground chamber]], and in that case, the narrative is clear that they travel to a different dimension. That chamber is on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and the transportation effect is different, but otherwise the similarities are striking. Given the number of anachronisms (see [[#Real-world references]]) and fantasy elements in this episode, as well as the fact that none of the events seemed to have any effect on the present day, one could [[retcon]] this to have been a similar interdimensional trip that the characters didn't recognize as such.

===Real-world references===
[[File:Exteriordragonmound.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|SO, brave knights, if you do DOUBT your courage or your strength, come no further, for ''DEATH'' awaits you all... with nasty, big, pointy teeth!]]
[[File:Runes1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|It reads, "Here may be found the last words of Joseph of Arimathea...]]
[[File:Runes2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|...He who is valiant and pure of spirit may find the Holy Grail in the Castle of aaarrrrggh."]]
* The title of this episode is an homage to the novel ''{{w|A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court}}'' written by [[Mark Twain]] and published in 1889.
* The Dragon Mound is surrounded by a {{w|Stonehenge}}-like structure.
* The instrument panel on the time-travel device is written in {{w|Runic alphabet}}.
* Sir Wigend was to have sworn by {{w|Wodin}} in a deleted line.
* The 6th-century characters' names are mostly from period-appropriate {{w|Old English|Old English}}: "Aetheling" [[Wiktionary:æþeling#Old English|means "prince"]], "Beorht" [[Wiktionary:beorht#Old English|means "bright"]], "Deore" (named only in the script) [[Wiktionary:diere#Old English|means "dear"]], "Wigend" [[Wiktionary:wigend#Old English|means "warrior"]], and "Wulf" [[Wiktionary:wulf#Old English|means, well, "wolf"]]. "Nimue" is the name of {{w|Lady of the Lake|the Lady of the Lake}} from {{w|Matter of Britain|Arthurian legend}}, though the character in the episode is nothing like her. "Solomon" is from {{w|Solomon#Biblical account|the Old Testament}}, which long predates the 6th century.
* Despite the title, [[King Arthur]] doesn't make an appearance in this tale, thus making him Sir-Not-Appearing-In-This-Film.
* It's curious that this episode was set in the specific year 543 A.D., since that makes many plot elements anachronistic. If the year had been left unstated and the "{{w|Camelot}}" line had been dropped, it could've taken place in vaguely the {{w|Late Middle Ages}}. Of course, because this isn't set in [[Quadwal|the real world]], any apparent anachronisms can be justified as mere differences between the histories of our Earth and [[Earth#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|the cartoon-continuity Earth]], along with the existence of a wizard who can control lightning and a fire-breathing dragon that lives in a time-travel cave. Or perhaps the characters are mistaken, and they're actually somewhere else entirely (see [[#Continuity notes]]). At any rate, in our world:
** {{w|Castle#Origins (9th and 10th centuries)|Castles first appeared}} in continental Europe in the 9th century, then in England in the 11th Century via {{w|Normans#England|Norman influence}}. The sort of stone castles of the sophistication seen in the episode were later still.
** {{w|Knight#Carolingian age|The earliest knights}} were in the 8th century, and the plate-armor-wearing, tournament-jousting, chivalric figures addressed as "sir" wouldn't be a thing until the 13th century. We can at least let slide the armor that Hoist creates for Spike, though.
** Beorht's "Dragon's Bane" {{w|Gunpowder|gunpowder}} recipe is roughly correct, but its {{w|History of gunpowder|first known creation}} was in the 9th century in China, and it wouldn't be brought to Europe until the 13th century. Of course, in the episode it's seen as a rare, mysterious, wizardly type of thing, so hey.
** The "thees and thous" dialogue is reminiscent of the {{w|Early Modern English}} of {{w|William Shakespeare|Shakespeare}} and the {{w|King James Version|King James Bible}}, which linguists mark as beginning in the 15th century. In the 6th century, people would've been speaking Old English if they were speaking English at all, which would've been unintelligible to a modern ear. We can hand-wave away the Transformers' capacity to communicate in the same way we've seen them communicate with every random alien species they encounter, and even with the humans of the modern day for that matter. But Spike would've been pretty lost. Also, the actors' put-on accent is based on {{w|Received Pronunciation}}, which didn't exist until the 19th century.
* ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
** [[Luke Skywalker]]'s [[lightsaber]] deflecting the seeker ball bolts can be faintly heard as Beorht recharges Warpath and Hoist.
** The sound of a lightsaber igniting is used as Beorht drops his electrically charged staff.

===Animation or technical errors===
*This episode omits Warpath's glowing blue faceplate-slits, which light up when he talks throughout the rest of the season. In fact, when he consoles Spike after Nimue is captured, his mouthplate moves up and down, which it doesn't do in any other episode.
*Warpath's chest cannon's length changes frequently during the episode.
* The first shot of Warpath has him rolling along in tank mode, drawn at about a 1/4-angle viewpoint, but the ground beneath him is scrolling parallel to the camera.
* A bizarre flash of energy envelopes Ramjet as he returns to [[robot mode]] after colliding with Warpath.
* When Starscream raises his right arm to point, the Decepticon emblem on his wing is no longer there.
* Again showing a wanton disregard for the background matte, Warpath slides sideways as he drives down the hill.
[[File:DecepticonRaider Nimue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Oh, wicked, bad, evil, ''naughty'' Zoot!]]
*Nimue has cleavage that appears and disappears from shot to shot and sometimes frame to frame. And no, you are not a pervert if you watched the episode six times to chronicle this error.
* The script seems to have called for a trumpet fanfare to summon Spike to the jousting field (thus Hoist's "That's your call!" line.) The sound editors complied by timing a fanfare in the background music to coincide with the moment, but the resulting effect is that Warpath seems to be listening to the background music.
* A glint of light from Sir Aetheling's sword gets a ''very'' loud sound effect. Since sunlight is so loud, y'know.
* When Ramjet rams into Warpath in the jousting duel, his canopy is smashed and nose cone crushed in, yet less than a minute later, he's back to normal when the remaining Decepticons attempt to flee with Starscream.
* As Starscream walks up to kidnap Nimue, the background scrolls behind him much faster than the speed of his walk.
* Starscream is missing his wing emblems as he drives off with Nimue.
* Warpath's tank mode is rather consistently portrayed as bigger and taller than Hoist's truck mode. While that would be accurate in the real world, Hoist is taller than Warpath in robot mode.
* Starscream's mouth doesn't move during most of his "No, Rumble, not I..." line.
* After he throws the gunpowder and puts his hands on his hips, one of Starscream's arm guns isn't quite attached to his arm.
* The tires on Hoist's feet are white instead of black as he stands up after the lightning recharge.
* Hoist tackles Starscream even though one frame later he's seen in vehicle mode.
* A bit of clumsy sound editing towards the end of this episode results in a small but noticeable error. As Hoist says, "That is, if there's a way—" his voice is very abruptly cut off. Then Beohrt announces: "Hoist said 'time'!" when Hoist has actually said nothing of the sort. The line as recorded was "That is, if there's a way back to our own time!" and it was followed by a short scene of Starscream feebly requesting a little energy and being threatened by Warpath, before Beorht makes his proclamation. The removal of the Warpath/Starscream scene appears to have inadvertently clipped the relevant few words off the end of Hoist's line.

===Continuity errors===
[[File:Spike gets kissed.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Look, let me go back in there and face the peril." "No, it's too perilous." "...Oh, let me have just a little bit of peril?"]]
* Starscream's math is off by a decade: 543 + 1451 = 1994, rather than the correct date of the Transformers' awakening, 1984.
* Warpath's cannon changes from shooting lasers to shells again

===Trivia===
[[File:Deceptacon.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Nu!" "No no no no, it's not that, it's 'ni'." "Nu!" "No no, 'ni'. You're not doing it properly."]]
* The original broadcast version of this episode featured the misspelled title, "A Decept'''a'''con Raider..." The error was corrected for the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Generation 2]]'' version of the episode. Likewise, when [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]] recreated the title cards for their DVD release of the series, it was also amended. This flub seemed minor then, [[Scorpinok (episode)|but]] [[A Tale of Two Heros|years]] [[Imprisoned Inferno|later...]]
* Per the [[dialogue script]], Starscream was going to say the "Autobots have us trapped like [[robo-rat]]s!" after the Decepticons were caved in by Warpath, but the line was shortened as-aired. Robo-rats would later be name-dropped in "[[Sea Change]]".
* Spike actually gets a kiss from a girl. What will [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] think?
* This episode is one of four pre-movie episodes in which [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] does not appear.
[[File:DecepticonRaider-NotHank.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Fear not, Ranger! Or is that "Fear not-Ranger"?]]
* Among the audience members watching the joust is a dark-skinned man whose outfit greatly resembles the one worn by Hank the Ranger in the {{w|Dungeons and Dragons (TV series)|''Dungeons and Dragons'' animated series}}—not entirely surprising, as that program was produced by [[Marvel Productions]], who partnered with [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] on ''Transformers'', and both shows were animated by [[Toei Animation|Toei]]. Next to "Hank" are a man with a shield and a woman in a cloak, but they do not otherwise strongly resemble Eric the Cavalier or Sheila the Thief, characters who were associated with magical versions of those items in the ''Dungeons and Dragons'' cartoon.
*Beorht wishes "godspeed" to the departing time-travelers, which has to be pretty rare as '80s cartoons go.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast):'' "'''La cour du roi Décepticon'''" ("The court of the Decepticon king")
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''La cour du roi Deceptican'''" ("The court of the Decepticon king")
:*''Title (European French DVD release):'' "'''Un commando Decepticon à la cour du Roi Arthur'''" ("A Decepticon Commando in King Arthur's Court")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Starscream's first line "Wonderful!" was misinterpreted and translated literally, so he strangely says "It's the best!" before complaining about not having energy.
::*Warpath's lines are absent from the dub during the first battle.
::*Rumble's line as he inspects the stones is missing.
::*Ramjet's line "Look! It is not blocked anymore!" is missing.
::*Hoist mistakenly calls Wigend of Blackthorn "Wigend of Blackstone".
::*For the first appearance of Wigend, [[Francis Lax]] voices him with his "hoarse" voice. He then uses that same voice for Aetheling the Red. Consequently, he dubs Wigend with his "classy" voice for the rest of the episode.
::*Unlike in English, Starscream does not use a precise number when talking about the time they have before the Transformers awakening. He says they have "a good fifteen centuries" to go.
::*Wigend mistakenly calls Ramjet "Ratchet". Ramjet has already been called "Ratchet" the previous times he was named in the dub of the series. However, Starscream and Rumble pronounce his name correctly for the rest of the episode.
::*When Starscream asks Megatron "Aren't you happy to see us?", Megatron screams "No"!

'''German'''
:*''Title (Generation 2 dub):'' "'''Sprung in die Vergangenheit'''" ("Jump into the Past")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 9]], [[1994]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''Un Decepticon alla corte di re Artù'''" ("A Decepticon in King Arthur's Court")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::* It's unknown whether this episode was ever broadcast in Italy in the '80s, since the 2008 Italian dub is the only one available now. If an '80s dub had been produced and broadcast, it's currently lost. A similar fate happened to "[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]".

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Time Traveller'''" (タイムトラベラー, "Time Travellers")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 7]], [[1986]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bàtiānhǔ Rùqīn Yàsè Wángcháo'''" (霸天虎入侵亚瑟王朝, "Decepticons Invade King Arthur's Dynasty")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Um Cavaleiro Decepticon na Corte do Rei Arthur'''" ("A Decepticon Knight in King Arthur's Court")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Najeźdźcy na królewskim dworze'''" ("Invaders in King's Court")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Deseptikony pri dvore Korolya Artura'''" (Десептиконы при дворе Короля Артура, "A Decepticons in King Arthur's Court")
:*''Original airdate:''?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 4 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 9 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 04: Stagione Due Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20210527062521/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-2/synopses/700-39.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/190Rwc2PF0Yk4RpKI_PPZb33WIsRV020X/view?usp=sharing First draft script, originally submitted 8th March 1985]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GFwum58xVCsE7FmWgQnnvzL0XCGAheBW Full episode script, as revised by Ron Friedman 13th March 1985]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers

2025-06-25T17:55:29Z

Jackpot: /* Edits and omissions */

{{album
|series=''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers
|image=G1CartoonSoundtrackLPCover.jpg
|caption=
|label=[[Enjoy The Ride Records]]
|releasedate=[[March 8]], [[2018]]
|prodnumber=
|asin=
}}
'''''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers''''' is an official LP release of the score and background music of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] cartoon, as composed by [[Robert J. Walsh]], [[Johnny Douglas]], [[Anne Bryant]], and [[Ford Kinder]].

The album was released in March 2018 by [[Enjoy The Ride Records]]. For initial release, the records were pressed in either [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] red or [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] grey, with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] yellow available as a [[exclusive|store exclusive]]. With a limited run of only 2,000 pieces, these first versions quickly sold out, so in July 2018 subsequent printings were made available in Optimus Prime, Megatron, or [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] themed "split" deco; those reprints lasted longer, finally selling out in late 2021.

==Edits and omissions==
As this was the first official release of the Generation 1 cartoon soundtrack, it attracted considerable fan interest — though since those same fans had been cataloguing that soundtrack for nearly 35 years, it wasn't long before they noticed some unusual recording artifacts and time-saving decisions that [[Hasbro]] had made with the release.

* The first track is, naturally, the original [[theme song]] — but it's not a broadcast version. The singers' voices (presumably Ford Kinder and Anne Bryant) are more distinct, lacking almost all "robotic" flanging effects except for a single "robots in disguise". It also lacks the "transformation noise", which in broadcast played after most instances of the lyrics "the Transformers" and may have been created as a part of the song rather than a sound effect per se (see [[Transformation#The noise]]).<ref>[https://youtu.be/UpTgUEr398A&t=12s The ''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers'' LP] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref>

* The LP features 40 tracks, out of approximately 185 unique musical elements that the series had actually used. A full 25 of those are from season 1 of the cartoon. Only 6 represent season 2, and the remaining 11 are from season 3.

* At least 20 of the tracks — more than half those included — have been shortened for inclusion on the LP. Depending on the track, anywhere between 2 and 45 seconds of music has been omitted. These edited versions were the ones provided by Hasbro to ETRR.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We did not choose the tracks or any edits to what was chosen. It was pre selected by Hasbro and/or Sony so I do not have an answer unfortunately|link=https://twitter.com/EnjoytherideRES/status/975911822992859136|name=Enjoy The Ride Records|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=03|day=20|(defunct=)}}</ref>

==Track listing==
Side A
{{collist|
#Opening Theme Song
#Life
#Cybertron Sorrow
#The Bridge to Iacon
#Unwelcoming Committee
#Prepare
#Attack! Attack!
#Decepticon Drama
#Explore! Repair!
#Facing Disaster
#Ominous Discovery
#Elements of Danger
#Something’s Wrong
#Overcoming the Unstoppable
#No More Worries
#Unyielding
#Heavy Mettle
#Man and Machine
#Matters and Antimatters
#Battle Fearlessly
#Ancient Legends
#The March of War
}}

Side B
{{collist|
#Roll For Home
#The Glimmer of Hope
#Earth to Cybertron
#Into the Jaws of Death
#Doomed Together
#The Wrong Readings Mean the Right Doom
#Transformers Medley
#Mad Planet
#Conflict on Cassette
#Pastoral Tranquility
#From the Secret Files of Teletraan II
#Separation Anxiety
#Synthesized Magic
#Sinister
#Uneasy Advances
#Epic Struggles
#Mysterious Airs
#Waking Nightmare
}}

==Notes==
*The cover artwork is a hodgepodge cobbled together from several sources:
:*The vast majority of it is based on an old [[:File:TFG1.JPG|Japanese piece of artwork]] that was featured on the interior flaps of the dustjacket of ''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations]]'', among other places. However, it's not a simple reuse - presumably in part because no high resolution version of the original artwork was available (the only known versions that could be found on the internet for years were merely about 600x600 pixels in size), the artwork was either digitally "restored", or redrawn entirely… "redrawn" in the sense that it was traced from the original art, with several changes made. Notably, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s right arm and [[concussion weapon|concussion blaster]] are drawn from a completely different angle, with the front end of the blaster now in ''front'' of [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s [[photon rifle]] rather than behind it; said photon rifle has a slightly thicker barrel; Jazz's fairly basic face has numerous "shading" lines added to it that end up looking rather odd due to their line thickness; [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is missing some detail lines on his pelvis; [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] is added behind Jazz; [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s original artwork is replaced by an entirely different piece of art; the Autobots [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] are omitted entirely and replaced by [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], respectively; and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] is replaced by ''something'' that doesn't resemble any known character.
:*The artwork of Ultra Magnus is based on a [[:File:CallofthePrimitives Magnus and Springer.jpg|screencap]] from the ''Generation 1'' cartoon episode "[[Call of the Primitives]]". Like the aforementioned Japanese artwork, Ultra Magnus was presumably also traced from the original image.
:*The aforementioned new artwork of Hound is based on a [[:File:Hound braver roadking armada generics.jpg|screencap]] from the [[First Encounter|first episode]] of ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Transformers: Armada]]'' that featured numerous cameos of [[generic]]s resembling ''Generation 1'' characters, including Hound. Like the rest, Hound was presumably also traced from the original image.
:*The artwork of Bumblebee is based on an image (artist currently unknown) that appears on the inside covers of all four issues of [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s [[The Transformers: Bumblebee|''Bumblebee'' limited series]], as well as on the [[:File:DefinitiveG1Collection v39.jpg|cover]] of volume 39 [[Hachette]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]'', among other places.
:*The artwork of Ironhide is based on a [[:File:DivideandConquer Ironhide liquid nitrogen.jpg|screencap]] from the ''Generation 1'' cartoon episode "[[Divide and Conquer]]".

==External links==
* [https://enjoytheriderecords.com/products/hasbro-studios-presents-80s-tv-classics-music-from-the-transformers Studio website and order page]
* [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.toys.transformers/G7om0E-w_70 Thread] on [[alt.toys.transformers]] by [[Dave Edwards]] detailing the track omissions and edits

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 albums]]

Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers

2025-06-25T17:54:26Z

Jackpot: /* Edits and omissions */ Added clarification about theme-song differences

{{album
|series=''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers
|image=G1CartoonSoundtrackLPCover.jpg
|caption=
|label=[[Enjoy The Ride Records]]
|releasedate=[[March 8]], [[2018]]
|prodnumber=
|asin=
}}
'''''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers''''' is an official LP release of the score and background music of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] cartoon, as composed by [[Robert J. Walsh]], [[Johnny Douglas]], [[Anne Bryant]], and [[Ford Kinder]].

The album was released in March 2018 by [[Enjoy The Ride Records]]. For initial release, the records were pressed in either [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] red or [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] grey, with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] yellow available as a [[exclusive|store exclusive]]. With a limited run of only 2,000 pieces, these first versions quickly sold out, so in July 2018 subsequent printings were made available in Optimus Prime, Megatron, or [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] themed "split" deco; those reprints lasted longer, finally selling out in late 2021.

==Edits and omissions==
As this was the first official release of the Generation 1 cartoon soundtrack, it attracted considerable fan interest — though since those same fans had been cataloguing that soundtrack for nearly 35 years, it wasn't long before they noticed some unusual recording artifacts and time-saving decisions that [[Hasbro]] had made with the release.

* The first track is, naturally, the original [[theme song]] — but it's not a broadcast version. The singers' voices (presumably Ford Kinder and Anne Bryant) are more distinct, lacking almost all "robotic" flanging effects except for a single "robots in disguise". It also lacks the "transformation noise", which in broadcast played after most instances of the lyrics "the Transformers" and may have been originally a part of the song rather than a sound effect per se (see [[Transformation#The noise]]).<ref>[https://youtu.be/UpTgUEr398A&t=12s The ''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers'' LP] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref>

* The LP features 40 tracks, out of approximately 185 unique musical elements that the series had actually used. A full 25 of those are from season 1 of the cartoon. Only 6 represent season 2, and the remaining 11 are from season 3.

* At least 20 of the tracks — more than half those included — have been shortened for inclusion on the LP. Depending on the track, anywhere between 2 and 45 seconds of music has been omitted. These edited versions were the ones provided by Hasbro to ETRR.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We did not choose the tracks or any edits to what was chosen. It was pre selected by Hasbro and/or Sony so I do not have an answer unfortunately|link=https://twitter.com/EnjoytherideRES/status/975911822992859136|name=Enjoy The Ride Records|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=03|day=20|(defunct=)}}</ref>

==Track listing==
Side A
{{collist|
#Opening Theme Song
#Life
#Cybertron Sorrow
#The Bridge to Iacon
#Unwelcoming Committee
#Prepare
#Attack! Attack!
#Decepticon Drama
#Explore! Repair!
#Facing Disaster
#Ominous Discovery
#Elements of Danger
#Something’s Wrong
#Overcoming the Unstoppable
#No More Worries
#Unyielding
#Heavy Mettle
#Man and Machine
#Matters and Antimatters
#Battle Fearlessly
#Ancient Legends
#The March of War
}}

Side B
{{collist|
#Roll For Home
#The Glimmer of Hope
#Earth to Cybertron
#Into the Jaws of Death
#Doomed Together
#The Wrong Readings Mean the Right Doom
#Transformers Medley
#Mad Planet
#Conflict on Cassette
#Pastoral Tranquility
#From the Secret Files of Teletraan II
#Separation Anxiety
#Synthesized Magic
#Sinister
#Uneasy Advances
#Epic Struggles
#Mysterious Airs
#Waking Nightmare
}}

==Notes==
*The cover artwork is a hodgepodge cobbled together from several sources:
:*The vast majority of it is based on an old [[:File:TFG1.JPG|Japanese piece of artwork]] that was featured on the interior flaps of the dustjacket of ''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations]]'', among other places. However, it's not a simple reuse - presumably in part because no high resolution version of the original artwork was available (the only known versions that could be found on the internet for years were merely about 600x600 pixels in size), the artwork was either digitally "restored", or redrawn entirely… "redrawn" in the sense that it was traced from the original art, with several changes made. Notably, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s right arm and [[concussion weapon|concussion blaster]] are drawn from a completely different angle, with the front end of the blaster now in ''front'' of [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s [[photon rifle]] rather than behind it; said photon rifle has a slightly thicker barrel; Jazz's fairly basic face has numerous "shading" lines added to it that end up looking rather odd due to their line thickness; [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is missing some detail lines on his pelvis; [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] is added behind Jazz; [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s original artwork is replaced by an entirely different piece of art; the Autobots [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] are omitted entirely and replaced by [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], respectively; and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] is replaced by ''something'' that doesn't resemble any known character.
:*The artwork of Ultra Magnus is based on a [[:File:CallofthePrimitives Magnus and Springer.jpg|screencap]] from the ''Generation 1'' cartoon episode "[[Call of the Primitives]]". Like the aforementioned Japanese artwork, Ultra Magnus was presumably also traced from the original image.
:*The aforementioned new artwork of Hound is based on a [[:File:Hound braver roadking armada generics.jpg|screencap]] from the [[First Encounter|first episode]] of ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Transformers: Armada]]'' that featured numerous cameos of [[generic]]s resembling ''Generation 1'' characters, including Hound. Like the rest, Hound was presumably also traced from the original image.
:*The artwork of Bumblebee is based on an image (artist currently unknown) that appears on the inside covers of all four issues of [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s [[The Transformers: Bumblebee|''Bumblebee'' limited series]], as well as on the [[:File:DefinitiveG1Collection v39.jpg|cover]] of volume 39 [[Hachette]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]'', among other places.
:*The artwork of Ironhide is based on a [[:File:DivideandConquer Ironhide liquid nitrogen.jpg|screencap]] from the ''Generation 1'' cartoon episode "[[Divide and Conquer]]".

==External links==
* [https://enjoytheriderecords.com/products/hasbro-studios-presents-80s-tv-classics-music-from-the-transformers Studio website and order page]
* [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.toys.transformers/G7om0E-w_70 Thread] on [[alt.toys.transformers]] by [[Dave Edwards]] detailing the track omissions and edits

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 albums]]

Theme song

2025-06-25T17:43:31Z

Jackpot: /* Generation 1 */ Link fix

[[File:Soundwave mixalot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|DJ Soundwave 'gon lay down some sick beats!]]

Wherever ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' goes, it takes with it its '''theme song'''. Its lyrics were established in [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], and most Western ''Transformers'' shows (''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' being the notable exceptions) follow the lyrics, or at the very least an acoustic pattern matching them. No two series have ever used the lyrics in the same order.

{{quote|''The Transformers! More than meets the eye!'' ''Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons!'' ''The Transformers! Robots in disguise!'' ''The Transformers! More than meets the eye!'' ''The Transformers!''|The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] theme song.}}

==Generation 1==
The original, classic [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] theme tune by [[Ford Kinder|Kinder]] & [[Anne Bryant|Bryant]], with its simple, iconic repetition of the brand's rhyming slogans, "more than meets the eye" and "robots in disguise", has formed the basis of most Western ''Transformers'' theme tunes. Various versions of it accompanying the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] [[title sequence]]s and a multitude of [[commercial]]s, it's pretty much burned into the mind of every child of the '80s in the English-speaking Western world, and maybe their parents as well. You say to someone, "Transformers?" and it's not unlikely that you'll hear them jingle back, ''"Ro-bots in dis-guise!"''

The song may have also given us another iconic aural meme, the "[[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]]". The song was featured in the first ''Transformers'' TV appearances, which were commercials for [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel comics]] and [[The Transformers (toyline)|the toys]].<ref>[https://youtu.be/26r6RrCkXGE Montage of several commercials] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref> In them and also in the cartoon season-1 title sequence,<ref>[https://youtu.be/5zFLm8bpAN8 Generation 1 cartoon season-1 title sequence] on the [https://www.youtube.com/@TransformersOfficial TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL YouTube channel]</ref> the noise was heard consistently and exclusively after the lyrics "the Transformers", regardless of whether any transformation was occurring. Sometimes there was, but there were also multiple instances of the noise happening without transforming and transforming happening without the noise. Thus, it seems likely that the noise had not been created to be a sound effect per se, but rather was a part of the song that was repurposed in the cartoon due to someone either misunderstanding the audio mix of the earlier animations or appreciating the happy accident when the noise overlapped transformations and deciding to run with it. [[Hasbro]] could have brought clarity to this issue when they released the song as a track on the [[2018]] LP ''[[Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers]]''. However, this version is not the same as the broadcast ones; it lacks not only the transformation noise, but also almost all "robotic" vocal modifications, with the exception of a single flanged "robots in disguise".<ref>[https://youtu.be/UpTgUEr398A&t=12s The ''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers'' LP] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref>

Seasons 2 and 3 of the series featured their own distinct renditions of the theme tune. Season 2's version was mostly different but the tune and lyrics remain unchanged. Season 3's version is especially distinguished by the unusual "Ah-aah!" chant which is a chorus tune that runs throughout it, and being offbeat compared to those of earlier seasons, which suits Season 3's grim and sci fi orientated nature. (Season 4, having only three episodes, used the previous season's theme.)

For ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', composer [[Vince DiCola]] created several new versions of the tune (featuring instrumental pieces included in other parts of the movie's score), sung by [[Ed Frugé]], [[Gary Falcone]] and [[Stan Bush]], although ultimately, the finished movie used [[The Transformers (Theme)|a power metal arrangement]] by [[Lion]] with additional verses in between the familiar chorus.

Various iterations of the theme were incorporated into many pieces of the show's stock background music, which was composed by [[Robert J. Walsh]]. The show's [[commercial bumper]]s used the theme song as well.

The closing theme of the first two seasons had a different orchestration, dominated by guitar and horn. An instrumental version of the Season 3 theme was used as the closing theme of that season and Season 4.

==''Generation 2''==
''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Generation 2]]'' had a new theme arranged by [[Kinder & Company]]. This theme was more orchestral-sounding and retained only the "robots in disguise" opening of the original theme.

==Beast Era==
As the first new Transformers cartoons since Generation 1, ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' featured new theme tunes that owed nothing to the original; in years to come, this would make them the distinct exceptions amongst their animated brethren. ''Beast Wars'' features an instrumental theme tune with occasional roaring shouts of "Beast Wars!" (unless you lived in Canada, in which case they were shouting "Beasties!"). The theme was composed by [[Robert Buckley]], who composed and performed all of the show's background music as well. The motifs of the ''Beast Wars'' theme show up in many scenes during the show itself.

During the episode [[The Agenda (Part 2)]], Decepticon-turned-Predacon [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] turns on the Maximals, declares "Decepticons Forever!" and transforms to his G1 cassette-mode, slotting into a control panel. For this brief moment of uber-fan-wank, Mainframe wanted to briefly insert the original G1 theme, but were unable to acquire the rights. Instead Ravage's transformation was set to the original G1 transformation sound, and lo, there was much rejoicing.

''Beast Machines'' stands out even further, having licensed the pre-existing song, [[Leftfield]]'s "[[Phat Planet]]," to serve as its theme, though with several additional SFX such as animal snarls and gunfire for the background. However, Buckley continued to supply background music for the show itself, though it had more of a hip-hop/techno feel than its predecessor. Another song related to Beast Machines, "[[Evolution Revolution]]," was produced by Fox Kids for use in preview materials but was not heard in the series itself.

==''Robots In Disguise'' (2001)==
The fandom just about wet itself when ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' became the first cartoon since Generation 1 to employ a variation of the classic theme tune, although there were a few surprises along the way. First, an mp3 of what appeared to be the new theme tune was released online, but when the series actually debuted, everyone was a bit surprised to discover that its theme was an entirely ''different'' variation of the G1 theme, most notable for adding the new line, "Change before your eyes," in place of "more than meets the eye." The mp3 turned out to be the new commercial jingle by [[Marc S. Pearlman]], which featured in commercials for all subsequent lines. The actual opening theme used in the show was arranged by [[Saban Entertainment|Saban]] mainstay [[Paul Gordon]]; an extended version of the theme song could at one time be heard on his website, [http://www.stayawakemusic.com/composer.htm Stay Awake Music]; that site no longer exists, but the song can still be heard [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo6VEqnwivc here].

==The Unicron Trilogy==
''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' followed this trend, featuring a trance version of the classic theme, sans lyrics (with a [[narrator]] lecturing the audience on the premise of the show instead). A second arrangement, however, was included as an "insert song" during episodes, and featured the traditional "more than meets the eye" and "robots in disguise" lines. The [[Transformers (Armada PS2)|''Armada'' video game]], meanwhile, included a stirring orchestral version of the theme composed by [[Ric Formosa]], in addition to a metal version by [[Dropbox]], an odd techno version by [[Regurgitator]], and a funk version by [[The Brown Hornet]], the latter of which was used over the end credits.

The ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' cartoon's theme featured another new version of the classic theme, this time with lyrics, the transformation sound mixed in at various points, and a keyboard solo during the middle eight. The vocal track is actually re-used from the previously mentioned ''Robots in Disguise'' toy commercials. The name of the show is also announced at the end of the song.

''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' offered a unique version of the tune by British DJ [[Paul Oakenfold]], with energetic shouts of the brand and faction names. It also includes a narration by [[Garry Chalk|Optimus Prime]], explaining how the Autobots have to find the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s and namedropping several members of the Autobot team. Perhaps most significantly, it featured the return of the long-lost line, "Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons"—albeit simply spoken by Oakenfold during the middle-eight, rather than sung.

==Live-action films==
As part of the [[Sector Seven (game)|viral marketing]] for the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]], an mp3 of Linkin Park soundalikes "[[DECEPTIBOT]]" performing a song that included the classic theme as a chorus was released online. The song also featured a roll call of the Autobots in the movie while excluding [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] as... well, we all know what [[Death|happened]] to Jazz. This song didn't feature in the movie or on the soundtrack, though. Instead, [[MuteMath]] performed a <s>whiny and emo</s> laid back version of the tune for the soundtrack, although it didn't appear in the film itself. Ironically, the Deceptibot theme does appear in the IMAX extended cut of the film, though none of the lyrics are heard.

In 2009, the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Revenge of the Fallen: The Album|soundtrack]] featured a cover of Lion's version of the ''Transformers'' theme song by the American band [[Cheap Trick]].

==''Animated''==
''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' continued this tradition with yet another new variation of the theme by [[Andy Sturmer]] and [[Sebastian Evans II]], including an entirely new rhyming couplet, "More than they appear/Justice, bolts, and gears!" However, because the opening credits had to be shortened from one minute down to thirty seconds, this new verse had to be omitted from the final broadcast version of the opening. The full, uncut theme song is available on the DVD that comes in the Optimus Prime vs. Megatron - The Battle Begins 2-pack, and was available for download in mp3 format on Hasbro's website.

==''Prime''==
''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' on the other hand, eschewed the theme for a classical composition by [[Brian Tyler]] (which goes for more of a "Hollywood blockbuster movie theme" vibe similar to [[Steve Jablonsky]]'s "Arrival to Earth" from the [[Transformers (film)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie]]'s [[Transformers: The Score|score]] or Michael Giacchino's "Enterprising Young Men" from the 2009 ''Star Trek'' film, both of which Orci and Kurtzman were also involved with). The "[[Darkness Rising]]" mini-series didn't have an opening theme, only showing the title and development credits following the cold open. The theme was re-recorded for Season 3 in line with the ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' subline, and was dropped for the final three episodes of the series, starting with "[[Persuasion]]", reverting to just the title and development credits of "Darkness Rising", presumably to save screentime during these final episodes. Years later, Tyler would incorporate motifs from this theme into his score for ''[[Transformers One (film)|Transformers One]]''.

==''Rescue Bots''==
''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' also did its own thing, opting for a rock/pop opening composed by the show's incidental musicians, husband and wife team [[Starr Parodi]] and [[Jeff Eden Fair]]. The lyrics, written by [[Nicole Dubuc]] and sung by Marianas Trench front-man [[Josh Ramsay]], describe the show's premise.

At the climax of the musical episode "[[I Have Heard the Robots Singing]]", the main cast sings a revamped version of the theme song.

The show's sequel, ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'', has a different, shorter and more dramatic theme to it. Unlike ''Rescue Bots'', ''Rescue Bots Academy'' features a short roll call of the main cast partway through the song. [[Doug Califano]] composed the theme, with vocals by [[Zach Allen]].

==''Robots in Disguise'' (2015)==
The theme for the 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoon uses the original Transformers theme as a jumping off point for a composition of its own, suspense-building with rising horns and a meaty guitar riff at the end. [[Kevin Kiner]] rearranged the theme for the show.

==''Cyberverse''==
''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' features a new track dominated by heavy guitars, though it still ends on the familiar call of "more than meets the eye". The track was composed by [[Max Repka]] and [[Toonocracy LLC]].

==''BotBots''==
The ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|BotBots]]'' cartoon features an upbeat techno-pop theme that describes the show's basic backstory and premise, placing heavy emphasis on the line's core concept of "literally anything could secretly be a tiny robot." The theme was composed by [[Igor Correia]] and [[Jeff Milutinovic]] of TV music production group [[The Wilders]].

==''EarthSpark''==
The ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'''s cartoon's opening titles are a few seconds long, so there is only time for a few synthwave notes overlaid with sound effects including the [[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]]. This is in line with the series' score, which is composed and recorded by electronica producers [[Crush Effect]].

==Theme songs in other countries==
There are many [[Japanese themes]], with different openings and closings for each series. Many different performers have contributed songs over the years. One of the songs is totally about how [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] [[Cybertron Banzai|wet the bed as a kid]]. Seriously. The opening for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' ("[[Honō no Overdrive: Car Robot Cybertron|Honō no Overdrive ~Car Robot Cybertron~]]" performed by [[Kōji Wada]]) has the lyrics "Go Boy! Convoy!" It's kind of dubious. Interestingly enough, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Legends of the Microns]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> "[[Transformer: Dream Again]]" features the phrase "More than Meets the Eye" uttered just before the refrain, while ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "[[Call You... Kimi to Boku no Mirai|CALL YOU... Kimi to Boku no Mirai]]" has the phrase "Robots in Disguise" during the bridge in the full version.

France kept almost all the original openings. The ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' French opening just removed the voice shouting "Beast Machines!" when the logo appears. However, the ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'' and ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|BotBots]]'' opening theme songs were translated and sang in French. For the dubs of the ''[[Unicron Trilogy]]'', the English theme songs were used (with the talking parts translated in French), since the three cartoons were dubbed from the English dub version rather than the original Japanese. Curiously, in the ''Cybertron'' opening, the moment when Optimus Prime names the various Autobots one by one is replaced by him saying "I know I can count on the dedication and loyalty of all of you to achieve this goal".

The French-Canadian one uses the same music as the original Season 1 theme song, but with the lyrics translated to French.

In Germany, the ''Animated'' theme song is the same, but translated into German. This makes ''Animated'' the first Transformers series to air there with a German theme instead of the original.

Italy kept the original openings for most of the series, except for the ''[[Transformers Generation 2 (Italian opening)|Generation 2]]'' cartoon, ''[[Rombi di Tuono e Cieli di Fuoco per i Biocombat|Beast Wars]]'', the [[Transformers (Superobots)|DVD]] [[Cybertron (Superobots)|release]] of ''Robots in Disguise'', later reruns of ''[[Transformers Energon (Italian opening)|Energon]]'' and the first season of ''[[Transformers Prime (Italian opening)|Prime]]'', which got brand new openings. Also, the TV broadcast of ''Robots in Disguise'' used an instrumental version of the English opening.
{{musicstub}}

==Merchandise==
===DropMix===
{{toystub}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Real-world songs]]

Theme song

2025-06-25T17:41:40Z

Jackpot: /* Generation 1 */

[[File:Soundwave mixalot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|DJ Soundwave 'gon lay down some sick beats!]]

Wherever ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' goes, it takes with it its '''theme song'''. Its lyrics were established in [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], and most Western ''Transformers'' shows (''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' being the notable exceptions) follow the lyrics, or at the very least an acoustic pattern matching them. No two series have ever used the lyrics in the same order.

{{quote|''The Transformers! More than meets the eye!'' ''Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons!'' ''The Transformers! Robots in disguise!'' ''The Transformers! More than meets the eye!'' ''The Transformers!''|The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] theme song.}}

==Generation 1==
The original, classic [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] theme tune by [[Ford Kinder|Kinder]] & [[Anne Bryant|Bryant]], with its simple, iconic repetition of the brand's rhyming slogans, "more than meets the eye" and "robots in disguise", has formed the basis of most Western ''Transformers'' theme tunes. Various versions of it accompanying the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] [[title sequence]]s and a multitude of [[commercial]]s, it's pretty much burned into the mind of every child of the '80s in the English-speaking Western world, and maybe their parents as well. You say to someone, "Transformers?" and it's not unlikely that you'll hear them jingle back, ''"Ro-bots in dis-guise!"''

The song may have also given us another iconic aural meme, the "[[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]]". The song was featured in the first ''Transformers'' TV appearances, which were commercials for [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel comics]] and [[The Transformers (toyline)|the toys]].<ref>[https://youtu.be/26r6RrCkXGE Montage of several commercials] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref> In them and also in the cartoon season-1 title sequence,<ref>[https://youtu.be/5zFLm8bpAN8 Generation 1 cartoon season-1 title sequence] on the [https://www.youtube.com/@TransformersOfficial TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL YouTube channel]</ref> the noise was heard consistently and exclusively after the lyrics "the Transformers", regardless of whether any transformation was occurring. Sometimes there was, but there were also multiple instances of the noise happening without transforming and transforming happening without the noise. Thus, it seems likely that the noise had not been created to be a sound effect per se, but rather was a part of the song that was repurposed in the cartoon due to someone either misunderstanding the audio mix of the earlier animations or appreciating the happy accident when the noise overlapped transformations and deciding to run with it. [[Hasbro]] could have brought clarity to this issue when they released the song as a track on the [[2018]] LP ''[[Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers]]''. However, this version is not the same as the broadcast ones; it lacks not only the transformation noise, but also almost all "robotic" vocal modifications, with the exception of a single flanged "robots in disguise".<ref>[https://youtu.be/UpTgUEr398A&t=12s The ''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers'' LP] on [[https://youtube.com YouTube]]</ref>

Seasons 2 and 3 of the series featured their own distinct renditions of the theme tune. Season 2's version was mostly different but the tune and lyrics remain unchanged. Season 3's version is especially distinguished by the unusual "Ah-aah!" chant which is a chorus tune that runs throughout it, and being offbeat compared to those of earlier seasons, which suits Season 3's grim and sci fi orientated nature. (Season 4, having only three episodes, used the previous season's theme.)

For ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', composer [[Vince DiCola]] created several new versions of the tune (featuring instrumental pieces included in other parts of the movie's score), sung by [[Ed Frugé]], [[Gary Falcone]] and [[Stan Bush]], although ultimately, the finished movie used [[The Transformers (Theme)|a power metal arrangement]] by [[Lion]] with additional verses in between the familiar chorus.

Various iterations of the theme were incorporated into many pieces of the show's stock background music, which was composed by [[Robert J. Walsh]]. The show's [[commercial bumper]]s used the theme song as well.

The closing theme of the first two seasons had a different orchestration, dominated by guitar and horn. An instrumental version of the Season 3 theme was used as the closing theme of that season and Season 4.

==''Generation 2''==
''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Generation 2]]'' had a new theme arranged by [[Kinder & Company]]. This theme was more orchestral-sounding and retained only the "robots in disguise" opening of the original theme.

==Beast Era==
As the first new Transformers cartoons since Generation 1, ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' featured new theme tunes that owed nothing to the original; in years to come, this would make them the distinct exceptions amongst their animated brethren. ''Beast Wars'' features an instrumental theme tune with occasional roaring shouts of "Beast Wars!" (unless you lived in Canada, in which case they were shouting "Beasties!"). The theme was composed by [[Robert Buckley]], who composed and performed all of the show's background music as well. The motifs of the ''Beast Wars'' theme show up in many scenes during the show itself.

During the episode [[The Agenda (Part 2)]], Decepticon-turned-Predacon [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] turns on the Maximals, declares "Decepticons Forever!" and transforms to his G1 cassette-mode, slotting into a control panel. For this brief moment of uber-fan-wank, Mainframe wanted to briefly insert the original G1 theme, but were unable to acquire the rights. Instead Ravage's transformation was set to the original G1 transformation sound, and lo, there was much rejoicing.

''Beast Machines'' stands out even further, having licensed the pre-existing song, [[Leftfield]]'s "[[Phat Planet]]," to serve as its theme, though with several additional SFX such as animal snarls and gunfire for the background. However, Buckley continued to supply background music for the show itself, though it had more of a hip-hop/techno feel than its predecessor. Another song related to Beast Machines, "[[Evolution Revolution]]," was produced by Fox Kids for use in preview materials but was not heard in the series itself.

==''Robots In Disguise'' (2001)==
The fandom just about wet itself when ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' became the first cartoon since Generation 1 to employ a variation of the classic theme tune, although there were a few surprises along the way. First, an mp3 of what appeared to be the new theme tune was released online, but when the series actually debuted, everyone was a bit surprised to discover that its theme was an entirely ''different'' variation of the G1 theme, most notable for adding the new line, "Change before your eyes," in place of "more than meets the eye." The mp3 turned out to be the new commercial jingle by [[Marc S. Pearlman]], which featured in commercials for all subsequent lines. The actual opening theme used in the show was arranged by [[Saban Entertainment|Saban]] mainstay [[Paul Gordon]]; an extended version of the theme song could at one time be heard on his website, [http://www.stayawakemusic.com/composer.htm Stay Awake Music]; that site no longer exists, but the song can still be heard [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo6VEqnwivc here].

==The Unicron Trilogy==
''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' followed this trend, featuring a trance version of the classic theme, sans lyrics (with a [[narrator]] lecturing the audience on the premise of the show instead). A second arrangement, however, was included as an "insert song" during episodes, and featured the traditional "more than meets the eye" and "robots in disguise" lines. The [[Transformers (Armada PS2)|''Armada'' video game]], meanwhile, included a stirring orchestral version of the theme composed by [[Ric Formosa]], in addition to a metal version by [[Dropbox]], an odd techno version by [[Regurgitator]], and a funk version by [[The Brown Hornet]], the latter of which was used over the end credits.

The ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' cartoon's theme featured another new version of the classic theme, this time with lyrics, the transformation sound mixed in at various points, and a keyboard solo during the middle eight. The vocal track is actually re-used from the previously mentioned ''Robots in Disguise'' toy commercials. The name of the show is also announced at the end of the song.

''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' offered a unique version of the tune by British DJ [[Paul Oakenfold]], with energetic shouts of the brand and faction names. It also includes a narration by [[Garry Chalk|Optimus Prime]], explaining how the Autobots have to find the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s and namedropping several members of the Autobot team. Perhaps most significantly, it featured the return of the long-lost line, "Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons"—albeit simply spoken by Oakenfold during the middle-eight, rather than sung.

==Live-action films==
As part of the [[Sector Seven (game)|viral marketing]] for the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]], an mp3 of Linkin Park soundalikes "[[DECEPTIBOT]]" performing a song that included the classic theme as a chorus was released online. The song also featured a roll call of the Autobots in the movie while excluding [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] as... well, we all know what [[Death|happened]] to Jazz. This song didn't feature in the movie or on the soundtrack, though. Instead, [[MuteMath]] performed a <s>whiny and emo</s> laid back version of the tune for the soundtrack, although it didn't appear in the film itself. Ironically, the Deceptibot theme does appear in the IMAX extended cut of the film, though none of the lyrics are heard.

In 2009, the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Revenge of the Fallen: The Album|soundtrack]] featured a cover of Lion's version of the ''Transformers'' theme song by the American band [[Cheap Trick]].

==''Animated''==
''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' continued this tradition with yet another new variation of the theme by [[Andy Sturmer]] and [[Sebastian Evans II]], including an entirely new rhyming couplet, "More than they appear/Justice, bolts, and gears!" However, because the opening credits had to be shortened from one minute down to thirty seconds, this new verse had to be omitted from the final broadcast version of the opening. The full, uncut theme song is available on the DVD that comes in the Optimus Prime vs. Megatron - The Battle Begins 2-pack, and was available for download in mp3 format on Hasbro's website.

==''Prime''==
''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' on the other hand, eschewed the theme for a classical composition by [[Brian Tyler]] (which goes for more of a "Hollywood blockbuster movie theme" vibe similar to [[Steve Jablonsky]]'s "Arrival to Earth" from the [[Transformers (film)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie]]'s [[Transformers: The Score|score]] or Michael Giacchino's "Enterprising Young Men" from the 2009 ''Star Trek'' film, both of which Orci and Kurtzman were also involved with). The "[[Darkness Rising]]" mini-series didn't have an opening theme, only showing the title and development credits following the cold open. The theme was re-recorded for Season 3 in line with the ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' subline, and was dropped for the final three episodes of the series, starting with "[[Persuasion]]", reverting to just the title and development credits of "Darkness Rising", presumably to save screentime during these final episodes. Years later, Tyler would incorporate motifs from this theme into his score for ''[[Transformers One (film)|Transformers One]]''.

==''Rescue Bots''==
''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' also did its own thing, opting for a rock/pop opening composed by the show's incidental musicians, husband and wife team [[Starr Parodi]] and [[Jeff Eden Fair]]. The lyrics, written by [[Nicole Dubuc]] and sung by Marianas Trench front-man [[Josh Ramsay]], describe the show's premise.

At the climax of the musical episode "[[I Have Heard the Robots Singing]]", the main cast sings a revamped version of the theme song.

The show's sequel, ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'', has a different, shorter and more dramatic theme to it. Unlike ''Rescue Bots'', ''Rescue Bots Academy'' features a short roll call of the main cast partway through the song. [[Doug Califano]] composed the theme, with vocals by [[Zach Allen]].

==''Robots in Disguise'' (2015)==
The theme for the 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoon uses the original Transformers theme as a jumping off point for a composition of its own, suspense-building with rising horns and a meaty guitar riff at the end. [[Kevin Kiner]] rearranged the theme for the show.

==''Cyberverse''==
''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' features a new track dominated by heavy guitars, though it still ends on the familiar call of "more than meets the eye". The track was composed by [[Max Repka]] and [[Toonocracy LLC]].

==''BotBots''==
The ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|BotBots]]'' cartoon features an upbeat techno-pop theme that describes the show's basic backstory and premise, placing heavy emphasis on the line's core concept of "literally anything could secretly be a tiny robot." The theme was composed by [[Igor Correia]] and [[Jeff Milutinovic]] of TV music production group [[The Wilders]].

==''EarthSpark''==
The ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'''s cartoon's opening titles are a few seconds long, so there is only time for a few synthwave notes overlaid with sound effects including the [[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]]. This is in line with the series' score, which is composed and recorded by electronica producers [[Crush Effect]].

==Theme songs in other countries==
There are many [[Japanese themes]], with different openings and closings for each series. Many different performers have contributed songs over the years. One of the songs is totally about how [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] [[Cybertron Banzai|wet the bed as a kid]]. Seriously. The opening for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' ("[[Honō no Overdrive: Car Robot Cybertron|Honō no Overdrive ~Car Robot Cybertron~]]" performed by [[Kōji Wada]]) has the lyrics "Go Boy! Convoy!" It's kind of dubious. Interestingly enough, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Legends of the Microns]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> "[[Transformer: Dream Again]]" features the phrase "More than Meets the Eye" uttered just before the refrain, while ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "[[Call You... Kimi to Boku no Mirai|CALL YOU... Kimi to Boku no Mirai]]" has the phrase "Robots in Disguise" during the bridge in the full version.

France kept almost all the original openings. The ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' French opening just removed the voice shouting "Beast Machines!" when the logo appears. However, the ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'' and ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|BotBots]]'' opening theme songs were translated and sang in French. For the dubs of the ''[[Unicron Trilogy]]'', the English theme songs were used (with the talking parts translated in French), since the three cartoons were dubbed from the English dub version rather than the original Japanese. Curiously, in the ''Cybertron'' opening, the moment when Optimus Prime names the various Autobots one by one is replaced by him saying "I know I can count on the dedication and loyalty of all of you to achieve this goal".

The French-Canadian one uses the same music as the original Season 1 theme song, but with the lyrics translated to French.

In Germany, the ''Animated'' theme song is the same, but translated into German. This makes ''Animated'' the first Transformers series to air there with a German theme instead of the original.

Italy kept the original openings for most of the series, except for the ''[[Transformers Generation 2 (Italian opening)|Generation 2]]'' cartoon, ''[[Rombi di Tuono e Cieli di Fuoco per i Biocombat|Beast Wars]]'', the [[Transformers (Superobots)|DVD]] [[Cybertron (Superobots)|release]] of ''Robots in Disguise'', later reruns of ''[[Transformers Energon (Italian opening)|Energon]]'' and the first season of ''[[Transformers Prime (Italian opening)|Prime]]'', which got brand new openings. Also, the TV broadcast of ''Robots in Disguise'' used an instrumental version of the English opening.
{{musicstub}}

==Merchandise==
===DropMix===
{{toystub}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Real-world songs]]

Theme song

2025-06-25T17:39:11Z

Jackpot: /* Generation 1 */ Added info about the transformation noise; cleaned up various other things

[[File:Soundwave mixalot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|DJ Soundwave 'gon lay down some sick beats!]]

Wherever ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' goes, it takes with it its '''theme song'''. Its lyrics were established in [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], and most Western ''Transformers'' shows (''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' being the notable exceptions) follow the lyrics, or at the very least an acoustic pattern matching them. No two series have ever used the lyrics in the same order.

{{quote|''The Transformers! More than meets the eye!'' ''Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons!'' ''The Transformers! Robots in disguise!'' ''The Transformers! More than meets the eye!'' ''The Transformers!''|The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] theme song.}}

==Generation 1==
The original, classic [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] theme tune by [[Ford Kinder|Kinder]] & [[Anne Bryant|Bryant]], with its simple, iconic repetition of the brand's rhyming slogans, "more than meets the eye" and "robots in disguise", has formed the basis of most Western ''Transformers'' theme tunes. Various versions of it accompanying the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] [[title sequence]]s and a multitude of [[commercial]]s, it's pretty much burned into the mind of every child of the '80s in the English-speaking Western world, and maybe their parents as well. You say to someone, "Transformers?" and it's not unlikely that you'll hear them jingle back, ''"Ro-bots in dis-guise!"''

The song may have also given us another iconic aural meme, the "[[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]]". The song was featured in the first ''Transformers'' TV appearances, which were commercials for [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel comics]] and [[The Transformers (toyline)|the toys]].<ref>[https://youtu.be/26r6RrCkXGE Montage of several commercials] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref> In them and also in the cartoon season-1 title sequence, the noise was heard consistently and exclusively after the lyrics "the Transformers", regardless of whether any transformation was occurring.<ref>[https://youtu.be/5zFLm8bpAN8 Generation 1 cartoon season-1 title sequence] on the [https://www.youtube.com/@TransformersOfficial TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL YouTube channel]</ref> Sometimes there was, but there were also multiple instances of the noise happening without transforming and transforming happening without the noise. Thus, it seems likely that the noise had not been created to be a sound effect per se, but rather was repurposed as such in the cartoon due to someone either misunderstanding the audio mix of the earlier animations or appreciating the happy accident when the noise overlapped transformations and deciding to run with it. [[Hasbro]] could have brought clarity to this issue when they released the song as a track on the [[2018]] LP ''[[Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers]]''. However, this version is not the same as the broadcast ones; it lacks not only the transformation noise, but also almost all "robotic" vocal modifications, with the exception of a single flanged "robots in disguise".<ref>[https://youtu.be/UpTgUEr398A&t=12s The ''Hasbro Studios Presents 80s TV Classics: Music From The Transformers'' LP] on [[https://youtube.com YouTube]]</ref>

Seasons 2 and 3 of the series featured their own distinct renditions of the theme tune. Season 2's version was mostly different but the tune and lyrics remain unchanged. Season 3's version is especially distinguished by the unusual "Ah-aah!" chant which is a chorus tune that runs throughout it, and being offbeat compared to those of earlier seasons, which suits Season 3's grim and sci fi orientated nature. (Season 4, having only three episodes, used the previous season's theme.)

For ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', composer [[Vince DiCola]] created several new versions of the tune (featuring instrumental pieces included in other parts of the movie's score), sung by [[Ed Frugé]], [[Gary Falcone]] and [[Stan Bush]], although ultimately, the finished movie used [[The Transformers (Theme)|a power metal arrangement]] by [[Lion]] with additional verses in between the familiar chorus.

Various iterations of the theme were incorporated into many pieces of the show's stock background music, which was composed by [[Robert J. Walsh]]. The show's [[commercial bumper]]s used the theme song as well.

The closing theme of the first two seasons had a different orchestration, dominated by guitar and horn. An instrumental version of the Season 3 theme was used as the closing theme of that season and Season 4.

==''Generation 2''==
''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Generation 2]]'' had a new theme arranged by [[Kinder & Company]]. This theme was more orchestral-sounding and retained only the "robots in disguise" opening of the original theme.

==Beast Era==
As the first new Transformers cartoons since Generation 1, ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' featured new theme tunes that owed nothing to the original; in years to come, this would make them the distinct exceptions amongst their animated brethren. ''Beast Wars'' features an instrumental theme tune with occasional roaring shouts of "Beast Wars!" (unless you lived in Canada, in which case they were shouting "Beasties!"). The theme was composed by [[Robert Buckley]], who composed and performed all of the show's background music as well. The motifs of the ''Beast Wars'' theme show up in many scenes during the show itself.

During the episode [[The Agenda (Part 2)]], Decepticon-turned-Predacon [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] turns on the Maximals, declares "Decepticons Forever!" and transforms to his G1 cassette-mode, slotting into a control panel. For this brief moment of uber-fan-wank, Mainframe wanted to briefly insert the original G1 theme, but were unable to acquire the rights. Instead Ravage's transformation was set to the original G1 transformation sound, and lo, there was much rejoicing.

''Beast Machines'' stands out even further, having licensed the pre-existing song, [[Leftfield]]'s "[[Phat Planet]]," to serve as its theme, though with several additional SFX such as animal snarls and gunfire for the background. However, Buckley continued to supply background music for the show itself, though it had more of a hip-hop/techno feel than its predecessor. Another song related to Beast Machines, "[[Evolution Revolution]]," was produced by Fox Kids for use in preview materials but was not heard in the series itself.

==''Robots In Disguise'' (2001)==
The fandom just about wet itself when ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' became the first cartoon since Generation 1 to employ a variation of the classic theme tune, although there were a few surprises along the way. First, an mp3 of what appeared to be the new theme tune was released online, but when the series actually debuted, everyone was a bit surprised to discover that its theme was an entirely ''different'' variation of the G1 theme, most notable for adding the new line, "Change before your eyes," in place of "more than meets the eye." The mp3 turned out to be the new commercial jingle by [[Marc S. Pearlman]], which featured in commercials for all subsequent lines. The actual opening theme used in the show was arranged by [[Saban Entertainment|Saban]] mainstay [[Paul Gordon]]; an extended version of the theme song could at one time be heard on his website, [http://www.stayawakemusic.com/composer.htm Stay Awake Music]; that site no longer exists, but the song can still be heard [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo6VEqnwivc here].

==The Unicron Trilogy==
''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' followed this trend, featuring a trance version of the classic theme, sans lyrics (with a [[narrator]] lecturing the audience on the premise of the show instead). A second arrangement, however, was included as an "insert song" during episodes, and featured the traditional "more than meets the eye" and "robots in disguise" lines. The [[Transformers (Armada PS2)|''Armada'' video game]], meanwhile, included a stirring orchestral version of the theme composed by [[Ric Formosa]], in addition to a metal version by [[Dropbox]], an odd techno version by [[Regurgitator]], and a funk version by [[The Brown Hornet]], the latter of which was used over the end credits.

The ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' cartoon's theme featured another new version of the classic theme, this time with lyrics, the transformation sound mixed in at various points, and a keyboard solo during the middle eight. The vocal track is actually re-used from the previously mentioned ''Robots in Disguise'' toy commercials. The name of the show is also announced at the end of the song.

''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' offered a unique version of the tune by British DJ [[Paul Oakenfold]], with energetic shouts of the brand and faction names. It also includes a narration by [[Garry Chalk|Optimus Prime]], explaining how the Autobots have to find the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s and namedropping several members of the Autobot team. Perhaps most significantly, it featured the return of the long-lost line, "Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons"—albeit simply spoken by Oakenfold during the middle-eight, rather than sung.

==Live-action films==
As part of the [[Sector Seven (game)|viral marketing]] for the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]], an mp3 of Linkin Park soundalikes "[[DECEPTIBOT]]" performing a song that included the classic theme as a chorus was released online. The song also featured a roll call of the Autobots in the movie while excluding [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] as... well, we all know what [[Death|happened]] to Jazz. This song didn't feature in the movie or on the soundtrack, though. Instead, [[MuteMath]] performed a <s>whiny and emo</s> laid back version of the tune for the soundtrack, although it didn't appear in the film itself. Ironically, the Deceptibot theme does appear in the IMAX extended cut of the film, though none of the lyrics are heard.

In 2009, the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Revenge of the Fallen: The Album|soundtrack]] featured a cover of Lion's version of the ''Transformers'' theme song by the American band [[Cheap Trick]].

==''Animated''==
''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' continued this tradition with yet another new variation of the theme by [[Andy Sturmer]] and [[Sebastian Evans II]], including an entirely new rhyming couplet, "More than they appear/Justice, bolts, and gears!" However, because the opening credits had to be shortened from one minute down to thirty seconds, this new verse had to be omitted from the final broadcast version of the opening. The full, uncut theme song is available on the DVD that comes in the Optimus Prime vs. Megatron - The Battle Begins 2-pack, and was available for download in mp3 format on Hasbro's website.

==''Prime''==
''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' on the other hand, eschewed the theme for a classical composition by [[Brian Tyler]] (which goes for more of a "Hollywood blockbuster movie theme" vibe similar to [[Steve Jablonsky]]'s "Arrival to Earth" from the [[Transformers (film)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie]]'s [[Transformers: The Score|score]] or Michael Giacchino's "Enterprising Young Men" from the 2009 ''Star Trek'' film, both of which Orci and Kurtzman were also involved with). The "[[Darkness Rising]]" mini-series didn't have an opening theme, only showing the title and development credits following the cold open. The theme was re-recorded for Season 3 in line with the ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' subline, and was dropped for the final three episodes of the series, starting with "[[Persuasion]]", reverting to just the title and development credits of "Darkness Rising", presumably to save screentime during these final episodes. Years later, Tyler would incorporate motifs from this theme into his score for ''[[Transformers One (film)|Transformers One]]''.

==''Rescue Bots''==
''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' also did its own thing, opting for a rock/pop opening composed by the show's incidental musicians, husband and wife team [[Starr Parodi]] and [[Jeff Eden Fair]]. The lyrics, written by [[Nicole Dubuc]] and sung by Marianas Trench front-man [[Josh Ramsay]], describe the show's premise.

At the climax of the musical episode "[[I Have Heard the Robots Singing]]", the main cast sings a revamped version of the theme song.

The show's sequel, ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'', has a different, shorter and more dramatic theme to it. Unlike ''Rescue Bots'', ''Rescue Bots Academy'' features a short roll call of the main cast partway through the song. [[Doug Califano]] composed the theme, with vocals by [[Zach Allen]].

==''Robots in Disguise'' (2015)==
The theme for the 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoon uses the original Transformers theme as a jumping off point for a composition of its own, suspense-building with rising horns and a meaty guitar riff at the end. [[Kevin Kiner]] rearranged the theme for the show.

==''Cyberverse''==
''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' features a new track dominated by heavy guitars, though it still ends on the familiar call of "more than meets the eye". The track was composed by [[Max Repka]] and [[Toonocracy LLC]].

==''BotBots''==
The ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|BotBots]]'' cartoon features an upbeat techno-pop theme that describes the show's basic backstory and premise, placing heavy emphasis on the line's core concept of "literally anything could secretly be a tiny robot." The theme was composed by [[Igor Correia]] and [[Jeff Milutinovic]] of TV music production group [[The Wilders]].

==''EarthSpark''==
The ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'''s cartoon's opening titles are a few seconds long, so there is only time for a few synthwave notes overlaid with sound effects including the [[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]]. This is in line with the series' score, which is composed and recorded by electronica producers [[Crush Effect]].

==Theme songs in other countries==
There are many [[Japanese themes]], with different openings and closings for each series. Many different performers have contributed songs over the years. One of the songs is totally about how [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] [[Cybertron Banzai|wet the bed as a kid]]. Seriously. The opening for ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' ("[[Honō no Overdrive: Car Robot Cybertron|Honō no Overdrive ~Car Robot Cybertron~]]" performed by [[Kōji Wada]]) has the lyrics "Go Boy! Convoy!" It's kind of dubious. Interestingly enough, ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Legends of the Microns]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> "[[Transformer: Dream Again]]" features the phrase "More than Meets the Eye" uttered just before the refrain, while ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "[[Call You... Kimi to Boku no Mirai|CALL YOU... Kimi to Boku no Mirai]]" has the phrase "Robots in Disguise" during the bridge in the full version.

France kept almost all the original openings. The ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' French opening just removed the voice shouting "Beast Machines!" when the logo appears. However, the ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'' and ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|BotBots]]'' opening theme songs were translated and sang in French. For the dubs of the ''[[Unicron Trilogy]]'', the English theme songs were used (with the talking parts translated in French), since the three cartoons were dubbed from the English dub version rather than the original Japanese. Curiously, in the ''Cybertron'' opening, the moment when Optimus Prime names the various Autobots one by one is replaced by him saying "I know I can count on the dedication and loyalty of all of you to achieve this goal".

The French-Canadian one uses the same music as the original Season 1 theme song, but with the lyrics translated to French.

In Germany, the ''Animated'' theme song is the same, but translated into German. This makes ''Animated'' the first Transformers series to air there with a German theme instead of the original.

Italy kept the original openings for most of the series, except for the ''[[Transformers Generation 2 (Italian opening)|Generation 2]]'' cartoon, ''[[Rombi di Tuono e Cieli di Fuoco per i Biocombat|Beast Wars]]'', the [[Transformers (Superobots)|DVD]] [[Cybertron (Superobots)|release]] of ''Robots in Disguise'', later reruns of ''[[Transformers Energon (Italian opening)|Energon]]'' and the first season of ''[[Transformers Prime (Italian opening)|Prime]]'', which got brand new openings. Also, the TV broadcast of ''Robots in Disguise'' used an instrumental version of the English opening.
{{musicstub}}

==Merchandise==
===DropMix===
{{toystub}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Real-world songs]]

Transformation

2025-06-21T03:28:21Z

Jackpot: /* Origin */ Link refinement

{{disambig3|Transformation}}

[[File:GoGo15-transformation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2|You put your right leg out...]]

'''Transformation''' (also known as '''conversion''') refers to the overall process by which a [[Transformer]] changes from one mode into another—this usually refers to their ability to shift between [[robot mode|robot]] and [[alternate mode]]s. In most realities, transformation is a purely mechanical process in which many interlinked parts shift and move in relation to each other; this process is largely reflexive and separate from a Transformer's higher functions, allowing them to transform back and forth between forms with a minimum of effort. Transformation is generally a very rapid affair; for most Transformers, it takes only a few seconds to change form. However, the speed of transformation is usually inversely proportional to a Cybertronian's overall size and mass. Very large Transformers, such as the [[Guardian robot]]s or [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s, can take longer to fully change form.

While this kind of robot-to-altmode conversion is by far the most common form of transformation seen in most [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'']] fiction, other variations on the process exist. Many Cybertronians can access additional weapons or gadgets while in one specific shape; others can [[combiner|combine]] with other Transformers to form a larger robot or vehicle, necessitating a unique transformation sequence. These should not be confused with [[reformatting]], a type of once-off, full body upgrade.

Many works of ''Transformers'' fiction tie the ability to transform to the [[transformation cog]] or "T-cog", a sophisticated biomechanical "organ" <ref>"[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]"</ref> that powers and coordinates the various subsystems that autonomously handle a Cybertronian's transformation. Sufficient damage—either to the transformation cog or any other part of the body—can temporarily prevent a Transformer from transforming until their injuries are repaired.

Transformation is not a trait limited to Cybertronians; various robotic [[alien]] races have exhibited similar powers. In many realities, [[human]]s who gain access to Cybertronian technology have been able to reverse-engineer transforming robots of their own.

==Conceptual history==
[[File:Ladybird prime transforms.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

The origins and technical details of transformation vary drastically between various [[continuity|continuities]]. Most early works of ''Transformers'' fiction did not explore the origins of transformation, beyond the vague implication that it was an innate ability that all Cybertronians possessed. A few picture books published around the same time, most notably the [[Big Looker Storybook]]s, implied that the Transformers only developed this ability ''after'' being rebuilt on Earth, and that this trait was not endemic to the rest of the species.

[[File:9AmalgamousPrime.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

The "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" miniseries was the first work of ''Transformers'' fiction to take a serious stab at explaining the origins and mechanisms behind transformation. [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4|"Part 4"]] revealed that, while the first generations of Cybertronians lacked the power to transform, the ancestors of the Autobots had invented the technology during a previous conflict with the Decepticons at some point after overthrowing their [[Quintesson]] creators. The miniseries is also notable for introducing [[transformation cog]]s to the ''Transformers'' canon, although this early iteration treated the device as a one-off plot device, seemingly unique to [[Titan (group)|large Transformers]] such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] eventually developed its own backstory for the ability; in this universe, Transformers were created with this innate ability by their benevolent creator [[Primus]]. As the cartoon had long gone off the air at this point, the final few issues of the Marvel comic set up a storyline involving the [[Action Master]]s, a unique group of Cybertronians who'd given up their ability to transform altogether; ancillary advertising material tied this mutation to the loss of their "[[Figure Alteration System]]".

The ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon established that the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s transformed via [[onboard computer]]s that coordinated the reconfiguration of their bodies. Its sequel series, ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', is famous for its highly unusual approach to transformation—in this story, the Maximals were [[Reformatting|reformatted]] into [[technorganic]] bodies, and were forced to relearn the "lost art" of transformation through a period of intense meditation and training. The ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] television shows featured many elaborate [[stock footage]] sequences of characters transforming, but otherwise did not emphasize on transformation as a plot point.

In [[2010]], the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' resurrected the concept of transformation cogs; however, in keeping with Hasbro's increasingly restrictive trademark protection, they were now known as either "conversion cogs" or "trans-cogs". The ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon used the term "T-Cog"; it extended the idea to encompass the notion that ''all'' Transformers possessed a T-Cog, a biomechanism used not just for transformation, but also to access weapons and [[scanning|scan]] new alternate modes—this idea persisted into older-skewing works of fiction such as ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', which connected the transformation cog to the [[brain module]] and [[spark]] as one of [[Rossum's Trinity|three vital organs]]. [[2013]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' introduced [[Amalgamous Prime]], a member of the [[Thirteen]] credited with introducing the power of transformation to the Cybertronian race through his supernatural transformation cog. However, this explanation never really caught on; most subsequent works of fiction have rarely touched on the origins of transformation. Some stories such as ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'', however, have broadly drawn upon the mythology surrounding transformation and T-cogs first laid down in ''Prime''.

{{--}}

==The noise==
{{bigquote|TSCHE-CHU-CHU-CHU-TSCHE|"[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It]]"}}

[[File:Transformation Noise Arrival 4.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

In many ''Transformers'' television shows, transformation is often accompanied by a [[media:Tf sound.ogg|distinct noise]]—an 8 Hz pulse, repeated five times, with each pulse lasting a roughly equal amount of time, whose pitch can be represented by the absolute value of a declining (for [[alternate mode|alt mode]] to [[robot mode]]) or increasing (for robot mode to alt-mode) sine wave. In [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]], the sine wave generally increased when a Transformer changed to their robot mode, and declined when they converted to vehicle form (or whichever mode was smaller/shorter.) In general, the larger the robot, the deeper the pitch of the sound, and the longer the duration of the pulses. [[Combiner]] teams have been shown to transform one component at a time, or simultaneously, into their gestalt forms. When transforming simultaneously, the pulses may sound as though they are looping over each other for one or more cycles, depending on how quickly the team members complete their combination.

===Origin===
It's uncertain how the noise was produced or by whom, but it may have been created as part of [[Theme song#Generation 1|the original theme song]] by [[Ford Kinder|Kinder]] & [[Anne Bryant|Bryant]]. The initial ''Transformers'' TV appearances were [[commercial]]s featuring a version of that song, and the noise appeared consistently after every instance of the lyrics "the Transformers".<ref>[https://youtu.be/26r6RrCkXGE Montage of several commercials] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref> Often this coincided with transformation sequences, but not always. A different sound, a whir similar to what would be used on {{gb|Challenge of the GoBots (cartoon)|the GoBots cartoon}}, was more consistently heard over transformations in the early ads. The ambiguity persisted into the [[Title sequence#Season 1|title sequence of the first season]] of the cartoon featuring a different version of the theme, wherein the noise occurred after the second and third instances of "the Transformers", with the former occurrence overlapping a prominent transformation sequence. However, the latter occurred when no one was transforming, and the many other transformations shown had no foley at all.<ref>[https://youtu.be/5zFLm8bpAN8 Generation 1 cartoon season-1 title sequence] on the [https://www.youtube.com/@TransformersOfficial TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL YouTube channel]</ref> Thus, it seems likely that the noise had not been created to be a sound effect per se, but rather was repurposed as such in the cartoon due to someone either misunderstanding the audio mix of the earlier animations or deciding to run with the coincidence. Some fans have noted<ref>[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/g1-transformation-sound-origin.1200167/#post-18349628 Speculation on a Devo origin] on [https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/ the TFW2005 forums]</ref> a similarity to a sound in the 1975 song "Auto Modown" by [[w:Devo|Devo]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIbTVszp7BU&t=23s "Auto-Modown" by Devo] on YouTube</ref> but no connection has been confirmed.

===Usage===
[[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]] and [[The Transformers: The Movie|''The Movie'']] made heavy use of the noise for pretty much all forms of transformation; ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' began with most Transformers still retaining the Noise, but around a third of the way into the series, its use became more intermittent, particularly for the Autobot Headmasters themselves. ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' still used the sound for the [[Pretender]]s' transformations in [[robot mode]], but the Autobot [[Headmaster Junior]]s and Autobot [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] had new sounds, with most of the Decepticons retaining the original. The noise was dropped completely for ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Zone]]''.

The specific instance of the sound of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] transforming during the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in the animated film would go on to become the "standard" sound used in many post-G1 series: as the only instance of the sound available that had been recorded with no dialogue, music, or sound effects, it could be edited in more cleanly by subsequent production studios.

''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' didn't use the noise when its characters transformed, with the notable exception of Generation 1 guest star [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who played the noise as he transformed into his classic cassette alternate mode.

The noise next appeared in [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], where it was heard uniformly among all Transformers at the very beginning of transformation sequences. ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' used two new versions of the noise, which primarily saw use during [[stock footage]] transformation sequences; the second carried into ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''. The original version of the noise was heard briefly in ''Armada'' as part of one of the background music tracks, and in ''Energon'' on occasion whenever part of the Japanese sound effects track was not completely dubbed over.
The [[Live-action film series|live-action films]] use noise as a semi-recurring easter egg. It appeared during [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]'s first on-screen transformation in ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]''; it can also be prominently heard during Bumblebee's final transformation in ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'', and when Optimus scans a new [[alternate mode]] in ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]''.

The noise accompanies all transformations in ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', even minor ones including [[mouthplate]]s, pop-out weapons, or [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]]'s [[AllSpark Key]]. In the case of smaller, specific parts, the Noise is sometimes played sped up or higher pitched. In ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'' game, each character was given a unique transformation noise that was personalised for them. For example, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime's]] version of the noise was very similar to the original version while [[Jazz (WFC)|Jazz's]] version incorporates kick drums.<ref name="FOC">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEAiHRBpMcw "Creating the Transformers Sound in Fall of Cybertron" on Game Informer's YouTube channel]</ref> Beginning with ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'', all future ''Transformers'' shows have used only the ascending variant of the noise for all transformations.

===Onomatopoeia===
Japanese manga often uses the onomatopoeia "gi-go-ga-go-go" (ギゴガゴゴ) to represent the noise. The ''[[Transformers Go! Go!|Go! Go!]]'' manga shortens this to just "gi-go-ga-go" (ギゴガゴ) when characters transform into robot mode, and reverses the order of syllables for robot-to-altmode conversions (ギガゴガ, "gi-ga-go-ga")

In "[[Transformers Animated: The Arrival|The Arrival]]", the noise is consistently spelled "whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chk". {{storylink|The Arrival issue 4}}

The [[2005 IDW continuity]] rendered the noise with the spelling "tsche-chu-chu-chu-tsche" {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} and "tsche-tsche-tk-tk-tk"; {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|Your Fierce Tears}} the [[Transformers: Beast Wars|2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic]] uses "tsche-tsch-tsch-tsche-tsch". {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 2}} The [[2019 IDW continuity]] used ''many'' different sound effects to accompany characters transforming, sometimes even within the same issue—it's somewhat debatable whether any of them are meant to be a version of the noise. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}}

The ''[[Angry Birds Transformers (comic)|Angry Birds Transformers]]'' comic uses "whk-whek-whek-whk-whk". {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}}

The [[Void Rivals issue 1|first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]'' has [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] transform with a "Ch-chi chi-chu-chik chu-chi-ii". {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 1|Void Rivals #1}} Skybound's ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' ongoing uses "kheekhakhoukhee", {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}} while [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 6|issue #6]] of ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' goes with "khee-ko-ko-kah-khee".

In the ''[[Overwatch 2]]'' collaboration, [[wikia:overwatch:Bastion|Bastion]]'s Bumblebee skin features a license plate reading "T-C-C-C-T", an abbreviation of one of the IDW onomatopoeias. {{storylink|Overwatch 2}}

===In fiction===
According to [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], the sound is an energon tracking signal sent during the quantum-shift of their atoms' position and purpose. {{storylink|Awaken and Corrupt#Chapter 2: Decepticons Burn|Decepticons Burn}}

The sound designers of ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' envisioned it as the sound of [[energon]] moving through their bodies.<ref name="FOC"/>

[[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]] once claimed that the noise was a product of inferior Cybertronian engineering, and noted that Go-Bots made no such noise when they transform. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric}}

==Unusual transformations==
===Mass-shifting===
{{main|Size changing}}
[[File:MaximumDinobots5-Soundwavetransforms.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Many Transformers, including [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], or the many [[Mini-Cassette]]s, can transform into handheld objects many times smaller than themselves. To pull off a convincing disguise, these Cybertronians can physically shrink as they transform to better fit the dimensions of their alternate modes. Some sources have attempted to justify these unusual powers: one common explanation is that the transformation process allows them to either compress their molecular structure into a more compact form, or somehow exert a tremendous amount of energy to "shunt" their excess mass somewhere else. Notably, a number of Transformers with this power have occasionally demonstrated some degree of control over their size changing powers—for instance, Megatron has frequently turned himself into a gun capable of being wielded by other Cybertronians. In [[2005 IDW continuity|one universe]], Megatron was even able to change size while in robot mode. <ref>"[[slaughterhouse]]"</ref>

Rather than shrinking, a handful of Cybertronians ''grow'' when transforming. These include [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who transforms from an average-sized robot into an enormous Space Shuttle, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], who transforms from a fighter jet into an entire aircraft carrier, and many [[combiner]] team members, whose overall gestalt form is usually many times larger than the sum of their individual components. Notably, a handful of Transformers, such as [[Deep Cover]], possess innate size-changing abilities entirely separate from their alternate modes, which they can freely access in either shape.

{{--}}

===Multiple alternate modes===
{{main|Duocon|Triple Changer|Six Changer|:Category:Transformers with multiple modes}}

[[File:Infiltration5-Blitzwing.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Most Transformers can only maintain two forms: a base [[robot mode]] and a single [[alternate mode]]. However, some Cybertronians have demonstrated the ability to take on two or more distinct alternate forms, best exemplified by the [[Triple Changer]]s and [[Six Changer]]s. Very few continuities have ever attempted to provide a concrete explanation as to why some Transformers possess these unique abilities, while most don't. ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' tied the origins of the Triple Changers to the unique "genetic potential" embedded within their [[spark]]s, implying that they would one day—whether through natural mutation or artificially-induced experimentation—evolve into a triple-changing form. 2016's "[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]" storyline tied [[Punch (G1)|Punch]]'s unique espionage abilities to a rare "one-in-a-trillion" defect in his transformation cog.

Other stories have interpreted taking on an extra alternate modes as a mental barrier to be overcome, rather than a purely physical limitation: in these stories, a suitably motivated Transformer can adopt a second alternate form through a period of intense training and deep meditation. ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' introduced the mysterious [[Six Clan]], who'd all gained their powers this way; in ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] gained the ability to "rescan" a third mode after learning how to focus his energies through a sustained period of concentration. The Aligned continuity also introduced the [[Mul-T-Cog]]s, external devices which allowed the young Cybertronians at the [[Rescue Bot Training Center]] to adopt more than one alternate mode.

A small number of Transformers, such as the [[Duocon]]s, [[Magmatron]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], or [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], are made up of two or more alternate forms that combine into a single robot. Some fiction has tied this ability to the presence of a unique "[[mitotic spark]]" that allows them to control multiple components at a time; Dreamwave's fiction, meanwhile, reconceptualized the [[Duocon]]s as flawed prototype Triple Changers.

Some Cybertronians can initiate a kind of secondary transformation, which allows them to access additional equipment or weaponry, but these ad-hoc "[[transportation mode|transportation]]" and "[[attack mode]]s" are generally not distinct enough to count as a dedicated third form. [[Megatron (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Galvatron]] holds the record for the largest number of distinct alternate modes exhibited by any single individual, with a whopping ''ten'' separate forms.

===Combiners===
{{main|Combiner|Powerlinx}}

[[File:TFUS10 all crumble before devastator.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Many Transformers posses the ability to combine with one another. Members of a [[combiner]] team traditionally possess three potential configurations--a robot mode, an alternate mode, and a component of a larger combined form. Usually, robots with a combiner form cannot individually transform into a gestalt limb; only together can each Cybertronian involved in the combination trigger the combination. A handful of Transformers, including the [[Micromaster Combiner]]s and the members of the [[Functionist Council]], lack their own dedicated alternate modes, and can only transform between their individual robot forms and a combined alternate mode. Some Transformers can transform into a component for other Cybertronians to combine with, such as [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'s ability to form a "Savage Claw" power fist for [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]].

In this regard, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]]s are unique—each one can transform between a robot mode, a beast mode, a combiner component, ''and'' a potential weapon for their [[Piranacon (G1)|combined form]] to wield!

The [[Mini-Con]]s of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' franchise offer a different spin on the concept: they display the ability to [[powerlinx]] with larger Transformers and spontaneously reconfigure their partner's anatomies into new weapons and equipment. The Japanese ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Legends of the Microns]]'' identified this unique form of transformation as "Evolution", but this was downplayed in the American dub.

{{--}}

===High-speed transformation===
[[File:Battlechargers-marvel23a.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

A number of real-life ''Transformers'' toys were designed with unique auto-transforming abilities—the [[Battlecharger]]s and [[Jumpstarter]]s transformed using a spring-loaded [[pull-back motor]]. These unique play features were contextualized as a unique, ultra-fast form of transformation; as described in both [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel comic]] and ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', 'bots with this ability can switch from vehicle to robot faster than the human eye can follow, in less than half a second. <ref> "[[Decepticon Graffiti!]]" </ref> ''More than Meets the Eye'' also attributed a similar ability to the [[Triple Changer]]s, who are noted to transform twice as fast as an ordinary Cybertronian.

{{--}}

===Super modes===
{{main|Super Mode}}

[[File:Comrade optimus supermode.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

A small number of Transformers have displayed the ability to transform into a larger, more powerful robot form—in most cases, accessing this form involves combining with external hardware, such as a transforming trailer or a custom-built suit of armour. In many cases, this secondary transformation grants Cybertornians access to greater strength and firepower while in robot mode—across the [[multiverse]], many incarnations of [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] can combine with their vehicle-mode trailers to access a markedly stronger robot mode. In other cases, such as the [[Pretender]]s, their armour grants them the ability to move unnoticed among certain organic populations. Under most circumstances, however, a Transformer must disengage from this form in order to assume their regular alternate mode.

{{--}}

===Technorganic transformation===
{{main|Technorganic}}

[[File:MasterOfTheHouse-Optimustransformation.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

One of the best-remembered plot points from the ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' was its radical reinvention of the "transforming robot" trope. Although [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] minions transformed in the usual fashion, the show's [[Maximal]] cast discovered that their new [[technorganic]] bodies could only transform when they found their "emotional still point"; these transformations now took the form of fluid shapeshifting rather then mechanically rearranging their components. Mastering these new forms took time and effort, and learning to find the emotional balance required to transform became a significant part of the show's overall narrative.

Some technorganic Transformers possess their own unique transformation sequences. [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], for instance, grew a ring of technorganic plants around her body whenever she transformed.

This unique transformation does not apply to all characters who have been described as "technorganic". Cybertronians in other universes, such as [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]], transform in a more conventional method.

{{--}}

===Adaptable bodies===

[[File:G2StoryPageReconfigurationMatrix1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Some groups of transforming robots, such as the [[Go-Bot (species)|Go-Bots]], use a process similar to reformatting to take on multiple alternate forms. This ability to start with one [[robot mode|robot]] and [[alternate mode|alternate form]] and transform easily to entirely different variations without extensive mechanical work comes from [[Go-Brillium|unique metals]] in the Go-Bots' bodies.

In some realities, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] carries the [[Reconfiguration Matrix]], a miraculous device that allows him to reshape his body into many different robot and vehicle forms. <ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/tech-specs/Generation-2-Tech-Specs/1995-Transformers-Tech-Specs/Optimus_Prime__1995-USA1_.jpg.html Optimus Prime's ''Generation 2'' Go-Bot on-package bio]</ref>

Supplementary material from the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action ''Transformers'' film]] applied a similar ability to the Transformers themselves—one early idea seemed to be that the Autobots and Decepticons of the movie universe could voluntarily switch between different alternate forms on the fly; narration in ''[[Transformers: The Movie Guide|The Movie Guide]]'' notes that a Transformer's base [[protoform]] state can spontaneously assume any shape of roughly equivalent mass, and narration in ''[[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday]]'' describes [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]'s "internal memory database" of potential vehicle forms. The [[Transformers Autobots/Decepticons|Nintendo DS games]] applied a similar ability to the game's "Create-A-Bot" protagonists; in the case of the [[Create-A-Bot (Autobot)|Autobot player character]], this is noted to be a unique ability developed by [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]]. As time went on, however, this conceit was quietly dropped, and the [[scanning]] capabilities of the characters were gradually brought into line with other contemporary depictions of transformation.

{{--}}

===Unlimited alternate modes===
{{main|Shifter|Mutacon|Infinite}}

[[File:TheCovenantOfPrimus-mutacons.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Most Transformers can only transform into a preset alternate mode, but a few rare specimens take this talent to the next level—they can instantly reconfigure their bodies into ''any'' conceivable shape, to the point where they can even convincingly mimic other Cybertronians. The [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity]] first introduced the concept with the [[Shifter]]s, a rare subspecies capable of masquerading as other Cybertronians. 2013's ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' tied them back to [[Amalgamous Prime]], the first Cybertronian ever to possess a [[transformation cog]], and also introduced the [[Mutacon]]s, a wandering tribe of nomads who'd been inadvertently mutated into Shifters after accidental exposure to the energies of Amalgamous's unique transformation cog.

[[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' ongoing also touched upon the topic with the [[Infinite]]s—while the Mutacons and Shifters owe their abilities to the supernatural power of Amalgamous Prime, the Infinites are a genetically-engineered subspecies created by [[Adaptus]].

{{--}}

===Hypno-transformation===
{{main|Living metal}}

[[File:AOE stinger transforms.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

In ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'', the man-made Transformers constructed by [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]] transform in a most unusual fashion: rather than mechanically reshaping their body components, they simply explode into a free-flowing cloud of [[Living metal|transformium]], then reassemble themselves into their other form. Transformers with this ability can maintain this amorphous shape for an unlimited period of time; they can use it to dodge explosions or simply to reach otherwise inaccessible locations. Inanimate objects constructed using transformium, such as a number of prototype stealth weapons, display these same powers.

This unique form of transformation was not named on-screen. However, the [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan Magazine]] ''Transformers'' magazine used the term "hypno-transformation" to describe the process, [[canonizing]] a term used by [[Industrial Light & Magic]] animators during the film's development.

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===Loss of transformation===
{{main|Action Master|Monoformer|Militant Monoform Movement|Transformation paralysis}}

[[File:StillLife-ActionMasterGrimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Although the Transformers are renowned for their shapeshifting abilities, not all Cybertronians possess this power. Over the course of their long lifetimes, a Transformer may somehow ''lose'' their ability to transform, leaving them stranded in one shape. Various weapons such as the [[Transfixatron]] or the [[Transformation Lock Lens]] can temporarily freeze a Cybertronian in one form, while exposure to exotic fuel sources such as [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] can permanently rob Cybertronians of their ability to transform. Marketing material for the [[Action Master]]s explained that exposure to nucleon converted their "[[Figure Alteration System]]s" into "[[Energy Storage Reactor]]s"; Cybertronians who chose to become Action Masters thus traded their ability to transform for a dramatically stronger and more powerful robot form. In most ''Transformers'' stories, this mutation is more-or-less permanent: to regain their ability to transform, afflicted Cybertronians must undergo a battery of experimental medical procedures or otherwise endure a ground-up rebuild into a new, Nucleon-free body.

The [[2005 IDW continuity]] coined the term "[[monoformer]]" to describe a Transformer who'd voluntarily or involuntarily lost their ability to transform.

In most modern ''Transformers'' stories, damage, loss, or deliberate removal of the transformation cog will cause a Transformer to lose their ability to change forms. Other tales have connected a loss of transformation to low energy or age-related complications: [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel]]'s [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] is unable to transform as a result of his advanced age; many Autobots and Decepticons in ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' wound up locked in their vehicle modes after centuries of energy depletion; in ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'', an underfuelled [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] struggles to transform into robot mode.

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==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Marvel Comics continuity====
=====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comic=====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:TheTransformers-transform.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

After sealing both himself and [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within metallic planetoids, [[Primus]] created the [[Transformer]]s, a race of warriors with the power to reshape their bodies into alternate forms. {{storylink|The Primal Scream}} During the subsequent [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the Autobots and Decepticons, both sides made use of transformation technology; when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s forces crash-landed on [[Earth]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s [[Aunty|computer]] rebuilt the deactivated Cybertronians so that they transformed into terrestrial machines instead. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

''While battling [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] was well aware that, having failed to transform for hundreds of years, the shock to his system upon transforming to combat mode had a good chance of killing him. {{storylink|Meltdown!}} Neglecting to have all one's body parts connected at the time of attempting transformation was also a very painful, if not impossible, process.'' {{storylink|Deadly Games!}}
While searching for a means to revive the ailing [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] discovered a dangerous, unpredictable fuel source called [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] on the planet [[Hydrus Four]]. Exposure to nucleon caused Grimlock's body to gradually seize up; eventually, he entered an immobile "chrysalis state" that preceded his rapid mutation into a non-transforming [[Action Master]]. {{storylink|Still Life!}} ''[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] explained that long-term Nucleon exposure converted a Transformer's [[Figure Alteration System]]s into [[Energy Storage Reactor]]s; as a result, Transformers who became Action Masters traded their ability to transform for enhanced strength and speed. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!|Issue #300 letters section}}

=====Another Time & Place=====
Following the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], many Autobots of the "nucleon generation", depressed and emasculated by their inability to transform, recused themselves from society. A repentant Grimlock returned to Hydrus Four in search of a rumoured cure for their condition; during a battle to stop the Decepticons from resurrecting Megatron, Grimlock successfully used an improved version of Nucleon to flush his systems and restore his transformative capabilities.{{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

=====''Regeneration One''=====
Following the end of the war, Grimlock came to resent his new life as an Action Master. Seeking a way to restore his ability to transform and cure his fellow Autobots of their various Nucleon-related afflictions, he travelled to the planet [[Nebulos]]. Ultimately, Grimlock regained his ability to transform when [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] implanted his [[spark]] into a new body. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Other Cybertronians suffering from Nucleon-induced mutations were transferred to the [[Garage]], where they received new, Nucleon-free bodies. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}}

====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
======''The Transformers'' cartoon======
[[File:Bumblebee transforming.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4|Just lying down is a transformation.]]

Transformation was invented by the [[Autobot]]s during the first war against the [[Decepticon]]s, when it became apparent that they could not master their firepower and strength. Their newfound ability to ambush their foes met with great success, and the defeat of the Deceptions ushered in a [[Golden Age]] of peace and prosperity. However, the Decepticons subsequently adopted transformation technology; under [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s leadership, the empowered Decepticons then kicked off the [[Great War (G1)|Third Cybertronian War]] between the two factions. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

Transformation takes a sufficient amount of energy and mental focus; in cases where Transformers have suffered severe physical injuries, transformation can become difficult. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} Maintaining an alternate mode can drain energy; [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] once reverted to robot mode when he found his alternate mode to be too much on his energy stores. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}} While on Earth, Megatron developed the [[Transfixatron]], a device which could trap Cybertronian in their alternate mode and prevent them from transforming. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

When the Earth-bound Transformers began malfunctioning due to [[Cybertonium]] depletion, they began uncontrollably transforming. Some partially transformed, while others involuntarily changed modes or were unable to fully manifest attachments. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}}

[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}} possessed [[transformation cog]]s that controlled their transformation processes, and were essential to allow them to transform at all. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

Transformers with dinosaur-based alternate modes possess unique "dinosaur electrons". When they transform, they release a burst of "[[dinosaur transform static]]". {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

======''The Headmasters'' cartoon======
[[File:Headmasters tf stuck.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Ow.]]

Millions of years ago, a group of [[Cyberdroid]]s fled Cybertron and settled on the desolate planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. These small robots were so young that they had not learned how to transform yet; to survive the harsh climate of their new home, they developed [[Transtector]]s—normal-sized Transformer bodies that they would be able to connect to—and underwent a period of prolonged, intensive training so that they could learn to transform and link up with them. Even the most promising candidates struggled when they first connected with their Transtectors, spasming and becoming stuck between modes as they attempted to trigger the conversion. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

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=====''Legends'' comic=====
Transformers wishing to take on a third configuration can directly modify their [[transformation cog]]s; this was the case with the five Autobots who adopted tertiary [[combiner]] configurations as part of the "[[Optimus Maximus|Masquerade Project]]". {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

[[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] trained with the Six Clan, who taught her how to transform into an alternate mode. {{Storylink|LG-15 Nightbird Shadow Sequel}}

====Big Looker Storybooks====
After reactivating in [[1984]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer rebuilt the unconscious Autobots and Decepticons to resemble Earth machines and gave them the ability to transform into their original robot shapes. {{storylink|Battle for Cybertron}}

====Beast Wars cartoon continuity====
The earliest Cybertronians had to learn the art of transformation, which involved discipline, purity of [[spark]], and years of practice. {{storylink|The Reformatting}} By the era of the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, the introduction of [[onboard computer]]s had largely automated the process, to the point where a Cybertronian merely needed to speak a [[activation code|command code]] that automatically triggered their transformation. {{storylink|Master of the House}}

=====''Beast Wars'' cartoon=====
The Maximals and Predacons who participated in the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] typically transformed from [[beast mode]] to [[robot mode]] by triggering a unique command code—"maximize" or "terrorize", respectively. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} While trapped in [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s [[stasis web]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] was unable to transform; {{storylink|The Web}} later, Tarantulas invented the [[Transformation Lock Lens]], which was capable of forcibly preventing afflicted Cybertronians from transforming. {{storylink|The Probe}} Maximals who adopted beast modes separated their bestial instincts from their higher functions with a programming block. If stuck in beast mode for too long, the Maximals would devolve into feral creatures. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Fully organic in nature, [[Clone One]] was unable to transform. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

Cybertronians who were mutated into [[Transmetal]] forms gained the ability to trigger a secondary transformation while in beast mode, allowing them to deploy accessories such as rocket engines and wheels. {{storylink|Aftermath (BW episode)|Aftermath}}

[[Transmutate (BW)|Transmutate]], a defective Transformer spawned from a malfunctioning [[stasis pod]], lacked the ability to transform. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

Exposure to the energies of the [[Transmetal driver]] caused Cheetor to undergo a strange metamorphosis, which temporarily caused him to morph back and forth between his Transmetal body and a monstrous [[Transmetal 2]] form. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} Eventually, Cheetor permanently mutated into a Transmetal 2 in a moment of stress, which unleashed a burst of [[spark]] energy that destroyed his Transmetal form. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

=====''Beast Machines'' cartoon=====
[[File:EndOfTheLine-transformation.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, he engineered a [[Transformation virus|paralyzing virus]] that allowed him to easily conquer the planet. When the Maximals reached Cybertron, those with [[Transmetal]] upgrades were able to partly resist its effects; instead, the virus "devolved" them back into their original beast configurations {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} and left them unable to transform. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

The [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] [[Reformatting|reformatted]] four of the Maximals into new, [[technorganic]] bodies; however, these new forms lacked onboard computers, and the Maximals discovered that they could only transform into robot mode when they found their emotional still point, and adopted the mantra "I am transformed" to assist them. Remaining in robot form now required conscious effort; losing concentration or consciousness caused them to revert back into beast mode, {{storylink|Master of the House}} although with time and effort maintaining their transformation seemed to become easier. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}} Later technorganic Maximals, such as [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}, [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]], {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}, and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], all displayed the ability to transform without any kind of prior tutelage. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] struggled to adjust to this new form of transformation. Eventually, he discovered the laboratory when Megatron had developed the virus, along with a transformation-enhancing counter-virus; when he used the latter on himself, however, the transformation enhancer reacted strangely with his new body, and caused him to uncontrollably shift between robot and beast forms. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}}

The strange, wholly-organic being known as [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] was nevertheless able to transform into a hulking draconic creature called "Savage". {{storylink|Savage Noble}}

=====''Timelines''=====
The Maximal [[Nitrostreak]] was left temporarily unable to transform as a result of damage to his [[transformation cog]] while in vehicle mode. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====Dreamwave Generation 1 continuity====
[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s goals of accelerating the evolutionary development of the Cybertronian race led to a mounting obsession with the idea of a Cybertronian with more than one alternate mode. The [[Duocon]]s were an early attempt at bringing these theories to fruition, but most of his test subjects didn't survive the process; those that did wound up extremely unstable. Nevertheless, Shockwave took what he'd learned and used it to create the first generation of Triple Changers, singling out those with great "genetic potential" and augmenting them further so that they could accept a third alternate form. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
[[File:YouMeAndOtherRevelations-transformation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

All Cybertronians are born with a functioning [[transformation cog]], an [[alternate mode]], and the ability to transform: "[[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|forged]]" Cybertronians develop alternate forms based on the [[CNA|genetic material]] embedded in their [[spark]], {{storylink|Silent Light}}, while "[[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|constructed cold]]" 'bots have their sparks implanted into a mass-produced chassis with a predetermined alternate form. {{storylink|Your First Mistake}} A Transformer changes forms by spinning their cog at a certain velocity, which controls the overall speed of transformation. By shutting down all safety valves and spinning their transformation cog, a Cybertronian could achieve near-instantaneous transformation, but doing this repeatedly would result in the cog breaking beyond repair. {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} Some Transformers can become addicted to the sensation of transforming, but this is a dangerous problem: too much transforming in too short a space of time can burn out the transformation cog and increase the risk of sudden death. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Following the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], a treatment for this condition became available. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Conversely, a few rare Cybertronians are born with an inborn aversion to transformation; [[Demus|one Cybertronian]] with this condition had his transformation cog surgically removed, along with all components relating to his alternate mode. {{storylink|Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots}} Diseases such as [[cybercrosis]] could destroy a Transformer's transformation cog and prevent them from transforming. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

It is possible for a Cybertronian to transform involuntarily—an impact to the [[neural cluster]] can trigger an "involuntary mode spasm". {{storylink|Little Victories}} Under certain circumstances, a recently deceased Transformer may experience [[rigor morphis]], where the dead body will reflexively transform into their preferred shape. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} The serial killer [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder]] could use his remote [[mnemosurgery]] powers to force other Cybertronians to transform after first making their bodies "forget" how to properly change shape, causing them turn themselves inside out. {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

According to legend, [[Primus|the first Cybertronian]] realized he could transform some twelve million years ago in the land that would one day become [[Rivets Field]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Early religions attributed the gift of transformation to the mythological pantheon known as the [[Guiding Hand]]; according to the [[Clavis Aurea]] sect, [[Primus]] decreed that his creations should take on a second shape to carry out their duties more efficiently. Religious Cybertronians associated transformation with [[Adaptus]], god of change; conventional Cybertronian mythology holds that it was Adaptus who became the first [[transformation cog]], ensuring that all future Cybertronians would be able to adapt to any situation. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed a recording of an ancient Cybertronian transforming, which took roughly ten minutes. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:TarnAltMode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

After the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]], [[Nova Prime]] instituted a political philosophy known as [[Functionism]], which segregated Cybertronians into distinct classes based on the versatility and ubiquitousness of their alternate modes, {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} which included a "[[disposable class|disposable]]" underclass who possessed overwhelmingly common alternate modes. {{storylink|Before & After}} A group known as the [[Militant Monoform Movement]] became infamous for their decision to symbolically reject Adaptus by surgically removing their transformation cogs and becoming "[[monoformer]]s". {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

While some Cybertronians possessed the ability to mass-shift into smaller alternate forms, wartime energy rationing meant that few Cybertronians could enjoy this privilege. {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}} Even after the Great War, asking what someone transformed into was considered gauche, {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} and many got defensive over the function of their alternate modes. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} While under the influence of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] forced Autobot cadets through a regimen of brutal "mode-drilling" exercises, forcing them to transform over and over until their bodies gave out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}}

[[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] could identify an Autobot just by their transformation sound. [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] could do the same ''and'' judge their emotional state by the sound of their transformation. {{storylink|Interiors}}

The ability to transform was not exclusive to Cybertronians: other transforming mechanical races included the [[Stentarian]]s, {{storylink|Little Victories}} the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s, and the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}

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====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was gravely wounded in the [[Great Push]] of [[2033]], [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]] modified himself to act as the giant Transformer's T-cog, which involved permanently wiring himself into Trypticon's systems. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} Post-war Cybertron had such a high premium on [[energon]] that most [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders]] lacked the power reserves necessary to transform. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} {{storylink|Head Games}} While most remained in robot mode, some, such as [[Black-Out]], wound up locked in their vehicle modes. {{storylink|Derailment}}

The smaller, energy-efficient [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] retained the ability to transform, {{storylink|Alone Together}} as did the [[Micromaster]]s. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} The [[Cyberdroid]]s retained their ability to transform; when they were drafted into an increasingly desperate military towards the end of the [[Grand Uprising]], their commanders were generally frustrated by the fact that none of them turned into anything useful. {{storylink|Derailment}}

====Of Masters and Mayhem====
An advanced alien race on the planet [[Chicxulania]] studied Cybertronian physiology and reverse-engineered their biology to create an advanced "[[technorganic|techno-organic]] hybrid transformation" that allowed Cybertronians to adopt organic [[beast mode]]s. {{storylink|Life Finds a Way}}

[[Punch (G1)|Punch]]'s transformation cog contained a rare, "one-in-a-trillion" mutation that allowed him to assume a second robot form. {{storylink|The Truth We Make}}

====2019 IDW continuity====
[[File:TFVDay-Glyph.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Cybertronians were the only known species with the ability to transform. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Two}} However, they were not naturally born with this ability; early in their lifetime, a freshly-[[Reproduction|forged]] Transformer would have to first scan a suitable alternate mode of their choosing. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}} Some rare Transformers, such as [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], possessed the ability to transform into more than one shape; {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Three}} by the time of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] was widely regarded as the best [[Triple Changer]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}}

The enormous [[Leviathan (G1)|Leviathan]] developed a strong attachment to her alternate mode, to the point where she refused to transform into robot mode except in the most dire circumstances. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}}

Splice-thieves made a living by selling Cybertronian parts, including transformation cogs, on the galactic black market. {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 1}}

=====Alternate future=====
In a potential future where [[Exarchon]] had conquered Cybertron, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s small resistance group had been forced to subsist on [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] for so long that they'd lost their ability to transform. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|Test Flight II}}

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====''My Little Pony/Transformers''====
[[File:MLPTF3-Discord Transformation.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]

The evil [[Queen Chrysalis]] cast a [[magic]] spell to summon [[changeling]]s from other worlds; however, the Transformers' innate ability to change shape meant that they counted as "changelings" for the purposes of the spell. When Chrysalis's magic interfered with a malfunctioning [[spacebridge]], several Autobots and Decepticons were duly summoned to the land of [[Equestria]] as a result. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}}

When [[Discord (MLP)|Discord]] attempted to befriend [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] by turning himself into a Cybertronian, he amused himself by flipping through a variety of potential [[alternate mode]]s. {{storylink|Pet Sounds}}

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====2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic====
[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] used his [[Transformation Lock Lens|transformation lock lens]] to prevent [[Nyx]] from transforming into her [[beast mode]], so that she would eventually perish from overexposure to [[energon radiation]]. However, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] destroyed the device and allowed Nyx to escape. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 3}}

====''Last Bot Standing''====
[[File:LastBotStanding2-punt.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

When underfuelled, [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] had a tendency to get stuck between modes, necessitating a kick in the [[transformation cog]] to fully transform. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 2|Last Bot Standing #2}}

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===Movie continuity===
====Live-action film series====
Transformation is the process by which a Cybertronian's exo-structure reconfigures itself, based upon the schematics programmed into their [[Living metal|self-generating molecular armor]] when a Cybertronian [[scanning|scans]] an object or vehicle to serve as a disguise. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}} The process requires a suitable [[alternate mode]] of similar mass to a Cybertronian's [[robot mode]]; after adopting a shape, a Transformer can reorganize their physical structure at will. {{storylink|Transformers: The Movie Guide|The Movie Guide}}

The artificial Transformers created by [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]] transform via "hypno-transformation", a process by which their bodies dissolve into the Transformium particles of which they are composed and reconstitute into their alternate form. As with Cybertronian Transformers, this process does not allow arbitrary forms to be taken, as each must have its forms programmed into them. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

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===''Animated'' continuity===
[[File:TFA-AutobootCamp-TransformUp.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]] had recruits perform ''[[transform-up]]s'', rapidly switching from their robot to their vehicle form while in a prone position. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}

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===''Shattered Glass''===
Transformation was invented by the rebel leader [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] to counter the numerical superiority of the Autobots. As a result of their ability to hide in plain sight, his followers dubbed themselves the [[Decepticon]]s, and successfully stalled the Autobot advance for a time. However, it didn't take long until the evil Optimus Prime replicated the technology and bestow it upon his own warriors; with both sides once again on an even footing, the Autobots were able to score a string of victories over their Decepticon foes. [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] believed that he could use the camouflage skills afforded by transformation to conquer other planets, and had many of the Autobots rebuilt with [[human]] vehicle forms in anticipation of an [[Earth]] invasion. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (issue)|Shattered Glass}}

The dimwitted [[Grimlock (SG)|Grimlock]] gained the ability to transform into an intelligent robot form when the [[Omega Terminus]] supercomputer gave him an [[Spark|ember]]. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

===Aligned continuity===
====''The Covenant of Primus''====
[[File:TheCovenantOfPrimus-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

The first Cybertronian blessed with the power of transformation was [[Amalgamous Prime]], whose miraculous T-Cog allowed him to not only change shape, but also ''state'', from solid to liquid and back. Following the fall of the [[Thirteen]] and the creation of the [[Well of All Sparks]], the remaining Primes decided that they would populate the planet with a race of lesser beings, using [[Onyx Prime]]'s [[Triptych Mask]] to establish suitable templates upon which to base the nascent Cybertronian species. As part of this effort, Amalgamous Prime donated a schematic of his T-Cog to [[Onyx Prime]], so that all future Cybertronians would inherit a simplified version of his shapeshifting ability. However, [[Prima]] ultimately chose not to inform the newly-created Cybertronian race about the T-cogs they all possessed, for fear that this powerful ability could lead to trouble. While emerging from the Well of All Sparks, newborn Cybertronians would sometimes experience dreams and visions relating to their future alternate mode, even if they did not yet know what they transformed into.

After discovering Cybertron, the [[Quintesson]]s spent years abducting primitive Cybertronians and analyzing their physiology. Finally, when they publicly revealed themselves, they claimed that they had been sent to uplift the Cybertronian race by bestowing upon them the "gift" of transformation--in reality, all they were doing was remotely activating the T-Cog. A number of Cybertronians used their new alternate modes to become personal transports, who ferried their Quintesson benefactors from place to place. As the rule of the Quintessons grew crueler and more decadent, a growing resistance movement intercepted the newborn [[Silverbolt (WFC)|Silverbolt]] at the Well of All Sparks; a cursory examination revealed that the presence of the T-Cog and the ability to transform was a natural part of Cybertronian biology. This revelation was broadcast live to the entire planet, and kicked off the full-fledged revolt that ultimately ended with the overthrow of the Quintesson regime.

During the [[Great War (Prime)|Great War]], the mad scientist [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] captured [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] and the other members of the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] and subjected them to a battery of brutal experiments where they received new [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]]-based alternate modes. During these experiments, [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] wound up half-transformed; it took a week of repeatedly shocking his T-Cog until the Decepticon scientist was able to push him into his alternate mode. After this, Shockwave affixed a restrainer to Grimlock's T-Cog.

The legendary T-Cog of Amalgamous Prime was eventually found in orbit of a [[black hole]] by a group of refugees fleeing the destruction of [[Neutronia]]. Exposure to the energies of the artifact gave the colonists the potential for infinite transformation and they rebranded themselves as the [[Mutacon]]s. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

====Aligned novels====
After emerging from the [[Well of All Sparks]], newborn Cybertronians had to learn how to transform. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} A rare sub-species of Cybertronians, the [[Shifter]]s, were able to transform into anything of roughly equivalent size and mass, an ability which made them highly valued as spies. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

====''Prime'' cartoon====
A Cybertronian's ability to transform was controlled via their T-Cog. Damage to, or loss of, the T-Cog left Cybertronians unable to transform. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

After [[MECH]] had determined the purpose of the organ, they baited a trap for any Cybertronian and harvested [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s T-Cog, depriving him of his ability to transform or even access his internal weapons. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} After the scout reclaimed his T-Cog, MECH harvested [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]'s leaving the Seeker stuck in his robot mode. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}

After [[cloning]] [[Starscream clone (Prime)|himself]], Starscream was shocked to find his [[CNA]] had provided the clones with working T-Cogs and transformation abilities. {{storylink|Armada (episode)|Armada}} In exchange for the [[Omega Key]]s and a return to the Decepticon ranks, {{storylink|Patch (episode)|Patch}} [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] had Starscream's T-Cog reinstalled much to his delight. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}

After witnessing several [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] transforming, [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] began to wonder if he too could transform and access a robot mode. He could. This was little surprise to Shockwave who knew transformation to a be a fundamental aspect of Cybertronian biology. Nonetheless, this was enough for Megatron to terminate Project: Predacon in the fear the beasts would turn on him. {{storylink|Evolution}} [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] was equally troubled by Predaking's transformation. {{storylink|Minus One}}

====''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''====
After reformatting the [[Lightning Strike Coalition|Lightning Strike Coalition Force]] with [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|alien]] alternate modes, [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] deliberately barred [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]]'s ability to transform, wanting the Autobot to figure that he could now transform only when sufficiently angry. The other members of the group still retained their full transformation potential however. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

===''TransTech''===
"Interpretive morphing", in which performers transformed in novel and artistic methods, was a popular form of self-expression and a regular feature on ''[[Cybertron’s Got Talent]]''. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/14}}

===''Go-Bots'' comic===
The [[GoBot]]s were designed to transform as a means to solve the parking problem, originally being cars that could assume a robot mode so they could walk with their owners. {{storylink|Go-Bots issue 1|Go-Bots #1}}

===''Cyberverse'' cartoon===
After the Quintessons had invaded Cybertron, they locked the populace in a virtual reality that could be broken only if the subject transformed. {{storylink|The Dead End}} [[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]] successfully freed everyone trapped in the simulation by using a simulated flock of [[Air Hammer (Cyberverse)|Air Hammers]] to startle everyone into transforming. {{storylink|The Scientist}}

===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
The [[Terran]]s [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] had to learn how to transform by training in an environment where they felt safe and calm. {{storylink|Moo-ving in}}

==Notes==
==="Transform" as a verb===
[[File:Convert and roll out.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Famous quote of Optimus Prime.]]
For reasons relating to intellectual property law, and the need to preserve "Transformers" as a [[trademark]], [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] do not use "transform" as a verb to describe this ability of Transformers in printed materials describing products. Instead synonyms such as "convert" and "morph" are used. Products that are not able to change modes are given a disclaimer such as "product does not convert". This disclaimer extends to the ''[[Kre-O]]'' Transformers and [[Kreon]] [[Micro-Changer]]s, indicating that "convert" is used in a technical sense that does not apply to the "disassemble and rebuild" [[play pattern]] of ''Kre-O'' toys.

For some time, this restriction didn't extend to in-fiction dialogue. However, since [[2010]], Hasbro has preferred to err on the safe side; the novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'' used "proto-form" and "alt-form" as verbs to describe transforming from vehicle to robot and vice versa, while [[James Roberts]] has said that Hasbro has asked that other terms be used when writing [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics such as ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets the Eye]]''. Exceptions have been made, though, when dialogue or drama strongly called for it, such as [[NAIL protester|the NAIL who transformed himself to death]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}<ref>[http://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/03/transmissions-episode-94-james-roberts-mtmte-elegant-chaos-interview/ Transmissions podcast #94 - James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview]</ref>

All this has proven troublesome given that one of the most famous phrases associated with the ''Transformers'' brand is "[[Roll out|transform and roll out!]]". In ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'', [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] actually commands [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] to "change form and roll out", and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] only ordered his team to "[[Roll out|transform and roll out]]" twice during the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon, opting instead for a "roll out" for the majority of the series; sister series ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' and sequel ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' had their protagonists use alternative catchprases, "[[Heatwave (RB)|roll to the rescue!]]" and "[[Bumblebee (WFC)|rev up and roll out!]]". Somewhat infamously, the [[2022]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#LEGO|''LEGO Creator Expert'' Optimus Prime set]] just gave up and had "Autobots, convert and roll out!" in its instruction booklet.

When [[Magic: The Gathering]] produced ''Transformers'', a small bonus set of cards featuring Transformers characters release alongside ''The Brothers' War'', this was invoked yet again, as despite the game having a thematically-appropriate "Transform" mechanic, the cards in that set "Convert" instead. In addition to being mechanically redundant and disappointingly flavorless, it raised questions about rule interactions with cards that referenced "Transform" (and precise wording is crucial in such a rules-strict game such as Magic). An article by Magic's head designer soon confirmed that the use of "Convert" was entirely a matter of conforming with the Transformers IP, and it's ''exactly the same'' as "Transform" in every possible way.<ref>[https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/odds-and-ends-the-brothers-war Making Magic, Odds & Ends: The Brothers' War]</ref>
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Transformation

2025-06-21T00:20:39Z

Jackpot: /* Origin */

{{disambig3|Transformation}}

[[File:GoGo15-transformation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2|You put your right leg out...]]

'''Transformation''' (also known as '''conversion''') refers to the overall process by which a [[Transformer]] changes from one mode into another—this usually refers to their ability to shift between [[robot mode|robot]] and [[alternate mode]]s. In most realities, transformation is a purely mechanical process in which many interlinked parts shift and move in relation to each other; this process is largely reflexive and separate from a Transformer's higher functions, allowing them to transform back and forth between forms with a minimum of effort. Transformation is generally a very rapid affair; for most Transformers, it takes only a few seconds to change form. However, the speed of transformation is usually inversely proportional to a Cybertronian's overall size and mass. Very large Transformers, such as the [[Guardian robot]]s or [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s, can take longer to fully change form.

While this kind of robot-to-altmode conversion is by far the most common form of transformation seen in most [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'']] fiction, other variations on the process exist. Many Cybertronians can access additional weapons or gadgets while in one specific shape; others can [[combiner|combine]] with other Transformers to form a larger robot or vehicle, necessitating a unique transformation sequence. These should not be confused with [[reformatting]], a type of once-off, full body upgrade.

Many works of ''Transformers'' fiction tie the ability to transform to the [[transformation cog]] or "T-cog", a sophisticated biomechanical "organ" <ref>"[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]"</ref> that powers and coordinates the various subsystems that autonomously handle a Cybertronian's transformation. Sufficient damage—either to the transformation cog or any other part of the body—can temporarily prevent a Transformer from transforming until their injuries are repaired.

Transformation is not a trait limited to Cybertronians; various robotic [[alien]] races have exhibited similar powers. In many realities, [[human]]s who gain access to Cybertronian technology have been able to reverse-engineer transforming robots of their own.

==Conceptual history==
[[File:Ladybird prime transforms.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

The origins and technical details of transformation vary drastically between various [[continuity|continuities]]. Most early works of ''Transformers'' fiction did not explore the origins of transformation, beyond the vague implication that it was an innate ability that all Cybertronians possessed. A few picture books published around the same time, most notably the [[Big Looker Storybook]]s, implied that the Transformers only developed this ability ''after'' being rebuilt on Earth, and that this trait was not endemic to the rest of the species.

[[File:9AmalgamousPrime.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

The "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" miniseries was the first work of ''Transformers'' fiction to take a serious stab at explaining the origins and mechanisms behind transformation. [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4|"Part 4"]] revealed that, while the first generations of Cybertronians lacked the power to transform, the ancestors of the Autobots had invented the technology during a previous conflict with the Decepticons at some point after overthrowing their [[Quintesson]] creators. The miniseries is also notable for introducing [[transformation cog]]s to the ''Transformers'' canon, although this early iteration treated the device as a one-off plot device, seemingly unique to [[Titan (group)|large Transformers]] such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] eventually developed its own backstory for the ability; in this universe, Transformers were created with this innate ability by their benevolent creator [[Primus]]. As the cartoon had long gone off the air at this point, the final few issues of the Marvel comic set up a storyline involving the [[Action Master]]s, a unique group of Cybertronians who'd given up their ability to transform altogether; ancillary advertising material tied this mutation to the loss of their "[[Figure Alteration System]]".

The ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon established that the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s transformed via [[onboard computer]]s that coordinated the reconfiguration of their bodies. Its sequel series, ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', is famous for its highly unusual approach to transformation—in this story, the Maximals were [[Reformatting|reformatted]] into [[technorganic]] bodies, and were forced to relearn the "lost art" of transformation through a period of intense meditation and training. The ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] television shows featured many elaborate [[stock footage]] sequences of characters transforming, but otherwise did not emphasize on transformation as a plot point.

In [[2010]], the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' resurrected the concept of transformation cogs; however, in keeping with Hasbro's increasingly restrictive trademark protection, they were now known as either "conversion cogs" or "trans-cogs". The ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon used the term "T-Cog"; it extended the idea to encompass the notion that ''all'' Transformers possessed a T-Cog, a biomechanism used not just for transformation, but also to access weapons and [[scanning|scan]] new alternate modes—this idea persisted into older-skewing works of fiction such as ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', which connected the transformation cog to the [[brain module]] and [[spark]] as one of [[Rossum's Trinity|three vital organs]]. [[2013]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' introduced [[Amalgamous Prime]], a member of the [[Thirteen]] credited with introducing the power of transformation to the Cybertronian race through his supernatural transformation cog. However, this explanation never really caught on; most subsequent works of fiction have rarely touched on the origins of transformation. Some stories such as ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'', however, have broadly drawn upon the mythology surrounding transformation and T-cogs first laid down in ''Prime''.

{{--}}

==The noise==
{{bigquote|TSCHE-CHU-CHU-CHU-TSCHE|"[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It]]"}}

[[File:Transformation Noise Arrival 4.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

In many ''Transformers'' television shows, transformation is often accompanied by a [[media:Tf sound.ogg|distinct noise]]—an 8 Hz pulse, repeated five times, with each pulse lasting a roughly equal amount of time, whose pitch can be represented by the absolute value of a declining (for [[alternate mode|alt mode]] to [[robot mode]]) or increasing (for robot mode to alt-mode) sine wave. In [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]], the sine wave generally increased when a Transformer changed to their robot mode, and declined when they converted to vehicle form (or whichever mode was smaller/shorter.) In general, the larger the robot, the deeper the pitch of the sound, and the longer the duration of the pulses. [[Combiner]] teams have been shown to transform one component at a time, or simultaneously, into their gestalt forms. When transforming simultaneously, the pulses may sound as though they are looping over each other for one or more cycles, depending on how quickly the team members complete their combination.

===Origin===
It's uncertain how the noise was produced or by whom, but it may have been created as part of [[Theme song#Generation 1|the original theme song]] by [[Ford Kinder|Kinder]] & [[Anne Bryant|Bryant]]. The initial ''Transformers'' TV appearances were [[commercial]]s featuring a version of that song, and the noise appeared consistently after every instance of the lyrics "the Transformers".<ref>[https://youtu.be/26r6RrCkXGE Montage of several commercials] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref> Often this coincided with transformation sequences, but not always. A different sound, a whir similar to what would be used on {{gb|Challenge of the GoBots (cartoon)|the GoBots cartoon}}, was more consistently heard over transformations in the early ads. The ambiguity persisted into the [[Title sequence#Season 1|title sequence of the first season]] of the cartoon featuring a different version of the theme, wherein the noise occurred after the second and third instances of "the Transformers", with the former occurrence overlapping a prominent transformation sequence. However, the latter occurred when no one was transforming, and the many other transformations shown had no foley at all.<ref>[https://youtu.be/5zFLm8bpAN8 Generation 1 cartoon season-1 title sequence] on the [https://www.youtube.com/@TransformersOfficial TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL YouTube channel]</ref> Thus, it seems likely that the noise had not been created to be a sound effect per se, but rather was repurposed as such in the cartoon due to someone either misunderstanding the audio mix of the earlier animations or deciding to run with the coincidence. Some fans have noted<ref>[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/g1-transformation-sound-origin.1200167/#post-18349628 Speculation on a Devo origin] on [https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/ the TFW2005 forums]</ref> a similarity to a sound in the 1975 song "Auto Modown" by [[w:Devo|Devo]],<ref>[https://youtu.be/PIbTVszp7BU "Auto-Modown" by Devo] on YouTube</ref> but no connection has been confirmed.

===Usage===
[[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]] and [[The Transformers: The Movie|''The Movie'']] made heavy use of the noise for pretty much all forms of transformation; ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' began with most Transformers still retaining the Noise, but around a third of the way into the series, its use became more intermittent, particularly for the Autobot Headmasters themselves. ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' still used the sound for the [[Pretender]]s' transformations in [[robot mode]], but the Autobot [[Headmaster Junior]]s and Autobot [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] had new sounds, with most of the Decepticons retaining the original. The noise was dropped completely for ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Zone]]''.

The specific instance of the sound of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] transforming during the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in the animated film would go on to become the "standard" sound used in many post-G1 series: as the only instance of the sound available that had been recorded with no dialogue, music, or sound effects, it could be edited in more cleanly by subsequent production studios.

''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' didn't use the noise when its characters transformed, with the notable exception of Generation 1 guest star [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who played the noise as he transformed into his classic cassette alternate mode.

The noise next appeared in [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], where it was heard uniformly among all Transformers at the very beginning of transformation sequences. ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' used two new versions of the noise, which primarily saw use during [[stock footage]] transformation sequences; the second carried into ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''. The original version of the noise was heard briefly in ''Armada'' as part of one of the background music tracks, and in ''Energon'' on occasion whenever part of the Japanese sound effects track was not completely dubbed over.
The [[Live-action film series|live-action films]] use noise as a semi-recurring easter egg. It appeared during [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]'s first on-screen transformation in ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]''; it can also be prominently heard during Bumblebee's final transformation in ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'', and when Optimus scans a new [[alternate mode]] in ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]''.

The noise accompanies all transformations in ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', even minor ones including [[mouthplate]]s, pop-out weapons, or [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]]'s [[AllSpark Key]]. In the case of smaller, specific parts, the Noise is sometimes played sped up or higher pitched. In ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'' game, each character was given a unique transformation noise that was personalised for them. For example, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime's]] version of the noise was very similar to the original version while [[Jazz (WFC)|Jazz's]] version incorporates kick drums.<ref name="FOC">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEAiHRBpMcw "Creating the Transformers Sound in Fall of Cybertron" on Game Informer's YouTube channel]</ref> Beginning with ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'', all future ''Transformers'' shows have used only the ascending variant of the noise for all transformations.

===Onomatopoeia===
Japanese manga often uses the onomatopoeia "gi-go-ga-go-go" (ギゴガゴゴ) to represent the noise. The ''[[Transformers Go! Go!|Go! Go!]]'' manga shortens this to just "gi-go-ga-go" (ギゴガゴ) when characters transform into robot mode, and reverses the order of syllables for robot-to-altmode conversions (ギガゴガ, "gi-ga-go-ga")

In "[[Transformers Animated: The Arrival|The Arrival]]", the noise is consistently spelled "whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chk". {{storylink|The Arrival issue 4}}

The [[2005 IDW continuity]] rendered the noise with the spelling "tsche-chu-chu-chu-tsche" {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} and "tsche-tsche-tk-tk-tk"; {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|Your Fierce Tears}} the [[Transformers: Beast Wars|2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic]] uses "tsche-tsch-tsch-tsche-tsch". {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 2}} The [[2019 IDW continuity]] used ''many'' different sound effects to accompany characters transforming, sometimes even within the same issue—it's somewhat debatable whether any of them are meant to be a version of the noise. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}}

The ''[[Angry Birds Transformers (comic)|Angry Birds Transformers]]'' comic uses "whk-whek-whek-whk-whk". {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}}

The [[Void Rivals issue 1|first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]'' has [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] transform with a "Ch-chi chi-chu-chik chu-chi-ii". {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 1|Void Rivals #1}} Skybound's ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' ongoing uses "kheekhakhoukhee", {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}} while [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 6|issue #6]] of ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' goes with "khee-ko-ko-kah-khee".

In the ''[[Overwatch 2]]'' collaboration, [[wikia:overwatch:Bastion|Bastion]]'s Bumblebee skin features a license plate reading "T-C-C-C-T", an abbreviation of one of the IDW onomatopoeias. {{storylink|Overwatch 2}}

===In fiction===
According to [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], the sound is an energon tracking signal sent during the quantum-shift of their atoms' position and purpose. {{storylink|Awaken and Corrupt#Chapter 2: Decepticons Burn|Decepticons Burn}}

The sound designers of ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' envisioned it as the sound of [[energon]] moving through their bodies.<ref name="FOC"/>

[[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]] once claimed that the noise was a product of inferior Cybertronian engineering, and noted that Go-Bots made no such noise when they transform. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric}}

==Unusual transformations==
===Mass-shifting===
{{main|Size changing}}
[[File:MaximumDinobots5-Soundwavetransforms.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Many Transformers, including [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], or the many [[Mini-Cassette]]s, can transform into handheld objects many times smaller than themselves. To pull off a convincing disguise, these Cybertronians can physically shrink as they transform to better fit the dimensions of their alternate modes. Some sources have attempted to justify these unusual powers: one common explanation is that the transformation process allows them to either compress their molecular structure into a more compact form, or somehow exert a tremendous amount of energy to "shunt" their excess mass somewhere else. Notably, a number of Transformers with this power have occasionally demonstrated some degree of control over their size changing powers—for instance, Megatron has frequently turned himself into a gun capable of being wielded by other Cybertronians. In [[2005 IDW continuity|one universe]], Megatron was even able to change size while in robot mode. <ref>"[[slaughterhouse]]"</ref>

Rather than shrinking, a handful of Cybertronians ''grow'' when transforming. These include [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who transforms from an average-sized robot into an enormous Space Shuttle, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], who transforms from a fighter jet into an entire aircraft carrier, and many [[combiner]] team members, whose overall gestalt form is usually many times larger than the sum of their individual components. Notably, a handful of Transformers, such as [[Deep Cover]], possess innate size-changing abilities entirely separate from their alternate modes, which they can freely access in either shape.

{{--}}

===Multiple alternate modes===
{{main|Duocon|Triple Changer|Six Changer|:Category:Transformers with multiple modes}}

[[File:Infiltration5-Blitzwing.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Most Transformers can only maintain two forms: a base [[robot mode]] and a single [[alternate mode]]. However, some Cybertronians have demonstrated the ability to take on two or more distinct alternate forms, best exemplified by the [[Triple Changer]]s and [[Six Changer]]s. Very few continuities have ever attempted to provide a concrete explanation as to why some Transformers possess these unique abilities, while most don't. ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' tied the origins of the Triple Changers to the unique "genetic potential" embedded within their [[spark]]s, implying that they would one day—whether through natural mutation or artificially-induced experimentation—evolve into a triple-changing form. 2016's "[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]" storyline tied [[Punch (G1)|Punch]]'s unique espionage abilities to a rare "one-in-a-trillion" defect in his transformation cog.

Other stories have interpreted taking on an extra alternate modes as a mental barrier to be overcome, rather than a purely physical limitation: in these stories, a suitably motivated Transformer can adopt a second alternate form through a period of intense training and deep meditation. ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' introduced the mysterious [[Six Clan]], who'd all gained their powers this way; in ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] gained the ability to "rescan" a third mode after learning how to focus his energies through a sustained period of concentration. The Aligned continuity also introduced the [[Mul-T-Cog]]s, external devices which allowed the young Cybertronians at the [[Rescue Bot Training Center]] to adopt more than one alternate mode.

A small number of Transformers, such as the [[Duocon]]s, [[Magmatron]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], or [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], are made up of two or more alternate forms that combine into a single robot. Some fiction has tied this ability to the presence of a unique "[[mitotic spark]]" that allows them to control multiple components at a time; Dreamwave's fiction, meanwhile, reconceptualized the [[Duocon]]s as flawed prototype Triple Changers.

Some Cybertronians can initiate a kind of secondary transformation, which allows them to access additional equipment or weaponry, but these ad-hoc "[[transportation mode|transportation]]" and "[[attack mode]]s" are generally not distinct enough to count as a dedicated third form. [[Megatron (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Galvatron]] holds the record for the largest number of distinct alternate modes exhibited by any single individual, with a whopping ''ten'' separate forms.

===Combiners===
{{main|Combiner|Powerlinx}}

[[File:TFUS10 all crumble before devastator.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Many Transformers posses the ability to combine with one another. Members of a [[combiner]] team traditionally possess three potential configurations--a robot mode, an alternate mode, and a component of a larger combined form. Usually, robots with a combiner form cannot individually transform into a gestalt limb; only together can each Cybertronian involved in the combination trigger the combination. A handful of Transformers, including the [[Micromaster Combiner]]s and the members of the [[Functionist Council]], lack their own dedicated alternate modes, and can only transform between their individual robot forms and a combined alternate mode. Some Transformers can transform into a component for other Cybertronians to combine with, such as [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'s ability to form a "Savage Claw" power fist for [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]].

In this regard, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]]s are unique—each one can transform between a robot mode, a beast mode, a combiner component, ''and'' a potential weapon for their [[Piranacon (G1)|combined form]] to wield!

The [[Mini-Con]]s of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' franchise offer a different spin on the concept: they display the ability to [[powerlinx]] with larger Transformers and spontaneously reconfigure their partner's anatomies into new weapons and equipment. The Japanese ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Legends of the Microns]]'' identified this unique form of transformation as "Evolution", but this was downplayed in the American dub.

{{--}}

===High-speed transformation===
[[File:Battlechargers-marvel23a.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

A number of real-life ''Transformers'' toys were designed with unique auto-transforming abilities—the [[Battlecharger]]s and [[Jumpstarter]]s transformed using a spring-loaded [[pull-back motor]]. These unique play features were contextualized as a unique, ultra-fast form of transformation; as described in both [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel comic]] and ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', 'bots with this ability can switch from vehicle to robot faster than the human eye can follow, in less than half a second. <ref> "[[Decepticon Graffiti!]]" </ref> ''More than Meets the Eye'' also attributed a similar ability to the [[Triple Changer]]s, who are noted to transform twice as fast as an ordinary Cybertronian.

{{--}}

===Super modes===
{{main|Super Mode}}

[[File:Comrade optimus supermode.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

A small number of Transformers have displayed the ability to transform into a larger, more powerful robot form—in most cases, accessing this form involves combining with external hardware, such as a transforming trailer or a custom-built suit of armour. In many cases, this secondary transformation grants Cybertornians access to greater strength and firepower while in robot mode—across the [[multiverse]], many incarnations of [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] can combine with their vehicle-mode trailers to access a markedly stronger robot mode. In other cases, such as the [[Pretender]]s, their armour grants them the ability to move unnoticed among certain organic populations. Under most circumstances, however, a Transformer must disengage from this form in order to assume their regular alternate mode.

{{--}}

===Technorganic transformation===
{{main|Technorganic}}

[[File:MasterOfTheHouse-Optimustransformation.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

One of the best-remembered plot points from the ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' was its radical reinvention of the "transforming robot" trope. Although [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] minions transformed in the usual fashion, the show's [[Maximal]] cast discovered that their new [[technorganic]] bodies could only transform when they found their "emotional still point"; these transformations now took the form of fluid shapeshifting rather then mechanically rearranging their components. Mastering these new forms took time and effort, and learning to find the emotional balance required to transform became a significant part of the show's overall narrative.

Some technorganic Transformers possess their own unique transformation sequences. [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], for instance, grew a ring of technorganic plants around her body whenever she transformed.

This unique transformation does not apply to all characters who have been described as "technorganic". Cybertronians in other universes, such as [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]], transform in a more conventional method.

{{--}}

===Adaptable bodies===

[[File:G2StoryPageReconfigurationMatrix1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Some groups of transforming robots, such as the [[Go-Bot (species)|Go-Bots]], use a process similar to reformatting to take on multiple alternate forms. This ability to start with one [[robot mode|robot]] and [[alternate mode|alternate form]] and transform easily to entirely different variations without extensive mechanical work comes from [[Go-Brillium|unique metals]] in the Go-Bots' bodies.

In some realities, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] carries the [[Reconfiguration Matrix]], a miraculous device that allows him to reshape his body into many different robot and vehicle forms. <ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/tech-specs/Generation-2-Tech-Specs/1995-Transformers-Tech-Specs/Optimus_Prime__1995-USA1_.jpg.html Optimus Prime's ''Generation 2'' Go-Bot on-package bio]</ref>

Supplementary material from the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action ''Transformers'' film]] applied a similar ability to the Transformers themselves—one early idea seemed to be that the Autobots and Decepticons of the movie universe could voluntarily switch between different alternate forms on the fly; narration in ''[[Transformers: The Movie Guide|The Movie Guide]]'' notes that a Transformer's base [[protoform]] state can spontaneously assume any shape of roughly equivalent mass, and narration in ''[[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday]]'' describes [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]'s "internal memory database" of potential vehicle forms. The [[Transformers Autobots/Decepticons|Nintendo DS games]] applied a similar ability to the game's "Create-A-Bot" protagonists; in the case of the [[Create-A-Bot (Autobot)|Autobot player character]], this is noted to be a unique ability developed by [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]]. As time went on, however, this conceit was quietly dropped, and the [[scanning]] capabilities of the characters were gradually brought into line with other contemporary depictions of transformation.

{{--}}

===Unlimited alternate modes===
{{main|Shifter|Mutacon|Infinite}}

[[File:TheCovenantOfPrimus-mutacons.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Most Transformers can only transform into a preset alternate mode, but a few rare specimens take this talent to the next level—they can instantly reconfigure their bodies into ''any'' conceivable shape, to the point where they can even convincingly mimic other Cybertronians. The [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity]] first introduced the concept with the [[Shifter]]s, a rare subspecies capable of masquerading as other Cybertronians. 2013's ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' tied them back to [[Amalgamous Prime]], the first Cybertronian ever to possess a [[transformation cog]], and also introduced the [[Mutacon]]s, a wandering tribe of nomads who'd been inadvertently mutated into Shifters after accidental exposure to the energies of Amalgamous's unique transformation cog.

[[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' ongoing also touched upon the topic with the [[Infinite]]s—while the Mutacons and Shifters owe their abilities to the supernatural power of Amalgamous Prime, the Infinites are a genetically-engineered subspecies created by [[Adaptus]].

{{--}}

===Hypno-transformation===
{{main|Living metal}}

[[File:AOE stinger transforms.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

In ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'', the man-made Transformers constructed by [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]] transform in a most unusual fashion: rather than mechanically reshaping their body components, they simply explode into a free-flowing cloud of [[Living metal|transformium]], then reassemble themselves into their other form. Transformers with this ability can maintain this amorphous shape for an unlimited period of time; they can use it to dodge explosions or simply to reach otherwise inaccessible locations. Inanimate objects constructed using transformium, such as a number of prototype stealth weapons, display these same powers.

This unique form of transformation was not named on-screen. However, the [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan Magazine]] ''Transformers'' magazine used the term "hypno-transformation" to describe the process, [[canonizing]] a term used by [[Industrial Light & Magic]] animators during the film's development.

{{--}}

===Loss of transformation===
{{main|Action Master|Monoformer|Militant Monoform Movement|Transformation paralysis}}

[[File:StillLife-ActionMasterGrimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Although the Transformers are renowned for their shapeshifting abilities, not all Cybertronians possess this power. Over the course of their long lifetimes, a Transformer may somehow ''lose'' their ability to transform, leaving them stranded in one shape. Various weapons such as the [[Transfixatron]] or the [[Transformation Lock Lens]] can temporarily freeze a Cybertronian in one form, while exposure to exotic fuel sources such as [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] can permanently rob Cybertronians of their ability to transform. Marketing material for the [[Action Master]]s explained that exposure to nucleon converted their "[[Figure Alteration System]]s" into "[[Energy Storage Reactor]]s"; Cybertronians who chose to become Action Masters thus traded their ability to transform for a dramatically stronger and more powerful robot form. In most ''Transformers'' stories, this mutation is more-or-less permanent: to regain their ability to transform, afflicted Cybertronians must undergo a battery of experimental medical procedures or otherwise endure a ground-up rebuild into a new, Nucleon-free body.

The [[2005 IDW continuity]] coined the term "[[monoformer]]" to describe a Transformer who'd voluntarily or involuntarily lost their ability to transform.

In most modern ''Transformers'' stories, damage, loss, or deliberate removal of the transformation cog will cause a Transformer to lose their ability to change forms. Other tales have connected a loss of transformation to low energy or age-related complications: [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel]]'s [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] is unable to transform as a result of his advanced age; many Autobots and Decepticons in ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' wound up locked in their vehicle modes after centuries of energy depletion; in ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'', an underfuelled [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] struggles to transform into robot mode.

{{--}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Marvel Comics continuity====
=====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comic=====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:TheTransformers-transform.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

After sealing both himself and [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within metallic planetoids, [[Primus]] created the [[Transformer]]s, a race of warriors with the power to reshape their bodies into alternate forms. {{storylink|The Primal Scream}} During the subsequent [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the Autobots and Decepticons, both sides made use of transformation technology; when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s forces crash-landed on [[Earth]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s [[Aunty|computer]] rebuilt the deactivated Cybertronians so that they transformed into terrestrial machines instead. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

''While battling [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] was well aware that, having failed to transform for hundreds of years, the shock to his system upon transforming to combat mode had a good chance of killing him. {{storylink|Meltdown!}} Neglecting to have all one's body parts connected at the time of attempting transformation was also a very painful, if not impossible, process.'' {{storylink|Deadly Games!}}
While searching for a means to revive the ailing [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] discovered a dangerous, unpredictable fuel source called [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] on the planet [[Hydrus Four]]. Exposure to nucleon caused Grimlock's body to gradually seize up; eventually, he entered an immobile "chrysalis state" that preceded his rapid mutation into a non-transforming [[Action Master]]. {{storylink|Still Life!}} ''[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] explained that long-term Nucleon exposure converted a Transformer's [[Figure Alteration System]]s into [[Energy Storage Reactor]]s; as a result, Transformers who became Action Masters traded their ability to transform for enhanced strength and speed. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!|Issue #300 letters section}}

=====Another Time & Place=====
Following the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], many Autobots of the "nucleon generation", depressed and emasculated by their inability to transform, recused themselves from society. A repentant Grimlock returned to Hydrus Four in search of a rumoured cure for their condition; during a battle to stop the Decepticons from resurrecting Megatron, Grimlock successfully used an improved version of Nucleon to flush his systems and restore his transformative capabilities.{{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

=====''Regeneration One''=====
Following the end of the war, Grimlock came to resent his new life as an Action Master. Seeking a way to restore his ability to transform and cure his fellow Autobots of their various Nucleon-related afflictions, he travelled to the planet [[Nebulos]]. Ultimately, Grimlock regained his ability to transform when [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] implanted his [[spark]] into a new body. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Other Cybertronians suffering from Nucleon-induced mutations were transferred to the [[Garage]], where they received new, Nucleon-free bodies. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}}

====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
======''The Transformers'' cartoon======
[[File:Bumblebee transforming.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4|Just lying down is a transformation.]]

Transformation was invented by the [[Autobot]]s during the first war against the [[Decepticon]]s, when it became apparent that they could not master their firepower and strength. Their newfound ability to ambush their foes met with great success, and the defeat of the Deceptions ushered in a [[Golden Age]] of peace and prosperity. However, the Decepticons subsequently adopted transformation technology; under [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s leadership, the empowered Decepticons then kicked off the [[Great War (G1)|Third Cybertronian War]] between the two factions. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

Transformation takes a sufficient amount of energy and mental focus; in cases where Transformers have suffered severe physical injuries, transformation can become difficult. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} Maintaining an alternate mode can drain energy; [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] once reverted to robot mode when he found his alternate mode to be too much on his energy stores. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}} While on Earth, Megatron developed the [[Transfixatron]], a device which could trap Cybertronian in their alternate mode and prevent them from transforming. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

When the Earth-bound Transformers began malfunctioning due to [[Cybertonium]] depletion, they began uncontrollably transforming. Some partially transformed, while others involuntarily changed modes or were unable to fully manifest attachments. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}}

[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}} possessed [[transformation cog]]s that controlled their transformation processes, and were essential to allow them to transform at all. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

Transformers with dinosaur-based alternate modes possess unique "dinosaur electrons". When they transform, they release a burst of "[[dinosaur transform static]]". {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

======''The Headmasters'' cartoon======
[[File:Headmasters tf stuck.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Ow.]]

Millions of years ago, a group of [[Cyberdroid]]s fled Cybertron and settled on the desolate planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. These small robots were so young that they had not learned how to transform yet; to survive the harsh climate of their new home, they developed [[Transtector]]s—normal-sized Transformer bodies that they would be able to connect to—and underwent a period of prolonged, intensive training so that they could learn to transform and link up with them. Even the most promising candidates struggled when they first connected with their Transtectors, spasming and becoming stuck between modes as they attempted to trigger the conversion. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

{{-}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
Transformers wishing to take on a third configuration can directly modify their [[transformation cog]]s; this was the case with the five Autobots who adopted tertiary [[combiner]] configurations as part of the "[[Optimus Maximus|Masquerade Project]]". {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

[[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] trained with the Six Clan, who taught her how to transform into an alternate mode. {{Storylink|LG-15 Nightbird Shadow Sequel}}

====Big Looker Storybooks====
After reactivating in [[1984]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer rebuilt the unconscious Autobots and Decepticons to resemble Earth machines and gave them the ability to transform into their original robot shapes. {{storylink|Battle for Cybertron}}

====Beast Wars cartoon continuity====
The earliest Cybertronians had to learn the art of transformation, which involved discipline, purity of [[spark]], and years of practice. {{storylink|The Reformatting}} By the era of the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, the introduction of [[onboard computer]]s had largely automated the process, to the point where a Cybertronian merely needed to speak a [[activation code|command code]] that automatically triggered their transformation. {{storylink|Master of the House}}

=====''Beast Wars'' cartoon=====
The Maximals and Predacons who participated in the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] typically transformed from [[beast mode]] to [[robot mode]] by triggering a unique command code—"maximize" or "terrorize", respectively. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} While trapped in [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s [[stasis web]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] was unable to transform; {{storylink|The Web}} later, Tarantulas invented the [[Transformation Lock Lens]], which was capable of forcibly preventing afflicted Cybertronians from transforming. {{storylink|The Probe}} Maximals who adopted beast modes separated their bestial instincts from their higher functions with a programming block. If stuck in beast mode for too long, the Maximals would devolve into feral creatures. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Fully organic in nature, [[Clone One]] was unable to transform. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

Cybertronians who were mutated into [[Transmetal]] forms gained the ability to trigger a secondary transformation while in beast mode, allowing them to deploy accessories such as rocket engines and wheels. {{storylink|Aftermath (BW episode)|Aftermath}}

[[Transmutate (BW)|Transmutate]], a defective Transformer spawned from a malfunctioning [[stasis pod]], lacked the ability to transform. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

Exposure to the energies of the [[Transmetal driver]] caused Cheetor to undergo a strange metamorphosis, which temporarily caused him to morph back and forth between his Transmetal body and a monstrous [[Transmetal 2]] form. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} Eventually, Cheetor permanently mutated into a Transmetal 2 in a moment of stress, which unleashed a burst of [[spark]] energy that destroyed his Transmetal form. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

=====''Beast Machines'' cartoon=====
[[File:EndOfTheLine-transformation.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, he engineered a [[Transformation virus|paralyzing virus]] that allowed him to easily conquer the planet. When the Maximals reached Cybertron, those with [[Transmetal]] upgrades were able to partly resist its effects; instead, the virus "devolved" them back into their original beast configurations {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} and left them unable to transform. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

The [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] [[Reformatting|reformatted]] four of the Maximals into new, [[technorganic]] bodies; however, these new forms lacked onboard computers, and the Maximals discovered that they could only transform into robot mode when they found their emotional still point, and adopted the mantra "I am transformed" to assist them. Remaining in robot form now required conscious effort; losing concentration or consciousness caused them to revert back into beast mode, {{storylink|Master of the House}} although with time and effort maintaining their transformation seemed to become easier. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}} Later technorganic Maximals, such as [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}, [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]], {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}, and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], all displayed the ability to transform without any kind of prior tutelage. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] struggled to adjust to this new form of transformation. Eventually, he discovered the laboratory when Megatron had developed the virus, along with a transformation-enhancing counter-virus; when he used the latter on himself, however, the transformation enhancer reacted strangely with his new body, and caused him to uncontrollably shift between robot and beast forms. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}}

The strange, wholly-organic being known as [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] was nevertheless able to transform into a hulking draconic creature called "Savage". {{storylink|Savage Noble}}

=====''Timelines''=====
The Maximal [[Nitrostreak]] was left temporarily unable to transform as a result of damage to his [[transformation cog]] while in vehicle mode. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====Dreamwave Generation 1 continuity====
[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s goals of accelerating the evolutionary development of the Cybertronian race led to a mounting obsession with the idea of a Cybertronian with more than one alternate mode. The [[Duocon]]s were an early attempt at bringing these theories to fruition, but most of his test subjects didn't survive the process; those that did wound up extremely unstable. Nevertheless, Shockwave took what he'd learned and used it to create the first generation of Triple Changers, singling out those with great "genetic potential" and augmenting them further so that they could accept a third alternate form. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
[[File:YouMeAndOtherRevelations-transformation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

All Cybertronians are born with a functioning [[transformation cog]], an [[alternate mode]], and the ability to transform: "[[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|forged]]" Cybertronians develop alternate forms based on the [[CNA|genetic material]] embedded in their [[spark]], {{storylink|Silent Light}}, while "[[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|constructed cold]]" 'bots have their sparks implanted into a mass-produced chassis with a predetermined alternate form. {{storylink|Your First Mistake}} A Transformer changes forms by spinning their cog at a certain velocity, which controls the overall speed of transformation. By shutting down all safety valves and spinning their transformation cog, a Cybertronian could achieve near-instantaneous transformation, but doing this repeatedly would result in the cog breaking beyond repair. {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} Some Transformers can become addicted to the sensation of transforming, but this is a dangerous problem: too much transforming in too short a space of time can burn out the transformation cog and increase the risk of sudden death. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Following the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], a treatment for this condition became available. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Conversely, a few rare Cybertronians are born with an inborn aversion to transformation; [[Demus|one Cybertronian]] with this condition had his transformation cog surgically removed, along with all components relating to his alternate mode. {{storylink|Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots}} Diseases such as [[cybercrosis]] could destroy a Transformer's transformation cog and prevent them from transforming. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

It is possible for a Cybertronian to transform involuntarily—an impact to the [[neural cluster]] can trigger an "involuntary mode spasm". {{storylink|Little Victories}} Under certain circumstances, a recently deceased Transformer may experience [[rigor morphis]], where the dead body will reflexively transform into their preferred shape. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} The serial killer [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder]] could use his remote [[mnemosurgery]] powers to force other Cybertronians to transform after first making their bodies "forget" how to properly change shape, causing them turn themselves inside out. {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

According to legend, [[Primus|the first Cybertronian]] realized he could transform some twelve million years ago in the land that would one day become [[Rivets Field]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Early religions attributed the gift of transformation to the mythological pantheon known as the [[Guiding Hand]]; according to the [[Clavis Aurea]] sect, [[Primus]] decreed that his creations should take on a second shape to carry out their duties more efficiently. Religious Cybertronians associated transformation with [[Adaptus]], god of change; conventional Cybertronian mythology holds that it was Adaptus who became the first [[transformation cog]], ensuring that all future Cybertronians would be able to adapt to any situation. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed a recording of an ancient Cybertronian transforming, which took roughly ten minutes. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:TarnAltMode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

After the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]], [[Nova Prime]] instituted a political philosophy known as [[Functionism]], which segregated Cybertronians into distinct classes based on the versatility and ubiquitousness of their alternate modes, {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} which included a "[[disposable class|disposable]]" underclass who possessed overwhelmingly common alternate modes. {{storylink|Before & After}} A group known as the [[Militant Monoform Movement]] became infamous for their decision to symbolically reject Adaptus by surgically removing their transformation cogs and becoming "[[monoformer]]s". {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

While some Cybertronians possessed the ability to mass-shift into smaller alternate forms, wartime energy rationing meant that few Cybertronians could enjoy this privilege. {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}} Even after the Great War, asking what someone transformed into was considered gauche, {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} and many got defensive over the function of their alternate modes. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} While under the influence of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] forced Autobot cadets through a regimen of brutal "mode-drilling" exercises, forcing them to transform over and over until their bodies gave out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}}

[[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] could identify an Autobot just by their transformation sound. [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] could do the same ''and'' judge their emotional state by the sound of their transformation. {{storylink|Interiors}}

The ability to transform was not exclusive to Cybertronians: other transforming mechanical races included the [[Stentarian]]s, {{storylink|Little Victories}} the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s, and the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}

{{--}}

====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was gravely wounded in the [[Great Push]] of [[2033]], [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]] modified himself to act as the giant Transformer's T-cog, which involved permanently wiring himself into Trypticon's systems. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} Post-war Cybertron had such a high premium on [[energon]] that most [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders]] lacked the power reserves necessary to transform. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} {{storylink|Head Games}} While most remained in robot mode, some, such as [[Black-Out]], wound up locked in their vehicle modes. {{storylink|Derailment}}

The smaller, energy-efficient [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] retained the ability to transform, {{storylink|Alone Together}} as did the [[Micromaster]]s. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} The [[Cyberdroid]]s retained their ability to transform; when they were drafted into an increasingly desperate military towards the end of the [[Grand Uprising]], their commanders were generally frustrated by the fact that none of them turned into anything useful. {{storylink|Derailment}}

====Of Masters and Mayhem====
An advanced alien race on the planet [[Chicxulania]] studied Cybertronian physiology and reverse-engineered their biology to create an advanced "[[technorganic|techno-organic]] hybrid transformation" that allowed Cybertronians to adopt organic [[beast mode]]s. {{storylink|Life Finds a Way}}

[[Punch (G1)|Punch]]'s transformation cog contained a rare, "one-in-a-trillion" mutation that allowed him to assume a second robot form. {{storylink|The Truth We Make}}

====2019 IDW continuity====
[[File:TFVDay-Glyph.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Cybertronians were the only known species with the ability to transform. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Two}} However, they were not naturally born with this ability; early in their lifetime, a freshly-[[Reproduction|forged]] Transformer would have to first scan a suitable alternate mode of their choosing. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}} Some rare Transformers, such as [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], possessed the ability to transform into more than one shape; {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Three}} by the time of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] was widely regarded as the best [[Triple Changer]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}}

The enormous [[Leviathan (G1)|Leviathan]] developed a strong attachment to her alternate mode, to the point where she refused to transform into robot mode except in the most dire circumstances. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}}

Splice-thieves made a living by selling Cybertronian parts, including transformation cogs, on the galactic black market. {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 1}}

=====Alternate future=====
In a potential future where [[Exarchon]] had conquered Cybertron, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s small resistance group had been forced to subsist on [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] for so long that they'd lost their ability to transform. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|Test Flight II}}

{{--}}

====''My Little Pony/Transformers''====
[[File:MLPTF3-Discord Transformation.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]

The evil [[Queen Chrysalis]] cast a [[magic]] spell to summon [[changeling]]s from other worlds; however, the Transformers' innate ability to change shape meant that they counted as "changelings" for the purposes of the spell. When Chrysalis's magic interfered with a malfunctioning [[spacebridge]], several Autobots and Decepticons were duly summoned to the land of [[Equestria]] as a result. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}}

When [[Discord (MLP)|Discord]] attempted to befriend [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] by turning himself into a Cybertronian, he amused himself by flipping through a variety of potential [[alternate mode]]s. {{storylink|Pet Sounds}}

{{--}}

====2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic====
[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] used his [[Transformation Lock Lens|transformation lock lens]] to prevent [[Nyx]] from transforming into her [[beast mode]], so that she would eventually perish from overexposure to [[energon radiation]]. However, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] destroyed the device and allowed Nyx to escape. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 3}}

====''Last Bot Standing''====
[[File:LastBotStanding2-punt.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

When underfuelled, [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] had a tendency to get stuck between modes, necessitating a kick in the [[transformation cog]] to fully transform. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 2|Last Bot Standing #2}}

{{--}}

===Movie continuity===
====Live-action film series====
Transformation is the process by which a Cybertronian's exo-structure reconfigures itself, based upon the schematics programmed into their [[Living metal|self-generating molecular armor]] when a Cybertronian [[scanning|scans]] an object or vehicle to serve as a disguise. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}} The process requires a suitable [[alternate mode]] of similar mass to a Cybertronian's [[robot mode]]; after adopting a shape, a Transformer can reorganize their physical structure at will. {{storylink|Transformers: The Movie Guide|The Movie Guide}}

The artificial Transformers created by [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]] transform via "hypno-transformation", a process by which their bodies dissolve into the Transformium particles of which they are composed and reconstitute into their alternate form. As with Cybertronian Transformers, this process does not allow arbitrary forms to be taken, as each must have its forms programmed into them. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

{{-}}

===''Animated'' continuity===
[[File:TFA-AutobootCamp-TransformUp.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]] had recruits perform ''[[transform-up]]s'', rapidly switching from their robot to their vehicle form while in a prone position. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}

{{--}}

===''Shattered Glass''===
Transformation was invented by the rebel leader [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] to counter the numerical superiority of the Autobots. As a result of their ability to hide in plain sight, his followers dubbed themselves the [[Decepticon]]s, and successfully stalled the Autobot advance for a time. However, it didn't take long until the evil Optimus Prime replicated the technology and bestow it upon his own warriors; with both sides once again on an even footing, the Autobots were able to score a string of victories over their Decepticon foes. [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] believed that he could use the camouflage skills afforded by transformation to conquer other planets, and had many of the Autobots rebuilt with [[human]] vehicle forms in anticipation of an [[Earth]] invasion. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (issue)|Shattered Glass}}

The dimwitted [[Grimlock (SG)|Grimlock]] gained the ability to transform into an intelligent robot form when the [[Omega Terminus]] supercomputer gave him an [[Spark|ember]]. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

===Aligned continuity===
====''The Covenant of Primus''====
[[File:TheCovenantOfPrimus-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

The first Cybertronian blessed with the power of transformation was [[Amalgamous Prime]], whose miraculous T-Cog allowed him to not only change shape, but also ''state'', from solid to liquid and back. Following the fall of the [[Thirteen]] and the creation of the [[Well of All Sparks]], the remaining Primes decided that they would populate the planet with a race of lesser beings, using [[Onyx Prime]]'s [[Triptych Mask]] to establish suitable templates upon which to base the nascent Cybertronian species. As part of this effort, Amalgamous Prime donated a schematic of his T-Cog to [[Onyx Prime]], so that all future Cybertronians would inherit a simplified version of his shapeshifting ability. However, [[Prima]] ultimately chose not to inform the newly-created Cybertronian race about the T-cogs they all possessed, for fear that this powerful ability could lead to trouble. While emerging from the Well of All Sparks, newborn Cybertronians would sometimes experience dreams and visions relating to their future alternate mode, even if they did not yet know what they transformed into.

After discovering Cybertron, the [[Quintesson]]s spent years abducting primitive Cybertronians and analyzing their physiology. Finally, when they publicly revealed themselves, they claimed that they had been sent to uplift the Cybertronian race by bestowing upon them the "gift" of transformation--in reality, all they were doing was remotely activating the T-Cog. A number of Cybertronians used their new alternate modes to become personal transports, who ferried their Quintesson benefactors from place to place. As the rule of the Quintessons grew crueler and more decadent, a growing resistance movement intercepted the newborn [[Silverbolt (WFC)|Silverbolt]] at the Well of All Sparks; a cursory examination revealed that the presence of the T-Cog and the ability to transform was a natural part of Cybertronian biology. This revelation was broadcast live to the entire planet, and kicked off the full-fledged revolt that ultimately ended with the overthrow of the Quintesson regime.

During the [[Great War (Prime)|Great War]], the mad scientist [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] captured [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] and the other members of the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] and subjected them to a battery of brutal experiments where they received new [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]]-based alternate modes. During these experiments, [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] wound up half-transformed; it took a week of repeatedly shocking his T-Cog until the Decepticon scientist was able to push him into his alternate mode. After this, Shockwave affixed a restrainer to Grimlock's T-Cog.

The legendary T-Cog of Amalgamous Prime was eventually found in orbit of a [[black hole]] by a group of refugees fleeing the destruction of [[Neutronia]]. Exposure to the energies of the artifact gave the colonists the potential for infinite transformation and they rebranded themselves as the [[Mutacon]]s. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

====Aligned novels====
After emerging from the [[Well of All Sparks]], newborn Cybertronians had to learn how to transform. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} A rare sub-species of Cybertronians, the [[Shifter]]s, were able to transform into anything of roughly equivalent size and mass, an ability which made them highly valued as spies. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

====''Prime'' cartoon====
A Cybertronian's ability to transform was controlled via their T-Cog. Damage to, or loss of, the T-Cog left Cybertronians unable to transform. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

After [[MECH]] had determined the purpose of the organ, they baited a trap for any Cybertronian and harvested [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s T-Cog, depriving him of his ability to transform or even access his internal weapons. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} After the scout reclaimed his T-Cog, MECH harvested [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]'s leaving the Seeker stuck in his robot mode. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}

After [[cloning]] [[Starscream clone (Prime)|himself]], Starscream was shocked to find his [[CNA]] had provided the clones with working T-Cogs and transformation abilities. {{storylink|Armada (episode)|Armada}} In exchange for the [[Omega Key]]s and a return to the Decepticon ranks, {{storylink|Patch (episode)|Patch}} [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] had Starscream's T-Cog reinstalled much to his delight. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}

After witnessing several [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] transforming, [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] began to wonder if he too could transform and access a robot mode. He could. This was little surprise to Shockwave who knew transformation to a be a fundamental aspect of Cybertronian biology. Nonetheless, this was enough for Megatron to terminate Project: Predacon in the fear the beasts would turn on him. {{storylink|Evolution}} [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] was equally troubled by Predaking's transformation. {{storylink|Minus One}}

====''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''====
After reformatting the [[Lightning Strike Coalition|Lightning Strike Coalition Force]] with [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|alien]] alternate modes, [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] deliberately barred [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]]'s ability to transform, wanting the Autobot to figure that he could now transform only when sufficiently angry. The other members of the group still retained their full transformation potential however. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

===''TransTech''===
"Interpretive morphing", in which performers transformed in novel and artistic methods, was a popular form of self-expression and a regular feature on ''[[Cybertron’s Got Talent]]''. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/14}}

===''Go-Bots'' comic===
The [[GoBot]]s were designed to transform as a means to solve the parking problem, originally being cars that could assume a robot mode so they could walk with their owners. {{storylink|Go-Bots issue 1|Go-Bots #1}}

===''Cyberverse'' cartoon===
After the Quintessons had invaded Cybertron, they locked the populace in a virtual reality that could be broken only if the subject transformed. {{storylink|The Dead End}} [[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]] successfully freed everyone trapped in the simulation by using a simulated flock of [[Air Hammer (Cyberverse)|Air Hammers]] to startle everyone into transforming. {{storylink|The Scientist}}

===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
The [[Terran]]s [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] had to learn how to transform by training in an environment where they felt safe and calm. {{storylink|Moo-ving in}}

==Notes==
==="Transform" as a verb===
[[File:Convert and roll out.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Famous quote of Optimus Prime.]]
For reasons relating to intellectual property law, and the need to preserve "Transformers" as a [[trademark]], [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] do not use "transform" as a verb to describe this ability of Transformers in printed materials describing products. Instead synonyms such as "convert" and "morph" are used. Products that are not able to change modes are given a disclaimer such as "product does not convert". This disclaimer extends to the ''[[Kre-O]]'' Transformers and [[Kreon]] [[Micro-Changer]]s, indicating that "convert" is used in a technical sense that does not apply to the "disassemble and rebuild" [[play pattern]] of ''Kre-O'' toys.

For some time, this restriction didn't extend to in-fiction dialogue. However, since [[2010]], Hasbro has preferred to err on the safe side; the novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'' used "proto-form" and "alt-form" as verbs to describe transforming from vehicle to robot and vice versa, while [[James Roberts]] has said that Hasbro has asked that other terms be used when writing [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics such as ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets the Eye]]''. Exceptions have been made, though, when dialogue or drama strongly called for it, such as [[NAIL protester|the NAIL who transformed himself to death]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}<ref>[http://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/03/transmissions-episode-94-james-roberts-mtmte-elegant-chaos-interview/ Transmissions podcast #94 - James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview]</ref>

All this has proven troublesome given that one of the most famous phrases associated with the ''Transformers'' brand is "[[Roll out|transform and roll out!]]". In ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'', [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] actually commands [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] to "change form and roll out", and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] only ordered his team to "[[Roll out|transform and roll out]]" twice during the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon, opting instead for a "roll out" for the majority of the series; sister series ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' and sequel ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' had their protagonists use alternative catchprases, "[[Heatwave (RB)|roll to the rescue!]]" and "[[Bumblebee (WFC)|rev up and roll out!]]". Somewhat infamously, the [[2022]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#LEGO|''LEGO Creator Expert'' Optimus Prime set]] just gave up and had "Autobots, convert and roll out!" in its instruction booklet.

When [[Magic: The Gathering]] produced ''Transformers'', a small bonus set of cards featuring Transformers characters release alongside ''The Brothers' War'', this was invoked yet again, as despite the game having a thematically-appropriate "Transform" mechanic, the cards in that set "Convert" instead. In addition to being mechanically redundant and disappointingly flavorless, it raised questions about rule interactions with cards that referenced "Transform" (and precise wording is crucial in such a rules-strict game such as Magic). An article by Magic's head designer soon confirmed that the use of "Convert" was entirely a matter of conforming with the Transformers IP, and it's ''exactly the same'' as "Transform" in every possible way.<ref>[https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/odds-and-ends-the-brothers-war Making Magic, Odds & Ends: The Brothers' War]</ref>
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Transformation

2025-06-21T00:18:21Z

Jackpot: /* The noise */ Added "Origin" section

{{disambig3|Transformation}}

[[File:GoGo15-transformation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2|You put your right leg out...]]

'''Transformation''' (also known as '''conversion''') refers to the overall process by which a [[Transformer]] changes from one mode into another—this usually refers to their ability to shift between [[robot mode|robot]] and [[alternate mode]]s. In most realities, transformation is a purely mechanical process in which many interlinked parts shift and move in relation to each other; this process is largely reflexive and separate from a Transformer's higher functions, allowing them to transform back and forth between forms with a minimum of effort. Transformation is generally a very rapid affair; for most Transformers, it takes only a few seconds to change form. However, the speed of transformation is usually inversely proportional to a Cybertronian's overall size and mass. Very large Transformers, such as the [[Guardian robot]]s or [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s, can take longer to fully change form.

While this kind of robot-to-altmode conversion is by far the most common form of transformation seen in most [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'']] fiction, other variations on the process exist. Many Cybertronians can access additional weapons or gadgets while in one specific shape; others can [[combiner|combine]] with other Transformers to form a larger robot or vehicle, necessitating a unique transformation sequence. These should not be confused with [[reformatting]], a type of once-off, full body upgrade.

Many works of ''Transformers'' fiction tie the ability to transform to the [[transformation cog]] or "T-cog", a sophisticated biomechanical "organ" <ref>"[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]"</ref> that powers and coordinates the various subsystems that autonomously handle a Cybertronian's transformation. Sufficient damage—either to the transformation cog or any other part of the body—can temporarily prevent a Transformer from transforming until their injuries are repaired.

Transformation is not a trait limited to Cybertronians; various robotic [[alien]] races have exhibited similar powers. In many realities, [[human]]s who gain access to Cybertronian technology have been able to reverse-engineer transforming robots of their own.

==Conceptual history==
[[File:Ladybird prime transforms.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

The origins and technical details of transformation vary drastically between various [[continuity|continuities]]. Most early works of ''Transformers'' fiction did not explore the origins of transformation, beyond the vague implication that it was an innate ability that all Cybertronians possessed. A few picture books published around the same time, most notably the [[Big Looker Storybook]]s, implied that the Transformers only developed this ability ''after'' being rebuilt on Earth, and that this trait was not endemic to the rest of the species.

[[File:9AmalgamousPrime.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

The "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" miniseries was the first work of ''Transformers'' fiction to take a serious stab at explaining the origins and mechanisms behind transformation. [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4|"Part 4"]] revealed that, while the first generations of Cybertronians lacked the power to transform, the ancestors of the Autobots had invented the technology during a previous conflict with the Decepticons at some point after overthrowing their [[Quintesson]] creators. The miniseries is also notable for introducing [[transformation cog]]s to the ''Transformers'' canon, although this early iteration treated the device as a one-off plot device, seemingly unique to [[Titan (group)|large Transformers]] such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] eventually developed its own backstory for the ability; in this universe, Transformers were created with this innate ability by their benevolent creator [[Primus]]. As the cartoon had long gone off the air at this point, the final few issues of the Marvel comic set up a storyline involving the [[Action Master]]s, a unique group of Cybertronians who'd given up their ability to transform altogether; ancillary advertising material tied this mutation to the loss of their "[[Figure Alteration System]]".

The ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon established that the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s transformed via [[onboard computer]]s that coordinated the reconfiguration of their bodies. Its sequel series, ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', is famous for its highly unusual approach to transformation—in this story, the Maximals were [[Reformatting|reformatted]] into [[technorganic]] bodies, and were forced to relearn the "lost art" of transformation through a period of intense meditation and training. The ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] television shows featured many elaborate [[stock footage]] sequences of characters transforming, but otherwise did not emphasize on transformation as a plot point.

In [[2010]], the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' resurrected the concept of transformation cogs; however, in keeping with Hasbro's increasingly restrictive trademark protection, they were now known as either "conversion cogs" or "trans-cogs". The ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon used the term "T-Cog"; it extended the idea to encompass the notion that ''all'' Transformers possessed a T-Cog, a biomechanism used not just for transformation, but also to access weapons and [[scanning|scan]] new alternate modes—this idea persisted into older-skewing works of fiction such as ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', which connected the transformation cog to the [[brain module]] and [[spark]] as one of [[Rossum's Trinity|three vital organs]]. [[2013]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' introduced [[Amalgamous Prime]], a member of the [[Thirteen]] credited with introducing the power of transformation to the Cybertronian race through his supernatural transformation cog. However, this explanation never really caught on; most subsequent works of fiction have rarely touched on the origins of transformation. Some stories such as ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'', however, have broadly drawn upon the mythology surrounding transformation and T-cogs first laid down in ''Prime''.

{{--}}

==The noise==
{{bigquote|TSCHE-CHU-CHU-CHU-TSCHE|"[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It]]"}}

[[File:Transformation Noise Arrival 4.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

In many ''Transformers'' television shows, transformation is often accompanied by a [[media:Tf sound.ogg|distinct noise]]—an 8 Hz pulse, repeated five times, with each pulse lasting a roughly equal amount of time, whose pitch can be represented by the absolute value of a declining (for [[alternate mode|alt mode]] to [[robot mode]]) or increasing (for robot mode to alt-mode) sine wave. In [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]], the sine wave generally increased when a Transformer changed to their robot mode, and declined when they converted to vehicle form (or whichever mode was smaller/shorter.) In general, the larger the robot, the deeper the pitch of the sound, and the longer the duration of the pulses. [[Combiner]] teams have been shown to transform one component at a time, or simultaneously, into their gestalt forms. When transforming simultaneously, the pulses may sound as though they are looping over each other for one or more cycles, depending on how quickly the team members complete their combination.

===Origin===
It's uncertain how the noise was produced or by whom, but it may have been created as part of [[Theme song#Generation 1|the original theme song]] by [[Ford Kinder|Kinder]] & [[Anne Bryant|Bryant]]. The initial ''Transformers'' TV appearances were [[commercial]]s featuring that song, and the noise appeared consistently after every instance of the lyrics "the Transformers".<ref>[https://youtu.be/26r6RrCkXGE Montage of several commercials] on [https://youtube.com YouTube]</ref> Often this coincided with transformation sequences, but not always. A different sound, a whir similar to what would be used on {{gb|Challenge of the GoBots (cartoon)|the GoBots cartoon}}, was more consistently heard over transformations in the early ads. The ambiguity persisted into the [[Title sequence#Season 1|title sequence of the first season]] of the cartoon, wherein the noise occurred after the second and third instances of "the Transformers", with the former occurrence overlapping a prominent transformation sequence. However, the latter occurred when no one was transforming, and the many other transformations shown had no foley at all.<ref>[https://youtu.be/5zFLm8bpAN8 Generation 1 cartoon season-1 title sequence] on the [https://www.youtube.com/@TransformersOfficial TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL YouTube channel]</ref> Thus, it seems likely that the noise had not been created to be a sound effect per se, but rather was repurposed as such in the cartoon due to someone either misunderstanding the audio mix of the earlier animations or deciding to run with the coincidence. Some fans have noted<ref>[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/g1-transformation-sound-origin.1200167/#post-18349628 Speculation on a Devo origin] on [https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/ the TFW2005 forums]</ref> a similarity to a sound in the 1975 song "Auto Modown" by [[w:Devo|Devo]],<ref>[https://youtu.be/PIbTVszp7BU "Auto-Modown" by Devo] on YouTube</ref> but no connection has been confirmed.

===Usage===
[[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]] and [[The Transformers: The Movie|''The Movie'']] made heavy use of the noise for pretty much all forms of transformation; ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' began with most Transformers still retaining the Noise, but around a third of the way into the series, its use became more intermittent, particularly for the Autobot Headmasters themselves. ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' still used the sound for the [[Pretender]]s' transformations in [[robot mode]], but the Autobot [[Headmaster Junior]]s and Autobot [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] had new sounds, with most of the Decepticons retaining the original. The noise was dropped completely for ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Zone]]''.

The specific instance of the sound of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] transforming during the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in the animated film would go on to become the "standard" sound used in many post-G1 series: as the only instance of the sound available that had been recorded with no dialogue, music, or sound effects, it could be edited in more cleanly by subsequent production studios.

''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' didn't use the noise when its characters transformed, with the notable exception of Generation 1 guest star [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who played the noise as he transformed into his classic cassette alternate mode.

The noise next appeared in [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], where it was heard uniformly among all Transformers at the very beginning of transformation sequences. ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' used two new versions of the noise, which primarily saw use during [[stock footage]] transformation sequences; the second carried into ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''. The original version of the noise was heard briefly in ''Armada'' as part of one of the background music tracks, and in ''Energon'' on occasion whenever part of the Japanese sound effects track was not completely dubbed over.
The [[Live-action film series|live-action films]] use noise as a semi-recurring easter egg. It appeared during [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]'s first on-screen transformation in ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]''; it can also be prominently heard during Bumblebee's final transformation in ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'', and when Optimus scans a new [[alternate mode]] in ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]''.

The noise accompanies all transformations in ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', even minor ones including [[mouthplate]]s, pop-out weapons, or [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]]'s [[AllSpark Key]]. In the case of smaller, specific parts, the Noise is sometimes played sped up or higher pitched. In ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'' game, each character was given a unique transformation noise that was personalised for them. For example, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime's]] version of the noise was very similar to the original version while [[Jazz (WFC)|Jazz's]] version incorporates kick drums.<ref name="FOC">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEAiHRBpMcw "Creating the Transformers Sound in Fall of Cybertron" on Game Informer's YouTube channel]</ref> Beginning with ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'', all future ''Transformers'' shows have used only the ascending variant of the noise for all transformations.

===Onomatopoeia===
Japanese manga often uses the onomatopoeia "gi-go-ga-go-go" (ギゴガゴゴ) to represent the noise. The ''[[Transformers Go! Go!|Go! Go!]]'' manga shortens this to just "gi-go-ga-go" (ギゴガゴ) when characters transform into robot mode, and reverses the order of syllables for robot-to-altmode conversions (ギガゴガ, "gi-ga-go-ga")

In "[[Transformers Animated: The Arrival|The Arrival]]", the noise is consistently spelled "whrr-tschzz-tschzz-tschzz-chk". {{storylink|The Arrival issue 4}}

The [[2005 IDW continuity]] rendered the noise with the spelling "tsche-chu-chu-chu-tsche" {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} and "tsche-tsche-tk-tk-tk"; {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|Your Fierce Tears}} the [[Transformers: Beast Wars|2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic]] uses "tsche-tsch-tsch-tsche-tsch". {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 2}} The [[2019 IDW continuity]] used ''many'' different sound effects to accompany characters transforming, sometimes even within the same issue—it's somewhat debatable whether any of them are meant to be a version of the noise. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}}

The ''[[Angry Birds Transformers (comic)|Angry Birds Transformers]]'' comic uses "whk-whek-whek-whk-whk". {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}}

The [[Void Rivals issue 1|first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]'' has [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] transform with a "Ch-chi chi-chu-chik chu-chi-ii". {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 1|Void Rivals #1}} Skybound's ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' ongoing uses "kheekhakhoukhee", {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}} while [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 6|issue #6]] of ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' goes with "khee-ko-ko-kah-khee".

In the ''[[Overwatch 2]]'' collaboration, [[wikia:overwatch:Bastion|Bastion]]'s Bumblebee skin features a license plate reading "T-C-C-C-T", an abbreviation of one of the IDW onomatopoeias. {{storylink|Overwatch 2}}

===In fiction===
According to [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], the sound is an energon tracking signal sent during the quantum-shift of their atoms' position and purpose. {{storylink|Awaken and Corrupt#Chapter 2: Decepticons Burn|Decepticons Burn}}

The sound designers of ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' envisioned it as the sound of [[energon]] moving through their bodies.<ref name="FOC"/>

[[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]] once claimed that the noise was a product of inferior Cybertronian engineering, and noted that Go-Bots made no such noise when they transform. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric}}

==Unusual transformations==
===Mass-shifting===
{{main|Size changing}}
[[File:MaximumDinobots5-Soundwavetransforms.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Many Transformers, including [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], or the many [[Mini-Cassette]]s, can transform into handheld objects many times smaller than themselves. To pull off a convincing disguise, these Cybertronians can physically shrink as they transform to better fit the dimensions of their alternate modes. Some sources have attempted to justify these unusual powers: one common explanation is that the transformation process allows them to either compress their molecular structure into a more compact form, or somehow exert a tremendous amount of energy to "shunt" their excess mass somewhere else. Notably, a number of Transformers with this power have occasionally demonstrated some degree of control over their size changing powers—for instance, Megatron has frequently turned himself into a gun capable of being wielded by other Cybertronians. In [[2005 IDW continuity|one universe]], Megatron was even able to change size while in robot mode. <ref>"[[slaughterhouse]]"</ref>

Rather than shrinking, a handful of Cybertronians ''grow'' when transforming. These include [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who transforms from an average-sized robot into an enormous Space Shuttle, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], who transforms from a fighter jet into an entire aircraft carrier, and many [[combiner]] team members, whose overall gestalt form is usually many times larger than the sum of their individual components. Notably, a handful of Transformers, such as [[Deep Cover]], possess innate size-changing abilities entirely separate from their alternate modes, which they can freely access in either shape.

{{--}}

===Multiple alternate modes===
{{main|Duocon|Triple Changer|Six Changer|:Category:Transformers with multiple modes}}

[[File:Infiltration5-Blitzwing.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Most Transformers can only maintain two forms: a base [[robot mode]] and a single [[alternate mode]]. However, some Cybertronians have demonstrated the ability to take on two or more distinct alternate forms, best exemplified by the [[Triple Changer]]s and [[Six Changer]]s. Very few continuities have ever attempted to provide a concrete explanation as to why some Transformers possess these unique abilities, while most don't. ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' tied the origins of the Triple Changers to the unique "genetic potential" embedded within their [[spark]]s, implying that they would one day—whether through natural mutation or artificially-induced experimentation—evolve into a triple-changing form. 2016's "[[Of Masters and Mayhem]]" storyline tied [[Punch (G1)|Punch]]'s unique espionage abilities to a rare "one-in-a-trillion" defect in his transformation cog.

Other stories have interpreted taking on an extra alternate modes as a mental barrier to be overcome, rather than a purely physical limitation: in these stories, a suitably motivated Transformer can adopt a second alternate form through a period of intense training and deep meditation. ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' introduced the mysterious [[Six Clan]], who'd all gained their powers this way; in ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] gained the ability to "rescan" a third mode after learning how to focus his energies through a sustained period of concentration. The Aligned continuity also introduced the [[Mul-T-Cog]]s, external devices which allowed the young Cybertronians at the [[Rescue Bot Training Center]] to adopt more than one alternate mode.

A small number of Transformers, such as the [[Duocon]]s, [[Magmatron]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], or [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], are made up of two or more alternate forms that combine into a single robot. Some fiction has tied this ability to the presence of a unique "[[mitotic spark]]" that allows them to control multiple components at a time; Dreamwave's fiction, meanwhile, reconceptualized the [[Duocon]]s as flawed prototype Triple Changers.

Some Cybertronians can initiate a kind of secondary transformation, which allows them to access additional equipment or weaponry, but these ad-hoc "[[transportation mode|transportation]]" and "[[attack mode]]s" are generally not distinct enough to count as a dedicated third form. [[Megatron (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Galvatron]] holds the record for the largest number of distinct alternate modes exhibited by any single individual, with a whopping ''ten'' separate forms.

===Combiners===
{{main|Combiner|Powerlinx}}

[[File:TFUS10 all crumble before devastator.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Many Transformers posses the ability to combine with one another. Members of a [[combiner]] team traditionally possess three potential configurations--a robot mode, an alternate mode, and a component of a larger combined form. Usually, robots with a combiner form cannot individually transform into a gestalt limb; only together can each Cybertronian involved in the combination trigger the combination. A handful of Transformers, including the [[Micromaster Combiner]]s and the members of the [[Functionist Council]], lack their own dedicated alternate modes, and can only transform between their individual robot forms and a combined alternate mode. Some Transformers can transform into a component for other Cybertronians to combine with, such as [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]]'s ability to form a "Savage Claw" power fist for [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]].

In this regard, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]]s are unique—each one can transform between a robot mode, a beast mode, a combiner component, ''and'' a potential weapon for their [[Piranacon (G1)|combined form]] to wield!

The [[Mini-Con]]s of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' franchise offer a different spin on the concept: they display the ability to [[powerlinx]] with larger Transformers and spontaneously reconfigure their partner's anatomies into new weapons and equipment. The Japanese ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Legends of the Microns]]'' identified this unique form of transformation as "Evolution", but this was downplayed in the American dub.

{{--}}

===High-speed transformation===
[[File:Battlechargers-marvel23a.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

A number of real-life ''Transformers'' toys were designed with unique auto-transforming abilities—the [[Battlecharger]]s and [[Jumpstarter]]s transformed using a spring-loaded [[pull-back motor]]. These unique play features were contextualized as a unique, ultra-fast form of transformation; as described in both [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel comic]] and ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', 'bots with this ability can switch from vehicle to robot faster than the human eye can follow, in less than half a second. <ref> "[[Decepticon Graffiti!]]" </ref> ''More than Meets the Eye'' also attributed a similar ability to the [[Triple Changer]]s, who are noted to transform twice as fast as an ordinary Cybertronian.

{{--}}

===Super modes===
{{main|Super Mode}}

[[File:Comrade optimus supermode.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

A small number of Transformers have displayed the ability to transform into a larger, more powerful robot form—in most cases, accessing this form involves combining with external hardware, such as a transforming trailer or a custom-built suit of armour. In many cases, this secondary transformation grants Cybertornians access to greater strength and firepower while in robot mode—across the [[multiverse]], many incarnations of [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] can combine with their vehicle-mode trailers to access a markedly stronger robot mode. In other cases, such as the [[Pretender]]s, their armour grants them the ability to move unnoticed among certain organic populations. Under most circumstances, however, a Transformer must disengage from this form in order to assume their regular alternate mode.

{{--}}

===Technorganic transformation===
{{main|Technorganic}}

[[File:MasterOfTheHouse-Optimustransformation.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

One of the best-remembered plot points from the ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' was its radical reinvention of the "transforming robot" trope. Although [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] minions transformed in the usual fashion, the show's [[Maximal]] cast discovered that their new [[technorganic]] bodies could only transform when they found their "emotional still point"; these transformations now took the form of fluid shapeshifting rather then mechanically rearranging their components. Mastering these new forms took time and effort, and learning to find the emotional balance required to transform became a significant part of the show's overall narrative.

Some technorganic Transformers possess their own unique transformation sequences. [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], for instance, grew a ring of technorganic plants around her body whenever she transformed.

This unique transformation does not apply to all characters who have been described as "technorganic". Cybertronians in other universes, such as [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]], transform in a more conventional method.

{{--}}

===Adaptable bodies===

[[File:G2StoryPageReconfigurationMatrix1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Some groups of transforming robots, such as the [[Go-Bot (species)|Go-Bots]], use a process similar to reformatting to take on multiple alternate forms. This ability to start with one [[robot mode|robot]] and [[alternate mode|alternate form]] and transform easily to entirely different variations without extensive mechanical work comes from [[Go-Brillium|unique metals]] in the Go-Bots' bodies.

In some realities, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] carries the [[Reconfiguration Matrix]], a miraculous device that allows him to reshape his body into many different robot and vehicle forms. <ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/tech-specs/Generation-2-Tech-Specs/1995-Transformers-Tech-Specs/Optimus_Prime__1995-USA1_.jpg.html Optimus Prime's ''Generation 2'' Go-Bot on-package bio]</ref>

Supplementary material from the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action ''Transformers'' film]] applied a similar ability to the Transformers themselves—one early idea seemed to be that the Autobots and Decepticons of the movie universe could voluntarily switch between different alternate forms on the fly; narration in ''[[Transformers: The Movie Guide|The Movie Guide]]'' notes that a Transformer's base [[protoform]] state can spontaneously assume any shape of roughly equivalent mass, and narration in ''[[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday]]'' describes [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]'s "internal memory database" of potential vehicle forms. The [[Transformers Autobots/Decepticons|Nintendo DS games]] applied a similar ability to the game's "Create-A-Bot" protagonists; in the case of the [[Create-A-Bot (Autobot)|Autobot player character]], this is noted to be a unique ability developed by [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack]]. As time went on, however, this conceit was quietly dropped, and the [[scanning]] capabilities of the characters were gradually brought into line with other contemporary depictions of transformation.

{{--}}

===Unlimited alternate modes===
{{main|Shifter|Mutacon|Infinite}}

[[File:TheCovenantOfPrimus-mutacons.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Most Transformers can only transform into a preset alternate mode, but a few rare specimens take this talent to the next level—they can instantly reconfigure their bodies into ''any'' conceivable shape, to the point where they can even convincingly mimic other Cybertronians. The [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity]] first introduced the concept with the [[Shifter]]s, a rare subspecies capable of masquerading as other Cybertronians. 2013's ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' tied them back to [[Amalgamous Prime]], the first Cybertronian ever to possess a [[transformation cog]], and also introduced the [[Mutacon]]s, a wandering tribe of nomads who'd been inadvertently mutated into Shifters after accidental exposure to the energies of Amalgamous's unique transformation cog.

[[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' ongoing also touched upon the topic with the [[Infinite]]s—while the Mutacons and Shifters owe their abilities to the supernatural power of Amalgamous Prime, the Infinites are a genetically-engineered subspecies created by [[Adaptus]].

{{--}}

===Hypno-transformation===
{{main|Living metal}}

[[File:AOE stinger transforms.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

In ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'', the man-made Transformers constructed by [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]] transform in a most unusual fashion: rather than mechanically reshaping their body components, they simply explode into a free-flowing cloud of [[Living metal|transformium]], then reassemble themselves into their other form. Transformers with this ability can maintain this amorphous shape for an unlimited period of time; they can use it to dodge explosions or simply to reach otherwise inaccessible locations. Inanimate objects constructed using transformium, such as a number of prototype stealth weapons, display these same powers.

This unique form of transformation was not named on-screen. However, the [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan Magazine]] ''Transformers'' magazine used the term "hypno-transformation" to describe the process, [[canonizing]] a term used by [[Industrial Light & Magic]] animators during the film's development.

{{--}}

===Loss of transformation===
{{main|Action Master|Monoformer|Militant Monoform Movement|Transformation paralysis}}

[[File:StillLife-ActionMasterGrimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Although the Transformers are renowned for their shapeshifting abilities, not all Cybertronians possess this power. Over the course of their long lifetimes, a Transformer may somehow ''lose'' their ability to transform, leaving them stranded in one shape. Various weapons such as the [[Transfixatron]] or the [[Transformation Lock Lens]] can temporarily freeze a Cybertronian in one form, while exposure to exotic fuel sources such as [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] can permanently rob Cybertronians of their ability to transform. Marketing material for the [[Action Master]]s explained that exposure to nucleon converted their "[[Figure Alteration System]]s" into "[[Energy Storage Reactor]]s"; Cybertronians who chose to become Action Masters thus traded their ability to transform for a dramatically stronger and more powerful robot form. In most ''Transformers'' stories, this mutation is more-or-less permanent: to regain their ability to transform, afflicted Cybertronians must undergo a battery of experimental medical procedures or otherwise endure a ground-up rebuild into a new, Nucleon-free body.

The [[2005 IDW continuity]] coined the term "[[monoformer]]" to describe a Transformer who'd voluntarily or involuntarily lost their ability to transform.

In most modern ''Transformers'' stories, damage, loss, or deliberate removal of the transformation cog will cause a Transformer to lose their ability to change forms. Other tales have connected a loss of transformation to low energy or age-related complications: [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel]]'s [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] is unable to transform as a result of his advanced age; many Autobots and Decepticons in ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' wound up locked in their vehicle modes after centuries of energy depletion; in ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'', an underfuelled [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] struggles to transform into robot mode.

{{--}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Marvel Comics continuity====
=====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comic=====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:TheTransformers-transform.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

After sealing both himself and [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within metallic planetoids, [[Primus]] created the [[Transformer]]s, a race of warriors with the power to reshape their bodies into alternate forms. {{storylink|The Primal Scream}} During the subsequent [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the Autobots and Decepticons, both sides made use of transformation technology; when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s forces crash-landed on [[Earth]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s [[Aunty|computer]] rebuilt the deactivated Cybertronians so that they transformed into terrestrial machines instead. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

''While battling [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] was well aware that, having failed to transform for hundreds of years, the shock to his system upon transforming to combat mode had a good chance of killing him. {{storylink|Meltdown!}} Neglecting to have all one's body parts connected at the time of attempting transformation was also a very painful, if not impossible, process.'' {{storylink|Deadly Games!}}
While searching for a means to revive the ailing [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] discovered a dangerous, unpredictable fuel source called [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] on the planet [[Hydrus Four]]. Exposure to nucleon caused Grimlock's body to gradually seize up; eventually, he entered an immobile "chrysalis state" that preceded his rapid mutation into a non-transforming [[Action Master]]. {{storylink|Still Life!}} ''[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] explained that long-term Nucleon exposure converted a Transformer's [[Figure Alteration System]]s into [[Energy Storage Reactor]]s; as a result, Transformers who became Action Masters traded their ability to transform for enhanced strength and speed. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!|Issue #300 letters section}}

=====Another Time & Place=====
Following the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], many Autobots of the "nucleon generation", depressed and emasculated by their inability to transform, recused themselves from society. A repentant Grimlock returned to Hydrus Four in search of a rumoured cure for their condition; during a battle to stop the Decepticons from resurrecting Megatron, Grimlock successfully used an improved version of Nucleon to flush his systems and restore his transformative capabilities.{{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

=====''Regeneration One''=====
Following the end of the war, Grimlock came to resent his new life as an Action Master. Seeking a way to restore his ability to transform and cure his fellow Autobots of their various Nucleon-related afflictions, he travelled to the planet [[Nebulos]]. Ultimately, Grimlock regained his ability to transform when [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] implanted his [[spark]] into a new body. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Two}} Other Cybertronians suffering from Nucleon-induced mutations were transferred to the [[Garage]], where they received new, Nucleon-free bodies. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}}

====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
======''The Transformers'' cartoon======
[[File:Bumblebee transforming.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4|Just lying down is a transformation.]]

Transformation was invented by the [[Autobot]]s during the first war against the [[Decepticon]]s, when it became apparent that they could not master their firepower and strength. Their newfound ability to ambush their foes met with great success, and the defeat of the Deceptions ushered in a [[Golden Age]] of peace and prosperity. However, the Decepticons subsequently adopted transformation technology; under [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s leadership, the empowered Decepticons then kicked off the [[Great War (G1)|Third Cybertronian War]] between the two factions. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

Transformation takes a sufficient amount of energy and mental focus; in cases where Transformers have suffered severe physical injuries, transformation can become difficult. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} Maintaining an alternate mode can drain energy; [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] once reverted to robot mode when he found his alternate mode to be too much on his energy stores. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}} While on Earth, Megatron developed the [[Transfixatron]], a device which could trap Cybertronian in their alternate mode and prevent them from transforming. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

When the Earth-bound Transformers began malfunctioning due to [[Cybertonium]] depletion, they began uncontrollably transforming. Some partially transformed, while others involuntarily changed modes or were unable to fully manifest attachments. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}}

[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}} possessed [[transformation cog]]s that controlled their transformation processes, and were essential to allow them to transform at all. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

Transformers with dinosaur-based alternate modes possess unique "dinosaur electrons". When they transform, they release a burst of "[[dinosaur transform static]]". {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

======''The Headmasters'' cartoon======
[[File:Headmasters tf stuck.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Ow.]]

Millions of years ago, a group of [[Cyberdroid]]s fled Cybertron and settled on the desolate planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. These small robots were so young that they had not learned how to transform yet; to survive the harsh climate of their new home, they developed [[Transtector]]s—normal-sized Transformer bodies that they would be able to connect to—and underwent a period of prolonged, intensive training so that they could learn to transform and link up with them. Even the most promising candidates struggled when they first connected with their Transtectors, spasming and becoming stuck between modes as they attempted to trigger the conversion. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

{{-}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
Transformers wishing to take on a third configuration can directly modify their [[transformation cog]]s; this was the case with the five Autobots who adopted tertiary [[combiner]] configurations as part of the "[[Optimus Maximus|Masquerade Project]]". {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

[[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] trained with the Six Clan, who taught her how to transform into an alternate mode. {{Storylink|LG-15 Nightbird Shadow Sequel}}

====Big Looker Storybooks====
After reactivating in [[1984]], the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s computer rebuilt the unconscious Autobots and Decepticons to resemble Earth machines and gave them the ability to transform into their original robot shapes. {{storylink|Battle for Cybertron}}

====Beast Wars cartoon continuity====
The earliest Cybertronians had to learn the art of transformation, which involved discipline, purity of [[spark]], and years of practice. {{storylink|The Reformatting}} By the era of the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, the introduction of [[onboard computer]]s had largely automated the process, to the point where a Cybertronian merely needed to speak a [[activation code|command code]] that automatically triggered their transformation. {{storylink|Master of the House}}

=====''Beast Wars'' cartoon=====
The Maximals and Predacons who participated in the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] typically transformed from [[beast mode]] to [[robot mode]] by triggering a unique command code—"maximize" or "terrorize", respectively. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} While trapped in [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s [[stasis web]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] was unable to transform; {{storylink|The Web}} later, Tarantulas invented the [[Transformation Lock Lens]], which was capable of forcibly preventing afflicted Cybertronians from transforming. {{storylink|The Probe}} Maximals who adopted beast modes separated their bestial instincts from their higher functions with a programming block. If stuck in beast mode for too long, the Maximals would devolve into feral creatures. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Fully organic in nature, [[Clone One]] was unable to transform. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

Cybertronians who were mutated into [[Transmetal]] forms gained the ability to trigger a secondary transformation while in beast mode, allowing them to deploy accessories such as rocket engines and wheels. {{storylink|Aftermath (BW episode)|Aftermath}}

[[Transmutate (BW)|Transmutate]], a defective Transformer spawned from a malfunctioning [[stasis pod]], lacked the ability to transform. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

Exposure to the energies of the [[Transmetal driver]] caused Cheetor to undergo a strange metamorphosis, which temporarily caused him to morph back and forth between his Transmetal body and a monstrous [[Transmetal 2]] form. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} Eventually, Cheetor permanently mutated into a Transmetal 2 in a moment of stress, which unleashed a burst of [[spark]] energy that destroyed his Transmetal form. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

=====''Beast Machines'' cartoon=====
[[File:EndOfTheLine-transformation.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, he engineered a [[Transformation virus|paralyzing virus]] that allowed him to easily conquer the planet. When the Maximals reached Cybertron, those with [[Transmetal]] upgrades were able to partly resist its effects; instead, the virus "devolved" them back into their original beast configurations {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} and left them unable to transform. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

The [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] [[Reformatting|reformatted]] four of the Maximals into new, [[technorganic]] bodies; however, these new forms lacked onboard computers, and the Maximals discovered that they could only transform into robot mode when they found their emotional still point, and adopted the mantra "I am transformed" to assist them. Remaining in robot form now required conscious effort; losing concentration or consciousness caused them to revert back into beast mode, {{storylink|Master of the House}} although with time and effort maintaining their transformation seemed to become easier. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}} Later technorganic Maximals, such as [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}, [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]], {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}, and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], all displayed the ability to transform without any kind of prior tutelage. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] struggled to adjust to this new form of transformation. Eventually, he discovered the laboratory when Megatron had developed the virus, along with a transformation-enhancing counter-virus; when he used the latter on himself, however, the transformation enhancer reacted strangely with his new body, and caused him to uncontrollably shift between robot and beast forms. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}}

The strange, wholly-organic being known as [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] was nevertheless able to transform into a hulking draconic creature called "Savage". {{storylink|Savage Noble}}

=====''Timelines''=====
The Maximal [[Nitrostreak]] was left temporarily unable to transform as a result of damage to his [[transformation cog]] while in vehicle mode. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====Dreamwave Generation 1 continuity====
[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s goals of accelerating the evolutionary development of the Cybertronian race led to a mounting obsession with the idea of a Cybertronian with more than one alternate mode. The [[Duocon]]s were an early attempt at bringing these theories to fruition, but most of his test subjects didn't survive the process; those that did wound up extremely unstable. Nevertheless, Shockwave took what he'd learned and used it to create the first generation of Triple Changers, singling out those with great "genetic potential" and augmenting them further so that they could accept a third alternate form. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
[[File:YouMeAndOtherRevelations-transformation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

All Cybertronians are born with a functioning [[transformation cog]], an [[alternate mode]], and the ability to transform: "[[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|forged]]" Cybertronians develop alternate forms based on the [[CNA|genetic material]] embedded in their [[spark]], {{storylink|Silent Light}}, while "[[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|constructed cold]]" 'bots have their sparks implanted into a mass-produced chassis with a predetermined alternate form. {{storylink|Your First Mistake}} A Transformer changes forms by spinning their cog at a certain velocity, which controls the overall speed of transformation. By shutting down all safety valves and spinning their transformation cog, a Cybertronian could achieve near-instantaneous transformation, but doing this repeatedly would result in the cog breaking beyond repair. {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} Some Transformers can become addicted to the sensation of transforming, but this is a dangerous problem: too much transforming in too short a space of time can burn out the transformation cog and increase the risk of sudden death. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Following the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], a treatment for this condition became available. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Conversely, a few rare Cybertronians are born with an inborn aversion to transformation; [[Demus|one Cybertronian]] with this condition had his transformation cog surgically removed, along with all components relating to his alternate mode. {{storylink|Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots}} Diseases such as [[cybercrosis]] could destroy a Transformer's transformation cog and prevent them from transforming. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

It is possible for a Cybertronian to transform involuntarily—an impact to the [[neural cluster]] can trigger an "involuntary mode spasm". {{storylink|Little Victories}} Under certain circumstances, a recently deceased Transformer may experience [[rigor morphis]], where the dead body will reflexively transform into their preferred shape. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} The serial killer [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder]] could use his remote [[mnemosurgery]] powers to force other Cybertronians to transform after first making their bodies "forget" how to properly change shape, causing them turn themselves inside out. {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

According to legend, [[Primus|the first Cybertronian]] realized he could transform some twelve million years ago in the land that would one day become [[Rivets Field]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Early religions attributed the gift of transformation to the mythological pantheon known as the [[Guiding Hand]]; according to the [[Clavis Aurea]] sect, [[Primus]] decreed that his creations should take on a second shape to carry out their duties more efficiently. Religious Cybertronians associated transformation with [[Adaptus]], god of change; conventional Cybertronian mythology holds that it was Adaptus who became the first [[transformation cog]], ensuring that all future Cybertronians would be able to adapt to any situation. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed a recording of an ancient Cybertronian transforming, which took roughly ten minutes. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:TarnAltMode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

After the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]], [[Nova Prime]] instituted a political philosophy known as [[Functionism]], which segregated Cybertronians into distinct classes based on the versatility and ubiquitousness of their alternate modes, {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} which included a "[[disposable class|disposable]]" underclass who possessed overwhelmingly common alternate modes. {{storylink|Before & After}} A group known as the [[Militant Monoform Movement]] became infamous for their decision to symbolically reject Adaptus by surgically removing their transformation cogs and becoming "[[monoformer]]s". {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

While some Cybertronians possessed the ability to mass-shift into smaller alternate forms, wartime energy rationing meant that few Cybertronians could enjoy this privilege. {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}} Even after the Great War, asking what someone transformed into was considered gauche, {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} and many got defensive over the function of their alternate modes. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} While under the influence of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] forced Autobot cadets through a regimen of brutal "mode-drilling" exercises, forcing them to transform over and over until their bodies gave out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}}

[[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] could identify an Autobot just by their transformation sound. [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] could do the same ''and'' judge their emotional state by the sound of their transformation. {{storylink|Interiors}}

The ability to transform was not exclusive to Cybertronians: other transforming mechanical races included the [[Stentarian]]s, {{storylink|Little Victories}} the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s, and the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}

{{--}}

====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was gravely wounded in the [[Great Push]] of [[2033]], [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]] modified himself to act as the giant Transformer's T-cog, which involved permanently wiring himself into Trypticon's systems. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} Post-war Cybertron had such a high premium on [[energon]] that most [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders]] lacked the power reserves necessary to transform. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} {{storylink|Head Games}} While most remained in robot mode, some, such as [[Black-Out]], wound up locked in their vehicle modes. {{storylink|Derailment}}

The smaller, energy-efficient [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] retained the ability to transform, {{storylink|Alone Together}} as did the [[Micromaster]]s. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} The [[Cyberdroid]]s retained their ability to transform; when they were drafted into an increasingly desperate military towards the end of the [[Grand Uprising]], their commanders were generally frustrated by the fact that none of them turned into anything useful. {{storylink|Derailment}}

====Of Masters and Mayhem====
An advanced alien race on the planet [[Chicxulania]] studied Cybertronian physiology and reverse-engineered their biology to create an advanced "[[technorganic|techno-organic]] hybrid transformation" that allowed Cybertronians to adopt organic [[beast mode]]s. {{storylink|Life Finds a Way}}

[[Punch (G1)|Punch]]'s transformation cog contained a rare, "one-in-a-trillion" mutation that allowed him to assume a second robot form. {{storylink|The Truth We Make}}

====2019 IDW continuity====
[[File:TFVDay-Glyph.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Cybertronians were the only known species with the ability to transform. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Two}} However, they were not naturally born with this ability; early in their lifetime, a freshly-[[Reproduction|forged]] Transformer would have to first scan a suitable alternate mode of their choosing. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}} Some rare Transformers, such as [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], possessed the ability to transform into more than one shape; {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Three}} by the time of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] was widely regarded as the best [[Triple Changer]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}}

The enormous [[Leviathan (G1)|Leviathan]] developed a strong attachment to her alternate mode, to the point where she refused to transform into robot mode except in the most dire circumstances. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}}

Splice-thieves made a living by selling Cybertronian parts, including transformation cogs, on the galactic black market. {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 1}}

=====Alternate future=====
In a potential future where [[Exarchon]] had conquered Cybertron, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s small resistance group had been forced to subsist on [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] for so long that they'd lost their ability to transform. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|Test Flight II}}

{{--}}

====''My Little Pony/Transformers''====
[[File:MLPTF3-Discord Transformation.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]

The evil [[Queen Chrysalis]] cast a [[magic]] spell to summon [[changeling]]s from other worlds; however, the Transformers' innate ability to change shape meant that they counted as "changelings" for the purposes of the spell. When Chrysalis's magic interfered with a malfunctioning [[spacebridge]], several Autobots and Decepticons were duly summoned to the land of [[Equestria]] as a result. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}}

When [[Discord (MLP)|Discord]] attempted to befriend [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] by turning himself into a Cybertronian, he amused himself by flipping through a variety of potential [[alternate mode]]s. {{storylink|Pet Sounds}}

{{--}}

====2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic====
[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] used his [[Transformation Lock Lens|transformation lock lens]] to prevent [[Nyx]] from transforming into her [[beast mode]], so that she would eventually perish from overexposure to [[energon radiation]]. However, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] destroyed the device and allowed Nyx to escape. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 3}}

====''Last Bot Standing''====
[[File:LastBotStanding2-punt.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

When underfuelled, [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] had a tendency to get stuck between modes, necessitating a kick in the [[transformation cog]] to fully transform. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 2|Last Bot Standing #2}}

{{--}}

===Movie continuity===
====Live-action film series====
Transformation is the process by which a Cybertronian's exo-structure reconfigures itself, based upon the schematics programmed into their [[Living metal|self-generating molecular armor]] when a Cybertronian [[scanning|scans]] an object or vehicle to serve as a disguise. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}} The process requires a suitable [[alternate mode]] of similar mass to a Cybertronian's [[robot mode]]; after adopting a shape, a Transformer can reorganize their physical structure at will. {{storylink|Transformers: The Movie Guide|The Movie Guide}}

The artificial Transformers created by [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated]] transform via "hypno-transformation", a process by which their bodies dissolve into the Transformium particles of which they are composed and reconstitute into their alternate form. As with Cybertronian Transformers, this process does not allow arbitrary forms to be taken, as each must have its forms programmed into them. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

{{-}}

===''Animated'' continuity===
[[File:TFA-AutobootCamp-TransformUp.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]] had recruits perform ''[[transform-up]]s'', rapidly switching from their robot to their vehicle form while in a prone position. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}

{{--}}

===''Shattered Glass''===
Transformation was invented by the rebel leader [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] to counter the numerical superiority of the Autobots. As a result of their ability to hide in plain sight, his followers dubbed themselves the [[Decepticon]]s, and successfully stalled the Autobot advance for a time. However, it didn't take long until the evil Optimus Prime replicated the technology and bestow it upon his own warriors; with both sides once again on an even footing, the Autobots were able to score a string of victories over their Decepticon foes. [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] believed that he could use the camouflage skills afforded by transformation to conquer other planets, and had many of the Autobots rebuilt with [[human]] vehicle forms in anticipation of an [[Earth]] invasion. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (issue)|Shattered Glass}}

The dimwitted [[Grimlock (SG)|Grimlock]] gained the ability to transform into an intelligent robot form when the [[Omega Terminus]] supercomputer gave him an [[Spark|ember]]. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

===Aligned continuity===
====''The Covenant of Primus''====
[[File:TheCovenantOfPrimus-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

The first Cybertronian blessed with the power of transformation was [[Amalgamous Prime]], whose miraculous T-Cog allowed him to not only change shape, but also ''state'', from solid to liquid and back. Following the fall of the [[Thirteen]] and the creation of the [[Well of All Sparks]], the remaining Primes decided that they would populate the planet with a race of lesser beings, using [[Onyx Prime]]'s [[Triptych Mask]] to establish suitable templates upon which to base the nascent Cybertronian species. As part of this effort, Amalgamous Prime donated a schematic of his T-Cog to [[Onyx Prime]], so that all future Cybertronians would inherit a simplified version of his shapeshifting ability. However, [[Prima]] ultimately chose not to inform the newly-created Cybertronian race about the T-cogs they all possessed, for fear that this powerful ability could lead to trouble. While emerging from the Well of All Sparks, newborn Cybertronians would sometimes experience dreams and visions relating to their future alternate mode, even if they did not yet know what they transformed into.

After discovering Cybertron, the [[Quintesson]]s spent years abducting primitive Cybertronians and analyzing their physiology. Finally, when they publicly revealed themselves, they claimed that they had been sent to uplift the Cybertronian race by bestowing upon them the "gift" of transformation--in reality, all they were doing was remotely activating the T-Cog. A number of Cybertronians used their new alternate modes to become personal transports, who ferried their Quintesson benefactors from place to place. As the rule of the Quintessons grew crueler and more decadent, a growing resistance movement intercepted the newborn [[Silverbolt (WFC)|Silverbolt]] at the Well of All Sparks; a cursory examination revealed that the presence of the T-Cog and the ability to transform was a natural part of Cybertronian biology. This revelation was broadcast live to the entire planet, and kicked off the full-fledged revolt that ultimately ended with the overthrow of the Quintesson regime.

During the [[Great War (Prime)|Great War]], the mad scientist [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] captured [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] and the other members of the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] and subjected them to a battery of brutal experiments where they received new [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]]-based alternate modes. During these experiments, [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] wound up half-transformed; it took a week of repeatedly shocking his T-Cog until the Decepticon scientist was able to push him into his alternate mode. After this, Shockwave affixed a restrainer to Grimlock's T-Cog.

The legendary T-Cog of Amalgamous Prime was eventually found in orbit of a [[black hole]] by a group of refugees fleeing the destruction of [[Neutronia]]. Exposure to the energies of the artifact gave the colonists the potential for infinite transformation and they rebranded themselves as the [[Mutacon]]s. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

====Aligned novels====
After emerging from the [[Well of All Sparks]], newborn Cybertronians had to learn how to transform. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} A rare sub-species of Cybertronians, the [[Shifter]]s, were able to transform into anything of roughly equivalent size and mass, an ability which made them highly valued as spies. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

====''Prime'' cartoon====
A Cybertronian's ability to transform was controlled via their T-Cog. Damage to, or loss of, the T-Cog left Cybertronians unable to transform. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

After [[MECH]] had determined the purpose of the organ, they baited a trap for any Cybertronian and harvested [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s T-Cog, depriving him of his ability to transform or even access his internal weapons. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} After the scout reclaimed his T-Cog, MECH harvested [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]'s leaving the Seeker stuck in his robot mode. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}

After [[cloning]] [[Starscream clone (Prime)|himself]], Starscream was shocked to find his [[CNA]] had provided the clones with working T-Cogs and transformation abilities. {{storylink|Armada (episode)|Armada}} In exchange for the [[Omega Key]]s and a return to the Decepticon ranks, {{storylink|Patch (episode)|Patch}} [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] had Starscream's T-Cog reinstalled much to his delight. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}

After witnessing several [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] transforming, [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] began to wonder if he too could transform and access a robot mode. He could. This was little surprise to Shockwave who knew transformation to a be a fundamental aspect of Cybertronian biology. Nonetheless, this was enough for Megatron to terminate Project: Predacon in the fear the beasts would turn on him. {{storylink|Evolution}} [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] was equally troubled by Predaking's transformation. {{storylink|Minus One}}

====''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''====
After reformatting the [[Lightning Strike Coalition|Lightning Strike Coalition Force]] with [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|alien]] alternate modes, [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] deliberately barred [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]]'s ability to transform, wanting the Autobot to figure that he could now transform only when sufficiently angry. The other members of the group still retained their full transformation potential however. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

===''TransTech''===
"Interpretive morphing", in which performers transformed in novel and artistic methods, was a popular form of self-expression and a regular feature on ''[[Cybertron’s Got Talent]]''. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/14}}

===''Go-Bots'' comic===
The [[GoBot]]s were designed to transform as a means to solve the parking problem, originally being cars that could assume a robot mode so they could walk with their owners. {{storylink|Go-Bots issue 1|Go-Bots #1}}

===''Cyberverse'' cartoon===
After the Quintessons had invaded Cybertron, they locked the populace in a virtual reality that could be broken only if the subject transformed. {{storylink|The Dead End}} [[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]] successfully freed everyone trapped in the simulation by using a simulated flock of [[Air Hammer (Cyberverse)|Air Hammers]] to startle everyone into transforming. {{storylink|The Scientist}}

===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
The [[Terran]]s [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] had to learn how to transform by training in an environment where they felt safe and calm. {{storylink|Moo-ving in}}

==Notes==
==="Transform" as a verb===
[[File:Convert and roll out.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Famous quote of Optimus Prime.]]
For reasons relating to intellectual property law, and the need to preserve "Transformers" as a [[trademark]], [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] do not use "transform" as a verb to describe this ability of Transformers in printed materials describing products. Instead synonyms such as "convert" and "morph" are used. Products that are not able to change modes are given a disclaimer such as "product does not convert". This disclaimer extends to the ''[[Kre-O]]'' Transformers and [[Kreon]] [[Micro-Changer]]s, indicating that "convert" is used in a technical sense that does not apply to the "disassemble and rebuild" [[play pattern]] of ''Kre-O'' toys.

For some time, this restriction didn't extend to in-fiction dialogue. However, since [[2010]], Hasbro has preferred to err on the safe side; the novel ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'' used "proto-form" and "alt-form" as verbs to describe transforming from vehicle to robot and vice versa, while [[James Roberts]] has said that Hasbro has asked that other terms be used when writing [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics such as ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets the Eye]]''. Exceptions have been made, though, when dialogue or drama strongly called for it, such as [[NAIL protester|the NAIL who transformed himself to death]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}<ref>[http://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/03/transmissions-episode-94-james-roberts-mtmte-elegant-chaos-interview/ Transmissions podcast #94 - James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview]</ref>

All this has proven troublesome given that one of the most famous phrases associated with the ''Transformers'' brand is "[[Roll out|transform and roll out!]]". In ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'', [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] actually commands [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] to "change form and roll out", and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] only ordered his team to "[[Roll out|transform and roll out]]" twice during the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon, opting instead for a "roll out" for the majority of the series; sister series ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' and sequel ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' had their protagonists use alternative catchprases, "[[Heatwave (RB)|roll to the rescue!]]" and "[[Bumblebee (WFC)|rev up and roll out!]]". Somewhat infamously, the [[2022]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#LEGO|''LEGO Creator Expert'' Optimus Prime set]] just gave up and had "Autobots, convert and roll out!" in its instruction booklet.

When [[Magic: The Gathering]] produced ''Transformers'', a small bonus set of cards featuring Transformers characters release alongside ''The Brothers' War'', this was invoked yet again, as despite the game having a thematically-appropriate "Transform" mechanic, the cards in that set "Convert" instead. In addition to being mechanically redundant and disappointingly flavorless, it raised questions about rule interactions with cards that referenced "Transform" (and precise wording is crucial in such a rules-strict game such as Magic). An article by Magic's head designer soon confirmed that the use of "Convert" was entirely a matter of conforming with the Transformers IP, and it's ''exactly the same'' as "Transform" in every possible way.<ref>[https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/odds-and-ends-the-brothers-war Making Magic, Odds & Ends: The Brothers' War]</ref>
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely

2025-06-08T13:43:04Z

Jackpot: /* Real-life references */ Added note about nudge gun

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=20
|prev=Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self
|next=More than Meets the Eye issue 21
|image=MTMTE20 cvrA.jpg
|title="Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely"
|caption=Who knew babysitting was so dangerous?
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 28]], [[2013]]
|coverdate=August 2013
|story by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|inks by=[[Brian Shearer]] with Alex Milne
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]] with [[John-Paul Bove]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editorial assistant=[[Kevin Smead]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline#2012-2013|Current era (2013)]]
}}
'''Skids's secret is revealed as Tyrest's plan enters its endgame.'''

==Synopsis==
Chaos and confusion reign on multiple fronts all across [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], as [[Minimus Ambus]] lies dead, [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] and company meet [[Getaway]], [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] struggles to save [[Ambulon]], and [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and the [[Circle of Light]] clash with the [[Legislator]] army. An impressed [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] congratulates Cyclonus on his ability to power a [[Great Sword]] with his [[spark]], an indicator of the strength of his faith, and leaves Whirl incredulous with his belief that Whirl and Cyclonus are friends.

[[File:ArmTheLonely-Chromedome.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
In the prison cell, Getaway tries to remind [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] of who he is with a friendly punch, an old act of intimacy between the two, but with no success. He relates [[Solomus|Tyrest]]'s plan to Rodimus, explaining that the Chief Justice's portal—pieced together from the inner workings of the dead [[Titan (group)|Titans]]—supposedly leads to [[Cyberutopia]], and Rodimus resolves that they will all go through it together after they stop Tyrest. [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] points out that they will need to ''escape'' before they can do that, prompting [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] to wonder where Ambus has gone. A confused Getaway tells them that Ambus was responsible for luring them to Luna 1, and that he wants them to be there.

In Tyrest's control room, as [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] salivates over the [[universal killswitch]], Tyrest reminds him that he was only saved from [[Messatine]] to be one of the switch's test subjects. Pharma proved that forged Transformers were immune to the switch, so Tyrest abducted the Circle of Light to be his next guinea pigs, successfully killing the constructed cold Circle members with it. Tyrest is alerted to the Circle's escape by [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and approves Saber's request to intervene. Star Saber teleports into the midst of the battle and is soon confronted by Dai Atlas, furious over his betrayal: Saber is revealed to have been a former Circle of Light member who deactivated [[Crystal City]]'s defenses when the Legislators attacked. With the final insult that his faith is real and that Dai Atlas's was only an affectation, Star Saber plunges his fist into Dai Atlas's chest and crushes his spark.

Back in the cell, Swerve calls upon Getaway to finally fill Skids in on his missing memories. Getaway explains that they were both members of Autobot [[Special Operations]], a covert organization headed by [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], and had been tasked with tracking down the obviously unstable Tyrest with the intent of using a [[Institute|New Institute]] "[[nudge gun]]" to implant a foreign thought in Tyrest's brain, convincing him to retire. Unfortunately, the gun's "thought bullet" failed to work on Tyrest's damaged [[brain module]], and their actions only convinced him of the rightness of his crusade. Both deemed guilty of thought warfare, Getaway was captured by the Legislators, but Skids was able to escape, leaping aboard a shuttle made of Legislators, trapping them in that form with some [[mode lock]]s. Per his orders, Skids activated a homing device that would lead him to his nearest handlers (the [[Duobot]]s), and used the nudge gun's second charge to wipe his own mind of any incriminating knowledge of his covert actions (including knowledge of the gun itself). Skids wonders how he is able to retain memories of Getaway now, and Chromedome theorizes that the trace memory he detected months before is acting as a foundation for new memories. [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], meanwhile, is more interested in Getaway's expertise as an escapologist; although he has been unable to escape up until now, the assorted bits and pieces the other Autobots have brought with them give Getaway all he needs. The clasps of [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]]'s [[Time case|briefcase]] and Chromedome's finger-needles are combined to create spring-loaded syringes that topple their Legislator guard from afar, while [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s [[energon]] sticks are used to short out their cell bars, setting them free.

[[File:Scavengers arm the lonely.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|In fairness, playing Jenga does this to me too.]]
Meanwhile, Ratchet continues to toil over Ambulon's bisected form, refusing help from [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]. The frustrated junior medic allows some long-standing resentment to boil over, accusing Ratchet of refusing to believe that anyone will ever be as good as him. Ratchet insists that First Aid cannot save Ambulon any more than he can... because he is already dead. Ratchet has, in fact, converted his remains into a giant cannon that he uses to destroy the Legislator guarding them. First Aid tries to apologize, but Ratchet agrees with his accusations and promises to make him Chief Medical Officer if they survive their ordeal, though he insists they will do so without killing Pharma. Moving out, the pair are met by Rodimus's team; Tailgate tells Ratchet about Tyrest's miracle medibay and the potential it holds to cure his [[cybercrosis]], but Ratchet fears that only Pharma will be able to use the facility's equipment to accomplish the feat. The group proceed to storm Tyrest's control room, where they discover Ambus's body; when Rodimus rushes Tyrest, Pharma opens fire, a stray blast severing the handcuffs that hold Brainstorm's briefcase to his wrist. Tyrest order him to cease fire, and reveals another secret weapon: a "weapon of mass suggestion" based on the thought bullet, a suggestion beamed directly into the Autobots' minds that makes their bodies think they cannot move. With his foes rendered paralytic, Tyrest throws the killswitch...

All across the universe, constructed cold Transformers feel the painful effects of the switch, from the ''[[Lost Light]]'' to the ''[[Peaceful Tyranny]]'', from [[Gorlam Prime]] all the way to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself, Autobot or Decepticon, in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] or out in the wilderness. On the planet [[Constancy]], [[Fulcrum]] has just sprung [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] from death row, only for them to be made late for their extraction by Misfire's need for a detour to grab some energon. When their fellow [[Scavengers (G1)|Scavengers]] fail to appear with their ship, Fulcrum tries radioing them, but there is no response, as they all too have fallen victim to the killswitch's effects.

As a forged Transformer, Rodimus is unaffected by the switch and vows vengeance on Tyrest, even if he has to tear Cyberutopia apart to get it. No sooner have those words passed his lips than Tyrest's portal opens, and the Chief Justice, imagining he can hear the [[Knights of Cybertron]] and the [[Guiding Hand]] singing to him of his victory from the other side, walks through...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashback.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Minimus Ambus]] (1)
* [[Getaway]] (2)
* [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (3)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] (4)
* [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (5)
* [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] (6)
* [[Ambulon]] (8)
* [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (9)
* [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (10)
* [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (14)
* [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] (16)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (18)
* [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] (19)
* [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] (22)
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (24)
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (25)
* [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (26)
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (27)
* [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] (28)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] (29)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (30)
* [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] (40)
{{!}}}
|c2=
* [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]] (23)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] (31)
* [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] (32)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (33)
* [[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]] (36)
* [[Kaon (G1)|Kaon]] (37)
* [[Fulcrum]] (38)
* [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] (39)
* [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (41)
* [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (42)
* [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] (43)
|c4=
* [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (7)
* [[Legislator]]s (11)
* [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] (12)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] (13)
* Multiple [[Circle of Light]] members (15)
* [[Solomus|Tyrest]] (17)
* [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] (20)
* ''[[K'gard]]'' (21)
* [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (34)
* [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (35)
}}

==Quotes==

"Let me '''help...!'''" 
"You can't." 
"Dammit, Ratchet, you think it's '''cheating?''' You think you '''lose the game''' if someone else has a go?" 
"Don't be ridiculous." 
"This is all your fault. You and your stupid hands and your—'''obsession''' with carrying on. "Ratchet, Chief Medical Officer '''In Perpetuity.'''" Because no one will ever be as good as '''you''', will they? Certainly not me." 
"Oh, we're having that conversation '''now''', are we?" 
"I'm just '''saying''' I can help you fix Ambulon!" 
"And '''I'm''' saying you '''can't!'''" 
"'''WHY CAN'T I?'''" 
"Because he died half an hour ago." 
:—'''First Aid''' and '''Ratchet'''

"First we find Pharma and put a bullet in his spark, right?" 
"'''No.''' If we kill him, we're no better than him. If we kill him, he wins." 
"Yeah, except—we '''are''' better than him and he '''doesn't''' win. He doesn't '''anything'''. He's '''dead'''. That's the point."
:—'''First Aid''' and '''Ratchet'''

"Your life is in the palm of my hand, Dai Atlas. Before I '''squeeze''', I offer up one last shining truth: '''Primus hates you.'''"
:—'''Star Saber'''

"Oh '''Rodimus'''. Do you know what I did to the last person who threatened me?" 
''(gestures to Ambus's dead body)'' 
"I turned him into a '''tripping hazard'''."
:—'''Tyrest'''

"The '''portal opens''' and the '''Primal Pantheon''' beckons. Primus! The Guiding Hand! The Knights of Cybertron! Can you hear them '''singing?''' ''<nowiki>'</nowiki>Tyrest, come closer, come closer, come closer/Tyrest, come closer, come closer... you've won.<nowiki>'</nowiki>''"
:—'''Tyrest'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The mechanics of Great Swords were covered in the [[The Transformers: Drift|''Drift'']] mini-series.
* We get confirmation that, following Drift's forced amputation of hands back in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]], Pharma opted to allow himself to hit the ground, rather than transform and activate the [[Red Rust|virus]] within him.
* When comparing Special Ops to the [[Wreckers]], Getaway notes that "not every problem can be solved with brain bullets and bravado", alluding to [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s [[Cerebro-sensitive bullet]]s from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''.
* When talking about associates of Tyrest, Captain [[K'gard]] of the [[Galactic Council]] from [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|the 2012 annual]] (or another of his species wearing the same silly hat) is shown in flashback.
* All the wacky stuff Skids turned up with when he made his debut in [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|issue #2]] is explained at last, from the mode locks holding his Legislator-shuttle together, to the warp portal he emerged through and why it wasn't just coincidence he appeared near the ''Lost Light'', to his mysterious gun, now named a "nudge gun". Brainstorm dubbed it a "binary gun" and identified it as Institute tech back in [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|issue #7]].
** Also, this explains why Skids could not remember who Prowl was back in [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|issue #9]], or what Titans were in [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]].
* As the effects of the killswitch spread across the galaxy, outside of cameos by regular ''More than Meets the Eye'' cast members, we see Hardhead and Orion Pax, in the vicinity of Gorlam Prime shortly before [[Homecoming (IDW)|''Robots in Disguise'' #19]], Prowl, Soundwave, Ravage and Blitzwing, out in the wilderness on Cybertron after [[Second Exodus|''Robots in Disguise'' #18]], and Starscream and Rattrap, together after their alliance in [[Three Monologues|''Robots in Disguise'' #20]]. We also check in with the Decepticon Justice Division and the Scavengers, last seen in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]].
* The Scavengers are visiting Galactic Council outpost 113, another of James Roberts's [[113 (disambiguation)|references]] to the number.
* A quick checklist, based on the visible effects of the killswitch:
** Rodimus, Skids, Fortress Maximus, Orion Pax, Soundwave, Blitzwing, Rattrap, Tarn, Fulcrum, Misfire and Grimlock were forged.
** Getaway, Chromedome, Blaster, Mainframe, Red Alert, Hardhead, Prowl, Ravage, Starscream, Kaon, Krok, Spinister and Crankcase were constructed cold.
* Getaway's methods of escaping from prison (Brainstorm's briefcase, Chromedome's needles) are very similar to Tailgate's escape suggestions two issues earlier. (Of course coming from him, they were ignored!)
* Tailgate's suggestion that Brainstorm make all the naughty people in the universe disappear two issues earlier is pretty much Tyrest's plan executed this issue.

===Transformers references===
* Getaway flippantly numbers one of Tyrest's many rants as 332, a nod to the total number of issues of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK Generation 1 comic]].
* The issue makes it seem like the identity of the head of Autobot Special Ops is going to go unsaid, until Rodimus flatly makes it clear he's figured out it's Prowl. The issue gives plenty of hints prior to that, though, noting a need for precision, guile and subtlety, and the fact that the Duobots also work for him. In a particularly wicked crack, Getaway notes that Tyrest's questionable actions have made his boss "prickly", a reference to... a-heh, well, have a look at [[Prowl (G1)|his TFWiki]] [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|articles]] and you'll get it.
* Knocked to the ground by Starscream's flailings are a model of his original F-15 alternate mode and his crown from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', previously seen in his quarters in [[The End of the Beginning of the World|''Robots in Disguise'' #11]].

===Real-life references===
* This issue's sub-title comes from the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvLIm2rh2K8 song of the same name] by Savoy Grand.
* The "nudge gun" concept may be a reference to the real-world [[w:Nudge_theory|nudge theory]].
* Alex Milne's cover for the issue is an homage to the poster for the action film ''{{w|Hard Boiled}}''.

===Errors===
* Dai Atlas speaks of Cyclonus on page 2 as if he doesn't know him. They've met [[Primus: All Good Things|before]].
* On page 4, "smidgen" is misspelled "smidgem", this was corrected in the TPB.
* On page 2, part of Whirl's arm is miscolored the same gold color as the Legislator body obscuring it.
* On page 6, Tyrest tells Pharma, "Your survival proved that us purebreeds would be spared the cull," instead of the grammatically correct "we purebreeds." Curiously, a similar error was corrected in the TPB for the previous issue, but not for this one.

===Crew manifest===
* Ambulon dies of his injuries.
* Minimus Ambus ''really really'' seems to be dead, but we're still not ''quite'' buying it.
* Many, many crewmembers start to experience the effects of the killswitch.
* 13 deaths, one ''apparently'' dead, one in terminal condition, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders), one boxed, and one banishment since the launch.

===Soundtrack===
For all of "Remain in Light":
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmGZfHHC80 "A Dazzling End"] from the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' {{w|Doctor Who: Series 4 (soundtrack)|Series 4 soundtrack}}, by {{w|Murray Gold}}
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPJAX7Cu-4k "The Universal"] by {{w|Blur (band)|Blur}}

For this issue in particular:

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8nibIN7i6M "Hello"] by {{w|Shakespears Sister}}

===Foreign localization===
'''Japanese'''
* ''Title:'' "'''Hikari no Naka ni Tamarite 4: Kodokunaru Mono no Ken'''" (光の中に溜まりて4 孤独なる者の剣, "Gather in Light 4: Sword of the Lonely")

'''Swedish'''
* ''Title:'' "'''Stanna i ljuset 4 av 5: Beväpna de ensamma'''" ("Stay in the Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely)

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Rodimus cradles Tailgate as Legislators close in, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
* '''Cover B:''' Tyrest just after drilling a hole into his brain, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Joana Lafuente]].
* '''Cover RI:''' Swerve, by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]

<gallery>
File:MTMTE20 cvrA.jpg|Rodimus loves him some Tailgate.
File:MTMTE20 cvrB.jpg|Need any more proof that Tyrest is bat-shit insane?
File:MTMTE20 cvrRI.jpg|I want you... to buy this issue!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Three Monologues|#20]]
* ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'' [[Monstrosity issue 3|#3]]
* ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'' [[Destiny, Part Four|#94]]
* ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise of the Turtles''
* ''KISS Kids''
* ''[[My Little Pony]]: The Magic Begins'' (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #17–22.
** Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story "[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]".
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], [[2015]]) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
** Collects ''More Than Meets the Eye'' volumes 1–5.
** Bonus material unknown at this time.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 5]]''''' ([[February 22]], [[2017]]) ISBN 1631408445 / ISBN 978-1631408441
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Primacy|Primacy]]'' issues [[Primacy issue 1|#1]]–[[Primacy issue 4|4]], ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' issues [[Homecoming (IDW)|#19]]–[[Three Monologues|20]] & [[Shockpoint|#21]]–[[Soundwaves (issue)|22]], and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #17–21, #22 & "[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]".
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 57: Remain in Light''''' ([[August 21]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #14–21, and "[[Signal to Noise]]" & "[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]".
** Bonus material includes a cover gallery and a forward by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''Transformers: Krig och hågkomst''''' ([[July]], [[2021]])
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #14–22, a special illustrated version of "[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]", and ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: [[Omega's Conundrum|Orion Pax]]''.
** Swedish reprint. Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|'''''More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' – cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE boxset.jpg|'''''More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' – cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V5.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 5''''' – cover art by Marcelo Matere and [[Tom B. Long]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v57.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 57: Remain in Light''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Skids) and Alex Milne (Overlord)
File:MTMTE SWE 03.jpg|'''''Krig och hågkomst''''' – cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez.

</gallery>

==External links==
* [http://tformers.com/transformers-more-than-meets-the/21091/news.html Preview]

Larry Hama

2025-06-08T01:48:17Z

Jackpot: /* Notes */ Deleted broken link; added M*A*S*H screencap Reference

{{disambig3|Larry}}
[[Image:Larry-Hama.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Yo Joe!]]
'''Larry Hama''' (born [[June 7]], [[1949]]) is an American comic book writer, best known for his decade-long run on [[Marvel Comics]]'s monthly [[G.I. Joe (comic)|''G.I. Joe'' comic]].

Given the job by [[Jim Shooter]] after it was turned down by everybody else, Hama combined a story treatment he had produced for a ''[[Nicholas Fury|Nick Fury]]: Agent of [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'' spinoff with his military and martial arts knowledge (and seeming love affair with ninjas) to produce the comic series, writing with only a few exceptions almost the entire 155 issue run. Also serving much the same role [[Bob Budiansky]] did with shaping the early ''Transformer'' mythos, as well as the writing the comic Hama produced the background file cards for the majority of 3 3/4" action figures for [[Hasbro]]. Much like [[Simon Furman]] with Transformers, Larry still writes ''G.I. Joe'' comics to this day.

While he didn't write the Marvel ''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'' limited series, in 1993 as the ''G.I. Joe'' comic was coming to a close, Hama wrote a five-issue storyline that served to set up the subsequent [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comic]], and depicted [[Cobra]] rebuilding [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] with a tank for his new [[Alternate mode|alt mode]].

He's also written a pretty lengthy chunk of [[Wolverine (Marvel)|Wolverine]]'s ongoing series during the 80s and 90s.

==Issues (writer)==
*[[Unfoldings!|G.I. Joe #138]]
*[[Realignments|G.I. Joe #139]]
*[[Goin' South|G.I. Joe #140]]
*[[Sucker Punch|G.I. Joe #141]]
*[[Final Transformations|G.I. Joe #142]]

==Notes==
*In addition to his long career as a writer and artist, Larry had a very brief acting career, and made a minor appearance (alongside {{w|Robert Ito}}) as a [[North Korea]]n soldier in an episode of the seminal comedic war drama ''{{w|M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H}}''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638439/mediaviewer/rm1684220416 Screencap of Hama and Ito in a ''M*A*S*H'' episode] on [https://www.imdb.com/ IMDb.com]</ref>
*[[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s first ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe]]'' crossover featured a ship called the [[USS Hama|USS ''Hama'']], as a tribute to the writer.
*Larry's mug was immortalized in the G.I. Joe character [[Tunnel Rat]]'s head sculpt.
*He is ''awesome''.

==External links==
*{{w|Larry Hama}} at Wikipedia.

===Interviews===
*July 2010—San Diego Comic-Con ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FVuLZOsTmU Part 1], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S54yFs_Dx8U Part 2], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLgbWSK-jro Part 3], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3SDDXeJLWQ Part 4]) (with [[Andy Schmidt]], [[Robert Atkins]], [[Mike Costa]], [[Denton J. Tipton]], [[Michael Kelly (writer)|Michael Kelly]], and [[Alex Irvine]])

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hama, Larry}}
[[Category:Writers]]

Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2

2025-06-08T01:12:59Z

Jackpot: /* Real-world references */ Added note about Glut's inspiration

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=36
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=27
|prev2=Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1
|next2=Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1
|series3=''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=48
|prev3=Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1
|next3=Fire on the Mountain (episode)
|image=MMP2 Megatron press conference.jpg
|caption=Somewhere, a [[Cobra Commander|terrorist]] is crying himself to sleep.
|title="Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2"
|season=2
|season ep=20
|production code=#700-35
|airdate=[[October 15]], 1985
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Ashi Productions]], [[Nakamura Production]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-MmB0ZkqJA
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Having had the Autobots exiled from Earth, Megatron reveals the Decepticons' true intentions.'''

==Synopsis==
''[[Victor Caroli]] provides a "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Last time, on ''The Transformers'']]" recap.''

[[File:MegatronsMasterPlan2 Decepticon Day.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Wait, something's WRONG here...]]
As a marching band parades through the streets of [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]], [[Shawn Berger]] announces that today is [[Decepticon Day]]. [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and [[Chip Chase|Chip]] immensely dislike the event, but Chip says that it's too late now for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] to be searching for evidence to prove the [[Autobot]]s are innocent.

Back in a video viewing room, Spike finishes watching another tape showing the [[Decepticon]]s as the real culprits. He's about to leave when he meets [[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]]. During a brief fight, in which Ravage slams into a TV screen, gets fried, smacked with an office chair, and then finally gets buried under a shelf of video tapes (poor kitty), Spike makes his escape.

At a nearby high school disco, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and his cassettes make an appearance. [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] dances with the ladies, Ravage gets petted by some schoolgirls, and [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] gives a real evil glare to a kid who's offering him a cracker (probably considering eating the kid instead).

In deep space, [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] is leading the rocket ship carrying the Autobots. Inside, [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] persuade [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prime]] to turn around and head back to Earth. After the ship doesn't respond to Cliffjumper's control input, [[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]] uses his shoulder scanner to pinpoint their destination...the [[Sun|SUN]]! Cosmos finds he is unable to link up with [[Teletraan I]] as the rocket starts to overheat...along with the Autobots inside. Cosmos then comes aboard and starts working on the computer, but to no avail.

[[File:MegatronsMasterPlan2 Autobots sizzle.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|"Optimus...getting...hot..." "Not now, Ironhide."]]
Inside the [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon base]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] looks on with glee as he watches the Autobots and their ship collide with the sun and explode. The Decepticons then leave for a press conference.

In the [[Mayor of Central City|mayor]]'s office in Central City, Spike shows the mayor the tapes he's found. The mayor can't bring back the Autobots, but now armed with the right evidence, he and Spike start a campaign to clear the Autobots' names.

At the press conference, Megatron reveals that he plans to conquer the planet and suck it dry of energy. He is now the marshal of Central City, newly christened as Megatronia One, and everyone will be made slaves to obtain energy for the Decepticons. A nearby screen shows the [[Conehead]]s running amok through Central City. Spike learns of the Autobots' destruction and escapes, but the tape of evidence is destroyed. Berger saves Spike from getting killed by Laserbeak, but their escape is short-lived, as they're all captured by Megatron.

Back in space, the Autobots have been saved by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s [[force field]]. They're attached to Cosmos, who is still heading towards the Sun, since his actions are controlled by Teletraan I.

[[File:Berger Sad Enslaved.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|It's hard being an opportunistic jerk!]]
Back on Earth, things are grim. All the humans have been enslaved by the Decepticons, and they're being forced to mine energy from every available source. Berger's received his reward: He too is cuffed and made to work in a power plant. One night, Chip breaks out of the power plant and sneaks on board a nearby truck. He heads for the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]], where he sets to work at Teletraan I. He finds out that the Autobot rocket was destroyed and is about to learn more when Thrust breaks into the base, destroys Teletraan I and takes Chip back to the plant.

[[File:MegsMasterPlan Autobots roll out.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|"Nothing has changed between us, right Prime?" "I said 'not now', Ironhide."]]
Meanwhile, Cosmos realizes he's got control back and turns around. Back on Earth, an Air Force rescue attempt is easily thwarted by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. Megatron has the humans cornered when the Autobots arrive. Optimus Prime assembles [[To sell toys|<s>the entire '84 and '85 line</s>]] his entire forces to combat the Decepticons, and they win, heavily damaging many of their foes, including the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] and [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. Having thoroughly lost their advantage, the Decepticons retreat.

The mayor acquits the Autobots, while Berger is taken by the authorities to face justice. With the Decepticons defeated, the Autobots transform and roll for home.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] (22)
*[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (23)
*[[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]] (24)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (25)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (26)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] (27)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (28)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] (29)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (30)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sideswipe]] (31)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] (32)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] (33)
*[[Mirage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Mirage]] (35)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sunstreaker]] (36)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (37)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (38)
*[[Teletraan I]] (55)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (56)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (57)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (58)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (59)
*[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (61)
*[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (62)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (63)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (64)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (65)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (66)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (67)
*[[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] (68)
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (69)
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (70)
}}
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (4)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (5)
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (6)
*[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (7)
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (8)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (9)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (10)
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (11)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (12)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (18)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (19)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] (20)
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (34)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] (39)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (40)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (41)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]](42)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (43)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (53)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (71)
|c3=
*Berger's army (1)
*[[Shawn Berger]] (2)
*[[Kid in Megatron costume]] (13)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (15)
*[[Chip Chase]] (16)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (17)
*Teenager at Decepticon-hosted discotheque (21)
*[[Mayor of Central City|Mayor]] (44)
*[[Justin]] (45)
*Justin's mother (46)
*Justin's father (47)
*Reporter (48)
*Angry audience member No. 1 (49)
*Angry audience member No. 2 (50)
*Private guard No. 3 (51)
*Private guard No. 4 (52)
*Truck driver (54)
*Jet fighter pilots (60)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hey, get down Soundwave!"
:—'''Rumble''' as he dances with the ladies.

"Uh, Laserbeak wanna cracker?"
:—'''Male human teen''' who suspects Laserbeak wants to eat him

'''Ironhide''': Are we going anywhere, Cosmos, or is this a tour of the stars? 
'''Hound''': Lay off him, Ironhide. He didn't cause our problems. 
'''Ironhide''': You're right! Maybe we oughta take it out on the one who got us into this mess! 
'''Optimus Prime''': I did what was necessary.
:—Only Ironhide could get away with taking a shot at Prime like that.

"Is anyone brave, or ''stupid'' enough, to oppose us? This city is under martial law...and ''I'' am the marshal!"
:—'''Megatron''' spells doom for the people of Central City...and makes a funny.

"Let us teach them a lesson in ''sorrow''!"
:—'''Dirge''' as he and the Coneheads terrorize Central City during the Decepticon-imposed martial law

"It is over. I saw the Autobot ship, like a silver bullet, streaking toward the Sun, and it collided—collided with destiny! I saw the end. They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!"
:—'''Shawn Berger''', destroying all hope

"You...pile of reject parts, I'll—" 
"Reject parts? BWAHAHAHAHHAHA!"
:—'''Chip Chase''' as '''Thrust''' destroys Teletraan I and, perhaps, mocks the handicapped

"You are going to face justice, and may it be kinder to you than it was to us. Autobots, transform and roll for home!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', deciding not to have Berger sent on a collision course with the Sun

==Notes==
===Production information===
* First draft script: 20th February 1985

===Continuity notes===
[[File:Nullray-finger.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Objection!"]]
*First onscreen appearances of Cosmos and Astrotrain.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Hound uses his missile launcher as a sort of radar-path-finder thing.
**Starscream fires the [[null-ray]] from his finger.
**Laserbeak fires his eye beams yet again to destroy the videotape.
**Trailbreaker extends his force field to enclose the entire Autobot army, and seemingly radiates it from his entire body.
**Ratchet can fire laser blasts [[GoBots|from his hands]]. Sunstreaker, meanwhile, shoots blasts from the tips of his shoulders.
**Following on from its introduction in the previous episode, multiple Autobot characters wield the new generic Autobot laser pistol design during the blow-out battle at the end. The pistol comes in a variety of off-white/grey/black colors, but notably, Bumblebee wields a blueish one. Someone must have made a note about this, because he'll use it again in this color in several future episodes, and it would be turned into an accessory for his ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toy.
**Ironhide zaps Chip's energy bonds out of existence with a beam from his fingertip.
*Spike makes use of Ravage's tech spec weakness, blinding him with a studio spotlight.
*This episode goes to some lengths to show the full extent of both armies. Lots of characters such as Red Alert, Perceptor, Seaspray and Astrotrain show up for just a shot or two. Even the Insecticons can be glimpsed for a few frames in the Decepticon Day parade (only from the thighs down), and Grimlock is visible among the Autobots floating in space. It's almost shocking that Buzzsaw and Frenzy don't appear.

===Real world references===
*[[Donald F. Glut|This episode's writer]] based it in part on the movie ''{{w|Meet John Doe}}''.<ref>[https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum/transformers-t4754-s40.html#p333303 Don Glut comments on his work for the G1 cartoon] at [https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum The Classic Horror Film Board]</ref>
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**The ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst is combined with the [[Death Star]] superlaser firing noise as the Decepticons leave Decepticon Headquarters.
**Thrust and Dirge both bear down on the city with some more ''Falcon'' engine noise.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Some of the show's stock background music is briefly repurposed as source music (music that's actually heard by the characters in the show), coming from a marching band. Unfortunately, the marching band's drumming doesn't actually match up with the musical drum beats. In the next shot, a trumpet is shown as the flutes cut in.
*The way the cymbal player is playing the cymbals is wrong. Playing them in this manner produces poor control of the sound and risks damage to fine cymbals, which are not designed for such usage.
*Thundercracker is shown alongside Megatron in the first shot of the marching Decepticons. Subsequent dialog and animation makes it clear that this should have been Starscream.
*Although only the voice of one child can be heard exclaiming “There they are!”, the lips of the ''entire crowd'' move in unison. Spooky.
**Additionally, a mustache in the back clips over an arm in front of it.
*As he watches the Decepticon parade, the temple of Chip's glasses is missing.
*A short scene meant to catch us up with what Spike has been doing shows Spike viewing footage and Ravage arriving in the video room. But the footage Spike views is different from what he saw last episode, and Ravage now arrives through an open doorway instead of bashing down the door and wall.
*Barely disguised versions of Carly and Spike's character models are seen at the Teen Dance. Not-Spike is even wearing Spike's stock tan shirt and blue jeans.
*This being his first appearance, Cosmos's voice lacks the self-echo that would characterize it in his subsequent appearances.
*Improbable viewpoints:
**Megatron gets a view from right alongside the Autobot ship as it approaches the Sun.
*Soundwave is missing his Decepticon symbol as Megatron turns away from watching the Autobot ship explode. It suddenly appears as he steps forward.
*The footage that Spike shows to the mayor is a ''third'' version of Starscream removing his Optimus Prime mask, despite Dirge only filming the scene once.
*Justin complains that he doesn't have any "metal-colored crayons" to finish coloring Megatron, even as he continues coloring him. Despite coloring Megatron perfectly thus far, his first stroke goes way outside the lines.
*Coloring errors:
**In the opening shot of the press conference (seen up top), Starscream's helmet is light gray instead of dark gray.
**Starscream's optics are mis-colored blue as he fires his [[null-ray]] finger.
**Soundwave's ejection button is blue instead of white as he dispatches Ravage and Laserbeak to capture Spike.
**Blitzwing's head is purple instead of yellow as he and Astrotrain guard the workers.
**As the worker pushes a cart of energon cubes into the green truck, they do not possess their glowing effect
**Optimus's headlights aren't colored in as he lectures Megatron.
**One of the panning shots of shooting Autobots features Smokescreen with a blue head crest, which should be yellow.
**Cosmos is missing the yellow coloration for the frames around his blue chest details during multiple moments in this episode.
*As Dirge fires on a woman's car, there is a truck to its left. Just as the car explodes, the truck disappears.
*Spike's mouth doesn't move as he says "Oh no" in response to Berger's rant.
*When Dirge and Ramjet fill up Energon cubes in the mine you can see Ramjet has Dirge's wing design on closer look
*Megatron's eyes light up, then dim, then light up again. An energy sound effect plays, but not till well after the second lighting-up is finished.
*Soundwave's mouth plate disappears after threatening "increase efficiency or be terminated" and firing on the slaves.
*When Megatron instructs Thrust to re-capture Chip Chase, his voice is not electronically enhanced.
*Teletraan I's screen displays Cosmos's name as "COSMS" {{sic}}.
*The launching sound effect for Thundercracker and Skywarp plays before they've actually lifted off.
*Thundercracker transforms without the transforming sound effect.
*The Decepticons get the Autobot laser sound effect for their opening volley as they fire on the human jets.
*As the Autobots arrive at the battle site, Ironhide is drawn with Ratchet's ambulance lights on his roof. Ratchet is right next to him, with no lights visible.
*Starscream's "Yeeiiii!" begins before he's actually shot.
*The three panning shots of the various Autobots firing on the Decepticons are all repeated twice.
*Red Alert is standing amongst the minibots when firing and appears to be drawn to the same scale as the others such as Powerglide and Huffer standing either side of him even though he's actually taller than both

===Continuity errors===
*When Spike found the fishy video footage and was cornered by Ravage last episode, the trial was nearing its conclusion. Since then, the trial has concluded, the Autobots have launched into space, Megatron has paid a visit to Autobot Headquarters, and a [[Decepticon Day]] parade has been organized...and meanwhile, Spike is ''still'' facing off with Ravage.
*Ravage is seen at the Teen Dance...just one shot after his face-off with Spike. Did he really give up that quickly? (Both this and the previous snafu combine to make it clear that Spike's encounter happened much earlier than the subsequent events, and his escape from Ravage is only shown in this episode because it made a better [[cliffhanger]] that way.)
*Did Cosmos just ''not notice'' that they were heading toward the Sun?
*Okay, we can buy that Megatron shorted out the ship's guidance system by remote control and locked in its course. But how the heck can Teletraan I control Cosmos against his will? And if that's the case, why not just have Blaster jam the signal?
*Heck, maybe there's just something wrong with Cosmos, period. In spite of the fact that his method of propulsion involves thrusters, there are several shots in this episode he's seen flying through space ''while spinning on his own axis'' like a hubcap-shaped flying saucer from a bad 1950s science-fiction movie.
*Chip rolls out of the truck trailer at will, but trailer doors are generally designed to open only from the outside.
*Chip and Optimus Prime behave as if Cosmos is the only interstellar-capable Autobot at this time, which is only ''sort of'' true; there's [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], but he had been written out of the show by this point, while [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] would not appear for another three episodes.
*Superhuman Spike:
**Delivers several shoulder blocks in this episode that would destroy the largest linebacker. The first knocks over a massive standing shelf full of videos, allowing him to escape Ravage. The second, during Chip's escape, sends a cart full of energon cubes careening down the hall with enough force that it knocks Rumble into the wall several hundred feet later.
*The energy cuffs that the workers wear don't seem to restrain anything at all. Not only do all of the workers have full use of their arms, but Chip is completely unhindered by them during his escape.
*For that matter, pumping switches back and forth is not how a power plant works. [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|Not any more]], anyway.
*Why didn't Megatron tell his troops not to harm Teletraan-1? Basically, Thrust foiled Megatron's whole plan!
*Given the insane power of Megatron's fusion cannon blasting a hole in the wall where the humans were standing would have either severely injured or killed those standing within the blast range or destroyed the whole power station.

===Trivia===
[[File:MegatronsMasterPlan2 Trailbreaker force field.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|"Good work, Trailbreaker." "Prime...kill me...so tired..."]]
*Ramjet causes a building at least eight stories tall to collapse with zero warning. Some cracks on the building may be meant to indicate that it's abandoned, but otherwise, a lot of humans just died.
*As Thrust tries to batter his way through the roof of Autobot HQ, he needs to back up and try multiple approaches - which means we see his jet mode flying directly backwards like a car in reverse gear.
*Though he single-handedly saves the Autobots on his own initiative, Trailbreaker gets no lines in the episode and barely even appears except as a [[Jesus]]-like silhouette at the center of his force field.
*Judging by the girls surrounding him at the club, Soundwave is popular with the ladies.
[[File:MegsMasterPlan2 ShinyThundercracker.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Quoth the raven, 'What a shine!'"]]
*When the Decepticon jets fly off to face the human resistance fighters, as Thundercracker passes the camera, his silver-coloured parts have an almost heroic, shiny gleam to them, which is unusual, given he is a villain in this story.
*[[Kid in Megatron costume|The kid cheering for Megatron and company]] uses the same voice as [[Aron]] from the later episode "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]", voiced by [[Mona Marshall]].
*A large portion of this episode was actually added in at a later stage to bring it up to the required length—namely, Cosmos's inability to alter his flight path, Chip's escape and Thrust's blasting of Teletraan I. An Additional Material section was storyboarded and added to Act III of the episode.
*Chip rolls up a ramp to use Teletraan I, which is unique to this episode.
*The two sequences of Autobots transforming for battle are recycled sequences from "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]" played in reverse. They're played again, forwards this time, as the Autobots transform to roll for home.
*When released as a video in the UK, both episodes were compiled as a 45-minute "movie" instead of being treated as a two-part episode.
*Though most of the Autobot roster is shown, four of the five Dinobots are missing. ([[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] can be glimpsed in the force field.)

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast):'' "'''Le plan de Megatron, partie 2'''" ("Megatron's plan, part 2")
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''Le piège se referme'''" ("The Trap closes")
:*''Title (European French DVD release):'' "'''Le plan directeur de Megatron, partie 2'''" ("Megatron's master plan, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*The title "plan directeur" sounds very... weird.
::*All the logo transitions were cut. It is unknown if it was that way for the original broadcast or if the episode was chopped for the DVD release.
::*When Cosmos asks what he should do and Optimus Prime answers "If I knew, I'd do it myself!", the dub added "idiot!" at the end. Poor Cosmos doing his best...
::*One more time, when Soundwave says "Laserbeak, Ravage! Get him!", it was dubbed with "Ravage, it's your turn!" in order to not pronounce Laserbeak's name.
::*It is the last time we can hear [[Jacques Ferrière]] in the cartoon, he leaves the dubbing team permanently for unknown reasons after that episode.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Autorobots in esilio - Parte 2'''" ("Autobots in Exile - Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Chip is voiced by two different actors in this episode, while Spike changes actor ever more times. Voice actors [[Massimo Corizza]] and [[Giorgio Locuratolo]] voiced both for at least one line.
::*At the beginning of the episode, instead of saying that Spike is searching for proof that the Autobots are innocent, Chip says that he's looking for the Autobot Headquarters, which is obviously not true. He also calls it "the secret Autobot shelter", despite it not being secret.
::*After the news reporter says: «we've been had!», Megatron says: «No!» instead of: «Yes!»... what!?
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''Il grande piano di Megatron - Seconda parte'''" ("The Grand Plan of Megatron - Second Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron Chikyū Seifuku Sakusen PART II'''" (メガトロン地球征服作戦 PART II, "Megatron's Earth Conquest Plan PART II")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 17]], [[1986]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Wēizhèntiān de Yīnmóu (Xià)'''" (威震天的阴谋(下), "Megatron's Conspiracy (Part 2)")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Plano Mestre do Megatron, Segunda e Última Parte'''" ("Megatron's Master Plan, Second and Last Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Latin Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Plan Maestro De Megatron Parte II'''" ("The Master Plan of Megatron - Part II")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1986 — ''The Transformers'' — Megatron's Master Plan ([[Video Gems|A.M.T. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''The Transformers'' — Megatron's Master Plan ([[Video Gems|V.I.P. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''The Transformers: Generation 2'' — Megatron's Master Plan ([[Malofilm|Behaviour]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 10: Megatron's Master Plan ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 3 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 8 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 04: Stagione Due Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JMptoFhpN73NhKs44CuPolb2v91y1Q_y/view?usp=drive_link Model sheets and background layouts]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KpZw_jferRFW00iPhZoa6ChWYbse0Mmp/view?usp=sharing Episode storyboards for Additional Material section]

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1

2025-06-08T01:12:56Z

Jackpot: /* Real-world references */ Added note about Glut's inspiration

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=35
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=26
|prev2=Microbots
|next2=Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
|series3=''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=47
|prev3=Cosmic Rust (episode)
|next3=Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
|image=MMP1 Gavel bang.jpg
|caption=We're voting you off the planet.
|title="Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1"
|season=2
|season ep=19
|production code=#700-34
|airdate=[[October 14]], 1985
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Dai Won Animation Co.]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-ORZc1G3MI
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''The Decepticons manage to turn the humans against the Autobots, and the Autobots are ordered to leave the planet.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:FakeSolarplant.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|The least efficient solar plant ever.]]
The [[Mayor of Central City|mayor]] of [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] is officially opening a new [[Central City (Earth)#Fake Solar Power Plant|solar tower]] when his speech is interrupted by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. After the [[Decepticon]]s realize there is no energy in the tower yet, guards come out with tanks and attempt to shoo them away. The tanks are destroyed and the guards escape with their lives, while the mayor calls for the [[Autobot]]s.

An Autobot attack force, consisting of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], arrives at the scene. Everyone transforms to [[robot mode]] except Tracks, who transforms to his flight mode and takes off after the Coneheads, who are making a quick exit. Tracks uses a radiator-mounted [[black beam gun]] to blind Dirge. Ramjet seeks revenge for this and knocks Tracks clean out the air. On the ground, Starscream is being hammered by laser blasts from Ironhide, Smokescreen, Prime and Warpath. Thrust saves him with a missile barrage. Smokescreen retaliates and fires his shoulder-mounted lasers, which damage Thrust's guidance systems. Beaten and battered, the Decepticons retreat.

The mayor thanks the Autobots and decides to honor them at City Hall. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] comments that it's about time the Autobots got some recognition for their actions.

In his office, [[Shawn Berger]] watches the events and is infuriated, since he wants to be mayor so badly. He sends his guards out, claiming he needs to think. He picks up an odd-looking cassette on his desk, which transforms into [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]]. The Decepticon grabs Shawn and flies out of the office and then out of the city, towards a mountain ridge.

[[File:MMP part 1 Megatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Ehhh-vry thing you know is wrong...]]]]
There, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and Dirge await Shawn's arrival. Megatron tells Shawn that he can help get the power that he so desperately desires, even two cities if he wants. In return, Shawn must use his wealth, power and influence to help the Decepticons. Megatron tells Berger that, like many others, he's been blinded by Autobot propaganda. He persuades Berger into thinking the Decepticons are good and the Autobots are evil and that all he needs is evidence. Berger agrees to help, and Dirge takes him back to his office. After Berger's departure, Megatron tells Soundwave that Berger "thinks he will be king, but he will be nothing more than a pawn!"

At a deserted [[oil]] field, Optimus Prime shows up with a group of Autobots: [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sunstreaker]] and Ironhide. Berger flies in a news helicopter overhead and records the Autobots stealing energy. Ironhide notices the helicopter and warns Prime, who begins to fire on it. Megatron, Starscream, Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet save Berger and drive off the Autobots. Wheeljack fires as he escapes and knocks off the camera beneath the copter. Dirge finds it and gives it to Megatron, who must return it to Berger, since it "contains valuable evidence".

[[File:MMP1 Autobot day banner.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Isn't Yad Tobotua a ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' character?]]
At Central City's City Hall, the public is gathered and cheering the Autobots, who are rolling parade-style through town. The Autobots all transform and head towards the Hall. Inside, Optimus Prime is joined by Hound, Ironhide, Cliffjumper and Bumblebee. After a brief moment of reading out the wrong speech, the mayor finally gets it right and proceeds to request the airing of a video of the work the Autobots did at the Solar Plant yesterday. However, Berger has had the tapes switched, and the audience sees the tape the Decepticons made. It shows additional scenes of Prime and Wheeljack turning the coneheads evil with a ray gun and Prime claiming that the Autobots will claim the Earth for their own once fully trusted.

Now hated by the public, the Autobots return to [[Ark (G1)|base]]. After a brief rest period, they end up being arrested by the mayor and Berger's private army. They and the Decepticons are taken to court. During the trial, Spike escapes and sets out to clear the Autobots' names, but Soundwave launches [[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] to slow Spike down. After slamming Ravage in a revolving door, Spike escapes. He later finds the tape room and watches one of the tapes...which reveals that the Autobots at the oil field were Decepticons in disguise. He starts to head back to the trial with the tape, only to find his path blocked by Ravage.

[[File:MMP1 Get in the ship.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Bye! Have fun on your trip back to a planet we still control!]]
Back at the trial, without evidence, the Autobots are found guilty and are banished from Earth forever. Later that night, the Autobots are taken to a shuttle and forced to board by Megatron. They blast off, heading towards [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

Inside the Autobot base, Megatron and Shawn Berger are at [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]]. As Berger watches, Megatron uses [[Teletraan I]] to reprogram the rocket's guidance systems for a one-way trip into the sun.

[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2|To be continued...]]

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (8)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] (9)
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (10)
*[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (11)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (12)
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (14)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sunstreaker]] (20)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] (21)
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (22)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (23)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] (24)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (25)
*[[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]] (26)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (27)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (28)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] (29)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (33)
*[[Teletraan I]] (35)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] (40)
*[[Mirage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Mirage]] (41)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (42)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (43)
*[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (44)
}}
|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (3)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (4)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (5)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (6)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] (15)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (16)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (17)
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (36)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] (37)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (39)
|c3=
*[[Mayor of Central City|Mayor]] (1)
*[[Shawn Berger]] (2)
*Tank driver (7)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (12)
*[[Chip Chase]] (17)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (18)
*Helicopter pilot (18)
*Video room engineer (30)
*[[Produce thrower|Angry spectator #1, aka the Produce thrower]] (31)
*Angry spectator #2 (32)
*Roving reporter (33)
*Industrial worker (34)
*Trial judge (36)
}}

==Quotes==

"Ah, the power of public relations."
:—'''Megatron''', possibly the most honest politician in the world.

"Hold the last order, Prime...I wanna throw some...''dark'' on the subject."
:—'''Tracks''' demonstrates his black beam gun.

"Another raid to blame on the Decepticons...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
:—'''Starscream''' as '''Optimus Prime''' with the creepiest laugh ever...(an early Nemesis Prime?)

"They're puttin' words in yer mouth. C'mon Prime! Let's get to the bottom of this!"
:—'''Ironhide''' has apparently never noticed that '''Optimus Prime''' has no mouth.

"SAVE THE HUMANS!"
:—'''Megatron'''. No, this isn't miscited.

"Hey, guys, look. Berger dropped one of his video cameras. Let's make some home movies!"
:—'''Dirge''' thinks about a career as a camera man. Follow your dreams, Dirge!

"I knew the humans would turn on us someday. They're such undependable creatures. Inferior lifeforms." 
"Ahh, I'm not so sure, Sunstreaker. Some of my best friends are humans."
:—'''Sunstreaker''' and '''Bumblebee''' discuss the worthiness of humans while Spike, Sparkplug, and Chip are right there.

==Notes==
===Production information===
* First draft script: 12th February 1985
* Script revised by [[Ron Friedman]]: 17th February 1985
* Story editor inserts: 22nd March 1985

===Continuity notes===
[[File:Nullray-jet.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Get a fragging Kleenex Starscream!]]
*Gadgets and powers:
**Turns out the Decepticons don't need Soundwave to make [[energon cube]]s. The [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] can do it themselves.
**Laserbeak uses his eye beams [[Dinobot Island, Part 1|again]].
**In the oil field fight, Starscream is able to use his [[null-ray]]s from his nose in [[alternate mode|jet mode]], the first time he ever does this. (Of course, the fight was faked, so these null-rays presumably were as well.)
**Megatron can rotate a lens into the end of his fusion cannon, which makes sense considering it forms the scope for his gun mode. He uses it to reprogram the Autobot ship's flight path via Teletraan I.
**Tracks's [[Black beam gun]] extends from the front of his car's flight mode in this episode. This would later serve as inspiration for an accessory that came with his ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Tracks (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|toy]]. Interestingly, one can also achieve a similar result using his original toy's gun, by pegging it into the hole on the underside of the car mode.
[[File:MegatronsMasterPlan generic autobot pistol.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Because some Transformers' toys didn't come with hand-held weapons, they didn't have any armament included as part of their [[character model]]s. As such, when episodes have called for these characters to wield a weapon, the animators have had to get creative, either giving them made-up guns designed on the spot, a duplicate of another Transformer's weapon, or just having them shoot energy out of their hands. Starting with this episode, however, a new model sheet is introduced for a generic Autobot laser pistol that is usually subbed as a sidearm for any weaponless characters in future episodes; in this episode, it is wielded by Ironhide and Sunstreaker. Ratchet would memorably dual-wield a pair of these guns in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', and they've been rendered in toy form for his and Ironhide's ''Masterpiece'' toys, and would also be seen later on with both of their “Studio Series 86” toys.
*Autobot Headquarters has a retractable front door. Most of the time, the passageway is just left wide open.
*Wheeljack says that their external security has been breached, indicating that the Autobots actually do have some kind of security system outside their base.
*If Autobot Headquarters really is close enough to [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] to fall under its jurisdiction, then it almost certainly is the same city whose skyline is seen in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", and likely is the same city that Spike and the Autobots visit in "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]", "[[Auto Berserk]]", "[[The Immobilizer]]" and "[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]" - all involving quick trips from Autobot Headquarters into "the city". Could "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]" have been set there too? The big battles of "[[Starscream's Brigade]]" and "[[The Revenge of Bruticus]]" as well, maybe?

===Real-world references===
*[[Donald F. Glut|This episode's writer]] based it in part on the movie ''{{w|Meet John Doe}}''.<ref>[https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum/transformers-t4754-s40.html#p333303 Don Glut comments on his work for the G1 cartoon] at [https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum The Classic Horror Film Board]</ref>
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Laserbeak leaves the Berger, Inc. building with the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst noise.
**He continues his flight to the cliff overlooking the city with the TIE fighter engine noise, culled from one of the Death Star trench attack runs. Bizarrely, the fighter's target scope can be heard locking onto an X-Wing... as can [[Darth Vader]]'s breathing!
**More ''Falcon'' engine noise can be heard as the Decepticons leave their headquarters.
**The sound of a hatchway opening/closing aboard the Death Star is recycled as the sound of the Autobot ship venting steam.
*Megatron makes a modestly clever reference to [[chess]]: "He thinks he will be king... but he will never be more than a pawn!"

===Animation and technical errors===
*Solar panels aren't made of glass, but they're shown shattering as if they were.
*When the first tank driver opens his cockpit to bail out, the 'whirr' sound effect doesn't play until the canopy is already open.
*As Optimus runs toward the retreating Decepticons, he gets a multi-gun array of laser sound effects instead of his own normal gun noise.
*Spike's voice says "Your Mayorship", but Spike is nowhere in the shot; instead, Optimus is shown kneeling and extending a hand to the mayor.
*The window of Berger's office keeps changing size; in some shots, it's six panes wide (plus the curtains), while in others, it has 8 visible panes.
[[File:BergerInc Building.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|They've merged into Laserberger.]]
*Berger's office has a window that makes up only part of the wall; however, the outside shot of his building shows it to be made entirely of glass.
*Due to the limits of the show's stock music library, the marching band drummers are banging their drums but not making any sound.
*The Autobots walk up the steps of City Hall into a shadowy entryway. The shadowy entryway disguises the fact that there would probably only be human-sized doors there, rather than the Autobot-sized ones that would be required for the Autobots to actually enter the building. Nevertheless, in the next shot, the 'bots are hanging out in the mayor's office.
*When the second group of Autobots transform on Autobots Day parade. Sunstreaker appears to be out of proportion in relation to Brawn who is shorter than him, Smokescreen who should be about the same height and Grapple who is one of the more taller Autobots
*Improbable viewpoints:
**If Megatron really wants to convince the public that his footage was "secured at great risk", he probably shouldn't have edited in five different points of view, including a tracking close-up of Thrust.
**Likewise for the interior shots of Autobot Headquarters. A close-up of Prime is taken from the point of view of someone standing right in front of him.
**Teletraan I gets a view of Berger's tanks that travels along with them.
*The animators missed the gist of a script line: Spike yells "We're coming with you!" to Optimus, but the animation has him turning toward Chip, who's right next to him.
*The shot of Berger's tanks shows a much more rugged terrain outside Autobot Headquarters than normal.
[[File:CentralCityStadium.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Comfortably seats 30,000 hamsters.]]
[[File:G1toon starscream prime cosplay.jpg|thumb|125px|Woulda been a lot easier to just make [[A Prime Problem|another Optimus Prime clone]].]]
*Before the second commercial break, the Autobots are standing in the entryway to Autobot Headquarters, facing a large line of tanks. After the commercial break, they're in the open, with a handful of tanks surrounding them.
*As the Autobots drive off with Berger's army, the blades of the mayor's helicopter are layered in front of the copter's body, when they should be behind it.
*In its establishing shot, the stadium is wildly out of scale with the city streets surrounding it... unless the streetlights of Central City are 10 stories tall.
*Where do the Seekers' wings go when they're inside their Autobot costumes? (Maybe [[Show-accuracy|they're removable]]...)
*The crashing sound effects of Ravage bashing down the film studio door is barely audible.
*The top of Dirge's head is white instead of gray as the Decepticons march up to the Autobots.
*The Decepticons continue aiming their guns at the same spot long after the Autobots have left that spot.

===Continuity errors===
*Much like the events of "[[A Prime Problem]]", the basic premise of this episode requires ''incredible'' stupidity on the part of the players. In this case, however, those players are ''the entire human race!'' Thirty seconds of video footage and the crowd outside City Hall is throwing fruit at the Autobots. Why are the public so quickly swayed after the number of times the Autobots have saved them in the past year or so? [[Quintesson|What kind of kangaroo court]] would convict on such incredibly flimsy evidence? What kind of absurdly inept trial lawyers would fail to examine every bit of footage available? How could Berger fail to notice Megatron cackling with mad glee as he sends his foes rocketing into the sun?
*There's really no reason for the Decepticons to hang around and fight once they realize the solar plant has no energy.
*Laserbeak kidnaps Berger in mid-day. When they arrive at the cliff, just outside the city, it's [[Transformers (film)|suddenly sunset]].
*Starscream is part of the Decepticon group that repels the "Autobots" from their oil field raid... yet he's later shown to be playing the role of Optimus Prime in the same attack.
*The plot treats the lost video camera from Berger's helicopter as though it contains its own recording medium. It's far more likely that the medium would be inside the helicopter.
*The amount of time that Dirge spends filming is not nearly enough to account for the damning footage that Spike watches later on.
*Even if Autobot Headquarters ''is'' inside the city limits of Central City, a mayor isn't really a duly constituted law enforcement officer.
*Three little video tapes, and the mayor and a private army are knocking on the Autobots' door. So how come nobody ever tried to arrest the Decepticons?
*Spike could have just left the stadium through the normal exits, instead of leaping into the field and drawing the Decepticons' attention.
*Spike apparently marches into one of Berger's film studios like he owns the joint. ''And'' it's apparently deserted.
*What the hell kind of court can just order someone ''off-planet''? Isn't there like an appellate court above them or something?
**The "court" is clearly in the USA, and yet somehow it has jurisdiction to ban the Autobots from all of Earth? Talk about an activist judge!
*Despite the fact that the events are clearly meant to affect ''all'' of the Autobots, only a fraction of them are seen onscreen in any one scene. Only ten of them bother to turn up to the trial, and around about twenty of them are seen being forced to board the rocket. As is clear from the next episode, there should be at least thirty of them.
*Oh and by the way, the "trial" the Autobots are given is pretty screwed up. Once the Autobots arrive the judge tells them what they're accused of and then immediately sentences them. Shouldn't the Autobots get a chance to defend themselves? Shouldn't the Autobots have an attorney? What of the discovery process? Indictment? Jurisdictional issues? Gaaahh!
*Basically the only thing this episode gets right about the court system is the judge's robe. Seriously, just ask a lawyer to identify every problem with the trial and watch them overload, foam at the mouth, and fall into a coma.

===Trivia===
*Rather than a "next time" preview, the end of this episode got a special "To Be Continued" title card with a short voiceover from [[Victor Caroli]].
*When released on video in the UK, both parts of this story were edited together as a 45-minute "movie" instead of a two-part episode.
*The idea of an influential and powerful human joining forces with the Decepticons, resulting in the Autobots being exiled from Earth by the government via a spacecraft was used as part of the plot for ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]''.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast):'' "'''Le plan de Megatron, partie 1'''" ("Megatron's plan, part 1")
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''Le plan de Megatron'''" ("Megatron's plan")
:*''Title (European French DVD release):'' "'''Le plan directeur de Megatron, partie 1'''" ("Megatron's master plan, part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*The title "plan directeur" sounds very... weird.
::*All the logo transitions were cut. It is unknown if it was that way for the original broadcast or if the episode was chopped for the DVD release.
::*Thrust's line "Taste this, Autobots!" is missing from the dub.
::*The dialogue between Dirge and Ramjet in plane mode is missing.
::*Dirge's enthusiasm for making home movies is removed for some reason. Instead he says "Berger is convinced that the Autobots are enemies of the humans, do you think that can be useful to us, Megatron?". Megatron answers "This will be very useful to us, it is the humans who will rid us of the Autobots!" while picking up the camera.
::*[[Francis Lax]] makes a big grammar error as Chip Chase, saying "Le Teletraan-1 émet des sign''als'' d'alerte!" instead of "des sign''aux'''".
::*[[Henry Djanik]] didn't feel doing an evil laugh that day, it is missing in the last shot.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Autorobots in esilio - Parte 1'''" ("Autobots in Exile - Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''Il grande piano di Megatron - Prima parte'''" ("The Grand Plan of Megatron - First Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron Chikyū Seifuku Sakusen PART I'''" (メガトロン地球征服作戦 PART I, "Megatron's Earth Conquest Plan PART I")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 10]], [[1986]]
:*'''Cut:''' The scene where Spike, Sparkplug and Chip cheer for the Autobots during the Autobot Day parade was cut for time. These scenes featured signs that said "Autobot Day", which likely contributed toward their selection for being cut.

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Plano Mestre do Megatron, Primeira Parte'''" ("Megatron's Master Plan, First Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Glavnoye zlodeystvo Megatrona (Chast' 1)'''" (Главное злодейство Мегатрона (Часть 1), "Megatron's Most Evil Deed (Part 1)")
:*''Original airdate:''?

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Wēizhèntiān de Yīnmóu (Shàng)'''" (威震天的阴谋(上), "Megatron's Conspiracy (Part 1)")
:*''Original airdate:''?

===Toys inspired by this episode===
[[File:Masterpiece-MP44-Convoy-V3-StarscreamMode.jpg|300px|thumb|[[Robots in disguise]] disguised as robots in disguise!]]
*'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' MP-44 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#35th|Convoy]] ([[TakaraTomy]], 2019)'''
:Accessories included with the third ''Masterpiece'' Convoy figure enable it to be converted into Starscream-disguised-as-Optimus Prime, based on the video footage evidence Spike uncovered in this episode.

{{-}}

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1986 — ''The Transformers'' — Megatron's Master Plan ([[Video Gems|A.M.T. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''The Transformers'' — Megatron's Master Plan ([[Video Gems|V.I.P. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''The Transformers: Generation 2'' — Megatron's Master Plan ([[Malofilm|Behaviour]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 10: Megatron's Master Plan ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 3 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 7 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 04: Stagione Due Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fYcr9KwPvErlmfTZ-aYGBdgwtEcPcaK6 Digital restoration of first draft script, originally submitted 12th February 1985]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1so-V-WGfwVUuUKYeWgb613lmIkfF4brY Full episode script, as revised by Ron Friedman 17th February 1985]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lg76XStSEo_AtqAgQWjed6ZWU6yqtouv/view?usp=drive_link Model sheets and background layouts]

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

Donald F. Glut

2025-06-08T01:02:35Z

Jackpot: Fixed link to message-board comment; removed badly-written, unsourced note

{{disambig3|Donald}}

[[File:DonFGlutFly01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]

'''Donald F. Glut''' (born [[February 19]], [[1944]]) is an American writer and filmmaker. Glut got his start writing for the Warren horror comics magazines of the '70s such as ''Creepy'', ''Eerie'' and ''Vampirella''. He was also an amateur filmmaker throughout the '60s, producing, writing and starring in several fanfilms based on popular superheroes, even playing the titular webhead in a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4HQn6rsJ38 1969 ''Spider-Man'' fanfilm].

In addition to ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'', he wrote many, many scripts for other '80s cartoons, including ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'', ''Masters of the Universe'', ''[[Spider-Man]] and his Amazing Friends'', ''DuckTales'' and ''The Mighty Orbots''. A noted [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]] enthusiast, Glut has written several non-fiction books about dinosaurs and also "supervised" the paleontological accuracy of the 1993 film ''Carnosaur'' (good job on that one, Glut). He also wrote the bestselling novelization of ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|The Empire Strikes Back]]''.

Glut's testimony regarding his ''The Transformers'' work is much more cynical compared to his peers. In 2001, he wrote:
: "No one, not even the story editors, looked at these scripts very carefully. I seem to remember the show being on a really tight schedule, and we had to crank these scripts out fast. I wrote some of them in a single day, first draft, and they went almost immediately to the storyboard artists after [[Bryce Malek|Bryce]] or an assistant gave them a rather cursory read. We were not trying to create art, just get them done fast, and get paid... None of the writing on this series, in my opinion, was good or passionate or, sometimes (my own included, like [[The Autobot Run]]) even adequate. But we got paid well for writing them fast.... I was never a fan of any of the characters."<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070217131842/http://members.aol.com/tfencyc/interview_glut.html Zobovor interview with Don Glut]</ref>

Following the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live action movie]], he also explicitly admitted not liking the "half-hour commercials" he wrote for in the 1980s, admitting that he "did it strictly for the $$$". At the same time, he also confirmed that his primary inspirations when writing episodes for the G1 cartoon were "Japanese giant robot shows" and Toho's [[Godzilla]], while "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Megatron's Master Plan]]" was based in part on the movie ''{{w|Meet John Doe}}''.<ref>[https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum/transformers-t4754-s40.html#p333303 Don Glut comments on his work for the G1 cartoon] at [https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum The Classic Horror Film Board]</ref>

==Episode scripts==
===''The Transformers''===
* [[Divide and Conquer]]
* [[S.O.S. Dinobots]]
* [[War of the Dinobots]]
* [[Heavy Metal War]]
* [[Autobot Spike]]
* [[Dinobot Island, Part 1]]
* [[Dinobot Island, Part 2]]
* [[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]
* [[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]
* [[The Autobot Run]]
* [[Masquerade]]
* [[Call of the Primitives]]

==External links==
* [http://www.donaldfglut.com/ Donald F. Glut's official website]
* {{w|Donald F. Glut|Donald F. Glut at Wikipedia}}
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323304/ Donald F. Glut at the Internet Movie Database]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070217131842/http://members.aol.com/tfencyc/interview_glut.html Zobovor's interview with Donald F Glut]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Writers|Glut, Donald F.]]

Nudge gun

2025-06-08T00:51:57Z

Jackpot: Added note & captions

:''Nudge guns are things to screw with minds from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Nudge gun.jpg|thumb|300px|''I'd like to poison your mind With wrong ideas that appeal to you, Though I am not unkind'']]
The '''nudge gun''' is [[Institute]] tech, designed to make the target [[Transformer]] think differently. It carries two charges: the first sends a foreign thought into someone's head, and the second is a blank that erases incriminating knowledge from ''your'' head. Know what I mean? Know what I mean? Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say no more.

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
The nudge guns are a tool used by [[Autobot]] [[Special Operations]]. [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] tried to use one to make [[Solomus|Tyrest]] resign but the mad robot picked up on the foreign thought. To avoid interrogation, Skids used the blank charge on himself. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Their existence is a secret: [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], an ex-Institute 'bot, had no idea what the gun was and named it the "binary gun". {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

As it turned out, [[Getaway]] had a nudge gun of his own, which he used on [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] when the ex-[[Wreckers|Wrecker]] started having second thoughts about the whole "use [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] as a patsy to get rid of Megatron" scheme. {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}}

In response to [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] being made co-captain of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', Getaway and his buddy [[Atomizer]] went around the ship, asking everyone whether they thought Megatron deserved redemption, and who they'd side with in a coup. If anyone gave an answer they didn't like, they'd get their memories wiped. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}} {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 2): Filling in the Blanks|Filling in the Blanks}} Upon learning of this however, those who had stood by Getaway were horrified.

[[File:FillingInTheBlanks GetawayNudgeGunsThunderclash.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.0|''I'd like to change your mind By hitting it with a rock, he said, Though I am not unkind'']]
After a message from [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] came saying that [[Team Rodimus]] would soon perish at the hands of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] announced his intent to lead a rescue mission only for Getaway to blast his head with the nudge gun ''seven times''. Spotting a peeping [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], he fired the gun at the [[Hydrobot (G1)|Hydrobot]], knocking him into stasis. The gun's charge had been used up on Thunderclash however and Riptide only pretended to have forgotten until the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] had returned. Once his deception was revealed, Getaway threw Riptide into the [[scraplet]] infested oil-reservoir after using the nudge gun to make Riptide forget how to transform. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 2): Filling in the Blanks|Filling in the Blanks}} The gun failed to work on Riptide however due to his low intelligence. A repentant Atomizer used the gun on the recently arrived [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] to allow [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]], Riptide and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] to escape the ''[[Lost Light]]''. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}
{{--}}
==Toys==
===''Generations''===
[[File:Generations Skids.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Do you want this toy, or do you just ''think'' you want it?]]
*'''Autobot Skids''' (Deluxe, [[2014]])
:Part of the seventh wave of Deluxe Class toys in the 2012-onwards ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' line, Skids includes a weapon accessory based on the nudge gun. It can be held via [[5 mm post|5mm post]], or mounted on Skids's vehicle mode using another post on the side of the weapon. The nudge gun's barrel can also slot into the second weapon accessory, based on Skids' original [[liquid nitrogen rifle]], to form a single, larger weapon.
{{--}}
==Notes==
*This concept may be a reference to the real-world [[w:Nudge_theory|nudge theory]].

[[Category:Generation 1 ranged weapons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) weapons]]

Turmoil

2025-03-22T20:53:06Z

Jackpot: /* 2005 IDW continuity */ Spelling

{{factions|decepticon|exarchon}}
:''Turmoil is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Turmoil MainPic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[http://vimeo.com/1929867 When his fearful shears he plies, he'll cut you down to cir-cum-ciiiiise!]]]
'''Turmoil''' is a commander in the Decepticon forces, in charge of a battle cruiser with at least a dozen crew members. Blunt and taciturn, he prefers to let his ginormous arm-cannon do the talking for him. This philosophy lends him a surprising degree of stealth, since remaining quiet can allow a talkative enemy to unintentionally reveal all sorts of things—his location, for instance.

Turmoil once had a second-in-command named [[Drift (G1)|Deadlock]] who renounced all factions and tried to leave. Unfortunately, he seemingly perished before Turmoil himself could have the pleasure of destroying him. It would be quite a surprise indeed for Turmoil to hear his traitorous voice again.

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
{{First|[[Spotlight: Drift]]}}
[[File:Turmoil empire of stone.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
Long ago, when Turmoil still had two hands and answered to [[Megatron (RID)|Gigatron]], he and his second-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Deadlock]] crash-landed their ship on a remote planet. While Turmoil was fretting about get off the planet, Deadlock pointed his attention towards a nearby temple. {{storylink|Drift - Empire of Stone issue 2|Empire of Stone #2}} The two went on to slaughter the monks residing there and discover the [[Stone Army]] within. {{storylink|Drift - Empire of Stone issue 3|Empire of Stone #3}}

[[File:TurmoilKillOnSight.jpg|thumb]]
Turmoil later came to command an entire ship of Decepticons, but Deadlock was becoming increasingly problematic. Things came to a head when, during one battle with the Autobots on [[Dabola]], Deadlock ignored Turmoil's orders to not fire unless fired upon. Even though this action resulted in Decepticon victory, Deadlock's peers hated Deadlock so much that they tattled and turned on him once they returned to the ship. Turmoil had prepared to execute his wayward second-in-command when Deadlock freed himself and escaped the ship in a pod. Infuriated, Turmoil put out word that Deadlock was banished and should be killed on sight. {{storylink|Drift issue 1|Drift #1}}

In the modern era, Turmoil and his crew docked their ship on some alien world, the cruiser damaged but holding several [[Autobot]] prisoners. This stop ended up being a lethal mistake. While the locals bore some degree of hostility towards [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronians]], the real danger came from two coincidentally convergent attacks.

One was carried out by a solitary warrior, Drift (Deadlock, now going by his original name). He paid some local Cybertronian-haters for access to the docking platform, then used his firsthand knowledge of the ship to get past its security systems. As he did so, the other attack commenced, to his surprise as much as anyone's: [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]], [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]], [[Twin Twist]], [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]], and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] blasted their way through the side of the ship, intent on freeing their imprisoned comrades. The squad didn't recognize Drift, but they accepted his help as he led them straight to the brig, where they found the other members of their individual groups ([[Triple Changer]]s, [[Jumpstarter]]s, etc.)

[[File:Turmoil and the Minion.jpg|thumb|left|upright=2|"We're not doing Madame Chao's; the service is terrible." "But takeout, you say!" "Yeah, but why should I give my business to— Moishe, ''dayenu''."]]
Meanwhile, Turmoil had gathered his troops and prepared to storm the brig, but they found that the door had been relocked with new block-programs. At first one of his soldiers tried to undo them within the system, but Turmoil silently ordered him away from the door. On the other side, he could hear Perceptor talking to the other Autobots while continuing to hack the ship's computer. Turmoil blasted a massive hole through both the door and Perceptor's chest, then waltzed right in.

As the battle erupted, Turmoil recognized the voice of his old subordinate Deadlock. Condemning the traitor, he blasted at him and ended up sending him and Kup flying through a wall, away from the fight. Turmoil did not follow them, but his choice to stay in the battle was a poor one, as all of the other Autobots ended up escaping anyway.

[[File:Turmoil pinned by Drift.jpg|thumb|So envision it, the big boom, rubble raining down, chaos, mayhem below!]]
Attempting to salvage a shred of victory, Turmoil tracked Drift and Kup to what appeared to be the engine room, where Drift had just finished sabotaging a key piece of equipment. Turmoil fired at them, sending Kup flying through a wall ''again'' (this time through an open hatch leading outside), but Drift remained to continue the fight. Dodging his shots, Drift pinned Turmoil to a wall with his two short swords and lectured him on how degraded the Decepticons had become. Turmoil scoffed, saying that the Autobots would never accept an outcast like Drift. Turmoil then dared Drift to kill him, claiming that doing so would prove that Drift was nothing more than he had been before.

In a debatable moral victory, Drift declined to kill him on the spot, trusting in his sabotage to do the job instead. Drift raced back to the brig to retrieve the fallen Perceptor, then exited the cruiser just as it erupted in a massive fireball. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

Unbeknownst to the Autobots, Turmoil managed to survive the destruction of his cruiser and was contacted by [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], who provided him with a new ship and instructed him to gather data from a [[Regenesis]] missile he had sent to the planet [[LV-117]] in the distant past. On arrival, Turmoil's crew found that the missile had evolved the native lifeforms into technological geniuses, but were ignorant to the fact that it had also caused the entire planet to [[Time travel|travel through time]] and that they had been sent thousands of years into the past just by landing there. As they began enslaving the natives, a time-jumping [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] suddenly appeared, and Turmoil tried to get him to surrender by taking [[Varta|one of the aliens]] hostage. This only served to enrage Pax, who attacked Turmoil and crushed one of his eyes before disappearing with the alien. The Decepticons later left LV-117 with their new slaves, returning to their own approximate time in the process. {{storylink|Syndromica (2)}}

[[File:Turmoil wheeljack interference patterns.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|'Jack Back Attack.]]
Turmoil had the aliens build a time-bending machine within his ship, allowing it to move laterally through time and cloak itself by traveling in a dimension imperceptible to normal eyes. Once the Decepticons received a signal telling them that Cybertron was alive and peaceful again, they returned home, but not before executing the slaves so that the Autobots wouldn't find out about them. On Cybertron, he promised the Autobot government he'd share his secretive technology. When [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] objected to his presence remembering the events on Dabola, Turmoil told him the massacre was executed by his former second-in-command, now the Autobot Drift. Suspicious about the technology, [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] snuck aboard the ship to investigate and found out its true origin as well as the grisly fate of the enslaved aliens, but Turmoil ambushed him and shot a hole through his chest. Wheeljack quickly encased him in a containment field and escaped from the ship with Metalhawk's help, after which [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'s forces stormed it and took Turmoil into custody. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}}

[[File:Turmoil starscream heavy is the head.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Turminated.]]
When [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] stopped by the Autobots' prison to pay a visit to [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]], he ignored Turmoil's demands to be released. {{storylink|City on Fire}} Shortly thereafter, the Decepticon forces stormed the prison to free Megatron, and Turmoil taunted Starscream for being a coward who wouldn't even help his new Autobot friends. He was then released alongside all other Decepticon prisoners. {{storylink|The Verge}} When freed, Megatron ordered his Decepticons to conquer Cybertron once and for all, putting Turmoil in charge of the attack force. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Turmoil led his forces through [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], killing Autobots and [[NAIL]]s alike, until they met with resistance in the form of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} When Metalhawk rescued Starscream from Megatron's clutches, Turmoil chased them down, blew Metalhawk's arm off and prepared to finish them off, disgusted that they were hiding like cowards instead of acting like true warriors. In response, Starscream proved that he was in fact the superior warrior by attacking Turmoil with the blade on Metalhawk's severed arm, using it to cut off his cannon-arm before embedding it in his skull, killing him. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

Turmoil's death was recorded and marked by the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]] via [[Cybertronian remembrance flower|a flower]] containing a trace of his spark, which was later examined by [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 3: A World Misplaced|A World Misplaced}}
{{-}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:WeAreNotMeantToBeDarkness TurmoilMegabolt.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
During the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], Turmoil willingly fought for [[Exarchon]], committing heinous acts on [[Neutronia]], namely ''melting'' it, killing at least two-thirds of the planet's inhabitants, simply in passing on his return to Cybertron. At some point during the conflict, Turmoil took several prisoners, including [[Paragon]], and fled the planet. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} When the war ended and the stand down order came, the [[Great General]] [[Pyra Magna]] continued to pursue the still at-large Turmoil relentlessly, against orders, only for the resultant space battle to detonate Turmoil's craft, killing everyone aboard, including the prisoners. {{storylink|War World: Hunt|Hunt}} {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:OGTurmoil.jpg|upright=0.6|thumb]]
*[[Casey Coller]] created the initial designs for Turmoil, which [[Alex Milne]] "tweaked" for inclusion in the comic.<ref name="turmoil">[http://caliber316.deviantart.com/art/Turmoil-Decepticon-Commander-178881877 Turmoil on Casey Coller's deviantART page]</ref>
*Unpublished design sketches reveal that Turmoil transforms into a big ol' tank with some sort of spiky plow on the front.<ref name="turmoil" />

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Turmoil''' (ターモイル ''Tāmoiru'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Comic-only Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]

Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)

2025-02-28T19:39:24Z

Jackpot: /* Continuity */

{{disambig3|War for Cybertron}}
{{nav-WarForCybertronSiege}}

[[File:Netflix-WFC-Siege-season-poster.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Transformers: War for Cybertron|Haven't we been here before?]]]]

'''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy''''' (also known as ''War for Cybertron'') is an animated series produced by [[Hasbro]] and [[Rooster Teeth]] based on the ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' toyline, with animation by [[Polygon Pictures]] and voice production by [[Horseless Cowboy]]. [[F.J. DeSanto]] acts as the series showrunner, a role he previously, partially held for the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' web series, with [[George Krstic]], [[Gavin Hignight]], [[Brandon M. Easton]], [[Tim Sheridan]], and [[Mae Catt]] as writers. The show also sees [[Jake Foushee]], [[Jason Marnocha]], and [[Frank Todaro]] reprising their respective roles as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], as well as previous ''Transformers'' alumni [[Keith Silverstein]] and [[Jessica DiGiovanni]] returning for voicework. Three seasons aired on [[Netflix]], one for each of the franchise's three toylines; the first season was released on [[July 30]], [[2020]], the second season on [[December 30]], 2020, and the third on [[July 29]], [[2021]].

In conjunction with the series, Hasbro and [[TakaraTomy]] released a Netflix-branded [[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)#Netflix|toyline]] featuring more battle-worn decoes for pre-existing ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toys, as well as toys based on characters introduced in the show. Leading up to the release of the final chapter, TakaraTomy announced the ''[[Transformers Premium Finish|Premium Finish]]'' line, half of which features characters from the Netflix show with extremely [[show-accuracy|animation accurate]] paint jobs.

==Overview==
The planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has been ravaged by an endless civil war between [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and his [[Autobot]]s and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and his [[Decepticon]]s, with the former in ruins but refusing to stand down. Frustrated, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] surrenders to Megatron shortly before they learn of the life-giving [[AllSpark|Allspark]], and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s plan to reformat all Autobots on the planet into Decepticons. Ultra Magnus overhears everything and relays it to the Autobots, launching a hunt for the Allspark from both factions. After an imprisoned Ultra Magnus is murdered by Megatron, neutral scavenger [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] obtains the [[Alpha Trion Protocols]] containing the location of the Allspark and reluctantly joins the Autobots. Despite warnings of dooming the planet itself, Optimus Prime forms a plan to flee Cybertron aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' with the Allspark. The Autobots cautiously trust ex-Decepticon [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] to lead them into the dangerous [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] to obtain the Allspark, while [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and Decepticon [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] repair a derelict [[space bridge]], and Bumblebee steals raw [[energon]] from the [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]] to power the ''Ark''. The synchronous plan succeeds, though [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] is left to continue the war effort on Cybertron, the Allspark is lost among the stars, and the ''Ark'' is left adrift as an unknown ship approaches...

With Cybertron unable to sustain life, Megatron and the Decepticons plan to search for a new world aboard the newly-constructed ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', though Elita-1 and her team cause trouble by freeing prisoners whose sparks power the ship. The ''Ark'' Autobots are captured by the ''[[Fool's Fortune]]'' Mercenaries led by [[Doubledealer]] and contracted by [[Quintesson Judge]] [[Deseeus]], though he betrays them, motivating the thieves help the Autobots escape, while secretly selling out their location to Megatron. After the ''Nemesis'' departs to follow the ''Ark'', Shockwave lures other weak Decepticons to [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon Arena]] to harvest their sparks, prompting Elita-1 and Decepticon [[Scrapface]]'s forces to detonate the harvester, though they are all killed in the blast. Elsewhere, the ''Ark'' locates the Allspark and travels to the derelict [[Nebulon Station]], but their attempts to destroy it and pass through the accompanying space bridge come to a stop by the Decepticons. After a united brawl against the [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] uses the ''Nemesis'' cannons to destroy everyone present, but the resulting explosion opens a rift to the [[Dead Universe]]. Inside, the ''Ark'' crew finds the jaded [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], who helps Optimus open an exit rift to [[Earth]]. Meanwhile, Megatron temporarily meets his future self [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], who urges him to use his [[Hate Plague|hatred]] to kill Optimus Prime, leading to Sky Lynx's sacrifice to save the Autobots. The ''Ark'', ''Nemesis'', and the in-pursuit ''Fool's Fortune'', now piloted by Deseeus, escape the Dead Universe and lock into a dogfight, culminating in Megatron stealing the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. The ''Fool's Fortune'' warp-drive explodes, causing the remaining ships to crash—though they are not the only Cybertronians on the planet...

The bestial [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s locate their ancestors, the Autobots and Decepticons respectively, in the harsh landscape of prehistoric [[Earth]]. While the Decepticons and Predacons consolidate their troops together under the command of ''two'' Megatrons (who get along surprisingly well), the Autobots and Maximals initially face each other with hostility. Ultimately, the two heroic factions set aside their differences to beat the two bands of 'cons to capturing the Allspark. The mystical artefact creates a series of unsettling illusions to mislead the two sides. However, the Predacon [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] betrays his comrades and steals the Matrix of Leadership back from the original Megatron, returning it to Optimus before giving in to his wounds from Predacon Megatron. The Allspark's eerie illusions culminate in a duel between Optimus Prime and a projection of Ultra Magnus. The spirit of the Allspark ultimately sides with Optimus; guiding him to its physical resting place. Upon reaching the Allspark temple, Optimus is greeted by both Megatron and [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]], the former waging a climactic battle between the two rivals. An Allspark projection of Elita-1 tells Optimus to surrender the Matrix to Megatron against Primal's advice, resulting in the Matrix rejecting Megatron and sending him into a [[Sparkless|nightmarish vision]]. As Prime and Primal return with both the Matrix and the dying Allspark in hand, the ''Nemesis'' crew attacks the ''Ark'', resulting in a desperate struggle to get the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s systems online while fending off the 'cons. Incredibly, the ''Ark'' gains consciousness and transforms into robot mode, having been given schematics for conversion within the Dead Universe and enabled by the Allspark. The transformed ''Ark'' completely turns the tables on the ''Nemesis''; with the Decepticon and Predacon troops being sealed within the ship's stasis field. The defected Predacon [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] forms a temporary alliance with the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew.

As the ''Ark'' lands on a desolate, frozen-over Cybertron via a [[space bridge|spacebridge]] network, Megatron is freed from his imprisonment by Galvatron. The Autobots and Maximals emerge from the ship and plan to return the Allspark to its rightful place within Cybertron before the planet is lost for good. As Bumblebee and Optimus set out together, they encounter Optimus's deranged future self [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]], who lashes out at his past self for the Allspark. While Megatron and Galvatron join forces with Nemesis Prime, Bumblebee finds the [[Temple of the Allspark]] hidden within a canyon, and manages to enter the temple. As the four factions arrive under Optimus Primal, Megatron turns on Galvatron at Optimus's and Starscream's encouragement. As Bumblebee replaces the Allspark in its altar, the golden spirits of many deceased Cybertronians appear, and magically transport Galvatron and Nemesis Prime away. As the spirits reunite with the Allspark, Cybertron is saved, and the Decepticons and Predacons reconcile their conflict with the Autobots and Maximals on the condition the two sides stay apart, leading to an uncertain age of peace. Meanwhile, Unicron punishes Galvatron and Nemesis Prime for their failure, and reformats them...

==Continuity==
The series is its own distinct continuity, though one firmly rooted in the [[Generation 1 continuity family]], particularly the [[The Transformers (franchise)|original franchise]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', and the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW comics]]. When characters, settings, dialogue, and plot beats are clearly inspired by previous ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' content, it's almost entirely those precursors. The one major element borrowed from elsewhere is the concept of the [[AllSpark|Allspark as a physical artifact]] sent into space from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and then pursued by the major players, which originated in the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]]. The Allspark stands in for several [[w:MacGuffin|MacGuffin]]s from previous series: the "new supply of energy" that the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' left Cybertron in search of, {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} the [[Matrix of Leadership]] as the thing capable of destroying [[Unicron]],{{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} and the crashed ''Ark'' as the object of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s time-traveling journey to prehistoric [[Earth]].{{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} However, this series also reincorporates the [[Transformer afterlife#Beast Machines cartoon|afterlife aspect of the Allspark]] as it was introduced in the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Machines'' cartoon]],{{storylink|The Reformatting}} with [[Transformer]] [[ghost]]s shown entering and exiting the artifact. In addition to the aforementioned changes that set this series apart, other major departures from its precursors include an absence of present-day Earth as a setting, as well as a markedly different unfolding of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] and their future-history, as summarized above.

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s|c1=
;''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crew
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Jake Foushee]])
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] ([[Joe Zieja]])
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] ([[Bill Rogers]])
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] ([[Jessica DiGiovanni]])
*[[Cog (G1)|Cog]] ([[Brian Robert Burns]])
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] ([[Rafael Goldstein]])
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] ([[Shawn Hawkins]])
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] ([[Aaron Veach]])
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] ([[Kaiser Johnson]])
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] ([[Mark Whitten]])
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] ([[JW Stafford]])
*[[Teletraan I]]/[[Ark (G1)|Arkbot]] ([[Miles Luna]])

;[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] cell
*[[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] ([[Linsay Rousseau]])
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] ([[Keith Silverstein]])
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] ([[Todd Haberkorn]])
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] ([[Georgia Reed]])
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]

;Other
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Edward Bosco]])
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] ([[Sean Wright]])
*[[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] ([[Ellie Main]])
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (Miles Luna)
*[[Deep Cover]]
*[[Security Officer (G1)|Security Officers]] (Rafael Goldstein)
*[[Comms Officer]]s ([[Brook Chalmers]])

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
;''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' crew
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] ([[Jason Marnocha]])
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] ([[Frank Todaro]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (Edward Bosco)
**[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (Frank Todaro)
**[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (Frank Todaro)
*[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] ([[Alexander Dilallo]])
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] ([[Danny Hansen]])
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] ([[Marcus Clark-Oliver]])
*[[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] (Marcus Clark-Oliver)

;Cybertron army
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (Todd Haberkorn)
*[[Scrapface]] ([[Adin Rudd]])
*[[Flywheels|Skytread]] ([[Philip Bache]])
*[[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] ([[Gray Haddock]])
*[[Shamble]] (Frank Todaro)
*[[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]]
*[[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]]
*[[Ion Storm]]

;Other
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (Brook Chalmers)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (Mark Whitten)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Refraktors]] (Edward Bosco, Shawn Hawkins, Kaiser Johnson, Frank Todaro, Mark Whitten)
*[[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] (Kaiser Johnson, Sean Wright)

|h3=Future timeline|c3=
;Decepticons
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (Jason Marnocha)
*[[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] (Jake Foushee)

;[[Maximal]]s
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] ([[Justin Pierce]])
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] ([[Erin Ebers]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Andy Barnett]])
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (Frank Todaro)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Joe Hernandez]])
*[[Tigatron]] ([[Beau Marie]])

;[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
*[[Megatron (BW)|Predacon Megatron]] ([[Marqus Bobesich]])
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] ([[Krizz Kaliko]])
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Jeanne Carr]])
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Predacon Scorponok]] (Danny Hansen)

;Other
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] ([[Jonathan Lipow]])

|c4=
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] ([[Ben Jurand]])
*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] ([[Michael Dunn]])
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (Keith Silverstein)
*[[Sparkless]] (Brook Chalmers, Kaiser Johnson, Frank Todaro)
*[[Guardian robot|Guardians]]

;[[Mercenary|Mercenaries]]
*[[Doubledealer]] ([[Michael Schwalbe]])
*[[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] (Rafael Goldstein)
**[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Exhaust]] ([[Ken Rogers]])
*[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] ([[Alex Taber]])
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] ([[Michael Jones]])
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] ([[Jay Sanford]])
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
*[[Dome Guard]]s (Jason Marnocha)

;[[Quintesson]]s
*[[Deseeus]] ([[Jolene Andersen]], [[Joseph Noughton]], Linsay Rousseau, Jay Sanford, Keith Silverstein)
*[[Deseeus Army Drone]]s
|nonumbering=true
}}

==Episodes==
===Chapter 1: ''Siege''===
{{collist|3|
# [[Siege episode 1|Episode 1]]
# [[Siege episode 2|Episode 2]]
# [[Siege episode 3|Episode 3]]
# [[Siege episode 4|Episode 4]]
# [[Siege episode 5|Episode 5]]
# [[Siege episode 6|Episode 6]]
}}

===Chapter 2: ''Earthrise''===
{{collist|3|
# [[Earthrise episode 1|Episode 1]]
# [[Earthrise episode 2|Episode 2]]
# [[Earthrise episode 3|Episode 3]]
# [[Earthrise episode 4|Episode 4]]
# [[Earthrise episode 5|Episode 5]]
# [[Earthrise episode 6|Episode 6]]
}}

===Chapter 3: ''Kingdom''===
{{collist|3|
# [[Kingdom episode 1|Episode 1]]
# [[Kingdom episode 2|Episode 2]]
# [[Kingdom episode 3|Episode 3]]
# [[Kingdom episode 4|Episode 4]]
# [[Kingdom episode 5|Episode 5]]
# [[Kingdom episode 6|Episode 6]]
}}
{{note|Evocative titling, huh?}}

==Reception==
With the same production team as the notoriously unpopular ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy#Cartoons|Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' cartoon series, fan expectations for the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' were lukewarm prior to its release, but it was generally considered to be an improvement over its predecessor, though not without flaws of its own.

===Voice acting===
Like contemporary shows ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'', the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon used a non-union (a.k.a. ''cheaper to hire'') cast of voice actors, meaning that many major characters—such as Optimus Prime and Megatron—lack their iconic voices, and some of the performances were criticised as being amateur, inexpressive, or otherwise ill-suited to the characters. The performances were especially noticeable for actors who had appeared in other series such as Jake Foushee, Jason Marnocha or Jessica DiGiovani, whose performances in other series were generally either well received or at least considered superior to what was delivered in the ''War For Cybertron Trilogy''. In most cases, it seems the actors received poor voice direction; for example, [[Megatron (BW)|Predacon Megatron]]'s dialogue was scripted with [[David Kaye]]'s delivery in mind, which is not borne through in the performance. Notably, the same voice director worked on the ''Prime Wars Trilogy'', which had similar issues with delivery.

===Animation===
In terms of visuals also, the show exhibits clear budget limitations when compared to previous ''Transformers'' cartoons of the 2010s, having more in common with the 2005 ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' cartoon. Nonetheless, the show is distinctly a visual upgrade over the ''Prime Wars Trilogy'', with detailed backgrounds and character models (the latter usually based on CAD models for the toys, although not all characters from [[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|the toylines]] appear) and a deliberate murky style. However, character animation is generally just passable at best.

===Pacing and story direction===
Despite cramming an absurd number of characters and concepts into its short 18-episode-miniseries run, the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon feels ''slow''. Dialogue is drawn-out, both in terms of constantly reiterating exposition (drink every time someone says "Allspark") and in terms of the delivery itself. The plot of ''Siege'' in particular is highly protracted, while ''Kingdom'' conversely is rushed in many places. Characters often have little if anything in common with their previous incarnations beyond appearance; some of the reimagined portrayals were well-received by some fans, others less so. The three ''Kingdom'' episodes written by [[Mae Catt]] markedly stand out from the rest, with clear fan appeal in how the likes of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] are portrayed.

==Notes==
* Originally planned for a June 2020 release, the series premiere was delayed one month, reportedly due to production delays with its foreign-language dubs caused by the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}.
* ''Siege'' was promoted with several motion posters highlighting members of the main cast. In each of these posters, a letter from the [[Cybertronian language|"Ancient Autobot" alphabet]] created by [[Jim Sorenson]] can be seen flashing in the background. When the letters are put in order, they spell out the word "KINGDOM", the name of the trilogy's third subline/season.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Did you crack the code? We're excited to reveal the title for the third chapter: KINGDOM. 🦍 Get ready to go ape and get your claws out for KINGDOM! 🦖 Till then, the war continues. https://t.co/dcQLik11qp|link=https://twitter.com/nxonnetflix/status/1283960126613774338|name=NetflixGeeked|site=Twitter|year=2020|month=07|day=17|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* During production, the animation team utilized Hasbro's original CAD files for the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toyline. As a result, certain character models are absurdly [[show-accuracy|toy-accurate]], down to several even retaining their [[5 mm post]] holes and 3 mm pegs. Most of these models are in the ''Siege'' chapter, as the production of the show was far later in the toyline's development compared to ''Earthrise'' and ''Kingdom'' and their respective seasons. Non-toy character models are heavily based on ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toy concept art created by [[Ken Christiansen]]<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/ken_christiansen_art/ Ken Christiansen's Instagram]</ref>, except for Elita-1, Arcee, Alpha Trion, the Cybertronian-body Predacons, and Galvatron, the last of which was created far before the [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' toy]]'s development, and used concept art based on ''The Transformers: The Movie'', with additional input from Hasbro.<ref name="interview">F.J. DeSanto in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6j5HAAwRa4?t=2630 July 14, 2021 interview] stated, "We based it on the con-so we didn't have the CAD data for that, 'cause-uh, we knew he was gonna be in the third one, in ''Kingdom'', but they hadn't done the toy yet, 'cause ''Kingdom'' was so far out, like I mentioned earlier. We designed a version of-the version you see was our design, but it was based on the concept art they gave us, which I think is from the '86 movie, but we updated it a little bit to fit the um-the tone of the show and also based on some things Hasbro told us they were doing with the toy." "Y'know in the early things, the Cogs were the soldiers, and the Seekers and-y'know, we would have these different soldiers and Hasbro sort of designated like these are the ones who can be soldiers, and Scorponok was, y'know, the sort of footsoldiers for the, uh-Predacons. That's why you see a bunch of them."</ref>
[[File:WFC-Siege-Ep3-Generics-in-camp.jpg|thumb|250px|It's been alleged the robots featured in this show are 80% clones by volume.]]
* The series features extensive use of [[generic]]s, though both sides use different character models as the base for their troops. The Autobots use Cog, Sideswipe, Mirage, Ironhide, and Hound to pad their forces while the Decepticons use Impactor, Refraktor, Barricade, and, as usual, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. All of these generics except for Cog and Impactor are used for the Sparkless, with Laserbeak used for the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] birds, Omega Supreme for the Guardians, Impactor for the Dome Guards and a gladiator, Ironhide for the Deseeus Army Drones, and Scorponok for the Predacons. Hasbro decides which characters can be used as generic soldiers.<ref name="interview"/>
* In addition to generic character models, many characters use generic firearms based on certain toy accessories as opposed to a dedicated weapon. The weapons are [[Cog (G1)#Generations|Cog]]'s "RT-5 Circuit Welder", [[Reflector (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Refraktor]]'s "EMM Distortion Blaster", [[Chromia (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Chromia]]'s "RT-5 Anti-thermo Blaster" with the "SR Hushfuze" barrel, the Seekers' "HPI [[Null-ray|Null-Ray]] Laser Launcher", [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ultra Magnus]]'s (who ironically does not use this weapon) "RT-15 Stethoscopic Detector" with an extended "SR Hushfuze" barrel, and [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Rattrap]]'s fusion blaster.
* Upon its initial release in the United States, ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' was given a TV-Y7 designation, despite the show's dark tone, violence, and brief use of coarse language in the first episode. Presumably due to these very criteria, the series was later re-rated to TV-14, making it the first ''Transformers'' television series to carry that designation. Due to the separation of seasons into separate listings (below), ''Earthrise'' and ''Kingdom'' keep the TV-Y7 rating.
* Despite the three parts being advertised as three chapters of one series when the second ''Earthrise'' trailer was released, it also received a separate page on Netflix, and ''Kingdom'' followed suit. The original ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' page's title graphic was also changed to include ''Siege'' and the number 1 behind it. This also means that Netflix calls the ''Earthrise'' and ''Kingdom'' episodes each "Chapter 1" as well.
*While the ''Siege'' chapter received a recap on the ''Earthrise'' page, the ''Kingdom'' page featured no such recap for ''Earthrise''. Drat!
*A proposed sequel series based on ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' was in the discussion stage at one point, but Netflix passed on the pitch.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Per FJ DeSanto: they had a series for Transformers Legacy planned out, but Netflix passed on it. #TFconLA|link=https://twitter.com/MikeSibertRadio/status/1502847896458170375|name=Mike Seibert|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=3|day=13|(defunct=)}}</ref>
**The sequel series bible had been written by [[Gavin Hignight]], who said the show was ready to go before Netflix pulled the plug on it.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We had all but had a sequel series green lit. It was like ready to go. I had written the bible, I was working with FJ on it, and we were really excited about what was to come, and Hasbro was like "toys are ready, let's do it" and Netflix didn't want to do it.|link=https://youtu.be/ptqvScphqzo?si=46NLY4APR_aTI5_k&t=900|name=Gavin Hignight|site=YouTube|year=2024|month=10|day=09}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Chinese:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Sàibótǎn Dàzhàn Sānbùqǔ''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛：賽博坦大戰三部曲 "Transformers: Cybertron War Trilogy")
*''German:'' '''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy: Die Belagerung''''' (''Siege''), '''''Erdaufgang''''' (''Earthrise''), '''''Eine neue Welt''''' (''Kingdom'')
*''Italian:'' '''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy - L'assedio''''' (''Siege''), '''''Il Sorgere della Terra''''' (''Earthrise''), '''''Il Regno''''' (''Kingdom'')
*''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy''''' (トランスフォーマー: ウォー・フォー・サイバトロン・トリロジー ''Toransufōmā: Wō fō Saibatoron Torirojī'')
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy - O Cerco''''' (''Siege''), '''''O Nascer da Terra''''' (''Earthrise''), '''''O Reino''''' (''Kingdom'')

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.netflix.com/title/81002438 ''Siege'' on Netflix]
* [https://www.netflix.com/title/81393633 ''Earthrise'' on Netflix]
* [https://www.netflix.com/title/81393636 ''Kingdom'' on Netflix]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYDB6skUqYw First ''Siege'' trailer on YouTube]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UksT5I1lvJM Second ''Siege'' trailer on YouTube]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoK4_Tng29E First ''Earthrise'' trailer on YouTube]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s00QLjolFg Second ''Earthrise'' trailer on YouTube]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNSI65vInMo ''Kingdom'' trailer on YouTube]

{{DEFAULTSORT:War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)}}
[[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy| Cartoon]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)

2025-02-28T19:15:23Z

Jackpot: /* Continuity */ New section

{{disambig3|War for Cybertron}}
{{nav-WarForCybertronSiege}}

[[File:Netflix-WFC-Siege-season-poster.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Transformers: War for Cybertron|Haven't we been here before?]]]]

'''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy''''' (also known as ''War for Cybertron'') is an animated series produced by [[Hasbro]] and [[Rooster Teeth]] based on the ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' toyline, with animation by [[Polygon Pictures]] and voice production by [[Horseless Cowboy]]. [[F.J. DeSanto]] acts as the series showrunner, a role he previously, partially held for the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' web series, with [[George Krstic]], [[Gavin Hignight]], [[Brandon M. Easton]], [[Tim Sheridan]], and [[Mae Catt]] as writers. The show also sees [[Jake Foushee]], [[Jason Marnocha]], and [[Frank Todaro]] reprising their respective roles as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], as well as previous ''Transformers'' alumni [[Keith Silverstein]] and [[Jessica DiGiovanni]] returning for voicework. Three seasons aired on [[Netflix]], one for each of the franchise's three toylines; the first season was released on [[July 30]], [[2020]], the second season on [[December 30]], 2020, and the third on [[July 29]], [[2021]].

In conjunction with the series, Hasbro and [[TakaraTomy]] released a Netflix-branded [[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)#Netflix|toyline]] featuring more battle-worn decoes for pre-existing ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toys, as well as toys based on characters introduced in the show. Leading up to the release of the final chapter, TakaraTomy announced the ''[[Transformers Premium Finish|Premium Finish]]'' line, half of which features characters from the Netflix show with extremely [[show-accuracy|animation accurate]] paint jobs.

==Overview==
The planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has been ravaged by an endless civil war between [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and his [[Autobot]]s and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and his [[Decepticon]]s, with the former in ruins but refusing to stand down. Frustrated, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] surrenders to Megatron shortly before they learn of the life-giving [[AllSpark|Allspark]], and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s plan to reformat all Autobots on the planet into Decepticons. Ultra Magnus overhears everything and relays it to the Autobots, launching a hunt for the Allspark from both factions. After an imprisoned Ultra Magnus is murdered by Megatron, neutral scavenger [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] obtains the [[Alpha Trion Protocols]] containing the location of the Allspark and reluctantly joins the Autobots. Despite warnings of dooming the planet itself, Optimus Prime forms a plan to flee Cybertron aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' with the Allspark. The Autobots cautiously trust ex-Decepticon [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] to lead them into the dangerous [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] to obtain the Allspark, while [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and Decepticon [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] repair a derelict [[space bridge]], and Bumblebee steals raw [[energon]] from the [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]] to power the ''Ark''. The synchronous plan succeeds, though [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] is left to continue the war effort on Cybertron, the Allspark is lost among the stars, and the ''Ark'' is left adrift as an unknown ship approaches...

With Cybertron unable to sustain life, Megatron and the Decepticons plan to search for a new world aboard the newly-constructed ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', though Elita-1 and her team cause trouble by freeing prisoners whose sparks power the ship. The ''Ark'' Autobots are captured by the ''[[Fool's Fortune]]'' Mercenaries led by [[Doubledealer]] and contracted by [[Quintesson Judge]] [[Deseeus]], though he betrays them, motivating the thieves help the Autobots escape, while secretly selling out their location to Megatron. After the ''Nemesis'' departs to follow the ''Ark'', Shockwave lures other weak Decepticons to [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon Arena]] to harvest their sparks, prompting Elita-1 and Decepticon [[Scrapface]]'s forces to detonate the harvester, though they are all killed in the blast. Elsewhere, the ''Ark'' locates the Allspark and travels to the derelict [[Nebulon Station]], but their attempts to destroy it and pass through the accompanying space bridge come to a stop by the Decepticons. After a united brawl against the [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] uses the ''Nemesis'' cannons to destroy everyone present, but the resulting explosion opens a rift to the [[Dead Universe]]. Inside, the ''Ark'' crew finds the jaded [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], who helps Optimus open an exit rift to [[Earth]]. Meanwhile, Megatron temporarily meets his future self [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], who urges him to use his [[Hate Plague|hatred]] to kill Optimus Prime, leading to Sky Lynx's sacrifice to save the Autobots. The ''Ark'', ''Nemesis'', and the in-pursuit ''Fool's Fortune'', now piloted by Deseeus, escape the Dead Universe and lock into a dogfight, culminating in Megatron stealing the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. The ''Fool's Fortune'' warp-drive explodes, causing the remaining ships to crash—though they are not the only Cybertronians on the planet...

The bestial [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s locate their ancestors, the Autobots and Decepticons respectively, in the harsh landscape of prehistoric [[Earth]]. While the Decepticons and Predacons consolidate their troops together under the command of ''two'' Megatrons (who get along surprisingly well), the Autobots and Maximals initially face each other with hostility. Ultimately, the two heroic factions set aside their differences to beat the two bands of 'cons to capturing the Allspark. The mystical artefact creates a series of unsettling illusions to mislead the two sides. However, the Predacon [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] betrays his comrades and steals the Matrix of Leadership back from the original Megatron, returning it to Optimus before giving in to his wounds from Predacon Megatron. The Allspark's eerie illusions culminate in a duel between Optimus Prime and a projection of Ultra Magnus. The spirit of the Allspark ultimately sides with Optimus; guiding him to its physical resting place. Upon reaching the Allspark temple, Optimus is greeted by both Megatron and [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]], the former waging a climactic battle between the two rivals. An Allspark projection of Elita-1 tells Optimus to surrender the Matrix to Megatron against Primal's advice, resulting in the Matrix rejecting Megatron and sending him into a [[Sparkless|nightmarish vision]]. As Prime and Primal return with both the Matrix and the dying Allspark in hand, the ''Nemesis'' crew attacks the ''Ark'', resulting in a desperate struggle to get the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s systems online while fending off the 'cons. Incredibly, the ''Ark'' gains consciousness and transforms into robot mode, having been given schematics for conversion within the Dead Universe and enabled by the Allspark. The transformed ''Ark'' completely turns the tables on the ''Nemesis''; with the Decepticon and Predacon troops being sealed within the ship's stasis field. The defected Predacon [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] forms a temporary alliance with the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew.

As the ''Ark'' lands on a desolate, frozen-over Cybertron via a [[space bridge|spacebridge]] network, Megatron is freed from his imprisonment by Galvatron. The Autobots and Maximals emerge from the ship and plan to return the Allspark to its rightful place within Cybertron before the planet is lost for good. As Bumblebee and Optimus set out together, they encounter Optimus's deranged future self [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]], who lashes out at his past self for the Allspark. While Megatron and Galvatron join forces with Nemesis Prime, Bumblebee finds the [[Temple of the Allspark]] hidden within a canyon, and manages to enter the temple. As the four factions arrive under Optimus Primal, Megatron turns on Galvatron at Optimus's and Starscream's encouragement. As Bumblebee replaces the Allspark in its altar, the golden spirits of many deceased Cybertronians appear, and magically transport Galvatron and Nemesis Prime away. As the spirits reunite with the Allspark, Cybertron is saved, and the Decepticons and Predacons reconcile their conflict with the Autobots and Maximals on the condition the two sides stay apart, leading to an uncertain age of peace. Meanwhile, Unicron punishes Galvatron and Nemesis Prime for their failure, and reformats them...

==Continuity==
The series is its own distinct continuity, though one firmly rooted in the [[Generation 1 continuity family]], particularly the [[The Transformers (franchise)|original franchise]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', and the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW comics]]. When characters, settings, dialogue, and plot beats are clearly inspired by previous ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' content, it's almost entirely those precursors. The one major element borrowed from elsewhere is the concept of the [[AllSpark|Allspark]] as a physical artifact sent into space from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and then pursued by the major players, which originated in the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]]. The Allspark stands in for several [[w:MacGuffin|MacGuffin]]s from previous series: the "new supply of energy" that the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' left Cybertron in search of, {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} the [[Matrix of Leadership]] as the thing capable of destroying [[Unicron]],{{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} and the crashed ''Ark'' as the object of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s time-traveling journey to prehistoric [[Earth]].{{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} However, this series also reincorporates the [[Transformer afterlife#Beast Machines cartoon|afterlife aspect of the Allspark]] as it was introduced in the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Machines'' cartoon]],{{storylink|The Reformatting}} with [[Transformer]] [[ghost]]s shown entering and exiting the artifact. In addition to the aforementioned changes that set this series apart, other major departures from its precursors include an absence of present-day Earth as a setting, as well as a markedly different unfolding of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] and their future-history, as summarized above.

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s|c1=
;''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crew
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Jake Foushee]])
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] ([[Joe Zieja]])
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] ([[Bill Rogers]])
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] ([[Jessica DiGiovanni]])
*[[Cog (G1)|Cog]] ([[Brian Robert Burns]])
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] ([[Rafael Goldstein]])
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] ([[Shawn Hawkins]])
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] ([[Aaron Veach]])
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] ([[Kaiser Johnson]])
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] ([[Mark Whitten]])
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] ([[JW Stafford]])
*[[Teletraan I]]/[[Ark (G1)|Arkbot]] ([[Miles Luna]])

;[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] cell
*[[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] ([[Linsay Rousseau]])
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] ([[Keith Silverstein]])
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] ([[Todd Haberkorn]])
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] ([[Georgia Reed]])
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]

;Other
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Edward Bosco]])
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] ([[Sean Wright]])
*[[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] ([[Ellie Main]])
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (Miles Luna)
*[[Deep Cover]]
*[[Security Officer (G1)|Security Officers]] (Rafael Goldstein)
*[[Comms Officer]]s ([[Brook Chalmers]])

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
;''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' crew
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] ([[Jason Marnocha]])
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] ([[Frank Todaro]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (Edward Bosco)
**[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (Frank Todaro)
**[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (Frank Todaro)
*[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] ([[Alexander Dilallo]])
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] ([[Danny Hansen]])
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] ([[Marcus Clark-Oliver]])
*[[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] (Marcus Clark-Oliver)

;Cybertron army
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (Todd Haberkorn)
*[[Scrapface]] ([[Adin Rudd]])
*[[Flywheels|Skytread]] ([[Philip Bache]])
*[[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] ([[Gray Haddock]])
*[[Shamble]] (Frank Todaro)
*[[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]]
*[[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]]
*[[Ion Storm]]

;Other
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (Brook Chalmers)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (Mark Whitten)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Refraktors]] (Edward Bosco, Shawn Hawkins, Kaiser Johnson, Frank Todaro, Mark Whitten)
*[[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] (Kaiser Johnson, Sean Wright)

|h3=Future timeline|c3=
;Decepticons
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (Jason Marnocha)
*[[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] (Jake Foushee)

;[[Maximal]]s
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] ([[Justin Pierce]])
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] ([[Erin Ebers]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Andy Barnett]])
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (Frank Todaro)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Joe Hernandez]])
*[[Tigatron]] ([[Beau Marie]])

;[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
*[[Megatron (BW)|Predacon Megatron]] ([[Marqus Bobesich]])
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] ([[Krizz Kaliko]])
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Jeanne Carr]])
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Predacon Scorponok]] (Danny Hansen)

;Other
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] ([[Jonathan Lipow]])

|c4=
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] ([[Ben Jurand]])
*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] ([[Michael Dunn]])
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (Keith Silverstein)
*[[Sparkless]] (Brook Chalmers, Kaiser Johnson, Frank Todaro)
*[[Guardian robot|Guardians]]

;[[Mercenary|Mercenaries]]
*[[Doubledealer]] ([[Michael Schwalbe]])
*[[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] (Rafael Goldstein)
**[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Exhaust]] ([[Ken Rogers]])
*[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] ([[Alex Taber]])
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] ([[Michael Jones]])
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] ([[Jay Sanford]])
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
*[[Dome Guard]]s (Jason Marnocha)

;[[Quintesson]]s
*[[Deseeus]] ([[Jolene Andersen]], [[Joseph Noughton]], Linsay Rousseau, Jay Sanford, Keith Silverstein)
*[[Deseeus Army Drone]]s
|nonumbering=true
}}

==Episodes==
===Chapter 1: ''Siege''===
{{collist|3|
# [[Siege episode 1|Episode 1]]
# [[Siege episode 2|Episode 2]]
# [[Siege episode 3|Episode 3]]
# [[Siege episode 4|Episode 4]]
# [[Siege episode 5|Episode 5]]
# [[Siege episode 6|Episode 6]]
}}

===Chapter 2: ''Earthrise''===
{{collist|3|
# [[Earthrise episode 1|Episode 1]]
# [[Earthrise episode 2|Episode 2]]
# [[Earthrise episode 3|Episode 3]]
# [[Earthrise episode 4|Episode 4]]
# [[Earthrise episode 5|Episode 5]]
# [[Earthrise episode 6|Episode 6]]
}}

===Chapter 3: ''Kingdom''===
{{collist|3|
# [[Kingdom episode 1|Episode 1]]
# [[Kingdom episode 2|Episode 2]]
# [[Kingdom episode 3|Episode 3]]
# [[Kingdom episode 4|Episode 4]]
# [[Kingdom episode 5|Episode 5]]
# [[Kingdom episode 6|Episode 6]]
}}
{{note|Evocative titling, huh?}}

==Reception==
With the same production team as the notoriously unpopular ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy#Cartoons|Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' cartoon series, fan expectations for the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' were lukewarm prior to its release, but it was generally considered to be an improvement over its predecessor, though not without flaws of its own.

===Voice acting===
Like contemporary shows ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'', the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon used a non-union (a.k.a. ''cheaper to hire'') cast of voice actors, meaning that many major characters—such as Optimus Prime and Megatron—lack their iconic voices, and some of the performances were criticised as being amateur, inexpressive, or otherwise ill-suited to the characters. The performances were especially noticeable for actors who had appeared in other series such as Jake Foushee, Jason Marnocha or Jessica DiGiovani, whose performances in other series were generally either well received or at least considered superior to what was delivered in the ''War For Cybertron Trilogy''. In most cases, it seems the actors received poor voice direction; for example, [[Megatron (BW)|Predacon Megatron]]'s dialogue was scripted with [[David Kaye]]'s delivery in mind, which is not borne through in the performance. Notably, the same voice director worked on the ''Prime Wars Trilogy'', which had similar issues with delivery.

===Animation===
In terms of visuals also, the show exhibits clear budget limitations when compared to previous ''Transformers'' cartoons of the 2010s, having more in common with the 2005 ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' cartoon. Nonetheless, the show is distinctly a visual upgrade over the ''Prime Wars Trilogy'', with detailed backgrounds and character models (the latter usually based on CAD models for the toys, although not all characters from [[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|the toylines]] appear) and a deliberate murky style. However, character animation is generally just passable at best.

===Pacing and story direction===
Despite cramming an absurd number of characters and concepts into its short 18-episode-miniseries run, the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon feels ''slow''. Dialogue is drawn-out, both in terms of constantly reiterating exposition (drink every time someone says "Allspark") and in terms of the delivery itself. The plot of ''Siege'' in particular is highly protracted, while ''Kingdom'' conversely is rushed in many places. Characters often have little if anything in common with their previous incarnations beyond appearance; some of the reimagined portrayals were well-received by some fans, others less so. The three ''Kingdom'' episodes written by [[Mae Catt]] markedly stand out from the rest, with clear fan appeal in how the likes of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] are portrayed.

==Notes==
* Originally planned for a June 2020 release, the series premiere was delayed one month, reportedly due to production delays with its foreign-language dubs caused by the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}.
* ''Siege'' was promoted with several motion posters highlighting members of the main cast. In each of these posters, a letter from the [[Cybertronian language|"Ancient Autobot" alphabet]] created by [[Jim Sorenson]] can be seen flashing in the background. When the letters are put in order, they spell out the word "KINGDOM", the name of the trilogy's third subline/season.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Did you crack the code? We're excited to reveal the title for the third chapter: KINGDOM. 🦍 Get ready to go ape and get your claws out for KINGDOM! 🦖 Till then, the war continues. https://t.co/dcQLik11qp|link=https://twitter.com/nxonnetflix/status/1283960126613774338|name=NetflixGeeked|site=Twitter|year=2020|month=07|day=17|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* During production, the animation team utilized Hasbro's original CAD files for the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toyline. As a result, certain character models are absurdly [[show-accuracy|toy-accurate]], down to several even retaining their [[5 mm post]] holes and 3 mm pegs. Most of these models are in the ''Siege'' chapter, as the production of the show was far later in the toyline's development compared to ''Earthrise'' and ''Kingdom'' and their respective seasons. Non-toy character models are heavily based on ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toy concept art created by [[Ken Christiansen]]<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/ken_christiansen_art/ Ken Christiansen's Instagram]</ref>, except for Elita-1, Arcee, Alpha Trion, the Cybertronian-body Predacons, and Galvatron, the last of which was created far before the [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' toy]]'s development, and used concept art based on ''The Transformers: The Movie'', with additional input from Hasbro.<ref name="interview">F.J. DeSanto in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6j5HAAwRa4?t=2630 July 14, 2021 interview] stated, "We based it on the con-so we didn't have the CAD data for that, 'cause-uh, we knew he was gonna be in the third one, in ''Kingdom'', but they hadn't done the toy yet, 'cause ''Kingdom'' was so far out, like I mentioned earlier. We designed a version of-the version you see was our design, but it was based on the concept art they gave us, which I think is from the '86 movie, but we updated it a little bit to fit the um-the tone of the show and also based on some things Hasbro told us they were doing with the toy." "Y'know in the early things, the Cogs were the soldiers, and the Seekers and-y'know, we would have these different soldiers and Hasbro sort of designated like these are the ones who can be soldiers, and Scorponok was, y'know, the sort of footsoldiers for the, uh-Predacons. That's why you see a bunch of them."</ref>
[[File:WFC-Siege-Ep3-Generics-in-camp.jpg|thumb|250px|It's been alleged the robots featured in this show are 80% clones by volume.]]
* The series features extensive use of [[generic]]s, though both sides use different character models as the base for their troops. The Autobots use Cog, Sideswipe, Mirage, Ironhide, and Hound to pad their forces while the Decepticons use Impactor, Refraktor, Barricade, and, as usual, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. All of these generics except for Cog and Impactor are used for the Sparkless, with Laserbeak used for the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] birds, Omega Supreme for the Guardians, Impactor for the Dome Guards and a gladiator, Ironhide for the Deseeus Army Drones, and Scorponok for the Predacons. Hasbro decides which characters can be used as generic soldiers.<ref name="interview"/>
* In addition to generic character models, many characters use generic firearms based on certain toy accessories as opposed to a dedicated weapon. The weapons are [[Cog (G1)#Generations|Cog]]'s "RT-5 Circuit Welder", [[Reflector (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Refraktor]]'s "EMM Distortion Blaster", [[Chromia (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Chromia]]'s "RT-5 Anti-thermo Blaster" with the "SR Hushfuze" barrel, the Seekers' "HPI [[Null-ray|Null-Ray]] Laser Launcher", [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ultra Magnus]]'s (who ironically does not use this weapon) "RT-15 Stethoscopic Detector" with an extended "SR Hushfuze" barrel, and [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Rattrap]]'s fusion blaster.
* Upon its initial release in the United States, ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' was given a TV-Y7 designation, despite the show's dark tone, violence, and brief use of coarse language in the first episode. Presumably due to these very criteria, the series was later re-rated to TV-14, making it the first ''Transformers'' television series to carry that designation. Due to the separation of seasons into separate listings (below), ''Earthrise'' and ''Kingdom'' keep the TV-Y7 rating.
* Despite the three parts being advertised as three chapters of one series when the second ''Earthrise'' trailer was released, it also received a separate page on Netflix, and ''Kingdom'' followed suit. The original ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' page's title graphic was also changed to include ''Siege'' and the number 1 behind it. This also means that Netflix calls the ''Earthrise'' and ''Kingdom'' episodes each "Chapter 1" as well.
*While the ''Siege'' chapter received a recap on the ''Earthrise'' page, the ''Kingdom'' page featured no such recap for ''Earthrise''. Drat!
*A proposed sequel series based on ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' was in the discussion stage at one point, but Netflix passed on the pitch.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Per FJ DeSanto: they had a series for Transformers Legacy planned out, but Netflix passed on it. #TFconLA|link=https://twitter.com/MikeSibertRadio/status/1502847896458170375|name=Mike Seibert|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=3|day=13|(defunct=)}}</ref>
**The sequel series bible had been written by [[Gavin Hignight]], who said the show was ready to go before Netflix pulled the plug on it.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We had all but had a sequel series green lit. It was like ready to go. I had written the bible, I was working with FJ on it, and we were really excited about what was to come, and Hasbro was like "toys are ready, let's do it" and Netflix didn't want to do it.|link=https://youtu.be/ptqvScphqzo?si=46NLY4APR_aTI5_k&t=900|name=Gavin Hignight|site=YouTube|year=2024|month=10|day=09}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Chinese:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Sàibótǎn Dàzhàn Sānbùqǔ''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛：賽博坦大戰三部曲 "Transformers: Cybertron War Trilogy")
*''German:'' '''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy: Die Belagerung''''' (''Siege''), '''''Erdaufgang''''' (''Earthrise''), '''''Eine neue Welt''''' (''Kingdom'')
*''Italian:'' '''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy - L'assedio''''' (''Siege''), '''''Il Sorgere della Terra''''' (''Earthrise''), '''''Il Regno''''' (''Kingdom'')
*''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy''''' (トランスフォーマー: ウォー・フォー・サイバトロン・トリロジー ''Toransufōmā: Wō fō Saibatoron Torirojī'')
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy - O Cerco''''' (''Siege''), '''''O Nascer da Terra''''' (''Earthrise''), '''''O Reino''''' (''Kingdom'')

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.netflix.com/title/81002438 ''Siege'' on Netflix]
* [https://www.netflix.com/title/81393633 ''Earthrise'' on Netflix]
* [https://www.netflix.com/title/81393636 ''Kingdom'' on Netflix]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYDB6skUqYw First ''Siege'' trailer on YouTube]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UksT5I1lvJM Second ''Siege'' trailer on YouTube]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoK4_Tng29E First ''Earthrise'' trailer on YouTube]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s00QLjolFg Second ''Earthrise'' trailer on YouTube]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNSI65vInMo ''Kingdom'' trailer on YouTube]

{{DEFAULTSORT:War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)}}
[[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy| Cartoon]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Combat Claws

2025-02-26T20:07:40Z

Jackpot: Caption

[[File:Racheweapons.jpg|upright=1.7|thumb|''You better watch out, You better not cry'']]
The '''Combat Claws''' are one of the many reasons the [[yeerk]] are ill-advised to mess with [[Rachel]]. Or to even try to mess with her for that matter. The fore-paws of her lion morph comes fully equipped with these tools of destruction, and though it is unclear what differentiates these claws from what can be found at the tip of any other lion's digits, the feline fury they presumably unleash is what Rachel believes is instrumental in saving her world.

==Toys==
===''Animorphs''===
*'''Rachel/Lion''' (Deluxe, [[1999]])
**''Accessories:'' Left paw, right paw
:Part of the first wave of ''Animorphs'' toys, Rachel transforms from a [[human]] who {{w|Catgirl|watches too much anime}} into a (male) [[Popular beast alternate modes#Felines|lion]], as well as a transitional third mode combining features from both. Her lion mode front claws, or "Combat Claws", are separate pieces that attach like gloves.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Animorphs/RachelLion/rachel.htm More information on Rachel (lion) at tfu.info]''

==Notes==
*Though Rachel's packaging artwork shows four large digits on each of her lion morph's paws, as is consistent with how a normal lion's paws are, the toy's front paws have five large digits each.

==See also==
*[[Attack Claws]]
*[[Raker Claws]]
*[[Saber Claws]]
*[[Scythe Claws]]

[[Category:Animorphs weapons]]
[[Category:Claws]]

White Planet

2025-02-26T19:57:37Z

Jackpot: /* Precursor World */

[[File:White Planet.jpg|thumb|125px|Home of ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[w:Public Enemy|Public Enemy]]]]

The snowy and icy '''White Planet''' (白の星 ''Shiro no Hoshi'') is the homeworld of the [[White Order]]. Its various natives include small parka-wearing humanoids.
{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Precursor World===
[[File:White Planet surface.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|"''Ice'' to meet you!" "''Ski'' you later!"]]

The White Order maintained the peace on the White Planet {{storylink|God Neptune comic 2}} till [[Halfshell]] arrived to take the [[Matrix Saber|White Matrix]] from [[White Gallant Convoy]]. Despite the White Order's efforts, Halfshell succeeded in leaving the planet with his plunder. {{storylink|God Neptune comic 1}}

==Notes==
*While we can't say for certain, it's a pretty safe bet that the White Planet was the [[Primus Vanguard]] headquarters in the universe of [[Star Power|White Star Power]] before the merging of the [[Precursor World]] multiverse in the final battle against the [[Specter]]s as detailed in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale Prelude|''Generations Selects'' finale]].

{{Primus Vanguard}}
[[Category:Precursor World planets]]
[[Category:White Order]]

Decoy (episode)

2025-02-26T19:54:56Z

Jackpot: Link fix

{{disambig2|the ''EarthSpark'' cartoon episode|the soft-rubber toys from Generation 1|Decoy (G1)}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 8
|image=EarthSpark-Decoy-Faceoff.jpg
|caption=Staring contests last a lot longer when you don't have the ability to blink.
|prev=Friends and Family
|next=Age of Evolution, Part 1
|season=1
|season ep=8
|title="Decoy"
|airdate=[[November 11]], [[2022]] (Paramount+) [[February 24]], [[2023]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Isabel Galupo]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Alex Kwan]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/r27C5fQFFRHRExt3s19qIx_WtzHepd0a/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''While the Maltos train with Arcee, an encounter with rogue cassette-bots puts Optimus and Megatron at odds.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:EarthSpark-Decoy-MegatronGrabsLaserbeak.jpg|thumb|left|300px|A bird in the hand...]]
At an abandoned factory, [[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] is being pursued by [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], attempting to recover the ID badge she stole from [[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]]. While Prime fires futilely at the wily Decepticon, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] is similarly engaged nearby with [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]], who swoops in to take the badge from Ravage. Though Megatron manages to momentarily incapacitate Laserbeak, he's interrupted by the arrival of [[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]], who lands a sneak attack and grabs the badge before escaping into the nearby forest. As they begin searching for her, Optimus chastises Megatron for going easy on the criminals, but Megatron rebukes him, claiming the theft to be just a childish prank and that the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|cassette-bots]] are harmless. As Optimus finally grabs Frenzy, she and the other cassette-bots unleash their Tri-Tone ability, creating powerful sonic waves that overwhelm Optimus and Megatron's sensors. Now free, the three resume harassing the two faction leaders, with Megatron refusing to use his [[fusion cannon]] on the small bots.

Meanwhile, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] is attempting to teach the [[Terran]]s about using decoys. Unfortunately, [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and [[Twitch]] fundamentally misunderstand the concept, leading them to simply begin fighting and claiming they each "decoyed" the other. Back at the farm, Bumblebee once again attempts to explain the use of a decoy to distract an enemy, inadvertently rhyming and leading [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] to turn the the lesson into a song:

''"Draw the enemy's eye away; Then boom-bang! Ruin their day!"''

[[File:EarthSpark-Decoy-ArceeBeeReunited.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
However, they're interrupted as Mo receives a phone call from Optimus, asking her to let Bumblebee know his comms aren't working—and he needs backup. The Terrans are eager to join the fight, but Bumblebee declares they're not ready and that someone more experienced—by which he means himself—will need to go. Just as he says this, the group receives an unexpected visitor: [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]], who's stopped by to check up on Bumblebee. The others are awestruck by Arcee, having heard the stories of her many adventures, while Bumblebee, seeing an opportunity, decides Arcee will be their substitute teacher for the day and drives off. Though momentarily confused, Arcee quickly takes to her new role and gives the four her first lesson: digging trenches.

As Bumblebee arrives, he finds Optimus and Megatron continuing to struggle against the nimble cassette-bots, causing heavy destruction to the factory. Optimus chastises Bumblebee for not sending someone else, worrying about questions that may arise if [[G.H.O.S.T.]] discovers he is alive. Fortunately, Bumblebee packed some spare [[restraining bolt]]s and uses them to catch Frenzy and Ravage, [[mode lock]]ing them in cassette mode and placing them in Optimus's trailer. Megatron retrieves Laserbeak, but refuses to place the last restraining bolt on him, finding its use inhumane, and places him inside with the others. As Bumblebee bolts Laserbeak, Megatron questions G.H.O.S.T.'s treatment of the Decepticons to Optimus, who reminds him of the bargain G.H.O.S.T. made with the Cybertronians and the oath he took, but Megatron declares he wanted to save their people, not imprison them. Their debate is ultimately interrupted by Bumblebee, who reminds them they should be going.

As the exhausted Terrans and humans finally finish digging the trenches, Arcee compliments them on their good work...then tells them to fill the trenches again. This leads to a series of increasingly mundane tasks given by Arcee to the students, including perimeter patrol, hay-stacking, and tractor-polishing, increasingly grating on their nerves. Finally, Twitch has had enough and refuses to continue, with her siblings agreeing and pointing out how much better Bumblebee's instruction was. Arcee stares at them sternly...then laughs, telling them they finally passed her test. Seeing their confusion, Arcee explains that she was trying to teach the kids to speak up if something doesn't feel right, lest they allow others to take advantage of them. When Robby lets slip that the reason Arcee was subbing was because Bumblebee was heading on a mission, Arcee decides that they should all follow.

[[File:EarthSpark-Decoy-SoundwaveAndCassettes.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
Things remain tense as Optimus and Megatron transport the prisoners, continuing to debate G.H.O.S.T.'s trustworthiness, with Bumblebee attempting to lighten the mood with stories of training the Terrans. Unbeknownst to any of them, Laserbeak manages to send out a distress signal, and an unknown figure appears behind the convoy as they enter a tunnel, releasing an [[electromagnetic pulse]] that disables the restraining bolts. Now freed, the cassette-bots burst from the trailer and regroup with the figure, revealed to be their master, [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]]. The Decepticon orders the cassette-bots to attack Megatron, leaving him to square off against the three alone while Optimus and Bumblebee attempt to fight Soundwave off. The two [[Autobot]]s are quickly overwhelmed, but help arrives in the form of Arcee and the Maltos. As the Terrans help Megatron, Bumblebee is knocked off a cliff by Soundwave, and his arm becomes trapped under a boulder at the bottom, rendering him immobile. Soundwave transforms to jet mode to finish the trapped Autobot, but is prevented by Arcee, who grabs onto him and forces him to land. Optimus and Megatron follow him down, with Megatron attacking his vengeful former subordinate, while Arcee frees Bumblebee and he runs off to protect the kids.

Back at the top of the cliff, the cassette bots unleash their Tri-Tone attack, putting the Maltos on the back foot. Robby exclaims they need something to block out the sound, prompting Mo to begin singing their song from earlier. As the others join in, even the cassette-bots can't help but sing along with the catchy tune, giving the Terrans an opening to attack. While each cassette-bot is occupied with a different opponent, Bumblebee catches all three off guard, taking them down in short order. Down below, Megatron is temporarily caught off guard by Soundwave calling him a traitor, but he is saved from an oncoming blast by Optimus, and the two reaffirm their commitment to protecting all Cybertronians. Now in sync, Optimus and Megatron work together to overpower Soundwave, as Arcee delivers the final blow and knocks him out.

[[File:EarthSpark-Decoy-SoundwaveUnleashesRavage.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
As the prisoners are loaded into Optimus's trailer, Arcee excitedly talks about all the exciting drills and lessons she intends to put the kids through, but Bumblebee reaffirms that she was just a substitute and that teaching them is ''his'' responsibility. Arcee grins; ''that'' was Bumblebee's test, and he just passed as well. Optimus congratulates Bumblebee on a job well done, though he still orders Bumblebee to write up a full field report as punishment for disobeying orders. As the others drive off, Megatron thanks Optimus for having his back and apologizes for what he said. Optimus too apologizes, agreeing to release the cassette-bots if Megatron will vouch for them. Megatron destroys the restraining bolts, warning the cassette-bots not to waste this lone second chance they are being given. As they retreat, Ravage runs back in the opposite direction despite Frenzy's protests.

Later at G.H.O.S.T.'s holding facility, Soundwave is placed in containment. Upon being left alone, he declares the decoy operation was successful and uses his sonic pulses to create a small gap in his cell's barrier...as Ravage emerges from his chest and leaps right through it. Given reconnaissance orders by Soundwave, she takes off, observed with glee by the occupant of the next cell: [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]]!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (8)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (12)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (14)

|c2=
*[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] (1)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (3)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (4)
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (5)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (13)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (10)
*[[Robby Malto]] (11)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (7)
*[[Twitch]] (9)

|c5=
*[[Fluffy Ears]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Field report: Twitch still hasn't fallen for my amazing decoy. Fluffy Ears remains cute." 
"And a ''horrible'' source of cover."
:—'''Thrash''' attempts to show off his stealthiness to '''Bumblebee'''.

''(sigh)'' "I miss adults."
:—'''Bumblebee''' needs a break from teaching.

"Optimus, does it not concern you that our human allies control where Decepticons live and what form they take, even in so-called times of peace? This is not freedom."
:—'''Megatron''' calls out Mr. "Freedom is part of my catchphrase" on Decepticon rights.

'''Megatron:''' ''Hah!'' 
'''Optimus:''' Something funny to you, Megatron? 
'''Megatron:''' Just that you cannot trust G.H.O.S.T. with the knowledge of your own scout, yet you are content to deliver every Decepticon you encounter into their hands! 
'''Bumblebee:''' ...doesn't actually sound like he thinks that's funny.

''(hums decoy song)'' "Curse that annoyingly catchy tune!"
:—Even the mighty '''Megatron''' isn't immune to ear worms.

"Do not make this personal, Soundwave!" 
"It already is."
:—No love lost between '''Megatron''' and '''Soundwave'''.

"What even ''is'' a cassette anyway?"
:—'''Robby''' makes all the old-school fans age another 30 years with just one line.

"Perhaps your leadership style is not so different from my own..." 
"Or maybe you're growing to appreciate mine."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus''', ro-bros for life.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Both Soundwave and Starscream were previously shown among Megatron's troops in [[Alex Malto|Alex]]'s story back in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]"; this is the first time we're getting a look at their "real-world" designs.
* Soundwave's cassettes were mentioned in passing in the [[Friends and Family|previous episode]].
* Also from the previous episode, the raccoon that accosted Bumblebee has taken up residence on an old tractor at the Maltos'.
* Optimus tells Bumblebee to update [[Teletraan-1 (ES)|Teletraan-1]] with his report, which was last seen in G.H.O.S.T. HQ in "[[Classified]]". Considering G.H.O.S.T. isn't supposed to know Bumblebee is alive, that, uh...may be a little tricky.
* G.H.O.S.T.'s Decepticon holding facility was first introduced in "Classified".
* Starscream sports red optics in his brief appearance at the end of the episode, yet all subsequent appearances thus far have shown him to have ''blue'' optics- even in flashbacks. What significance this has, if any, is unknown for now.

===Transformers references===
* Though Soundwave no longer transforms into a tape deck, his minions all retain the (very large) cassette [[alternate mode]]s of their Generation 1 counterparts; even Robby comments on their dated nature.
* Starscream is voiced by [[Steve Blum]], who previously portrayed [[Starscream (WFC)|a different Starscream]] in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoons.

===Real-world references===
*

===Animation and technical errors===
*

===Trivia===
* This episode marks the first appearance of a female incarnation of [[Frenzy (disambiguation)|Frenzy]] (and decked out in purple, dodging [[FIRRIB|the whole red/blue thing]]). Notably, she appears on her own rather than accompanied by her usual counterpart [[Rumble (disambiguation)|Rumble]].
* Ravage infiltrating G.H.O.S.T. for Soundwave and Starscream remains unresolved, outside of [[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] referencing an "original plan" while breaking out in "[[What Dwells Within]]". A deleted scene for "[[Warzone]]", uploaded by storyboard artist [[Stephanie Ressler]], revealed that Ravage was to steal a remote for Starscream that would open [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]'s stasis pod to attack Megatron when he is at the [[Spacebridge Memorial Park]] for the anniversary of war's end.<ref>[https://youtu.be/bwlQSymGLHM Transformers EarthSpark Ep 16 deleted scenes: Prison Blues] on YouTube</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Armadilha'''" ("Trap")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 23]], 2022

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le leurre'''" ("The Bait")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Köder'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Csalétek'''" ("Bait")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022
:**Though given a high-pitched voice, Frenzy is a male in this dub.

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Umpan'''" ("Decoy")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2022

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'esca'''" ("The lure")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 11]], 2022

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2023 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Talk:Decoy

2025-02-26T19:54:20Z

Jackpot: Jackpot moved page Talk:Decoy to Talk:Decoy (G1): Disambig from Decoy (episode)

#REDIRECT [[Talk:Decoy (G1)]]

Talk:Decoy (G1)

2025-02-26T19:54:20Z

Jackpot: Jackpot moved page Talk:Decoy to Talk:Decoy (G1): Disambig from Decoy (episode)

Auction for [http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-Takara-Transformers-Japanese-Decoy-Board-Game-NMIB-/350255012932 the game board]. O-O Does any one of us actually own this thing? --[[User:Lonegamer78|Lonegamer78]] 19:48, 17 June 2010 (EDT)

== Game title ==
Shouldn't the title be "Defeat Dinosaurer Strategy Game"? Unless Takara actually used his English name in the title? --[[User:Tigerpaw28|Tigerpaw28]] 14:17, 8 March 2011 (EST)

Decoy

2025-02-26T19:54:15Z

Jackpot: Jackpot moved page Decoy to Decoy (G1): Disambig from Decoy (episode)

#REDIRECT [[Decoy (G1)]]

Decoy (G1)

2025-02-26T19:54:10Z

Jackpot: Jackpot moved page Decoy to Decoy (G1): Disambig from Decoy (episode)

{{disambig2|the squishy replica drones|the ''EarthSpark'' episode|Decoy (episode)}}

[[File:Optimus prime and megatron decoys.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/merchandise|Megatron]] Decoys. ]]

'''Decoys''' are drone replicas of [[Transformer]]s used to distract the enemy. If [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]]'s decoy is any indication, they're about half the size of the Transformers they represent. They seem to have the ability to fly, or at least fall with their arms outstretched.

They're also ''delightfully'' squishy.

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in mini-comic===
[[File:PackIn DecoyCollection Comic.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"In fact, I'll do the Autobots one better: I'll destroy all my troops so my army is NOTHING but decoys!"]]
In response to the [[Decepticon]]s stealing the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], Ultra Magnus had <strike>[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]</strike> [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] build an army of decoys to keep the Decepticons occupied while the main [[Autobot]] team would infiltrate their base. First Aid claimed that there was a decoy in every Autobot's image.

As Magnus set the plan in motion, the decoy army flew into position and successfully distracted the Decepticons. An Autobot squad was able to get inside the base and take out the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] guarding the Matrix. Moments later, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] fumed at the Autobots' ruse and declared that the Decepticons would develop their ''own'' set of decoys, presumably to try exactly the same trick later on. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}} It is unknown if this flawless plan was ever carried out.

==Etymology==
Western fans typically use the word "Decoy" to refer to any and all sizes of rubber figurines from [[The Transformers (franchise)|the 1980s G1 lines]]; type the word into the Transformers category on [[eBay]], and you'll undoubtedly get many hits back full of figures you've probably never heard of, with descriptions calling them "Japanese exclusive" and so on. This is not strictly incorrect, as there ''were'' many of these types of figures that were only released in Japan, but those made to the specifications of what Hasbro called "Decoys" only make up a portion of them.

Decoys are what are known in Japan as ''keshigomu'' (消しゴム, "eraser gum"), a form of small, collectable soft-rubber figurines that had emerged in the country during the 1970s and had attained great success through tie-ins to popular brands like ''Ultraman'' and ''Kinnikuman'' (the ''Kinnikuman'' figures, in particular, would become well known in the West when they were imported by Bandai as ''{{w|M.U.S.C.L.E.}}''). [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] has made and/or licensed ''several'' lines of Transformers ''keshigomu'', all of which tend to be lumped by Western fans under the banner of "Decoys", which sort of obfuscates their various origins.

*The first Transformers ''keshigomu'' were [[Kabaya]]'s '''''[[Transformers Milk Caramel]]''''' figures, which were sold as [[candy toy]]s with chocolate-covered caramel candies. This series ran from 1985 to 1988, through to ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', starting out as quite flat and under-detailed but steadily improving, and trying out a few different gimmicks as it went, like translucent material, ink stamps and [[super deformed]] proportions.
*The figures that Hasbro would later term "Decoys" were the next, larger and more detailed, but lacking an over-arcing line name. They were sold with games, in boxsets and individually in capsule machines, as covered under "[[#Merchandise|Merchandise]]", below, running through 1985 and 1986.
[[File:Japanese exclusive yellow decoys.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*A line of eight ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010]]''-themed ''keshigomu'' were released by Kabaya as part of their '''''[[Transformers Ramune]]''''' line (see image at right). These figures appear to have been deliberately designed to stand alongside the existing Decoy figures in terms of proportion, detail and aesthetic, so they're the ones its probably least erroneous to call Decoys.
*Takara's small '''''[[Forms Robo]]''''' line from 1987 consisted of oversized ''keshigomu'' of ten characters from ''Transformers 2010'', which are frequently referred to as "giant" Decoys by fans. These figures were sold in individual baggies, and stood around twice the height of a normal Decoy.

For more details on the other lines involved in this terminology tomfoolery, check out their individual articles.

==Merchandise==
===Takara===
[[File:Decoy board game.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
The figures that would be Decoys stood at 1.5" tall, and followed the iconic color coding of the Transformers franchise, with the Autobots molded from red rubber, and the Decepticons from purple. They were not simply developed by Takara as collectable figures: they were also designed as game pieces. Each figure had a number sculpted into its back that was the sum total of the character's [[Tech Spec]] stats, so children could play simple games with them (randomly select one of your figures, produce them at the same time, highest number wins), and on an even more basic level, their durable rubbery construction allowed them to be shot from translucent red plastic launchers that came in several boxsets with the figures, with the aim being to knock down as many other figures as possible. Exploiting this playability, eight figures came as player tokens with the [[Defeat Trypticon Strategy Game]], a 1986 ''[[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]''-themed Transformers board game: [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise|Optimus Prime]], [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys|Wheeljack]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], with two randomized Decepticons (reported figures have included [[Megatron (G1)/merchandise|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]], [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]).

Naturally, Takara were not so unwise as to limit themselves to releasing these figures with the game alone: three large box sets were also released encompassing all fifty-three figures that made up the series. These three sets were:
{{-}}[[File:Cybertron hero collection22.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22'''
**''ID number:'' '''Collection No. 1'''
:[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Jazz]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise|Optimus Prime]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Ratchet (G1)/toys|Ratchet]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys|Sideswipe]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]], [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys|Wheeljack]], [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
{{-}}[[File:Destron hero collection.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Destron Hero Collection 22'''
**''ID number:'' '''Collection No. 2'''
:[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys|Laserbeak]], [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]], [[Megatron (G1)/merchandise|Megatron]], [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]], [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]], [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]], [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]], [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Shockwave]], [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], [[Skywarp (G1)/toys|Skywarp]], [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]]
{{-}}[[File:Cybertron hero collection9.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 9'''
**''ID number:'' '''Collection No. 3'''
:[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]], [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]
:This collection also included a set of small playing cards, that had 2 suits of Autobot and 2 suits of Decepticon cards (52 in total) with 2 jokers and a blank card.
{{-}}
[[File:Gachapon decoys.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|All the colors of the rainbow]]
The figures were also available individually, through "gachapon" capsule machines, in a variety of different colors including red, blue, yellow, green, orange, sky blue, pink, tan and white. Given the random nature of their purchase and comparative paucity on the secondary market, we can't say with certainty that every one of the fifty-three figures was available in every single one of the different colors—but, hey, this ''is'' Japan we're talking about, so chances are pretty good they were.

All 53 figures were released in a uniform peach coloration by the Takara subsidiary [[Seven]] in a variety of multi-packs that, by all appearances, packed the figures at random. Bundles of the figures were released in small groups on blister cards, or in groups of nine as "Mini Mini Collection" box-sets with orange launchers, and also came in gift sets with other pieces of Seven merchandise like vinyl figurines of other Transformers characters and role-play guns and water pistols. See the [[Seven|Seven article]] for more details.

Accounting for the red and purple figures from the boxsets, the eight further colors from the capsule releases, and Seven's peach range, this makes a potential total of over 580 differently-colored Decoys to collect.

===Hasbro===
[[File:G1toy goldbug with decoy megatron.jpg|thumb]]
In 1987, [[Hasbro]] imported the figurines and branded them as "Decoys", randomly packaging them with the smaller carded toys of the time: the [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] and [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. The Throttlebots could come with either Autobot or Decepticon pieces, while the combiners only had Decoys of the faction they belonged to. The mathematically-minded fan will note that there were more Decoys available than there were toys for them to come packaged with, making it impossible to get a full set of them at the time without buying duplicate toys.
[[File:BC97decoy.jpg|left|thumb|Hand-painted BotCon 1997 dinner exclusive Tracks Decoy.]]
The Hasbro figurines featured one notable modification from the Takara originals: the numbers on their backs were changed to a simple "checklist" number corresponding to a list on the leaflet included with them. One further major variation centred on the Decepticon figures alone: an early run of the figures cast the villains in red rubber. These versions were ''only'' available with the Throttlebots, and ''only'' very early in the promotion, hence they are extremely rare, and considerably more expensive on the secondary market. The Autobots, meanwhile, were only ever available in their standard red.

Of the original fifty-three figurines offered by Takara in their three multi-packs, Laserbeak was the only one not released by Hasbro. Or more accurately, he was the only one not included ''in the checklist''; collectors extraordinaire [[Karl Hartman|Karl]] and [[Jon Hartman]] believe he ''was'' made available by Hasbro, and if anyone can offer photo proof of Laserbeak on a Hasbro card, contact them!

A selection of 100 Decoys was later given away as exclusives at the [[BotCon 1997]] dinner; each was hand-painted in full color by fan Dave Van Domelen, and came on a display base commemorating the occasion, along with a laminated panel from the original storyboards to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

:''[http://www.tfu.info/subgroup/decoys.htm Decoy information at TFU.info]''

===GiG===
[[File:Decoys Italian catalog.jpg|thumb]]
In 1988, [[GiG]] also released the Decoys in [[Italy]], naming them "Exogini Transformer" ("Exogini", for your information, is the Italian name of the M.U.S.C.L.E. figures). They were released in random packs of 5 figures, packed as a freebie with the [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] and [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] giftsets. The assortment was the same as the Hasbro release, except that thanks to toy catalogs we are sure that Laserbeak was indeed released. Also getting a full collection was kinda impossible for Italian fans, since you couldn't get more than 30 figures without buying multiple copies of every combiner giftset.

Nonetheless, some Italian stores sold those same Exogini packs separately at 2500,00 lire each.

Curiously, since they were cast in a single color, they were marketed as [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjrOvKPPP4k paintable miniatures].
{{-}}

==Notes==
* The one decoy drawn clearly is a copy of Ultra Magnus, yet that decoy toy was never available in the US. It is therefore unclear whether the fictional decoys correspond at all to the toys.
* Although the comic that advertised the decoys in the US claimed that there was a decoy for every Transformer, this wasn't the case: the Decoys were based on characters available in Takara's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' toyline - a line which didn't include [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] or [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and which preceded the 1986 characters the Decoys were released alongside. That said, the Decoy lineup didn't quite match that of the Japanese toyline either: [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] got a Decoy despite not being released in Japan; the '85 [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]] and [[Conehead|Coneheads]] were released but never got Decoys. Rumble and Buzzsaw were also absent, but it's hard to tell the difference between them and their mold-mates Frenzy and Laserbeak if they're all cast in solid purple plastic anyway.
* This wasn't the first time that "decoys" showed up in ''Transformers;'' the concept goes all the way back to the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]".

===Foreign names===
*''Italian:'' '''Exogini Transformers''' ("Transformers {{w|Kinkeshi|M.U.S.C.L.E.}}")
[[Category:Decoys| ]]
[[Category:Generation 1 drones]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toylines]]
[[Category:Toys]]

White Planet

2025-02-26T19:46:05Z

Jackpot: Captions

[[File:White Planet.jpg|thumb|125px|Home of ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[w:Public Enemy|Public Enemy]]]]

The snowy and icy '''White Planet''' (白の星 ''Shiro no Hoshi'') is the homeworld of the [[White Order]]. Its various natives include small parka-wearing humanoids.
{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Precursor World===
[[File:White Planet surface.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|"''Ice'' to meet you, ''ski'' you later!"]]

The White Order maintained the peace on the White Planet {{storylink|God Neptune comic 2}} till [[Halfshell]] arrived to take the [[Matrix Saber|White Matrix]] from [[White Gallant Convoy]]. Despite the White Order's efforts, Halfshell succeeded in leaving the planet with his plunder. {{storylink|God Neptune comic 1}}

==Notes==
*While we can't say for certain, it's a pretty safe bet that the White Planet was the [[Primus Vanguard]] headquarters in the universe of [[Star Power|White Star Power]] before the merging of the [[Precursor World]] multiverse in the final battle against the [[Specter]]s as detailed in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale Prelude|''Generations Selects'' finale]].

{{Primus Vanguard}}
[[Category:Precursor World planets]]
[[Category:White Order]]

Kingdom episode 6

2025-02-26T19:28:09Z

Jackpot:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy: Kingdom]]''
|image=WFC-Kingdom-Ep6-Allspark-revitalizes-Cybertron.jpg
|caption=This ends for all of us. End communication.
|prev=Kingdom episode 5
|title=Episode 6
|airdate=[[July 29]], [[2021]] (Netflix)
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]], [[Rooster Teeth]], [[Entertainment One]]
|written by=[[Tim Sheridan]]
|director=[[Takashi Kamei]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|video=https://www.netflix.com/watch/81056830
|videosite=Netflix
}}
'''The Autobots and Maximals return to Cybertron—now a dead world. Galvatron and Nemesis Prime wage a final battle to claim the Allspark from Optimus Prime.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:WFC-Kingdom-Ep6-Dead-Universe-shuts-down-Ark.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Who knew [[Unicron]] could fart?]]
The ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' emerges through the [[space bridge|spacebridge]] from [[Earth]] and jumps through several more dotted throughout the galaxy at [[Optimus Prime (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Optimus Prime]]'s command. [[Starscream (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Starscream]] is hauled over to the stasis field to join the other [[Decepticon]]s. [[Prowl (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Prowl]] is impressed by [[Blackarachnia (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Blackarachnia]]'s stasis technology, but she brushes off his compliment. A terrified Starscream tries to warn the Autobots about the dangers he foresaw from the Golden Disk before the stasis field temporarily deactivates him. As the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew emerges from the final spacebridge, they are shocked to find themselves in the [[Dead Universe]] once again. Ominous purple matter consumes the ship and teleports it to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the present day: a metal wasteland trapped in perpetual snowstorms. The ''Ark'' violently crash lands on the planet's surface, but the ship's crew thankfully survives the landing, owing to [[Rhinox (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Rhinox]] initiating the ship's stabilizers before they materialized on Cybertron.

The [[Autobot|Autobots]], [[Maximal|Maximals]], and Blackarachnia emerge from the ''Ark'', and [[Bumblebee (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Bumblebee]] stresses the importance of returning the [[AllSpark#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Allspark]] to its rightful home before Cybertron completely dies. The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] within Prime emits an energy beam through the blizzard. Prime orders Bumblebee to salvage any remaining materials and see if any survivors remain in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and Blackarachnia to keep the prisoners in stasis. [[Arcee (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Arcee]] entrusts Prime with the Allspark, who drives off into the snowstorm alone.

A frustrated Bumblebee shortly follows Optimus against his orders and scolds him for taking the Allspark and heading off without back-up. The small Autobot reminds him that it is his duty to provide balance to Optimus's decision-making. Optimus expresses no criticism towards Bumblebee's words and admits he still feels remorse about his part in dooming Cybertron. Bumblebee tells Optimus that accusing himself is unproductive; reviving Cybertron is what Optimus's crew cares about most. Optimus stumbles upon the lifeless husk of [[Elita One (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Elita-1]] and falls to his knees in grief, blaming himself for her demise. Bumblebee gently reminds Optimus of the importance of returning the Allspark to Cybertron, and tells him there's no time to dwell on Elita's sacrifice. Meanwhile in the ''Ark'', [[Galvatron (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Galvatron]] frees [[Megatron (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Megatron]] from his stasis in the ''Ark'' and tells him to prepare for the final battle.

[[File:WFC-Kingdom-Ep6-Optimus-finds-Elita1.jpg|thumb|300px|"Elita, I've returned with the milk."]]
Optimus's Matrix beacon guides him to the Allspark temple on Cybertron. When Bumblebee expresses surprise, Optimus reminds him the Allspark is capable of hiding the temple from the naked eye. Bumblebee then responds he was actually referring to the canyon standing between them and the tower—that only an extremely powerful entity could have created. Optimus Prime's vile alter ego [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] appears on the opposite side of the crevice, whom Optimus suspects was responsible for the creation of said canyon.

Megatron realizes Galvatron is his future alter ego, but Galvatron brushes off the comparison. Galvatron recounts his creation by his omniscient master [[Unicron/Generation 1#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Unicron]], who tortures him if he even ''glances'' at the Allspark. Megatron realizes Galvatron's plan is to seize the Allspark for himself and use it to destroy Unicron. In a rare glimpse of selflessness, Megatron asserts that the Allspark's true purpose is revitalizing Cybertron, and knows that destroying Unicron may come at the expense of his planet. Galvatron couldn't care less about their homeworld's well-being, however, and says Unicron may consider punishing ''both'' of them if they don't move quickly.

As Optimus Prime and Bumblebee stare down Nemesis Prime, Optimus realizes that his evil future self converged with the present to take the Allspark from his heroic counterpart. Noticing Bumblebee carrying the Allspark down the cliffside, Nemesis jumps high into the air and rains lasers on the small Autobot, only to be distracted by Optimus returning the volley.

[[Optimus Primal (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Optimus Primal]] and [[Prowl (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Prowl]] wander into the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Decepticon stasis room, recognizing that a glitch registered in the stasis field. Primal realizes that Megatron is missing from the stasis field—outside the Ark, Megatron and Galvatron rain laser fire on the opposing Autobots and Maximals, and Prowl and Primal shortly engage the enemies. However, Cheetor, Tigatron, and Airazor use their beast modes to gain the upper hand against the two Decepticons, who retreat into the distance. Optimus Primal fears that Galvatron will have heavy backup with him.

As Bumblebee climbs down the face of the cliff, Optimus and Nemesis have a grueling fist fight on the surface, with the latter eventually overpowering his opponent. Nemesis coldly demands the Allspark from Optimus, kicking him down when his heroic former self replies he doesn't have it. Nemesis refuses to take no for an answer, and claims Megatron was just as weak as Optimus is now—prior to his rebirth by Unicron. Seething with hatred for the chaos-bringer, Nemesis reveals his plan to destroy Unicron, leading Optimus to understand why Nemesis needs the Allspark so badly.

Optimus refuses to lower his guard against Nemesis, only to be blasted by Galvatron from afar. As Megatron, Galvatron, and Nemesis Prime stand united, Optimus refuses to give in to his foes' demand for the Allspark. Galvatron tries to disorient Optimus by telling him that his and Nemesis's existence is the result of the Allspark's demise, but Optimus will ''never'' give up on restoring Cybertron. Optimus Primal arrives and chimes in that life was miserable under Unicron's presence, and ''this'' Cybertron is the home they must protect now.

The united factions of Autobots, Maximals, [[Decepticon]]s, and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s arrive under Primal. Upon hearing Optimus's and Starscream's encouragement to fight for the survival of Cybertron, Megatron turns on his future self with his [[fusion cannon]] aimed at his head. However, Nemesis sneak-attacks Megatron, and together with Galvatron they effortlessly fight off the Maximals and Predacons during the ensuing battle.

Having reached the bottom of the trench, Bumblebee spots a door leading to the [[Temple of the Allspark]] at the cliff's surface. He begs to be let inside, eventually activating the door to the temple with his emotional pleas—Nemesis senses the Allspark moving into the temple and jumps off to said location. To everyone's awe, the golden spirits of countless deceased Cybertronians descend from the top of the tower and rest on the cliff side. Bumblebee reaches the Allspark's altar and places the Allspark in its rightful place, only for the ancient artifact to seemingly die at the last second. Galvatron and Nemesis leap to attack the Cybertronian spirits, but the [[spark]] of Elita-1 uses a mystical power to teleport the malevolent duo away. Elita-1 appears to Optimus, who begs her for forgiveness. Elita tenderly assures him that his actions were ultimately the only option he had, and professes her love for him.

The golden sparks rejoin the Allspark, reviving it and ending Cybertron's eternal winter. With the planet fully restored, the Autobots, Maximals, Decepticons, and Predacons resolve their ongoing war and build a statue depicting a Decepticon and an Autobot soldier standing together, back-to-back. Megatron agrees to end hostilities with the Autobots but refuses to shake Optimus's hand, stating that for now, the world is large enough for them to live apart. As the Decepticons walk away, Starscream warns Blackarachnia that he senses Unicron is still at large, to which Blackarachnia chivalrously replies they will be ready for him as soon as he shows himself.

[[File:WFC-Kingdom-Ep6-Unicron-punishes-Galvatron-Nemesis.jpg|thumb|300px|left|"Mr Prime, I don't feel so good." "Galvatron, now's the time for me to say that I think you've been watching way too many Marvel movies."]]

In the depths of space, Unicron torments Galvatron and Nemesis for their failure. He warns them he has ''ideas'' inspired by the Dead Universe, and swallows up the two in his great maw as he [[Reformatting|reformats]] them...

[['Til all are one]].
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only as spirits.

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s / [[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Teletraan I#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Teletraan I]]/[[Ark (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Arkbot]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Rhinox]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Wheeljack]] (5)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Optimus Primal]] (6)
*[[Hound (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Hound]] (7)
*[[Prowl (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Prowl]] (17)
*[[Ironhide (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Ironhide]] (18)
*[[Arcee (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Arcee]] (19)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Bumblebee]] (20)
*[[Elita One (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Elita-1]] (21)
*[[Cheetor (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Cheetor]] (25)
*[[Tigatron#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Tigatron]] (26)
*[[Rattrap (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Rattrap]] (27)
*[[Airazor (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Airazor]] (28)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Sideswipe]] (29)
*''[[Chromia (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Chromia]]'' (33)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Ultra Magnus]]'' (34)
*''[[Jetfire (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Jetfire]]'' (35)

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s / [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Blackarachnia]] (9)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Thundercracker]] (10)
*[[Reflector (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Refraktor]] (11)
*[[Megatron (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Megatron]] (12)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Astrotrain]] (13)
*[[Soundwave (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Soundwave]] (14)
*[[Megatron (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Predacon Megatron]] (15)
*[[Scorponok (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Predacon Scorponok]] (16)
*[[Galvatron (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Galvatron]] (22)
*[[Nemesis Prime (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Nemesis Prime]] (23)
*''[[Scrapface]] and/or Refraktors'' (30)
*''[[Shamble]]'' (31)
*''[[Skywarp (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Skywarp]] or [[Seeker (body-type)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Seeker]]'' (32)
*''[[Barricade (IDW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Barricade]]''? (36)
*[[Hotlink (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Hotlink]] (37)
*Seeker (38)

|h3=Others|c3=
*[[Unicron/Generation 1#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Unicron]] (24)
}}

==Quotes==

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Optimus Prime's vision in [[Earthrise episode 5|''Earthrise'' episode 5]] finally comes true, as [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] faces his past self in a snow-laden Cybertron. Primal, Predacon Megatron, and the Allspark's recognition of Optimus Prime as "Nemesis" in past episodes is, unsurprisingly, revealed to be due to Optimus Prime ''becoming'' Nemesis Prime.
*The revelation of Nemesis Prime's origin also resolves another hint dropped in prior dialogue, which is that the Allspark no longer exists in the future that the Maximals and Predacons came from. In that future, Optimus Prime failed to retrieve it before it died, leaving Cybertron vulnerable to Unicron's dominance and leading to Unicron turning Optimus into Nemesis, much as he turned Megatron into Galvatron.
*The Allspark apparently can destroy Unicron (or so Galvatron and Nemesis Prime believe). No mention is made of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] having this capability, despite it also being present and that having been a signature feature of the Matrix since its introduction in other ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' fiction.
*The spirits emerging from the Allspark from left to right are:
**A Refraktor, likely a factory worker from [[Earthrise episode 2|''Earthrise'' episode 2]], as the next one is...
**Shamble, who died to be used for the ''Nemesis'' in ''Earthrise'' episode 2.
**A Seeker, likely Skywarp, who was murked way back in [[Siege episode 3|''Siege'' episode 3]].
**Either Chromia or [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] (likely the former), who were killed in [[Earthrise episode 6|''Earthrise'' episode 6]] and [[Siege episode 6|''Siege'' episode 6]] respectively.
**Elita-1, who was caught in her detonated charge in ''Earthrise'' episode 6.
**Ultra Magnus, who was shot dead in [[Siege episode 4|''Siege'' episode 4]].
**Jetfire and a Refraktor (likely Scrapface), who were both caught in the explosion of ''Earthrise'' episode 6.
**Barricade, who was last seen shot by Optimus Prime in [[Kingdom episode 2|''Kingdom'' episode 2]], or it could be any 'ol generic.
*Shockwave, the evil buzzard, is obliquely ''not'' included in the lineup and does ''not'' participate in the inter-faction, living-and-dead moment of unity.
*As the spirits reveal themselves, Blackarachnia looks concerningly to an injured Arcee, possibly since Blackarachnia previously called Arcee 'cute' in [[Kingdom episode 3|''Kingdom'' episode 3]].
*Two giant statues are erected in the image of [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] and Refraktor, each body-type being extremely common amongst the generic footsoldiers on both sides.
*Once again, several plots point were foreshadowed in the ''Kingdom'' webpage in the form of messages from the future:
**Bumblebee's message was proven true when he disregarded Optimus' orders and accompanied him, as it was stated that "not all [of his] orders should be followed".
**Galvatron's message is brought up when he requests Megatron's help, as his past self is believed to be "the key to his liberation".
**Optimus and Nemesis Prime's messages occur during their fight, as the former will "face the darkest part of himself". Meanwhile, it was stated that Nemesis's "existence will be threatened when Optimus [tries to] fight his dark future".

===Continuity errors===

===Animation and technical errors===
*Arcee's right lower arm and hand clip through her chest when she is observing the spirits.
*The English subtitles state that Unicron's final words were "I shall be king again", but the English audio actually states "I shall ''begin'' again."

===Transformers references===
*Unicron is called the "Chaos-Bringer".
*Galvatron says "Die, Autobots!", much like Megatron in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Trivia===
*The architecture of the Allspark temple bears a strong resemblance to [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turris_Babel_by_Athanasius_Kircher.jpg popular artistic interpretations] of the biblical [[w:Tower of Babel|Tower of Babel]].
*While impossible to tell if one of the spirits is Chromia or Moonracer, the official descriptive audio written by [[Dakota Green]] calls her Chromia, though the descriptive audio has switched up characters in the past, so who knows.
*According to [[F.J. DeSanto]], the story could have potentially continued in a follow-up series based on the ''[[Transformers: Legacy (toyline)|Legacy]]'' toyline, but [[Netflix]] passed on the pitch.<ref> {{citesocial|quote=Per FJ DeSanto: they had a series for Transformers Legacy planned out, but Netflix passed on it. #TFconLA|link=https://twitter.com/MikeSibertRadio/status/1502847896458170375|name=Mike Sibert|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=03|day=13|(defunct=)}}</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*This dub had a particularly noticeable error when the episode was originally released: the entire final scene with Unicron was left almost completely silent, with no dialogue whatsoever. This was corrected in a later date, with all dialogue being properly dubbed and present during the scene.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy episodes]]

Doug (disambiguation)

2025-02-24T19:53:18Z

Jackpot:

The following characters have gone by the name '''Doug''' or '''Douglas''' in ''Transformers'' fiction:
{{disamb|y=1988|[[Douglas (Masterforce)|Douglas]], TV host from the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Masterforce cartoon]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].}}
{{disamb|y=2009|[[Douglas (G1)|Douglas]], [[Machination]] scientist from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].}}
{{disamb|y=2015|[[Doug Castillo]], video arcade owner from the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' portion of the [[Aligned continuity family]].}}

In the real world, there is also...

* [[D.C. Douglas]], the American voice actor who voices [[Chase (RB)|Chase]] on ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]''
* [[Douglas Booth]], an American writer who wrote several [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episodes, such as "[[Roll for It]]", "[[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain]]", and "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]".
* [[Dougie Braithwaite]], a British comic artist who penciled "[[Space Pirates!]]" issues 3 and 4, and the cover to ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' UK #[[Trial by Fire!|156]].
* [[Doug Dlin]], translator of the ''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]'' manga, as well a [[MSTF|MSTF performer]].
* [[Doug Erholtz]], American voice actor who provided additional voices in [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]].
* [[Doug Lefler]], storyboard artist on ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]''.
* [[Doug Molitor]], writer on ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Transformers: Rescue Bots]]''.
* [[Doug Parker]], Canadian voice actor and director who voiced [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.
* [[Johnny Douglas]], an English composer who created the background music for the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]].

{{disambig}}

Douglas (G1)

2025-02-23T21:37:05Z

Jackpot: Added disambig template

{{factions|machination}}
{{disambig3|Douglas}}
:''Douglas is a [[human]] from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:AHM Douglas.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Oh wait, it's just the branch of that old sycamore rubbing against the window. It was nothing to worry about after all.]]
'''Douglas''' is a scientist working for the [[Machination]].

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
Douglas oversaw the disassembling of [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] to produce the Machination's [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[Sunstreaker clone]]s. He complained to a superior about the anguished sounds Sunstreaker was making, but was told to put up with it. {{storylink|Replay}}

[[Category:Comic-only humans]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) humans]]
[[Category:Machination]]

Doug (disambiguation)

2025-02-23T21:34:50Z

Jackpot: Added a couple of Douglases, tightened text & formatting

The following characters have gone by the name '''Doug''' or '''Douglas''' in ''Transformers'' fiction:
{{disamb|y=1988|[[Douglas (G1)|Douglas]], TV host from the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Masterforce cartoon]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].}}
{{disamb|y=2009|[[Douglas (G1)|Douglas]], [[Machination]] scientist from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].}}
{{disamb|y=2015|[[Doug Castillo]], video arcade owner from the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' portion of the [[Aligned continuity family]].}}

In the real world, there is also...

* [[D.C. Douglas]], the American voice actor who voices [[Chase (RB)|Chase]] on ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]''
* [[Douglas Booth]], an American writer who wrote several [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] episodes, such as "[[Roll for It]]", "[[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain]]", and "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]".
* [[Dougie Braithwaite]], a British comic artist who penciled "[[Space Pirates!]]" issues 3 and 4, and the cover to ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' UK #[[Trial by Fire!|156]].
* [[Doug Dlin]], translator of the ''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]'' manga, as well a [[MSTF|MSTF performer]].
* [[Doug Erholtz]], American voice actor who provided additional voices in [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]].
* [[Doug Lefler]], storyboard artist on ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]''.
* [[Doug Molitor]], writer on ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Transformers: Rescue Bots]]''.
* [[Doug Parker]], Canadian voice actor and director who voiced [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.
* [[Johnny Douglas]], an English composer who created the background music for the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]].

{{disambig}}

Douglas (G1)

2025-02-23T21:19:45Z

Jackpot: Caption

{{factions|machination}}
:''Douglas is a [[human]] from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:AHM Douglas.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Oh wait, it's just the branch of that old sycamore rubbing against the window. It was nothing to worry about after all.]]
'''Douglas''' is a scientist working for the [[Machination]].

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
Douglas oversaw the disassembling of [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] to produce the Machination's [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[Sunstreaker clone]]s. He complained to a superior about the anguished sounds Sunstreaker was making, but was told to put up with it. {{storylink|Replay}}

[[Category:Comic-only humans]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) humans]]
[[Category:Machination]]

Neo-Wheel

2025-02-23T21:01:28Z

Jackpot: Caption

{{factions|autobot|decepticon}}
:''Neo-Wheel is an [[Autobot]] [[Micromaster]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Tapestry Neo-Wheel.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Neo-Wheelism is a highly influential school of thought in international wheelations.]]

'''Neo-Wheel''' (ネオホイール ''Neohoīru'') is the most mysterious member of not just the [[Sixturbo|Turbo Team]], but of the Autobot Micromasters in general. He's almost never seen around the base, and only seems to pop up when he's needed to form [[Sixturbo]] in battle. And when he is around, he practically never says a word to anyone.

So where does he go all day? Out into the wild, where he can commune with nature... quite possibly literally. Some suspect that he actually can talk to the native animals of [[Earth]], but naturally, Neo-Wheel is keeping quiet on the subject.

==Fiction==
===''Micromaster''===
[[Image:MC-art-ReverseEvo.jpg|right|thumb|250px|That was the car that hit a deer friend of his.]]
Like most of the Turbo Team, Neo-Wheel was infected with the [[mind changer virus]], presumably though contact with [[Road Police]], [[Circuit (OC)|Circuit]], [[Glide (G1)|Glide]], or [[Discharge (G1)|Discharge]]. The virus turned him into a [[Decepticon]], and he went about causing random destruction with his teammates. [[Sireen]] tricked Neo-Wheel and the others into combining with him to form [[Sixturbo]], then restored them all to normal with an anti-virus program. {{storylink|Enter the Urban Disaster Relief Specialists!!}}

Later, he joined the rest of his team in fighting off [[Sixwing]] as Sixturbo when the Wing Team made an attempt to steal more [[Cyberdroid]] capsules. {{storylink|Enter the Decepticon Sixwing!!}}
{{-}}

===''Operation Combination''===
Years later, Neo-Wheel and the rest of the Six-team Micromasters joined [[Guard City]] and the [[Road Corps]] in defending Earth from the forces of the Decepticon High Regent [[Scrash (G1)|Scrash]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (story page)|Operation Combination}}

{{note|None of the combiner team individuals ever actually show up as individuals, only as components of the combined robot modes.}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Neo-Wheel once attended [[Termagax]]’s lecture on combiners at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Enigma of Combination}}

==Toys==
===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''===
[[Image:OC-toy NeoWheel.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Originally wanted to be a vehicle for the [[Neo-Knights]].]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{bp-a1|'''Sixturbo''' (Micromaster Six-Team, 1992)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''TF-03'''

: Released in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1992 (Operation Combination)|Operation Combination]]'' portion of Takara's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' toyline, Neo-Wheel transforms into a [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Lamborghini Diablo|Lamborghini Diablo]] sports car. He can also form the arm to any Six-Team super robot, though his nominal placement is as the right arm of [[Sixturbo#Toys|Sixturbo]].

: The toy's larger connector socket is approximately [[5 mm post|5mm wide]], making Neo-Wheel compatible with a ''lot'' of accessories and other toys. Since it's a separate piece on a hinge, it's also the only one of the entire Six-team series that doesn't leave the Micromaster sticking out at an awkward angle when used as such.

: He was only available as part of a complete Sixturbo gift set, packed with his teammates [[Circuit (OC)#Toys|Circuit]], [[Discharge (G1)#Toys|Discharge]], [[Glide (G1)#Toys|Glide]], [[Road Police#Toys|Road Police]], and [[Sireen#Toys|Sireen]].

: The original Six-Teams are considered among the more difficult Japanese Generation 1 pieces to find, due to their final-year release well after ''Transformers'' had faded from relevance in Japan, and thus command some hefty prices even with the molds' later re-releases.

: Neo-Wheel uses the same mold as ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Micromaster]] [[Hot Spot (Universe)|Hot Spot]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1992/Cybertron/Neo-Wheel/neo-wheel.htm More information on Neo-Wheel at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/799/Generation+1/Neo+Wheel.html Neo-Wheel toy gallery at Transformertoys.co.uk]''
{{-}}

===''Micromaster''===
[[File:MC-toy NeoWheel.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Gold trim: bringing out the Gundam In You!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{bp-a1|'''Neo-Wheel''' (Micromaster, 2002)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''4'''
:*''Accessories'': Sixturbo right fist, rifle

: In 2002, the entire Sixturbo team was re-released in the second wave of ''[[The Transformers: Micromaster]]'', in individual boxes with a number visible to show which mold was inside each box. For this release, all of the decals from the original version were removed, and ''mostly'' replaced with [[Paint operation|paint application]]s, including several new bits of deco. Neo-Wheel loses basically nothing, but gains quite a few new bits of deco, including a silver midriff, gold helmet-crest, and an Autobot symbol on his hood, plus his hip assembly is now gold instead of silver.

: On top of this, two out of every twelve toys in the shipping/display case were all-black-plastic, nigh-unpainted "Reverse Evolution"-mode [[chase figure]]s with white Decepticon sigils. Even the combiner kibble was cast in black, albeit a little more dark-gunmetal.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/Neo-Wheel/neo-wheel.htm More information on ''Micromaster'' Neo-Wheel at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Destron/RENeo-Wheel/neo-wheel.htm More information on Reverse Evolution Neo-Wheel at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/1181/Collectors+Edition+Japanese/Black+Neo-Wheel.html Reverse Evolution Neo-Wheel toy gallery at Transformertoys.co.uk]''
::*''[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2001f3051e73a9cf?output=gplain Translation of Neo-Wheel's ''Micromaster'' bio] by [[Doug Dlin]]''

==Notes==
* Neo-Wheel, like all of the six-team Micromasters, had no individual [[bio]] information whatsoever until his ''Micromaster'' release a decade after his original ''Operation Combination'' release.

[[Category:Micromaster Autobots]]
[[Category:Micromaster combiners]]
[[Category:Micromaster Decepticons]]
[[Category:Operation Combination Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Autobots]]

Turtler

2024-11-29T03:55:08Z

Jackpot: /* Generations Selects */ Caption - removed non-link, added lyrical pun

{{faction|decepticon}}
:''Turtler is a [[Decepticon]] [[Seacon (Masterforce)|Seacon]] from the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Turtler masterforce.jpg|upright=1.95|thumb|Decidedly not a friend to all children.]]

'''Turtler''' (タートラー ''Tātorā'') is the only [[Seacon (Masterforce)|Seacon]] who possesses sentience, but he hates his monstrous appearance, and often takes out his frustration over it upon the legion of [[Drone|Seacon drones]] that he commands. That's no great loss to the [[Decepticon]]s, though, given the infamous expendability of the mindless creatures, which means that there's always a fresh supply of them to combine with Turtler to form [[King Poseidon]]. Turtler is still a powerful foe on his own, though, with the ability to generate a sonic shockwave underwater, and a shell so durable that it can withstand the force of a hydrogen bomb.

==Fiction==
===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Masato Hirano]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:Turtler and the seacons.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!]]
After numerous failures on the part of the individual Seacons and their other underlings, [[Giga]] and [[Mega]] decided that it was time for Turtler to enter the fray. Summoning up the other Seacons with a cackling, [[dolphin]]-like shriek, Turtler dramatically combined with the drones into King Poseidon, before doing absolutely nothing, since they were all just standing in [[Decepticon Base]] at the time. {{storylink|Eliminate the Godmaster Ginrai}}

Turtler was dispatched to aid the Decepticon [[Pretender]]s and [[Headmaster Junior]]s when they kidnapped a group of children and held them prisoner on an island off the coast of [[United States of America|America]]. [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] and [[Bullhorn (G1)|Bullhorn]] were both rather surprised to see the little-seen Turtler patrolling the waters around the island, but not ''nearly'' as surprised as the [[Autobot]] [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]] [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]] was when he arrived to save the children and was confronted with a Seacon that ''spoke''!

[[File:Turtler battered.jpg|upright=1.15|thumb|Turtler is epic in defeat.]]
At Turtler's instruction, the other Seacons combined with him into King Poseidon, but after a fierce battle, Ginrai performed a combination of his own, merging with his trailer to become "Super Ginrai" and defeating King Poseidon. Although the ever-fragile Seacons forming his limbs exploded, Turtler survived and escaped into the ocean. {{storylink|Heroism!! The Birth of Super Ginrai}}

Turtler later accompanied the Decepticon Pretenders in tracking down Ginrai, who was meeting with the new Autobot Godmaster [[Lightfoot (G1)|Lightfoot]], but was again defeated by Super Ginrai. {{storylink|Lightfoot: A Dramatic Encounter}} His next foray into the field of battle was even less successful, when he and his Seacons reinforced the Headmaster Juniors in a battle with the Autobots in the French town of Dagneux, only for the Seacon drones to be wiped out before he could even combine with them! {{storylink|Assemble! The Four Godmaster Gunmen}} Later still, Turtler led a squad of Seacons in backing up [[Hydra (G1)|Hydra]] and [[Buster (G1)|Buster]] when they targeted Lightfoot, but when the other Autobots Godmasters arrived to aid their team-mate, Turtler opted to flee by burrowing underground rather than trying to fight back. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

[[File:Turtler snoop.jpg|left|thumb]]
When the Decepticons began construction of [[Decepticon advance base|an advance base]] off the coast of [[Australia]], the blasting Turtler as the Seacons performed led to the reactivation of a sub-sea volcano that caused an earthquake in Sydney. Lightfoot arrived on the scene to investigate, but his approach was observed by Turtler, who had the Seacons attack the Autobot and entomb him in a crevasse. By the time Ginrai came searching for his teammate, [[Gilmer]] had joined Turtler, and instructed him to become King Poseidon to engage the Autobot leader. Predictably, King Poseidon suffered yet another defeat at Ginrai's hands when he was thrown into the volcano. {{storylink|Escape!! The Underwater Volcano Erupts}}

Not long thereafter, the Decepticons were joined by the final Godmaster, [[Clouder]], and Turtler was instructed by Hydra and Buster to put him through his paces as King Poseidon. {{storylink|Appearance!! The Final Godmaster}} Clouder was soon installed as a double agent within the Autobot ranks, and the Decepticon used the information he gathered to initiate an all-out assault on the [[Autobot Base|heroes' base]]. Turtler led the Seacons in invading the base and destroying the magma energy converter that powered it, and then sealed off all the entrances, trapping the Autobots within to await their destruction. The Autobots were subsequently rescued by Ginrai, but that wasn't the worst of it for the villains: Turtler had left Clouder to die in the base. It didn't appear that Turtler did this ''on purpose''—it just seems nobody bothered to explicitly tell him to get Clouder out—but that didn't stop Clouder turning on the Decepticons and joining up with the Autobots. {{storylink|Disaster! The Autobot Base Explodes}}

[[File:Turtler smoldering.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Awwww!]]
Turtler formed King Poseidon again to serve as warden when the Decepticons captured the Autobot Headmaster Junior [[Shūta Gō]], only for the Decepticon Junior [[Cancer (G1)|Cancer]] to see the error of his ways and turn his weapons on King Poseidon. Autobot drone [[Godbomber]] delivered the final blow, blasting King Poseidon to bits once more. {{storylink|God Ginrai: Showdown at the Decepticon Base}} Turtler was similarly luckless when Cancer helped the Autobots orchestrate a decisive strike on the Decepticon base, becoming King Poseidon in the opening stages of the fight, only to be immediately blown apart by heavy fire from [[Grand Maximus]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Combination!! BlackZarak, the New Lifeform}}

When the Decepticons relocated to the Alps in preparation for their final strike against the [[Earth]], Turtler and a contingent of Seacons hid themselves underground, lurking in wait for the inevitable arrival of the Autobots. The unfortunate [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] and the Autobot Headmaster Juniors proved to be the ones who chanced upon Turtler and his drones, and they were soon faced with King Poseidon. The fight went badly for the Autobots, but Ginrai soon arrived to help, knocking the Seacon combiner apart with a "God Punch" attack. The Seacon drones actually managed to remain intact after this separation, so Turtler quickly ordered them to recombine, forcing Ginrai to step up his game and unleash his God Cannon, blasting King Poseidon to cinders in mid-air. As ever, Turtler was the only Seacon to survive the explosion, crashing to Earth badly scorched and swearing revenge on Ginrai. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}

====''Generations Selects Special Comic''====
[[File:Selects Seacon Turtler.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]
After his final defeat by God Ginrai in [[2020]], Turtler was met by [[Halfshell]], who had come from the future to meet his Seacons' predecessors and to propose a partnership to repair both of their crews via [[Angolmois Energy]]. {{storylink|Seacons comic 5}} Becoming a space pirate like his "brother", Turtler came across [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], who had been removed from his proper time and space by [[Primus]]. Halfshell and Turtler made a deal with the [[Emperor of Destruction]] — they would help him attain the power of the stars that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] acquired in exchange for the Angolmois Energy contained within the Decepticon leader. After placing Galvatron in a conversion pod, the two Seacons used the Angolmois Energy to give Turtler a more powerful body, making him the new "King of Seacons". {{storylink|Seacons comic 1}}

Turtler pursued Optimus Prime and his [[Silver Matrix]] in the pirates' Photon Sailer, deploying a Gulf and his own cannons. The Autobot combined with his trailer to destroy the first Gulf, prompting Turtler to unleash an entire school of Gulfs. {{storylink|Seacons comic 2}} Turtler leapt into battle after his Gulfs to fight with Optimus Prime personally. He recreated his Super Mode as King Poseidon by combining with four Gulfs at once. {{storylink|Seacons comic 3}} Optimus struck King Poseidon hard enough to make him disperse, sending Turtler and the individual Seacons crashing down to the [[Blue Planet (GS)|Blue Planet]]. By this point, however, Turtler's last two drone-types, Tentakil and Overbite, were ready to do battle. Confronting Optimus Prime in the seas, Turtler united his Seacons and unveiled their new robot modes. Turtler was confident no one would look down upon the Seacons again. They formed the newly upgraded and supremely powerful King Poseidon. {{storylink|Seacons comic 5}}

King Poseidon was undone after Galvatron emerged as an upgraded Megatron, seemingly destroying Halfshell and the Photon Sailer in the process. As the King, Turtler was broken apart several times opposing this Megatron Omega, even with Optimus Prime and the [[Primus Vanguard]] also fighting him. After taking a respite in his default form, Turtler was surprised that the Beast People of the Blue Planet showed him respect and thanks for defending them from Megatron. As he went to the Sailer to pay his respects, Turtler was surprised to discover the ship was empty. He soon learned Halfshell and the Space Pirates were full restored, seeking the colored Matrixes of the Primus Vanguard on different worlds. {{storylink|God Neptune comic 1}} Halfshell nearly completed this quest with the renewed power of [[God Neptune]], but Megatron Omega proved too much for him either. He called Turtler on Blue Planet for backup, but Megatron Omega displayed some memory files he had from when he was on board the Photon Sailer. Halfshell was caught on tape musing about how a God was better than a King, and how Turtler was a useful test subject for the Angolmois Energy process before using it on his mates. Furious at this disrespect by one he saw as a brother, Turtler turned his back on Halfshell. {{storylink|God Neptune comic 2}}

Matters escalated further as [[Primus]] opened a portal to the year 2050 of the Known World, calling forth the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s as Turtler and Optimus watched on. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}} Turtler ultimately came to see himself as defender of the Beast People of Blue Planet, their benevolent "king" and protector. When Primus's plotting threatened his people, Turtler dispatched the Seacons to ensure the safety of the Beasts. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale Prelude|Finale Prelude}} More Decepticons came through the portal from 2050, and Turtler used them to form a [[Scramble 7]] combination, returning to the ever-more-dramatic fighting at play. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}

====''Zone''====
Years after the [[Masterforce War]], Turtler and his Seacons were recruited by the supernatural new [[Emperor of Destruction]], [[Violengiguar]]. In their newly caped combined form of King Poseidon, they accompanied [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] in an attack on the ocean planet [[Wall]], where they lay in wait for Autobot Commander [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]]. When the Autobot hero arrived, they attempted to drag him beneath the waves, only to be driven off by a combined attack from the [[Micromaster]] warriors [[Overload (G1)|Overload]], [[Erector (G1)|Erector]], [[Missile Bull]], and [[Skywave]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone story page #3}} Later, they attacked Earth in search of the powerful [[Zodiac]] necessary for their leader's evil schemes, only to wind up being destroyed by the new Autobot leader, [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]]. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

===''TV Magazine'' comic continuity===
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[File:Turtler manga.jpg|275px|thumb|Kamille Bidan no baka!]]
Turtler debuted among the Seacons who gathered at a shoreline along with the other Decepticons, where he was rather demeaningly fed [[energon cube]]s by Cancer. {{storylink|On Scene! Our Savior's Name Is Ginrai!}} Turtler went on to enter the battlefield for the first time when the Decepticons attempted to dupe the Autobots with holographic images of legendary Decepticons of years past. Turtler merged with his Seacons into King Poseidon and loomed over the holographic figures, but just in the nick of time, Autobot Godmasters Lightfoot, [[Ranger]] and [[Road King]] arrived with a new trailer unit for their leader Ginrai in tow. Ginrai merged with the trailer to become Super Ginrai, and promptly defeated King Poseidon with his mighty "Super Fire Guts" attack. The battered Turtler limped away to safety, reporting the failure of the plan to the Decepticon Pretenders. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

Soon afterward, Ginrai and the Autobots travelled to the planet [[Athenia]], where they met with the space-based Autobot forces, and current [[Supreme Commander]] [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] stepped down and appointed Ginrai in his place. That night, however, Turtler (making his only recorded appearance in robot mode) led a Decepticon attack on the planet, and merged with [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]], [[Cutthroat (G1)|Cutthroat]], and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] to become "[[Scramble 7]]". [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Raiden]] were bested by Scramble 7's power, but the threat was overcome when [[Ranger]] and [[Road King]] channelled their [[Chōkon Power|Jinchōkon]] into Super Ginrai's Cannon Craft weapons. This created the "Magma Vulcan" attack, which blasted Scramble 7 to bits and sent Turtler flying away in torso mode. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army}}

====''Zone'' comic====
Years after the Masterforce War, Turtler and his Seacons were recruited by the supernatural new Emperor of Destruction, Violengiguar. Subsequently, they attacked Earth in search of the powerful "Zodiac" that Violengiguar required for his evil schemes, but were defeated by Dai Atlas. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}}

===''TransTech''===
Turtler, an early pioneer of [[drone]]s in [[Axiom Nexus]], developed the [[Turtler Test]] to assess sapience. It replaced the [[Ambus Test]] after [[Mini-Con]]-rights advocate [[Sprite]] pointed out that some Mini-Cons were failing the test. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/16}} He also presumably had something to do with establishing the [[Turtler D.O.V.E.]] scale. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/11/08}}

It is uncertain if this Turtler was a [[Primax]]-native [[lowtech|Offworlder]] or a native [[Transcendent Technomorph]] and if both accomplishments were done by the same individual.

==Toys==
===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''===
{{anchor|Super-God Masterforce}}
[[File:G1Snaptrap toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|...and to think he was once a cute little Squirtle.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Turtler''' (Seacon, [[1988]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''D-312'''
:*''Accessories'': Laser gun, sword, shield/chestplate, 2 super robot feet, left and right super robot fists, super robot head

: Released in the fourth year of Takara's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' line under the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1988 (Super-God Masterforce)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' banner, Seacon Turtler transforms into a turquoise and magenta robotic... well, turtle. Kinda obvious, really. In this mode, he is armed with a pair of back-mounted twin reciprocating cannons, with the "pom-pom gun" motion activated by moving a small lever on the shell back and forth (this action is also available in robot mode, but it's pointed straight up so not super-useful). He can also mount his laser rifle mounts in a hole in the middle of his shell.

: Turtler features one of the earliest uses of [[autotransformation]] technology; when his turtle forelegs are rotated into place to become his robot mode arms, his fists automatically emerge. The rear half of his turtle shell disconnects for transformation, and can be mounted on either of Turtler's shoulders as a shield.

: He can also form the torso to a super robot, with his limbs formed by any "[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1986 (Scramble City and 2010)|Scramble City]]"-style limb-robots, though he's meant to join with his fellow Seacons to form [[King Poseidon#Toys|King Poseidon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Decepticon/Snaptrap/snaptrap.htm More information on Turtler (well, Snaptrap) at TFU.info]''
{{G1SeaconMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|giftset}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Kingposeidon''' {{sic}} (Gift set, 1988)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''D-318'''
:*''Accessories'': Laser gun, sword, shield/chestplate, 2 super robot feet, left and right super robot fists, super robot head

: Turtler was sold both as an individual, and in a large King Posiedon box set. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.

: Unlike the Hasbro Seacon box-set, which excludes [[Nautilator#Toys|Nautilator]], the King Poseidon set comes with all six members of the team: Turtler, [[Gulf#Toys|Gulf]], [[Kraken#Toys|Kraken]], [[Lobclaw#Toys|Lobclaw]], [[Overbite (Masterforce)#Toys|Overbite]], and [[Tentakil (Masterforce)#Toys|Tentakil]].

===''Generations Selects''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Selects-Turtler.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Don't call it a Snaptrap, he will ''box'' your ears.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Seacons Turtler''' (Voyager, [[2020]])}}</ul>
:*''Release date'': [[January 25]], 2020
:*''Hasbro ID number'': '''TT-GS03'''
:*''Accessories'': Laser gun, sword, 2 combiner feet/gatling guns, 2 combiner feet claws/knuckles, shield/combiner chestplate, 2 small blades, 2 large cannons.

: A TakaraTomy-initiated addition to the ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' series, "Seacons Turtler" is an extensive [[retool]]ing of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Voyager Class [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Power of the Primes|Terrorcon Hun-Gurrr]], sharing the arms, thighs and many internal workings, transforming into... a valiant attempt at turning that mold into a robotic turtle. While the shell-cannons have lost the pom-pom action, they are now detachable at the base and can be hand-held thanks to using the nigh-universal [[5 mm post]] attachment, plus they can accommodate [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]] [[Fire Blast effect]]s. Disappointingly, he's not really designed to allow non-awkward standing on his rear legs in turtle mode as he typically appears the anime.

: He is also able to form a torso mode for any ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]''-style super robot, but is obviously meant to be the core of [[King Poseidon#Generations Selects|King Poseidon]]. He comes with a pair of newly-tooled combiner feet that resemble the original 1988 Piranacon feet, but actually consist of multiple parts - a core foot component, detachable "talon" toe pieces, and cannons on both sides that can be flipped around, turning the whole assembly into a weapon.

:Turtler was released as a [[TakaraTomy Mall]] exclusive in Japan. The Seacons were also available via [[Hasbro Pulse]] and other online retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

: This mold was later redecoed to make [[Halfshell#Generations Selects|Halfshell]].
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
*'''King Poseidon Set A''' ([[1988]])
**''Accessories:'' Sword, Gun, King Poseidon Head, hands, feet

:Released in Series 10 of [[Kabaya]] kits in 1988, Turtler was available in a set along with fellow Seacon Overbite. Despite being a snap-together model kit, he is functionally a downsized version of the larger toy, retaining the combining functions and even the reciprocating cannon gimmick. Since he is gang molded with the other Seacons, some of his plastic colors are a bit off. Common among Kabaya kits, he relies on stickers for added detail.

:Turtler can form the torso for King Poseidon.

*'''Turtler''' ([[2015]])
**''Accessories:'' Shield, King Poseidon head

:Part of the tenth wave of Kabaya's standard snap together kits, Turtler can transform from turtle to robot, though you need to partsform his robot legs to do so. His own personal weapons are included with the other concurrently released Seacons, which he can combine with to form King Poseidon.

:Turtler and the Seacons are compatible with the [[Gaia Scramble]] combiner limbs released a few years prior.

==Notes==
[[File:G1Turtler boxart.jpg|thumb|Zombie kids like me.]]
*Turtler is the only Seacon to ever show up in humanoid mode in ''Super-God Masterforce'' fiction—but only in the manga. And only in a single panel, where he led the Scramble City-type [[combiner]]s and ordered them to form into [[Scramble 7]] in "[[The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army]]".

===Foreign names===
*''English:'' '''Snaptrap''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''Italian:'' '''Tortuga'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jiān Jiǎ Guī''' (China, 坚甲龟, "Solid-shell Turtle")
*''Russian:'' '''Akula''' (Акула, "Shark")

[[Category:Generations Selects Seacons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects toy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Seacons]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:TakaraTomy Mall exclusives]]
[[Category:TransTech Decepticons]]

Lube

2024-11-02T22:24:41Z

Jackpot: /* The Transformers */ Better link

{{factions|autobot}}
:''Lube is an [[Autobot]]-allied [[Nebulan]] [[Powermaster]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Lube MTMTE.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Proudly upholding the honorable tradition of double entendre Transformer names.]]
'''Lube''' is a by-the-book, no-nonsense... okay, he's a temperamental ''tightass'' is what he is. As such, he's usually screaming at his Autobot partner [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]... though many times it's from a great distance. Even though Lube provides energy for the Powermaster, the slacking Slapdash often leaves Lube behind before charging off into battle, leaving the Autobot stuck in vehicle mode.

==Fiction==
===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Hotwire and Lube no armor.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Lube is on the left.]]

After the first group of Transformer visitors left [[Nebulos]], [[Hi-Q]] (working at the request of the [[Council of Peers]]) radiated the planet's fuel supply so that it was poisonous to robots. Lube was at Hi-Q's side when the project was implemented.

Some time after this had happened, Lube was working in the [[Hi-Q Industrial Research Complex]] with two more of Hi-Q's assistants, [[Hotwire (G1)|Hotwire]] and [[Kari]]. He was urging Hotwire to be careful with an [[electrostatic oscillator]] at the time, and getting annoyed over the latter gloating that he would be able to fix it blindfolded. Then, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], [[Getaway]], [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] arrived to ask Hi-Q for help rebuilding [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. The Autobots were warned that if they used Nebulon fuel they would freeze up and eventually die. Eventually Optimus Prime was rebuilt and Hi-Q decided to become his Powermaster partner in order to save his life and to defend Nebulos against [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] and [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] (who were already Powermasters). Following his example, Lube quickly volunteered to be partnered to Slapdash.

The new Autobot Powermasters defeated Darkwing and Dreadwind. [[Hi-Test (G1)|Hi-Test]] and [[Throttle (G1)|Throttle]] were banished from Nebulos, so they took off with their partners.

The Powermaster process altered the circuitry of the Autobots to the point where they could not be separated from their partners. They had to stick together, but, for the sake of Nebulon peace, the Autobots could not remain there. So they all left on the ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' to meet up with the other Autobots, leaving their friend Kari behind. {{storylink|People Power!}}

In transit to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] Optimus Prime filled the Nebulons in on the [[Great War (G1)|Autobot/Decepticon war]], only for the history lesson to be interrupted by a transmission advertising the "[[Cosmic Carnival]]." Optimus and Goldbug investigated the show upon learning that their fellow Autobot [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] was part of the line-up, though the rest of the crew did not join them; the Cosmic Carnival had a very steep entrance fee, and they didn't have the currency to spare. {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}} ''Shortly after arriving on Earth, Lube and the Powermasters learned that the town of [[Border Flats]] had been destroyed due to the presence of some giant robots. Tracking down the suspected Decepticons in no time, Lube and his teammates found themselves attacking another group of Autobots! The whole incident turned out to be a misunderstanding, brought about when [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] had attempted to join a Christmas celebration, only to accidentally send the whole town into a panic.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''After Joyride's pursuit of [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] accidentally led to the fatal injury of an innocent human, Hi-Q and the Nebulans rigged up some advanced medical equipment to cure him. Unfortunately, [[Throttle (G1)|Throttle]] stole the isotopic power cell that made the equipment functional and, to make matters worse, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] shot him down in [[Dreadwing (G1)|Dreadwing]] over the ocean while trying to retrieve it. Lube and the Nebulan Powermasters went along with their Autobot partners in order to protect them from the crushing depths. Despite the danger posed by the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], Optimus Prime ordered Lube and the Nebulans separate from the Powermasters and retrieve the power cell for the injured man. They succeeded, and unwittingly assured the mission's success by breaching the Dreadwing's cockpit in the process; with their own Nebulan allies now at risk of drowning, the Seacons gave up the offensive to rescue them.'' {{storylink|Dreadwing Down!}}

''Lube was meant to accompany Slapdash on a mission to [[Alternate Reality, Inc.]], where Optimus Prime had left behind a [[floppy disk]] containing a copy of his mind. Unfortunately, his absent-minded Autobot partner forgot to bring him along! As a result, Slapdash was left unable to transform throughout the mission.'' {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}}

===''TransTech''===
One version of Lube was a [[Cyberdroid]] and [[lowtech|Offworlder]] in [[Axiom Nexus]]. Lube worked at for [[Axiom Nexus News]], often repairing cameras after [[Rook (TransTech)|Rook]]'s tantrums. Just before an interview with [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|General Hawk]], Rook chatted with Lube about what Rook perceived as the ridiculousness of human names. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
Lube was a Cyberdroid bodywork specialist at [[Hotwire's]] in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. He was interviewed by officer [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] about touch-up work he did on a deceased Builder named [[Twirl (G1)|Twirl]]. Lube pointed the MaxCop to [[The Way Of All Things]], a bar Twirl was planning to go to after her appointment. {{storylink|Trigger Warnings}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[Image:Slapdashcommercial.jpg|right|150px|thumb|''All you need is lube!'' ''Doot doot doot doot doot!'' ''All you need is lube!'' ''Lube! Lube!'' ''Lube is all you need!'']]
Lube accompanied [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] as the Autobot Powermasters went out for a drive. They were shocked to encounter the Decepticon Powermasters, and Lube assumed his engine mode to allow Slapdash to transform and fight back against their aggressors. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Powermasters|Powermasters commercial}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1-toy_Lube.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Nexus Prime#Naming issues|Nexus Maximus]] needs your help!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Slapdash''' (Autobot Powermaster, 1988)}}</ul>

: Released in the fifth year of the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' toyline (fourth year in the European line), Lube is an orange-limbed armored humanoid figure that converts into an engine block. In this form, he can fit into the engine socket of any Autobot Powermaster mold (without any added grease), unlocking its transformation from vehicle to robot mode. (He ''can'' fit into Decepticon sockets, but will not unlock their transformation.)

: He was only available packed in with his partner, [[Slapdash (G1)#Toys|Slapdash]].

: Slapdash and Lube were sold in Japan without changes as the [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]] [[Road King#Toys|Road King]]. The Lube figure was also [[redeco]]ed to make the [[Masterforce Warrior]] [[Vollet#Toys|Vollet]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Autobot/Lube/lube.htm More information on Lube at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:LubeSovereignConcept.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|]]
*Lube's Dreamwave profile art was used as inspiration for a preliminary version of the ''[[Titans Return (franchise)|Titans Return]]'' character [[Sovereign]].

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Nebulans]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:TransTech characters]]
[[Category:Variable species characters]]

War Dawn (episode)

2024-09-28T15:20:51Z

Jackpot: /* Quotes */ Added "half of this planet's leaders" quote

{{disambig2|the cartoon episode|the mobile game event|War Dawn (Legends)}}
{{episode
|image=WarDawn title.jpg
|caption=''Masterpiece'' Megatron and ''Smallest'' Optimus Prime face off.
|series=G1toon
|ep=59
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=60
|prev2=B.O.T. (episode)
|next2=Masquerade
|title="War Dawn"
|season=2
|season ep=43
|written by=[[David Wise]]
|production code=700-58
|airdate=[[December 25]], 1985
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y91ub4HPH7M
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Trapped in Cybertron's past, the Aerialbots learn the truth about Megatron and the rise of Optimus Prime.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:WarDawn Silverboltairways.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Do yourself a favor; don't fly coach on Autobot Airways.]]
[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] are racing through the skies with the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] in hot pursuit. They have kidnapped human dignitaries for unknown, but certainly nefarious, purposes. The Aerialbots are debating amongst themselves in pretty stark terms if humans are worth saving. After they outmaneuver the Decepticons, Starscream dumps the hostages in mid-air. He and the others escape as the Aerialbots break off to save the humans.

Back at Autobot headquarters, the Aerialbots talk amongst themselves about their admiration of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], to the ire of the other Autobots. [[Teletraan I]] breaks in before the argument gets out of hand and alerts [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] to strange energy readings emanating from Cybertron. They board [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and head into the stratosphere to investigate.

Under the ocean, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] gripes about the Aerialbots and losing air supremacy. [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] reports in that the Autobots have left [[Earth]], and Megatron goes after them across the [[space bridge]]. On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron explains that he has a time machine called a [[Kronosphere]] that he planned on using to steal energy from the past. Now, he wants to set a trap for the Aerialbots and send them back into the past.

[[File:Slingshot war dawn 1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|As tradition dictates, Slingshot and Starscream greet one another by pulling each other's finger.]]
The Autobots arrive on a dark and dingy Cybertron, and are attacked by Starscream and the others. [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] tries to get the Decepticons to stop attacking and talk to them. Starscream and the others drop down for a chat while [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] frets. After gaining their trust, Starscream leads them right onto Megatron's Kronosphere. Silverbolt tries to warn them that it's a trap but it's too late. Megatron activates the device, intending to send them back to the beginning of time. The Aerialbots are encased in a purple bubble and disappear.

Seconds later, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots ram through the wall of the building and attack. Prime shoots the machine in order to stop it from trapping the Aerialbots in the past. The Decepticons retreat and Optimus orders the machine repaired. He estimates it has sent the Aerialbots 9 million years into the past to Cybertron's [[Golden Age]].

[[File:OrionPax Ariel.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hi, I'm Machobot... who are you?"]]
The bubble bursts and the five planes reappear on Cybertron, but it's a different world than the one they left. This Cybertron is bright and alive. The Aerialbots admire the scenery and argue about whose fault it was that the planet was trashed. Slingshot isn't ready to blame the Decepticons and says they are misunderstood. They are interrupted by a small 'bot who introduces himself as Orion Pax. He works at [[storage yard 67|the docks]] unloading energy shipments. Orion's friend [[Dion (G1)|Dion]] and girlfriend [[Elita One (G1)|Ariel]] introduce themselves too. Dion alerts them to come outside and see the new type of flying robot that everyone is talking about. The Aerialbots go out and see Megatron, Soundwave and Shockwave flying overhead. Orion and Dion admire the flying robots, and Silverbolt warns them away from their hero worship. But does anybody listen to him? Nooooo.

After Orion goes back to work unloading ships, he is approached by a visitor who introduces himself as Megatron. Orion shows him around but when they reach the energy storehouse Megatron orders [[Dropkick (G1)|the Decepticons concealed outside]] to attack. When Orion tries to stop him, Megatron mercilessly shoots him and his two friends. The Aerialbots arrive after the battle to find the three Autobots inoperative.

Back in the present, Megatron is planning a counterattack to regain the Kronosphere. In nearby wreckage, [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] spots the body of a [[Guardian robot]], sans head, and Megatron plans to reactivate it. Meanwhile, Optimus, [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] are still trying to repair the device.

[[File:WarDawn Prime killingmachine.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Hot lead is the right of all sentient beings!]]
In the past, the Aerialbots are carrying Orion's lifeless body to someone who can help. Slingshot is singing a very different tune now; he swears revenge on Megatron. A [[Alpha Trion (G1)|mustached figure]] from a doorway calls to them and suggests they go someplace else for help. Decepticon attacks have caused severe casualties among the Autobots. After the Aerialbots ask again, he agrees to fix Orion. After an unknown amount of time, the stranger emerges with a rebuilt Orion Pax, now going by the name Optimus Prime. Prime and the Aerialbots rush off to join the battle, while the stranger muses about rebuilding Ariel into a female warrior named Elita One.

Just as the tide of battle is turning in the Decepticons' favor, Megatron is confronted by Optimus Prime, who takes out the entire Decepticon front line by himself. Meanwhile, the Aerialbots have returned to the docks to find the Decepticons raiding the energy stores.

Flashing to the present, the time machine has been fixed, but Megatron and the Decepticons attack. To further complicate things, they let loose the Guardian Robot against the Autobots.

Back in the past, the Aerialbots set [[energy pack]] charges to blow up the storehouse in order to keep the energy out of Megatron's hands. Unfortunately, they are trapped inside because Decepticon warriors are blocking the exits. Silverbolt orders Slingshot to blow up the storehouse anyway. Just as the charges go off, the Kronosphere scoops them up and brings them back to the present. They merge into [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and take out the Guardian Robot. Megatron retreats and an enraged Slingshot yells after him.

As they head back to Omega Supreme, Silverbolt describes their adventures in the past, and Optimus finally recognizes the Aerialbots as the ones who saved him. Ratchet demands to know what's going on and Optimus starts to tell the tale.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (4)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (5)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (6)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (7)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (8)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] (9)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] (10)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime/Orion Pax]] (11)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] (12)
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (13)
*[[Dion (G1)|Dion]] (16)
*[[Elita One (G1)|Ariel]] (17)
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (22)
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (23)
|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] (2)
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (3)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (14)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (15)
*[[Dropkick (G1)|Transport drones]] (18)
*[[Warrior]]s (19)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] (21)
|c4=
*[[Guardian robot]]s (20)
}}

==Quotes==
"All this fuss over some stupid humans." 
"'Stupid humans'? They only happen to be half of this planet's leaders."
:—'''Slingshot''' and '''Silverbolt''', who thinks the other half are... [[Atlantis|Atlanteans]], maybe?

"There's only one way to get those Aerialbots off our tails and that's to... dump the chumps!"
:—'''Starscream''' right before he dumps the chumps, er, humans.

"Are those guys crazy?" 
"Crazy, or even dumber than I suspected."
:—'''Skywarp''' and '''Starscream''' talking about the Aerialbots who stopped fighting and want to "talk" to the Seekers.

'''Starscream''': Okay ''buddies'', we'll talk. What do you want to know? 
'''Slingshot''': I want to know why Optimus Prime thinks you're evil. 
'''Starscream''': That old rust bucket doesn't know a thing about Decepticons. Stick with me. I'll teach you some things about the Decepticons, all right. 
'''Silverbolt''': I don't believe this!
:—Starscream prepares to school the Aerialbots.

"Those little twerps. They're tryin' to switch sides!"
:—'''Ironhide''' comments on the dubious loyalty of the Aerialbots.

"The Decepticons. Boy, this'd be a great time to get to know 'em!" 
"You've just ''got'' to learn things the hard way, don'tcha?"
:—'''Slingshot''' and '''Silverbolt'''

"A warrior doesn't need a head! Just a good, strong body."
:—'''Megatron''' reveals one of his guiding philosophies, re: the downed Guardian Robot

"You may not recognize him. He is no longer Orion Pax. He is the first of our new defenders... Optimus Prime." 
"I was wrong, my friends. I admired Megatron merely because he was powerful. I failed to see how he used that power."
:—'''Alpha Trion''' introducing '''Optimus Prime'''.

'''Optimus Prime''': You've caused enough destruction for one day, Megatron! 
'''Megatron''': I haven't even ''started!'' 
''[Megatron fires several shots at Optimus Prime, all of which bounce off harmlessly]'' 
'''Megatron''': ''[shocked]'' You, who are you?! 
'''Optimus Prime''': Your worst nightmare!
:—Megatron and Optimus Prime confront each other for the first time.

"You’ll never get away from us, Megatron! We won’t stop fighting until you’re finished! YOU HEAR!?" 
:—'''Slingshot''' finally learning to aggressively hate his Decepticon enemies and not want to make peace by befriending them.

"It all began about nine million years ago..." 
"Oh, great! It's gonna be one of those ''long'' stories!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''', after the latter demands to know what's going on.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This takes place "a few weeks" after "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]", according to Optimus Prime.
*Starscream is seen effecting repairs on Skywarp.
*This episode introduces a lot of major mythological elements from the Generation 1 cartoon, including the origin of Optimus Prime and [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] and showing the start of the [[Great War (G1)|Third Cybertronian War]].
*While the Decepticons often threaten or injure humans, this is the first time they are shown explicitly trying to kill them via a direct act (Starscream dropping them from the sky).
*Coincidental or not, this episode marks the return of Starscream after a three episode hiatus, after Megatron seriously injured him in "Hoist Goes Hollywood".
*Cybertron has a river!
*The Aerialbots essentially succumb to that old time travel cliché of becoming their own grandfather, as they're instrumental in the (re-)creation of their own creator, Optimus Prime.
[[File:DieDionDie.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Dion, dyin'.]]
*Dion's fate is never revealed in the episode. Fans speculated that he was also rebuilt and reformatted by Alpha Trion into a familiar character, with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] being the two most popular suspects. ''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' presented yet another outcome: he was rebuilt into... Dion. Ultimately, Hasbro confirmed years later that the character died from his wounds and was never rebuilt into anyone else.
*This episode is one of the two episodes before the [[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]] featuring a genuine [[female Transformer]].
*The headless guardian robot reactivated by Megatron and co. is totally the same one Megatron decapitated in the past, and the ruined building housing the Kronosphere is the very same warehouse the Aerialbots destroyed.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Starscream's interior apparently has enough room for <s>7</s> <s>14</s> 10 humans.
**Shockwave repairs the Guardian Robot with beams from his eye.
*The events of the minicomic "[[64 Cybertron Urban Defense Robot GADEP]]" take place around this time period, showing Megatron raiding more energon storage facilities.
*Dion's profile in ''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' #4, "[[Wings of Honor]]", gave a name to the specific area of the docks which Orion and the others worked. [[Storage yard 67]] was named for [[e-HOBBY]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Collector.27s Edition|Orion Pax]] and [[Dion (G1)#Collector.27s Edition|Dion]]'s [[List of Japanese ID numbers|Japanese identification number]].

===Real-world references===
*The sound effect in the opening shot, as the three Decepticon jets swoop past the camera, is a common one used in many Looney Tunes cartoons, particularly for the Roadrunner.
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effect:
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as Silverbolt explains the importance of the "stupid humans."
**''Falcon'' engine burst again as the Aerialbots take off on Cybertron.
**''Falcon'' engine burst again as Orion (one of those old bots who can't fly) flies up to attack Megatron.
**Some kind of blaster sound when Silverbolt fires at the fuel, and an [[X-wing Fighter|X-wing]] laser sound as his laser lands.
**Clashing [[lightsaber]]s as the fuel warehouse explodes.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:Orionpax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|More like Orion ''Lips'', huh huh?]]
[[File:WarDawn-SilverboltAndOP.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Orion Succulent Luscious Lips. And his buddy, Silipsverbolt.]]
[[File:WarDawn superion combination.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Aerialbots! Unite, and transform into... each other!"]]
*Throughout the episode, the characters' colors are somewhat grayed out and desaturated.
*The quality of the character artwork is noticeably low. Throughout the episode, characters frequently have odd proportions, imprecise delineation, fat necks, curves where they should have straight lines... and the animators display a real fondness for putting big round juicy lips on just about everybody, from the Aerialbots to Orion and company to Megatron. Despite all this, a few random closeups are drawn at a much higher level of quality, in the distinctive [[Toei Animation|Toei]] style.
*Rather than count all the times it happens, we'll simply note that Starscream is missing his wing Decepticon insignias in many, many shots.
*In the close-up shot of jet mode Silverbolt, he's flying with his landing gear down (odd in itself, plus it wasn't there in the shot immediately before), and his Autobot symbol is just a featureless red rectangle.
*The air battle is filled with errors:
**Slingshot is coloured like Air Raid when Skywarp is bearing down upon him
**Skydive fires purple lasers, instead of the usual Autobot orange, at Skywarp. When the lasers hit Skywarp in the next shot, they're orange.
**The black panels on Thundercracker's hull are mis-aligned as he flees from Slingshot and Fireflight.
**When Slingshot and Fireflight fly past the camera, Fireflight has three thrusters.
**Slingshot's cockpit is unpainted as they climb after Thundercracker.
**Starscream's air intakes are gray instead of red as he prepares to dump the humans.
**The same set of cries is recycled three times in a row as the hostages fall, and later on ''again'' for the Aerialbots as they're launched back in time.
**Starscream initially dumps 7 hostages. In the next shot, 14 hostages fall past the Aerialbots. In the shot after that, the Aerialbots rescue 10 hostages.
**And those "dignitaries" sure dress quite casual, especially the two that seem to sport mohawks! They must not have been at work when captured!
*Coloring errors:
**The top of Slingshot's head is consistently colored white in this episode, where it was orange in "The Key to Vector Sigma."
**While Megatron berates the Seekers for allowing the Aerialbots to defeat them, Starscream's lower right arm is coloured red instead of blue.
**Shockwave's chest window is colored the same purple as the rest of him as he flies over the loading docks.[[File:Wardawn wheeljack fixes kronosphere.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
**As Wheeljack works on the Kronosphere, the inside rims of Optimus's chest-windows are glass blue instead of red, and Wheeljack's "ears" are curved when they should be straight.
**As Alpha Trion decides to rename Ariel into Elita One, his chin is white rather than gray.

*Omega's tank component just flies off-screen when he transforms to base mode, and doesn't reappear (and it likewise flies in from off-screen when the same sequence is used in reverse on Cybertron.)
*The Autobots enter Omega's rocket component ''through the thruster'', which ignites like 1 second after they all walk in. Autobot flambé, anyone?
*Megatron's gun barrel is drawn bulbous and rounded as he communicates with Soundwave.
*The Decepticons exit the space bridge elevator not into Shockwave's spic and span [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Cybertron)|Decepticon Headquarters]] complex, but into a beat-up abandoned green building. Possibly the animators conflated 'con HQ with the warehouse where the Kronosphere is set up.
*Omega Supreme disappears in a couple of frames during his transformation sequence. A second later, the animation skips backwards so that Omega is shown lowering his arms to his side twice in a row.
*"Those Autobots are weird" - Skydive, Air Raid and Fireflight are all flying with their nose landing gear down.
*When Silverbolt notifies Prime about the other Aerialbots leaving with Starscream, Prime's smokestacks are drawn totally wrong (they're white instead of gray and are sort of melting into his trailer).
*"I don't buy that story about everything being the Decepticons' fault" - Slingshot's chest is too wide, and his arms and head are too small.
*When Fireflight asks Orion what he does, Orion is drawn mouthing the words.
*The bottom of the screen has thin black lines on it for several shots just after the Aerialbots meet Orion.
*When Orion and the Aerialbots enter the loading bay for the first time, we see a vehicle that shares Dion's [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] and colors unloading cargo. Right after that, Dion drives into the hangar from outside.
*Skydive explains to Fireflight why Megatron wouldn't recognize them 9 million years in the past. Skydive is then shown mouthing Fireflight's "Huh?" reaction to his own statement. Huh?
*The next few shots suffer from some choppy editing. The scene abruptly cuts away from Slingshot asking "So what's the big deal?" to Megatron and Orion at the warehouse. Dion's line "Oh wow, it's one of those flying robots" gets cut off by a shot change, as does the background music.
*The cube-bots take off into the air, but their flight sound effect gets cut off half-way through the shot.
*Ariel is shown with the Aerialbots running back to the warehouse, but she's already in it (and gets shot down by Megatron) before they arrive. That was reused from the scene when Silverbolt said "That was Megatron".
*When Ariel is shot by Megatron, her cel is not properly aligned with the background, so one of her legs floats over the energon cubes.
*After all the fuss over those "new robots who can fly", Orion gets a jet sound effect as he jumps up to attack Megatron.
*As Megatron flies out of the warehouse, his cannon is on his left arm.
[[File:WarDawn-ThundercrackerPounding.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Thundercracker (in addition to having the wrong voice) is missing the metallic flange in his voice as he notes how the guardian robots used to give the Decepticons "a pounding back in the old days." In the same shot, Skywarp's helmet seems to have been swapped with Megatron's.
*In the aerial shot of Megatron's transport drones entering the warehouse, they disappear before reaching the doorway.
*As the Aerialbots observe the drones entering the warehouse, the drones are colored like Dion rather than their correct olive green and purple. The error repeats a moment later as the last drones enter the warehouse.
*"...Then, blow it up." - the drones are shown driving in to the warehouse, in front of the cubes, but they're mislayered, miscolored and misplaced.

*When the Aerialbots return, they appear a few seconds apart for some reason. Silverbolt transforms immediately and is missing his side windows. The rest of the Aerialbots simply run out of the energy field, but they're also given transformation sounds (which doesn't make sense as they were already in their [[robot mode]]s in the past).
*As the Aerialbots start to form Superion, Slingshot and Fireflight form Superion's legs while Skydive and Air Raid form his arms. While this is different to their traditional placement, as Scramble City-type limbs, not altogether "wrong". However, once Superion is complete, Slingshot and Skydive have morphed into each other, likewise for Fireflight and Air Raid, resulting in the "normal" Superion.
*Megatron and the Decepticons fly out of the building, but the next shot shows them flying ''over'' the hole on the roof rather than ''through'' it.
*As the Autobots walk off into the sunset, Slingshot's canopy disappears.
*When originally broadcast, the audio for the entire second act of "War Dawn" played at a slightly pitched-down rate, deepening all the characters' voices not ''massively'', but certainly ''noticeably.'' [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]] corrected this when they released the episode on DVD, but unfortunately, when [[Shout! Factory]] went back to the broadcast masters for their original audio tracks, this error was re-introduced to their DVD of the episode. The uncorrected version was also uploaded to YouTube by Hasbro in 2021; unusually, since all the other episodes uploaded were the Rhino versions.

===Continuity errors===
[[File:WarDawn Silverboltairways.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''Splat'']]
[[File:Chronosphere.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|It's a chaise longue, but from... THE FUTURE!]]
*The humans the Seekers dump at the beginning of the episode somehow don't die after plummeting several hundred feet and landing on the metal bodies of the Aerialbots. Your wiki editors are [[Attack of the Autobots (episode)|somehow]] [[A Prime Problem|unsurprised]] [[A Plague of Insecticons|by this.]]
*It is unclear why the Aerialbots (bar Silverbolt) are so impressed by the Seekers considering the ease with which the Decepticons were defeated.
*Optimus Prime somehow knows exactly what the Kronosphere is doing despite the fact he was out of earshot when Megatron said it.
*Silverbolt's line "That was Megatron... I'm sure of it" makes no sense - Fireflight and Skydive already identified him several scenes earlier.
*Speaking of these scenes, it's not clear at all why the Aerialbots are rushing back to the docks because of Megatron - they were ''at the docks'' when Megatron flew past, and were never shown leaving; and why is Ariel with them? Did the animators think she was supposed to be included with the... Aerialbots?
*In "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]", Optimus Prime had no idea that Alpha Trion was his creator, despite the fact he has a direct interaction with him here.
*Skydive's assertion that "there's no way we can get out of here" seems dubious - they're a combiner team!
*Flashbacks in this episode depict the Autobots on Cybertron nine million years ago using [[energon cube]]s, despite the pre-movie cartoon's otherwise-consistent presentation of the cubes as the province of Decepticons alone, about which the Autobots knew nothing before 1984. The actual term "energon" is never used to refer to the cubes in this episode, however, so it may be an error on the animation level, rather than the scripting level.

===Trivia===
[[File:UltraMagnus-FloroDery3rdConcept-OrionPax.jpg|thumb|upright|upright=1.1]]
*Orion Pax's design appears to be based on an early Ultra Magnus concept–distinct from the Powered Convoy recolour that ultimately formed the basis for that character–by [[Floro Dery]].
*In an interview on the [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]] DVD set, writer David Wise says that the meeting between Orion Pax and Megatron happened differently in the original version of the script. Megatron was to blast Orion's arm off and then use it to decapitate him. Sunbow, fearing the scene was too violent, had it changed.
*Also according to David Wise, the addition of Orion Pax to the script was a fairly late one; originally, the victim of Megatron's first attack would have been a generic robot, but the idea that this generic was a young Optimus Prime was the idea that brought the rest of the episode together.<ref>David Wise at TFcon 2018</ref>
*In a separate interview, Wise stated that Ariel and Dion were both originally meant to die in the episode. He had been unaware of Elita One, and had not intended for her and Ariel to be the same character when he wrote the episode; the connection was added after the fact by the show's story editors.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20040806162116/iesb.net/collecting/collecting63004.htm Interview with David Wise]</ref>
*For whatever reason, voice actor [[John Stephenson]] wasn't in this episode and thus Thundercracker and Alpha Trion had different voices; Alpha Trion's voice was [[Corey Burton]]'s, and Thundercracker's was that of voice director [[Wally Burr]] (this could be explained by the Alpha Trion that appears in the episode being a younger version of the character, but there is no such excuse for Thundercracker). Burr also filled in as [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] in "[[Kremzeek!]]" and [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] in "[[Masquerade]]".
*When Skywarp gets shot down, he transforms to [[robot mode]]. The same animation is used again, recolored, when Thundercracker gets shot down... and two more times on Cybertron when the jets approach the Aerialbots to talk. Hey, who would ever notice?
*Footage from this episode was used to represent a historical video in "[[Transform and Roll Out]]", the opening movie for ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]''. Most notably, a shot of Dion shielding his eyes with his hand was used out of context to represent an Autobot saluting.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' "'''L'aube des temps'''" ("Dawn of Time")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast & European French DVD release):'' "'''La guerre du passé'''" ("The War of the Past")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*[[Olivier Destrez]] makes a big return. He was the voice of Spike during the first season, and has not been heard since ''[[Heavy Metal War]]''. In this episode, he only dubs Slingshot.
::*[[Albert Augier]] finally takes back Soundwave. [[Georges Atlas]] dubbed him during Augier's absence but kept him for several episodes after his return.
::*During the opening scene, the entirety of the dialogues of the Aerialbots and the Seekers is not dubbed. The only phrases are the Aerialbots saying "We have to understand why earthlings have problems with each other." (the opposite of the original idea), and another one answering "We'll see that later, we have fighters behind us!".
::*The conversation between the Aerialbots in plane mode when they arrive on Cybertron is entirely missing.
::*Optimus Prime's lines "Ten-to-one they're walking into a Decepticon trap." and "That's what you think, Megatron!" are missing.
::*Ironhide's phrase "That was before the war, they must be somewhere in the golden age of Cybertron" is dubbed by "That was around the Middle Age of Cybertron, just before the ''One Hundred Thousand Years' War''".
::*As usual, in order to avoid pronouncing their names, the Aerialbots say "Nice to meet you! We are Autobots. Aerialbots! We are, like, a little team".
::*When delivering the phrase "It's really a thrill to meet you sir!" to Megatron, [[Francis Lax]] only says "It's really a thrill to..." and heaves a big sigh of boredom instead of finishing the phrase. Hold on Francis, it's almost the end of season break!
::*Of course, "How much longer, Wheeljack?" becomes simply "How much longer?".
::*Superion's phrase "Now, Guardian." is missing.
::*For some reason, it's Francis Lax who deliver's Wheeljack's final phrase "What happened to you guys in the past anyway?", despite Albert Augier voicing him during all the episode.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Viaggio nel passato'''" ("Journey into the Past")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*At the beginning, when talking via screen to Soundwave, Megatron misnames the Aerialbot as the Autobots. The fact that he was asking if they were with the Autobots makes this pretty odd.
::*Ironhide's line: «They must be somewhere in the golden age of Cybertron» is badly cut.
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''L'alba della guerra'''" ("The Dawn of the War")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hikiokosareta Sensō'''" (ひきおこされた戦争, "The Caused War")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 12]], [[1986]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Huí dào Guòqù '''" (回到过去, "Return to the Past")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' '''?'''
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*This episode's original translated title is currently lost due to a glitch in the only known surviving copy of the audio track.

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Na zarye voiny'''" (На заре войны, "At the Dawn of the War")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

===Toys inspired by this episode===
[[File:G1-toy GADEP.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|right|GuArDian robot… ExPensive toy.]]
*'''''[[The Transformers: Collector's Edition|Collector's Edition]]'' 67 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Collector's Edition|Orion Pax]]''' ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]], 2005)
:[[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]] redecos of the original ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] [[Kup (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Kup]] and [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Wheelie (G1)#Toys|Wheelie]] toys, representing Orion Pax and Dion as they appeared in this episode... sort of. Not really. But still.

*'''''Collector's Edition'' 64 [[Guardian robot#Toys|GADEP]]''' (TakaraTomy, 2008)
:An e-HOBBY exclusive redeco of the original ''Generation 1'' [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Toys|Omega Supreme]] toy (specifically with the retooled head from TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' "reissue") in a color scheme inspired by the Guardian Robots seen in this episode.

*'''''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Dion (G1)#Timelines|Dion]]''' ([[Fun Publications]], 2010)
:A redeco of ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Hot Shot (Henkei!)#Toys|Hot Rod]] (itself a retool of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxe Class [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe (2008)|Hot Shot]]) representing Dion in the color scheme he sported in this episode, available as an exclusive free figure for members of the official [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. Also included is a redeco of Hot Rod/Hot Shot's [[gang-molding|gang-molded]] [[Mini-Con]] partner [[Jolt (Armada)#Universe (2008)|Jolt]] representing a "[[Micromaster]]" named [[Cop-Tur (G1)#Toys|Cop-Tur]] who is unrelated to this episode.

*'''''[[Kre-O]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#OrionPax|Orion Pax]]''' (Hasbro, 2014)
:The ''[[Transformers: Kre-O Character Encyclopedia]]'' came with an exclusive [[Kreon]] of Orion Pax, based on the cartoon model.

*'''''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Power of the Primes|Evolution Optimus Prime]]''' ([[Hasbro]], 2017) / '''PP-09 Optimus Prime''' (TakaraTomy, 2018)
:A Deluxe-sized toy representing Orion Pax based on his appearance in this episode that transforms into a truck cab based on ''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime's alternate mode, with a trailer that can combine with the cab into Orion's "evolved" form Optimus Prime.

*'''''[[Legacy (toyline)|Legacy]]'' A Hero is Born 2-pack (Hasbro, 2022)
:A 2-pack of Orion Pax, retooled and redecoed from ''[[Studio Series]] 86'' [[Kup]] and Alpha Trion, retooled and redecoed from ''[[Studio Series]] 86'' [[Scourge]]. It also includes [[Vector Sigma]] and its [[Key to Vector Sigma|Key]]. Vector Sigma is perched atop a removable translucent stand.

:The set was listed for sale as a [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2022]] exclusive, and began appearing in Hong Kong stores shortly afterwards.

*'''''[[Legacy (toyline)|Legacy: Evolution]]'' War Dawn 2-pack (Hasbro, 2023)
:A 2-pack of Dion, retooled and redecoed from ''[[Studio Series]] 86'' [[Kup]], and Ariel retooled and redecoed from ''[[Legacy (toyline)|Legacy]]'' [[Arcee (WFC)|"Prime Universe" Arcee]]. Ariel has been renamed to "Erial", likely for trademark purposes, and comes with a new accessory of a blaster modeled after the one Elita wields in "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]".

{{-}}

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1986 — ''The Transformers'' — Volume 12: "The Secret of Omega Supreme", "War Dawn", "A Plague of Insecticons" ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1986 — ''The Transformers'' — The Key to Vector Sigma & War Dawn ([[Video Gems|A.M.T. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''The Transformers'' — The Key to Vector Sigma & War Dawn ([[Video Gems|V.I.P. Video Gems]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 5: Return to Cybertron ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 7 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 3: Series 2.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — Le Fantôme dans la Machine ([[UFG Junior]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 06: Stagione Due Parte Quarta ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part Two (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=11TJU6X34JVEtZd1D6nquPVkAQNzlJYE8 Episode dialogue script]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kHW0qYdbqgrMoz-uZCqbyGJX8B9AdE2D/view?usp=drive_link Episode model sheets]

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

File:Transformers Tyco Electric Train Set Commercial.jpg

2023-09-24T03:17:25Z

Jackpot: Changed link

[[Decepticon]]s attack a power station defended by [[Autobot]]s and their secret weapon, "[[Electric Train and Battle Set|a speeding Transformers train]]!"

{{commercialscreencap|source=the [[Commercial/Generation_1#1985|commercial]] for ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' [[Electric Train and Battle Set]]|owner=[[Hasbro]] and/or [[Tyco]]}}

Electric Train and Battle Set

2023-09-24T03:15:54Z

Jackpot: /* Commercial appearances */

[[File:TycoElectricTrainAndBattleSetBoxArt.jpg‎|thumb|right|upright=2.2|Kid! Get off the track! GET OFF THE TRACK OH MY GOD NO WHYYYYYYYY]]

The '''Electric Train and Battle Set''' is an HO-scale model train set manufactured by [[Tyco]] in [[1985]]. The set includes a locomotive with a "Search Mode", a gondola with coal/"Proton Laser Cannon", a box car/"Weapon Center", and a caboose/"Hawkfighter", all in a matching silver paint scheme with a red stripe. The set additionally includes a number of static [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] figurines, the buildings for a power plant, track, a plastic layout mat, and a power pack.

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Renegade Rhetoric===
In [[Jasper]], [[Nevada]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] stole the D-5 supertrain. A [[June Darby|local nurse]] reported the theft, allowing [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and the other Autobot [[Spychanger|Spy Changers]] to intercept the train. [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and Wheeljack were diverted by [[Crash Test (G2)|Crash Test]], who knocked a building onto [[Chi Chi|two]] [[Ding Dong (Prime)|cats]], allowing [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] to escape with the train.

When next the Autobots caught up to the Decepticons, they had mastered the D-5's abilities. The locomotive's Search Mode enabled the Decepticons to locate the Autobots, allowing the Hawkfighter and the Proton Laser Canon to be brought to bear. Prowl was able to activate the train's [[Sixtrain! Activate Red Mode!!|Red Mode]], a self-destruct protocol. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:Transformers Tyco Electric Train Set Commercial.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Whoever designed actual character models for those [[#Robots|tiny throwaway figures]], we salute you.]]
When Decepticons teleported in to attack a command post and power station, Autobot defenders fought back with the aid of their secret weapon, a "speeding Transformers train" controlled by [[you]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Electric Train Set commercial|Electric Train Set commercial}}
{{-}}

==History==
[[File:TycoElectricTrainAndBattleSet.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|So get your next of kin, your sister, and your friends.]]
In the 1980s, [[Tyco]] released five licensed sets (''Transformers'', ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'', ''{{w|A-Team|The A-Team}}'', and ''{{w|Rambo}}''), some of which shared various rolling stock and other parts with one another.

Many collectors attribute the component reuse to Tyco's financial troubles in the mid-1980s. At the time, the company was suffering from low sales and interest in trains, and they needed something to revitalize the market. The licensed trains were seen as a part of this, though Tyco didn't wish to spend a great deal of money. Thus, they reused as much as possible for each set, thereby saving on tooling and production costs. Cosmetically, the four main sets (excluding the A-Team one) were virtually identical; the Transformers train set did include a newly designed caboose, however.

Early runs of the Transformers train often contain parts from the other sets, including (though not limited to) carriages, vinyl maps, soldiers, and even decals. This suggests that all of the licensed sets were being assembled on the same production line. The Transformers train set does still hold some value to train collectors, however, largely because it was only produced for three years.
{{-}}

==Components==
The main focus of the set was the transforming engine and cars and the small plastic generic robots that interacted with them.

===Locomotive===
[[File:TRAIN0.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Amazing!]]
The locomotive was a slightly modified working switch engine. It transformed into "Search Mode" by lifting a hinged panel on the front-left side of the diesel engine and raising a ball-and-socket mounted concave plank on top; the transformation did not hinder the operation of the engine in any way.
{{-}}

===Gondola Car===
[[File:TRAIN1.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Truly the pinnacle of 80s engineering.]]
The gondola car came with a plank that represented a pile of coal on one side and a non-firing "Proton Laser Cannon" on the other. The cannon was mounted on to the underside of the coal by a small peg which allowed it to swivel horizontally. Another hinge allowed it to raise vertically. Swiveling the cannon too far to one side or the other without weighing down the gondola car resulted in the car tipping. This gondola car is structurally the same one used in the "M.A.S.K." set, but the coloration was changed for the Transformers set.
{{-}}

===Box Car===
[[File:TRAIN2.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.1|This is every bit as awesome as it looks.]]
The box car unfolded into a "Weapon Center" in which the included figures could fit. Both sides were identical, except for the spot on top where a box with a concave dish mount could be affixed. The weapon center consisted of two overhangs and two boxes with window slats attached by hinges that allowed the boxes to swivel 180 degrees for a wide variety of configurations.
{{-}}

===Caboose===
[[File:TRAIN3.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Caboose is the only one with a proper robot mode. He turns into a "Hawkfighter". With eyes. And a beak.]]
The caboose transforms into a "Hawkfighter." The wheels at the front of the caboose fold down to allow the robot mode to continue rolling on the tracks while giving it a perched or launching appearance.

The cut of the stickers for the caboose only allows for them to be applied with the broad red stripe flanked by the two narrow black stripes on bottom, while the stickers for the engine bearing the G1 "The Trans Formers More Than Meets The Eye" slogan is only right-side up if positioned with the broad red stripe on the top.
{{-}}

===Robots===
[[File:G1-toy TycoTrainDecepticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|]]
The twenty-four non-transforming "Transformer" figures included in the set consist of six distinct molds in [[:File:Tyco H.K Robots.JPG|metallic silver (Autobots) and metallic blue (Decepticons)]]. The box and 1985 Tyco catalog assert that each set was supposed to include six Autobots and eighteen Decepticons. But in practice, the sets seemed to include semi-random quantities of figures, but always heavily weighted towards Decepticon blue, making the silver ones much harder to come across today.

At least two of the designs are lifted from other Japanese giant robot franchises: the spindly one with the shield on its left arm (top center in the image to the right) is based on the "L-Gaim" from ''{{w|Heavy Metal L-Gaim}}'', while the tallest, blockiest one (bottom center) is the "Irongear" from ''{{w|Combat Mecha Xabungle}}''. (The original Irongear actually does transform into a big space battleship so it fits in that way at least!)

It's ''likely'' the other four designs are also lifted/"adapted" from other toylines/anime, but we've yet to identify them if they are.

{{-}}

===Setting===
The play mat depicted a small dam in a grassy and wooded area with a road and parking lot. The card-stock power station, plant, and two power line towers were meant to be placed around this, though a convincing layout that also left room for the standard oval-track layout was difficult to achieve.

==Notes==
*The version of the Electric Train and Battle Set packaging seen in the 1985 Tyco catalog describes the "Hawkfighter" as a "Battlestar Ship", despite the catalog text using the final name. Conversely, the catalog text inaccurately describes the locomotive's "Search Mode" as an "Early Warning Center".
*The package art depicts the train as using the more standard X2F "horn-hook" coupler, but the actual toy uses a simplistic semi-operating (It's not a dummy, but the knuckle is not a separate independently articulated piece) knuckle coupler unique to the licensed Tyco sets.
*In a truly mind-boggling coincidence, the Electric Train and Battle Set's HO scale renders it compatible with [[TakaraTomy]]'s high end [[The Transformers: Masterpiece#Masterpiece G Series|''Masterpiece G Series'']] rendition of the [[Trainbot]]s, the ''Transformers'' brand's second foray into model trains some 37 years later.

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9I--mqbAI Decent-quality copy of the commercial via TFRaw]
*[http://ho-scaletrains.net/tycotrains/id55.html Article on license-based Tyco trains at HO-Scaletrains.net]
*[http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycocatalogs/id20.html 1985 Tyco catalog scans]
*[http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycocatalogs/id19.html 1986 Tyco catalog scans]

[[Category:Merchandise]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]

Electric Train and Battle Set

2023-09-24T02:49:26Z

Jackpot: /* Commercial appearances */ Changed image link

[[File:TycoElectricTrainAndBattleSetBoxArt.jpg‎|thumb|right|upright=2.2|Kid! Get off the track! GET OFF THE TRACK OH MY GOD NO WHYYYYYYYY]]

The '''Electric Train and Battle Set''' is an HO-scale model train set manufactured by [[Tyco]] in [[1985]]. The set includes a locomotive with a "Search Mode", a gondola with coal/"Proton Laser Cannon", a box car/"Weapon Center", and a caboose/"Hawkfighter", all in a matching silver paint scheme with a red stripe. The set additionally includes a number of static [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] figurines, the buildings for a power plant, track, a plastic layout mat, and a power pack.

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Renegade Rhetoric===
In [[Jasper]], [[Nevada]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] stole the D-5 supertrain. A [[June Darby|local nurse]] reported the theft, allowing [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and the other Autobot [[Spychanger|Spy Changers]] to intercept the train. [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and Wheeljack were diverted by [[Crash Test (G2)|Crash Test]], who knocked a building onto [[Chi Chi|two]] [[Ding Dong (Prime)|cats]], allowing [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] to escape with the train.

When next the Autobots caught up to the Decepticons, they had mastered the D-5's abilities. The locomotive's Search Mode enabled the Decepticons to locate the Autobots, allowing the Hawkfighter and the Proton Laser Canon to be brought to bear. Prowl was able to activate the train's [[Sixtrain! Activate Red Mode!!|Red Mode]], a self-destruct protocol. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:Transformers Tyco Electric Train Set Commercial.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Whoever designed actual character models for those [[#Robots|tiny throwaway figures]], we salute you.]]
When Decepticons teleported in to attack a power station, Autobot defenders fought back with the aid of their secret weapon, a "speeding Transformers train." {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Electric Train Set commercial|Electric Train Set commercial}}
{{-}}

==History==
[[File:TycoElectricTrainAndBattleSet.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|So get your next of kin, your sister, and your friends.]]
In the 1980s, [[Tyco]] released five licensed sets (''Transformers'', ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'', ''{{w|A-Team|The A-Team}}'', and ''{{w|Rambo}}''), some of which shared various rolling stock and other parts with one another.

Many collectors attribute the component reuse to Tyco's financial troubles in the mid-1980s. At the time, the company was suffering from low sales and interest in trains, and they needed something to revitalize the market. The licensed trains were seen as a part of this, though Tyco didn't wish to spend a great deal of money. Thus, they reused as much as possible for each set, thereby saving on tooling and production costs. Cosmetically, the four main sets (excluding the A-Team one) were virtually identical; the Transformers train set did include a newly designed caboose, however.

Early runs of the Transformers train often contain parts from the other sets, including (though not limited to) carriages, vinyl maps, soldiers, and even decals. This suggests that all of the licensed sets were being assembled on the same production line. The Transformers train set does still hold some value to train collectors, however, largely because it was only produced for three years.
{{-}}

==Components==
The main focus of the set was the transforming engine and cars and the small plastic generic robots that interacted with them.

===Locomotive===
[[File:TRAIN0.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Amazing!]]
The locomotive was a slightly modified working switch engine. It transformed into "Search Mode" by lifting a hinged panel on the front-left side of the diesel engine and raising a ball-and-socket mounted concave plank on top; the transformation did not hinder the operation of the engine in any way.
{{-}}

===Gondola Car===
[[File:TRAIN1.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Truly the pinnacle of 80s engineering.]]
The gondola car came with a plank that represented a pile of coal on one side and a non-firing "Proton Laser Cannon" on the other. The cannon was mounted on to the underside of the coal by a small peg which allowed it to swivel horizontally. Another hinge allowed it to raise vertically. Swiveling the cannon too far to one side or the other without weighing down the gondola car resulted in the car tipping. This gondola car is structurally the same one used in the "M.A.S.K." set, but the coloration was changed for the Transformers set.
{{-}}

===Box Car===
[[File:TRAIN2.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.1|This is every bit as awesome as it looks.]]
The box car unfolded into a "Weapon Center" in which the included figures could fit. Both sides were identical, except for the spot on top where a box with a concave dish mount could be affixed. The weapon center consisted of two overhangs and two boxes with window slats attached by hinges that allowed the boxes to swivel 180 degrees for a wide variety of configurations.
{{-}}

===Caboose===
[[File:TRAIN3.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Caboose is the only one with a proper robot mode. He turns into a "Hawkfighter". With eyes. And a beak.]]
The caboose transforms into a "Hawkfighter." The wheels at the front of the caboose fold down to allow the robot mode to continue rolling on the tracks while giving it a perched or launching appearance.

The cut of the stickers for the caboose only allows for them to be applied with the broad red stripe flanked by the two narrow black stripes on bottom, while the stickers for the engine bearing the G1 "The Trans Formers More Than Meets The Eye" slogan is only right-side up if positioned with the broad red stripe on the top.
{{-}}

===Robots===
[[File:G1-toy TycoTrainDecepticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|]]
The twenty-four non-transforming "Transformer" figures included in the set consist of six distinct molds in [[:File:Tyco H.K Robots.JPG|metallic silver (Autobots) and metallic blue (Decepticons)]]. The box and 1985 Tyco catalog assert that each set was supposed to include six Autobots and eighteen Decepticons. But in practice, the sets seemed to include semi-random quantities of figures, but always heavily weighted towards Decepticon blue, making the silver ones much harder to come across today.

At least two of the designs are lifted from other Japanese giant robot franchises: the spindly one with the shield on its left arm (top center in the image to the right) is based on the "L-Gaim" from ''{{w|Heavy Metal L-Gaim}}'', while the tallest, blockiest one (bottom center) is the "Irongear" from ''{{w|Combat Mecha Xabungle}}''. (The original Irongear actually does transform into a big space battleship so it fits in that way at least!)

It's ''likely'' the other four designs are also lifted/"adapted" from other toylines/anime, but we've yet to identify them if they are.

{{-}}

===Setting===
The play mat depicted a small dam in a grassy and wooded area with a road and parking lot. The card-stock power station, plant, and two power line towers were meant to be placed around this, though a convincing layout that also left room for the standard oval-track layout was difficult to achieve.

==Notes==
*The version of the Electric Train and Battle Set packaging seen in the 1985 Tyco catalog describes the "Hawkfighter" as a "Battlestar Ship", despite the catalog text using the final name. Conversely, the catalog text inaccurately describes the locomotive's "Search Mode" as an "Early Warning Center".
*The package art depicts the train as using the more standard X2F "horn-hook" coupler, but the actual toy uses a simplistic semi-operating (It's not a dummy, but the knuckle is not a separate independently articulated piece) knuckle coupler unique to the licensed Tyco sets.
*In a truly mind-boggling coincidence, the Electric Train and Battle Set's HO scale renders it compatible with [[TakaraTomy]]'s high end [[The Transformers: Masterpiece#Masterpiece G Series|''Masterpiece G Series'']] rendition of the [[Trainbot]]s, the ''Transformers'' brand's second foray into model trains some 37 years later.

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9I--mqbAI Decent-quality copy of the commercial via TFRaw]
*[http://ho-scaletrains.net/tycotrains/id55.html Article on license-based Tyco trains at HO-Scaletrains.net]
*[http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycocatalogs/id20.html 1985 Tyco catalog scans]
*[http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycocatalogs/id19.html 1986 Tyco catalog scans]

[[Category:Merchandise]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]

File:Transformers Tyco Electric Train Set Commercial.jpg

2023-09-24T02:46:49Z

Jackpot: Jackpot uploaded a new version of "File:Transformers Tyco Electric Train Set Commercial.jpg": Retrying upload

[[Decepticon]]s attack a power station defended by [[Autobot]]s and their secret weapon, "a speeding [[Transformer]]s train!"

{{commercialscreencap|source=the [[Commercial/Generation_1#1985|commercial]] for ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' [[Electric Train and Battle Set]]|owner=[[Hasbro]] and/or [[Tyco]]}}

File:Transformers Tyco Electric Train Set Commercial.jpg

2023-09-24T02:40:50Z

Jackpot: Tightened up description & beefed up Commercial template

File:Transformers Tyco Electric Train Set Commercial.jpg

2023-09-24T02:32:26Z

Jackpot: Jackpot uploaded a new version of "File:Transformers Tyco Electric Train Set Commercial.jpg": Replaced frames with better views of character models, plus a new frame with characters not seen at all in previous version.

A series of scenes from the animated portion of the commercial for the ''The Transformers'' [[Electric Train and Battle Set]] by [[Tyco]]. Of course.

Top left: Two [[generic]] Decepticons teleport in to invade "the command post".

Top right: Two even more generic Autobots return fire.

Bottom left: Another generic Autobot steps in to help after the yellow detailed Autobot gets blasted away.

Bottom right: A "Transformers train" speeds in to aid the Autobot counterattack.

{{commercialscreencap|source=the commercial for ''The Transformers'' Electric Train and Battle Set by Tyco}}

Electric Train and Battle Set

2023-09-24T02:22:29Z

Jackpot: Added commercial image & revised description

[[File:TycoElectricTrainAndBattleSetBoxArt.jpg‎|thumb|right|upright=2.2|Kid! Get off the track! GET OFF THE TRACK OH MY GOD NO WHYYYYYYYY]]

The '''Electric Train and Battle Set''' is an HO-scale model train set manufactured by [[Tyco]] in [[1985]]. The set includes a locomotive with a "Search Mode", a gondola with coal/"Proton Laser Cannon", a box car/"Weapon Center", and a caboose/"Hawkfighter", all in a matching silver paint scheme with a red stripe. The set additionally includes a number of static [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] figurines, the buildings for a power plant, track, a plastic layout mat, and a power pack.

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Renegade Rhetoric===
In [[Jasper]], [[Nevada]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] stole the D-5 supertrain. A [[June Darby|local nurse]] reported the theft, allowing [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and the other Autobot [[Spychanger|Spy Changers]] to intercept the train. [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and Wheeljack were diverted by [[Crash Test (G2)|Crash Test]], who knocked a building onto [[Chi Chi|two]] [[Ding Dong (Prime)|cats]], allowing [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] to escape with the train.

When next the Autobots caught up to the Decepticons, they had mastered the D-5's abilities. The locomotive's Search Mode enabled the Decepticons to locate the Autobots, allowing the Hawkfighter and the Proton Laser Canon to be brought to bear. Prowl was able to activate the train's [[Sixtrain! Activate Red Mode!!|Red Mode]], a self-destruct protocol. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:TycoTrainset_Commercial.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Whoever designed actual character models for those [[#Robots|tiny throwaway figures]], we salute you.]]
When Decepticons teleported in to attack a power station, Autobot defenders fought back with the aid of their secret weapon, a "speeding Transformers train." {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Electric Train Set commercial|Electric Train Set commercial}}
{{-}}

==History==
[[File:TycoElectricTrainAndBattleSet.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|So get your next of kin, your sister, and your friends.]]
In the 1980s, [[Tyco]] released five licensed sets (''Transformers'', ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'', ''{{w|A-Team|The A-Team}}'', and ''{{w|Rambo}}''), some of which shared various rolling stock and other parts with one another.

Many collectors attribute the component reuse to Tyco's financial troubles in the mid-1980s. At the time, the company was suffering from low sales and interest in trains, and they needed something to revitalize the market. The licensed trains were seen as a part of this, though Tyco didn't wish to spend a great deal of money. Thus, they reused as much as possible for each set, thereby saving on tooling and production costs. Cosmetically, the four main sets (excluding the A-Team one) were virtually identical; the Transformers train set did include a newly designed caboose, however.

Early runs of the Transformers train often contain parts from the other sets, including (though not limited to) carriages, vinyl maps, soldiers, and even decals. This suggests that all of the licensed sets were being assembled on the same production line. The Transformers train set does still hold some value to train collectors, however, largely because it was only produced for three years.
{{-}}

==Components==
The main focus of the set was the transforming engine and cars and the small plastic generic robots that interacted with them.

===Locomotive===
[[File:TRAIN0.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Amazing!]]
The locomotive was a slightly modified working switch engine. It transformed into "Search Mode" by lifting a hinged panel on the front-left side of the diesel engine and raising a ball-and-socket mounted concave plank on top; the transformation did not hinder the operation of the engine in any way.
{{-}}

===Gondola Car===
[[File:TRAIN1.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Truly the pinnacle of 80s engineering.]]
The gondola car came with a plank that represented a pile of coal on one side and a non-firing "Proton Laser Cannon" on the other. The cannon was mounted on to the underside of the coal by a small peg which allowed it to swivel horizontally. Another hinge allowed it to raise vertically. Swiveling the cannon too far to one side or the other without weighing down the gondola car resulted in the car tipping. This gondola car is structurally the same one used in the "M.A.S.K." set, but the coloration was changed for the Transformers set.
{{-}}

===Box Car===
[[File:TRAIN2.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.1|This is every bit as awesome as it looks.]]
The box car unfolded into a "Weapon Center" in which the included figures could fit. Both sides were identical, except for the spot on top where a box with a concave dish mount could be affixed. The weapon center consisted of two overhangs and two boxes with window slats attached by hinges that allowed the boxes to swivel 180 degrees for a wide variety of configurations.
{{-}}

===Caboose===
[[File:TRAIN3.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Caboose is the only one with a proper robot mode. He turns into a "Hawkfighter". With eyes. And a beak.]]
The caboose transforms into a "Hawkfighter." The wheels at the front of the caboose fold down to allow the robot mode to continue rolling on the tracks while giving it a perched or launching appearance.

The cut of the stickers for the caboose only allows for them to be applied with the broad red stripe flanked by the two narrow black stripes on bottom, while the stickers for the engine bearing the G1 "The Trans Formers More Than Meets The Eye" slogan is only right-side up if positioned with the broad red stripe on the top.
{{-}}

===Robots===
[[File:G1-toy TycoTrainDecepticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|]]
The twenty-four non-transforming "Transformer" figures included in the set consist of six distinct molds in [[:File:Tyco H.K Robots.JPG|metallic silver (Autobots) and metallic blue (Decepticons)]]. The box and 1985 Tyco catalog assert that each set was supposed to include six Autobots and eighteen Decepticons. But in practice, the sets seemed to include semi-random quantities of figures, but always heavily weighted towards Decepticon blue, making the silver ones much harder to come across today.

At least two of the designs are lifted from other Japanese giant robot franchises: the spindly one with the shield on its left arm (top center in the image to the right) is based on the "L-Gaim" from ''{{w|Heavy Metal L-Gaim}}'', while the tallest, blockiest one (bottom center) is the "Irongear" from ''{{w|Combat Mecha Xabungle}}''. (The original Irongear actually does transform into a big space battleship so it fits in that way at least!)

It's ''likely'' the other four designs are also lifted/"adapted" from other toylines/anime, but we've yet to identify them if they are.

{{-}}

===Setting===
The play mat depicted a small dam in a grassy and wooded area with a road and parking lot. The card-stock power station, plant, and two power line towers were meant to be placed around this, though a convincing layout that also left room for the standard oval-track layout was difficult to achieve.

==Notes==
*The version of the Electric Train and Battle Set packaging seen in the 1985 Tyco catalog describes the "Hawkfighter" as a "Battlestar Ship", despite the catalog text using the final name. Conversely, the catalog text inaccurately describes the locomotive's "Search Mode" as an "Early Warning Center".
*The package art depicts the train as using the more standard X2F "horn-hook" coupler, but the actual toy uses a simplistic semi-operating (It's not a dummy, but the knuckle is not a separate independently articulated piece) knuckle coupler unique to the licensed Tyco sets.
*In a truly mind-boggling coincidence, the Electric Train and Battle Set's HO scale renders it compatible with [[TakaraTomy]]'s high end [[The Transformers: Masterpiece#Masterpiece G Series|''Masterpiece G Series'']] rendition of the [[Trainbot]]s, the ''Transformers'' brand's second foray into model trains some 37 years later.

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9I--mqbAI Decent-quality copy of the commercial via TFRaw]
*[http://ho-scaletrains.net/tycotrains/id55.html Article on license-based Tyco trains at HO-Scaletrains.net]
*[http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycocatalogs/id20.html 1985 Tyco catalog scans]
*[http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycocatalogs/id19.html 1986 Tyco catalog scans]

[[Category:Merchandise]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]

Talk:The Transformers: The Movie

2023-09-16T01:53:56Z

Jackpot: /* The Original Script */

==Another variation==
Hmm, that's odd. The version of the DVD I have has the scrolling text, the "Optimus Prime will return" voiceover, AND the part where Spike lets an "oh shit" slip.
-----------
I saw a Variation on the HUB Network in 2012, that had an extra 2-5 minute voice over that said something like the following "4 million years ago the Autobots and Decepticons crashed landed on Earth, they awoke in the year 1984, and a war started, in the years that followed the Decepticons have defeated the Autobots, it is now 2005, and the Autobots are on the verge of extinction." then the movie started as normal with Unicron eating the planet, then the opening title, then the Narrator doing the "It is the year 2005 and ....."
-------------

==aspect ratio==

When the movie was released it was in 1.78.1 widescreen, But it was animated in 1.33.1 (4:3)
I think widescreen was its original ratio in cinema.
Which is correct? [[User:Asda|Asda]] ([[User talk:Asda|talk]]) 04:02, 3 October 2015 (EDT)
:I don't know what you think you're saying. The movie was animated in fullscreen, then it was cut down from there to widescreen for cinemas. This is what the article says, this is what happened. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] ([[User talk:Chris McFeely|talk]]) 07:59, 3 October 2015 (EDT)

==Shockwave==
Did he die or what? I remember hearing that the original script EXPLICITLY says that he died when Unicron crushed the building he was in, but the actual finished movie is considerably more vague about this... [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 13:53, 16 March 2006 (UTC)
:According to the TFTM script:

ANGLE ON CYBERTRON

Unicron enters shot and grasps at Cybertron with a hideous claw...

ANGLE ON A TOWER ON CYBERTRON

Shockwave talks into a communications device, as alarms sound and troopers run everywhere.

SHOCKWAVE:
Decepticons...we're under attack...Scramble -

Then his voice is cut off as...

SHOCKWAVE'S POV - OUT HIS WINDOW

Unicron's hand reaches towards the window, squeezes, and the walls crash in.

SPACE - UNICRON AND CYBERTRON

Unicron tears off the tower and crushes it as...

A FLEET OF DECEPTICON SHIPS

streak out of Cybertron and begin firing on the enormous planet.

Here, we see the true scale of Unicron. The fighters are the size of bees as they attack.

-- While Shockwave's character model sometimes appeared in the third season (once in grey, once in Constructicon Green), I'm not sure that a properly-colored Shockwave ever showed up post-movie - not that that would necessarily mean anything in light of Evil Zombie Brawn And Huffer from Carnage In C Minor. --[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 18:47, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

*That's pretty much what I figured. Shockwave kindasorta dies, and doesn't show up properly ever again, so you could argue that he's dead. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 19:43, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

He doesn't even kindasorta die in the final cut of the movie. He just has that one shot then we never see him again. No tower-crushy, no nothing. So it can really be argued either way. [[User:M Sipher|M "I'd Hesitate To Make A Call Either WAy" Sipher]]

Could those season 3 episodes Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 and Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 animation errors be his clones?.

==German Dub==

Does anyone know who spoke all the roles in the german dubbing? i can't find that info anywhere on the net, and neither on the german dvd :(

:You should not look for the cast of the dvd version because, first the dub is tital crap, second the voiceactors are unknown, there are no information which studio did the dub nor who directed the dub. You can find the dublist here: http://215072.homepagemodules.de/t511208f11776731-Transformers-Kampf-um-Cybertron.html

==The?==
Shouldn't this article be called "The Transformers: The Movie"? That is the film's full title, isn't it? --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 06:39, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

==Here's a question.==

Do we really need the (1986) at the end of this? It's not like "Transformers: The Movie" redirects to a disambiguation page with this and the '07 movie, or that the '07 movie is titled something different. It just seems...redundant, don't you think? There's only 'one' TFTM, and this is it. That, and I highly doubt there's gonna be another "Transformers: The Movie" within the next five or even ten years--when this Wiki would, realistically, still be operating. So yeah. Shouldn't we can that?
:[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)]] exists. As will "The Transformers: The Animated Movie (comic)" for the current adaptation when someone gets around to it. We do need to have a disambiguation system for them though. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 02:37, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
::I agree with the above, but am inclined to say this article still doesn't need a paranthetical in its title, it being far more prominant than the other Transformers: The Movies. Of course, the last time I moved an article that has disambiguation to the non-parenthetical location I got a bunch of people saying "WTF?" even though that's what [[Help:Disambiguation]] has said to do since I wrote it back at the dawn of time. (See "Talk:Constructicon".) --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 06:28, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
::Walky's point: Then I don't really see the relevance of the year. On top of that, all of those have different titles; there's no real conflict. It's kinda the same principle as [[Kremzeek]] and [[Kremzeek!]]. Just note that the reader may be looking for whatever at the top. [[User:Interrobang|Interrobang]] 09:46, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

== Worth Noting...somewhere ==

I found my old VHS version of the movie, and it refers to the Decepticons reformatted by Unicron as the "Unicrons." Just wanted to point that out. -- [[User:Hunter-113|Hunter-113]] 18:00, 18 June 2007 (UTC)
:Though officially publishedd, the Aaustralian character bios are generally ignored because-- Bwuh?
:Hasbro/Dreamworks recently put out some bios of the movie characters-- describing half the cast in terms of their cartoon versions, including events that did not occur in the movie. At some point you have to say "no, there's no point in trying to integrate that."
:I think poorly-conceived DVD extras (or VHS extras as the case may be) since they really don't stand on their own but only reflect the producer's (often limited) understanding of the source material are one of those ignored-unless-useful things. (It's also why we don't cover the Dinobots seldom-seen combiner mode. *shudder*) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 19:24, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

::The Dinobots'... what? -[[User:Rotty|Rotty]] 20:07, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

:::I've heard of that combiner, my friend said it had no head. Anyways, I got that info off the synopsis from the back of the VHS Case. -- [[User:Hunter-113|Hunter-113]] 20:52, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

::::Yeah, this has nothing to do with "Australian character bios" Deirk. The "Unicrons" thing comes from the back of the Rhino VHS case. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 21:59, 18 June 2007 (UTC)
:::::I believe it was an Australian video release which tried to use its weight to assert that yes, Skywarp is definitely Cyclonus. Or maybe Bombshell. I don't remember which. But whichever way, it was totally inappropriate. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 02:50, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

::::::No, seriously... Dinobots'... what?--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 03:11, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
:::::::I don't recall which country, or whether it was TF:TM or the cartoon, but some non-US DVD release included a comic book in which the Dinobots combined. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 03:35, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
:::::::Metrodome's Season 3 DVD's, wasn't it? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 05:02, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
::::::::You got to be kidding. That's certainly worth a mention, er, somewhere. On the Dinobots page. Trivia tab. With a scan.--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 06:32, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
:::::::::But ti was the most vapid, stupidest, mis-concieved-idea-of-cool addition to the canon ever! -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 10:03, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
::::::::::Ugh, seriously. Kindly note that for all I did with Metrodome, I had ''nothing'' to do with that!! - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 10:06, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
:::::::::::Did the story ever end? I thought it was a deliberate cliffhanger- which really reinforces how the entire concept was "wouldn't it be cool if?" and there was no story to tell. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 10:15, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
::::::::::::Yeah, it was a two-parter. Part 1 was in Season 2, Part 2, then part 2 was in Season 3/4. Basically, everyone runs like crap from "The Beast," and then Prime tricks it into falling off a cliff. Sigh. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 10:19, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

:::::::::::::::the Dinobots seem to be doing a lot of that combining these days, must be a thing going around lol [[User:Tony Spike|Tony Spike]] ([[User talk:Tony Spike|talk]]) 06:53, 9 April 2018 (EDT)

== Japanese name ==

What is it exactly? --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 18:47, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
:Not "Matrix Forever". --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 19:04, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
::I am guessing some translation of "The Transformers: The Movie." --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 19:29, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
:::Transliteration, actually. トランスフォーマーザ・ムービー, which comes out to "Toransufōmā za Mūbī". [[User:Interrobang|Interrobang]] 19:36, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

== Widescreen ==

Derik: No, the screen is definitely cut off the top for the "widescreen." Look at the scene where you see through Perceptor's ''micro''-scope at the approaching Decepticons. The bars at the top of his vision display the difference perfectly. You can count the bars to see the difference between them. Oddly enough, your picture certainly looks stretched... --[[User:70.190.251.10|70.190.251.10]] 03:49, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

:I've for some time wondered what aspect ratio this movie is best viewed in, and suspect that while intended as 4:3, given that widescreen presentations reveal at least a bit more edge, the film is ideally considered something between 4:3 and 1.85:1, say 1.66:1? I'll have to to rip my DVD and make a comparative study with my HD copy to see what's best, though there are some good comparisons on-line:[http://www.hometheaterforum.com/topic/234130-the-transformers-the-movie-1986-20th-anniversary-dvd/page-7], [http://www.cybernetspacecube.com/tftm/technical_details.shtml]. If they ever release it to Blu-ray in the US, I'd prefer they get this right once and for all. (But then why release it to Blu-ray in the States? It would of course not sell at all(?!)

1.77:1 aka 16:9 is fine. The animation while sometimes painting outside of this ratio, was animated with this ratio in mind. 99% of films that are shown on TV or in the Cinema in the 16:9 aspect ratio and weren't made in the last 10 years, were photographed in 4:3 but with the intention that they would have top and bottom of the picture cropped off. The cinematography takes this into account. The reason there is stuff outside the 16:9 border is so a 4:3 transfer would be "Acceptable" but it is not preferred. [[User:Siccoyote|Siccoyote]] ([[User talk:Siccoyote|talk]]) 16:51, 13 January 2016 (EST)

== Caption Quotes ==

The pic of Megatron with a lightsaber has a Jedi quote instead of a New Hope quote. Do we care? [[User:JW|JW]] 22:17, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
:I care! --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:09, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
:"An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age". That's from ''A New Hope''. Good enough? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 23:13, 19 November 2007 (UTC)
[sigh] Now the pic of the Junkions dancing has a Jedi quote instead of a New Hope quote . . . [[User:JW|JW]] 13:39, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

== Poster Caption ==

Hm,, I'm thinking about changing the caption on the poster at the top to "If your favorite Transformers character isn't on this poster, it's best to start grieving now." The current caption is just a bit misleading, since none of the characters on the poster died (as they were all brand new toys (except for [[Arcee (G1)|the ones who didn't get toys]])). [[User:JW|JW]] 01:31, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
:That's not quite true. Unicron died. And so did Ultra Magnus, but he got better. -- [[User:Dark T Zeratul|Dark T Zeratul]] 01:40, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
::I'm not sure how the suggested new caption is any less misleading. My favorite Transformers characters are Jazz and Bumblebee! Also, Hound. Probably Nightbeat. I think I'm okay. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 02:14, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
Wanted: A caption for that poster pic that both A) points out that all the characters on the poster are brand new and never-been-seen-before (since I think that's an important bit of info), and also B) preserves the current caption's comment on how "all your favorite characters" die. Suggestions? [[User:JW|JW]] 03:15, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

"Who the hell are those guys and where's Prime?" Or stick with the current, honestly. - Some Guy 22 March 2008

What about a caption pointing out that the only major characters on the poster are Galvatron and Unicron? It shows Ultra Magnus in the spotlight, and while he kicked some aft at the Battle of Autobot City, he was not the hero. The heroes were Optimus and Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime. Rodimus Prime, whom we could call, "Sir Not-Appearing-On-This-Poster." So the poster is a bit misleading, and as good pedants we should point that out somewhere. [[User:ZeldaTheSwordsman|ZeldaTheSwordsman]] 12:01, 4 October 2009 (EDT)

==Colon?==
Why is there a colon in the page title? There's no colon in the movie title. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 00:08, 28 December 2007 (UTC)
:Because "The Movie" is a subtitle. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 13:20, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

== Blitzwing animation error ==

In the battle for Autobot City, when Prime drives up behind the Decepticons, Blitzwing turns his head and its color changes to purple for a split second. However, when he turns it back its tan again. Just thought we should add this under animation errors.-[[User:Proconix|Proconix]] 20:37, 24 May 2008 (UTC)Proconix

== more animation errors ==

Watched the Movie again today and this is what I found. In the scene where Blaster ejects his tapes, He first ejects what looks like Eject. He stays blue up until he gets to the edge of the screen. He then turns black like Rewind. Then Blaster ejects a another blue cassette, which after about a second, turns black. This one gets through half his transformation colored black, then turns blue for a split second then turns black again. And later when the cassettes are fighting each other, Eject runs in from the left and jumps over Perceptor. And then he runs in from the left ''again'' to shoot Ravage. Im gonna go ahead and add these.-[[User:Proconix|Proconix]] 17:43, 25 May 2008 (UTC)Proconix

== Scourge ==

Not to chat or anything, but does anyone know why Scourge pops his head up when he asks galvatron if he wants him to gut ultra magnus? Just thought that was wierd.-[[User:Proconix|Proconix]] 22:33, 25 May 2008 (UTC)Proconix

It is Cyclonus who says that. Scourges only line is "Remember, we belong to him!" [[User:Wavage|I am Wavage! Fear mweee!!! ]] ([[User talk:Wavage|talk]]) 04:56, 16 March 2015 (EDT)

== Cyclonus ==

<nowiki>When the Decepticons get reformatted, both Skywarp, and what might be Bombshell, become Cyclonus. Unicron refers to them as 'Cyclonus and his Armada'. And when they all fly to the ship, Galvatron goes first, followed by Scourge, two Sweeps and two Cyclonus'. There a reason for this? </nowiki> [[User:Thyunda|Thyunda]] 13:12, 27 May 2008 (UTC)
:Does [[Cyclonus's Armada|this]] answer your question? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 13:18, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

==Intro quote==
I'm admittedly in kind of an orgasmic endorphin rush over this, but I'd love to use a chunk of Orson Welles' description of his own role as an intro quote: "The Japanese have funded a full-length animated cartoon about the doings of these toys, which is all bad outer-space stuff. I play a planet. I menace somebody called Something-or-other. Then I'm destroyed. My plan to destroy Whoever-it-is is thwarted and I tear myself apart on the screen." If there's a better summary of TF:TM's plot, I've yet to hear it. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 16:56, 17 July 2009 (EDT)
:Seconded. --[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 17:43, 17 July 2009 (EDT)

== Cast list - woefully incomplete ==

Shouldn't we have a complete list of characters on here, rather than the headline billings alone? -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 23:38, 7 August 2009 (EDT)
:Oh yea! How did that happen for so long? - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 01:17, 8 August 2009 (EDT)

==Japanese TFTM==
Someone has uploaded the entire thing, in fifteen parts, to youtube.

:[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=トランスフォーマーザムービー TFTM In Japanese]

If anyone who has time to kill or knows the language (preferably both!) wants to go through it to document any significant changes from the US version that we don't already have, that'd be great. I already noticed, watching the first part, that the Japanese version uses the "Star Wars" text-scroll of the UK version, though the narrator doesn't actually seem to be reading a translation of the text {{m-}} I caught him voicing a reference to Unicron the text doesn't have. And, skipping ahead, Grimlock appears to refer to his "me Grimlock kick butt" moment as his "Kick Attack". Erm.

There's also something I'd sort of like confirmed... I've heard a rumor that the Japanese-dubbed Junkions, instead of talking in TV quotes, all have Chinese accents. But I have no idea if it's true.

Adding a screenshot with someone's function and name in kanji/kana from the movie would also be neat, I think. --[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 10:19, 11 August 2009 (EDT)
:Immediately noticed they added speech to the Lithone part - in the original version, the Lithonians don't speak at all before the "Look, it's Unicron!" line. -[[User:Mazenoise|Mazenoise]] 10:31, 11 August 2009 (EDT)
::I have to wonder if a list of every slight dialogue alteration would really be a good idea. I've owned the thing on VHS for a while and, well, there are a LOT of dialogue changes. And I don't mean anything important, like some added in line revealing Unicron is actually Motormaster's grandfather or whatever. I mean itty bitty changes, like the aforementioned "Kick attack" from Grimlock, Megatron specifically ordering the Insecticons to breach Autobot City's defenses and so on. A list of every slight dialogue change would be...massive (especially since the dub ''added'' so much dialogue during scenes that were previously silent). We currently have a handful of examples in the "Japanese release" section of the article that I think suffice. --[[User:DrSpengler|DrSpengler]] 11:17, 11 August 2009 (EDT)
:::Well, bear in mind that my suggestion was ''document any '''significant''' changes''. Random yattering is one thing, yeah, but I was curious as to whether there were any major changes, such as characters talking when they didn't originally have ''any'' dialogue at all... like, the Lithones talking in the opening qualifies to me, because I think it may be the only time the Lithone scientist speaks in fiction. (Which in turn makes me wonder if he's given an official title in the Japanese credits for the film; it'd qualify him for an article.)
:::I do feel that bringing up the scrolling text is noteworthy, since we note it up in the other countries' entries. --[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 12:25, 11 August 2009 (EDT)

== Voice credits ==

I filled in the voice credits in the "featured characters" chart from the film credits. I think some of them, like Gears and Brawn have voice credits, but no actual lines. There may also be some characters that have uncredited speaking roles (I don't know for sure). Just an FYI if anyone wants to adjust the chart. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 10:59, 18 August 2009 (EDT)
:I think the inaccurate cast listing is simply a case of whoever animated the credits confusing characters. Gears has a VA but doesn't speak, however, Scavenger (also voiced by Don Messick) clearly speaks on Junkion when he's attacking Danielle with Scrapper. Gears briefly appears in the movie on Moon Base 1, but has no speaking lines. I also wonder if this is why Prowl is credited (Bell also voiced Swopp who speaks on Quintessa), however, I believe Prowl had some lines in the original script that may have been recorded but not animated.

== Jettison some weight ==

Why is this listed as confusing? Aside from the (common) misuse of weight for mass I see nothing weird here. The more mass there was on board Astrotrain, the more fuel that would be needed to push him to Cybertron. Therefor, dumping extra mass makes sense. [[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 16:47, 17 September 2009 (EDT)
:I agree. Astrotrain was just using common speech. People don't often say things like "jettison some mass". If Astrotrain says he needs to lighten up, it stands to reason it is because he is still accelerating and too much weight would make it more difficult to accelerate. He is still accelerating because when they threw the bodies overboard, they quickly fell back. If they had already reached top speed, they would just float along side Astrotrain. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 23:23, 17 September 2009 (EDT)
::Plus, how close is Cybertron to Earth? If the Decepts didn't want to settle down for a multi-year trip, Astrotrain must have been going FTL, at which point all bets about moving without burning fuel are off. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 23:26, 17 September 2009 (EDT)
:::But maneuvering to land later would be made at sublight, normal inertial conditions. Less mass would be useful then. Basically, less mass is always better for movement. [[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 04:23, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

:::How much fuel does it take to get from Cybertron to Earth, I wonder. The whole battle of Autobot city seems to take place over one night, and Optimus' shuttle makes it from Cybertron to Earth in that time, implying that both it and the hijacked Autobot shuttle were going faster than light speed. The whole reason the hijacked shuttle was going to Earth in the first place was to pick up more energy, ergo it must take much less than one shipload of energy to get a shuttle at FTL speeds from Cybertron to Earth and back. They either have really efficient FTL drives, or really efficient energy storage. Or both.
:::Of course we've seen that [[Microbots|one energon cube is enough to get a full-sized Transformer drunk off his can]], so perhaps it's the latter. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 05:00, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

:::There were several scenes in "Apollo 13" where the stranded astronauts in the capsule and their Houston support crew had to do all those calculations about the amount of weight (or mass, whatever) they could have in the capsule versus the amount of fuel they could burn in order to get home alive. Common sense understanding actually wins in this case, I think. Also, all bets are off as to how far Cybertron is from Earth in TFTM, considering "The Ultimate Doom". --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] 07:59, 18 September 2009 (EDT)
::::In Apollo 13, they did mass calculations to: 1) be able to escape Moon's gravity, 2) project a course to slingshot around the moon, 3) make any necessary course corrections. ''All'' of those are aspects of acceleration. In a constant velocity situation, jettisoning mass does not make you go any faster, as momentum is divided proportionally with mass. -[[User:Noviere|Noviere]] 11:16, 18 September 2009 (EDT)
:::::It wasn't a constant velocity situation. If it were, when Starscream dropped Megatron out the door, Megatron would just float alongside. They were accelerating and more mass means more force needed to accelerate. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 11:21, 18 September 2009 (EDT)
::::::Which was already accounted for in the page, which essentially says "here are some speculations, but we don't really know what the hell was going on here". Nothing wrong with that. I'm just rebutting Thylacine's statement above. -[[User:Noviere|Noviere]] 11:28, 18 September 2009 (EDT)
:::::::You added that they were going faster than light as a fact, but do we know that? I've never thought Transformers or even their dedicated starships could go FTL, hence the need for a space bridge. Cybertron moves around. Where was it in the Movie? - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 11:58, 18 September 2009 (EDT)
::::::::Well, of COURSE they're going faster than light. Otherwise Quintessa and Junkion and Cybertron would all be in Earth's solar system. Just because you have FTL ships doesn't mean that instantaneous transportation isn't useful. I mean, we had horses, but cars are better even they they both provide transportation over land.--[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 12:23, 18 September 2009 (EDT)
:::::::::For some reason I never thought about that before. It never looks like they are doing anything special to break the light barrier. I'm thinking [[scale]] is just as loose in the astronomical sense as it is in the Transformer sense. ;) So what happens if you throw a Transformer out the door of a ship traveling faster than light? Apparently nothing much. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 12:58, 18 September 2009 (EDT)
::::::::: I thought Astrotrain was saying that because he was helping Starscream take over the Decepticons, he was the one that was putting the crown on Starscream's head -- Marc Chase

==Cast Layout==

The cast lay out has the Insecticons and Seekers listed next to their Unicronian counterpart. This is a major problem considering it lists Skywarp as Cyclonus and Bombshell as the Armada. Now, ignoring the fact that in all honesty the Skywarp is Cyclonus argument is based solely on people preferring it that way, surely the ambiguity should be recognised, and they should be listed as separate characters, but add in a note or something (especially since it gives him a VA when he didn't have any confirmed lines). Also, I think listing the Heralds next to their formers is very iffy when either the originals didn't speak in the movie or the new forms didn't speak. Now, I'd just go ahead and change it but I want to know what the official stance is here, cause it seems like an injection of fanon into a fairly major article. [[User:Eire]] 13.49 Jan 13 2010
:An anon user did that. He also went through a lot of trouble to put their order of appearance number in there, even though it is set to "nonumbering=true". Both changes could be reverted. Sorry anon guy. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 10:08, 13 January 2010 (EST)

==Snarl==
On the "four Dinobots" paragraph, it specifically mentions Swoop as the absent Dinobot whenever Snarl appears. However, Swoop is clearly the far-left Dinobot standing in the Quintesson ship window scene (the screen cap is actually on the page next to this paragraph). Are we sure it isn't Sludge thats missing, or maybe Sludge one time and Swoop another time?
:At the scene in Autobot City where Snarl appears, the other Dinobots present are the original trio, Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge. When Snarl next appears, Swoop is present, and you are correct, it seems to be Sludge who isn't in that shot (however, he is in the one immediately following). I believe it should be rewritten to something akin to "When he ''does'' appear, another Dinobot is missing. Hmm." Either way, it's somewhat interesting that all the Dinobots are never on screen at the same time. --[[User:NCZ|NCZ]] 17:05, 10 April 2010 (EDT)

== Big find! Jim Sorenson has made the original Ron Friedman script available ==

At http://boltax.blogspot.com

I started this thread for discussion at tfw2005 as well: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/347571-early-ron-friedman-draft-tftm-available-download.html

There is a LOT of material that could enrich this article, particularly in the "Notes" section. Not to mention Friedman's own article, since we now have a better idea of what he contributed.

It's well worth a read. Certainly wasn't suitable to be the finished film, due to extreme length, some super-clunky dialogue, and the fact that the plot just kind of falls apart toward the end.

The imagery is really something though, a lot of ideas that never made it into any future Transformers project. The battle scenes are also noticeably more graphic. Probably the biggest (and oddest) change is no Matrix, and the concept substituted is the "Life Spark" of Optimus himself. The Life Sparks of other Decepticons and Megatron also play a role (you can likely guess how). {{unsigned|97.77.78.14}}
:[[Life Spark|We]] [[Anibot|are]] [[Roboto-zoo|aware]]. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 01:37, 11 December 2010 (EST)

::It does beg the question of how the wiki is going to handle some of this information - especially some of the stuff about earlier designs or concepts for characters (all the stuff about the Junkions VERY specifically being a B-movie biker gang, down to Wreck-Gar having a "furry vest" and one of the Junkions having a "Nazi" helmet and etc. for instance). Is it rolled into the Movie page? Is it rolled into the individual character articles? both? Neither?! [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 08:48, 13 December 2010 (EST)

:::Some stuff can definitely go into character articles, but I'd also suggest going the whole hog and creating a page for the draft itself, like we did for the Toy Fair catalogue, as a sub-page of the movie article, and talk about all the differences there. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 09:24, 13 December 2010 (EST)

::::That'd make the best sense, yeah. Especially if the other early draft script eventually sees the light of day (there were two, right? The one Jim posted and the one that went for two grand?) [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 09:37, 13 December 2010 (EST)

:::::I believe there was even a third on top of that. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 09:52, 13 December 2010 (EST)

::::::Yeah, there was a "final draft." I imagine it's probably close to what Monzo posted below. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 10:43, 13 December 2010 (EST)

:There's [http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/transformers.html this version], which has never really been written up here aside from a few tidbits. Whatever draft iteration it is, it's closest to the version used for the Marvel adaption, since a few scenes from it appear there. --[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 10:14, 13 December 2010 (EST)
::By all appearances, I've always believed that was the "shooting script", as they say, the script that the actors actually worked from during recording, and that any changes to it happened subsequent to that. I may be completely wrong, of course. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 10:20, 13 December 2010 (EST)

Does anyone have a copy of this? I can’t access it at all.--[[User:Kitsune1|Kitsune1]] ([[User talk:Kitsune1|talk]]) 23:38, 16 May 2020 (EDT)

== Who gets tossed into space? ==

This article could use a list of precisely which six characters are tosssed out of Astrotrain. It's Megatron, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Kickback, yah? [[User:JW|JW]] 17:07, 28 February 2011 (EST)
:As far as I can tell, yeah. I always wondered who was saying "Brothers, don't," though. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 17:15, 28 February 2011 (EST)
:: the Seekers (Thundercracker or Skywarp) to Starscream and if they are in the movie Thrust, Dirge, Ramjet, since they are "brothers" of sorts.

== Doctor Who reference? ==

According to Wikipedia's article on [[Wikipedia:Jon Pertwee|Jon Pertwee]]'s [[Wikipedia:The Third Doctor|Third Doctor]], ''TF:TM'' uses the "revers the polarity" line. Looking back at the movie, Kup's line "Oh, yeah, we inverted polarities" presented itself to me as that reference. Now Wikipedia, as I understand it, is stupid when it comes to articles about Transformers that were not influenced by TFWiki. Is this a valid "Real-World Reference" (I've seen other pages here that say "This ''might'' be a reference to...") or just a coincidence that some presumptuous Whovian-Transfan decided to put on Wikipedia just because they wouldn't remove it?
 - [[User:Queso|¡Usa El Queso!]] 12:59 AM, 15 April 2011 A.D.
:I have a really, REALLY hard time buying the notion that Doctor Who invented that little bit of common sci-fi technobabble, and an even harder time buying the notion that this dim similarity is a direct reference. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 01:22, 15 April 2011 (EDT)
::I think wikipedia got it mixed up with "[[The Rebirth]]", where ''Doctor Who'' fan [[David Wise]] got the line in. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 01:45, 15 April 2011 (EDT)
:::I figured Wikipedia was wrong (I'll fix the page there). Just thought I'd bring it up! Also, just to fill you in, M Sipher, ''Doctor Who'' is definitely the origin of at least the popular use of "reverse the polarity of the nuetron flow", if not the original use as technobabble. Terrance Dicks wrote it in an episode script in WAAAAY back in the early '70s.
:::- [[User:Queso|¡Usa El Queso!]] <strike>3:25 AM</strike> An ungodly hour of the night, 15 April 2011 A.D.
::::I'd have expected them to use wording closer to the original if they were referencing Who! --[[User:Abates|abates]] 04:17, 15 April 2011 (EDT)

::::::: Fairly sure that phrase has been used on Star Trek a few times, usually through the main deflector dish, its not mutually exclusive to The Doctor .....or Kup for that matter[[User:Tony Spike|Tony Spike]] ([[User talk:Tony Spike|talk]]) 06:56, 9 April 2018 (EDT)

==Image category?==
I propose putting all screenshots from ''The Transformers: The Movie'' into their own image category because of the film's significance. Also, we have a bunch of toyline-specific image categories, and expanding that practice to fictional works only makes sense to me. --[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 16:06, 5 May 2011 (EDT)
:Maybe we could divide the original series by season (and movie). "Category: Generation 1 Season 1 screen captures", "Category: Generation 1 Season 2 screen captures", "Category: Generation 1 Movie screen captures", "Category: Generation 1 Season 3 screen captures" and "Category: Generation 1 Season 4 screen captures". The same thing could be done for Beast Wars, Animated and (eventually) Prime. UT shows were only 1 season each, so they wouldn't need it. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 16:24, 5 May 2011 (EDT)
::I support doing it for the movie. Not sure about by season... --[[User:Abates|abates]] 18:07, 5 May 2011 (EDT)
:::I second Abates' thoughts. --[[User:NCZ|NCZ]] 18:12, 5 May 2011 (EDT)
::::I wouldn't be opposed to dividing screencaps up by season, since they're kind of a bear to navigate right now. Or, heck, going even further and dividing everything by season and then by episode, though with how long some episode titles can be, especially Japanese ones, I'm not sure how feasible that would be. Though, it would allow Armada/Energon/Cybertron screencaps to be broken up more easily...--[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 21:59, 5 May 2011 (EDT)
:::::I would kinda like there to be categories by episode, so then we could do like artist pages and have a link to the category somewhere on the episode page, but it would create a ''massive'' number of categories... --[[User:Abates|abates]] 23:28, 5 May 2011 (EDT)

==Buildings in Unicron's mouth: an error?==

The flickering images of post apocalyptic buildings in Unicron's mouth is certainly neat, but is it really an "animation error"? I'd think including blinking images of ruined cities would have been done on purpose since Unicron destroys planets and all that. Citing something that elaborate as an "error" doesn't seem right. --[[User:DrSpengler|DrSpengler]] 10:59, 13 July 2011 (EDT)
:No, I don't think it is an animation error. It is a deliberate special effect. It sounds like it isn't even noticeable at normal speed. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 11:20, 13 July 2011 (EDT)
:It's fairly noticeable, you have to just look at it. It's not as prominent on the Rhino release, but the Sony DVD really makes it stand out. --[[User:Capnpwned118766|Capnpwned118766]] 23:25, 6 March 2012 (EST)

If I made add, those buildings are from the movie Hokuto No Ken (Fist of the North Star), also a Toei movie from 1986.......... so......... [[User:Protoman|Protoman]] 23:49, 5 July 2013 (EDT)

==After G.I. Joe the Movie?==
Okay here is something I just can't figure out. It has been stated in several sources that both Transformers: The Movie, and G.I. Joe: The Movie were in production at the same time, and in fact G.I. Joe was meant to be released first. However, Transformers' 1986 season took place after the movie while G.I. Joe's 1986 season predates the movie. Unless Transformers was going to postpone their season by a whole year, there is no way G.I Joe's film could predate Transformers or even be shown in the same year. It would have to wait an entire year to premiere. That is unless their entire plot was rewritten from the ground up. Does anyone have any information on this?[[User:Riddlerj|Riddlerj]] 23:36, 5 May 2013 (EDT)

they changed the GI Joe movie's ending so that Duke lives at the end, that would also force them to change the TV Show to add him to episodes (since he was one of the leaders, he would be in most if not all episodes) that might have forced a wait of an entire year to premiere GI Joe [[User:Chasemarc1701|Chasemarc1701]] ([[User talk:Chasemarc1701|talk]]) 03:31, 12 July 2014 (EDT)

== Starscream crown redesign ==

Something that I think is often missed is that when Starscream is in his corination gear, it's not just the crown, shoulder pads and cape. He's also got a much bigger chest and enlarged forearms. I'm guessing it's deliberate, but those modifications are never mentioned when that form is (in, say, his Masterpiece toy). I'm aware that we don't want this page drowning in trivia, but is that worth noting? [[User:LiamK|LiamK]] 18:18, 5 November 2013 (EST)
:Those two things just seem to be stylized elements of the animation in that particular scene. Check out Ramjet when he and Astrotrain are standing behind Starscream just as he does his cape-flourish - he's got the big pecs and swollen forearms too. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 18:42, 5 November 2013 (EST)

== Metroplex ==

Should Metroplex be added to the cast last? The consensus on his relation to Autobot City here is kinda murky [[User:Riddlerj|Riddlerj]] ([[User talk:Riddlerj|talk]]) 12:48, 21 November 2013 (EST)

== Star Wars captions? ==

[[File:ShockwaveBattleAutobotcity.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|I think I can see my home from here!]]

Should we replace this with a quote from ''Star Wars''? Maybe one of these lines from when R2-D2 and C-3PO launch their escape pod:
*- Imperial gunner: "Hold your fire. There's no life forms."
*- C-3PO: "That's funny--the damage doesn't look as bad from out here."

--[[User:Rhymus|Rhymus]] ([[User talk:Rhymus|talk]]) 19:44, 18 January 2015 (EST)

== character list ==

On many articles, TFWiki lists characters sorted first by faction, then by order of appearance (with numbers indicating order of appearance regardless of faction). Is there a reason TFTM's article does not follow that pattern? Is there some other organizational method in use? Not alphabetical by character or by voice actor, clearly.

i'm fairly certain these earlier discussions are not relevant to this matter, but just in case:
*[[Talk:The_Transformers:_The_Movie#Cast_list_-_woefully_incomplete]]
*[[Talk:The_Transformers:_The_Movie#Voice_credits]]
*[[Talk:The_Transformers:_The_Movie#Cast_Layout]]

--[[User:Rhymus|Rhymus]] ([[User talk:Rhymus|talk]]) 01:07, 19 February 2015 (EST)

==Replacing screencaps==
Since the Shout Factory release of TF:TM has a Full Frame edition, hopefully one would replace those widescreen screencaps into their original full frames. [[User:FigureGunplaFan|FigureGunplaFan]] ([[User talk:FigureGunplaFan|talk]]) 22:33, 23 August 2016 (EDT)

== Old Script page? ==

Did we ever reach a conclusion about making a page for [[Talk:The_Transformers:_The_Movie#Big_find.21_Jim_Sorenson_has_made_the_original_Ron_Friedman_script_available|the Friedman script]]? Did it get made? If so, where is it? If not, how would such a page be categorized and organized? Sorry, I just have a lot of questions. About this. -[[User:TheLiegeDecado|TheLiegeDecado]] ([[User talk:TheLiegeDecado|talk]]) 15:42, 14 June 2017 (EDT)

== Grapple ==

"*Also curiously absent are the 1985 Autobot cars and Mini-Vehicles, such as Inferno, Smokescreen, Cosmos, Warpath, etc. It would seem that these characters were available at the time of the movie:
**Grapple is [[:File:BattleAutobotCity.jpg|seen ''very'' briefly]] during the battle for Autobot City."
Not sure that Grapple is really supporting evidence here, given the whole [[Hauler]] situation. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] ([[User talk:Khajidha|talk]]) 08:16, 15 February 2018 (EST)

==Cybertron's Moons==

Hey guys, first contribution here and thought i would share some of my minor knowledge in the hopes the entry might get a possible explaination note added to it (Similar to the note that says Magnus second matrix placement was just an Adjustment)

I wouldnt class a third visible moon as a mistake, not from a pure technical standpoint at least (it probably is from a lore standpoint) but depending on a number of factors (and i apologise for turning all Perceptor here) such as orbital height, radius, apogee ect its totally possible to find moons that have not been observed yet whilst taking pictures of others

For example (and its loose ..since the planet is pretty large in comparison and the two are technically captured asteroids) Mars two moons Phobos and Deimos are rarely photographed together because they are so small and have different orbital planes

Similarly their are 4 large Julian (Jupiter) moons (Io, Europa, Calisto, Ganymede) and its rare to get them all in one shot during a flyby

Its possible the third moon is behind Cybertron most of the time or is out of shot because its orbit takes it far out,and also quite possible that it is boring, the other two moons have bases on them making them scenes in the movie,it may exist but simply not have been mentioned, after all plenty of planet shots exist in the carton that show the planet having no moons at all, moons being added for the film

Now correct me if im wrong but im sure i once heared the third moon was an unused plot point in a story (movie,comic or otherwise) once upon a time

But even if this isnt true i think an addendum should be added saying that the moon could just be out of shot most of the time ....or something along those lines

Anyways ..keep up the good work

[[User:Tony Spike|Tony Spike]] ([[User talk:Tony Spike|talk]]) 06:49, 9 April 2018 (EDT)

Edit, just read the next section where this gets addressed so my bad [[User:Tony Spike|Tony Spike]] ([[User talk:Tony Spike|talk]]) 07:04, 9 April 2018 (EDT)
==Ultra Magnus==
Back around 2015, I purchased a Korean bootleg of the film off eBay under the assumption it was the authentic one. It can be switched between Korean and English, the English versions audio is normal. The Korean audio has the music tracks awkwardly looping halfway through the song. Until this weekend, I didn’t pick up on the whole “being shot apart by the sweeps bit”, but my copy had magnus ripped apart by single laser beams. The animation was the same as the finished product, but purple laser beam thingies wrapped around his shoulders, hips, head, and elbows if I remember correctly . Sadly, the disk got lost when I moved about 6 months ago. Has anyone else found a copy like this? [[User:YourBestPal|YourBestPal]] ([[User talk:YourBestPal|talk]]) 17:57, 23 December 2018 (EST)
:If it's a bootleg, it's out of our scope, especially if you don't have a copy anymore to verify any of this. -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 20:04, 23 December 2018 (EST)

== Animation errors, my cut ==

I removed the line "Arcee's arm moves to behind Daniel being lifting off." as it doesn't make any sense. If the point can be clarified it can be readded. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] ([[User talk:Khajidha|talk]]) 15:39, 2 September 2019 (EDT)

== featured article ==
what is holding this back from being featured? I’d like to fix it. [[User:Kitsune1|Kitsune1]] ([[User talk:Kitsune1|talk]]) 23:29, 16 May 2020 (EDT)

== The Original Script ==

QUOTE

The very first draft of the classic “The Transformers: The Movie” was recently revealed at TFNation, presented by Jim Sorenson and Chris McFeely for all the attendants.

This was the first script written for the movie, outlined in late summer 1984 and finished by February 1985. A copy was for Flint Dille in 2020 and the information was used for the TFNation panel.

For those who missed out on the convention panel, Chris McFeely has retold the story across three twitter threads:

https://twitter.com/chrismcfeely/status/1561079478771748865

https://twitter.com/chrismcfeely/status/1561389957473763337

https://twitter.com/chrismcfeely/status/1561414938203246592

Unquote

Should we make an article for this, cause i know unproduced scripts are a thing in this website.--[[User:Projectus|Projectus]] ([[User talk:Projectus|talk]]) 08:59, 23 August 2022 (EDT)

* The script is available for all to read now [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qiESvs6xDIfpNh3zVegyt7HuCIJLKqOD/view?usp=drive_link], so perhaps worth considering an article? [[User:Greebtron|Greebtron]] ([[User talk:Greebtron|talk]]) 22:03, 22 August 2023 (EDT)
:Yeah, now that it's available in full, someone should definitely do a full write-up. -- [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] ([[User talk:Cyberlink420|talk]]) 22:16, 22 August 2023 (EDT)
::I have an in-depth outline[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jF88itfDWAwt7DdwCL3uMHsnOpeS3VXQ/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=104774897271205782185&rtpof=true&sd=true] that I wrote up back in January 2021, got the story down to 16k words. If someone wants to crunch that down further for a wiki article, then by all means[[User:Greebtron|Greebtron]] ([[User talk:Greebtron|talk]]) 22:23, 22 August 2023 (EDT)

I find the script fascinating for all the characters and concepts that didn't make it into the final product or mutated in interesting ways. I want as much of that info as possible to be incorporated into the wiki, but I'm not sure how far to go with it, given its apocryphal nature. For instance, there's good precedent for enhancing articles about canon subjects in their Notes; the backstory for the [[Hall of Heroes]], for one, is something I love the wiki for having. But there are characters in the original script who have no apparent connection to anything that became canon, like the humans General Blaze & Colonel Rusty Steel and the Autobots Rails & Chemico. Do they merit their own articles? Are there existing examples of that? The only one I can think of is the [[Anibot]]s, but they were canonized by AVP. There are articles for [[Unicron's subordinate|unproduced toy characters]], so would script-draft characters be the same sort of thing? - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] ([[User talk:Jackpot|talk]]) 01:17, 14 September 2023 (EDT)
:My thinking is it probably makes sense to make a separate article for this rather than try to fit it into this one, and put the [[Template:Apocrypha|Apocrypha]] template at the top. As far as characters that only exist in this script, my gut says no, they shouldn't get their own pages, but other editors may feel otherwise. -- [[User:Dark T Zeratul|Dark T Zeratul]] ([[User talk:Dark T Zeratul|talk]]) 04:03, 14 September 2023 (EDT)
::I agree with the apocrypha template and think we should handle it like [[Transformers Animated season 4]]. List the unrealized concepts there; don't create 20 micro-pages of one sentence each that can never gain more detail. --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] ([[User talk:Thylacine 2000|talk]]) 07:05, 14 September 2023 (EDT)
:::Hmm. What about a... I don't know what the terminology we use for this is, but a "sub-page" for this page like [[Megatron (G1)/toys]]? So it would be, say, "The Transformers: The Movie/early concepts" that covers material from all the draft scripts? It would get the Apocrypha template as suggested, and important characters and such could have their own subsections. (And of course if any get canonized later, those can be broken out. Like, where we would otherwise have had an "Anibots" section, we would now have a link to [[Anibot]].) How does that sound? - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] ([[User talk:Jackpot|talk]]) 16:09, 15 September 2023 (EDT)

Not sure where this reluctance to give pages to the unused concepts is coming from, it’s something we’ve literally done for years well before Vector Prime canonized any of them. [[User:Escargon|Escargon]] ([[User talk:Escargon|talk]]) 16:56, 15 September 2023 (EDT)
:That had been my thought too, but I had trouble finding examples that felt close enough to this. I thought maybe [https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Category:Things_that_don't_exist Category: Things that don't exist] would bear fruit, but the closest I found in that were the unproduced-toy characters I alluded to. [[Anibot]] actually was exactly this originally, but since canonization happened in the meantime, I'm not sure how much it really counts as precedent anymore. (Which, for what it's worth, is evidence against Thylacine's claim that such articles "can never gain more detail." I'd say creating an article increases the changes of more material being created.) - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] ([[User talk:Jackpot|talk]]) 18:50, 15 September 2023 (EDT)
::We also have [[Mayumi]] and [[Shinichi (Masterforce)]]. [[User:Escargon|Escargon]] ([[User talk:Escargon|talk]]) 20:00, 15 September 2023 (EDT)
:::I think making pages for unrealized concepts is fine and harmless. We make it clear enough that they're not official canon (yet). [[User:Saix|Saix]] ([[User talk:Saix|talk]]) 20:03, 15 September 2023 (EDT)
:::How many concepts or characters would honestly need a page though, that couldn't be covered by the Notes sections in existing pages? A lot of them, barring some name changes, were carried over almost verbatim into the second script and beyond.[[User:Greebtron|Greebtron]] ([[User talk:Greebtron|talk]]) 20:15, 15 September 2023 (EDT)
::::The four I mentioned above (Gen. Blaze, Rusty, Rails, and Chemico) are the most solid cases I can think of. On the opposite end, Tanker wouldn't qualify because he's clearly just Kup with a different name and alt-mode. Ellen and Mentlar seem more ambiguous to me, since they occupy roles that would be taken by other characters (Daniel's mom and The Brainy Autobot, respectively), but it's harder to say they're just early versions of Carly and Perceptor like Tanker/Kup. The "fire snow" weapon might merit a page. There could be more, but those are what I can think of right now. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] ([[User talk:Jackpot|talk]]) 21:38, 15 September 2023 (EDT)
:::Thank you Escargon! Yes, that's almost exactly the precedent I was looking for. I say "almost" because those are similar to unproduced-toy characters, in that the articles are grounded on visual products (art or toy designs) with little or no fiction. Whereas script-draft characters would be grounded in apocryphal fiction and nothing else. But that's probably a distinction without a difference, and I'd be happy to just consider your examples to be the template for this and call it good if other people agree. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] ([[User talk:Jackpot|talk]]) 21:53, 15 September 2023 (EDT)
I've been working on a draft for the script if anyone wants to take a look at it. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:WillR113/Sandbox [[User:WillR113|WillR113]] ([[User talk:WillR113|talk]]) 21:50, 15 September 2023 (EDT)

Talk:The Transformers: The Movie

2023-09-16T01:39:19Z

Jackpot: /* The Original Script */