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Ashi Productions

2026-04-11T21:31:09Z

Jon T:

'''Ashi Productions''' (葦プロダクション ''Ashi Purodakushon'') is a Japanese animation studio based in Suginami, [[Tokyo]]. Their domestic anime work includes such series as ''[[Special Armored Trooper Dorvack]]'', ''Dancougar'', ''{{gb|Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos (cartoon)|Machine Robo}}'', ''[[Super Dimension Fortress Macross|Macross]] 7'', ''Blue Seed'', and ''F-Zero GP Legend''.

[[File:AshiPro-stickers.jpg|thumb|Ashi Productions' stickers on ''Dorvack'' packaging (left) and ''Transformers'' Deluxe Vehicle packaging (right).]]
They've also worked on Western animated productions as an outsourced studio, including such shows as the Ruby-Spears ''Mega Man'', season 2 of ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'', ''Skysurfer Strike Force'', and ''Diabolik''.

[[Masami Ōbari]], [[Shin Matsuo]], [[Nobuyoshi Habara]], [[Shinya Ohira]], and [[Kia Asamiya|Michitaka Kikuchi]] worked for them during the '80s.

Nobuyoshi Habara has stated that Ashi Productions worked on episodes 3, 8, 13, 22, and 32 of ''The Transformers'', although it's unclear if the episode numbers refer to production or Japanese airdate order. Episode 3 is comfortably "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]", and it's likely that episodes 8 and 13 refer to "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]" and "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]" respectively. Those three episodes also share the same animation style as "[[Heavy Metal War]]", another episode confirmed to have been animated by Ashi Productions, with Habara stating that on this particular episode he worked on some of the scenes with Optimus Prime and Megatron fighting at the battle site.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=葦プロ担当は、確か制作話数で3.8.13.22.32話くらいだったような。クレーターでメガトロンと戦うオプティマスプライムを描きました。記憶が間違ってたらゴメンなさい！|link=https://twitter.com/NobuyoshiHabara/status/955651156402872320#m|name=Nobuyoshi Habara|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=01|day=23|(defunct=)}}</ref>

In [[1984]], [[Takatoku Toys]] produced figures based on Ashi Productions' designs for ''Special Armored Battalion Dorvack'' (特装機兵ドルバック, ''Tokusō Kihei Dorubakku'') anime series. Upon Takatoku Toys' bankruptcy, molds of two of the ''Dorvack'' figures were purchased by [[Bandai]] and subsequently licensed to [[Hasbro]] in [[1985]], where they were released as the [[Deluxe Vehicle|Deluxe Vehicles]], [[Roadbuster (G1)#Toys|Roadbuster]] and [[Whirl (G1)#Toys|Whirl]]. As a result of being based on toys from an Ashi Productions anime series, the Hasbro boxed versions of the two Deluxe Vehicles include a small "AP" (Ashi Productions) sticker on the packaging, in addition to an Ashi Production [[Copyright#Copyright markings|copyright marking]] on the figures themselves. This also meant that neither toy could be promoted on the cartoon despite Ashi being involved with both series.

==Transformers series==
* ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' - Animation services for [[Toei Animation]] for Seasons 1 and 2.
* ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]''
** ''[[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!]]''
* ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Transformers: Cybertron]]'' - episode and CGI Co-producer with [[GONZO]] for six episodes.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://ashipro.jp/index-e.html Ashi Productions' official site]
* {{w|Ashi Productions}} at Wikipedia

[[Category:Animation companies]]

Kia Asamiya

2026-04-11T21:26:45Z

Jon T: Created page with "'''Michitaka Kikuchi''' (菊池通隆, ''Kikuchi Michitaka'', born March 9, 1963), better known by his pen name '''Kia Asamiya''' (麻宮騎亜, ''Asamiya Kia''), is a..."

'''Michitaka Kikuchi''' (菊池通隆, ''Kikuchi Michitaka'', born [[March 9]], [[1963]]), better known by his pen name '''Kia Asamiya''' (麻宮騎亜, ''Asamiya Kia''), is a Japanese manga artist, character designer and animator known for his varied manga stories across multiple genres. Some of his best-known manga works are as the creator of ''Silent Möbius'', ''Compiler'', ''Steam Detectives'' and ''Corrector Yui'', plus his manga adaptations of properties such as ''[[Batman]]: Child of Dreams'' and ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'', and a short run on [[Marvel Comics]]' ''Uncanny [[X-Men]]''.

As an animator, credited under his real name, some of his work includes key animation on ''Fist of the North Star'', ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'', ''Project A-ko'', and ''Space Battleship Yamato 2199''.

According to fellow animator [[Nobuyoshi Habara]], Asamiya contributed key animation for several early episodes of The Transformers working for [[Ashi Productions]].<ref>https://w.atwiki.jp/sakuga/pages/1963.html</ref>

Asamiya's own recollection is that he participated in the production of episodes featuring Grimlock and Skyfire.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=因みに、グリムロック、ジェットファイアの回に参加しました。|link=https://twitter.com/kia_asamiya/status/1464860570943778818|name=Kia Asamiya|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=11|day=28|(defunct=)}}</ref>

==Artwork==
*''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' (Animator, unspecified episodes)
*Cover art for the Anime Sound Museum Vol.2 compilation album from [[1994]], featuring [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asamiya, Kia}}
[[Category:Illustrators]]

Master Sword

2025-11-13T22:36:48Z

Jon T:

[[File:Mastersword.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|strongest blade in the world, howeve,r it is so fragile as to shatter when handled by any force other than the delicate touch of a lesbian .]]
The '''Master Sword''' (マスターソード ''Masutā Sōdo''), "blade of blades, wielded only by the righteous and just", is the single most powerful weapon created by the super-science of the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], and the ultimate weapon of Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==Toys==
===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''===
[[File:TF-G1-Fortress-Maximus-Master-Sword.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Japanese-only exclusive.]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, [[1987]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
{{toydesigner|[[Kōjin Ōno]] (TakaraTomy)}}
:Available only with the Japanese release of the Fortress Maximus toy, both forms of the Master Sword are included—the small version, which can be wielded by Fortress, and the ''large'' version, which fits in the hand of Fortress Maximus. According to designer Kōjin Ōno, the Master Swords were developed for the Japanese release of Fortress Maximus due to a request from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s marketing department.<ref>''Planet of Cybertron Guide 4'' Takara LaserDisc booklet</ref>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2025-11-13T22:35:09Z

Jon T: /* The Transformers */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|Starfleet}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] and occasional [[Titan (group)|Titan]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:FortMax1.jpg|upright=2|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]

Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. The endless conflict on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has worn him down to the point where he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve his ideals. Although an intensely moral being, Fortress Maximus's pacifism has its limits: more than one Decepticon has learned that he'll readily put his vast onboard arsenal to good use when it comes to defending the innocent beings imperiled by the Decepticons and their ruthless campaigns of conquest.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but in many realities Fortress Maximus is a unique three-part [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]—Fortress Maximus is [[binary bonding|binary-bonded]] to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by either a binary-bonded organic or the [[Titan Master]] [[Emissary (TR)|Emissary]]. In other universes, these three stages are simply expressions of the same being, '''Fortress''', who becomes Fortress Maximus in his largest form. He also has a smaller component robot known as [[Cog (G1)|Cog]].

{{bigquote|We must be brave enough to wage '''peace'''.|Fortress Maximus|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}

[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

Fortress Maximus was originally an architect who designed and constructed many notable [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] monuments. As the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] swept across the planet, Maximus eagerly joined the fight; however, as the conflict intensified, he grew increasingly weary of battle. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|Transformers Universe profile}} By the time that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops left the planet, Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] where he and his unit continued fighting against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s [[Decepticon]]s. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}} ''At some point, Maximus sent [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] to search to the cosmos for other habitable worlds. The pair eventually returned to Cybertron with [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], who joined Fortress Maximus's detachment.'' {{storylink|Kup's Story!}}

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]

When Scorponok's men destroyed another Autobot city, Fortress Maximus and his men ambushed and easily overwhelmed the Decepticon commandos as they marched their prisoners toward the [[smelting pool]]s. Though the Autobots emerged triumphant, an embittered Maximus stunned the jubilant Autobots when he told the that he would abandon the war for good and travel to the bucolic planet [[Nebulos]]. Although initially stunned by this decision, the Autobots agreed to follow him; together, they constructed the starship ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'', and set off for Nebulos.

After parking the ''Steelhaven'' in orbit and establishing a temporary base camp, Fortress Maximus sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] to make contact to the [[Nebulan]] natives; unfortunately, however, an accident led made it appear that the Autobots came with hostile intent. When Maximus sent Blurr as an emissary to meet with the [[Council of Peers]] in [[Koraja]], reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership sabotaged Blurr's goodwill message and incited their fellow Nebulans to arms. Despite complaints from the likes of Kup, Maximus ordered them not to fight back as they retreated into the woods. Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watcher]]s, was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|thumb|right|250px|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]

The severed heads and decapitated bodies were stored in an old munitions warehouse outside the planetary capital. There, Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus's still-functional head, and kept him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the city. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} {{storylink|Doomsday for Nebulos}} Soon after, however, [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]]'s sabotage brought Scorponok and his Decepticons to Nebulos. As the Decepticons massed outside the city gates, Maximus advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking; under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the Autobots to their bodies. Together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan—five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered so that they could interface with transforming armor and act as new heads for the five Cybertronian bodies. After undergoing this new "[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]" upgrade, Galen became Fortress Maximus's [[Binary bonding|binary bonded]] partner, and together they and the rest of the Autobots soundly defeated the villains. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} ''When Stylor related his own memories of that day, he recalled that Fortress Maximus still seemed noble and dignified, "even though the rest of his body was standing on the opposite side of the room."'' {{storylink|Stylor's Story}}

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]

Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. The pair next teamed up to lead the other Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others and took them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}} Maximus remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Maximus briefly led his troops against the Decepticon [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat by smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''As the Autobots made technological leaps, only for the Decepticons to copy and match them, Fortress Maximus began to despair that the conflict they had brought to Nebulos would never end. His Nebulan partner told him that his people now working under Scorponok would have found an excuse to wage war one way or another, but this did little to alleviate Fortress's guilt. When Chromedome announced that he had located the planet [[Earth]], Kord and Maximus rejoined in order to debate whether leaving Nebulos behind was the best course of action. Lost in thought, the pair wandered outside, where they were approached by Slugslinger, Misfire, and Triggerhappy. But rather than open fire, the three Decepticons delivered a message: Scorponok was coming with a proposal that could bring the war to an immediate end. The proposal was thus: the two leaders would battle to the death, and the loser's faction would surrender unconditionally to the winner's team. Fortress accepted Scorponok's challenge, and the battle began underway immediately.''

''Kord/Maximus found themselves on the losing end until the Nebulan transformed out of his head mode and blinded Scorponok with his pistol. Unfortunately, this constituted as cheating according to the rules Scorponok had established beforehand, and the other Decepticons opened fire. It turned out not to matter, as the duel was really a distraction: the Decepticons had bugged the Autobot base and learned of [[Earth]], but needed Brainstorm's [[fuel converter]] invention to travel there. Realizing that the war was already moving to Earth in spite of whatever decision he made next, Maximus had his troops follow their enemies off-world.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

After returning to their bivouac, Maximus and Galen announced they'd follow a recent Autobot distress call to Earth. Although this meant that Galen and the other Nebulans who'd allied themselves with the Transformers would have to abandon their homeworld, possibly for good, Galen and his Autobot partner understood that Scorponok's Decepticons would pursue them off-world and leave their embattled planet alone. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a complete rebuild that greatly increased both his size and firepower. Now twice the height of an average Transformer, Galen now combined with [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], who served as a secondary link between Galen and Maximus. After arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who'd come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave and apologized to Spike for failing to consider the danger he'd brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|The usage of "[[roll out]]" gets stranger and stranger.]]

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge—a decision that would prove fatal when Scorponok used the distraction to cause a cave-in and crush Galen. As the Decepticon leader left laughing, a dying Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, who assumed control of Fortress Maximus and drove the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an [[Club Con|island base]]. With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Maximus held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. However, the artificial island transformed into a rocket and launched with Buster still aboard.

Maximus, determined to take matters into his own hands, leapt onto the vessel as it breached Earth's atmosphere, only for the ship's defense systems to impale Maximus through the chest. When Spike launched Cerebros to continue the fight, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] easily incapacitated the smaller robot; although he couldn't rescue his brother in time, Spike nevertheless used Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven''{{'}}s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to forge an alliance.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|thumb|right||It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]

Unfortunately, acting Autobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] took an immediate dislike to Fortress Maximus—partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he was harboring the fugitive Goldbug—and challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Maximus, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him. During the duel, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots and caught them completely off-guard. During the battle, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime; although the Autobots drove off the Decepticons, Maximus announced that he had found all other Autobots lacking in the leadership department and eagerly awaited Optimus Prime's return. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. Upon seeing an advertisement on television, where the Decepticons presented their island base as a tropical resort for human vacationers, Fortress Maximus made clear his concern for "his" brother, Buster Witwicky. Though Buster was touted as "king" of the island in the commercial, Maximus knew the boy was really a living shield shown off to dissuade an Autobot attack. {{storylink|Club Con!}} After Blaster's rescue and recon mission went south, Fortress Maximus acted as a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they combed the ocean for the Decepticon base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

''Fortress Maximus was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, which restored his body temperature to normal. When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under assault from the [[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcons]], followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream, and both Ratbat and Maximus called for all the combatants to lay down their arms. The Autobot-Decepticon alliance took Ratbat's ship to meet Starscream out in space, where the treacherous Seeker had planned to absorb the energies of the legendary [[Underbase]]. Fortress Maximus and his allies were only partially successful in stopping him, and the morsel of power Starscream had taken in was enough to render him nigh-unstoppable. As the cosmically powered Decepticon destroyed the island starship, Fortress Maximus once more saved Buster's life by taking him inside one of his body's compartment.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|thumb|right||Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]

On Optimus's insistence, Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop Starscream's rampage. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return that he just barely survived. Before Starscream could crush him beneath a fallen monument, however, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] Omega Supreme intervened. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark lured the villain away. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike—feeling that he'd done all he could for the aliens—told Optimus that it was time for him to move on with his life and leave the Autobots, although Prime warned that the [[binary bonding|binary bond]] had changed the young human in more ways than one. Indeed, Spike was plagued by strange nightmares, even after he eventually pitched his control helmet into a junkyard against Prime's warnings. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}
''A [[solid light simulation]] of Fortress Maximus was used in a training mission for the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]. According to [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]], killing him was a more impressive feat than killing Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}}

Despite their temporary reconciliation, Spike remained on Earth while Fortress Maximus spent months out of commission. His headless body was still stored aboard the Ark after the Dinobots returned from [[Hydrus Four]], just before the great battle against [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} After Unicron's defeat, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, Fortress Maximus called out to a reluctant Spike and convinced him to reunite with his old partner once more. Anxious and desperate after months of inactivity, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control of their body, but while acting alone the giant Autobot couldn't withstand the ruthless conqueror. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed—declaring themselves the last Earthbound Autobot and the planet's self-appointed guardian, Fortress Maximus triumphed as he hurled his foe into a frozen lake. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}
{{--}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg||thumb|left|Let ''me'' demonstrate just how much ''you'' don't have a toy on the shelves anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} Fortress Maximus's legacy and inspiration went on to do further good however. When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was consumed by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]], a wayward mass seeking purpose, his memories of Maximus's nobility and bravery helped convert the entity into a force of creation, rather than destruction. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{--}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right]]

In the year [[2012]], Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon|another dimension]], a rift in space-time opened over Earth and caused catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{--}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}

[[File:Fort max the war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|...''Hulk''head]]

After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least two years. At some point, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] left to live a "normal life" and, in his absence, intruders were able to board the crashed ship. During their intrusion, they re-awakened [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} Despite Megatron's resurrection, and his army of [[Zombie|lobotomized soldiers]], Spike was not willing to bond with Fortress Maximus again, despite his brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]]'s pleas. It took the death of Buster and his wife [[Jesse (G1)|Jesse]] to finally spur Spike into action and recombine with Maximus. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} Circa [[1994]], Fortress Maximus battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

[[File:Spike fort max optimus the war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|To be completely honest? This scene exists for no other reason than to piss off the [[GEEWUN|loyalists]].]]

After Scorponok's rebirth and subsequent demise, Fortress Maximus was the only Autobot Headmaster who hadn't been reactivated and reeducated by Scorponok to serve in his army, and the newly freed Nebulans, with the help of the Autobots, began constructing a new body for him at the [[Technodrome]]. However, unknown to anyone, a portion of [[Dark Matrix]] energy found Maximus's head being kept in stasis, and entered, making Maximus its new host. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} Unaware of the hitchhiker in Max's head, the Nebulans proceeded to reattach Max's head to his finished body. However, upon reconnection, Max began screaming in pain, not unlike the other Headmasters had during the Nebulans' first failed attempts, causing alarm among everyone watching. Maximus suddenly fell silent, the only sign of life in him a faint glimmer of darkness in his eye. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

Having fallen completely under the control of the Matrix, Maximus broke out of the laboratory and took a space bridge to Earth, where he gunned down Optimus Prime. Recapturing his old partner Spike, he returned through the space bridge, but not before declaring that "One will become all". {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} With Spike, he traveled to [[Zero Space]] for an audience with the Dark Matrix Entity. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} Maximus arrived on Nebulos in time to watch [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] dispatch [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], and started to attack him. As he prepared to execute Magnus, he was ambushed by the [[Wreckers]] and [[Linda Chang]]'s forces. Together, the Autobots and humans were forced to kill Fortress Maximus, releasing him from the Dark Matrix's control and giving him the peace he'd always longed for. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{--}}

====''Transformers '84''====
One of the Autobot commanders who rose to prominence in the wake of the ''Ark'' disappearing, Fortress Maximus and his troops faced off against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s forces, only to retreat when Scorponok began carpet-bombing them. Fortress called Ultra Magnus to let him know of this development, adding his personal commentary that the situation was so bad he was beginning to wonder whether Cybertron was worth fighting for. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}} In the aftermath of the Wreckers successfully thwarting [[Project Dreadnought]], Fort Max became co-leader of the Autobots alongside Ultra Magnus and [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 4|Secrets & Lies #4}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb]]
The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to [[robot mode]], Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}
{{--}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}

During Cybertron's second [[Golden Age]], Fortress Maximus served on the [[Autobot High Council]]. While some of his comrades disliked the idea of transitioning to energy-efficient [[beast mode]]s, the forward-thinking Maximus, anticipating the rise of a [[Predacon (BW)|resurgent Predacon faction]], led [[Maximal|a group of Autobots]] who embraced his pragmatic philosophy. {{storylink|The Transformers Menagerie issue 5|Menagerie #5}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)|[[Simon Broad]] (English), [[Liu Xirui]] (Chinese), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Drang nach Master!]]

Fortress was originally a [[Cyberdroid]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]'s. Four million years ago, he was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Definitely just a battleship that doesn't turn into anything.]]

Fortress was responsible for many of these technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (G1)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Reunited and it feels so goo-ood!"]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|A big giant head, but not THE {{w|Big Giant Head}}.]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"Take my job, New Toy! I don't want it!"]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|You've got [[The Touch|the touch!]] You've got the pow-werrrrr!]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|"Arr, me heart(y)!"]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|{{w|Saving Private Ryan|"Earn this!"}}]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|right|thumb|[[Cog (G1)#The Transformers|Colors and shapes]] may vary from those pictured.]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]]" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|[[The Transformers: The Movie|An impetuous young soldier ruining everything]]? Inconceivable!]]
As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|By the power of Grayskull!]]
As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Head Formation|ULTIMATE SHINING FRIENDSHIP!]]]]
With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{--}}

====''Kiss Players''====
[[File:KPBraveMax.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7]]

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome, and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Kiss Players episode 48|Kiss Players #48}} {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

In [[2011]], during the conflict between Fortress Maximus and Megazarak on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], an unseen [[Atari Hitotonari]] (travelling from the past year of [[2007]]) kissed Fortress Maximus to get the piece of "[[Angolmois Energy|the Allspark]]" that had laid within the Autobot leader without his knowledge. {{Storylink|Kiss Players episode 42|Kiss Players #42}} {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}}

====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|The Headmasters Now!!}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
Fortress dispatched a team of [[Pretender]]s led by [[Marduk]] to retrieve the [[Ultra Matrix]] from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/30}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
Archive footage of Fortress Maximus destroying the MegaZarak transtector was used to educate the future [[Headmaster Junior]]s about the [[Master Wars]]. {{storylink|Birth! Headmaster Jrs}}

Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

====''Legends'' comic====
[[File:Legends37-FortressMaximus.jpg|thumb|left]]

The battle between Fortress and Scorponok began on Master when Fortress discovered and put an end to his kidnapping and experimenting on citizens. {{storylink|Mutant Targetmaster Birth Chapter}} Years later, [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] told a visiting [[Legends World|Legends]] [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] the story about how he and other diminutive Autobots, including Fortress, left Cybertron and settled on Master. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 9|Bonus Edition Vol. 9}} Fortress later showed up when [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] was complaining about Brainstorm's recent upgrade and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] was getting angry at Rattrap for not caring about ''The Headmasters'', and commented that everyone was getting worked up as usual. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Brainstorm Chapter|Brainstorm Chapter}}

[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] harbored regrets over the fact that [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] had parted ways with him and moved onto spending her time with Fortress. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 19|Bonus Edition Vol. 19}}

During development of [[Master-Brace|technology]] that would let [[Headmaster Junior]]s wield [[Masterforce (technology)|Masterforce]], Fortress created a Headmaster [[exosuit]] for human use and let [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] test pilot it on his own transtector. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 54|Bonus Edition Vol. 54}}

By 2021, Scorponok had returned and Fortress continued to fight him in space, culminating in a battle to stop the Decepticon from detonating a black hole. The Autobots failed and were infected with [[Black ball|miniature black holes]] that shrunk their bodies, threatening to eventually make them disappear entirely. After having all non-Headmasters on his crew converted into Headmasters to save their lives, Fortress told his forces they could find new transtectors in the Legends World, then set a course there before the battleship Maximus itself could disappear. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} On arrival, Fortress requested help from the local [[Axalon Trading Company]], but was told by [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] that they didn't work for free. In lieu of money, Fortress offered them access to Headmaster technology and negotiated a partnership between the Autobots and Axalon, leading to him and his soldiers becoming office workers. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 21|Bonus Edition Vol. 21}}

[[File:BonusEdition31-FortMax.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Fortress was later called up by Grand, who asked him to open a portal and receive some humans he was sending to the Legends World. He was resistant to taking them in, being busy with managerial duties, but backed down when an angry Grand told him people's lives were at stake and accused him of getting too cozy in the peaceful dimension. {{storylink|LG24 Shockwave & Cancer Prologue}} When the Autobot Axalon Trading Company finished building a new battleship Maximus, Chromedome urged Fortress to use it to crush the Decepticons, only for Fortress to collapse while trying to argue for a peaceful solution. In sickbed, he let Chromedome in on a big secret: the process of controlling Maximus had been eating away at his life force all along, weakening him every time he combined. He then broke into tears, despairing that he was nothing but a coward who avoided having to use the transtector for his own safety, but Chromedome reassured him that he was a great commander who had only kept this secret from his troops to keep morale up. Despite his condition, Fortress didn't hesitate to become Fortress Maximus once more to defend his friends from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], who was being mind-controlled by [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] into attacking the Maximus. After defeating Tarantulas by piercing his control device with the Master Sword, he told his comrades he was happy as long as he could keep defending the world. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 31|Bonus Edition Vol. 31}}

Highbrow began researching a cure to Fortress's condition and eventually found that it could be reversed by feeding him [[Zodiac]] energy, which was related to the Headmasters' telepathic energy. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 33|Bonus Edition Vol. 33}} When the Decepticon Headmasters stole Metroplex's [[Transformation cog (biology)|transformation cog]] to rebuild [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Megatron contacted Fortress as he was the only other Transformer large enough to stop Trypticon. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}} However, Trypticon's new ability to fly caught Fortress by surprise before he could transform the Maximus, and the battleship was damaged and crashed. Fortress removed its transformation cog and had it delivered to Metroplex, then ended up among the victims devoured by Trypticon before he could be defeated. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} The Maximus base was subsequently integrated into the city when it was rebuilt. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Metroplex)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Goldbug]] and Spike later arrived at Axalon and informed Fortress that the Spike acting as a chairman of the [[Universal Peace Alliance]] was an impostor. Noting that Spike had kept the exosuit, Fortress lent him his transtector so he could fight off the fake, then promised he would lend a hand when the time came to defeat him for good. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 54|Bonus Edition Vol. 54}} The Maximus was drowned when [[Tigerburn]] flooded the city {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 64|Bonus Edition Vol. 64}} and damaged when [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] attacked, but got repaired by [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] using the Zodiac. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 66|Bonus Edition Vol. 66}} When Grand came to the Legends World to battle [[Devil Z]] and BlackZarak using his own gigantic transtector, Fortress tried to stop him as didn't have the training required to control it, but Grand insisted on showing his worth and defeated Devil Z before collapsing. Fortress rushed to his fallen brother, who praised him for his ability to control such a huge body and joked that they would both be needing the Zodiac treatment now. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Grand Maximus)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1}} {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3}} {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 4: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 4}} {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5}}}}

====''Generations Selects Special Comic''====
In [[2050]], Fortress Maximus was associated with a larger complex for the [[Cybertron Alliance]] known as [[Neo Scramble City]]. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}}

===''TV Magazine'' comic continuity===
====''The Great Transformer War''====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]
In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]], and [[Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmasters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[File:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]
When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army}}

Later talking to [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]], Fortress would check on the progress of the project after Chromedome arrived at Earth to assist with it. {{storylink|Headmasters VS Masterforce}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[little informant|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''PDTF Comic''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax manga.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|PDTF Comic##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|PDTF Comic##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}
{{--}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:WarWithin5-FortMax.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together; several of the newly created Micromasters grew increasingly dissatisfied with their lot in life within the Autobot army, and came to question if their larger counterparts were leading them in the right direction. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

In a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of things to come, Optimus Prime and Megatron glimpsed a gargantuan Fortress Maximus striding into battle on a war-torn [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], General [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

====''TransTech''====
Binary bonded to [[Emissary (RID)|Brave]] and Sgt. Savage as [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s, Fortress Maximus was part of the alliance between the Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] [[Screaming Eagles]] against the Decepticons and [[S.K.A.R.]] A clash between Maximus and Trypticon nearly destroyed Earth's magnetosphere, but ultimately, the Autobots and their human allies won the day. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01}}
{{--}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|''[[Spotlight: Blaster]]''}}

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

Fortress Maximus came online in the midst of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the Autobots and Decepticons, a rare "warborn" Cybertronian who was [[Reproduction|forged]] at some point after the beginning of open hostilities between the two factions. {{storylink|Interiors}} Fortress Maximus possessed an abnormal green [[spark]] that marked him as a [[Point One Percenter]]—while he wasn't ''quite'' as strong as other famous heavyweights like [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] or [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], his imposing size and frightful array of heavy-duty armaments—including a set of guns in his legs—made him more than a match for the average Decepticon. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}} Maximus participated in the infamous [[Simanzi Massacre]]; over the course of this campaign, he won renown for killing at least ten thousand Decepticons. {{storylink|Animals}}

In the year [[1408]], a century before the fall of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Fortress Maximus had become the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} At some point, Maximus was among the many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s miraculous return. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

After Optimus Prime encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[combiner|gestalt]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]" to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] in the hopes that they could help them recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s inhumane experimentation. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests. However, once word of the gestalt technology got out, agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun. In desperation, he reactivated [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], the most dangerous Autobot in the penitentiary. Fortress hoped that Arcee—as another one of Jhiaxus's discarded experiments—would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]], but also fitted her spark with synchronized G-forces that would fatally crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] made off with the six gestalt robots; against his better judgement, Jetfire convinced Maximus that Arcee was their best available option to retrieve them. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the recent breakout, they also mentioned that a surviving Decepticon—unbeknownst to the pair, one of Arcee's victims—had been tortured, leaving Maximus and Jetfire to exchange guilty glances. Despite this, Prime left Maximus in charge while Jetfire boarded the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} Prime returned to Garrus-9 during the [[Expansion]] crisis, when the corrupted [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] entered the living universe after the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots hunkered down in The Last Resort, the prison's best-defended, highest-security section, but Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} To help the Autobots fight back against Nemesis and his followers, Fortress temporarily assisted the Autobots on Earth, where he battled [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] and [[Grindcore (G1)|Grindcore]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]

Maximus had returned to Garrus-9 by the time that [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] launched the devastating [[Surge (event)|Surge]] against the Autobots, and an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Phase Sixer]] [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the villains overran the complex while Overlord trounced the mighty Autobot. To keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to torture as they saw fit so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}} Overlord needed Maximus alive for one reason—''[[Epistemus|something]]'' had been hidden beneath the prison's [[Aequitas]] supercomputer, and only Maximus knew how to access the locked room that housed the machine. With the Autobots in disarray and unable to mount a rescue mission, Fortress Maximus spent three years, two months, and ten days in captivity, enduring one painful torture session after another; although Overlord's brutal torture sessions left his body increasingly mangled, Maximus refused to give in to his tormentor and developed a burning hatred for Prowl, whom he viewed as the 'bot responsible for leaving him and his men to die. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

By the time that the Autobots sent the [[Wreckers]] to liberate the benighted prison complex, Fortress Maximus had been reduced to a comatose wreck, forcibly hardwired to the door that protected the Aequitas chamber while his brain inputted code after code in an attempt to brute-force the lock. While accessing the Aequitas chamber, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus from the system, while [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}} As the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety; eventually, after the remaining Wreckers defeated Overlord, Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Fortress Maximus was transferred to [[Delphi]], and spent the final days of the war in an "eternal coma". When [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]], [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, a desperate [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] turned to a dangerous, untested procedure and used his own spark's energy to revitalize Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Maximus promptly annihilated his foes, and when Pharma revealed himself to be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and his bioengineered [[Red Rust]] plague, Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Captain [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] was pleased to see Maximus, giving him a hug and telling him "[['Til all are one]]". {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} Not long afterwards, he attended a medal ceremony held by Rodimus to honor the heroes of a recent hull breach emergency. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

Out of concern for his precipitous mental health, Ratchet referred Fortress Maximus to [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] for psychiatric treatment. The sessions went poorly, as Maximus actively lied about what he remembered about his time in Decepticon captivity; after one such session, Maximus headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]'s [[Swerve's|bar]], where he suffered a mental break and shot five Autobots—[[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]], and [[Doubletap]]—because their colors reminded him of Overlord. Fortress Maximus then locked himself within Rung's office, tied the psychoanalyst to his own chair, and impaled Rung's current patient [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] with a pipe. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted 'Hot Rod' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from Prowl regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. After crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed that the microphone in Rung's right thumb was broadcasting to the ship and promptly ripped it off. An acerbic Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot, but accidentally blew Rung's head apart. As an anguished Maximus realised what he'd done Whirl successfully impaled him through the chest. {{storylink|Interiors}} After recovering, Maximus was summarily imprisoned in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

[[File:IDWMtMtE15-FortMaxOverlordThwok.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

Weeks later, a recovered Rung paid him a visit in the brig and accepted an unabashedly sincere apology from Maximus. When Overlord broke free from the [[slow cell]] hidden in the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s basement, Fortress Maximus was released from confinement to combat the rampaging Phase Sixer after he was temporarily incapacitated by [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]]'s use of [[Trepan's Trigger]]. He pummeled Overlord mercilessly and forced him back into the slow cell, which was then jettisoned from the ''Lost Light'' into space and destroyed by Chromedome. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} When Rodimus led a band of Autobots to the lost satellite [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], he left Fortress Maximus in command of the ''Lost Light'' {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} After the infiltration of the ship by [[Legislator]]s, Fortress Maximus used his leg guns to fend off the attackers {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}, but was soon subdued. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} As a forged Autobot, Maximus was not affected when [[Chief Justice]] [[Solomus|Tyrest]] activated the [[universal killswitch]], but could only watch as it almost extinguished the sparks of Blaster and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

[[File:SomeOfMyBestFriendsAreAutobots FortMax.jpg|thumb|left]]
Once the Legislators were defeated, Fortress Maximus helped clean up Swerve's wrecked bar. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} Rodimus commended Maximus for his defense of the ship and offered him [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s previous title of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. As this position that would have him leave the ''Lost Light'', Maximus feared he might have another breakdown if left unchecked and asked for advice from Rung, who reassured him of his mental health and convinced him to accept. Maximus subsequently departed the ''Lost Light'', and moved into Tyrest's abandoned base on Luna 1 alongside [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and the [[Circle of Light]] to guard a captive Tyrest, {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}} unaware that the Chief Justice had really built his citadel inside a dead Titan. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}} In between his duties as the new Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord, he continued his therapy with Rung remotely and eventually reached some semblance of peace. {{storylink|Animals}}

Unlike Ultra Magnus, Maximus believed that his duties sometimes called for "pre-emptive action" instead of only seeking out offenders ''after'' they'd broken a law. One such offender, an ex-Decepticon named [[Demus]], came to his attention for kidnapping [[beast mode]] Cybertronians and marketing them to organic races as "[[Roboid]]s". Maximus warned Demus of his impending arrest, but the Decepticon ignored his warnings. {{storylink|Animals}} Eventually, Maximus tracked Demus to [[Tebris VII]] and briefly pursued him before executing him in front of Demus's prospective employees, the self-proclaimed "[[Scavengers (G1)|Scavengers]]". {{storylink|Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots}} Mistaking the ragtag Decepticons for active collaborators, Maximus gave chase; when [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] brought up Grimlock, who'd also been imprisoned in Garrus-9, Maximus changed tack and tracked Grimlock to the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'', where he briefly grappled with the brain-damaged [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] until the Scavengers caught up with him. Crankcase and [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] successfully bluffed Maximus into backing down and leaving their ship by lying that they'd rigged a bomb in Demus's Roboid warehouse; when Maximus doubled back to check, he instead discovered that [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] had left him instructions on how to reverse the Roboids' brain damage. After bringing the Roboids back onto his ship, he related his most recent adventure to Rung, who suggested that he rethink his approach to peacekeeping in a postwar galaxy. {{storylink|Animals}}

[[File:FortMaxCuddles.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right]]
Following his return to Luna 1, Fortress Maximus and Red Alert watched a broadcast of the last words of several crew members of the ''Lost Light'' who were about to be executed. Alarmed, Fortress tried contacting the ship, on every frequency he knew, only to get no response. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

Over the next few cycles, their ally [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] worked to repair the Roboids one by one; once their powers of speech, higher reasoning, and transformation were repaired, each one opted to return to Cybertron, much to Fortress's dismay. As he was planning to head off to [[Immatura]] to deal with a Decepticon smuggling [[spark harvester]]s, Cerebros suggested a new form of [[mnemosurgery]] to speed up the healing process; before they could finish their conversation, however, Prowl suddenly arrived through a [[Space bridge|spacebridge]]. Though Fortress was initially intent on finally getting even with the 'bot who'd left him to die—despite the fact that Prowl had completely forgotten about the entire incident—the amoral strategist warned them that [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] had returned from the grave and set a course for Luna 1. As the three followed the Roboid [[Beak]] to the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] graveyard aboard [[Mobile Autobot Repair Bay|MARBs]], Fortress admitted that his therapy sessions with Rung had helped him work through some of his wartime trauma. The group discovered that Sentinel had already hijacked one of the dead Titans; when they caught up with the rogue Prime, Sentinel initially mistook Fortress for [[Pious Maximus]] and refused to recognize his authority. Before Fortress could take any action to stop the ancient 'bot from waking up every Titan he could, Sentinel revealed that he'd brainwashed Red Alert and used his sleeper agent to shoot Prowl in the back. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}

[[File:LastLight-TitanFight.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8]]
Fortress grappled with his partner but held back for fear of killing the brainwashed Red Alert; frustrated by Red's lack of success, Sentinel prepared to kill them both, only for Cerebros to buy enough time for the group to escape by puppeteering Prowl's body. The group fled back to Tyrest's base, where Fortress hit upon the idea of transforming their own Titan to go after Sentinel, who'd used his [[Titan Master]] powers to raise an entire army of [[zombie]] titans and open a spacebridge portal to Cybertron. After Prowl dislodged the Titan's jammed [[Transformation cog (biology)|transformation cog]], Fortress Maximus took control of the Titan's motor functions and used the giant Cybertronian to keep as many zombies as he could away from the portal—faced with an army, however, he couldn't hold them back for long and was overwhelmed before Red Alert dealt with Sentinel and closed the portal. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
While Prowl took [[G.B. Blackrock|Sovereign]] back to [[Earth]], the Luna 1 Autobots eventually traveled to [[Necroworld]] to rescue their friends (though Maximus allowed Outrigger to tag along, he forbade live-streaming) only to find the Decepticon members of the [[Disappeared]] had conquered the planet. After saving the vlogger from [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], the group found [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] buried within an [[isolation chamber]]. Hooking Beak up to the system to peek into the chamber, they found evidence suggesting the minibot had succumbed to spontaneous spark combustion and Maximus called Rodimus to inform him of the grim news. {{storylink|Sardines}}

[[File:LostLight25 FortMaxAndScavengersMakePeace.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Three days later, after Cerebros had used his implant to repair all of the remaining Roboids at once, Prowl announced that he would stay with the trio for a while to clear his head. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
Maximus soon received a bizarre message from Rodimus, giving him instructions to use the [[Warren]] to travel slightly back in time to the [[Benzene Cluster]] and slam Luna 1 into the [[neural cluster]] of a giant [[Primus]] robot before then giving the past Rodimus the instructions he had just received. Though skeptical, Maximus complied, having Luna 1 enter the Warren and being amazed to see the giant planetary avatar upon exiting. He ordered Red Alert to bounce Luna 1 off the back of Primus' neck, forcibly reverting it to planet mode. Maximus later watched from above as Rodimus' group opened twelve [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrices]] on the surface of Functionist Cybertron, defeating the [[Functionist Council]] and re-igniting Luna 1's dormant [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]. They reunited with their fellows in the aftermath and Maximus had to give Rodimus the instructions he had originally been given to complete his role in the time loop. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|A Spark Among Embers}}

Fortress Maximus later attended a farewell party for the decommissioned ''Lost Light'' in Swerve's bar, where he apologized to the Scavengers for attempting to kill them. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] couldn't help but admire his leg guns. {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}
{{--}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

===''Transformers GT: Mission GT-R''===
[[File:GT-R Maximus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|What's worse? This pose? Or the fact that it's called the "master '''Jack''' Sword"?]]
In a world where the Transformers' war settled into a series of friendly competitive races known as the [[Transformers GT (race)|Transformers GT]], Fortress Maximus took on a race car form and became the [[GT Transformer]] known as '''GT-R Maximus'''. He was a fair and sportsmanlike racer who boasted the highest strength of all GT Transformers, and though normally averse to combat, he was willing to punish cheaters with his [[Master Jack Sword]]. Like other contestants, GT-R Maximus put a limit on his own strength by separating his Matrix into a [[GT Sister]], creating his partner [[Hiiro]].

====Comic====
GT-R Maximus was racing against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|GT-R Prime]] and [[Star Saber (G1)|GT-R Saber]], cheered on by Hiiro on the sidelines, when the race was interrupted by the arrival of [[Megatron (G1)|GT-R Megatron]]. The intruder announced his intent to crush all racers inferior to him, causing a scuffle, but GT-R Prime talked him down and convinced him to join the race instead. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (comic)|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R}}

====Story pages====
Like other racers, GT-R Maximus attended photo shoots alongside Hiiro in order to promote coexistence between humans and Transformers. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)|The Work of the GT Sister Race Queens?}} When a reincarnated [[Unicron]] attacked the Transformers GT finals and absorbed the huge [[energon]] pool saved up for the final prize, Maximus threw aside his usual dislike for battle and attacked the villain with his mighty sword. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)|Bringing Down the Sword}} But Maximus alone wasn't enough to defeat Unicron, so he used the "Matrix In" process to recombine with Hiiro and restore his true strength. Together with the other powered up racers and their GT Sisters, he fought and defeated Unicron, saving Earth. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)|The True TFGT}}

====''Story of Transformers GT''====
GT-R Maximus raced in the 19th Transformers GT in his usual pacifistic manner, refusing Hiiro's requests to prepare the Master Jack Sword and instead relying on his fists when he was forced into combat. His resolve was tested when he heard that GT-R Megatron was using unnecessarily violent methods to get ahead, however, and he ultimately relented and had Hiiro transfer the sword to him so he could teach the brute a lesson. {{storylink|A Biggest Sword! –The Last Resort–}}

===''Knights of Unicron''===
The Ft. Max Forum, located on Earth, was the third venue for the [[Knights of Unicron (band)|Knights of Unicron]] on their 2014 "Till All Are One" tour. {{storylink|Knights of Unicron (band)#Fiction|Knights of Unicron}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:EverybodyHatesMetroplex-FortMax.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Fortress Maximus was an ancient rival of Scorponok. In the past, their battles had spanned entire worlds and destroyed countless civilizations. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s corruption of his brain reduced Fortress Maximus to a mindless, energy-starved zombie who wandered Cybertron in a daze. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}} When [[U.S.7]] and the [[Oktober Guard]] passed by on a ship, Maximus grabbed it out of the sky and swallowed the occupants whole. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} A group of [[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]] and Autobots infiltrated the giant on a mission to save U.S.7, leading to their discovery and defeat of Blackarachnia and the restoration of Maximus's mind. He subsequently joined the battle against the Decepticons and [[Cobra]], going up against [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] who bit his head off only to for the head to transform into Cerebros in his mouth. In spite of the surprise attack this allowed for, the Autobots were defeated and the decapitated body of Fortress Maximus was left where it lay. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}}

Through circumstances unknown, [[Snake-Eyes]] bonded with Fortress Maximus through the [[Master Sword]], replacing his original head partner, [[Galen]]. He teamed up with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], in turn controlled by Snake-Eyes's compatriot [[Scarlett]], and together they coerced [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to fight again before marching on the Decepticon position as part of a joint Autobot-Joe army. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}} During the battle, even Maximus and Scorponok were dwarfed by Megatron's "Mega-Megatron" form, but fortunately they didn't have to fight the giant long before he was broken apart by [[Shipwreck]]. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-10-Fortress.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.5]]
Fortress was at the newly constructed Autobot base, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[File:HeadGames-ResistanceScaleFortMaxFace.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Cerebros and Spike Witwicky were turned into Fortress Maximus when the war spread to Nebulos to counter the rise of [[Scorponok (G1)|MegaZarak]]. However, the destructive power of the city-bot brought only more devastation to the planet, and the existence of Maximus and weapons like him was a major reason why the [[Human Confederacy]] confined the Transformers and their war to a [[Allowed Zone|quarantined region of space]]. {{storylink|Head Games}} When Galvatron threatened the planet [[Master (planet)|Rebirth]], Fortress Maximus—now bonded to Daniel Witwicky—returned to duty after the Decepticons deployed the newest incarnation of MegaZarak. When the two clashed for the second time, it was Fortress Maximus who fell. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} After the end of the war, an energy-starved Fortress Maximus could no longer move and ground to a halt in robot mode in [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], where his frozen, towering form was repurposed as a prison by the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders of Cybertron]]. Cerebros himself died at some point, but his consciousness remained active within Maximus through three [[Cyberdroid]]s, [[Grand Maximus|Gran]], [[Galen|Kord]], and [[Cerebros (RID)|Plasma]].

When Cerebros learned of the Terran singularity, bringing back all humans who ever lived and died, he petitioned the Terrans to bring back his Witwicky partners as well. They refused, but instead gave Cerebros the [[Energon Matrix]] technology to create a new proto-race of Cybertronians. One of the earliest protoformers birthed was [[Maxima]], known as the first daughter of Fortress Maximus and ''She Who Sang''. Her principles led to the development of a proto-race faction called the Maximals, derived from Autobot teachings and named in part for Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Head Games}} {{storylink|The Predacon Manifesto}}

[[Lio Convoy#Beast Wars: Uprising|Lio Convoy]]'s [[Resistance (BWU)|Resistance]] against the Builders sought to infiltrate Fortress Maximus and free the prisoners within, but their initial attempts were foiled by Cerebros's ability to get into the heads of the intruders and turn them against each other. The third strike team was able to turn the tide by willingly sacrificing [[Buzzclaw (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Buzzclaw]] to Cerebros's control and using the mental link to paralyze him, allowing them to kill Kord and Plasma and kidnap Gran, effectively shutting down Maximus. {{storylink|Head Games}}
{{--}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Primax 1086.0 Kappa]], Fortress Maximus and Scorponok were killed by the Nebulans during the Transformers' battle on Nebulos, and their remains were fused together by [[Zarak (G1)|Mortilus Zarak]] into a giant robot body. After he binary bonded with the body, however, the faint traces of Maximus's and Scorponok's sparks began affecting his mind and eventually drove him mad, turning him into "[[Zarak Maximus]]". {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/11}}

In some other realities, Fortress Maximus survived the Great War and went on to found the [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/08}}

===2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity===
Fortress Maximus was one of the many casualties of the Great War before the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]]. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
[[File:HasbroPulse FortressMaximus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|This is highly unusual.]]

One of the last [[Titan (group)|Titans]] in the universe, {{storylink|#Generations|''Titans Return'' Fortress Maximus online bio}} the legendary Fortress Maximus had slumbered underneath [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], until the battle for the [[Titan Master]]s roused him from his slumber. He awoke just in time to witness [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s attack on Cybertron, frightening the Decepticon communications officer something fierce. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}} With a city alt-mode, Fortress Maximus served as the ultimate Autobot weapon and base. {{storylink|#Generations|''Titans Return'' Fortress Maximus online bio}}

When Fortress Maximus returned to full size and unleashed his power on the universe, the scientists [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and [[Arcana|Teslor]] and Cityspeaker [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] fought against the rogue Autobot [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], who sought to use a loyal Titan Master to bend the Titan to his will as part of his own misguided agenda.<ref>''Titans Return'' ''[[Titans Return (toyline)#Summer convention exclusives|Titan Force]] 3-pack'' bio material/instructions.</ref>
{{--}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Dorn]] (English), [[Nolan North]] (English, screams and grunts)}}

[[File:OverlordAndEmissary-FortMax.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Not quite the shpadoinkle day he had prior.]]

Fortress Maximus was a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] constructed during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], and was aided by his Titan Master, [[Emissary (TR)|Emissary]]. Once the conflict ceased, he was decommissioned and left dormant. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} After the conclusion of the [[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner Wars]], [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] experienced a vision of Fortress Maximus, indicating that the Titans had indeed returned. {{storylink|Destruction's Dawn}}

When Trypticon was reawakened, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] proposed seeking out Fortress Maximus to combat the rogue Titan. At Perceptor's suggestion, the [[Mistress of Flame]] sent [[Computron (G1)|Computron]], [[Victorion]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] to locate and awaken Maximus. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} The inert Titan was eventually located in a frozen wasteland by the four combiners, and Menasor accidentally fired a missile from one of Maximus's cannons that launched Emissary towards [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|The Fight Begins}}
Computron determined that Fortress Maximus's [[Transformation cog (biology)|transformation cog]] was damaged, rendering him unable to directly join the battle. However, Victorion saw fit to target Maximus' functioning missiles at the saurian giant–with Metroplex expected to be killed in the process as an acceptable casualty of friendly fire–thereby fulfilling her own [[Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Victorion|personal vision of the Combiners saving the galaxy]]. {{storylink|Overlord and Emissary}}

The barrage ultimately failed, {{storylink|At the Last Second}} and the Combiners were distracted by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s arrival, leading to a confrontation that was eventually halted by [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and Emissary. After the others had departed, Emissary attempted to link to Fortress Maximus's mind, but was unable to access it. Instead, he initiated a procedure to link Windblade and Maximus via her [[Cityspeaker]] abilities. However, the process proved volatile and soon spiraled out of control. {{storylink|Desperate Actions}}

[[File:InGoodHands-FortMax.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|"I was woken up at 3 in the morning, told I had to put on make-up and come to this town. What the hell is going on?"]]

Windblade communed with Fortress Maximus, begging for his help, though he at first rejected her, having sworn a life of peace. She ultimately managed to convince Maximus, however, and he transformed himself back to robot mode, following Windblade back towards Metroplex City. {{storylink|Run for Our Lives}} Witnessing Trypticon's fight with Victorion from afar, Fortress Maximus admitted he was unsure he could win, but swore to try anyway for Cybertron's sake. He arrived in Metroplex City just in time to catch [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] before he could fall into some sharp rubble. {{storylink|In Good Hands}} He engaged in battle with Trypticon, refusing help from Emissary, and managed to get the upper hand until Trypticon swallowed Victorion and the [[Enigma of Combination]], powering himself up. Between attacks from the powered-up Trypticon and the now mind-controlled [[Combiner]]s, Maximus found himself at a disadvantage. When Trypticon swallowed [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership]], even he was knocked away by the sudden surge of power it triggered. {{storylink|Consumed}}

Ultimately, however, the Matrix's power couldn't be controlled by Trypticon, and he released all those he had swallowed, along with Starscream's ghost. Catching Trypticon's deactivated body, Maximus lamented the loss of another Titan, but was interrupted by the return of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]. He and Optimus attempted a sneak attack, but Megatronus effortlessly caught Maximus's Master Sword and tossed him away before killing Optimus. No longer able to bring himself to try attacking again, Maximus could only watch as Megatronus escaped with the Enigma and Matrix in hand. {{storylink|All Things Must Pass}} He was later severely weakened by the spark-draining power of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'s doomsday weapon. {{storylink|Collision Course}} Thankfully, he survived and began working under Windblade, who became the Magistrate of [[Cityspeaker]]s and aided those who communicated with the Titans. {{storylink|Saga's End}}
{{--}}

===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
[[File:StarTrekVsTF2-fortressmaximus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"So long, Earth suckers! Enjoy the melting ice caps! I hope the combustion engine was worth it!"]]

As [[World War III]] swept Earth, the Autobots abandoned [[Earth]] aboard the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] Fortress Maximus, using his starship configuration to roam the cosmos in search of [[energon]]. Decades passed, and as Maximus passed by [[Cygnus Seven]] the Autobots were ambushed by the Decepticons aboard their own Titan, Trypticon; in the ensuing battle, the badly damaged Fortress Maximus crash-landed on the planet's surface, sending everyone aboard—Autobot and Decepticon alike—into stasis. Centuries later, the [[Federation]] set up a [[dilithium]] mine on the planet, and while surveying a potential mineshaft Federation miners accidentally stumbled on the Titan's inert form, and inadvertently reactivated Fortress Maximus's repair systems in the process.

[[File:STvsTF3-FortressTiberious.jpg|thumb|So do Gasket and Grommet turn into ''Enterprise'' shuttles now, or...?]]

Unable to distinguish between Autobot and Decepticon, Maximus's autonomous subsystems first brought the Decepticons back online, who proceeded to attack the mining colony before the ship could reawaken Prime and the other Autobots. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}} When [[James T. Kirk|Captain Kirk]] and the crew of the ''[[USS Enterprise|Enterprise]]'' investigated the distress signal, they discovered Fortress Maximus's resting spot, only to be ambushed by the rest of the Autobots {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part One}} before Kirk could convince them of his good intentions. The Decepticons soon got the upper hand by sealing the Autobots in the mine with their new allies, and so [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] hatched a risky plan to bring Fortress Maximus back online. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}}

To bring the Titan back online, Ratchet rigged up a device that would access Kirk's memories through Fortress Maximus; using scans of the ''Enterprise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s schematics, plucked from Kirk's brain, Ratchet was able to bring their living ship back to full functionality by rebuilding Fortress Maximus into a copy of the ''Enterprise''. Shortly after coming back online, Fortress Maximus burst from the ground to take on the Decepticons and their new [[Klingon]] allies; now fully under Kirk's mental control, the [[Starfleet]] captain was able to blast Trypticon with the ship's inbuilt [[Phaser (weapon)|phasers]] before beaming [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Kuri]]'s Federation prisoners to safety. To take on the gigantic Decepticon, Kirk was able to transform the Titan into his new robot mode, their shared mind declaring themselves "Fortress Tiberius." {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Three}}

[[File:PrimesDirective4-CygnusVIIBattle.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml4wAnvfM4M Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-DAAAAAAAH-dah-dah-dah]...]]

As the two Titans battled it out, Kirk was forced to keep Fortress Maximus's own desire for vengeance under control, using his powerful suite of onboard weapons to great effect against his foe. Despite the temptation, however, Kirk was able to keep himself under control, and by reining in his partner's bloodlust Kirk was able to momentarily down Trypticon with a powerful punch. When the Decepticons abruptly announced a retreat, however, Kirk used Tiberius's onboard sensors to realize that the treacherous Decepticon [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] had already absconded with a load of [[dilithium]], and sought to conquer the [[Klingon Empire]]. Optimus and the other Autobots boarded Fortress Tiberius and reunited with the real ''Enterprise'' over Cygnus Seven to help repair the damaged vessel. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

When the ''Enterprise'' was once more spaceworthy, the two vessels pursued Starscream to the Klingon homeworld of [[Kronos]], using their onboard [[replicator]]s to construct [[Crewbot|a series of armored battlesuits]] so that the other members of the ''Enterprise'' could take on their foes. Kirk and the others had arrived too late, however: Starscream had already arrived and been summarily defeated by Megatron and the other Decepticons, with the Decepticon leader seeking to seize the planet as the capital of his Decepticon empire. Fortress Tiberius and Trypticon battled it out once more as the Autobots, Klingons, and Starfleet members joined the fight, though the Titan and his human partner weren't able to overcome Trypticon before they were incapacitated by a paralyzing sonic blast from Soundwave. The Klingons, however, weren't affected by this frequency, and thanks to Kirk forewarning their leader [[Kuri]] about Cybertronian vulnerabilities, they were able to unleash an armada of [[Warbird (Star Trek)|warbird]]s on the Decepticons and defeat them. In the aftermath, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots chose to go their own way aboard Fortress Tiberius once more. As they bade farewell to Kirk and the other members of Starfleet, they pledged to remain on call if the Federation ever needed their assistance again. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Five}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Fortress Maximus grappled with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] on [[Nebulos|Nebulon]] while other [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] scuffled at their feet. With a show of prodigious strength, Fortress Maximus picked up Scorponok by his tail and tossed his opponent about like a ragdoll. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}
*When the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] threatened to attack Fortress Maximus, the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] sprung up to oppose them. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Technobots and Terrorcons|Technobots and Terrorcons commercial}}
*The Terrorcons attacked Fortress Maximus once more; this time, the massive Autobot warded off their attack on his own by blasting them with his battle station mode. The Terrorcons regrouped and combined into [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] to tare away at Fortress Maximus's armament. Little did they know that Fortress Maximus could still transform into a robot that dwarfed even the mighty combiner! {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Fortress Maximus|Fortress Maximus commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Autobot Headmasters to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
{{Note|Although Fortress Maximus was not included in a storyline for the ''Transformers Legends'' game, he was featured as a playable character.}} {{storylink|Signature Series featuring Marcelo Matere|Signature Series}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Earth Wars Fortress Maximus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75|]]
{{Charstubgames|{{Storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, [[1987]])
**''Takara ID number'': '''C-114'''
**''Accessories (Hasbro release)'': "[[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Toys|Spike]]" Headmaster unit, "[[Cerebros (G1)#Toys|Cerebros]]" large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|"Gasket" and "Grommet" ("Cog")]], "[[Photon rifle|Photon Rifle]]", "Dual Laser Blaster", Cerebros's "Mini Laser Rifle", Cog's "Laser rifle", "Radar Scope"
**''Accessories (Takara release)'': "Cerebros" Headmaster unit, "Fortress" large Headmaster unit, "Gasket" and "Gromme" ("Cog"), "Photon Rifle", "Dual Laser Blaster", Fortress's "Laser Rifle", Cog's Laser rifle, "Radar Scope", "Master Sword", Fortress's "Master Sword".
{{toydesigner|[[Kōjin Ōno]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Richard Marcej]] (packaging)}}

:Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest ''Transformers'' toy produced in the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original Generation 1 toyline]], and for over 25 years was the largest ''Transformers'' toy produced at all. In [[robot mode]], he stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than his rival [[Scorponok (G1)#Toys|Scorponok]]. Even decades later, his size is surpassed only by the 24" tall ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#T30|Thrilling 30]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]] and its [[retool]] as [[#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Fortress Maximus]], and the 27" [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|''War for Cybertron'' Unicron]]. He was also extraordinarily expensive, with his original retail price nearing $100 USD (adjusted for inflation, that's close to $300 USD in {{CURRENTYEAR}}, which made it an ''exorbitant'' amount for a toy in the 1980s: keep in mind that this was well before pesky adult collectors with their abundant pockets made [[Masterpiece|premium-priced toys]] something commonplace in the turn of the millennium).

:The toy has two [[alternate mode]] configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode and a "battle station" mode as described in the U.S. instructions. The Japanese instructions rebrand the latter as a "starship" mode and it is the default mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. As originally patented,<ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/USD305786 Fortress Maximus' worldwide patent application] on Google Patents</ref> Fortress Maximus' battle station mode instead had the legs splayed outwards in opposite directions, and it was this mode that appeared in the Hasbro 1987 catalogue, labelled as an "impenetrable fortress".<ref>[https://botchthecrab.com/archive/catalogs Catalogue archive at BotchTheCrab.com]</ref>

:Fortress Maximus's head is formed by "Cerebros" ("Fortress" in Japan), while Cerebros's head is formed by "Spike" ("Cerebros" in Japan). When Fortress Maximus is transformed into robot mode, Spike doesn't have to be attached to Cerebros to connect the head. The "Gasket" and "Grommet" ("Gromme" in Japan) vehicles can combine together to form "Cog". Furthermore, Gasket and Grommet can each be ridden by any Headmaster [[Nebulan]] figure.

:In all modes, Fortress Maximus has a wide array of (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. The right half of his "tower" has a cockpit that can carry a single headmaster figure, in this case Spike. A prison cell is concealed in the left leg, as well a dual cannon/helipad. The right leg has a stepped storage compartment. His torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array, a "control socket" for Cerebros's "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small figures up to be fired down the central ramp by another switch activated launcher. The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode. The back of either arm carries a long ramp with a sliding launcher. Notably, while the U.S. commercial and product images for both the Hasbro and Takara versions of Fortress Maximus (including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Encore|those of his ''Encore'' reissue]]) leave the arm-situated ramps folded out in the battle station / spaceship mode, the cartoon model features them folded in instead: thus, either configuration is technically accurate depending on what source material a given collector prefers.

:The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress (Cerebros), and a ''large'' one for Fortress Maximus himself. According to designer Kōjin Ōno, the Master Swords were developed for the Japanese release of Fortress Maximus due to a request from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s marketing department.<ref>''Planet of Cybertron Guide 4'' Takara LaserDisc booklet</ref>

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|''Beast Wars Returns'' Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (sans spider legs) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

:This mold was used to make ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus#Toys|Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)#Car Robots|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)#Robotmasters|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]
{{--}}

====''Transform Jr''====
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' "Fortress" Headmaster unit, "Photon Rifle"

:''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. He can only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. He also lacks his distinctive ramps, thus leaving his arms exposed in said starship mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)#Transform Jr|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#HeroSet|Convoy]].

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{--}}

===''Encore''===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Reissue, [[March]] [[2013]])
**''ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories'': "Cerebros" Headmaster unit, "Fortress" large Headmaster unit, "Gasket" and "Gromme" ("Cog"), "Photon Rifle", "Dual Laser Blaster", Fortress's "Laser Rifle", Cog's Laser rifle, "Radar Scope", "Master Sword", Fortress's "Master Sword".

:The G1 Fortress Maximus set was [[Generation 1 reissues|reissued]] in the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This release features paint apps for Fortress Maximus' eyes, although the original eye stickers are also included. Due to an unknown QC issue, initial product was opened, manually checked, and retaped. Other changes include packaging addition of the ''Encore'' logo, and omission of Hasbro on copyright stamp.

:This release also included a Fortress Maximus [[collector coin]].

:Fortress's Headmaster unit from this run of the mold was [[retool]]ed into [[BotCon 2014]] [[Olin Zarak#Timelines|Olin Zarak]].
{{--}}

===''GT''===
[[File:GT Maximus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|A good warrior defeats their opponents in combat. A ''great'' warrior defeats their opponents by demolishing their Nürburgring lap times.]]
*'''GT-R Maximus''' ([[September 28]], [[2013]])
**''ID number:'' '''GT-04'''
**''Accessories:'' Master Jack Sword, [[Hiiro]] race queen figure

:''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT]]'' GT-R Maximus is a heavy retool of the ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] toy, transforming into a 1:32 replica of the D'station Advan GT-R race car used by the [http://www.matchy.co.jp/ KONDO Racing] team in the {{w|Super GT}} racing championship series. He features die-cast metal parts, an opening hood, trunk and doors, as well as an interior, complete with his feet and thighs being sculpted to form the back seats. His armaments include flip-out non-firing blasters on his arms and the "Master Jack Sword", a sword based on the [[Master Sword]] but with hinges that allow it to double as a car jack. Like all ''GT'' toys, Maximus also comes with a [[GT Sister]], a poseable human figure themed after a {{w|race queen}}, namely a lady named Hiiro.

:GT-R Maximus was originally slated to be released as GT-03, but was pushed back to GT-04 with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Megatron]] becoming GT-03. This may have had to do with the fact his original promotional art featured the same head as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Prime]] rather than the newly tooled head the figure comes with.

:This mold was also used, with different heads and accessories, to make the other ''Transformers GT'' toys: GT-R Prime, GT-R Megatron, and [[Star Saber (G1)#GT|GT-R Saber]].
{{AlternityConvoyMold}}
{{--}}

===''Titans Return''===
{{anchor|Generations}}
[[File:TitansReturntoy-FortressMaximus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2|I HEARD SOMEONE SAY METROPLEX WAS BIGGEST... WHO'S BIGGEST NOW? Oh... [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Him]]...]]
*'''Emissary & Cerebros & Fortress Maximus''' (Titan Class, [[2016]]/[[2024]])
**''Accessories:'' [[Cerebros (G1)#Titans Return|Cerebros]], [[Emissary (TR)#Titans Return|Emissary]], 2 leg guns, gun turret
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro), [[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] (detailing), [[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

:''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Fortress Maximus is an elaborate retool of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations: Thrilling 30]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]], in many places relocating and repurposing its reused parts. In robot mode, he retains Metroplex's extensive [[articulation]], and his head is formed by the [[Titan Master]] [[Cerebros (G1)#Titans Return|Cerebros]], whose own head is in turn formed by the smaller Titan Master [[Emissary (TR)#Titans Return|Emissary]]. Cerebros incorporates electronic light and sound effects: in Cerebros and "tower" modes, he'll play two different laser blast sounds and say "Cerebros", while in head mode he'll say "Fortress Maximus", "Autobot", and "Decepticon" and also plays powering up and powering down sounds in addition to Cerebros's laser sounds. Flipping the visor as part of the transformation between Cerebros and head mode plays a transforming sound. Measuring from foot to the tops of their respective heads, Fortress Maximus has a slight height advantage on Metroplex, and therefore regained his title as tallest Transformers toy ever produced... until ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Unicron]] rolled around five years later.
:Fortress Maximus sports his traditional leg guns, which can hinge up and down, and also be removed and attached to his shoulders or hands. The "command center" gun on the side of his left leg can also rotate, and the clear "control center" in his chest opens to reveal a turret which seats a Titan Master. Fortress Maximus retains the opening compartment in his right forearm from Metroplex, but the gun emplacement is no longer present, seemingly meant to represent the holding cell from his original toy given its red coloration. Similarly redundant shared features include his lower legs folding open and his arm being set on a hinge (his right arm as opposed to Metroplex's left).

:Like Metroplex, Fortress Maximus is packaged with his right arm detached in order to fit in his packaging. Please take note that if you transform Fortress Maximus into his vehicle or base mode, you need to push the leg flaps down ''hard'' until they click. It is also possible to press the flap down from inside the bottom of the foot, which is open. Due to the clip snapping into the gap between the two halves of the leg, some samples have a tendency for the feet to come loose. Pressing the two halves together firmly tends to reduce this issue.

[[File:Titans-Return-Cybertron-City.jpg|left|300px|thumb|All your base are belong to him.]]
:Fortress Maximus can transform into either a battle station or a city, in which most of the aforementioned play features are still accessible. The city mode incorporates ramps on both arms and his left shoulder, which can be attached to the base modes of ''Titans Return'' Leader Class figures to form a larger "[[Cybertron City (TR)|Cybertron City]]", specifically [[Blaster (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Autobot Blaster]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Titans Return|Powermaster Optimus Prime]]. Due to their placement, some Leader Class figures may need to be altered from their official base mode configurations to connect properly. Additional connectors are on the inside of each leg.

:As with Metroplex, Fortress Maximus includes a sticker sheet to complete his deco. The sticker placement instructions do not show that there are additional direction indicators under his left leg gun and the frame that holds it, which makes it look like there are more stickers for them than necessary. The ones on his right leg are also covered by his foot in robot mode.

:Also similar to Metroplex, Fortress Maximus doesn't come with his vehicular drone Cog (comprising Gasket and Grommet), though Cog was [[Cog (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|released 2 years later]] for the [[War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toyline]]. "[[The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 4: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One]]" of the ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' comic includes [[:File:Cog attached to Fortress Maximus.jpg|a configuration]] with ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' [[#Legends|Fortress Maximus]] below (and of course, any of his redecos), which turns Cog into four pieces of weaponry to attach to the Titan.

:Fortress Maximus was meant to be reissued in [[December]] 2023, but was delayed to [[February]] 2024, and was later delayed again to [[August]] 2024. This mold was also used to make ''Legends'' [[Grand Maximus#Legends|Grand Maximus]] and served as the model for the non-toy [[Neo Brave Maximus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Autobot/TRFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Titan Class Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''
{{GenerationsMetroplex}}

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2016}}{{anchor|SDCC2016FortMax}}
[[File:SDCC-2016-Fortress-Maximus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Can't make it to SDCC? Well, hope you weren't a fan of the Master Sword and my new smaller head!]]
*'''Fortress Maximus Convention Edition''' (San Diego Comic-Con exclusive, 2016)
**''Accessories'': [[Cerebros (G1)#SDCC2016|Cerebros]], [[Emissary (TR)#SDCC2016|Emissary]], 2 leg guns, gun turret, [[Master Sword#Generations|Master Sword]] (three pieces)

:Debuting as an exclusive for [[San Diego Comic-Con#2016|San Diego Comic-Con 2016]], "Fortress Maximus Convention Edition" is a slight redeco and retool of the Titan Class figure above, and he comes with a new Master Sword accessory. Additional changes for the figure is Emissary's new head piece based on Fortress's Headmaster mode in ''The Headmasters'' cartoon, and an Easter egg: a short guitar cover of the theme song. Due to being one of the very few Titans with a window front box, he was packaged with both arms pre-attached, and a slight variation to his sticker sheet.

:Following SDCC, Fortress Maximus was also made available via the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] website as per usual. Other markets got their own shot at the figure: In the United Kingdom, he was officially made available through A1 Toys, first at their booth at London Film & Comic Con 2016 and then also via the A1 Toys online store; in China, he was available at [[Cybertron Con 2016]]; in Hong Kong he was available at Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong 2016 and subsequently also via online retailers; and in Canada, he was available at the HasbroStore booth at Fan Expo 2016. During these subsequent releases some did not retain the window front box but they did still have the arms both pre-attached.
{{--}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG31-Fortress-Maximus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Morally-questionable [[Resistance (BWU)|Resistance]] cell not included.]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' ([[September 24]], [[2016]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG31'''
**''Accessories'': Fortress Headmaster unit, Fortress's Transtector, 2 leg guns, gun turret, Master Sword (three pieces)
:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Fortress Maximus is a redeco of the San Diego Comic-Con 2016 toy above, which is based on his appearance in ''The Headmasters'' cartoon. ''Legends'' Fortress Maximus has the newly retooled small Headmaster unit and the Master Sword accessory previously used for the SDCC version. Other than this, all of Fortress Maximus's sound gimmicks were replaced by [[Ikuya Sawaki]]-recorded phrases like "Transform!", "I'm called Fortress","I am Cybertron (Autobot) Supreme Commander","Let's Go!","Big Mode....Transform!", "Master Sword!","Head On!", and a snippet of the [[The Headmasters (song)|theme song from ''The Headmasters'']].

:For some indiscernible reason, the seams in his legs that would generally allow them to split apart, a feature left over from Metroplex, are ''glued shut'' out of the factory. This may have to do with reports of loose connections in vehicle and base modes due to the panels opening, resulting in feet that will not stay connected.

:If one chooses, the [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Legends|Spike Witwicky Headmaster from the "Bumble & Excelsuit Spike"]] toy can replace Fortress' Headmaster unit if one intends to create a ''Legends''-styled Cerebros.

:The Transtector and Headmaster were later retooled into ''Transformers & Downtown No Gaki No Tsukai Ya Arahende! Crossover'' [[Donarimasu]] and [[Guchirimasu]].

::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2683.html Legends Fortress Maximus at Alfes's Blog Part 1]'' ''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2686.html Part 2]'' ''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2694.html Part 3]'' ''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2695.html Part 4]''
{{GenerationsMetroplex}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===''Transformers Gum''===
[[File:Tfgum fortmax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|GumDX}}
[[File:Kabaya_DX_Fort_Max_Launcher_Base.JPG|thumb|upright=1.67|Costs an arm and a leg.]]
*'''Launcher Base + Fortress''' (2012)
:Part of the first wave of the ''[[Transformers Gum#DX kits|Transformers Gum DX]]'' series, the Launcher Base is a snap-together model kit of a battle station with an elevated runway – in reality, Fortress Maximus’s left arm and leg pegged together creatively. Also included is a small but transforming figure of Fortress, accurate to his original toy, though due to his size, no smaller Headmaster stage is included. The kit must be assembled from unpainted blue, gray, red, and white sprues, with customer-applied stickers providing all of the non-molded details. It also comes with something that could charitably be called chewing gum.
:The Launcher Base has its own action feature: an axle inside the tower can be turned to fully rotate the runway. Fortress’ feet are designed to fit into grooves in the tower’s turret, but doing so will not give the runway clearance to fully turn.
{{-}}
{{anchor|Gumbined}}
[[File:Kabaya_DX_Fortress_Maximus.JPG|thumb|upright=1.67|Expand and enhance your Fortress Maximus toy by making him into an actual Fortress Maximus toy!]]
*'''Command Base + Charger''' (2012)
*'''Sky Base + Powerglide''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster, Master Sword
:The Launcher Base can be combined with the concurrently-released [[Windcharger (G1)#Transformers Gum|Command Base]] and [[Powerglide (G1)#Merchandise|Sky Base]] to create a full Fortress Maximus, capable of transforming between city and starship modes. Many of the original Fort Max’s gimmicks are recreated in small scale, including the storage compartments in the right leg and left pectoral, the jail in the left leg (though without the grating), the poseable cannons in the shins and either side of his torso, and the “control socket” for Fortress to integrate in city mode. Unique to this version of Fortress Maximus are the gimmicks carried over from the Command Base and Sky Base: the central tower features a lever-activated ramp to deploy Windcharger, and one runway (behind Maximus’s right shoulder) features a spring-loaded launcher to deploy Powerglide.
:In robot mode, Fortress Maximus stands 7” (18 cm) tall and features the same points of articulation as his original toy. He comes equipped with his Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster, and the [[Master Sword#Merchandise|Master Sword]]. Fortress forms the head.

{{-}}{{anchor|FortMaxGumMetallic}}
*'''Fortress Maximus Metallic Edition''' (2016)
:This version of the ''Transformers Gum'' Fortress Maximus primarily changes the flat grey to a slightly metallic grey, and uses foil stickers. Unusually for a ''Transformers Gum'' toy, Fortress Maximus features paint applications, with one on the right side of the main tower, another on the chest door, a third paint application on the master sword, and one on the face.

===''Parody Deformed''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|thumb|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}

===''Super Collection Figure''===
[[File:SCF FortressMaximus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Bumble''' (2001)
*'''Chromedome''' (2001)
*'''Ironhide''' (2001)
*'''Raiden''' (2001)
*'''Sixshot''' (2001)
*'''Soundwave''' (2001)
**''Act'': '''3'''

: Fortress Maximus was the collectible "build-a-figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric "Act" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden#Super Collection Figure|Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#Super Collection Figure|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/merchandise#Super Collection Figure|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Super Collection Figure|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

:This mold would be lightly [[retool]]ed to make ''Super Collection Figure'' [[Grand Maximus#Super Collection Figure|Grand Maximus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Cybertron/SCFFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SCFFortress}}
[[File:SCF Fortress.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Fortress''' (2002)
**''Act'': '''8'''
**''Accessories'': Stand

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final wave of ''SCF''. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures.

:The pewter version of the figure has a potential problem with connector peg breakage, due to said pegs often getting a layer of pewter paint before being forced into a socket, leading to sticking and tearing. Care should be used when moving or removing the arms; shaving down the socket interior with a thin hobby knife is usually sufficient to fix the issue.

: Additionally, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Scorponok]] figure. These parts could be in either full-color or pewter, at a rate of six color parts per four pewters.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/Fortress/fortress.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Fortress at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/PewterFortress/fortress.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' pewter Fortress at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Heroes of Cybertron''===
[[File:HOC Fortress Maximus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Considerably easier to obtain than the ''SCF'' versions, even when these were new.]]
*'''Autobot Espionage Team''' (2003)
*'''Dirge''' (2003)
*'''Powermaster Gigatron''' (2003)
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (2003)
*'''Perceptor''' (2003)
*'''Wheeljack''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)|Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect, rather than the red-painted eyes of the ''SCF'' version. He has a number of other paint differences from the ''SCF'' version: his blue is lighter, his head has a light-gray helmet with medium-gray face rather than the SCF's inverse arrangement, his Autobot symbol is on his midriff rather than on his chest, his midriff cannon-ports are orange instead of red, his tower halves have blue "interiors" instead of red, and the "garage" on the back of his right shoulder is white instead of blue.

: He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)#Heroes of Cybertron|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)/toys#Heroes of Cybertron|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Gigatron (G1)#Heroes of Cybertron|Powermaster Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Heroes of Cybertron|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Heroes of Cybertron|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the "Autobot Espionage Team" ([[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#Heroes of Cybertron|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Heroes of Cybertron|Spike]]).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/HoCFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on ''Heroes of Cybertron'' Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Fortmaxsize1.jpg|thumb|upright=1|DAAAAAAAAAAAANG, that boy must eat his veggies.]]
*"Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]].
**The storyboard for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] refers to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in its fully weaponized state. This also carried over to the [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic adaptation]] of the movie in a caption.
*Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)
*Fortress Maximus appeared in [[:File:FortMaxReds.jpg|an unusual red-accented color scheme]] on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown, though it may be related to the [http://news.tfw2005.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2011/09/Fortress-Maximus-Prototypes-2_1315944004.jpg tan with red accents hard copy Takara possessed].
*When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.
*Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.
*According to the 1997 issue of ''The Super Robots Chronicles'', Fortress Maximus is three kilometers tall.
*The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the {{w|White Base}}, a battleship from the ''{{w|Gundam}}'' franchise.
*Fortress Maximus was a candidate in [[TakaraTomy]]'s [[Fan polls#Masterpiece Fan's Choice|''Masterpiece'' Fan's Choice]] poll, which asked fans to determine which Autobot/Maximal leader from the franchise's then-30 year history should receive a new toy in the prestigious ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' line. Max placed dead last, with only 0.3% of the vote. Ouch.
*Like most comic-only Kreons, Fortress is made up of existing Kre-O parts, namely the [[Hound (Kre-O)|Hound]] helmet and the sword first used by [[Headstrong (G1)|Torox]] and [[Tantrum (G1)|Headlock]] (in reference to the [[Master Sword]] used by the original Fortress).
*An [http://news.tfw2005.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2011/09/Fortress-Maximus-Prototypes-1_1315944004.jpg early prototype] for Fortress Maximus's toy featured, among other things, waist-guns that pushed straight out on levers instead of swinging out on an axis. This appears to have formed the basis for his character model's waist-guns, which feature red circles rather than hinges.
*Fortress Maximus' status as a warborn Forged Cybertronian in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' has raised questions in the years since it was first proposed. Only one other Cybertronian, [[Fulcrum]], has been classified as a warborn Forged, also under the pen of [[James Roberts]]. The [[Ghost Stories|2017 ''Transformers'' annual]], by a different author, identified [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] as a ''pre-war'' Forged spark from the ''last'' generation before the hot spots stopped. Forged sparks from ''during'' the war therefore are implied to be all-but impossible. Roberts later suggested the existence of minor random hot spots as the source of "warborn" Cybertronians.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/james-roberts-ama-mtmte-ll-questions-answered-transcript.1164603/ Transcription of 30 November 2018 James Roberts Q&A on Instagram]</ref>
*In IDW's ''More than Meets the Eye'', Fortress Maximus was originally intended to perish battling Overlord aboard the ''Lost Light'', and the ship would be renamed the ''Maximus'' in his honor. This plotline was scrapped.<ref>{{Citesocial|name=James Roberts|site=''MTMTE Notebooks''}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''),<ref>While the smallest Headmaster stage is referred to as "Cerebros" in the toyline, this name is not used in fiction.</ref> '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Studios|Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Fútè Jùrén''' (Taiwan, 福特巨人, "Fort Giant"), '''Jùwúbà Fútè''' (China, 巨无霸福特, "Extremely Gigantic Fort"), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan, 福蒙 ''Fú Móng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsuēi'')
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус ''Krepysh Maksimus'', "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortetsya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Fortress Maximus-Alex Milne-MTMTE.jpg|IDW ''More than Meets the Eye'' concept art
File:Machinima-TR-Fortress Maximus.jpg|Machinima ''Titans Return'' model
File:Fortress Tiberius-model.jpg|''Star Trek vs. Transformers'' Fortress Tiberius model
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Autobots]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Earth Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Encore]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cities]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobot starships]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Autobots]]
[[Category:GT characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Titans]]
[[Category:Titans Return Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2025-11-13T22:34:30Z

Jon T: /* The Transformers */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|Starfleet}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] and occasional [[Titan (group)|Titan]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:FortMax1.jpg|upright=2|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]

Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. The endless conflict on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has worn him down to the point where he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve his ideals. Although an intensely moral being, Fortress Maximus's pacifism has its limits: more than one Decepticon has learned that he'll readily put his vast onboard arsenal to good use when it comes to defending the innocent beings imperiled by the Decepticons and their ruthless campaigns of conquest.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but in many realities Fortress Maximus is a unique three-part [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]—Fortress Maximus is [[binary bonding|binary-bonded]] to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by either a binary-bonded organic or the [[Titan Master]] [[Emissary (TR)|Emissary]]. In other universes, these three stages are simply expressions of the same being, '''Fortress''', who becomes Fortress Maximus in his largest form. He also has a smaller component robot known as [[Cog (G1)|Cog]].

{{bigquote|We must be brave enough to wage '''peace'''.|Fortress Maximus|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}

[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

Fortress Maximus was originally an architect who designed and constructed many notable [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] monuments. As the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] swept across the planet, Maximus eagerly joined the fight; however, as the conflict intensified, he grew increasingly weary of battle. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|Transformers Universe profile}} By the time that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops left the planet, Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] where he and his unit continued fighting against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s [[Decepticon]]s. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}} ''At some point, Maximus sent [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] to search to the cosmos for other habitable worlds. The pair eventually returned to Cybertron with [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]], who joined Fortress Maximus's detachment.'' {{storylink|Kup's Story!}}

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]

When Scorponok's men destroyed another Autobot city, Fortress Maximus and his men ambushed and easily overwhelmed the Decepticon commandos as they marched their prisoners toward the [[smelting pool]]s. Though the Autobots emerged triumphant, an embittered Maximus stunned the jubilant Autobots when he told the that he would abandon the war for good and travel to the bucolic planet [[Nebulos]]. Although initially stunned by this decision, the Autobots agreed to follow him; together, they constructed the starship ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'', and set off for Nebulos.

After parking the ''Steelhaven'' in orbit and establishing a temporary base camp, Fortress Maximus sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] to make contact to the [[Nebulan]] natives; unfortunately, however, an accident led made it appear that the Autobots came with hostile intent. When Maximus sent Blurr as an emissary to meet with the [[Council of Peers]] in [[Koraja]], reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership sabotaged Blurr's goodwill message and incited their fellow Nebulans to arms. Despite complaints from the likes of Kup, Maximus ordered them not to fight back as they retreated into the woods. Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watcher]]s, was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|thumb|right|250px|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]

The severed heads and decapitated bodies were stored in an old munitions warehouse outside the planetary capital. There, Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus's still-functional head, and kept him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the city. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} {{storylink|Doomsday for Nebulos}} Soon after, however, [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]]'s sabotage brought Scorponok and his Decepticons to Nebulos. As the Decepticons massed outside the city gates, Maximus advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking; under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the Autobots to their bodies. Together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan—five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered so that they could interface with transforming armor and act as new heads for the five Cybertronian bodies. After undergoing this new "[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]" upgrade, Galen became Fortress Maximus's [[Binary bonding|binary bonded]] partner, and together they and the rest of the Autobots soundly defeated the villains. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} ''When Stylor related his own memories of that day, he recalled that Fortress Maximus still seemed noble and dignified, "even though the rest of his body was standing on the opposite side of the room."'' {{storylink|Stylor's Story}}

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]

Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. The pair next teamed up to lead the other Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others and took them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}} Maximus remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Maximus briefly led his troops against the Decepticon [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat by smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''As the Autobots made technological leaps, only for the Decepticons to copy and match them, Fortress Maximus began to despair that the conflict they had brought to Nebulos would never end. His Nebulan partner told him that his people now working under Scorponok would have found an excuse to wage war one way or another, but this did little to alleviate Fortress's guilt. When Chromedome announced that he had located the planet [[Earth]], Kord and Maximus rejoined in order to debate whether leaving Nebulos behind was the best course of action. Lost in thought, the pair wandered outside, where they were approached by Slugslinger, Misfire, and Triggerhappy. But rather than open fire, the three Decepticons delivered a message: Scorponok was coming with a proposal that could bring the war to an immediate end. The proposal was thus: the two leaders would battle to the death, and the loser's faction would surrender unconditionally to the winner's team. Fortress accepted Scorponok's challenge, and the battle began underway immediately.''

''Kord/Maximus found themselves on the losing end until the Nebulan transformed out of his head mode and blinded Scorponok with his pistol. Unfortunately, this constituted as cheating according to the rules Scorponok had established beforehand, and the other Decepticons opened fire. It turned out not to matter, as the duel was really a distraction: the Decepticons had bugged the Autobot base and learned of [[Earth]], but needed Brainstorm's [[fuel converter]] invention to travel there. Realizing that the war was already moving to Earth in spite of whatever decision he made next, Maximus had his troops follow their enemies off-world.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

After returning to their bivouac, Maximus and Galen announced they'd follow a recent Autobot distress call to Earth. Although this meant that Galen and the other Nebulans who'd allied themselves with the Transformers would have to abandon their homeworld, possibly for good, Galen and his Autobot partner understood that Scorponok's Decepticons would pursue them off-world and leave their embattled planet alone. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a complete rebuild that greatly increased both his size and firepower. Now twice the height of an average Transformer, Galen now combined with [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], who served as a secondary link between Galen and Maximus. After arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who'd come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave and apologized to Spike for failing to consider the danger he'd brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|The usage of "[[roll out]]" gets stranger and stranger.]]

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge—a decision that would prove fatal when Scorponok used the distraction to cause a cave-in and crush Galen. As the Decepticon leader left laughing, a dying Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, who assumed control of Fortress Maximus and drove the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an [[Club Con|island base]]. With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Maximus held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. However, the artificial island transformed into a rocket and launched with Buster still aboard.

Maximus, determined to take matters into his own hands, leapt onto the vessel as it breached Earth's atmosphere, only for the ship's defense systems to impale Maximus through the chest. When Spike launched Cerebros to continue the fight, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] easily incapacitated the smaller robot; although he couldn't rescue his brother in time, Spike nevertheless used Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}} With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven''{{'}}s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to forge an alliance.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|thumb|right||It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]

Unfortunately, acting Autobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] took an immediate dislike to Fortress Maximus—partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he was harboring the fugitive Goldbug—and challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Maximus, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him. During the duel, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots and caught them completely off-guard. During the battle, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime; although the Autobots drove off the Decepticons, Maximus announced that he had found all other Autobots lacking in the leadership department and eagerly awaited Optimus Prime's return. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. Upon seeing an advertisement on television, where the Decepticons presented their island base as a tropical resort for human vacationers, Fortress Maximus made clear his concern for "his" brother, Buster Witwicky. Though Buster was touted as "king" of the island in the commercial, Maximus knew the boy was really a living shield shown off to dissuade an Autobot attack. {{storylink|Club Con!}} After Blaster's rescue and recon mission went south, Fortress Maximus acted as a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they combed the ocean for the Decepticon base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

''Fortress Maximus was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, which restored his body temperature to normal. When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under assault from the [[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcons]], followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream, and both Ratbat and Maximus called for all the combatants to lay down their arms. The Autobot-Decepticon alliance took Ratbat's ship to meet Starscream out in space, where the treacherous Seeker had planned to absorb the energies of the legendary [[Underbase]]. Fortress Maximus and his allies were only partially successful in stopping him, and the morsel of power Starscream had taken in was enough to render him nigh-unstoppable. As the cosmically powered Decepticon destroyed the island starship, Fortress Maximus once more saved Buster's life by taking him inside one of his body's compartment.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|thumb|right||Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]

On Optimus's insistence, Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop Starscream's rampage. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return that he just barely survived. Before Starscream could crush him beneath a fallen monument, however, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] Omega Supreme intervened. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark lured the villain away. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike—feeling that he'd done all he could for the aliens—told Optimus that it was time for him to move on with his life and leave the Autobots, although Prime warned that the [[binary bonding|binary bond]] had changed the young human in more ways than one. Indeed, Spike was plagued by strange nightmares, even after he eventually pitched his control helmet into a junkyard against Prime's warnings. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}
''A [[solid light simulation]] of Fortress Maximus was used in a training mission for the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]. According to [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]], killing him was a more impressive feat than killing Optimus Prime!'' {{storylink|The Hunting Party (Marvel)|The Hunting Party}}

Despite their temporary reconciliation, Spike remained on Earth while Fortress Maximus spent months out of commission. His headless body was still stored aboard the Ark after the Dinobots returned from [[Hydrus Four]], just before the great battle against [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} After Unicron's defeat, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, Fortress Maximus called out to a reluctant Spike and convinced him to reunite with his old partner once more. Anxious and desperate after months of inactivity, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control of their body, but while acting alone the giant Autobot couldn't withstand the ruthless conqueror. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed—declaring themselves the last Earthbound Autobot and the planet's self-appointed guardian, Fortress Maximus triumphed as he hurled his foe into a frozen lake. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}
{{--}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg||thumb|left|Let ''me'' demonstrate just how much ''you'' don't have a toy on the shelves anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} Fortress Maximus's legacy and inspiration went on to do further good however. When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was consumed by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]], a wayward mass seeking purpose, his memories of Maximus's nobility and bravery helped convert the entity into a force of creation, rather than destruction. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{--}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right]]

In the year [[2012]], Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon|another dimension]], a rift in space-time opened over Earth and caused catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{--}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}

[[File:Fort max the war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|...''Hulk''head]]

After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least two years. At some point, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] left to live a "normal life" and, in his absence, intruders were able to board the crashed ship. During their intrusion, they re-awakened [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} Despite Megatron's resurrection, and his army of [[Zombie|lobotomized soldiers]], Spike was not willing to bond with Fortress Maximus again, despite his brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]]'s pleas. It took the death of Buster and his wife [[Jesse (G1)|Jesse]] to finally spur Spike into action and recombine with Maximus. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} Circa [[1994]], Fortress Maximus battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

[[File:Spike fort max optimus the war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|To be completely honest? This scene exists for no other reason than to piss off the [[GEEWUN|loyalists]].]]

After Scorponok's rebirth and subsequent demise, Fortress Maximus was the only Autobot Headmaster who hadn't been reactivated and reeducated by Scorponok to serve in his army, and the newly freed Nebulans, with the help of the Autobots, began constructing a new body for him at the [[Technodrome]]. However, unknown to anyone, a portion of [[Dark Matrix]] energy found Maximus's head being kept in stasis, and entered, making Maximus its new host. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} Unaware of the hitchhiker in Max's head, the Nebulans proceeded to reattach Max's head to his finished body. However, upon reconnection, Max began screaming in pain, not unlike the other Headmasters had during the Nebulans' first failed attempts, causing alarm among everyone watching. Maximus suddenly fell silent, the only sign of life in him a faint glimmer of darkness in his eye. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

Having fallen completely under the control of the Matrix, Maximus broke out of the laboratory and took a space bridge to Earth, where he gunned down Optimus Prime. Recapturing his old partner Spike, he returned through the space bridge, but not before declaring that "One will become all". {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} With Spike, he traveled to [[Zero Space]] for an audience with the Dark Matrix Entity. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} Maximus arrived on Nebulos in time to watch [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] dispatch [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], and started to attack him. As he prepared to execute Magnus, he was ambushed by the [[Wreckers]] and [[Linda Chang]]'s forces. Together, the Autobots and humans were forced to kill Fortress Maximus, releasing him from the Dark Matrix's control and giving him the peace he'd always longed for. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{--}}

====''Transformers '84''====
One of the Autobot commanders who rose to prominence in the wake of the ''Ark'' disappearing, Fortress Maximus and his troops faced off against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s forces, only to retreat when Scorponok began carpet-bombing them. Fortress called Ultra Magnus to let him know of this development, adding his personal commentary that the situation was so bad he was beginning to wonder whether Cybertron was worth fighting for. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}} In the aftermath of the Wreckers successfully thwarting [[Project Dreadnought]], Fort Max became co-leader of the Autobots alongside Ultra Magnus and [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 4|Secrets & Lies #4}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb]]
The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to [[robot mode]], Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}
{{--}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}

During Cybertron's second [[Golden Age]], Fortress Maximus served on the [[Autobot High Council]]. While some of his comrades disliked the idea of transitioning to energy-efficient [[beast mode]]s, the forward-thinking Maximus, anticipating the rise of a [[Predacon (BW)|resurgent Predacon faction]], led [[Maximal|a group of Autobots]] who embraced his pragmatic philosophy. {{storylink|The Transformers Menagerie issue 5|Menagerie #5}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)|[[Simon Broad]] (English), [[Liu Xirui]] (Chinese), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Drang nach Master!]]

Fortress was originally a [[Cyberdroid]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]'s. Four million years ago, he was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Definitely just a battleship that doesn't turn into anything.]]

Fortress was responsible for many of these technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (G1)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Reunited and it feels so goo-ood!"]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|A big giant head, but not THE {{w|Big Giant Head}}.]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"Take my job, New Toy! I don't want it!"]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|You've got [[The Touch|the touch!]] You've got the pow-werrrrr!]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|"Arr, me heart(y)!"]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|{{w|Saving Private Ryan|"Earn this!"}}]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|right|thumb|[[Cog (G1)#The Transformers|Colors and shapes]] may vary from those pictured.]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]]" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|[[The Transformers: The Movie|An impetuous young soldier ruining everything]]? Inconceivable!]]
As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|By the power of Grayskull!]]
As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Head Formation|ULTIMATE SHINING FRIENDSHIP!]]]]
With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{--}}

====''Kiss Players''====
[[File:KPBraveMax.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7]]

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome, and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Kiss Players episode 48|Kiss Players #48}} {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

In [[2011]], during the conflict between Fortress Maximus and Megazarak on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], an unseen [[Atari Hitotonari]] (travelling from the past year of [[2007]]) kissed Fortress Maximus to get the piece of "[[Angolmois Energy|the Allspark]]" that had laid within the Autobot leader without his knowledge. {{Storylink|Kiss Players episode 42|Kiss Players #42}} {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}}

====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|The Headmasters Now!!}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
Fortress dispatched a team of [[Pretender]]s led by [[Marduk]] to retrieve the [[Ultra Matrix]] from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/30}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
Archive footage of Fortress Maximus destroying the MegaZarak transtector was used to educate the future [[Headmaster Junior]]s about the [[Master Wars]]. {{storylink|Birth! Headmaster Jrs}}

Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

====''Legends'' comic====
[[File:Legends37-FortressMaximus.jpg|thumb|left]]

The battle between Fortress and Scorponok began on Master when Fortress discovered and put an end to his kidnapping and experimenting on citizens. {{storylink|Mutant Targetmaster Birth Chapter}} Years later, [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] told a visiting [[Legends World|Legends]] [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] the story about how he and other diminutive Autobots, including Fortress, left Cybertron and settled on Master. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 9|Bonus Edition Vol. 9}} Fortress later showed up when [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] was complaining about Brainstorm's recent upgrade and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] was getting angry at Rattrap for not caring about ''The Headmasters'', and commented that everyone was getting worked up as usual. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Brainstorm Chapter|Brainstorm Chapter}}

[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] harbored regrets over the fact that [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] had parted ways with him and moved onto spending her time with Fortress. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 19|Bonus Edition Vol. 19}}

During development of [[Master-Brace|technology]] that would let [[Headmaster Junior]]s wield [[Masterforce (technology)|Masterforce]], Fortress created a Headmaster [[exosuit]] for human use and let [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] test pilot it on his own transtector. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 54|Bonus Edition Vol. 54}}

By 2021, Scorponok had returned and Fortress continued to fight him in space, culminating in a battle to stop the Decepticon from detonating a black hole. The Autobots failed and were infected with [[Black ball|miniature black holes]] that shrunk their bodies, threatening to eventually make them disappear entirely. After having all non-Headmasters on his crew converted into Headmasters to save their lives, Fortress told his forces they could find new transtectors in the Legends World, then set a course there before the battleship Maximus itself could disappear. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} On arrival, Fortress requested help from the local [[Axalon Trading Company]], but was told by [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] that they didn't work for free. In lieu of money, Fortress offered them access to Headmaster technology and negotiated a partnership between the Autobots and Axalon, leading to him and his soldiers becoming office workers. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 21|Bonus Edition Vol. 21}}

[[File:BonusEdition31-FortMax.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Fortress was later called up by Grand, who asked him to open a portal and receive some humans he was sending to the Legends World. He was resistant to taking them in, being busy with managerial duties, but backed down when an angry Grand told him people's lives were at stake and accused him of getting too cozy in the peaceful dimension. {{storylink|LG24 Shockwave & Cancer Prologue}} When the Autobot Axalon Trading Company finished building a new battleship Maximus, Chromedome urged Fortress to use it to crush the Decepticons, only for Fortress to collapse while trying to argue for a peaceful solution. In sickbed, he let Chromedome in on a big secret: the process of controlling Maximus had been eating away at his life force all along, weakening him every time he combined. He then broke into tears, despairing that he was nothing but a coward who avoided having to use the transtector for his own safety, but Chromedome reassured him that he was a great commander who had only kept this secret from his troops to keep morale up. Despite his condition, Fortress didn't hesitate to become Fortress Maximus once more to defend his friends from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], who was being mind-controlled by [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] into attacking the Maximus. After defeating Tarantulas by piercing his control device with the Master Sword, he told his comrades he was happy as long as he could keep defending the world. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 31|Bonus Edition Vol. 31}}

Highbrow began researching a cure to Fortress's condition and eventually found that it could be reversed by feeding him [[Zodiac]] energy, which was related to the Headmasters' telepathic energy. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 33|Bonus Edition Vol. 33}} When the Decepticon Headmasters stole Metroplex's [[Transformation cog (biology)|transformation cog]] to rebuild [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Megatron contacted Fortress as he was the only other Transformer large enough to stop Trypticon. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}} However, Trypticon's new ability to fly caught Fortress by surprise before he could transform the Maximus, and the battleship was damaged and crashed. Fortress removed its transformation cog and had it delivered to Metroplex, then ended up among the victims devoured by Trypticon before he could be defeated. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} The Maximus base was subsequently integrated into the city when it was rebuilt. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Metroplex)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Goldbug]] and Spike later arrived at Axalon and informed Fortress that the Spike acting as a chairman of the [[Universal Peace Alliance]] was an impostor. Noting that Spike had kept the exosuit, Fortress lent him his transtector so he could fight off the fake, then promised he would lend a hand when the time came to defeat him for good. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 54|Bonus Edition Vol. 54}} The Maximus was drowned when [[Tigerburn]] flooded the city {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 64|Bonus Edition Vol. 64}} and damaged when [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] attacked, but got repaired by [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] using the Zodiac. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 66|Bonus Edition Vol. 66}} When Grand came to the Legends World to battle [[Devil Z]] and BlackZarak using his own gigantic transtector, Fortress tried to stop him as didn't have the training required to control it, but Grand insisted on showing his worth and defeated Devil Z before collapsing. Fortress rushed to his fallen brother, who praised him for his ability to control such a huge body and joked that they would both be needing the Zodiac treatment now. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Grand Maximus)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1}} {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3}} {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 4: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 4}} {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5}}}}

====''Generations Selects Special Comic''====
In [[2050]], Fortress Maximus was associated with a larger complex for the [[Cybertron Alliance]] known as [[Neo Scramble City]]. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}}

===''TV Magazine'' comic continuity===
====''The Great Transformer War''====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]
In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]], and [[Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmasters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[File:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]
When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army}}

Later talking to [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]], Fortress would check on the progress of the project after Chromedome arrived at Earth to assist with it. {{storylink|Headmasters VS Masterforce}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[little informant|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''PDTF Comic''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax manga.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|PDTF Comic##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|PDTF Comic##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}
{{--}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:WarWithin5-FortMax.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together; several of the newly created Micromasters grew increasingly dissatisfied with their lot in life within the Autobot army, and came to question if their larger counterparts were leading them in the right direction. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

In a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of things to come, Optimus Prime and Megatron glimpsed a gargantuan Fortress Maximus striding into battle on a war-torn [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], General [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

====''TransTech''====
Binary bonded to [[Emissary (RID)|Brave]] and Sgt. Savage as [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s, Fortress Maximus was part of the alliance between the Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] [[Screaming Eagles]] against the Decepticons and [[S.K.A.R.]] A clash between Maximus and Trypticon nearly destroyed Earth's magnetosphere, but ultimately, the Autobots and their human allies won the day. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01}}
{{--}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|''[[Spotlight: Blaster]]''}}

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

Fortress Maximus came online in the midst of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the Autobots and Decepticons, a rare "warborn" Cybertronian who was [[Reproduction|forged]] at some point after the beginning of open hostilities between the two factions. {{storylink|Interiors}} Fortress Maximus possessed an abnormal green [[spark]] that marked him as a [[Point One Percenter]]—while he wasn't ''quite'' as strong as other famous heavyweights like [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] or [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], his imposing size and frightful array of heavy-duty armaments—including a set of guns in his legs—made him more than a match for the average Decepticon. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}} Maximus participated in the infamous [[Simanzi Massacre]]; over the course of this campaign, he won renown for killing at least ten thousand Decepticons. {{storylink|Animals}}

In the year [[1408]], a century before the fall of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Fortress Maximus had become the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} At some point, Maximus was among the many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s miraculous return. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

After Optimus Prime encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[combiner|gestalt]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]" to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] in the hopes that they could help them recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s inhumane experimentation. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests. However, once word of the gestalt technology got out, agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun. In desperation, he reactivated [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], the most dangerous Autobot in the penitentiary. Fortress hoped that Arcee—as another one of Jhiaxus's discarded experiments—would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]], but also fitted her spark with synchronized G-forces that would fatally crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] made off with the six gestalt robots; against his better judgement, Jetfire convinced Maximus that Arcee was their best available option to retrieve them. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the recent breakout, they also mentioned that a surviving Decepticon—unbeknownst to the pair, one of Arcee's victims—had been tortured, leaving Maximus and Jetfire to exchange guilty glances. Despite this, Prime left Maximus in charge while Jetfire boarded the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} Prime returned to Garrus-9 during the [[Expansion]] crisis, when the corrupted [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] entered the living universe after the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots hunkered down in The Last Resort, the prison's best-defended, highest-security section, but Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} To help the Autobots fight back against Nemesis and his followers, Fortress temporarily assisted the Autobots on Earth, where he battled [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] and [[Grindcore (G1)|Grindcore]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]

Maximus had returned to Garrus-9 by the time that [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] launched the devastating [[Surge (event)|Surge]] against the Autobots, and an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Phase Sixer]] [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the villains overran the complex while Overlord trounced the mighty Autobot. To keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to torture as they saw fit so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}} Overlord needed Maximus alive for one reason—''[[Epistemus|something]]'' had been hidden beneath the prison's [[Aequitas]] supercomputer, and only Maximus knew how to access the locked room that housed the machine. With the Autobots in disarray and unable to mount a rescue mission, Fortress Maximus spent three years, two months, and ten days in captivity, enduring one painful torture session after another; although Overlord's brutal torture sessions left his body increasingly mangled, Maximus refused to give in to his tormentor and developed a burning hatred for Prowl, whom he viewed as the 'bot responsible for leaving him and his men to die. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

By the time that the Autobots sent the [[Wreckers]] to liberate the benighted prison complex, Fortress Maximus had been reduced to a comatose wreck, forcibly hardwired to the door that protected the Aequitas chamber while his brain inputted code after code in an attempt to brute-force the lock. While accessing the Aequitas chamber, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus from the system, while [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}} As the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety; eventually, after the remaining Wreckers defeated Overlord, Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Fortress Maximus was transferred to [[Delphi]], and spent the final days of the war in an "eternal coma". When [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]], [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, a desperate [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] turned to a dangerous, untested procedure and used his own spark's energy to revitalize Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Maximus promptly annihilated his foes, and when Pharma revealed himself to be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and his bioengineered [[Red Rust]] plague, Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Captain [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] was pleased to see Maximus, giving him a hug and telling him "[['Til all are one]]". {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} Not long afterwards, he attended a medal ceremony held by Rodimus to honor the heroes of a recent hull breach emergency. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

Out of concern for his precipitous mental health, Ratchet referred Fortress Maximus to [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] for psychiatric treatment. The sessions went poorly, as Maximus actively lied about what he remembered about his time in Decepticon captivity; after one such session, Maximus headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]'s [[Swerve's|bar]], where he suffered a mental break and shot five Autobots—[[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]], and [[Doubletap]]—because their colors reminded him of Overlord. Fortress Maximus then locked himself within Rung's office, tied the psychoanalyst to his own chair, and impaled Rung's current patient [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] with a pipe. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted 'Hot Rod' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from Prowl regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. After crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed that the microphone in Rung's right thumb was broadcasting to the ship and promptly ripped it off. An acerbic Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot, but accidentally blew Rung's head apart. As an anguished Maximus realised what he'd done Whirl successfully impaled him through the chest. {{storylink|Interiors}} After recovering, Maximus was summarily imprisoned in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

[[File:IDWMtMtE15-FortMaxOverlordThwok.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

Weeks later, a recovered Rung paid him a visit in the brig and accepted an unabashedly sincere apology from Maximus. When Overlord broke free from the [[slow cell]] hidden in the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s basement, Fortress Maximus was released from confinement to combat the rampaging Phase Sixer after he was temporarily incapacitated by [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]]'s use of [[Trepan's Trigger]]. He pummeled Overlord mercilessly and forced him back into the slow cell, which was then jettisoned from the ''Lost Light'' into space and destroyed by Chromedome. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} When Rodimus led a band of Autobots to the lost satellite [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], he left Fortress Maximus in command of the ''Lost Light'' {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} After the infiltration of the ship by [[Legislator]]s, Fortress Maximus used his leg guns to fend off the attackers {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}, but was soon subdued. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} As a forged Autobot, Maximus was not affected when [[Chief Justice]] [[Solomus|Tyrest]] activated the [[universal killswitch]], but could only watch as it almost extinguished the sparks of Blaster and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

[[File:SomeOfMyBestFriendsAreAutobots FortMax.jpg|thumb|left]]
Once the Legislators were defeated, Fortress Maximus helped clean up Swerve's wrecked bar. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} Rodimus commended Maximus for his defense of the ship and offered him [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s previous title of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. As this position that would have him leave the ''Lost Light'', Maximus feared he might have another breakdown if left unchecked and asked for advice from Rung, who reassured him of his mental health and convinced him to accept. Maximus subsequently departed the ''Lost Light'', and moved into Tyrest's abandoned base on Luna 1 alongside [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and the [[Circle of Light]] to guard a captive Tyrest, {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}} unaware that the Chief Justice had really built his citadel inside a dead Titan. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}} In between his duties as the new Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord, he continued his therapy with Rung remotely and eventually reached some semblance of peace. {{storylink|Animals}}

Unlike Ultra Magnus, Maximus believed that his duties sometimes called for "pre-emptive action" instead of only seeking out offenders ''after'' they'd broken a law. One such offender, an ex-Decepticon named [[Demus]], came to his attention for kidnapping [[beast mode]] Cybertronians and marketing them to organic races as "[[Roboid]]s". Maximus warned Demus of his impending arrest, but the Decepticon ignored his warnings. {{storylink|Animals}} Eventually, Maximus tracked Demus to [[Tebris VII]] and briefly pursued him before executing him in front of Demus's prospective employees, the self-proclaimed "[[Scavengers (G1)|Scavengers]]". {{storylink|Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots}} Mistaking the ragtag Decepticons for active collaborators, Maximus gave chase; when [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] brought up Grimlock, who'd also been imprisoned in Garrus-9, Maximus changed tack and tracked Grimlock to the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'', where he briefly grappled with the brain-damaged [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] until the Scavengers caught up with him. Crankcase and [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] successfully bluffed Maximus into backing down and leaving their ship by lying that they'd rigged a bomb in Demus's Roboid warehouse; when Maximus doubled back to check, he instead discovered that [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] had left him instructions on how to reverse the Roboids' brain damage. After bringing the Roboids back onto his ship, he related his most recent adventure to Rung, who suggested that he rethink his approach to peacekeeping in a postwar galaxy. {{storylink|Animals}}

[[File:FortMaxCuddles.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right]]
Following his return to Luna 1, Fortress Maximus and Red Alert watched a broadcast of the last words of several crew members of the ''Lost Light'' who were about to be executed. Alarmed, Fortress tried contacting the ship, on every frequency he knew, only to get no response. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

Over the next few cycles, their ally [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] worked to repair the Roboids one by one; once their powers of speech, higher reasoning, and transformation were repaired, each one opted to return to Cybertron, much to Fortress's dismay. As he was planning to head off to [[Immatura]] to deal with a Decepticon smuggling [[spark harvester]]s, Cerebros suggested a new form of [[mnemosurgery]] to speed up the healing process; before they could finish their conversation, however, Prowl suddenly arrived through a [[Space bridge|spacebridge]]. Though Fortress was initially intent on finally getting even with the 'bot who'd left him to die—despite the fact that Prowl had completely forgotten about the entire incident—the amoral strategist warned them that [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] had returned from the grave and set a course for Luna 1. As the three followed the Roboid [[Beak]] to the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] graveyard aboard [[Mobile Autobot Repair Bay|MARBs]], Fortress admitted that his therapy sessions with Rung had helped him work through some of his wartime trauma. The group discovered that Sentinel had already hijacked one of the dead Titans; when they caught up with the rogue Prime, Sentinel initially mistook Fortress for [[Pious Maximus]] and refused to recognize his authority. Before Fortress could take any action to stop the ancient 'bot from waking up every Titan he could, Sentinel revealed that he'd brainwashed Red Alert and used his sleeper agent to shoot Prowl in the back. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}

[[File:LastLight-TitanFight.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8]]
Fortress grappled with his partner but held back for fear of killing the brainwashed Red Alert; frustrated by Red's lack of success, Sentinel prepared to kill them both, only for Cerebros to buy enough time for the group to escape by puppeteering Prowl's body. The group fled back to Tyrest's base, where Fortress hit upon the idea of transforming their own Titan to go after Sentinel, who'd used his [[Titan Master]] powers to raise an entire army of [[zombie]] titans and open a spacebridge portal to Cybertron. After Prowl dislodged the Titan's jammed [[Transformation cog (biology)|transformation cog]], Fortress Maximus took control of the Titan's motor functions and used the giant Cybertronian to keep as many zombies as he could away from the portal—faced with an army, however, he couldn't hold them back for long and was overwhelmed before Red Alert dealt with Sentinel and closed the portal. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
While Prowl took [[G.B. Blackrock|Sovereign]] back to [[Earth]], the Luna 1 Autobots eventually traveled to [[Necroworld]] to rescue their friends (though Maximus allowed Outrigger to tag along, he forbade live-streaming) only to find the Decepticon members of the [[Disappeared]] had conquered the planet. After saving the vlogger from [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], the group found [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] buried within an [[isolation chamber]]. Hooking Beak up to the system to peek into the chamber, they found evidence suggesting the minibot had succumbed to spontaneous spark combustion and Maximus called Rodimus to inform him of the grim news. {{storylink|Sardines}}

[[File:LostLight25 FortMaxAndScavengersMakePeace.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Three days later, after Cerebros had used his implant to repair all of the remaining Roboids at once, Prowl announced that he would stay with the trio for a while to clear his head. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
Maximus soon received a bizarre message from Rodimus, giving him instructions to use the [[Warren]] to travel slightly back in time to the [[Benzene Cluster]] and slam Luna 1 into the [[neural cluster]] of a giant [[Primus]] robot before then giving the past Rodimus the instructions he had just received. Though skeptical, Maximus complied, having Luna 1 enter the Warren and being amazed to see the giant planetary avatar upon exiting. He ordered Red Alert to bounce Luna 1 off the back of Primus' neck, forcibly reverting it to planet mode. Maximus later watched from above as Rodimus' group opened twelve [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrices]] on the surface of Functionist Cybertron, defeating the [[Functionist Council]] and re-igniting Luna 1's dormant [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]. They reunited with their fellows in the aftermath and Maximus had to give Rodimus the instructions he had originally been given to complete his role in the time loop. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|A Spark Among Embers}}

Fortress Maximus later attended a farewell party for the decommissioned ''Lost Light'' in Swerve's bar, where he apologized to the Scavengers for attempting to kill them. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] couldn't help but admire his leg guns. {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}
{{--}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

===''Transformers GT: Mission GT-R''===
[[File:GT-R Maximus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|What's worse? This pose? Or the fact that it's called the "master '''Jack''' Sword"?]]
In a world where the Transformers' war settled into a series of friendly competitive races known as the [[Transformers GT (race)|Transformers GT]], Fortress Maximus took on a race car form and became the [[GT Transformer]] known as '''GT-R Maximus'''. He was a fair and sportsmanlike racer who boasted the highest strength of all GT Transformers, and though normally averse to combat, he was willing to punish cheaters with his [[Master Jack Sword]]. Like other contestants, GT-R Maximus put a limit on his own strength by separating his Matrix into a [[GT Sister]], creating his partner [[Hiiro]].

====Comic====
GT-R Maximus was racing against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|GT-R Prime]] and [[Star Saber (G1)|GT-R Saber]], cheered on by Hiiro on the sidelines, when the race was interrupted by the arrival of [[Megatron (G1)|GT-R Megatron]]. The intruder announced his intent to crush all racers inferior to him, causing a scuffle, but GT-R Prime talked him down and convinced him to join the race instead. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (comic)|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R}}

====Story pages====
Like other racers, GT-R Maximus attended photo shoots alongside Hiiro in order to promote coexistence between humans and Transformers. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)|The Work of the GT Sister Race Queens?}} When a reincarnated [[Unicron]] attacked the Transformers GT finals and absorbed the huge [[energon]] pool saved up for the final prize, Maximus threw aside his usual dislike for battle and attacked the villain with his mighty sword. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)|Bringing Down the Sword}} But Maximus alone wasn't enough to defeat Unicron, so he used the "Matrix In" process to recombine with Hiiro and restore his true strength. Together with the other powered up racers and their GT Sisters, he fought and defeated Unicron, saving Earth. {{storylink|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (story page)|The True TFGT}}

====''Story of Transformers GT''====
GT-R Maximus raced in the 19th Transformers GT in his usual pacifistic manner, refusing Hiiro's requests to prepare the Master Jack Sword and instead relying on his fists when he was forced into combat. His resolve was tested when he heard that GT-R Megatron was using unnecessarily violent methods to get ahead, however, and he ultimately relented and had Hiiro transfer the sword to him so he could teach the brute a lesson. {{storylink|A Biggest Sword! –The Last Resort–}}

===''Knights of Unicron''===
The Ft. Max Forum, located on Earth, was the third venue for the [[Knights of Unicron (band)|Knights of Unicron]] on their 2014 "Till All Are One" tour. {{storylink|Knights of Unicron (band)#Fiction|Knights of Unicron}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:EverybodyHatesMetroplex-FortMax.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Fortress Maximus was an ancient rival of Scorponok. In the past, their battles had spanned entire worlds and destroyed countless civilizations. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s corruption of his brain reduced Fortress Maximus to a mindless, energy-starved zombie who wandered Cybertron in a daze. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}} When [[U.S.7]] and the [[Oktober Guard]] passed by on a ship, Maximus grabbed it out of the sky and swallowed the occupants whole. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} A group of [[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]] and Autobots infiltrated the giant on a mission to save U.S.7, leading to their discovery and defeat of Blackarachnia and the restoration of Maximus's mind. He subsequently joined the battle against the Decepticons and [[Cobra]], going up against [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] who bit his head off only to for the head to transform into Cerebros in his mouth. In spite of the surprise attack this allowed for, the Autobots were defeated and the decapitated body of Fortress Maximus was left where it lay. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}}

Through circumstances unknown, [[Snake-Eyes]] bonded with Fortress Maximus through the [[Master Sword]], replacing his original head partner, [[Galen]]. He teamed up with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], in turn controlled by Snake-Eyes's compatriot [[Scarlett]], and together they coerced [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to fight again before marching on the Decepticon position as part of a joint Autobot-Joe army. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}} During the battle, even Maximus and Scorponok were dwarfed by Megatron's "Mega-Megatron" form, but fortunately they didn't have to fight the giant long before he was broken apart by [[Shipwreck]]. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-10-Fortress.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.5]]
Fortress was at the newly constructed Autobot base, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[File:HeadGames-ResistanceScaleFortMaxFace.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Cerebros and Spike Witwicky were turned into Fortress Maximus when the war spread to Nebulos to counter the rise of [[Scorponok (G1)|MegaZarak]]. However, the destructive power of the city-bot brought only more devastation to the planet, and the existence of Maximus and weapons like him was a major reason why the [[Human Confederacy]] confined the Transformers and their war to a [[Allowed Zone|quarantined region of space]]. {{storylink|Head Games}} When Galvatron threatened the planet [[Master (planet)|Rebirth]], Fortress Maximus—now bonded to Daniel Witwicky—returned to duty after the Decepticons deployed the newest incarnation of MegaZarak. When the two clashed for the second time, it was Fortress Maximus who fell. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} After the end of the war, an energy-starved Fortress Maximus could no longer move and ground to a halt in robot mode in [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], where his frozen, towering form was repurposed as a prison by the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders of Cybertron]]. Cerebros himself died at some point, but his consciousness remained active within Maximus through three [[Cyberdroid]]s, [[Grand Maximus|Gran]], [[Galen|Kord]], and [[Cerebros (RID)|Plasma]].

When Cerebros learned of the Terran singularity, bringing back all humans who ever lived and died, he petitioned the Terrans to bring back his Witwicky partners as well. They refused, but instead gave Cerebros the [[Energon Matrix]] technology to create a new proto-race of Cybertronians. One of the earliest protoformers birthed was [[Maxima]], known as the first daughter of Fortress Maximus and ''She Who Sang''. Her principles led to the development of a proto-race faction called the Maximals, derived from Autobot teachings and named in part for Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Head Games}} {{storylink|The Predacon Manifesto}}

[[Lio Convoy#Beast Wars: Uprising|Lio Convoy]]'s [[Resistance (BWU)|Resistance]] against the Builders sought to infiltrate Fortress Maximus and free the prisoners within, but their initial attempts were foiled by Cerebros's ability to get into the heads of the intruders and turn them against each other. The third strike team was able to turn the tide by willingly sacrificing [[Buzzclaw (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Buzzclaw]] to Cerebros's control and using the mental link to paralyze him, allowing them to kill Kord and Plasma and kidnap Gran, effectively shutting down Maximus. {{storylink|Head Games}}
{{--}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Primax 1086.0 Kappa]], Fortress Maximus and Scorponok were killed by the Nebulans during the Transformers' battle on Nebulos, and their remains were fused together by [[Zarak (G1)|Mortilus Zarak]] into a giant robot body. After he binary bonded with the body, however, the faint traces of Maximus's and Scorponok's sparks began affecting his mind and eventually drove him mad, turning him into "[[Zarak Maximus]]". {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/11}}

In some other realities, Fortress Maximus survived the Great War and went on to found the [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/08}}

===2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity===
Fortress Maximus was one of the many casualties of the Great War before the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]]. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
[[File:HasbroPulse FortressMaximus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|This is highly unusual.]]

One of the last [[Titan (group)|Titans]] in the universe, {{storylink|#Generations|''Titans Return'' Fortress Maximus online bio}} the legendary Fortress Maximus had slumbered underneath [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], until the battle for the [[Titan Master]]s roused him from his slumber. He awoke just in time to witness [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s attack on Cybertron, frightening the Decepticon communications officer something fierce. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}} With a city alt-mode, Fortress Maximus served as the ultimate Autobot weapon and base. {{storylink|#Generations|''Titans Return'' Fortress Maximus online bio}}

When Fortress Maximus returned to full size and unleashed his power on the universe, the scientists [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and [[Arcana|Teslor]] and Cityspeaker [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] fought against the rogue Autobot [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], who sought to use a loyal Titan Master to bend the Titan to his will as part of his own misguided agenda.<ref>''Titans Return'' ''[[Titans Return (toyline)#Summer convention exclusives|Titan Force]] 3-pack'' bio material/instructions.</ref>
{{--}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Dorn]] (English), [[Nolan North]] (English, screams and grunts)}}

[[File:OverlordAndEmissary-FortMax.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Not quite the shpadoinkle day he had prior.]]

Fortress Maximus was a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] constructed during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], and was aided by his Titan Master, [[Emissary (TR)|Emissary]]. Once the conflict ceased, he was decommissioned and left dormant. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} After the conclusion of the [[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner Wars]], [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] experienced a vision of Fortress Maximus, indicating that the Titans had indeed returned. {{storylink|Destruction's Dawn}}

When Trypticon was reawakened, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] proposed seeking out Fortress Maximus to combat the rogue Titan. At Perceptor's suggestion, the [[Mistress of Flame]] sent [[Computron (G1)|Computron]], [[Victorion]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] to locate and awaken Maximus. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} The inert Titan was eventually located in a frozen wasteland by the four combiners, and Menasor accidentally fired a missile from one of Maximus's cannons that launched Emissary towards [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|The Fight Begins}}
Computron determined that Fortress Maximus's [[Transformation cog (biology)|transformation cog]] was damaged, rendering him unable to directly join the battle. However, Victorion saw fit to target Maximus' functioning missiles at the saurian giant–with Metroplex expected to be killed in the process as an acceptable casualty of friendly fire–thereby fulfilling her own [[Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Victorion|personal vision of the Combiners saving the galaxy]]. {{storylink|Overlord and Emissary}}

The barrage ultimately failed, {{storylink|At the Last Second}} and the Combiners were distracted by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s arrival, leading to a confrontation that was eventually halted by [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and Emissary. After the others had departed, Emissary attempted to link to Fortress Maximus's mind, but was unable to access it. Instead, he initiated a procedure to link Windblade and Maximus via her [[Cityspeaker]] abilities. However, the process proved volatile and soon spiraled out of control. {{storylink|Desperate Actions}}

[[File:InGoodHands-FortMax.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|"I was woken up at 3 in the morning, told I had to put on make-up and come to this town. What the hell is going on?"]]

Windblade communed with Fortress Maximus, begging for his help, though he at first rejected her, having sworn a life of peace. She ultimately managed to convince Maximus, however, and he transformed himself back to robot mode, following Windblade back towards Metroplex City. {{storylink|Run for Our Lives}} Witnessing Trypticon's fight with Victorion from afar, Fortress Maximus admitted he was unsure he could win, but swore to try anyway for Cybertron's sake. He arrived in Metroplex City just in time to catch [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] before he could fall into some sharp rubble. {{storylink|In Good Hands}} He engaged in battle with Trypticon, refusing help from Emissary, and managed to get the upper hand until Trypticon swallowed Victorion and the [[Enigma of Combination]], powering himself up. Between attacks from the powered-up Trypticon and the now mind-controlled [[Combiner]]s, Maximus found himself at a disadvantage. When Trypticon swallowed [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership]], even he was knocked away by the sudden surge of power it triggered. {{storylink|Consumed}}

Ultimately, however, the Matrix's power couldn't be controlled by Trypticon, and he released all those he had swallowed, along with Starscream's ghost. Catching Trypticon's deactivated body, Maximus lamented the loss of another Titan, but was interrupted by the return of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]. He and Optimus attempted a sneak attack, but Megatronus effortlessly caught Maximus's Master Sword and tossed him away before killing Optimus. No longer able to bring himself to try attacking again, Maximus could only watch as Megatronus escaped with the Enigma and Matrix in hand. {{storylink|All Things Must Pass}} He was later severely weakened by the spark-draining power of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'s doomsday weapon. {{storylink|Collision Course}} Thankfully, he survived and began working under Windblade, who became the Magistrate of [[Cityspeaker]]s and aided those who communicated with the Titans. {{storylink|Saga's End}}
{{--}}

===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
[[File:StarTrekVsTF2-fortressmaximus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"So long, Earth suckers! Enjoy the melting ice caps! I hope the combustion engine was worth it!"]]

As [[World War III]] swept Earth, the Autobots abandoned [[Earth]] aboard the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] Fortress Maximus, using his starship configuration to roam the cosmos in search of [[energon]]. Decades passed, and as Maximus passed by [[Cygnus Seven]] the Autobots were ambushed by the Decepticons aboard their own Titan, Trypticon; in the ensuing battle, the badly damaged Fortress Maximus crash-landed on the planet's surface, sending everyone aboard—Autobot and Decepticon alike—into stasis. Centuries later, the [[Federation]] set up a [[dilithium]] mine on the planet, and while surveying a potential mineshaft Federation miners accidentally stumbled on the Titan's inert form, and inadvertently reactivated Fortress Maximus's repair systems in the process.

[[File:STvsTF3-FortressTiberious.jpg|thumb|So do Gasket and Grommet turn into ''Enterprise'' shuttles now, or...?]]

Unable to distinguish between Autobot and Decepticon, Maximus's autonomous subsystems first brought the Decepticons back online, who proceeded to attack the mining colony before the ship could reawaken Prime and the other Autobots. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}} When [[James T. Kirk|Captain Kirk]] and the crew of the ''[[USS Enterprise|Enterprise]]'' investigated the distress signal, they discovered Fortress Maximus's resting spot, only to be ambushed by the rest of the Autobots {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part One}} before Kirk could convince them of his good intentions. The Decepticons soon got the upper hand by sealing the Autobots in the mine with their new allies, and so [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] hatched a risky plan to bring Fortress Maximus back online. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}}

To bring the Titan back online, Ratchet rigged up a device that would access Kirk's memories through Fortress Maximus; using scans of the ''Enterprise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s schematics, plucked from Kirk's brain, Ratchet was able to bring their living ship back to full functionality by rebuilding Fortress Maximus into a copy of the ''Enterprise''. Shortly after coming back online, Fortress Maximus burst from the ground to take on the Decepticons and their new [[Klingon]] allies; now fully under Kirk's mental control, the [[Starfleet]] captain was able to blast Trypticon with the ship's inbuilt [[Phaser (weapon)|phasers]] before beaming [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Kuri]]'s Federation prisoners to safety. To take on the gigantic Decepticon, Kirk was able to transform the Titan into his new robot mode, their shared mind declaring themselves "Fortress Tiberius." {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Three}}

[[File:PrimesDirective4-CygnusVIIBattle.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml4wAnvfM4M Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-DAAAAAAAH-dah-dah-dah]...]]

As the two Titans battled it out, Kirk was forced to keep Fortress Maximus's own desire for vengeance under control, using his powerful suite of onboard weapons to great effect against his foe. Despite the temptation, however, Kirk was able to keep himself under control, and by reining in his partner's bloodlust Kirk was able to momentarily down Trypticon with a powerful punch. When the Decepticons abruptly announced a retreat, however, Kirk used Tiberius's onboard sensors to realize that the treacherous Decepticon [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] had already absconded with a load of [[dilithium]], and sought to conquer the [[Klingon Empire]]. Optimus and the other Autobots boarded Fortress Tiberius and reunited with the real ''Enterprise'' over Cygnus Seven to help repair the damaged vessel. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

When the ''Enterprise'' was once more spaceworthy, the two vessels pursued Starscream to the Klingon homeworld of [[Kronos]], using their onboard [[replicator]]s to construct [[Crewbot|a series of armored battlesuits]] so that the other members of the ''Enterprise'' could take on their foes. Kirk and the others had arrived too late, however: Starscream had already arrived and been summarily defeated by Megatron and the other Decepticons, with the Decepticon leader seeking to seize the planet as the capital of his Decepticon empire. Fortress Tiberius and Trypticon battled it out once more as the Autobots, Klingons, and Starfleet members joined the fight, though the Titan and his human partner weren't able to overcome Trypticon before they were incapacitated by a paralyzing sonic blast from Soundwave. The Klingons, however, weren't affected by this frequency, and thanks to Kirk forewarning their leader [[Kuri]] about Cybertronian vulnerabilities, they were able to unleash an armada of [[Warbird (Star Trek)|warbird]]s on the Decepticons and defeat them. In the aftermath, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots chose to go their own way aboard Fortress Tiberius once more. As they bade farewell to Kirk and the other members of Starfleet, they pledged to remain on call if the Federation ever needed their assistance again. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Five}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Fortress Maximus grappled with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] on [[Nebulos|Nebulon]] while other [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] scuffled at their feet. With a show of prodigious strength, Fortress Maximus picked up Scorponok by his tail and tossed his opponent about like a ragdoll. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}
*When the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] threatened to attack Fortress Maximus, the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] sprung up to oppose them. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Technobots and Terrorcons|Technobots and Terrorcons commercial}}
*The Terrorcons attacked Fortress Maximus once more; this time, the massive Autobot warded off their attack on his own by blasting them with his battle station mode. The Terrorcons regrouped and combined into [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] to tare away at Fortress Maximus's armament. Little did they know that Fortress Maximus could still transform into a robot that dwarfed even the mighty combiner! {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Fortress Maximus|Fortress Maximus commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Autobot Headmasters to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
{{Note|Although Fortress Maximus was not included in a storyline for the ''Transformers Legends'' game, he was featured as a playable character.}} {{storylink|Signature Series featuring Marcelo Matere|Signature Series}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Earth Wars Fortress Maximus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75|]]
{{Charstubgames|{{Storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, [[1987]])
**''Takara ID number'': '''C-114'''
**''Accessories (Hasbro release)'': "[[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Toys|Spike]]" Headmaster unit, "[[Cerebros (G1)#Toys|Cerebros]]" large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|"Gasket" and "Grommet" ("Cog")]], "[[Photon rifle|Photon Rifle]]", "Dual Laser Blaster", Cerebros's "Mini Laser Rifle", Cog's "Laser rifle", "Radar Scope"
**''Accessories (Takara release)'': "Cerebros" Headmaster unit, "Fortress" large Headmaster unit, "Gasket" and "Gromme" ("Cog"), "Photon Rifle", "Dual Laser Blaster", Fortress's "Laser Rifle", Cog's Laser rifle, "Radar Scope", "Master Sword", Fortress's "Master Sword".
{{toydesigner|[[Kōjin Ōno]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Richard Marcej]] (packaging)}}

:Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest ''Transformers'' toy produced in the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original Generation 1 toyline]], and for over 25 years was the largest ''Transformers'' toy produced at all. In [[robot mode]], he stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than his rival [[Scorponok (G1)#Toys|Scorponok]]. Even decades later, his size is surpassed only by the 24" tall ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#T30|Thrilling 30]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]] and its [[retool]] as [[#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Fortress Maximus]], and the 27" [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|''War for Cybertron'' Unicron]]. He was also extraordinarily expensive, with his original retail price nearing $100 USD (adjusted for inflation, that's close to $300 USD in {{CURRENTYEAR}}, which made it an ''exorbitant'' amount for a toy in the 1980s: keep in mind that this was well before pesky adult collectors with their abundant pockets made [[Masterpiece|premium-priced toys]] something commonplace in the turn of the millennium).

:The toy has two [[alternate mode]] configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode and a "battle station" mode as described in the U.S. instructions. The Japanese instructions rebrand the latter as a "starship" mode and it is the default mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. As originally patented,<ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/USD305786 Fortress Maximus' worldwide patent application] on Google Patents</ref> Fortress Maximus' battle station mode instead had the legs splayed outwards in opposite directions, and it was this mode that appeared in the Hasbro 1987 catalogue, labelled as an "impenetrable fortress".<ref>[https://botchthecrab.com/archive/catalogs Catalogue archive at BotchTheCrab.com]</ref>

:Fortress Maximus's head is formed by "Cerebros" ("Fortress" in Japan), while Cerebros's head is formed by "Spike" ("Cerebros" in Japan). When Fortress Maximus is transformed into robot mode, Spike doesn't have to be attached to Cerebros to connect the head. The "Gasket" and "Grommet" ("Gromme" in Japan) vehicles can combine together to form "Cog". Furthermore, Gasket and Grommet can each be ridden by any Headmaster [[Nebulan]] figure.

:In all modes, Fortress Maximus has a wide array of (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. The right half of his "tower" has a cockpit that can carry a single headmaster figure, in this case Spike. A prison cell is concealed in the left leg, as well a dual cannon/helipad. The right leg has a stepped storage compartment. His torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array, a "control socket" for Cerebros's "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small figures up to be fired down the central ramp by another switch activated launcher. The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode. The back of either arm carries a long ramp with a sliding launcher. Notably, while the U.S. commercial and product images for both the Hasbro and Takara versions of Fortress Maximus (including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Encore|those of his ''Encore'' reissue]]) leave the arm-situated ramps folded out in the battle station / spaceship mode, the cartoon model features them folded in instead: thus, either configuration is technically accurate depending on what source material a given collector prefers.

:The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress (Cerebros), and a ''large'' one for Fortress Maximus himself. According to designer Kōjin Ōno, the Master Sword was developed for the Japanese release of Fortress Maximus due to a request from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s marketing department.<ref>''Planet of Cybertron Guide 4'' Takara LaserDisc booklet</ref>

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|''Beast Wars Returns'' Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (sans spider legs) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

:This mold was used to make ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus#Toys|Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)#Car Robots|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)#Robotmasters|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]
{{--}}

====''Transform Jr''====
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' "Fortress" Headmaster unit, "Photon Rifle"

:''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. He can only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. He also lacks his distinctive ramps, thus leaving his arms exposed in said starship mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)#Transform Jr|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#HeroSet|Convoy]].

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{--}}

===''Encore''===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Reissue, [[March]] [[2013]])
**''ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories'': "Cerebros" Headmaster unit, "Fortress" large Headmaster unit, "Gasket" and "Gromme" ("Cog"), "Photon Rifle", "Dual Laser Blaster", Fortress's "Laser Rifle", Cog's Laser rifle, "Radar Scope", "Master Sword", Fortress's "Master Sword".

:The G1 Fortress Maximus set was [[Generation 1 reissues|reissued]] in the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This release features paint apps for Fortress Maximus' eyes, although the original eye stickers are also included. Due to an unknown QC issue, initial product was opened, manually checked, and retaped. Other changes include packaging addition of the ''Encore'' logo, and omission of Hasbro on copyright stamp.

:This release also included a Fortress Maximus [[collector coin]].

:Fortress's Headmaster unit from this run of the mold was [[retool]]ed into [[BotCon 2014]] [[Olin Zarak#Timelines|Olin Zarak]].
{{--}}

===''GT''===
[[File:GT Maximus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|A good warrior defeats their opponents in combat. A ''great'' warrior defeats their opponents by demolishing their Nürburgring lap times.]]
*'''GT-R Maximus''' ([[September 28]], [[2013]])
**''ID number:'' '''GT-04'''
**''Accessories:'' Master Jack Sword, [[Hiiro]] race queen figure

:''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT]]'' GT-R Maximus is a heavy retool of the ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] toy, transforming into a 1:32 replica of the D'station Advan GT-R race car used by the [http://www.matchy.co.jp/ KONDO Racing] team in the {{w|Super GT}} racing championship series. He features die-cast metal parts, an opening hood, trunk and doors, as well as an interior, complete with his feet and thighs being sculpted to form the back seats. His armaments include flip-out non-firing blasters on his arms and the "Master Jack Sword", a sword based on the [[Master Sword]] but with hinges that allow it to double as a car jack. Like all ''GT'' toys, Maximus also comes with a [[GT Sister]], a poseable human figure themed after a {{w|race queen}}, namely a lady named Hiiro.

:GT-R Maximus was originally slated to be released as GT-03, but was pushed back to GT-04 with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Megatron]] becoming GT-03. This may have had to do with the fact his original promotional art featured the same head as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Prime]] rather than the newly tooled head the figure comes with.

:This mold was also used, with different heads and accessories, to make the other ''Transformers GT'' toys: GT-R Prime, GT-R Megatron, and [[Star Saber (G1)#GT|GT-R Saber]].
{{AlternityConvoyMold}}
{{--}}

===''Titans Return''===
{{anchor|Generations}}
[[File:TitansReturntoy-FortressMaximus.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2|I HEARD SOMEONE SAY METROPLEX WAS BIGGEST... WHO'S BIGGEST NOW? Oh... [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Him]]...]]
*'''Emissary & Cerebros & Fortress Maximus''' (Titan Class, [[2016]]/[[2024]])
**''Accessories:'' [[Cerebros (G1)#Titans Return|Cerebros]], [[Emissary (TR)#Titans Return|Emissary]], 2 leg guns, gun turret
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro), [[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] (detailing), [[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

:''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Fortress Maximus is an elaborate retool of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations: Thrilling 30]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]], in many places relocating and repurposing its reused parts. In robot mode, he retains Metroplex's extensive [[articulation]], and his head is formed by the [[Titan Master]] [[Cerebros (G1)#Titans Return|Cerebros]], whose own head is in turn formed by the smaller Titan Master [[Emissary (TR)#Titans Return|Emissary]]. Cerebros incorporates electronic light and sound effects: in Cerebros and "tower" modes, he'll play two different laser blast sounds and say "Cerebros", while in head mode he'll say "Fortress Maximus", "Autobot", and "Decepticon" and also plays powering up and powering down sounds in addition to Cerebros's laser sounds. Flipping the visor as part of the transformation between Cerebros and head mode plays a transforming sound. Measuring from foot to the tops of their respective heads, Fortress Maximus has a slight height advantage on Metroplex, and therefore regained his title as tallest Transformers toy ever produced... until ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Unicron]] rolled around five years later.
:Fortress Maximus sports his traditional leg guns, which can hinge up and down, and also be removed and attached to his shoulders or hands. The "command center" gun on the side of his left leg can also rotate, and the clear "control center" in his chest opens to reveal a turret which seats a Titan Master. Fortress Maximus retains the opening compartment in his right forearm from Metroplex, but the gun emplacement is no longer present, seemingly meant to represent the holding cell from his original toy given its red coloration. Similarly redundant shared features include his lower legs folding open and his arm being set on a hinge (his right arm as opposed to Metroplex's left).

:Like Metroplex, Fortress Maximus is packaged with his right arm detached in order to fit in his packaging. Please take note that if you transform Fortress Maximus into his vehicle or base mode, you need to push the leg flaps down ''hard'' until they click. It is also possible to press the flap down from inside the bottom of the foot, which is open. Due to the clip snapping into the gap between the two halves of the leg, some samples have a tendency for the feet to come loose. Pressing the two halves together firmly tends to reduce this issue.

[[File:Titans-Return-Cybertron-City.jpg|left|300px|thumb|All your base are belong to him.]]
:Fortress Maximus can transform into either a battle station or a city, in which most of the aforementioned play features are still accessible. The city mode incorporates ramps on both arms and his left shoulder, which can be attached to the base modes of ''Titans Return'' Leader Class figures to form a larger "[[Cybertron City (TR)|Cybertron City]]", specifically [[Blaster (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Autobot Blaster]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Titans Return|Powermaster Optimus Prime]]. Due to their placement, some Leader Class figures may need to be altered from their official base mode configurations to connect properly. Additional connectors are on the inside of each leg.

:As with Metroplex, Fortress Maximus includes a sticker sheet to complete his deco. The sticker placement instructions do not show that there are additional direction indicators under his left leg gun and the frame that holds it, which makes it look like there are more stickers for them than necessary. The ones on his right leg are also covered by his foot in robot mode.

:Also similar to Metroplex, Fortress Maximus doesn't come with his vehicular drone Cog (comprising Gasket and Grommet), though Cog was [[Cog (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|released 2 years later]] for the [[War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toyline]]. "[[The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 4: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One]]" of the ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' comic includes [[:File:Cog attached to Fortress Maximus.jpg|a configuration]] with ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' [[#Legends|Fortress Maximus]] below (and of course, any of his redecos), which turns Cog into four pieces of weaponry to attach to the Titan.

:Fortress Maximus was meant to be reissued in [[December]] 2023, but was delayed to [[February]] 2024, and was later delayed again to [[August]] 2024. This mold was also used to make ''Legends'' [[Grand Maximus#Legends|Grand Maximus]] and served as the model for the non-toy [[Neo Brave Maximus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Autobot/TRFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Titan Class Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''
{{GenerationsMetroplex}}

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2016}}{{anchor|SDCC2016FortMax}}
[[File:SDCC-2016-Fortress-Maximus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Can't make it to SDCC? Well, hope you weren't a fan of the Master Sword and my new smaller head!]]
*'''Fortress Maximus Convention Edition''' (San Diego Comic-Con exclusive, 2016)
**''Accessories'': [[Cerebros (G1)#SDCC2016|Cerebros]], [[Emissary (TR)#SDCC2016|Emissary]], 2 leg guns, gun turret, [[Master Sword#Generations|Master Sword]] (three pieces)

:Debuting as an exclusive for [[San Diego Comic-Con#2016|San Diego Comic-Con 2016]], "Fortress Maximus Convention Edition" is a slight redeco and retool of the Titan Class figure above, and he comes with a new Master Sword accessory. Additional changes for the figure is Emissary's new head piece based on Fortress's Headmaster mode in ''The Headmasters'' cartoon, and an Easter egg: a short guitar cover of the theme song. Due to being one of the very few Titans with a window front box, he was packaged with both arms pre-attached, and a slight variation to his sticker sheet.

:Following SDCC, Fortress Maximus was also made available via the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] website as per usual. Other markets got their own shot at the figure: In the United Kingdom, he was officially made available through A1 Toys, first at their booth at London Film & Comic Con 2016 and then also via the A1 Toys online store; in China, he was available at [[Cybertron Con 2016]]; in Hong Kong he was available at Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong 2016 and subsequently also via online retailers; and in Canada, he was available at the HasbroStore booth at Fan Expo 2016. During these subsequent releases some did not retain the window front box but they did still have the arms both pre-attached.
{{--}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG31-Fortress-Maximus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Morally-questionable [[Resistance (BWU)|Resistance]] cell not included.]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' ([[September 24]], [[2016]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG31'''
**''Accessories'': Fortress Headmaster unit, Fortress's Transtector, 2 leg guns, gun turret, Master Sword (three pieces)
:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Fortress Maximus is a redeco of the San Diego Comic-Con 2016 toy above, which is based on his appearance in ''The Headmasters'' cartoon. ''Legends'' Fortress Maximus has the newly retooled small Headmaster unit and the Master Sword accessory previously used for the SDCC version. Other than this, all of Fortress Maximus's sound gimmicks were replaced by [[Ikuya Sawaki]]-recorded phrases like "Transform!", "I'm called Fortress","I am Cybertron (Autobot) Supreme Commander","Let's Go!","Big Mode....Transform!", "Master Sword!","Head On!", and a snippet of the [[The Headmasters (song)|theme song from ''The Headmasters'']].

:For some indiscernible reason, the seams in his legs that would generally allow them to split apart, a feature left over from Metroplex, are ''glued shut'' out of the factory. This may have to do with reports of loose connections in vehicle and base modes due to the panels opening, resulting in feet that will not stay connected.

:If one chooses, the [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Legends|Spike Witwicky Headmaster from the "Bumble & Excelsuit Spike"]] toy can replace Fortress' Headmaster unit if one intends to create a ''Legends''-styled Cerebros.

:The Transtector and Headmaster were later retooled into ''Transformers & Downtown No Gaki No Tsukai Ya Arahende! Crossover'' [[Donarimasu]] and [[Guchirimasu]].

::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2683.html Legends Fortress Maximus at Alfes's Blog Part 1]'' ''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2686.html Part 2]'' ''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2694.html Part 3]'' ''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-2695.html Part 4]''
{{GenerationsMetroplex}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===''Transformers Gum''===
[[File:Tfgum fortmax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|GumDX}}
[[File:Kabaya_DX_Fort_Max_Launcher_Base.JPG|thumb|upright=1.67|Costs an arm and a leg.]]
*'''Launcher Base + Fortress''' (2012)
:Part of the first wave of the ''[[Transformers Gum#DX kits|Transformers Gum DX]]'' series, the Launcher Base is a snap-together model kit of a battle station with an elevated runway – in reality, Fortress Maximus’s left arm and leg pegged together creatively. Also included is a small but transforming figure of Fortress, accurate to his original toy, though due to his size, no smaller Headmaster stage is included. The kit must be assembled from unpainted blue, gray, red, and white sprues, with customer-applied stickers providing all of the non-molded details. It also comes with something that could charitably be called chewing gum.
:The Launcher Base has its own action feature: an axle inside the tower can be turned to fully rotate the runway. Fortress’ feet are designed to fit into grooves in the tower’s turret, but doing so will not give the runway clearance to fully turn.
{{-}}
{{anchor|Gumbined}}
[[File:Kabaya_DX_Fortress_Maximus.JPG|thumb|upright=1.67|Expand and enhance your Fortress Maximus toy by making him into an actual Fortress Maximus toy!]]
*'''Command Base + Charger''' (2012)
*'''Sky Base + Powerglide''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster, Master Sword
:The Launcher Base can be combined with the concurrently-released [[Windcharger (G1)#Transformers Gum|Command Base]] and [[Powerglide (G1)#Merchandise|Sky Base]] to create a full Fortress Maximus, capable of transforming between city and starship modes. Many of the original Fort Max’s gimmicks are recreated in small scale, including the storage compartments in the right leg and left pectoral, the jail in the left leg (though without the grating), the poseable cannons in the shins and either side of his torso, and the “control socket” for Fortress to integrate in city mode. Unique to this version of Fortress Maximus are the gimmicks carried over from the Command Base and Sky Base: the central tower features a lever-activated ramp to deploy Windcharger, and one runway (behind Maximus’s right shoulder) features a spring-loaded launcher to deploy Powerglide.
:In robot mode, Fortress Maximus stands 7” (18 cm) tall and features the same points of articulation as his original toy. He comes equipped with his Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster, and the [[Master Sword#Merchandise|Master Sword]]. Fortress forms the head.

{{-}}{{anchor|FortMaxGumMetallic}}
*'''Fortress Maximus Metallic Edition''' (2016)
:This version of the ''Transformers Gum'' Fortress Maximus primarily changes the flat grey to a slightly metallic grey, and uses foil stickers. Unusually for a ''Transformers Gum'' toy, Fortress Maximus features paint applications, with one on the right side of the main tower, another on the chest door, a third paint application on the master sword, and one on the face.

===''Parody Deformed''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|thumb|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}

===''Super Collection Figure''===
[[File:SCF FortressMaximus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Bumble''' (2001)
*'''Chromedome''' (2001)
*'''Ironhide''' (2001)
*'''Raiden''' (2001)
*'''Sixshot''' (2001)
*'''Soundwave''' (2001)
**''Act'': '''3'''

: Fortress Maximus was the collectible "build-a-figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric "Act" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden#Super Collection Figure|Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#Super Collection Figure|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/merchandise#Super Collection Figure|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Super Collection Figure|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

:This mold would be lightly [[retool]]ed to make ''Super Collection Figure'' [[Grand Maximus#Super Collection Figure|Grand Maximus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Cybertron/SCFFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SCFFortress}}
[[File:SCF Fortress.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Fortress''' (2002)
**''Act'': '''8'''
**''Accessories'': Stand

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final wave of ''SCF''. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures.

:The pewter version of the figure has a potential problem with connector peg breakage, due to said pegs often getting a layer of pewter paint before being forced into a socket, leading to sticking and tearing. Care should be used when moving or removing the arms; shaving down the socket interior with a thin hobby knife is usually sufficient to fix the issue.

: Additionally, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Scorponok]] figure. These parts could be in either full-color or pewter, at a rate of six color parts per four pewters.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/Fortress/fortress.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Fortress at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/PewterFortress/fortress.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' pewter Fortress at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Heroes of Cybertron''===
[[File:HOC Fortress Maximus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Considerably easier to obtain than the ''SCF'' versions, even when these were new.]]
*'''Autobot Espionage Team''' (2003)
*'''Dirge''' (2003)
*'''Powermaster Gigatron''' (2003)
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (2003)
*'''Perceptor''' (2003)
*'''Wheeljack''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)|Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect, rather than the red-painted eyes of the ''SCF'' version. He has a number of other paint differences from the ''SCF'' version: his blue is lighter, his head has a light-gray helmet with medium-gray face rather than the SCF's inverse arrangement, his Autobot symbol is on his midriff rather than on his chest, his midriff cannon-ports are orange instead of red, his tower halves have blue "interiors" instead of red, and the "garage" on the back of his right shoulder is white instead of blue.

: He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)#Heroes of Cybertron|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)/toys#Heroes of Cybertron|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Gigatron (G1)#Heroes of Cybertron|Powermaster Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Heroes of Cybertron|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Heroes of Cybertron|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the "Autobot Espionage Team" ([[Bumblebee (G1)/merchandise#Heroes of Cybertron|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Heroes of Cybertron|Spike]]).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/HoCFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on ''Heroes of Cybertron'' Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Fortmaxsize1.jpg|thumb|upright=1|DAAAAAAAAAAAANG, that boy must eat his veggies.]]
*"Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]].
**The storyboard for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] refers to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in its fully weaponized state. This also carried over to the [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic adaptation]] of the movie in a caption.
*Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)
*Fortress Maximus appeared in [[:File:FortMaxReds.jpg|an unusual red-accented color scheme]] on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown, though it may be related to the [http://news.tfw2005.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2011/09/Fortress-Maximus-Prototypes-2_1315944004.jpg tan with red accents hard copy Takara possessed].
*When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.
*Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.
*According to the 1997 issue of ''The Super Robots Chronicles'', Fortress Maximus is three kilometers tall.
*The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the {{w|White Base}}, a battleship from the ''{{w|Gundam}}'' franchise.
*Fortress Maximus was a candidate in [[TakaraTomy]]'s [[Fan polls#Masterpiece Fan's Choice|''Masterpiece'' Fan's Choice]] poll, which asked fans to determine which Autobot/Maximal leader from the franchise's then-30 year history should receive a new toy in the prestigious ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' line. Max placed dead last, with only 0.3% of the vote. Ouch.
*Like most comic-only Kreons, Fortress is made up of existing Kre-O parts, namely the [[Hound (Kre-O)|Hound]] helmet and the sword first used by [[Headstrong (G1)|Torox]] and [[Tantrum (G1)|Headlock]] (in reference to the [[Master Sword]] used by the original Fortress).
*An [http://news.tfw2005.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2011/09/Fortress-Maximus-Prototypes-1_1315944004.jpg early prototype] for Fortress Maximus's toy featured, among other things, waist-guns that pushed straight out on levers instead of swinging out on an axis. This appears to have formed the basis for his character model's waist-guns, which feature red circles rather than hinges.
*Fortress Maximus' status as a warborn Forged Cybertronian in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' has raised questions in the years since it was first proposed. Only one other Cybertronian, [[Fulcrum]], has been classified as a warborn Forged, also under the pen of [[James Roberts]]. The [[Ghost Stories|2017 ''Transformers'' annual]], by a different author, identified [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] as a ''pre-war'' Forged spark from the ''last'' generation before the hot spots stopped. Forged sparks from ''during'' the war therefore are implied to be all-but impossible. Roberts later suggested the existence of minor random hot spots as the source of "warborn" Cybertronians.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/james-roberts-ama-mtmte-ll-questions-answered-transcript.1164603/ Transcription of 30 November 2018 James Roberts Q&A on Instagram]</ref>
*In IDW's ''More than Meets the Eye'', Fortress Maximus was originally intended to perish battling Overlord aboard the ''Lost Light'', and the ship would be renamed the ''Maximus'' in his honor. This plotline was scrapped.<ref>{{Citesocial|name=James Roberts|site=''MTMTE Notebooks''}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''),<ref>While the smallest Headmaster stage is referred to as "Cerebros" in the toyline, this name is not used in fiction.</ref> '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Studios|Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Fútè Jùrén''' (Taiwan, 福特巨人, "Fort Giant"), '''Jùwúbà Fútè''' (China, 巨无霸福特, "Extremely Gigantic Fort"), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan, 福蒙 ''Fú Móng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsuēi'')
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус ''Krepysh Maksimus'', "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortetsya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Fortress Maximus-Alex Milne-MTMTE.jpg|IDW ''More than Meets the Eye'' concept art
File:Machinima-TR-Fortress Maximus.jpg|Machinima ''Titans Return'' model
File:Fortress Tiberius-model.jpg|''Star Trek vs. Transformers'' Fortress Tiberius model
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Autobots]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Earth Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Encore]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cities]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobot starships]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Autobots]]
[[Category:GT characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Titans]]
[[Category:Titans Return Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Transformers: The Headmasters - War of Dreams

2025-11-13T22:30:31Z

Jon T: /* Notes */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (franchise)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]''
|title=''War of Dreams''
|image=War of Dreams cover.jpg
|japanese=トランスフォーマーザ・ヘッドマスターズ夢戦争
|romaji=Transformer the Headmasters Yume Sensō
|caption=
|publisher=[[Kadokawa|Kadokawa Shoten]]
|written by=[[Keisuke Fujikawa]]
|date=August [[1987]]
|illustrated by=
|continuity=
|pagecount=235
|ISBN=ISBN 4041653169 
ISBN 978-4041653166
}}

'''The battles of 2011 are told through Daniel's eyes.'''

==Synopsis==
{{bookstub}}

==Notes==
*''War of Dreams'' covers events similar to those of ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' episodes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, and 18.
*The Transformers' backstory as briefly related in the novel features two retcons regarding the dating of past events compared with the dates previously established in ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'':
**The Transformers' rebellion against the [[Quintesson]]s is dated to six million years ago rather than circa 12 million years.
**More bizarrely, the events of the [[Unicron War]] are dated to four million years ago, complete with Rodimus Prime and Galvatron being namechecked.

{{DEFAULTSORT:War of Dreams}}
[[Category:Novels]]
[[Category:The Headmasters media]]

Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!

2025-11-13T22:28:44Z

Jon T: /* Trivia */ Another mystery solved

{{episode
|series=Headmasters
|ep=18
|image=Danielcrisis.jpg
|caption=Star Blazers: The Next Generation
|title="Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!"
|japanese=ダニエル史上最大のピンチ!!
|romaji=Daniel Shijō Saidai no Pinch!!
|production code=
|production company=[[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|airdate=[[December 4]], [[1987]]
|writer=[[Toyohiro Andō]]
|director=[[Takao Yoshizawa]]
|animation studio=Toei
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''Spike attempts to negotiate peace with Galvatron, but all is not as it seems as the Decepticons, now joined by the Horrorcons, plan their next evil scheme.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:HM18 meet the new guys.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|In this continuity, Horrorcons are kind of a big deal... for about 5 minutes.]]
When the [[Decepticon]]s' early warning system on [[Chaar]] detects two unidentified robots entering the planet's atmosphere, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] leap to the conclusion that the [[Autobot]]s have launched an attack on them. The Headmasters open fire on the two jet mode robots, who land and transform into animal forms to battle the [[beast mode]] Headmasters, but the battle is soon halted by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], who reveals that these two new robots are the [[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcons]], [[Apeface]] and [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]], who he has summoned to bolster their forces.

Autobot double-agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] informs the Autobots on [[Athenia]] of the Horrorcons' arrival, and the Autobot Headmasters recall how, on planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], the two villains had been allies of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and had been exiled to space for the crimes they committed. In the midst of this discussion, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] suddenly makes an announcement—he wishes to arrange to personally negotiate with Galvatron, in hopes that the Autobots and Decepticons can work together to develop a new energy generation program. Spike expresses to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] his fear that further damage to the universe could be caused by the Decepticons' continued destruction of more planets, like [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] before them, but Fortress is unsure. When [[Shouki]] presents Fortress with tangible proof of that damage—noting that [[space bridge]] travel has already become unstable due to the disruption of the solar system's gravimetric balance caused by the loss of Mars—Fortress is convinced to allow Spike's plan.

[[File:HM18 Spike receives response.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"This script makes me look horrible. I look gullible and callous to my own family. I won't do it!" "We'll make you command Fortress Maximus in the Hasbro version." "... Alright. Deal."]]
A communication from the Autobots soon reaches Chaar, but Galvatron crumples it and tosses it away in utter disgust. Scorponok speaks up, however, suggesting that they use the Autobots' offer as a cover, using it to lure them into an attack, and Galvatron agrees. The response is sent back to Athenia, with one condition—that Spike bring [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] with him. Perturbed by the request, the Headmasters come along as guards, and the [[Trainbot]]s carry the group on an unpleasant, unsteady space bridge journey to Earth. They set down on [[Shangri-La Island]] in the South Pacific, where they are soon met by Galvatron, the Decepticon Headmasters and the Horrorcons. Galvatron reveals that either Carly and Daniel are to be held hostage by the Decepticons for the duration of the meeting as a safety measure, or the Decepticons will refuse negotiations. The pained Witwicky family agrees, and Galvatron warns the Headmasters not to interfere if they value the humans' lives.

[[File:Hm18 negotiating with galvatron.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Holy crap, would you look at the size of that chair?]]
Shortly, the talks between Spike and Galvatron begin, with Spike offering peaceful co-existence and a joint ownership of any new energy that their alliance will develop. Galvatron, on the other hand, insists on complete control of all energy, questioning Spike's allegedly neutral standing as an [[Human|earthling]] by pointing out that he lives with the Autobots on Athenia and demanding that he return to Earth to prove that he is unbiased. Spike cannot comply, as his energy research requires that he remain on Athenia, so Galvatron offers an alternative—as a show of good faith, Spike must leave the thing which is most precious to him on Earth... his son, Daniel. A tearful Daniel agrees to the request, and Carly decides to stay with him.

[[File:HM18 Apeface vs trees.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|One of Apeface's biggest victories in this series.]]
Back on Chaar, in his Counterpunch guise, Punch is gathered with the other Decepticons in their base, but receives a rude shock when the doors open and Galvatron, supposedly in negotiations on Earth, enters! Galvatron reveals his new plan to ransack other planets for their energy, and Punch immediately reports to Athenia that the negotiations are being used as a distraction to cover this scheme. The news is relayed to the Autobots on Earth, and, not wanting to tip their hand, the Autobots have Shouki and [[Yukikaze (G1)|Yukikaze]] stage an impromptu sumo match to distract the Decepticons while the Headmasters sneak away. [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] bursts in on the meeting, and the "Galvatron" negotiating with Spike reveals his true identity—a disguised [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]! With [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] having already seen to the rescue of Daniel and Carly, a battle erupts, ending when Galvatron orders the Decepticons to return to Chaar. The villains escape via the Decepticon space bridge, but as he vanishes through it, Sixshot prevents the Autobots from following by triggering an explosion that tears the bridge apart. The explosion causes a chain reaction throughout the space bridge, which destroys the Autobot installations linking Earth and Athenia as well, leaving the Autobots stuck on Earth.

On Chaar, the Decepticon army boards Scorponok, and the giant craft takes off, setting course for other energy-rich planets while the Autobots are fractured and unable to immediately pursue. Some time later, Fortress arrives on Earth with Battleship Maximus and gathers a team of Autobots to join him in following the Decepticons' trail. Furious and emotional over having had his family manipulated by the Decepticons, Daniel requests that he be allowed to go on the mission, and Fortress and Spike permit it. Battleship Maximus blasts off, marking the beginning of a new stage in the Headmasters' battle!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Punch (G1)|Punch/Counterpunch]] (8)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] (9)
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (10)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (11)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (14)
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] (15)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] (16)
*[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] (17)
*[[Yukikaze (G1)|Yukikaze]] (18)
*[[Shouki]] (19)
*[[Suiken]] (20)
*[[Getsuei]] (21)
*[[Kaen]] (22)
*[[Seizan]] (23)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (30)
*[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] (31)
*[[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] (32)

|c2=
*[[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] (1)
*[[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] (3)
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (4)
*[[Apeface]] (5)
*[[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] (6)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (7)
*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (24)
*[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (26)
*[[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (27)
*[[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]] (28)
*[[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (29)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (14)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly Witwicky]] (25)
}}

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
[[File:Hmep18 teletraan1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right]]

*Cybertron was destroyed in "[[Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2]]".
*Mars met its end in "[[Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears]]".
*As ''The Headmasters'' crosses the halfway-point, this episode marks the beginning of a new story arc for the series. Running for the next half-dozen or so episodes, the Decepticons travel from planet to planet gathering energy for Galvatron's new, mysterious master plan, culminating in "[[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg]]".
*[[Teletraan I]] is mentioned by name as the computer the Autobots use to send their message to Galvatron. This is the first time Teletraan I has been seen or heard from since "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" when it was (presumably) destroyed by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. It is never mentioned by name again in the series.

===Animation and technical errors===
*When the Autobots are studying the computer information on the Horrorcons, Fortress is colored like Fortress Maximus.
*When Scorponok proposes attacking the Autobots, Soundblaster is colored in the traditional blue of Soundwave.
*As the Autobot Headmasters react to the Decepticons landing on Earth, Brainstorm's chest is white instead of dark blue. The same error occurs later when Chromedome's team receives the news that Galvatron is a fake.
*The very last shot of Fortress has him missing his chest Autobot insignia.
*As Spike, Carly and Daniel depart from Athenia aboard the Trainbots, the dark gray square on Fortress's chest is miscolored.

===Trivia===
* Jaar, the Japanese name of [[Chaar]], is [[Japanese language|romanized]] in this episode as "Jarl".
* This episode is also known by the title "The Most Important Thing in the World" (世界で一番大事なもの ''Sekai de Ichiban Daijina Mono''). This was actually the original working title for the episode as detailed in the ''Planet of Cybertron Guide 4'' booklet included with Takara's ''The Headmasters'' [[LaserDisc]] set in 1996. The ancient list of English-translated ''The Headmasters'' episodes that has been on the Internet since man rode around on dinosaurs mistakenly used this working title instead of the final on-screen title. Frustratingly, because this oh-so-old episode list was the basis for most online ''The Headmasters'' episode guides, this is actually the title that the episode is most frequently known by!
* This episode marks the destruction of the Space Bridge network, which is treated as a big deal. Its impact is questionable though, as by this point in the series practically every Autobot is able to fly (and seemingly break orbit) and they frequently use Broadside and the Trainbots, not least Maximus, for interstellar travel.
* This episode marks the first time in ''Transformers'' history where characters (Snapdragon and Apeface) are depicted transforming in an out-of-universe [[stock footage]] setting, a fairly common trope in mecha anime. Subsequent series would go on to use this trope—even in US-original cartoons like ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' and [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' (2015)]] (though, these two examples were also animated in Japan, so that might have something to do with it). Some may argue "[[Head On!! Fortress Maximus]]" was the first episode to do this, with Fortress Maximus's first transformation, but Battleship Maximus is shown entering Earth's upper atmosphere before transforming, so the starry space backdrop is still an in-universe setting, whereas Snapdragon and Apeface are shown to exit their reality for a second, to transform in a blackened abyss.

===Foreign localization===
'''English
:*''Title:'' "'''Danny, the Little Hero'''" ([[Omni Productions]] dub)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 15]], [[1992]]
::*Mindwipe notes that the Horrorcons wear the Autobot symbol.
::*In the [[Omni Productions]] dialogue script for this episode, Apeface is called "Sela", Snapdragon is referred to as "Wimpus" whilst Punch/Counterpunch is "Carter".

:*''Title:'' "'''Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever'''" ([[Shout! Factory]] sub)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un patto per salvare lo spazio'''" ("A pact to save space")
::*When Galvatron introduces the Horrorcons, he says that they are "allies of Destron", again making it look like the Decepticons come from a place called Destron.
::*Sometimes in this episode "space bridge" is translated as "ponte dello spazio" instead of "ponte spaziale" as usual (still, they mean the same thing).

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dānní'ěr de Tòngkǔ Juézé '''" (丹尼尔的痛苦抉择, "Daniel's Painful Choice")

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Denni — malen'kiy geroy'''" (Дэнни — маленький герой, "Daniel – A Little Hero")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 22]], [[1994]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Spanish:'' "'''La Trampa de Galvatrón'''" ("Galvatron's Trap")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*The Spanish translation of the ''Headmasters'' cartoon presents some problems with Snapdragon's name. On Snapdragon's first appearance, Galvatron himself calls him "Zela". (However, it's a bit hard to understand Galvatron; if you don't listen carefully, it sounds like he says "Zedda", which has caused further confusion.) Then Snapdragon presents himself as "Ozela", after which both the narrator and Chromedome call him "Zela". Later, Hardhead calls him "Zedda", and finally, Galvatron calls him "Zela" again. This would seem to make "Zela" his official name, since it's used the most frequently.
::*Also, in the Spanish dub, Mindwipe mentions both Horrorcons have the Autobot symbol, just as the Horrorcons' Decepticon symbols shine.

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

[[Category:The Headmasters episodes]]

Cab (human)

2025-11-13T22:27:17Z

Jon T: /* Notes */

{{faction|autobot}}
{{suite|root=Cab}}
:''Cab is a [[human]] and [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster Junior]] from the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Cab.jpg|right|225px|thumb|"And Ma-Ti, with the power of heart."]]
'''Cab''' (キャブ ''Kyabu'' (see [[#Name|below]]) ) is the crown prince of the [[Kingdom of Karin]] in the South Seas, but if he could have his way, he'd really rather not be. Cab has availed himself of the tropical nature of the [[Karin Islands]] to escape his responsibilities in the most extreme way possible, spending his days playing "wild boy" in the island jungle. Exposure to the evil of the [[Decepticon]]s and a burgeoning friendship with [[Shūta Gō]] prompted Cab to join up with the [[Autobot]]s and enter civilization, but like the saying goes: You can take the boy out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the boy. Brave to the point of stupidity, insufferably brash, and desperately caught up in a desire to appear mature while avoiding any of the actual responsibilities maturity entails, Cab doesn't tend to "play well" with others.

As an Autobot Headmaster Junior, Cab is bonded to a [[Transtector]] from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], which takes the form of a fire engine. Using his [[Master-Brace]]s, he can summon a suit of armor that enhances his physical strength, speed and reflexes, which allows him to transform into a head for his Transtector and function as a full-size Transformer robot. Aside from these Transformer powers, Cab also possesses the remarkable ability to communicate with animals, and two of his best friends are an [[parrot and armadillo|armadillo and a parrot]] that have accompanied him into the Western world. True to his self-imposed jungle upbringing, Cab is also quite an accomplished survivalist, able to build long-term shelters, cook using natural materials, and skilfully wield a knife. Both he and Shūta have a crush on their teammate [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]].

==Fiction==
===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Hiroko Emori]] (Japanese)|[[Ivo De Palma]] (Italian)}}

[[Image:Cab spear.jpg|left|215px|thumb|...Which does nothing.]]
Cab was in the midst of his usual jungle antics, tending to a wounded monkey, when his elderly guardian [[Donq]] excitedly approached him with a letter of acceptance from the [[International School|International School of Japan]]. Cab had no desire to leave the island, but Donq was insistent that he be properly educated in preparation for his royal duties, and Cab angrily ran off into the jungle, where he was attacked by the Decepticon [[Dauros]] and a swarm of [[Seacon (Masterforce)|Seacons]]. The Autobots [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] and [[Diver (G1)|Diver]] saw the Decepticons off, but when Donq refused to believe Cab's claim that he had seen the two [[Pretender]]s transform from humans into robots, the prince again ran off in anger. Cab was followed to a nearby beach by the Autobots' companion Shūta Gō, but Cab immediately attacked the boy, thinking that he too was a robot. Shūta was able to defuse the situation, although he couldn't hide his amusement at Cab's general lack of knowledge of western culture. Cab responded by showing off his own talents, translating the cawing of a bird as a message that the Decepticons had been spotted on the nearby "Isle of the Gods". Despite Shūta's pleas, Cab headed off to fight the Decepticons himself, only to be captured and imprisoned. The Autobots were able to follow Cab's trail to the island and defeat the Decepticons, proving their true nature to the young prince. Jealous of Shūta's friendship with the Autobots, Cab decided to attend the International School after all, so that he could travel to Japan and forge a bond with Shūta and the Pretenders himself. {{storylink|Terror! The Decepticons' Manhunt}}

[[Image:Cab armor.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Hey, where'd the monkey go?]]
Rather than move into the school dormitory, Cab elected to build a [[Cab's treehouse|treehouse]] in the woods surrounding [[Autobot Base]], where he lived with his parrot and armadillo, despite Shūta's incredulous reaction to his completely technology-free homestead. Eager to aid the Autobots in their mission, he and Shūta joined them in travelling to Corsica, where they befriended an ambassador's daughter named [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]], and saved her and her family from a Decepticon plot by fighting and defeating a [[Destroid]] [[stewardess]] with their bare hands. {{storylink|Kidnapping!? The Targeted Jumbo Jet}} Minerva proceeded to enroll in the International School alongside the two boys, and the trio's determination to help the Autobots prompted Metalhawk to make them a remarkable offer. Given Master-Braces and a Transtector, Cab and the others became Autobot Headmaster Junior warriors. {{storylink|Birth! Headmaster Jrs}}

Although the Juniors primarily performed rescue operations, with Cab handling fire extinguishing, they were sent to America to train with Diver for [[Holographic battle drone|combat scenarios]]. As bad luck would have it, an attack by the Decepticon Headmaster Juniors on a nearby city occurred during their visit, and the team had to spring into action alone. Cab was able to interpret the barking of a [[Pis|dog]] to help Minerva find its buried [[little girl (Masterforce)|owner]], and then worked on his teamwork with Shūta by taking out a [[Lobclaw]]. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}} When Wilder kidnaps one of his former gang members, the sister, [[Mary (G1)|Mary]] comes to the Juniors for help. During the battle, Cab and Minerva fight together to take down [[Bullhorn (G1)|Bullhorn]], but are stopped when Cancer takes Mary hostage. [[Chris|Her brother]] finally joins the battle with an exploding motorcycle. At the dinner party that the Juniors invite them to, Cab makes kababs.{{storylink|Go, Goshooter - Showdown in the Wasteland}}

Correspondence from the Karin Islands came regularly for Cab, from a package of the islands' coconuts {{storylink|Panic! Protect the Wild Animals!!}} to a letter from Donq, which was delivered by the foppish Mr. [[Kaiser]], Cab's most hated of all teachers. Donq had written to inform Cab that the Karin Islands were at last going to receive electricity, from a new tidal power plant being built on Viscas Island. Predictably, the plant became a target for the Decepticons, now joined by the powerful [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]] brothers [[Hydra (G1)|Hydra]] and [[Buster (G1)|Buster]], who the Autobots were only just able to beat back. {{storylink|A Fierce Battle!! The Autobots Are in Trouble}} In answer to their prayers, the Autobots were soon joined by their own Godmaster, [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]], who Cab welcomed into their ranks with a feast of Karin Island's famous fire-pit cooking. {{storylink|Friend or Foe!? The True Form of the Monster!!}}

[[Image:Cab fishing.jpg|left|180px|thumb|I killed something!]]
The Juniors' summer vacation did not get off to a good start when Cab was caught peeping on the girls' swimming class towards the end of school, but things took an upward turn with the discovery of another Autobot Godmaster named [[Lightfoot (G1)|Lightfoot]]. {{storylink|Lightfoot: A Dramatic Encounter}} The Juniors accompanied Metalhawk, [[Lander]], Ginrai and Lightfoot on a camping trip into the Rocky Mountains, where Cab resolved to catch a massive king salmon and cook up a banquet for the group. He had little luck until the arrival of a forest patrolman named [[Ranger]], who shared his special bait with Cab, allowing him to successfully make his catch. Availing himself of Ranger's offer to share his cabin when a storm struck that night, the Autobots discovered that the friendly patrolman was in fact the next Autobot Godmaster. {{storylink|An Enemy? The Third Godmaster, Ranger}} Cab and the other Juniors were later invited to France by Lightfoot to watch the finale of the World Grand Prix, and Cab severely geeked out in the presence of champion [[Road King]], who he had sign his chest. Road King proved to be the fourth Autobot Godmaster. {{storylink|Assemble! The Four Godmaster Gunmen}}

[[Image:Cab dance.jpg|right|180px|thumb|He doesn't dare to be stupid, sadly.]]
As summer break drew towards a close, Cab took the other Juniors back to the Karin Islands. Unfortunately, Cab's return coincided with an outlandish Decepticon plot to kidnap doctors, leaving his sickly childhood friend [[Copo]] unable to receive treatment for her debilitating condition. Cab was able to help move Copo to the medical facility on Viscas Island while the united forces of the Autobot Godmasters rescued the doctors, allowing Copo to be healed, and the Juniors to properly enjoy their vacation. {{storylink|Save the Little Girl! The Chōjin Warriors, the Godmasters}} Crazy Decepticon plans were still the order of the day when the Juniors returned to school to hear stories of a mysterious fortune-teller on television who predicted disasters across the planet. All the predictions soon came true and Cab and the other Juniors had to protect a town from a raging flood, only for it all to turn out to have been yet another Decepticon scheme. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

[[Image:Cab transtector.jpg|left|230px|thumb|"[[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], no! If you destroy all the cows on the planet, how will we make [[BBQ Double Stackticon|hamburgers]]?"]]
Soon thereafter, Cab, Shūta and Minerva were at last let in on a secret the other Autobots had been keeping from them: the "Bomber Project", a plan to construct a power-up drone known as "[[Godbomber]]" for Ginrai to help him fight [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]], a mighty Decepticon presently approaching from space. {{storylink|Super Ginrai Gets Blown Away in the Desert!?}} Shūta and Cab sparred with him a little to help him work through the pain of injuries caused by a recent battle with the Decepticon [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], {{storylink|God Ginrai - Into the Sky!!}} but they and other Autobots were able only to watch as Ginrai jetted into space and battled Overlord and BlackZarak on [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. {{storylink|God Ginrai - Showdown on the Surface of the Moon}} Ginrai ultimately prevailed, and, after his return to Earth, Godbomber even revealed a new power, transforming into a robot that Cab and the Juniors discovered they could combine their [[Chōkon Power]] to control. {{storylink|Destroy Godbomber!!}}

When the Autobots believed they had at last recruited the final Godmaster, a young man named [[Clouder]], Cab and Shūta were somewhat suspicious of their new "teammate." Although Minerva and Ginrai brushed off their concerns, Metalhawk was not so dismissive, and eventually proved that Clouder was, in fact, a Decepticon double-agent. {{storylink|Secret Orders! Destroy the Autobot Base!!}} Unfortunately, Clouder had already supplied the Decepticons with information on the base, and had planted a series of bombs throughout the headquarters that crippled its defenses and injured Metalhawk. Cab, Shūta and Minerva were left to defend the base alone against a Decepticon onslaught, and were ultimately forced to abandon it before it was destroyed. {{storylink|Disaster! The Autobot Base Explodes}}

[[Image:Ginrai juniors.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Let our powers combine!"]]
Soon after, BlackZarak returned and was able to reach the Earth, causing the conflict to escalate as cities all over the world were attacked. Cab then participated in an all-out attack on the Decepticon base, during which BlackZarak merged with the Decepticon emperor [[Devil Z]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Combination!! BlackZarak, the New Lifeform}}. When the composite villain moved his base of operations into the [[Grand Canyon]], the Autobots pursued, and Cab was part of a team along with Shūta, Minerva and Ranger who were attacked by [[King Poseidon]]. Cab and Shūta tried taking the combiner on directly, but the strategy proved unsuccessful, {{storylink|Autobots! Desperate Attack!!}} as did their attempt at a rematch in the Alps, where Metalhawk had to bail them out. Ginrai arrived to defeat the combiner, but Metalhawk and the Juniors were badly wounded and forced to remain behind as Ginrai headed to the summit of the Matterhorn to face BlackZarak. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}} During the battle, BlackZarak transformed into an even more powerful serpent mode, but as Ginrai fought on, his burning spirit was felt by Cab, Minerva and Shūta. All three Juniors suddenly found themselves transported into his chest cockpit, where their energies helped him destroy BlackZarak. His host destroyed, Devil Z raged impotently until Ginrai and the Juniors united every last drop of their power in the Final Fire Guts attack, which completely destroyed the arch-villain. In the aftermath of the battle, the Autobots were all immediately enveloped in a glow and transformed from robots back into their human forms, now without their Masterbraces. Moments later, the truth of the situation was revealed: The death of Devil Z had caused their bond to their Transtectors to be severed. Their Transtectors, however, all lived on, evolved into true super-robot lifeforms through the power of their bond. Cab's Transtector departed for space with all the others to carry on the fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|A Battle... and Then...}}
{{charstubfiction| {{storylink|Super Warriors - The Godmaster Brothers}} {{storylink|Ginrai: God On of Rage!!}} {{storylink|A Strange Friendship: Cancer and Minerva}} {{storylink|Heroism!! The Birth of Super Ginrai}} {{storylink|A Powerful Foe!! Sixknight the Wanderer}} {{storylink|The Autobot Warrior, Sixknight?!}} {{storylink|Will the Bomber Project Be Destroyed!?}} {{storylink|Overlord - Terror of the Chōkon Tornado}} {{storylink|Escape!! The Underwater Volcano Erupts}} {{storylink|Appearance!! The Final Godmaster}} {{storylink|BlackZarak - Destroyer from Space}} {{storylink|Crisis! The Day of Human Extinction}} {{storylink|God Ginrai - Save Cancer!?}} {{storylink|God Ginrai: Showdown at the Decepticon Base}} {{storylink|Battle to the Death!! God Ginrai VS Darkwings Reborn}}}}

====''Cloud''====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Wandering}}}}

====''Legends'' comic====
In [[2021]] after the [[Masterforce War]], Cab, Shūta, and Minerva went into space with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s crew in order to find the missing former Decepticon Headmaster Juniors. {{storylink|LG24 Shockwave & Cancer Prologue}} The three were then caught up in a battle between Fortress Maximus's and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s troops. When Scorponok detonated a nearby black hole, Fortress had [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] take the humans to safety, and so they avoided being infected with "[[blackball]]s" like the other Autobots. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} The humans would join the Autobots in the [[Legends World]], where they reunited with the former Decepticon Headmaster Juniors, who brought them new Headmaster-Braces from [[Grand Maximus|Grand]]. {{storylink|LG24 Shockwave & Cancer Prologue}} When a trailer very similar to Ginrai's transtector appeared in this universe, Cab and the others brought Ginrai over to claim it. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 35|Bonus Edition Vol. 35}} Cab later got a job as a waiter at the local [[Starscream (BW)|Starscream]]'s "little brother café", {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}} and was working there when [[Flywheels]] came to visit his fellow waiter [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|LGEX Headmaster Set Chapter}}

A new Godbomber was built in the Legends World only for its parts to be stolen by the Decepticons, though the main Headmaster component was left behind. Cab, Shūta and Minerva communed with the drone like they had before, embuing it with life with their Chōkon Power, then accompanied it into battle with the false Godbomber. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 42|Bonus Edition Vol. 42}} Cab was later working at the café when [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] crash-landed right outside. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} The Headmaster Juniors accompanied Ginrai on a delivery job to [[Bonapar Island]], where they were attacked by a revived Giga and Mega who separated Ginrai and Godbomber from their transtectors. Cab used his Headmaster form to take control of Godbomber's transtector, naming the result "God Cab", and helped drive off the attackers by combining with Ginrai's body. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (God Ginrai)|Bonus Edition God Ginrai}} Later at the café, Cab served [[Octane]] and [[Tigatron]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 57|Bonus Edition Vol. 57}} Giga and Mega lured Cab and friends to their [[Chōkon Tower Chinese Restaurant]] to settle the score with Ginrai, and the Headmaster Juniors assisted in the duel by sitting inside Godbomber and lending God Ginrai their power. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 60|Bonus Edition Vol. 60}} They were among the Masterforce warriors who joined forces to defeat a returned Devil Z, again by powering up Godbomber. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Grand Maximus)|Bonus Edition Grand Maximus}}

===''TV Magazine'' comic continuity===
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Cab manga punch.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Fail.]]
When three monstrous, shadowy creatures attacked the Karin Islands, Cab was spoiling for a chance to fight them, only to be restrained by his guardian, Donq. A young boy, Shūta, appeared quite abruptly and joined in the effort to persude Cab to back down from the fight, but Cab responded by slugging Shūta one and telling the foreigner to keep out of it. Cab was promptly shocked into silence when the monstrous figures revealed themselves to be the Decepticon Pretenders and were engaged in battle by Shūta's Autobot friend, Metalhawk. As Metalhawk routed the Decepticons, Shūta explained the origins of the Pretenders to Cab, and promised to introduce the prince to the Autobot hero. {{storylink|Gods? Demons? The Pretenders}}

Back in Japan, Cab and Shūta attended the International School together and soon discovered that Metalhawk had recruited their classmate, Minerva. Metalhawk explained that the three kids were going to help fight the Decepticons, and after a period of intensive training, they were given Master-Braces and Transtectors and became Headmaster Juniors. Cab and Shūta immediately went joyriding in their Transtectors and ran into trouble when they encountered a [[Lobclaw]] Seacon, but Metalhawk saved them—though not without chastising them for their lack of teamwork. {{storylink|The Birth of the Junior Headmasters}}

[[Image:Cab manga.jpg|right|160px|thumb|Where'd my left arm go?]]
During a later battle between Metalhawk and Blood, Metalhawk summoned the Headmaster Juniors to aid in the rescue effort in the surrounding city. Living in a treehouse in the forest around the Autobot base, Cab was able to head into action quite quickly, not having to sneak out of the International School dormitory like Shūta and Minerva. The three Juniors joined up and discovered that their foes were their opposite numbers, Decepticon Headmaster Juniors, whom they soundly defeated. {{storylink|The Battle of Destiny - Children of Good and Evil}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}}}

Cab and the Juniors soon met and befriended the Autobot Godmaster Ginrai, {{storylink|On Scene! Our Savior's Name Is Ginrai!}} and later travelled to the planet [[Athenia]] to see him be appointed [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army}} With the other Autobot Masterforce warriors, Cab fought [[King Poseidon|Grand King Poseidon]] on Earth. {{storylink|Headmasters VS Masterforce}} The Juniors' relationship with Ginrai grew even stronger with the creation of Godbomber, a drone piloted by Cab, Shūta and Minerva, that combined with the Autobot leader and allowed him to defeat Overlord and BlackZarak. {{storylink|God Ginrai's Amazing Divine Combination!}}

At one point, Cab and Shūta were captured by the Decepticons and tortured by Blood. [[Mega]] and [[Giga]] hoped that the two boys would join their twisted Decepticon family, but Shūta refuted the notion that the villains were any kind of family at all. Thankfully, they were rescued by Minerva and Ginrai, and as they recuperated, the boys laughed about how the two seemed to be filling the roles of their mother and father. {{storylink|The Good and Evil Families of Earth}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Decepticons' Great Counterattack!}} {{storylink|Life or Death? The Desperate Divine Combination!}} {{storylink|The Great Turnabout of the Autobots}}}}

In the final battle against BlackZarak, the villain turned on his fellow Decepticons, leading them to unite with the Autobots in defeating him. All of the Transformers boarded Grand Maximus and charged him with their energy before he crashed straight into BlackZarak, obliterating him and Devil Z. The death of Devil Z caused the bond between the humans and their Transtectors to be broken, and Cab became a normal kid again as his now-living Transtector and those of all the other Autobots headed into space to continue the fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Birth of the Super Life-Forms}}

====''Victory'' comic====
[[Image:Cab victories.jpg|left|115px|thumb|It's back, but it's tiny now.]]
When a new Transformer war erupted on Earth, Cab and Shūta decided to check out the new Supreme Commander, [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]], thinking that he wasn't a patch on God Ginrai. They appeared in the middle of a battle between Star Saber and the Decepticons, lecturing the adopted human sons of the two faction leaders ([[Jan Minakaze]] of the Autobots and [[Solon Kitakaze (G1)|Solon Kitakaze]] of the Decepticons) on how much better Ginrai was. In mid-pontification, however, the boys were attacked by [[Dinoforce]] member [[Kakuryu (G1)|Kakuryu]]. Star Saber swooped in to save them and hurled Kakuryu over a cliff, but as the Decepticon clawed at the edge of the crevice, Star Saber showed mercy and helped him back up. This was enough to convince Cab and Shūta that Star Saber was a good egg, and they cemented their friendship with Jan. {{storylink|Star Saber, Warrior of Love!}} Jan was later invited by the boys to Cab's treehouse, but that didn't turn out to be such a good idea, since [[Yokuryu]] smashed up the place and captured Jan. {{storylink|Danger, Jan! Hurry, Star Saber!}}

Cab and Shūta established themselves as members of Star Saber's Autobot warriors when they and Jan donned suits of armor to become a team known as the "[[Victories]]". Cab wore a suit based on the [[Brainmaster]] warrior, [[Laster]]. {{storylink|Star of Friendship, Jan and Star Saber!}} The Victories were soon joined by Jan's sister [[Patty Minakaze|Patty]] (to whom both boys took a liking), {{storylink|The Strongest Pair, the Combination of Victory!}} despite her making them scrub and lean the Autobot base. {{storylink|Victory Saber Is Strong!}} More surprisingly, they were also joined by Solon, who betrayed the Decepticons when he learned his true heritage. With their team now completed, they were able to channel their power into their respective Autobot counterparts to form the Victory Blade attack, soundly thrashing [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]] and [[Liokaiser]] in one blast. {{storylink|Shine, Five Stars of Victory}}

Cab, Shūta and the other Victories were all aboard [[Galaxy Shuttle]] during the final battle between the Autobots and Deathsaurus's planet-destroying fortress. When the battle was done, they all boarded the fortress with the other Autobots and Decepticons and witnessed Deathsaurus's disclosure that the fortress contained all the Decepticon civilians. This revelation led to the laying down of Autobot and Decepticon arms and the beginning of a new age of peace. Cab and Shūta glomped Patty in happiness. {{storylink|The Grand Victory War}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''===
{{anchor|Super-God Masterforce}}
[[Image:G1Hosehead toy.jpg|upright=1.66|right|thumb|High in Carbs.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Carb''' {{sic}} (Headmaster Junior, [[1988]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''C-302'''
:*''Accessories'': Transtector vehicle, seat/helmet, "[[Anti-fire gun|Anti-Fire Gun]]", left & right "[[laser pistol]]s"

: 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, Cab is identical to the [[Hasbro]]-release [[Lug (G1)#Toys|Lug]]; a small armored humanoid that transforms into a robot head compatible with any Headmaster body.

: He comes with his Headmaster Transtector, identical to the Hasbro-release [[Hosehead (G1)#Toys|Hosehead]], transforming into a red fire truck of indeterminate, possibly-made-up model. Unlike his fellow Headmaster Juniors, Cab does not sit in a covered pilot compartment, but is placed ''behind'' the truck cab using the robot out helmet as a seat. The ladder base has a ratcheted joint, allowing it to rotate, while the ladder itself can extend out to 22cm in length and also has a movable compound nozzle. His two laser pistols can be attached to the sides of the vehicle, while his Anti-Fire Gun plugs into the ladder.

: Like all Headmaster toys, Cab's Transtector has a flip-down panel on his chest which covers a spring-loaded mini-[[Tech Spec]]-meter which gives reads for Speed, Strength and Intelligence. The tumblers are activated when Cab (or any other Headmaster unit) is plugged into his neck socket. Cab has the transtector's face plainly visible on his back because, as a smaller Headmaster toy, he lacks the flip down panel featured on larger Headmasters.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Autobot/Hosehead/hosehead.htm More information on Cab/Hosehead at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:TF-Legends-LGEX-Cab.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Cab wears jorts on alternating Thursdays.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''God Ginrai''' (Multi-pack, [[2017]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''LG-EX'''
:*''Release date'': [[December 2]], 2017

: ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Cab transforms from armored human to robot head, with both modes being based on his appearance in the ''Masterforce'' anime. His head mode can be plugged into the neck socket of every Deluxe-or-larger ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]''-style figure, and his human mode can interact with related vehicle modes and accessories.

: Cab was only available in a [[TakaraTomy Mall]]-exclusive multi-pack with [[Ginrai (human)#LGEX|Super Ginrai]], [[Godbomber#LGEX|Godbomber]], and [[Minerva (human)#Legends|Minerva]].

==Notes==
*According to his supplementary [[bio]] card, Cab is 13 years old. As the ''Masterforce'' anime was later established as transpiring in [[2020]], this puts his birth date in or around [[2007]].
*Observe carefully. While Hosehead and Cab do not have any differences in their toys, the anime gives Cab a white helmet, chest, and thighs where the toy has grey.
*In the ''Planet of Cybertron Guide 4'' booklet included with Takara's [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Headmasters]] [[LaserDisc]] set, Masterforce planner [[Masumi Kaneda]] states that he based Cab's character on [https://gegegenokitaro.fandom.com/wiki/Jigoku-D%C5%8Dji Jigoku-Dōji], a character he co-created in 1986 for the ''Saishinban GeGeGe no Kitarō'' manga.

===Name===
Given that Cab's alt-mode has nothing to do with taxicabs and does not match the Japanese rendition of "cabin" (キャビン ''kyabin''), his name is probably a shortening of "carburetor", as the spelling "Carb" on his toy packaging implies. You see, the Japanese adaptation of "carburetor" (キャブレター ''kyaburetā'') is inexplicably modeled on the vowel sound of "cab" (キャブ ''kyabu'') as opposed to "carb" (カーブ ''kābu''). Consequently, there is no good way to adapt Cab's name back into English.

===Foreign names===
*''English:'' '''Hosehead''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub)
*''Italian:'' '''Genio''' ("Genius" or "Genie")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Shuǐlóngtóu''' (China, 水龙头, "Water Tap")
*''Russian:'' '''Griva''' (Грива, "Mane")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Khose''' (Хосе, "Jose")

[[Category:Cloud Autobots]]
[[Category:Firefighters]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Legends humans]]
[[Category:Princes]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce humans]]
[[Category:TakaraTomy Mall exclusives]]
[[Category:Victory humans]]

Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)

2025-11-13T22:23:24Z

Jon T:

{{disambig3|Headmaster}}
{{nav-headmasters}}
'''''Transformers: The Headmasters''''' (トランスフォーマーザ☆ヘッドマスターズ) is a Japanese animated series that aired from [[July 3]], [[1987]] to [[March 28]], [[1988]] for 35 episodes, in support of the [[Transformers: The Headmasters (toyline)|toyline]] of the same name. It shares its name with its opening song, "[[The Headmasters (song)|The Headmasters]]", and the ending song is titled "[[Kimi wa Transformer]]".

==Overview==
[[File:HeadmastersPoster1.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|A hilarious look at life in a Cybertronian boarding school.]]
''The Headmasters'' was the first Japanese-exclusive season of ''Transformers'' television, and as such, marks the departure of the Japanese animated [[continuity]] from that of the US. The booklet included with the [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer]] DVD release of the series features research by [[Naoto Sakai]] indicating that, in late [[1986]], [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] was informed that [[Marvel Productions]] would not be producing a fourth season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] (presumably before the decision was made to greenlight "[[The Rebirth]]"). By mid-December of 1986, Takara formally commissioned [[Toei Animation|Toei]] to produce a new series based on the forthcoming 1987 toyline. Planned out by [[TV Magazine]] writer [[Masumi Kaneda]], who had previously worked on the Transformers [[manga]], the series follows on from the events of "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2|The Return of Optimus Prime]]", ignoring "The Rebirth" and introducing the Headmaster characters in a distinctly different way than their American counterparts. Emphasizing the difference between east and west, the series (and its accompanying [[Transformers: The Headmasters (manga)|manga]]) employed different [[character model]]s designed by [[Ban Magami]], illustrator of numerous ''Transformers'' manga.

The "-master" concept was entirely re-imagined for the series, discarding the Western idea of [[Nebulan]]s, and establishing the Headmasters not as Transformers who bonded with organic beings, but as diminutive Transformers who connected to and controlled large, lifeless bodies named "[[Transtector]]s". Drawing on a plot point established in American episodes such as "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]" and "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]", the Headmasters were introduced as refugees who fled Cybertron millions of years ago and settled on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], where they developed this new technology and trained hard in order to survive the harsh environment. Kaneda notes that he chose to give the Headmasters non-combatant origins in order to add an extra layer of meaning to the concept of "transformation," as the young 'bots grew from civilians into fully-fledged warriors. Consequently, it was [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]—a character essentially overlooked in the West—who was chosen as the lead of the series and cast as a "fiery youth" in order to emphasize this "personal transformation" theme, as well as to carry on the pattern of leaders with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|automotive]] [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|vehicle]] modes. His opposite number, and perhaps the true breakout character of ''The Headmasters'', was [[Decepticon]] [[Six Changer]] [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], a powerful ninja character who also embodied the “personal transformation” concept with his shifting allegiance.

According to Masumi Kaneda, the series' development was independent of Marvel and [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]'s work following the conclusion of the third season of ''The Transformers.''<ref>''Planet of Cybertron Guide 4'' Takara [[LaserDisc]] booklet</ref> However, the early episodes of ''The Headmasters'' do nevertheless have several similarities with "The Rebirth", including appearances by [[Vector Sigma]] and the ghost of [[Alpha Trion]], and the involvement of [[plasma energy]], suggesting that perhaps both the Japanese and American shows might have been based on the same original premise and went in two different directions with it. Very much ''unlike'' the American cartoon, as ''The Headmasters'' progresses, it develops an ongoing story and style that Kaneda openly admits is steeped in Toei's history of sci-fi robot anime—likely due in no small part to the involvement of production staff who had a history of work in the genre, including writers [[Keisuke Fujikawa]], [[Toyohiro Andō]] and [[Yoshihisa Araki]], and producer [[Kenji Yokoyama]].

==Storyline==
When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] released the energy of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to cure the [[Hate Plague]], he could not have predicted the consequences of his actions. In [[2011]], without the energy of the Matrix to regulate it, the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] begins to destabilize, opening the planet up to an invasion by the [[Decepticon]]s and their new Headmaster warriors. Although the Autobot Headmasters, led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]], arrive to help turn the tide of the battle, the day will not be won without the Matrix, and so [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and the Headmasters scour the Earth in order to recover the talisman and stabilize Vector Sigma once more. During the course of the conflict, Optimus Prime dies once again, and Hot Rod again becomes Rodimus Prime.

The status quo of the renewed war sees Rodimus Prime in command across Cybertron and the Autobots' secondary command post on [[Athenia]], with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] leading his own individual squad on Earth and operating out of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. In contrast, the Decepticons are based out of their old base on [[Chaar]], with Sixshot leading the Decepticons' Earth forces, operating out of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Operating in the shadows is Galvatron's secret ally, the Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], who has a vendetta against Fortress for exiling him from Master. The first major shift in the direction of the series occurs when Vector Sigma develops a new alloy named [[Cybertonuron]], and Scorponok arranges for the destruction of Cybertron itself in order to keep the alloy from falling into the hands of either the Autobots or Galvatron. Galvatron is caught in the planet-destroying blast and believed dead, while Rodimus Prime decides to venture into space and search for a new homeworld for the Transformers, leaving Scorponok and Fortress in control of their respective factions.

Scorponok immediately begins a plan to harness the power of [[plasma energy]], destroying [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] in pursuit of his evil scheme. However, Galvatron soon reveals that he has survived and returns to take control of the Decepticons, leading them on a series of interplanetary raids for the purpose of gathering up enough [[energon]] to enact his [[Grand Galvatron|master plan]]. In battle in Alaska, the Autobot Headmasters collapse a glacier on the villain, removing this threat, but allowing Scorponok to take leadership once more.

The Decepticons withdraw to planet Master, leading several refugees to escape to Earth to alert the Autobots to their plight, where a plasma energy explosion fuses the refugees and a group of Autobots and Decepticons together, creating the Targetmasters. The Autobots head for Master, where Scorponok is attempting to construct a weapon that can counter Fortress' mighty [[Master Sword]], and engage the Decepticons in a series of battles. When Scorponok's weapon, the [[Zarak Shield]], lays Fortress low, the Decepticons return to Earth in order to destroy the planet and gather its plasma energy. In a final battle at the South Pole, Fortress is super-charged with the combined energy of the entire Autobot army, and is finally able to defeat Scorponok and foil his plans.

==Main cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress/Fortress Maximus]] ([[Ikuya Sawaki]])
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] ([[Hideyuki Hori]])
*[[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] ([[Ryōichi Tanaka]])
*[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] ([[Masato Hirano]])
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] ([[Michitaka Kobayashi]])
;[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s
*[[Pointblank]] ([[Yūji Mikimoto]])
*[[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] ([[Hōchū Ōtsuka]])
*[[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] ([[Masaharu Satō]])
;Targetmaster Partners
*[[Peacemaker]]
*[[Pinpointer (G1)|Pinpointer]]
*[[Spoilsport]]
;[[Trainbot]]s
*[[Raiden]] ([[Keiichi Noda]])
**[[Shouki]] (Keiichi Noda)
**[[Getsuei]] ([[Kazuo Oka]])
**[[Kaen]] (Masaharu Satō)
**[[Seizan]] (?)
**[[Suiken]] ([[Kazumi Tanaka]])
**[[Yukikaze (G1)|Yukikaze]] ([[Ken Yamaguchi]])
;[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]];
*[[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]] (Ken Yamaguchi)
*[[Fastlane]] (Kazuo Oka)
;[[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s
*[[Doublecross]] ([[Michihiro Ikemizu]]/[[Kōji Totani]])
*[[Grotusque]] (Masaharu Satō)
*[[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]] (Michitaka Kobayashi)
;Other [[Combiner]]s
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (Ken Yamaguchi)
*[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (Kōji Totani)
*[[Computron (G1)|Computron]] ([[Masashi Ebara]])
;Others
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] ([[Tesshō Genda]])
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime]] ([[Hiroya Ishimaru]])
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (Hōchū Ōtsuka)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster/Twincast]] ([[Keiichi Nanba]])
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] ([[Yōko Kawanami]])
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] ([[Kazue Komiya]])
*[[Punch (G1)|Punch]] (Masaharu Satō)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] ([[Osamu Saka]])
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (Ken Yamaguchi)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (Osamu Saka)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (Masato Hirano)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Goldbug]] (Michitaka Kobayashi)
|c2=
;[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]
*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok/MegaZarak]] ([[Banjō Ginga]])
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] ([[Naoki Tatsuta]])
*[[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] (Kōji Totani)
*[[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] ([[Katsuji Mori]])
;[[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcon]]s
*[[Apeface]] (Yūji Mikimoto)
*[[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] (Kazuo Oka)
;[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s
*[[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] (Ken Yamaguchi)
*[[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] ([[Tomomichi Nishimura]])
*[[Triggerhappy (G1)|Triggerhappy]] (Michihiro Ikemizu)
;Targetmaster Partners
*[[Caliburst (G1)|Caliburst]]
*[[Aimless]]
*[[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]]
;[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]]
*[[Pounce]] (Masashi Ebara)
*[[Wingspan]] (Hōchū Ōtsuka)
;[[Duocon]]s
*[[Battletrap (G1)|Battletrap]] ([[Hirohiko Kakegawa]])
*[[Flywheels]] ([[Yūki Satō]])
;[[Combiner]]s
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] ([[Seizō Katō]])
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (Masato Hirano)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (Michitaka Kobayashi)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (?)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (Masato Hirano)
;Others
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (Seizō Katō)
*[[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (Michihiro Ikemizu)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave/Soundblaster]] ([[Issei Masamune]])
*[[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] (Masaharu Satō)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (Tomomichi Nishimura)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (Masaharu Satō)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (Masato Hirano)
|c3=
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] ([[Tomiko Suzuki]])
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (Masashi Ebara)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly Witwicky]] (Kazue Komiya)
|nonumbering=true
|}}

*[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|Characters]] from ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' that do not play a critical role in the series are not listed.

==Episodes==
{{see|List of The Headmasters episodes}}

{{collist|3|
#[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]
#[[The Mystery of Planet Master]]
#[[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime]]
#[[The Great Cassette Operation]]
#[[Rebellion on Planet Beast]]
#[[Approach of the Demon Meteorite]]
#[[The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery]]
#[[Terror! The Six Shadows]]
#[[Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1]]
#[[Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2]]
#[[The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok]]
#[[The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts]]
#[[Head On!! Fortress Maximus]]
#[[Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger]]
#[[Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears]]
#[[Return of the Immortal Emperor]]
#[[SOS from Planet Sandra]]
#[[Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!]]
#[[Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!]]
#[[Battle for Defense of the False Planet]]
#[[Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!]]
#[[Head Formation of Friendship]]
#[[Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship]]
#[[Ultra Magnus Dies!!]]
#[[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg]]
#[[I Risk My Life for Earth]]
#[[Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)]]
#[[Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)]]
#[[The Master Sword Is in Danger!!]]
#[[The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide]]
#[[Operation: Destroy the Decepticons]]
#[[My Friend Sixshot!]]
#[[Duel on the Asteroid]]
#[[The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)]]
#[[The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)]]
#[[Heroic Legend: Optimus Prime vs Megatron!!]]{{dag|red}}
#[[Heroic Legend: 2010 Wars]]{{dag|red}}
#[[Heroic Legend: Head On, Master Warriors!]]{{dag|red}}
|}}
{{dag|red}} ''[[Clip show]]''

==Home video releases==
{{see|Omni Productions}}
[[Image:MadmanHeadmasters.jpg|thumb|150px|Australian DVD release]]
===Japan===
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
*''Transformers: The Headmasters'' — DVD Box ([[August 23]], 2002)

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Metrodome}}
*The Takara Collection Vol 1 — ''Transformers: Headmasters'' (2005)
*''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection (2007)

===Australia===
{{main|Madman Entertainment}}
*''The Transformers: Headmasters'' (2007)
*''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (2009)

===United States===
{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*The Japanese Collection — ''Transformers: Headmasters'' (2011)
*Transformers — The Japanese Collection (includes ''Headmasters'', ''Masterforce'' and ''Victory'') (2012)
{{-}}

==Notes==
*From episode 14 ("[[Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger]]") onwards, the Decepticons in the [[title sequence]] began flashing, making them active targets for the tie in [[Video Challenger]] game. Viewers with a [[Challenge Blaster]] could score points by "shooting" the Decepticons onscreen. The Challenge Blaster itself even appeared in the show as a toy gun used by Daniel Witwicky.
*Starting here and carrying through the remainder of the Japan-originated animated series, characters are strangely far less inclined to use their guns than they are to just punch or tackle each other. This even goes for characters with body-mounted weaponry such as Hardhead.

=== Foreign names ===
*''Italian:'' '''''The New Transformers'''''
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng jīngāng: Tóulǐng zhànshì''''' (變形金剛：頭領戰士, "Transformers: AlphaGo")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Vlastogolovy''''' (Трансформеры: Властоголовы, "Transformers: Power Heads")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Mastaky''''' (Трансформери: Мастаки, "Transformers: Artists")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{w|lang=ja|トランスフォーマーザ☆ヘッドマスターズ|''Transformers: The Headmasters'' at the Japanese Wikipedia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Headmasters (cartoon), The}}
[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:The Headmasters| Headmasters (cartoon)]]
[[Category:The Headmasters media]]

Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)

2025-11-13T22:22:00Z

Jon T: /* Overview */ Finally debunked thanks to walruslaw's upload of the Headmasters LD booklet

{{disambig3|Headmaster}}
{{nav-headmasters}}
'''''Transformers: The Headmasters''''' (トランスフォーマーザ☆ヘッドマスターズ) is a Japanese animated series that aired from [[July 3]], [[1987]] to [[March 28]], [[1988]] for 35 episodes, in support of the [[Transformers: The Headmasters (toyline)|toyline]] of the same name. It shares its name with its opening song, "[[The Headmasters (song)|The Headmasters]]", and the ending song is titled "[[Kimi wa Transformer]]".

==Overview==
[[File:HeadmastersPoster1.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|A hilarious look at life in a Cybertronian boarding school.]]
''The Headmasters'' was the first Japanese-exclusive season of ''Transformers'' television, and as such, marks the departure of the Japanese animated [[continuity]] from that of the US. The booklet included with the [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer]] DVD release of the series features research by [[Naoto Sakai]] indicating that, in late [[1986]], [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] was informed that [[Marvel Productions]] would not be producing a fourth season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] (presumably before the decision was made to greenlight "[[The Rebirth]]"). By mid-December of 1986, Takara formally commissioned [[Toei Animation|Toei]] to produce a new series based on the forthcoming 1987 toyline. Planned out by [[TV Magazine]] writer [[Masumi Kaneda]], who had previously worked on the Transformers [[manga]], the series follows on from the events of "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2|The Return of Optimus Prime]]", ignoring "The Rebirth" and introducing the Headmaster characters in a distinctly different way than their American counterparts. Emphasizing the difference between east and west, the series (and its accompanying [[Transformers: The Headmasters (manga)|manga]]) employed different [[character model]]s designed by [[Ban Magami]], illustrator of numerous ''Transformers'' manga.

The "-master" concept was entirely re-imagined for the series, discarding the Western idea of [[Nebulan]]s, and establishing the Headmasters not as Transformers who bonded with organic beings, but as diminutive Transformers who connected to and controlled large, lifeless bodies named "[[Transtector]]s". Drawing on a plot point established in American episodes such as "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]" and "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]", the Headmasters were introduced as refugees who fled Cybertron millions of years ago and settled on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], where they developed this new technology and trained hard in order to survive the harsh environment. Kaneda notes that he chose to give the Headmasters non-combatant origins in order to add an extra layer of meaning to the concept of "transformation," as the young 'bots grew from civilians into fully-fledged warriors. Consequently, it was [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]—a character essentially overlooked in the West—who was chosen as the lead of the series and cast as a "fiery youth" in order to emphasize this "personal transformation" theme, as well as to carry on the pattern of leaders with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|automotive]] [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|vehicle]] modes. His opposite number, and perhaps the true breakout character of ''The Headmasters'', was [[Decepticon]] [[Six Changer]] [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], a powerful ninja character who also embodied the “personal transformation” concept with his shifting allegiance.

According to Masumi Kaneda, the series' development was independent of Marvel and [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]'s work following the conclusion of the third season of ''The Transformers.''<ref>''Planet of Cybertron Guide 4'' Takara [[LaserDisc]] booklet</ref> However, the early episodes of ''The Headmasters'' do nevertheless have several similarities with "The Rebirth", including appearances by [[Vector Sigma]] and the ghost of [[Alpha Trion]], and the involvement of [[plasma energy]], suggesting that perhaps both the Japanese and American shows might have been based on the same original premise and went in two different directions with it. Very much ''unlike'' the American cartoon, as ''The Headmasters'' progresses, it develops an ongoing story and style that Kaneda openly admits is steeped in Toei's history of sci-fi robot anime—likely due in no small part to the involvement of production staff who had a history of work in the genre, including writers [[Keisuke Fujikawa]], [[Toyohiro Andō]] and [[Yoshihisa Araki]], and producer [[Kenji Yokoyama]].

==Storyline==
When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] released the energy of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to cure the [[Hate Plague]], he could not have predicted the consequences of his actions. In [[2011]], without the energy of the Matrix to regulate it, the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] begins to destabilize, opening the planet up to an invasion by the [[Decepticon]]s and their new Headmaster warriors. Although the Autobot Headmasters, led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]], arrive to help turn the tide of the battle, the day will not be won without the Matrix, and so [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and the Headmasters scour the Earth in order to recover the talisman and stabilize Vector Sigma once more. During the course of the conflict, Optimus Prime dies once again, and Hot Rod again becomes Rodimus Prime.

The status quo of the renewed war sees Rodimus Prime in command across Cybertron and the Autobots' secondary command post on [[Athenia]], with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] leading his own individual squad on Earth and operating out of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. In contrast, the Decepticons are based out of their old base on [[Chaar]], with Sixshot leading the Decepticons' Earth forces, operating out of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Operating in the shadows is Galvatron's secret ally, the Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], who has a vendetta against Fortress for exiling him from Master. The first major shift in the direction of the series occurs when Vector Sigma develops a new alloy named [[Cybertonuron]], and Scorponok arranges for the destruction of Cybertron itself in order to keep the alloy from falling into the hands of either the Autobots or Galvatron. Galvatron is caught in the planet-destroying blast and believed dead, while Rodimus Prime decides to venture into space and search for a new homeworld for the Transformers, leaving Scorponok and Fortress in control of their respective factions.

Scorponok immediately begins a plan to harness the power of [[plasma energy]], destroying [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] in pursuit of his evil scheme. However, Galvatron soon reveals that he has survived and returns to take control of the Decepticons, leading them on a series of interplanetary raids for the purpose of gathering up enough [[energon]] to enact his [[Grand Galvatron|master plan]]. In battle in Alaska, the Autobot Headmasters collapse a glacier on the villain, removing this threat, but allowing Scorponok to take leadership once more.

The Decepticons withdraw to planet Master, leading several refugees to escape to Earth to alert the Autobots to their plight, where a plasma energy explosion fuses the refugees and a group of Autobots and Decepticons together, creating the Targetmasters. The Autobots head for Master, where Scorponok is attempting to construct a weapon that can counter Fortress' mighty [[Master Sword]], and engage the Decepticons in a series of battles. When Scorponok's weapon, the [[Zarak Shield]], lays Fortress low, the Decepticons return to Earth in order to destroy the planet and gather its plasma energy. In a final battle at the South Pole, Fortress is super-charged with the combined energy of the entire Autobot army, and is finally able to defeat Scorponok and foil his plans.

==Main cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress/Fortress Maximus]] ([[Ikuya Sawaki]])
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] ([[Hideyuki Hori]])
*[[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] ([[Ryōichi Tanaka]])
*[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] ([[Masato Hirano]])
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] ([[Michitaka Kobayashi]])
;[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s
*[[Pointblank]] ([[Yūji Mikimoto]])
*[[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] ([[Hōchū Ōtsuka]])
*[[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] ([[Masaharu Satō]])
;Targetmaster Partners
*[[Peacemaker]]
*[[Pinpointer (G1)|Pinpointer]]
*[[Spoilsport]]
;[[Trainbot]]s
*[[Raiden]] ([[Keiichi Noda]])
**[[Shouki]] (Keiichi Noda)
**[[Getsuei]] ([[Kazuo Oka]])
**[[Kaen]] (Masaharu Satō)
**[[Seizan]] (?)
**[[Suiken]] ([[Kazumi Tanaka]])
**[[Yukikaze (G1)|Yukikaze]] ([[Ken Yamaguchi]])
;[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]];
*[[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]] (Ken Yamaguchi)
*[[Fastlane]] (Kazuo Oka)
;[[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s
*[[Doublecross]] ([[Michihiro Ikemizu]]/[[Kōji Totani]])
*[[Grotusque]] (Masaharu Satō)
*[[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]] (Michitaka Kobayashi)
;Other [[Combiner]]s
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (Ken Yamaguchi)
*[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (Kōji Totani)
*[[Computron (G1)|Computron]] ([[Masashi Ebara]])
;Others
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] ([[Tesshō Genda]])
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime]] ([[Hiroya Ishimaru]])
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (Hōchū Ōtsuka)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster/Twincast]] ([[Keiichi Nanba]])
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] ([[Yōko Kawanami]])
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] ([[Kazue Komiya]])
*[[Punch (G1)|Punch]] (Masaharu Satō)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] ([[Osamu Saka]])
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (Ken Yamaguchi)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (Osamu Saka)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (Masato Hirano)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Goldbug]] (Michitaka Kobayashi)
|c2=
;[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]
*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok/MegaZarak]] ([[Banjō Ginga]])
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] ([[Naoki Tatsuta]])
*[[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] (Kōji Totani)
*[[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] ([[Katsuji Mori]])
;[[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcon]]s
*[[Apeface]] (Yūji Mikimoto)
*[[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] (Kazuo Oka)
;[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s
*[[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] (Ken Yamaguchi)
*[[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] ([[Tomomichi Nishimura]])
*[[Triggerhappy (G1)|Triggerhappy]] (Michihiro Ikemizu)
;Targetmaster Partners
*[[Caliburst (G1)|Caliburst]]
*[[Aimless]]
*[[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]]
;[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]]
*[[Pounce]] (Masashi Ebara)
*[[Wingspan]] (Hōchū Ōtsuka)
;[[Duocon]]s
*[[Battletrap (G1)|Battletrap]] ([[Hirohiko Kakegawa]])
*[[Flywheels]] ([[Yūki Satō]])
;[[Combiner]]s
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] ([[Seizō Katō]])
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (Masato Hirano)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (Michitaka Kobayashi)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (?)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (Masato Hirano)
;Others
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (Seizō Katō)
*[[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (Michihiro Ikemizu)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave/Soundblaster]] ([[Issei Masamune]])
*[[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] (Masaharu Satō)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (Tomomichi Nishimura)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (Masaharu Satō)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (Masato Hirano)
|c3=
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] ([[Tomiko Suzuki]])
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (Masashi Ebara)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly Witwicky]] (Kazue Komiya)
|nonumbering=true
|}}

*[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|Characters]] from ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' that do not play a critical role in the series are not listed.

==Episodes==
{{see|List of The Headmasters episodes}}

{{collist|3|
#[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]
#[[The Mystery of Planet Master]]
#[[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime]]
#[[The Great Cassette Operation]]
#[[Rebellion on Planet Beast]]
#[[Approach of the Demon Meteorite]]
#[[The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery]]
#[[Terror! The Six Shadows]]
#[[Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1]]
#[[Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2]]
#[[The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok]]
#[[The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts]]
#[[Head On!! Fortress Maximus]]
#[[Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger]]
#[[Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears]]
#[[Return of the Immortal Emperor]]
#[[SOS from Planet Sandra]]
#[[Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!]]
#[[Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!]]
#[[Battle for Defense of the False Planet]]
#[[Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!]]
#[[Head Formation of Friendship]]
#[[Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship]]
#[[Ultra Magnus Dies!!]]
#[[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg]]
#[[I Risk My Life for Earth]]
#[[Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)]]
#[[Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)]]
#[[The Master Sword Is in Danger!!]]
#[[The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide]]
#[[Operation: Destroy the Decepticons]]
#[[My Friend Sixshot!]]
#[[Duel on the Asteroid]]
#[[The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)]]
#[[The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)]]
#[[Heroic Legend: Optimus Prime vs Megatron!!]]{{dag|red}}
#[[Heroic Legend: 2010 Wars]]{{dag|red}}
#[[Heroic Legend: Head On, Master Warriors!]]{{dag|red}}
|}}
{{dag|red}} ''[[Clip show]]''

==Home video releases==
{{see|Omni Productions}}
[[Image:MadmanHeadmasters.jpg|thumb|150px|Australian DVD release]]
===Japan===
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
*''Transformers: The Headmasters'' — DVD Box ([[August 23]], 2002)

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Metrodome}}
*The Takara Collection Vol 1 — ''Transformers: Headmasters'' (2005)
*''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection (2007)

===Australia===
{{main|Madman Entertainment}}
*''The Transformers: Headmasters'' (2007)
*''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (2009)

===United States===
{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*The Japanese Collection — ''Transformers: Headmasters'' (2011)
*Transformers — The Japanese Collection (includes ''Headmasters'', ''Masterforce'' and ''Victory'') (2012)
{{-}}

==Notes==
*From episode 14 ("[[Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger]]") onwards, the Decepticons in the [[title sequence]] began flashing, making them active targets for the tie in [[Video Challenger]] game. Viewers with a [[Challenge Blaster]] could score points by "shooting" the Decepticons onscreen. The Challenge Blaster itself even appeared in the show as a toy gun used by Daniel Witwicky.
*Starting here and carrying through the remainder of the Japan-originated animated series, characters are strangely far less inclined to use their guns than they are to just punch or tackle each other. This even goes for characters with body-mounted weaponry such as Hardhead.

=== Foreign names ===
*''Italian:'' '''''The New Transformers'''''
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng jīngāng: Tóulǐng zhànshì''''' (變形金剛：頭領戰士, "Transformers: AlphaGo")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Vlastogolovy''''' (Трансформеры: Властоголовы, "Transformers: Power Heads")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Mastaky''''' (Трансформери: Мастаки, "Transformers: Artists")

==External links==
*{{w|lang=ja|トランスフォーマーザ☆ヘッドマスターズ|''Transformers: The Headmasters'' at the Japanese Wikipedia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Headmasters (cartoon), The}}
[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:The Headmasters| Headmasters (cartoon)]]
[[Category:The Headmasters media]]

Jetfire (G1)

2025-08-06T22:42:48Z

Jon T: /* Why "Skyfire"? */

{{factions|decepticon|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{Disambigm|Jetfire (disambiguation)|Skyfire (disambiguation)}}
{{suite}}
:''Jetfire is an [[Autobot]] and former [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TFU Jetfire.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Science means that not all dreams can come true.]]

'''Jetfire''' (aka '''Skyfire''') is a bot of science, literally. Not only is his mind dedicated towards scientific pursuits, but his body is a testament to the technology he studies so intensely. (Some would say "religiously", but not in his presence.) Every inch of his chassis is cutting-edge and kept up-to-date. However, he does not have the trust of his teammates; it was not so long ago that he was a [[Decepticon]]. Jetfire is compassionate, so some Autobots feel that he could be soft on their enemies or, even worse, he may turn on them after realizing his "cold calculations" swing the other way.

Jetfire would find their misconceptions about science appalling. After all, is not science just the pursuit of truth? And truth, he maintains, walks hand-in-hand with liberty.

{{bigquote|Sorry, Sunstorm. I don't '''believe''' in destiny.|Jetfire|"[[Atonement]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Gregg Berger]] (English), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese, "Attack of the Autobots", "Day of the Machines")|[[Yin Chaobin]] (Chinese), [[Javier Pontón]] (American Spanish), [[Edgar Givry]] (European French), Unknown (European French, "Attack of the Autobots"), [[Olney Cazarré]] (Portuguese), [[Francisco José]] (Portuguese, "A Plague of Insecticons"), [[Zdeněk Dvořák]] (Czech), [[Robin van der Velden]] (Dutch)}}
[[File:Jetfireskyfire.jpg|left|upright=1.3|thumb|They dug him out of the Arctic to be their taxi.]]
[[MYA|Millions of years ago]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], before the war, Skyfire and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] were good friends and fellow scientists. On a mission of exploration to prehistoric [[Earth]], Skyfire was lost in a storm. Starscream searched, but there was no sign of his comrade. He returned home.

Millions of years later, after the Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s had crashed and awoken on Earth, the Decepticons found Skyfire encased in a block of Arctic ice and revived him. Skyfire joined them due to his past friendship with Starscream, though he expressed discomfort with their methods. When Skyfire's compassion for [[human]]s and, later on, several Autobot prisoners led to his disobeying orders, Starscream, who had changed much in the intervening millennia, turned on his friend. Skyfire left the Decepticons and joined the Autobots, sacrificing himself to be buried beneath the ice again to stop the Decepticons' plans. The Autobots held a memorial service for him at the location of his involuntary burial. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[File:FireontheMountain Optimus pats Skyfire.jpg|thumb|Good boy, Skyfire. Wanna Snausage?]]
[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] returned later to dig him up when the Autobots needed a ride down to [[South America]]. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and his Decepticons were in [[Peru]] seeking the [[Crystal of Power]], which was kept in an Incan temple. He dropped off [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] so they could see what the Decepticons were up to, but a short time later had to go back and rescue them—intercepting them mid-jump—to return to [[Ark (G1)|Headquarters]]. Collecting the other Autobots, he took them all to Peru and earned a pat on his nosecone from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Scouting ahead, he arrived at the temple, only to be shot and disabled by Starscream. Skyfire was dumped inside the temple, where [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Luisa]] found him and effected emergency repairs while under attack from [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Reactivated, Skyfire dealt with Ravage before giving the Autobots outside some much-needed aerial support as they attacked the Decepticon positions. He destroyed Megatron's cannon in a strafing attack and later helped Wheeljack cap the energy geyser that remained. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[File:TUD2 Skyfire catches Autobots.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55| Grand Theft Skyfire.]]When the energies unleashed by Cybertron's presence in Earth's orbit caused activity in the volcano in which Headquarters was embedded, Skyfire evacuated the base with most of the rest of the Autobots. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], Windcharger and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were ejected from the top of the mountain in a violent eruption, and Skyfire swooped in to save them. Spike learned that [[Sparkplug Witwicky|his father]] had been taken to Cybertron, and Skyfire volunteered his services to fly the boy and several Autobots there. After some deft flying, they landed on the other planet, but Skyfire, Wheeljack and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] were separated from their smaller companions, who fell into a trap. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} The trio caught up with their fellows in time to rescue them from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Skyfire thanked Shockwave for blasting a hole in the wall large enough for him to fly through. He provided air support against some [[Seeker (body-type)|tetrajets]], allowing the ground-based Autobots to reach [[Wheeljack's workshop]]. Once Wheeljack worked out a way to counteract the [[hypno-chip]]s which the Decepticons were using to control humans, Skyfire ferried everyone back to Earth to put the invention to good use. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

[[File:PlagueofInsecticons Skyfire sitting in puddle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"I'm perfectly all right, Susan."]]
Following strange reports of giant robotic insects in [[Bali]], Skyfire carried Brawn, Windcharger and Spike there, only to discover a field being consumed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s. Despite believing the trio would be a pushover, the Autobots found themselves outnumbered by clones, and the arrival of Megatron and a couple of his goons didn't improve the odds. Fortunately, the rest of the Autobots arrived and, after a brief fight, the Decepticons departed for an oil refinery. Some quick repairs were made on Skyfire to fix his ability to transform, and the Autobots began the pursuit. The Insecticons latched on to Skyfire's wings until Wheeljack was able to lend a hand, or rather, a couple of missiles. A short time later, Skyfire caught Brawn after the latter's failed attempt at a mid-air brawl. When they reached the refinery, he kicked the battle off by physically knocking the Insecticons off the [[oil tanker]] they were drinking from. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[File:AttackOTAutobots Jazz on Skyfire.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.34|"I have an inside, you know."]]
Skyfire and most of the Autobots were distorted by Megatron's [[Personality destabilizer device|personality destabilizer]], turning them evil. As Skyfire was hunting down and blowing up human aircraft, Autobots who had been reverted to good by Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s arrived on scene and changed Skyfire back. He then flew the Autobots and humans to save Optimus Prime and the others. The Decepticons managed to launch a rocket they'd commandeered, so Skyfire dropped Optimus and Ratchet off on it so they could steal its cargo. As the Decepticons attempted to fight off the boarders, Jazz climbed on Skyfire's nose and used his [[sound and light show]] to provide a distraction. Finally, Skyfire flew them up into space, so the satellite from the rocket could be properly placed in orbit. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots}} When [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] was captured by the Decepticons, [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] blamed himself, but was persuaded by Sparkplug to try and rescue her. Hitching a lift with Skyfire, Ironhide located Bumblebee and Spike before bailing out so he could tell them what had happened to Carly. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[File:Skyfire Gerwalk.jpg|thumb|Mid-transformation, or a reference to the toy's "third mode"? CHOOSE WISELY.]]
Skyfire ferried Spike and Hound to the middle of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] to investigate an unexplained change to oil tanker shipping patterns that converged suspiciously close to [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]]. Flying overhead, the trio discovered that the bad bots were stealing the oil using a platform docking structure secured by a force field. Skyfire, Hound and Spike hid aboard one of the tankers and attacked Megatron and Hook as they siphoned the oil. As usual, Spike was captured by the Decepticons and held hostage, forcing Skyfire and Hound to surrender. Confined to a cell on a lower deck, Skyfire warned Spike to be careful of an [[electromagnet]] he found as the human put his escape plan into action. With Rumble and Ravage incapacitated by the magnet, Skyfire punched through the cell door. The three rushed to the control room for the force field generator. Skyfire and Spike kept [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] distracted as Hound blew up the generator, causing the force field dome to collapse. Facing defeat, Megatron activated the platform's self-destruct function, which left Skyfire and his two friends stuck inside as the structure began to sink. Optimus Prime ripped through the bulkhead above them, and the three were able to climb out. Skyfire then flew them all to safety. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}}

In [[2006]], Skyfire (or a very similar space vehicle) was briefly seen as part of the Autobot fleet attacking the [[Quintesson]]s. He was shot along with [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and several [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

{{Note|The Aerialbots were later shown to have survived, so Skyfire could possibly have survived as well... assuming it was actually him getting shot. Due to the number of [[animation error]]s in this episode, it is by no means guaranteed that these were the "real" Skyfire or Powerglide "really" perishing. However, in "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]" when [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] lists the then-active Autobots capable of spaceflight, he does not mention Skyfire.}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====Dark Skyfire bio=====
In an era millions of years before the establishment of the Decepticon faction's army, Skyfire was specialized for outer space exploration, his entire body coated with a substance that protected it against unknown viruses, magnetic storms, and the like. Although he had a strong scientific curiosity, he agonized over it being at odds with his great combat skills. {{storylink|Jetfire (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Dark Skyfire toy bio}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
In the late 1990s, Skyfire was led to Japan by Optimus Prime, along with a small team of other Autobots, to stop the Decepticons’ latest Energon-gathering scheme. Optimus ordered him to pursue Astrotrain to prevent the Decepticons from escaping with their loot. {{storylink|Activation}}

Skyfire was amongst the Autobots who once more confronted Megatron and his Decepticons at the ''[[Trigger]]'' in Earth orbit. When Starscream combined himself with the Trigger to create a powerful new body for himself, Skyfire had to contend with the volley of asteroids thrown towards both Autobots and Decepticons from Starscream's star gate. He was then almost sucked into a portal to a black hole when Starscream neared defeat, but was instead sent plummeting down to Earth when Optimus and Megatron worked together to defeat Starscream. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
[[File:Transformers Legends LG07 Jetfiresuitsup.jpg|thumb|]]
In the late 1980s, Skyfire was at the Autobot base when [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] and [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] wrecked its intruder alert in preparation for a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

As Skyfire grew more willing to fight for the sake of protecting innocents, he changed his name to Jetfire to symbolize his change as a person. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 7|Bonus Edition Vol. 7}} In 2004, he and [[R-Blade]] were working with a piece of [[solitarium]] at the Autobot base when [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] attacked and blasted the material, causing an reaction that sent both him and Jetfire to [[Legends World|another dimension]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 6|Bonus Edition Vol. 6}} There, Jetfire witnessed [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] terrorizing the populace and stepped in to put a stop to it, blasting the villain so hard he turned back into the harmless [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]. He then used another solitarium stone to open a portal back home, inviting Tankor's directionless cohorts, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], to come with him and join the Autobots. They accepted, and Jetfire attended the unveiling of their new unit, the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 7|Bonus Edition Vol. 7}} {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter}} He later told [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] of the Legends World. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 56|Bonus Edition Vol. 56}}

In [[2022]], Jetfire battled the forces of the [[Concurrence]] alongside [[Marissa Faireborn]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Greatshot)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} Over a decade later, he was present when Optimus Prime announced his plan to revive [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue}}

=====Train Wars=====
Once [[Shouki|Mach]], [[Getsuei|Night]], and [[Yukikaze (G1)|Snow]] stopped [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]'s attempt at hijacking [[Shiden|G Liner]] and stealing their still unactivated brothers, Jetfire assisted in the cleanup efforts. {{Storylink|The Train Wars: The Origin}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:Skyfire Headmasters Cameo.jpg|thumb|left]]
In [[2011]], Skyfire was present at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] (alongside [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]]) while the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] were repairing [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

=====Metrowars=====
While Jetfire was stationed at [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] during its rebuilding following an attack from [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], the Decepticons attacked again. With fellow [[Cyberjet]]s [[R-Blade]] and [[Delta Seeker]], Jetfire helped defend the city. {{Storylink|Metrowars}}
{{-}}

=====''G-2'' story pages and pack-in comic=====
{{note|While in the English continuity, ''Generation 2'' Jetfire was the same character as Generation 1 Jetfire/Skyfire, the same would not appear to have initially been the case in Japan. In Japan, the Generation 1 character was called "Skyfire" in the cartoon, which was the only Japanese media he appeared in, as his toy was never released in Japan. The "Jetfire" that appears in the ''G-2'' comic probably would have originally been a different character, though ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''{{'}} backstory and the character's appearance in the ''15 Go! Go!'' comics seemed to consolidate the two retroactively. The [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]] eventually confirmed this by having Skyfire explain he changed his name to Jetfire.}}

[[File:G2StoryPageWheeljackPerceptor1.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Ten points if you can find Wheeljack and Perceptor in this picture!]]
Jetfire was once friends with the Decepticon [[Cyberjet]]s during his days back on Cybertron. However, after the war had raged on for centuries, two of his Cyberjet friends ([[Strafe (G2)|Strafe]] and [[Aero Raid]]) began to have their doubts about the Decepticon cause. Taking Jetfire's advice, the two Cyberjets switched sides and became Autobots. This act forever earned Jetfire, Strafe and Aero Raid the hatred of the remaining loyal Decepticon Cyberjets. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

At one point, Megatron kidnapped the Autobot [[Laser Rod]], [[Electro]]. While Megatron attempted to persuade Electro into joining the Decepticons, Jetfire infiltrated the headquarters. Busting-in at full-force, Jetfire took the Decepticons by surprise and managed to successfully rescue his fellow Autobot. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (pack-in manga)|G-2 #16}}

Jetfire was also the head of a research team staffed by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] that discovered a [[Reconfiguration Matrix|new attribute]] of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. This discovery allowed Optimus Prime to survive a fatal attack from Megatron and form a newer, more powerful body. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}
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=====''15 Go! Go!''=====
[[File:TGGJetfire1.jpg|left|thumb|Whoever he is, he looks awesome.]]
[[File:TGGJetfire2.jpg|thumb|Bandai's gonna suuuuue.]]
On a trip into the future with her companion [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], the humanoid computer [[Teletraan 15]] encountered the Autobot scientist Jetfire. He immediately realized that they had come from a different time and cautioned them that the area was about to become a war zone. Recognizing Jetfire's scent despite the unfamiliar body, Steeljaw asked if he was the same being as his old warrior acquaintance. {{storylink|Steeljaw Volume}}

Concerned for the pair's safety, Jetfire offered to take them to his commander, unaware that the Decepticons [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] were following. Under heavy attack, Jetfire and his passengers were saved by the intervention of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Battle Convoy]]. {{storylink|Battle Convoy Volume}}

After the battle, Teletraan 15 recorded Jetfire's information and announced that her mission to restore [[Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks was at last complete. Before she and Steeljaw returned to their own era, Jetfire asked 15 to tell him something: in her travels through time, had she ever discovered when the fighting would end? When would the progress of science finally bring about peace? {{storylink|Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go! Volume 14|15 Go! Go! Volume 14}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic''=====
In [[2050]], Skyfire and the Autobots aligned themselves with the [[Selector]]s, a race of human-made robots who wanted freedom from their masters. The Selectors' revolution had injured Carly Witwicky, though, and so the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s sided against them. Skyfire confronted [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] in the air, but was coldly blasted down by the Dinobot bombardier. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 2}}
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====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
In the year 2001, the Decepticons had managed to conquer Cybertron completely. Jetfire aided in the Autobots' exodus of the planet, though he came under heavy enemy fire during this mission. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 1185.04 Alpha]], Skyfire was one of the few allies who [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] found in his campaign against [[Cobra]]-controlled [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 13, 2015|Ask Vector Prime, 13/06/2015}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Jetfireg1marvel1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Brainless Jetfire brings home small mammals.]]
Early in the war on [[Earth]], [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] held the head of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] captive, hoping to use the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] he possessed to create a new army of Decepticons, including the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] and Jetfire. Optimus Prime had secretly passed the energies of the Matrix onto the teenaged [[human]], [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], so although the Constructicons were brought to life {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave was stopped short of animating Jetfire's constructed body. Shockwave soon learned of the human's involvement, so he sent Jetfire after the human even though the lifeless robot could do nothing more than follow orders. When Jetfire found Buster, he was accompanied by the Autobots [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] for his protection, but it was Buster's Creation Matrix powers that ultimately disassembled Jetfire before their eyes. Buster reassembled Jetfire, and with Bumblebee's help, changes were made to allow Buster to directly control him. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}}

[[File:Jetfireisafunnyguy.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|A sense of humor that borders on murderous negligence.]]
However, Jetfire's programming reasserted itself, and maneuvered so wildly that Buster, riding in the cockpit, blacked out. Buster woke up inside Shockwave's base at [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]], strapped to a machine ready to drill the Creation Matrix out of him. In the meantime, knowing that the Autobots were eavesdropping on him, Shockwave sent Jetfire to drop a fake Optimus Prime head at a disclosed location for the Autobots to find. The fake head attached itself to Optimus Prime's body and began attacking the Autobots, causing many injuries. At the last moment, Buster was able to control Jetfire once again, knocking out Shockwave, and delivering the true Optimus Prime head to the Autobots, allowing them a costly victory. {{storylink|Prime Time!}} ''These events were observed by the [[time travel]]ling [[Dicet Alpha-zero]].'' {{storylink|The Quest!}}

With Optimus Prime fully restored, Jetfire was quickly given life and joined the Autobots. ''He was briefly mistrusted due to his Decepticon origin, and during the "Dinobot Hunt" [[Ironhide (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ironhide]] resented being given orders by someone with a Decepticon [[insignia]]; Jetfire proved himself by restraining [[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]], and had his badge torn off in the process.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who still didn't trust Jetfire, almost deactivated him and returned him to the Decepticons as part of a deal for technology with [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], but decided against it at the last minute.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}}

Having proven himself, he was granted the [[Rite of the Autobrand]] marking him as one of their rank. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} When Bumblebee, depressed, had left the Autobots and gotten himself attacked by the Decepticons, Jetfire eagerly came to his rescue. He arrived to the battlefront ahead of the rest of the Autobots and attempted to take on Shockwave and his troops on his own, but was no match for the Decepticon commander. The enemy was driven off when the rest of Optimus's troops caught up to him. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}} Later, Jetfire helped the Autobots approach the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon base]] to steal information that would allow them to build their own [[combiner]]s. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

[[File:DinobotHunt ironhide and jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
''When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] were lost in [[Limbo]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] assumed command of the Decepticons, Jetfire became acting leader. His headstrong tactics got the Autobots defeated several times, and out of desperation he even formed an alliance with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]. He also mistrusted [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]], thinking his arrival too convenient. However, after seeing Magnus be beaten half to death trying to stop Galvatron, Jetfire realised he was wrong and came to his aid. When the future Decepticon was driven off, Jetfire thanked Magnus for all he'd done.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

Jetfire accompanied [[Donny Finkleberg]] to the spot where Finkleberg claimed seven Autobots had crossed over from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], though they found nothing but traces of [[Transformer fuel|fuel]]. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} ''Soon afterwards, he was sent to provide air support for [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and Prowl as they attempted to prevent Soundwave, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] from contacting Cybertron at a [[NASA]] facility. Ignoring Prowl's orders to stop Soundwave, Jetfire instead attempted to engage Kickback but the Decepticon merely shrank to insect size, effectively disappearing. This gave Dirge ample time to floor Trailbreaker, pick up Soundwave and escape, leaving Jetfire to be bawled out by Prowl.''

[[File:Jetfire jazz blackrocks chemical plant.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
''Just before [[Christmas]] [[1986]], Jetfire and [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] were taking delivery of a consignment of fuel at [[Blackrock's chemical plant]] when they came under attack from [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] and [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]. An out-of-control fire threatened to set off a chain reaction within the plant that could kill thousands of people, and at [[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]]'s urging Jetfire quickly saw off the Decepticons and extinguished the fire, averting disaster. The disparity between the results of these two missions made Jetfire worry that his response time was quicker when humans were in danger than Autobots were, and he talked with Buster Witwicky to come to terms with this; he came to realise that it was because he viewed Earth as his home, as he'd been built there.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

''At some point, Jetfire supervised the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] as they prevented the Decepticons from using a [[power siphon]] to drain a power plant of its energy. He was shot down early in the battle and so did not witness the Aerialbots' subsequent disunity, giving them a positive review in his report back to Optimus Prime.'' {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}}

''After reviewing Jetfire and the other Autobots' performance against Galvatron, Optimus Prime decided that he needed to fake his own death in order to teach them how to cope without him. Jetfire was one of a team of Autobots that found a destroyed [[facsimile construct]] of the Autobot leader'' {{storylink|Prey!}} ''and believing it to be the real deal, buried it with a headstone in accordance with Earth custom. However, Prime, who had been on Cybertron, was returned via space bridge before the funeral was even over.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Jetfireyourehit.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Naw, you think?]]
After Optimus Prime died ''for real,'' Jetfire was among the many Autobots who watched on as Ratchet futilely tried to repair his body. With the attempt a failure, Jetfire joined his teammates in paying their respects at Optimus Prime's funeral, where they blasted his body into space ''instead''. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

[[File:Skalorjetfiredie.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|At least look at him when you're killing him, Starscream!]]
After the death of Optimus Prime, Jetfire was among several Autobots gathered to determine who would next lead their forces. The meeting was interrupted by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], who demanded that command was handed to him. The other Autobots dismissed him at first, but when Grimlock proved himself a worthy leader against [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], they reevaluated their opinion of the Dinobot. After Trypticon was driven off, Jetfire and the rest of the Autobots voted Grimlock to take command. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} He later seemed to regret this decision, offering to help [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] usurp him {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} and when the rivalry ended in a duel staged on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]], he was among the Autobots who watched. There, the Autobots were ambushed by the entire Decepticon army and he was blasted out of the sky by both [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Jetfire was among the Autobots who responded to a distress signal sent out by Buster Witwicky, after the boy had been captured by the Decepticons and subsequently escaped their Arctic base. A confrontation against the Decepticons inevitably ensued, though it was cut short when both sides realized the whole set-up was a distraction, orchestrated to divert them from [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]'s bid for the legendary [[Underbase]]. They were unable to prevent Starscream from sampling the Underbase's power, allowing the Seeker to begin a rampage across the globe. Jetfire led the Aerialbots in the first attack against him in [[New York City|New York]]. Only Jetfire managed to evade Starscream's lethal retaliation but a second shot following the death of the [[Skalor|last]] [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] was not as easily avoidable. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

''Blaster later reported that Jetfire was alive and simply waiting in the wings (groan!).''<ref>[[Source:Darn 'n' Blast#Issue 301|Darn 'n' Blast, issue 301]]</ref>
{{-}}

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
Jetfire was among the Autobots monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to Humanity in New York City. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of Snaptrap that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Optimus Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}} Those events were recorded on a videotape that was later found and watched by Autobots on Cybertron after a [[City of Fear!|nuclear disaster]] in [[Kalis]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|In Memory of Earth}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Jetfire, Prime, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] encountered Megatron just as he was smashing his way through the human [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNTs]] and a mysterious extra-dimensional arrival named [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]]. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Learning that the Decepticons were staging an attack in [[South America]] to secure a new energy source, the Autobots traveled to face them, with Jetfire meeting with their aerial force as they tore through human-piloted jets. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}} Jetfire engaged in a dogfight with Starscream and Ramjet while the rest of the Autobots dealt with the bulk of the Decepticon forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5}} Though Ramjet managed to bypass him, Jetfire kept Starscream busy until Megatron called for a withdrawal of his troops. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}

After that battle came to an end, the Autobots reconvened at their headquarters. Optimus had Jetfire contact [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]] to tell him not to have his troops engage the Decepticons without Autobot support again, as doing so always ended in too many human casualties. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

At another time, Jetfire fought alongside Prime, Ironhide, and Sunstreaker in order to protect some humans from [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Jetfire rodimus priam war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85]]
After the [[Gene Key]] fiasco, Jetfire attended the Autobot leadership conference to get up to date. {{storylink|Destiny, Part One}}

When the [[Warworld]] appeared in the skies over Cybertron, Jetfire and the flying Autobots attempted to engage it. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} He provided a smokescreen cover for the [[Wreckers]]' vessel to land on the Warworld and infiltrate it. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}

Jetfire was at the next leadership conference when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] was officially named Autobot leader by Optimus stepping down. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} He acted to support Rodimus during talks with [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], but was shot by the visiting "delegate". {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

As the Autobots took the fight to Jhiaxus, Jetfire served aboard the ''[[Priam]]'' as part of Rodimus's bridge crew during the assault. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} Unfortunately, the enemy response was hopelessly beyond the Autobots' ability to counter, and they were captured until Jhiaxus was dealt with by an outside party. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}

Jetfire and the Autobots returned to Cybertron, only to find it overrun by [[Shadow-leech|shadow-demons]] that could turn Cybertronians into more of their number. He retrieved the [[Sword of Primus]] for Rodimus, who was able to use the blade to generate a temporary safe zone for the group. If Jetfire survived, he would have been rendered decidedly mortal by Rodimus's victory over the Dark Matrix creature, which cut them off from Primus and the wider multiverse, before setting off across the universe to spread a message of peace for the rest of his life. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
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====''Transformers '84''====
[[File:SecretsAndLies1 ShockwaveSkyfireBrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|In Marvel, he's Shockwave's old bestie, not Starscream's.]]
A close friend of Starscream's and a valued subordinate of Shockwave's, Skyfire was one of the Decepticons' top scientists, working on [[Project Dreadnought]]. After Cybertron had been sent hurtling out of orbit, Skyfire felt that the [[planetary engine|planetary turbines]] could have carried them to other worlds for resources and agreed with Starscream's assessment that Megatron's vendetta against Optimus Prime was detrimental to the foundation of the [[Decepticon Empire]].

After the destruction of a half-completed turbine had sent the planet towards the [[Stellae Cimeterium]], Skyfire briefed Megatron on the situation. When the Decepticon leader learnt that the Autobots would be launching a ship to destroy an oncoming [[asteroid belt]], he ordered Skyfire to construct a ship in which they could pursue. Despite his accomplishment, Shockwave barred Skyfire from boarding the [[Nemesis (G1)|''Nemesis'']]. When a silent alarm was triggered at the destroyed turbine, Skyfire flew ahead to confront the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]], initially holding the advantage until [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] sliced off his wing, sending him down to the ground as a fiery wreck. After Shockwave had blown up the Dynobots, he retrieved Skyfire's intact [[brain module]] and promised that his friend would live again. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 1|Secrets & Lies #1}}
{{-}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Skyfire was scouting the [[Kalahari Desert]], on the lookout for the many humans to have been abducted by the Decepticons. He found one of the humans, lying unconscious on the desert floor. Patching the information to Optimus and Prowl at Autobot headquarters, he continued his search.

[[File:SatelliteOfDoom JetfireShootsSatellite.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|]]
Once the Autobots learned the full extent of the Decepticons’ plans, Skyfire was sent out to intercept the [[crystal satellite]] they had been building as it launched from the Earth's surface. Optimus ordered Skyfire to destroy Megatron and his newest weapon, but his weapons were ineffectual against it. The satellite then soared out of Skyfire's range, and the Autobot superjet was forced to return to Optimus for further instructions.

Skyfire was retro-fitted with external fuel tanks in order to be able to reach the satellite in orbit. He then headed out to destroy Megatron's instrument of destruction, despite knowing that he would not have the fuel necessary to return safely from his mission. Out in space, he once more attempted to destroy the satellite with his arsenal of [[null-ray]]s and missiles, to no avail. His weapons and fuel depleted, Skyfire fell back to Earth and burned up on re-entry. {{storylink|Satellite of Doom}}

Skyfire attempted to bring down the Decepticons’ hovercraft oil transporter after it had stolen several gallons of crude oil from the [[Prudhoe Bay]] company. He only had enough fuel to maintain his attack for a short period of time, but managed to do a substantial amount of damage to the Decepticons’ transport in that window of time. {{storylink|When Continents Collide}}

Skyfire spotted the Decepticons in the middle of their deforestation plot while flying overhead. He was able to make contact with Autobot headquarters, despite Soundwave's attempt at garbling his communication network. He returned shortly with Optimus and Bumblebee and forced the Decepticons to retreat once more. {{storylink|Storms of Destruction}}

Skyfire led the Autobot superjets on their routine patrols over the Pacific, on the lookout for Decepticon activity. His patrol was interrupted by Ramjet, Skywarp and Starscream in a hit-and-run attack. Skyfire gave chase. These kinds of attacks repeated themselves over the next several days. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
[[File:Autobots secret weapon autobot jets.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
As part of a strategy to liberate a group of Autobots held captive by the Decepticons, Jetfire and several other Autobots hid within a statue of Devastator that was then wheeled before Decepticon headquarters as a peace offering. Once the Decepticons had let down their guard, Jetfire and the others burst forth from within the statue and ambushed the evil robots. Though Megatron deployed the Decepticon jets to combat Jetfire and the other Autobot fliers, the Autobots nonetheless arose victorious from the battle that day. {{storylink|The Autobots' Secret Weapon}}

===Milton Bradley mini-comic===
[[File:Jetfire-MB-comic.jpg|upright=1.0|thumb|left|Crazy moonman languages!]]
With [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] heading towards an asteroid belt, the Autobot leader Jetfire had an [[Ark (G1)|ark]] constructed with which to clear a path. The ship was attacked by the Decepticons, and Jetfire set the spaceship on a crash dive towards [[Earth]]. When it hit dirt, the crew were knocked out. Four million years later, an erupting volcano triggered the ship's computer, causing the systems to repair Jetfire and the other Autobots, as well as the Decepticons. Their civil war began anew on this strange new world. {{storylink|The Transformers (Milton Bradley comic)|The Transformers}}
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===Beehive Books continuity===
[[File:Decepticonjetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|]]
Jetfire was one of many to participate in the battle at [[Castle Decepticon]]. He may have in fact been a Decepticon himself. {{Storylink|Transformers Pop-Up Book}}

===Attack of the Insecticons===
{{notemultipath}}
Jetfire was present, yet mostly uninvolved, in a number of possible adventures revolving around the Sun-Pak, a device invented by Sparkplug that would end the Autobots' energy woes. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

===The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual===
Jetfire was the Autobots' resident technological genius. After the Autobots and Decepticons had been left in a prolonged stalemate during their battles on Earth, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] devised of a plan that would at least temporarily rid the planet of the Decepticons. The Autobots concocted a story wherein Jetfire had uncovered an ancient Cybertronian spaceship, out-of-phase with their dimension, atop of [[Table Mountain]] in [[Africa]]. After Jetfire had managed to recall the ship to the material plane, the Autobots had discovered that it contained a star map which pointed the way back to Cybertron. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was allowed to "overhear" this story, and the Autobots then stationed themselves around their prop spaceship on the mountaintop. When the inevitable attack came from the Decepticons over control of the ship, Jetfire was easily batted away by Megatron. The rest of the Autobots made themselves scarce after a brief skirmish, and allowed the Decepticons to claim their prize. Once Megatron and his cronies were locked inside the vessel, it blasted off uncontrollably away from the planet. {{storylink|Day of the Decepticons}}

During an aerial patrol, Jetfire uncovered a Decepticon construction project on [[Clarke Atoll]]. His report confirmed information already uncovered by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]; Megatron was building giant rockets to shift the Earth out of its orbit. The Autobots launched a sabotage mission, hearing that the rockets would fire in twenty minutes upon their approach. The more maneuverable Jetfire and [[Deftwing]] entered the thruster tubes to destroy the rockets from within while the others kept the Decepticons busy. Finding that the engines were power by the [[Earth's core|Earth's molten core]], the pair set about disrupting the machine's electromagnetic coils and have the plasma wreck up the structure for them. Successfully doing so, Jetfire and Deftwing then darted back to the surface to avoid getting caught in the resulting explosion. As the entire island was caught in a lava swell, they helped carry all earthbound Autobots to safety. {{storylink|Moving Day Planet Earth}}
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===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Jetfiredarkages.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|I bet Skywarp pulled that mask over his face a lot in junior high.]]
Before the war, the scientist Jetfire and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] were friends. But when Starscream joined the Decepticons in their assault on outlying city-states, Jetfire was torn. If he followed his beliefs and upheld justice and life, he would end up facing his dearest friend on the battlefield. Jetfire did end up with the Autobots, but not before a barrier of distrust had been built between them due to his inaction and his past loyalties.

These loyalties came to a head during a period when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] were presumed lost forever, the two factions splintered into five. After going out for a routine metallurgical survey, Jetfire returned to the Autobots' base to find that the place was both deserted and on high-alert. {{storylink|Escalation}} Events conspired behind the scenes, building up to an unknown crescendo, and Jetfire was suspicious, not knowing that he was being targeted by [[The Fallen]] for an arcane ritual. Putting his already-shaky trustworthiness on the line, Jetfire met up with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in secret to discuss the looming front of darkness. However, The Fallen had leaked their correspondence to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who held a grudge against the scientist. {{storylink|Devastation (issue)|Devastation}}

[[File:Jetfireg1dw.jpg|left|thumb|I've always said there's nothing an agnostic can't do if he really doesn't know whether he believes in anything or not.]]

As Jetfire and Shockwave were exchanging information, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]], and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], three followers of The Fallen, attacked them. Jetfire found himself at their mercy, until Grimlock intervened and defeated all three mystics. Jetfire then tried to explain to Grimlock about the forthcoming evil he and Shockwave had discovered, only for Grimlock to assault Jetfire, intending to execute him for treason. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} Before Grimlock could act, both Autobots were overwhelmed by The Fallen. The ancient Transformer dragged his victims far inside [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and strapped them to a four-paneled contraption in the [[Well of All Sparks]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}} Jetfire, Grimlock, [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] were the "[[Angles of Dissolution]]", four "unique sparks" which could catalyze the breach of the [[Seal of Primus]]. Combined forces from several factions penetrated The Fallen's operation, but despite Jetfire and Grimlock's teamwork, The Fallen was destroyed only by his own scheme — the hand of [[Primus]] reached out, awakened from his slumber, and smote the enigmatic being to pieces. Jetfire, a skeptic towards things supernatural, began to wonder if there might be something bigger than them going on, something no one could comprehend. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

Long after, Jetfire and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] were sent out into space to search for the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] as part of one of the last Autobot space programs. The two eventually parted ways with the other members of the operation in order to investigate a beacon emanating from the [[Solar System|Sol System]]. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} Arriving on [[Earth]], they were attacked by [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], whom Jetfire disabled him with an EM pulse from their ship. He then ventured outside to identify his assailant, and enclosed him within a stasis pod. But as he was dragging his prisoner along, he was caught in an avalanche and buried in ice. {{storylink|Original Sin}}

[[File:SkyfireIssue JetfireTransforms.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
Millions of years later he was found by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and stored aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', still encased in a block of ice. When the zealot [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] arrived on Earth, Starscream freed Jetfire from his icy prison to stop him. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} Thanks to the radiation shielding built-in Jetfire's armor, he was able to defeat Sunstorm... only for his opponent to rapidly begin regenerating. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} With only a brief respite, Jetfire and Starscream traveled to meet with the Autobots aboard the ''Orion''. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} An uneasy alliance formed between Jetfire, Starscream, and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s team of Autobots as they tried to come up with a plan to stop the unbelievably powerful [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]], but Sunstorm was unstoppable. Despite all signs pointing towards Sunstorm being a supernatural being, Jetfire stuck fast to his belief that what they were dealing with was simply "unexplained" and not "unexplainable." By pooling their knowledge on the clone, the Autobots were able to formulate a plan on how to stop Sunstorm; by creating a mock-signature based on Starscream for the clone to follow, they would distract him long enough to suppress his power-cells, putting him in stasis-lock. Though Jetfire protested the arrangement, Bumblebee was the first to take on Sunstorm next, while Jetfire was left behind to keep an eye on Starscream. The battle turned sour for the Autobots quickly, and Jetfire left his post to once more confront the super-clone. With his help, Bumblebee managed to attach an inhibtor on Sunstorm, but before it could take on its full effect, Sunstorm flew off. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}}

[[File:DWAtonement Jetfire Sunstorm.jpg|thumb|left|The power of Primus compels you!]]
Jetfire and the others returned to the ''Orion'', only to find its entire crew disabled. After a brief scan, Jetfire concluded that it hadn't been Sunstorm responsible for this, but rather Starscream, who had betrayed them and fled. As the Autobots were tending to the wounded, they heard a distant explosion, signifying that [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], their last ace-in-the-hole, had tracked down Sunstorm and engaged him in combat. Bumblebee was confident that the titan would be able to subdue Sunstorm, but Jetfire warned him not to underestimate their opponent. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}} Indeed, Omega Supreme did not end up emerging victorious from the encounter. Leaving Cliffjumper behind to tend to the giant, Jetfire and Bumblebee blasted off together to track down Sunstorm once more. They came upon Starscream and his "brother" opening up an ancient Cybertronian bunker, and swooped down to stop whatever machinations the Decepticons were partaking in. Following them underground, Jetfire was able to subdue Starscream, only to find himself in a stare-down against Sunstorm, who had Bumblebee in his irradiated grasp. Unexpectedly, Starscream turned on his clone to bring an end to the stand-off... only to knock out Jetfire with his null-ray immediately afterwards. {{storylink|Original Sin}}

Jetfire quickly recovered, finding Sunstorm ranting more deliriously than ever, while the energies within him erupted more and more violently. Jetfire came to realize that Sunstorm's internal fusion reactor was about to go critical. Turning to his Starscream one last time, and telling him he "owed him one," Jetfire left Bumblebee and his former friend behind to fly Sunstorm up into orbit. Contemplating how he had neglected to accept all possibilities during his struggles with Sunstorm, mainly ones of divine origin, Jetfire flew grappled with his opponent until Sunstorm went critical. The Earth was spared any damage from the blast, but Jetfire was annihilated. His demise caused Bumblebee to throw down his arms and quit the war. {{storylink|Atonement}}

{{Unreleased DW G1 comic}}
Returning to consciousness, Jetfire found himself within the Well of All Sparks, with the unnerving sensation that he was being watched by a familiar presence... In this place, he was witness to a vision of [[Primus]] deconstructing The Fallen with a gesture of his hand! Jetfire refused to believe the legitimacy of what he was witnessing, as it contradicted his long-held atheistic beliefs... only to be confronted by The Fallen, who informed him that his mindset would be the cause of Jetfire's undoing, and The Fallen's return to power!

After a brief scuffle with his opponent, Jetfire suddenly found himself elsewhen: on a prehistoric and mobile Cybertron, heading towards a [[Unicron|monstrous and enormous malevolence]]. In this era, The Fallen attacked him again, only for Jetfire's surroundings to shift once more. This time finding himself in a war-zone dominated by The Fallen, Jetfire took the initiative and struck against the fiery enemy, only to be returned to the Well of All Sparks. Now closer to the present, Jetfire looked on as Shockwave planted a siphon into the Well... and puzzled out that through it, The Fallen had been loosened from his prison. In time, The Fallen's essence found a home in [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], who transferred it into Jetfire upon his demise.

Jetfire's mind was finally returned to reality, where the Autobots were nearing freeing him from the icy prison he had found himself trapped in after his bout against Sunstorm. Though he tried to warn his comrades about The Fallen, his words were not heard by his rescuers... {{storylink|The Enemy Within}}
{{-}}

===''The Beast Within''===
In the aftermath of a brutal battle against first the Decepticons, and then [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], the Dinobots’ monstrous combined form, Jetfire ran rescue by himself. He managed to pick up Springer and Wheeljack's unconscious forms before meeting with Optimus, still on the run from The Beast. Lowering himself, Jetfire picked up Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet and Bumblebee from Prime's trailer, leaving Optimus to finishing off The Beast on his own. He nonetheless gave The Beast a blast from his rockets as a parting gift. Jetfire managed to make it back to the battlefield after dropping off the Autobots within him, just in time to witness Optimus leading The Beast over the edge of a chasm. Swooping down at the last possible moment to rescue his leader, Jetfire then dropped Optimus off on the Cliffside, and both of them contemplated The Beast's inert form below them. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Jetfire AoW4.jpg|thumb|left]]
During a Decepticon attack on an Autobot peace ceremony, Jetfire fought back and fired on [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], only to be ordered to cease fire as Optimus Prime was using the Decepticon to negotiate with [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] When it turned out that the negotiations involved Prime giving himself up to the Decepticons, Jetfire joined a team of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] who were planning on rescuing him. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} Together with [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], they fought and defeated Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:Underworld-Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"I'm a scientist, Ranger Brad. I don't believe in anything."]]

{{main|Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}

A would be member of the [[scientific class]], the prejudice against those with aerial alternate modes drove a young Jetfire to join the Decepticons before the brutality of their operations convinced him to abandon the cause, later signing on with the Autobots after [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] had been overthrown, becoming one of their top scientific personnel. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy}}

After the Great War had led to Cybertron becoming uninhabitable, Jetfire helped oversee the more scientific countermeasures against [[Nova Prime]]'s [[Expansion]], {{storylink|The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation}} before the [[Surge (event)|Surge]] all but destroyed the Autobot war machine, Jetfire being among those who sought refuge on Earth. When [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s Chaos War forced the Autobots back to Cybertron, Jetfire took part in the final battles of the Great War that ended with Cybertron's rebirth. {{storylink|The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers}}

Along with his drone [[D.0.C.]], Jetfire was part of the ''[[Ark-7]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew, returning to Earth to retrieve [[Alpha Trion]] and was later captured as part of [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]]'s schemes before Optimus annexed Earth into the [[Council of Worlds]], something Jetfire blamed the [[Torchbearer]]s' negative influence for. The Autobots' stay on Earth was cut short when [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] returned to Cybertron, [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] bridging them all home where the Titan was slain and the Prime revealed as a temporally displaced Shockwave. Though the false Prime was defeated, his scheme had served to awaken the ultimate danger: [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise}} {{storylink|Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime}}

Acting as the Council's scientific advisor during the crisis, Jetfire was teleported away to Earth when the monster attacked and destroyed Cybertron. During the last stand, Jetfire assisted in [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s plan to utilize the [[Enigma of Combination]] to reach the [[Transformer afterlife|Afterspark]], even if he couldn't fully explain what he was seeing, the psychic boost helping [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus]] defeat [[Unicron's creator]].

In the new era of peace, Jetfire left Earth, captaining a science ship with the [[Colonist Soldiers]] as his crew. As they flew through an ice field, they picked up an anomaly six light years out and set course for it. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers: Unicron|Unicron}}
{{--}}

===''Classics'' toy bio===
The first Cybertronian to travel to the black depths of deep space, Jetfire encountered the [[Star pirates]] of the [[Blot Nebula]], and is the only one to ever have faced and defeated them. He was known as a famous hero for these deeds, but he disappeared millions of years ago, much to the dismay of Cybertron's populace. However, once he was uncovered from inside a glacier, he rose to challenge the threat of the Decepticons immediately. {{storylink|Jetfire (G1)/toys#Classics|Voyager Class ''Classics'' Jetfire toy bio}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
[[File:Henkei 04 autobot skyfire.jpg|left|thumb|No magic insignia-swapping stickers this time.]]
[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] questioned [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] about the new mech they'd found frozen in a glacier up in the Arctic Circle, but Starscream had ''unsavory'' plans for it involving a mind-control helmet.

Back in [[Japan]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] raided an energy plant, revealing the newcomer as Skyfire. Amidst the plundering, Skyfire pleaded with Starscream to stop shooting at the [[human]] workers, but to no avail. Luckily, the Autobots showed up to save the workers. Skyfire's pleas caused Starscream to yell at him, exclaiming that Skyfire's reason for living was to be a soldier. Just before getting shot at, Skyfire finally ripped off the control helmet and declared himself a scientist (with a sweet new Autobot symbol, too). However, he said he ''would'' become a soldier, if only to defend humans from those like his old friend. Watching the Seekers retreat, Skyfire wistfully reminisced that he and Starscream never really got along that well in the past, anyway. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 6}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! BunBun'' manga===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} {{storylink|Wataru's Power}} {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}} {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|To Earth}} {{storylink|Reunion and Parting}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}} {{storylink|Conclusion}}}}

===''BeCool'' shorts===
'''White Jet''' (白のジェット機 ''Shiro no Jettoki'') was part of the audience of ''Quiz! BeCool''. {{storylink|The Story of Quiz! BeCool}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-3-Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Somewhere, Harmony Gold is getting a greed-chubby.]]
After being asked to by [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], the [[Autobot]]s attacked the Decepticon Base and chased away the overzealous guard [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]. In thanks, Megatron hosted a gathering in the base, which Jetfire attended. {{Storylink|A Reliable Warrior!? Vortex the Lookout from Hell}}

===''Generations'' toy bio===
A peaceful scientist at heart, Jetfire preferred to stay in the background rather than on the front lines. The senseless violence of the Decepticons sickened him, and thus he left Cybertron and went into hiding on Earth. Upon being reawakened by the arrival of the war on Earth, Jetfire decided to join the Autobots. {{storylink|Jetfire (G1)/toys#Generations|''Thrilling 30'' Jetfire toy bio}}

===''Timelines''===
In [[Primax 096.0 Beta]], Jetfire was a member of [[Optimus Prime (G1)#General Optimus|General Optimus Prime]]'s newly reconstituted [[Firestormer|Firestormer Squadron]]. At the final battle of the [[Great War (G1)|third Cybertronian war]] on [[Mirtonia]], the General led the Autobots to victory over the [[Decepticon Empire|Decepticon Star Empire]], though this ended with the General and [[Hound (G1)#TransTech|Sergeant Hound]] being blasted away by an energon explosion into [[Nexus 208.0 Epsilon]]. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Timelines|General Optimus Prime's profile card}}

===2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity===
Jetfire was one of the many casualties of the Great War before the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]] in [[2035]]. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Jetfire was a repentant former Decepticon who became a member of the [[Rescuebot]]s, a team of Autobots dedicated to protecting humans. He formed one half of the torso of [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], the team's [[combiner]] form. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:Toxic Transformer Toxie VS Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7]]
In a manner reminiscent of [[Jetfire (G1)#Marvel Comics continuity|other realities]], Jetfire was reportedly created by the Decepticons when they temporarily had access to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], or a reasonable facsimile. Fortunately for the Autobots, he ultimately chose to join their side. {{storylink|Foundation and Wreckage Part 1: Deadly Aim|Deadly Aim}}

Jetfire was a scientist working on the Ark project, designing heat regulators to compensate for quantum irregularities while moving at hyper-speed. The factory came under attack by the monstrous Decepticon creation known as [[Toxitron (Universe)|Toxitron]], however. The entity's toxic sludge made close quarters combat virtually impossible for most Autobots. Jetfire fared better than most due to the heat shielding in his exo-armor. With the death toll rising and the Ark damaged in the fighting, Jetfire ordered an evacuation of the facility. He apparently died in battle with Toxitron while trying to stall for his fellow Autobots to safely escape. {{storylink|The Toxic Transformer}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Jetfire-art.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|"I traded in my scientist origin for this kick-ass battle helmet!"]]
During the war for Cybertron, Jetfire was a [[Cybertronian military insignia|Air Command Engineering Captain]] for the Autobots, whose function was Air Guardian. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/siege ''Siege'' website]</ref> Amidst the chaos of the war, Jetfire was dispatched to the [[Neutral Territories|Borderlands]]. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Keith Silverstein]] (English), [[Kenji Nomura]] (Japanese)|[[Serge Faliu]] (French), [[Florian Clyde]] (German), [[Manolo Rey]] (Portuguese), [[Iñaki Crespo]] (Castilian Spanish), [[José Gilberto Vilchis]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}

[[File:SiegeEp1JetfireSlicesStarscream.jpg|thumb|300px|Could be worse, could be ripping and tearing involved.]]
Jetfire was the fearsome leader of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. He and his Seekers discovered [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] investigating a [[space bridge|spacebridge]]. When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] threatened to attack them without his command, Jetfire sliced his hand off at the wrist with his arm-blade. This earned the ire of Starscream and the other Seekers, and Jetfire briefly battled his own team instead of the enemy. He later threatened to "disarm" Starscream again. Megatron had to frequently silence their bickering. {{storylink|Siege episode 1}}

Megatron ordered Jetfire to lock [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] away in a cell when he failed to denounce the Autobots' role in the ongoing war. When Shockwave presented his plan to reformat the Autobots into Decepticons, Jetfire noted to himself that it would be a victory without honor. {{storylink|Siege episode 2}} When Starscream rallied Decepticons to denounce Megatron and the plan to reformat the Autobots, Jetfire berated him for his false sense of superiority, leading to another scuffle that Megatron had to break up. After ordering the Seekers to go on patrol, he was put off by Megatron's description of soldiers as "tools that can easily be replaced", and was appalled soon after when Megatron threatened to fire at Shockwave at close range. Later, when Ultra Magnus escaped torture and threatened to shoot Megatron in the back, Jetfire witnessed Megatron calling his bluff, believing he would never do something so dishonorable as fire at someone's back. Megatron was correct, and Jetfire subdued Magnus quickly. Megatron advised Jetfire to "take the shot" whenever the opportunity presented itself. When Skywarp and Jetfire tracked Impactor's comm to Autobot Command, Skywarp was prepared to slaughter them all, but Jetfire took a stand and said wholesale annihilation for the sake of peace was wrong. Skywarp attacked him, but before Skywarp could report to Megatron, Jetfire shot him in the back, critically wounding him as he flew away. {{storylink|Siege episode 3}}

[[File:SiegeEp3JetFireBladeMegatron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"If Sentinel holy blood is spilled on these grounds... you will lose all sovereignty here!"]]

At [[Tarn-Hauser Gate]], Jetfire readied the Seekers to attack the alleged Autobot base underneath [[Alpha Trion|Alpha Trion's]] memorial. When Megatron realized Magnus had lied about the base's location, he killed Magnus, and Jetfire witnessed his death. Megatron ordered him to take Ultra Magnus's corpse to Shockwave, but Starscream arrived and accused him of killing Skywarp, firing at him. Jetfire admitted to his actions and asserted that genocide was wrong. Megatron marked him as an enemy as he escaped, and the Seekers chased him and eventually shot him down. Eventually, he mustered the strength to fly to Autobot Command and expressed a wish to join them. {{storylink|Siege episode 4}} Skeptical of his intentions, the Autobots imprisoned Jetfire. He told Optimus Prime that Megatron intended to annihilate them all, and that the Decepticons had crossed a line. Later, when the Autobots needed to navigate the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], they learned that, as a Decepticon, Jetfire had a map of the area. To earn the Autobots' trust, he agreed to have a [[core override]] installed that would detonate his brain module by remote control. At the Sea of Rust, he provided safe passage for the Autobots through the electrical storm and saved Prowl from a metallic vortex. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}}

While battling the [[Zombie#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Sparkless]] with the Autobots, he provided an explanation for their zombie-like behavior while slicing them up. After returning to the Ark, he attacked his former Seeker teammates, not hesitating to destroy them. He was confronted by Starscream, and they had a one-on-one battle. When Megatron forced Starscream to suspend his duel and attack the spacebridge, Jetfire followed him. He managed to knock Megatron flat on his back before being shot by his fusion cannon. Much later, after the Ark vanished and the spacebridge was destroyed, Jetfire offered his support to the remaining Autobots on Cybertron. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}

[[File:Earthrise1AutobotsInFog.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Jetfire, now an Autobot, was part of an Autobot force to help free Decepticon prisoners. After the mission he questioned [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] on why they were rescuing Decepticon prisoners. Jetfire attacked a group of air-borne Seekers from behind and defeated them all. He then joined Elita-1 on the ground to help with their attack on the [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] prison-camp, but they were captured by Starscream and his Seekers. They were brought before Megatron, who was disgusted to see Jetfire. Megatron then showed the group a demonstration of Project [[Nemesis (G1)|''Nemesis'']] and promised that they would be next. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 1}} In the detention cells, the Autobots tried to work out what Project Nemesis was. The group was brought before Megatron who put them in the Project Nemesis tubes. As the machinery activated, it shut off just as quickly and the group was rescued by [[Scrapface]], who helped them escape Megatron's citadel. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}} The group had to take cover from another group of Seekers. Scrapface shot the Seekers, but one managed to escape. Jetfire gave chase and shot down the Seeker. He reported to Elita-1 that he was uncertain if their positions had been transmitted. The group received [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s message and Elita-1 realized that it was a trap to harvest Decepticon sparks. Jetfire pledged his support to protect the Decepticons. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 3}}

Jetfire and the rest returned to Kaon, intending to stop Shockwave's operations. They planted time bombs across the seemingly unmanned citadel as Elita-1 confronted Shockwave. However, Jetfire and the others were ambushed by Decepticons using stealth technology and held at gunpoint. Jetfire tried to warn the Decepticons about the time bombs, but they wouldn't listen. A wounded [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] managed to snipe all the Decepticons threatening Jetfire's group and the Autobots made a run for it. They couldn't escape fast enough and the bombs went off, destroying the citadel and killing Jetfire and the rest. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}

When the [[AllSpark]] was returned to the [[Temple of the Allspark]] on Cybertron by Bumblebee, Jetfire was among the Transformer spirits who witnessed Elita-1 strike down [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] before finally reuniting with the Allspark. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:Finale-UltraMagnus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Jetfire was one of the many Transformers who had been [[magic]]ally enthralled by [[King Sombra]]. Along with the other slaves, he worked to excavate the ancient [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] to serve as Sombra's new body. When Sombra was defeated, Jetfire was freed of his control. {{storylink|Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|Finale}}

{{-}}

===Calm Sleep Stories===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Building Bridges with Optimus Prime}}}}

===Energon Universe===
[[File:VoidRivals1 Jetfire leaves.jpeg|thumb|left|''Note: Jetfire died on the way back to his home planet.'']]

On Cybertron, Jetfire was a scientist. Determining that Cybertron was on the verge of energy crisis, Jetfire made plans to leave his homeworld and seek out new energy sources in the larger galaxy. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}} In the earliest days of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], on Jetfire's last night on the planet, Jetfire, [[Starscream (G1)#Energon Universe|Ulchtar]] and [[Genvo]] travelled to [[Moonbase Two]] to glimpse [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] flying by. Wanting more, Ulchtar detonated a round of ammunition, getting Omega's attention who waved at the three fliers. Soon afterwards, Jetfire blasted away. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 13|Transformers #13}}

Under unrevealed circumstances, Jetfire crashed in his jet mode on a desolate planetoid not far from the [[Sacred Ring]], spending million of years in [[stasis lock]]. His vehicle mode was discovered by the stranded [[Zertonian]] pilot [[Solila]], who showed the ship to her reluctant [[Agorrian]] ally [[Darak]] in hopes that they could use it to get off the planet. When Solila hooked up a power cell to assess if the vehicle's systems still worked, it provided enough energy for Jetfire to awaken and transform. He assured the pilots he meant them no harm and asked if they knew how long he was inactive, but then noticed several environmental clues that made him realize millions of years had passed. He immediately became concerned for the state of Cybertron, causing him to abruptly abandon Solila and Darak and hastily take off for home. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 1|Void Rivals #1}} When Darak and Solia later met [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], they mentioned their encounter with Jetfire, something that made them more inclined to believe Springer, {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 9|Void Rivals #9}} though Darak later noted to Springer that he had no idea where Jetfire had gone. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 13|Void Rivals #13}}

[[File:TF2023 – Starscream Takes Out Jetfire.jpg|thumb|Told ya.]]
Jetfire eventually made his way to [[Earth]], where a [[Ark (G1)|Cybertronian spaceship]] had been laying dormant. Jetfire triggered an earthquake to uncover it, and entered the vessel to reactivate the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]]. Jetfire instructed Teletraan One to reactivate all Cybertronians on board, as well as fit them with Earth-friendly alternate forms; unaware that Cybertron had erupted into civil war during his absence. The first to be reassembled and brought online was Ulchtar, now going by the name Starscream. To Jetfire's horror, Starscream immediately shot the deactivated [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] in the face, killing him. Jetfire tried to stop Starscream, and was blasted in the chest for his trouble. Fortunately, the next to be reactivated was another of Jetfire's old friends, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. As battle erupted around Jetfire, Optimus eventually decided to retreat, and Jetfire pulled himself up and followed. He engaged Starscream in a brief airborne firefight, forcing the [[Decepticon leader]] into a retreat of his own. Further wounded by Starscream, Jetfire crashed in an abandoned quarry. Optimus attempted to use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to heal him, but he was too far gone. As Jetfire died, he asked Optimus to forgive him, lamenting that he had failed to save Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}} Though very near death, enough of Jetfire's [[spark]] endured to revive him. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 8|Transformers #8}}

[[File:TF2023 no. 8 – Jetfire is Back.jpg|thumb|left]]
Once the Autobots succeeded in retaking the ''Ark'', they decided they needed an eye in the sky, and hit upon the idea of reviving Jetfire. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 7|Transformers #7}} They succeeded in doing so, but their limited resources meant that when Jetfire was revived, he was stuck in vehicle mode, blinded, and unable to move by himself. Optimus expressed regret for Jetfire's situation, and offered to stay with him for a bit so he wasn't alone. Not long after, Decepticon activity was detected, and [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Energon Universe|Cliffjumper]] piloted Jetfire to the scene while Optimus, [[Ratchet (G1)#Energon Universe|Ratchet]], and [[Jazz (G1)#Energon Universe|Jazz]] rode along in an attached carrier module. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 8|Transformers #8}} Tracking the Decepticons to the [[Pacific Ocean]], Jetfire was downed when the beam from the Decepticon's [[space bridge]] blew off his wing, causing him to crash into the seabed. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 9|Transformers #9}}

Jetfire was later retrieved by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 20|Transformers #20}}

{{ongoing}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Go! Go!''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Go! Go! issue 43}} {{storylink|The Transformers Gather on the Snowy Mountain!|Search Quiz 2}}}}

{{ongoing}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Jetfire, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time," was part of an Autobot team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Decepticons in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Menasor, Trypticon, Astrotrain, Starscream, and Megatron, Jetfire was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
[[File:Gluawakening jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5]]
The Decepticons found Jetfire on Earth and tricked him into joining their ranks. He joined [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in an attack on [[Dyson Dam]], however [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the Autobots were on hand to defend it. They badly damaged Jetfire during the battle, but were puzzled when [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] could find no record of him existing. Once the situation was established and Jetfire realized he'd been duped, Optimus invited him to join the Autobots. Jetfire's first mission was to take out three power stations which were generating force fields. Despite Megatron's anger at seeing the traitor return, Jetfire was able to capture all three of the stations and bring the force fields down, revealing that the Decepticons had built a [[space bridge]]. He also later helped save [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] from some attacking Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{--}}

===''Bot Shots Battle Game!''===
Jetfire participated in numerous one-on-one matches against other Autobots and Decepticons, using his fists, his sword, or his gun to defeat his opponents. Sometimes, he even faced off against himself! {{storylink|Bot Shots Battle Game!}}

===''Transformers: Legends''===
[[File:TFLegendsApp-Jetfire.jpg|thumb]]
Jetfire was dug from his icy prison by the other Autobots and sent to [[South America]] to help stop the Decepticons from building a cannon to harness the [[Crystal of Power]]. He and his teammates managed to destroy the cannon and cap the shaft on which the crystal had stood. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (Legends)|Fire on the Mountain}} Jetfire was part of an escort squadron led by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], tasked with protecting important cargo from a Decepticon strike force. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}} When the [[Military Patrol]] team ran amok in [[New York City|New York]], Jetfire led a team including [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] which succeeded in driving them from the city. {{storylink|Full Assault}}

In the chaos following Optimus and Megatron's clash during a battle in Autobot City, Omega Supreme arrived with reinforcements, including Jetfire. The newcomers were able to bring some order to the battle. {{storylink|The Omega Corps}}

At some point Jetfire fought in a battle alongside [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], and [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]]. {{storylink|Fan Favorite}}

Jetfire designed an experimental space bridge. Galvatron sought to take control of the device in order to teleport weapons into enemy territory, and Jetfire helped Rodimus defend his invention. A stray shot threw all nearby combatants into the distant past, where they witnessed the epic battle between Primus and Unicron before Cybertron's formation. The Autobots allied themselves with Primus while Galvatron joined forces with Unicron. The Autobots eventually prevailed, and were sent back to their proper place in the timestream by Primus. {{storylink|Battle of the Brothers}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Jetfire.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Jetfire-II.jpg|thumb]]
Jetfire participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in two different bodies:
*''Jetfire'' — This Rare character could be recruited by collecting 150 units of Cybermetal, 90 units of Transmetal, and 55 scout cores.
*''Jetfire II'' — This Super Rare character could be recruited by collecting 250 units of Cybermetal, 75 units of Transmetal, 50 exclusive cores, and 5 cores of this character. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers Operation Omega''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers Operation Omega}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
;'''Jetfire'''
[[file:Jetfire-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|I don't think I'm supposed to be fighting... I mean, I am only a scientist.]]

Jetfire's reckless daring, the result of being the swiftest of all the Autobots, creates an image of gung ho bravado.
But in truth, Jetfire believes the key to victory is hard, laboratory-based science, and only by solving the big questions and advancing Autobot tech can they truly defeat their enemy.
His allegiance to the cause is matched only by his devotion to science, but his fellow Autobots distrust him as he was formerly a Decepticon.{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Jetfire Bio}}

Jetfire was the very first Autobot to reach Earth, and he set up base next to the Ark. Jetfire soon found a [[Crystal (Earth Wars)|crystal]] and brought Ironhide though. Ironhide stated that the base was in disarray and missing Energon. Lots of missing Energon. They built a harvester, and Ironhide decided it was time to beat up Decepticons. They destroyed a base and Blaster told them to upgrade the HQ. After that they received a transmission from Optimus Prime. Prime desperately needed to get to Earth or else Megatron would beat him there. They brought in another recruit and all three of them headed out to get a Leader Crystal to get their leader through. Prime came to Earth, then commanded Jetfire and Ironhide to help him find the [[Fractal Map]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Get Optimus! campaign}}

Jetfire and Ironhide started to worry about the mortar and beam lasers that are ahead of them at the next outpost. But Optimus told them not to worry and led the charge in an '''Inspiring Charge'''. Optimus then congratulated everyone on the victory, for which Jetfire was impressed. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|The Lost Map campaign}}

Jetfire was present for the battle for the Codex Key. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Codex Showdown campaign}}

*'''Class:''' Aerial
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 1 star
*'''Weapons:''' Jetfire uses a standard issue [[photon rifle]] to blast targets for moderate damage.
*'''Ability: Airstrike''': Hits the target with four powerful missiles dealing moderate damage!
**'''Cost:''' 4 ability points, +2 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:jetfire Jetfire at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

;'''Cybertron Jetfire'''
[[File:Cybertron_Jetfire_Earth_Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Whatever body he's in, Jetfire's driving faith in the power of science remains the same. In fact, his upgraded and reimagined Cybertronian form reinforces his belief that the path to victory lies through technological advancement and not force of arms.
Now with increased resistance to the rigors of high-speed flight and space travel, Jetfire can truly push the boundaries of knowledge and exploration, driving ever further and deeper into the unknown in pursuit of universal truths. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Cybertron Jetfire Bio}}

{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 stars
*'''Ability: ''' Cybertronian Laser - Fire laser dealing damage to regular buildings or double damage to Cybertron raid event buildings (except HQ).
**'''Cost:''' 6 ability points, +2 for reuses.
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:cybertron-jetfire Cybertron Jetfire at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

;'''Jetfire [[Skystriker (G.I. Joe)|Skystriker]]'''
[[File:Jetfire GiJoe EarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Jetfire is accompanied this time with [[Snake-Eyes]].
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}

*'''Class:''' Aerial
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 stars
*'''Ability: Ninja Strike''' - Fire 4 powerful rockets at a target building dealing damage. You also fire 16 missiles dealing damage in an area. In flight mode, the Sky Striker is invisible to the enemies.
**'''Cost:''' 5 ability points, +2 for reuses.
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:jetfire-skystriker Jetfire Skystriker at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:JetfireF2F.jpg|thumb|Probably best friends with [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]].]]
Jetfire was one of many bots pulled from his universe to fight for the Quintessons. There are a lot of him running around! As a Tech Bot, his Parry Shield reflects Ranged and Melee attacks with well-timed blocks, each success granting him an Energy Charge which powers up his Heavy Shocks, Special attacks, or Damage Control Repair. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}

{{chargamestub}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
The cold and calculating Jetfire originally wanted to become a scientist, but Cybertron's reigning doctrine of [[Functionism|functionalist]] meant that he was required to serve in Cybertron's air defense forces. As energon ran low, Jetfire spent more and more time in shutdown, and spent most of his active hours studying the stars in search of new energy sources. Eventually, Jetfire discovered [[Earth]], a planet with abundant energon sources; realizing that Megatron would simply burn the world and everything on it to cinders, Jetfire defected to the Autobots instead and alerted Prime to the existence of this new world. As an Autobot, Jetfire's penchant for applying his theoretical sciences in real-world scenarios made him a skilled aerial combatant. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook|Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Tired of losing battles due to the Decepticons' air superiority, the Autobots created the ultimate flying warrior: Jetfire! The newborn Autobot managed to take down Starscream and Thundercracker, but was in turn countered by the Decepticons' newest secret weapon, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]! {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Jetfire and Shockwave|Jetfire and Shockwave commercial}}
*Jetfire was standing idle inside the Autobots' base when [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] reported back to Optimus on what he had recently found out about the Decepticons. {{storylink|BotCon 2010 Promo}}

==Toys and merchandise==
{{main|Jetfire (G1)/toys}}

==Why "Skyfire"?==
[[File:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|I went from 98-ton weakling to muscle-bot on... the Dery plan!]]
We may never be certain of the exact circumstances behind the change from Jetfire to Skyfire. There are, however, a few known factors, and a lot of theories.

* Not all of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' product originated with [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. Among others, the ''[[Super Dimension Fortress Macross|Macross]]'' Super Valkyrie, the toy that would become Jetfire, came from a company called [[Takatoku Toys]]. Why did Hasbro market non-Takara product? [[Bob Prupis]], one of the original members of the Transformers marketing team, would frequently go to Toy Fairs in Asia, where ''"any product that really looked good that was exciting we didn't care where it came from. We did some work with Bandai, who had been working with other people, and took a few products that looked right for our line"''.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/94f5cb70b08a646d G1 Hasbro marketing executives panel]</ref> The Super Valkyrie, then, must have met their criteria for inclusion.
* As a larger toy, it would follow that Hasbro would want to sell Jetfire by including him in the ''Transformers'' animated series. However, even though Hasbro had the rights to release Takatoku's Super Valkyrie in the US ''Transformers'' toyline, Hasbro's chief collaborator on ''Transformers'' was still Takara. It may have been that Takara always had plans to air the ''Transformers'' animated series in their own market (as it featured a majority of their products), and objected to the inclusion of a competitor's product on the show. This may also be why no other Takatoku-designed toys appeared in the series, although their relatively smaller sizes as compared to Jetfire may have been a factor in Hasbro not including them.
* As the theory goes, the Jetfire animation model was adjusted to look less like the toy as a compromise to Takara. However—perhaps because it now failed to look like the product it was supposed to be advertising—the character became "Skyfire".
* Conversely, it is possible that licensing issues played into the decisions to change Jetfire to Skyfire; the [[Production bible|story bible]] for Generation 1 writers mentions how Jetfire had been "transformed" into Skyfire for "legal reasons". See also [[#Notes|Notes]].
* As a testament to how late in production Jetfire's name was changed, all five of the first-season episodes featuring the character were originally scripted and recorded using the name "Jetfire", later necessitating every instance having to be re-recorded as "Skyfire" prior to broadcast.
** The second episode to be produced featuring the character, "Fire on the Mountain", had its revised script completed on [[July 2]], 1984. The script initially used Jetfire's name in the character's first scene - which was inserted to maintain continuity with the character's fate in "Fire in the Sky" - before abruptly using the name "Skyfire" throughout the rest of the script. A curious note on the episode's draft script indicates that the name "Skyfire" was used "incorrectly", and a later revision to the script on [[July 9]], 1984 duly corrected all instances of Skyfire ''back'' to Jetfire. The draft script for this episode is the earliest known use of the name "Skyfire".
** Jetfire's name continued to be used in the scripts for remainder of the character's appearances throughout the first season of ''The Transformers'', up to the final script revision of "A Plague of Insecticons" dated [[August 13]], 1984.
** The initial, toy-based version of Jetfire's animation model was approved on [[July 3]], 1984, and storyboards for "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3" are known to have used this character model. The original Jetfire animation model is likely to have also been used in the storyboards for the other first-season episodes featuring the character, although no other storyboards have yet turned up to confirm this.
** The revised "Skyfire" animation model was completed in late [[August]] 1984 and sent to Toei along with the model pack for "[[Heavy Metal War]]" - notably the final episode produced for the series' first season.
** During pre-production on the second season of ''The Transformers'', a "New Products" internal document for the forthcoming 1985 product range was prepared. The first draft of this document was completed on [[November 9]], 1984 (before any episode featuring the character had aired), and specifically notes regarding "JETFIRE (aka SKYFIRE)" that he "should not be used unless necessary".
** With "The Ultimate Doom, Part 2", the first episode featuring the character to be broadcast, airing on [[November 10]], 1984, the available evidence points to Jetfire's transformation into Skyfire to have been a relatively late decision that was completed somewhere between August and November 1984 at the latest.
* The evidence of ''{{w|Robotech}}'' influencing Jetfire-related decisions is murky.
** ''Robotech'' began airing in syndication in [[March]] [[1985]], whereas "Fire in the Sky", the first episode produced to feature Skyfire, aired [[December 8]], [[1984]]—with the episode's final script revision completed on [[July 19]], 1984.
** Statements indicate that it took nine months to edit ''Robotech'' together, placing the start of its production somewhere around July 1984. Additionally, a pre-''Robotech'' English-language dub of the first three ''Macross'' episodes was made available from Harmony Gold as a mail-order video tape in [[September]] 1984, two months ''before'' the first episode featuring Skyfire aired.<ref>''Starlog'' #87, October 1984 et al.</ref> So... who knows. All that's certain is that Hasbro licensing the Super Valkyrie seemingly ''did'' prevent the use of that toy in Matchbox's ''Robotech'' toyline.

Beyond Prupis's statement and the notes in the story bible, however, nothing supporting (or denying) any of the previous statements has come out.

==Notes==
[[File:TakatokuSuperValkyrie.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|C'mon, Hasbro. You '''know''' you want to make a "Skull Squadron" version of ''some'' [[Jetfire (disambiguation)|Jetfire]]. What's [[Bandai]] going to do? Sic the [[Power Rangers]] on you? Oh wait, you now outright own Power Rangers.]]

* As mentioned above, unlike most of the early ''Transformers'' range, the Jetfire toy was designed by [[Takatoku Toys]], being a [[redeco]] (with a minor retool to blunt the nosecone) of their 1/55 [http://1501bc.com/pretf/macross.html ''Macross'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie]. Naturally, because he was not designed by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], Jetfire was not released in Japan, since the toy (or, at least, a dozen variations of it) was released by one of Takara's rival toy companies.
* Jetfire—or more accurately, Skyfire—is notably absent in all of the original Japanese tie-in ''[[TV Magazine]]'' material that squeezes itself in between episodes/seasons of the Generation 1 cartoon—even down to the accompanied artwork. Whether this was done as a way for Takara to distance themselves entirely from the character to escape potential lawsuits, or done simply because the toy wasn't part of the Japanese toyline, or a mix of both, is not entirely certain. [[Studio OX]], the company responsible for the ''TV Magazine'' story page artwork, also tended to merge a ''lot'' of the toy colors and aesthetics with the characters' cartoon designs, which probably would have led to more potential legal trouble for Takara, making it all the more reason for them to leave out the character from tie-in material.
* The story bible for the original animated series contains a different character model for Jetfire, one clearly based on the actual toy. This model did appear three times "fictionally", once as a miscolored, partially-obscured background character in the [[The Last Stand|fourth Marvel Comics issue]], again in the Marvel Comics as a [[Ashes, Ashes...|spectator at Optimus Prime's funeral]] (right next to his "Skyfire" model) and finally in the [[The Transformers (Milton Bradley comic)|Milton-Bradley promotional comic]]. It would also occasionally crop up in secondary media, such as coloring books and the animated portion of the commercial for Jetfire and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]].

[[File:Jetfireg1commercial.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Lawsuit!]]
* In fact, the ''Transformers'' story bible includes multiple notes on Jetfire. An early page notes how ''"JETFIRE has been "transformed" into SKYFIRE — with a different model — due to legal reasons. Do not use this character unless necessary"'',<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#012 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> whereas a subsequent page on new Season 2 characters notes that ''"Although Reflector should no longer be used as a character in the series, JETFIRE will be redesigned and reintroduced in the near future"''.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#090 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> As the Valkyrie-derived animation model never appeared in the cartoon, and Skyfire was never redesigned, it's uncertain just what the latter note refers to; it is likely that the latter note is a repeat of the earlier note and wasn't edited. Either way, it seems they took the former advice, as Skyfire appeared in only three early episodes of the second season, and more or less vanished after "[[Day of the Machines]]."

* "Jetfire" is listed as a "Special Guest Star from Cybertron" on the [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for "Fire in the Sky". Later, on the cast list entry for "Fire on the Mountain", "Skyfire" is typewritten as part of the main cast list, but a drawn dash pointing to (or from) it leads to the handwritten name "Jetfire". From there on out, Skyfire is referred to as Jetfire in the listings.
* In the aforementioned Jetfire commercial, it claims that the ''Autobots'' created Jetfire, the "ultimate robot jet", to counter the Decepticon planes. As Sunstreaker, Hound, and Prowl are under attack, the trio release Jetfire from within an opening cliffside, revealing their new creation. (See image above.)
* Jetfire had the preliminary name of '''Fireball'''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071230210811/http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41003 Post by Jim S on The Allspark Forums, 2007/12/25 (via the Internet Archive)]</ref>
* When Hasbro launched the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|''Transformers'' line on the European continent]] using the domestic subsidiaries of [[Milton Bradley]] in 1985, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]] was notably absent from the initial line-up and ''Jetfire'' was declared leader of the Autobots instead. He not only appeared in that function in a [[pack-in material|pack-in]] mini-comic, but Dutch comic book publisher [[Junior Press]] even changed Optimus Prime's name to "Jetfire" in their translated version of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comic]] until the Optimus Prime toy was released in Europe after all, and Junior Press corrected the name for subsequent issues. A commonly cited explanation for this is a [[trademark]] problem,<ref name="optimusdutch">[http://www.oocities.org/futuristgroup/veuro2.html The origin (?) of the "Optimus trademark conflict in Europe" rumor?] at Fred's Complete Transformers Variants and Variations Page (oocities mirror)</ref> but a more likely theory suggests that an exclusive contract between [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] and French toy company [[Joustra]], which allowed Joustra to release their own version of Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' line in Europe, initially made all the toys released by Joustra (which included the Optimus Prime sculpt) off-limits for the MB line-up until a deal was made between MB and Joustra.<ref name="mijofive">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-5/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 5" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref>

[[File:EvolutionSkyfire.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Curiously, for the toy commercial the animators chose to go with the 1st version of the Jetfire model rather than any of the two revised versions.]]
* The ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Omnicon]] [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] was created as an [[homage]] to Skyfire. He [[Blastification|would have been given the name "Skyfire" as well]], but the [[trademark]] had been secured (and registered) by Hasbro rival [[Mattel]]. Also on the homage front, ''Robotmasters'' [[R-Blade]] features a very Jetfirey deco.
*In the 1980s, [[Larry Hama]] kept a Jetfire [[prototype]] on his desk in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] offices. This, apparently, kept Hama safe from paper clip thieves.<ref>[[Letters page|Transmissions]] page, [[Warrior School!]]</ref>
* In a decidedly unusual move, Jetfire in the Japanese ''Kre-O'' manga is ''not'' based on the actually-in-the-cartoon-that-aired-in-Japan "Skyfire" cartoon model. No, he's based on the didn't-appear-in-the-cartoon-and-never-sold-in-Japan-as-Jetfire-because-it's-from-major-competitor-[[Bandai]] [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Generation 1|original Jetfire toy]]. His parts in the comic are mostly concealed by his placement in the panel. However, he seems to use the ubiquitous [[Hound (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Hound]] helmet and a similar wing construction to [[Thrust (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Thrust]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Skyfire''' (スカイファイアー ''Sukaifaiā''), '''Jetfire''' (ジェットファイヤー ''Jettofaiyā'', ジェットファイアー ''Jettofaiā'')
*''Czech:'' '''Premiant'''
*''Cantonese:'' '''Tin1 Fo2''' (Hong Kong, 天火, "Sky Fire")
*''French:'' '''Bolide''' (Canada toy, "Meteor"), '''Aérobo''' (Canada cartoon)
*''Hebrew:'' '''Sh'méy Ésh''' (שמיי אש, "Skies of Fire")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Röptűz''' ("Fly Fire")
*''Italian:'' '''Aquila''' ("Eagle")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tiān Huǒ''' (China, 天火, "Sky Fire")
*''Polish:'' '''Ognisty Odrzutowiec''' ("Firey Jet")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Jacto''' (Portugal comic, "Jet")
*''Russian:'' '''Istrebitel'''' (Истребитель, "Aircraft Fighter")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Blyskavka''' (Блискавка, "Lightning")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Cyberjets]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Earth Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Autobots]]
[[Category:Go! Go! Autobots]]
[[Category:Go! Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Q-Transformers characters]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Void Rivals characters]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Decepticons]]

Chaar

2025-08-05T21:12:26Z

Jon T: /* Notes */

{{disambig3|Chaar}}
[[File:Chaar EstablishingShot.jpg|center|800px|thumb|The original inhabitants were very big on domes.]]
'''Chaar''' is the planet where the [[Decepticon]]s settled after being driven from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. It is a burned-out, barren husk of a planet. The planet is far from dead, however; in its caves lurk [[energy leech (species)|energy leech]]es and a [[Chaarantula]]. It has at least one metal moon and what seems to be a blue-white sun.

{{quote|Our charts don't show any planets in that sector... no, wait, here it is. I thought it was a smudge on the screen.|[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] finds Chaar on the galactic map|"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:Chaar City.JPG|upright=1.3|left|thumb|Sure the rent's low, but would you want Galvatron as your landlord? Or Soundwave as your neighbor? And you know the Predacons are just gonna mess up your yard.]]
After the battle against [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] in [[2005]], the [[Autobot]]s successfully drove away all the Decepticons occupying [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. With [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] missing, the Decepticons became directionless and chose to seek refuge on the burned-out world of Chaar. Starved of [[energon]], they were reduced to scrounging for scraps. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] visited the planet in search of kidnapped Autobots and found their old foes in this sorry state. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} While [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] went to retrieve Galvatron from his resting place on [[Thrull]], the rest of the Decepticons were recruited by the [[Quintesson]]s to take part in an assault on Cybertron. Thus when Galvatron arrived on Chaar, the only one left to greet him was [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], who explained what had happened. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}

Reinvigorated, the Decepticons gradually transformed the planet into a suitable place to live, {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} though some ruins still littered the landscape. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}} The Decepticons made use of the damaged buildings, even for delicate medical procedures. {{storylink|Webworld}} Eventually a substantial portion of the planet was [[cyberforming|altered]] to be Cybertron-like. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

Not even Chaar was safe from the [[Hate Plague]], and Galvatron found himself the only Decepticon left uninfected. A group of Autobots led by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] arrived there in search of the samples of [[Impervious alloy|an alloy]] stolen earlier by the Decepticons. Galvatron guided them through one of Chaar's caverns, infested with many examples of the planet's native wildlife, until they found the storehouse containing the metal. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}
{{--}}

====''Robotmasters''====
The Autobot [[Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket]] resided on Chaar before coming to Earth to be [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s bodyguard in 2004. {{storylink|Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket's ''Robotmasters'' toy bio}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
[[File:GreatCassetteOp Chaar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The Decepticons continued to use Chaar as a base of operation into [[2011]], {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} although by then it had lost both its moons and was considerably more desolate. The Decepticons operated out of a single small city, though their facilities were sufficient to reconstruct [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] as Soundblaster after he was killed. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:ExplosionMarsMegaZarak Chaar base.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
The planet apparently occasionally experienced heavy fog, such as when [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] arrived to report to Galvatron. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Their security was not particularly efficient however, as demonstrated when [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] managed to sneak through the [[space bridge]] and spy on a Decepticon meeting. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}} The Decepticon ranks were also infiltrated by the Autobot [[Punch (G1)|Punch]]. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} The Decepticon early warning system ''was'' sufficient to detect the incoming [[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcons]] though. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}}

The Decepticons continued to use their planet as a base of operations though their quest for power would see them occasionally leaving the planet to carry out tasks on other worlds, such as when they went to [[Master (planet)|Master]] to forge the [[Zarak Shield]]. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Following a failed attempt to destroy [[Earth]], {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}} the Decepticon main force abandoned that world completely and consolidated on Chaar. They continued to operate from there as they battled the Autobots based on [[Athenia]]. {{storylink|TV Magazine|TV Magazine prose epilogue}}
{{--}}

====''Victory''====
The [[Dinoforce]] hailed from Chaar. {{storylink|Dinoforce|Dinoforce's toy bios}}

===The Big Broadcast of 2006===
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
By the year [[2006]], the Decepticons under [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s command had claimed Chaar as their home base of operations. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US)}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Once a populated planet, Charr became a barren wasteland crisscrossed by lava flows as a result of natural disaster. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye #8}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
Chaar is a world within the once mighty [[Decepticon Empire]], ruled by [[Strika (Animated)|General Strika]]. [[Team Chaar]] is stationed there. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

===''Knights of Unicron''===
The Trypticon Dinobase, located on Planet Chaar, was the eighth venue for the [[Knights of Unicron (band)|Knights of Unicron]] on their 2014 "Till All Are One" tour. The planet also inspired the title of their studio album, "Bot Out of Chaar". {{storylink|Knights of Unicron (band)|Knights of Unicron}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon===
The [[Quintesson Judge]] [[Deseeus]] was based on Chaar, meeting there with [[Doubledealer]] who had captured the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' at Deseeus' command. When it became clear that Deseeus would not be paying Doubledealer and his crew, they aided the Autobots in escaping Chaar. The Autobots quickly flew away from the planet, unaware that Doubledealer had already sold out their position to Megatron. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}}

===Energon Universe===
[[Skuxxoid]] was summoned to Chaar by [[Bosch]], the latter hiring the former to steal from [[Gyconi]] on [[Monacus]]. During the discussion, Skuxxoid briefly glanced a robotic figure following him but dismissed it as a trick of the light. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 11|Void Rivals #11}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Chaar was a barren world that orbited a high-radiation star, located close to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Long ago, Cybertronian settlers colonized and partially terraformed the planet by installing an artificial metal moon, which protected the planetary surface from radiation and maximized the productivity of the planet's abundant geothermal energy. At some point, the planet was abandoned by its original inhabitants; millions of years later, it became a temporary fallback point for Decepticons fleeing [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]’s destruction, as abundant radiation made it difficult for enemy scanners to track them. {{storylink|Decepticon Directive}}

==Notes==
[[File:Chaar concept art.jpg|thumb|upright=1|It's a pretty rough place. No, literally.]]
*[[Floro Dery]]'s original design for Chaar was considerably more gnarly and sinister-looking than the version that made it to screen. The planet was jagged (its moon even more so) and had those weird rocky rings similar to the ones that appeared around [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]]. The caption on Dery's production art describes Chaar as, "a burned-out, Hellish and God-forsaken planet".<ref>http://www.etsy.com/listing/168663286/space-carrier-planet-chaar-signed-print?ref=shop_home_active</ref>
[[File:BurdenHardest Chaar and moons.jpg|thumb|upright=1|The Decepticons broke Chaar while Galvatron was away and tried replacing it with Cybertron, hoping he wouldn't notice.]]
*It's not clear there was a final design for the planet; Chaar hardly ever appears the same way twice on screen. More specifically, [[AKOM]] and [[Toei Animation|Toei]] depicted the planet differently; AKOM's episodes generally showed the planet with a thick, dusky atmosphere and earthy colors for the surface, whereas in Toei's episodes the planet featured a gray Moon-like surface with a clear starry sky, a design aesthetic that Toei also carried over to Chaar's appearances in [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]. In [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3|one case]], it's portrayed by a stock shot of [[Goo Number 8739-B|the planet Goo]]; [[The Burden Hardest to Bear|another time]], it's shown looking like [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself, although these two instances are more likely to have simply been production oversights.
*The image at the top of this article is the very first establishing shot of Chaar, animated with an absurdly fast simultaneous sunrise/moonset. The two bodies pass into and out of frame in about five seconds. Then later in [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1|the same episode]], another establishing shot shows the moon stationary in the sky. Make of that what you will.
*According to the audio description on the DVD release of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', the crash site of the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'' is on Chaar.
*The spelling "Chaar" (two As, one R) was first revealed in the Marvel Comics adaptation of ''[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]''. Years later, the same spelling was found in internal [[Sunbow Productions]] documents, such as the [[dialogue script]]s. This means that the planet's official spelling has been known since 1988... yet "Charr" still persists in the [[fandom]] to this day, even cropping up in [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' guidebook. Oh well.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Jaar''' (ジャール ''Jāru'')<ref>ジャール is [[Japanese language|romanized]] on a computer screen in "[[Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!]]" as "Jarl" and in [[Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|the ''Headmasters'' video game]] as "Jail". Even so, "Jaar" is preferred due to its closer similarity to "Chaar".</ref>
*''English:'' '''Jolo''' ([[Omni Productions]] dub)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Chaar''' (查尔 ''Cháěr'')
*''Russian:'' '''Yurona''' (Юрона)
*''Spanish:'' '''Estrella Mortis''' (American ''The Headmasters'')
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Animated planets]]
[[Category:Decepticon bases]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Energon Universe planets]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon planets]]
[[Category:Generation 1 planets]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 planets]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen locations]]
[[Category:Robotmasters locations]]
[[Category:The Headmasters planets]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game planets]]
[[Category:Victory planets]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy locations]]

Frank Springer

2025-08-03T21:27:09Z

Jon T:

{{disambig3|Frank}}
{{disambig3|Springer}}

{{bigthumb|Frankspringer headshot.jpg|180px}}
{{bigquote|There were some raggedy times, but I always had work, raised five kids, bought some houses, bought some cars. . . . I've been lucky.|Frank Springer at Comic-Con 2004}}

'''Frank Springer''' ([[December 6]], [[1929]]–[[April 2]], [[2009]]) was an American artist. He is probably best known for his contributions to the {{w|National Lampoon}}, as well as his many jobs for both [[Marvel Comics]] and DC. He penciled the first four issues of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel ''Transformers'' series]]. He also drew the spin-off ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' limited-series, and had a return engagement in the main book, when he drew issue #44, "[[The Cosmic Carnival]]"

He got a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University, drew maps for the United States Army during the Korean War, was a president of the National Cartoonists Society, and won the NCA's Reuben Award three times. While he drew in his backyard studio, he liked to listen to opera and jazz.

On [[April 2]], [[2009]], Springer died of prostate cancer.[http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/li-comics-artist-frank-springer-dead-at-79-1.1217558]

==Illustrator==
===Comic art===
{{collist|3|
* "[[The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers]]"
* "[[Power Play!]]"
* "[[Prisoner of War!]]"
* "[[The Last Stand]]"
* "[[Ring of Hate!]]"
* "[[Broken Glass!]]"
* "[[Love and Steel!]]"
* "[[Brothers in Armor!!]]"
* "[[The Cosmic Carnival]]"
}}

===Cover art pencils===
{{collist|3|
* "Broken Glass!"
* "Love and Steel!"
* "Brothers in Armor!!"
* "[[Used Autobots]]"
* "[[Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play]]" (with [[Ian Akin]] and [[Brian Garvey]])
* "[[Spacehikers!]]" (with [[Ian Akin]] and [[Brian Garvey]])
* "[[Trial by Fire!]]"
* "The Cosmic Carnival" (with [[Dave Hunt]])
* "[[Ca$h and Car-nage!]]"
}}

==Gallery==
*''[[:Category:Images by Frank Springer|Extended Frank Springer gallery]]''

==Notes==
*According to a response in the letters page of ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #30, published in-between issues #2 and #3 of ''The Transformers'', Frank Springer was originally intended to be the penciler of the ongoing ''Transformers'' comic book following the conclusion of the [[The Transformers Four-Issue Limited Series|limited series]].

==External links==
*{{w|Frank Springer}} at Wikipedia
*[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=3806 Source for Frank Springer's quote above]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Springer, Frank}}
[[Category:Illustrators]]

Unicron/toys

2025-08-03T21:16:34Z

Jon T: /* Notes */

{{suite}}

'''[[Unicron]]''' has managed to amass a [[star system]] of toys and merchandise, and then some.

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|G1Takara}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoTakara.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|He's green with evil!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]])
{{toydesigner|[[Hiroyuki Hataike]] (concept artist)}}

:An unproduced toy for Unicron was to have been released in [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]. The first [[prototype]] of the toy was developed by Takara and was a green and yellow robot that was to come with a base that set up a "planetary system" with Unicron and a moon culled from movie preproduction materials that turned into a laser gun. When transformed to robot mode, Unicron would have a light and sound gimmick that would activate when shot by an infra-red ray from the gun. So far, this version of the toy has been shown only through Takara print materials.

:The placement of yellow is identical to the early animation [[character model]] of Unicron which labels him "[[:File:Model-TheEntity.jpg|The Entity]]". Like that early animation model, the planetary ring is located in front of his "maw" as a result of the positioning of the toy's stand. Additionally, he appears to sport a Decepticon [[rubsign]]. Assuming the rubsign is the same size as every other one, this version of Unicron is considerably smaller than the later prototype.

:At a company presentation, Takara designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] was informed that the Unicron toy was to be made at a larger size, presumably in order to serve as a more appropriate representation of the character's fictional scale. This resulted in the production of a subsequent prototype toy (see below).<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2011/11/07/koujin-oono-interview-on-generation-1-unicron-173702 Koujin Oono (sic) Interview on Generation 1 Unicron]</ref>
{{canceledtoy}}

{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoHasbro.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look out! The [[CBS]] logo is on a murderous rampage!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[Hasbro]]/Takara)

:A larger version of the Unicron prototype design was developed by Takara in closer collaboration with Hasbro and was a blue and yellow robot, possessing different [[paint operation]]s and molding to the earlier prototype, about one foot tall and was able to transform into a planet. In comparison to the earlier version, the color scheme of this later prototype is closer to the animation model's finalized colors. Furthermore, the planetary ring's location was rotated 90 degrees, similarly matching later revisions to Unicron's planet mode animation design which moved the ring away from the maw.

[[File:ProtoCron.jpg|left|thumb|For a time I considered sparing your wretched little botanical garden]]
:Omitted from the original prototype was the moon/laser gun, but the new larger design was to have come with a voice chip and a "planet microphone" to allow owners to speak through the toy. Sound samples of lines read by [[Orson Welles]] were also to be used in the toy. According to the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix]]'' videotape, Orson Welles recorded a total of ten lines for use in the toy, although only six were used in the prototype model. It also would have had a gun that became a stand for the planet mode and a blue "shield" that unfolded and covered the yellow part of his chest in planet mode. It bears an uncanny physical resemblance to Mr. Welles.

[[File:UnicronPatentShieldGun.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Peekaboo! I eat you!]]
:This figure had a public "debut" of sorts at [[BotCon 1996]], where it was mistransformed, but later convention appearances would feature it accurately transformed.

:After not being shown for several years, the prototype resurfaced in the summer of 2020 on display (and once again mistransformed) at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts as part of their "Let's Play! New England Toy Stories" exhibit featuring the history of New England toy manufacturers.<ref>https://www.capenews.net/arts_and_entertainment/let-s-play-will-celebrate-toys-and-local-toy-manufacturers/article_4ac47415-e615-5d1e-a39c-d270b7c89db2.html Article describing the exhibit, in which an assistant curator mentions "Hasbro prototype from the 1990's," presumably in reference to Unicron</ref>

:According to the fansite Transformers on the Shelf (no longer online), Unicron's toy was scrapped because of cost concerns, flimsy arms, and a faulty voice chip.

:Though the prototype had the tallest robot mode at the time of its planned release, it was ultimately shorter than [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars''===
[[File:BWII toy - Galvatron.jpg|right|upright=2.2|thumb|PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-p1|'''Galvatron''' ([[May 21]], [[1998]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''D-16'''
:*''Accessories:'' 2 "Galva Axe" missiles, "Scissor Hand" claw/wing-section
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara)}}

{{note|Beast Wars II [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as Unicron's "energy" form in the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoon.}}

:Released in the fourth wave of ''Beast Wars II'' products in the [[Japan]]ese ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#BWII|Beast Wars]]'' toyline, Galvatron is an Ultra-sized [[Triple Changer]], transforming from robot to mechanical [[dragon]] to drill tank. As the only totally unique Predacon mold created for the ''Beast Wars II'' toyline, Galvatron is also the only figure from the series with both vehicle and animal forms (well, at the same time). In drill tank mode, a black plunger protruding from the top of his cockpit can be pressed, spinning his drill as part of his "Drill Destroyer" attack. The tread-sections also feature his non-firing "Galvatling Cannons", which end up in his knees in both dragon and [[robot mode]]. Also in this mode, triggers on either side of his tail fire his "Galva Axes" as spring-loaded missiles. In dragon mode, a slider on his back allows for his wings to move in a flapping action. His wings can also split open into their "Scissor Hand" claw-pincer configurations, much like they do in the cartoon.

:In robot mode, Galvatron's Galva Axes can be held in his hands as melee weapons or fired from their launchers that are now located on his forearms. His Scissor Hand weapon can also be removed in this mode and used as a hand-held weapon. Galvatron's chest also houses has a yellow marble to represent his "[[Galva-Matrix]]".

: [[Sonokong]] also released this figure in their ''Beast-War'' toyline as "Garba Tron" (also known as "Galvatron"). Aside from the difference in packaging, the [[South Korea|Korea]]n release of the figure is identical to the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] releases. In place of the bio cards of the Takara releases, Garba Tron comes with two "{{w|Rock paper scissors|Jan-ken-pon}}" cards. One has an image [[:File:D-16 Garba Tron Sonokong.jpeg|reflecting the one on the box]], with scissors and the number one die roll, and the other with rock and the number five die roll, with a super computer or building in the background.

: ''Beast-War'' Galba Tron was later reissued in the Korean ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)#Car Bot|Car Bot]]'' toyline, reassigned as a [[Predacon (BW)#2001 Robots in Disguise continuity family|Destronger]] and renamed [[Megatron (RID)#Gigatron Z|Gigatron Z]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Destron/Galvatron/galvatron.htm More information on Galvatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWN}}
[[File:BWNeo-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|A robot with a hemisphere on his back.]]
*'''Unicron''' (Takara)
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara), [[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

:Takara tried again to produce a Unicron toy during ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' (as the character figured prominently to the endings of both the cartoon and comic), only going as far as the resin prototype stage before canceling it. It was said to be around the size of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|"Optimal Optimus"]] and had several gimmicks, such as an opening robot mouth when the horns were squeezed, and a claw and a drill that were stored in the planet "shell" in robot mode. The toy would also have had planetary ring segments, not shown in the photo at right; unlike most representations of Unicron, these ring segments ran along his equator, and were only partial so his planetary mouth was not obstructed. One hard copy was shown at the [[Tokyo Toy Show]]. Fans attempted to lobby for an unassembled, unpainted, and likely one-color "garage kit" version of the toy, but this never came to be… probably because the cost per unit would have been several hundred dollars.

:Interestingly enough, neither the cartoon nor comic version of ''Neo'' Unicron looked like the toy. This toy was later used to represent [[Dark Nova]]'s "Unicron Neo" form in the [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

===''Armada''===
[[File:Unicrontoyarmada.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|And the fandom rejoiced (and complained).]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Mini-Con Dead End''' (Supreme Class, July [[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara/Sonokong ID number:'' '''MX-00'''
:*''Takara release date'': September ??, 2003
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Hironori Kobayashi]] (Takara)|[[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Unicron from the [[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|''Armada'' toyline]] is an orange and transparent purple Supreme-size toy that transforms into a planet. It features many [[Mini-Con]] [[Powerlinx]] plugs on the planet's rings, and "chomping" jaws activated by moving the mandibles. The packed-in Mini-Con [[Dead End (Armada)#Toys|Dead End]] in moon mode plugs into a specially shaped crater-like socket on Unicron's planet form, just above his gaping maw. Powerlinx plugs on his sides activate the triple spring-loaded missile launchers, which end up on his [[robot mode]] legs. In robot mode, he has hidden compartments for Mini-Cons in his robot-mode legs and abdomen. One Powerlinx plug on the back of the robot mode activates blinking eye lights and a cannon that bursts from the chest and shoots a missile. A button on the top of the head also activates the blinking eye lights. Pushing his right hand back slightly into the cuff causes it to light up.

: In total, the toy can hold up to 27 Mini-Cons in planet mode, and 30 in robot mode—35 if you count the two cavities in his forearms, Dead End's indent on the planet shells, and if a Mini-Con is stored in the compartment on each leg. 24 of the Powerlinx points are situated on his wings/planet ring. That's a lot of Mini-Cons! Attaching the full capacity of Mini-Cons can easily add a whole pound to Unicron's weight (varying slightly by the choice of Mini-Cons used of course). Since Unicron alone is one of the heaviest ''Transformers'' figures ever made at the time, one can imagine how bulky he gets.

: This toy is notable for being the first "modern" ''Transformers'' release in the main line at the $50-price point. Due to his success, other releases like ''Energon'' [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] came into being. This toy was featured in ToyFare Magazine, being awarded "Toy of the Year" for 2003 in "Best of the Best 2003".<ref>http://www.unicron.us/tf2003/toypix/unicron.htm</ref>

: Unicron is something of a [[shellformer]], with the majority of his planet mode being composed of two large translucent purple halves which swing onto his back in robot mode as wings ([[:File:Union-Unicron.jpg|though, not to the scale they are shown to be in the cartoon]]). These parts can be removed quite easily in robot mode to make him a little more accurate to his appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''—which is exactly what a large percentage of the [[fandom]] did with the figure, since this ''was'' the only Unicron toy available for Generation 1 collectors to buy at the time. In fact, Unicron's [[instructions]] ''actually'' tell you to [[Partformer|remove the wings for transformation]], though it's not ''really'' needed. The reason the instructions tell you to remove the wings is because they are intended to be reconnected to the same joints they were taken off of back-to-front in robot mode, allowing for the base of the wing to sit in the channels behind his shoulders, making them less likely to flop around. Because the wings are removable, this has led to hemisphereless Unicrons being quite common on the aftermarket.

: The toy had a minor [[Variant|running change]] where a slot and tab were added to the shoulder and wing column, respectively, to keep the rings more firmly in place in planet mode. Early publicity photos and some catalog shots also show that the two nubs on either outside edge of the shoulders were originally full-fledged spikes, dulled down [[for safety reasons]].

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Legends of the Microns'' and [[Sonokong]] ''Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron'' releases of Unicron use a lighter orange, slightly more transparent plastic, and different paint applications than the Hasbro release, for instance, the silver paint on its face highlights his [[Humanization#Facial hair|moustache]].

:This mold was used to make the [[Unicron of Light|Mini-Con doppelganger of Unicron]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Armada'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|bonuspack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Dead End''' (Bonus pack, 2003)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate

: Late in the US line, [[Walmart]] stores received [[exclusive]] Unicron toys that came with the [[Air Military Mini-Con Team]] in a bubble attached to the top of the box. This set was sold for the normal retail price of Unicron... hey, free Mini-Cons!
{{-}}

===''Energon''===
[[File:Energon Unicron toy.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|This would be worth more to somebody outside of Japan if it was bought inside Japan.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2004]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number'': '''MX-00'''
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Energon|Dead End]]

:Unicron's ''Armada'' toy was [[redeco]]ed for the [[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|''Energon'' toyline]], sporting black and transparent orange, with "Energon damage" patterns, representing his shattered and damaged form. All of the gimmicks from the previous version are intact in this one.

:Early stock photography of the toy depicts Unicron with a different color scheme that features a gray face and a pink translucent chest instead of the silver face and a reddish-orange translucent chest of the actual toy.

:Early shipments of Unicron in ''Energon'' packaging shipped with either the orange ''Armada'' Unicron or the black ''Energon'' Unicron inside, in seemingly equal amounts for a short while. Eventually, the orange version was phased out and black was the only shipping version.

: The Takara ''Super Link'' release of Unicron—dubbed '''Unicron Black Version''' (ユニクロンブラックバージョン ''Yunikuron Burakku Bājon'')—was packaged inside the ''Legends of the Microns'' Unicron box, with a "20th Anniversary" sticker applied to the back and the front of the box. The figure was released in limited numbers (the amount of which is currently unknown), and was presumably exclusive to a store (which is also currently unknown).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Energon'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds}}
[[File:Energontoy-McUnicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Unicron will make an unhappy meal of you.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Fast Food Premium, 2004-2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Energon cube

:Available in one of two different European-market McDonald's Happy Meal promotions, this Unicron toy is based on ''Energon'' Unicron, being primarily black. It is very small, and the transformation consists of simply opening the planet mode to reveal the robot.

:When his Energon cube is clicked into position, the cube's power switch set to "on", and the toy's button depressed, his body lights up. In 2006, this figure was made available in Brazil without the Energon cube.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/McUnicron/unicron.htm More information on McDonald's Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Cybertron''===
[[File:Cyb-toy UnicronDlx.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|ZERG RUSH KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Deluxe Class, [[2006]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] Cyber Key
:*''Cyber Key Code'': '''dgt3'''
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro),<ref name=CybertronUnicron>{{citesocial|quote=I don't think he's supposed to be a tank version of the Ark but… we were talking a lot about Unicron, and Unicron's coming, and Unicron's coming… and sometimes that is a tactic used, you know, you'll do a much bigger or important character in a price point that's affordable, so that in some regions that will never get the higher priced items—it's a lot like why we did "Bendy Prime", Deluxe Prime, in ''Armada''—so that Unicron can be present in their fantasy play, but not necessarily going to ever be that larger one. That's one reason to do it, it was big in the story, it was just an opportunity to to do a character that people knew rather than not, so… Think of it as a dream-sequence Unicron, a bit… his energy, his thoughts, his malice, out there messing around. But that's why he would have been created and that's that, I guess. […] But I don't know why he looks like the Ark necessarily—I did that item, so the Ark wasn't part of my goal, so… that might just be in there.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PZCff7N2Wg&t=1857s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday night LIVE: Vector Prime is Back|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref> [[Takio Ejima]] (Takara)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Part of the eighth wave of [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] Deluxe Class toys, Unicron transforms into a futuristic, crab-like/insectoid tank. In robot mode, he sports a battle-damaged appearance, with his head featuring a skull-like design mimicking the Unicron head that comes with Cybertron Primus (see below). In both modes he features a large spring-loaded missile launcher, plus plugging a [[Cyber Key]] into his back end opens up a port on his front (which bears a striking similarity to his planet form's maw) that reveals a (non-firing) triple-barreled cannon. His side-spines in tank mode can be removed to become hand-weapons in robot mode.

: This toy was the first and only Unicron toy with the trademark Dracula-style "collar" from the original animation model, up until [[#War for Cybertron Trilogy|the toy based directly on said animation model]] created roughly fifteen years later. He is also the first Unicron toy to be placed with the Decepticon faction for the purposes of marketing.

: Due to the use of translucent plastic for his radar dish/head mount, aging samples run the risk of this piece breaking off at the joint due to plastic tolerance issues. Some samples also have difficulty holding the spike weapons properly due to the short pegs and clearance issues with his wrists.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Cybertron'' Unicron at TFU.info'']

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimusUnicronHead}}
[[File:Unicronhead.jpg|thumb|That worked a lot better for Fort Max.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme Class, 2006)}}</ul>

:''Cybertron'' Supreme Class [[Primus#Cybertron|Cybertron Primus]] comes with Unicron's head. The head is based on ''Armada'' Unicron's, with half of the face stripped away to reveal a robotic "skull". To provide the impression of locomotion, tentacles were added to the base of the head. His face bears a greater resemblance to his on-screen appearance in ''Armada'' than the ''Armada'' toy itself, with no facial hair, a more "wrinkled" look, and thinner, rounder eyes. Meanwhile, his color scheme matches the ''Cybertron'' toy, with dark gray horns and a purple crest on his brow.

: The packaging for this variation of Primus was specifically changed with a call-out for the Unicron head. This was originally supposed to be the first version of the Primus toy shipped, being part of the second wave of ''Cybertron'' Supreme Class toys, but both versions ended up shipping simultaneously, leading to some hunting to get the packed-in "Uni-skull".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Primus/Primus/primus.htm More information on Unicron's head (with Primus) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:Transformers-Universe-(2008)-Unicron-packaging.jpg|200px|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, 2008)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': Armada Series
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile

:For ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'', ''Armada'' Unicron was [[rebranding|rebranded]] with no deco differences, even retaining the ''Armada'' release's product code. He was sold as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]]. As with all Unicron products produced by Hasbro since ''Cybertron'' Unicron, he is placed in the Decepticon faction. Once again, the on-box [[bio]] profile describes Unicron's nature as a [[multiversal singularity]].
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' (2010)===
[[File:TF2010toy-Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Orange you glad it's 2010?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Universal Dominator Unicron''' (September [[2010]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Transformers (2010)|Bug]]

:A [[retool]] of Supreme Class ''Armada'' Unicron toy (see above), this Unicron is given a new head and an [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated film]]-inspired deco, making it the first "proper" release of a 1986-inspired Unicron figure. He retains all of his original [[gimmick]]s, including electronics. His Mini-Con partner, Bug, is still included.

:This set is only available in Japan as a [[TakaraTomy Mall|Toy Hobby Market]] [[exclusive]], with orders being taken from [[June 1]]st through [[July 4]]th. The toy was released at the end of September 2010. Unicron is part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' anniversary celebration, and is packaged in a special box that is meant to go with the [[Primus#2010|Creator Primus]] toy released the same year. Unicron comes with two "[[Robot Point|points]]" redeemable towards a talking stand for ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy]].

: This Unicron utilizes parts from both versions of ''Armada'' Unicron, having wings from the initial release, but hinged shoulder plates with holes on the backs for pegs from the slightly retooled version.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Hasbro2010}}
[[File:2010 Amazon Unicron.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|YOU GET THE BEEEEEEEEEEST OF BOTH WORLLLLLDS]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2011]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Kranix]]
{{toydesigner|[[Andrew Scribner]] (deco artist)}}

:Made in honor of the 25th anniversary of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', the 2010 ''Transformers'' toyline's Unicron deco is noticeably different than TakaraTomy's "Welcome to 2010" Unicron release (even though they are both coloured to represent the character from the movie). It is now cast in metallic gray and gold-ish orange, as well as a muted blue. The shade of blue ''may'' be seen as ''comic''-inspired, since the 80's Marvel comics sometimes had blue tones in the figure… but so did Unicron in some scenes of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', so make of it as you will. It comes with the Mini-Con Kranix (identical to the TakaraTomy release) and is exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.com]] and also at [[Toys"R"Us]] in Canada, while being available at general retail in parts of Southeast Asia. He was also released in Chile as a Ripley exclusive during Christmas 2011.

:While the packaging is of the 2010 toyline, the [[Instructions|instruction manual]] uses the ''Dark of the Moon'' logos (but not the series' style of instruction graphics).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Decepticon/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Transformers (2010)'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:United-ArkUnicron-toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Should I use THE CLAMPS?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Ark Unicron''' ([[February 25]], [[2012]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''UN-29'''
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), Planet X Cyber Key

: Ark Unicron is a straight redeco of the Deluxe Class ''Cybertron'' Unicron toy and is, for some reason, packaged in a Voyager-sized box. He is redecoed in colors similar to the 2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron figure, replacing his orange plastic with a darker, metallic shade, his dark gray with a muted blue, and his tan with gray. The Cyber Key retains its Key Code.

:Like the 5th and 6th wave figures, Ark Unicron's package feature a sticker that said "limited quantity (数量限定)", indicating that this figure is released in limited numbers after its first and only shipment.

:This figure was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as several of Unicron's [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]] in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic|''Generation Selects'']] comics.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Unicron/ArkUnicron/unicron.htm More information on Ark Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Prime''===
[[File:Primetoy-UnicronArmsMicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|There's gold in them thar hills.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Gaia Unicron''' (2012-[[September 29|09-29]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''AM-19'''
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:Part of the seventh wave of Japanese [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|''Prime'' toys]], and exclusive to said line, Gaia Unicron is an all-new mold. Its robot is based on Unicron's rock-avatar bodies from the ''Prime'' cartoon, while its alternate mode is… erm… a sort of amorphous mass that is ''presented'' by the toy's instructions as a "vehicle mode," but which has apparently been designed to look like a mountain with Unicron's face at its center, ringed by bolts of lightning—another reference to the ''Prime'' cartoon, in which Unicron's spirit communicated with Megatron by appearing in the fumes of a volcano. He also [[Partformer|partsforms]] into "[[Gaia Armor]]" for either Voyager Optimus Prime or Megatron, which more or less leaves most of his mass hanging off the wearer's butt. The Gaia Armor features a "loincloth" panel which has one of each of the 3 Arms Micron Power crystals, not unlike [[Hades]]' tail. Though his [[sticker]] sheet comes with Decepticon symbols for his shoulders, there are also optional [[Blentron]] stickers. His soft plastic wings and horns are prone to drying out and cracking with age, primarily near their connection points.

:Unicron's [[Arms Micron]] partner, [[Bogu]], transforms from what appears to be a robot mole into a pointy claw to replace one of Unicron's spiked club arms. (The displaced club arm can snap onto the back of the other club arm.) Gaia Unicron and his micron feature ''numerous'' [[5 mm post]]s and peg-holes.

:Compared to his [[stock photography]], most (if not all) Gaia Unicrons have [[Misassembly|mis-assembled]] knees, with two small gray parts on the inner portions of his knees being swapped, thus restricting his knee [[articulation]]. This cannot be fixed without knocking out a few pins. It's also common to find one with two of the same knee joint, meaning that swapping them won't fix the issue.

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimeUnicronPack}}
[[File:TFP-YotS-Gaia-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron''' ([[2013]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:This Asian-exclusive redeco of Gaia Unicron features a sticker-less, extensive paint-job, coating his shoulder-pads and large club-arm in shiny metallic paints that match his [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts, with some additional glossy-black and metallic-magenta paint details here and there. Bogu comes pre-assembled and lacks stickers. Gaia Unicron's knees are still mis-assembled.

:He and Bogu come in a multi-pack with a similarly-shiny [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#PrimeUnicronPack|Optimus Prime]] (with [[O.P.#PrimeUnicronPack|O.P]]).

{{-}}{{anchor|Nightmare}}
[[File:TFP-AM-Nightmare-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Nightmare Unicron''' (2013)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu M" Arms Micron

:A black, grey, and red redeco of Gaia Unicron, this version of the chaos-bringer is designed to match up with [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]]. Notably, this is the first release of the mold to feature correctly-assembled knees.

:Nightmare Unicron was released as a Cybertron Satellite store exclusive in Japan. Prior to the release, he was revealed as a prize for the second Arms Up Micron contest.
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2016]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Generations|Kranix]]

:Part of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' offerings for 2016 intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Unicron is a redeco of the [[#Transformers (2010)|2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron]] toy, itself a retool of ''Armada'' Unicron. It is similar but not identical to the previous Hasbro 2011 Amazon.com release–the blue is now much lighter and slightly less saturated, while the orange is slightly lighter and the grey is darker, both of which are more metallic. The leg missiles have also changed to a darker blood red plastic. The paint deco is unchanged aside from matching the tweaked color scheme. The mold is also showing its age, as it is much harder to get the planet halves to stay latched together compared to past releases.

:Like several of the 2016 ''Platinum Edition'' sets, Unicron saw a very limited release: Essentially, he was only ever officially released in some of Hasbro's Asian markets such as Hong Kong. A small number of US-based online retailers (such as [[BigBadToyStore]]), plus a few more from Canada and the United Kingdom, stocked him as well, having obtained their stock through Asian vendors.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
{{anchor|HasLab}}
[[File:TF-WFC-S-Unicron.jpg|upright=2.33|thumb|"For a time… I considered sparing your wretched bank account. But now, you shall witness… ITS WITHDRAWAL!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' ([[2021]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Damaged face plate, two chin pieces, Autobot shuttle, planet display stand, head display stand
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]], [[Lynsey Urban]] and [[Lenny Panzica]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Robby Musso]] and [[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept art), [[AJ Piejko-Brown]] and [[Aurora Kraus]] (packaging), [[Mark Grzesik]], [[Sarah Jean Rovenko]], and [[Dan Caparco]] (instruction design), [[Lee Tympanick]] (safety), [[Rachel Fleming]] (senior box sitter, marketing), [[Charlie (cat)|Charlie]] (junior box sitter, cat)}}<ref>HasLab Unicron development reports at the [[Hasbro Pulse#Hasbro Pulse Unboxed|Hasbro Pulse blog]].</ref>

:At over 27 inches tall in robot mode, 30 inches wide in planet mode, and weighing 16 pounds including his stand, ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' Unicron is the biggest ''Transformers'' figure to date, overthrowing [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'']] [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Generations|Fortress Maximus]].

:…and at $575 USD plus tax, it overthrows your car payment and auto insurance.

:Features include over 50 points of articulation (including a whopping 15 points per hand, plus posable eyes, mouth and teeth), a geared chomping planet mouth with articulated mandibles, a removable head, an [[Autobot shuttle#Toys|Autobot shuttle]], and ''minuscule'' [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron|Galvatron]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Hot Rod]] [[Slug figure|figurines]] to eat. Two display stands are included: a large main stand that can be used in both modes, and a smaller display stand for the head and some of the accessories. To make it easier to manipulate such a massive toy, he can remain attached to the larger display stand during transformation, and his planetary rings/wings can be detached, but transformation is possible without removing any parts. The pointy bits around the equator are molded in flexible plastic for fragility reasons. His head has an alternate damaged faceplate, an alternate forked chin, and hidden skull details. Beneath the main display stand is a compartment to store whichever faceplate and chin piece aren't in use.

:In a first for the ''Transformers'' brand, Unicron includes tiny plastic plugs to conceal screw holes on the front of his left arm, the back of his right arm, and on the planet's pinching mandibles. The 22 screw hole covers are packaged on a sprue. All of the plugs conceal asymmetries resulting from shared parts between the left and the right sides of the figure.

:To achieve the screen-accurate spherical shape for his planet mode, Unicron's transformation consists mainly of [[Shellformer|his planet mode's outer shell splitting apart and packing into layers on the back of his torso and legs]]. A rear panel of the planet does form Unicron's forearms, emulating his transformation scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Each wing has nine joints used for transformation. The planetary ring is radially symmetrical, and can be connected with its parallel points oriented clockwise or counter-clockwise (instructions show clockwise, most of the promotional materials show counter-clockwise). The wings and equatorial spikes require much assembly. Along with the [[#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Deluxe mold]], this is one of only two Unicron toys to feature his iconic [[Dracula]]-style collar.

:The final production figure has a few visible differences from the stock photos, convention appearance specimens, and even its own instruction booklet. Most conspicuously, the inner planetary maw is now blue instead of yellow, and the robot lower teeth are grey-blue instead of painted silver. The tiny Galvatron and Hot Rod figures are also completely different sculpts with rectangular bases and fewer colors. Promotional renders of the Autobot shuttle accessory were shown in a single color, but in production some of the details are painted over in silver.

:The small display stand for Unicron's head has many places on its legs to display the shuttle and mini-figurines, and room for additional similar items. There are 15 rectangular sockets for figurines like Galvatron, Hot Rod, or Optimus Prime (of whom you have [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|two]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#K30|options]]), and there are three places to attach the 5mm post for the Autobot Shuttle's display armature or other items with 5mm posts. [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|The ''Kingdom'' Galvatron toy]] was packaged with a version of [[Revenge (G1)|The Revenge]], which was intended to be in-scale with this Unicron figure, and features a 5mm post on its underside, but it does not have sufficient physical clearances to fit into any of the ports on this display stand.

:Yes, he can support his own weight in robot mode without his stand. No, the head does not need to be removed during transformation; it fits inside the planet mode by rotating his horns down.

:The bottom of the planet mode features two flaps designed to conceal the insertion slot for the stand, just in case you figure out a way to display planet mode without the stand. Unfortunately, one of the flaps takes some fiddling to flip, and the author of the instructions expected them to be packaged flipped-in so Unicron could immediately connect to his stand, but most specimens were not found that way, making the average unboxing experience frustrating. The final page of the instruction book, read in reverse order, shows how to flip this flap and fix this problem.

:[https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-war-for-cybertron-unicron Announced] by [[Hasbro Pulse]] on [[July 15]], [[2019]], Unicron is the first ''Transformers'' toy to be released as a crowdfunded project from [[Hasbro Pulse#HasLab|HasLab]]. Unicron required a minimum of 8,000 backers to be put into production, with an initial deadline of [[August 31]]. On [[August 29]], Hasbro announced it was pushing the end date back to [[October 6]] (the end of [[New York Comic Con]] 2019) in response to fan feedback asking for more time; the project finally achieved the 8,000 backer goal one day before the new deadline, on [[October 5]]. On October 6, the project finished (according to the HTML code of the progress bar) at 140.9%, or 11,272 units, despite officially only displaying “8,000+”. More than a month later, the page was changed to officially read “12,000+ Backers”. In addition to the Unicron figure itself, HasLab backers received a digital comics bundle from [[IDW Publishing]] (featuring [[:File:UnicronHaslabBundleCover.jpg|new cover art]] by [[Andrew Griffith]] that homages the cover of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' [[The Transformers (issue)|#1]]), which contains the four-issue ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' miniseries, and [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|the first issue]] of the 2019 ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' ongoing series. Unicron began shipping to purchasers in February 2021.

:The [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|"Behold, Galvatron!" Unicron Companion Pack]] is intended as an add-on set, featuring [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in a clear purple deco reminiscent of his reformatting scene, small painted ships of the ''Revenge'' (a different sculpt than Galvatron's hand weapons), a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson Cruiser#War for Cybertron Trilogy|ship]], and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions']] ''[[Minnow#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Minnow]]'', as well as an additional 14 mini-figures that can be placed on the display stand.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Hard Hero===
[[File:HHUnicron statue.jpg|thumb|Weighs almost as much as the real thing]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (BotCon 2002)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron is a huge cold-cast porcelain statue based upon the cartoon design of Unicron. It was originally a [[BotCon 2002]] [[exclusive]] before being released to the general public.
{{--}}

===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:Titanium RM Unicron.jpg|thumb|"Screw transforming. Watch me convert this 7-10 split."]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Decepticon stand

: Part of the very first wave of ''[[Titanium Series]]'' "Robot Masters" figurines, Unicron is a 3-inch-tall figurine made partially of [[die-cast]] metal, with movable arms. One hand holds what seems to be a moon (or he's going bowling).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/TitUnicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Titanium'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===Art Asylum===
[[File:AAUnicron statue.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Oh, I see how this works. You say, "Behind you!" and I turn around, and while I'm staring at nothing, you run away. Well, I'm not falling for it!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Movie Statue''' (Diamond Select, 2007)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron stands 8 ½” tall and is limited to 1,986 pieces (as in 1986, the year the original animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers]]'' movie was released). It also features a smaller statue of Hot Rod standing upon the centerpiece holding the [[Matrix of Leadership]] aloft. Oddly enough, Hot Rod is in his toy colours.
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:RH Prime vs Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Quite possibly the only Unicron you could ever afford.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Optimus Prime & Unicron''' (Two-pack, 2007)}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (concept artist)}}

: Based on a cartoon-ified version of his ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' model, Unicron's entry in the ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' line comes packed with a [[Matrix of Leadership]]-brandishing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#RHUnicron|Optimus Prime]]. His articulation consists solely of his shoulder joints. Also, it was noted that Unicron doesn't have a smiling mouth unlike most of the Robot Heroes figures.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Unicron at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|RHBlindpack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Single-pack, 2008)}}</ul>

: In some countries outside of North America, Unicron was released individually in a blindpack with no notable changes.
{{--}}

===Diamond Select===
[[File:Reformatted statue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Downloading Galvatron.exe, 74% Complete]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megatron Reformatted Bust''' (Action Figure Xpress exclusive, 2008)}}</ul>

:"Megatron Reformatted" is a bust exclusively available through Action Figure Xpress, depicting the Decepticon leader in the beginning stages of his reformation into Galvatron as featured in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. This bust features a base in the shape of Unicron.

{{-}}
[[File:DST09 Galvatron bust.jpg|thumb|upright=o.85|Download complete! Run: Y/N]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Galvatron''' (2009)}}</ul>

:Similar to the above piece, this bust depicts the newly-created Galvatron suspended above Unicron. It was sculpted by [[Art Asylum]] and was limited to 1,000 pieces.
{{-}}

===''Tiny Titans''===
[[File:TinyTitans Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|THAT... IS NOT A KNIFE. ''THIS''... IS A KNIFE.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': '''6'''
:*''Number'': '''9/12'''

: Part of the sixth and final [[Blindpacking|blind-bagged]] assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'', this toy is a small, soft-plastic figurine of the Chaos Bringer, oddly brandishing a butcher knife that he has never used in any work of fiction prior to this toy's release.

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

===EX Gōkin+===
[[File:EXGokin UnicronHead.jpg|thumb|Devourer of Wallets]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Head''' (2015)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' 2 whole eyes, 2 shattered eyes, stand

:Produced by [[Art Storm]] as part of their ''EX Gōkin+'' line, this is a large, extensively detailed sculpt of Unicron's disembodied head as seen in the third season of the Generation 1 cartoon. He comes with alternate eye parts, allowing you to display him with either shattered or undamaged eyes.

::*''[http://artstorm.co.jp/exgokinplus_unicronhead.html More information on Unicron Head at Art Storm's official site]''
{{--}}

===Soldier Story===
[[File:Soldier-Story-Unicron-lamp.jpeg|thumb|Our darkest lighter.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (2017)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Hot Rod, Hot Rod clear stand, remote control, USB power cable

:Another high-end collectible, the [[Soldier Story Toys]] Unicron table lamp stands over 26" tall and is bedecked with over 70 LEDs of various colors all over it. It also projects the movie-style Decepticon [[insignia]] above it. The lamp also includes a 6" Hot Rod holding the Matrix of Leadership.

::*''[http://www.soldierstory-toys.com/products_show.asp?id=193 More information on the Unicron table lamp at Soldier Story's website]''
{{--}}

===Symbiote Studios===
[[File:Symbiote-Studios-Unicron-Plush.jpg|thumb|"Complete the Cuddle." "Hahahaha, DO IT YOURSELF!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Plush''' (2021)}}</ul>

:Available exclusively for San Diego/LA Comic-Con 2021, this adorable head plush of the Devourer of the Planets is produced by Symbiote Studios, and officially licensed by Hasbro. Made with high-quality soft minky fabric.
{{--}}

===Icon Heroes===
[[File:Icon-Heroes-Unicron-Pen-Holder.jpg|thumb|As the old saying goes, the pen is mightier than the Matrix.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Pen Holder''' (2022)}}</ul>

:A polystone replica of Unicron's severed head produced by Icon Heroes, meant to be used as a pen holder. It features a large gap on its top to accommodate multiple pens, while each of its shattered eyes can store one pen at a time to humorous effect.
{{--}}

===''Pop!''===
[[File:Funko Pop Jumbo 10-inch Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.22|Half the planet turns into his head.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Jumbo size, July 21, 2022)}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''103'''

:Released as part of the ''[[Funko Pop!|Pop! Retro Toys]]'' segment, Funko's ''Pop!'' Unicron is a Jumbo-sized 10" [[super deformed]] vinyl figure based on his original Generation 1 design, with many of his coloring details based off the HasLab toy above.

:This piece was a shared exclusive for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2022 and GameStop; the toy was the same at both venues, though the packaging would have different stickers.
{{--}}

===''ReAction''===
[[File:Super7 ReAction Unicron.jpeg|upright=1.66|right|thumb|It's settled: there is no such thing as "too obscure".]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (December 30, 2022)}}</ul>

: Released in the sixth wave of [[Super7]]'s line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ''[[Super7#ReAction|ReAction]]'' Unicron is a "giant-sized" 6-inch toy scaled to tower over the rest of his shipping assortment. In stark contrast to the cartoon-faithful sculpting of the entire rest of the line, this non-converting figure is based on the unreleased 1986 Hasbro prototype toy listed ''waaayyyy'' up above. No, really. It features swivel articulation at the hips, shoulders and neck… though the spheroid body means the leg articulation is very limited, and the arms just kind of… swing inward in front or behind him fairly uselessly. Like, he can do half a dab.

: The [[cross-sell]] images on the cardback depict the Unicron figure holding a large gun, likewise matching the first (and lesser-known) 1986 prototype that had been designed to include a gun that could transform into a stand for the planet mode; however, the final figure did not include this weapon, probably due to the aforementioned wonky arm articulation. It was ''double'' cancelled… harsh.

: As with all releases in the ''ReAction'' toyline, Unicron comes packaged on a card that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of [[Kenner]]'s ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Prototype)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version of ''ReAction'' Unicron has a green deco to represent the ''other'' unreleased early Unicron prototype shown way above - this time the Takara model. In keeping with this, the card uses the Japanese Transformers logo instead of English. The card is significantly smaller than that of the previous version, now the same size as those of standard 3.75" ''ReActions''. It was exclusive to the Super7 website; the listing named it as "Unicron (Prototype)", though that term was not written on the card.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Yellow)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version returns to the original ''ReAction'' figure / Hasbro toy prototype color scheme, but now in noticeably brighter shades of yellow and blue. It was packaged in a G1-styled box, with new [[package art|character art]] instead of that from previous ''ReAction'' releases. The character [[bio]] on the box is reused from the [[Unicron/toys#Universe .282008.29|''Universe'' Unicron]] toy above. This piece was released for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2024, with leftover stock being available on the Super7 website the following week.

{{-}}

===''Transformers Character Card''===
[[File:Transformers Character Card Unicron and Decepticons.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
*'''Destron Army and Unicron Set''' ([[December 28]], [[2024]])
**''ID number:'' '''99 & 100'''

:Released as part of the thirteenth wave of the [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive ''[[Transformers Character Card]]'' series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of the Generation 1 [[Decepticon]]s (as represented by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Stranglehold]], and [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]]) and Unicron along with [[bio|character profiles]] and [[Tech Spec|tech specs]].
::*''[[Source:Transformers Character Card#100|Translation of Unicron's Transformers Character Card]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Planet-robot.jpg|thumb|right|They're always so cute before their horns come in.]]
* Perhaps the earliest known draft of the design that would become Unicron was created by Japanese artist [[Hiroyuki Hataike|Takehiko Itō]] of ''{{w|Outlaw Star}}'' fame. Itō suggested using redecoes of the spherical ''[[Micro Change]]'' "Meteor Robo" toys as satellites for "Planet-Robot" in brainstorming sessions.<ref>''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]'', p.113</ref>
* Photographs of the second Unicron prototype were first published in late [[1989]] in the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix'' videotape. Photographs of the first, smaller, Unicron prototype, were first published in late [[1995]] in the ''Planet of Cybertron Guide 3'' booklet included with Takara's release of the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)#Fight.21 Super Robot Lifeform Transformers_2010|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: 2010]]'' laserdisc set.<ref>''[[Transformers Generations 2011 Vol. 2]]'', p.53</ref>
* Designer [[Aaron Archer]] was shocked by the number of twist-ties used in ''Armada'' Unicron's [[packaging]], and decided to straighten them all out and put them in a line, measure it, and multiply the length by the number of Unicrons he knew they'd produced—and the total length of twist-tie would've stretched from Providence, [[Rhode Island]] to [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]]. This anecdote led the packaging team to try and reduce the number of ties used in ''Transformers'' packaging.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You know, I tell this story at conventions, I'm not sure I've said it on any of the live feeds, but... I had to take out a Unicron from its package back in the day, to do some diorama or something, and it had a lot of twisty-ties. And you know most of the time toy designers aren't taking the toys out of the package, we developed the stuff, and then there's other teams that do that, and how they package it and the structure and all that, that just gets done and that's not something that you overly worry about, it's not really your department to concern yourself with. But I had to take one out of the package […] and it had so many twisty-ties that I got annoyed, and I measured them all out! I straightened them all out, measured them out, and there was a considerable amount of twisty-tie in each Unicron, to the point that I was very confused by that amount and that number. I did the math, based on how many we made, and you could take a twisty-tie wire from Providence Rhode Island to Phoenix Arizona—which is most of the way across the United States diagonally—and that was the amount of wire we used just on Unicron. […] Think of the spools of wire needed to just do that, and that's a big expense, and not soon after that story got around we started encapsulating them in the packaging difference so we wouldn't have to twisty-tie them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz3TRK6TYAs&t=565s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday Night LIVE - Toy packaging and Transformers discussion|year=2023|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* According to Aaron Archer, he didn't intend for the resemblance between ''Cybertron'' Unicron and the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which TakaraTomy would capitalise on with their "Ark Unicron" release. The toy was motivated from a desire to release a Unicron figure at an affordable price-point, in particular for regions where retailers had never stocked the full-size ''Armada'' toy.<ref name=CybertronUnicron />

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

==External links==
*[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/content.php?/transformers-lucky-draw/toy-gallery/1088/Green+Unicron.html Photo gallery and review of Green Lucky Draw Unicron]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/merchandise/25/merchandise/Unicron+Japanese+Store+Display.html Inflatable Unicron store display gallery]

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Unicron/toys

2025-08-03T21:15:50Z

Jon T: /* Notes */

{{suite}}

'''[[Unicron]]''' has managed to amass a [[star system]] of toys and merchandise, and then some.

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|G1Takara}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoTakara.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|He's green with evil!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]])
{{toydesigner|[[Hiroyuki Hataike]] (concept artist)}}

:An unproduced toy for Unicron was to have been released in [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]. The first [[prototype]] of the toy was developed by Takara and was a green and yellow robot that was to come with a base that set up a "planetary system" with Unicron and a moon culled from movie preproduction materials that turned into a laser gun. When transformed to robot mode, Unicron would have a light and sound gimmick that would activate when shot by an infra-red ray from the gun. So far, this version of the toy has been shown only through Takara print materials.

:The placement of yellow is identical to the early animation [[character model]] of Unicron which labels him "[[:File:Model-TheEntity.jpg|The Entity]]". Like that early animation model, the planetary ring is located in front of his "maw" as a result of the positioning of the toy's stand. Additionally, he appears to sport a Decepticon [[rubsign]]. Assuming the rubsign is the same size as every other one, this version of Unicron is considerably smaller than the later prototype.

:At a company presentation, Takara designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] was informed that the Unicron toy was to be made at a larger size, presumably in order to serve as a more appropriate representation of the character's fictional scale. This resulted in the production of a subsequent prototype toy (see below).<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2011/11/07/koujin-oono-interview-on-generation-1-unicron-173702 Koujin Oono (sic) Interview on Generation 1 Unicron]</ref>
{{canceledtoy}}

{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoHasbro.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look out! The [[CBS]] logo is on a murderous rampage!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[Hasbro]]/Takara)

:A larger version of the Unicron prototype design was developed by Takara in closer collaboration with Hasbro and was a blue and yellow robot, possessing different [[paint operation]]s and molding to the earlier prototype, about one foot tall and was able to transform into a planet. In comparison to the earlier version, the color scheme of this later prototype is closer to the animation model's finalized colors. Furthermore, the planetary ring's location was rotated 90 degrees, similarly matching later revisions to Unicron's planet mode animation design which moved the ring away from the maw.

[[File:ProtoCron.jpg|left|thumb|For a time I considered sparing your wretched little botanical garden]]
:Omitted from the original prototype was the moon/laser gun, but the new larger design was to have come with a voice chip and a "planet microphone" to allow owners to speak through the toy. Sound samples of lines read by [[Orson Welles]] were also to be used in the toy. According to the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix]]'' videotape, Orson Welles recorded a total of ten lines for use in the toy, although only six were used in the prototype model. It also would have had a gun that became a stand for the planet mode and a blue "shield" that unfolded and covered the yellow part of his chest in planet mode. It bears an uncanny physical resemblance to Mr. Welles.

[[File:UnicronPatentShieldGun.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Peekaboo! I eat you!]]
:This figure had a public "debut" of sorts at [[BotCon 1996]], where it was mistransformed, but later convention appearances would feature it accurately transformed.

:After not being shown for several years, the prototype resurfaced in the summer of 2020 on display (and once again mistransformed) at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts as part of their "Let's Play! New England Toy Stories" exhibit featuring the history of New England toy manufacturers.<ref>https://www.capenews.net/arts_and_entertainment/let-s-play-will-celebrate-toys-and-local-toy-manufacturers/article_4ac47415-e615-5d1e-a39c-d270b7c89db2.html Article describing the exhibit, in which an assistant curator mentions "Hasbro prototype from the 1990's," presumably in reference to Unicron</ref>

:According to the fansite Transformers on the Shelf (no longer online), Unicron's toy was scrapped because of cost concerns, flimsy arms, and a faulty voice chip.

:Though the prototype had the tallest robot mode at the time of its planned release, it was ultimately shorter than [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars''===
[[File:BWII toy - Galvatron.jpg|right|upright=2.2|thumb|PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-p1|'''Galvatron''' ([[May 21]], [[1998]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''D-16'''
:*''Accessories:'' 2 "Galva Axe" missiles, "Scissor Hand" claw/wing-section
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara)}}

{{note|Beast Wars II [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as Unicron's "energy" form in the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoon.}}

:Released in the fourth wave of ''Beast Wars II'' products in the [[Japan]]ese ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#BWII|Beast Wars]]'' toyline, Galvatron is an Ultra-sized [[Triple Changer]], transforming from robot to mechanical [[dragon]] to drill tank. As the only totally unique Predacon mold created for the ''Beast Wars II'' toyline, Galvatron is also the only figure from the series with both vehicle and animal forms (well, at the same time). In drill tank mode, a black plunger protruding from the top of his cockpit can be pressed, spinning his drill as part of his "Drill Destroyer" attack. The tread-sections also feature his non-firing "Galvatling Cannons", which end up in his knees in both dragon and [[robot mode]]. Also in this mode, triggers on either side of his tail fire his "Galva Axes" as spring-loaded missiles. In dragon mode, a slider on his back allows for his wings to move in a flapping action. His wings can also split open into their "Scissor Hand" claw-pincer configurations, much like they do in the cartoon.

:In robot mode, Galvatron's Galva Axes can be held in his hands as melee weapons or fired from their launchers that are now located on his forearms. His Scissor Hand weapon can also be removed in this mode and used as a hand-held weapon. Galvatron's chest also houses has a yellow marble to represent his "[[Galva-Matrix]]".

: [[Sonokong]] also released this figure in their ''Beast-War'' toyline as "Garba Tron" (also known as "Galvatron"). Aside from the difference in packaging, the [[South Korea|Korea]]n release of the figure is identical to the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] releases. In place of the bio cards of the Takara releases, Garba Tron comes with two "{{w|Rock paper scissors|Jan-ken-pon}}" cards. One has an image [[:File:D-16 Garba Tron Sonokong.jpeg|reflecting the one on the box]], with scissors and the number one die roll, and the other with rock and the number five die roll, with a super computer or building in the background.

: ''Beast-War'' Galba Tron was later reissued in the Korean ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)#Car Bot|Car Bot]]'' toyline, reassigned as a [[Predacon (BW)#2001 Robots in Disguise continuity family|Destronger]] and renamed [[Megatron (RID)#Gigatron Z|Gigatron Z]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Destron/Galvatron/galvatron.htm More information on Galvatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWN}}
[[File:BWNeo-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|A robot with a hemisphere on his back.]]
*'''Unicron''' (Takara)
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara), [[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

:Takara tried again to produce a Unicron toy during ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' (as the character figured prominently to the endings of both the cartoon and comic), only going as far as the resin prototype stage before canceling it. It was said to be around the size of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|"Optimal Optimus"]] and had several gimmicks, such as an opening robot mouth when the horns were squeezed, and a claw and a drill that were stored in the planet "shell" in robot mode. The toy would also have had planetary ring segments, not shown in the photo at right; unlike most representations of Unicron, these ring segments ran along his equator, and were only partial so his planetary mouth was not obstructed. One hard copy was shown at the [[Tokyo Toy Show]]. Fans attempted to lobby for an unassembled, unpainted, and likely one-color "garage kit" version of the toy, but this never came to be… probably because the cost per unit would have been several hundred dollars.

:Interestingly enough, neither the cartoon nor comic version of ''Neo'' Unicron looked like the toy. This toy was later used to represent [[Dark Nova]]'s "Unicron Neo" form in the [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

===''Armada''===
[[File:Unicrontoyarmada.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|And the fandom rejoiced (and complained).]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Mini-Con Dead End''' (Supreme Class, July [[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara/Sonokong ID number:'' '''MX-00'''
:*''Takara release date'': September ??, 2003
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Hironori Kobayashi]] (Takara)|[[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Unicron from the [[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|''Armada'' toyline]] is an orange and transparent purple Supreme-size toy that transforms into a planet. It features many [[Mini-Con]] [[Powerlinx]] plugs on the planet's rings, and "chomping" jaws activated by moving the mandibles. The packed-in Mini-Con [[Dead End (Armada)#Toys|Dead End]] in moon mode plugs into a specially shaped crater-like socket on Unicron's planet form, just above his gaping maw. Powerlinx plugs on his sides activate the triple spring-loaded missile launchers, which end up on his [[robot mode]] legs. In robot mode, he has hidden compartments for Mini-Cons in his robot-mode legs and abdomen. One Powerlinx plug on the back of the robot mode activates blinking eye lights and a cannon that bursts from the chest and shoots a missile. A button on the top of the head also activates the blinking eye lights. Pushing his right hand back slightly into the cuff causes it to light up.

: In total, the toy can hold up to 27 Mini-Cons in planet mode, and 30 in robot mode—35 if you count the two cavities in his forearms, Dead End's indent on the planet shells, and if a Mini-Con is stored in the compartment on each leg. 24 of the Powerlinx points are situated on his wings/planet ring. That's a lot of Mini-Cons! Attaching the full capacity of Mini-Cons can easily add a whole pound to Unicron's weight (varying slightly by the choice of Mini-Cons used of course). Since Unicron alone is one of the heaviest ''Transformers'' figures ever made at the time, one can imagine how bulky he gets.

: This toy is notable for being the first "modern" ''Transformers'' release in the main line at the $50-price point. Due to his success, other releases like ''Energon'' [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] came into being. This toy was featured in ToyFare Magazine, being awarded "Toy of the Year" for 2003 in "Best of the Best 2003".<ref>http://www.unicron.us/tf2003/toypix/unicron.htm</ref>

: Unicron is something of a [[shellformer]], with the majority of his planet mode being composed of two large translucent purple halves which swing onto his back in robot mode as wings ([[:File:Union-Unicron.jpg|though, not to the scale they are shown to be in the cartoon]]). These parts can be removed quite easily in robot mode to make him a little more accurate to his appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''—which is exactly what a large percentage of the [[fandom]] did with the figure, since this ''was'' the only Unicron toy available for Generation 1 collectors to buy at the time. In fact, Unicron's [[instructions]] ''actually'' tell you to [[Partformer|remove the wings for transformation]], though it's not ''really'' needed. The reason the instructions tell you to remove the wings is because they are intended to be reconnected to the same joints they were taken off of back-to-front in robot mode, allowing for the base of the wing to sit in the channels behind his shoulders, making them less likely to flop around. Because the wings are removable, this has led to hemisphereless Unicrons being quite common on the aftermarket.

: The toy had a minor [[Variant|running change]] where a slot and tab were added to the shoulder and wing column, respectively, to keep the rings more firmly in place in planet mode. Early publicity photos and some catalog shots also show that the two nubs on either outside edge of the shoulders were originally full-fledged spikes, dulled down [[for safety reasons]].

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Legends of the Microns'' and [[Sonokong]] ''Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron'' releases of Unicron use a lighter orange, slightly more transparent plastic, and different paint applications than the Hasbro release, for instance, the silver paint on its face highlights his [[Humanization#Facial hair|moustache]].

:This mold was used to make the [[Unicron of Light|Mini-Con doppelganger of Unicron]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Armada'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|bonuspack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Dead End''' (Bonus pack, 2003)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate

: Late in the US line, [[Walmart]] stores received [[exclusive]] Unicron toys that came with the [[Air Military Mini-Con Team]] in a bubble attached to the top of the box. This set was sold for the normal retail price of Unicron... hey, free Mini-Cons!
{{-}}

===''Energon''===
[[File:Energon Unicron toy.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|This would be worth more to somebody outside of Japan if it was bought inside Japan.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2004]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number'': '''MX-00'''
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Energon|Dead End]]

:Unicron's ''Armada'' toy was [[redeco]]ed for the [[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|''Energon'' toyline]], sporting black and transparent orange, with "Energon damage" patterns, representing his shattered and damaged form. All of the gimmicks from the previous version are intact in this one.

:Early stock photography of the toy depicts Unicron with a different color scheme that features a gray face and a pink translucent chest instead of the silver face and a reddish-orange translucent chest of the actual toy.

:Early shipments of Unicron in ''Energon'' packaging shipped with either the orange ''Armada'' Unicron or the black ''Energon'' Unicron inside, in seemingly equal amounts for a short while. Eventually, the orange version was phased out and black was the only shipping version.

: The Takara ''Super Link'' release of Unicron—dubbed '''Unicron Black Version''' (ユニクロンブラックバージョン ''Yunikuron Burakku Bājon'')—was packaged inside the ''Legends of the Microns'' Unicron box, with a "20th Anniversary" sticker applied to the back and the front of the box. The figure was released in limited numbers (the amount of which is currently unknown), and was presumably exclusive to a store (which is also currently unknown).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Energon'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds}}
[[File:Energontoy-McUnicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Unicron will make an unhappy meal of you.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Fast Food Premium, 2004-2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Energon cube

:Available in one of two different European-market McDonald's Happy Meal promotions, this Unicron toy is based on ''Energon'' Unicron, being primarily black. It is very small, and the transformation consists of simply opening the planet mode to reveal the robot.

:When his Energon cube is clicked into position, the cube's power switch set to "on", and the toy's button depressed, his body lights up. In 2006, this figure was made available in Brazil without the Energon cube.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/McUnicron/unicron.htm More information on McDonald's Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Cybertron''===
[[File:Cyb-toy UnicronDlx.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|ZERG RUSH KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Deluxe Class, [[2006]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] Cyber Key
:*''Cyber Key Code'': '''dgt3'''
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro),<ref name=CybertronUnicron>{{citesocial|quote=I don't think he's supposed to be a tank version of the Ark but… we were talking a lot about Unicron, and Unicron's coming, and Unicron's coming… and sometimes that is a tactic used, you know, you'll do a much bigger or important character in a price point that's affordable, so that in some regions that will never get the higher priced items—it's a lot like why we did "Bendy Prime", Deluxe Prime, in ''Armada''—so that Unicron can be present in their fantasy play, but not necessarily going to ever be that larger one. That's one reason to do it, it was big in the story, it was just an opportunity to to do a character that people knew rather than not, so… Think of it as a dream-sequence Unicron, a bit… his energy, his thoughts, his malice, out there messing around. But that's why he would have been created and that's that, I guess. […] But I don't know why he looks like the Ark necessarily—I did that item, so the Ark wasn't part of my goal, so… that might just be in there.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PZCff7N2Wg&t=1857s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday night LIVE: Vector Prime is Back|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref> [[Takio Ejima]] (Takara)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Part of the eighth wave of [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] Deluxe Class toys, Unicron transforms into a futuristic, crab-like/insectoid tank. In robot mode, he sports a battle-damaged appearance, with his head featuring a skull-like design mimicking the Unicron head that comes with Cybertron Primus (see below). In both modes he features a large spring-loaded missile launcher, plus plugging a [[Cyber Key]] into his back end opens up a port on his front (which bears a striking similarity to his planet form's maw) that reveals a (non-firing) triple-barreled cannon. His side-spines in tank mode can be removed to become hand-weapons in robot mode.

: This toy was the first and only Unicron toy with the trademark Dracula-style "collar" from the original animation model, up until [[#War for Cybertron Trilogy|the toy based directly on said animation model]] created roughly fifteen years later. He is also the first Unicron toy to be placed with the Decepticon faction for the purposes of marketing.

: Due to the use of translucent plastic for his radar dish/head mount, aging samples run the risk of this piece breaking off at the joint due to plastic tolerance issues. Some samples also have difficulty holding the spike weapons properly due to the short pegs and clearance issues with his wrists.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Cybertron'' Unicron at TFU.info'']

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimusUnicronHead}}
[[File:Unicronhead.jpg|thumb|That worked a lot better for Fort Max.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme Class, 2006)}}</ul>

:''Cybertron'' Supreme Class [[Primus#Cybertron|Cybertron Primus]] comes with Unicron's head. The head is based on ''Armada'' Unicron's, with half of the face stripped away to reveal a robotic "skull". To provide the impression of locomotion, tentacles were added to the base of the head. His face bears a greater resemblance to his on-screen appearance in ''Armada'' than the ''Armada'' toy itself, with no facial hair, a more "wrinkled" look, and thinner, rounder eyes. Meanwhile, his color scheme matches the ''Cybertron'' toy, with dark gray horns and a purple crest on his brow.

: The packaging for this variation of Primus was specifically changed with a call-out for the Unicron head. This was originally supposed to be the first version of the Primus toy shipped, being part of the second wave of ''Cybertron'' Supreme Class toys, but both versions ended up shipping simultaneously, leading to some hunting to get the packed-in "Uni-skull".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Primus/Primus/primus.htm More information on Unicron's head (with Primus) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:Transformers-Universe-(2008)-Unicron-packaging.jpg|200px|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, 2008)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': Armada Series
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile

:For ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'', ''Armada'' Unicron was [[rebranding|rebranded]] with no deco differences, even retaining the ''Armada'' release's product code. He was sold as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]]. As with all Unicron products produced by Hasbro since ''Cybertron'' Unicron, he is placed in the Decepticon faction. Once again, the on-box [[bio]] profile describes Unicron's nature as a [[multiversal singularity]].
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' (2010)===
[[File:TF2010toy-Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Orange you glad it's 2010?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Universal Dominator Unicron''' (September [[2010]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Transformers (2010)|Bug]]

:A [[retool]] of Supreme Class ''Armada'' Unicron toy (see above), this Unicron is given a new head and an [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated film]]-inspired deco, making it the first "proper" release of a 1986-inspired Unicron figure. He retains all of his original [[gimmick]]s, including electronics. His Mini-Con partner, Bug, is still included.

:This set is only available in Japan as a [[TakaraTomy Mall|Toy Hobby Market]] [[exclusive]], with orders being taken from [[June 1]]st through [[July 4]]th. The toy was released at the end of September 2010. Unicron is part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' anniversary celebration, and is packaged in a special box that is meant to go with the [[Primus#2010|Creator Primus]] toy released the same year. Unicron comes with two "[[Robot Point|points]]" redeemable towards a talking stand for ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy]].

: This Unicron utilizes parts from both versions of ''Armada'' Unicron, having wings from the initial release, but hinged shoulder plates with holes on the backs for pegs from the slightly retooled version.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Hasbro2010}}
[[File:2010 Amazon Unicron.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|YOU GET THE BEEEEEEEEEEST OF BOTH WORLLLLLDS]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2011]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Kranix]]
{{toydesigner|[[Andrew Scribner]] (deco artist)}}

:Made in honor of the 25th anniversary of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', the 2010 ''Transformers'' toyline's Unicron deco is noticeably different than TakaraTomy's "Welcome to 2010" Unicron release (even though they are both coloured to represent the character from the movie). It is now cast in metallic gray and gold-ish orange, as well as a muted blue. The shade of blue ''may'' be seen as ''comic''-inspired, since the 80's Marvel comics sometimes had blue tones in the figure… but so did Unicron in some scenes of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', so make of it as you will. It comes with the Mini-Con Kranix (identical to the TakaraTomy release) and is exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.com]] and also at [[Toys"R"Us]] in Canada, while being available at general retail in parts of Southeast Asia. He was also released in Chile as a Ripley exclusive during Christmas 2011.

:While the packaging is of the 2010 toyline, the [[Instructions|instruction manual]] uses the ''Dark of the Moon'' logos (but not the series' style of instruction graphics).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Decepticon/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Transformers (2010)'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:United-ArkUnicron-toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Should I use THE CLAMPS?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Ark Unicron''' ([[February 25]], [[2012]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''UN-29'''
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), Planet X Cyber Key

: Ark Unicron is a straight redeco of the Deluxe Class ''Cybertron'' Unicron toy and is, for some reason, packaged in a Voyager-sized box. He is redecoed in colors similar to the 2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron figure, replacing his orange plastic with a darker, metallic shade, his dark gray with a muted blue, and his tan with gray. The Cyber Key retains its Key Code.

:Like the 5th and 6th wave figures, Ark Unicron's package feature a sticker that said "limited quantity (数量限定)", indicating that this figure is released in limited numbers after its first and only shipment.

:This figure was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as several of Unicron's [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]] in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic|''Generation Selects'']] comics.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Unicron/ArkUnicron/unicron.htm More information on Ark Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Prime''===
[[File:Primetoy-UnicronArmsMicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|There's gold in them thar hills.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Gaia Unicron''' (2012-[[September 29|09-29]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''AM-19'''
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:Part of the seventh wave of Japanese [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|''Prime'' toys]], and exclusive to said line, Gaia Unicron is an all-new mold. Its robot is based on Unicron's rock-avatar bodies from the ''Prime'' cartoon, while its alternate mode is… erm… a sort of amorphous mass that is ''presented'' by the toy's instructions as a "vehicle mode," but which has apparently been designed to look like a mountain with Unicron's face at its center, ringed by bolts of lightning—another reference to the ''Prime'' cartoon, in which Unicron's spirit communicated with Megatron by appearing in the fumes of a volcano. He also [[Partformer|partsforms]] into "[[Gaia Armor]]" for either Voyager Optimus Prime or Megatron, which more or less leaves most of his mass hanging off the wearer's butt. The Gaia Armor features a "loincloth" panel which has one of each of the 3 Arms Micron Power crystals, not unlike [[Hades]]' tail. Though his [[sticker]] sheet comes with Decepticon symbols for his shoulders, there are also optional [[Blentron]] stickers. His soft plastic wings and horns are prone to drying out and cracking with age, primarily near their connection points.

:Unicron's [[Arms Micron]] partner, [[Bogu]], transforms from what appears to be a robot mole into a pointy claw to replace one of Unicron's spiked club arms. (The displaced club arm can snap onto the back of the other club arm.) Gaia Unicron and his micron feature ''numerous'' [[5 mm post]]s and peg-holes.

:Compared to his [[stock photography]], most (if not all) Gaia Unicrons have [[Misassembly|mis-assembled]] knees, with two small gray parts on the inner portions of his knees being swapped, thus restricting his knee [[articulation]]. This cannot be fixed without knocking out a few pins. It's also common to find one with two of the same knee joint, meaning that swapping them won't fix the issue.

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimeUnicronPack}}
[[File:TFP-YotS-Gaia-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron''' ([[2013]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:This Asian-exclusive redeco of Gaia Unicron features a sticker-less, extensive paint-job, coating his shoulder-pads and large club-arm in shiny metallic paints that match his [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts, with some additional glossy-black and metallic-magenta paint details here and there. Bogu comes pre-assembled and lacks stickers. Gaia Unicron's knees are still mis-assembled.

:He and Bogu come in a multi-pack with a similarly-shiny [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#PrimeUnicronPack|Optimus Prime]] (with [[O.P.#PrimeUnicronPack|O.P]]).

{{-}}{{anchor|Nightmare}}
[[File:TFP-AM-Nightmare-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Nightmare Unicron''' (2013)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu M" Arms Micron

:A black, grey, and red redeco of Gaia Unicron, this version of the chaos-bringer is designed to match up with [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]]. Notably, this is the first release of the mold to feature correctly-assembled knees.

:Nightmare Unicron was released as a Cybertron Satellite store exclusive in Japan. Prior to the release, he was revealed as a prize for the second Arms Up Micron contest.
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2016]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Generations|Kranix]]

:Part of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' offerings for 2016 intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Unicron is a redeco of the [[#Transformers (2010)|2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron]] toy, itself a retool of ''Armada'' Unicron. It is similar but not identical to the previous Hasbro 2011 Amazon.com release–the blue is now much lighter and slightly less saturated, while the orange is slightly lighter and the grey is darker, both of which are more metallic. The leg missiles have also changed to a darker blood red plastic. The paint deco is unchanged aside from matching the tweaked color scheme. The mold is also showing its age, as it is much harder to get the planet halves to stay latched together compared to past releases.

:Like several of the 2016 ''Platinum Edition'' sets, Unicron saw a very limited release: Essentially, he was only ever officially released in some of Hasbro's Asian markets such as Hong Kong. A small number of US-based online retailers (such as [[BigBadToyStore]]), plus a few more from Canada and the United Kingdom, stocked him as well, having obtained their stock through Asian vendors.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
{{anchor|HasLab}}
[[File:TF-WFC-S-Unicron.jpg|upright=2.33|thumb|"For a time… I considered sparing your wretched bank account. But now, you shall witness… ITS WITHDRAWAL!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' ([[2021]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Damaged face plate, two chin pieces, Autobot shuttle, planet display stand, head display stand
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]], [[Lynsey Urban]] and [[Lenny Panzica]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Robby Musso]] and [[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept art), [[AJ Piejko-Brown]] and [[Aurora Kraus]] (packaging), [[Mark Grzesik]], [[Sarah Jean Rovenko]], and [[Dan Caparco]] (instruction design), [[Lee Tympanick]] (safety), [[Rachel Fleming]] (senior box sitter, marketing), [[Charlie (cat)|Charlie]] (junior box sitter, cat)}}<ref>HasLab Unicron development reports at the [[Hasbro Pulse#Hasbro Pulse Unboxed|Hasbro Pulse blog]].</ref>

:At over 27 inches tall in robot mode, 30 inches wide in planet mode, and weighing 16 pounds including his stand, ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' Unicron is the biggest ''Transformers'' figure to date, overthrowing [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'']] [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Generations|Fortress Maximus]].

:…and at $575 USD plus tax, it overthrows your car payment and auto insurance.

:Features include over 50 points of articulation (including a whopping 15 points per hand, plus posable eyes, mouth and teeth), a geared chomping planet mouth with articulated mandibles, a removable head, an [[Autobot shuttle#Toys|Autobot shuttle]], and ''minuscule'' [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron|Galvatron]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Hot Rod]] [[Slug figure|figurines]] to eat. Two display stands are included: a large main stand that can be used in both modes, and a smaller display stand for the head and some of the accessories. To make it easier to manipulate such a massive toy, he can remain attached to the larger display stand during transformation, and his planetary rings/wings can be detached, but transformation is possible without removing any parts. The pointy bits around the equator are molded in flexible plastic for fragility reasons. His head has an alternate damaged faceplate, an alternate forked chin, and hidden skull details. Beneath the main display stand is a compartment to store whichever faceplate and chin piece aren't in use.

:In a first for the ''Transformers'' brand, Unicron includes tiny plastic plugs to conceal screw holes on the front of his left arm, the back of his right arm, and on the planet's pinching mandibles. The 22 screw hole covers are packaged on a sprue. All of the plugs conceal asymmetries resulting from shared parts between the left and the right sides of the figure.

:To achieve the screen-accurate spherical shape for his planet mode, Unicron's transformation consists mainly of [[Shellformer|his planet mode's outer shell splitting apart and packing into layers on the back of his torso and legs]]. A rear panel of the planet does form Unicron's forearms, emulating his transformation scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Each wing has nine joints used for transformation. The planetary ring is radially symmetrical, and can be connected with its parallel points oriented clockwise or counter-clockwise (instructions show clockwise, most of the promotional materials show counter-clockwise). The wings and equatorial spikes require much assembly. Along with the [[#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Deluxe mold]], this is one of only two Unicron toys to feature his iconic [[Dracula]]-style collar.

:The final production figure has a few visible differences from the stock photos, convention appearance specimens, and even its own instruction booklet. Most conspicuously, the inner planetary maw is now blue instead of yellow, and the robot lower teeth are grey-blue instead of painted silver. The tiny Galvatron and Hot Rod figures are also completely different sculpts with rectangular bases and fewer colors. Promotional renders of the Autobot shuttle accessory were shown in a single color, but in production some of the details are painted over in silver.

:The small display stand for Unicron's head has many places on its legs to display the shuttle and mini-figurines, and room for additional similar items. There are 15 rectangular sockets for figurines like Galvatron, Hot Rod, or Optimus Prime (of whom you have [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|two]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#K30|options]]), and there are three places to attach the 5mm post for the Autobot Shuttle's display armature or other items with 5mm posts. [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|The ''Kingdom'' Galvatron toy]] was packaged with a version of [[Revenge (G1)|The Revenge]], which was intended to be in-scale with this Unicron figure, and features a 5mm post on its underside, but it does not have sufficient physical clearances to fit into any of the ports on this display stand.

:Yes, he can support his own weight in robot mode without his stand. No, the head does not need to be removed during transformation; it fits inside the planet mode by rotating his horns down.

:The bottom of the planet mode features two flaps designed to conceal the insertion slot for the stand, just in case you figure out a way to display planet mode without the stand. Unfortunately, one of the flaps takes some fiddling to flip, and the author of the instructions expected them to be packaged flipped-in so Unicron could immediately connect to his stand, but most specimens were not found that way, making the average unboxing experience frustrating. The final page of the instruction book, read in reverse order, shows how to flip this flap and fix this problem.

:[https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-war-for-cybertron-unicron Announced] by [[Hasbro Pulse]] on [[July 15]], [[2019]], Unicron is the first ''Transformers'' toy to be released as a crowdfunded project from [[Hasbro Pulse#HasLab|HasLab]]. Unicron required a minimum of 8,000 backers to be put into production, with an initial deadline of [[August 31]]. On [[August 29]], Hasbro announced it was pushing the end date back to [[October 6]] (the end of [[New York Comic Con]] 2019) in response to fan feedback asking for more time; the project finally achieved the 8,000 backer goal one day before the new deadline, on [[October 5]]. On October 6, the project finished (according to the HTML code of the progress bar) at 140.9%, or 11,272 units, despite officially only displaying “8,000+”. More than a month later, the page was changed to officially read “12,000+ Backers”. In addition to the Unicron figure itself, HasLab backers received a digital comics bundle from [[IDW Publishing]] (featuring [[:File:UnicronHaslabBundleCover.jpg|new cover art]] by [[Andrew Griffith]] that homages the cover of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' [[The Transformers (issue)|#1]]), which contains the four-issue ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' miniseries, and [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|the first issue]] of the 2019 ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' ongoing series. Unicron began shipping to purchasers in February 2021.

:The [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|"Behold, Galvatron!" Unicron Companion Pack]] is intended as an add-on set, featuring [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in a clear purple deco reminiscent of his reformatting scene, small painted ships of the ''Revenge'' (a different sculpt than Galvatron's hand weapons), a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson Cruiser#War for Cybertron Trilogy|ship]], and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions']] ''[[Minnow#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Minnow]]'', as well as an additional 14 mini-figures that can be placed on the display stand.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Hard Hero===
[[File:HHUnicron statue.jpg|thumb|Weighs almost as much as the real thing]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (BotCon 2002)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron is a huge cold-cast porcelain statue based upon the cartoon design of Unicron. It was originally a [[BotCon 2002]] [[exclusive]] before being released to the general public.
{{--}}

===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:Titanium RM Unicron.jpg|thumb|"Screw transforming. Watch me convert this 7-10 split."]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Decepticon stand

: Part of the very first wave of ''[[Titanium Series]]'' "Robot Masters" figurines, Unicron is a 3-inch-tall figurine made partially of [[die-cast]] metal, with movable arms. One hand holds what seems to be a moon (or he's going bowling).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/TitUnicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Titanium'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===Art Asylum===
[[File:AAUnicron statue.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Oh, I see how this works. You say, "Behind you!" and I turn around, and while I'm staring at nothing, you run away. Well, I'm not falling for it!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Movie Statue''' (Diamond Select, 2007)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron stands 8 ½” tall and is limited to 1,986 pieces (as in 1986, the year the original animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers]]'' movie was released). It also features a smaller statue of Hot Rod standing upon the centerpiece holding the [[Matrix of Leadership]] aloft. Oddly enough, Hot Rod is in his toy colours.
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:RH Prime vs Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Quite possibly the only Unicron you could ever afford.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Optimus Prime & Unicron''' (Two-pack, 2007)}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (concept artist)}}

: Based on a cartoon-ified version of his ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' model, Unicron's entry in the ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' line comes packed with a [[Matrix of Leadership]]-brandishing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#RHUnicron|Optimus Prime]]. His articulation consists solely of his shoulder joints. Also, it was noted that Unicron doesn't have a smiling mouth unlike most of the Robot Heroes figures.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Unicron at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|RHBlindpack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Single-pack, 2008)}}</ul>

: In some countries outside of North America, Unicron was released individually in a blindpack with no notable changes.
{{--}}

===Diamond Select===
[[File:Reformatted statue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Downloading Galvatron.exe, 74% Complete]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megatron Reformatted Bust''' (Action Figure Xpress exclusive, 2008)}}</ul>

:"Megatron Reformatted" is a bust exclusively available through Action Figure Xpress, depicting the Decepticon leader in the beginning stages of his reformation into Galvatron as featured in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. This bust features a base in the shape of Unicron.

{{-}}
[[File:DST09 Galvatron bust.jpg|thumb|upright=o.85|Download complete! Run: Y/N]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Galvatron''' (2009)}}</ul>

:Similar to the above piece, this bust depicts the newly-created Galvatron suspended above Unicron. It was sculpted by [[Art Asylum]] and was limited to 1,000 pieces.
{{-}}

===''Tiny Titans''===
[[File:TinyTitans Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|THAT... IS NOT A KNIFE. ''THIS''... IS A KNIFE.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': '''6'''
:*''Number'': '''9/12'''

: Part of the sixth and final [[Blindpacking|blind-bagged]] assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'', this toy is a small, soft-plastic figurine of the Chaos Bringer, oddly brandishing a butcher knife that he has never used in any work of fiction prior to this toy's release.

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

===EX Gōkin+===
[[File:EXGokin UnicronHead.jpg|thumb|Devourer of Wallets]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Head''' (2015)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' 2 whole eyes, 2 shattered eyes, stand

:Produced by [[Art Storm]] as part of their ''EX Gōkin+'' line, this is a large, extensively detailed sculpt of Unicron's disembodied head as seen in the third season of the Generation 1 cartoon. He comes with alternate eye parts, allowing you to display him with either shattered or undamaged eyes.

::*''[http://artstorm.co.jp/exgokinplus_unicronhead.html More information on Unicron Head at Art Storm's official site]''
{{--}}

===Soldier Story===
[[File:Soldier-Story-Unicron-lamp.jpeg|thumb|Our darkest lighter.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (2017)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Hot Rod, Hot Rod clear stand, remote control, USB power cable

:Another high-end collectible, the [[Soldier Story Toys]] Unicron table lamp stands over 26" tall and is bedecked with over 70 LEDs of various colors all over it. It also projects the movie-style Decepticon [[insignia]] above it. The lamp also includes a 6" Hot Rod holding the Matrix of Leadership.

::*''[http://www.soldierstory-toys.com/products_show.asp?id=193 More information on the Unicron table lamp at Soldier Story's website]''
{{--}}

===Symbiote Studios===
[[File:Symbiote-Studios-Unicron-Plush.jpg|thumb|"Complete the Cuddle." "Hahahaha, DO IT YOURSELF!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Plush''' (2021)}}</ul>

:Available exclusively for San Diego/LA Comic-Con 2021, this adorable head plush of the Devourer of the Planets is produced by Symbiote Studios, and officially licensed by Hasbro. Made with high-quality soft minky fabric.
{{--}}

===Icon Heroes===
[[File:Icon-Heroes-Unicron-Pen-Holder.jpg|thumb|As the old saying goes, the pen is mightier than the Matrix.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Pen Holder''' (2022)}}</ul>

:A polystone replica of Unicron's severed head produced by Icon Heroes, meant to be used as a pen holder. It features a large gap on its top to accommodate multiple pens, while each of its shattered eyes can store one pen at a time to humorous effect.
{{--}}

===''Pop!''===
[[File:Funko Pop Jumbo 10-inch Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.22|Half the planet turns into his head.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Jumbo size, July 21, 2022)}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''103'''

:Released as part of the ''[[Funko Pop!|Pop! Retro Toys]]'' segment, Funko's ''Pop!'' Unicron is a Jumbo-sized 10" [[super deformed]] vinyl figure based on his original Generation 1 design, with many of his coloring details based off the HasLab toy above.

:This piece was a shared exclusive for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2022 and GameStop; the toy was the same at both venues, though the packaging would have different stickers.
{{--}}

===''ReAction''===
[[File:Super7 ReAction Unicron.jpeg|upright=1.66|right|thumb|It's settled: there is no such thing as "too obscure".]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (December 30, 2022)}}</ul>

: Released in the sixth wave of [[Super7]]'s line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ''[[Super7#ReAction|ReAction]]'' Unicron is a "giant-sized" 6-inch toy scaled to tower over the rest of his shipping assortment. In stark contrast to the cartoon-faithful sculpting of the entire rest of the line, this non-converting figure is based on the unreleased 1986 Hasbro prototype toy listed ''waaayyyy'' up above. No, really. It features swivel articulation at the hips, shoulders and neck… though the spheroid body means the leg articulation is very limited, and the arms just kind of… swing inward in front or behind him fairly uselessly. Like, he can do half a dab.

: The [[cross-sell]] images on the cardback depict the Unicron figure holding a large gun, likewise matching the first (and lesser-known) 1986 prototype that had been designed to include a gun that could transform into a stand for the planet mode; however, the final figure did not include this weapon, probably due to the aforementioned wonky arm articulation. It was ''double'' cancelled… harsh.

: As with all releases in the ''ReAction'' toyline, Unicron comes packaged on a card that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of [[Kenner]]'s ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Prototype)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version of ''ReAction'' Unicron has a green deco to represent the ''other'' unreleased early Unicron prototype shown way above - this time the Takara model. In keeping with this, the card uses the Japanese Transformers logo instead of English. The card is significantly smaller than that of the previous version, now the same size as those of standard 3.75" ''ReActions''. It was exclusive to the Super7 website; the listing named it as "Unicron (Prototype)", though that term was not written on the card.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Yellow)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version returns to the original ''ReAction'' figure / Hasbro toy prototype color scheme, but now in noticeably brighter shades of yellow and blue. It was packaged in a G1-styled box, with new [[package art|character art]] instead of that from previous ''ReAction'' releases. The character [[bio]] on the box is reused from the [[Unicron/toys#Universe .282008.29|''Universe'' Unicron]] toy above. This piece was released for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2024, with leftover stock being available on the Super7 website the following week.

{{-}}

===''Transformers Character Card''===
[[File:Transformers Character Card Unicron and Decepticons.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
*'''Destron Army and Unicron Set''' ([[December 28]], [[2024]])
**''ID number:'' '''99 & 100'''

:Released as part of the thirteenth wave of the [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive ''[[Transformers Character Card]]'' series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of the Generation 1 [[Decepticon]]s (as represented by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Stranglehold]], and [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]]) and Unicron along with [[bio|character profiles]] and [[Tech Spec|tech specs]].
::*''[[Source:Transformers Character Card#100|Translation of Unicron's Transformers Character Card]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Planet-robot.jpg|thumb|right|They're always so cute before their horns come in.]]
* Perhaps the earliest known draft of the design that would become Unicron was created by Japanese artist [[Hiroyuki Hataike|Takehiko Itō]] of ''{{w|Outlaw Star}}'' fame. Itō suggested using redecoes of the spherical ''[[Micro Change]]'' "Meteor Robo" toys as satellites for "Planet-Robot" in brainstorming sessions.<ref>''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]'', p.113</ref>
* Photographs of the second Unicron prototype were first published in late [[1989]] in the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix'' videotape. Photographs of the first, smaller, Unicron prototype, were first published in late [[1995]] in the ''Planet of Cybertron Guide 3'' booklet included with Takara's release of the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)#Fight.21 Super Robot Lifeform Transformers_2010|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: 2010]]'' laserdisc set.<ref>[[Transformers Generations 2011 Vol. 2]], p.53</ref>
* Designer [[Aaron Archer]] was shocked by the number of twist-ties used in ''Armada'' Unicron's [[packaging]], and decided to straighten them all out and put them in a line, measure it, and multiply the length by the number of Unicrons he knew they'd produced—and the total length of twist-tie would've stretched from Providence, [[Rhode Island]] to [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]]. This anecdote led the packaging team to try and reduce the number of ties used in ''Transformers'' packaging.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You know, I tell this story at conventions, I'm not sure I've said it on any of the live feeds, but... I had to take out a Unicron from its package back in the day, to do some diorama or something, and it had a lot of twisty-ties. And you know most of the time toy designers aren't taking the toys out of the package, we developed the stuff, and then there's other teams that do that, and how they package it and the structure and all that, that just gets done and that's not something that you overly worry about, it's not really your department to concern yourself with. But I had to take one out of the package […] and it had so many twisty-ties that I got annoyed, and I measured them all out! I straightened them all out, measured them out, and there was a considerable amount of twisty-tie in each Unicron, to the point that I was very confused by that amount and that number. I did the math, based on how many we made, and you could take a twisty-tie wire from Providence Rhode Island to Phoenix Arizona—which is most of the way across the United States diagonally—and that was the amount of wire we used just on Unicron. […] Think of the spools of wire needed to just do that, and that's a big expense, and not soon after that story got around we started encapsulating them in the packaging difference so we wouldn't have to twisty-tie them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz3TRK6TYAs&t=565s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday Night LIVE - Toy packaging and Transformers discussion|year=2023|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* According to Aaron Archer, he didn't intend for the resemblance between ''Cybertron'' Unicron and the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which TakaraTomy would capitalise on with their "Ark Unicron" release. The toy was motivated from a desire to release a Unicron figure at an affordable price-point, in particular for regions where retailers had never stocked the full-size ''Armada'' toy.<ref name=CybertronUnicron />

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

==External links==
*[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/content.php?/transformers-lucky-draw/toy-gallery/1088/Green+Unicron.html Photo gallery and review of Green Lucky Draw Unicron]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/merchandise/25/merchandise/Unicron+Japanese+Store+Display.html Inflatable Unicron store display gallery]

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Unicron/toys

2025-08-02T21:11:00Z

Jon T: /* Notes */

{{suite}}

'''[[Unicron]]''' has managed to amass a [[star system]] of toys and merchandise, and then some.

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|G1Takara}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoTakara.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|He's green with evil!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]])
{{toydesigner|[[Hiroyuki Hataike]] (concept artist)}}

:An unproduced toy for Unicron was to have been released in [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]. The first [[prototype]] of the toy was developed by Takara and was a green and yellow robot that was to come with a base that set up a "planetary system" with Unicron and a moon culled from movie preproduction materials that turned into a laser gun. When transformed to robot mode, Unicron would have a light and sound gimmick that would activate when shot by an infra-red ray from the gun. So far, this version of the toy has been shown only through Takara print materials.

:The placement of yellow is identical to the early animation [[character model]] of Unicron which labels him "[[:File:Model-TheEntity.jpg|The Entity]]". Like that early animation model, the planetary ring is located in front of his "maw" as a result of the positioning of the toy's stand. Additionally, he appears to sport a Decepticon [[rubsign]]. Assuming the rubsign is the same size as every other one, this version of Unicron is considerably smaller than the later prototype.

:At a company presentation, Takara designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] was informed that the Unicron toy was to be made at a larger size, presumably in order to serve as a more appropriate representation of the character's fictional scale. This resulted in the production of a subsequent prototype toy (see below).<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2011/11/07/koujin-oono-interview-on-generation-1-unicron-173702 Koujin Oono (sic) Interview on Generation 1 Unicron]</ref>
{{canceledtoy}}

{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoHasbro.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look out! The [[CBS]] logo is on a murderous rampage!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[Hasbro]]/Takara)

:A larger version of the Unicron prototype design was developed by Takara in closer collaboration with Hasbro and was a blue and yellow robot, possessing different [[paint operation]]s and molding to the earlier prototype, about one foot tall and was able to transform into a planet. In comparison to the earlier version, the color scheme of this later prototype is closer to the animation model's finalized colors. Furthermore, the planetary ring's location was rotated 90 degrees, similarly matching later revisions to Unicron's planet mode animation design which moved the ring away from the maw.

[[File:ProtoCron.jpg|left|thumb|For a time I considered sparing your wretched little botanical garden]]
:Omitted from the original prototype was the moon/laser gun, but the new larger design was to have come with a voice chip and a "planet microphone" to allow owners to speak through the toy. Sound samples of lines read by [[Orson Welles]] were also to be used in the toy. According to the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix]]'' videotape, Orson Welles recorded a total of ten lines for use in the toy, although only six were used in the prototype model. It also would have had a gun that became a stand for the planet mode and a blue "shield" that unfolded and covered the yellow part of his chest in planet mode. It bears an uncanny physical resemblance to Mr. Welles.

[[File:UnicronPatentShieldGun.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Peekaboo! I eat you!]]
:This figure had a public "debut" of sorts at [[BotCon 1996]], where it was mistransformed, but later convention appearances would feature it accurately transformed.

:After not being shown for several years, the prototype resurfaced in the summer of 2020 on display (and once again mistransformed) at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts as part of their "Let's Play! New England Toy Stories" exhibit featuring the history of New England toy manufacturers.<ref>https://www.capenews.net/arts_and_entertainment/let-s-play-will-celebrate-toys-and-local-toy-manufacturers/article_4ac47415-e615-5d1e-a39c-d270b7c89db2.html Article describing the exhibit, in which an assistant curator mentions "Hasbro prototype from the 1990's," presumably in reference to Unicron</ref>

:According to the fansite Transformers on the Shelf (no longer online), Unicron's toy was scrapped because of cost concerns, flimsy arms, and a faulty voice chip.

:Though the prototype had the tallest robot mode at the time of its planned release, it was ultimately shorter than [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars''===
[[File:BWII toy - Galvatron.jpg|right|upright=2.2|thumb|PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-p1|'''Galvatron''' ([[May 21]], [[1998]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''D-16'''
:*''Accessories:'' 2 "Galva Axe" missiles, "Scissor Hand" claw/wing-section
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara)}}

{{note|Beast Wars II [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as Unicron's "energy" form in the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoon.}}

:Released in the fourth wave of ''Beast Wars II'' products in the [[Japan]]ese ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#BWII|Beast Wars]]'' toyline, Galvatron is an Ultra-sized [[Triple Changer]], transforming from robot to mechanical [[dragon]] to drill tank. As the only totally unique Predacon mold created for the ''Beast Wars II'' toyline, Galvatron is also the only figure from the series with both vehicle and animal forms (well, at the same time). In drill tank mode, a black plunger protruding from the top of his cockpit can be pressed, spinning his drill as part of his "Drill Destroyer" attack. The tread-sections also feature his non-firing "Galvatling Cannons", which end up in his knees in both dragon and [[robot mode]]. Also in this mode, triggers on either side of his tail fire his "Galva Axes" as spring-loaded missiles. In dragon mode, a slider on his back allows for his wings to move in a flapping action. His wings can also split open into their "Scissor Hand" claw-pincer configurations, much like they do in the cartoon.

:In robot mode, Galvatron's Galva Axes can be held in his hands as melee weapons or fired from their launchers that are now located on his forearms. His Scissor Hand weapon can also be removed in this mode and used as a hand-held weapon. Galvatron's chest also houses has a yellow marble to represent his "[[Galva-Matrix]]".

: [[Sonokong]] also released this figure in their ''Beast-War'' toyline as "Garba Tron" (also known as "Galvatron"). Aside from the difference in packaging, the [[South Korea|Korea]]n release of the figure is identical to the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] releases. In place of the bio cards of the Takara releases, Garba Tron comes with two "{{w|Rock paper scissors|Jan-ken-pon}}" cards. One has an image [[:File:D-16 Garba Tron Sonokong.jpeg|reflecting the one on the box]], with scissors and the number one die roll, and the other with rock and the number five die roll, with a super computer or building in the background.

: ''Beast-War'' Galba Tron was later reissued in the Korean ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)#Car Bot|Car Bot]]'' toyline, reassigned as a [[Predacon (BW)#2001 Robots in Disguise continuity family|Destronger]] and renamed [[Megatron (RID)#Gigatron Z|Gigatron Z]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Destron/Galvatron/galvatron.htm More information on Galvatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWN}}
[[File:BWNeo-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|A robot with a hemisphere on his back.]]
*'''Unicron''' (Takara)
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara), [[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

:Takara tried again to produce a Unicron toy during ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' (as the character figured prominently to the endings of both the cartoon and comic), only going as far as the resin prototype stage before canceling it. It was said to be around the size of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|"Optimal Optimus"]] and had several gimmicks, such as an opening robot mouth when the horns were squeezed, and a claw and a drill that were stored in the planet "shell" in robot mode. The toy would also have had planetary ring segments, not shown in the photo at right; unlike most representations of Unicron, these ring segments ran along his equator, and were only partial so his planetary mouth was not obstructed. One hard copy was shown at the [[Tokyo Toy Show]]. Fans attempted to lobby for an unassembled, unpainted, and likely one-color "garage kit" version of the toy, but this never came to be… probably because the cost per unit would have been several hundred dollars.

:Interestingly enough, neither the cartoon nor comic version of ''Neo'' Unicron looked like the toy. This toy was later used to represent [[Dark Nova]]'s "Unicron Neo" form in the [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

===''Armada''===
[[File:Unicrontoyarmada.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|And the fandom rejoiced (and complained).]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Mini-Con Dead End''' (Supreme Class, July [[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara/Sonokong ID number:'' '''MX-00'''
:*''Takara release date'': September ??, 2003
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Hironori Kobayashi]] (Takara)|[[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Unicron from the [[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|''Armada'' toyline]] is an orange and transparent purple Supreme-size toy that transforms into a planet. It features many [[Mini-Con]] [[Powerlinx]] plugs on the planet's rings, and "chomping" jaws activated by moving the mandibles. The packed-in Mini-Con [[Dead End (Armada)#Toys|Dead End]] in moon mode plugs into a specially shaped crater-like socket on Unicron's planet form, just above his gaping maw. Powerlinx plugs on his sides activate the triple spring-loaded missile launchers, which end up on his [[robot mode]] legs. In robot mode, he has hidden compartments for Mini-Cons in his robot-mode legs and abdomen. One Powerlinx plug on the back of the robot mode activates blinking eye lights and a cannon that bursts from the chest and shoots a missile. A button on the top of the head also activates the blinking eye lights. Pushing his right hand back slightly into the cuff causes it to light up.

: In total, the toy can hold up to 27 Mini-Cons in planet mode, and 30 in robot mode—35 if you count the two cavities in his forearms, Dead End's indent on the planet shells, and if a Mini-Con is stored in the compartment on each leg. 24 of the Powerlinx points are situated on his wings/planet ring. That's a lot of Mini-Cons! Attaching the full capacity of Mini-Cons can easily add a whole pound to Unicron's weight (varying slightly by the choice of Mini-Cons used of course). Since Unicron alone is one of the heaviest ''Transformers'' figures ever made at the time, one can imagine how bulky he gets.

: This toy is notable for being the first "modern" ''Transformers'' release in the main line at the $50-price point. Due to his success, other releases like ''Energon'' [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] came into being. This toy was featured in ToyFare Magazine, being awarded "Toy of the Year" for 2003 in "Best of the Best 2003".<ref>http://www.unicron.us/tf2003/toypix/unicron.htm</ref>

: Unicron is something of a [[shellformer]], with the majority of his planet mode being composed of two large translucent purple halves which swing onto his back in robot mode as wings ([[:File:Union-Unicron.jpg|though, not to the scale they are shown to be in the cartoon]]). These parts can be removed quite easily in robot mode to make him a little more accurate to his appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''—which is exactly what a large percentage of the [[fandom]] did with the figure, since this ''was'' the only Unicron toy available for Generation 1 collectors to buy at the time. In fact, Unicron's [[instructions]] ''actually'' tell you to [[Partformer|remove the wings for transformation]], though it's not ''really'' needed. The reason the instructions tell you to remove the wings is because they are intended to be reconnected to the same joints they were taken off of back-to-front in robot mode, allowing for the base of the wing to sit in the channels behind his shoulders, making them less likely to flop around. Because the wings are removable, this has led to hemisphereless Unicrons being quite common on the aftermarket.

: The toy had a minor [[Variant|running change]] where a slot and tab were added to the shoulder and wing column, respectively, to keep the rings more firmly in place in planet mode. Early publicity photos and some catalog shots also show that the two nubs on either outside edge of the shoulders were originally full-fledged spikes, dulled down [[for safety reasons]].

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Legends of the Microns'' and [[Sonokong]] ''Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron'' releases of Unicron use a lighter orange, slightly more transparent plastic, and different paint applications than the Hasbro release, for instance, the silver paint on its face highlights his [[Humanization#Facial hair|moustache]].

:This mold was used to make the [[Unicron of Light|Mini-Con doppelganger of Unicron]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Armada'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|bonuspack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Dead End''' (Bonus pack, 2003)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate

: Late in the US line, [[Walmart]] stores received [[exclusive]] Unicron toys that came with the [[Air Military Mini-Con Team]] in a bubble attached to the top of the box. This set was sold for the normal retail price of Unicron... hey, free Mini-Cons!
{{-}}

===''Energon''===
[[File:Energon Unicron toy.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|This would be worth more to somebody outside of Japan if it was bought inside Japan.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2004]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number'': '''MX-00'''
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Energon|Dead End]]

:Unicron's ''Armada'' toy was [[redeco]]ed for the [[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|''Energon'' toyline]], sporting black and transparent orange, with "Energon damage" patterns, representing his shattered and damaged form. All of the gimmicks from the previous version are intact in this one.

:Early stock photography of the toy depicts Unicron with a different color scheme that features a gray face and a pink translucent chest instead of the silver face and a reddish-orange translucent chest of the actual toy.

:Early shipments of Unicron in ''Energon'' packaging shipped with either the orange ''Armada'' Unicron or the black ''Energon'' Unicron inside, in seemingly equal amounts for a short while. Eventually, the orange version was phased out and black was the only shipping version.

: The Takara ''Super Link'' release of Unicron—dubbed '''Unicron Black Version''' (ユニクロンブラックバージョン ''Yunikuron Burakku Bājon'')—was packaged inside the ''Legends of the Microns'' Unicron box, with a "20th Anniversary" sticker applied to the back and the front of the box. The figure was released in limited numbers (the amount of which is currently unknown), and was presumably exclusive to a store (which is also currently unknown).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Energon'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds}}
[[File:Energontoy-McUnicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Unicron will make an unhappy meal of you.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Fast Food Premium, 2004-2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Energon cube

:Available in one of two different European-market McDonald's Happy Meal promotions, this Unicron toy is based on ''Energon'' Unicron, being primarily black. It is very small, and the transformation consists of simply opening the planet mode to reveal the robot.

:When his Energon cube is clicked into position, the cube's power switch set to "on", and the toy's button depressed, his body lights up. In 2006, this figure was made available in Brazil without the Energon cube.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/McUnicron/unicron.htm More information on McDonald's Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Cybertron''===
[[File:Cyb-toy UnicronDlx.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|ZERG RUSH KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Deluxe Class, [[2006]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] Cyber Key
:*''Cyber Key Code'': '''dgt3'''
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro),<ref name=CybertronUnicron>{{citesocial|quote=I don't think he's supposed to be a tank version of the Ark but… we were talking a lot about Unicron, and Unicron's coming, and Unicron's coming… and sometimes that is a tactic used, you know, you'll do a much bigger or important character in a price point that's affordable, so that in some regions that will never get the higher priced items—it's a lot like why we did "Bendy Prime", Deluxe Prime, in ''Armada''—so that Unicron can be present in their fantasy play, but not necessarily going to ever be that larger one. That's one reason to do it, it was big in the story, it was just an opportunity to to do a character that people knew rather than not, so… Think of it as a dream-sequence Unicron, a bit… his energy, his thoughts, his malice, out there messing around. But that's why he would have been created and that's that, I guess. […] But I don't know why he looks like the Ark necessarily—I did that item, so the Ark wasn't part of my goal, so… that might just be in there.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PZCff7N2Wg&t=1857s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday night LIVE: Vector Prime is Back|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref> [[Takio Ejima]] (Takara)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Part of the eighth wave of [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] Deluxe Class toys, Unicron transforms into a futuristic, crab-like/insectoid tank. In robot mode, he sports a battle-damaged appearance, with his head featuring a skull-like design mimicking the Unicron head that comes with Cybertron Primus (see below). In both modes he features a large spring-loaded missile launcher, plus plugging a [[Cyber Key]] into his back end opens up a port on his front (which bears a striking similarity to his planet form's maw) that reveals a (non-firing) triple-barreled cannon. His side-spines in tank mode can be removed to become hand-weapons in robot mode.

: This toy was the first and only Unicron toy with the trademark Dracula-style "collar" from the original animation model, up until [[#War for Cybertron Trilogy|the toy based directly on said animation model]] created roughly fifteen years later. He is also the first Unicron toy to be placed with the Decepticon faction for the purposes of marketing.

: Due to the use of translucent plastic for his radar dish/head mount, aging samples run the risk of this piece breaking off at the joint due to plastic tolerance issues. Some samples also have difficulty holding the spike weapons properly due to the short pegs and clearance issues with his wrists.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Cybertron'' Unicron at TFU.info'']

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimusUnicronHead}}
[[File:Unicronhead.jpg|thumb|That worked a lot better for Fort Max.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme Class, 2006)}}</ul>

:''Cybertron'' Supreme Class [[Primus#Cybertron|Cybertron Primus]] comes with Unicron's head. The head is based on ''Armada'' Unicron's, with half of the face stripped away to reveal a robotic "skull". To provide the impression of locomotion, tentacles were added to the base of the head. His face bears a greater resemblance to his on-screen appearance in ''Armada'' than the ''Armada'' toy itself, with no facial hair, a more "wrinkled" look, and thinner, rounder eyes. Meanwhile, his color scheme matches the ''Cybertron'' toy, with dark gray horns and a purple crest on his brow.

: The packaging for this variation of Primus was specifically changed with a call-out for the Unicron head. This was originally supposed to be the first version of the Primus toy shipped, being part of the second wave of ''Cybertron'' Supreme Class toys, but both versions ended up shipping simultaneously, leading to some hunting to get the packed-in "Uni-skull".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Primus/Primus/primus.htm More information on Unicron's head (with Primus) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:Transformers-Universe-(2008)-Unicron-packaging.jpg|200px|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, 2008)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': Armada Series
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile

:For ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'', ''Armada'' Unicron was [[rebranding|rebranded]] with no deco differences, even retaining the ''Armada'' release's product code. He was sold as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]]. As with all Unicron products produced by Hasbro since ''Cybertron'' Unicron, he is placed in the Decepticon faction. Once again, the on-box [[bio]] profile describes Unicron's nature as a [[multiversal singularity]].
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' (2010)===
[[File:TF2010toy-Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Orange you glad it's 2010?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Universal Dominator Unicron''' (September [[2010]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Transformers (2010)|Bug]]

:A [[retool]] of Supreme Class ''Armada'' Unicron toy (see above), this Unicron is given a new head and an [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated film]]-inspired deco, making it the first "proper" release of a 1986-inspired Unicron figure. He retains all of his original [[gimmick]]s, including electronics. His Mini-Con partner, Bug, is still included.

:This set is only available in Japan as a [[TakaraTomy Mall|Toy Hobby Market]] [[exclusive]], with orders being taken from [[June 1]]st through [[July 4]]th. The toy was released at the end of September 2010. Unicron is part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' anniversary celebration, and is packaged in a special box that is meant to go with the [[Primus#2010|Creator Primus]] toy released the same year. Unicron comes with two "[[Robot Point|points]]" redeemable towards a talking stand for ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy]].

: This Unicron utilizes parts from both versions of ''Armada'' Unicron, having wings from the initial release, but hinged shoulder plates with holes on the backs for pegs from the slightly retooled version.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Hasbro2010}}
[[File:2010 Amazon Unicron.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|YOU GET THE BEEEEEEEEEEST OF BOTH WORLLLLLDS]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2011]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Kranix]]
{{toydesigner|[[Andrew Scribner]] (deco artist)}}

:Made in honor of the 25th anniversary of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', the 2010 ''Transformers'' toyline's Unicron deco is noticeably different than TakaraTomy's "Welcome to 2010" Unicron release (even though they are both coloured to represent the character from the movie). It is now cast in metallic gray and gold-ish orange, as well as a muted blue. The shade of blue ''may'' be seen as ''comic''-inspired, since the 80's Marvel comics sometimes had blue tones in the figure… but so did Unicron in some scenes of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', so make of it as you will. It comes with the Mini-Con Kranix (identical to the TakaraTomy release) and is exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.com]] and also at [[Toys"R"Us]] in Canada, while being available at general retail in parts of Southeast Asia. He was also released in Chile as a Ripley exclusive during Christmas 2011.

:While the packaging is of the 2010 toyline, the [[Instructions|instruction manual]] uses the ''Dark of the Moon'' logos (but not the series' style of instruction graphics).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Decepticon/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Transformers (2010)'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:United-ArkUnicron-toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Should I use THE CLAMPS?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Ark Unicron''' ([[February 25]], [[2012]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''UN-29'''
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), Planet X Cyber Key

: Ark Unicron is a straight redeco of the Deluxe Class ''Cybertron'' Unicron toy and is, for some reason, packaged in a Voyager-sized box. He is redecoed in colors similar to the 2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron figure, replacing his orange plastic with a darker, metallic shade, his dark gray with a muted blue, and his tan with gray. The Cyber Key retains its Key Code.

:Like the 5th and 6th wave figures, Ark Unicron's package feature a sticker that said "limited quantity (数量限定)", indicating that this figure is released in limited numbers after its first and only shipment.

:This figure was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as several of Unicron's [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]] in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic|''Generation Selects'']] comics.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Unicron/ArkUnicron/unicron.htm More information on Ark Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Prime''===
[[File:Primetoy-UnicronArmsMicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|There's gold in them thar hills.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Gaia Unicron''' (2012-[[September 29|09-29]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''AM-19'''
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:Part of the seventh wave of Japanese [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|''Prime'' toys]], and exclusive to said line, Gaia Unicron is an all-new mold. Its robot is based on Unicron's rock-avatar bodies from the ''Prime'' cartoon, while its alternate mode is… erm… a sort of amorphous mass that is ''presented'' by the toy's instructions as a "vehicle mode," but which has apparently been designed to look like a mountain with Unicron's face at its center, ringed by bolts of lightning—another reference to the ''Prime'' cartoon, in which Unicron's spirit communicated with Megatron by appearing in the fumes of a volcano. He also [[Partformer|partsforms]] into "[[Gaia Armor]]" for either Voyager Optimus Prime or Megatron, which more or less leaves most of his mass hanging off the wearer's butt. The Gaia Armor features a "loincloth" panel which has one of each of the 3 Arms Micron Power crystals, not unlike [[Hades]]' tail. Though his [[sticker]] sheet comes with Decepticon symbols for his shoulders, there are also optional [[Blentron]] stickers. His soft plastic wings and horns are prone to drying out and cracking with age, primarily near their connection points.

:Unicron's [[Arms Micron]] partner, [[Bogu]], transforms from what appears to be a robot mole into a pointy claw to replace one of Unicron's spiked club arms. (The displaced club arm can snap onto the back of the other club arm.) Gaia Unicron and his micron feature ''numerous'' [[5 mm post]]s and peg-holes.

:Compared to his [[stock photography]], most (if not all) Gaia Unicrons have [[Misassembly|mis-assembled]] knees, with two small gray parts on the inner portions of his knees being swapped, thus restricting his knee [[articulation]]. This cannot be fixed without knocking out a few pins. It's also common to find one with two of the same knee joint, meaning that swapping them won't fix the issue.

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimeUnicronPack}}
[[File:TFP-YotS-Gaia-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron''' ([[2013]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:This Asian-exclusive redeco of Gaia Unicron features a sticker-less, extensive paint-job, coating his shoulder-pads and large club-arm in shiny metallic paints that match his [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts, with some additional glossy-black and metallic-magenta paint details here and there. Bogu comes pre-assembled and lacks stickers. Gaia Unicron's knees are still mis-assembled.

:He and Bogu come in a multi-pack with a similarly-shiny [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#PrimeUnicronPack|Optimus Prime]] (with [[O.P.#PrimeUnicronPack|O.P]]).

{{-}}{{anchor|Nightmare}}
[[File:TFP-AM-Nightmare-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Nightmare Unicron''' (2013)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu M" Arms Micron

:A black, grey, and red redeco of Gaia Unicron, this version of the chaos-bringer is designed to match up with [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]]. Notably, this is the first release of the mold to feature correctly-assembled knees.

:Nightmare Unicron was released as a Cybertron Satellite store exclusive in Japan. Prior to the release, he was revealed as a prize for the second Arms Up Micron contest.
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2016]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Generations|Kranix]]

:Part of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' offerings for 2016 intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Unicron is a redeco of the [[#Transformers (2010)|2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron]] toy, itself a retool of ''Armada'' Unicron. It is similar but not identical to the previous Hasbro 2011 Amazon.com release–the blue is now much lighter and slightly less saturated, while the orange is slightly lighter and the grey is darker, both of which are more metallic. The leg missiles have also changed to a darker blood red plastic. The paint deco is unchanged aside from matching the tweaked color scheme. The mold is also showing its age, as it is much harder to get the planet halves to stay latched together compared to past releases.

:Like several of the 2016 ''Platinum Edition'' sets, Unicron saw a very limited release: Essentially, he was only ever officially released in some of Hasbro's Asian markets such as Hong Kong. A small number of US-based online retailers (such as [[BigBadToyStore]]), plus a few more from Canada and the United Kingdom, stocked him as well, having obtained their stock through Asian vendors.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
{{anchor|HasLab}}
[[File:TF-WFC-S-Unicron.jpg|upright=2.33|thumb|"For a time… I considered sparing your wretched bank account. But now, you shall witness… ITS WITHDRAWAL!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' ([[2021]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Damaged face plate, two chin pieces, Autobot shuttle, planet display stand, head display stand
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]], [[Lynsey Urban]] and [[Lenny Panzica]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Robby Musso]] and [[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept art), [[AJ Piejko-Brown]] and [[Aurora Kraus]] (packaging), [[Mark Grzesik]], [[Sarah Jean Rovenko]], and [[Dan Caparco]] (instruction design), [[Lee Tympanick]] (safety), [[Rachel Fleming]] (senior box sitter, marketing), [[Charlie (cat)|Charlie]] (junior box sitter, cat)}}<ref>HasLab Unicron development reports at the [[Hasbro Pulse#Hasbro Pulse Unboxed|Hasbro Pulse blog]].</ref>

:At over 27 inches tall in robot mode, 30 inches wide in planet mode, and weighing 16 pounds including his stand, ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' Unicron is the biggest ''Transformers'' figure to date, overthrowing [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'']] [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Generations|Fortress Maximus]].

:…and at $575 USD plus tax, it overthrows your car payment and auto insurance.

:Features include over 50 points of articulation (including a whopping 15 points per hand, plus posable eyes, mouth and teeth), a geared chomping planet mouth with articulated mandibles, a removable head, an [[Autobot shuttle#Toys|Autobot shuttle]], and ''minuscule'' [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron|Galvatron]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Hot Rod]] [[Slug figure|figurines]] to eat. Two display stands are included: a large main stand that can be used in both modes, and a smaller display stand for the head and some of the accessories. To make it easier to manipulate such a massive toy, he can remain attached to the larger display stand during transformation, and his planetary rings/wings can be detached, but transformation is possible without removing any parts. The pointy bits around the equator are molded in flexible plastic for fragility reasons. His head has an alternate damaged faceplate, an alternate forked chin, and hidden skull details. Beneath the main display stand is a compartment to store whichever faceplate and chin piece aren't in use.

:In a first for the ''Transformers'' brand, Unicron includes tiny plastic plugs to conceal screw holes on the front of his left arm, the back of his right arm, and on the planet's pinching mandibles. The 22 screw hole covers are packaged on a sprue. All of the plugs conceal asymmetries resulting from shared parts between the left and the right sides of the figure.

:To achieve the screen-accurate spherical shape for his planet mode, Unicron's transformation consists mainly of [[Shellformer|his planet mode's outer shell splitting apart and packing into layers on the back of his torso and legs]]. A rear panel of the planet does form Unicron's forearms, emulating his transformation scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Each wing has nine joints used for transformation. The planetary ring is radially symmetrical, and can be connected with its parallel points oriented clockwise or counter-clockwise (instructions show clockwise, most of the promotional materials show counter-clockwise). The wings and equatorial spikes require much assembly. Along with the [[#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Deluxe mold]], this is one of only two Unicron toys to feature his iconic [[Dracula]]-style collar.

:The final production figure has a few visible differences from the stock photos, convention appearance specimens, and even its own instruction booklet. Most conspicuously, the inner planetary maw is now blue instead of yellow, and the robot lower teeth are grey-blue instead of painted silver. The tiny Galvatron and Hot Rod figures are also completely different sculpts with rectangular bases and fewer colors. Promotional renders of the Autobot shuttle accessory were shown in a single color, but in production some of the details are painted over in silver.

:The small display stand for Unicron's head has many places on its legs to display the shuttle and mini-figurines, and room for additional similar items. There are 15 rectangular sockets for figurines like Galvatron, Hot Rod, or Optimus Prime (of whom you have [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|two]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#K30|options]]), and there are three places to attach the 5mm post for the Autobot Shuttle's display armature or other items with 5mm posts. [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|The ''Kingdom'' Galvatron toy]] was packaged with a version of [[Revenge (G1)|The Revenge]], which was intended to be in-scale with this Unicron figure, and features a 5mm post on its underside, but it does not have sufficient physical clearances to fit into any of the ports on this display stand.

:Yes, he can support his own weight in robot mode without his stand. No, the head does not need to be removed during transformation; it fits inside the planet mode by rotating his horns down.

:The bottom of the planet mode features two flaps designed to conceal the insertion slot for the stand, just in case you figure out a way to display planet mode without the stand. Unfortunately, one of the flaps takes some fiddling to flip, and the author of the instructions expected them to be packaged flipped-in so Unicron could immediately connect to his stand, but most specimens were not found that way, making the average unboxing experience frustrating. The final page of the instruction book, read in reverse order, shows how to flip this flap and fix this problem.

:[https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-war-for-cybertron-unicron Announced] by [[Hasbro Pulse]] on [[July 15]], [[2019]], Unicron is the first ''Transformers'' toy to be released as a crowdfunded project from [[Hasbro Pulse#HasLab|HasLab]]. Unicron required a minimum of 8,000 backers to be put into production, with an initial deadline of [[August 31]]. On [[August 29]], Hasbro announced it was pushing the end date back to [[October 6]] (the end of [[New York Comic Con]] 2019) in response to fan feedback asking for more time; the project finally achieved the 8,000 backer goal one day before the new deadline, on [[October 5]]. On October 6, the project finished (according to the HTML code of the progress bar) at 140.9%, or 11,272 units, despite officially only displaying “8,000+”. More than a month later, the page was changed to officially read “12,000+ Backers”. In addition to the Unicron figure itself, HasLab backers received a digital comics bundle from [[IDW Publishing]] (featuring [[:File:UnicronHaslabBundleCover.jpg|new cover art]] by [[Andrew Griffith]] that homages the cover of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' [[The Transformers (issue)|#1]]), which contains the four-issue ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' miniseries, and [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|the first issue]] of the 2019 ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' ongoing series. Unicron began shipping to purchasers in February 2021.

:The [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|"Behold, Galvatron!" Unicron Companion Pack]] is intended as an add-on set, featuring [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in a clear purple deco reminiscent of his reformatting scene, small painted ships of the ''Revenge'' (a different sculpt than Galvatron's hand weapons), a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson Cruiser#War for Cybertron Trilogy|ship]], and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions']] ''[[Minnow#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Minnow]]'', as well as an additional 14 mini-figures that can be placed on the display stand.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Hard Hero===
[[File:HHUnicron statue.jpg|thumb|Weighs almost as much as the real thing]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (BotCon 2002)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron is a huge cold-cast porcelain statue based upon the cartoon design of Unicron. It was originally a [[BotCon 2002]] [[exclusive]] before being released to the general public.
{{--}}

===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:Titanium RM Unicron.jpg|thumb|"Screw transforming. Watch me convert this 7-10 split."]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Decepticon stand

: Part of the very first wave of ''[[Titanium Series]]'' "Robot Masters" figurines, Unicron is a 3-inch-tall figurine made partially of [[die-cast]] metal, with movable arms. One hand holds what seems to be a moon (or he's going bowling).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/TitUnicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Titanium'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===Art Asylum===
[[File:AAUnicron statue.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Oh, I see how this works. You say, "Behind you!" and I turn around, and while I'm staring at nothing, you run away. Well, I'm not falling for it!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Movie Statue''' (Diamond Select, 2007)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron stands 8 ½” tall and is limited to 1,986 pieces (as in 1986, the year the original animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers]]'' movie was released). It also features a smaller statue of Hot Rod standing upon the centerpiece holding the [[Matrix of Leadership]] aloft. Oddly enough, Hot Rod is in his toy colours.
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:RH Prime vs Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Quite possibly the only Unicron you could ever afford.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Optimus Prime & Unicron''' (Two-pack, 2007)}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (concept artist)}}

: Based on a cartoon-ified version of his ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' model, Unicron's entry in the ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' line comes packed with a [[Matrix of Leadership]]-brandishing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#RHUnicron|Optimus Prime]]. His articulation consists solely of his shoulder joints. Also, it was noted that Unicron doesn't have a smiling mouth unlike most of the Robot Heroes figures.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Unicron at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|RHBlindpack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Single-pack, 2008)}}</ul>

: In some countries outside of North America, Unicron was released individually in a blindpack with no notable changes.
{{--}}

===Diamond Select===
[[File:Reformatted statue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Downloading Galvatron.exe, 74% Complete]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megatron Reformatted Bust''' (Action Figure Xpress exclusive, 2008)}}</ul>

:"Megatron Reformatted" is a bust exclusively available through Action Figure Xpress, depicting the Decepticon leader in the beginning stages of his reformation into Galvatron as featured in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. This bust features a base in the shape of Unicron.

{{-}}
[[File:DST09 Galvatron bust.jpg|thumb|upright=o.85|Download complete! Run: Y/N]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Galvatron''' (2009)}}</ul>

:Similar to the above piece, this bust depicts the newly-created Galvatron suspended above Unicron. It was sculpted by [[Art Asylum]] and was limited to 1,000 pieces.
{{-}}

===''Tiny Titans''===
[[File:TinyTitans Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|THAT... IS NOT A KNIFE. ''THIS''... IS A KNIFE.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': '''6'''
:*''Number'': '''9/12'''

: Part of the sixth and final [[Blindpacking|blind-bagged]] assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'', this toy is a small, soft-plastic figurine of the Chaos Bringer, oddly brandishing a butcher knife that he has never used in any work of fiction prior to this toy's release.

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

===EX Gōkin+===
[[File:EXGokin UnicronHead.jpg|thumb|Devourer of Wallets]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Head''' (2015)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' 2 whole eyes, 2 shattered eyes, stand

:Produced by [[Art Storm]] as part of their ''EX Gōkin+'' line, this is a large, extensively detailed sculpt of Unicron's disembodied head as seen in the third season of the Generation 1 cartoon. He comes with alternate eye parts, allowing you to display him with either shattered or undamaged eyes.

::*''[http://artstorm.co.jp/exgokinplus_unicronhead.html More information on Unicron Head at Art Storm's official site]''
{{--}}

===Soldier Story===
[[File:Soldier-Story-Unicron-lamp.jpeg|thumb|Our darkest lighter.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (2017)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Hot Rod, Hot Rod clear stand, remote control, USB power cable

:Another high-end collectible, the [[Soldier Story Toys]] Unicron table lamp stands over 26" tall and is bedecked with over 70 LEDs of various colors all over it. It also projects the movie-style Decepticon [[insignia]] above it. The lamp also includes a 6" Hot Rod holding the Matrix of Leadership.

::*''[http://www.soldierstory-toys.com/products_show.asp?id=193 More information on the Unicron table lamp at Soldier Story's website]''
{{--}}

===Symbiote Studios===
[[File:Symbiote-Studios-Unicron-Plush.jpg|thumb|"Complete the Cuddle." "Hahahaha, DO IT YOURSELF!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Plush''' (2021)}}</ul>

:Available exclusively for San Diego/LA Comic-Con 2021, this adorable head plush of the Devourer of the Planets is produced by Symbiote Studios, and officially licensed by Hasbro. Made with high-quality soft minky fabric.
{{--}}

===Icon Heroes===
[[File:Icon-Heroes-Unicron-Pen-Holder.jpg|thumb|As the old saying goes, the pen is mightier than the Matrix.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Pen Holder''' (2022)}}</ul>

:A polystone replica of Unicron's severed head produced by Icon Heroes, meant to be used as a pen holder. It features a large gap on its top to accommodate multiple pens, while each of its shattered eyes can store one pen at a time to humorous effect.
{{--}}

===''Pop!''===
[[File:Funko Pop Jumbo 10-inch Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.22|Half the planet turns into his head.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Jumbo size, July 21, 2022)}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''103'''

:Released as part of the ''[[Funko Pop!|Pop! Retro Toys]]'' segment, Funko's ''Pop!'' Unicron is a Jumbo-sized 10" [[super deformed]] vinyl figure based on his original Generation 1 design, with many of his coloring details based off the HasLab toy above.

:This piece was a shared exclusive for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2022 and GameStop; the toy was the same at both venues, though the packaging would have different stickers.
{{--}}

===''ReAction''===
[[File:Super7 ReAction Unicron.jpeg|upright=1.66|right|thumb|It's settled: there is no such thing as "too obscure".]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (December 30, 2022)}}</ul>

: Released in the sixth wave of [[Super7]]'s line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ''[[Super7#ReAction|ReAction]]'' Unicron is a "giant-sized" 6-inch toy scaled to tower over the rest of his shipping assortment. In stark contrast to the cartoon-faithful sculpting of the entire rest of the line, this non-converting figure is based on the unreleased 1986 Hasbro prototype toy listed ''waaayyyy'' up above. No, really. It features swivel articulation at the hips, shoulders and neck… though the spheroid body means the leg articulation is very limited, and the arms just kind of… swing inward in front or behind him fairly uselessly. Like, he can do half a dab.

: The [[cross-sell]] images on the cardback depict the Unicron figure holding a large gun, likewise matching the first (and lesser-known) 1986 prototype that had been designed to include a gun that could transform into a stand for the planet mode; however, the final figure did not include this weapon, probably due to the aforementioned wonky arm articulation. It was ''double'' cancelled… harsh.

: As with all releases in the ''ReAction'' toyline, Unicron comes packaged on a card that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of [[Kenner]]'s ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Prototype)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version of ''ReAction'' Unicron has a green deco to represent the ''other'' unreleased early Unicron prototype shown way above - this time the Takara model. In keeping with this, the card uses the Japanese Transformers logo instead of English. The card is significantly smaller than that of the previous version, now the same size as those of standard 3.75" ''ReActions''. It was exclusive to the Super7 website; the listing named it as "Unicron (Prototype)", though that term was not written on the card.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Yellow)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version returns to the original ''ReAction'' figure / Hasbro toy prototype color scheme, but now in noticeably brighter shades of yellow and blue. It was packaged in a G1-styled box, with new [[package art|character art]] instead of that from previous ''ReAction'' releases. The character [[bio]] on the box is reused from the [[Unicron/toys#Universe .282008.29|''Universe'' Unicron]] toy above. This piece was released for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2024, with leftover stock being available on the Super7 website the following week.

{{-}}

===''Transformers Character Card''===
[[File:Transformers Character Card Unicron and Decepticons.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
*'''Destron Army and Unicron Set''' ([[December 28]], [[2024]])
**''ID number:'' '''99 & 100'''

:Released as part of the thirteenth wave of the [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive ''[[Transformers Character Card]]'' series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of the Generation 1 [[Decepticon]]s (as represented by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Stranglehold]], and [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]]) and Unicron along with [[bio|character profiles]] and [[Tech Spec|tech specs]].
::*''[[Source:Transformers Character Card#100|Translation of Unicron's Transformers Character Card]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Planet-robot.jpg|thumb|right|They're always so cute before their horns come in.]]
* Perhaps the earliest known draft of the design that would become Unicron was created by Japanese artist [[Hiroyuki Hataike|Takehiko Itō]] of ''{{w|Outlaw Star}}'' fame. Itō suggested using redecoes of the spherical ''[[Micro Change]]'' "Meteor Robo" toys as satellites for "Planet-Robot" in brainstorming sessions.<ref>''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]'', p.113</ref>
* Photographs of the second Unicron prototype were first published in late [[1989]] in the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix'' videotape. Photographs of the first, smaller, Unicron prototype, were first published in late [[1995]] in the ''Planet of Cybertron Guide 3'' booklet included with Takara's release of the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)#Fight.21 Super Robot Lifeform Transformers_2010|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: 2010]]'' laserdisc set.<ref>Transformers Generations 2011 Volume 2</ref>
* Designer [[Aaron Archer]] was shocked by the number of twist-ties used in ''Armada'' Unicron's [[packaging]], and decided to straighten them all out and put them in a line, measure it, and multiply the length by the number of Unicrons he knew they'd produced—and the total length of twist-tie would've stretched from Providence, [[Rhode Island]] to [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]]. This anecdote led the packaging team to try and reduce the number of ties used in ''Transformers'' packaging.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You know, I tell this story at conventions, I'm not sure I've said it on any of the live feeds, but... I had to take out a Unicron from its package back in the day, to do some diorama or something, and it had a lot of twisty-ties. And you know most of the time toy designers aren't taking the toys out of the package, we developed the stuff, and then there's other teams that do that, and how they package it and the structure and all that, that just gets done and that's not something that you overly worry about, it's not really your department to concern yourself with. But I had to take one out of the package […] and it had so many twisty-ties that I got annoyed, and I measured them all out! I straightened them all out, measured them out, and there was a considerable amount of twisty-tie in each Unicron, to the point that I was very confused by that amount and that number. I did the math, based on how many we made, and you could take a twisty-tie wire from Providence Rhode Island to Phoenix Arizona—which is most of the way across the United States diagonally—and that was the amount of wire we used just on Unicron. […] Think of the spools of wire needed to just do that, and that's a big expense, and not soon after that story got around we started encapsulating them in the packaging difference so we wouldn't have to twisty-tie them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz3TRK6TYAs&t=565s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday Night LIVE - Toy packaging and Transformers discussion|year=2023|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* According to Aaron Archer, he didn't intend for the resemblance between ''Cybertron'' Unicron and the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which TakaraTomy would capitalise on with their "Ark Unicron" release. The toy was motivated from a desire to release a Unicron figure at an affordable price-point, in particular for regions where retailers had never stocked the full-size ''Armada'' toy.<ref name=CybertronUnicron />

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

==External links==
*[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/content.php?/transformers-lucky-draw/toy-gallery/1088/Green+Unicron.html Photo gallery and review of Green Lucky Draw Unicron]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/merchandise/25/merchandise/Unicron+Japanese+Store+Display.html Inflatable Unicron store display gallery]

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Unicron/toys

2025-08-02T21:10:11Z

Jon T: /* Notes */

{{suite}}

'''[[Unicron]]''' has managed to amass a [[star system]] of toys and merchandise, and then some.

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|G1Takara}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoTakara.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|He's green with evil!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]])
{{toydesigner|[[Hiroyuki Hataike]] (concept artist)}}

:An unproduced toy for Unicron was to have been released in [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]. The first [[prototype]] of the toy was developed by Takara and was a green and yellow robot that was to come with a base that set up a "planetary system" with Unicron and a moon culled from movie preproduction materials that turned into a laser gun. When transformed to robot mode, Unicron would have a light and sound gimmick that would activate when shot by an infra-red ray from the gun. So far, this version of the toy has been shown only through Takara print materials.

:The placement of yellow is identical to the early animation [[character model]] of Unicron which labels him "[[:File:Model-TheEntity.jpg|The Entity]]". Like that early animation model, the planetary ring is located in front of his "maw" as a result of the positioning of the toy's stand. Additionally, he appears to sport a Decepticon [[rubsign]]. Assuming the rubsign is the same size as every other one, this version of Unicron is considerably smaller than the later prototype.

:At a company presentation, Takara designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] was informed that the Unicron toy was to be made at a larger size, presumably in order to serve as a more appropriate representation of the character's fictional scale. This resulted in the production of a subsequent prototype toy (see below).<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2011/11/07/koujin-oono-interview-on-generation-1-unicron-173702 Koujin Oono (sic) Interview on Generation 1 Unicron]</ref>
{{canceledtoy}}

{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoHasbro.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look out! The [[CBS]] logo is on a murderous rampage!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[Hasbro]]/Takara)

:A larger version of the Unicron prototype design was developed by Takara in closer collaboration with Hasbro and was a blue and yellow robot, possessing different [[paint operation]]s and molding to the earlier prototype, about one foot tall and was able to transform into a planet. In comparison to the earlier version, the color scheme of this later prototype is closer to the animation model's finalized colors. Furthermore, the planetary ring's location was rotated 90 degrees, similarly matching later revisions to Unicron's planet mode animation design which moved the ring away from the maw.

[[File:ProtoCron.jpg|left|thumb|For a time I considered sparing your wretched little botanical garden]]
:Omitted from the original prototype was the moon/laser gun, but the new larger design was to have come with a voice chip and a "planet microphone" to allow owners to speak through the toy. Sound samples of lines read by [[Orson Welles]] were also to be used in the toy. According to the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix]]'' videotape, Orson Welles recorded a total of ten lines for use in the toy, although only six were used in the prototype model. It also would have had a gun that became a stand for the planet mode and a blue "shield" that unfolded and covered the yellow part of his chest in planet mode. It bears an uncanny physical resemblance to Mr. Welles.

[[File:UnicronPatentShieldGun.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Peekaboo! I eat you!]]
:This figure had a public "debut" of sorts at [[BotCon 1996]], where it was mistransformed, but later convention appearances would feature it accurately transformed.

:After not being shown for several years, the prototype resurfaced in the summer of 2020 on display (and once again mistransformed) at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts as part of their "Let's Play! New England Toy Stories" exhibit featuring the history of New England toy manufacturers.<ref>https://www.capenews.net/arts_and_entertainment/let-s-play-will-celebrate-toys-and-local-toy-manufacturers/article_4ac47415-e615-5d1e-a39c-d270b7c89db2.html Article describing the exhibit, in which an assistant curator mentions "Hasbro prototype from the 1990's," presumably in reference to Unicron</ref>

:According to the fansite Transformers on the Shelf (no longer online), Unicron's toy was scrapped because of cost concerns, flimsy arms, and a faulty voice chip.

:Though the prototype had the tallest robot mode at the time of its planned release, it was ultimately shorter than [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars''===
[[File:BWII toy - Galvatron.jpg|right|upright=2.2|thumb|PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-p1|'''Galvatron''' ([[May 21]], [[1998]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''D-16'''
:*''Accessories:'' 2 "Galva Axe" missiles, "Scissor Hand" claw/wing-section
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara)}}

{{note|Beast Wars II [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as Unicron's "energy" form in the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoon.}}

:Released in the fourth wave of ''Beast Wars II'' products in the [[Japan]]ese ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#BWII|Beast Wars]]'' toyline, Galvatron is an Ultra-sized [[Triple Changer]], transforming from robot to mechanical [[dragon]] to drill tank. As the only totally unique Predacon mold created for the ''Beast Wars II'' toyline, Galvatron is also the only figure from the series with both vehicle and animal forms (well, at the same time). In drill tank mode, a black plunger protruding from the top of his cockpit can be pressed, spinning his drill as part of his "Drill Destroyer" attack. The tread-sections also feature his non-firing "Galvatling Cannons", which end up in his knees in both dragon and [[robot mode]]. Also in this mode, triggers on either side of his tail fire his "Galva Axes" as spring-loaded missiles. In dragon mode, a slider on his back allows for his wings to move in a flapping action. His wings can also split open into their "Scissor Hand" claw-pincer configurations, much like they do in the cartoon.

:In robot mode, Galvatron's Galva Axes can be held in his hands as melee weapons or fired from their launchers that are now located on his forearms. His Scissor Hand weapon can also be removed in this mode and used as a hand-held weapon. Galvatron's chest also houses has a yellow marble to represent his "[[Galva-Matrix]]".

: [[Sonokong]] also released this figure in their ''Beast-War'' toyline as "Garba Tron" (also known as "Galvatron"). Aside from the difference in packaging, the [[South Korea|Korea]]n release of the figure is identical to the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] releases. In place of the bio cards of the Takara releases, Garba Tron comes with two "{{w|Rock paper scissors|Jan-ken-pon}}" cards. One has an image [[:File:D-16 Garba Tron Sonokong.jpeg|reflecting the one on the box]], with scissors and the number one die roll, and the other with rock and the number five die roll, with a super computer or building in the background.

: ''Beast-War'' Galba Tron was later reissued in the Korean ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)#Car Bot|Car Bot]]'' toyline, reassigned as a [[Predacon (BW)#2001 Robots in Disguise continuity family|Destronger]] and renamed [[Megatron (RID)#Gigatron Z|Gigatron Z]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Destron/Galvatron/galvatron.htm More information on Galvatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWN}}
[[File:BWNeo-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|A robot with a hemisphere on his back.]]
*'''Unicron''' (Takara)
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara), [[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

:Takara tried again to produce a Unicron toy during ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' (as the character figured prominently to the endings of both the cartoon and comic), only going as far as the resin prototype stage before canceling it. It was said to be around the size of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|"Optimal Optimus"]] and had several gimmicks, such as an opening robot mouth when the horns were squeezed, and a claw and a drill that were stored in the planet "shell" in robot mode. The toy would also have had planetary ring segments, not shown in the photo at right; unlike most representations of Unicron, these ring segments ran along his equator, and were only partial so his planetary mouth was not obstructed. One hard copy was shown at the [[Tokyo Toy Show]]. Fans attempted to lobby for an unassembled, unpainted, and likely one-color "garage kit" version of the toy, but this never came to be… probably because the cost per unit would have been several hundred dollars.

:Interestingly enough, neither the cartoon nor comic version of ''Neo'' Unicron looked like the toy. This toy was later used to represent [[Dark Nova]]'s "Unicron Neo" form in the [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

===''Armada''===
[[File:Unicrontoyarmada.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|And the fandom rejoiced (and complained).]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Mini-Con Dead End''' (Supreme Class, July [[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara/Sonokong ID number:'' '''MX-00'''
:*''Takara release date'': September ??, 2003
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Hironori Kobayashi]] (Takara)|[[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Unicron from the [[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|''Armada'' toyline]] is an orange and transparent purple Supreme-size toy that transforms into a planet. It features many [[Mini-Con]] [[Powerlinx]] plugs on the planet's rings, and "chomping" jaws activated by moving the mandibles. The packed-in Mini-Con [[Dead End (Armada)#Toys|Dead End]] in moon mode plugs into a specially shaped crater-like socket on Unicron's planet form, just above his gaping maw. Powerlinx plugs on his sides activate the triple spring-loaded missile launchers, which end up on his [[robot mode]] legs. In robot mode, he has hidden compartments for Mini-Cons in his robot-mode legs and abdomen. One Powerlinx plug on the back of the robot mode activates blinking eye lights and a cannon that bursts from the chest and shoots a missile. A button on the top of the head also activates the blinking eye lights. Pushing his right hand back slightly into the cuff causes it to light up.

: In total, the toy can hold up to 27 Mini-Cons in planet mode, and 30 in robot mode—35 if you count the two cavities in his forearms, Dead End's indent on the planet shells, and if a Mini-Con is stored in the compartment on each leg. 24 of the Powerlinx points are situated on his wings/planet ring. That's a lot of Mini-Cons! Attaching the full capacity of Mini-Cons can easily add a whole pound to Unicron's weight (varying slightly by the choice of Mini-Cons used of course). Since Unicron alone is one of the heaviest ''Transformers'' figures ever made at the time, one can imagine how bulky he gets.

: This toy is notable for being the first "modern" ''Transformers'' release in the main line at the $50-price point. Due to his success, other releases like ''Energon'' [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] came into being. This toy was featured in ToyFare Magazine, being awarded "Toy of the Year" for 2003 in "Best of the Best 2003".<ref>http://www.unicron.us/tf2003/toypix/unicron.htm</ref>

: Unicron is something of a [[shellformer]], with the majority of his planet mode being composed of two large translucent purple halves which swing onto his back in robot mode as wings ([[:File:Union-Unicron.jpg|though, not to the scale they are shown to be in the cartoon]]). These parts can be removed quite easily in robot mode to make him a little more accurate to his appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''—which is exactly what a large percentage of the [[fandom]] did with the figure, since this ''was'' the only Unicron toy available for Generation 1 collectors to buy at the time. In fact, Unicron's [[instructions]] ''actually'' tell you to [[Partformer|remove the wings for transformation]], though it's not ''really'' needed. The reason the instructions tell you to remove the wings is because they are intended to be reconnected to the same joints they were taken off of back-to-front in robot mode, allowing for the base of the wing to sit in the channels behind his shoulders, making them less likely to flop around. Because the wings are removable, this has led to hemisphereless Unicrons being quite common on the aftermarket.

: The toy had a minor [[Variant|running change]] where a slot and tab were added to the shoulder and wing column, respectively, to keep the rings more firmly in place in planet mode. Early publicity photos and some catalog shots also show that the two nubs on either outside edge of the shoulders were originally full-fledged spikes, dulled down [[for safety reasons]].

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Legends of the Microns'' and [[Sonokong]] ''Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron'' releases of Unicron use a lighter orange, slightly more transparent plastic, and different paint applications than the Hasbro release, for instance, the silver paint on its face highlights his [[Humanization#Facial hair|moustache]].

:This mold was used to make the [[Unicron of Light|Mini-Con doppelganger of Unicron]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Armada'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|bonuspack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Dead End''' (Bonus pack, 2003)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate

: Late in the US line, [[Walmart]] stores received [[exclusive]] Unicron toys that came with the [[Air Military Mini-Con Team]] in a bubble attached to the top of the box. This set was sold for the normal retail price of Unicron... hey, free Mini-Cons!
{{-}}

===''Energon''===
[[File:Energon Unicron toy.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|This would be worth more to somebody outside of Japan if it was bought inside Japan.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2004]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number'': '''MX-00'''
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Energon|Dead End]]

:Unicron's ''Armada'' toy was [[redeco]]ed for the [[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|''Energon'' toyline]], sporting black and transparent orange, with "Energon damage" patterns, representing his shattered and damaged form. All of the gimmicks from the previous version are intact in this one.

:Early stock photography of the toy depicts Unicron with a different color scheme that features a gray face and a pink translucent chest instead of the silver face and a reddish-orange translucent chest of the actual toy.

:Early shipments of Unicron in ''Energon'' packaging shipped with either the orange ''Armada'' Unicron or the black ''Energon'' Unicron inside, in seemingly equal amounts for a short while. Eventually, the orange version was phased out and black was the only shipping version.

: The Takara ''Super Link'' release of Unicron—dubbed '''Unicron Black Version''' (ユニクロンブラックバージョン ''Yunikuron Burakku Bājon'')—was packaged inside the ''Legends of the Microns'' Unicron box, with a "20th Anniversary" sticker applied to the back and the front of the box. The figure was released in limited numbers (the amount of which is currently unknown), and was presumably exclusive to a store (which is also currently unknown).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Energon'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds}}
[[File:Energontoy-McUnicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Unicron will make an unhappy meal of you.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Fast Food Premium, 2004-2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Energon cube

:Available in one of two different European-market McDonald's Happy Meal promotions, this Unicron toy is based on ''Energon'' Unicron, being primarily black. It is very small, and the transformation consists of simply opening the planet mode to reveal the robot.

:When his Energon cube is clicked into position, the cube's power switch set to "on", and the toy's button depressed, his body lights up. In 2006, this figure was made available in Brazil without the Energon cube.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/McUnicron/unicron.htm More information on McDonald's Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Cybertron''===
[[File:Cyb-toy UnicronDlx.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|ZERG RUSH KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Deluxe Class, [[2006]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] Cyber Key
:*''Cyber Key Code'': '''dgt3'''
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro),<ref name=CybertronUnicron>{{citesocial|quote=I don't think he's supposed to be a tank version of the Ark but… we were talking a lot about Unicron, and Unicron's coming, and Unicron's coming… and sometimes that is a tactic used, you know, you'll do a much bigger or important character in a price point that's affordable, so that in some regions that will never get the higher priced items—it's a lot like why we did "Bendy Prime", Deluxe Prime, in ''Armada''—so that Unicron can be present in their fantasy play, but not necessarily going to ever be that larger one. That's one reason to do it, it was big in the story, it was just an opportunity to to do a character that people knew rather than not, so… Think of it as a dream-sequence Unicron, a bit… his energy, his thoughts, his malice, out there messing around. But that's why he would have been created and that's that, I guess. […] But I don't know why he looks like the Ark necessarily—I did that item, so the Ark wasn't part of my goal, so… that might just be in there.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PZCff7N2Wg&t=1857s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday night LIVE: Vector Prime is Back|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref> [[Takio Ejima]] (Takara)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Part of the eighth wave of [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] Deluxe Class toys, Unicron transforms into a futuristic, crab-like/insectoid tank. In robot mode, he sports a battle-damaged appearance, with his head featuring a skull-like design mimicking the Unicron head that comes with Cybertron Primus (see below). In both modes he features a large spring-loaded missile launcher, plus plugging a [[Cyber Key]] into his back end opens up a port on his front (which bears a striking similarity to his planet form's maw) that reveals a (non-firing) triple-barreled cannon. His side-spines in tank mode can be removed to become hand-weapons in robot mode.

: This toy was the first and only Unicron toy with the trademark Dracula-style "collar" from the original animation model, up until [[#War for Cybertron Trilogy|the toy based directly on said animation model]] created roughly fifteen years later. He is also the first Unicron toy to be placed with the Decepticon faction for the purposes of marketing.

: Due to the use of translucent plastic for his radar dish/head mount, aging samples run the risk of this piece breaking off at the joint due to plastic tolerance issues. Some samples also have difficulty holding the spike weapons properly due to the short pegs and clearance issues with his wrists.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Cybertron'' Unicron at TFU.info'']

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimusUnicronHead}}
[[File:Unicronhead.jpg|thumb|That worked a lot better for Fort Max.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme Class, 2006)}}</ul>

:''Cybertron'' Supreme Class [[Primus#Cybertron|Cybertron Primus]] comes with Unicron's head. The head is based on ''Armada'' Unicron's, with half of the face stripped away to reveal a robotic "skull". To provide the impression of locomotion, tentacles were added to the base of the head. His face bears a greater resemblance to his on-screen appearance in ''Armada'' than the ''Armada'' toy itself, with no facial hair, a more "wrinkled" look, and thinner, rounder eyes. Meanwhile, his color scheme matches the ''Cybertron'' toy, with dark gray horns and a purple crest on his brow.

: The packaging for this variation of Primus was specifically changed with a call-out for the Unicron head. This was originally supposed to be the first version of the Primus toy shipped, being part of the second wave of ''Cybertron'' Supreme Class toys, but both versions ended up shipping simultaneously, leading to some hunting to get the packed-in "Uni-skull".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Primus/Primus/primus.htm More information on Unicron's head (with Primus) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:Transformers-Universe-(2008)-Unicron-packaging.jpg|200px|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, 2008)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': Armada Series
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile

:For ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'', ''Armada'' Unicron was [[rebranding|rebranded]] with no deco differences, even retaining the ''Armada'' release's product code. He was sold as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]]. As with all Unicron products produced by Hasbro since ''Cybertron'' Unicron, he is placed in the Decepticon faction. Once again, the on-box [[bio]] profile describes Unicron's nature as a [[multiversal singularity]].
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' (2010)===
[[File:TF2010toy-Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Orange you glad it's 2010?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Universal Dominator Unicron''' (September [[2010]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Transformers (2010)|Bug]]

:A [[retool]] of Supreme Class ''Armada'' Unicron toy (see above), this Unicron is given a new head and an [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated film]]-inspired deco, making it the first "proper" release of a 1986-inspired Unicron figure. He retains all of his original [[gimmick]]s, including electronics. His Mini-Con partner, Bug, is still included.

:This set is only available in Japan as a [[TakaraTomy Mall|Toy Hobby Market]] [[exclusive]], with orders being taken from [[June 1]]st through [[July 4]]th. The toy was released at the end of September 2010. Unicron is part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' anniversary celebration, and is packaged in a special box that is meant to go with the [[Primus#2010|Creator Primus]] toy released the same year. Unicron comes with two "[[Robot Point|points]]" redeemable towards a talking stand for ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy]].

: This Unicron utilizes parts from both versions of ''Armada'' Unicron, having wings from the initial release, but hinged shoulder plates with holes on the backs for pegs from the slightly retooled version.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Hasbro2010}}
[[File:2010 Amazon Unicron.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|YOU GET THE BEEEEEEEEEEST OF BOTH WORLLLLLDS]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2011]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Kranix]]
{{toydesigner|[[Andrew Scribner]] (deco artist)}}

:Made in honor of the 25th anniversary of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', the 2010 ''Transformers'' toyline's Unicron deco is noticeably different than TakaraTomy's "Welcome to 2010" Unicron release (even though they are both coloured to represent the character from the movie). It is now cast in metallic gray and gold-ish orange, as well as a muted blue. The shade of blue ''may'' be seen as ''comic''-inspired, since the 80's Marvel comics sometimes had blue tones in the figure… but so did Unicron in some scenes of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', so make of it as you will. It comes with the Mini-Con Kranix (identical to the TakaraTomy release) and is exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.com]] and also at [[Toys"R"Us]] in Canada, while being available at general retail in parts of Southeast Asia. He was also released in Chile as a Ripley exclusive during Christmas 2011.

:While the packaging is of the 2010 toyline, the [[Instructions|instruction manual]] uses the ''Dark of the Moon'' logos (but not the series' style of instruction graphics).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Decepticon/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Transformers (2010)'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
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===''United''===
[[File:United-ArkUnicron-toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Should I use THE CLAMPS?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Ark Unicron''' ([[February 25]], [[2012]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''UN-29'''
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), Planet X Cyber Key

: Ark Unicron is a straight redeco of the Deluxe Class ''Cybertron'' Unicron toy and is, for some reason, packaged in a Voyager-sized box. He is redecoed in colors similar to the 2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron figure, replacing his orange plastic with a darker, metallic shade, his dark gray with a muted blue, and his tan with gray. The Cyber Key retains its Key Code.

:Like the 5th and 6th wave figures, Ark Unicron's package feature a sticker that said "limited quantity (数量限定)", indicating that this figure is released in limited numbers after its first and only shipment.

:This figure was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as several of Unicron's [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]] in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic|''Generation Selects'']] comics.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Unicron/ArkUnicron/unicron.htm More information on Ark Unicron at TFU.info]''
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===''Prime''===
[[File:Primetoy-UnicronArmsMicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|There's gold in them thar hills.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Gaia Unicron''' (2012-[[September 29|09-29]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''AM-19'''
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:Part of the seventh wave of Japanese [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|''Prime'' toys]], and exclusive to said line, Gaia Unicron is an all-new mold. Its robot is based on Unicron's rock-avatar bodies from the ''Prime'' cartoon, while its alternate mode is… erm… a sort of amorphous mass that is ''presented'' by the toy's instructions as a "vehicle mode," but which has apparently been designed to look like a mountain with Unicron's face at its center, ringed by bolts of lightning—another reference to the ''Prime'' cartoon, in which Unicron's spirit communicated with Megatron by appearing in the fumes of a volcano. He also [[Partformer|partsforms]] into "[[Gaia Armor]]" for either Voyager Optimus Prime or Megatron, which more or less leaves most of his mass hanging off the wearer's butt. The Gaia Armor features a "loincloth" panel which has one of each of the 3 Arms Micron Power crystals, not unlike [[Hades]]' tail. Though his [[sticker]] sheet comes with Decepticon symbols for his shoulders, there are also optional [[Blentron]] stickers. His soft plastic wings and horns are prone to drying out and cracking with age, primarily near their connection points.

:Unicron's [[Arms Micron]] partner, [[Bogu]], transforms from what appears to be a robot mole into a pointy claw to replace one of Unicron's spiked club arms. (The displaced club arm can snap onto the back of the other club arm.) Gaia Unicron and his micron feature ''numerous'' [[5 mm post]]s and peg-holes.

:Compared to his [[stock photography]], most (if not all) Gaia Unicrons have [[Misassembly|mis-assembled]] knees, with two small gray parts on the inner portions of his knees being swapped, thus restricting his knee [[articulation]]. This cannot be fixed without knocking out a few pins. It's also common to find one with two of the same knee joint, meaning that swapping them won't fix the issue.

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimeUnicronPack}}
[[File:TFP-YotS-Gaia-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron''' ([[2013]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:This Asian-exclusive redeco of Gaia Unicron features a sticker-less, extensive paint-job, coating his shoulder-pads and large club-arm in shiny metallic paints that match his [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts, with some additional glossy-black and metallic-magenta paint details here and there. Bogu comes pre-assembled and lacks stickers. Gaia Unicron's knees are still mis-assembled.

:He and Bogu come in a multi-pack with a similarly-shiny [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#PrimeUnicronPack|Optimus Prime]] (with [[O.P.#PrimeUnicronPack|O.P]]).

{{-}}{{anchor|Nightmare}}
[[File:TFP-AM-Nightmare-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Nightmare Unicron''' (2013)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu M" Arms Micron

:A black, grey, and red redeco of Gaia Unicron, this version of the chaos-bringer is designed to match up with [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]]. Notably, this is the first release of the mold to feature correctly-assembled knees.

:Nightmare Unicron was released as a Cybertron Satellite store exclusive in Japan. Prior to the release, he was revealed as a prize for the second Arms Up Micron contest.
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===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2016]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Generations|Kranix]]

:Part of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' offerings for 2016 intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Unicron is a redeco of the [[#Transformers (2010)|2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron]] toy, itself a retool of ''Armada'' Unicron. It is similar but not identical to the previous Hasbro 2011 Amazon.com release–the blue is now much lighter and slightly less saturated, while the orange is slightly lighter and the grey is darker, both of which are more metallic. The leg missiles have also changed to a darker blood red plastic. The paint deco is unchanged aside from matching the tweaked color scheme. The mold is also showing its age, as it is much harder to get the planet halves to stay latched together compared to past releases.

:Like several of the 2016 ''Platinum Edition'' sets, Unicron saw a very limited release: Essentially, he was only ever officially released in some of Hasbro's Asian markets such as Hong Kong. A small number of US-based online retailers (such as [[BigBadToyStore]]), plus a few more from Canada and the United Kingdom, stocked him as well, having obtained their stock through Asian vendors.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
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===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
{{anchor|HasLab}}
[[File:TF-WFC-S-Unicron.jpg|upright=2.33|thumb|"For a time… I considered sparing your wretched bank account. But now, you shall witness… ITS WITHDRAWAL!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' ([[2021]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Damaged face plate, two chin pieces, Autobot shuttle, planet display stand, head display stand
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]], [[Lynsey Urban]] and [[Lenny Panzica]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Robby Musso]] and [[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept art), [[AJ Piejko-Brown]] and [[Aurora Kraus]] (packaging), [[Mark Grzesik]], [[Sarah Jean Rovenko]], and [[Dan Caparco]] (instruction design), [[Lee Tympanick]] (safety), [[Rachel Fleming]] (senior box sitter, marketing), [[Charlie (cat)|Charlie]] (junior box sitter, cat)}}<ref>HasLab Unicron development reports at the [[Hasbro Pulse#Hasbro Pulse Unboxed|Hasbro Pulse blog]].</ref>

:At over 27 inches tall in robot mode, 30 inches wide in planet mode, and weighing 16 pounds including his stand, ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' Unicron is the biggest ''Transformers'' figure to date, overthrowing [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'']] [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Generations|Fortress Maximus]].

:…and at $575 USD plus tax, it overthrows your car payment and auto insurance.

:Features include over 50 points of articulation (including a whopping 15 points per hand, plus posable eyes, mouth and teeth), a geared chomping planet mouth with articulated mandibles, a removable head, an [[Autobot shuttle#Toys|Autobot shuttle]], and ''minuscule'' [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron|Galvatron]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Hot Rod]] [[Slug figure|figurines]] to eat. Two display stands are included: a large main stand that can be used in both modes, and a smaller display stand for the head and some of the accessories. To make it easier to manipulate such a massive toy, he can remain attached to the larger display stand during transformation, and his planetary rings/wings can be detached, but transformation is possible without removing any parts. The pointy bits around the equator are molded in flexible plastic for fragility reasons. His head has an alternate damaged faceplate, an alternate forked chin, and hidden skull details. Beneath the main display stand is a compartment to store whichever faceplate and chin piece aren't in use.

:In a first for the ''Transformers'' brand, Unicron includes tiny plastic plugs to conceal screw holes on the front of his left arm, the back of his right arm, and on the planet's pinching mandibles. The 22 screw hole covers are packaged on a sprue. All of the plugs conceal asymmetries resulting from shared parts between the left and the right sides of the figure.

:To achieve the screen-accurate spherical shape for his planet mode, Unicron's transformation consists mainly of [[Shellformer|his planet mode's outer shell splitting apart and packing into layers on the back of his torso and legs]]. A rear panel of the planet does form Unicron's forearms, emulating his transformation scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Each wing has nine joints used for transformation. The planetary ring is radially symmetrical, and can be connected with its parallel points oriented clockwise or counter-clockwise (instructions show clockwise, most of the promotional materials show counter-clockwise). The wings and equatorial spikes require much assembly. Along with the [[#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Deluxe mold]], this is one of only two Unicron toys to feature his iconic [[Dracula]]-style collar.

:The final production figure has a few visible differences from the stock photos, convention appearance specimens, and even its own instruction booklet. Most conspicuously, the inner planetary maw is now blue instead of yellow, and the robot lower teeth are grey-blue instead of painted silver. The tiny Galvatron and Hot Rod figures are also completely different sculpts with rectangular bases and fewer colors. Promotional renders of the Autobot shuttle accessory were shown in a single color, but in production some of the details are painted over in silver.

:The small display stand for Unicron's head has many places on its legs to display the shuttle and mini-figurines, and room for additional similar items. There are 15 rectangular sockets for figurines like Galvatron, Hot Rod, or Optimus Prime (of whom you have [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|two]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#K30|options]]), and there are three places to attach the 5mm post for the Autobot Shuttle's display armature or other items with 5mm posts. [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|The ''Kingdom'' Galvatron toy]] was packaged with a version of [[Revenge (G1)|The Revenge]], which was intended to be in-scale with this Unicron figure, and features a 5mm post on its underside, but it does not have sufficient physical clearances to fit into any of the ports on this display stand.

:Yes, he can support his own weight in robot mode without his stand. No, the head does not need to be removed during transformation; it fits inside the planet mode by rotating his horns down.

:The bottom of the planet mode features two flaps designed to conceal the insertion slot for the stand, just in case you figure out a way to display planet mode without the stand. Unfortunately, one of the flaps takes some fiddling to flip, and the author of the instructions expected them to be packaged flipped-in so Unicron could immediately connect to his stand, but most specimens were not found that way, making the average unboxing experience frustrating. The final page of the instruction book, read in reverse order, shows how to flip this flap and fix this problem.

:[https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-war-for-cybertron-unicron Announced] by [[Hasbro Pulse]] on [[July 15]], [[2019]], Unicron is the first ''Transformers'' toy to be released as a crowdfunded project from [[Hasbro Pulse#HasLab|HasLab]]. Unicron required a minimum of 8,000 backers to be put into production, with an initial deadline of [[August 31]]. On [[August 29]], Hasbro announced it was pushing the end date back to [[October 6]] (the end of [[New York Comic Con]] 2019) in response to fan feedback asking for more time; the project finally achieved the 8,000 backer goal one day before the new deadline, on [[October 5]]. On October 6, the project finished (according to the HTML code of the progress bar) at 140.9%, or 11,272 units, despite officially only displaying “8,000+”. More than a month later, the page was changed to officially read “12,000+ Backers”. In addition to the Unicron figure itself, HasLab backers received a digital comics bundle from [[IDW Publishing]] (featuring [[:File:UnicronHaslabBundleCover.jpg|new cover art]] by [[Andrew Griffith]] that homages the cover of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' [[The Transformers (issue)|#1]]), which contains the four-issue ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' miniseries, and [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|the first issue]] of the 2019 ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' ongoing series. Unicron began shipping to purchasers in February 2021.

:The [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|"Behold, Galvatron!" Unicron Companion Pack]] is intended as an add-on set, featuring [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in a clear purple deco reminiscent of his reformatting scene, small painted ships of the ''Revenge'' (a different sculpt than Galvatron's hand weapons), a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson Cruiser#War for Cybertron Trilogy|ship]], and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions']] ''[[Minnow#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Minnow]]'', as well as an additional 14 mini-figures that can be placed on the display stand.
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==Merchandise==
===Hard Hero===
[[File:HHUnicron statue.jpg|thumb|Weighs almost as much as the real thing]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (BotCon 2002)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron is a huge cold-cast porcelain statue based upon the cartoon design of Unicron. It was originally a [[BotCon 2002]] [[exclusive]] before being released to the general public.
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===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:Titanium RM Unicron.jpg|thumb|"Screw transforming. Watch me convert this 7-10 split."]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Decepticon stand

: Part of the very first wave of ''[[Titanium Series]]'' "Robot Masters" figurines, Unicron is a 3-inch-tall figurine made partially of [[die-cast]] metal, with movable arms. One hand holds what seems to be a moon (or he's going bowling).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/TitUnicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Titanium'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===Art Asylum===
[[File:AAUnicron statue.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Oh, I see how this works. You say, "Behind you!" and I turn around, and while I'm staring at nothing, you run away. Well, I'm not falling for it!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Movie Statue''' (Diamond Select, 2007)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron stands 8 ½” tall and is limited to 1,986 pieces (as in 1986, the year the original animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers]]'' movie was released). It also features a smaller statue of Hot Rod standing upon the centerpiece holding the [[Matrix of Leadership]] aloft. Oddly enough, Hot Rod is in his toy colours.
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:RH Prime vs Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Quite possibly the only Unicron you could ever afford.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Optimus Prime & Unicron''' (Two-pack, 2007)}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (concept artist)}}

: Based on a cartoon-ified version of his ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' model, Unicron's entry in the ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' line comes packed with a [[Matrix of Leadership]]-brandishing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#RHUnicron|Optimus Prime]]. His articulation consists solely of his shoulder joints. Also, it was noted that Unicron doesn't have a smiling mouth unlike most of the Robot Heroes figures.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Unicron at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|RHBlindpack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Single-pack, 2008)}}</ul>

: In some countries outside of North America, Unicron was released individually in a blindpack with no notable changes.
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===Diamond Select===
[[File:Reformatted statue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Downloading Galvatron.exe, 74% Complete]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megatron Reformatted Bust''' (Action Figure Xpress exclusive, 2008)}}</ul>

:"Megatron Reformatted" is a bust exclusively available through Action Figure Xpress, depicting the Decepticon leader in the beginning stages of his reformation into Galvatron as featured in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. This bust features a base in the shape of Unicron.

{{-}}
[[File:DST09 Galvatron bust.jpg|thumb|upright=o.85|Download complete! Run: Y/N]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Galvatron''' (2009)}}</ul>

:Similar to the above piece, this bust depicts the newly-created Galvatron suspended above Unicron. It was sculpted by [[Art Asylum]] and was limited to 1,000 pieces.
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===''Tiny Titans''===
[[File:TinyTitans Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|THAT... IS NOT A KNIFE. ''THIS''... IS A KNIFE.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': '''6'''
:*''Number'': '''9/12'''

: Part of the sixth and final [[Blindpacking|blind-bagged]] assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'', this toy is a small, soft-plastic figurine of the Chaos Bringer, oddly brandishing a butcher knife that he has never used in any work of fiction prior to this toy's release.

: He includes a collectible card that renders him in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'']] styling. The card includes a scan-badge for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.
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===EX Gōkin+===
[[File:EXGokin UnicronHead.jpg|thumb|Devourer of Wallets]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Head''' (2015)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' 2 whole eyes, 2 shattered eyes, stand

:Produced by [[Art Storm]] as part of their ''EX Gōkin+'' line, this is a large, extensively detailed sculpt of Unicron's disembodied head as seen in the third season of the Generation 1 cartoon. He comes with alternate eye parts, allowing you to display him with either shattered or undamaged eyes.

::*''[http://artstorm.co.jp/exgokinplus_unicronhead.html More information on Unicron Head at Art Storm's official site]''
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===Soldier Story===
[[File:Soldier-Story-Unicron-lamp.jpeg|thumb|Our darkest lighter.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (2017)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Hot Rod, Hot Rod clear stand, remote control, USB power cable

:Another high-end collectible, the [[Soldier Story Toys]] Unicron table lamp stands over 26" tall and is bedecked with over 70 LEDs of various colors all over it. It also projects the movie-style Decepticon [[insignia]] above it. The lamp also includes a 6" Hot Rod holding the Matrix of Leadership.

::*''[http://www.soldierstory-toys.com/products_show.asp?id=193 More information on the Unicron table lamp at Soldier Story's website]''
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===Symbiote Studios===
[[File:Symbiote-Studios-Unicron-Plush.jpg|thumb|"Complete the Cuddle." "Hahahaha, DO IT YOURSELF!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Plush''' (2021)}}</ul>

:Available exclusively for San Diego/LA Comic-Con 2021, this adorable head plush of the Devourer of the Planets is produced by Symbiote Studios, and officially licensed by Hasbro. Made with high-quality soft minky fabric.
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===Icon Heroes===
[[File:Icon-Heroes-Unicron-Pen-Holder.jpg|thumb|As the old saying goes, the pen is mightier than the Matrix.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Pen Holder''' (2022)}}</ul>

:A polystone replica of Unicron's severed head produced by Icon Heroes, meant to be used as a pen holder. It features a large gap on its top to accommodate multiple pens, while each of its shattered eyes can store one pen at a time to humorous effect.
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===''Pop!''===
[[File:Funko Pop Jumbo 10-inch Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.22|Half the planet turns into his head.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Jumbo size, July 21, 2022)}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''103'''

:Released as part of the ''[[Funko Pop!|Pop! Retro Toys]]'' segment, Funko's ''Pop!'' Unicron is a Jumbo-sized 10" [[super deformed]] vinyl figure based on his original Generation 1 design, with many of his coloring details based off the HasLab toy above.

:This piece was a shared exclusive for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2022 and GameStop; the toy was the same at both venues, though the packaging would have different stickers.
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===''ReAction''===
[[File:Super7 ReAction Unicron.jpeg|upright=1.66|right|thumb|It's settled: there is no such thing as "too obscure".]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (December 30, 2022)}}</ul>

: Released in the sixth wave of [[Super7]]'s line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ''[[Super7#ReAction|ReAction]]'' Unicron is a "giant-sized" 6-inch toy scaled to tower over the rest of his shipping assortment. In stark contrast to the cartoon-faithful sculpting of the entire rest of the line, this non-converting figure is based on the unreleased 1986 Hasbro prototype toy listed ''waaayyyy'' up above. No, really. It features swivel articulation at the hips, shoulders and neck… though the spheroid body means the leg articulation is very limited, and the arms just kind of… swing inward in front or behind him fairly uselessly. Like, he can do half a dab.

: The [[cross-sell]] images on the cardback depict the Unicron figure holding a large gun, likewise matching the first (and lesser-known) 1986 prototype that had been designed to include a gun that could transform into a stand for the planet mode; however, the final figure did not include this weapon, probably due to the aforementioned wonky arm articulation. It was ''double'' cancelled… harsh.

: As with all releases in the ''ReAction'' toyline, Unicron comes packaged on a card that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of [[Kenner]]'s ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Prototype)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version of ''ReAction'' Unicron has a green deco to represent the ''other'' unreleased early Unicron prototype shown way above - this time the Takara model. In keeping with this, the card uses the Japanese Transformers logo instead of English. The card is significantly smaller than that of the previous version, now the same size as those of standard 3.75" ''ReActions''. It was exclusive to the Super7 website; the listing named it as "Unicron (Prototype)", though that term was not written on the card.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Yellow)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version returns to the original ''ReAction'' figure / Hasbro toy prototype color scheme, but now in noticeably brighter shades of yellow and blue. It was packaged in a G1-styled box, with new [[package art|character art]] instead of that from previous ''ReAction'' releases. The character [[bio]] on the box is reused from the [[Unicron/toys#Universe .282008.29|''Universe'' Unicron]] toy above. This piece was released for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2024, with leftover stock being available on the Super7 website the following week.

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===''Transformers Character Card''===
[[File:Transformers Character Card Unicron and Decepticons.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
*'''Destron Army and Unicron Set''' ([[December 28]], [[2024]])
**''ID number:'' '''99 & 100'''

:Released as part of the thirteenth wave of the [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive ''[[Transformers Character Card]]'' series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of the Generation 1 [[Decepticon]]s (as represented by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Stranglehold]], and [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]]) and Unicron along with [[bio|character profiles]] and [[Tech Spec|tech specs]].
::*''[[Source:Transformers Character Card#100|Translation of Unicron's Transformers Character Card]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Planet-robot.jpg|thumb|right|They're always so cute before their horns come in.]]
* Perhaps the earliest known draft of the design that would become Unicron was created by Japanese artist [[Hiroyuki Hataike|Takehiko Itō]] of ''{{w|Outlaw Star}}'' fame. Itō suggested using redecoes of the spherical ''[[Micro Change]]'' "Meteor Robo" toys as satellites for "Planet-Robot" in brainstorming sessions.<ref>''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]'', p.113</ref>
* Photographs of the second Unicron prototype were first published in late [[1989]] in the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix'' videotape. Photographs of the first, smaller, Unicron prototype, were first published in late [[1995]] in the ''Planet of Cybertron Guide 3'' booklet included with Takara's release of the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)#Fight.21 Super Robot Lifeform Transformers_2010|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: 2010]]'' laserdisc set.<ref>[Transformers Generations 2011 Volume 2]</ref>
* Designer [[Aaron Archer]] was shocked by the number of twist-ties used in ''Armada'' Unicron's [[packaging]], and decided to straighten them all out and put them in a line, measure it, and multiply the length by the number of Unicrons he knew they'd produced—and the total length of twist-tie would've stretched from Providence, [[Rhode Island]] to [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]]. This anecdote led the packaging team to try and reduce the number of ties used in ''Transformers'' packaging.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You know, I tell this story at conventions, I'm not sure I've said it on any of the live feeds, but... I had to take out a Unicron from its package back in the day, to do some diorama or something, and it had a lot of twisty-ties. And you know most of the time toy designers aren't taking the toys out of the package, we developed the stuff, and then there's other teams that do that, and how they package it and the structure and all that, that just gets done and that's not something that you overly worry about, it's not really your department to concern yourself with. But I had to take one out of the package […] and it had so many twisty-ties that I got annoyed, and I measured them all out! I straightened them all out, measured them out, and there was a considerable amount of twisty-tie in each Unicron, to the point that I was very confused by that amount and that number. I did the math, based on how many we made, and you could take a twisty-tie wire from Providence Rhode Island to Phoenix Arizona—which is most of the way across the United States diagonally—and that was the amount of wire we used just on Unicron. […] Think of the spools of wire needed to just do that, and that's a big expense, and not soon after that story got around we started encapsulating them in the packaging difference so we wouldn't have to twisty-tie them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz3TRK6TYAs&t=565s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday Night LIVE - Toy packaging and Transformers discussion|year=2023|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* According to Aaron Archer, he didn't intend for the resemblance between ''Cybertron'' Unicron and the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which TakaraTomy would capitalise on with their "Ark Unicron" release. The toy was motivated from a desire to release a Unicron figure at an affordable price-point, in particular for regions where retailers had never stocked the full-size ''Armada'' toy.<ref name=CybertronUnicron />

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

==External links==
*[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/content.php?/transformers-lucky-draw/toy-gallery/1088/Green+Unicron.html Photo gallery and review of Green Lucky Draw Unicron]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/merchandise/25/merchandise/Unicron+Japanese+Store+Display.html Inflatable Unicron store display gallery]

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Unicron/toys

2025-08-02T21:07:43Z

Jon T: /* The Transformers */

{{suite}}

'''[[Unicron]]''' has managed to amass a [[star system]] of toys and merchandise, and then some.

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|G1Takara}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoTakara.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|He's green with evil!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]])
{{toydesigner|[[Hiroyuki Hataike]] (concept artist)}}

:An unproduced toy for Unicron was to have been released in [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]. The first [[prototype]] of the toy was developed by Takara and was a green and yellow robot that was to come with a base that set up a "planetary system" with Unicron and a moon culled from movie preproduction materials that turned into a laser gun. When transformed to robot mode, Unicron would have a light and sound gimmick that would activate when shot by an infra-red ray from the gun. So far, this version of the toy has been shown only through Takara print materials.

:The placement of yellow is identical to the early animation [[character model]] of Unicron which labels him "[[:File:Model-TheEntity.jpg|The Entity]]". Like that early animation model, the planetary ring is located in front of his "maw" as a result of the positioning of the toy's stand. Additionally, he appears to sport a Decepticon [[rubsign]]. Assuming the rubsign is the same size as every other one, this version of Unicron is considerably smaller than the later prototype.

:At a company presentation, Takara designer [[Kōjin Ōno]] was informed that the Unicron toy was to be made at a larger size, presumably in order to serve as a more appropriate representation of the character's fictional scale. This resulted in the production of a subsequent prototype toy (see below).<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2011/11/07/koujin-oono-interview-on-generation-1-unicron-173702 Koujin Oono (sic) Interview on Generation 1 Unicron]</ref>
{{canceledtoy}}

{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1toy-UnicronprotoHasbro.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look out! The [[CBS]] logo is on a murderous rampage!]]
*'''Unicron''' ([[Hasbro]]/Takara)

:A larger version of the Unicron prototype design was developed by Takara in closer collaboration with Hasbro and was a blue and yellow robot, possessing different [[paint operation]]s and molding to the earlier prototype, about one foot tall and was able to transform into a planet. In comparison to the earlier version, the color scheme of this later prototype is closer to the animation model's finalized colors. Furthermore, the planetary ring's location was rotated 90 degrees, similarly matching later revisions to Unicron's planet mode animation design which moved the ring away from the maw.

[[File:ProtoCron.jpg|left|thumb|For a time I considered sparing your wretched little botanical garden]]
:Omitted from the original prototype was the moon/laser gun, but the new larger design was to have come with a voice chip and a "planet microphone" to allow owners to speak through the toy. Sound samples of lines read by [[Orson Welles]] were also to be used in the toy. According to the "Special Data Book" included with the promotional ''[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix]]'' videotape, Orson Welles recorded a total of ten lines for use in the toy, although only six were used in the prototype model. It also would have had a gun that became a stand for the planet mode and a blue "shield" that unfolded and covered the yellow part of his chest in planet mode. It bears an uncanny physical resemblance to Mr. Welles.

[[File:UnicronPatentShieldGun.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Peekaboo! I eat you!]]
:This figure had a public "debut" of sorts at [[BotCon 1996]], where it was mistransformed, but later convention appearances would feature it accurately transformed.

:After not being shown for several years, the prototype resurfaced in the summer of 2020 on display (and once again mistransformed) at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts as part of their "Let's Play! New England Toy Stories" exhibit featuring the history of New England toy manufacturers.<ref>https://www.capenews.net/arts_and_entertainment/let-s-play-will-celebrate-toys-and-local-toy-manufacturers/article_4ac47415-e615-5d1e-a39c-d270b7c89db2.html Article describing the exhibit, in which an assistant curator mentions "Hasbro prototype from the 1990's," presumably in reference to Unicron</ref>

:According to the fansite Transformers on the Shelf (no longer online), Unicron's toy was scrapped because of cost concerns, flimsy arms, and a faulty voice chip.

:Though the prototype had the tallest robot mode at the time of its planned release, it was ultimately shorter than [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars''===
[[File:BWII toy - Galvatron.jpg|right|upright=2.2|thumb|PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE AND PINK AND PURPLE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-p1|'''Galvatron''' ([[May 21]], [[1998]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''D-16'''
:*''Accessories:'' 2 "Galva Axe" missiles, "Scissor Hand" claw/wing-section
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara)}}

{{note|Beast Wars II [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as Unicron's "energy" form in the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' cartoon.}}

:Released in the fourth wave of ''Beast Wars II'' products in the [[Japan]]ese ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#BWII|Beast Wars]]'' toyline, Galvatron is an Ultra-sized [[Triple Changer]], transforming from robot to mechanical [[dragon]] to drill tank. As the only totally unique Predacon mold created for the ''Beast Wars II'' toyline, Galvatron is also the only figure from the series with both vehicle and animal forms (well, at the same time). In drill tank mode, a black plunger protruding from the top of his cockpit can be pressed, spinning his drill as part of his "Drill Destroyer" attack. The tread-sections also feature his non-firing "Galvatling Cannons", which end up in his knees in both dragon and [[robot mode]]. Also in this mode, triggers on either side of his tail fire his "Galva Axes" as spring-loaded missiles. In dragon mode, a slider on his back allows for his wings to move in a flapping action. His wings can also split open into their "Scissor Hand" claw-pincer configurations, much like they do in the cartoon.

:In robot mode, Galvatron's Galva Axes can be held in his hands as melee weapons or fired from their launchers that are now located on his forearms. His Scissor Hand weapon can also be removed in this mode and used as a hand-held weapon. Galvatron's chest also houses has a yellow marble to represent his "[[Galva-Matrix]]".

: [[Sonokong]] also released this figure in their ''Beast-War'' toyline as "Garba Tron" (also known as "Galvatron"). Aside from the difference in packaging, the [[South Korea|Korea]]n release of the figure is identical to the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] releases. In place of the bio cards of the Takara releases, Garba Tron comes with two "{{w|Rock paper scissors|Jan-ken-pon}}" cards. One has an image [[:File:D-16 Garba Tron Sonokong.jpeg|reflecting the one on the box]], with scissors and the number one die roll, and the other with rock and the number five die roll, with a super computer or building in the background.

: ''Beast-War'' Galba Tron was later reissued in the Korean ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)#Car Bot|Car Bot]]'' toyline, reassigned as a [[Predacon (BW)#2001 Robots in Disguise continuity family|Destronger]] and renamed [[Megatron (RID)#Gigatron Z|Gigatron Z]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Destron/Galvatron/galvatron.htm More information on Galvatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWN}}
[[File:BWNeo-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|A robot with a hemisphere on his back.]]
*'''Unicron''' (Takara)
{{toydesigner|[[Hisashi Yuki]] (Takara), [[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

:Takara tried again to produce a Unicron toy during ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' (as the character figured prominently to the endings of both the cartoon and comic), only going as far as the resin prototype stage before canceling it. It was said to be around the size of [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|"Optimal Optimus"]] and had several gimmicks, such as an opening robot mouth when the horns were squeezed, and a claw and a drill that were stored in the planet "shell" in robot mode. The toy would also have had planetary ring segments, not shown in the photo at right; unlike most representations of Unicron, these ring segments ran along his equator, and were only partial so his planetary mouth was not obstructed. One hard copy was shown at the [[Tokyo Toy Show]]. Fans attempted to lobby for an unassembled, unpainted, and likely one-color "garage kit" version of the toy, but this never came to be… probably because the cost per unit would have been several hundred dollars.

:Interestingly enough, neither the cartoon nor comic version of ''Neo'' Unicron looked like the toy. This toy was later used to represent [[Dark Nova]]'s "Unicron Neo" form in the [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

===''Armada''===
[[File:Unicrontoyarmada.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|And the fandom rejoiced (and complained).]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Mini-Con Dead End''' (Supreme Class, July [[2003]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara/Sonokong ID number:'' '''MX-00'''
:*''Takara release date'': September ??, 2003
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro), [[Hironori Kobayashi]] (Takara)|[[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Unicron from the [[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|''Armada'' toyline]] is an orange and transparent purple Supreme-size toy that transforms into a planet. It features many [[Mini-Con]] [[Powerlinx]] plugs on the planet's rings, and "chomping" jaws activated by moving the mandibles. The packed-in Mini-Con [[Dead End (Armada)#Toys|Dead End]] in moon mode plugs into a specially shaped crater-like socket on Unicron's planet form, just above his gaping maw. Powerlinx plugs on his sides activate the triple spring-loaded missile launchers, which end up on his [[robot mode]] legs. In robot mode, he has hidden compartments for Mini-Cons in his robot-mode legs and abdomen. One Powerlinx plug on the back of the robot mode activates blinking eye lights and a cannon that bursts from the chest and shoots a missile. A button on the top of the head also activates the blinking eye lights. Pushing his right hand back slightly into the cuff causes it to light up.

: In total, the toy can hold up to 27 Mini-Cons in planet mode, and 30 in robot mode—35 if you count the two cavities in his forearms, Dead End's indent on the planet shells, and if a Mini-Con is stored in the compartment on each leg. 24 of the Powerlinx points are situated on his wings/planet ring. That's a lot of Mini-Cons! Attaching the full capacity of Mini-Cons can easily add a whole pound to Unicron's weight (varying slightly by the choice of Mini-Cons used of course). Since Unicron alone is one of the heaviest ''Transformers'' figures ever made at the time, one can imagine how bulky he gets.

: This toy is notable for being the first "modern" ''Transformers'' release in the main line at the $50-price point. Due to his success, other releases like ''Energon'' [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] came into being. This toy was featured in ToyFare Magazine, being awarded "Toy of the Year" for 2003 in "Best of the Best 2003".<ref>http://www.unicron.us/tf2003/toypix/unicron.htm</ref>

: Unicron is something of a [[shellformer]], with the majority of his planet mode being composed of two large translucent purple halves which swing onto his back in robot mode as wings ([[:File:Union-Unicron.jpg|though, not to the scale they are shown to be in the cartoon]]). These parts can be removed quite easily in robot mode to make him a little more accurate to his appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''—which is exactly what a large percentage of the [[fandom]] did with the figure, since this ''was'' the only Unicron toy available for Generation 1 collectors to buy at the time. In fact, Unicron's [[instructions]] ''actually'' tell you to [[Partformer|remove the wings for transformation]], though it's not ''really'' needed. The reason the instructions tell you to remove the wings is because they are intended to be reconnected to the same joints they were taken off of back-to-front in robot mode, allowing for the base of the wing to sit in the channels behind his shoulders, making them less likely to flop around. Because the wings are removable, this has led to hemisphereless Unicrons being quite common on the aftermarket.

: The toy had a minor [[Variant|running change]] where a slot and tab were added to the shoulder and wing column, respectively, to keep the rings more firmly in place in planet mode. Early publicity photos and some catalog shots also show that the two nubs on either outside edge of the shoulders were originally full-fledged spikes, dulled down [[for safety reasons]].

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Legends of the Microns'' and [[Sonokong]] ''Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron'' releases of Unicron use a lighter orange, slightly more transparent plastic, and different paint applications than the Hasbro release, for instance, the silver paint on its face highlights his [[Humanization#Facial hair|moustache]].

:This mold was used to make the [[Unicron of Light|Mini-Con doppelganger of Unicron]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Armada'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|bonuspack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-unimc|'''Unicron with Dead End''' (Bonus pack, 2003)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate

: Late in the US line, [[Walmart]] stores received [[exclusive]] Unicron toys that came with the [[Air Military Mini-Con Team]] in a bubble attached to the top of the box. This set was sold for the normal retail price of Unicron... hey, free Mini-Cons!
{{-}}

===''Energon''===
[[File:Energon Unicron toy.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|This would be worth more to somebody outside of Japan if it was bought inside Japan.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2004]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number'': '''MX-00'''
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Energon|Dead End]]

:Unicron's ''Armada'' toy was [[redeco]]ed for the [[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|''Energon'' toyline]], sporting black and transparent orange, with "Energon damage" patterns, representing his shattered and damaged form. All of the gimmicks from the previous version are intact in this one.

:Early stock photography of the toy depicts Unicron with a different color scheme that features a gray face and a pink translucent chest instead of the silver face and a reddish-orange translucent chest of the actual toy.

:Early shipments of Unicron in ''Energon'' packaging shipped with either the orange ''Armada'' Unicron or the black ''Energon'' Unicron inside, in seemingly equal amounts for a short while. Eventually, the orange version was phased out and black was the only shipping version.

: The Takara ''Super Link'' release of Unicron—dubbed '''Unicron Black Version''' (ユニクロンブラックバージョン ''Yunikuron Burakku Bājon'')—was packaged inside the ''Legends of the Microns'' Unicron box, with a "20th Anniversary" sticker applied to the back and the front of the box. The figure was released in limited numbers (the amount of which is currently unknown), and was presumably exclusive to a store (which is also currently unknown).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Energon'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds}}
[[File:Energontoy-McUnicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Unicron will make an unhappy meal of you.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (Fast Food Premium, 2004-2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Energon cube

:Available in one of two different European-market McDonald's Happy Meal promotions, this Unicron toy is based on ''Energon'' Unicron, being primarily black. It is very small, and the transformation consists of simply opening the planet mode to reveal the robot.

:When his Energon cube is clicked into position, the cube's power switch set to "on", and the toy's button depressed, his body lights up. In 2006, this figure was made available in Brazil without the Energon cube.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Unicron/McUnicron/unicron.htm More information on McDonald's Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Cybertron''===
[[File:Cyb-toy UnicronDlx.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|ZERG RUSH KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Deluxe Class, [[2006]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] Cyber Key
:*''Cyber Key Code'': '''dgt3'''
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Archer]] (Hasbro),<ref name=CybertronUnicron>{{citesocial|quote=I don't think he's supposed to be a tank version of the Ark but… we were talking a lot about Unicron, and Unicron's coming, and Unicron's coming… and sometimes that is a tactic used, you know, you'll do a much bigger or important character in a price point that's affordable, so that in some regions that will never get the higher priced items—it's a lot like why we did "Bendy Prime", Deluxe Prime, in ''Armada''—so that Unicron can be present in their fantasy play, but not necessarily going to ever be that larger one. That's one reason to do it, it was big in the story, it was just an opportunity to to do a character that people knew rather than not, so… Think of it as a dream-sequence Unicron, a bit… his energy, his thoughts, his malice, out there messing around. But that's why he would have been created and that's that, I guess. […] But I don't know why he looks like the Ark necessarily—I did that item, so the Ark wasn't part of my goal, so… that might just be in there.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PZCff7N2Wg&t=1857s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday night LIVE: Vector Prime is Back|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref> [[Takio Ejima]] (Takara)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Part of the eighth wave of [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] Deluxe Class toys, Unicron transforms into a futuristic, crab-like/insectoid tank. In robot mode, he sports a battle-damaged appearance, with his head featuring a skull-like design mimicking the Unicron head that comes with Cybertron Primus (see below). In both modes he features a large spring-loaded missile launcher, plus plugging a [[Cyber Key]] into his back end opens up a port on his front (which bears a striking similarity to his planet form's maw) that reveals a (non-firing) triple-barreled cannon. His side-spines in tank mode can be removed to become hand-weapons in robot mode.

: This toy was the first and only Unicron toy with the trademark Dracula-style "collar" from the original animation model, up until [[#War for Cybertron Trilogy|the toy based directly on said animation model]] created roughly fifteen years later. He is also the first Unicron toy to be placed with the Decepticon faction for the purposes of marketing.

: Due to the use of translucent plastic for his radar dish/head mount, aging samples run the risk of this piece breaking off at the joint due to plastic tolerance issues. Some samples also have difficulty holding the spike weapons properly due to the short pegs and clearance issues with his wrists.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Cybertron'' Unicron at TFU.info'']

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimusUnicronHead}}
[[File:Unicronhead.jpg|thumb|That worked a lot better for Fort Max.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme Class, 2006)}}</ul>

:''Cybertron'' Supreme Class [[Primus#Cybertron|Cybertron Primus]] comes with Unicron's head. The head is based on ''Armada'' Unicron's, with half of the face stripped away to reveal a robotic "skull". To provide the impression of locomotion, tentacles were added to the base of the head. His face bears a greater resemblance to his on-screen appearance in ''Armada'' than the ''Armada'' toy itself, with no facial hair, a more "wrinkled" look, and thinner, rounder eyes. Meanwhile, his color scheme matches the ''Cybertron'' toy, with dark gray horns and a purple crest on his brow.

: The packaging for this variation of Primus was specifically changed with a call-out for the Unicron head. This was originally supposed to be the first version of the Primus toy shipped, being part of the second wave of ''Cybertron'' Supreme Class toys, but both versions ended up shipping simultaneously, leading to some hunting to get the packed-in "Uni-skull".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Primus/Primus/primus.htm More information on Unicron's head (with Primus) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:Transformers-Universe-(2008)-Unicron-packaging.jpg|200px|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, 2008)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': Armada Series
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile

:For ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'', ''Armada'' Unicron was [[rebranding|rebranded]] with no deco differences, even retaining the ''Armada'' release's product code. He was sold as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]]. As with all Unicron products produced by Hasbro since ''Cybertron'' Unicron, he is placed in the Decepticon faction. Once again, the on-box [[bio]] profile describes Unicron's nature as a [[multiversal singularity]].
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' (2010)===
[[File:TF2010toy-Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Orange you glad it's 2010?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Universal Dominator Unicron''' (September [[2010]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Dead End (Armada)#Transformers (2010)|Bug]]

:A [[retool]] of Supreme Class ''Armada'' Unicron toy (see above), this Unicron is given a new head and an [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated film]]-inspired deco, making it the first "proper" release of a 1986-inspired Unicron figure. He retains all of his original [[gimmick]]s, including electronics. His Mini-Con partner, Bug, is still included.

:This set is only available in Japan as a [[TakaraTomy Mall|Toy Hobby Market]] [[exclusive]], with orders being taken from [[June 1]]st through [[July 4]]th. The toy was released at the end of September 2010. Unicron is part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' anniversary celebration, and is packaged in a special box that is meant to go with the [[Primus#2010|Creator Primus]] toy released the same year. Unicron comes with two "[[Robot Point|points]]" redeemable towards a talking stand for ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy]].

: This Unicron utilizes parts from both versions of ''Armada'' Unicron, having wings from the initial release, but hinged shoulder plates with holes on the backs for pegs from the slightly retooled version.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Hasbro2010}}
[[File:2010 Amazon Unicron.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|YOU GET THE BEEEEEEEEEEST OF BOTH WORLLLLLDS]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2011]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Kranix]]
{{toydesigner|[[Andrew Scribner]] (deco artist)}}

:Made in honor of the 25th anniversary of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', the 2010 ''Transformers'' toyline's Unicron deco is noticeably different than TakaraTomy's "Welcome to 2010" Unicron release (even though they are both coloured to represent the character from the movie). It is now cast in metallic gray and gold-ish orange, as well as a muted blue. The shade of blue ''may'' be seen as ''comic''-inspired, since the 80's Marvel comics sometimes had blue tones in the figure… but so did Unicron in some scenes of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', so make of it as you will. It comes with the Mini-Con Kranix (identical to the TakaraTomy release) and is exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.com]] and also at [[Toys"R"Us]] in Canada, while being available at general retail in parts of Southeast Asia. He was also released in Chile as a Ripley exclusive during Christmas 2011.

:While the packaging is of the 2010 toyline, the [[Instructions|instruction manual]] uses the ''Dark of the Moon'' logos (but not the series' style of instruction graphics).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Decepticon/Unicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Transformers (2010)'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:United-ArkUnicron-toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Should I use THE CLAMPS?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Ark Unicron''' ([[February 25]], [[2012]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''UN-29'''
:*''Accessories'': Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), Planet X Cyber Key

: Ark Unicron is a straight redeco of the Deluxe Class ''Cybertron'' Unicron toy and is, for some reason, packaged in a Voyager-sized box. He is redecoed in colors similar to the 2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron figure, replacing his orange plastic with a darker, metallic shade, his dark gray with a muted blue, and his tan with gray. The Cyber Key retains its Key Code.

:Like the 5th and 6th wave figures, Ark Unicron's package feature a sticker that said "limited quantity (数量限定)", indicating that this figure is released in limited numbers after its first and only shipment.

:This figure was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as several of Unicron's [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]] in the [[Generations Selects Special Comic|''Generation Selects'']] comics.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Unicron/ArkUnicron/unicron.htm More information on Ark Unicron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Prime''===
[[File:Primetoy-UnicronArmsMicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|There's gold in them thar hills.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Gaia Unicron''' (2012-[[September 29|09-29]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''AM-19'''
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:Part of the seventh wave of Japanese [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|''Prime'' toys]], and exclusive to said line, Gaia Unicron is an all-new mold. Its robot is based on Unicron's rock-avatar bodies from the ''Prime'' cartoon, while its alternate mode is… erm… a sort of amorphous mass that is ''presented'' by the toy's instructions as a "vehicle mode," but which has apparently been designed to look like a mountain with Unicron's face at its center, ringed by bolts of lightning—another reference to the ''Prime'' cartoon, in which Unicron's spirit communicated with Megatron by appearing in the fumes of a volcano. He also [[Partformer|partsforms]] into "[[Gaia Armor]]" for either Voyager Optimus Prime or Megatron, which more or less leaves most of his mass hanging off the wearer's butt. The Gaia Armor features a "loincloth" panel which has one of each of the 3 Arms Micron Power crystals, not unlike [[Hades]]' tail. Though his [[sticker]] sheet comes with Decepticon symbols for his shoulders, there are also optional [[Blentron]] stickers. His soft plastic wings and horns are prone to drying out and cracking with age, primarily near their connection points.

:Unicron's [[Arms Micron]] partner, [[Bogu]], transforms from what appears to be a robot mole into a pointy claw to replace one of Unicron's spiked club arms. (The displaced club arm can snap onto the back of the other club arm.) Gaia Unicron and his micron feature ''numerous'' [[5 mm post]]s and peg-holes.

:Compared to his [[stock photography]], most (if not all) Gaia Unicrons have [[Misassembly|mis-assembled]] knees, with two small gray parts on the inner portions of his knees being swapped, thus restricting his knee [[articulation]]. This cannot be fixed without knocking out a few pins. It's also common to find one with two of the same knee joint, meaning that swapping them won't fix the issue.

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimeUnicronPack}}
[[File:TFP-YotS-Gaia-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron''' ([[2013]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu" Arms Micron

:This Asian-exclusive redeco of Gaia Unicron features a sticker-less, extensive paint-job, coating his shoulder-pads and large club-arm in shiny metallic paints that match his [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts, with some additional glossy-black and metallic-magenta paint details here and there. Bogu comes pre-assembled and lacks stickers. Gaia Unicron's knees are still mis-assembled.

:He and Bogu come in a multi-pack with a similarly-shiny [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#PrimeUnicronPack|Optimus Prime]] (with [[O.P.#PrimeUnicronPack|O.P]]).

{{-}}{{anchor|Nightmare}}
[[File:TFP-AM-Nightmare-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Nightmare Unicron''' (2013)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Bogu M" Arms Micron

:A black, grey, and red redeco of Gaia Unicron, this version of the chaos-bringer is designed to match up with [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]]. Notably, this is the first release of the mold to feature correctly-assembled knees.

:Nightmare Unicron was released as a Cybertron Satellite store exclusive in Japan. Prior to the release, he was revealed as a prize for the second Arms Up Micron contest.
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Unicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Supreme Class, [[2016]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, [[Kranix (G1)#Generations|Kranix]]

:Part of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' offerings for 2016 intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Unicron is a redeco of the [[#Transformers (2010)|2010 ''Transformers'' Unicron]] toy, itself a retool of ''Armada'' Unicron. It is similar but not identical to the previous Hasbro 2011 Amazon.com release–the blue is now much lighter and slightly less saturated, while the orange is slightly lighter and the grey is darker, both of which are more metallic. The leg missiles have also changed to a darker blood red plastic. The paint deco is unchanged aside from matching the tweaked color scheme. The mold is also showing its age, as it is much harder to get the planet halves to stay latched together compared to past releases.

:Like several of the 2016 ''Platinum Edition'' sets, Unicron saw a very limited release: Essentially, he was only ever officially released in some of Hasbro's Asian markets such as Hong Kong. A small number of US-based online retailers (such as [[BigBadToyStore]]), plus a few more from Canada and the United Kingdom, stocked him as well, having obtained their stock through Asian vendors.
{{ArmadaUnicronMold}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
{{anchor|HasLab}}
[[File:TF-WFC-S-Unicron.jpg|upright=2.33|thumb|"For a time… I considered sparing your wretched bank account. But now, you shall witness… ITS WITHDRAWAL!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' ([[2021]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Damaged face plate, two chin pieces, Autobot shuttle, planet display stand, head display stand
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]], [[Lynsey Urban]] and [[Lenny Panzica]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Robby Musso]] and [[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept art), [[AJ Piejko-Brown]] and [[Aurora Kraus]] (packaging), [[Mark Grzesik]], [[Sarah Jean Rovenko]], and [[Dan Caparco]] (instruction design), [[Lee Tympanick]] (safety), [[Rachel Fleming]] (senior box sitter, marketing), [[Charlie (cat)|Charlie]] (junior box sitter, cat)}}<ref>HasLab Unicron development reports at the [[Hasbro Pulse#Hasbro Pulse Unboxed|Hasbro Pulse blog]].</ref>

:At over 27 inches tall in robot mode, 30 inches wide in planet mode, and weighing 16 pounds including his stand, ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' Unicron is the biggest ''Transformers'' figure to date, overthrowing [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'']] [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Generations|Fortress Maximus]].

:…and at $575 USD plus tax, it overthrows your car payment and auto insurance.

:Features include over 50 points of articulation (including a whopping 15 points per hand, plus posable eyes, mouth and teeth), a geared chomping planet mouth with articulated mandibles, a removable head, an [[Autobot shuttle#Toys|Autobot shuttle]], and ''minuscule'' [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron|Galvatron]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Hot Rod]] [[Slug figure|figurines]] to eat. Two display stands are included: a large main stand that can be used in both modes, and a smaller display stand for the head and some of the accessories. To make it easier to manipulate such a massive toy, he can remain attached to the larger display stand during transformation, and his planetary rings/wings can be detached, but transformation is possible without removing any parts. The pointy bits around the equator are molded in flexible plastic for fragility reasons. His head has an alternate damaged faceplate, an alternate forked chin, and hidden skull details. Beneath the main display stand is a compartment to store whichever faceplate and chin piece aren't in use.

:In a first for the ''Transformers'' brand, Unicron includes tiny plastic plugs to conceal screw holes on the front of his left arm, the back of his right arm, and on the planet's pinching mandibles. The 22 screw hole covers are packaged on a sprue. All of the plugs conceal asymmetries resulting from shared parts between the left and the right sides of the figure.

:To achieve the screen-accurate spherical shape for his planet mode, Unicron's transformation consists mainly of [[Shellformer|his planet mode's outer shell splitting apart and packing into layers on the back of his torso and legs]]. A rear panel of the planet does form Unicron's forearms, emulating his transformation scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Each wing has nine joints used for transformation. The planetary ring is radially symmetrical, and can be connected with its parallel points oriented clockwise or counter-clockwise (instructions show clockwise, most of the promotional materials show counter-clockwise). The wings and equatorial spikes require much assembly. Along with the [[#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Deluxe mold]], this is one of only two Unicron toys to feature his iconic [[Dracula]]-style collar.

:The final production figure has a few visible differences from the stock photos, convention appearance specimens, and even its own instruction booklet. Most conspicuously, the inner planetary maw is now blue instead of yellow, and the robot lower teeth are grey-blue instead of painted silver. The tiny Galvatron and Hot Rod figures are also completely different sculpts with rectangular bases and fewer colors. Promotional renders of the Autobot shuttle accessory were shown in a single color, but in production some of the details are painted over in silver.

:The small display stand for Unicron's head has many places on its legs to display the shuttle and mini-figurines, and room for additional similar items. There are 15 rectangular sockets for figurines like Galvatron, Hot Rod, or Optimus Prime (of whom you have [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|two]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#K30|options]]), and there are three places to attach the 5mm post for the Autobot Shuttle's display armature or other items with 5mm posts. [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|The ''Kingdom'' Galvatron toy]] was packaged with a version of [[Revenge (G1)|The Revenge]], which was intended to be in-scale with this Unicron figure, and features a 5mm post on its underside, but it does not have sufficient physical clearances to fit into any of the ports on this display stand.

:Yes, he can support his own weight in robot mode without his stand. No, the head does not need to be removed during transformation; it fits inside the planet mode by rotating his horns down.

:The bottom of the planet mode features two flaps designed to conceal the insertion slot for the stand, just in case you figure out a way to display planet mode without the stand. Unfortunately, one of the flaps takes some fiddling to flip, and the author of the instructions expected them to be packaged flipped-in so Unicron could immediately connect to his stand, but most specimens were not found that way, making the average unboxing experience frustrating. The final page of the instruction book, read in reverse order, shows how to flip this flap and fix this problem.

:[https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-war-for-cybertron-unicron Announced] by [[Hasbro Pulse]] on [[July 15]], [[2019]], Unicron is the first ''Transformers'' toy to be released as a crowdfunded project from [[Hasbro Pulse#HasLab|HasLab]]. Unicron required a minimum of 8,000 backers to be put into production, with an initial deadline of [[August 31]]. On [[August 29]], Hasbro announced it was pushing the end date back to [[October 6]] (the end of [[New York Comic Con]] 2019) in response to fan feedback asking for more time; the project finally achieved the 8,000 backer goal one day before the new deadline, on [[October 5]]. On October 6, the project finished (according to the HTML code of the progress bar) at 140.9%, or 11,272 units, despite officially only displaying “8,000+”. More than a month later, the page was changed to officially read “12,000+ Backers”. In addition to the Unicron figure itself, HasLab backers received a digital comics bundle from [[IDW Publishing]] (featuring [[:File:UnicronHaslabBundleCover.jpg|new cover art]] by [[Andrew Griffith]] that homages the cover of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' [[The Transformers (issue)|#1]]), which contains the four-issue ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' miniseries, and [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|the first issue]] of the 2019 ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' ongoing series. Unicron began shipping to purchasers in February 2021.

:The [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|"Behold, Galvatron!" Unicron Companion Pack]] is intended as an add-on set, featuring [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in a clear purple deco reminiscent of his reformatting scene, small painted ships of the ''Revenge'' (a different sculpt than Galvatron's hand weapons), a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson Cruiser#War for Cybertron Trilogy|ship]], and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions']] ''[[Minnow#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Minnow]]'', as well as an additional 14 mini-figures that can be placed on the display stand.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Hard Hero===
[[File:HHUnicron statue.jpg|thumb|Weighs almost as much as the real thing]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron''' (BotCon 2002)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron is a huge cold-cast porcelain statue based upon the cartoon design of Unicron. It was originally a [[BotCon 2002]] [[exclusive]] before being released to the general public.
{{--}}

===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:Titanium RM Unicron.jpg|thumb|"Screw transforming. Watch me convert this 7-10 split."]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Decepticon stand

: Part of the very first wave of ''[[Titanium Series]]'' "Robot Masters" figurines, Unicron is a 3-inch-tall figurine made partially of [[die-cast]] metal, with movable arms. One hand holds what seems to be a moon (or he's going bowling).

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Unicron/TitUnicron/unicron.htm ''More information on ''Titanium'' Unicron at TFU.info'']
{{--}}

===Art Asylum===
[[File:AAUnicron statue.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Oh, I see how this works. You say, "Behind you!" and I turn around, and while I'm staring at nothing, you run away. Well, I'm not falling for it!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Movie Statue''' (Diamond Select, 2007)}}</ul>

:This statue of Unicron stands 8 ½” tall and is limited to 1,986 pieces (as in 1986, the year the original animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers]]'' movie was released). It also features a smaller statue of Hot Rod standing upon the centerpiece holding the [[Matrix of Leadership]] aloft. Oddly enough, Hot Rod is in his toy colours.
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:RH Prime vs Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Quite possibly the only Unicron you could ever afford.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Optimus Prime & Unicron''' (Two-pack, 2007)}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (concept artist)}}

: Based on a cartoon-ified version of his ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' model, Unicron's entry in the ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' line comes packed with a [[Matrix of Leadership]]-brandishing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#RHUnicron|Optimus Prime]]. His articulation consists solely of his shoulder joints. Also, it was noted that Unicron doesn't have a smiling mouth unlike most of the Robot Heroes figures.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Unicron at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|RHBlindpack}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Single-pack, 2008)}}</ul>

: In some countries outside of North America, Unicron was released individually in a blindpack with no notable changes.
{{--}}

===Diamond Select===
[[File:Reformatted statue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Downloading Galvatron.exe, 74% Complete]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Megatron Reformatted Bust''' (Action Figure Xpress exclusive, 2008)}}</ul>

:"Megatron Reformatted" is a bust exclusively available through Action Figure Xpress, depicting the Decepticon leader in the beginning stages of his reformation into Galvatron as featured in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. This bust features a base in the shape of Unicron.

{{-}}
[[File:DST09 Galvatron bust.jpg|thumb|upright=o.85|Download complete! Run: Y/N]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Galvatron''' (2009)}}</ul>

:Similar to the above piece, this bust depicts the newly-created Galvatron suspended above Unicron. It was sculpted by [[Art Asylum]] and was limited to 1,000 pieces.
{{-}}

===''Tiny Titans''===
[[File:TinyTitans Unicron.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|THAT... IS NOT A KNIFE. ''THIS''... IS A KNIFE.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': '''6'''
:*''Number'': '''9/12'''

: Part of the sixth and final [[Blindpacking|blind-bagged]] assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'', this toy is a small, soft-plastic figurine of the Chaos Bringer, oddly brandishing a butcher knife that he has never used in any work of fiction prior to this toy's release.

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

===EX Gōkin+===
[[File:EXGokin UnicronHead.jpg|thumb|Devourer of Wallets]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Head''' (2015)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' 2 whole eyes, 2 shattered eyes, stand

:Produced by [[Art Storm]] as part of their ''EX Gōkin+'' line, this is a large, extensively detailed sculpt of Unicron's disembodied head as seen in the third season of the Generation 1 cartoon. He comes with alternate eye parts, allowing you to display him with either shattered or undamaged eyes.

::*''[http://artstorm.co.jp/exgokinplus_unicronhead.html More information on Unicron Head at Art Storm's official site]''
{{--}}

===Soldier Story===
[[File:Soldier-Story-Unicron-lamp.jpeg|thumb|Our darkest lighter.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (2017)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories:'' Hot Rod, Hot Rod clear stand, remote control, USB power cable

:Another high-end collectible, the [[Soldier Story Toys]] Unicron table lamp stands over 26" tall and is bedecked with over 70 LEDs of various colors all over it. It also projects the movie-style Decepticon [[insignia]] above it. The lamp also includes a 6" Hot Rod holding the Matrix of Leadership.

::*''[http://www.soldierstory-toys.com/products_show.asp?id=193 More information on the Unicron table lamp at Soldier Story's website]''
{{--}}

===Symbiote Studios===
[[File:Symbiote-Studios-Unicron-Plush.jpg|thumb|"Complete the Cuddle." "Hahahaha, DO IT YOURSELF!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Unicron Plush''' (2021)}}</ul>

:Available exclusively for San Diego/LA Comic-Con 2021, this adorable head plush of the Devourer of the Planets is produced by Symbiote Studios, and officially licensed by Hasbro. Made with high-quality soft minky fabric.
{{--}}

===Icon Heroes===
[[File:Icon-Heroes-Unicron-Pen-Holder.jpg|thumb|As the old saying goes, the pen is mightier than the Matrix.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron Pen Holder''' (2022)}}</ul>

:A polystone replica of Unicron's severed head produced by Icon Heroes, meant to be used as a pen holder. It features a large gap on its top to accommodate multiple pens, while each of its shattered eyes can store one pen at a time to humorous effect.
{{--}}

===''Pop!''===
[[File:Funko Pop Jumbo 10-inch Unicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.22|Half the planet turns into his head.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (Jumbo size, July 21, 2022)}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''103'''

:Released as part of the ''[[Funko Pop!|Pop! Retro Toys]]'' segment, Funko's ''Pop!'' Unicron is a Jumbo-sized 10" [[super deformed]] vinyl figure based on his original Generation 1 design, with many of his coloring details based off the HasLab toy above.

:This piece was a shared exclusive for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2022 and GameStop; the toy was the same at both venues, though the packaging would have different stickers.
{{--}}

===''ReAction''===
[[File:Super7 ReAction Unicron.jpeg|upright=1.66|right|thumb|It's settled: there is no such thing as "too obscure".]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron''' (December 30, 2022)}}</ul>

: Released in the sixth wave of [[Super7]]'s line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ''[[Super7#ReAction|ReAction]]'' Unicron is a "giant-sized" 6-inch toy scaled to tower over the rest of his shipping assortment. In stark contrast to the cartoon-faithful sculpting of the entire rest of the line, this non-converting figure is based on the unreleased 1986 Hasbro prototype toy listed ''waaayyyy'' up above. No, really. It features swivel articulation at the hips, shoulders and neck… though the spheroid body means the leg articulation is very limited, and the arms just kind of… swing inward in front or behind him fairly uselessly. Like, he can do half a dab.

: The [[cross-sell]] images on the cardback depict the Unicron figure holding a large gun, likewise matching the first (and lesser-known) 1986 prototype that had been designed to include a gun that could transform into a stand for the planet mode; however, the final figure did not include this weapon, probably due to the aforementioned wonky arm articulation. It was ''double'' cancelled… harsh.

: As with all releases in the ''ReAction'' toyline, Unicron comes packaged on a card that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of [[Kenner]]'s ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Prototype)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version of ''ReAction'' Unicron has a green deco to represent the ''other'' unreleased early Unicron prototype shown way above - this time the Takara model. In keeping with this, the card uses the Japanese Transformers logo instead of English. The card is significantly smaller than that of the previous version, now the same size as those of standard 3.75" ''ReActions''. It was exclusive to the Super7 website; the listing named it as "Unicron (Prototype)", though that term was not written on the card.

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Unicron (Yellow)''' (2024)}}</ul>

: This version returns to the original ''ReAction'' figure / Hasbro toy prototype color scheme, but now in noticeably brighter shades of yellow and blue. It was packaged in a G1-styled box, with new [[package art|character art]] instead of that from previous ''ReAction'' releases. The character [[bio]] on the box is reused from the [[Unicron/toys#Universe .282008.29|''Universe'' Unicron]] toy above. This piece was released for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2024, with leftover stock being available on the Super7 website the following week.

{{-}}

===''Transformers Character Card''===
[[File:Transformers Character Card Unicron and Decepticons.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
*'''Destron Army and Unicron Set''' ([[December 28]], [[2024]])
**''ID number:'' '''99 & 100'''

:Released as part of the thirteenth wave of the [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive ''[[Transformers Character Card]]'' series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of the Generation 1 [[Decepticon]]s (as represented by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Stranglehold]], and [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]]) and Unicron along with [[bio|character profiles]] and [[Tech Spec|tech specs]].
::*''[[Source:Transformers Character Card#100|Translation of Unicron's Transformers Character Card]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Planet-robot.jpg|thumb|right|They're always so cute before their horns come in.]]
* Perhaps the earliest known draft of the design that would become Unicron was created by Japanese artist [[Hiroyuki Hataike|Takehiko Itō]] of ''{{w|Outlaw Star}}'' fame. Itō suggested using redecoes of the spherical ''[[Micro Change]]'' "Meteor Robo" toys as satellites for "Planet-Robot" in brainstorming sessions.<ref>''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]'', p.113</ref>
* Designer [[Aaron Archer]] was shocked by the number of twist-ties used in ''Armada'' Unicron's [[packaging]], and decided to straighten them all out and put them in a line, measure it, and multiply the length by the number of Unicrons he knew they'd produced—and the total length of twist-tie would've stretched from Providence, [[Rhode Island]] to [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]]. This anecdote led the packaging team to try and reduce the number of ties used in ''Transformers'' packaging.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You know, I tell this story at conventions, I'm not sure I've said it on any of the live feeds, but... I had to take out a Unicron from its package back in the day, to do some diorama or something, and it had a lot of twisty-ties. And you know most of the time toy designers aren't taking the toys out of the package, we developed the stuff, and then there's other teams that do that, and how they package it and the structure and all that, that just gets done and that's not something that you overly worry about, it's not really your department to concern yourself with. But I had to take one out of the package […] and it had so many twisty-ties that I got annoyed, and I measured them all out! I straightened them all out, measured them out, and there was a considerable amount of twisty-tie in each Unicron, to the point that I was very confused by that amount and that number. I did the math, based on how many we made, and you could take a twisty-tie wire from Providence Rhode Island to Phoenix Arizona—which is most of the way across the United States diagonally—and that was the amount of wire we used just on Unicron. […] Think of the spools of wire needed to just do that, and that's a big expense, and not soon after that story got around we started encapsulating them in the packaging difference so we wouldn't have to twisty-tie them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz3TRK6TYAs&t=565s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=Toy Armada Friday Night LIVE - Toy packaging and Transformers discussion|year=2023|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* According to Aaron Archer, he didn't intend for the resemblance between ''Cybertron'' Unicron and the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which TakaraTomy would capitalise on with their "Ark Unicron" release. The toy was motivated from a desire to release a Unicron figure at an affordable price-point, in particular for regions where retailers had never stocked the full-size ''Armada'' toy.<ref name=CybertronUnicron />

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

==External links==
*[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/content.php?/transformers-lucky-draw/toy-gallery/1088/Green+Unicron.html Photo gallery and review of Green Lucky Draw Unicron]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/merchandise/25/merchandise/Unicron+Japanese+Store+Display.html Inflatable Unicron store display gallery]

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Denny O'Neil

2025-08-01T21:35:17Z

Jon T:

'''Dennis "Denny" O'Neil''' ([[May 3]], [[1939]]–[[June 11]], [[2020]]) was an American comic book writer and editor until his retirement. He was known mostly for his involvement with [[Batman]] and [[Iron Man]], and co-created characters like Ra's al Ghul, Talia, Lady Shiva Lady Deathstrike, Bronze Tiger, Madame Web, Hydro Man, Richard Dragon, Maxie Zeus, Doctor Cyber, Calypso, and the John Stewart Green Lantern.

When [[Hasbro]] approached [[Marvel Comics]] to develop a story for their Transformers toyline, [[Jim Shooter]] came up with the initial story treatment and had O'Neil (then-editor of Marvel's [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] comic) create the characters and flesh out more of the treatment. However, Shooter rejected most of O'Neil's character names and concepts, and the job was passed down to [[Bob Budiansky]]. Ultimately, some of O'Neil's contributions were retained in the final product, including the name "[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]".<ref>[http://traffic.libsyn.com/moonbase2/BobBinterview.mp3 Bob Budiansky interview at Moonbase 2]</ref> According to an interview with O'Neil from 2014, he did not remember naming Optimus Prime.<ref>[http://smodcast.com/episodes/denny-oneil-pt-3-bat-ling-the-bottle-and-rockin-robin/ SModCast - Fat Man on Batman #062: Denny O'Neil Pt. 3: Bat-ling the Bottle and Rockin' Robin]</ref>

[[Ralph Macchio]] was his assistant at one point.

==Notes==
* Denny O'Neil was later paid homage to in the form of the fictional author [[D.E. O'Neil]] in the ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' episode "[[Missed Connection]]". <ref>{{citesocial|link=https://twitter.com/MaeCatt/status/1633001702449381377|quote=That was intentional! I'm a huge fan of Denny O'Neil's work (especially for The Shadow), and given his connection to Transformers, I felt this would be an appropriate way to pay tribute.|name=Mae Catt|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=03|day=07}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{w|Dennis O'Neil|Denny O'Neil at Wikipedia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneil, Denny}}
[[Category: Editors]]
[[Category: Marvel Comics]]

Auto-Bop

2025-07-30T20:45:11Z

Jon T: /* Trivia */

{{episode
|image=Auto-bop 4.jpg
|caption=Go ahead and mock '80s clothing, but in thirty years, they'll be mocking what we wear.
|series=G1toon
|ep=52
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=52
|prev2=Prime Target (episode)
|next2=Starscream's Brigade
|title="Auto-Bop"
|season=2
|season ep=36
|written by=[[David Wise]]
|production code=700-51
|airdate=[[November 13]], 1985
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lzwjpg5rbg
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Tracks and Blaster uncover a hypnosis plot. A ''funky'' hypnosis plot.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:DancitronGang.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Just the usual Manhattan commuter crowd.]]

[[Raoul]] and his friends [[Poplock]] and [[Rocksteady]] are trying to make some spare cash, breakdancing on the sidewalks of [[New York City]]. Unfortunately, the management of the [[Dancitron]] nightclub doesn't like competition, and sends a mob after them. The trio grab their tape deck and flee, riding a wheeled dumpster until it's brought to a sudden halt. They're soon surrounded by armed thugs, but luckily [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] are in the city, and come to the trio's aid. While fighting the thugs off, Tracks is surprised to notice one of them is a man in a business suit.

Raoul introduces the rest of the [[Bop Crew]] to the two [[Autobot]]s, who say they're monitoring Decepticon activity, and now suspect there's something strange going on at the Dancitron. The pair enter the club and admire the immense sound system. Soon Blaster is dancing with an apparently blissed-out patron, while Tracks notes a number of oddly-dressed dancers—a garbage man, a middle-aged woman in a bathrobe and curlers, and a man dressed to the nines. In an upstairs booth, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] observe the two Autobots.

[[File:AutoBop Blaster surfing on Tracks.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Mind the paint job.]]

Meanwhile, the Bop Crew are taking an elevated subway train when it unexpectedly begins gathering speed. The driver, entering a hypnotised state, pulls the accelerator lever to full and smashes the control panel with an iron bar. Raoul pulls the emergency cord until it breaks, but the brakes are ineffective at stopping the train. Fortunately Tracks and Blaster happen to be walking nearby, and are able to halt the train. They find the sabotaged control panel, however the driver has already fled.

Tracks sends Blaster, Poplock and Rocksteady to check with [[Teletraan I]] while he and Raoul go to check out the Dancitron again. On the way, the pair spot an active building site—somewhat of an odd sight at 1am, and even odder when they notice the workers are more inappropriately-dressed people, including some of those previously seen at the Dancitron. They're quickly spotted by the workers, and Tracks drags the gate shut to prevent the humans from attacking them, though that doesn't stop a workman on the building itself from firing red-hot rivets at them.

[[File:Trackscruc2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Passion of the Chrysler. ''Alternate joke'': Radio killed the video star.]]

Poplock and Rocksteady are offered free tickets into the Dancitron and eagerly accept, believing they'll be able to investigate on their own. The duo enter the club and are soon hypnotised by the music. Arriving at the club, Tracks leaves Raoul outside and encounters the boy's two friends inside. They lead him to two Decepticons, who use the club's hypnotized patrons to ensnare him and bind him to the club's sound system. Starscream reports to [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] that the building construction is on schedule.

Having consulted Teletraan I, Blaster arrives at the Dancitron to find Raoul waiting outside. The pair enter to find Tracks, with Blaster tracking an ultrasound signal. Raoul encounters his two friends and, remembering Blaster's warning about the hypnotic sound, plugs his ears with a paper napkin. They chase him, and he soon finds Tracks, but is overwhelmed by the hypnotized dancers. As he soon discovers, the hypnosis can be broken by simply getting the victim [[Water|wet]], so he triggers the club's sprinkler systems, freeing the patrons from their trance. The Bop Crew swiftly frees Tracks and they pursue Starscream.

[[File:Auto-Bop Blaster Soundwave.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Soundwave and Blaster in a two-bot reenactment of You Got Served.]]

Blaster squares off with Soundwave at the club in a sonic "battle of the boom boxes"; the two are nearly evenly matched, until Blaster uses the club's sound system to amplify his abilities and drive Soundwave off. Tracks engineers a rain cloud which de-hypnotises the humans working at the building site. This also flushes out Starscream, who chases Tracks. The Autobot flies through the partially completed building, and the larger Decepticon damages his wing trying to follow, forcing him to retreat. Blaster arrives and uses the Dancitron speakers to bring down the building.

Tracks offers grateful thanks to Raoul and his buddies for saving his life, saying that if there's anything he can do for them... and it turns out there is. The trio lost their radio in all the chaos, and until they earn enough street cash to get a new one, poor Blaster will make an ideal replacement.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (5)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (6)
*[[Teletraan I]] (10)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (9)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Raoul]] (1)
*[[Poplock]] (2)
*[[Rocksteady]] (3)
*[[Furg]] (4)
*[[Stylish man]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==

"I've got to french-fry your circuits."
:—'''Raoul''' shows his gratefulness to '''Blaster'''

"And did you notice that there was a ''business man'' in that crew?"
:—'''Tracks''' objects to an impostor's blatant bucking of Dancitron's dress code.

"That's what I call a riveting experience!" 
"I don't know why I hang out with you, man."
:—'''Tracks''' makes a terrible pun after being shot at by a guy with a rivet gun, and '''Raoul''' calls him out on it.

"Foo on this jive! My main machine's in trouble!"
:—'''Raoul'''

"I've been waiting a long time for this, you poor excuse for a sound system." 
"All talk...no shock."
:—'''Blaster''' and '''Soundwave''' begin their sonic duel.

[[File:AutoBop blaster speakers.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
"Yo, the dude's gone crazy!" 
"Yeah... like a fox!"
:—'''Poplock''' and '''Tracks'''.

"I'd say your nightclub just went out of style."
:—'''Blaster''', having just annihilated Dancitron

==Notes==
===Production information===
* First draft script submitted: 31st May 1985

===Continuity notes===
*This episode is one of four pre-movie episodes to not feature [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]].
*Gadgets and Powers:
**Blaster uses his [[electro-scrambler]] to disable the Dancitron thugs' guns.
**Tracks has a grappling hook in his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] hood, and a laser which he uses to blast a hole in the wall of the Dancitron.
**Tracks can place a passenger inside his chest in [[robot mode]].
**The back of Blaster's cassette cover functions as a monitor for his ultra-sound detector.
**Tracks "seeds" clouds (using some kind of special smoke) to make it rain.
**When leaving the building site to head to the Dancitron, Tracks inserts Raoul into his chest ''before'' transforming to vehicle mode. Weird.
*This episode features the second of only two instances in the series in which Soundwave ''laughs''. The first was in "[[Quest for Survival]]". It is possibly the scariest thing ever.
*The location the Autobots are using as a base has "SPARKPLUGS" over the door, though it's different from [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s shop in "Make Tracks".

===Real-world references===
[[File:AutoBop Clothes Horse.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Hit me with those laser beams!]]
[[File:Furg02.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|[[Batman|Punk is nothing but death... And crime... And the RAGE of a beast!]]]]
*The episode in general features then-relevant (or slightly past-relevant) cultural touchstones - {{w|breakdancing}}, mohawks, spiked clothing and other outlandish outfits, and the paranoia over {{w|Subliminal message#Audio|subliminal messages hidden in popular music}}. There's even a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to the popular FRANKIE SAYS RELAX T-shirts common at the time, based on the 1983 single "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
*When confronted by the gang of thugs employed by Dancitron, Raoul suggests they "pull a [[Michael Jackson]]" and {{w|Beat It}}.
*While fleeing from the thugs, Raoul wishes their blaster (boom box) was "THE [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]". Rocksteady retorts that Raoul "knows the Autobots like I know [[Prince]]".
*When first meeting Blaster and Tracks, Rocksteady responds to Blaster's implication of trouble-making with "Hey! We were just breakin' in front of the Dancitron (''shifts from two open palms and a shrug to one thumb extended pointing behind him'') and these ''{{w|Mad Max 2|Road Warrior}}'' rejects tried to bounce us out."
*Tracks references real-life fashion magazine ''{{w|GQ}}''.
*The sound effect of the DJ booth door opening and closing is the door sound effect from ''[[Star Trek]]''. This occurs in plenty of other episodes, along with other ''Star Trek'' sound effects ([[phaser (weapon)|phasers]], [[photon torpedo]]es...).
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as Tracks pursues Starscream, followed by some [[TIE Fighter]] roar. Starscream gets the trench run targeting-sequence noise just before he crashes.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:Raoul-AutoBop.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Well, he ''did'' say he wanted to pull a Michael Jackson.]]
*In the title card, the "O" in "Auto" appears noticably thinner than the one written in "Bop", suggesting the number "0" was actually used instead.
*In this episode, Raoul's skin color is colored lighter than for his last appearance in "[[Make Tracks]]". In fact, even though his [[character model]] is consistent with his last appearance, down to the clothes, nearly ''all'' his colours are off (black instead of brown jacket etc.).
*Despite Rocksteady breakdancing and being thrown around quite a lot, his hat always remains firmly on his head.
*Throughout the episode, when people run, it sounds like they're wearing tapdancing shoes (over-exaggerated sound effect).
*"Let's beat it!" - Raoul is supposed to be saying it, but Rocksteady mouths the words.
*Before the Bop Crew jump onto the dumpster, it's standing against a wall, but shifts out into the middle of the sidewalk as they jump onto it.
*Coloring errors:
**As the thugs first start firing at Blaster, the edges of his helmet are white instead of red.
**As Tracks says "Mellow kind of place", the edges of Blaster's helmet are white again.
**After that [[Stylish man|one fellow]] leaves the bar to ask Tracks a question, his colors ''completely'' change between shots. (See below.) Not only that, his voice changes as well!
**Shortly after Tracks notices the out-of-place people, there's a shot of Blaster and Tracks walking — Tracks's Autobot insignia is outlined in white instead of black, and Blaster's insignia blinks out of existence every few frames.
**In the first shot of Soundwave, his faceplate is dark grey, and his eject button is blue. Then it pans over to Starscream, who has a dark grey face.
**As Blaster says he didn't spy anything unusual at the club, his forehead is red instead of white, and Tracks's wings are missing. The same two errors occur in the next shot but one.
**When Tracks looks up at the subway train, his hood is gray instead of blue.
**When the two Autobots open the door of the train to see the Bop Crew, Tracks's helmet is mostly blue instead of white.
**When Raoul enters Tracks after the train incident, Tracks' interior is glowing the same yellow as his windows (and the seat gets cut off in a yellow stripe as Raoul sits).
**Tracks's wings are blue when he flips them out to take off after he and Raoul leave the building site.
**When Starscream contacts Megatron, Megatron's insignia is red instead of purple.
**Tracks has grey wings, both when the door to the DJ booth opens and as Starscream gloats he'll never get out of the club alive.
**Soundwave's faceplate is oddly shaped, his eyeband is colored white, and his eject button is blue as he announces he's ready for the ultra-sound transmission.
**Directly after Soundwave jumps through the DJ booth window, the right-hand edge of Blaster's helmet is white, and his forehead is red.
**A moment later, the sides of Soundwave's head are blue instead of white, as he reels from Blaster's first attack.
**The sides of Soundwave's head are blue again when he's sent flying from Blaster's attack with the sound system speakers, and his eject button is blue again a moment later, when he stands up in the rubble.
**During a shot of Tracks flying through a building, his wings are blue. This shot is followed by one of Starscream colored as [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]].
[[File:Autobop Blaster's putting on weight.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|This scene was actually filmed while Blaster was pregnant with [[Eject (G1)|Eject]] and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]. That's his baby bump!]]
*When the first thug shoots at Blaster, a layering problem causes the blasts to pass by ''in front'' of the thug in the foreground, making him appear ''huge''.
*As Blaster aims his electro-scrambler, he looks a little... fat.
*As the gangsters retreat, both Blaster and Tracks are shown firing the electro-scrambler wave effect.
*Raoul is missing a row of studs on the left-hand side of his jacket when he claims he had things under control.
*When Raoul introduces Poplock and Rocksteady, they're both suddenly at least a head shorter than him.
*Every shot of the train interior shows it devoid of passengers other than the Bop Crew, but a repeated exterior shot shows panicked people climbing out the windows. The shot is edited in a bit early the first time it's used, before it's clear that the whole train is panicking.
*Blaster walks along Tracks's grappling line a couple of steps too far, and appears to be walking on the side of the train.
*The location names on the side of the train change configuration between shots.
*As Tracks stands up after they halt the train, a cel ordering error results in the windows on the rear of the train appearing on top of him.

[[File:Autobop Tracks holding bouncer.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Ah crap, he deflated.]]
*The bouncer appears to halve in body weight when Tracks picks him up.
*After Tracks climbs up onto a catwalk, the shots of hypnotized club patrons approaching him from either side are the same shot, just mirrored.
*There's not a soul outside the club when Blaster arrives, not even the doorman.
*When Blaster enters the club, in a couple of frames the chest portion of a female dancer's costume flashes flesh-colored.
*When Raoul attempts to free Tracks, the club patrons go into their zombie hypnotized state again. This is the same shot repeated from when the same thing happened earlier, only mirrored.
*Starscream's gunfire doesn't get the standard Decepticon laser sound.
*Starscream's mouth is missing as he indignantly shouts "What?!"
*Right before Starscream jumps through the window, an exterior shot of the Dancitron (with motionless identically-dressed couples leading in a line out of it) can be seen through it, before panning swiftly to the right. As this is supposed to be an exterior window of the Dancitron itself... this shot doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
*After Tracks blasts a hole in the wall, the cels aren't properly aligned, so he appears to drive through a point in the wall slightly to the side of the hole.
*After Tracks causes rain to wake up a variety of distinctively dressed hypnotized humans at the building site, there's a shot of dozens of men fleeing it, all clad in identical construction worker outfits.
*Tracks' bumper gun sounds like Optimus' rifle.
*As Soundwave laughs, the walking animation makes him appear to be moonwalking forwards.
*After Soundwave knocks Blaster into the Dancitron sound system, Blaster sits up, and the piece of debris behind him winks out of existence.
*When Tracks shoots the half-constructed building, the flames wash across the ground about a foot too high.
*The pattern of creases in the Bop Crew's dance mat varies depending on the angle.
*The crowd gathered to watch Poplock and Rocksteady breakdance are completely motionless, despite some of them being in running poses (and check out the oddly "Old West" dressed people by the coffee shop!)

====Rhino DVD release====
The [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]] release of this episode, which uses the original pre-broadcast film print, features a small series of potentially seizure-inducing flashes as Blaster scans for the ultrasound signal in the Dancitron nightclub. These flashes were removed for the original broadcast version of the episode. This short sequence was not replaced with the as-broadcast footage for the [[Shout! Factory]] DVD release.

===Continuity errors===
*Rocksteady takes off his jacket in order to breakdance, but somehow is suddenly wearing it again when Raoul announces they should beat it.

*Tracks and Blaster actually open fire on humans! Isn't that supposed to be a don't-do-that kind of thing for the Autobots?

[[File:G1Auto-Bop Tracks girl.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Apparently there are still people who don't know about the Autobots, as that one fellow in the club appears to think that Tracks and Blaster are ordinary (gigantic!) humans wearing elaborate costumes.
*Blaster stops the subway train by disabling "the engine", but... subways don't have engines, neither in the "motor" or "locomotive" sense of the word.
*Presumably the train which the Bop Crew were riding on was heading away from the Dancitron, and at high speed. Yet Tracks and Blaster just happen to be walking in exactly the right place to see it speeding along when they were in the club the last time we saw them.
*How did Poplock and Rocksteady get to the Dancitron ahead of Raoul and Tracks, who were driving? The scuffle at the building site didn't hold Tracks up ''that'' long.
*At one point, the show does a flashback to a warning that Blaster gave Raoul ''less than a minute earlier''. Just to make sure nobody forgot.
*Superhuman <s>Spike</s>humans:
**Superconductor: the subway train driver pulls a grab bar right off the wall of the train's cab!
**The hypnotized humans are somehow able to throw Tracks off the catwalk.
*Blaster reacts with surprise to Soundwave's revelation that his 'accomplice' is right behind him, but the animation makes it rather unclear that Starscream is supposed to be hiding from him as he walks in.
*One major plot point is that Tracks realises that there's something wrong when he notices middle-aged housewives and fancy-dressed people at the club, but as the Decepticons are hypnotising people with the music at the club, how did those people get there in the first place in order to be hypnotised?
*It is never established within the episode itself just what the Decepticons are trying to '''accomplish''' with their hypnotize-people-to-construct-a-building plot. However, according to the official [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] synopsis included in [[Metrodome]]'s DVD release: "... the boys and the Autobots pursue Starscream to the skyscraper—a new Decepticon headquarters being constructed by the hypnotized patrons from Dancitron." Oh. Well then.
*It's also never explained what Starscream's objection to the Bop Crew was in the first place that warranted the attention-attracting bouncer-thugs. He even remarks that he has "those kids to deal with first," even after they'd already left, somehow necessitating attempting to ''kill them'' on the subway.
*Based on Starscream's conversation with Furg - and the fact ''Starscream tried to kill them on the subway'' - it sure seems like Poplock and Rocksteady's return to the club was unanticipated. All the more remarkable a coincidence then that the "free passes" guy just happened upon them.
*Why do Tracks and Blaster destroy what looks to be a perfectly good building? Why not keep it?
*At the end of the episode, Tracks expresses his gratitude for the humans saving his life, leading to Blaster acting as their stereo in return. However, Tracks and Blaster saved Raoul and his friends ''several'' times: the original incursion with the thugs on the street, the train incident, and the rivet gun at the construction site. If we're actually keeping score here, the Bop Crew still owe the Autobots ''two''.

===Trivia===
[[File:Auto-bop 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"I play this song, Jazz plays this song, Cold Slither plays this song... does anybody ''not'' play this song?"]]
*When Tracks and Blaster enter Dancitron, the song playing is an instrumental version of the song performed by [[Cold Slither (band)|Cold Slither]] from the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' episode of the same name.
*This episode is also noteworthy for pitting the two tape decks, Soundwave and Blaster, against each other, in an intense sonic duel. It turns out that Soundwave is actually somewhat the more powerful of the two, and Blaster had to augment his output with some nearby additional speakers to best his opponent.
*A model sheet for an unnamed "[[Bolts|Robot Cassette]]" was drawn up for this episode, although the character does not actually appear in the episode script. In the May 1985 draft script, at the start of Blaster and Soundwave's duel, Soundwave ejects [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]]. This prompts Blaster to remark "Two can play that jive game!" and he ejects a [[Steeljaw (G1)|lion]], [[Stripes|tiger]] and [[Stinger (G1)|scorpion]], with writer David Wise stating "(Note: These characters, without names, are ''Transformers'' products)". The six cassettes begin fighting all over Dancitron, leaving the two tape decks to begin their battle.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N59OBQBuhyB4sRMkxPF_mvrLb3xv5kAJ/view?usp=drive_link Auto-Bop episode script]</ref>
*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]].
*According to David Wise, his inspiration for writing this episode was the ''Wonder Woman'' episode "Disco Devil".<ref>https://aalsbits.wordpress.com/2015/04/16/23-david-wise/</ref> Evidently he liked the plot so much, [[David Wise#Recycle-o-matic|he would copy it again]] for the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' episode "Corporate Raiders from Dimension X".

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Club de danse'''" ("Dance Club")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Tracks' line "Blaster, take em!" is replaced by "Go, go, it's your time!".
::*Poplock tells the Autobots that they were dancing the ''smurf''.
::*When Tracks and Raoul arrive in front of the Dancitron, something strange happens. The line "and you wait here" is skipped, then [[Henry Djanik]] says "No way! I'm coming with you" in his Tracks voice and continues with Tracks response just after, which makes the dialogue nonsense.
::*Starscream's line "he will soon be no more!" is missing, resulting in a silent shot of Megatron smiling on the screen.
::*Instead of saying "my accomplice is behind you" like in original, Soundwave mistakenly says "my accomplices ''are'' behind you".
::*The dialogues between Raoul and Tracks during the flying scenes and the duel against Starscream are missing.

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Gefährliche Hypnosekraft'''" ("Dangerous Hypnosis Power")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 16]], [[1989]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Autoradio'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''Auto-rock'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*The ''Mad Max'' reference is replaced by a ''Street Fighter'' one.

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Broadcast VS Soundwave'''" (ブロードキャストVSサウンドウェーブ)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 11]], [[1986]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Qìchērén zài Yèzǒnghuì '''" (汽车人在夜总会,"Autobots in Nightclub")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uma Nova Filosofia'''" ("A New Philosophy")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tantzetron'''" (Танцетрон,"Dancitron")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Soundwave's "All talk. No shock" line is replaced by "Much ado about nothing".

===Toys inspired by this episode===
*'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' MP-25B [[Loudpedal#Toys|Loudpedal]] ([[TakaraTomy]], 2016)'''
:A redeco and retool of ''Masterpiece'' [[Tracks (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Tracks]] in a deco based on the black ''[[Diaclone]]'' Corvette Stingray variant that was originally available exclusively in Finland in 1984 (which is unrelated to this episode) that includes a redeco of the [[Raoul#Masterpiece|Raoul]] minifigure originally available with Tracks, with his clothes specifically in the color scheme seen in "Auto-Bop" (although the figure technically represents "C Shadow", the human musician alter-ego of Loudpedal's [[holomatter]] avatar).
{{-}}

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;{{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. 6 (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 Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — Box-Set (3DVDs) ([[Flex Media]]) — German audio only. 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — Le Journal des Quintessons ([[UFG Junior]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 05: Stagione Due Parte Terza ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part Two (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N59OBQBuhyB4sRMkxPF_mvrLb3xv5kAJ/view?usp=sharing Full episode script]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ppIvmyOaGnfS0F3RQtyOPtE8SACtG_YU Episode dialogue script]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v9I2ccIW4fHrAr1KS_HGV99gEwqX0H2I/view?usp=drive_link Episode model sheets]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!

2024-08-08T21:05:33Z

Jon T: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode
|series=beast wars ii
|ep=Special
|prev=Fly Out! Planet Gaia
|next=Assemble, Thirty-Nine Warriors
|series2=Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers
|ep2=2
|prev2=Clash! Beast Warriors
|next2=Bad Spark
|image=LioConvoyImminentDangertitlecard01.jpg
|caption=
|title="Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!"
|japanese=ライオコンボイ危機一髪!
|romaji=Lio Convoy Kikiippatsu!
|production company= "Beast Wars" Production Committee ([[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[we've|AEON]], [[TV Tokyo]])
|airdate=[[December 19]], 1998
|story by=[[Yūjin Ishikawa]]
|written by=[[Toshiyasu Nagata]]
|directed by=[[Akira Nishimori]]
|animation studio=[[Ashi Productions]], [[Tsuburaya Productions]]
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Japanese ''Beast Wars'' continuity]]
}}

'''Galvatron kicks the Beast Wars on Gaia into overdrive when he summons forth one of the greatest monstrosities of the past, Majin Zarak, to lay waste to the Maximals.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:BWII-Mysterious Ship Vs Combiners.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb]]

Above the Planet [[Gaia]], where [[Lio Convoy]] and his [[Maximal]]s are fighting the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] against [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] and his [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], a strange ship appears. It disrupts a musical battle between the [[Jointron]]s and the [[Seacon (BW)|Seacons]], plowing through them and breaking apart their combined forms. As the ship draws nearer, the radar on the ''[[Yukikaze (BW)|Yukikaze]]'' warns the Maximals of its approach. They turn to Lio Convoy for directions. Lio Convoy rises with a twinkle in his eye.

Over on the ''[[Galvaburg II]]'', Galvatron and [[Megastorm|Gigastorm]] have discovered the approaching ship, too. Gigastorm recommends destroying it, but Galvatron has a "feeling" that it will bring the Predacons great fortune.

The ship crashes into the frozen tundra of Gaia's North Pole. [[Apache]] picks it up on his scanners and Lio Convoy orders a unit to investigate. [[Lio Junior]] begs to go, but the other Maximals shoot him down, telling him to go to his room and take a nap or whatever it is whippersnappers do these days. Lio Convoy orders Lio Junior to stay behind in case they need back-up, much to his dismay. [[Tasmania Kid]] interjects, asking Convoy to let Lio Junior go and that he'll take responsibility for him. Lio Convoy concedes and allows Lio Junior to participate.

Taking [[Santon]] and [[Skywarp (BW)|Skywarp]] along, Lio Junior and Tasmania Kid arrive in the frozen north. They then change to [[beast mode]] and begin searching. They eventually find the ship, seemingly abandoned, and Lio Junior wastes no time rushing inside to explore. Against Skywarp's advisement, Lio Junior begins pressing random buttons on a computer console and activates a teleport gate. No one knows what a "[[teleport gate]]" is except Tasmania Kid (oddly). He explains that it is a device that can control space-time and pluck living creatures from any point in history, including Transformers! The computer, however, requires a "control unit" in order to function.

Lio Junior finds the control unit (a rock-like spear) inside a floating ball, but before he can grab it, [[BB|Max-B]] drops in and swipes it. He then leaves and meets back up with [[Starscream (BW)|Hellscream]], [[Thrust (BW)|Thrustor]] and [[Dirge (BW)|Dirgegun]]. Being a brash young stereotype, Lio Junior chases after Max-B by himself and demands the Predacons fork over the control unit. Hellscream casually brushes his threat aside, telling Lio Junior to "go home and suck on [his] mother's breast". Lio Junior attacks, but is tossed aside by Hellscream without much effort. The other Maximals finally catch up and Lio Junior tells Skywarp and Santon its time to combine. Skywarp refuses, telling Lio Convoy that they aren't spiritually in sync enough to combine.

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

Lio Junior gets frustrated and recklessly attacks Hellscream, snatching back the control unit. Hellscream responds by firing a powerful "Terrorstorm" blast at him. Tasmania Kid, however, leaps in front of him and takes the whole of the blast. Before he passes out, he tells Lio Junior that apparently there's nothing that can stop his selfish behavior. The Predacons then combine their power and attack the injured Maximals with a volley of firepower. Like a helpless little baby, Lio Junior cries and begs for them to please stop. Luckily, Lio Convoy and the other Maximals arrive just in time to stop them and scare them off.

The battle over and Kid not responding to treatment, Lio Convoy asks for a ''private'' meeting with Lio Junior. Lio Convoy scolds him, telling him that he ordered him to ''investigate'', not engage in battle. Lio Junior snaps back, saying that if it weren't for ''him'', the Predacons would have the control unit. Now, the Maximals have the power of the teleport gate in their hands. Lio Convoy tells him none of that matters, since it may be at the cost of Kid's life. He asks Lio Junior if the control unit was worth his friend's life. Lio Junior responds by saying he doesn't ''have'' any friends because everyone's always making fun of him and he just wanted to prove himself. Lio Convoy asks him if he's forgotten the ''reason'' the Maximals are fighting. Lio Junior apparently has, so Convoy reminds him that it's to protect the peace in the universe. He then says that anyone who has forgotten the Maximal reason for fighting is no comrade of his. Lio Junior throws a tantrum, saying he no longer wants to be a Maximal and that with the power of the control unit, he'll defeat the Predacons ''himself''. He then transforms and runs off.

As the Maximals fly off in the ''Yukikaze'', tending to a mortally wounded Tasmania Kid, Dirgegun reports to Galvatron on the ''Galvaburg II'' that the control unit is required to operate the teleport gate. Galvatron is apparently aware of Lio Junior's tantrum and mocks Lio Convoy's inability to take command of a single brat. He then finds Lio Junior alone in a forest and, with the rest of the Predacons, approaches him. Galvatron says that he came to help; the forest is full of dangerous animals and pitfalls. The Predacons will happily take the wayward cub in and protect him so long as he hands over the control unit. Lio Junior refuses. Galvatron then sits down and decides to tell him "the truth". The teleport gate is actually a doomsday weapon capable of destroying a whole planet. The Predacons activated it by mistake and now they need the control unit to shut it down, otherwise the planet will be destroyed in under an hour.

Lio Junior is about to buy it, when the still injured and bandaged Kid comes crawling out of the woods, warning Junior not to listen. Junior isn't sure who to believe, but decides that preventing the destruction of Gaia is a sure way to earn the respect of Lio Convoy and the others.

As Kid collapses, Junior returns with Galvatron to the ''Galvaburg II'' and hands over the control unit. Immediately, Galvatron orders Gigastorm to release the teleport gate and summon the most powerful and vicious Transformer in history: [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. Hellscream then throws Lio Junior in a cell and taunts him with the imminent destruction of the Maximals.

On the ''Yukikaze'', Kid returns and tells everyone that Lio Junior has defected to the Predacons. Lio Convoy swears to give him a lot more than a stearn talking to when they get him back, but Tasmania Kid urges them not to judge Junior so harshly. He says he knows how Lio Junior feels, as he was also a young runt trying to prove himself not long ago.

[[File:GalvatronBW1.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb|"Yarr, it's drivin' me nuts!"]]

At the teleport gate, Gigastorm locks onto Megatron's wavelength and activates the machine. Three units pop out of the side of the ship, float into the sky and open up a triangular interdimensional doorway. Through it, something big, horrible and most certainly ''not'' Megatron falls through, nearly crushing the [[Autoroller (BW)|Autoroller]]s in the process. Galvatron smacks his brother for screwing up the coordinates and demands Hellscream find out what that thing is. Galvatron's mood changes when he learns that it is the great [[Majin Zarak]]. Majin Zarak transforms into a gigantic ''holy crap gonna kill you'' monster and Galvatron takes command of his control unit (an old fashioned nautical stearing wheel, oddly). After thanking Lio Junior via video phone for providing him with a weapon superior to Megatron, he uses Majin Zarak to destroy a gigantic iceberg and then transforms him to aircraft carrier mode.

At the ''Yukikaze'', their sensors discover the legendary Majin Zarak, much to everyone's horror. Lio Convoy orders them to attack, anyway. They arrive, only to find that Majin Zarak's aircraft carrier mode can ''also'' move over land. The Maximals attack in a small craft, but are quickly swatted away by Zarak's superior firepower. They decide to land and attack from the ground.

On the ''Galvaburg II'', Lio Junior breaks out of his cell and escapes. Thrustor and Diregun give chase, but luckily for Junior, Skywarp and Santon arrive to even the odds and fight them off. Skywarp invites Junior to help in the battle against Zarak, but Junior says there's a place they must go, first. Skywarp suggests they all go as one and the three of them fuse into [[Magnaboss (BWII)|Magnaboss]]. He gets blasted in the chest by the retreating Thrustor, though, and is forced to march to the alien ship with a bad injury. With his last ounce of strength, Magnaboss uses his own power source to charge the teleport gate and summons a mysterious figure.

[[File:BWII-Majin Zarak blast.jpg|upright=1.4|right|thumb|Ahhh! Hairball!]]

Back at the canyon, the Maximals fight their way past the Autorollers, Hellscream and Max-B, but are still overwhelmed by Majin Zarak's power. Lio Convoy makes it onto the carrier and sends Gigastorm flying away with his Lio Typhoon. Galvatron's decided he's had enough and transforms Majin Zarak into his frickin' Godzilla mode. Zarak then uses the three cannons on his back to destroy a whole mountain range and scatter the Maximals. Galvatron thinks he's won, but he suddenly receives a Maximal text message: "You think you've won, but we won't be defeated. Let us settle this. Come to point B-2. -Convoy"

Buried beneath tons of rock, Lio Convoy hears a familiar voice urging him to fight on. He explains that he was summoned by Magnaboss, a selfless warrior who used his own power to bring him here. Lio Convoy is sorry he underestimated Magnaboss (and by extension, Lio Junior) and asks who the mysterious warrior is. They shake hands and in a blast of light, the tons of rock are cleared. Magnaboss greets Lio Convoy and tells him he's rescued the other Maximals. He then introduces them to...wait for it...''wait for it''...
{{-}}
[[File:OptimusPrimalAnimeOMG01.jpg|center|upright=1.4|thumb]]

<center>[[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]!</center>

The "legendary Supreme Commander" swears to help the injured Maximals win at all costs. Lio Convoy decides that while he, Primal and Bighorn attack Majin Zarak, [[Scuba]], [[Apache]] and the rest will try and find his weak point. Magnaboss wants to fight, but Lio Convoy says he's too injured. Once again, Tasmania Kid convinces him to let the brat fight. The [[Insectron]]s then report that Majin Zarak is headed for point B-2, a narrow canyon where his bulky body will be useless. The Maximals then rally for their final battle.

[[File:DoubleConvoyTogetherAtLast01.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb]]

At point B-2, Primal and Convoy confront Galvatron, much to his surprise to see the two warriors standing together. Galvatron attempts to rush the leaders, but with Tasmania Kid's power source channeling into him, Magnaboss is strong enough to pick the aircraft carrier up and hurl it onto its side. The blow knocks Galvatron out of the ship, but he's rescued by Gigastorm, who carries him off in his hovercraft mode.

Suddenly, Majin Zarak transforms on his own. Turns out, he's alive! Majin Zarak appears invincible until Diver chimes in, having just discovered his weak spot. The third eye on his forehead is where all his nerve centers are clustered. A direct hit will destroy him, just like in a video game!

[[File:FlashBurningConvoy01.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|It's called style, people. Look it up.]]

Hearing this, Optimus Primal and Lio Convoy synchronize their [[Energon Matrix|Energon Matrices]] and upgrade into Flash Lio Convoy and Burning Optimus Primal. Burning Optimus Primal transforms to monkey mode and rides atop Flash Lio Convoy's lion mode. They then leap into Zarak's face and Burning Optimus Primal lands a mighty punch into his third eye. Flying away, they then combine the power of the Energon Matrices into the "Double Matrix Blaster", destroy his eye and blow him to smithereens.

The battle won, they return to the teleport gate. Lio Junior begs Primal to stay, but he reminds them that he still has to win the Beast Wars on planet [[Earth|Energoa]]. Besides, he says, their army is fine just the way it is. Apache interjects and says that, after some research, he's concluded that because the device plays havoc with time and space, it could conceivable destroy the universe, hence why whoever built it sent it to Gaia to be destroyed. Optimus Primal then returns to his proper place and time and the Maximals destroy the gate behind him.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=

*[[DJ (BW)|DJ]] (1)
*[[Motorarm (BW)|Motorarm]] (2)
*[[Gimlet]] (3)
*[[Tripledacus]] (10)
*[[Apache]] (11)
*[[Diver (BW)|Diver]] (12)
*[[Scuba]] (13)
*[[Lio Convoy]] (14)
*[[Bighorn]] (15)
*[[Tasmania Kid]] (22)
*[[Lio Junior]] (23)
*[[Santon]] (24)
*[[Skywarp (BW)|Skywarp]] (25)
*[[Magnaboss (BWII)|Magnaboss]] (31)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] (32)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Megastorm|Gigastorm]] (16)
*[[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] (17)
*[[BB|Max-B]] (18)
*[[Starscream (BW)|Hellscream]] (19)
*[[Thrust (BW)|Thrustor]] (20)
*[[Dirge (BW)|Dirgegun]] (21)
*[[Autostinger]] (26)
*[[Autocrusher]] (27)
*[[Autojetter]] (28)
*[[Autolauncher]] (29)
*[[Majin Zarak]] (30)

|h3=[[Insectron]]s|c3=
*[[Bigmos]] (33)
*[[Drill Nuts]] (34)
*[[Mantis]] (35)
*[[Powerhug (BW)|Powerhug]] (36)
*[[Scissor Boy]] (37)
*[[Tonbot]] (38)

|h4=[[Seacon (BW)|Seacons]]|c4=
*[[Halfshell]] (4)
*[[Scylla]] (5)
*[[Coelagon]] (6)
*[[Sea Phantom]] (7)
*[[Terrormander]] (8)
*[[God Neptune]] (9)
}}

==Production staff==

*Director: Akira Nishimori
*Executive Producer: Tan Takaiwa, Hirohisa Sato, Tetsuya Suzuki, Yoshio Yamasaki, Araichi Miyagawa
*Producer: Kozo Itagaki, Yukihiro Akutsu, Reiko Sawa
*Unit Director: Tetsuya Watanabe, Tomoharu Katsumata
*General Animation Director: [[Takashi Yamamoto]]
*Screenplay: Nagata Toshiyasu
*Drafting: Hiroto Ishikawa
*Director of Photography: Hitoshi Torigoe
*Music: Masae Sagara
*Music producer: Hajime Tachihara, Hirokuni Maeyama
*[[theme song|Theme tunes]]:
**Opening song: "[[Space Dreamer: Haruka naru Beast Wars]]"
**Ending song: "[[My Shooting Star]]"
*Art director: Geki Katsumata
*Sound Director: [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]]
*Voice Director: Satake Tetsuya
*Editing: Hajime Taniguchi
*Character Design: Takashi Yamamoto
*Animation Cooperation: [[Tsuburaya Productions]]
*Production Team: "Beast Wars" Production Committee ([[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Ashi Productions]], [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[WE'VE|AEON]], [[TV Tokyo]])
*Distribution: Toei

==Notes==
===Transformers references===
[[File:PrimalLeadershipMatrix1.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
*The episode "[[Enter Lio Junior]]" established the [[Energon Matrix]] as a powerful device issued only to [[Supreme Commander]]s of the Maximal army. As this piece of tech only appeared in the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' media and not the American cartoons, the orb at the center of Optimus Primal's chest plate is [[retcon]]ned into being his Energon Matrix.
*As he departs, Optimus Primal refers to the world he's returning to as "[[Earth|Energoa]]". For those unfamiliar with the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', Energoa is what the characters called the "alien world" they were stranded on until they learned it was actually prehistoric Earth.
*Originally, Majin Zarak was going to be [[Scorponok (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scorponok]], last seen in an upgraded version of his BlackZarak form in ''[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Zone]]''. For whatever reason, he was changed to a new character, although Majin Zarak's weakness being in his head points to being leftover from Scorponok's status as a [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]].<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/116666-3-new-botcon-facebook-character-pages-rook-andromeda-and-axiom-nexus-news-editor/?p=2967922 AllSpark Forum:] "Back when the Beast Wars II movie was being developed, the actual Scorponok from Headmasters was set to appear, but that was scrapped for some reason.

[[Jim Sorenson|Jim]] wanted me to use that idea, and so I wrote that up.

This was very much a coordinated project we did."</ref>

===Continuity notes===
*Due to the presence of all four [[Cyborg Beast]]s but the overall lack of [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]] as an immediate threat, this movie likely takes place between episode 32, "[[The Lio Convoy Assassination Plot]]" (when the last of the Cyborg Beasts were created), and episode 33, "[[The Great Angolmois Freezing Tactic]]" (when the Angolmois Energy on Gaia begins to erupt and the Maximals initiate their countermeasures against the Nemesis). Additionally, the ''Yukikaze'' is seen intact in the film, and the Maximals begin disassembling it for parts in episode 34, "[[Knock Out Nemesis]]", so it pretty much has to take place between those two episodes.

===Continuity errors===
*The Seacons are seen in space, battling the Jointrons. While at first glance, this seems consistent, as the Seacons left Gaia in "[[The Final Battle (BWII)|The Final Battle]]", it was later revealed that they were captured and forced into Galvatron's servitude in "[[The Artificial Planet Nemesis]]". While they certainly ''could'' be working for Galvatron in the opening sequence, they show no signs of the brainwashing later seen in "[[Revenge of the Space Pirates]]", although notably that episode premiered over a week ''after'' this special's release.
*The Jointrons appearing in space is more troublesome. The Jointrons became interested in hunting down and capturing the Seacons for glory in "[[Face the Setting Sun]]", which explains why they followed them into space, but the question of ''how'' the Jointrons got into space is more pressing. The ship they used to get to Gaia was shown to be destroyed in "[[The Combined Giant, Tripledacus]]" and the Maximals being unable to get into space without an operational craft would be a major conflict in the episodes that take place after this special.
*The ''Yukikaze'' is shown to be operational throughout the film, however, it was shown marooned and unable to fly in the premier episode "[[The New Forces Arrive!]]" As previously mentioned, the Maximals being unable to reach space would be an important plot point in the last arc of the series, making the operational ''Yukikaze'' seen in this movie all the more distracting.

===Trivia===
* It would seem all of the characters introduced during the second half of the cartoon ([[Enter Lio Junior|episode 26]] onwards) received completely original [[character model]]s for the film. Evidence of this can be found in the coloration of the Cyborg Beasts versus their cartoon counterparts and some minor design elements between several of the models (e.g. [[Dirge (BW)|Dirgegun]]'s model is more of a green in the film, than a blue; [[Magnaboss (BWII)|Magnaboss]]'s elephant head [[kibble]] is reduced to basic shapes that cup around his legs, etc.). It is uncertain why there are differing models, but a reasonable assumption would be the timeline of both productions. The particular episodes introducing these new characters were airing in [[September]] of [[1998]], while the film released in [[December]] (only a mere few months apart), meaning both productions were likely being made around the same time, so the particular cartoon materials wouldn't have been available for the film staff, leading them to create their own models.
* As the end credits roll, the audience is treated to a gallery of crayon drawings of various ''Beast Wars'' characters as submitted by children. It's random but adorable.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote|japanese}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!! ([[Toei Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}} / DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers Special'' (Pioneer LDC)

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars II episodes]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Neverending Struggle

2024-08-08T21:04:03Z

Jon T: /* Notes */

{{episode
|series=SRLFtoon
|ep=58
|title="Neverending Struggle"
|japanese=おわりなき死闘
|romaji=Owari Naki Shitō
|airdate=[[August 29]], 1986
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters

}}
==Notes==
*This is a Japanese-exclusive [[clip show]], composed of footage from a collection of unknown episodes.

*Prior to broadcast, this episode was previewed under the ''slightly'' different title of 終りなき死闘 (Owari Naki Shitō) in the September 1986 issue of ''{{w|Newtype (magazine)|Newtype}}''. The synopsis for the episode indicates that it was planned to include scenes from "[[Microbots]]", "[[Enter the Nightbird]]" and "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]".

*You will probably ''never'' see it, as it was not included on [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer]]'s {{w|LaserDisc}} or DVD sets of the series and may never be made available on home video.

{{epstub}}
[[Category:Clip shows]]
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix

2024-08-02T20:06:45Z

Jon T:

[[Image:Movj.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Don't look directly into the <s>lie</s> light]]
"'''The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix'''" (トランスフォーマー・ザ・ムービー　黙視録　マトリクスよ永遠にー ''Toransufōmā Za Mūbī Mokushiroku Matorikusu yo Eien ni''), popularly known as "'''Matrix Forever'''", is a 20-minute video created to promote the Japanese release of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' in 1989.

The video includes a preview trailer for the film, a collection of Transformers TV series openings, and some TV commercials for the toys. Also included with the tape was a "Special Data Book" containing a synopsis of the movie, profiles of the American cast, character profiles (including [[Character model|character models]]), details and photographs of the [[Unicron/toys#The_Transformers|Unicron]] prototype toy and profiles of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s Transformers development team.

A widespread [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|misconception]] among fans holds that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' itself was retitled ''Matrix Forever'' in Japan.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/a5d29844863d2c29 Message from discussion "Binaltech preview"? Real or fake?]</ref>

The VHS also includes the "[[Commercial/Japan#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010|Convoy Is Dead!]]" campaign short from [[1986]].

<center><gallery>
Image:MatrixForever-cover.jpg|'''VHS Cover'''
Image:MatrixForever-tape.jpg|'''VHS Tape'''
</gallery></center>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzWT0VOvaFg "Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix" on YouTube]

[[Category:Generation 1 media]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)/home video

2024-07-29T20:47:35Z

Jon T:

{{factions|dvd|australia}}

{{nav-cyberverse}}

==Australia==
===Beyond Home Entertainment===
*'''''Transformers: Cyberverse'' - "The Journey"''' ([[February 6]], [[2019]])
:Contains episodes 1-6: "[[Fractured]]" to "[[Megatron Is My Hero]]".
*'''''Transformers: Cyberverse'' - "Terminal Velocity"''' ([[April 3]], 2019)
:Contains episodes 7-12: "[[Cube (episode)|Cube]]" to "[[Teletraan-X (episode)|Teletraan-X]]".
*'''''Transformers: Cyberverse'' - "King of the Dinosaurs"''' ([[June 5]], 2019)
:Contains episodes 13-18: "[[Matrix of Leadership (episode)|Matrix of Leadership]]" to "[[Eruption]]".

==France==
===ESC Éditions===
*'''''Transformers: Cyberverse'' - Intégrale Saison 1''' ([[March 19]], 2019)
:Contains all episodes from the first season. The discs contain only French audio.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cyberverse}}
[[Category:Cyberverse (2018)| (cartoon)/home video]]
[[Category:Home video]]

Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)

2024-07-29T20:45:56Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{disambig2|the 2018 animated series|the 2011 toyline|Cyberverse (toyline)}}
{{nav-cyberverse}}
[[File:Cyberverse show promo image.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2.4|"This, Bumblebee, is my archive of all the experiences you've begged me to remove from your life. I call them 'Bumblebee's Mind Blowers'!"]]

'''''Transformers: Cyberverse''''', later rebranded as '''''Transformers: Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures''''' for its final two seasons, is a [[computer-generated imagery|computer-animated]] series developed by [[Boulder Media Studio]]. It debuted on the [[Cartoon Network]] app and website on [[August 27]], [[2018]], and made its television premiere on Cartoon Network on [[September 1]], 2018. The story is divided into chapters: Chapter One ran for 18 episodes in 2018, Chapter Two ran for 18 episodes in 2019, and Chapter Three ran for 26 episodes in 2020. The show concluded with a shortened fourth Chapter of two quadruple-length episodes in November 2021. Unlike nearly every prior ''Transformers'' TV series, episodes are only 11 minutes in length as opposed to 22 minutes.

The series is intended to "focus more on characters and their mythology", featuring a stronger emphasis on serialized storytelling, and utilizes the "[[evergreen]]" character designs. It is set in a new continuity and is not a sequel to any previous series.

==Storyline==
During the war on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] and a team including Bumblebee have left the planet to search for the [[AllSpark|Allspark]]. The [[Decepticon]]s catch wind that the ancient artifact is on [[Earth]], and leave to investigate, which forces Windblade to take a one-way [[space bridge]] journey there herself. Unable to find any trace of the [[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]] or Optimus Prime, she manages to find her old friend Bumblebee. However, he is suffering from amnesia and has no recollection of who he is or how he got there. With the pair being pursued relentlessly by the Decepticons' [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s, Windblade must help Bumblebee unlock and repair his damaged memories of the war and his journey to Earth so that they can locate Optimus and the Allspark before their enemies do.

In the second season, several decades later, the revived Autobots and the recently arrived Decepticons now battle over the fate of Earth thanks to the knowledge that the Allspark is somewhere on the planet, protected by its [[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|guardian]]. The conflict escalates when Starscream, believing he has been chosen for a higher purpose, makes his own bid for power that puts both sides at risk. Thus it falls to the Autobots to not only retrieve the Allspark but to escort it safely back to Cybertron.

In the third season, the Autobots manage to retake Cybertron from the Decepticons, but [[Quintesson|otherworldly invaders]] arrive and take control of the planet. With everyone else imprisoned, a ragtag resistance group made up of Bots and Cons alike must band together to save their friends, Cybertron, and potentially the entire universe. Even after the day is saved, Cybertron stands as a divided government, with Windblade's mind scattered in shards across the planet and Megatron preparing for the coming of an [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|enemy]] from another universe.

In the final season, the Autobots and Decepticons prepare for a new Cybertron without conflict, though their [[Treaty of the Wall|peace treaty]] is interrupted by [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]] seeking revenge and fortune. With Cybertron frozen in time, [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] and a group of [[Dinobot (Cyberverse)|strangers from another planet]] must combine their efforts to save the day. Unfortunately, the Cybertronians cannot enjoy peace for long, as the forces from the other universe return, threatening to reignite the Great War anew.

==Characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] ([[Jeremy Levy]])
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] ([[Jessica DiGiovanni]])
*[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Jake Foushee]])
*[[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod/Dark Hot Rod]] ([[Travis Artz]])
*[[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|Cheetor]] ([[TJ Nelson]])
*[[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]] (Jeremy Levy)
*[[Whirl (Cyberverse)|Whirl]] (Jeremy Levy)
*[[Rack'n'Ruin (Cyberverse)|Rack'n'Ruin]] (Jeremy Levy)
*[[Jetfire (Cyberverse)|Jetfire]] (Jeremy Levy)
*[[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] ([[Latonia Phipps]], [[Jaime Lamchick]])
*[[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]] (Jaime Lamchick)
*[[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]] ([[Billy Bob Thompson]])
*[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]] ([[Todd Perlmutter]])
*[[Kup (Cyberverse)|Kup]] ([[Tony Daniels]])
*[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]] ([[Dick Terhune]])
*[[Thunderhowl (Cyberverse)|Thunderhowl]] ([[Rich Orlow]])
*[[Alpha Trion (Cyberverse)|Alpha Trion]] (Rich Orlow)
*[[Meteorfire (Cyberverse)|Meteorfire]] (Rich Orlow)
*[[Cosmos (Cyberverse)|Cosmos]] (Jessica DiGiovanni)
*[[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] ([[JC Ernst]])
*[[Hammerbyte]] (Billy Bob Thompson)
*[[Red Five]] ([[Marc Thompson]])

;[[Dinobot (Cyberverse)|Dinobots]]
*[[Volcanicus (Cyberverse)|Volcanicus]] ([[Ryan Nicolls]])
**[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] ([[Ryan Andes]])
**[[Swoop (Cyberverse)|Swoop]] ([[Laurie Hymes]])
**[[Sludge (Cyberverse)|Sludge]] (Marc Thompson)
**[[Snarl (Cyberverse)|Snarl]] (Rich Orlow)
**[[Slug (Cyberverse)|Slug]] (Rich Orlow)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] (Marc Thompson)
*[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] (Billy Bob Thompson)
*[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] (Ryan Andes)
**[[Shockwave's drones]]
*[[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]] ([[Marc Swint]])
**[[Laserbeak (Cyberverse)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Clobber (Cyberverse)|Clobber]]* ([[Saskia Marx]], [[Deanna McGovern]])
*[[Dead End (Cyberverse)|Dead End]] ([[Xavier Paul]])
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (Deanna McGovern)
*[[Sky-Byte (Cyberverse)|Sky-Byte]] (Marc Thompson)
*[[Lockdown (Cyberverse)|Lockdown]] (Tony Daniels)
*[[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift/Deadlock]]* (Tony Daniels)
*[[Wildwheel (Cyberverse)|Wildwheel]]* (Rich Orlow)
*[[Alpha Strike]] (Jaime Lamchick)
*[[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|Bludgeon]]

;[[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] ([[Lianne Marie Dobbs]])
*[[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] ([[Ben Bott]])
*[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (Saskia Marx)
*[[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] (Jaime Lamchick)
*[[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] ([[Tomas Virgadula]])
*[[Ramjet (Cyberverse)|Ramjet]] (Tony Daniels)
*[[Dirge (Cyberverse)|Dirge]] (Ryan Nicolls)
*[[Skywarp (Cyberverse)|Skywarp]]

;Alternate universe
*[[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X]] (Marc Thompson)
*[[Decepticon supersoldier]]s (Ryan Nicolls)
**[[Tarn (Cyberverse)|Tarn]] (Marc Thompson)
*[[Astrotrain (Cyberverse)|Astrotrain]] (Tony Daniels)
*[[Insecticon (Cyberverse)|Insecticon]]s
**[[Shrapnel (Cyberverse)|Shrapnel]] ([[Brian Levinson]])
**[[Kickback (Cyberverse)|Kickback]]
**[[Bombshell (Cyberverse)|Bombshell]]

|h3=Other|c3=
*[[Maccadam]]/[[Alchemist Prime]] (Dick Terhune)
*[[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] (Tony Daniels)
*[[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]] (Tony Daniels)
*[[Cube announcer drone|Announcers]] (Ryan Andes)
*[[Skullcruncher (Cyberverse)|Skullcruncher]]
*[[Discharge (Cyberverse)|Discharge]]

;[[Titan (group)|Titans]]
*[[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]] (Tony Daniels)
*[[Iaconus]] (Ryan Andes)
*[[Dweller (Cyberverse)|Dweller]] (Dick Terhune)

;[[Monsterbot (Cyberverse)|Monsterbots]]
*[[Repugnus (Cyberverse)|Repugnus]] (Billy Bob Thompson)
*[[Stinkus]] (Billy Bob Thompson)
*[[Teknicus]] (Billy Bob Thompson)
*[[Coolus]] (Jeremy Levy)
*[[Hippus]] (Jeremy Levy)
*[[Affluous]] (Rich Orlow)
*[[Operatus]] (Jaime Lamchick)
*[[Raddus]] (Marc Swint)
*[[Fabulous]]

;[[Mercenary|Mercenaries]]
*[[Trypticon (Cyberverse)|Trypticon]] (Billy Bob Thompson)
*[[Soundblaster (Cyberverse)|Soundblaster]] (Marc Thompson)
**[[Buzzsaw (Cyberverse)|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Bug Bite (Cyberverse)|Bug Bite]] (Marc Thompson)
*[[Nightbird (Cyberverse)|Nightbird]] (Jaime Lamchick)
*[[Afterburner (Cyberverse)|Afterburner]] (Rich Orlow)
*[[Doublecrosser (Cyberverse)|Doublecrosser]] (Ryan Andes)

|h4=Aliens|c4=
*[[Gray]] (Jessica DiGiovanni)
*[[Velgrox]] (Ryan Nicolls)

;[[Quintesson]]s
*[[Judge (Cyberverse)|Judge]] (Saskia Marx, Jeremy Levy, Tony Daniels, Dick Terhune)
*[[Scientist (Cyberverse)|Scientist]] (Dick Terhune)
*[[Prosecutor (Cyberverse)|Prosecutor]]s

;[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Gnaw (Cyberverse)|Lord Gnaw]] (Jeremy Levy)
*[[Biter]] (Rich Orlow)
*[[Backbite (Cyberverse)|Backbite]] (Billy Bob Thompson)
*[[Sawtooth (Cyberverse)|Sawtooth]] (Billy Bob Thompson)
*[[Jawsy]] (Marc Thompson)
*[[Snout]]s
*[[Tail]]s
*[[Fin]]s
|nonumbering=true}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Has changes in allegiance.

==Episodes==
{{see|List of Cyberverse episodes}}
===Chapter One (2018)===
{{collist|3|
#"[[Fractured]]"
#"[[Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory]]"
#"[[Allspark (episode)|Allspark]]"
#"[[The Journey]]"
#"[[Whiteout]]"
#"[[Megatron Is My Hero]]"
#"[[Cube (episode)|Cube]]"
#"[[Terminal Velocity]]"
#"[[Shadowstriker (episode)|Shadowstriker]]"
#"[[Maccadam's]]"
#"[[Sabotage]]"
#"[[Teletraan-X (episode)|Teletraan-X]]"
#"[[Matrix of Leadership (episode)|Matrix of Leadership]]"
#"[[Siloed]]"
#"[[King of the Dinosaurs]]"
#"[[The Extinction Event]]"
#"[[Awaken Sleeping Giants]]"
#"[[Eruption]]"
}}

===Chapter Two: Power of the Spark (2019)===
{{collist|3|
#"[[Sea of Tranquility]]"
#"[[Bad Moon Rising]]"
#"[[The Visitor]]"
#"[[Bring Me The Spark Of Optimus Prime]]"
#"[[Trials]]"
#"[[Dark Birth]]"
#"[[Parley]]"
#"[[Starscream's Children]]"
#"[[Spotted]]"
#"[[Secret Science]]"
#"[[Infinite Vendetta]]"
#"[[I Am The Allspark]]"
#"[[Escape From Earth]]"
#"[[Party Down]]"
#"[[Wiped Out]]"
#"[[Ghost Town]]"
#"[[Perfect Storm]]"
#"[[The Crossroads]]"
}}

===Chapter Three (2020)===
{{collist|3|
#"[[Battle For Cybertron I]]"
#"[[Battle For Cybertron II]]"
#"[[Battle For Cybertron III]]"
#"[[Battle For Cybertron IV]]"
#"[[The Loop]]"
#"[[The Dead End]]"
#"[[The Sleeper]]"
#"[[The Citizen]]"
#"[[The Trial]]"
#"[[The Prisoner]]"
#"[[The Scientist]]"
#"[[The Alliance]]"
#"[[The Judge (episode)|The Judge]]"
#"[[The End Of The Universe I]]"
#"[[The End Of The Universe II]]"
#"[[The End Of The Universe III]]"
#"[[The End Of The Universe IV]]"
#"[[Enemy Line]]"
#"[[Thunderhowl (episode)|Thunderhowl]]"
#"[[Wild Wild Wheel]]"
#"[[Alien Hunt! With Meteorfire And Cosmos]]"
#"[[Journey To The Valley Of Repugnus]]"
#"[[Rack 'n' Ruin 'n' Ratchet]]"
#"[[Dweller In The Depths (Cyberverse)|Dweller In The Depths]]"
#"[[Silent Strike]]"
#"[[The Other One]]"
}}

===Chapter Four (2021)===
#"[[The Immobilizers]]"
#"[[The Perfect Decepticon]]"

==Japanese release==
[[File:Transformers Cyberverse Japanese Press Release.jpg|thumb|upright=2.4]]

Unlike the English version, which uses voice actors new to their roles, several Transformers alumni voice characters in the Japanese dub. In some cases, this borders on role reprisal, such as "Aligned" [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]'s voice actor voicing his ''Cyberverse'' counterpart or Bumblebee's voice actor having voiced four different versions of Bumblebee. In others, there are nods to their previous characters, with both Optimus Prime and Megatron's voice actors previously voicing [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars''.

Like many other Japanese dubs (including ''Beast Wars'', ''Beast Machines'' and ''Transformers: Prime''), the Japanese dub of ''Cyberverse'' takes a more "humorous" tack towards the show. For example, in the episode [[Sea of Tranquility]] as Starscream attacks Windblade he cheerfully goes, "Hello, Starscream here!" Even more serious characters like Optimus Prime aren't spared, as at one point he complains, "I was still talking!" when Megatron punches him.

Other typical Japanese dub additions include characters yelling "Transform!" as they, well, transform. The occasional special attack name is also called out; for example, in "[[Bad Moon Rising]]", Megatron cries out, "Punishment Cannon: Fusion Cannon, FIRE!" when he blasts Starscream.

Personality-wise, some characters are effectively transplants of their previous incarnations. Starscream, for example, is basically ''Prime'' Starscream right down to his mannerisms. Megatron and Optimus Prime are basically their G1 counterparts with Japanese dub Beast Megatron and Optimus Primal's personalities. Other characters have quirks unique to previous Japanese dubs, like Shockwave punctuating his sentences with "shock!" similar to his ''Prime'' counterpart and being much more expressive compared to the stoic and clinical English version.

In lieu of an opening theme, ''Cyberverse'' has characters talking over the opening credits to pump up the kids watching the show. For the ending, the same character will talk over the English credits commenting on events in the episode, and afterward, the Japanese credits will play over stills of highlights from said episode.

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)/home video}}
;Australia
*''Transformers: Cyberverse'' - The Journey (2019)
*''Transformers: Cyberverse'' - Terminal Velocity (2019)
*''Transformers: Cyberverse'' - King of the Dinosaurs (2019)

;France
*''Transformers: Cyberverse'' - Intégrale Saison 1 (2019)

==Notes==
*According to showrunner [[Randolph Heard]], the team couldn't come up with a good name for the show, so [[Hasbro]] chose "Cyberverse" since they [[Cyberverse (toyline)|already had the trademark]].
*The first season of ''Cyberverse'' draws some concepts from the ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' film, released a few months after ''Cyberverse'' debuted; in particular, the plot point of Bumblebee's amnesia is lifted directly from the film, as is the "honeycomb" design of Bumblebee's internal readouts.
*Unlike previous ''Transformers'' series, the characters in this show are modeled with only four fingers. The ''Cyberverse'' characters are also known for the "Energon vein" designs in many of their joints (mostly the hips). Much like ''Animated'', the ''Cyberverse'' characters also have an overwhelming design tendency to have large boot-like feet.
*While most of the cast make use of [[evergreen]] designs, several characters who don't have toys in the accompanying toyline use stylized versions of recent toy or fiction designs. For example, [[Chromia (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Chromia]]'s appearance is based on her [[Chromia (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|2014-2018 IDW comic design]] while [[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Bludgeon]] is modeled on his [[Bludgeon (Prime)#Robots in Disguise (2015)|2017 ''Robots in Disguise'' toy]]. The [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seekers]] are a special case, generally using modified versions of Starscream's design (which ''is'' based on his evergreen design). This does slightly affect [[show-accuracy]] in regards to toys: most of Slipstream and Thundercracker's toys are straight [[redeco]]es of Starscream's whereas in the cartoon itself the differences between Screamer and his subordinates are more pronounced.
*Compared to past ''Transformers'' cartoons set on modern-day Earth, the presence of [[human]]s in the series is extremely limited. Aside from a kid in "[[Teletraan-X (episode)|Teletraan-X]]", some unseen voiceovers in "[[Sea of Tranquility]]", and silhouettes and drawings in "[[Wild Wild Wheel]]", no humans appear in the series at all. This was a conscious decision by the staff since the beginning, as the limited episode runtime was not conducive to the "B plots" that tend to come with the addition of human sidekicks.<ref name="Q+A"/>
*The show's premiere episodes, "[[Fractured]]" and "[[Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory]]," were both put up on Cartoon Network's mobile app and website several days before their U.S. television premiere. All subsequent episodes of the season were uploaded the day before they were aired on television, followed by a release on Hasbro's YouTube channel the day after, region-locked to United States users; following a weekend without any videos due to American Thanksgiving, the YouTube release moved to the ''next'' Sunday after airing starting with episode 13. Cartoon Network's app/website split each episode into two separate parts, each with a generic title card, and were numbered as such. By the second season, the Cartoon Network site began putting up episodes over a week before they would hit the airwaves, and Hasbro's YouTube uploads returned to their one-day delay schedule, now unlocked for all regions. By the time of the third season, Cartoon Network was airing 2-4 new episodes at a time while Hasbro continued to upload just one per week, falling significantly behind by the time they had finished airing on TV; the final episode ultimately didn't hit YouTube until 3 1/2 months after its US airdate. The Cartoon Network site kept up with the TV schedule, still splitting episodes into two parts, though they were now locked for people without a Cartoon Network cable account. Hasbro later pulled the Season 3 episodes down for unknown reasons, and didn't begin uploading them again until April 2021, presumably to reintroduce the series to viewers in advance of Season 4's release that November. On that note, in a bit of an unexpected inversion to cap this whole thing off, both the Season 4 specials ended up getting released to YouTube weeks ahead of their [[Netflix]] premiere dates.
*While the first season was aired at a rate of one episode per week in the United States, Canadian network Teletoon aired ''two'' episodes every week in a half-hour block. Consequently, "[[Megatron Is My Hero]]" through "[[Maccadam's]]" all premiered on Canadian television ahead of their US broadcasts. In fact, the entire rest of the first season was initially scheduled to debut in Canada over the following weeks, but it was all pulled and replaced with re-runs, presumably because someone US-side didn't like how far ahead they were getting! However, the show still couldn't catch a break, as the next two episodes premiered on the Xfinity X1 service more than two weeks before they aired on television, with the remaining Chapter One episodes each airing in Singapore at least a week ahead of their US broadcast. This unfortunate scheduling continued during Chapter Two's broadcast, with the season premiering in multiple countries (including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and France) two weeks ahead of its US broadcast and airing at a rate of four new episodes each weekend, finishing out the season as the US was only just starting it. Chapter Three followed suit, with UK channel POP TV airing daily broadcasts of four new episodes in a row; as a result, they aired ''the entire season'' in the span of only ''a week and a half,'' completing it before a US airdate had even been announced. And as a final button on this string of scheduling snafus, all of Chapter Four ended up airing on Teletoon (and the first episode on YouTube, as previously mentioned) two weeks before its Netflix release.
*In a Q&A session, concepts and characters that writer [[Mae Catt]] expressed a desire to feature in the series which ultimately didn't come to pass included: [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]/[[Minimus Ambus]], [[Jazz (Cyberverse)|Jazz]] (who would have been female), [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]], [[Transmutate (BW)|Transmutate]] (who would have been a visual amalgamation of her ''Beast Wars: Uprising'' and original ''Beast Wars'' designs), [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]], [[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]], [[Nickel]], various [[combiner]]s, crossovers with other ''Transformers'' continuities (examples including "Aligned", ''Animated'', ''Shattered Glass'', and the classic Generation 1), and a redemption arc for Starscream (who would have survived the events of "The End Of The Universe", suffered amnesia, and carried a psychic shard of Windblade). Catt also noted that the crew wanted to avoid a storyline featuring [[Unicron]] because of how repetitive it had become.<ref name="Q+A">"[https://shikai-the-storyteller.tumblr.com/post/613237429097365504/i-absolutely-didnt-go-back-through-and-edit-this Transformers: Cyberverse – Mae Catt Q&A Session (Unedited Edition), 21 March 2020]"</ref>
*While the first two seasons were dubbed into multiple languages besides English, seasons 3 and 4 have not been dubbed in every language. For example, the French broadcast stopped after the end of season 2. As the channel decided not to broadcast the next ones, no dubbing was ordered.
*The ''Cyberverse'' voice cast recorded individually rather than as a group ensemble, due to recording studios in New York City being much smaller than those in other cities such as Los Angeles. In fact, many of the cast didn't even meet each other in person until they started going to ''Transformers'' conventions after the show's end.

===Foreign names===
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers Cyberverse: As Aventuras de Bumblebee''''' (Brazil, "Transformers Cyberverse: The Adventures of Bumblebee", Chapter Four only)
*''Japanese:'' '''Cyberverse''' (サイバーバース ''Saibābāsu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Sāi Bó Tǎn Chuán Qí''' (China, 塞伯坦传奇, "Legend of Cybertron")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvMHCfwLXJRYF8ErpboT-6dpuNa1deWjV Complete ''Transformers Cyberverse'' playlist on YouTube]
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhWipIfRhqz0_k6ZEWjs4icCnSOVcZUBq ''Transformers Cyberverse'' playlist on TakaraTomy's YouTube channel] (JP only)
*[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/08/03/tfw2005-coverage-hasbro-media-investor-day-2017-346226 ''Cyberverse'' first teased at Hasbro Media And Investor Day 2017]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cyberverse}}
[[Category:Cyberverse (2018)| (cartoon)]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Eruption

2024-07-29T20:44:59Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 18
|image=Eruption-AutobotsRollOut.jpg
|caption="The world will always need a Prime...but only if that Prime is ''you''."
|prev=Awaken Sleeping Giants
|next=Sea of Tranquility
|title="Eruption"
|airdate=[[December 15]], [[2018]] (Singapore) [[December 28]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[December 29]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=18
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Gavin Hignight]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFCBKN6AaOI
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''The Autobot team must fight its way through Shockwave and his Decepticons to defend the Ark and awaken Optimus Prime and the other Autobots.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Cyberverse - Eruption - Shockwaves Army.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"Hope is meaningless."]]
At long last, the [[Autobot]]s have discovered the object of their quest, buried beneath [[Mount St. Hilary]]: the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]!'' It's a joyous moment as the four heroes move in for a group hug, but the moment is not to last... as [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] and his [[Decepticon]]s arrive in the cave, intent on destroying the ship and its occupants once and for all. Though [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] and his allies are outnumbered, they're unwilling to surrender, and charge into battle!

Bumblebee finds himself up against the vengeful [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]], who's all-too-eager to face off against Bumblebee, while [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] duels with [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]], [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] deploys his ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' mode against the rest of the [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s, and even [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] finds himself up against one of [[Shockwave's drones]] as he tries to unlock the ship doors. In doing so, however, Teletraan-X helps Bumblebee temporarily take out Shadow Striker by dropping his foe on her face, giving Bumblebee the opening he needs to paralyze her with his [[stinger (weapon)|stinger]], and Bumblebee, in turn, helps Windblade out of a tight spot by dropping Slipstream while the Seeker's attention is elsewhere.

Ordering Bumblebee to get to the ship, Windblade takes on Shockwave herself, using her turbine powers to knock Shockwave flat. As the tide of battle turns against the Decepticons, Shockwave uses his [[alternate mode]] to scuttle away, much to the dismay of Shadow Striker...

In the meantime, Bumblebee has managed to get into the ''Ark'', and he and Teletraan-X make for the ship's hibernation bay. As Bumblebee examines the massive chamber, Teletraan-X makes a sad discovery: [[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]] is no more, having suffered irreparable damage during the ship's crash on Earth. It's not all bad, however; Teletraan-X's sole purpose is to serve as a backup unit for Teletraan-1, and this means that he can use his own processor power to reboot the master computer. As he activates a computer jack and begins the transference process, however, he's interrupted by Shadow Striker, who shoots his lifeless body and sends it flying across the room!

Shadow Striker remains as eager for revenge as ever, and though Bumblebee is able to temporarily incapacitate her by hitting her with his vehicle mode, he's injured in the fight and pinned down by the patchwork Decepticon... until Grimlock intervenes, using his dino mode to throw her against the wall.

[[File:Cyberverse - Eruption - Nemesis.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Every stage of my plan is beyond your comprehension."]]
Outside the mountain, Shockwave enacts his final contingency plan: by using his ship-mounted [[magnetic disruptor]], he'll trigger a volcanic eruption, destroying the ''Ark'' and killing everything inside the volcano when it erupts. But the magnetic beam firing into the volcano has some unexpected effects: the burst of lava allows an outnumbered Windblade to get the upper hand against the bewildered Seekers, while Grimlock does battle against Shadow Striker. Grimlock warns 'Bee that whatever he's doing in the ship, he needs to finish it, and ''fast'', but Bumblebee is too busy mourning over the fallen body of Teletraan-X to hear... until the ship's internal workings abruptly flare back to life!

Teletraan-X, now inhabiting the ''Ark's'' mainframe, informs Bumblebee that the transfer was a success, and that he now has direct access to the ship's subsystems... but that control is more than he bargained for, and the newly-uploaded AI has trouble shutting down the ship's [[stasis pod]]s. On the plus side, Teletraan-X is able to take direct control of the ''Ark's'' weapon systems, helping Windblade and Grimlock out of another tight spot with a series of powerful blasts, sending the Decepticons running, while Grimlock and Windblade make for the safety of the ''Ark'' as the lava begins to rain from the ceiling.

As Shockwave's ship flies away, the volcano erupts in earnest as its new computer struggles with the ship's functions; what Shockwave doesn't know, however, is that Teletraan has managed to activate the vessel's shields in the nick of time, saving the ''Ark'' and all inside. What's more, Teletraan has finally completed the wake-up sequence, deactivating the stasis pods. As the figures of Optimus Prime and the other Autobots rise from their stasis pods, Bumblebee rushes over to greet his leader with a hug as Grimlock greets his long-lost friends.

[[File:Cyberverse - Eruption - Shockwave Cares Not.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"And to defend my becoming, from across the universe comes my army."]]
The reunion is short-lived, however; no sooner have the Autobots awakened before Teletraan-X cuts in with a ''new'' warning: the Decepticon fleet has arrived over Earth! As the Autobots race out of the ''Ark''—now partially exposed, poking out of the volcano's surface—they are greeted by the sight of Shockwave and his reinforcements, as the [[Nemesis (Cyberverse)|''Nemesis'']] roars overhead, and so Optimus and the Autobots prepare for battle, the Autobot leader ordering his troops to [[roll out]].

The battle has begun!

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] (3)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] (16)
*[[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]] (17)
*[[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]] (18)
*[[Autobot]] soldiers (19)
*[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]] (20)
*[[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] (21)
*[[Rack'n'Ruin (Cyberverse)|Rack'n'Ruin]] (22)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] (5)
*[[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] (6)
*[[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (7)
*[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (8)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (9)
*[[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] (10)
*[[Shockwave's drones]] (11)
*[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (12)
*Generic [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|seekers]] (13-14)
*[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] (15)

|c4=
* [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"Get us out of here! Now!" 
"I'm doing the best I can. I'll try everything!" 
-''upbeat polka music fills the ship as doors and lights switch on and off''- 
"Turn that music '''OFF!'''" 
:—'''Bumblebee''', '''Teletraan-X''', and '''Grimlock'''

"Autobots- ''roll out!''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' says it's on

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Shockwave previously attempted to use the [[magnetic disruptor]] to kill everything on Earth back in "[[The Extinction Event]]."
*Starscream's Decepticon armada was first alluded to in "[[Siloed]]" and reappeared in the previous episode, "[[Awaken Sleeping Giants]]."
*[[Rack'n'Ruin (Cyberverse)|Rack'n'Ruin]] makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in the final scene of the Autobots standing together; the pair previously appeared in "[[Sabotage]]" as members of the ''Ark's'' crew, but as that memory had been modified by Shockwave it was impossible to tell if the two Autobots ''actually'' served aboard the ''Ark''; this episode confirms that they did; presumably, then, so did [[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]].

===Transformers references===
[[File:Cyberverse - Eruption - This looks familiar.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Everybody ready to—what's the phrase? 'Roll on out'?"]]
*Following the eruption of Mount St. Hilary, the ''Ark'' winds up having its engines exposed, sticking out of the side of the mountain, as they did in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|1984 cartoon]] (and as those of the ''[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Orion]]'' did in season 2 of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]''.)
*At the end of the episode, Grimlock is depicted as having a battle mask—a retractable visor and mouthplate—designed to make him look like his [[Grimlock (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]].

===Real-world references===

===Trivia===
* Just before Shockwave gets blasted by Windblade's turbines, his eyelid goes all the way up, making him look like his classic counterpart.
* Upon awakening, Optimus happily greets Bumblebee, Grimlock and Windblade, yet doesn't seem confused as to why Windblade is even there considering she was not part of the Ark's crew to begin with.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Nova Storm still lacks the trim on her cockpit.
*Acid Storm is rendered with the male Seeker face, just like the [[Awaken Sleeping Giants|last episode]]; the nature of this as an error is debatable, as writer [[Mae Catt]] has stated changing their face is "just something Acid Storm likes to do".
*In some shots Shockwave appears to be distinctly ''blue'' (the same shade as Thundercracker), not purple.
*Grimlock has his battle mask and visor on, but the next shot immediately after, they are missing, with no indication they retracted.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Eruption'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 16]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Im Vulkan'''" ("Inside the Volcano")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 26]], 2019

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kitörés'''" ("Eruption")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 2]], 2019

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kiseki no Seikan'''" (奇跡の生還, "The Miraculous Return")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 10]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Erupção'''" ("Eruption")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 2]], 2019

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — King of the Dinosaurs ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Awaken Sleeping Giants

2024-07-29T20:44:49Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 17
|image=AwakenSleepingGiants-TheArk.jpg
|caption=Die-cast construction! It's a lost art.
|prev=The Extinction Event
|next=Eruption
|title="Awaken Sleeping Giants"
|airdate=[[December 15]], [[2018]] (Singapore) [[December 21]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[December 22]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=17
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Zac Atkinson (writer)|Zac Atkinson]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KHZ6sfUTmc
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''The Autobot team finally discovers the location of the''' '''''Ark.'''''

==Synopsis==
In [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]'s base, [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] grimly assesses the situation: though they barely managed to hold off [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] from exterminating all life on [[Earth]], three [[Autobot]]s and a [[drone]] won't be enough to hold of the Decepticon armada that's ''en route'' to Earth. Grimlock, however, has a plan of his own; tapping a hidden wall in the stone bunker, the ground shakes to reveal a new room, one that contains a map of the way the world looked on the day the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]'' crashed: [[Pangaea]].

An enthusiastic [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] pores over the map as he reminisces about his earliest days on Earth, and in the process displays the ability to correlate the locations of Pangaea with modern-day continents. Grimlock notes that he carved the map during his long search for the ''Ark'' after his arrival on the planet, before the extinction of the dinosaurs cut his quest short. Teletraan-X, ever eager to help, bluntly tells Grimlock that his theory about the ''Ark's'' location was completely wrong. By using his own data to factor in the ''Ark's'' entry trajectory, and taking into account continental drift and climate change, the little drone finally deduces that the starship has crashed somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. The three Autobots celebrate this discovery—unaware that one of [[Shockwave's drones]] has been spying on their entire conversation and relaying the news to its master, who tells [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] and the [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s to intercept the Autobots...

[[File:Cyberverse - Awaken Sleeping Giants - Flying Bee.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"I can say 'bring it on' in 4,000 languages!"]]
Using the cargo plane, the heroes beat a hasty trail towards [[Mount St. Hilary]], the final resting place of the ''Ark'', but before Teletraan-X can lecture the team any further about their destination they're beset by [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] and her Seekers, leading to a fierce dogfight as Windblade tries to impede their attackers. Beset by [[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] and [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]], the [[Caminus (planet)|Camien]] is unable to prevent Slipstream from firing a flurry of missiles, successfully blowing the cargo plane out of the sky. With no other option, Grimlock and Bumblebee are forced to abandon ship, with Grimlock using his powerful dinosaur mode to catch Bumblebee. Unfortunately, the Decepticons are relentless, and Grimlock teams up with Bumblebee to deliver a [[Fastball Special]] that paralyzes the oncoming [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]]... and then uses Teletraan-X to take down [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]].

Using her turbines, Windblade is similarly able to take down Slipstream, but as the dazed Decepticon recovers from her humiliating crash she's interrupted by an irate transmission from [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]], who demands to know what she's doing. Starscream informs her to prepare for their arrival immediately, but when Slipstream stalls for time by letting slip that she's already working for ''Shockwave'', the incensed Air Commander demands to know why the scientist has already come to Earth, and, in the process, allowing Teletraan-X to overhear their conversation.

[[File:Cyberverse - Awaken Sleeping Giants - Grimlocks Breath Weapon.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"You can't just ''explode''! Where's the fun in that?!"]]
As the Autobots regroup at the crash site, Teletraan-X arrives to warn the trio of the imminent arrival of the Decepticon fleet. With no time to waste, the trio venture into the volcano's lava tubes, still unaware that another of Shockwave's drones is still tailing them. Inside the volcano, lava flows and earthquakes cause Grimlock to wonder if their starship is still intact, but Windblade retorts that as long as there's even a ''chance'' of survival, then they have to keep looking... and, seconds afterwards, a cave-in from underneath their feet sends the three plummeting into a deeper level of the volcano, right in front of a massive river of lava. Bumblebee uses his blaster to create a series of stepping stones for himself and Grimlock, until Grimlock loses his footing and plummets into the lava!

Despite their worries, Grimlock ''does'' survive the experience, emerging in his dinosaur mode and using his newfound [[fire-breath]] to blast a passage through the rocks—a passage that leads directly to the final resting site of the ''Ark''! Their mission seemingly complete, the four embrace... once more, unaware, that Shockwave is watching their every move...

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]] (1)
* [[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] (2)
* [[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]] (3)
* [[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (6)
* [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] (8)
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (9)

|c2=
* One of [[Shockwave's drones]] (10)
* [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] (11)
* [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (12)
* [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (13)
* [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (14)
* [[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] (15)
* [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] (16)
* Generic [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] (17, but see Errors)
* [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (18)
* [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] (19)

|c4=
* [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] (7)

}}

==Quotes==
"Wasn't that an exciting flight? Oh look, we're still under attack!"
:—'''Teletraan-X'''

"Shockwave is there with you?! But how? ''And why does he always do this to me?!''"
:—'''Starscream'''

"Apologies, friends. I can sometimes get a little ''heated'' when telling tales of my travels."
:—'''Grimlock''' after falling in lava

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*[[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]] made an appearance in the opening scene of the stasis pods aboard the ''Ark''; she previously appeared in "[[Sabotage]]" as a member of the ''Ark''{{'}}s crew, but as that memory had been modified by Shockwave it was impossible to tell if the Autobot ''actually'' served aboard the ''Ark''; this episode confirms that she did.
*Shockwave came to Earth in [[The Extinction Event|the previous episode]], and Starscream announced his intention to come to Earth in "[[Siloed]]." The cargo plane that Teletraan-X commandeered also appeared in "The Extinction Event."
*Teletraan-X's ability to generate a force shield to protect himself was first used in "[[Teletraan-X (episode)|Teletraan-X]]."
*Grimlock compares his experiences in Mount St. Hilary to his adventures in the [[Acid Wastes]]; he was previously established to be fond of exploring the region back in "[[Maccadam's]]".

===Transformers references===
*[[Mount St. Hilary]] was the crash site of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in most [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] media.
*Grimlock's [[fire-breath]] is a traditional power for [[Dinobot (disambiguation)|Dinobot]]s in general.
*Windblade swears by [[Solus Prime]], again.

===Real-world references===
*The episode's title refers to {{w|Isoroku Yamamoto's sleeping giant quote|a (likely apocryphical) quote}} attributed to Japanese Admiral {{w|Isoroku Yamamoto}} regarding the {{w|attack on Pearl Harbor}}: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."
*Teletraan-X notes that Mount St. Hilary is a part of the real-world {{w|Ring of Fire}}.

===Trivia===
*Going by Grimlock's map of Pangaea, his base is located somewhere in northern Quebec.

===Animation and technical errors===
* Teletraan-X concludes that the Ark crashed in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, as is tradition. But the marker on the map is on the opposite side of the continent, around Maine.
*Nova Storm lacks the trim on her cockpit once again.
*During one part of her dogfight with Slipstream, Windblade's aircraft mode is missing half of its horizontal stabilizer.
*While Shockwave is giving the Seekers their mission briefing, all of Slipstream's command are present - except for Thundercracker, whose place is taken by one of the generic "mustard-colored" Seeker models. Once on the mission, the generic is absent and Thundercracker is in the formation; therefore, the presence of the generic in the briefing appears to be an error, his animation model having been swapped for Thundercracker's.

===Geological errors===
*So Teletraan-X and Grimlock both claim that the ''Ark'' crash-landed on {{w|Pangaea}} some 65 million years ago. In real life, however, the supercontinent is believed to have broken apart early on into the Mesozoic era; by about 175 mya—the early {{w|Jurassic}} era—the continent had already split down the middle into {{w|Laurasia}} and {{w|Gondwana}}, and by the Late Cretaceous, 66 million years ago, the continents had further broken apart into [http://earthlyuniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Cretaceous-World-Map.jpg something approximating the modern-day world map]. It ''might'' be possible to no-prize this by saying that Grimlock and Teletraan were simply misinformed about which era of history their ship arrived in, but Teletraan-X also claims that he passed the time by talking to {{w|hadrosaur}}s, which were an exclusively Cretaceous species...
*Grimlock mentions that the asteroid arrived 65 million years ago, though recent evidence has suggested that the Cretaceous ended some 66 million years ago.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le réveil des géants'''" ("The awakening of the giants")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 16]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Ark'''" ("The Ark")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 26]], 2019

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ébredjetek, alvó óriások!'''" ("Awaken, Sleeping Giants!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 2]], 2019

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ark, Hakken!'''" (アーク、発見!, "The Ark, Discovered!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 10]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Acordem, Gigantes Adormecidos'''" ("Awaken, Sleeping Giants")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 29]], 2019

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — King of the Dinosaurs ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

The Extinction Event

2024-07-29T20:44:39Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 16
|image=Cyberverse - The Extinction Event - Activating.jpg
|caption=''And the six-sided architect / Freethinking / Unblinking'' ''Holds the fate of all things / In the palm of his hand.''
|prev=King of the Dinosaurs
|next=Awaken Sleeping Giants
|title="The Extinction Event"
|airdate=[[December 8]], [[2018]] (Singapore) [[December 14]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[December 15]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=16
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Kate Leth]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDbkoxMZe60
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''The newly formed team of Autobots must stop Shockwave from destroying all life on the planet.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Cyberverse - The Extinction Event - Shockwave Arrives.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''A fretful sky / An absent sun'' ''A distant heat / A deathly hand'']]
In [[Earth]]'s orbit, [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] orders her [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s to stand at attention in front of the planet's repaired [[space bridge]], which even now flares to life to allow [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]]'s flagship to arrive...

Meanwhile, in [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]'s impromptu headquarters, the Autobot shows [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]], [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] and [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] around, explaining his time on Earth and how his attempts to locate the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]'' ended in failure, resulting in him recruiting the local [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]]s to help build a home for himself. The happy reunion is cut short, however, when Teletraan-X picks up something on the base's orbital scanner: a massive Decepticon ship in Earth's orbit!

Above, Shockwave dresses down Slipstream for her repeated failures: her inability to find the [[AllSpark]], the ''Ark'', and her repeated failures at capturing Bumblebee and Windblade. Eager to simplify the hunt for the AllSpark, Shockwave announces his plan: he and the Decepticons will simply eradicate ''all'' organic life on Earth. At his command, his ship splits into two; Shockwave instructs the Seekers that two of them will join him, and the others will serve with his second-in-command [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]]. The ships fly off to enact Shockwave's grand plan, as down below the Autobots watch helplessly as Teletraan-X explains the Decepticon plan: by shutting down the planet's geomagnetic field at each poles, the resulting radiation will result in complete extinction for all organic life on Earth.

The Autobots attempt to strategize, and though Grimlock initially suggests splitting up—even using his dinosaur mode to intimidate the other two Autobots—he eventualy agrees with Windblade and Teletraan-X's summation of their predicament: by concentrating all of their firepower to eliminate one ship at the [[Arctic|North Pole]], they'll be able to halt the process entirely. To get there, Teletraan-X commandeers a [[human]] cargo plane, though Grimlock is less than enthused at the tight squeeze the ship provides.

[[File:Cyberverse - The Extinction Event - Total Extinction.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''While the planet turns from gold to gray'' ''And gray to black'']]
At the North Pole, Shadow Striker prepares to activate the ship's [[magnetic disruptor]], blasting a beam of radiation into the ground. As Shadow Striker prepares to finish the job, however, [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] picks up an incoming hostile: none other than Windblade! Eager for vengeance, Slipstream and [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] rush out and takes to the air, leaving Thundercracker alone... and, seconds later, Thundercracker picks up Bumblebee dancing on the ice to draw their attention, goading a vengeful Shadow Striker into abandoning her post and driving off to deal with her nemesis. With only [[Shockwave's drones]] for company, and his fellow Seekers felled by Windblade in a battle above the icecap, Thundercracker has to deal with an irate Shockwave when the Decepticon scientist calls to check up on their progress... only for Grimlock to sneak aboard the ship and incapacitate the young Seeker.

Despite their multi-pronged attack, Teletraan-X reports that their plan has ''failed''—the disruptor has already gone off, and Earth's geomagnetic field will fail... unwilling to give up, however, Grimlock resorts to brute force, unleashing his dino mode to smash the ship apart, tearing his way free to help Windblade against Shadow Striker and Slipstream before the ship explodes. Their objective complete, the Autobots beat a hasty retreat aboard the cargo plane; though Shadow Striker tries to board the ship, her glitchy limbs prove her undoing, leaving her facedown in the snow as the triumphant Autobots fly away.

Shadow Striker reports back to Shockwave, who informs her that although his plan has failed, he has a backup in place: a backup plan evidenced by one of his drones, who has managed to smuggle itself aboard the plane...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] (7)
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (8)
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (9)

|c2=
* [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (1)
* [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (2)
* [[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] (3)
* [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] (4)
* [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] (5)
* [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] (6)
* [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (11)
* [[Shockwave's drones]] (12)

|c4=
* [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
"Together we rebuilt the entire bridge of the ''Ark''. It was not easy. You remember the communications console, and the weapons command module? Here's a tip. Never let a ''Velociraptor'' have access to your weapons command module. And a little addition of mine we all enjoyed: the hot tub."
:—'''Grimlock'''

"You have failed to secure this planet. Or locate the Autobot ship. I am going to make it impossible to fail. Nothing will stand in our way. We will eradicate all organic life on this planet." 
"...very...''efficient''." 
"Indeed."
:—'''Shockwave''' seriously disturbs '''Slipstream''' with his logic.

'''Windblade:''' "We can't split up. We don't have the numbers." 
'''Teletraan-X:''' "If I may-" 
''<Grimlock interrupts him by transforming to dino mode>'' 
'''Grimlock:''' "''I'' AM THE NUMBERS!"

"When the civilized way fails, sometimes one has to call upon a little friend called..." 
''<Grimlock transforms to dino mode>'' 
"BRUTE FORCE!"
:—'''Grimlock'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Shockwave announced his intentions to come to Earth in "[[Siloed]]."
* Windblade mentions [[Maccadam]] having led them to Grimlock, as seen in "[[Maccadam's]]."
* Grimlock notes that the only thing the base ever detected was the asteroid responsible for ending the age of the dinosaurs, as seen in [[King of the Dinosaurs|the previous episode]].
* Where exactly Windblade got the plane from is unmentioned in the episode itself; perhaps she stole it from the abandoned airfield the Autobots visited in "[[Sabotage]]"?

===Transformers references===
* Thundercracker swears by [[The Fallen|Megatronus]].
* Grimlock's robot-to-dinosaur transformation animation is a homage to the ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' video game; in particular, his fists slamming the ground as he transforms references that continuity's [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] and his [[Hulk]]-like transformation from one mode to the other.

===Real-world references===
*The aircraft Windblade acquires is a {{w|C-130 Hercules}}, which is appropriately the most common aircraft used for resupply of polar bases, although the aircraft shown lacks the ski landing gear of the {{w|Lockheed LC-130|specialized polar-operations variant}}.

===Trivia===
*With its large, hollow midsection and short but wide profile, Shockwave's flagship resembles a Romulan ''D'deridex''-class warbird seen in the ''[[Star Trek]]'' series. (Rather ironic, considering the Romulans' ''rejection'' of the [[Vulcan]]s' adherence to logic and suppression of emotion.)

===Animation and technical errors===
*Nova Storm lacks the trim on her cockpit once again.
*The Autobots' transport plane will, in the following episode, be seen to have an insignia flag behind the cockpit that is missing in this episode.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Objectif extinction'''" ("Objective extinction")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 2]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shockwaves Plan'''" ("Shockwave's Plan")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 19]], 2019

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kihalásra felkészülni!'''" ("Prepare for Extinction!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 24]], 2019

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Estinzione'''" ("Extinction")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zettaizetsumei!'''" (絶体絶命!, "A Desperate Situation!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 27]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Evento da Extinção'''" ("The Extinction Event")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 22]], 2019

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — King of the Dinosaurs ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Extinction Event, The}}
[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

King of the Dinosaurs

2024-07-29T20:44:28Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 15
|image=KingOfTheDinosaurs-ourmessage.jpg
|caption=[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXGvC9vrYgs Goodbye, my reptile friend]
|prev=Siloed
|next=The Extinction Event
|title="King of the Dinosaurs"
|airdate=[[December 7]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[December 8]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=15
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Randolph Heard]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wvFVXQ1aMM
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Windblade and Bee uncover a buried Autobot who turns out to be an old friend.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Cyberverse - King of the Dinosaurs preview - The King is Found.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"Should you or any of your team members be killed or eaten, KSI will disavow all knowledge of your actions."]]
In a construction site overlooking a [[human]] city, [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] and [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] watch doubtfully as [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]], now "reprogrammed" to "accept" Windblade's instructions as well, commandeers an excavator to dig up the mysterious Autobot Windblade learned about during their prior encounter with [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]]. All seems to be going well until Teletraan-X hits metal, revealing the frozen body of a robotic dinosaur!

After filling in the two incredulous Autobots on what a dinosaur actually ''is'', Teletraan-X explains that this Autobot has taken the form of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', a species known as the "king of the dinosaurs"... cluing in Windblade to their [[Maccadam's|memories]] of [[Maccadam]], and his cryptic instructions to find the "king of the dinosaurs". The mystery is seemingly solved when Bumblebee retrieves a fallen crown, seemingly cementing the mystery 'bot as their long-sought quarry. When Windblade asks for the identity of the Autobot, Teletraan-X identifies him as [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]], one of the many MIA 'bots aboard the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]'' before its disappearance.

Furthermore, Teletraan-X is able to identify how Grimlock wound up separated from the rest of the ship; during the ''Ark's'' crash-landing, the Autobot warrior was inadvertently roused by [[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]] moments before a hull breach punctured the ship. As Bumblebee's [[stasis pod]] fell from the ship, Grimlock tried to catch and retrieve it. As the ship hit Earth's atmosphere, however, Grimlock lost his grip, sending both Autobots plummeting to Earth; amidst the chaos, Teletraan-1 activated its auxiliary backup and ejected it from the ship to ensure that the ship's memory banks would survive the crash intact.

The history lesson over, the two Autobots regard Grimlock's frozen form, unsure if their friend is still alive. Teletraan-X explains that his power source is inactive, but points out that the Autobot has one percent of his [[energon]] left; to bring him back online, they'll need a ''lot'' of power... but it's a good thing that they've made camp right next to an electrical transformer.

Tapping into the city's power grid to jump-start Grimlock's systems, the jolt ''does'' successfully bring Grimlock back online. However, Grimlock reboots as a brutish, inarticulate beast, rather than their famously eloquent friend, and before anyone can do anything the robot dinosaur escapes the construction site and flees into the city to run amok. Bumblebee and Windblade give chase, but their vehicle forms are no match for Grimlock's size and power, and it's ultimately Teletraan-X who saves the day by mesmerizing Grimlock with flashing lights and a lullaby, safely leading him back to the construction site.

[[File:Cyberverse - King of the Dinosaurs - Me Grimlock Me King.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"He is learning where he fits in the food chain...and I'm not sure you want him to figure that out."]]
Back at the excavation site, Teletraan explains that to survive amongst the dinosaurs, Grimlock rerouted his cognitive processes to enhance his raw physical strength... but this means that the drone isn't sure if Grimlock will even ''remember'' his old friends from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Indeed, Grimlock speaks up, demanding to see his "friends", but not Windblade or Bumblebee: Grimlock wants to see his dinosaur friends. Nobody is sure how to broach the subject, but the decision is made for them when Grimlock demands his crown. Teletraan-X plays along and "crowns" Grimlock, causing the crown itself—revealed as a homing device—to begin flashing as Grimlock runs off into the wilderness.

As the sun rises, the three pursue Grimlock as he approaches a nearby mountainside. As the confused Autobots watch, Grimlock, still searching for his friends, bashes his way through the rock to reveal an ancient stone bunker built directly into the mountainside. When the rubble has been shifted, Grimlock enters, revealing his old home during his exile on Earth: an exact replica of the ''Ark's'' bridge, carved into the cavern. A frustrated Grimlock paces back and forth, searching for any sign of his "friends", before Teletraan-X breaks the news to Grimlock that the dinosaurs have gone extinct. A despairing Grimlock presses his head against a nearby console, and, by doing so, inadvertently activates one of his ancient video logs, the last one recorded before the final extinction of the dinosaurs, where Grimlock urges his dinosaur friends to keep up their spirits in the face of impending doom.

His memories evidently jogged by this video, Grimlock finds the strength to transform back into his robot mode. Apologizing for his rambunctious behavior, Grimlock takes the opportunity to properly introduce the team to his new headquarters.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] (4)
|c4=
*[[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] (1)
*''[[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]] (5)
*''[[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|Dinosaurs]]'' (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Good morning everybot!" ''[Notices a hull breach]'' "Oh, I see how it is. Raised from sweet golden slumbers into the thick of dire emergency! Teletraan-1, status report — but ''please'' don't tell me the ''Ark'' is going down." 
"The ''Ark'' is going down." 
"Such a simple request. But you just had to-" 
:—'''Grimlock''' and '''Teletraan-1'''

"Teletraan-1, how can I save the crew?" 
"Go to my main console and-" 
''(Grimlock loses his grip and falls.)'' 
"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" 
"...never mind."
:—'''Grimlock''' and '''Teletraan-1'''

"Review. What are your prime directives?" 
"Always maintain data backup. And... uh... oh, uh... what's the other one?" 
"Assist all crew members." 
"Right! Got it. This is pretty exciting!" 
:—'''Teletraan-1''' and '''X'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*[[Maccadam]] told Windblade and Bumblebee they needed to find the "King of the Dinosaurs" back in "[[Maccadam's]]"; Windblade learned his location in [[Siloed|the previous episode]], though it takes until this episode for the pair to learn what a dinosaur actually is.
*Since the events of "Siloed," Bumblebee has reprogrammed Teletraan-X to accept Windblade's instructions, though he still refers to her as "not crew".
*The Autobots were shown to have entered hibernation in "[[The Journey]]", and "[[Whiteout]]" established that Bumblebee's stasis pod landed in the [[Himalayas]] at some point after falling to Earth. That said, the Himalayas didn't ''exist'' during the age of the dinosaurs, so it's not clear if his stasis pod was moved at some point after crashing, or if it landed where the Himalayas would one day arise, and was subsequently pushed upwards by tectonic movement.
*Four other stasis pods are shown falling from the ''Ark''. [[Wild Wild Wheel|A possible future storyline in the making...?]]
*This episode gives us the first definite glimpse of the timeline between the [[Great War (Cyberverse)|Great War]] and the present day, establishing that the ''Ark'' left Cybertron at least 66 million years ago; possibly longer depending on how much time elapsed between the events of "The Journey" and Grimlock's flashback, as seen here.

===Transformers references===
[[File:Cyberverse-s1e15-King-of-the-Dinosaurs-Swoop-wing-unearthed.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Mmm, a new fast-food sensation!]]
* In many continuities, [[Grimlock (disambiguation)|Grimlock]] boasts about being "King" of the [[Dinobot (disambiguation)|Dinobot]]s.
* When Grimlock is first exposed, a mechanical pterosaur wing is exposed, referencing Grimlock's fellow dinobot [[Swoop (disambiguation)|Swoop]].
* Grimlock's adventures on Earth are remniscient of [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|his Marvel comics counterpart]]; as seen in [[Repeat Performance!|issue #8]], the Dinobots were also reactivated millions of years before the other Autobots aboard the ''Ark'' by [[Aunty|the ship's computer]] and subsequently adopted dinosaur forms based on the prehistoric creatures of the [[Savage Land]] before being buried until the present day. Similarly the idea of Grimlock wearing a crown is lifted directly from the Marvel comics, though in ''that'' universe his signature crown was a purely egotistical affectation rather than anything useful.
* Grimlock's dinosaur friends include a [[Slag (G1)|''Triceratops'']], a [[Slash (POTP)|''Velociraptor'']] (but see Errors), a [[Swoop (G1)|pterosaur]], a [[Sludge (G1)|sauropod dinosaur]], and a strangely undersized [[Scorn|''Spinosaurus'']].
** A [[Snarl (G1)|''Stegosaurus'']] is absent, but they did only live during the Jurassic era.
* The concept of Grimlock's dual nature—articulate in robot mode, savage in dinosaur mode—is a concept that's seen use before in his [[Grimlock (WFC)|''Fall of Cybertron'']] and [[Grimlock (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' counterparts]], though Teletraan-X's diagnosis that this behavior stems from his rerouting of his cerebral circuitry to enhance his physical power hews closer to the former than the latter.

===Real-world references===
[[File:Cyberverse - King of the Dinosaurs - Grimlocks Secret Base.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Just relax. It's just like taking a stroll through the woods. 65 million years ago."]]
* "Say hello to your little friend", says Bumblebee, paraphrasing ''{{w|Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface}}''.
* Whether through coincidence or design, the interlocking footprint-like decorations that adorn the entrance to Grimlock's headquarters (blink and you'll miss it!) bear a resemblance to the "Footprint alphabet" from the ''{{w|Dinotopia}}'' book series.
* The episode's title is a real life nickname of the ''T. rex'', Grimlock's dino mode.

===Trivia===
* It goes largely untouched upon here but Grimlock's backstory means that the events on Cybertron and the Ark must have happened at least 66 million years ago. It's probably best not to think about how that works with an ongoing war.

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Grimlock is awoken and says, "Good morning every bot!", his chest clips into itself, covering a portion of his Autobot symbol.
* Grimlock specifically refers, in the [[The Extinction Event|following episode]], to having a ''Velociraptor'' amongst his group of not-Dinobots, but in appearance, it looks more like a ''Utahraptor''. Perhaps he had more friends offscreen.
* Grimlock previously stated he gets groggy and slow when he wakes up from stasis. When he is woken by Teletraan I, however, he displays no ill effects.

===Paleontological errors===
* Teletraan-X wonders if Grimlock's head-bashing is a Jurassic mating ritual; ''Tyrannosaurus'', however, lived in the Cretaceous era.
* As is typical, there are location-misplaced dinosaurs, with African ''Spinosaurus'' and Asian ''Velociraptor'' among North American dinosaurs.
*Speaking of which, it's an error only as of [[Scorn#Notes|recently]], but the ''Spinosaurus'' uses the outdated, stereotypical theropod design that the species has been famously depicted in, rather than the updated, squat-limbed and more crocodile-like form it is currently understood to have had...although to give the episode some credit, ''Spinosaurus'' has undergone numerous revisions in the last decade with a still developing consensus on its anatomy.
*Said spinosaur is also criminally undersized: regardless of its skeletal construction, ''Spinosaurus'' has been the largest carnivorous theropod dinosaur discovered thus far, and it should dwarf most of the other dinos in Grimlock's group .

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le roi des dinosaures'''" ("The king of the dinosaurs")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 2]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der König der Dinosaurier'''" ("The King of Dinosaurs")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 19]], 2019

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A dinók királya'''" ("The King of the Dinos")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 24]], 2019

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il Re dei Dinosauri'''" ("The King of the Dinosaurs")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kyōryū no Ō, Fukkatsu!'''" (恐竜の王、復活!, "The King of Dinosaurs, Resurrected!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 27]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rei dos Dinossauros'''" ("King of the Dinosaurs")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 15]], 2019

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — King of the Dinosaurs ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Siloed

2024-07-29T20:44:17Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 14
|image=Siloed-WindbladeCaptured.jpg
|caption="What the hell am I looking at? When does this happen in the movie?" "Now. You're looking at now, sir. Everything that happens now is happening now."
|prev=Matrix of Leadership (episode)
|next=King of the Dinosaurs
|title="Siloed"
|airdate=[[November 17]], [[2018]] (Singapore) [[November 30]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[December 1]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=14
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Mairghread Scott]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UgXSkuFyeI
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''The Seekers attempt to extract the location of the Ark from Windblade's memories.'''

==Synopsis==
''On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Bumblebee plays with a training [[Cube (sport)|cube]] with [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]], and despite his best efforts it's the [[Caminus (planet)|Camien]] who gets the upper hand. The two friends agree to a rematch...'' and Windblade is unaware that this entire experience is just one of her many memories, replayed for the benefit of [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]]!

Windblade briefly comes to long enough to fruitlessly struggle against her bonds; although Slipstream asserts that they've gotten everything they need from Windblade's [[brain module]], Windblade is able to call the Decepticon's bluff by goading Slipstream's toadies [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] and [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] into revealing that they don't have what they need yet. Slipstream orders the two to perform a [[mind rip]], potentially jeopardizing Windblade, but, as Slipstream points out, they need ''all'' the data they can extract from her mind. They do so, but Slipstream is frustrated by the lack of ''useful'' data, and so she storms over and cranks the console controlling the [[cortical psychic patch]] up as far as it can go. Before she can assess the results, [[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] calls with a message for the Seeker leader: it's almost time for her report to [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]]... and this time, [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] will be sitting in on the meeting as well.

Slipstream leaves, ordering her subordinates to continue the process while she stalls for time with the Decepticon air commander. The pair crank up the machine as high as it will go to get results as fast as possible; in doing so, however, the feedback triggers a debilitating pulse of energy, knocking the pair offline and radiating through the entire Decepticon complex... including Slipstream.

Slipstream comes to some time later to the sound of an irate Starscream berating her for wasting their time. Staggering over to the console, she does her best to cover for her recent failures, but Starscream isn't having any of it, unaware that her guards are offline and Windblade has taken advantage of the pulse to break free and escape, hacking into the Decepticon's files. Starscream shouts that as soon as ''he'' shows up on Earth, he'll demote her as low as she can go before terminating the call; Shockwave, on the other hand, points out that for all her failures she's done one thing right: she's located the [[space bridge]] that brought Windblade to Earth in the first place, and if [[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]] could fix it, than so can Slipstream and her Seekers. Shockwave tells her that he has a plan of his own; he's coming to Earth to find the ''Ark'' and seize the AllSpark for himself.

Windblade's exploration of the Decepticon files continue apace until her two guards also come to, and after dispatching them once more Windblade makes her escape, disarming [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] and Thrust along the way. With all of her guards down, Slipstream takes matters into her own hands and goes after her Autobot escapee, stealing her [[Stormfall Sword]] after taking her out. The pair duel in the missile silo's central antechamber, with Windblade's detachable fans proving more than a match for the Seeker. Eventually, Windblade is able to retrieve her sword and make a break for the exit... only for Slipstream to recover and try to drag her back in - at which point she's rescued by [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] and [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]]! The drone explains how they came to retrieve her, and as the trio reunite Windblade explains how she's escaped with some information of her own that she liberated from the Decepticon network—the location of another Autobot!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (2)

|c2=
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (3)
*[[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (4)
*[[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] (5)
*[[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] (6)
*[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (7)
*[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] (8)
*[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] (9)

|c4=
*[[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Slipstream:''' "We know ''everything''. I'm simply waiting for the command from Starscream to deactivate you. Something I'll do with ''pleasure''." 
'''Windblade:''' "...hm. Thundercracker. Is any of that true?" 
'''Thundercracker:''' "Well, not really, but it's scarier that way." 
'''Slipstream:''' "''THUNDERCRACKER!''"

"Much has been learned. Even if you have not learned it. I do not blame you, as it is well understood that Seekers have extremely low intelligence. This image shows how Windblade came to Earth. The spacebridge she used was undoubtedly repaired by Perceptor, which means that it can be repaired again, by you and your Seekers." 
"Of course, sir! We can repair the space bridge-" 
"That is unlikely... unless you have simple, easy-to-follow instructions fit for a mindless drone. They are being transmitted to you now." 
:—'''Shockwave'''{{'}}s racism doesn't impress '''Slipstream'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Bumblebee was established to be a fan of the game of [[Cube (sport)|cube]] in the episode "[[Cube (episode)|Cube]]" and "[[Maccadam's]]." Windblade's memory presumably takes place early in the war, as Cybertron is not yet destroyed but Bumblebee is wearing an Autobot Insignia, which he did not claim until after the declaration of war in "[[Megatron Is My Hero]]".
*Windblade's memories are clips taken from prior episodes. These include:
**Windblade after going into Bumblebee's memories fails, from "[[Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory]]"
**Seekers flying in formation, from "[[Fractured]]"
**[[Maccadam]] introducing himself, from the first flashback in "[[Maccadam's]]"
**Windblade flying through the [[space bridge]] to [[Earth]], from "Fractured"
**Windblade hugging Bumblebee before the ''Ark''{{'}}s departure, from "Memory"
**The bar standoff, from the second flashback of "Maccadam's"
**Windblade vs. Nova Storm, from "[[Whiteout]]"
**Bumblebee first accesses his memories, from "Memory"
**Windblade and Bumblebee hiding behind a billboard, from "[[Teletraan-X (episode)|Teletraan-X]]"
**Windblade and Bumblebee share a drink, from the final memory in "Maccadam's"
**Windblade and Bumblebee sparring with one another, from "[[Shadowstriker (episode)|Shadowstriker]]"
**Windblade and Slipstream's fight, from "Whiteout"
*The ability of the cortical psychic patch to generate a debilitating pulse of energy if overloaded was first established in "[[Fractured]]." That episode also had Windblade establish how she arrived on Earth via the space bridge, as well as having Perceptor repair it.

===Transformers references===
*This episode establishes that Windblade's signature energy sword is called the "[[Stormfall Sword]];" the name is as old as the character of Windblade herself, having been created as her first toy's main accessory, but the sword has never actually been ''referred'' to by name anywhere, not even the [[2005 IDW continuity]], until this episode.

===Real-world references===
*TBD

===Trivia===
*Acid Storm's animation model is tweaked starting with this episode, giving them the same ("female type") Seeker head as Nova Storm and Slipstream, instead of the "male type" previously used.
*This episode marks the first time any of Windblade's personal memories have been seen.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Slipstream's wings retract in, then extend out again without any animation, after the Seekers wake up Windblade.
*Slipstream's wings retract without animation ''again'' when she leaves to speak to Shockwave and Starscream. They are extended when she gets hit by the energy wave.
*Nova Storm once again lacks the trim on her cockpit, an error carried over from the last ''three'' episodes.
*Thundercracker's eyes are open when Windblade wakes up after the energy blast, despite still being unconscious.
*When Windblade throws one of the machines at Thundercracker, his cockpit is light blue and lacks any trim or Decepticon symbol.
*When Slipstream confronts Windblade in the missile silo, Slipstream calls her "Wingblade".
*When Windblade runs into Slipstream, her wings are extended, only to be retracted in the next shot, lacking any animation in between.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Captive'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 18]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''In Gefangenschaft'''" ("Trapped")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12]], 2019

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Silóban'''" ("In a Silo")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 23]], 2019
:**Oddly, the dub features borderline swearing. Thundercracker almost calls Windblade an "Autobitch" before Slipstream cuts him off.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''In Trappola'''" ("Trapped")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Toraware no Windblade'''" (囚われのウインドブレード, "The Captured Windblade")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 13]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Encurralada'''" ("Cornered")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 8]], 2019

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — King of the Dinosaurs ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Matrix of Leadership (episode)

2024-07-29T20:44:06Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{disambig3.5|the ''Cyberverse'' episode|the titular item|Matrix of Leadership|Matrix}}

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 13
|image=MatrixOfLeadership-OPglows.jpg
|caption=Optimus Prime, disco ball mode!
|prev=Teletraan-X (episode)
|next=Siloed
|title="Matrix of Leadership"
|airdate=[[November 17]], [[2018]] (Singapore) [[November 23]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[November 24]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=13
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Brandon Auman]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKPyPpjmcRk
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Bee learns the meaning of leadership through three memories of Optimus Prime.'''

==Synopsis==
Since his recent escape from the [[Decepticon]]s to protect [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]], [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] is concerned with putting as much ground between himself and [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]]'s [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s as possible... a task made harder by the loss of [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] and the irritating stream of commentary from the chatty [[drone]]. Finally, Bumblebee can take no more, and when Teletraan-X blithely remarks that the [[Cityspeaker]] wasn't crew, Bumblebee leaves him on the side of the road and drives off. The drone catches up with him outside an abandoned garage, where he attempts to press the unhelpful Teletraan-X into revealing the location of the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]''. Despite everything, Teletraan-X admits that it doesn't ''know'' where the ship is, and a frustrated Bumblebee snarls that everything he has on his side—including ''himself'' —is "totally useless." His drone companion attempts to cheer him up, and when it spies the [[cortical psychic patch]] Bumblebee rescued from the ship, the drone reveals that it is fully equipped for memory diagnostics.

Inside Bumblebee's mind, the yellow Autobot bemoans his predicament; how is one scout supposed to find the Allspark and stop an entire Decepticon armada at the same time? Bumblebee muses that [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] would know what to do if he were in Bumblebee's shoes, and Teletraan-X agrees, but points out that Optimus ''is'' here, in Bumblebee's mind. The little drone suggests that viewing past data could help them formulate a way out of their current predicament, and Bumblebee agrees.

''In the early days of the [[Great War (Cyberverse)|Great War]], Bumblebee and Optimus arrive at their destination: the current resting place of the mortally wounded [[Alpha Trion (Cyberverse)|Alpha Trion]], last survivor of [[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]]'s massacre of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. [[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]] is the only 'bot keeping the wise sage online, and, per Trion's final requests, brings the ailing robot back online as Optimus enters. Optimus kneels by Trion, regretting his failure to stop Megatron before the war reached this point, but the dying Trion simply tells him that Optimus did what he thought was right. Now, Trion will pass on the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to Optimus, and appoint him the next [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. Despite Prime's worries, Trion assures him that no one is ever ready for the experience as he releases the Matrix from its case. The artifact finds its way into the brace in Prime's chest, and floods his body with light... even as Trion closes his eyes for the last time.''

Awed by his memory, Bumblebee wonders if he, a simple scout, could be capable of shouldering a similar responsibility. Teletraan-X agrees; after all, it points out, Optimus himself was just a simple file clerk before the war forced him to step up to the plate. With that in mind, Bumblebee focuses in on another memory...

''During the war for Cybertron, Bumblebee and [[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]] race across a battlefield, only to be pinned down by enemy fire. In the confusion, 'Bee realizes that they've lost [[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]], the third member of their unit. Bumblebee wants to go back for him, but Wheeljack points out that, without some reinforcements, retracing their steps through the war zone would mean ''their'' ends as well. That's when Optimus Prime himself brings up the rear, carrying Prowl's body over his shoulders while using his energy shield to shrug off enemy weaponsfire. Prime gets Prowl to safety and orders Wheeljack to find Ratchet, and though Prowl notes that Prime shouldn't have gone back for him the Autobot leader reminds him that he never leaves a 'bot behind.''

Bumblebee agrees with Prime's statement, but dejectedly points out that he's ''already'' failed in that regard, having left Windblade to her fate in the missile silo. Teletraan-X sympathizes with his sentiments, but points out a third memory of Prime in action that might change his mind.

[[File:Cyberverse - Matrix of Leadership - Optimus Charge.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Starscream's about to find out how Thrust and Shrapnel felt.]]
''Bumblebee and Prime try to outwit [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] and the [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s on a narrow highway until a well-timed missile sends the two Autobots careening off the road and into the depths of a ruined building. [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] and [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] follow Starscream into the ruin to finish off the two Autobots, but find themselves quite outmatched by Prime's strength and durable energy shield. Using his [[alternate mode]], Prime is able to run over Starscream, and intimidates the other two Seekers into leaving lest ''they'' suffer a similar fate, taking Starscream with them.''

''With the threat vanquished for the time being, Prime invites Bumblebee to realize where they now stand: the almost unrecognizable ruins of the [[Grand Imperium]], its statue of [[Prima]] having long since fallen to ruin. [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is dying, Prime points out, and that is due to his decision to eject the [[AllSpark]] into deep space. Prime admits that he was wrong to do so, and vows to retrieve the AllSpark and rejuvenate their ruined world.''

In the present day, Bumblebee realizes the meaning of this last memory: even good leaders, like Optimus, can make mistakes, but the important thing is ''knowing'' when they've make a mistake, and trying to correct their errors. With this in mind, Bumblebee vows that they're going back for Windblade, and with Teletraan-X along for the ride, the two roll out to save her!

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]'' (3)
*''[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]]'' (4)
*''[[Alpha Trion (Cyberverse)|Alpha Trion]] (5)
*''Autobot soldiers (7)
*''[[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]] (8)
*''[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]]'' (9)
|c2=
*[[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seekers]] (6)
*''[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]]'' (10)
*''[[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]]'' (11)
*''[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]]'' (12)

|c4=
*[[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"It is upsetting to think of Windblade at the mercy of the Decepticons. But look on the bright side—she was not a crew member."
:—'''Teletraan-X'''

"Would it help to know the current temperature, humidity or wind velocity? I know many other unrelated things. Did you know the ancient Egyptians were actually aliens from Alpha Centauri?"
:—'''Teletraan-X'''

"I have held the Matrix of Leadership for many years, waiting for one worthy to become the next Prime." 
"But I am no leader, Trion. I am not ready." 
"No one ''ever'' is." 
:—'''Alpha Trion''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The exact order in which these flashbacks occur is not ''immediately'' clear; the first presumably takes place after Optimus and Megatron part ways during the events of "[[Megatron Is My Hero]]," while the second is harder to place, though it probably takes place around or during the events of "[[Shadowstriker (episode)|Shadowstriker]]." The third is the easiest to place, as Prime mentions the jettisoning of the AllSpark, which took place during [[Allspark (episode)|that episode]]; this episode also clarifies why Optimus commissioned the ''Ark'' in the first place—Prime evidently didn't foresee that jettisoning the AllSpark from Cybertron would have adverse effects on the planet's well-being.
*The ''Ark'' is noted to have a capacity of four thousand, which would fit with the absolutely ''massive'' hibernation bay that we saw in "[[The Journey]]," though it's not made clear how many Autobots boarded the ''Ark'' before it left Cybertron.
*Before accepting the Matrix, Optimus's name was, evidently, just "Optimus." This oddity goes against many other modern continuities, which have generally established that he originally went by the name "Orion Pax."
**This is, however, consistent with the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' video game.
*Prime's signature ability to generate an [[insignia]]-shaped shield seems as though it's tied to the Matrix, so any episode that features this presumably takes place ''after'' this first flashback.
*Windblade was captured by the Decepticons in the previous episode, "[[Teletraan-X (episode)|Teletraan-X]]."

===Transformers references===
*Teletraan-X describes the ''Ark'' as a "[[Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor|''Vanguard''-class deep space interceptor]]", a term first used in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]].'' The book is also the source of the other factoid Teletraan gives: that it has five decks.
*Mention is made of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]], with [[Alpha Trion (Cyberverse)|Alpha Trion]] being a member ''of'' that Council. This hearkens back to the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' cartoon, which established Trion as a member of that universe's High Council. The eventual destruction of said Council at the hands of Megatron is evocative of the ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'' novel, where [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] was established to have killed Councillor [[Halogen (WFC)|Halogen]] in a fit of anger.
*The idea of Alpha Trion safeguarding (but not personally carrying) the Matrix until a worthy bearer can be found originates with the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]." The character would also do the same in the [[Aligned continuity family]], as detailed in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'', though its not clear if the ''Cyberverse'' incarnation of Trion is a member of the [[Thirteen]] as his "Aligned" counterpart was.
*Trion and Prime's final conversation regarding the Matrix is reminiscent of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s, as seen in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Bumblebee's insecurity over his position as a scout also evokes the arc of his [[Bumblebee (WFC)|"Aligned" self]].
*Bumblebee and Wheeljack driving on Cybertron away from the Seekers is similar to the opening from the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".
*The [[Grand Imperium]], noted to be the former meeting place of the [[Senate]], is a concept lifted from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005-2018 IDW comics]], featuring heavily in the "[[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]" two-parter. That continuity even featured a statue of [[Prima]] in its version of the Grand Imperium, paralleled by this episode. That said, it's not clear if the Senate is an alternate name for the High Council in this universe, or if they're entirely different things.
[[File:Cyberverse - Matrix of Leadership - Star Screams.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"This may seem a little off-topic, but how good are you at digging holes?"]]
*During his fight with Optimus and Bumblebee, Starscream uses a "sonic scream" attack reminiscent of his one-time ability in the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' episode "[[TransWarped]]".

===Real-world references===
*Teletraan-X's tidbit that the ancient [[Egypt]]ians were, in fact, [[alien]]s is reminiscent of {{w|Ancient astronauts|some real-world hypotheses of dubious validity}}.

===Animation and technical errors===
*Optimus Prime's shield disappears between two shots as he brings Prowl to safety.
*The error of Nova Storm's lack of trim on her cockpit from the last two episodes is carried over to here.
*While Optimus is looking up at the stars, his left shoulder is rotated inward, causing his smokestack to face forward.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Matrice de commandement'''" ("Command Matrix")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 18]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zum Anführer erschaffen'''" ("Built to be Leader")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12]], 2019

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Vezetés Mátrixa'''" ("The Matrix of Leadership")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 23]], 2019

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Matrice di comando'''" ("Command Matrix")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 1]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Leader no Shishitsu'''" (リーダーの資質, "Qualities of a Leader")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 13]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Matriz de Liderança'''" ("Matrix of Leadership")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 1]], 2019

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — King of the Dinosaurs ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Teletraan-X (episode)

2024-07-29T20:43:55Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{disambig3.5|the cartoon episode|the eponymous character|Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 12
|image=Teletraan-X (Cyberverse - Teletraan-X).jpg
|caption="According to the control panel light up there, the entire building's gonna self-destruct in about six minutes. I'm pretty sure it's a problem with the light."
|prev=Sabotage
|next=Matrix of Leadership (episode)
|title="Teletraan-X"
|airdate=[[October 26]], [[2018]] (Xfinity X1) [[November 16]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[November 17]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=12
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Kevin Burke]] and [[Chris Wyatt]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMUz9RDTQ7o
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Windblade and Bumblebee trace an Autobot signal and find themselves lured into a trap set by Slipstream and her Seekers.'''

==Synopsis==
Following the destruction of their [[Decepticon scout ship|starship]], [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] and [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] are on the run; after a close call involving [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] and a movie billboard, the pair take shelter at a nearby airport. Windblade realizes that they're too conspicuous together, and to cover more ground in their search for the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]'' they'll need to split up. Her dramatic monologue about her faith in Bumblebee, however, is cut short when her friend picks up something unexpected: an [[Autobot]] distress signal emanating from nearby!

Abandoning their plan to split up, the pair head to an abandoned missile silo not far away. Clambering down into the depths of the facility, the signal becomes stronger and stronger, until they reach a large and heavily armored door. Windblade pries it open, and after a short jaunt down the tunnel they pair discover the source of the signal: [[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]], a robotic [[drone]] designed to act as an auxiliary backup unit for [[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]]'s data. Introducing itself, the device quickly identifies Bumblebee as a crew member of the ''Ark'', but not Windblade, and refuses to answer any of her questions unless they're filtered through Bumblebee first. When Bumblebee tries to persuade Teletraan-X to reveal the Ark's location, however, the machine announces that they've been led into a trap... at which point, spotlights flare to life, revealing [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] and the other [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s!

The two Autobots are surrounded, subdued, and quickly brought before Slipstream, who explains her need to bring the Autobots in alive: 'Bee is the only Cybertronian on Earth who can access the drone, and learn the location of the ''Ark''... and Windblade's safety is the incentive to ensure Bumblebee cooperates with Slipstream. Windblade is tortured, then Bumblebee when he refuses to cooperate... but Slipstream has reckoned without Teletraan-X, whose overriding directive to protect the crew of the ''Ark'' spurs it into action, activating a defensive shield which it uses to bowl over the Decepticons. The two Autobots make a run for it, tailed by Teletraan-X and pursued by the Seekers.

Realizing that they need to protect Teletraan-X, the only clue they have to finding the ''Ark,'' Windblade tells Bumblebee to ensure that the drone makes it out safely, seconds before a Decepticon missile splits the party. Windblade defends Teletraan-X by bringing down part of the ceiling on [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]], [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]], and [[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]], while Bumblebee uses his [[stinger (weapon)|stingers]] to paralyze Nova Storm and [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] before the trio reunite.

Using Teletraan-X's map of the facility, the group escapes to the antechamber where they came in, but their escape up the ladder is compounded when Slipstream and the other Seekers regroup and chase them up to the surface. Windblade falls back to make sure that the Decepticons can't pursue Bumblebee and Teletraan-X up the ladder, but with the silo doors—and their only means of escape—closing, and fast, Bumblebee has no choice but to leave Windblade to her fate. 'Bee escapes just in time to seal the Seekers underground, for the time being... but Windblade is trapped ''with'' them, her fate unknown, and with no other course of action Bumblebee is forced to take Teletraan-X and flee...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (3)

|c2=
*[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (1)
*[[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (6)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (7)
*[[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] (8)
*[[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] (9)

|c4=
*Kid (4)
*[[Teletraan-X (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-X]] (5)

}}

==Quotes==
'''Slipstream:''' "Finally this annoying little ''Ark'' drone is good for something... other than saying 'not crew'." 
'''Teletraan-X:''' "Well, you're ''not''." 
'''Slipstream''' and '''Windblade:''' "SILENCE!"

"Look, I'm a diversion! This is a great time to escape." 
"C'mon, 'Bee!" 
"I'm helping! Wait for me!" 
:—'''Teletraan-X''' saves our heroes

"Wind...blade..." 
"The Decepticons will overwhelm her and come after us in a matter of moments. Would you like a list of nearby hiding places?"
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Teletraan-X'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Windblade and Bumblebee lost the [[Decepticon scout ship]] they'd been using as a base, along with the [[cortical psychic patch]] during the events of the preceding episode, "[[Sabotage]]."
*Teletraan-X mentions that he hasn't seen an Autobot for "millions of years," providing some kind of timeframe between the various flashbacks on the show and the events of the present day.

===Transformers references===
*TBD

===Real-world references===
[[File:Cyberverse - Teletraan-X - Return of Sharknator.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a shark who does not exist.]]
*The billboard at the beginning of the episode features an ad for "[[Return of Sharknator]]," spoofing both the ''[[Terminator]]'' and ''{{w|Sharknado (film series)|Sharknado}}'' franchises while also featuring a red {{w|KITT|Knight Industries Two Thousand}}. Also a red bandanna on his fin (along with wearing a bandoleer on his chest) is a reference to ''{{w|Rambo (film series)|Rambo}}'', the film's tagline on the billboard also spoofing the tagline of the original Rambo movie, ''{{w|First Blood}}''.

===Trivia===
[[File:Cyberverse-TeletraanX-kid.jpg|thumb|200px|Pictured: an endangered species currently held in captivity.]]
*This episode was originally scheduled to debut on Canadian television on [[October 21]], [[2018]], several weeks ahead of its US broadcast. A re-run of "[[Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory]]" wound up airing instead. It did, however, run on Okto in Singapore on [[November 10]], a week before its US air date.
*This episode was made available OnDemand for subscribers to U.S. cable provider Comcast's Xfinity X1 service on [[October 26]], [[2018]], along with the ninth, tenth, and eleventh episodes of the series, "[[Shadowstriker (episode)|Shadowstriker]]," "[[Maccadam's]]," and "[[Sabotage]]," all prior to their Cartoon Network broadcast debuts. Initially, "Sabotage" was not included in this release, leaving a one-episode gap, but it was added before the end of the same day.
*After ''twelve'' episodes set on modern [[Earth]], we finally get a glimpse of a [[human]], which probably has to be ''some'' kind of record for ''Transformers'' media. In fact, this is the only instance of a human appearing on screen for the entire show.
*Given their need to hide from both humanity ''and'' the Decepticons, it's more than a little weird to have the two Autobots casually transforming into robot mode to hold a conversation in the middle of an airport parking lot full of cars.
*Bee deploys two stinger blades from the rims of his tires.

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Thrust grabs Bumblebee, Thrust's mouth moves, yet he doesn't speak, leaving only Bumblebee's dialogue.
*Thundercracker was the one holding the taser and standing next to Bumblebee when he collapsed, but when Teletraan-X comes in to protect Bumblebee, Thundercracker and Nova Storm have swapped places, with Nova Storm being next to 'Bee and holding the taser.
*Teletraan-X's size and [[scale]] is more than a bit cheatsy here; in most of his appearances, he's about a third of the size of the main cast, but during the final scene he's somehow able to fit into Bumblebee's vehicle mode.
*Nova Storm's cockpit framing, which vanished in the previous episode, is still missing in this one.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Teletraan-X'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 12]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Falle'''" ("The Trap")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 16]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Teletraan-X'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 9]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Teletraan-X'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 29]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Teletraan-X o Mamori Nuke'''" (テレトランXを守りぬけ, "Protect Teletraan-X")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 22]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Teletraan-X'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 25]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Terminal Velocity ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Sabotage

2024-07-29T20:43:45Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 11
|image=Cyberverse - Sabotage - It's all Shockwave's fault.jpg
|caption="And that, Windblade...'''that''' is how one dominates."
|prev=Maccadam's
|next=Teletraan-X (episode)
|title="Sabotage"
|airdate=[[October 26]], [[2018]] (Xfinity X1) [[November 9]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[November 10]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=11
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Dan Salgarolo]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tCwuXnLQqk
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Shockwave traps Bumblebee in a false memory designed to convince him he's a Decepticon.'''

==Synopsis==
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] is able to tap into the systems of the [[Decepticon scout ship]] on [[Earth]]. As he watches [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] and [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] use his [[cortical psychic patch]], he informs [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] that his plan is underway, and that it's up to the [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] to dispose of the [[Cityspeaker]] as she sees fit; in the meantime, Shockwave announces that he will tap into Bumblebee's mind to "show him what he truly is..."

Simultaneously, in their hiding place in the [[Bumblebee Cave]], Windblade and Bumblebee search the latter's memories for any clue as to the identity of the "king of the dinosaurs", unaware that the Decepticon scientist has already invaded the connection. When Windblade realizes that something is amiss, however, she's too late to stop him, and Shockwave is able to eject her from the connection and take her place. Masquerading as Windblade, Shockwave is able to coax a hesitant Bumblebee into accessing a ''new'' memory he's never seen before, supposedly another clue to the fate of the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]],'' with the yellow Autobot unaware that their ship is now under Shockwave's control.

[[File:Cyberverse - Sabotage - Ratchet and Drift celebrate.jpg|thumb|left|300px|"See? We're stronger together than apart."]]

''During their long voyage, [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] gathers the crew of the ''Ark'' to announce a breakthrough in their voyage; [[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]] has located the [[AllSpark]]. The assembled Autobots cheer, unaware that Bumblebee has crept off on a mission of his own: transmitting their coordinates to [[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] through the ship's communication terminal. The Decepticon leader praises his perfect spy, instructing him to disable the ship's engines so that the Decepticons can find the ship, and Bumblebee tells the Decepticon leader that he lives to serve.''

Bumblebee recoils from the memory, unable to process the idea of him being a spy all this time. In the real world, meanwhile, Windblade attempts to salvage the connection, unaware of the peril she's in; suddenly, the ship's autopilot kicks in as it takes off, and though Windblade wrestles with the unresponsive controls she can't prevent the ship's doors sealing themselves shut and flying off. At a nearby abandoned airfield, [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] gets word from Shockwave that his plan is in motion, and readies [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] and [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] to get ready for the arrival of their ship.

''Bumblebee continues his memories with "Windblade;" after illicitly disabling the engines, he remembers, he heads off [[Rack'n'Ruin (Cyberverse)|Rack'n'Ruin]]'s concerns, but isn't able to fool [[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]], who blames him for disabling the [[energon]] filtration system. Bumblebee has no choice but to zap the Autobot engineer and dump him into space, but in doing so, he's found out by [[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]], who immediately takes in the traitor.''

Horrified by what he's done, Bumblebee breaks out of the memory once again, still unaware of his current predicament. Meanwhile, Windblade is having problems of her own as the ship arrives inside the Decepticon-controlled hangar, where Slipstream casually restrains and captures the lone [[Caminus (planet)|Camien]].

[[File:Cyberverse - Sabotage - And Optimus' Axe.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"I will remember you as you were."]]
''[[Stasis cuffs|Stasis cuffed]] and brought before the Autobots, Bumblebee stands trial for his crimes, with [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] acting as Wheeljack's prosecuting attorney. As Grimlock concludes his closing statement, Optimus finds Bumblebee guilty, and decrees that the penalty is deactivation. Despite his cuffs, Bumblebee is able to elude the court and flees into the depths of the ship, and Optimus prepares to give chase.''

In the hangar, Windblade is able to escape her own captors through some quick thinking, downing Thundercracker and Nova Storm. She's unable to outmaneuver the ship itself, however, which is revealed to be under Slipstream's control, pinning her down under a barrage of fire.

''Bumblebee races through the ship's empty corridors, pursued by Optimus. Before long, however, he stumbles into a dead end, and Optimus raises his axe, only to slice through Bumblebee's cuffs, revealing ''himself'' as a Decepticon. Optimus tells Bumblebee that they should initiate the second part of the plan: kill everyone else aboard the ship.'' Realizing neither Optimus nor he would ever do such a thing, Bumblebee smashes the memory to pieces and declares the entire experience a fake, prompting Shockwave to reveal himself and take a new tack: he demands the location of the AllSpark in exchange for Windblade's safety, but Bumblebee ignores him and simply disconnects himself, severing the connection.

Bumblebee reaches the bridge, and Windblade tells him to push the red button she warned him to avoid earlier; as it turns out, this is the ship's ''self-destruct'' button, and the ship flies into the hangar and explodes, blowing the abandoned airfield to nothing as the two Autobots flee in [[alternate mode]]. The pair have suffered a crucial setback, now deprived of a ship and a way to reach Bumblebee's memories, but Bumblebee is simply grateful that they're still alive.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in the fake memory. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (2)
*''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]'' (6)
*''Autobot soldiers'' (7)
*''[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]'' (8)
*''[[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]]'' (9)
*''[[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]]'' (10)
*''[[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]]'' (11)
*''[[Rack'n'Ruin (Cyberverse)|Rack'n'Ruin]]'' (12)
*''[[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]]'' (13)
*''[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]]'' (14)
|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] (3)
*[[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (4)
*[[Shockwave's drones]] (5)
*''[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]]'' (15)
*[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (16)
*[[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"That looks like the face of a king!" -''Bumblebee focuses on a memory of a dog''- 
"No, no. That's... a horse."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Windblade'''

"Kings wear crowns, right? Here's [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] wearing a crown."
:—'''Bumblebee''' references the [[The Transformers: The Movie|obvious]].

"Bumblebee. You must access this memory now." 
"What? Why are you talking to me like that?" 
"Because we are friends. I enjoy your... company. Do not be afraid. This is a good memory." 
:—'''Shockwave''''s Windblade impersonation is good enough to fool '''Bumblebee''', at least...

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*[[Maccadam]] told Bumblebee and Windblade that they needed to find the "king of the dinosaurs" in the previous episode, "[[Maccadam's]]." The same episode saw the two Autobots take shelter in the "[[Bumblebee Cave]]" that they begin this episode in.
*[[Drift (Cyberverse)|Deadlock]], first seen defecting from the Decepticons in the same episode, is here shown as an Autobot and part of the crew of the ''Ark''. As we later learn in "[[The Visitor]]", he has in fact changed his name to Drift as is traditional for the character.
*The red button first appeared in "[[Whiteout]]"; this episode clarifies that it triggers the ship's self-destruct function.

===Transformers references===
[[File:Cyberverse - Sabotage - Shockwave Sees You.jpg|thumb|300px|"A single point of light against the infinite darkness."]]
* Shockwave's current base of operations on Cybertron seems to be a skyscraper of some description, evoking [[Shockwave's Tower|the tower]] that first appeared in [[Dreamwave Productions]]' [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Generation 1 comic book]] and subsequently reappeared in the [[Aligned continuity family]].
*While scouring his mind for information about kings, Bumblebee notes that he has a memory of Starscream wearing a crown — a reference to Starscream's infamous "coronation" scene from [[The Transformers: The Movie|the 1986 animated film]], which has since been homaged in countless media and many, many toys.
*Shockwave refers to the cortical psychic patch as "his," implying that, as in the Aligned continuity, Shockwave is the inventor of the device.
*Windblade swears by [[Primus]].
*First appearing as a [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK]] comics, a new version of the classic character(s) [[Rack'n'Ruin (Cyberverse)|Rack'n'Ruin]] marks the first televised appearance of this oddball 'bot.

===Real-world references===
*Windblade uses the [[Stormfall Sword]] to deflect the scout ship's laser blasts like a [[lightsaber]] from [[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]].
*"Optimus'" pursuit of Bumblebee through the ''Ark''—strolling through the red-lit corridors of the ship while casually dragging his axe against the wall—evokes [[Freddy Krueger]]'s boiler room scene in ''{{w|A Nightmare on Elm Street}}.''

===Trivia===
*According to showrunner [[Randolph Heard]], the <s>dog</s> horse Bumblebee remembers seeing is based on Gavin Hignight's French bulldog, Cowboy.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=@Soulman_Inc hey! so glad you enjoyed that. we had fun coming up with it. It's actually a French Bulldog which we put in as a tribute to Cyberverse staff writer @gavinhignight 's beloved dog Cowboy|link=https://twitter.com/RandolphHeard/status/1064567668567470080|name=RandolphHeard|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=11|day=19|(defunct=)}}</ref>
*This episode was originally scheduled to debut on Canadian television on [[October 21]], [[2018]], several weeks ahead of its US broadcast. A re-run of "[[Fractured]]" wound up airing instead.
*This episode was made available for YouTubeTV subscribers and OnDemand for subscribers to U.S. cable provider Comcast's Xfinity X1 service on [[October 26]], [[2018]], along with the ninth, tenth, and twelfth episodes of the series, "[[Shadowstriker (episode)|Shadowstriker]]," "[[Maccadam's]]," and "[[Teletraan-X (episode)|Teletraan-X]]," all prior to their Cartoon Network broadcast debuts. Initially, "Sabotage" was not included in this release, leaving a one-episode gap, but it was added before the end of the same day.

===Animation and technical errors===
*While these animation errors can easily be justified for being part of a fake memory, the errors during the memory are:
**In the "celebration" scene, Ratchet is missing his Autobot insignia, while his chest "windshield" piece is transparent through-and-through, letting the background behind him show through his chest!
**When Optimus stands up ordering everyone to their stations, Bumblebee is missing his insignia. It's back when the camera cuts and we see Bumblebee over Optimus' shoulder.
**Wheeljack is missing his Autobot insignia when Grimlock cross-examines Bumblebee. He gets it back once the camera cuts back to him after it shows 'Bee in handcuffs.
**As Bumblebee gets chased by Optimus, we see the hallway turn left into the dead end. This tracks as the audience sees from the dead end hallway, Bumblebee coming from the right. However, once Prime appears, the hallway pattern is flipped and he comes from the LEFT side.
**In the same scene, Prime has his axe deployed from his left hand when he is scraping it against the wall, but deployed from his right hand when he turns the corner.
*Slipstream is missing her Decepticon insignia and her cockpit framing when all three Seekers land on the ground after pulling Windblade out of the ship and when she says "I can dispose of you any way I like. So many choices!" She gets them back in the next cut both times.
*In the first scene where Windblade is deflecting laser blasts from the scout ship, none of the blasts are shown to actually hit her sword, yet alone be deflected by it, despite repeated "ricochet" sounds.
*Nova Storm is missing her cockpit framing for the entirety of the episode, even though she has had it in previous episodes.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sabotage'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 12]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Feind im Kopf'''" ("The Enemy inside the Head")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 16]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Szabotázs'''" ("Sabotage")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 9]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sabotaggio'''" ("Sabotage")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 24]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shockwave no Wana'''" (ショックウェーブの罠, "Shockwave's Trap")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 22]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sabotagem'''" ("Sabotage")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 18]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Terminal Velocity ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Maccadam's

2024-07-29T20:43:33Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{disambig3|Maccadam}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 10
|image=Maccadams-meetingmaccadam.jpg
|caption="There is an ancient Celtic axiom that says 'Good people drink good beer'. Which is true, then as now. Just look around you in any public barroom and you will quickly see: Bad people drink bad beer. Think about it."
|prev=Shadowstriker (episode)
|next=Sabotage
|title="Maccadam's"
|airdate=[[October 14]], [[2018]] (Canada) [[November 2]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[November 3]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=10
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Zac Atkinson (writer)|Zac Atkinson]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSZnRT35vWY
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Bumblebee remembers Maccadam's, his favorite hangout on Cybertron, and its mysterious bartender.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Spacebridge Dogfight (Cyberverse - Maccadam's).jpg|thumb|300px|left|Stay on target...]]
In [[Earth]] orbit, [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] and [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] desperately try to escape [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] in a dogfight between two [[Decepticon scout ship]]s, weaving around Earth's [[space bridge]] as they do so. It's Bumblebee that ultimately makes the split-second decision to leap out of the ship, with [[Triple-barrel ion shoulder cannon|the heaviest gun the pair have]], leaping onto Slipstream's vessel and using his firepower to send her ship spiraling into Earth's atmosphere. As he basks in his victory, Bumblebee offhandedly mentions visiting [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam]]'s, and this unconscious reference to his old life catches Windblade's attention.

The pair land in a nearby [[Bumblebee Cave|mountain cave]], one that happens to look a lot like Bumblebee himself, and Windblade enthuses that the memory of Maccadam's must be a sign of Bumblebee's memories repairing themselves. Entering Bumblebee's mindscape, Windblade explains this to her friend, who points out a new memory that wasn't there before.
[[File:Cyberverse-s1e10-Maccadam's-Customers-at-Maccadam's-before-the-war.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.]]
''It is a time of peace on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and following [[Cube (episode)|his adventure in the Cube arena]], Bumblebee shows Windblade around his favorite hangout on Cybertron. The pair bump into [[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]] who is departing due to a medical emergency. Bumblebee then begins explaining the history behind Maccadam's, laughing at persistent rumours that the bartender might be a member of the original [[Thirteen]] [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]s. Bumblebee introduces Windblade to his buddy [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]], spinning a tall tale; [[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]] and some [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s strut their stuff on the dance floor; [[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] talk politics; [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] and [[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]] show off [[Shockwave's drones|their latest creation]]; [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] and [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] have a heated argument about sports. Windblade wonders if this last conversation will lead to trouble, but Bumblebee assures her that the bartender enforces a strict no-fighting policy, at which point the bartender himself—the jovial [[Maccadam]]—puts in an appearance, greeting the [[Cityspeaker]]. Windblade wonders how Maccadam knows of this secret power, and Bumblebee tells her that Maccadam knows everything—to which Maccadam cheerfully agrees, matter-of-factly pointing out that they're hiding in a cave, before reminding himself that that hasn't happened yet...''

In the present day, Windblade is baffled by this conversation; how could Maccadam know such a thing? Before Windblade can answer, however, Bumblebee spots another memory of the joint, and focuses in on it.

''In the early days of the war on Cybertron, the once-jovial atmosphere at Maccadam's is now tense as Cybertronians draw battle lines. Bumblebee grimly watches as the two factions hurl insults at one another, even as he escorts the Decepticon [[Drift (Cyberverse)|Deadlock]] to the bar, where [[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] is trying to convince Windblade to abandon Cybertron and return home to [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]. Bumblebee cuts in to ask Windblade for help: Deadlock wants to leave the Decepticons, and they need to find Optimus — seconds before a furious Megatron barges into the bar, and announces that Deadlock will pay for his betrayal. Weapons are drawn... but before anyone can fire a shot, Maccadam shouts for everyone to stop, [[Transformation|transforming]] his body into ''something'' so terrifying it even intimidates'' Megatron ''into retreating. Megatron warns Deadlock that he can't stay in the bar forever, but Maccadam kindly tells the wayward Decepticon that he can stay as long as he pleases. Bumblebee is impressed by Maccadam's skills, and the bartender tells him that that's a real compliment, coming from a 'bot who just took down a Decepticon shuttle in midair...''

Once again, Windblade is befuddled by these prescient asides, but Bumblebee enthusiastically takes it as a sign that Maccadam is trying to help the two of them. With that in mind, Bumblebee focuses on to the last memory of Maccadam, during his final days on Cybertron...

''Unending war has reduced [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] to a bombed-out ruin, and as Bumblebee—his voice box destroyed—and Windblade stand in the doorway, they assume that Maccadam's is no longer open for business. That theory is quickly disproven when the still-cheery Maccadam shows up, assuring them that he's got a "private supply" of [[energon]]. Maccadam asks about Bumblebee's new mission to find the [[AllSpark]], assuring the pair that he has no intentions of leaving Cybertron anytime soon. Windblade tries to get Bumblebee to understand why she's also staying behind, and tries to convince him to do the same, but Maccadam steps in to offer his own words of wisdom: though things will change for both of them, the two will always be friends, and will meet again in the future. The two share a toast, and Maccadam gives them one last piece of advice: they need to find the "king of the dinosaurs".''

Back in the present day, Bumblebee is excited by this piece of news, believing that Maccadam has somehow given them another clue to the whereabouts of the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]''. Now only one question remains: what's a [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]]?

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (1)
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (2)
|c2=
* [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (3)
* ''[[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s'' (16)
* ''[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]]'' (13)
* ''[[Drift (Cyberverse)|Deadlock]]'' (19)

|c4=
* ''[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]]'' (4)
* ''[[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]]'' (5)
* ''[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]]'' (6)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus]]'' (7)
* ''[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]'' (8)
* ''[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]]'' (9)
* ''[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]]'' (10)
* ''One of [[Shockwave's drones]]'' (11)
* ''[[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]]'' (12)
* ''[[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]]'' (14)
* ''[[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]]'' (15)
* ''[[Maccadam]]'' (17)
* ''[[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ratchet! Say hi to Windblade!" 
"No time to chat Bumblebee, medical emergency."
:– '''Bumblebee''' and '''Ratchet'''

"So I was lost deep in the Acid Wastes, with no energon left to spare, covered in energy leeches. Isn’t that right, Bumblebee?" 
"That's what you ''told'' me..."
:—'''Grimlock''' and '''Bumblebee'''

"This is not your war. Come back to Caminus with me! It’s your ''home''." 
"Cybertron is my home too. I’m not going to abandon it, Chromia."
:—'''Chromia''' and '''Windblade'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Cyberverse-s1e10-Maccadam's-Hot-Rod-and-Shadow-Striker-argue-over-Cube-at-Maccadam's.jpg|thumb|300px|And they're always glad you came.]]
* The [[space bridge]] in this episode makes its return from all the way back in "[[Fractured]]," the means by which Windblade travelled to Earth.
* Bumblebee found the [[triple-barrel ion shoulder cannon]] in "[[Cube (episode)|Cube]]".
* The three memories of Maccadam's slot rather neatly into what we know about ''Cyberverse''{{'}}s continuity thus far. The first one follows up immediately from the events of "Cube," where, having just befriended Windblade, Bumblebee told her he would show her around his favorite hangout; a brief scene from ''that'' episode plays on the bar's TV. The second is a bit vaguer to pinpoint; presumably, it takes place sometime around the second flashback in "[[Megatron Is My Hero]]," before the loss of Bumblebee's voice. The final scene, on the other hand, is set right before Bumblebee's first flashback in "[[Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory]]"—this memory ends with Grimlock calling Bumblebee to inform him that the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]'' is about to launch, segueing directly into "Memory's" flashback, where Bumblebee and Windblade said their goodbyes in front of the ''Ark.''
* Shadow Striker reveals the winner of the world championship [[Cube (sport)|Cube]] match seen in "Cube" (it was [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon City]]). She also states that [[Polyhex]] had beaten [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] in the semifinal round of the championship.
* Shockwave's [[Shockwave's drones|drone partners]], first seen in "Megatron Is My Hero", are shown to be the co-creations of Shockwave and Wheeljack.
* Optimus and Megatron are shown discussing their plans for an open-air rally at some point in the future; it's likely that this is the rally that Bumblebee attended in "Megatron Is My Hero".
* Bumblebee goes to introduce Windblade to Megatron first, instead of to Optimus, reflecting his previously shown admiration of Megatron as a gladiator.
* Optimus notes that he will write Megatron's speech. Presuming this is the same speech seen in "Megatron Is My Hero", it makes sense—Megatron uttered "[['Til all are one]]", which is typically ''Optimus's'' rallying cry.

===Transformers references===
*[[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's]] has a long history in ''Transformers'' media, but has only previously appeared in [[This Is Why I Hate Machines|a single episode]] of any animated series. A few references are carried over from these other incarnations—Bumblebee notes that the bar used to be "an old oil house", a jokey nod to the bar's full name, and the institution retains its policy of catering to both Autobots and Decepticons while upholding a "no fighting" law strictly enforced by its owner—traits held over from its original incarnation in the Marvel UK comics.
*Bumblebee notes that Maccadam is rumored to be one of the original [[Thirteen]] Primes. Aside from being the first mention of the Thirteen in the ''Cyberverse'' continuity, this plot point is taken from ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'', which noted the same rumor. A 2015 [[Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime]] post would imply that Maccadam was specifically [[Alchemist Prime]], though Maccadam himself only made a few fleeting appearances before ''[[Another Light]]'' retroactively [[:File:AnotherLight-Thirteen.jpg|identified him as a specific bartender]]. Furthering the reference, Maccadam points out that he's chosen to stay on Cybertron to keep a "lens" on the situation; ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' specifically name-dropped the [[Lenses]] as Alchemist's unique artifact. Physically, this incarnation of Maccadam himself is pretty clearly based on Alchemist Prime's standard appearance, swapping out the character's silver livery for orange. (He's also been sneakily appearing in the title sequence since the start, implying he might become more significant in the future...)
* Grimlock mentions the [[Acid Wastes]] in his story; the location first appeared in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel G1 comic]], and made a return in the 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots In Disguise]]'' cartoon, where it was established as a favorite hangout of [[Grimlock (RID 2015)|that continuity's incarnation of Grimlock]]. In the same breath, Grimlock mentions [[energy leech (species)|energy leech]]es, from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''Transformers'' cartoon]].
* Chromia appears as Windblade's friend and a fellow [[Caminus (planet)|Camien]]; her pleas for Windblade to return to Caminus echo the [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]] incarnation of the character, whose overriding desire to protect her friend from an unstable political situation on Cybertron formed the plot of the first ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' miniseries.
* A 'bot named "Deadlock" appears for the first time, based off the Autobot character [[Drift (disambiguation)|Drift]], who used to be a Decepticon named Deadlock in most continuities. Notably, Deadlock shows a desire to leave the Decepticons, foreshadowing his eventual change in name and faction.

===Real-world references===
* TBD

===Trivia===
[[File:Megatron is bad at math (Cyberverse - Maccadam's).jpg|thumb|right|300px|It's gears all the way down!]]
* Maccadam's [[alternate mode]] is not shown on screen; going by its silhouette, however, it's apparently huge, possessing gears and other clockwork embellishments, and capable of amplifying and deepening his voice. Whatever it is, Megatron is intimidated by it, and that doesn't come easily...
* This episode appeared in some listings with the name rendered as "MacCadam's". It's unclear where this error originated.
* According to screenwriter [[Dan Salgarolo]] on Twitter, a scene with [[Jazz (Cyberverse) |Jazz]] playing a Cyber-bass in Maccadam's was cut due to character-count limitations.

===Animation and technical errors===
* During Bumblebee's first flashback, a group of [[generic]]s are shown sporting Autobot insignias during Cybertron's pre-war days. In the next shot, however, they disappear.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''MacCadam's'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 5]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''MacCadam's'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Maccadam's'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''MacCadam'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 17]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Maccadam no Jogen'''" (マカダムの助言 , "Maccadam's Advice")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 8]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Maccadam's'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 11]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Terminal Velocity ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Shadowstriker (episode)

2024-07-29T20:43:23Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{disambig3|Shadow Striker}}

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 9
|image=ShadowStriker-SSVSBumblebee.jpg
|caption="Mom says it's my turn on the energon tanker!"
|prev=Terminal Velocity
|next=Maccadam's
|title="Shadowstriker"
|airdate=[[October 14]], [[2018]] (Canada) [[October 26]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[October 27]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=9
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Kate Leth]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Robert Cullen]] and [[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfJCA9V0so8
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Bumblebee revisits memories of his arch-nemesis Shadow Striker and learns there's more to being a hero than just knowing how to fight.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Shadow Striker is gonna cut a Bee (Cyberverse - Shadowstriker).jpg|thumb|left|300px|"A single death can change everything."]]
Aboard the [[Decepticon scout ship]], [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] and [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] spar with one another, and though Bumblebee gives it his best shot his friend is quickly able to overpower the yellow Autobot. The exercise is soon revealed to be another therapy session, in the hopes that Bumblebee will be able to rediscover some of his wartime prowess, but when a frustrated Bumblebee tells her to stop wasting her time, Windblade instead goes for her [[cortical psychic patch]]. Inside Bumblebee's mind, Windblade tries to remind Bumblebee of his time fighting in the [[Great War (Cyberverse)|Great War]], and eventually convinces him to focus on his wartime memories, in the hopes of reminding him of this fact.

''During the war for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] has been captured by the ambitious elite soldier [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] and her [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] underlings, relaying a message to [[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] to inform him of their victory. The Decepticons are unaware, however, that Bumblebee has tailed the villains to their base, spying on the scene from above, and when Shadow Striker leaves her prisoner, Bumblebee drops from the roof and takes out the two Seekers. Bumblebee is about to shoot the lock keeping Prime chained up, but realizes that the room is full of volatile [[energon]]; sighing in relief at the close call, he opts to simply smash the lock instead. Bumblebee tries to drag Optimus to safety, but finds his way barred by a furious Shadow Striker!''

''When Bumblebee shouts that her reckless shots could kill them all, the Decepticon seemingly agrees, and leaps for Bumblebee with a pair of daggers. Just when it looks like Shadow Striker is about to kill Bumblebee, Prime comes round and clonks her on the head with a chunk of rubble. This doesn't stop her for long, however; as the pair make for the exit, Shadow Striker deploys her rifle and blasts away at the two Autobots. When Bumblebee returns fire with his ''own'' blaster, however, a stray shot hits one of the [[energon cube]]s in the room, and the entire building is blown to bits—taking Shadow Striker with it.''

In his mind, Bumblebee momentarily enthuses over his wartime adventures, but soon wonders what happened to Shadow Striker. Windblade tells him that she eventually came back, "sort of..."

''Atop a disabled energon tanker, Bumblebee dukes it out with a Seeker. [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] shouts for him to get clear, but Bumblebee isn't having it: if he bails out now, the ship will hit [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], and instead he draws his blaster and shoots his way into the ship's bridge. As he wrestles with the controls, however, he realizes too late there's someone behind him: Shadow Striker! The ensuing scuffle steers the ship away from the city, but sends it out of control, with both of them knocked out as it crashes.''

[[File:Cyberverse-s1e9-Shadowstriker-Shockwave-repairing-Shadow-Striker.jpg|thumb|right|300px|We can rebuild her. Faster. Stronger. Angstier.]]
''When Bumblebee comes to, he finds the crashed ship steadily sinking ever deeper into an ice-like portion of the surface of Cybertron. Before he can make his escape, however, he's tackled by Shadow Striker — her body now a mismatched patchwork of robot parts — and though his [[stinger (weapon)|stinger]] momentarily stuns her, it's not long before he's chased into a dead end. Shadow Striker shoots another energon leak, and in the explosion they're both pinned down by a fallen bulkhead. Pinned down and unable to escape as the ship slowly sinks, Shadow Striker grimly explains the circumstances behind her unlikely return: following the explosion that ended their last battle, her remains were found by [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]]. He pieced her back together using parts scrounged from what remained of her Seeker subordinates, but — as she explains to Bumblebee while all but in tears — even Shockwave's talents had their limits, leaving her new body parts unstable and prone to malfunction. Unable to regain her previous fighting talents, Shadow Striker swore herself to a new mission: vengeance against Bumblebee for ruining her life.''

''The conversation is cut short when another explosion blows the bulkhead loose, allowing Bumblebee to extricate himself; though he momentarily considers putting down the still-trapped Shadow Striker, he ultimately shows his enemy mercy, blasting the bulkhead above her so that she too can escape. This proves to be a mistake, however—the Decepticon follows him up to the ship's deck, intending to finish him off... only to be promptly blasted by [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]. Bumblebee, however, tells his friend to let Shadow Striker go, and the Decepticon transforms and zooms away.''

In his mind, Bumblebee summarizes what he learned that day for Windblade: knowing how to fight is important, but it's also important to learn when ''not'' to fight, and with that, the pair return to their sparring.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (1)
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (2)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]'' (6)
* ''[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] (10)
* ''[[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]]'' (11)
* ''[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]]'' (12)

|c2=
* ''[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]]'' (3)
* ''[[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] guards'' (4-5)
* ''[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] ''(7)
* ''[[Shockwave's drones]]'' (8)
* ''[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]]'' (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"The Bumblebee I know fought in countless battles, not only bravely, but with unparalleled skill." 
"Sounds awesome! I wish I was him."
:— '''Windblade''' and '''Bumblebee'''

"Bee to Grimlock. I’ve located Optimus. I’m gonna try something, I don't think it's gonna work. Yep, probably won’t work. Wish me luck!"
:— '''Bumblebee'''

"A machete? Who uses that?"
:— '''Bumblebee''' on Shadow Striker's new weapons

"They found me in ''pieces''. After you decided to blow me up, I was scrap metal. Shockwave fused me with what was left of my guards- Me! With my ''subordinates''! I trained myself for ''cycles'' trying to fight like I used to...but I couldn't. So I had to make do. I was the best there was...''and you took that from me.''"
:— '''Shadow Striker''' explains her tragic backstory to Bumblebee

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Shadow Striker's changing appearance had been the subject of some speculation amongst fans following her earliest canonical appearance in "[[Megatron Is My Hero]]"; this episode explains why. We can, therefore, extrapolate that these two memories probably took place at some point between the second and third flashbacks depicted in the aforementioned episode.
*Bumblebee is shown wielding his old blaster here, which was recovered on [[Earth]] during the events of "[[Whiteout]]."

===Transformers references===
*"Sweet [[Solus Prime]]!" cries Bumblebee; this oath was first established in the 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoon as [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] (and [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]])'s go-to catchphrase.

===Real-world references===
*Bumblebee makes a pun about {{w|Sting_operation|"sting operations"}}.

===Trivia===
*TBA

===Animation and technical errors===
*TBA

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shadow Striker'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 5]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bumblebee, der Tapfere'''" ("Bumblebee, the Brave")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shadowstriker'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shadow Striker'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 10]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shadow Striker no Shūnen'''" (シャドウストライカーの執念, "Shadow Striker's Obsession")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 8]], [[2019]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shadowstriker'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 4]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Terminal Velocity ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Terminal Velocity

2024-07-29T20:43:13Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 8
|image=Starting gate on a Velocitronian racecourse (Cyberverse - Terminal Velocity).jpg
|caption=Are you ''sure'' this is a FIA Grade 1 circuit?
|prev=Cube (episode)
|next=Shadowstriker (episode)
|title="Terminal Velocity"
|airdate=[[September 30]], [[2018]] (Xfinity X1) [[October 19]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[October 20]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=8
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Gavin Hignight]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iyP-4i-9Us
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Bumblebee explores a nightmarish memory of his visit to Velocitron while Windblade pilots the shuttle in a relentless dogfight with the Decepticon Seekers.'''

==Synopsis==
''A travel agency's commercial tells everyone about the wonders of [[Velocitron]] while cars race around a challenging racetrack. Suddenly, rust consumes the screen.''

In the present day, [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] reports to [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] that she couldn't find any trace of a [[Decepticon]] signal she had been tracking. Back at [[Decepticon scout ship|the ship]], Bumblebee, bored with watching Earth TV, spots the [[cortical psychic patch]] equipment and decides to go for a dip in his own memory to see if he can find out if he can find any more useful info.

''Bumblebee meets up with [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] and [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] on Velocitron via [[space bridge]]. After an exchange of friendly quips between the two racers, they decide to find a proper track to race on, as Bumblebee sees a news report about the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Plague of Rust]] that is affecting remote areas of the Cybertronian territories. Turning back to rejoin his friends, he almost bumps into [[nervous bot|a stumbling bot]] with rust on their arm. Connecting this to the news report, he tries to bring it to the others' attention, but they're already speeding away; transforming, he hurries after the two racers.''

[[File:Cyberverse-s1e8-Terminal-Velocity-Acid-Storm-about-to-be-blown-away-by-Windblade.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"It's a bird, it's a plane, it's-"]]
Upon Windblade's return to the ship, she discovers that the [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s have managed to locate it, with [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] and [[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] attempting to infiltrate the vessel. She knocks them down with her Sonic Blast, hurrying inside the ship where she sees Bumblebee undergoing his memory dive. Observing that she hopes the memories he's recovering are important, she takes off as the Seekers, recovering, pursue. A little later, Windblade tries to outrun the Seekers, trying desperate maneuvers, lifting Bumblebee out of his seat. Behind them, [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] catches up the flying duo, demanding to shoot them down.

''Bumblebee catches up to Blurr and Hot Rod, who are preparing to start a race. Hot Rod asks what Bumblebee had been trying to tell them, but caught up in excitement at the awesome-looking racecourse, Bee can't remember and shrugs it off. The three are quickly off, but soon discover that part of the track is closed for repairs - a fact Blurr had known and failed to mention, to Hot Rod's anger. The brewing argument is interrupted by the approach of a damaged track maintenance drone that crashes into the track just ahead of them. Deciding to take a closer look, they see that it is covered in rust, that spreads to the track and begins spreading rapidly. Desperately racing away from it and past some bots that have already fallen victim, a second drone seems to home on them, crashing just behind their fleeing wheels...''

Faced with the three Seekers making escape impossible, Windblade manages to get the scout ship's weapons system online, firing missiles that successfully knock Thrust and Acid Storm out of the sky. Slipstream, however, manages to evade, and transforms to land on the ship's hull, attempting to smash through the cockpit transparency to get at her hated rival. Windblade manages to knock her off using a sharp maneuver, but Slipstream transforms and resumes pursuit.

[[File:Cyberverse-s1e8-Terminal-Velocity-Blurr-dying-from-the-rust-plague.jpg|thumb|300px|right|"Mr. Bee, ''I don't feel so good.."'']]
''Blurr takes the two visiting bots to a hideout he's constructed. Bumblebee and Hot Rod demand that they get as far away from Velocitron as they can, but Blurr, saying that they'll be safe in the bunker-like hideout, refuses to abandon his homeworld. Sadly, his hopefulness is shortlived, as the three discover a victim of the plague has managed to break into the hideout, shouting about "red rust" as he lurches towards Blurr; Bumblebee knocks him down with a container before he collapses and dissolves against the wall, the trio looking on in horror as the rust rapidly starts consuming Blurr's hideout.''

''Realizing that staying on Velocitron is a death sentence, Blurr agrees that they have to get to the space bridge, but isn't quite fast enough to escape a patch of rust getting on his rear tires as they flee. Arriving at the bridge, they find the area devastated and desolate, the city and its inhabitants all but completely consumed. Bumblebee activates the space bridge, but he and Hot Rod realize that someone has to stay behind to shut it down so the plague can't spread through it. Blurr, revealing his infection, decides to stay behind, deactivating the bridge and disintegrating into rust as the two other Autobots make good their escape.''

Back in the present, Slipstream remains in pursuit of the scout ship. Getting a bright idea, Windblade decides to head into space, which knocks out Slipstream's thrusters, leaving her to stall and start tumbling back to [[Earth]]. Bumblebee then wakes up, with each of them glad that their recent experience is over.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (2)
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (3)
* ''[[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]]'' (4)
* ''[[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]]'' (5)

|c2=
* [[Acid Storm (Cyberverse)|Acid Storm]] (7)
* [[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] (8)
* [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (9)

|c4=
* ''Velocitronian racers'' (1)
* ''[[Nervous bot]]'' (6)
* ''Plague of Rust victim'' (10)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Blurr:''' "Nice paint job! Do those flames make you go any faster?" 
'''Hot Rod:''' "...yeah, they ''do''. Can't wait to get on the track and show you my taillights." 
'''Blurr:''' "What are 'tail-lights'? I've never seen ''those'' on a racetrack!" 
'''Bumblebee:''' "I knew you two would hit it off."

"I could do this course with my optics turned off." 
"Whatever you say, Hot Shot." 
"That's Hot '''Rod'''." 
"Hot ''Rod'', Hot ''Dog'', nobody ever remembers who comes in ''second'' place anyway." 
:—'''Hot Rod''' and '''Blurr''', oil and water.

"''Windblade''. Flying our missing shuttle. Shoot them out of the sky!"
:—'''Slipstream''' has a nemesis...

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Bumblebee has kept the [[Cube (sport)|Cube]] he and Windblade found in the scoutship's stores in "[[Cube (episode)|Cube]]".
* Bumblebee and Hot Rod are shown wearing Autobot insignias during their trip to Velocitron, and many of the Velocitronian civilians (including Blurr) appear to be as well. This suggests that this adventure took place early into the war, following the events depicted in the first half of "[[Megatron Is My Hero]]"; when combined with the news report mentioning "multiple planets" have been consumed by the Plague of Rust, it raises questions as to whether Velocitron's fate was ''entirely'' an accident...

===Transformers references===
* The colony world of Velocitron makes its return to television for the first time in more than a decade; first appearing in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Transformers: Cybertron]]'' cartoon, it put in minor apperances in both the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned"]] and the [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW]] [[2019 IDW continuity|continuities]] since then. Blurr makes his first (and only?) appearance as a Velocitronian, per his [[Blurr (Prime)|"Aligned" counterpart]].
* Bumblebee and Hot Rod are shown arriving and later leaving Velocitron via [[space bridge]], a technology first established in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original animated series]] and later canonized in the [[Unicron Trilogy]] as the primary means of travel between Cybertron and her colonies. The flashbacks in ''Cyberverse'' mark one of the first occasions where these space bridges are shown to be still functional in the modern day, connecting Velocitron and other colonies to Cybertron. Alas, thanks to [[Great War (Cyberverse)|the war]], that functionality [[Allspark (episode)|wouldn't]] [[Fractured|last]].
* The Plague of Rust, aka the Rust Plague, is a re-imagining of the traditional Transformer ailment of [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]; it was first established in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' as an apocalyptic plague responsible for cutting Cybertron's many colonies off from their ancestral homeworld. Several aspects of this backstory find their way into the episode, including the decision to shut down the space bridge so as to prevent the spread of the disease to Cybertron.
*The plague victim's cry of "red rust" is also the name of another nasty [[Red Rust|rusting disease]].

===Real-world references===
* With its wings retracted, the [[Decepticon scout ship]] bears a distinct resemblance to the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'', and some of the maneuvers Windblade pulls with it evoke the Falcon's nimbleness as well.
* The Plague of Rust victim in Blurr's hideout repeatedly cries "red rust", homaging the mantra "redrum" chanted by the character Danny Torrance in horror novel ''{{w|The Shining (novel)|The Shining}}'' and {{w|The Shining (film)|its movie adaptation}}.

===Trivia===
[[File:Cyberverse-s1e8-Terminal-Velocity-Rust-Plague-carrier-exits-space-bridge.jpg|thumb|Life? Don't talk to me about life!]]
*The Plague of Rust carrier uses a recolored version of [[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]]'s animation model.
*Blurr's [https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/cyberverse character bio] on the ''Cyberverse'' site notes that he speaks remarkably fast, not unlike his [[Blurr (G1)|G1]] and [[Blurr (Animated)|''Animated'']] counterparts. However, he speaks normally here.
*Blurr misremembers Hot Rod's name as "[[Hot Shot (disambiguation)|Hot Shot]]"; while it was not intended as a deliberate reference, this ''was'' an alternate name for briefly used by [[Rodimus (WFC)|"Aligned" Rodimus]] for [[trademark]] reasons.
*According to [[Randolph Heard]], Blurr's fate was originally written as more ambiguous: he would have been last seen at the space bridge's controls, but the portal would have closed between them before Bee and the audience could see what ultimately happened to him. The decision to show his demise on screen was made during a later phase of production.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Blurr: You input some words at the end of a script. What you think you're saying is we won't know whether Blurr dies because we only get a glimpse of him at the controls; then the portal closes between him & Bumblebee. Then the episode's animated - and it's full-on Endgame! Whoa!|link=https://twitter.com/RandolphHeard/status/1285311169410940928|name=RandolphHeard|site=Twitter|year=2020|month=07|day=20|(defunct=)}}</ref>

===Animation and technical errors===
* The deployment and retraction of the scout ship's wings is rather inconsistent between cuts.
* When Windblade activates the ship's weapons, we see it firing a pair of energy cannons, but then cut to a pair of ''missiles'' pursuing and striking Acid Storm and Thrust.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Retour à Vélocitron'''" ("Back to Velocitron")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 28]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Rennen'''" ("The Race")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 25]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Halálos iramban'''" ("With Deadly Velocity")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 18]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Velocità Estrema'''" ("Extreme Speed")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 10]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Wakusei Speedia'''" (惑星スピーディア, "Planet Speedia")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[May 24]], 2019

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Velocidade Terminal'''" ("Terminal Velocity")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 27]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Terminal Velocity ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Cube (episode)

2024-07-29T20:43:00Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{disambig3|Cube}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 7
|image=Cube arena (Cyberverse - Cube promo).jpg
|caption=''Put the teams on the field and get 'em pumped up right 'Cause all my rowdy friends are here for Monday night!''
|prev=Megatron Is My Hero
|next=Terminal Velocity
|title="Cube"
|airdate= [[September 30]], [[2018]] (Xfinity X1) [[October 12]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[October 13]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=7
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Randolph Heard]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|directors=[[Robert Cullen]] & [[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oTJH9dnvmw
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Bumblebee learns how he first met Windblade and relives a Golden Age encounter with a young Starscream and his Seekers.'''

==Synopsis==
Inside the [[Decepticon scout ship]], [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] trawls the ship's computer for Decepticon intel, but is unable to turn up anything useful. [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]], on the other hand, has found a [[triple-barrel ion shoulder cannon|heavy-duty weapon]], but is more impressed with his ''other'' find: a glowing cube that he can't identify, but Windblade immediately recognizes. Despite Windblade's best attempts to remind him of his love of the game of [[Cube (sport)|cube]], he can't recall anything about it, so she instead opts to simply patch into his mind. Inside his mind, Bumblebee is overwhelmed by the amount of cube-related memories he has, and Windblade points him in the direction of a relevant memory...

[[File:The Cube Is Live (Cyberverse - Cube).jpg|thumb|300px|left|Are you ready for some cube?]]
''On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], in the years before the war, Bumblebee finds himself ejected from a [[Cube Arena|sports stadium]], unable to get in to watch the Cube World Championship. His interest is piqued, however, when he observes a group of jet Transformers—[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]], [[Dirge (Cyberverse)|Dirge]], and [[Ramjet (Cyberverse)|Ramjet]]—making their way into the stadium, accompanied by their "honored guest" Windblade. Bumblebee gets the idea of hiding behind Windblade and sneaking in past the guard, but finds himself caught out by an incredulous Starscream and thrown out yet again. Undefeated, Bumblebee steals a costume from the stadium's [[cube mascot]], using it as a disguise to gain entrance, but unexpectedly finds himself thrown into the center of the arena to perform!''

''In the grandstands, Windblade is amused by the "mascot's" dance before the game begins, pitting the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon City]] championship team against the challengers from [[Polyhex]]. Iacon gets the upper hand early in the match, but Bumblebee's jubilant celebration is cut short when the ''real'' cube mascot, who is not pleased with the deception, arrives, and after a brief scuffle Bumblebee abandons the disguise. On his way out, however, he crosses paths with Windblade, who's amused by his performance. Windblade reveals that she's from [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], and only recently befriended Starscream and his [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s after arriving on Cybertron; on learning that the Camien doesn't know anything about cube, Bumblebee tries to teach her the rules of the game as Polyhex scores the first goal. When Starscream and his underlings catch up with Windblade, however, they're not pleased to see her fraternizing with the yellow 'bot, and a brief scuffle between Bee and the [[Conehead]]s ends when Starscream uses his prestige to convince arena security to have Bumblebee ejected from the stadium yet again.''

''Out on the streets once more, Bumblebee turns to walk away dejectedly... until a mental projection of Windblade's head instructs him to sneak in through the back door. Inside, Windblade explains that her [[Cityspeaker]] talents allow her to telepathically interact with others, but the conversation ends when the two spy the three [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seekers]] skulking around the back of the arena, Starscream muttering about his boredom with the match and intent to "spice up" the game. The pair spy on the villains as Starscream creates a custom cube with its own rogue AI. Though some quick reflexes allow Bumblebee to down Dirge and Ramjet, Windblade helping to keep them distracted as he scuffles with Starscream for control of the spiked cube, they eventually both lose grip on it and it flies through the launch pipe to the stadium, Bumblebee launching himself after it. The rogue cube starts knocking players down left and right before Bumblebee manages to grab it, sending him on a wild ride as he tries to control it long enough to absorb the energon and score a goal. Winding up outside the stadium with the cube now inactive, Bumblebee invites his new friend to ditch the Seekers and join him and his friends at a local [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|oil house]].''

Bumblebee asks who won, but Windblade tells him that all anyone can remember is his ride on the cube. When Bumblebee suggests that they play a round of cube on Earth, Windblade agrees... until they remember that neither of them actually know the game's rules.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (1)
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (2)

|c4=
* ''Stadium security officer'' (3)
* ''[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]]'' (4)
* ''[[Dirge (Cyberverse)|Dirge]]'' (5)
* ''[[Ramjet (Cyberverse)|Ramjet]]'' (6)
* ''[[Cube mascot]]'' (7)
* ''[[Cube announcer drone]]'' (8)
* ''[[Iacon Wreckers]] cube team'' (9-14)
* ''[[Polyhex]] cube team'' (15-19)
* ''[[Discharge (Cyberverse)|Discharge]]'' (20)
}}

==Quotes==
"A Decepticon triple-barrel ion shoulder cannon! Can't wait to try ''this'' out."
:—'''Windblade''' likes cannons.

"I can't believe it! They picked ''me!'' I'm gonna be the best cube mascot ever!"
:—The '''cube mascot''' considers this to be the highest possible honor.

"Ha-ha-ha! It must be pretty ''humiliating'' to be a cube mascot."
:—'''Starscream''' disagrees.

"You know Starscream?" 
"I wish I could ''un''know him."
:—'''Windblade''' and '''Bumblebee''' commiserate about the Seekers.

"Mess with me? I get it. Mess with my '''game'''...and '''you''' get it."
:—'''Bumblebee''' has had it up to here with Starscream.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Bumblebee mentions his favorite "old oil house," foreshadowing the eventual appearance of [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's]] in [[Maccadam's|a future episode]].

===Transformers references===
[[File:Security Bot Is Not Impressed (Cyberverse - Cube).jpg|thumb|right|250px|No cutting trails on ''his'' watch.]]
*Windblade notes that she's from [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], a planet first introduced in the [[2005 IDW continuity]] and the homeworld of [[Windblade (G1)|that universe's]] incarnation of Windblade.
*Starscream describes the cube's AI as being "designed by [[scraplet]]s".
*The Security Guard-Bot is colored suspiciously like Generation One Trailbreaker. This paired with the body type shared by the guard, cube players, and cube mascot ends up resembling Trailbreaker's own, this is most likely a Trailbreaker homage.
* [[Units of time|Astrocycles]] are mentioned as a unit of time-keeping.

{{-}}

===Real-world references===
[[File:Deceptipong (Cyberverse - Cube).jpg|thumb|right|250px|But can it run Crysis?]]
*The "useless training program" Windblade finds on the scout ship's computers is ''{{w|Pong}}''.
*While there are obvious differences (we'll start with the "ball" ''literally'' having a mind of its own, and go from there), [[Cube (sport)|cube]] would not be entirely unfamiliar to a human who played {{w|Rugby football|rugby}}.

===Trivia===
*In the later episode "[[Maccadam's]]", [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]] reveals that Iacon City was the winner of the match, and that Polyhex had defeated [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] in the semifinal round.

===Animation and technical errors===

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le cube'''" ("The cube")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 28]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cube'''" ("Cube")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 25]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kocka'''" ("Cube")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 18]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il Cubo'''" ("The Cube")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 3]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cube no Taidai'''" (キューブの大会, "The Cube Tournament")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[May 24]], 2019

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cubo'''" ("Cube")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 20]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Terminal Velocity ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Megatron Is My Hero

2024-07-29T20:42:47Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 6
|image=We Want The Same Thing (Cyberverse - Megatron Is My Hero promo).jpg
|caption="Him say you enemy!" "Him lie like rug."
|prev=Whiteout
|next=Cube (episode)
|title="Megatron Is My Hero"
|airdate=[[September 30]], [[2018]] (Canada) [[October 5]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[October 6]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=6
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Peter Di Cicco]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMGGFo2-9R0
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Windblade tries to make Bee understand who Megatron is.'''

==Synopsis==
''Long ago, on the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], gladiator champion [[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] finishes off his latest opponent, basking in the adulation of the crowd—a crowd that includes [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]], who gleefully high-fives fellow spectator [[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]] as Megatron shouts a bombastic speech to his fans.''

In the present day, Bumblebee is momentarily enamored by his memories of Megatron's bravado, declares that Megatron is his hero, a proclamation that shocks [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]]. The Autobot flier desperately tries to make Bumblebee remember the many atrocities Megatron would go on to commit since his early days, and invites Bumblebee to look at another memory so that he can remember how it all went down.

[[File:Friends Decepticons Cybertronians Lend Me Your Audio Receptors (Cyberverse - Megatron Is My Hero).jpg|thumb|left|250px|Hello, citizens. It good to be back. World am safe. Me see no trouble.]]
''Having moved past the gladiatorial arenas, Megatron has assembled a group of like-minded Transformers, including both future [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, and holds another rally, vowing that, under his leadership, all Cybertronians will stand together; a statement that the young Bumblebee, watching from a speaker, can agree with, even as Megatron unveils [[Decepticon|the sigil]] his followers will rally to.''

Indeed, Bumblebee wonders if this charismatic Megatron really was a 'bot capable of bringing Cybertron together, but Windblade sadly dissuades him of this notion: it wasn't long before Megatron's true ambitions began to show through, and notes that even Optimus was eventually forced to confront the monster that his old friend became.

''Optimus and Bumblebee travel to Megatron's current headquarters, and though Optimus is resolute that he can make Megatron see sense, Bumblebee isn't so sure. Indeed, when the [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] guards bar their way, Optimus is forced to power his way through them, and things only get worse from there: Bumblebee runs afoul of the villainous [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadowstriker]], and witnesses an increasingly depraved Shockwave assembling a [[Two-headed Seeker|mutant lifeform]]. Finally, Optimus reaches Megatron, but despite Prime's idealism, Megatron refuses to rejoin Prime's faction, and swears that, if they don't join him, then they're against him. Optimus refuses, and Megatron finally declares war on Prime and his followers. When Megatron asks if Bumblebee will join him, Bumblebee vows to stand by Optimus.''

Back in his mind, Bumblebee asserts that he's not scared of Megatron anymore. Windblade wonders why, even after Megatron did...''something'', that she tries to brush off, but Bee's curiosity about her attempts at deflecting the subject prompts him to access yet another memory...

[[File:Soundwave and Shadowstriker after defeating Bumblebee (Cyberverse - Megatron Is My Hero).jpg|thumb|Right|250px|"We did it!" "What do you mean 'We'?"]]

''War has gripped Cybertron, and deep beneath the planet's surface, Bumblebee spies on Shockwave's lab as the scientist interfaces with [[Vector Sigma]]. 'Bee overhears a transmission between Shockwave and Megatron, vowing that he'll soon have the [[AllSpark]], but the scout makes the wrong move and alerts the [[Shockwave's drones|security drones]] to his presence. Bumblebee escapes with [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] and the Seekers hot on his tail, and though he throws them off by darting into a narrow tunnel, he's pursued and apprehended by Shadowstriker and [[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]], who deliver him to Megatron.''

''Brought before the Decepticon leader, Bumblebee demands to know why Megatron has taken things as far as he has, and the villain informs him of his plan: by using Vector Sigma to reprogram the AllSpark, he'll be able to create a new generation of Decepticons, finally fulfilling his vision of a future where "[['Til all are one|all are one]]." So that Bumblebee will never be able to warn Optimus of this plan, Megatron attacks and crucially damages the Autobot's [[voice box]]...''

Though shaken by this last memory, Bumblebee's natural optimism reasserts itself, as he points out that he can still talk in his mind; however he wonders how he ever called Megatron a hero.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (3)
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (5)

|c2=
* ''[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]]'' (1)
* ''[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]]'' (4)
* ''[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]]'' (6)
* ''[[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]]'' (8)
* ''[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadowstriker]]'' (11)
* ''Lots and lots of [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seekers]]'' (12)
* ''Generic Decepticon warriors-to-be'' (13)
* ''[[Two-headed Seeker]]'' (14)
* ''[[Shockwave's drones]]'' (15)

|c4=
* ''Gladiator'' (2)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus]]'' (7)
* ''[[Arcee (Cyberverse)|Arcee]]'' (9)
* ''[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]]'' (10)
}}

==Quotes==
"Friends! Fellow Cybertronians! Hear me! I used to fight in front of you, now I fight ''for'' you! It is time we take control of our destiny. I see a future Cybertron for all Cybertronians! This is the beginning of a new era! From this day forward we stand together, 'till all are one!"
:—'''Megatron''' is twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom.

"You understand what is at stake, and what it will cost? We want the same thing!" 
"No, we do not. What ''you'' want is power." 
"Think carefully, old friend. If I must, I ''will'' do this without you. And if you do not join us...you are ''against us.''"
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus''' set the tone for the next few million years.

"Starscream, apprehend the Autobot." 
"Why do I ''always'' have to clean up your mess?"
:—'''Shockwave''' dispatches a less-than-enthusiastic '''Starscream'''.

"You show no fear. You would have made a good Decepticon." 
"I made my choice a long time ago to stand with Optimus."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Bumblebee''' echo [[Darkness Rising, Part 5|another time, another place]].

"Optimus had his chance. And this war cannot continue." 
"Then ''end'' it." 
"I will. The AllSpark, which gave life to both Autobots and Decepticons, will bring new life to Cybertron." 
"What?" 
"I will use Vector Sigma to reprogram the AllSpark, and create a civilization of Decepticons. Finally, all will be one." 
"Optimus will never let that happen!" 
"Optimus will never know. Because you will never tell ''anyone'' what you've seen."
:—'''Megatron''' tells '''Bumblebee''' his plan, then shuts him up.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Bumblebee was established to have first lost his voice on Cybertron during the events of "[[Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory]]".
* This episode clarifies why the Decepticons seek the AllSpark, as first mentioned back in "[[Fractured]]".

===Transformers references===
* The episode is, of course, another take on the now-standard history between Optimus Prime and Megatron that was explored in both the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" and [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW Generation 1 continuities]]: the former a peaceful 'bot advocating for nonviolent social change, the latter an ambitious gladiator dedicated to changing Cybertron by any means necessary, who start as colleagues and friends but are driven apart by their differing ideologies. Exactly ''what'' kind of social change the pair are advocating here has yet to be explored, though in the aforementioned continuities the two Transformers were fighting to tear down Cybertron's stagnant social system: the [[functionism|caste system and functionism]], respectively.
* Starscream mockingly refers to Optimus Prime as "the file clerk". Optimus was first shown to have worked in this profession prior to becoming Prime in [[Dreamwave Productions]] ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' comic book; it would later be most famously featured as part of the backstory of the [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|"Aligned" version of the character]], seen in various pieces of media, including the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Transformers: Prime'' animated series]].
* Megatron's cry of "[['Til all are one]]!" is a frequent rallying cry throughout the ''Transformers'' mythos.
* Shockwave makes his first appearance in the series; this version of the character seems more closely based on his counterpart from the Aligned continuity, who was fond of creating strange new lifeforms and mutating [[Dinobot (FOC)|other]] [[Forged|Transformers]] into monstrous creatures.
* [[Vector Sigma]] also makes a return to television — the miraculous computer first appeared in the 1985 cartoon series, made a cameo in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', and returned to the small screen several decades later in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' cartoon. This iteration hews closer to the classic interpretation, a glowing yellow sphere of energy.
* Megatron's [[Megatron (Movie)|live-action counterpart]] had a similar plan to use the AllSpark to give life to a new generation of Decepticons in the 2007 ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' film. Similarly, his history with Bumblebee — being the 'bot responsible for tearing out his [[voice box]] — was first established in ancillary movie media and subsequently incorporated into the Aligned universe.
*Some of the otherwise-generic Seekers guarding Megatron's hideout appear to have color schemes referencing various G1 Decepticon fliers, the most recognizable being one painted like [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]].
* "Scrud" shows up as a Transformer swear, first appearing in the 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoon. It's joined by the even tamer (to human sensibilities, [[Terminal Velocity|at least]]...) curse word "rust".

===Real-world references===
*TBD

===Trivia===
[[File:Megs' Opponent (Cyberverse - Megatron Is My Hero).jpg|thumb|right|200px|"No, wait! This is C8 rated! You can't-"]]
*The gladiator that Megatron defeats in this episode is a tweak of [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]'s character model.
*It isn't stated explicitly in the episode, so we're not ''calling'' them as such, but if one assumes the Transformers standing behind Megatron as he unveils the Decepticon movement are doing so in solidarity with him as part of his inner-circle-at-the-time, that would imply that Ratchet, Arcee, and ''Optimus Prime'' are among this continuity's founding members of the Decepticons!
*Also during the rally, Soundwave's shoulder amplifiers can be seen fluctuating, suggesting he is either acting as Megatron's microphone or the scene's dramatic background music is actually being provided by him, as would prove to be a trait of his in later seasons.
*A clip from this episode was previewed at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2018.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:CyberverseMegatronisMyheroinsigniaerror.jpg|thumb|200px|Did my insignia get a buzz cut or something?]]
*Though credited onscreen as being by [[Eugene Son]], it was later clarified that [[Peter Di Cicco]] was the writer of the episode.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=@badpugsgonebad @PeterDiCicco @cartoonnetwork @gavinhignight @GloryLollyTree @MaeCatt @salgatron It is weird and unfortunate. We'll fix @PeterDiCicco 's credit as he did such a great job on this one! @eugeneson will be back with one of his own episodes later on.|link=https://twitter.com/RandolphHeard/status/1048325046144397313|name=RandolphHeard|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=10|day=5|(defunct=)}}</ref> The credit was corrected for later screenings.
*One of the generic 'bots amongst the crowd in the opening scene sports an Autobot insignia, despite the scene happening long before the Autobot and Decepticon factions had formed–even Bumblebee and Megatron have their respective faction symbols removed from their animation models for the scene.
*Starting with the scene that leads to Megatron destroying Bumblebee's voice, Bee's Autobot insignia is missing the white shape inside the top section. This error would persist for many, many scenes throughout the rest of the show.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mégatron est mon héros'''" ("Megatron is my hero")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 21]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mein Held Megatron'''" ("My Hero Megatron")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 24]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron, a hős'''" ("Megatron, the Hero")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 17]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron è il mio Eroe'''" ("Megatron is my Hero")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 3]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron no Keikaku'''" (メガトロンの計画, "Megatron's Plan")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[May 11]], 2019

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron é Meu Herói'''" ("Megatron is My Hero")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 13]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — The Journey ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Whiteout

2024-07-29T20:42:36Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 5
|image=Whiteout-stasispod.jpg
|caption="My legs are frozen solid! You're going to have to cut them off with a saw!"
|prev=The Journey
|next=Megatron Is My Hero
|title="Whiteout"
|airdate=[[September 28]], [[2018]] (CN app/website)
[[September 29]], [[2018]] (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=5
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Kate Leth]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|directors=[[Robert Cullen]] & [[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNhjRteBjNM
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''A mysterious clue from Bumblebee's memory leads Windblade on a treacherous journey.'''

==Synopsis==
''At some point in the past, a disoriented Bumblebee comes to on an icy mountainside, and is briefly confused by a mountain goat.''
[[File:Slipstream - Cyberverse - Whiteout.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
In the present day, [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]], still inside Bumblebee's mind, finishes watching yet another memory. Although Bumblebee still can't remember anything meaningful about the location of the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]'', Windblade finds the image of the mountain familiar and consults the ship's logs to determine that it matches a peak in the [[Himalayas]]. Leaving a disappointed Bumblebee to guard the ship, she sets off. In the meantime, Bumblebee distracts himself by watching some human [[television]] on the [[Decepticon scout ship|scout ship]]'s monitors.

Having arrived in the Himalayas, Windblade is unaware that her communications with Bumblebee have been picked up by the [[Decepticon]]s [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] and [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]]. Their commander [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] instructs them to follow the signal while she catches up with them.

Somewhere in the upper slopes of the mountain range, Windblade arrives at the spot she saw in Bumblebee's memory and uses her fans to reveal a [[stasis pod]] of [[Autobot]] manufacture and a blaster, both left abandoned in the snow. Unfortunately, that's all she finds: her scans are unable to pick up the ''Ark'' itself, and she's unaware that the Decepticons have tailed her to her present location until the three [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]]s reveal themselves!

[[File: Windblade attacks two seekers.jpg|thumb|Right|200px|Team Seeker's blasting off again!]]

Captured by the Decepticons, Windblade is interrogated by Slipstream for information on the location of [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] and the other Autobots, her glib answers only infuriating Slipstream and providing her with the window to break free and escape. A battle ensues as Windblade makes her escape, and though Windblade is able to send Thundercracker tumbling off a cliff into the fog, Nova Storm proves a tougher foe, and Windblade herself is nearly thrown off the same cliff before taking Nova Storm down, then uses her fans to drop Slipstream into the snow before finally making her escape.

Back at the ship, Windblade catches up with Bumblebee about her adventure, and happily presents him with his old blaster. Now, Windblade is certain that they're on the right track: the ''Ark'' is somewhere on Earth, and they'll have to find it before the Decepticons do!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (1)
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (3)

|c2=
* [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (4)
* [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (5)
* [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] (6)

|c4=
* Mountain goat (2)

}}

==Quotes==
"All I can remember is those little creatures. They were very kind - they took me in, they treated me as one of their own. They even kept butting me with their cute little heads."
:—'''Bumblebee'''

"Found you!" 
''[goat bleats]'' 
"Not you." 
:—'''Windblade'''

"What are you doin' here, Windblade? I thought they left all the useless 'Bots on Cybertron." 
"Clearly not; ''you're'' here." ''[pause]'' "...who are you, exactly?"
:—'''Slipstream''' and '''Windblade''' trash-talk

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The crew of the ''Ark'' entered stasis during their deep space voyage in "[[The Journey]]," though how the ship got from there to Earth is a tale that has yet to be told.
* Windblade warns Bumblebee not to push the ship's buttons, a callback to "[[Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory]]," where his impulsive button-pushing blew their cover.
* Bumblebee is shown actively recording voice clips while he channel surfs, explaining where the repository he uses in speech comes from.

===Transformers references===
* TBD

===Real-world references===
* Bumblebee is shown watching a spoof of the game show ''{{w|Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune}}.''

===Trivia===
* Mountain goats don't actually live in the Himalayas, though the closely related {{w|Himalayan tahr}} does exist there.

===Animation and technical errors===
* TBD

===Continuity errors===
* TBD

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Derrière le voile'''" ("Behind the Veil")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 21]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Spurlos verschwunden'''" ("Vanished Without a Trace")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 24]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hideg közeg'''" ("Cold Conditions")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 17]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tempesta di Neve'''" ("Snowstorm")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 27]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ark no Yukue'''" (アークの行方, "The ''Ark''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> Whereabouts")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[May 11]], 2019

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Picos Nevados'''" ("Snowy Peaks")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 6]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — The Journey ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

The Journey

2024-07-29T20:42:25Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 4
|image=Cyberverse-s1e4-The-Journey-Ark-in-Bumblebee's-memory.jpg
|caption=''Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...''
|prev=Allspark (episode)
|next=Whiteout
|title="The Journey"
|airdate=[[August 29]], [[2018]] (Xfinity X1) [[September 21]], [[2018]] (CN app/website) [[September 22]], [[2018]] (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=4
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Eugene Son]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UArJLAjVbf8
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Bumblebee remembers the voyage of the''' '''''Ark''''', '''and the adventure that led Optimus Prime into making a drastic decision.'''

==Synopsis==
''As the'' [[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]] ''continues its voyage through deep space in search of the [[AllSpark]], [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] remains concerned about their dwindling levels of [[Energon]] — concerns that only worsen when [[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]]'s latest experiment to try and boost the ship's scanners leads to another blackout. Optimus warns Wheeljack that, until they can refuel their ship, they can't afford any more dangerous experiments...''

... and, as the latest gap in [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]]'s memory is filled, [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] begins to piece together what might have happened to the AllSpark. As another memory comes back online, she asks Bumblebee to access it.

''Some time later, the ''Ark''{{'}}s energon situation has become critical. The ship chances across a barren and seemingly uninhabited world, and when [[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]] detects concentrations of Energon on the surface, Optimus assembles a survey team — consisting of himself, [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]], and Bumblebee — to scout out the situation. As their [[Autobot shuttle|shuttlecraft]] touches down on the planet, Prime sends Grimlock and Bumblebee to investigate a nearby ridge. The pair find a massive canyon, but still no Energon, and turn away to regroup with Prime... but Bumblebee is none the wiser when a mass of tentacles slither out from the canyon and drag Grimlock into its depths!''
[[File:Cave Monsters - Cyberverse - The Journey.jpg|thumb|300px|left|"So...bug-hunt."]]
''When he realises Grimlock is missing, Bumblebee races back to the shuttleto warn Optimus of the situation, and when Prime is unable to raise Grimlock on his communicator, the two Autobots track his signal back to the canyon. A series of tremors knock them off balance and send them tumbling into the cave below, where they discover the source of the tremors — Grimlock, using his strength to slam the ground so as to ward off the "beasts" responsible for dragging him into the canyon. A more important discovery draws Prime's attention, however, and the three find a nearby cave, containing a reservoir of the Energon that Teletraan-1 had detected in the first place. As they approach the Energon lake, however, their presence attracts a swarm of the [[cave monster]]s, and a battle ensues as the three Autobots try to keep the [[alien]]s at bay. Their weapons have no effect on the creatures, however, and Optimus makes a crucial discovery: the creatures feed on Energon, and were merely trying to protect their food supply. Realizing that they can't jeopardize an innocent alien species, Prime orders the group to retreat to the surface.''

''Back aboard the ''Ark'', Prime shares what he has learned with the other Autobots, but makes a crucial decision: in order to conserve what little Energon they have left, the Autobots will enter [[stasis lock|stasis]], with Teletraan-1 taking control of the vessel. As the Transformers prepare to enter the ship's hibernation pods, Wheeljack races in to give Prime the news that he's successfully boosted the ship's scanning capabilities. With the Autobots sealed in their stasis pods, Bumblebee is the only Autobot conscious enough to see the ship's scanners successfully detect the AllSpark... a second too late to do anything about it.''

Inside Bumblebee's mind, Windblade and Bumblebee speculate what happened to the other Autobots aboard the ''Ark'', and Bumblebee vows that, no matter what, he'll find the ship.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* ''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]'' (1)
* [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (2)
* ''[[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]]'' (3)
* ''[[Chromia (Cyberverse)|Chromia]] (5)
* ''[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]'' (6)
* ''[[Wheeljack (Cyberverse)|Wheeljack]]'' (7)
* [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (8)

|c2=

|c3=

|c4=
* ''[[Teletraan-1 (Cyberverse)|Teletraan-1]]'' (4)
* ''[[Cave monster]]s'' (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"What do we have here?" 
"I dunno, but this place is the ''pits''. Get it? C'mon, that was ''funny!''"
:— '''Grimlock''' and '''Bumblebee''' inspect a canyon

"You think you're tough? Well you're not as tough as ''me...GRIMLOCK!''"
:— '''Grimlock''' reminds the cave monsters who is king.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The ''Ark'' was established to have left Cybertron in "[[Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory]]" in search of the Allspark, which was launched off Cybertron as seen in the flashback in "[[Allspark (episode)|Allspark]]."
* The flashback of Bumblebee boarding the ''Ark'' at the end of "Memory" established he had already lost his voice while on Cybertron, as he bid farewell to Windblade only through a series of mechanical warbles, but in this episode, he is shown to be capable of speech during the ship's mission. This isn't an error, though; back in "[[Fractured]]," Windblade established that [[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|Ratchet]] had repaired Bee's voicebox since his departure. How it became damaged again is a lost memory waiting to be uncovered...
* Though we don't get a glimpse of modern-day Earth, Bumblebee and Windblade are still presumably holed up at the radio station where they landed in the previous episode.

===Transformers references===
* Raw [[Energon]] appears here in a bright blue, [[Energon crystal|crystalline]] form, as seen in both the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' cartoons.
* Stasis pods first appeared in ''Beast Wars,'' though their use here as a sort of "hibernation chamber" hearkens back to their use in the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' [[Transform and Roll Out|pilot movie]].
* Grimlock's boast about his toughness Easter-eggs the third-person speech pattern that [[Grimlock (G1)|most]] [[Grimlock (Animated)|other]] [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlocks]] tend to use.

===Real-world references===
* The episode begins with a dramatic pan of the ''Ark'' as it travels through deep space as Optimus Prime narrates another addition to his log, referencing the iconic opening scene of many a ''[[Star Trek]]'' episode, complete with a very ''Trek''-ish musical score.
* The ''Ark's'' massive stasis bay, and the radial design of the stasis chambers within, resembles the hibernation chambers aboard the ''{{w|Sulaco (fictional spacecraft)|Sulaco}}'' from ''{{w|Aliens (film)|Aliens}}''.

===Trivia===
* Optimus Prime consistently mispronounces "Teletraan," drawing out the double-a sound and making the word sound like "Teletron," not unlike how characters used to mispronounce it in ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''. Bumblebee, however, pronounces it right. Since Optimus keeps doing it in later episodes unfailingly, this appears to be a deliberate character quirk instead of an error.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Voyage'''" ("The Journey")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 14]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Reise'''" ("The Journey")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 28]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Utazás'''" ("Journey")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 28]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Spedizione'''" ("The Expedition")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 20]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Energon o Motomete'''" (エネルゴンを求めて, "In Search of Energon")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 27]], 2019

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Jornada'''" ("The Journey")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 30]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — The Journey ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Journey, The}}
[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Allspark (episode)

2024-07-29T20:42:10Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{disambig3|Allspark}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 3
|image=Cyberverse-s1e3-Allspark-Bumblebee-holds-the-AllSpark.jpg
|caption="I fight for the Users."
|prev=Memory (Cyberverse)
|next=The Journey
|title="Allspark"
|airdate= [[August 27]], [[2018]] (Xfinity X1) [[September 14]], 2018 (CN app/website) [[September 15]], 2018 (US)
|season=1
|season ep=3
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Gavin Hignight]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|directors=[[Robert Cullen]] and [[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg6oUzxQNJ4
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''While searching his memories to understand the Allspark, Bumblebee makes a more important discovery... the memory of his friend Optimus Prime.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Decepticon Scout Ship landed (Cyberverse - Allspark).jpg|thumb|left|250px|Any landing you can drive away from...]]
Now that the [[Decepticon]]s are aware of their presence on Earth, [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] and [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] have no choice but to hijack the [[Decepticon scout ship]], setting a course through a nearby mountain range. Bumblebee's piloting skills leave much to be desired, however, and after one close call too many, Windblade orders him to set down near a remote radio tower in the hopes that the [[human]] radio waves will block their signal from their Decepticon pursuers. Windblade takes advantage of their cover to use the [[cortical psychic patch]] again, hoping that this time Bumblebee will remember the [[AllSpark]].

Inside Bumblebee's mind, he reveals that he's gradually beginning to puzzle things out — their home planet, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Great War (Cyberverse)|war]] that led him to Earth, and the AllSpark, responsible for the creation of the Transformer race. Bumblebee doesn't remember what the AllSpark ''is'', however, so Windblade prompts him to access another memory where the artifact is prominently displayed...

''On Cybertron, [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] encourages Bumblebee as the yellow Autobot zooms through a war-torn cityscape, carrying a valuable 'package' in his passenger compartment: the AllSpark itself, intended to be transported to an abandoned storage depot so it can be safely hidden. When the AllSpark begins glowing blue and whispering to itself, however, Bumblebee transforms to examine it — and, in doing so, its energies briefly envelop him and the surrounding landscape; when the artifact whispers his name, however, a startled Bumblebee drops the relic. When Grimlock reminds him of his duty, however, Bumblebee obligingly heads off to the drop point, only to pause again when the AllSpark speaks to him. That hesitation, it turns out, saves his life, as [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] and a squadron of Decepticons arrive and destroy the depot! Bumblebee quickly transforms and races off again, however, and a chase ensues as Starscream pursues his Autobot foe...''

Bumblebee resurfaces from the memory, with a key realization: the AllSpark saved his life, and the memory has reawakened him to the importance of the Allspark. Windblade confirms Bumblebee's assessment that the Allspark contains infinite life; when Bumblebee asks how they could have lost it, she grimly directs him to another memory.

[[File:CyberverseRamjetClone.jpeg|thumb|250px|CONSUME-MASS-QUANTITIES]]
''On a war-torn battlefield, [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] helps Bumblebee up as the Autobots move toward their objective: the [[space bridge]]. As the pair transform and close in on their objective, they receive assistance from [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]], while Grimlock lays down covering fire - only to be downed himself. [[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] appears and realizes that Prime has the AllSpark, Megatron orders his troops to stop the Autobot commander; though Starscream blocks Prime's path, he's out-finessed by Windblade. Prime orders Bumblebee to open the space bridge, intending to take the AllSpark as far away as possible to keep it out of Megatron's hands. As Windblade pins down [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]], Bumblebee rolls off to complete the mission.''

''As Bumblebee reaches the space bridge's control panel, however, he finds his way barred by [[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]]; fighting the Decepticon's punishing barrage of sonic blasts, Bumblebee opens the bridge, just as Megatron orders his troops to open fire on the portal. Carrying the AllSpark, Optimus races towards the space bridge, but before he can reach it, he's shot in the back by Megatron. With the damaged space bridge portal shrinking to nothing, Optimus risks it all and hurls the AllSpark into the bridge seconds before it is destroyed by the Decepticons.''

Back in Bumblebee's mind, he enthuses about the "awesome guy" from his memories, and Windblade gently reminds him that his name was Optimus Prime, his old commander and friend. Although Optimus is missing in action, Windblade maintains that he's still out there, and as the pair watch, more memories flicker to life — Bumblebee's mind is slowly repairing itself.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (2)
*''[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]'' (3)
*''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]'' (6)
*''[[Autobot]] soldiers'' (7)
|c2=
*''[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]]'' (4)
*''Various [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seekers]]'' (5)
*''[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]]'' (8)
*''[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]]'' (9)
*''[[Soundwave (Cyberverse)|Soundwave]]'' (10)
*''[[Ramjet (Cyberverse)|Ramjet]]'' (11)
|c4=
*''[[AllSpark]]'' (3)
}}

==Quotes==
"From now on, you'll do ''none'' of the flying. I'll do ''all'' of the flying."
:—'''Windblade''' doesn't think much of '''Bumblebee's''' piloting skils

"I think I have it figured out. We are from a planet made of metal. And, uh, everyone's been fighting for millions of years, and we've ruined our home because we don't like each other? Oh! And there's this thing called the AllSpark that created all of us, because... I don't know why. But we lost it." 
"Well, it's not as simple as all... actually, that pretty much sums it up."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Windblade'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Cybertron's space bridge was established to have been destroyed in "[[Fractured]]".
*Shadow Striker's body looks very different compared to her appearance in "Fractured", for reasons that will be [[Shadowstriker (episode)|elaborated upon later]].

===Transformers references===
*TBD

===Real-world references===
*TBD

===Trivia===
* In the last flashback to the war on Cybertron, Megatron has an Australian/British accent that isn't present in his later appearances in the show.

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Starscream runs toward Windblade, his cockpit is colored dark grey instead of orange, and his wings are attached to his body.
*After Starscream flies off, Optimus' mouthplate disappears, but reappears when he speaks to Bumblebee.
*In one shot of Shadow Striker's brief appearance, her headlights aren't on her chest.
*As Bumblebee turns around and sees some of his damaged memories coming back, he is missing the Autobot symbol on his chest.
*For some reason, Optimus Prime is wearing the Movie symbol rather the normal one, whether it was intentional or not, it's unknown.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'Allspark'''" ("The Allspark")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 14]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Allspark'''" ("The Allspark")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 28]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Az Örök Szikra'''" ("The Allspark")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 28]], 2018

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Allspark'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 20]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Allspark o Mamore'''" (オールスパークを守れ, "Protect the Allspark")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 27]], 2019

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Allspark'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 23]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — The Journey ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Memory (Cyberverse)

2024-07-29T20:41:54Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{disambig2|the ''Cyberverse'' episode|the ''Cybertron'' episode|Memory (Cybertron)}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 2
|image=Cyberverse-s1e2-Memory-Windblade-in-Bumblebee's-mind.jpg
|caption=''I am the Ghost of [[Chosen One Day]] [[Ghost of the past|Past]]''
|prev=Fractured
|next=Allspark (episode)
|title="Memory"
|airdate=[[August 27]], [[2018]] (CN app/website) [[September 8]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=2
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Zac Atkinson (writer)|Zac Atkinson]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|director=[[Jean Texier]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgssOMyxASg
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Windblade resorts to extreme measures to try and fix Bumblebee's damaged memories.'''

==Synopsis==
The energy pulse released by [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]]'s [[cortical psychic patch]] blasts across the desert, and, in the process, knocks the [[Decepticon]]s [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] and [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] off their feet. Alerted to the presence of Autobots on Earth, Nova Storm quickly takes command and informs her captain that they're setting off to investigate.

Not far away, both Windblade and a skeptical [[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] come to. Given his recent experiences, Bumblebee is skeptical of Windblade, but before she can convince her old friend of her good intentions, the two Decepticon scouts zoom overhead! Windblade takes to the skies in a dogfight with Nova Storm while Bumblebee holds off Thundercracker, but the yellow Autobot discovers that his [[stinger (weapon)|stinger]] isn't working. Windblade orders him to fall back to the nearby mineshaft, where she uses her detachable turbines to put Decepticons stuck beneath a pile of rubble until they escaped. The encounter has given Windblade an idea, however, and the two set off to find [[Decepticon scout ship|the starship]] that the two Decepticons arrived in.

Arriving at the ship, Windblade explains her plan: by using the ship's systems for additional computing power, she'll be able to retry the cortical patch procedure, but when she begins to explain ''how'' they'll break in, she discovers that Bumblebee has already charged into the ship. Windblade follows, and finds Bumblebee playing with the ship's controls; hacking into the ship's mainframe, Windblade sets up another attempt to unscramble Bumblebee's memories, and uses her [[Cityspeaker]] skills to guide an apprehensive Bumblebee through the procedure. Inside his mind, a lucid Bumblebee
learns how to tap into his undamaged memories, but despite Windblade's hopes that he'll be able to recover information relating to the location of the ''[[Ark (Cyberverse)|Ark]]'', Bumblebee can only unscramble a fragmentary memory of the ship's launch.

''On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Bumblebee speeds toward the'' Ark ''as it prepares to launch. Though his voice box is damaged, Bumblebee is able to say goodbye to his best friend Windblade, even as a [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|figure]] bids him to come aboard...''

Having recovered a scrap of his old memories, Bumblebee finally remembers Windblade, recognizing her as his old friend, but this happy moment is cut short when the ship's communicator goes off. Decepticon commander [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] demands to know the progress of his two scouts... only for Bumblebee, unaware of the danger, to seize the ship's communicator and blow their cover!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*''[[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]]''* (5)
*''[[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]]'' (6)
*''[[Autobot]] soldier'' (7)
*''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]'' (8)
|c2=
*[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (4)
*[[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (3)
*[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]]* (9)
}}
:''*Voice-only appearance''

==Quotes==
"You filthy Autobot scum!" 
"Really? 'Cause my friend's cousin's neighbor, like, totally saw you at the roller rink last night..." 
"I will destroy you for saying... whatever you're talking about!" 
:—'''Thundercracker''' and '''Bumblebee'''

==Notes==
===Transformers references===
* Windblade describes herself as a "[[Cityspeaker]]," a term from the [[2005 IDW continuity]] that first introduced Windblade. Here, Windblade notes that the term refers to her ability to communicate with "entities far greater than can be comprehended," a subject that's later addressed in [[Ghost Town|a future episode]].
* After losing his voice but prior to arriving on [[Earth]], Bumblebee "speaks" in a series of mechanical warbles, akin to his portrayal in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon.
* The backstory alluded to here — in which the Autobots left Cybertron aboard the ''Ark'' in search of the AllSpark — seems as though it was based in part on the "[[Binder of Revelation]]," initially produced for the development of the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" continuity in early 2010. This particular bit of lore, in turn, owed something to the original tie-in lore of the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action film]].

===Trivia===
*TBD

===Animation and technical errors===
*After the [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seekers]] try to shoot down Windblade and Bumblebee, Windblade's wings are extended out. In the next shot, where she rolls, her wings are back down, but then they are animated extending out straight after.

===Foreign localization===

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Erinnerungen'''" ("Memories")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 27]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Emlékek'''" ("Memories")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 27]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kioku o Sagure'''" (記憶を探れ, "In Search for Memories")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 27]], 2019

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Memória'''" ("Memory")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 19]], 2018

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — The Journey ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzkPitDtj_A "Memory" (Malay dub) on Youtube]

[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Fractured

2024-07-29T20:40:49Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' ep 1
|image=Cyberverse-s1e1-Fractured-Windblade-hugs-Bumblebee.jpg
|caption="Screw love."
|prev=
|next=Memory (Cyberverse)
|title="Fractured"
|airdate=[[August 27]], [[2018]] (CN app/website) [[September 1]], 2018 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=1
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]]
|writer=[[Randolph Heard]]
|animation studio=[[Boulder Media Studio]]
|directors=[[Robert Cullen]], [[Ehud Landsberg]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGhSbxMhiss
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Windblade arrives on Earth before the Decepticons and meets her old friend Bumblebee, who doesn't recognize her.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Cyberverse-s1e1-Fractured-Thundercracker-punched-Windblade.jpg|thumb|left|300px|He's here to kick skidplate and crack thunder, and he's fresh out of thunder.]]
[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] is enjoying driving along a desert road, pulling off stunts, when he spots a nearby chasm and naturally attempts to jump it. He almost makes it to the other side when he's distracted by [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade's]] voice and clings to the cliff face by one hand for a few moments before falling. Windblade herself swoops in and plucks him out of mid-air, though it takes a couple of attempts, and reunites with her long lost comrade. Afterwards, she asks him why he's on [[Earth]] and he fires the same question back at her.

''After [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] and his team left in search of the [[AllSpark]], she and other [[Autobot]]s remained on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to continue the fight. The [[Decepticon]]s figured out the AllSpark was on Earth, and headed there with their fleet. When Windblade received no word from Optimus, she traveled to Earth herself through the [[space bridge]] repaired by [[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]], though the space bridge exploded afterwards, making it a one-way trip. She searched fruitlessly for the AllSpark before finding Bumblebee.''

After a series of questions, Windblade realizes Bumblebee has amnesia, just in time for [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] to show up. The Decepticon defeats Windblade, and attempts to finish her off before Bumblebee intervenes. Thundercracker tosses the scout asside and attempts to kill Bumblebee using Windblade's sword before Bumblebee momentarily paralyzes the Decepticon with his stinger. Thundercracker breaks free, but Windblade blows him off the cliff before he can deal more damage. The two Autobots head elsewhere to find a safe place.

The pair find cover near a disused mine entrance and Windblade struggles to get Bumblebee focused so she can enter his mind using a [[cortical psychic patch]]. Promising the procedure won't hurt a bit, Windblade connects their minds and finds herself in Bumblebee's damaged mental landscape, with the enormous face of [[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]] looming over her. In the real world, Windblade screams and gives off a pulse of energy as both Autobots collapse. Some distance away, Thundercracker and [[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] are flying in jet mode.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Cyberverse)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] (2)
*''[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]]'' (3)
*''[[Perceptor (Cyberverse)|Perceptor]]'' (4)
*''[[Autobot]] soldier'' (5)
|c2=
*''[[Decepticon]] [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seekers]]'' (6)
*''[[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]]'' (7)
*''[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron]]'' (8)
*''[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]]'' (9)
*[[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|Thundercracker]] (10)
*[[Nova Storm (Cyberverse)|Nova Storm]] (11)
|}}

==Quotes==
"Again, again, again, I want another ride!" 
"Bumblebee, I can't believe it! Wait, I thought Ratchet fixed your voice box."
:— '''Bumblebee's''' excitement rises and '''Windblade''' sneaks in a [[Ratchet (Cyberverse)|name drop]].

"We have to figure this thing out. You really don't remember anything? Bumblebee?" 
"Oh, you brought a friend. Are they staying for dinner?" 
"A friend?"
:— '''Windblade''' realizes '''Bumblebee''' has amnesia, only for him to tell her a [[Thundercracker (Cyberverse)|friend]] arrived.

"Decepticons. You don't even remember Decepticons? Never trust a Decepticon because, well... ''they're deceptive.''"
:— '''Windblade''' explains to everyone the meaning of Decepticons about as well as someone saying "stranger danger."

==Notes==
===Transformers references===
*The [[cortical psychic patch]] that Windblade uses on Bumblebee comes directly from the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' cartoon series; in addition to looking exactly like its ''Prime'' counterpart, its ability to allow the user and their patient to recall specific memories seems inspired by the ''Prime'' episode "[[Patch (episode)|Patch]]."
*The space bridge design seen in this episode also resembles the same technology seen in ''Prime''.
*Bumblebee having a damaged voice box that Ratchet attempted to repair and speaking in media quotes or bleeps is akin to the [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Movieverse]] and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Aligned]] versions respectively. According to showrunner [[Randolph Heard]], this was a request from [[Hasbro]] in order to create synergy with ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'', which released a few months after the show premiered.
*Perceptor's overall design is similar to his IDW counterpart, in particular one of his eyes being an enlarged viewfinder.
*"Nova Storm" was the name given by the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] via [[Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime]] to [[Nova Storm (G1)|the yellow Generation 1 Rainmaker]], and here it is reused with a gender change and color change.

===Animation and technical errors===
*During the 360° spin of Thundercracker and Windblade's fight, Bumblebee is nowhere to be seen, despite clearly not hiding behind rocks and being close enough to grab Thundercracker's arm without being heard running towards him in the subsequent shots.
*Between shots of Windblade and Thundercracker charging at each other, his wings are compressed into his body. Later, when Thundercracker is throwing Bumblebee, between shots, his wings are suddenly extended out.
*Shadow Striker's is depicted with her original body, as opposed to the patchwork body she'd come to sport in the chronologically earlier "[[Shadowstriker (episode)|Shadowstriker]]."

===Trivia===
*According to series writer [[Mae Catt]], this episode (and by extension, the rest of the first season) is set some time in the 1980s.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fragmenté'''" ("Fragmented")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 7]], 2018

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Gedächtnisverlust'''" ("Memory Loss")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 27]], 2018

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Vidáman összetörve'''" ("Happily Broken")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 24]], 2018 (online), [[October 27]], 2018 (television)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Frammentazione'''" ("Fragmentation")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 13]], 2018

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ushinawareta Kioku'''" (失われた記憶, "Lost Memories")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 27]], 2019

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fragmentado'''" ("Fragmented")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 19]], 2018
:*''Notes:'' The YouTube upload of this episode is titled "'''Fraturado'''" ("Fractured").

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — The Journey ([[Beyond Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2019 — ''Transformers Cyberverse'' — Intégrale Saison 1 ([[ESC Éditions]]) — French audio only 

==External Links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNZCDWvgPsU "Fractured" (Malay dub) on Youtube]
[[Category:Cyberverse episodes]]

Paramount Pictures

2024-07-13T14:35:04Z

Jon T: /* EarthSpark */

{{factions/body|vhs|dvd|blu-ray|usa|australia|uk}}
{{disambig2|the film studio|the digital streaming service|Paramount+}}
[[Image:Paramount Pictures 2022.svg|thumb|200px|Wematanye!]]
'''Paramount Pictures''' is the [[United States of America|American]] film company that co-produces and distributes the [[live-action film series]] with [[DreamWorks]]. Founded on [[May 8]], [[1912]], it is one of the oldest major Hollywood film studios.

Paramount's parent company, '''Paramount Global''', also owns ad-based streaming service [[Pluto TV]], which in 2022 launched the dedicated channel [[Transformers TV]]. Series that air on the channel include all eight shows currently featured on [[Tubi]], along with''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]''.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/transformers-tv-streaming-channel-launches-on-pluto-tv/ ComicBook.com: Transformers TV Streaming Channel Launches on Pluto TV]</ref>
{{TOCclear}}

==Home entertainment==
Paramount's [[home video|home entertainment]] division handles the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the live action films, as well as the ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' series.

===''Energon'' and ''Cybertron''===
Paramount released a handful of ''Energon'' and ''Cybertron'' collections in the United States in 2004 and 2005, with each released simultaneously on VHS and DVD (the VHS releases featuring two episodes each, the DVDs adding a further two "bonus" episodes each). For these releases, several episodes were re-dubbed to fix numerous mistakes that occurred in the episodes that were broadcast, as well as throwing in some new dialogue. This is particularly noticeable on the first release, ''The Battle for Energon''.

The first two ''Energon'' volumes were later released in PAL format in Australia and the UK, with each volume again being released simultaneously on VHS and DVD, but with the difference that the VHS releases also included the DVDs' bonus episodes. The first ''Cybertron'' collection was also released in Australia and the UK on DVD, but not VHS. The ''Energon'' volumes 3 and 4, and the later ''Ultimate Collection'' box sets, were not released outside of the United States.

*'''''Transformers: Energon'' — Volume 1: The Battle For Energon''' (US: [[October 12]], 2004 / AUS: [[April 7]], 2005 / UK: [[June 27]], 2005)
:Contains the episodes "[[Cybertron City (episode)|Cybertron City]]" and "[[Energon Stars]]".
:DVD and PAL VHS releases also include the bonus episodes "[[Scorpinok (episode)|Scorpinok]]" and "[[Megatron's Sword]]".
*'''''Transformers: Energon'' — Volume 2: The Return Of Megatron''' (US: October 12, 2004 / AUS: [[July 7]], 2005 / UK: [[August 29]], 2005)
:Contains the episodes "[[Megatron Resurrected]]" and "[[Megatron Raid]]".
:DVD and PAL VHS releases also include the bonus episodes "[[Starscream the Mysterious Mercenary]]" and "[[Battle of the Asteroid Belt]]".
*'''''Transformers: Energon'' — Volume 3: Shockblast Unleashed''' ([[February 22]], 2005)
:Contains the episodes "[[Shockblast: Rampage]]" and "[[Open Fire!]]".
:DVD release also includes the episodes "[[Ripped Up Space]]" and "[[Protection]]".
*'''''Transformers: Energon'' — Volume 4: Omega Supreme''' (February 22, 2005)
:Contains the episodes "[[Crash Course]]" and "[[Omega Supreme (episode)|Omega Supreme]]".
:DVD release also includes the episodes "[[A Heroic Battle]]" and "[[The Power of Unicron]]".
<center><gallery>
Image:Energon Battle for Energon DVD.jpg|'''''Energon'' — Volume 1: The Battle for Energon'''
Image:Energon Return of Megatron DVD.jpg|'''''Energon'' — Volume 2: The Return of Megatron'''
Image:Energon Shockblast Unleashed DVD.jpg|'''''Energon'' — Volume 3: Shockblast Unleashed'''
Image:Energon Omega Supreme DVD.jpg|'''''Energon'' — Volume 4: Omega Supreme'''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

*'''''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning''' (US: [[September 13]], 2005 / AUS: [[July 6]], 2006 / UK: [[April 10]], 2006)
:Contains the episodes "[[Haven]]" and "[[Hidden (Cybertron)|Hidden]]".
:DVD release also includes the bonus episodes "[[Landmine (episode)|Landmine]]", and "[[Space (episode)|Space]]".
*'''''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection''' ([[July 22]], 2008)
:7-disc box set containing all 52 episodes of the series.
:Initial pressings contained an error on the first disc, resulting in 7 minutes of footage being missing from the episode "Hidden". In response to this issue, on [[September 5]], 2008, Paramount offered to replace defective discs for affected customers.
*'''''Transformers: Energon'' — The Ultimate Collection''' ([[December 16]], 2008)
:7-disc box set containing the 51 episodes that were dubbed into English, despite having been advertised as including "all 52 episodes".<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Energon-The-Ultimate-Collection/10563 TV Shows on DVD announcing the ''Energon'' DVD boxset.]</ref>
:The set features the re-dubbed DVD versions of the first few episodes rather than the broadcast ones, and also finally corrects the titles of "[[Imprisoned Inferno|Improsoned Inferno]]" and "[[Decepticon Army|Deception Army]]".
<center><gallery>
Image:Cybertron New Beginning DVD.jpg|'''''Cybertron'' — A New Beginning'''
Image:Cybertron Ultimate Collection DVD.jpg|'''''Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection'''
Image:Energon Ultimate Collection DVD.jpg|'''''Energon'' — The Ultimate Collection'''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' (film)===
{{main|Transformers (film)/home video}}
[[Image:2007Movie 2-disc DVD.jpg|thumb|200px|]]
;<big>DVD</big>
*'''''Transformers''''' (2007)
*'''''Transformers'' — Two-Disc Special Edition''' (2007)
*'''''Transformers'' — Two-Movie Mega Collection''' (US, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' — The Complete Collection: Mega Edition''' (UK, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' Trilogy''' (2011)
;<big>HD DVD</big>
*'''''Transformers'' — Two-Disc Special Edition''' (2007)
;<big>Blu-ray</big>
*'''''Transformers'' — Two-Disc Special Edition''' (2008)
*'''''Transformers'' — Two-Movie Mega Collection''' (US, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' — The Complete Collection: Mega Edition''' (UK, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' Trilogy''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers'' Limited Edition Collector's Trilogy''' (2012)
{{-}}

===''Transformers Animated''===
{{main|Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video}}
;<big>United States</big>
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out''' (2008)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Season One''' (2008)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Season Two''' (2009)

[[Image:Animated TARO DVD.jpg|thumb|150px|]]
;<big>Australia / UK</big>
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out''' (2008)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume One: Blast from the Past''' (2008)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Two: Lost and Found''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Three: Megatron Rising''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Four: Mission Accomplished''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Five: Fistful of Energon''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Six: Black Friday''' (2009)

;<big>Germany</big>
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfart''' (2008)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Eins: Drachenkämpfer''' (2008)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Zwei: Die alten Waffen''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Drei: Megatrons Auferstehung''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Vier: Mission erfüllt''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Fünf: Der doppelte Starscream''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Sechs: Schwarzer Freitag''' (2009)

;<big>Japan</big>
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 1''' (2010)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 2''' (2010)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 3''' (2010)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 4''' (2010)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 5''' (2010)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 6''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 7''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 8''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 9''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 10''' (2011)
{{-}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen''===
[[Image:ROTF-DVD-2disc.jpg|thumb|150px|]]
{{main|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)/home video}}
;<big>DVD</big>
*'''''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen''''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' — 2-Disc Special Edition''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers'' — Two-Movie Mega Collection''' (US, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' — The Complete Collection: Mega Edition''' (UK, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' Trilogy''' (2011)
;<big>Blu-ray</big>
*'''''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' — Two-Disc Special Edition''' (2009)
*'''''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' — Two-Disc Big Screen Edition''' (US, 2009)
*'''''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' — Digital Copy Special Edition''' (UK, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' — Two-Movie Mega Collection''' (US, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' — The Complete Collection: Mega Edition''' (UK, 2009)
*'''''Transformers'' Trilogy''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers'' Limited Edition Collector's Trilogy''' (2012)
{{-}}

===''Dark of the Moon''===
{{main|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)/home video}}
;<big>DVD</big>
*'''''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers'' Trilogy''' (2011)
;<big>Blu-ray</big>
*'''''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' — Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' — 3D Limited Edition''' (2012)
*'''''Transformers'' Trilogy''' (2011)
*'''''Transformers'' Limited Edition Collector's Trilogy''' (2012)

===''Age of Extinction''===
{{main|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)/home video}}
;<big>DVD</big>
*'''''Transformers: Age of Extinction''''' (2014)
;<big>Blu-ray</big>
*'''''Transformers: Age of Extinction'' — Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy''' (2014)
*'''''Transformers: Age of Extinction'' — Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy''' (2014)

===''The Last Knight''===
{{main|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)/home video}}
;<big>DVD</big>
*'''''Transformers: The Last Knight'' — DVD + Digital''' (2017)
;<big>Blu-ray</big>
*'''''Transformers: The Last Knight'' — Blu-ray + DVD + Digital''' (2017)
*'''''Transformers: The Last Knight'' — Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital''' (2017)
;<big>Ultra HD Blu-ray</big>
*'''''Transformers: The Last Knight'' — Ultra HD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital''' (2017)

===''Bumblebee''===
{{main|Bumblebee (film)/home video}}
;<big>VHS</big>
*'''''Bumblebee''''' (2019)
;<big>DVD</big>
*'''''Bumblebee''''' (2019)
;<big>Blu-ray</big>
*'''''Bumblebee'' — Blu-ray + DVD + Digital''' (2019)
;<big>Ultra HD Blu-ray</big>
*'''''Bumblebee'' — Ultra HD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital''' (2019)

===''EarthSpark''===
In a surprising move, seven years after [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015_cartoon)/home video#Shout.21 Factory|the last]] ''Transformers'' animated series season set release on home video in the United States, Paramount begn releasing the first season of ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'''s on DVD in [[2023]], with the first set's release timed to tie-in with the theatrical release of [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts]].

*'''''Transformers: EarthSpark'' — Season 1: Episodes 1-10''' (US: [[May 16]], 2023 / CAN: May 16, 2023)
:Contains the episodes "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]" through to "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]".
*'''''Transformers: EarthSpark'' — Season 1: Episodes 11-26''' (US/CAN: [[February 13]], [[2024]])
:Contains the episodes "[[Hashtag: Oops]]" through to "[[The Last Hope, Part 2]]".
<center><gallery>
Image:EarthSpark Season 1 Part 1 DVD.jpg|'''''EarthSpark'' — Season 1: Episodes 1-10 '''
Image:EarthSpark Season 1 Part 2 DVD.jpg|'''''EarthSpark'' — Season 1: Episodes 11-26 '''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Before the theatrical release of the film {{w|IF (film)|IF}}, the Paramount Pictures [[YouTube]] account released a short video showing various animated characters from Paramount related properties auditioning to be imaginary friends. One attending was [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (franchise)|Rise of the Beasts]] version of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]].<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeCCpEel5sc</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Home entertainment]]

File:EarthSpark Season 1 Part 2 DVD.jpg

2024-07-13T14:33:23Z

Jon T: Cover for Paramount's ''EarthSpark'' "Season 2, part 2" DVD. {{DVDEarthSparkcover}}

Cover for [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]'s ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'' "Season 2, part 2" DVD.

{{DVDEarthSparkcover}}

Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)

2024-07-13T14:30:26Z

Jon T: /* Home video releases */

{{Nav-earthspark}}
[[File:Transformers-EarthSpark-Poster-Nick.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|[[Nick Roche|By Nick,]] [[Nickelodeon|for Nick]].]]
'''''Transformers: EarthSpark'' ''' is an animated series that made its debut in November [[2022]] in support of the [[franchises|franchise]] of [[Transformers: EarthSpark (franchise)|the same name]]. First announced on [[February 25]], [[2021]], alongside ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|Transformers: BotBots]]'',<ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/02/nickelodeon-orders-transformers-animated-comedy-series-hasbro-franchise-1234700661/ Nickelodeon Orders 'Transformers' Animated Series Based On Hasbro Franchise — Deadline]</ref> the series was co-produced by [[Entertainment One]], [[Hasbro Entertainment]] and [[Nickelodeon Animation Studio]]. In the U.S., the series premiered on [[Paramount+]] on [[November 11]], 2022 with the first 10 episodes of the season. The series also airs on [[Nickelodeon]], with the first two episodes premiering on the same date as a special preview, and the rest of the series premiering on [[February 10]], 2023; a Japanese release followed in October 2023. The series is currently in its second season, which premiered in June 2024.

{{bigquote|What you are doesn't define who you are. We are all -- MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!|Tagline}}

==Premise==
Fifteen years after the end of the [[Great War (ES)|war]] between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, young [[human]]s [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto]] are struggling to adapt after moving from [[Philadelphia]] to the small town of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], [[Pennsylvania]]. When they find a [[Emberstone|strange object]] in a cave, it grants them mysterious robotic [[cyber-sleeve]]s and gives life to [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]]—the first ever [[Transformer]]s to be born on [[Earth]]. Bonded to them through their cyber-sleeves, the Maltos adopt the two [[Terran]]s into their family. The Autobots, now working with [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] and the secret human organization [[G.H.O.S.T.]] to protect Earth from the remaining rogue Decepticons, reach out to the Maltos and offer the Terrans the chance to be mentored by [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]. With new threats on the horizon, such as the mad scientist [[Mandroid]] and the various Decepticons still at large, the Maltos work together to keep each other safe and learn more about each other, including what it truly means to be a family.

==Characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] ([[Danny Pudi]])
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Alan Tudyk]])
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] ([[Cissy Jones]])
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] ([[Michael T. Downey]])
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] ([[Keith David]])
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] ([[Martha Marion]])
*[[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] ([["Weird Al" Yankovic]])
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] ([[Rory McCann]])
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] ([[Nolan North]])
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (Nolan North)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] ([[Nicole Dubuc]])
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (Nicole Dubuc)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] ([[Sean Kenin Reyes]])
**[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] ([[Tiana Camacho]])
**[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] ([[Jake Green]])
**[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]]
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] ([[Roger Craig Smith]])
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] ([[Troy Baker]])
*[[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]] ([[Alfie Allen]])
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]]
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]]
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]]
*[[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]]
|h3=[[Terran]]s||c3=
;Malto family
*[[Twitch]] ([[Kathreen Khavari]])
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] ([[Zeno Robinson]])
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] ([[Stephanie Lemelin]])
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] ([[Cyrus Arnold]])
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] ([[Z Infante]])
;Chaos Terrans
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] ([[Zelda Williams]])
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] ([[Flea]])
;Titans
*[[Terratronus]] ([[Claudia Black]])
|h4=[[Human]]s||c4=
;Malto family
*[[Robby Malto]] ([[Sydney Mikayla]])
*[[Mo Malto]] ([[Zion Broadnax]])
*[[Dot Malto]] ([[Benni Latham]])
*[[Alex Malto]] ([[Jon Jon Briones]])
;[[G.H.O.S.T.]]
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] ([[Kari Wahlgren]])
*[[Mandroid]] ([[Diedrich Bader]])
*[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] ([[Marc Evan Jackson]])
*[[Bala|Agent Bala]] ([[Krizia Bajos]])
*[[Bagheri|Agent Bagheri]] (Kathreen Khavari)
*[[Kwan|Cadet Kwan]] ([[Sherry Cola]])
*[[Conway|Cadet Conway]] ([[Jason Marsden]])
*[[Rosato|Cadet Rosato]] ([[Kaitlyn Robrock]])
;Others
*[[Fairmaestro]] ([[Richard Ayoade]])
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] ([[Siena Agudong]])
*[[Smelt|Mr. Smelt]] ([[Daran Norris]])
*[[Mischa]] ([[Grace Lu]])
*[[Bruno Lowe]] ([[Dasan Turner]])
*[[Stevie]] ([[Luca Diaz]])
*[[Sam (ES)|Sam]] ([[Alisha Mullally]])
*[[Taylor (ES)|Taylor]] (Kaitlyn Robrock)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintus Prime]] ([[Clancy Brown]])
*[[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioner]] ([[Fred Tatasciore]])
*[[V.A.L.]] (Cissy Jones)
*[[Arachnamech]]s
*[[Fluffy Ears]]
*[[Dweller (ES)|The Dweller]]
*[[Ghoid]]s
;[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Blitzwave]] (Nolan North)
*[[Razor-Fin]] (Steve Blum)
|nonumbering=true}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of EarthSpark episodes}}

===Season 1===
{{collist|4|
# [[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]
# [[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]
# [[Moo-ving In]]
# [[House Rules]]
# [[Classified]]
# [[Traditions]]
# [[Friends and Family]]
# [[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]
# [[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]
# [[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]
# [[Hashtag: Oops]]
# [[Outtakes]]
# [[Missed Connection]]
# [[Security Protocols]]
# [[Bear Necessities]]
# [[Warzone]]
# [[Home, Part 1]]
# [[Home, Part 2]]
# [[A Stygi Situation]]
# [[Disarmed]]
# [[What Dwells Within]]
# [[Prime Time (episode)|Prime Time]]
# [[Stowed Away, Stowaways]]
# [[The Battle of Witwicky]]
# [[The Last Hope, Part 1]]
# [[The Last Hope, Part 2]]
}}
===Season 2===
{{collist|4|
#[[Aftermath (ES episode)|Aftermath]]
#[[In Ruins]]
#[[Control Alt Delete]]
#[[The Butterfly Effect]]
#[[Togetherness]]
#[[Spitfire (episode)|Spitfire]]
#[[The Imposters]]
#[[Dude, Where's My Trailer?]]
#[[Witwicky, Part 1]]
#[[Witwicky, Part 2]]

}}

==Creative team==
The series was developed for television by [[Dale Malinowski]], [[Nicole Dubuc]], and [[Ant Ward]], who all served as executive producers; [[Ciro Nieli]] joined them in executive-producing the first two-parter, but stepped back to the role of "consulting producer" for the rest of the season. Dubuc also served as story editor for the first season, being joined in the role by [[Mae Catt]] partway through production. Other staff include supervising director [[Glen Murakami]]; storyboard directors [[J.J. Conway]], [[Matthew Humphreys]], [[Alex Kwan]], [[Sebastian Montes]], and [[Jordan Rosato]]; staff writers [[Bernard Badion]], [[Isabel Galupo]], and [[Maasai Singleton]]; character designers [[Nick Roche]] and [[Angelo Vilar]]; voice director [[Kristi Reed]]; and series composers [[Crush Effect]]. The season featured 3D [[computer-generated imagery|CG animation]] by Canadian production house [[Icon Creative Studio]].

''EarthSpark'' underwent a notable shakeup in production for its second season. Dubuc officially departed as executive producer and story editor, having already stepped away from the series halfway through the first season to work on a new project. Mae Catt also did not return as story editor, and was succeeded in the position by [[Amy Wolfram]]. The entire stable of storyboard directors and staff writers were also replaced: taking their places are directors [[Vinton Heuck|Vinton T. Heuck]], [[Will Ruzicka]], [[Scooter Tidwell]], and [[Sheldon Vella]], and writers [[Ian Busch]] and [[Matt Wayne]]. Animation duties were transferred to Indian animation studio [[88 Pictures]]; series CG Supervisor [[Michael Launder]] explained that the change of studio was due to the fact that the stresses of production during season one had caused "the mental health and well being" of the Icon and Nick teams to suffer.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Some background: hasbro and nick decided to switch to a new studio as the mental health and well being of icon and the nick team was suffering during S1.|link=https://x.com/mtlaunder/status/1799443950358692082|name=Michael Launder|site=Twitter|title=|year=2024|month=06|day=08}}</ref>

==Home video releases==
{{main|Paramount Pictures#EarthSpark}}
;United States
*''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 (2023)
*''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 (2024)

==Notes==
* The series was originally planned to premiere on Nickelodeon first, with international releases to follow. At Nickelodeon's upfront in March 2022, a newer announcement clarified that the series would premiere globally on Paramount+ in November 2022.<ref>[https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2022/03/30/transformers-earthspark-november/ Transformers: EarthSpark Rolls Out on Paramount+ This November]</ref> While its presence on the channel itself remained unclear leading up to release, the first two episodes also premiered on Nick the same day, both in the US and most international markets.
* Early in its development, the show was titled "''Transformers: Home World''".

===Foreign names===
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: A Centelha da Terra''''' ("Transformers: EarthSpark")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: La Chispa de la Tierra''''' ('Transformers: Earth Spark")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/transformers-earthspark/ ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' on Paramount+]
* [https://www.nick.com/shows/transformers-earthspark/ EarthSpark on Nick.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earthspark}}
[[Category:EarthSpark| ]]
[[Category:Television series]]

The Last Hope, Part 2

2024-07-13T14:22:57Z

Jon T:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 26
|image=
|caption=
|prev=The Last Hope, Part 1
|next=Aftermath (ES episode)
|title="The Last Hope, Part 2"
|season=1
|season ep=26
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 20]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/XHFKDq41DcmbCexqIO33FTCo17_n9et2/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''With time of the essence, the Terrans unite to bring down Mandroid's superweapon and save their family.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Twitch]], [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] and [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] stare up at the huge structure topped with the [[space bridge]], which [[Mandroid]] intends to use to wipe out [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]] and [[Terran]] alike. Together with [[Jon Schloder|Schloder]], they resolve to do all they can to stop the maniac's plan and head off towards the tower.

Mandroid notes that his weapon still needs to finish charging, as it draws power from [[Mo Malto|Mo]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]]'s [[cyber-sleeve]]s. He orders [[Blitzwave]] and [[Razor-Fin]] to guard the spire, and begins to put his other defense plan into action, activating his badge controller. As Bumblebee drives along, he is suddenly rammed from the side by the mind-controlled [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], sending him tumbling. Fortunately both he and Schloder survive the experience, but as Nightshade and Twitch help them up, [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] drives into view, her eyes similarly glowing white. The group flees to the railyard to hide, pursued by the two Mandroid-controlled Autobots. During the resulting fight, Mandroid's spear is knocked from Nightshade's hands and under a train, leading Bumblebee to attempt to take on Optimus while the others retrieve it. Schloder grabs the spear, but the trio soon find themselves pursued by Elita-1. Schloder is knocked unconscious during the chase, and Twitch ends up pinned under fallen containers. With Elita-1 closing in, all seems lost, until Nightshade drops a crane on her and uses the spear to drain her energon. They're then able to help Bumblebee against Optimus, but the Autobot leader still proves more than a match. Before he can finish them, the tide turns as [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] and [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] return to join the fight. Together, they keep him busy long enough for Twitch to use the spear on him. After the newcomers are filled in on current events, the group once again heads for Mandroid's fortress.

At the end of a bridge, they're again abruptly stopped by [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] and [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]], and their retreat is cut off by a wall of flame produced by [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]]. Bumblebee and Schloder stay to keep the Autobots busy, while the Terrans fly off to face Mandroid himself. As they near the spire, they again come under fire, this time from the Sharkticons. While Jawbreaker, Nightshade and Hashtag keep them busy, Twitch and Thrash fly up the tower. Twitch confronts Mandroid directly as a distraction while Thrash sneaks up to the space bridge, but he proves unfazed by the Terran. Instead, Mandroid holds up his badge controller and [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] flies into view. Transforming, Megatron knocks Twitch down and aims his [[fusion cannon]] at her. Thrash frantically tells Twitch to fly, giving away his position but giving Twitch the opportunity she needs to escape. Locked in combat with Mandroid, Thrash tries to point out that the scientist has turned himself into exactly what he hates, but his arguments fall on deaf ears, as do Twitch's attempts to break Megatron free of his control. As a swarm of Megatron's missiles close in on Twitch, they're countered by a barrage from the other direction — [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] has arrived with the rest of the Decepticons and some [[G.H.O.S.T.]] agents, having heard what they did for the other Decepticons and deciding to join the fight.

Twitch heads back to confront Mandroid with Thrash, and the pair are able to overcome their foe, but he responds by announcing the end of the age of Transformers, bringing the space bridge weapon online. A blast of energy is unleashed, and every Autobot, Decepticon, Terran and Sharkticon drops to the ground. The energy sweeps around [[Earth]], and Mandroid triumphantly laughs that the world is finally free of "those monsters" before falling silent. Twitch is the only one to survive, partially shielded from the blast thanks to Thrash throwing himself on her to protect her, and breaks down in tears. The human members of the Malto family regain consciousness and free themselves from Mandroid's device, only to see what Mandroid has done. They too begin to mourn, but when [[Robby Malto|Robby]]'s cyber-sleeve glows at his tears, he realizes he and Mo can use the power of [[Quintus Prime]] to heal everyone. Sitting on Mandroid's throne, the kids touch their sleeves together and the [[Emberstone]] appears between them. Quintus's power runs through Mandroid's device and then across the planet, restoring the Transformers to life. The Malto family, back together again, embrace as Quintus projects a huge [[insignia]] above the spire, one which the family identifies as their own. As they leave, Robby and Mo agree that they love it in [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (10)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (11)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (15)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (16)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (17)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (18)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (20)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (21)
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (22)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (23)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (24)
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (26)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (31)

|c3=
*[[Jon Schloder]] (4)
*[[Mo Malto]] (6)
*[[Robby Malto]] (7)
*[[Rosato|Agent Rosato]] (27)
*[[Conway|Agent Conway]] (28)
*[[Dot Malto]] (29)
*[[Alex Malto]] (30)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (1)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (2)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (12)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (13)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (14)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Mandroid]] (5)
*[[Blitzwave]] (8)
*[[Razor-Fin]] (9)
*[[Fluffy Ears]] (32)
*[[Quintus Prime]] (33)
}}

==Quotes==
"How do we stop Mandroid now?" 
"We fight. Every Cybertronian on Earth is counting on us, and so is our family."
:—'''Twitch''' and '''Nightshade'''

"I'll be honest. We don't stand much chance against Mandroid, but we're their last hope. What do you say?"
:—'''Twitch''' gives a stirring if not completely optimistic speech.

"Starscream?!" 
"The news spread quickly of your—" 
"Awthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" 
"Yes! OK! That's enough... affection."
:—'''Twitch''' welcomes '''Starscream''' to the battle.

'''Jawbreaker:''' "Wow. It's like a symbol..." 
'''Bumblebee:''' "Of hope." 
'''Nightshade:''' "Of us Terrans...nay, Maltos."

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*While battling Mandroid, Twitch uses her arm cannon to propel herself forward to attack Mandroid with increased momentum, Megatron used this same move while battling the Seekers back in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]".
*Quintus once again refers to the Maltos as the "Legacy of Hope", as he first did back in "[[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]".
*The last lines of the season are Robby telling Mo he thinks he loves it in Witwicky and her agreeing; this mimics the last lines of "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]", which was the other way around.
*This episode marks the debut of the [[Terran]] insignia in the series.

===Transformers references===
*Schloder yells "Rescue Bots to the rescue!", a paraphrasing of [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]]'s catchphrase from the ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' cartoon.
*Hardtop's horn plays the classic "[[theme song|Ro-bots in dis-guise!]]" melody.

===Real-world references===

===Errors===

===Trivia===
* Like previous two-parters, most online distribution platforms, such as [[Paramount+]], do not list this episode separately from Part 2, instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.
* According to storyboard artist [[India Swift]], the resurrection sequence was actually animated to sync up with "[[The Touch]]", as the showrunners had hoped to license the song for the episode.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The last bit with all of the Transformers being resurrected was actually timed to ‘The Touch’ by Stan Bush, in case we could get it for the finale!|link=https://www.tumblr.com/oldswifty/725026399658885120/here-is-pt3-of-the-earthspark-finale-big-spoilers|name=India Swift|site=Tumblr|year=2023|month=08|day=07}}</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Végső reményszikra, 2. rész'''" ("Final Spark of Hope, part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 7]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le dernier espoir, Partie 2'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 14]], 2023

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Última Esperança, Parte 2'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023
::*Twitch calling the Sharkticons "air sharks" is kept in English and treated as if that's their actual name instead of something she just came up with on the spot.
::*Nightshade's line "Of us Terrans...nay, Maltos" is changed to an equivalent of "Of us Terrans...isn't it, Maltos?"

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{epstub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Hope, Part 2}}
[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Last Hope, Part 1

2024-07-13T14:22:39Z

Jon T:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 25
|image=Mandroidnewform.jpg
|caption=
|prev=The Battle of Witwicky
|next=The Last Hope, Part 2
|title="The Last Hope, Part 1"
|season=1
|season ep=25
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 20]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/XHFKDq41DcmbCexqIO33FTCo17_n9et2/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''With Mandroid having returned more dangerous than ever, the Maltos are put on the defensive as they struggle to survive.'''

==Synopsis==
At the Malto farm, a portal crackles in the sky as the newly-returned and augmented [[Mandroid]] opens a panel in his new cybernetic body to reveal his face. When [[Karen Croft|Croft]] expresses surprise at his appearance, he reveals that by his clock he's gone for about a year. His henchmen, [[Blitzwave]] and [[Razor-Fin]], also swoop down from the portal and Mandroid explains that he liberated the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s' planet from their oppressors. When [[Twitch]] defiantly asserts they'll defeat Mandroid, he responds by draining [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]'s energon, putting the [[Decepticon]] in shutdown. Mandroid demands they turn over [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]]'s [[cyber-sleeve]]s, at which point the Maltobots attack him, leaving him on the back foot long enough for the entire family to make a run for it. He sends the two Sharkticons after them, and when Croft asks pointedly about the changes Mandroid's control device seems to be making to her, he invites her to meet him at the [[space bridge]].

As the Maltos flee through the woods, the pursuing Sharkticons bring trees down ahead of them. The Maltobots attempt to avoid the falling trees, but in the process, [[Alex Malto|Alex]] and [[Dot Malto|Dot]] are thrown into the air and Razor-Fin swallows them whole. The shocked kids have no choice but to continue their flight, lest Robby and Mo be captured. The Sharkicons manage to catch up while they're still trying to formulate a plan, and a rocket from the pair sends [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]], [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] plummeting down a waterfall. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] and [[Twitch]] attempt an aerial escape with Robby and Mo until Mandroid shoots them down. A fight ensues, with the four Maltos managing to overcome the two Sharkticons. However, Mandroid knocks Nightshade and Twitch aside, seizing the two humans and draining the energy from their cyber-sleeves before tossing them into Razor-Fin's mouth. Blitzwave blasts the remaining pair with missiles as the evil trio depart. The pair dig themselves out of the rubble and Nightshade attempts to raise the spirits of a now-despondent Twitch.

[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] and [[Jon Schloder|Schloder]] are playing a card game in a G.H.O.S.T. cell. [[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] accuses Bee of cheating just before the power cuts out. Twitch and Nightshade make quick work of the [[Ghoid]] guards and cut the power to Bee and Schloder's cell, before Twitch insists they free the Decepticons as well, given G.H.O.S.T. has not turned out to be all that was promised. Schloder announces G.H.O.S.T. is finished, dramatically pulling off his badge, but the kids have already deactivated all of the cells. They attempt to talk the 'Cons into helping fight Mandroid, but the former prisoners aren't interested and depart. The remaining group head to the space bridge, where they spy on Croft and Mandroid. The latter explains that Croft's scarring is due to an infusion of [[energon]] from the badge controller. He activates the space bridge to demonstrate how it can be weaponized to target energon, causing Croft's skin to slowly decay until a burst of energy leaps from the bridge to her, killing her outright. Mandroid intends to power up the bridge, which will allow him to eliminate every energon-based being on the planet. Twitch has to restrain Schloder as they come up with a counter-plan, but his rage at the death of his sister causes him to charge Mandroid regardless. Nightshade uses their [[hologram emitter]] to cover Schloder by creating an army of fakes of themself, as the others join the bum rush. Bumblebee makes it to the space bridge, but Mandroid attacks him before he can make the required changes, swiftly overcoming the Autobot. Twitch and Nightshade attempt to come to Bee's rescue, leading to Mandroid impaling Nightshade with his spear...but then the hologram fades, revealing it's actually the unharmed Schloder, who blasts Mandroid and takes possession of the spear. Everyone piles through the space bridge to escape, but as Twitch leaps, she spots the four human members of the Malto family, unconscious and wired into the tangle of mechanical vines linked to the bridge.

Twitch lands on the other side of the space bridge link and Bee blasts the receiving pad, shutting down the portal. She quickly explains to the others what she saw, but before they can formulate a rescue plan, the ground shakes and a huge edifice rises from the ground, topped with the space bridge and Mandroid himself.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (4)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (11)
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (21)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (22)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (23)
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (24)
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] (25)
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]] (26)
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]] (27)
|c3=
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (1)
*[[Dot Malto]] (7)
*[[Robby Malto]] (14)
*[[Mo Malto]] (15)
*[[Alex Malto]] (16)
*[[Jon Schloder]] (20)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (8)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (9)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (10)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (12)
*[[Twitch]] (13)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Ghoid]]s (2)
*[[Mandroid]] (6)
*[[Blitzwave]] (17)
*[[Razor-Fin]] (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ugh, a foul stench." 
"I wonder how they taste."
:—'''Razor-Fin''' and '''Blitzwave''' eye up the humans.

"Twitch, you are capable of lighting our darkest hour. Shine, and I will follow you anywhere."
:—'''Nightshade''' encourages their sister.

"Please, don't give up on Earth." 
"Earth ain't exactly been home to us."
:—'''Twitch''' is unsuccessful in convincing '''Breakdown''' to help.

"This is for my sister."
:—'''Schloder''' out for revenge.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*As with the previous episode, this picks up where the previous one left off.
*Nightshade's hologram emitter was previously seen being brought into G.H.O.S.T. HQ by Bumblebee during his infiltration in "[[Stowed Away, Stowaways]]".

===Transformers references===
*Although Mandroid doesn't name the oppressors he freed the Sharkticons from, previous ''Transformers'' series have traditionally depicted the species as servants of the [[Quintesson]]s. A sign of things to come, perhaps...?
*Nightshade tells Twitch that she can light their [[darkest hour]].

===Real-world references===

===Errors===

===Trivia===
* Like previous two-parters, most online distribution platforms, such as [[Paramount+]], do not list this episode separately from Part 2, instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.

===Foreign localization===
'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Végső reményszikra, 1. rész'''" ("Final Spark of Hope, part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 1]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le dernier espoir, Partie 1'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 8]], 2023
::*The vocal effect applied on Soundwave's voice is different from the one used in other episodes.

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Última Esperança, Parte 1'''" ("The Last Hope, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Hope, Part 1}}
[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Battle of Witwicky

2024-07-13T14:22:21Z

Jon T:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 24
|image=
|caption=
|prev=Stowed Away, Stowaways
|next=The Last Hope, Part 1
|title="The Battle of Witwicky"
|season=1
|season ep=24
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 20]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Mae Catt]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[Sebastian Montes]], [[Alex Kwan]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/Y6j_lgoqByw0V0saoDvo55HwhnIjeeKw/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''With Agent Croft now moving against them, the Malto family and their allies gather to make their last stand.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Mandroid]] finds [[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] overseeing cleanup around the still-active [[space bridge]]. He informs her that he's found a cure for his condition and presents her with a new device — one which, as he demonstrates, will give her power over anyone or anything wearing a [[G.H.O.S.T.]] badge. She immediately tries to turn the tables by slapping a badge on Mandroid, but he catches her arm and dangles her in the air, telling her that she should be focusing on the Malto offspring. Making changes to the space bridge settings, he tosses Croft aside and, despite her protests that it's untested, walks through.

Elsewhere, [[Robby Malto|Robby]], [[Twitch]], [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] are fleeing from [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] through a corn field. Robby observes that the 'Con is wearing a badge like the one Mandroid used to control [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]], shortly before Shockwave shoots down Nightshade and menaces them, but after a brief fight, the Maltos again attempt to get away. Back at the farm, Hashtag is desperately trying to reestablish communications with the others, when [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] points out that the system is tracking them and they're heading into [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]]. The townsfolk flee as Shockwave fires wildly at the Maltos, however one of the townsfolk is an undercover G.H.O.S.T. agent who calls HQ to raise the alarm. G.H.O.S.T. starts mobilizing, with an agent briefing [[Dot Malto]]. The Maltos manage to take Shockwave down once [[Mo Malto|Mo]] slices the cable to his arm cannon, but the celebrating team is quickly surrounded by G.H.O.S.T. agents. One of the agents panics and fires a rocket, which Thrash deflects, resulting it it instead hitting the road in front of Dot's truck, creating a crater that she crashes into. [[Alex Malto|Alex]] arrives and goes to help her, but she instead tells him to go aid the kids. With Alex's help, the Maltos are able to get away bar Dot, who's surrounded by agents.

Back at the farm, Nightshade thinks they can safely remove Mandroid's control tech from Shockwave, though Twitch believes the Decepticon will still turn on them. Hashtag argues that as she knows what it's like to be controlled by Mandroid, and Jawbreaker points out that helping Shockwave is what Dot would have wanted. Thrash laments that maybe the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s have permanently ruined things with their war, but both Alex and Twitch refute that logic. Shockwave reactivates, but he's only interested in getting revenge on Croft — as it turns out, Hashtag discovers that G.H.O.S.T. has placed a communications blackout on Witwicky, so they can't get help in going after the clandestine organization. Shockwave shows her a subspace frequency to use to try to get around the block, but as she's doing that, Croft arrives at the farm with Dot. Alex intercepts them at the door and Croft invites herself into the house, hoping to meet the rest of the family. The two parents try to play along with her, and Alex makes the excuse that the kids are at a friend's place, stepping out to go "pick them up", only to find a troop of [[Ghoid]]s outside the house.

In the Dugout, the kids resolve to fight their way out if necessary. Croft delivers an ultimatum to Dot to turn the Maltobots over to G.H.O.S.T., which Dot doesn't take kindly to and, as the bots crash out of the barn to battle the Ghoids, Dot and Croft start their own fight in the house. The battle outside is going so-so when reinforcements arrive in the form of [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]], [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]], [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]], [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] and [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]], who received Hashtag's distress call. Dot kicks Croft out through the front door, and once the agent sees the comprehensive pounding her forces are undergoing outside, she goes to make an escape. A G.H.O.S.T. truck pulls up, only for Optimus to smash it with his axe. The Autobots surround Croft and Optimus demands she stand down, but instead she pulls out the device Mandroid gave her earlier and activates it. To her surprise, it attaches itself to the back of her hand and as the Autobots around her collapse, glowing lines appear over her skin. The Ghoids begin picking themselves up, restraining Shockwave and surrounding the Maltos. Dot tries to reason with Croft to no avail, but to the surprise of everyone present, clouds start gathering overhead. A portal opens in the sky and through it comes a monstrous robotic figure that speaks in the voice of Mandroid...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (16)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (18)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (19)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (20)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (8)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (17)
|c3=
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (1)
*[[Mandroid]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (5)
*[[Mo Malto]] (10)
*Plainclothes G.H.O.S.T. agent (12)
*[[Dot Malto]] (13)
*G.H.O.S.T. agents (14)
*[[Alex Malto]] (15)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (4)
*[[Twitch]] (6)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (7)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (9)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (11)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Ghoid]]s (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"We never should have been fighting in town like that anyway. If we hadn't, maybe mom—" 
"No, your mother stayed behind so we could be safe. You're learning the world is a complicated place, and what is good or just isn't always easy. But your mother and I, we will always be proud of you for trying."
:—'''Thrash''' gets some encouragement from '''Alex'''.

"Shockwave." 
"Megatron." 
"Clever using the old Decepticon emergency line." 
"I think you mean 'ingenious'."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Shockwave''' are reunited.

"All you Cybertronians do is destroy each other. I'll be lucky if there's anything left of your miserable planet to conquer!"
:—'''Croft''' in full supervillain mode.

"Ahh... home sweet home."
:—'''Mandroid''' in his new, ''way'' creepier body.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This episode picks up right where the previous one left off, with Robby, Twitch, Thrash and Nightshade being menaced by Shockwave.
*The Terrans' opinions on what to do with Shockwave are all shaped by their past experiences. Twitch still assumes Shockwave will attack them as he did back in "[[Warzone]]"; Nightshade thinks Shockwave should be given another chance thanks to their experience with [[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]] in "[[Missed Connection]]"; and Hashtag can sympathize with being under Mandroid's control, as happened to her in "[[Home, Part 2]]".

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===

===Errors===

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===
'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kereszttűzben'''" ("In a Crossfire")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 30]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La bataille de Witwicky'''" ("The Battle of Witwicky")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 7]], 2023

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Batalha de Witwicky'''" ("The Battle of Witwicky")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Stowed Away, Stowaways

2024-07-13T14:22:08Z

Jon T:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 23
|image=
|caption=
|prev=Prime Time (episode)
|next=The Battle of Witwicky
|title="Stowed Away, Stowaways"
|season=1
|season ep=23
|airdate=[[July 28]], [[2023]] (Paramount+) [[April 20]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Entertainment One]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Gavin Hignight]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|directors=[[Matthew Humphreys]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/xI45RnwJvvQBBdoBCdKdaFel_LbA_Bgg/
|videosite=Paramount+
|video2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtoMgOzZkCY
|videosite2=YouTube
}}

'''Bumblebee infiltrates G.H.O.S.T. on a secret mission, unaware that the Maltos are following him.'''

==Synopsis==
In the dark of night, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] meets with [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] at [[Witwicky Donuts]]. Optimus has found a piece of [[Mandroid]] technology in [[G.H.O.S.T.]] HQ and assigns Bumblebee the task of infiltrating a section of the HQ that Optimus doesn't have access to.

At the Malto farm the next morning, the kids are playing a round of "the floor is lava", though [[Robby Malto|Robby]] objects to [[Twitch]] using her alt mode to fly. Bumblebee tells them he can't join the game as he has a mission and, though the kids want to help, Bumblebee prefers to keep them off G.H.O.S.T.'s radar. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] provides him with a [[mobile hologram emitter]] and the [[Smart Trainer|Smart Trainer 5008]]. As the scout heads off, the kids resolve to help him in his mission anyway. To this end, Twitch tails him using her alt mode, though she struggles to keep up and ends up smashed into the front of a truck at one point.

At HQ, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] and [[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] argue about how best to pursue [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] until Optimus interrupts them to encourage cooperation. Croft turns down Optimus's query about the areas of the base he can't access.

Twitch tracks Bumblebee to the [[Witwicky Ranger Station]], where he heads into a tunnel hidden behind a huge boulder. Once she reports back to the [[Dugout]] via radio, Robby takes [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and Nightshade to join her while the others remain back to monitor from the Dugout. While Bumblebee stealthily makes his way through the G.H.O.S.T. base, the Maltos rendezvous at the ranger station and access the secret elevator in the back. [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] remotely activates the lift, allowing Twitch to pose as a pizza-delivery drone and distract the G.H.O.S.T. agent down below so the others can sneak in. Meanwhile Bumblebee finds himself in a corridor laced with laser tripwires and uses the Smart Trainer to deactivate them. Unfortunately this involves smashing the control panel, which also leaves Bumblebee unable to open the door at the other end.

[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]], conferring on the phone regarding the pizza he supposedly delivered, literally bumps into the Malto quartet as they sneak around the base and though Nightshade immediately restrains him, he's able to trigger the base-wide alarm on his phone. Turrets start pelting the group with fire until they manage to convince Schloder to shut the alert off. Elsewhere Optimus delays Croft from investigating the alert shortly before it goes silent. Schloder's enthusiastic that Bumblebee's around as he's been trying to recruit the scout for G.H.O.S.T. for ages, and he joins the group in attempting to find Bee.

Bumblebee finally opens the door and discovers what G.H.O.S.T.'s been hiding from them — the salvaged [[space bridge|spacebridge]]. Croft finds him inspecting the device and sics a G.H.O.S.T. agent on him. To Bee's surprise the agent displays superhuman abilities and is more than a match for him. Meanwhile Megatron has realized Prime is up to something and insists they take more direct action, but Optimus has confidence whatever Bee uncovers by stealth will help them. During the fight, Bumblebee knocks the agent's helmet off, revealing it to be an artificial construct, and Croft calls in more of these "[[Ghoid]]s" to finish him off. Scholder and the Maltos find the Smart Trainer and hurry their efforts to find Bumblebee. They succeed, finding Croft about to deactivate Bee, and join the fight against the Ghoids. Schloder tries to unsuccessfully to convince his sister to stop, but Croft refuses, believing Cybertronians bring only destruction and having spent years secretly gathering resources to wipe them and [[Cybertron (planet)|their planet]] out. Unable to make her see reason, Schloder activates the spacebridge as an escape route with Bumblebee's help. Though both Bee and Schloder are captured by the Ghoids, Nightshade, Robby, Twitch and Thrash manage to make it through the portal and end up outside. They're just trying to work out where they are when a new figure looms over them — [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (15)
|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (4)
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (11)
*[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] (12)
*G.H.O.S.T. Agent (13)
|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (6)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (7)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (8)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (9)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Ghoid]]s (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Bye, Bumblebee!" 
"...We're totally gonna help Bee, right?" 
"Obviously."
:—'''Mo''' and '''Robby'''

"I was under the impression this was an equal partnership." 
"You are mistaken. Now, if that's all, I have an organization to run."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Agent Croft'''

"Smart Trainer, I need you to travel to the other end of the corridor and evade all those tripwire lasers." 
"It would be a better training exercise if ''you'' were to evade all these lasers." 
"Just get over there and avoid the lasers!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' gets lip from the '''Smart Trainer'''.

"''Deception'', Optimus? Consider me impressed".
:—'''Megatron'''

"Bumblebee! You really are here!" 
"Oh, ''great''."
:—'''Schloder''' and '''Bumblebee'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The Smart Trainer and hologram disguise first appeared during "[[Missed Connection]]".
*Starscream escaped during the events of "[[What Dwells Within]]" and is still at large.
*While not explicitly stated, the Ghoids possess the same six eyes beneath their masks as the [[Arachnamech]]s, implying them to be one of the creations Mandroid developed after being recruited by Croft in "[[Home, Part 2]]".
*Shockwave was previously seen being taken into custody by G.H.O.S.T. in "[[Warzone]]".

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
*Bumblebee and Optimus Prime evoke the taped briefings from TV show ''{{w|Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible}}'' as Optimus gives Bee his mission.
*The spacebridge is installed in a manner reminiscent of the title device from ''{{w|Stargate (film)|Stargate}}'' and even has a similar activation sequence.
*Bumblebee starts quoting the film ''{{w|Predator (film)|Predator}}'' with the line "Buddy, you are one ugly—" but fortunately for the rating, does not complete the quote.
*After Twitch bumps into the truck, transforms to robot mode, and then flies off, the trucker immediately pours out what he was drinking as a [[tvtropes:Main/NoMoreForMe|classic gag]].

===Errors===

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===
'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Potyázó portyázók'''" ("Freeloading Prowlers")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 24]], 2023

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La mission de Bumblebee'''" ("Bumblebee's Mission")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 1]], 2023

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Intruso Escondido'''" ("Hidden Intruder")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 29]], 2023

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2024 — ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]